HFPACK NEWS 2015 2015 is the year for the /Pedestrian Mobile DX World Records to be challenged on the lower frequency bands. Currently, we are at the peak of this solar cycle, and the seasonal peak of optimum conditions for low power DX. The world records for the 1.8 MHz to 10 MHz bands are ripe for challenges by talented /PM and /Bike Mobile operators out to test their mettle... against the old contacts made a decade ago during the peak of the previous solar cycle. Do you have the right stuff to make your mark in HFpack history? Feel free to announce your schedule of operations and attempts at record busting on the HFpack forum. Many SSB, and especially CW contacts, categories, and bands are wide open to set new DX records. Some of the lower band records are shown below. Seasons Greetings, Bonnie Crystal KQ6XA HFpack Coordinator HFPACK HALL OF FAME hfpack/hall/ WORLD RECORDS FOR PEDESTRIAN MOBILE AND HUMAN POWERED MOBILE LONG DISTANCE HF COMMUNICATIONS 1.8MHz SSB /PM 5W category 22km G0SBW/PM Port of London tower site, 51.81N 001.22E, 0.25W, IC703, 12 ft. loaded whip G8BLS/PM Old Felixstowe Martello tower site, 51.98N 001.38E, 0.25W, IC703, 12 loaded whip, 07NOV04 1615Z rpt to G0SBW 5x6, rpt to G8BLS 3x5 3.5MHz SSB /PM 50W category 1481km KI0PF/PM Mark Colorado Springs, CO, USA 20W, PRC-1099, 8ft Whip, Dragging 22ft counterpoise KQ6XA/PM Bonnie Foster City CA USA 25W, VX-1200, 13ft Whip, Dragging counterpoise 03NOV02 0710z (Signal Reports 55/55, about 12dB above noise. Good propagation, low atmospheric noise. Large group of HFpackers witnessed contact on 3999LSB. 3.5MHz SSB /PM 5W category 1464km WB6MLC/PM Fremont, CA, USA FT-817, 5W, Top-Loaded Whip, dragging counterpoise KI0PF/PM Colorado Springs, CO, USA PRC-1099, 5W, 16ft Whip, dragging counterpoise 17NOV2002 0744z, Reports: 51/51, group of HFpackers witnessed contact on 3999LSB, QSB, signals near noise level 5MHz SSB /PM 50W category 1431km KJ5GT/PM Albuquerque NM USA 12W, PRC-104, 16ft whip, dragging counterpoise KQ6XA/PM Foster City CA USA 50W, Kachina MP-25, AT-271whip, dragging counterpoise 05OCT03, 0625UTC, Sigs 53/53, low noise, big group of HFpackers on freq 5MHz SSB /PM 5W category, 1529km KI0PF/PM Mark near Colorado Springs, CO, USA 38.5N 104.49W, 5W PRC-1099, 16ft. whip, 44 ft. dragging counterpoise KB6BA/PM Oliver & WB6MLC/PM Ken, San Ramon, CA, USA 37.78N 121.98w 5W FT-817 (both) 13ft loaded whip, 31ft drag counterpoise WB6MLC 14ft hor. vert.load Lpole KB6BA 19OCT03 0610Z KI0PF rpt to: KB6BA, 5x4; WB6MLC, 5x4 KI0PF rpt from: KB6BA, 5x4; WB6MLC, 5x4. 5MHz SSB /HPM 50W category, 2493km W3FF/BM Budd, Redding, CA USA 40.37 N 122.20 W, FT-857ND with an LDG Z-100 Ultra tuner. 50W Buddistick antenna 8ft length on handlebars K6ERO/PM John, Fayetteville AR USA 36.07 N 94.15 W, PRC-104 manpack 20w Drag wire counterpoise32ft 09JAN2005 0110Z K6ERO rpt to W3FF: 55 W3FF rpt to K6ERO:54 7MHz SSB /PM 50W category, 1481km KQ6XA/PM Foster City CA USA 50W, Kachina MP-25, 10ft whip w/ base loading coil, dragging counterpoise KI0PF/PM near Colorado Springs CO USA 20W, PRC-1099, 16ft whip, dragging counterpoise 05OCT03, 0633UTC, Strong sigs 59/59, low noise Guidelines for Qualification in HFpack Hall of Fame Submissions to HFpack Hall of Fame shall include: 1. Callsigns and names of operators. 2. UTC Date [DDMMMYYYY] Time [hh:mm]. 3. Frequency and Mode [SSB] [CW] [DATA]. 4. Signal reports exchange (any standard format) 5. Geographic coordinates to the nearest minute. 6. Great circle distance in kilometers. 7. Category of entry. 8. Brief description of equipment used. ----------------------------- Guidelines for All Categories ----------------------------- 1. Communications shall be between licensed amateurs authorized to operate within their jurisdiction. 2. All claims must be substantiated through one of the following means: A. by verified email posts with signal reports to HFpack group by both participants. B. by clear JPG image upload of QSL Card(s) to the HFpack file archive. QSL must be marked Pedestrian Mobile or /PM or equivalent. 3. Total weight of all equipment used for communication shall be less than 15 kilograms (33 pounds), inclusive of receiver, transmitter, complete antenna system, all wires, cables, I/O devices, microphones, earphones, speakers, keys, antenna mounts, batteries, and power supply. 4. All communications shall take place on amateur radio authorized bands on frequencies within the spectrum of 1.8 to 54 MegaHertz, using a transmitter power output level not to exceed 50 Watts Peak Envelope Power. 5. During the communication, operator shall not intentionally utilize fixed metallic objects as either reflectors, directors, or counterpoises for antenna systems or radio waves. Natural geological formations and features of terrain may be intentionally utilized by the radio operator. 6. All distances are to be measured using great circle terrestrial surface short path distance calculations derived from geographic coordinates rounded to the nearest minute. No terrestrial distance exceeding antipodes shall be recognized. 7. During the time of actual exchange of signal reports, the operator shall not have the relay assistance of other radio operators over the air, other communication systems, telephone, internet, relays, repeaters, receivers or remote systems. 8. A communication exchange which spans two power categories is classified in the higher power category. 9. All communications exchanges shall be between Pedestrian Mobile or Human Powered Mobile stations. A communication exchange which spans Pedestrian Mobile and Human Powered Mobile categories shall be classified in a Human Powered Mobile category. --------------------------------------- Category 1 = Pedestrian Mobile 50 Watts --------------------------------------- 1. The singular radio operator shall carry and support the full weight of all equipment used for communication. 2. Radio operator shall be able to move about freely carrying all equipment and antenna system throughout the entire communication. 3. The output power of the transmitters on both sides of the communication is limited to 50 Watts PEP on SSB or DATA, and 25 Watts CW. 4. A wire attached to the radio equipment with a maximum total length of 20 meters in a single direction and a maximum cross section of 1 centimeter may be touching, dragging, or laying on the surface upon which the operator is walking or standing; however, this counterpoise wire shall not be mechanically attached to any fixed object or in any way elevated above the surface of the earth by fixed objects, or impede the free forward linear movement of the radio operator. 5. The antenna system used for communication shall have a maximum height of 10 meters above the surface level upon which the operator is walking or standing, and the entire weight of the antenna shall be carried by the operator during the communications. 6. During communications, radio operator shall be located on either A, B, or C: A. natural earth, soil, rock, path, or trail. B. non-elevated: concrete, vehicular road, sidewalk, wooden walkway, or similar normal walking surface. C. the deck of a ship or boat, wharf, dock, on or above a body of water only if all other qualifications of the category are met, and the height of the antenna above the surface upon which the operator is walking or standing does not exceed 3 meters, and if a counterpoise is used the length of it shall not exceed 3 meters. 7. A pedestrian mobile also includes an operator roller skates, ice skates, roller blades, snow skis, riding horseback or pack animal. -------------------------------------------- Category 2 = Pedestrian Mobile 5 Watts (QRP) -------------------------------------------- 1. All of the qualifications of Category 1 shall be met. 2. The output power of the transmitters on both sides of the communication is limited to 10 Watts PEP on SSB or DATA, and 5 Watts CW. 3. No other communication between the same station may be made at a higher power level within 30 minutes prior to the claimed communication. 4. No weight limit for Category 2 equipment. ------------------------------------------ Category 3 = Human Powered Mobile 50 Watts ------------------------------------------ 1. A Human Powered Mobile is considered to be any wheeled vehicle, craft, device, cart, wagon, bicycle, tricycle, scooter, or carrier which is powered for movement solely by human energy. 2. A Human Powered Mobile shall also include: A. A non-motorized hang glider, paraglider, or aircraft which is placed aloft solely by human energy. B. A non-motorized, non-sail boat not exceeding a length of 10 meters which is powered for movement solely by human energy. 3. During communications, Human Powered Mobile shall be located on either A, B, C, or D: A. natural earth, soil, rock, path, or trail. B. any concrete, vehicular road, sidewalk, wooden walkway, track, or similar normal vehicular or walking surface. C. under or upon the surface of a body of water. D. the travel surface of any vehicular or pedestrian bridge, wharf, or dock. 4. During communications, Human Powered Mobile shall not be located on any of the following: A. another vehicle or craft of any kind. B. a building or manmade structure other than a bridge. 5. The output power of the transmitters on both sides of the communication is limited to 50 Watts PEP on SSB or DATA, and 25 Watts CW. 6. The antenna or counterpoise in any direction extending outward from the Human Powered Mobile shall not exceed 10 meters in length, however, if the Human Powered Mobile is located upon a bridge, wharf or dock, the antenna or counterpoise shall not exceed 3 meters in length. 7. During communication, the Human Powered Mobile shall not be tethered or mechanically attached to any fixed object, craft, or vehicle. 8. Submission shall include description of mobile. 9. A communication between a Human Powered Mobile and a Pedestrian Mobile shall be included in the Human Powered Mobile Category. ----------------------------------------------- Category 4 = Human Powered Mobile 5 Watts (QRP) ----------------------------------------------- 1. All of the requirements of Category 3 shall be met. 2. The output power of the transmitters on both sides of the communication is limited to 10 Watts PEP on SSB or DATA, and 5 Watts CW. 3. No other communication between the same station may be made at a higher power level within 30 minutes prior to the claimed communication. 4. No weight limit for Category 4 equipment. ----------------------------------------------- Differently-Abled Notes For All Categories ----------------------------------------------- 1. A Differently-Abled operator is exempt from requirements of specific movement, and may utilize any type of wheelchair, including a motorized wheelchair, other assisted devices, or the assistance of another person for carrying equipment. 2. A Differently-Abled operator may enter any appropriate category, within transmitter power and antenna conditions. 3. A Differently-Abled operator utilizing a wheelchair or other assistance for movement may enter the Pedestrian Mobile category, however, a motor vehicle capable of supporting more than one person may not be utilized. 4. All other conditions apply equally to Differently-Abled operators in all categories, and it is not necessary to disclose that the operator is Differently-Abled. 5. Weight limitations apply only to the actual transmitter, receiver, and antenna system used for communication by the Differently-Abled operator. 6. The spirit of the guidelines for the appropriate category should be followed.
Posted on: Sat, 27 Dec 2014 02:31:34 +0000
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