Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Some 30m test results

Last night, between the end of one BBC Promenade Concert broadcast and the start of another, I managed to spend half an hour on 30m PSK31 with 5 watts and the Wonder Loop. The map below shows the results from Propagation Reporter just before I closed down.

Not as impressive looking a map as the one on 20m this afternoon, but it was only for half an hour, and 30m is not as busy a band so there are fewer monitoring stations. However, conditions seemed better, received signals were stronger and I received replies after fewer CQs. I made two contacts into France and was also called by a station in the Czech Republic who disappeared after I sent my first over so it didn't count for a QSO.

Something that went unremarked in this blog at the time is that on 25 July a 2 watt WSPR signal into the Wonder Loop on 30m was received by Myles, VK6ZRY in Western Australia (who, incidentally, was also using a magnetic loop antenna!)

I think these results show the Wonder Loop radiates a good enough signal on 30m to make plenty of CW or digital QSOs. Next I will try 40m.

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