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HamSphere Newsletter July 2019
2019-07-28 19:02 |
Admin Registered: 14 years ago Posts: 1,061 |
 Welcome to the July edition of the HamSphere Newsletter 2019 We have a lot of good stuff coming your way so here we go: A humble message from our founder  First of all I am extending a big Thank you to all subscribers who make all this possible. Your subscription not only helps us running this big ship, but it also helps everyone on this platform to grow and explore the fundamentals of Amateur Radio. You are part of a big community with huge love for communication between people in many countries and continents.
If you enjoy the HamSphere community, please support us with a subscription or renewal and join the activities. We have kept our subscriptions low at 30 Euro ($34 USD) per year since 2012. We know that many of you pay that amount or more for your Internet connection per month. So we ask you kindly to help this wonderful community as it means a lot to so many people. We have costs for electricity, powerful servers, Internet bandwidth, data storage and software development but also for advertising, support center, accountants, salaries etc and it all adds up. HamSphere is like a big melting pot with operators from all religions, schools and ethnic background. Ham Radio stands for love, unity, compassion and social acceptance which is part of the true Ham Radio spirit. We share friendliness, happiness, sympathy, wisdom and peace together and HamSphere should be our sanctuary, our safe haven or oasis away from the daily stressful life where we can meet and talk to other human beings sharing the same hobby. Thank you all for your support! Sincerely, Kelly Lindman SM7NHC / 5B4AIT Founder HamSphere 4.0 news New Sporadic Es mode on 10 and 11m on HamSphere 4.0  If you have been using real shortwave bands on 27 or 28 MHz in the past, especially summertime, you will know about sporadic E propagation. Those 5/9 signals popping up on 10 or 11m at a distance between 700-2200km. We have now implemented this mode on HamSphere 4.0. Sporadic E is now open on 10 and 11 meters in the Northern Hemisphere. The system is based on constant live data from DX-Clusters around the world. We identify the Sporadic E-layer reflection points and bounce the signals of that layer point. You can see the reflection points as big saucers reflecting the RF signal. In the scenario to the right we show you two Es clouds. The closer the path is to the ES cloud, the higher signal. B/C paths would have good 5/9 signals where as A would hit the Es layer on the rim producing readable signal but lower level. These Es clouds are constantly moving due to the sun's radiation so expect sudden drops in signal.
 North America Es clouds
To the left a picture of recorded Es cloud data for North America during 22-23 July 2019. Generally the E-Layer reflection points are following the sun and earth's rotation. Basically the bands in USA/Canada open up on 27-28 MHz around 15.00 UTC and continues over the day. New Sporadic Es MAP plug-in  Sporadic E or Es is an unusual form of radio propagation using characteristics of the Earth's ionosphere. Communication distances of 800–2200 km can occur using a single Es cloud.
As its name suggests, sporadic E is an abnormal event, but can happen at almost any time; it does, however, display seasonal patterns. Sporadic E activity peaks predictably in the summertime in both hemispheres. In North America, the peak is most noticeable in mid-to-late June, trailing off through July and into August. A much smaller peak is seen around the winter solstice. Activity usually begins in mid-December in the southern hemisphere. ES Map v1.0 provides a LIVE visual representation of Sporadic Es reflection points in the ionospheric E-Layer for 10 and 11m bands. The map shows the latest reported Es clouds over the past hour. Get the plug-in here: https://shop.hamsphere.com/product_info.php?products_id=234604 New DX Chat plug-in  We have seen an increased demand in discussing HS4 releated topics in text. This has traditionally taken place on facebook or the HamSphere forum. Now we are providing a rig built in feature for this purpose.
This text chat plug-in offers a global chat for all users on the platform as well as sending private messages to any user on the system. To Join a chat, simply double click on it. To send a private message to a user not found on Dx Chat, click the Send PM button and the user will be invited to download the plug-in and install it to be able to read your message. After contact is establish you can click your friend's call sign and you can chat directly in the plug-in. All messages support UTF-8 character set. As this plug-in is built to handle many concurrent users, expect a delay of 1-2 seconds between chat changes. This plug-in named DX Chat 648x360 is FREE of charge and has automatically been added to your rig editor. Just place it anywhere on your HamSphere 4.0 transceiver. VHF/UHF Points for DXHC Top-1000 News flash!!! As we do not have any VHF/UHF awards yet, we are giving you 1 point for each worked and confirmed QSO on 2m or 70cm. Check your logstats https://hs40.hamsphere.com/logstats  New Remote 4.0 rigs
You can now enjoy a new set of remotely operated rigs in exotic countries. Same price as before, 5 Euro per hour. COMOROS, KM QTH: Moroni MAURITANIA, MR QTH: Nouakchott AALAND ISLANDS, AX QTH: Mariehamn AMERICAN SAMOA, AS QTH: Pago Pago SOMALIA, SO QTH: Mogadishu MOZAMBIQUE, MZ QTH: Maputo FALKLAND ISLANDS, FK QTH: Stanley CAYMAN ISLANDS, KY QTH: George Town RWANDA, RW QTH: Kigali SOLOMON ISLANDS, SB QTH: Honiara New antennas 
Legendary Antennas The classic collection of the 8 new "Legendary" multi-band wire antennas have now been deployed on HS4. These antennas were designed in the beginning of the Ham Radio era back in 1930-40. Many of them have been redesigned over time to account for the new 30, 17 and 12m WARC bands. Back in the day they used old-school modes such as AM and CW. We have now redesigned these antennas on HamSphere 4.0 so that you can experience the performance and characteristics of these antennas live. 
The Legendary antennas comprise of: New Carolina Windom Fritzel FD4 OCFD T2FD Broadband Antenna Double Zepp (Doublet Antenna) W3EDP End-Fed Antenna W8JK Bi-directional Antenna Multi-band Trap Dipole G5RV (New Upgraded model)  Finally we have launched the wonderful VU2NSB OmniDX with high gain and low take off angle. This completes the OmniDX series. You can find them in the Shop: https://shop.hamsphere.com/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=VU2NSB+OmniDX 
New awards HS4 Legendary Antenna Award 
And as promised, the "Legendary Antennas" award. The criteria for this award is not yet set but will be presented shortly. But to make this award even challenging it will be based on same rules for both stations. No Yagi stacks or massive beams are allowed on either side. This award should reflect the conditions of the era when these antennas were designed, such as in the 1930's or 40's in the early days of Amateur Radio. HS4 Vertical Antenna Award and HS4 Yagi Award In an effort to put some focus on "antenna and propagation skills" we have launched two very interesting awards. The basic setup for a normal HF station is usually a wire, vertical or 3-Element yagi antenna. This is the traditional setup for most Amateur Radio operators. HamSphere 4.0 has provided its operators wit a choice of 3-element yagies and vertical antennas. Like in the Legendary award requirements, both stations must be cooperating using the same antenna flavor such as the 3-element yagis or the vertical antennas. The reason for this is that there should be a fair gain between the antennas. Many operators use the massive Yagi stacks today with tremendous ERP and pin-pointing capabilities, but we want to show that it is possible to make a QSO with these simpler antennas too.  HS4 CW 500 Award and CW 1000 Award Our CW operators have asked us for new challenging CW awards and we have listened. CW is a growing mode on HS4 and we recently had the year CW contest with almost 100 participants. Here we present a 500 and 1000 QSO CW award. Enjoy!  HS4 80m WW Award and Worked 200 C/DXHC Entities Award We have listened to your concerns at the difficulty with confirming 25 US States on 80m to achieve an award. It is important to recognize previous achievements, however we have decided to introduce a new award - The "HS4 80m World Wide Award" This new award is based on QSO's and grids. It is understood that difficulty varies by continent, therefore the parameters have been set to challenge operators, while being achievable with persistent operating. Thank you for reading and good luck with the HS4 80m World Wide Award. You can now find the award in your logstats and dxhc. July 15 DXHC released a new award, 200 countries/DXHC entities on HS4.  HS3 / HS4 IDX Net Dual Platform Award IDX Net Dual Platform Award is a first of its kind on HamSphere which encourages operator participation and activity on both HS3 and HS4. Unlike all other awards, this award provides an opportunity to HamSphere operators to not only work DX on HF radio bands of HS4 but also enable them at each step to understand various associated physical phenomenon, underlying propagation behavior, optimum selection and use of antennas, and all the whys, whats and hows of HF radio communication. Rather than making contacts without really knowing why they happened, the IDX Net Award paradigm lets the operator dig into the true reasons of success or failure; and consequently achieve a greater sense of accomplishment by expanding heir horizons and knowledgebase. This would eventually not only help people become better HS4 HF operators but will bring them closer to the real world of HF radio. Operators will find themselves better equipped to face any real challenges of amateur radio communications.  Sell all awards on the DXHC page: https://hs40.hamsphere.com/dxhc Rijswijk Meeting  In 29 June Nico 16HS1033 arranged a mini meeting in Rijswijk, Holland where some HamSphere operators had a meet-and-greet. We had Sandwiches and beverages and were QRV on 7060 kHz between 12.00 to 1400 UTC. The meeting was on the same time as 4 hour contest so we did a few contest QSOs as well. It was a very friendly meeting with a lot of discussions. Nice to meet all these operators and customers in person. Later there we dined in a local restaurant chosen by Leo PA0CVE.
 In the picture above: PA0CVE 19HS632 SM7NHC 19HS1877 G0THD 54HS105 19HS4052 19HS2741 and 16HS1033
Below: Arranger Nico 16HS1033 is planning a bigger HamSphere meeting next year in Blankenberge on the Belgian coast. He can be reached at nicosan1@msn.com.  Above: Kelly PA/SM7NHC, Nico 16HS1033, Corne 19HS632 and Paul G0THD Rijswijk, Holland. 33C outside.
Ostend Meeting  Kelly ON/SM7NHC also visited Ostend in Belgium visiting Ronny 16HS1594 and Sophie 16HS1597 in their lovely home. Thank you so much for your fantastic hospitality. We will be back in Ostend next year.
We also had the pleasure of seeing the Mercator close up. This is the home of 16HC16 and the Late Night DX Club. Magnificent ship anchored up in the Ostend harbor.  The barquentine Mercator was built as a training ship for the Belgian merchant fleet. She was named after Gerardus Mercator (1512–1594), Flemish cartographer. She was designed by G.L. Watson & Co. and built in Leith, Scotland[2] and launched in 1932.
Besides being a training a ship, she was also used, mainly before World War II, for scientific observations, or as ambassador for Belgium on world fairs and in sailing events. In 1961, she became a floating museum, first in Antwerp, and finally from 1964 in the marina of Ostend, just in front of the city hall. As of 2013, she remained there in the heart of the city, open to visitors. Meeting G0THD  Thank you Paul G0THD for a very creative meeting. Paul is one of the most active operators on HamSphere right now hunting DX. Most of the talks circled around on how to get the exotic countries around the world active on HamSphere. We have a big number of operators logging in, visiting the system frequently but many are "PTT-Shy". You are most welcome to contact HamSphere if you have ideas on how to make people talk :-)
India DX Net  https://www.facebook.com/groups/HamSphere.IDXnet.HF.radio/ India DX Net (IDXN) - Resumes Operation ----------------------------------------------------- (STARTING FRIDAY 7th JUNE 2019) The oldest operational net on HamSphere is back again to serve the community. India DX Net is in its eighth year since inception. Over the years, IDX Net has operated continually with occasional breaks. After another such break, we are back again. We are essentially a discussion net with a global footprint. Everybody from around the world is welcome to join us. IDX Net takes up all topics for discussion which are related to ham radio, HamSphere (3.0/4.0), radio communication science and technology. We endeavor to answer all questions and queries put up by participating operators. Therefore, if you are new to ham radio with a hunger to learn more or even a seasoned operator with keen interest in fine nuances of radio communication, you are welcome to join us on IDX Net. Our world is passing through a phase of transition from the 24th to the 25th solar cycle. Over the coming months, we expect considerable changes in HF ionospheric propagation conditions. Solar activity will begin to increase gradually and we will begin to witness fine but subtle changes in the global HF propagation scenario. To leverage these changes to our advantage, both on real HF as well as HS4; we would need to take a closer look at some of the following aspects that matter... IDX Net Session Proceedings - 22nd July 2019 
The India DX Net (IDX Net) Session conducted on Monday, 22nd July 2019 from 11:30 UTC and lasted for 2 hrs and 40 minutes. We had 18-20 stations QRG on the net. The following topics which were brought up for discussion by the active participants were discussed thoroughly. KS1K Dave - Discussion on ensuring that one's correct Grid Square is registered with HamSphere and also to state only registered call location in QSO. VK5FSDX Lew - Topic for discussion on methods of earthing and grounding of ham shack equipment and antenna structures. G4ELD Gary - Discussion on characteristics and seasonal occurrence of Sporadic-E (Es) on real HF/VHF radio and its coverage. 4S7DA Denver - Experiences of Trans-Equatorial Mode (TEM) propagation on HS4 and making DX contact over a distance exceeding 6000 Km. 153HS1129 Len - Participated in the discussion of the importance of correct QTH locations on HamSphere. 41HS389 Chris - Brought up for discussion the Sporadic-e (Es) implementation on HS4 and what to expect in different parts of the world. 348HS136 Franklin - General conversation. EA5/M3IKE Mike - General conversation. 57HS3385 Dilip - General conversation. IDX Net Session Proceedings - 19th July 2019  The India DX Net (IDX Net) Session conducted on Friday, 19th July 2019 from 11:30 UTC and lasted for 2 hrs and 50 minutes. We had 24-26 stations QRG on the net. The following topics which were brought up for discussion by the active participants were discussed thoroughly.
KS1K Dave - Discussion on Split frequency operating procedure on HS4 for DXpeditions and rare DX stations. ZL3MA Graham - Experiences of Tropospheric ducting of VHF Band-1 TV signals in New Zealand in the 1950s. VK2PSW Peter - Tropospheric ducting phenomena on VHF 2m amateur radio band. G4ELD Gary - Discussion on Coherent CW (CCW) and synchronous detection and their benefits related to detectable SNR. 4S7DA Denver - Productive participation with inputs on all discussions. 19HS2496 Wim - Queried about Long Path (LP) implementation on HS4 and brought up the topic of Sporadic-E (Es) mode of communication on HF/VHF radio. 41HS389 Chris - Query about the performance and features of VU2NSB OmniDX antenna and general query on how to select antennas. 26HS3701 Alan - General conversation. N8THJ Arthur - General conversation. IDX Net Session Proceedings - 17th July 2019  The India DX Net (IDX Net) Session conducted on Wednesday, 17th July 2019 from 11:30 UTC and lasted for 3 hrs and 10 minutes. We had 18-20 stations QRG on the net. The following topics which were brought up for discussion by the active participants were discussed thoroughly.
KS1K Dave - Discussion on the importance of first listening carefully on the frequency to the other stations who are in active QSO before breaking-in or joining the conversation. ZL3MA Graham - Participated with an active contribution on every topic of discussion. On a lighter and a non-radio related note, he interestingly brought up the harmful effects of Statins for cholesterol control. VK5FSDX Lew - Topic on the pros and cons of SMPS, Linear regulated PS, and batteries for powering radio transceivers. G4ELD Gary - Discussed the required bandwidth and inter-station spacing for various ham radio communication modes including CW and various Digi-modes. 4S7DA Denver - Productive participation with inputs on all discussions. 153HS1129 Len - Topic of band plans vis-a-vis HF on HS4. Their merits and demerits with respect to HS4. EA5ICK Carmen - Brought up a question on the prevailing QSB implementation on HS3. 348HS136 Franklin - General conversation. N8THJ Arthur - Brought up an issue faced by him on HS4. Dave KS1K kindly volunteered to contact him separately and help him out. Technical updates Softer TX AGC To all HS4 Ops. Have you noted the eased "TX AGC" on HamSphere with a softer knee. Do you hear any difference? The Net Controller plugin has been updated for better performance.  We have updated the Net Controller plugin for smoother and faster performance.
The Net Controller Plug-in has two lists, one for the available Nets for the day and one for participants. The NET list will high light the event in Green color when a NET is active and in Red when you have selected an active net. The plug-in listens in on the NET frequency and automatically populates the participants list and show RX/TX status as well as number of transmissions and total TX length. The Moderator/Controller = the owner of the Net, can remove participants that for instance can't be heard or do not belong to the net. The Net controllers may also send global messages to the DX Monitor window with for example info about the net. NETs are added and maintained with the Event Calender plug-in. CW Keyer The CW Keyer plugin has been updated for better performance. Calling CQ 
We had this article in a previous newsletter, but we think it is so important that we bring it up again. Your first contact or conversation (QSO) can be quite daunting. For that reason it might be a good idea to arrange a QSO with a friend, or someone else on HamSphere. That way it will be less stressful and if you make a mistake it doesn’t really matter. First thing to do is make sure your radio is set up properly – that it is on the right mode, that you have the microphone gain set correctly and you have selected the right amount of power. Generally, we should use the minimum amount of power required to guarantee a good contact. To conduct a voice QSO you have two choices: You can call “CQ” or you can answer someone who is calling CQ. A CQ is simply a general call to no one in particular. It is the traditional way of seeking random contacts. Before calling CQ it’s important to find a frequency that is not occupied by any other station. This may not be easy, particularly in crowded band conditions on HamSphere. Always listen before transmitting. Make sure the frequency isn’t being used before you go barging in. If, after a reasonable time, the frequency seems clear, ask “Is this frequency in use?”, followed by your callsign. So, “Is the frequency in use? This is SM9XYZ.” If nobody replies, you’re clear to call. The CQ calling procedure  Now call CQ using the three by three method. So it is: “CQ CQ CQ this is Sierra Mike Nine Xray Yankee Zulu, Sierra Mike Nine Xray Yankee Zulu, Sierra Mike Nine Xray Yankee Zulu standing by.”
If a station comes back to you say: “K1ABC (or whatever) K1ABC, this is Sierra Mike Nine Xray Yankee Zulu. Good evening/day, your report is 59 (or whatever it is), my name is Peter – Papa Echo Tango Echo Romeo – and my QTH is Ystad – Yankee Sierra Tango Alpha Delta” Note that you do not need to spell things out phonetically more than once. Except when more difficult propagation. If your are lucky, they should come back to you with your report, their name and QTH. At this point you have two choices – you can go on to give them a few more details about your station, such as the radio, power and antenna. But with many QSOs you may find that the other station wishes you 73 and goes away – it usually means that English is not their first language. If they do speak good English you can always tell them a little about yourself and your local area and ask them about theirs. Or you could tell them what clubs you are a member of – there is a whole host of topics you can use. Conduct yourself as though anyone in the world might be listening at any time. Whenever you transmit, you’re representing all of the amateur radio community and your country so act accordingly. At the end of the QSO wish the other station “73” – which is the Q code for best wishes – and say you are now QRT (have closed down). HamSphere 4.0 Mobile News We currently have 10 different plug-ins which turn your mobile phone into a powerful Ham Radio transceiver for the HamSphere bands. Download the HamSphere 4.0 App: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hamsphere.android.hs4hf Get the Plug-Ins: https://mobishop.hamsphere.com  The HS 4.0 mobile app is taking off. Currently we have over 400 users competing in the awards section. It was released in November 5, 2017 and now has 100,000+ installs. The app has a similar modular design as the PC version, although the plug-ins are very different. These plug-ins are available at: https://mobishop.hamsphere.com Rare Countries 
We are detecting many new operators from rare countries on the system. Here are some of the rare countries over the past months. SAINT HELENA, MARSHALL ISLANDS, GREENLAND, CORSICA, EQUATORIAL GUINEA, CAYMAN ISLANDS, COMOROS, FRENCH GUIANA, NETHERLANDS ANTILLES, CONGO REP, PALAU. MALAWI. BRUNEI, BONAIRE, SIERRA LEONE, CHAD, ANDORRA, SOMALIA, BURUNDI, CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC, FIJI, TOGO, CHRISTMAS ISLAND, SARDINIA, AMERICAN SAMOA, NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS, TIMOR-LESTE, ALAND ISLANDS, LAOS, MARTINIQUE, FALKLAND ISLANDS, AZERBAIJAN, GUADELOUPE, CURACAO, CAPE VERDE, MICRONESIA, KYRGYZSTAN, VIET NAM, SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS, SOLOMON ISLANDS, ANTARCTICA, GUINEA, CAMBODI, FRENCH POLYNESIA, LIBERIA, FAROE ISLANDS, MAURITANIA, SEYCHELLES, BURKINA FASO, MOLDOVA, SAINT LUCIA, PAPUA NEW GUINEA DXpedition Reports and Special Event Stations 
By Wayne 9HS4755 Since the HamSphere Spring Newsletter 2019 there have been many applications and some excellent DXPeditions carried out by HS Operators. But first an explanation of what the DXP Manager does and does not do. What does the DXPedition manager cover: Activation of Islands (IOHS); Castles (COHS); and Lighthouses (LOHS). What does the DXP Manager NOT cover: Visits to cities, travel within the operators own country and travel to foreign countries. For travel within your own country and travel to foreign countries you must put in a Support Ticket requesting same and where necessary you can rent the Holiday Pack. So, for those asking for DXPeditions other than to Islands, Castles or Lighthouses, you will require a Support Ticket submission. Advertising for these DXPeditions, going forward, will be on the HamSphere website Forum and on the news ticker. There will be some information given on the HamSphere 4 and LNDX Facebook pages. Anyone wishing to go on a DXPedition there is a PDF form to be filled out (French or English) These forms can be found at on the HamSphere 4 Facebook page, click on “Files” It is requested that when making application for a DXPedition that a minimum of 14 days in advance of the start of the expedition is recommended. There is an average of 4 to 6 hours work setting up each DXPedition. This includes: checking that the details on the application form are correct; entering the information in to the HamSphere Database; making QSL Cards (3 for a weekend DXP and 4 or more for longer DXP) setting up the rig and communicating with the Operator conducting the DXP and having him or her check all the cards and information. Completed DXPeditions: Gerard 19HS190 completed a DXPedition to the Madeira Island 22 June to 29th June 2019 – 164 QSO and 12 Countries Emeric 14HS6026 completed two DXPeditions to the Island of Corsica: 11 June to 13 June 2019 - 546 QSO and 51 Countries 12 July to 16 July 2019 additional 549 QSO and 7 Countries and on HS3 60 QSO with 28 Countries Total QSO for Emeric 967 on HS4 and 60 on HS3 Xavier F4ICZ completed a DXPedition to Chateaux Meslay-le-Vidame 29 June 2019 – 12 QSO and 11 Countries on HS3 and 16 QSO and 6 Countries on HS4 As of the writing of this Report there is one upcoming DXPedition to the Jersey Islands by Wim 19HS2496 and that starts on the 30th of July.  As DXPedition Manager if you have any questions or I can assist you to set up a DXPedition to an Island, Lighthouse or Castle please contact me. For more info, please contact Wayne 9HS4755 via HamSphere or HamSphere 4 private message or via Facebook: For HamSphere Private Message: https://www.hamsphere.com/pm.php?5,page=send,to_id=1660536 For HamSphere4.0 Private Message: https://hs40.hamsphere.com/pm.php For Email Message: 9HS4755@gmail.com For Facebook messenger Message: https://www.facebook.com/WayneDAKingston HamSphere Contesting  This year we have 26 contests events on HS4 and we asked our users in a little poll: Are there too many contests on HamSphere 4.0?
The answer seems to be that the operators like the contests, but in moderation. All 2019 HS4 contest have been added now so take a look below. 
Results: HamSphere 4.0 French DX contest held 2019-07-13 Category A, Asia: https://hs40.hamsphere.com/64_46524_read.html Category B, Europe: https://hs40.hamsphere.com/64_46534_read.html Category C, North America: https://hs40.hamsphere.com/64_46544_read.html Category D, South America: https://hs40.hamsphere.com/64_46554_read.html Category E, Africa: https://hs40.hamsphere.com/64_46564_read.html Category F, Oceania: https://hs40.hamsphere.com/64_46574_read.html Congratulations to all winners!! Big thank you to all participants! Results: HamSphere 4.0 four hour series contest 2019 stage 3 held 2019-06-29 Results: https://hs40.hamsphere.com/64_46384_read.html Congratulations to all winners!! Big thank you to all participants! Results: HamSphere 4.0 PSK Contest 2019 held 2019-05-25 Results: https://hs40.hamsphere.com/64_46374_read.html Congratulations to all winners!! Big thank you to all participants! Results: HamSphere 4.0 Mediterranean contest 2019 held 2019-06-08 Category A, Asia: https://hs40.hamsphere.com/64_46314_read.html Category B, Europe: https://hs40.hamsphere.com/64_46324_read.html Category C, North America: https://hs40.hamsphere.com/64_46334_read.html Category D, South America: https://hs40.hamsphere.com/64_46344_read.html Category E, Africa: https://hs40.hamsphere.com/64_46354_read.html Category F, Oceania: https://hs40.hamsphere.com/64_46364_read.html Congratulations to all winners!! Big thank you to all participants! Meet the Admins  Dave, KS1K
Dave KS1K at the operating desk at the Hiram Percy Maxim memorial station at ARRL HQ in Newington CT After retiring from the United States Air Force in 1979, where I was a Morse Intercept Operator and Reconnaisance Aircraft Defensive Systems Operator (DSO), I worked at ARRL Headquarters for a few years. While working there I went from Novice Amateur (KA2BNV) and then to Technician (N1BLL) and finally to Extra class KS1K. Radio has been part of my life since childhood. It ended 1994 when I moved to a deed restricted community in Florida. No outside antennas allowed. Fortunately Hamsphere 3 came into my life and when Hamsphere 4 was in Beta testing started I was thrilled to be part of it. Radio still reigns supreme and even at my advanced age (81) I enjoy it more than ever. I have said several times that Hamsphere saved my life. If not my life, my sanity. The HamSphere 4.0 Daily Contact Challenge This is an ongoing contest/challenge for operators on HamSphere 4.0. The operators get points for any station they work. Remote and Activation stations are counted as contacts but these stations are not eligible to participate in the challenge themselves. Each challenge segment is set between 18.00 UTC to 18.00 UTC next day. Only unique logged call signs per day are calculated. So no need for band hopping :-) Please note that the unique call signs are only counted daily so working the same station another day is fine. Each week we hand out five prizes. As of 1 Jun 2019 and throughout the summer until 1st of Sept 2019 we will hand out 5 EUR HS Credits to the winner and 4 randomly picked users among the 2-15 candidates each week. HS Credits can be used for HS 4.0 Web Site/Mobile purchases or Subscriptions. Prizes and rules are subject to change. The link is: https://hs40.hamsphere.com/challenge  
The new 50 Plus club 
Welcome to the old/new HamSphere 50 Plus Club. This group is devoted to all HamSphere 3 and 4.0 users with an age of 50+Welcome to the old/new HamSphere 50 Plus Club. This group is devoted to all HamSphere 3 and 4.0 users with an age of 50+ The purpose of this club is to share fun Ham Radio experiences on the HamSphere 3.0 and 4.0 system. The original concept was to have activities on HamSphere 3.0 but in this refurbished Club we will extend it to have activities on 4.0 too to show the concept of Shortwave propagation. In the near future we will have MEET EN GREET on Frequency runned by Leo or Nico on both HS3 and HS4 The Club will continue with Leo PA0CVE as captain with some help from Kelly SM7NHC and Nico 16HS1033 95 Facebook page Members (25 July) 61 members (25 July) https://www.facebook.com/groups/HamSphere.50.Plus.Club/ HamSphere 3.0 News Next contests Halloween World QSO Party contest 2019 on 2 Nov 2019 HamSphere 3.0 Christmas contest 2019 on 26 dec 2019 The New Daily Contact Challenge  This is an ongoing contest/challenge for operators on HamSphere 3.0. Each challenge segment is set between 18.00 UTC to 18.00 UTC next day. Only unique logged call signs per day are calculated. So no need for band hopping :-) Please note that the unique call signs are only counted daily so working the same station another day is fine.
Each week we hand out five prizes. As of 13 May 2019 we will hand out 2 EUR HS Credits to 5 randomly picked users among the top 15 candidates each week. HS Credits can be used for HS 4.0 Web Site/Mobile purchases or Subscriptions. Prizes are subject to change. The Awards are handed out every month to the best performing operator over the entire month. Each award is designed with inspiration by the month. The link is: https://hamsphere.com/challenge North America Rag Chew Net 
The HamSphere North American Rag Chew Net continues to meet twice a week, on Wednesday and Saturday at 01:00 UTC. For the Summer Period it was decaided we would have the check in and rag chew portion of the net on 2 Meters at 145.300. The Net Controllers for July are 9HS4755 Wayne on Wednesday session and VA7FT Tim on the Saturday session with 2HS1189 Rik as our Net Logger. The reason assigned for the move to 2 Meters were the very poor conditions on 40 meters, our regular meeting place, and the fact that our west coast stations were still in full daylight well into the net. This move has been accepted and we have been averaging 14 check in per session. August NA1NA Dan will assume the duties as Net Control on the Saturday session. Since the last news letter the Rag Chew net has coverd many subjects from helping a new operator work out what plug ins and antennas he or she should purchase through to how to fill out and send a QSL card. We have also had a number of very interesting trivia questions supplied by our operators that have checked in. We actively encourge new operators and experienced operators to ask questions for our net is designed to assist and educate our friends in HamSphere and to assist them to enjoy the platform more. In the September/October time frame we will return to the 40 Meter Check in on 07.030 and the Rag Chew Portion on the 2 Meter band at 145.300. Should you have any questions about the net or suggestions to improve the net we would like to hear from you. 9HS4755 Waye – Net Manager email: 9hs4755@gmail.com Harold KC9HH Antenna presentation From the HamSphere North America Rag Chew Net, Harold KC9HH presentation on Antennas available in HS4. Presentation on the North America 60 Meter Net by Harold KC9HH on the various Antennas and Modules for controlling the Antennas in HamSphere 4.10 This was presented live 2017 04 12 Hear Harolds presentation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQ9DumB5eSM The HamSphere North American Rag Chew Net met on Saturday July 20th at 01:00 UTC on Freq 145.300 12 Operators checked in: VA7FT – TIM (BC) NET CONTROL 2HS1189 – RIK (IN) NET LOGGER KS1K – DAVE (FL) NET ADVISOR 9HS4755 – WAYNE (ON) NET MANAGER 177HS337 – SUNIL (LK) 4S7DA – DENVER (LK) 2HS1684 – JOHN (FL) 9HS3639 – GEORGE (ON) AL6I – BRANDIN (AK) 26HS3262 – ROBERT (UK) 80HS414 – EUGENIA (BO) KI7WZB – JIM (WA) Tim asked a trivia question “What was the longest (in distance) telephone call made?” and Brandin asked a question “If you live close to the Canada US border – your transmitter and receiver are on the Canadian side and antenna on US side, which call sign do you use – US or Canada.” Also Dave asked a question who was W1AW memorial station named for and where is located. The Questions generated some great conversation and a very good net enjoyed by all. The next session of this net will be on Wednesday July 24th at 01:00 and Wayne as Net Control and 2HS1189 Rik as Net Logger do join them. The HamSphere North America Rag Chew Net met on Wednesday the 17th July on Frequency 145.300 at 01:00 UTC 8 Operators checked in: 9HS4755 - Wayne (ON) Net Control 2HS1189 - Rik (IN) Net Logger KS1K - Dave (FL) Net Advisor 4S7DA - Denver (LK) 2HS2265 - Joe (MN) VA7FT - Tim (BC) 2HS6874 - Rob (FL) KI7WZB - Jim (WA) This evening VA7FT Tim asked a trivia question "What was the invention WA2JXY - Gerson Strasbourg invented?" He gave a hint "every geek has to have one." The HamSphere North American Rag Chew Net met on Saturday 13th of July on Frequency 145.300 at 01:00 UTC 13 Operators checked in: VA7FT - TIM (BC) NET CONTROL 2HS1189 - RIK (IN) NET LOGGER 9HS4755 - WAYNE (ON) NET MANAGER 4S7DA - DENVER (LK) 2HS1684 - JOHN (FL) KS1K - DAVE (FL) NET ADVISOR 2HS2265 - JOE (MN) 153HS1129 - LEN (THAILAND) WA6EBK - VERN (CA) 2HS6874 - ROB (FL) 67HS316 - WALTER (PARAGUAY) 29HS132 - TONY (NORTHERN IRELAND) 26HS3262 - ROBERT (UK) Very nice group of operators checked in to the net this evening and once the check in was completed, VA7FT, Tim, Net Control, posed a Trivia Question "Why is there a Rooster on the top of most Weather Vanes?" Generated some discussion and Tim gave the answer at the end of the net. Thanks to all who checked in. HamSphere 80 meter award net 
https://www.facebook.com/groups/hamsphere80meterawardnet/ HamSphere 80 meter award net 07/22/2019 started at 01:00 UTC on frequency 3.750kHz The following 10 stations checked in. 2HS1189/IN, KA9V/IL, 2HS8210/NY, WW6DX/CA, KC5LVZ/GA, K8LEN/IN, KJ4BET/GA, KF5IRG/OK. 2HS7363/TN, and N8RGO/OH your net control operator. Tonight's net consisted of 10 checkins, and we thank all who did check in. Thanks to Carl KA9V we had a new station in tonight George KF5IRG from OK. Unfortunately he could not stick around very long at all, but says he will be back on future nets. Also we had Robert 2HS7363 come back in after being gone for a little while so it was great to hear Robert once again. Remember we have a FB group labeled the HamSphere 80 meter award net, please check it out and if you are not a member send us a request to join and we will get you approved as quickly as we can. We closed the net and turned the frequency of 3.750 over to normal operations at 0157 UTC. Always keep in mind to check into as many nets as you can. Getting very hot outside as of late so be careful and don't over do it out there, stay as cool as possible. Have a great rest of the week ahead. 73 N8RGO. ===================== HamSphere 80m Meter Award Net of 15 July 2019 began at 0100 UTC Larry N8RGO started explaining the net's purpose and the net operation. Larry then explained who the Net Control would be for today's session. Larry turned the net over to Carl KA9V who then proceeded to pick up and acknowledge the stations who checked in during Larry's introduction and any others who checked in later. A total of ten stations checked in, eight from stateside N8RGO/OH, 2HS1189/IN, KA9V/IL, 2HS595/FL, K8LEN/IN, 2HS5023/MI, KJ4BET/GA, 2HS8210/NY and two DX stations 348HS136/St. Maarten, and TI2LL/Costa Rica. Conditions were fairly good with stateside stations all hearing each other Q5. Propagation to Costa Rica was Q5 but unfortunately propagation to St. Maarten was very marginal and copy was extremely difficult due to the added atmospheric QRN. The net went three rounds to give everyone the opportunity to work any stations they chose to work. No new stations were heard when checking for new checkins after each round. The DX stations both called in and/or showed up on the Net Control Plugin. Enrique TI2LL mentioned he heard little on the air and he was happy to hear the 80 Meter Award Net in operation and enjoyed listening to the participating stations. Unfortunately Net Control could not hear Franklin's transmission from St. Maarten and could not get a relay of what Franklin had said. It was unfortunate propagation on 80 meters to St. Maarten was very poor and Net Control encouraged both DX stations to continue to check in whenever they heard the 80 Meter Award Net operating. During the 73 round everyone gave local weather report or passed on contest information from various weekend contests they enjoyed and sent their best wishes to all participants. After asking for any further or final comments or questions by any station before the end oif the net, the net control plugin grayed out and N8RGO Larry made some general observations. Then yours truly, KA9V Carl, closed the 80 Meter Award Net and thanked all the net participants who checked in and returned the frequency of 3750 to regular HamSphere operation and use at 02:05 UTC HamSphere 80 meter award net 07/08/2019 started at 01:00 UTC on frequency 3.750 The following 5 stations checked in. 2HS1189/IN, K8LEN/IN, 2HS8210/NY, WW6DX/CA, and N8RGO/OH your net control operator. Tonight's net consisted of 5 checkins, and we thank all who did check in. Not a whole lot was going on tonight on the net. Remember we have a FB group labeled the HamSphere 80 meter award net, please check it out and if you are not a member send us a request to join and we will get you approved as quickly as we can. We closed the net and turned the frequency of 3.750 over to normal operations at 0130 UTC. Always keep in mind to check into as many nets as you can. Hope everyone had a great 4th of July. Have a great rest of the week ahead. 73 N8RGO. The HamSphere Late Night DX-gang   Clubstation 16HC16 was active in the original radio room of the old Belgian school ship Mercator during 'Ostend at Anchor' from 23th of May till 26th of May 2019. Operators were: 16HS1597 Sophie - 16HS1594 Ronny and ON8AIR Georg.
From the "MEET AND GREET DAY 2 in Ostend": With Wim 19HS2741 - FRANCK 14HS4015 -SÉBASTIEN 14HS3000 - 16HS1594 RONNY - 16HS1597 SOPHIE - ON8AIR GEORG  Meet Graham ZL3MA  Amateur Radio goes back quite a number of years for me in fact was first licensed in 1956 while still a school boy and in that time by regulations have had two callsigns latest being ZL3MA since 1963. The hobby was my first interest to which become my lifetime career until becoming closer to retirement when I moved to a completely different field in management in the retail supermarket industry. Still having the time for what has been a hobby, a living for the last 63 years.
The world of Amateur Radio has had many avenues in technology and techniques, along with meeting many people from all walks of life and countries of the world which I have had in later life had the experience to visit. It was only in retirement I met HamSphere 2011 and today HS4 which has taken me back to such a simulation without all the maintenance of antennas. Coming from the early days being part of the beta testing of HS4 to be where we are today with such a great simulation of equipment and propagation, it has been a trip to come closer to finishing up such a wonderful hobby. Have it not for finding HamSphere with my now physical limitations, I now have my days of Amateur Radio that may well have come to an end much sooner. City life has it’s limitations as to what one is able to erect let alone maintain, it is all possible with the technology of today from HamSphere. Graham ZL3MA. Latest Band plan for HamSphere 4.0  The 4.0 BC Band News  Download the software Download HamSphere 3.0 for Windows, Linux and Mac Download HamSphere 4.0 for Windows, Linux and Mac Download HamSphere 4.0 for Android Use the Support Ticket System We have a 24-hour support ticket system where you can get support regarding anything about HamSphere. * Changing call signs * Technical problems * Suggestions * General questions, etc. https://www.hamsphere.com/support And remember, always state the HamSphere system (3.0 or 4.0) including operating system and computer model such as Windows, Mac. Linux etc for faster support. You can also attach a screenshot of the issue if you like. Geert 13HS575 HamSphere Support News from HamSphere 4.0 Web shop 
Short HS Call signs on HamSphere - Vanity HS Call signs We have been issuing special short HS call signs since 2014. These short call signs save calling time and are great for DX work and for pileups. 1 digit suffix call signs are designed with the suffix 1-9 such as 21HS1 or 2HS2. 2 digit suffix call signs are designed with the suffix 10-99 such as 21HS10 or 26HS26. The price for the 1 digit suffix is 100 Euro per year. The price for the 2 digit suffix is 60 Euro per year. These call signs are sold on a first come first serve basis. Order instructions: Email accounts@hamsphere.com with the following info: 1. Requested HS call sign based on your country prefix code https://www.hamsphere.com/countrylist.php 2. Name 3. QTH 4. Email (Must be different than your normal HamSphere account and not exist in our database already) 5. Coordinates Lat / Long in decimal form You will receive a confirmation email with payment information. When the account has been paid in full you will receive the login information. Please note! We will not change a normal HS account to a special HS account. Both HS3 and HS4 are included in these accounts. How to Subscribe The HamSphere annual subscription costs 30 Euro (plus VAT in EU), that is about $40 USD and includes all our features even the iPhone and Android apps. It also includes the standard 4.0 transceiver. Click here if you are interested in subscribing to HamSphere and get all features For many years our operators have asked for a Subscription alternative payment to PayPal. Finally we are able to process debit and credit cards directly via a Secure Payment Gateway. 
On public request we are now even selling 3 months subscriptions for 10 Euro. 
More on https://www.hamsphere.com/subscribe Lost Password / Restore data How do I get a new password? We get this question often. Here are two links to fix this. Click here to get a new password Or Click here to set your own password If it still doesn't work, please contact our support and we will manually give you a new password. Restore your HamSphere 4.0 rig: https://backup.hamsphere.com/restore_rig.php Links to official Facebook groups HamSphere Main https://www.facebook.com/groups/hamsphere/ HamSphere 4.0 Main https://www.facebook.com/groups/hamsphere4.0/ Digimodes on HamSphere https://www.facebook.com/groups/hamspheredatamodes/ HamSphere 4.0 - Show Your Rig https://www.facebook.com/groups/148521312150096/ HamSphere QSL-cards https://www.facebook.com/groups/1420003911568854/ HamSphere Late Night DX-gang https://www.facebook.com/groups/LateNightDX/ HamSphere SKED - QSO Scheduling https://www.facebook.com/groups/1012951745412722/ HamSphere 4.0 Broadcasters https://www.facebook.com/groups/HamSphere.Broadcasters Hamsphere Russian-language radio club https://www.facebook.com/groups/1734563776800249/ HamSphere 4.0 Technical Discussions https://www.facebook.com/groups/1467781153543883/ HamSphere 4.0 Mobile https://www.facebook.com/groups/HamSphere.4.0.Mobile/ HamSphere Contest Club (HSCC) https://www.facebook.com/groups/HamSphere.Contest.Club/ HamSphere India DX Net https://www.facebook.com/groups/HamSphere.IDXnet.HF.radio/ HamSphere CW Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/1399207190331834/ HamSphere Training Grouphttps://www.facebook.com/groups/HamSphere.Training Everything your wanted to know about Ham Radio 
HamSphere on Twitter and Facebook We have now received over 70000 recommendations on Facebook – Thank you FB users. And Thank You to almost 10000 followers on Twitter. Super!! Follow HamSphere 4.0 on facebook Follow HamSphere on Twitter There is so much information on all of our Facebook Groups to help you with queries and please, any questions just ask away, someone will be around to help with any questions that are asked. If you haven't joined any of our Facebook groups, do a search for "HamSphere" and you will find them and click on join to become a member. 
And our Facebook group Thank you for your interest and your continued Support. Kelly 5B4AIT/SM7NHC Editor HamSphere Founder |
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