HamAlert Automate Telnet Login

HamAlert is a useful tool to receive alerts for when a desired station appears.

I use this with the Club Log band slots integration to alert for new countries on bands I don't yet have confirmed.

With the Telnet option I keep a window open where the alerts scroll by quietly and I can glance at to see if there is anything new.

Typing in usernames and passwords is a chore, here is a shell script that'll auto login (replace username and password stars as required):

#!/usr/bin/expect

set timeout 30

spawn telnet hamalert.org 7300
expect "login: "
send "K1LH\r"
expect "password: "
send "*****\r"
interact

Here it is in action:

WSJT-X FreqCal & Waterfall Flattening

Simple method using WSJT-X to do frequency calibration of an Icom IC-7300 (or any rig with a reference adjustment), and waterfall flattening.

Frequency Calibration

I got the idea from this post https://groups.io/g/icom705/message/532

Let the radio warm up for a couple hours or so in a room at average operating temperature. Mine is on 24/7 since I leave it running overnight on 160m FT8, or 6m MSK144 to spot meteor scatter stations, so there is no warming up and cooling down :-)

WSJT-X has a FreqCal mode - the manual covers how run a calibration cycle which will work with any radio by configuring WSJT-X to do an internal adjustment compensating for the radio, or it can also be used to align the radio it self - easy if it offers a reference adjustment via a menu option.

If in range of WWV or WWVH, or another (highly) accurate time standard broadcast, edit the FreqCal frequencies (Settings > Frequencies) to use only those you can receive.

Switch to FreqCal (Mode menu) and select one of the time standard frequencies from the frequency/band drop down.

WSJT-X sets the radio to USB mode and 1500 Hz below the carrier frequency, it then measures tone or heterodyne and displays the frequency.

If your radio has a frequency reference adjustment such an the Icom IC-7300 (Menu > Set > Function > REF Adjust) adjust it until you are close as possible to 1500 Hz in fMeas column or 0.0 in DF column.

Here I was able to get very close using WWV on 10 MHz, I see about the same DF on WWV at at 5 and 15 MHz. It will drift slightly with changes in room temp which you can see by repeating the measurement.

If the radio doesn't have a user setting for frequency reference, execute a WSJT-X frequency calibration cycle per the manual with the Measure box checked (this writes the fmt.all file in logs directory). I found I had to let it run for at least two or three cycles. Edit fmt.all and remove any lines with a * at the end, then run solve for calibration.

The latter may be more accurate, WSJT-X will apply the offset needed internally, but I didn't like it showing this offset subtracted/added to the WSJT-X frequency display (blame OCD) and it only applies to WSJT-X when it is running.

More words about FreqCal by AG6EE at WSJT-X Calibration.

Waterfall Flattening

A good guide by KA1GT - https://bobatkins.com/radio/wsjtx_wide_graph.html - while orientated for EME use the steps can be followed to optimize your waterfall.

After running through all that this is what my waterfall looks like

The one signal at 1090 Hz is -17 dB on a quiet 6m band.

2m 5/8 over 1/4 wave vertical ground plane

Hustler CG-144 is one example of this type of antenna, I also had one of these from a different mfgr as my first 2m base station antenna, which worked ok.

Searching for information or a description of how this antenna works, how to build one, or a model turned up nothing. The only real unknown is the phasing coil, after sleuthing around the internet for a bit I found this phasing coil from Improving the Super-J. This appears to be fairly close to the CG-144 measurements, and does the trick. There is nearly 180 degrees of phase shift from one end to the other, and with a 1/4 wave element under it, and 5/8 above it close to 50 ohm match.

EZNEC model - 2m-58ovr14-wave-GP.

Issues: Bandwidth is narrow in the model (~2 MHz < 1.5:1), maybe because of 12 AWG wire to keep it simple.

Antenna view

Elevation plot 2 meters height above average ground

How to create the coil with EZNEC Create Helix function

Try Out 6m Q65-A EME or Terrestrial

With a 6m Yagi and weak signal digital mode Q65-A it's possible to receive EME (Earth Moon Earth) signals during moonrise or moonset.

Q65 can also be used for terrestrial contacts where other weak signal modes such as FT8 may not succeed.

It's also possible to do "QRP EME" on 2m and 70cm, see QRP EME - An incomplete Guide (KG5CCI).

Note: Unlike on FT8, WSJT-X wont make use of Split fake it/rig to keep the TX audio in the middle of the filters, if you get too far away from 1500 Hz power output will start to drop off.

More info

• http://www.bigskyspaces.com
• http://www.bigskyspaces.com/w7gj/Q65SETUP.pdf
• https://wsjt.sourceforge.io/Q65_Quick_Start.pdf
• https://k5nd.net/2023/03/wsjt-x-and-the-q65-mode-for-6-meters-and-up
• https://www.bobatkins.com/radio/Q65-basics.html

Configuring WSJT-X for Q65 and 6m terrestrial

Mode > Q65

6m > 50.275 MHz

File > Settings > Enable VHF and sub-mode features (not sure that is required)

File > Settings > Decode after EME delay - only used for EME, leave unchecked for terrestrial - though I’ve had this checked and its worked ok.

Decode > Fast for terrestrial (remember to set this back to normal or deep for FT8 and other modes). Enable averaging, and Auto clear AVG after decode on.

Terrestrial: On the main WSJT-X screen set the offset to 1500 Hz, F Tol to 100 or 200, Submode A, T/R 15 or 30 - these last two settings indicate the mode, e.g. Q65-15A, Q65-30A.

Once a QSO starts change F Tol to 100, 50, or 20.

WSJT-X Wide Graph has a Q65_Sync setting.

https://wsjtx.groups.io/g/main/topic/83263895 that post has a lot of info about terrestrial Q65. Suggests that using 15s T/R for Q65-15A is very close in performance to 30A, and twice as fast. Also covers other sub-mode combinations and QRP use.

In practice 30-A on 6m seems to be the most commonly used Q65 submode.

Here is a more recent QSO on 6m Q65-30A with W7OUU who is 500 mi / 800 km south east of me in Idaho, the band was otherwise closed with no FT8 activity.

They were running 1.1 kW with 7 elements, I was running 85 watts with 3 elements. This QSO took around 45 minutes to complete, and 15 minutes before I got the first decode (Q65 averaging at work):

I was able to reliably decode them on nearly every cycle after the first decode, with my much lower power output and lower gain antenna it took some time for them to decode my messages, but we got there in the end, and DN22 is a new grid on 6m for me too!

I've since worked W7OUU again, and WB7UNU in Spokane 200 miles east for another new grid with the band was otherwise closed.

Final thought: Since Q65 uses averaging to build confidence in subsequent decodes, and can take advantage of any propagation mode (tropo, aircraft scatter, meteor scatter, etc), this QSO may have used a combination of these to complete with enough "fragments" eventually making it though for a successful decode.

Auroral Propagation

With a recent Auroral opening (23-Mar-2023) on 6m was the first time I'd experienced this. On SSB and CW the signals were quite distorted which is normal, but they are readable.

It was then suggested to try Q65-30C or Q65-15B (same tone spacing, half the time). Listening to the tones with the volume up they sounded distorted, and yet it worked reliably. I was able to complete a couple of QSOs quite easily with good decodes on each sequence, and one on SSB:

This was quite a nice surprise, as the distorted FT8 signals I heard did not decode. Q65 certainly seems to be the magic mode for the magic band!

Earth Moon Earth

My interest in EME starts in the mid 90s when I was a freshly minted new ham, friend and I got invited (likely we invited our selves) to see Paul ZL1PE's 2m EME setup. Back then it was CW only (no digital modes existed then for EME, or much else).

Paul had built an H stack of four long boom 2m Yagi's with elevation and azimuth rotator, home brewed an amplifier using something along the lines of a 3CX1000 (I forget exactly), high gain masthead pre-amp and high powered coaxial relays, the feedline was hardline. Amazing stuff to see, and a lot of effort for a propagation mode where you could only use CW when the moon was up.

With the advent of digital modes and home computers faster than we could imagine 30 years ago and now take for granted, the barrier to entry for EME is much much lower.

Much thanks to Bob ZL1RS for most of the EME information.

Where is the moon?

Find when and where the moon is with something like https://www.timeanddate.com/moon/

Antennas, ground gain

With a Yagi pointed at the horizon (a regular horizontal Yagi installation) the added advantage of ground gain can be made use of during moonrise and moonset.

Antenna height, higher not always better! Consider these two 4NEC2 plots of 7 element Yagis at different heights, one at 7 meters / 23 feet vs 18 meters / 60 feet:

Plot by Bob ZL1RS

Red is the Yagi at 7 meters, it has one broad lobe that will cover between the horizon and about 15 to 20 degrees elevation. The same antenna at 18 meters, has 3 lobes, the moon will pass through each of those much quicker and be "lost" in the nulls.

Assessing the local noise floor for EME

Test 1 - Disconnect the antenna and with WSJT-X note the noise floor with the dB meter bottom left. If there is a difference of more than 10 dB when connected, the local noise floor might be too high.

Test 2 - Preamps - With antenna aimed at moonrise/set direction, turn preamp(s) on and AGC to fastest setting. If any signal level is registered on the S meter (indicating AGC action in the receiver) the local noise floor might be too high.

For me living in city my local noise floor is too high based on the second test as I get AGC action in the receiver. I'd need use to higher gain Yagi(s) with elevation rotators to get away from the noise sources when the moon is (much) higher in the sky.

Configuring WSJT-X for Q65 and 6m EME

Mode > Q65

File > Settings > Enable VHF and sub-mode features (not sure that is required)

File > Settings > Decode after EME delay (that one is important)

Decode > Deep (some say fast is more sensitive). Enable averaging, and Auto clear AVG after decode on

On the main WSJT-X screen set the offset to 1500 Hz, F Tol to 100 or 200, Submode A, T/R 60 (these last two settings indicate the mode, e.g. Q65-60A).

WSJT-X Wide Graph has a Q65_Sync setting.

Frequencies, where to find others on EME

Most EME activity is in the 50.180 to 50.210 area with 50.188 to 50.208 being most popular for sked arrangements. You wont find it tuning around.

A DT of 2.5 seconds indicates EME, DT of 0.0 or 0.1 indicates terrestrial propagation modes.

ON4KST runs an online chat service (runs in browser), goto http://www.on4kst.info/chat/start.php and choose EME all bands/mode, this is where coordination between stations happens.

HB9Q EME Logger is another.

Transmitter Power with EME

Receiving Q65 via EME is the first step, transmitting typically power levels around 1 kW are used.

Geo whitelist, and Tor exit node blocklist (ipsets)

I wrote these two scripts to use ipsets and iptables to block Tor exit nodes, and to whitelist countries (e.g. drop all traffic from those not in the ipset).

They will load the last saved ipset file if the iptables rule is not loaded (assumes system was rebooted) which is fast. They will handle download errors and reload the last saved ipset file. Once loaded and when the scripts are run again they will update the ipsets and save the ipset files. The US has a fairly large number of netblocks, and it can take a little bit of time to create the ipset. I could not find any other examples that had this level of "self sufficiency" so I wrote my own.

https://github.com/lonney9/ipsets

Times are a changing, and I dont see the need to have my Oracle Cloud instance or IRLP node accepting connections from anyone anywhere.