MF/LF OPERATING: Life Below the AM Broadcast Band
Plus, Underwater Antennas and the FST4 Modes Are Finally Here
Sometimes I receive correspondence asking about experimental activity on 630 and 2200 meters. The term “experimental” can mean a lot of things. It might mean something as simple as testing an amplifier or antenna design that may not be novel, but is at least new territory to the operator testing it and subsequently finding exciting results that they never knew possible on the lowest amateur bands. In other cases, it might harken back to the days when Part-5 experimental stations were the dominant force on both bands as individuals used initiative and motivation to set up stations well before the FCC formally created an amateur allocation under Part 97. Every experience was a new and pioneering experiment in and of itself. As we still have limited understanding about how either of these bands really works, and have surely not explored all of the possible avenues that lead to successful utilization, I would probably come to the conclusion that, at the very least, the answer lies in a combination of both viewpoints.
On the surface today, both 630 and 2200 meters appear to have transitioned to being operator-centric, with two-way contacts and distance records taking center stage, but digging deeper, that really means that every WSPR / FST4W report received or every contact completed with one’s favorite digital mode, phone or CW, is a pioneering exploit. Just about every morning that I am on the air looking for CW contacts on 630 meters, something inevitably happens
