[Lf] [Fwd: LF: TransAtlantic II, test notice - announcement]

[Andre' Kesteloot]

Larry Kayser wrote:

> Greetings All:
>
> This is a preliminary notice to all LF amateurs in Europe and Canadian
> amateurs interested in LF activities that the radio regulatory authority in
> Newfoundland, VO1, has issued me, VA3LK, an experimental permit to operate
> in the proposed LF amateur band of 135.7 kHz to 137.8 kHz.  The project is
> to be known as TransAtlantic II with a major test effort over the North
> Atlantic to occur from November 10, to November 27th 2000.  The attempt will
> be made from the East Coast of Newfoundland with, I hope, two receiving
> teams and one transmitting team.  Each team will be independent and will
> seek the best receiving sites and the best transmitting sites available
> along the VO1 coast for the test.
>
> This notice seeks to provide preliminary and planning information for our
> peers in Europe of the goals for TransAtlantic II.  European amateurs have
> been operating regularly on the LF band for some years now.   It is my hope
> to have them make similar efforts to ours in the operation of portable LF
> stations during the three weekends over a two-week period next fall.
>
> Secondly this notice seeks to attract participants in Canada who will
> develop the LF receiving skills and see how far west of Newfoundland that
> TransAtlantic II signals might be received during the trial period.  The
> development of a receiving team in the Halifax area in conjunction with
> Jack, VE1ZZ who has an excellent location and antennas is an initial
> critical need.
>
> Third this notice seeks participation of VO1 amateurs and others who might
> assist this team in finding the best receiving and transmitting sites on the
> east coast of Newfoundland that we might be able to use, or obtain
> permission to use, during the fall period.  We have to consider staying as
> far as possible from the Loran-C stations at Cape Race and at Fox Harbour in
> VO2.  We must also provide as much signal discrimination as possible from a
> high powered existing station on 137 kHz in the Halifax area.
>
> The fourth, and at the end of the day a most important goal, is to
> demonstrate to the regulatory authority that Canadian amateurs have the
> skill and competence to operate in the LF part of the spectrum, and to share
> with the existing users of this spectrum without interference.  It is
> important that amateurs are assigned opportunities in this part of the
> spectrum so that we might make some contributions to radio science with our
> work on these frequencies.
>
> TransAtlantic II will transmit and receive regular CW, special slow speed CW
> that is known in the LF community as QRS CW at about .4 WPM, that is point
> four WPM.  We will also be transmitting what is known as Coherent- BPSK,
> C-BPSK using the work of Bill de Carle, VE2IQ who has been an active and
> dedicated researcher in the LF region for many years.  Bill is part of is
> the LowFer community here in North America.  He has heard the LowFer signal
> TEXAS at his home north of Montreal.  TransAtlantic II seeks to build on the
> LowFer technology that has been demonstrated with excellent results over a
> long distance at power levels far below that to be used in the 135.7 to
> 137.8 kHz band.
>
> The TransAtlantic II project will be making a financial appeal to the
> Canadian amateur community at a later date.
>
> TransAtlantic II is also seeking the participation of a few more team
> members who are prepared to put in long hours of preparation and then three
> plus weeks of time on the east coast of Newfoundland in November.  If you
> can cope with cold coffee or even no coffee and a wet and cold work
> environment and have some CW and computer skills and a passion for long
> Beverage antennas you probably have the basics to be a team member!  The
> actual operating hours will only be from about 2000 utc each day until about
> 0700 utc, so one should expect to get some sleep each night.
>
> First we must hear/see signals from Europe then we need to have our signals
> heard in Europe and then a two way QSO.  Until this happens, and we expect
> this to happen during the test, we should expect to possibly move sites
> between evening test periods as needed to achieve the goals of TransAtlantic
> II.
>
> There is precious little time left to develop computer DSP skills, such as
> expert use of the software Spectrogram and Gram, the LF listening and
> antenna fabrication skills.  If you want to participate the time to start is
> now on an urgent basis.  An LF beacon in eastern Ontario will be on the air
> shortly, a LowFer beacon is on the air in Southern Ontario as well.
>
> I am pleased to announce that Mitch Powell, VE3OT will focus on the
> technology development for the receiver teams.  Mitch has extensive LF
> listening and computer skills and has been a member of the LowFer community
> for some years now.  Mitch and I have already both undertaken some portable
> operations – we have begun to understand the issues involved in bringing
> TransAtlantic II to an operational status.
>
> What can you do?  You can solicit your club for funds to support
> TransAtlantic II.  You can build and operate an LF receiving station and an
> associated computer system to try and hear/see the LF signals in Ontario as
> well as during TransAtlantic II with Europe next fall.  You can become a
> TransAtlantic II team member.  You can learn about LF and become active in
> the LF community.
>
> If you can help or need additional information contact myself, Larry at
> kayser at sypatico.ca or Mitch at PowellM at claven.fanshawec.on.ca for additional
> information.
>
> Work with BPSK requires a Sigma Delta demodulator, contact Bill de Carle at
> bill at ietc.ca.  Bill has kits available and the software is available on the
> Internet.  Bill has an article on this unit, it is in QST for January 1992,
> page 23.
>
> We are off an running with a new challenge in LF.  Firsts do not come often
> in Amateur Radio, I have been lucky to be in a few of them, this one has
> lots of room for many to achieve new Firsts in LF.
>
> Let’s Go.
>
> Larry
> VA3LK