Wellbrook 1530+ Loop on 50 MHz

Finally some 50 MHz Sporadic-E has reached the Northern climbs of Penrith, IO84oq square, and I have been able to assess how well my Wellbrook 1530+ performs on this band.

Surprisingly well it seems! I have now heard many European 50 MHz SSB signals during May using my loop which I have turned to a heading of 130 degrees (SE). When I compared my vertically polarised loop with my 50 MHz vertical antenna, the loop has had stronger signals every time and sometimes signals which I could easily hear on the loop have been none existent on the vertical!

I am in the process of acquiring a Sandpiper Tri-band 6/4/2m Moxon horizontal antenna for use indoors and will compare that next with my loop.

73 de Philip G0ISW

Stealth antennas – Camouflage painting Wellbrook 1530+ Loop in MTP

I live in a Conservation area in Penrith, Cumbria, IO84oq where outdoor visible antennas are not permitted.

I needed to hide my new bright and shiny Wellbrook 1530+ Active Loop Antenna from being easily observed by neighbours or my XYL!

Below is a picture from the Wellbrook Communications website of an identical antenna to my own, far too visible for my needs.

I decided I would attempt to paint the loop and mast in colours similar to the new Multi Terrain Pattern (MTP) or MultiCam camouflage.

Here are my results. Can you spot my Wellbrook 1530+ loop in the picture below taken from 2m away? Also in this picture is part of my 280′ military tactical dipole……even harder to spot than the loop.

Try the picture below taken from a different angle. The loop is easier to spot due to its none natural shape silouette, try covering up the top half of the loop with your hand, the lower section blends in much better. I need some plastic foliage to break up the shape, it has been ordered. In this picture is part of my horizontal 280′ dipole,have you found it yet? Answer at bottom of page if you can’t.

Below is an extreme close-up of the loop showing the paint colours used. I haven’t quite finished painting the loop mast yet for best effect, about 90% there as there is too much green visible.

And here are two photos of my Sandpiper MV6+3 HF vertical painted in the same MTP like pattern. Notice how the natural shadows and my false shadows match, when the paint effect is 100% complete.

It is only when really close-up you can see the antennas or if they are silouetted their shape stands out, so I am in the process of adding some ‘Jack Pyke artificial leaves’ to break up the outline as shown below. I’ve been assured by the loop manufacturer that adding plastic leaves will not impair the performance.

Also please note that these photos have been taken in winter when most of my trees have shed their own leaves. In the summer the antennas will be even harder to spot!

If you are interested in painting your antennas like mine, I will now describe where I obtained the paint from and how to paint the pattern.

From Amazon.co.uk – Monstercolours classic range 400ml spray paint in Khaki, Shamrock Green, Sandstone and Black (N.B. all Matt) £5.49 each with free p/p.

With both the 5 foot aluminium mounting mast and the aluminium Wellbrook 1530 Loop I used the Green and Khaki first and painted rough 10″ bands of alternate colours for their whole lengths and allowed to dry.

I then swopped the colours over and very finely misted the opposite colours on top to slightly break up the distinct separate colours.

Then I gathered some real leaves from the garden, the ideal ones being bamboo with narrow thin leaves with gaps and Fern. Using a bunch of these leaves held against the mast and loop I finely sprayed short bursts of the sandstone paint. The effect was to create leaf like patterns on the paint from the existing green and khaki background, now highlighted slightly by a little sandstone colour spray.

I also went back over with either green or khaki and the leaves template until the colours were broken up with natural looking patterns.

Finally I applied a little black paint with a new leaves template to add shadows and break up the outline more. Do not over apply the black otherwise you will create a very visible silouette.

Have fun.

P.S. remember to take your watch off and avoid a windy day, otherwise you will end up like me with an MTP camo coloured watch too!

Hidden dipole answer: On top of the wooden fence!

Here are some more photos of my loop against different backgrounds

The last photo shows the loop at ground level with no mast, even I struggle to see it and I know where it is!

73 de Philip G0ISW

http://www.qsl.net/g0isw

A good day for 5 MHz DX

Monday 11th February 2013 was a good day for me to work new 5MHz DX stations.

I had noticed that at around sunset Scandinavian Countries had been active over the weekend on both PSK31 and Olivia 16/500 data modes.

I decided I would try to find some on the Monday and slightly before sunset at 15:55z I worked OZ3IZ on 5.363 MHz PSK31 at a distance of 836 km and then at 18:00z I worked LA5PN on 5.368 MHz Olivia 16/500 a distance of 993 km.

I was using my usual setup of Kenwood TS-2000, 25 Watts and a Racal Clansman 1.6-30 MHz dipole at only 2m AGL mostly running in a NW/SE direction, ideal for Scandinavia which are to the side.

Both stations are shown on the map above.

73 de Philip G0ISW

http://www.qsl.net/g0isw

 

UK 5 MHz observed activity as at 3rd February 2013

Definite signs now that the new UK 5 MHz band allocations have settled down, with the vast majority of operators being found as shown on the pdf link here UK 5 MHz activity 03.02.2013

Very little change from previous monitored activity last month. An occasional brand new 5 MHz operator found in some strange places, but that appears due to a lack of official guidance/previous experience of this band.

73 de Philip G0ISW

http://www.qsl.net/g0isw

Combining Fldigi data software with PSK Reporter

I’m really now getting to grips with Fldigi data mode software for windows, by W1HKJ.

This modern software has many new features that my existing MixW software lacks, such as automatic identification of received data signals using RSID, even switching to that mode without any operator interaction if you want.

One feature is to ‘spot’ automatically stations that you receive at your location.

I use this feature now as a matter of course and the information is sent to the PSK Reporter website where it is displayed on  a map page that updates continiously.

In the example below it is showing all the data stations I have heard on the UK 5 MHz band in the last 24 hours.

By clicking on each balloon the precise mode, time, frequency, location information is displayed on screen. It can assist to show antenna coverage/radiation patterns/Propagation conditions etc.

Useful as well to see who has heard you, by selecting other map options.

73 de Philip G0ISW

http://www.qsl.net/g0isw