Software: JTDX
Logger: HRD4/5
Station: Icom IC-7300 50W
Antenna: Multiband Inverted-V 2x20m open line fed, apex 12m agl, HF vertical 16m agl
Total distance worked: Approx. 235000km
I've participated in the JT9 activity days organized by Russian Digital Radio Club last weekend and enjoyed it very much. At first I had to get used to the 60 second periods again, it is so slow compared to FT8 or FT4. But it picks up such weak signals and it is easy to find a empty spot in the waterfall even when the frequency is crowded since the bandwidth of the signal is only 15Hz. And it was crowded! I think there was a lot of interest in using JT9 this weekend even from DX stations. I think 20m was the most occupied band although I made QSOs on 80,40,30,20,17 and 15m. I've been listening/looking at 160m, 12m and 10m but so far only on 10m I saw one station from Poland which didn't seem te receive me unfortunately. no signals seen on 160m and 12m. I had something else that didn't occur before to me as far as I can remember, I had some strange fading all the time, at least from the waterfall it looked like that. I couldn't see it on the S-meter and couldn't hear it from the audio signals. If anyone knows what it is causing? You can see it on the picture above, I had this all the time on 20m and 17m. Not on other bands. Could it be influence from nearby strong FT8 signals??
In the end I made 85 QSOs from 27 DXCC. Unfortunately I was unable to be on air during the morning so I probabely missed VK and ZL. That doesn't matter since I enjoyed the DX anyway. Hope to participate again next year.
3 comments:
Very nice to work you, Bas! Although I did obey my own rules not to lose much sleep during this activity, I neverthless spent most of the two daylight periods doing as much as I could. I managed abot 130 QSOs, but propagation, even with JT9, was not spectacular on 14MHz.
As to the fading, yes, it is due to AGC-swamping by the FT8 signals nearby. It's unfortunate that FT8 operators don't recognise there is JT9 activity and keep well clear of that frequency range - all part of the Americanised wild-west that is amateur radio today. Using some IF shift usually helps a lot, as the easiest solution, provided the FT8 is to the side of, and not in the middle of the JT9 signals.
Tnx for the nice QSO on 20 John, you probabely have seen your call in the screenshot already. Yes, I did use IF shift on 80m and didn´t have much `fading` there. However it never occured to me that AGC would be the cause on 20m. JTDX has a kind of AGC compensation, I believe I could set AGC off. Not shure about that. Will test it next year. 130 QSOs wow, that´s nice...only on 20m? I didn;t see much USA on 20m by the way, could be I was on at the wrong time. Did you make any QSOs with VK? 73, Bas
98% was on 20m, with only a small number on 40 and 30m. I thought I was better working many bands last year, but I am not sure that was wise - or maybe I remember wrongly? Well, up against people with huge antennas, and those using remote and even multiple remote stations, the whole JT9 day is a little, shall we say, 'Putin-esque' in its rules...
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