Huvudskär International Light House Weekend ILLW - Huvudskar / Huvudskær

The Huvudskar / Huvudskär / Huvudskær Lighthouse during the International Light House Weekend ILLW - Huvudskär. This is a remote island Stockholm archipellago activity by boat to the most remote parts of the archipellago islands. 

The lighthouse has been registered as SE0034 in ILLW at the position 58°58'N 18°34'E. It has also a flora fauna reference SMFF-0842 Huvudskär. 

The IOTA island DX radio map reference is EU-084 see also IOTA EU-084.

For spotting, following and reporting radio activity during the Light House Weekend go to the spotter.

HUVUDSKÄRS FYR / Huvudskar Lighthouse

Open: Saturday at 11.00-16.00, if nice weather also 18.00-20.00 and Sunday at 11.00-16.00.
Communication: Boat or taxi boat.
Position: 58°57.781′N 18°34.093′E (by Eniro Sea Chart) or by Google Maps

This page will be updated during the event.

In Swedish:

• Internationella fyrdagen 2015 mellan 15-16 augusti.
• Skärgårdsstiftelsen om fyrhelgen
• Huvudskär naturreservat från lässtyrelsen

73 & 44

SM0MMC / Mikael

Summer Flora Fauna radio activity during vacation in southern Sweden

This summer has been very nice. The weather has also been warm and sunny during the last couple of weeks. I have activated several Floara Fauna and Nature Reserve areas in the southern part of Sweden. This has been on Kulla peninsula and Bjärre peninsula in Skåne. I also radio activated a remote island in the archipellago outside Göteborg called Vinga. 

After a boat trip I made it to Vinga. Nice signals on 40m this evening and I had to run back to the boat to get back. Some minor equipment was wasted die to the quick department.

Listen Sunday 28th June for SAQ Grimeton VLF long wave transmitter on 17.2 kHz

On Sunday 28th June 09.00 UTC and 12.00 UTC the Unesco world heritage Radio Station Grimeton in Varberg, Sweden - SAQ, will activate the long wave transmitter on 17.2 kHz. This is to celebrate the Alexanderson day.

There are only two regular transmissions each year from this transmitter, so don't miss this occasion.

The transmitter has no vacuum tubes or semi conductors. It's based on the inventor Evert Alexanderson alternator and was used for long distance transatlantic communication to the American continent starting 1924. The communication was made to Radio Central in Long Island, New York, USA. It has also been used for communication to Swedish submarines.  The antenna construction is based on six 127 meter high masts for the vertical antennas. The transmissions are made with morse code generated by the alternator.

The alternator based Alexanderson transmitter became obsolete in 1996 and went out of service. This was due to a more modern vacuum tube transmitter with the call sign SAC. However, because the Alexanderson transmitter was still in good condition it was declared a national monument and also later a Unesco World Heritage site.

How to listen... Since most radios does not cover the low frequency of 17.2 kHz, you can take an alternative route, using a computer with a regular PC sound card to receive VLF. This is called a SDR (Software Defined Radio). Anyone can do this and it is very straight forward.

To receive this low frequency you only need to connect an active antenna or some aerial wire to the sound card (mic-input) of your PC and to install SAQrx, a software defined VLF receiver by SM6LKM for the VLF band. SAQrx is based on a sound card control software by Johan Bodin, SM6LKM, running under Microsoft Windows. It requires a sound card capable of full duplex at 44 kHz sampling rate (can be used by most of the on board PC sound cards).


The Microphone input is connected to an aerial wire. In my case I connected it to my long wire antenna, but any wire should work fine. If you try this already today, there are several navy stations between 18 kHz and 22 kHz transmitting MFSK signal (and CW). 
The picture show the SAQrx tuned for 18.2 kHz to the Indian Naval Station VTX.


More information:

• How to configure VLF Sound Card receiver  SAQrx
• More information: The Grimeton Association - Radio Station SAQ - Society Alexander GVV
• World Heritage Grimeton Radio Station

Nature Reserve Täby Käringsjön-Mörtsjön SMFF-5819

The Nature Reserve Käringsjön-Mörtsjön in Skarpäng, Täby north of Stockholm was visited a very nice Sunday afternoon. The radio activity was from an open area in the woods. My antenna was a long wire to a pine tree and 5W SSB on 40m. It was the first time for me in this area. 





SMFF-5819 Käringsjön-Mörtsjön 
 The area is very nice and the walking path Roslagsleden passes the Natura 2000 area. Many fisher men was visiting the lake with equipment many times my backpack. Mörtsjön is very rich on fish and Mirror Carp (sv. spegelkarp) and wild carp (Cyprinus carpio). You can catch carp of 15kg and the record is 20kg. Tench (sv. Sutare) is also present with 3kg fishes. This is one of the Stockholm area best carp lakes. All is catch and release. 





 Thanks 73 & 44 Information in Swedish: https://smff.sk6ei.se/

Where not to fly - Drone chart from aviation authorities in Sweden

There are certain areas that are control areas for aviation according to Air Traffic Services - LFV. If you have a drone and want to fly, you need to respect these areas. This is a map defining where not to fly a drone / Quadcopter according to the Swedish Aviation Authorities LFV:


This is related to Swedish Aeronautical Information Service (AIS) and Flight Planning Centre (FPC. Each year there are more than 700,000 flights in Swedish airspace, drones uncounted.

Björnö Naturreservat / Nature Reserve SMFF-1037 Flora Fauna

Björnö Nature Reserve at Ingarö 30 km east of Stockholm, is a very nice recreation area by the sea. This area is part of the Stockholm Archipelago and can be reached by car or bus via a bridge. It was raining and very windy, but I had a good shelter. 

Björnö has very good walking paths and near coast tracks. There is a very nice sand beach just a 10 min walk from the parking. If you go a bit further you have a tower to climb for a nice view. Potentially it can be used as one leg for your antenna.


I also visited the inland area Långviksträsk Nature Reserve SMFF-1054 and SMFF-6128 for some radio contacts in the Flora Fauna radio sports activity.  This area is an inland water area with very nice nature.

Using 7 Watt today to the long wire. The radio conditions was good and I had many nice contacts.













Information in Swedish: https://smff.sk6ei.se/

SMFF-1098 Nacka-reservatet, Nacka Swedish Flora Fauna Radio activity

I tried to use the two 299 meter high TV / FM Radio masts in Nacka as deflectors to reach Flora Fauna radio stations. 40m band was this late afternoon reaching mostly German (DL / DF) stations and 20m gave good DX contacts. Transmitting using 5 Watt SSB on 7080 MHz and it gave good results for non Swedish stations.

The Nacka nature reserve is huge in size. I deployed my portable station west the TV transmission station and it was sunny and warm.

The Nacka nature reserve area includes small lakes, with a natural setting typical of the southern Stockholm area. There are pine trees, rocky outcrops, and wetlands with small brooks. The area is used for several outdoor activities like walking and jogging, orienteering, mountain biking, skiing, ice skating and more.

59.29750°N 18.17306°E (north mast)
59.29611°N 18.17639°E (south mast)

The Nacka transmitter was the first Swedish permanent TV transmitter. It was placed on a 56 m height 15 september 1956. The current mast was erected in 1965 and the second one 1984. The transmissions reached miljons of Stockholm inhabitants. They get more than 50 digital tv-channels, 11 analog and 8 digital FM radio channels from here.

All the best!

73 44 SM0MMC / Mikael

More information in Swedish:  https://smff.sk6ei.se/

SMFF-1238 Rösjöskogen, Sollentuna Swedish Flora Fauna Radio activity

Portable Flora Fauna amateur radio activity in  nature reserve Rösjöskogen. This is a very nice place near lake Rösjön and a close by camping - Rösjöbaden. There is a 5.5 km marked nature track going around the lake well worth visiting. 

The weather was a bit unstable, but became much better after lunch and we had a nice sunny experience. Initiated the transmissions using QRP- 1 Watt and increased up to 5W. 

Started using a 40m dipol antenna with 1:1 balun. After that I connected the 23m long wire antenna with 9:1 balun and got contact with an other set of stations. It might be due to the antenna / deployment or the radio conditions.


SM5BZT gave me two more S-units and better readability using the long wire.

My radio station was placed near an orienteering control in the middle of the woods. However I was the only person checking in at this control during my stay.

73 & 44 SM0MMC / Mikael

More information in Swedish: https://smff.sk6ei.se/

Swedish Flora Fauna Radio Activity SMFF-5700 Södra Törnskogen

I have started my portable Ham Radio activity in Flora Fauna (SMFF) by visiting a Nature Preservation area in Sollentuna, Stockholm - Södra Törnskogen - SMFF-5700. Very nice weather to hike into the woods ont the way from work. The HF 40m (7080 MHz) amateur band was working fine, with contacts all around Sweden. Fairly humid due to the rain in recent days. My long wire as inverted L-formation using a 9:1 balun was the antenna used. 

I found a nice place to sit using my IC-703:an (3W) QRP transmitting and making contact. The portable logging needs a better paper pen arrangement. I will also do some experimenting with light weight antennas. My longwire works nicely so far and the coax is very short. I am however in search for the optimal light weight portable antenna to optimize my activities  :) 

73 44 // SM0MMC / Mikael




SMFF in Swedish:
https://smff.sk6ei.se/

What´s a Ham?
This is an amateur radio (HAM) blog focusing on high frequency (HF 3 - 30 MHz) transmitt and receive activity. It will initially mainly be focusing (QRV) on low power (1-5 Watt QRP) Swedish Flora Fauna (SMFF) radio activities. This includes visiting national parks (29 in Sweden) and nature reserve (3027 in Sweden), with a portable radio transceiver equipment and become active on the amateur radio bands. The modes for transmitting will be voice (SSB), morse code (CW) and digital modes (PSK31).

Some of the content will be of educational nature with a high degree of explanations and some just for fun. This is to share knowledge, activities and success. Here is also the place I will announce portable expeditions and activities.

Disaster Communication
If there is a need for emergency or disaster communication, if the conventional modes of communication like mobile and telephone brake down, I can volenteer to manage or participate in communication radio networks (communication net control station). This can be under "Disaster Amateur Radio Emergency Services (DARES)" or for local crises "Särskild Händelse" in "Frivilliga resursgrupper" (FRG) or in other ways.

Background
I have restarted my amateur radio activity after many years away form this "sport". Since I enjoy outdoor activity and being in the nature, I have choosen the Swedish Flora Fauna (SMFF) radio activities as the main focus. I will also try out and test electronic equipment and antenna configurations and setup from my home QTH. The goal is to have a battery operated portable equipment that can be setup anywhere in a few minutes - reaching out anywhere in the world by shortwave radio. And this will be possible even if there is no cell phone coverage.

Don´t hesitate to make contact and ask questions or comment.

73 de SM0MMC / Mikael

PS If you are new to this and don´t understand the abbrevation language, there has been links put into the text to explain.