[Lf] The situation in Canada

[Andre' Kesteloot]

Larry Kayser wrote:

> Greetings:
>
> Jim Moritz was inquiring.....
>
> >Some equipment, antenna, etc. details of the 137kHz beacons
> >currently running in Canada and the USA would be interesting.
>
> I had thought that maybe even to much information had been put out about
> what is going on here in Canada - but in any case maybe a summary would be
> of interest.
>
> Here at VA3LK, a test transmitter is located at my remote HF site, just
> outside the village of Westport, on top of the ridge.  The tower is a self
> supporting 240 ft heavy route microwave radio tower.  For LF I have about
> 340 ft of wire that runs from the bottom of the tower up to the top of the
> tower, with an insulator at the top of the tower, and pulled away from the
> side of the tower by a rope tied out to a tree about 300 odd feet a way.
> The antenna looks very much like a left arrow key i.e. <I .  The transmitter
> is a small single IRF540 with a variable supply, at the moment running BPSK
> for the next few days, or QRS CW at .4 wpm.  The DC power input is about 18V
> dc at 4.2 Amps or so.  The main loading coil is a 18 inch diameter by 18
> inch high with a tap point every two turns.  An additional small coil 6
> inches in diameter and 13 inches long raises the total coil to about 2.8 mH.
> This facility has been used to test and calibrate two RF units that sample
> Voltage and Current and feed an older scope as well as a home made rf
> ammeter that is soon to be permanently mounted at the top of the antenna
> coil.  The exciter is a DDS unit that also has built in BPSK modulator.  The
> main work at the moment now is final packaging of two different 1 KW plus
> amplifiers, making them reliable and also getting familiar with the issues
> of having a significant amount of RF at LF in the shack.  The test
> transmissions with the little amplifier are copied widely in Canada and the
> USA, many stations report the signal visible on a 7x24 basis which I find
> surprising.  The little transmitters purpose is to tune up antennas before a
> large amplifier is committed to the antenna.
>
> I am negotiating for two semi trailer loads of used simplex power service
> wire - if I am successful in getting the donation the ground system at the
> remote site will consist of several hundred radials at lengths up to 500
> feet or more over the next year or so.  This should help the LF signal from
> here significantly.
>
> Mitch, VE3OT now has a license here for 135.7 to 137.8 as well, I will leave
> it to him to speak to his work.   A third LF license on the East Coast of
> Canada should be announced and on the air shortly.  The methodical
> preparations for TransAtlantic II this coming November in Newfoundland
> continue.  I have just purchased a new vehicle here, a Van, so the trip to
> VO1 will be in a little more comfort than it would be in my old truck.
>
> Larry
> VA3LK