VE7CNF Amateur Radio Station
Contest Callsign VA7EU
Burnaby, British
Columbia, Canada
Grid CN89NG
IOTA Designator NA091 British Columbia Province South
CQ zone 3, ITU region 2 zone 2, DXCC zone 3, ARRL Section BC
SKCC 14302, NRR 336
BC Electoral District BNL, Federal Electoral district BNS
Professional consulting services http://www.phasordesign.com/
Maritime mobile operation on motor vessel Equinox http://www.mvequinox.ca/
QSL direct, no return postage necessary:
Toby Haynes VE7CNF
9570 WILLOWLEAF PLACE
BURNABY BC V5A 4A5
CANADA
VE7CNF Ham Radio Articles
630m Sea and Land Portable Operation
630m Band Antenna Matching Using Just a Resistor
630m Band 30W Transverter – High Power Mixer, No PA
VHS Propagation: Radio Long Delayed Echoes and Video Recorders
A Spark Gap Transmitter with a Pure Note
Station Information
Radio Equipment Icom IC-7410 Transceiver
100W 160m-6m
Home brew transmitter on
630m/472-479 kHz, 5W EIRP on CW and digital modes
Heathkit DX-40 CW/AM
transmitter with VF-1 VFO
Antennas Inverted-L, 16 meters high, used on 630m and HF 160-10m
I enjoy building and experimenting with radio hardware, casual contesting, and operating tube rigs in vintage radio events. I have been a radio amateur since 1977. Until 1984 I operated 40 and 20 meter CW with home-built transmitters from 15 to 700 watts and made use of the university club station VE7UBC. I took a break from radio as I became busy with my career and family. In 2002 I got back on the air with an old Kenwood TS-820S. That was replaced by a new IC-7410 in 2014 and an IC-7300 was added in 2020. In vintage events I operate a Heathkit DX-40 that produces a distinctive chirping and humming signal on the higher HF bands. In Antique Wireless Association events I use a 25W push-pull power oscillator, a design from 1934 using two type 45 tubes. On 630m I run a home-brew transmitter.
I am a partner in the construction and operation of the VA7MM 1296 MHz EME station, which has been in operation since 2003. See our web page at http://www3.telus.net/public/va7mm/eme/. We are active during EME contests on CW and JT65.
By profession I am a self-employed electronics engineer and design custom wireless, analog, and microcontroller hardware for industrial applications. See http://www.phasordesign.com/.
Canada / USA 630m Band 472-479 kHz Operation
The first US amateur operation began on the 630m band on Oct 14 after a few hams received UTC approval. All others who applied on Sept 16 had to wait until Oct 16 to start operation.
I participated in opening night activity and completed 5 CW and 4 JT9 QSOs with 7 different stations: AH6EZ/W7, W7WKR, W7IUV, W0YSE, W7RBN, N6LF, K5DNL. The first QSO was CW with Dick AH6EZ/W7. I made a CW “VVV” test transmission on 472.5 kHz that ended a few seconds after the clock passed 00:00 UTC Oct 16. Dick immediately gave me a call.
Since then it’s been good fun on the band, with everyone trying for 2-way QSOs with the stations they’ve been hearing on WSPR for the last few years. 2-Way operation is split between JT9 and CW. I operate JT9 frequently, but always try for a CW QSO when conditions allow. WSPR beacon transmissions are continuing with ham call signs and at reduced power.
See the KB5NJD 630m Daily Reports for news on 630m activity, and VE7SL Blogspot for articles related to 630m. Check current activity on the ON4KST KHz Chat, PSK Reporter Map for 600m, and the Reverse Beacon Network for 472 kHz.
As of March, 2018 I’ve worked 24 different US stations as far as Hawaii, Alaska, Texas, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania.
630 Meters 472-479 kHz Berlin Treaty Special Event Nov 11, 2017
On Saturday evening, 0000 to 0430 Nov 12 UTC, I transmitted beacons and crossband CQs on 478.2 kHz for portions of each hour. I made crossband QSOs with VA7TA (BC) and W7YOZ (WA) 630m-to-80m, and K7CW (WA) 630m-to-160m. I also received reports by email and on low-band chat from VA7TA, WA7SMZ (OR), W7RH (AZ). VA3ELE tried listening for me but had no copy in Ontario.
2nd Midwinter 630m Activity Event Saturday Evening Feb 4-5, 2017
Canadian hams CF7MM, VE7BDQ, CG7CNF, VE7SL, VO1NA, VE3OT provided 2-way crossband CW QSOs on Saturday night, transmitting on 630m while receiving on 160, 80, and 40m.
Transmitting on 630m as CG7CNF, I made crossband contacts with AH6EZ/W7, K7CW, CF7MM, W7FI, W6TOD, K6YK, VE7KW, VE6XH, VE7BGJ, K7SS, VA7JX, W9PL, KB5NJD, N7BYD, VE7BDQ
630m Activity and CW Crossband Night, Nov 12-13, 2016
Six Canadian hams (VO1NA, VE3OT, VE7SL, VE7BDQ, VA7MM, VE7CNF) made crossband CW QSOs, transmitting on 630m and receiving on 160, 80, and 40m. US Experimental stations made QSOs and transmitted beacons on 630m. Maritime Radio Historical Society station KSM was active on 426 kHz.
Transmitting on 630m, I made crossband contacts with AH6EZ/W7, K7CW, KB7N, KG0VL, W0YSE, K6GZ, KR5D, NO3M, VA7JX, VE7BGJ, VE7PS, W7GKF, VA7MM, VE7BDQ.
Midwinter 630m (472 to 479 kHz) Activity Weekend, Feb 6 - 7, 2016
Six Canadian hams (VO1NA, VE3OT, VE7SL, VE7BDQ, VA7MM, VE7CNF) made crossband CW QSOs, transmitting on 630m and receiving on 160, 80, and 40m. US Experimental stations made QSOs and transmitted beacons on 630m. Maritime Radio Historical Society station KSM was active on 426 kHz.
I made the following crossband contacts:
Feb 6, 2016: KU7Z, W0YSE, VE7KW, VE7BGJ, KG0D/7,
W6RKC and locals VE7BDQ, VA7MM.
Feb 7, 2016: K7CW, N7BYD, W0YSE, and locals VE7SL, VA7MM.
I also heard maritime station KSM on 426 kHz, and beacons from WD2XSH/20 on 472 and WG2XSV on 476.1. N6SKM and VE7JYH sent reception reports. My QRSS3 beacon was heard by K3ISM. The DX highlights of the weekend were crossband QSOs between VE7SL (Mayne Is., BC) and WA3TTS (Pittsburgh, PA) and NO3M (Saegertown, PA).
630m Crossband Weekend and Medium Wave Special Event, Nov 14 - 15, 2015
Six Canadian hams (VO1NA, VE7SL, VE7BDQ, VA7MM, VE7CA, VE7CNF) made crossband CW QSOs, transmitting on 630m and receiving on 160, 80, and 40m. US Experimental stations made QSOs and transmitted messages inside and outside the 630m band. Maritime Radio Historical Society station KSM was active on 426 kHz. KYVM on the “S.S. Red Oak Victory” was active on 425 kHz.
I made the following crossband contacts:
Nov 14, 2015 Crossband KK7UV, VA7MM, K6GZ, VA7TA, K6LG,
and 2-way 630m with VE7CA
Nov 15, 2015 Crossband K7CW, VE7KW, VE7BDQ, VA7DXX, W0YSE, K9FD/KH6
I also heard beacons from WD2XSH/20, WG2XSV, KSM and heard part of a signal report from California by KYVM, who managed to receive some of us. Mike Tuggle on Oahu, Hawaii received WH2XCR, WD2XSH/20, VE7SL, VE7BDQ, and VE7CNF using a single-MOSFET regenerative receiver and 38ft high inverted-L antenna.
Digital Modes on 630m
FSK digital modes that are phase-continuous and of fixed amplitude will work through nonlinear power amplifiers. Such modes include WSPR, JT9, JT65, MFSK8, MFSK16, MFSK32, FM HELL, and RTTY. Some of us (WG2XSV, NU60, VE7BDQ, VA7MM and I) have tried beacon tests on 630m. John VE7BDQ and I have completed 2-way QSOs on 630m using JT9, WSQ, and RTTY.
FM HELL 245 beacons received by VE7CNF and WG2XSV:
MSFK16+SSTV Picture beacons received by VA7MM and WG2XSV:
Lightwave
VE7SL and I have completed a lightwave QSO between Mayne Island and Cypress Quarry Lookout, a line-of-sight path of 51 km. This was using CW with tones amplitude-modulated on deep red LEDs around 660 nm wavelength.
Experiments continue, with hopes to complete QSOs over longer paths and to use digital modes by cloud-bounce.