International ATV Contest 11/12 June - Update

[g8gtz]

Received from Francois Muller F6AQO who has posted the BATC email on French ATV reflectors:

1/ Talkback frequency and mode :
We use USB 144.170 for CQ calls and we QSY up between 144.175 and 144.200 for QSO and let the call Frequency free. 144.750 FM is only possible for short distances and we rarely use it.

2/ Main french stations are using 438.5 AM mode with high power. 437 DATV is also use with sr 1500 & 1024 because most of us are not ready lower than 1024 Kb/s.

F9ZG Rolf will be out portable in Normandy " Mont ROBIN" QRA loc IN98JW. with many configurations on 438.5 AM, 437 DATV, 1255 FM & DATV, 2350 FM and RBTV 146.5 MHz (RX) 145.6 MHz (TX) CQ Call frequency : 144.170 USB. If WX and propagations conditions are too bad, Rolf will be only activ at home (IN99KC)

I personally shall be active from Paris south area (JN18EK) 438.5 AM, 437 DATV sr 1500 fec 1/2 pid 33, 49 & 2 x 21 elts yagi through a good PA.

******** Note from G8GTZ: If you are set up to receive 70cms DATV, 70cms AM reception is easy with the TVsharp programming running on an RTL dongle - see http://www.rtl-sdr.com/analogue-tv-with-rtl-sdr/ ***********

[PA3CRX]

Last ATV activity weekend/contest in the Netherlands (March 2016), the following Dutch ATV stations participated.
QTH Call
JO20VW PA3DLJ
JO20XW PA1AS
JO21DU PE1JMZ
JO21JJ ON1BTE
JO21JJ PA3GCN
JO21ON PA0BOJ
JO21OW PA1RHQ/A
JO21TK PA7HV
JO21UN PE1OLR
JO21XM PE1APH
JO22FE PA2TG
JO22GF PA0ZR
JO22ID PA2CGG
JO22ID PA3CGG
JO22JF PA1KW
JO22JF PE1PAZ
JO22KF PE1ASH
JO22KG PE1CVJ
JO22LE PE1EZU
JO22LU PE2AEX
JO22MC PE1MUD
JO22MD PA1RHQ
JO22NB PE1MPZ
JO22PJ PE1HIS
JO22QA PA3CRX/P
JO22QE PA3CHR
JO22QE PA3CRX
JO22QK PA3CWS/P
JO22RD PE1RQM
JO22RE PA3CWS
JO22RE PE1BQE
JO22RF PE1POA
JO22VW PE1DWQ
JO31BL PA3DZA
JO32GH PE2TV

The participating stations from last year could be seen on the map here: http://www.iaru-r1.org/images/VHF/atv/I ... _2015a.pdf (map is below).
Of course this is no guarantee that these stations will join in June again (or from the same location). It is also possible more or other stations will join, situated in the western part of the Netherlands.
23 cm band is the most used band but also 70 cm (AM) and 13 cm is popular. In fact, band up to 24 GHz are used by many stations.
Hopefully conditions will be good. Frequency used is 144.750 but also dxspot.tv is commonly used.

Enjoy the activity,
Chris PA3CRX

By the way: TVsharp can also be used in the 23 cm band with FM stations. If you know a station that has already SDRsharp running, he just could run TVsharp instead (without installation) and try to see your four digits. It could make ATV interesting for him!
TVsharp could also be downloaded at http://pi6ats.nl/tv.zip

[G4EWJ]

Chris,

What are the most common settings for DATV on 23cm?

Brian

[PA3CRX]

Brian,
DATV is likely not so commonly used in the Netherlands as in the UK.
For example they use SR2000 and FEC ½ .
Some repeaters use it, but also SR4000 and FEC ½
Best to negotiate about the settings at the moment you try the contact.
Best regards,
Chris PA3CRX

[G4EWJ]

Thanks.

Brian

[g8gtz]

Update from F6AQO on French stations likely to be active in the contest:

All of them are listening 144.170 MHz USB and are mainly activ 438.5 AM, 437 DATV, 1255 MHz FM & DATV

West coast stations having max chances to UK:
F9ZG Rolf ( Home QRA) St Gilles dpt 50 (Manche) IN99KC - may be also out Portable but to be confirmed
F4BNF David (Home QRA) Coutance dpt 50 IN99 IA may be also out portable with F9ZG -To be confirmed
F1DBZ Jacques (Home QRA) Le Havre dpt 76 (Seine maritime) JN09DM
F6BGR Christian (Home QRA) NW coast dpt 80 (Somme) JO00SC

North France
F6ESU jean (Home QRA) North Ile de France dpt 60 (Oise) JN19OO

Paris area stations having chance to join UK if cdx are rather good
F3YX Marc (Home QRA) SW Paris dpt 91 (Essonne) JN18AP (actually on vaccation & not confirmed)
F6ANO Michel (Home QRA) NE Paris dpt 77 (Seine et Marne) JN18JR
F1RJ Jean (Home QRA) NW Paris dpt 78 (Yvelines) JN18AT
F6AQO Francois (Home QRA) SE Paris dpt 91 (Essonne) JN18EK

Farthest Province stations with poor chance to contact UK
F5AGO Jean-Michel (Home QRA) Center France Poitiers dpt 86 (Vienne) JN06DP (closed to F6DZP)
F1AHR Jean-Claude (Home QRA) SW France - Bordeaux dpt 33 (Gironde) IN94VO
F4NYR Jacques (Home QRA) SE Paris (Bourgogne) dpt 89 (Yonne) JN17NV

Others French stations having poor conditions but probably in the contest (to be confirmed) .
F1TQM JN09NA
F4EYA JN18MB
F5MKM JN07XV
F1AEA JN17TR
F1ETU JN18AD

[HB9DUG]

The swissATV Team will participate to the contest from the top of the Jura mountain chain. The mountain is called Chasseron at 1'600 m. and locator is JN36GU.

We will operate a 437 MHz DVB-S RB station (SR 150) with two coupled big yagi.

We will listening on 144.750 MHz USB, 144.750 Mhz and on the QSP room of HB9TV http://hb9tv.ch/qsp-chat-room/.

73 de michel, hb9dug
hb9dug@vtxnet.ch

[G4EWJ]

G3NWR/P will be at Merryton Low, Staffordshire on the Saturday.

Brian

[G8GKQ]

Hi All

Confirmation of my plans:

On Saturday I will be at Walbury Hill IO91GI, near Newbury in Berkshire, with a good take off in all directions except South.

On Sunday, I will be at Portsdown Hill IO90LU, near Portsmouth in Hampshire, with a good take off in all directions except West.

On both days I hope to have:

146.5 MHz RB-TV
437 MHz DATV, RB-TV and AM
1255 MHz DATV and FM
10367 MHz RB-TV (and FM receive only)
Talkback on 144.75 FM, 144.17 SSB and https://www.DXSpot.TV

Dave
G8GKQ

[M0SKM]

On Sunday Arthur G4CPE, Don G0WFT and Steve M0SKM will be operating from Dunstable Downs IO91RU.

There is a good take-off to the North, the West and North-East.

Bands/Modes will be: -

146.5 MHz RB-TV.
437 MHz DATV, RB-TV and AM receive.

Talkback on 144.75 FM and 144.17 SSB.

Arthur will also be active on Saturday from his home QTH in IO91SW.

Steve
M0SKM