Here is the 2022 version of the HFCC broadcasters list for shortwave. It was last updated in late 2022 and lists the station details such as frequency, time, and transmitting location. This should help you find something on the dial to enjoy!
http://hfcc.org/data/a22/index.phtml
http://hfcc.org/data/b22/index.phtml
Happy DXing!
JJ, W9JESHow to connect to connect your mcHF or clone radio to HDSDR for additional functionality? There are videos on YouTube which can provide some information, however I prefer to have written instructions available. Feel free to use my guide.
The file is available in PDF form.Simply click the image to view.download.
73,
JJ - W9JES
Here are some pictures of my shack over the years. More to come!
Swan Cygnet 260 and Yaesu FT-107B were my primary HF stations in 1996
Here is my HF operating station in 2022. It sure seems that I like Icom radios.. My Kenwood is off the bench for repair.
73,
JJ - W9JES
Do you ever get a sinking feeling when this happens after you reconfigure your shack layout?
I had to unplug the control head cable of my IC-7100 in order to move it on a different shelf. I fired up the radio after reconnecting everything back together and was baffled why the touchscreen, buttons, and control knobs stopped working. I re-seated the cables and tried again. Same result. Would a bad cable allow the radio to power on? The answer is yes. It depends on which pins in the RJ45 connector are making contact. Either pins 7/8 or 1/2 were not making contact in my cable anymore.
The original cable consists of 8. shielded, twisted pair wires and have a
straight through wiring configuration like a standard ethernet cable,
but the cable braid and RJ45 connectors are also shielded.
Icom's OPC-2253 is a very expensive part to replace on the radio at @ $75 plus shipping so I was on the hunt for a cost-effective route.
You can buy replacement RJ45 connectors with a shield and replace the ends if you have a crimper tool or you can buy another cable meeting/exceeding the standards of the OPC-2253 cable.
Why would you want to do this instead of using Icom's cable? Several reasons.. You can buy or make cables that meet your length requirements or have a spare on hand. The cables are also a fraction of the cost and work just like the original.
If you plan on replacing the damaged ends of your original cable, then you need to look for shielded RJ45 Cat6, Cat7, or Cat8 8P8C modular connectors for FTP/STP Stranded Ethernet Cable & Solid core cable. STP stands for Shielded Twisted Pair and FTP stands for Foil Twisted Pair. Make sure you have a 8 pin crimper die and ensure the foil shieled has conductivity end to end.
If you want to simply buy a complete cable, then you will need to find 26AWG Cat6/7/8 networking cables with shielded RJ45 ends. Ensure the pins and shield are wired straight through or you could damage your radio. I recommend this cable since I've tested it https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08BFH3Z36
73,
JJ - W9JES
Here are some pictures and video of my TM-2550A transceiver. An upcoming project is to convert this into a digital radio amplifier.
The Internet Labs DV Dongle was one of the first offerings to connect to the DSTAR network without using a radio. This handy dongle incorporates an AMBE chip which uses software on your computer for worldwide communications.
When a Internet Labs DV Dongle is connected to a PC or Mac and used with DVTool software, an amateur radio operator can connect to the international D-Star gateway network and receive/transmit just like a D-Star radio user. There is no fee, but users must be licensed and registered in the gateway system. The DV Dongle uses three chips, oscillator, led’s, and discrete logic to implement it’s functionality. The chips are the FTDI FT232RL serial to USB converter, the Atmel AT91SAM7S256 ARM7 based CPU, and the DVSI AMBE2000 vocoder. Each D-Star radio includes an AMBE2020 voice compression chip provided by Digital Voice Systems, Inc (DVSI). The DV Dongle includes an AMBE chip and logic to connect it to a USB 2.0 port on a PC or Mac. This allows the computer to “speak” the same voice protocol as D-Star. The DVTool software connects to participating gateways and encodes/decodes the voice using the DV Dongle.
The DV Dongle has four LED’s which indicate the current operating status:
Frequent red LED activity indicates your PC/Mac may not be sufficiently fast to operate with the device or you may have other programs running that are taking CPU cycles away from the DVTool application.
DV Dongle System Requirements:
The DV Dongle is a high speed, real time device. It communicates with the PC/Mac at 230Kbps and needs adequate CPU speed and time to operate properly. Many operations on the PC/Mac can interfere with normal operations. These include screen savers, web browsers, instant messengers, etc. For best operation, avoid running CPU intensive applications when operating the DV Dongle.
More information about the DV Dongle can be found at http://www.dvdongle.com/DV_Dongle/Home.html
One of the challenges is finding the software to use with this amazing dongle since the website no longer has it. I've been fortunate to find two software packages for Windows OS and MacOS that can be used with the Dongle.
The first one is called DVTool by Internet Labs. This software works well with the dongle easily. The links to download it are here..
The second app is called WinDV. This software only runs on Windows and needs updated host files to connect to some reflectors. The link to download the files are here..
Updating the host files for WinDV is fairly easy. This website has the most current version http://arrg.us/HF/index.htm Scroll down to the bottom of the page to download the three text files. Now go to your WinDV installation folder "C:\Program Files (x86)\MicroWalt Corporation\WinDV" and find dcshosts.txt, dxhosts.txt, and dphosts.txt. Delete those files. Now rename the three files you just downloaded and place them in the WinDV installation folder as follows:
Now you can run the software and enter your callsign and dongle details.
73,
JJ W9JES
Here is a quick reference for the band assessment
SFI: 70 is poor, 120 is average, 160 is good
SN: 30 is poor, 70 is average, 100 is good
SW: 100 is good, 500 is average, 700 is bad
Sig Noise Level: Lowest level is best for receiving
MUF: Shows the highest frequency in MHz that can be used for two way communications
Geo Mag Field: Sun storm conditions affecting earth propagation. Active to Storm level means propagation is poor.
Understanding the Band Conditions Banner
The above graphic of Solar-Terrestrial Data is created and produced by Paul Herrman, NØNBH, is referred the Band Conditions Banner. Many of us have seen this on websites, QRZ, and elsewhere. But it occurs to me that most of us find much of the information presented on the banner over our heads. While not all of the banner information is immediately relevant, I’d like to take a few minutes to decipher the contents, based on the field names it presents, grouped here more by function than appearance in the banner.
This article does not explain every detail of the Band Conditions Banner. For example, some versions of the banner display photographs of the solar surface through one filter or another, but I won’t elaborate on them. For the most part, I describe the left and right columns, plus some of the middle column of the above graphic. You can download your own free banner from Paul’s website.
The date and time
UTC The displayed date and time represent the last time the banner was updated at the moment your browser was last refreshed, in GMT (Greenwich Mean Time), which today is called UTC. So, in the above banner, the time equates to 24 Nov 2018 at 8:36 pm MST.
SFI (70 = poor / 160 = good / 280 = fabulous)
Solar Flux Index The SFI (62.5 to 300), as mentioned in the previous issue of the UVARC Shack (Nov 2018, Brass Tacks), is the amount of solar radio noise measured at 2800 MHz (10.7 cm), and is updated daily. The SFI gives us an idea of how well the ionospheric F-Layer can support radio communication on HF, and more especially on 20 meters through 10 meters. Numbers below 75 are quite poor, while those above 160 are very good.
SN (2 = poor / 90 = good / 220 = fabulous)
Sunspot Number The SN (0 to 250) is a calculation that is roughly 10 X the number of sunspot groups facing us + the number of individual sunspots facing us, and is updated daily. The SN typically follows the SFI, and offers another indicator of F-Layer ionization.
304A (80 = poor / 150 = good / 240 = fabulous)
304 Angstroms The 304A (0 to unknown) is the relative strength of total solar radiation in the UV (ultraviolet) range, originating primarily from ionized Helium in the Sun’s photosphere, and often follows the SFI value. The designation following the 304A value (@ EVE, @ SOHO, @ SEM) indicates the instrument used to take the measurement, and the value is updated hourly.
A Plntry (4 = calm / 40 = minor storm / 80 = severe)
A, planetary The Ap index is the daily average long-term stability of Earth’s magnetic field, the subscript ‘P’ meaning planetary, or averaged from several locations around the earth. The value ranges from 0 to 400, with anything over 100 indicating unfavorable conditions for radio propagation, and is updated once daily.
K Plntry (1 = calm / 5 = minor storm / 7 = severe)
K, planetary The Kp index is the daily average short-term stability of Earth’s magnetic field, the subscript ‘P’ meaning planetary, or averaged from several locations around the earth. The value ranges from 0 to 9, with anything over 5 indicating unfavorable conditions for radio propagation, and is updated once daily.
Geomag Field
Geomagnetic Field Relative label of the Earth’s magnetic field activity, reflecting the Kp index. Labels include INACTIVE, VR QUIET, QUIET, UNSETTLD, ACTIVE, MIN STORM, MAJ STORM, SEV STORM, and EX STORM, in order of disruptive impact on radio propagation, and is up-dated every three hours.
Bz (20 = good / 2 = ok / -2 = not ok / -20 = disruptive)
B sub Z Interplanetary magnetic field vector (strength and direction) perpendicular to the plane of Earth’s orbit, with positive values enhancing Earth’s magnetic field and negative val-ues canceling it. Values range from 50 to –50, updated hourly.
X-Ray (A1.1 = good / C5.0 = moderate / X2.3 = severe)
X-Rays X-ray emissions most heavily impact the ionospheric D-Layer, such that the stronger the radiation, the lower the ability of radio waves to propagate by skywave refraction. The in-tensity of X-ray radiation striking the atmosphere, ranging from A0.0 to X9.9, is defined by a class (A, B, C, M, and X), followed by a logarithmic quantity (0.0 to 9.9) that defines the intensity within the class, updated eight times a day.
Ptn Flx (0.10 = good / 2.0 = moderate / 20.0 = heavy)
Proton Flux Density of protons in the solar wind, such that the higher the value, the greater the impact on the ionospheric E-Layer. Values range from 0 to unknown, updated hourly.
Elc Flx (<1000 = little impact / >1000 = heavy impact)
Electron Flux Density of electrons in the solar wind, such that the higher the value, the greater the impact on the ionospheric E-Layer. Values range from 0 to unknown, updated hourly.
SW (100 = good / 500 = moderate / 700 = disruptive)
Solar Wind Average speed of solar wind particles in km/s, with figures greater than about 500 impacting HF communication. Values range from 0 to 1000, updated hourly.
Aurora (1/n=1.99 : weak ... 6/n=0.8 : moderate)
Aurora Possibility Relative strength in GW of ionospheric F-Layer, affecting DX over polar regions, such that the stronger the ionization, the greater chance of aurora at lower latitudes. If populated, values range from 0 to 10++ (over the normalization factor, such that n < 2.0 shows a high confidence, and n > 2.0 shows a low confidence), updated every 15 minutes.
Aur Lat (70 = weak / 60 = moderate / 50 = strong)
Aurora Latitude Lowest estimated latitude impacted by an aurora, in degrees N Latitude. Values range from 67.5 to 45.0 or No Report, updated every 15 minutes.
VHF Conditions
The VHF Conditions column provides an idea of favorability for SSB operation in frequencies between roughly 50 MHz and 150 MHz. Except for Auroral Activity, the status for each applicable band reports how well Sporadic-E (Es) conditions over the particular continent support the band, and Band Closed for low or no activity, updated every 30 minutes.
These reports don’t mention anything about ducting, because tropospheric propagation by ducting is primarily a weather effect, and not directly predictable by solar measurements.
Aurora
Auroral Activity General report of the current Auroral activity, displayed as MID LAT AUR to indicate activity extended to between 30 and 60 degrees N Latitude, High LAT AUR to indicate activity confined to higher 60 degrees N Latitude, and Band Closed to indicate little or no Auroral activity, updated every 30 minutes.
6m-4m-2m EsEU
Activity, Es over Europe which indicates the respective band is open for Es.
2m EsNA
2-meter Activity, Es over North America 144MHz ES indicates 2 meters is open for Es, or High MUF to indicate conditions support 2 meter Es propagation.
HF Conditions
The HF Conditions column is often where people glance first, to get an idea of the general propagation conditions across the HF bands, and is fairly self-explanatory. Each pair of bands is listed with a separate general condition report for daytime operation and nighttime operation, as Poor, Fair, and Good, compiled from other banner data. The subjective conclusions are based on the combined contributions of the Solar Flux Index, Sunspot Number, the 304A value, the Ap index, and the Kp index. In general, here are what the three reports mean:
Good : Able to communicate with distant (DX) stations via multiple hops
Fair : Able to communicate with in-country stations via one or two hops at the most
Poor : Largely unable to communicate by skywave propagation
EME Deg
Earth-Moon-Earth Degradation Measurement of the best Earth-Moon-Earth (Moonbounce) propagation path attenuation, displayed as Very Poor (high attenuation), Poor, Fair (medium attenuation), Good, and Excellent (little attenuation), updated every 30 minutes.
MUF
Maximum Usable Frequency, Es The MUF, relative to Sporadic-E (Es), is the highest frequency that can be reliably used for skywave communication by Sporadic-E propagation. In this column, the banner displays the MUF as a colored bar for each VHF band: 6 m = blue, 4 m = green, 2 m EU = yellow, 2 m NA = red, and gray for no activity, updated every 30 minutes. The SEASON BREAK label indicates that Sporadic-E is not normally active this time of year.
MS
Meteor Scatter The Meteor Scatter activity bar shows relative meteor scatter activity for the times of the day listed in UTC, using the MIN...MAX color scale below it. The bar displays colors for the active times, and gray for no activity, updated every 15 minutes.
Sig Noise Lvl (S0 = great / S4 = fair / S7 = horrible)
Signal Noise Level The signal noise level is a logarithmic measurement (in 6 dB-increments, like you see on an S-meter) of the noise generated as a result of the solar wind, compared with the noise floor. The greater the disturbance in the solar wind, mostly due to interaction with Earth’s magnetic field, the higher the S-value, and is updated every 30 minutes.
MUF US Boulder (14 = 20 to 10 no-go / 29 = 20 to 10 ok)
Maximum Usable Frequency From one of eleven locations worldwide, the highest frequency that can be reliably used for communication by skywave propagation. Normally listed in MHz, but also showing NoRpt if no info is available, and is updated every 15 minutes.
Solar Flare Prb
Solar Flare Probability A solar flare is a sudden burst of radiation, consisting of electrons, ions, and high energy electromagnetic radiation, over the surface of the Sun. This huge emission can reach Earth and strengthen ionization of the ionospheric D-Layer, absorbing radio signals and disrupting HF communication. The chance of a flare erupting on the solar surface gives you an idea of how much your HF communication might get disturbed by a solar storm in the next 24 hours, and the value is updated hourly.
— Noji Ratzlaff, KN0JI https://noji.com
73,
JJ W9JES
One of my recent purchases was an Icom IC-7100. I wanted to find an all-mode, all-band, digital transceiver for my shack and this one fit my budget and needs. I have grown very fond of this radio in the time I've used it. I love the compact, remote head, USB interface, remote software compatibility, and audio quality. It really is a fun rig with it's unique control head. It is perfect for a crowded desk and the form factor is well designed.
I wanted to buy a used 7100 and after doing extensive research; I gathered some information which may be useful for others. Side note - As I was looking for a used 7100, I came across a deal that I couldn't pass up on a brand new radio for about $50 more after the manufacturer rebate.
Doing a web search, you will find plenty of complaints and compliments about this radio. You will even find modifications to "fix" some perceived shortcomings. Understanding what this radio is, when it was designed, and what it was designed for, should be carefully considered before buying one.
Form-factor/Ergonomics
Power output
Menu/Operation
Reliability
Final thoughts
Lacking a few features and menu items however it is a solid, mid level radio and "shack in the box". I would have loved to see a color touchscreen, waterfall display, and internal tuner. It works great for digital modes, remote control, computer assisted functions, and external accessories. I would buy one of these again.
Here is a compiled list of information that that can be used for reference.
Hey Everyone.
Here are a few links to some channels that I follow on YouTube. You are welcome to check them out.
Amateur Logic - A mix of fun, news, and tech segments
Ham Nation - A collective of Youtubers and manufacturers (Also thanks to Icom for the cool goodies they sent me)
TRXLab - Radio Repair Videos
KJ4YYI - (Ham Radio Concepts) - Reviews, Tutorials, and News
KE0OG - Ham Radio tutorials and more
73,
JJ W9JES
