5MHz observations from France

Whilst on Holiday on France in 2002 I took the opportunity to listen to the new 5MHz NoV operators from a distance not specifically intended in the ‘fivemegs experiment’. One of the experimental goals is the development of NVIS techniques and I was interested in what I could hear with relatively simple untuned equipment from outside ‘normal’ NVIS range. Enjoyable holidays naturally were my ‘goal’ so the listening periods were not necessarily regular or well planned but this may prove a useful snapshot of activity and the degree of low angle radiation still emitted from the NoV holders. For convenience I logged the stations using conventional ‘RST’ codes but noted sufficient data in my log to create a ‘SINPO’ report for this web page.

Location 1

The first location was a camp site known as ‘Les Garangoires’, St. Julien-des-Landes, Les Mothe-Achard, Vendee region of France. The ‘Maidenhead’ locator was IN96DP. My antenna was an end fed half wave antenna cut for 40m operation run at a maximum height of 3m agl in a pattern resembling three sides of a rectangle. The antenna tuner (?) was a parallel tuned tank circuit left set up for 7MHz operation and the receiver was a Sony ICF-SW7600 more at home listening to the BBC World Service but with a built in BFO more than capable of amateur reception.

Date Time(UTC) Callsign Heard Frequency kHz (Channel Centre) Mode Report(RST) Report(SINPO) Comments
20-8-02 19-34 MW0AQD 5400 USB 59 55555 Very Loud!

Location 2

The first location lent itself to 7MHz listening to UK stations apparently in both distance and time. The second location was the ‘Atlantic’ island of Ile de Re, locator IN96HE. At the times I was able to operate I didn’t feel confident working anyone on 7MHz ( sorry if you were looking for a new IOTA ) but there was far more activity apparent on 5MHz. The same antenna, Rx and ATU were used, this time however I could get the antenna a little higher up ( around 4m agl ) and since I was operating on a terraced location fairly close to the shore it may have had a beneficial effect on what I could hear.

Date Time(UTC) Callsign Heard Frequency kHz (Channel Centre) Mode Report (RST) Report (SINPO) Locator Comments
25-8-02 18-27 G4FAL 5405 USB 35 44344 IO93GI
25-8-02 18-27 G0HNW 5405 USB 46 44344 IO93CN
25-8-02 18-39 G0DZB 5405 USB N/H 14341 Loop Ant?
25-8-02 18-40 G0UOO 5405 USB 46 44344 SE Kent
25-8-02 18-42 G4GEN 5405 USB 46 44344 E Sussex
25-8-02 18-45 G0LUJ 5405 USB 33 24342 Harrogate
25-8-02 18-52 G0LUJ 5405 CW 59 54345 Harrogate
25-8-02 18-52 G4GEN 5405 CW 59 54345 E Sussex
25-8-02 20-00 G3NAE/P 5405 USB 59 54345 New Forest
25-8-02 20-00 G4FAL 5405 USB 36 34343
25-8-02 20-13 G0EZV 5405 USB Barely readable 24342
26-8-02 18-24 G0UOO 5400 USB 59 54455
26-8-02 18-24 G0HNW 5400 USB 57 44455
26-8-02 18-28 G4DYC 5400 USB 47 44455
26-8-02 18-36 G0NBD 5400 USB 23 14451 Vy Weak
28-8-02 20-18 G3NAE 5405 USB 59 54555
28-8-02 20-18 G0DZB 5405 USB Barely Readable 14551
29-8-02 19-49 G3TYB 5400 USB 33 24552 Calling CQ
29-8-02 19-54 G3TYB 5400 CW 33 24552 Calling CQ
29-8-02 20-30 G3LEQ 5400 USB 55 44554
29-8-02 20-33 GD3LSF 5400 USB 44 34554
29-8-02 20-34 G3LEQ 5290 USB 24 32242
29-8-02 20-34 GD3LSF 5290 USB 24 32242

It was regrettable that more stations locators weren’t given/logged but the general range of these stations from my locations was of the order of 800 km which, if NVIS modes were present on the transmitting stations antennas may indicate double hop communications but this would need to be determined by further analysis of ionospheric heights at the days/times concerned.

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