Thanks to short wave listenerΒ Bill Smith, W1-7897Β for sending on his reception report for April 2024.
Bill who is located near Douglas in Massachusetts in the United States is using a Yaesu FT-847 as a receiver on the 40 MHz (8m) band with a 5-element beam for the 50 MHz band about 6m above ground level.
40 MHz reception report from Bill Smith, W1-7897 for April 2024:
5th April 2024: PJ4MM (FK52) logged between 16:59 and 17:04 UTC calling CQ with no answers on 40.680 MHz in FT8. Signal strength -18 dB.
7th April 2024: PJ4MM called CQ from 19:53 UTC to 20:10 UTC with no answer and, then, from 21:02 to 21:22 UTC again with no answer on 40.680 MHz FT8. Signal strength ranged from -13 dB to -20 dB. My beam was pointed toward Australia which probably affected the signal strength.Β
9th April 2024: PJ4MM (FK52) called CQ at 15:07 UTC, at 15:28 UTC, between 15:38 and 15:43, and between 17:20 - 18:33 with no answer.Β Signal Strength varied from -3 dB to -20 dB.
29th April 2024: PJ4MM (FK52) logged calling CQ from 22:21 to 23:01 UTC on 40.680 MHz FT8. No Answers. Signal Strength ranged from -20 dB to -7dB on my 5 ele 6M Beam pointed towards South Africa,
30th April 2024: PJ4MM (FK52) logged between 22:17 and 22:41 UTC calling CQ on 40.680 MHz FT8. Signal strength ranged from -1 to -21dB. No answers to his CQ Calls.
RX: FT-847.Β Bill Smith, SWL W1-7897 Douglas, MA (FN42DA).
Thanks for the report Bill!
Considering the distance of about 3300kms, the likely propagation mode was one F2 layer hop to the south.
Thanks to short wave listenerΒ Bill Smith, W1-7897Β for sending on his reception report for March 2024.
Bill who is located near Douglas in Massachusetts in the United States is using a Yaesu FT-847 as a receiver on the 40 MHz (8m) band with a 5-element beam for the 50 MHz band about 6m above ground level.
40 MHz reception report from Bill Smith, W1-7897 for March 2024:
3rd March 2024:LX5JX(JO30) in Luxembourg logged from 1628 to 16:47 UTC on 40.680 MHz FT8 calling CQ. No answers, Signal Strength ranged from -19 to 0 dB.
6th March 2024: There was a large opening on the 50 MHz (6m) band from Europe into the south of Africa. ZS and V5 noted into Europe. Antenna was pointed to South Africa, but no stations heard on 40 MHz either in Africa or Europe.Β
24th March 2024: ZF1EJ (EK99) in the Cayman Islands logged at 12:53 UTC with brief CQ on 40.680 MHz FT8 and then gone. Signal strength -17 dB. No further CQ and no answers.Β
Good news! The licencing authorities in Spain have decided to open up the 40 MHz (8m) amateur radio band with conditions.
The national association for radio amateurs in Spain is the URE and they released this notice... "After hard work by the URE before the administration, today the Resolution of the Secretary of State for Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructure was published on the Amateur Radio website, which authorizes holders of Spanish amateur radio authorizations to make broadcasts. in the 40,650 β 40,750 MHz band, with a maximum peak envelope power (PEP) of 25 W, for a period of eighteen months.
Broadcasts will only be made from fixed stations that have the corresponding license. In addition, the radio amateur must inform the Provincial Telecommunications Inspection Headquarters of the province in which he or she resides about his intention to operate in this band before broadcasting for the first time on these frequencies."
This is huge news for those interested in the 40 MHz band and Spain is the first 'big country' to allow radio amateurs access to the 8m band.
Analysis... In terms of propagation, Spain is in an ideal spot.Β
F2... For F2 layer propagation, there will be plenty of openings from Spain to the Caribbean (PJ4MM) and the signals should be clearly heard in the USA and Canada as well. The north-south paths will be especially good and the 40 MHz signals will be heard all over South America and TEP openings to the radio amateurs in South Africa should be a regular occurrence.
Conditions from EA8 (Canary Islands) should be amazing while the southern EA5, EA6, EA7 stations will be a bit better than those further north.
Sporadic-E... The workhorse over the Summer months of May to July will be Sporadic-E with typical distances in the region of 1000 to 2200 kms.
For EI stations in Ireland... Expect EA5, EA6 and EA7 to be the most common. EA1 and EA2 will be harder.
ON stations in Belgium... Expect EA7 to be the most common with EA3 the hardest.
S5 stations in Slovenia... Expect EA1 and EA7 to be the easiest with EA3 and EA6 the hardest.
SV stations in Greece... EA1 might be difficult as it's close to the maximum one hop Sporadic-E distance. The rest of Spain should be easy.
In conclusion... One of the big problems with the 40 MHz band is the lack of activity. For those that are using the band, it soon gets to a stage where there is no-one new to work. With Spain joining the party, that should hopefully change.
As we're at the peak of the solar cycle, now is the time to explore the 8m band before the conditions drop away.
Links...
1) For more information on the 8m band, see my 40 MHz page.Β
3) The official notice in Spanish posted 2nd April 2024...Β https://avancedigital.mineco.gob.es/espectro/radioaficionados/autorizaciones/Documents/RESOLUCION_40_MHz.pdf
Addendum... This is the official document via Google Translate...
RESOLUTION OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURES FOR WHICH IT IS AUTHORIZED, IN CERTAIN CONDITIONS AND ON A TEMPORARY AND EXPERIMENTAL NATURE, THE USE OF THE 40 MHz FREQUENCY BAND (8 METERS) BY OWNERS OF AMATEUR RADIO AUTHORIZATIONS.
The group of radio amateurs expresses to this Management Center a growing interest in use of frequencies in the 40,650 β 40,750 MHz band for experimentation with new technologies. Currently, in accordance with the provisions of the National Frequency Allocation Table (CNAF), this band is allocated in its entirety in primary to the fixed and mobile services and to various commonly used applications. Considering Law 11/2022, of June 28, General Telecommunications, the Royal Decree 123/2017, of February 24, which approves the Regulation on the use of the domain public radio, Order IET/1311/2013, of July 9, which approves the Regulations for the use of the public radio domain by amateurs, the current Table National Frequency Attribution, the Radiocommunication Regulations annexed to the International Telecommunications Convention, and other applicable provisions, this Secretary of State for Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructures,
CONSIDERING
First. - That other countries, including member countries of the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT), currently allow their radio amateurs the use, under certain conditions, of frequencies in the 40MHz.Β
Second. - That it is possible to make current uses of fixed and mobile services compatible and commonly used applications, in the 40,650 β 40,750 MHz band with the implementation, in certain conditions, of frequency emissions in said band from stations authorized amateur radio
Third.- That the third section of Order ETD/1449/2021, of December 16, by the that the National Frequency Allocation Chart is approved, enables the Secretary of State of Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructures, to authorize uses of a nature temporary or experimental other than those provided for in the National Table of Attribution of Frequencies
SOLVE
First.- Authorize for a period of EIGHTEEN months from the receipt of this notification to holders of Spanish amateur radio authorizations of carrying out emissions in the 40,650 β 40,750 MHz band with peak envelope power (PEP) maximum of 25 W.
Second.- The average power of all components of an out-of-band emission authorized power must not exceed 50 milliwatts and will comply with the provisions of Annex I of the Order IET/1311/2013, of July 9, approving the Domain Use Regulations public radio by radio amateurs.
Third.- Emissions will be made only from fixed stations that have the required license and the radio amateur must inform the Provincial Headquarters of Telecommunications Inspection of the province in which you reside of your intention to operate in this band before broadcasting for the first time on these frequencies. Yes to operate in these frequencies, if it is necessary to modify the station's facilities and equipment, action will be taken in accordance with the provisions of article 20 of the current Regulations for the use of the public domain amateur radio.
Fourth.- This authorization is granted on the basis of non-harmful interference with others telecommunications services with allocation in the band or adjacent bands and not protection against interference.
Fifth.- If harmful interference occurs to other telecommunications services, the Emissions must be suspended immediately.
Against this resolution, which exhausts the administrative route, it may be filed, in accordance with article 123 of Law 39/2015, of October 1, on Administrative Procedure Common of Public Administrations, optional appeal for replacement before the same body that has issued it within a period of one month from the day following its notification or be challenged directly before the Administrative Litigation Chamber of the Court National within a period of two months counted from the day following the notification, of in accordance with article 46 of Law 29/1998, of July 13, regulating the Jurisdiction Contentious-Administrative, without both resources being able to be simultaneous.
Chris, N3IZN near San Diego in California reports reception of the Irish EI1CAB beacon on 40.016 MHz on Friday 9th of February 2024. Chris was able to decode the PI4 signal from the 8m beacon and as it shows in the graphic above, the signal level was down at -22dB which is well below what is audible to the human ear.
The EI1CAH beacon is located on the west of Ireland and it's 25-watt signal is often heard across the Atlantic in the eastern part of the United States. This isn't all that unusual now that we're near the peak of the sunspot cycle.Β
The more northern path to California is much more difficult and it's interesting to see a signal at 40 MHz complete the 8,124km path.
Link... 1) For more information on the 8m band, see my 40 MHz page.
Thanks to short wave listener Bill Smith, W1-7897 for sending on his reception report for January 2024.
Bill who is located near Douglas in Massachusetts in the United States is using a Yaesu FT-847 as a receiver on the 40 MHz (8m) band with a 5-element beam for the 50 MHz band about 6m above ground level.
40 MHz reception report from Bill Smith, W1-7897 for January 2024:
3rd Jan 2024 - EI2IP in Ireland, Grid IO52QP heard on 40.680 FT8 calling CQ from 1338 to 1356 UTC. No Answers. Signal strength ranged between -20 and -10 DB.
10th Jan 2024 - EI2IP (IO52) called CQ from 1547 UTC to 1603 UTC. Signal strength ranged from -14 to -20 DB. At 1604 UTC ZF1EJ in the Cayman Islands (EK99) called EI2IP and a QSO resulted with EI2IP at -6db and ZF1EJ at -9db. ZF1EJ then (1606 UTC) worked G9PUV who was not heard here. ZF1EJ then called CQ until 1612 without an answer.
11th Jan 2024 - ZF1EJ(EK99) logged between 1337 and 1341 UTC Calling CQ with no answers. Signal Strength -14 to -18DB.
12th Jan 2024 - ZF1EJ (EK99) called CQ from 1444 UTC to 1518 UTC on 40 MHz FT8 on Jan. 12, 2024. No one answered. Signals ranged from -21DB to +23 DB.
Β
13th Jan 2024 - EI2IP (IO52) logged calling CQ between 1403 and 1411 UTC on 40.680 MHz FT8. No answers. Signal strength -4 to -18 DB.
14th Jan 2024 - EI2IP (IO52) logged between 1624 and 1638 UTC calling CQ. No answers. Signal Strength ranged from -17 DB to 3DB on 40.680 FT8.
15th Jan 2024 - ZF1EJ (EK99) called SV1DH in Greece (KM27) at 1457 UTC with no contact. SV1DH not heard here. ZF1EJ then worked G9PUV (JO00). G9PUV not heard here. ZF1EJ was -18DB.Β EI2IP (IO52) calledΒ CQ from 1610 to 1628 withΒ strength ranging from -20 to 2 DB. EI2IP then worked VA2CYX in Quebec, Canada (FN46). VA2CYX not heard here. EI2IP Worked S59F in Slovenia at 1639 UTC, and 9A5CW in Croatia at 1644 UTC. Unfortunately, I was not at home to shift antenna toward southern Europe so did not hear either station.
16th Jan 2024 - ZF1EJ (EK99) called CQ once at 1426 UTC. No answer. Strength -17 DB; EI2IP (IO52) called CQ at 1805-1807 with no answer; strength -17DB; LX5JXΒ in Luxembourg (JO30) called CQ from 1808-1811 and worked VA2CYX (FN46) at 1812. Strength -3 DB. After both calling CQ between 1813 and 1817, EI2IP and LX5JX worked at 1829 UTC. LX5JX was strength 1 DB. LX5JX called CQ until 1855 UTC with no further answers.
19th Jan 2024 - ZF1EJ (EK99) calling CQ from 1543 to 1546 UTC on 48.680 MHz FT8. No answers. Signal ranged from -7 to 19 DB.
21st Jan 2024 - EI2IP (IO52) called CQ at 1423 UTC Signal Strength -18 DB; at 1517 UTC EI4GEB (IO52) called CQ, strength -14 DB.
29th Jan 2024 - ZF1EJ (EK99) called CQ from 1823 UTC to 1827 with no answer. At 1828 called PJ4MM with no reply. PJ4MM in Bonaire (FK52) was not heard here. ZF1EJ then called CQ until 1839. No answers. ZF1EJ signal strength ranged from -14 to -18 DB.Β
***
In summary... As can be seen from the map above, the path to the stations in Europe was about 5000-6000kms and was most likely two F2 layer hops. ZF1EJ in the Cayman Islands was about 2700kms to the south and was likely one F2 layer hop. VA2CYX in Quebec, Canada is about 500kms to the north and is too close for F2 layer propagation.
Thanks to short wave listener Bill Smith, W1-7897 for sending on his reception report for December 2023.
Bill who is located near Douglas in Massachusetts in the United States is using a Yaesu FT-847 as a receiver on the 40 MHz (8m) band with a 5-element beam for the 50 MHz band.
Bill reports slim pickings on the 40 MHz band of late but did manage to log Jack, LX5JX in Luxembourg on the 27th of December 2023 calling CQ from 13:34 to 13:39 UTC. Bill reports that the FT8 signal strength was from -9dB to -17dB on 40.680 MHz.
As can be seen from the map above, the path was about 5,800 kms and was most likely two F2 layer hops.
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