SAQ Transmission on December 24, 2019 ( NOT FOR QSL)

[AlexanderSAQ]

Topic

[Laurence KL7L Wasilla Palmer Alaska USA]

Thank you for the SAQ transmission and a very Happy Christmas

Signal level around 15dB above noise but moderate to harsh QRN at times.
http://kl7l.com/saq24122019.jpg on tune up
http://kl7l.com/saqstart.jpg start of message at 0800Z
http://kl7l.com/saqkl7l.mp3 CW wheel

vy 73 from Alaska KL7L BP51IP

L400b eprobe up a Birch tree, Spectrumlabs, Audiocity

[Agust Bjarnason]

When I received the Email today with “Final report from SAQ Christmas Eve transmission 2019” I noted that Iceland was not on the map. I had forgot to send in a report ! Now I am probably too late.

Indeed I heard the transmission loud and clear. I used the KiwiSDR remote receiver located in NW Iceland, at Bjargtangar. My report is 559 solid copy with very little QSB.

You may possibly be able to open our “Icelandic Radio Amateurs” Facebook page where I uploaded a video of my reception.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/amatorar/permalink/971388836564809/

Best regards, & 73
Agust, TF 3 OM
Reykjavik

[Whitham Reeve]

Here is a much more detailed report on the reception of SAQ Christmas Eve transmissions on 24 December 2019 at Cohoe Radio observatory in Alaska USA:

http://www.reeve.com/Documents/Articles%20Papers/Reeve_SAQ-24Dec2019.pdf

Happy 2020 and looking forward to future SAQ transmissions!

Whit

[Whitham D. Reeve]

Received at Cohoe, Alaska USA:
Antenna: 1.2 m diagonal loop (64 turns) and 1.9 cm effective height at 17.2 kHz
Receiver: SDRPlay RSPduo using Hi-Z input
Software: SDRuno set for 2 Mhz sample rate and 8 decimation (125 kHz bandwidth)

Signal weak but obvious, starting at 0742 UTC and ending 0804 UTC.

[Alberto I2PHD]

Strong and clear reception of the SAQ transmission of December 24th.
You can see the spectrum, the waterfall and listen to the audio going to :

http://saq.weaksignals.com

and then choosing the December 24th 2019 date.

Thanks and 73

Alberto I2PHD

[Björn Bengts]

Jag hade en mycket bra mottagning av SAQ under hela sändningstiden den 24 dec. 2019.

SAQ

[Robert, paørwt]

Hello,

Great to receive SAQ for the first time! Signal strength nearly 25 dB over noise.
Equipment: MiniWhip-antenna, Soundcard, Linux-PC with SAQrx software running on Wine.

Kind regards & happy TwentyTwenty !
Robert
Nieuwolda – Netherlands

[Corrado Carradori]

Thanks for the transmission of 24 December 2019. The signal was good here in Pescantina near Verona, Italy. My equipment is a homebrew RTX for VLF – HF and a vertical antenna 7 m long.
73 de IZ3FJU CORRADO

[Wilhelm DAMBÖCK OE3IDS]

Dear team of SAQ

Many thanks for transmitting 24.12.2019, 08.00 UTC.

Report 579, no QSB, no QRM,
here in Austria near Vienna, QTH LOC JN78TB
Equipment:
Ferrit Antenna, Converter with xtal 10 mhc und SA612, MCHF SDR TRX, all home made

Nice X-mas day and all the best for 2020

vy 73, de OE3IDS

[Jean-Marie Polard F5VLB]

Hello, I received the signal with earth probes antenna. Two rods of 2m long, 27m spaced, wired with shielded cables. I used an usb soundcard UMC202HD Behringer and spectrum lab configured with the SAQ.usr file.

Signal was good, and audible ! tks to the team

73’s F5VLB

[Hugo Sneyers]

Hello ….. I received SAQ pretty well today but not good enough to make my old morse-writer work properly.
My equipment: tuned loopantenne and homemade 1-tube (ECH81) receiver, signal tracer, modified RTTY-converter and morse-writer.
Here a short video: http://www.radiotongeren.be/grimeton-24-12-2019.MP4
My locator: JO20RS Belgium

[Louis Carrier]

My first successfull reception!
The antenna is a 40 turn untuned loop in my backyard feeding an OPA27 preamp in front of a SDRplay RSP2pro.
A Thinkpad laptop on battery power running SDRuno completed the setup.

High gusts of wind made it difficult to keep the loop from falling. QRM was moderate and the signal clearly discernable by ear and on the waterfall.
What a relief to be able to ear “VVV VVV de SAQ” after a failed attempt last june 30th.

SINPO was 23353.
The QTH is St-Georges, 90 km South of Québec city, Québec, Canada.

A special thank to the great team at Grimeton for this exceptional Christmas gift.
Keep up the good work of keeping this historical great piece of technology on the air.

73s de VE2EZD

[Marino Mingardo]

My video, receiver icom r8600 + miniwhip .73s

SAQ 17,2 KHZ reception Italy Padua 24/12/2019

[Gheorghe Balan]

Excellent reception this morning at Pitesti, Romania.
RST 589, very clean signal with some statics.
All my equipment is home made :14 MHz cw/ssb receiver, VLF converter and G5RV antenna.
Many thanks to those who made this special event possible !

73, Gigi, yo7gyq

[Andreas Pohlmann]

Yes, I was able to receive SAQ today.
Unfortunately, only in my garden, and with a simple hand receiver, which is not ideal. But it worked.
Shortly before the actual broadcast, the reception situation deteriorated noticeably. But the SAQ signal was still there.
So it was probably interference from the neighborhood.
I would rate the broadcast with SINPO 32343.
Location, Germany, NRW near Bielefeld.

Merry Christmas, and hear you next time.

[Steve Hemphill]

I received your signal here in North America, starting around 07:45 UTC, until 08:04 UTC. Signal strength was -110 dBm, with some QRN. Good copy!

My receiving equipment consists of a Watkins-Johnson 8711 RX, with an indoor 25 turn loop antenna.

Thank you so much! Thanks, too, for honoring Alexanderson!

Merry Christmas to all of you at SAQ.

73’s
Steve Hemphill Jim Thorpe, PA. USA

[Egil]

Received on a 1.5m long active whip antenna, converted to a 80m veteran tube receiver with regenerative IF, bandwith 5 kHz.
RST 549 with some QRM and QSB at end of transmission 0838-0903. Loc JO28UU Sandnes, Norway.
73 de LA8OJ

[Manuel Lausmann]

My RECEPTION in Germany upstate Frankfurt am Main

[Cesare Lavazza]

Hello guys at Grimeton,
the old lady transmission was received here in Italy, QTH Pregnana Milanese, Milan, Italy, loc.: JN45mm. RST 559.
Rx: IC-7400 + SA612 based 28MHz upconverter + 10m vertical wire on fishing rod + ground stake.
I wish you Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!! Thankyou!
73 de IW2KPU.

[bclswlRoma]

Good signal today in Rome, i used Perseus receiver and PA0RDT miniwhip antenna.

[Steve Sykes]

No signal on the beverage antenna here in Upstate NY.

73 and Merry Christmas
Steve KD2OM FN12gx

[Wolfgang DL8ABH]

Hello to all up there at SAQ in Grimeton,
Happy to say, it was an ease to copy saq`s christmas message here near Hannover this time. RST was 549.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2020 to all of you.

73 Wolfgang DL8ABH

[Pete M0FMT]

Hi all at Grimton Many 73 for Xmas 2019 a fine transmission here in IO91UX using 30foot ant up only 8feet and PC with HDSDR2.0 LO set to zero. &£ Petefmt

[Alexander Hahn]

I’ve got the transmission decoded now, although I must confess I did it with
the CW Get program, as the transmission had quite a bit of QRM on it.
I also corrected it a bit and some of it may be missing.
=======================================================================================================
SAQ VVV VVV VVV DE SAQ SAQ SAQ = CQ CQ DE SAQ SAQ SAQ =
THIS IS GRIMETON RADIO SAQ IN A TRANSMISSION USING THE ALEXANDERSON KW ALTERNATOR ON 17.2 KHZ =
WE WISH YOU ALL A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR =
SIGNED : THE WORLD HERITAGE AT GRIMETON AND THE ALEXANDER-GRIMETON VETERANRADIOS VAENNER ASSOCIATION AR =
FOR INFO PLEASE READ OUR WEBSITE : http://WWW.ALEXANDER.N.SE http://WWW.ALEXANDER.N.SE = AR DE SAQ SAQ SAQ SK
========================================================================================================
Vy 73, Alex – DH2ID

[Paolo Serravalle, I1IMA]

Message received RST 579 = RX Yaesu FT757GxII = VLF Upconverter Datong Clone = Ant.: Wire = Merry Xmas and happy new year to all the staff and shack = CUAGN ES 73 de Paolo, I1IMA (Genova, Italy) …-.-

[Wolfgang Fritz]

Recorded in Northern Germany:

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Wolf, DK7OB

[Felix Popa]

Antenna: 600turns on a ferrite rod.
There is another transmission today?

[Manfred Haider]

hello,
this was the first time, I received your transmission. There is a wooden tower in JN67DV (Chiemgau, Bavaria). The signal was week and receiver-internal disturbance at 16kHz was loud. Antenna is an active magnetic loop (Schwarzbeck FMZB1538). The up converter has been build up and integrated to the LOWE HF225 (just) yesterday. It seems to be my property, to be in time but no minute left. 73, manfred DG5CF

[Giuliano IU4FNP]

Hello,
I received SAQ today from Casalgrande, in northern Italy (JN54IN).

Signal was 488

I use a delta loop for 40m home made and a Perseus reciever.
I had a lot of local QRM
Many thanks to all people who work for preserve SAQ!

Merry Christmas to alla you!
Giuliano IU4FNP

[EA5FX]

My RX: SIEMENS 745E
Antenna: W3DZZ 40/80m Bands
Signal:599
QTH: Burriana Spain IM99XV
Merry Xmas
73, Fer
EA5FX

[Davide Borroni]

My video, 73s

[Helmut OE6IEG]

Good day, received SAQ today with 488, in JN77RA. IC7300 + Up Converter 10 MHz 41m Logwire antenna, strong local QRM but with 250 Hz CW filter it was OK.
Thank You 73 Happy Hollydays

[Mikael Kostet, SM0KOT]

Reception good in north of Sweden.
Recording is here:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/khdrrnvcrrc9ne1/SAQ_Dec-24-2019.mp3?dl=0

[Gerhard Kreuzer]

Hi,

listen here in Austria, near Vienna, 25 dB above noise, strongest Signal ever (I heard SAQ).
Setup: Mini-Whip antenna, soundcard, PC, Software SAQ-094.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Gerhard
OE3GKC

[Bert Veuskens]

GM, Well I received the signal fine this morning.
Report RST 589 with a 12-winding loop inside my home.
Receiver is Telefunken ELK639.
Qth Weert JO21uf
Best wishes and all the best.

PA0HMV
Bert

[John Norton]

Excellent reception at Woofferton UK.
Using Kiwi SDR and R&S active whip Antenna.
73 John
G1JOD

[Pascal Stevenhaagen (PB1SAM_]

I listened to the transmission via WebSDR Twente.
Unfortunately I don’t have antennes for HF/VHF/UHF outside at the moment.
I hope I will have that soon.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all.
73

Pascal PB1SAM

[Alexander Hahn]

I received SAQ today with RST 437 at Karlsruhe/Germany, Locator JN49EA.

My equipment today was:
1. ELAD FDM-S2 and homebuilt magnetic antenna (bicycle rim)
2. RFSpace SDR-IQ and Grahn GS5-SE with Alexanderson ferrite module

Until 0700 UTC I had an almost clear VLF reception, then a lot of QRM
started at 0730 UTC, which made reception very difficult. Only the
special ferrite module for my Grahn antenna gave me a hint of recepton,
which improved later.

I tried to find the QRM source, but had no success. It was very broadband 🙁

Of course, at 0830 UTC there is no noise anymore …

Merry Christmas, Alex – DH2ID

[Martin Ossmann]

I could receive the signal from 8.50 to 9.10 in Aachen Germany. Has there been a second transmission of the message starting at 9.10 ? I could not receive anything at that time. Also SDR Twente (NL) could not receive anything at that time.

Best wishes for Xmas and the new year

[Bert Holtappels]

SK6SAQ received in Brooklyn, NY through the WebSDR in Twente, Netherlands.

Here is the recording: SK6SAQ 2019 Christmas Message Audio

73
Bert AB1OF

[Robert Kaltenthaler]

Good signal received in Worms, Germany at 9:00-9:03
using the “grimeton receiver kit” from the mussum-shop in 2017.

[Matti OH6FSQ]

SAQ received with good signal strength in Ilmajoki Finland
RX Mackay 128AX and Racal RA1772
ANT 15m vertical with 20m radial.

Merry Xmas and best 73 de Matti, OH6FSQ

[Robin]

Those without access to VLF capable radio can always use one of the many web SDRs available online. I use https://sdr.hu/map (others are available) quite often when away from home. Choose a suitable radio receiver on the map (many are 0-30 MHz receivers), click on the link that pops up and tune the receiver accordingly. They are very light on data so you don’t need a massively fast internet connection to run it and fairly easy to operate.

Good luck and Merry Christmas.

[Ralph]

Hanspeter,

the Reuter RDR line of receivers can go that low without any problems. And even lower !

As a matter of fact, the RDR Pocket or RDR55 do have a special mode that provides superb reception results for the SAQ signals.
My unit won me a QSL card in 2015. I used a Roelof Bakker Mini-Whip antenna on that day.

Yes, those receivers are not cheap, but worth the price. And are backed by a superb service on top.

73 and good DXing.
Ralph

[Julian]

You can´t use the Sangean ATS – 909 Wide Edition, easiest way is, to use your PC, or better a Laptop and built up a Long wire antenna, connected to the soundcard. If you use a Laptop, use it far away from man made noise.
There is receiving Software available for the use with your PC or Laptop.

Greetings

[hny]

and necessary PC SW, for example:
https://sites.google.com/site/sm6lkm/saqrx/

[hny]

In general: SAQ transmits signal on 17.2 kHz.
It can be received by any receiver which has VLF band – it is Very Long Wave band, not usual on portable radios and public receivers (which usually start at 100 kHz at the best).
Radioamateurs-beginners usually use soundcard input (for microphone) in their PC/laptop + various self-made antennas – the simplest solution is so-called long-wire antenna.
Try to “google” the details.
Use your laptop with charged battery with switched-off appliances in your house or flat (active charging as well as home appliances incl. LED light sources produce interference signals which can disturb SAQ reception; or just go outside) and simple VLF antenna ( https://www.google.cz/search?q=simple+vlf+antenna ).
Not much time till Christmas, so hurry up and good luck!

[hanspeter]

Is it possible receiving this output with a Sangean ATS – 909 Wide Edition (extended frequency range) ?

How can people hear this (without using web SDR ) ? Are there any receivers on the market these days.

[Author]

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