FM-phaser: Fading out local FM-stations

I have had FM-phaser for several years, but this summer I had a chance to finetune it because I have now 5-6 antennas (=Triax-preamps with two outputs). With this device it is possible to fade out some local/semi-local FM-stations by phasing out the chosen signal.

This phaser is at it's best when you have certain and constant signal-level of the QRM-station, which you want to fade out. It should not be too close and strong (= if tuneable with 1 meter-wire forexample) or too far and weak (=fading in/out a lot).

HOW IT WORKS:
I do not give here any technical data, only a description how it goes.
I have two yagi-antennas for this job: Yagi-1 (vertical) is directed to the station I want to hear. Yagi-2 (horizontal) is directed to that station I want to fade-out (QRM-stn). First I adjust the signal of QRM-station from both antennas to equal levels in my receiver. Then I phase the QRM-stations's FM-signal opposite, 180 degrees, and combine them to my receiver. This means that the local station fades out and DX-station has free or almost free frequency to come up.

For example I have YLE Eurajoki 87.7 MHz (30 kW) 80 km away. I can fade it out for Es-stations (unfortunately no Es-conditions this year for results).

Here is a video-clip of how I fade-out YLE Fiskars on 97.0 MHz (3 kW) 100 km away. It is constant here and blocks the frequency. I could have chosen better example (closer/more power) because this signal is beatable by strong tropo.
However, there is a new Latvian local station to hunt on 97.0 MHz, Radio Vidzeme in Valmiera.This is the reason why I choose 97.0 MHz (vertical).

In this clip I show the signal-level of YLE 97.0 MHz (3 red leds shining) - then I fade it out by tuning the phaser (one led shining) - and after that I take horizontal QRM-antenna away from combiner, which shows that QRM-signal comes back with V-antenna (3 leds again), because there is no combined signal anymore.
I try later to make examples of closer stations.
This FM-phaser is built by Pertti Äyräs, living close to me. His QTH is almost impossible for FM-DX (Kaarina, 6 x 50 kWs only 3 km away).
I do not have any technical data available of this for instant delivery, but I suppose I could get it from Pertti later.
Let's see if I manage to hear this Radio Vidzeme during autumn tropos (no idea of their power)!!

Perseids meteors 2009: No results

Again this year Perseids meteor-shower gave nothing special!! However, it seems that the best peak was at night between 12-13 August. I monitored in the morning and late evening on 12.8 some times, but mostly very short pings came up. 5-20 sec long pings is needed.
Perseids seems to have been weakening all the time comparing to 10-20 years ago!
In Finnish Perse = ass - and id = identification! That describes Perseids very well nowdays!

Wed 5.8.2009: Weak South France

Today very weak opening to France. However, one new station popped up even with RDS, Radio M from Montélimar (26) on 88.3 MHz.

And once again Radio Nimes and France Bleu Gard Lozere. Almost every summer I have some stations which coming up several times, which are never heard before by me. Strange why E-clouds like to take same places within one summer!

LOG Wed 5.8.2009: Weak South France

88.3 MHz - Radio M, Montélimar(26), France. RDS + DJ. - 18.15-
88.4 MHz - UNID Spanish. Unfortunately only nonsense talk. - 18.15-
92.2 MHz - Radio Nimes, Nimes, France. RDS with music. - 18.07-

Mon 3.8.2009: Sardinia, Toscana !

Very interesting opening to Italy. Sardinia is very rare here and also Toscana. Both areas were audible during 20 minutes opening, Sardinia 7 minutes. This was nice moment because the band was not full of stations from all around Italy.

LOG Mon 3.8.2009 (Mainly Sardinia-Toscana, Italy - First time in Finland underlined)

87.5 MHz - Radio Zeta, Caravaggio (BG). Spot to Torino (011-). Zeta seems to have local spots to 6 areas but this tx should be in Toscana??? - 17.29-
88.0 MHz - Radio Rama, Tortoli (NU), Sardinia, Italy. No ID but spot to Bari Sardo near Tortoli. Faded out just during jingle. - 16.48-
88.8 MHz - Radio Maria, Italy announced that they will start R.Vatican News. - 17.30-
89.5 MHz - Radio Mater,Italy. RDS and talking. - 17.11-
90.8 MHz - RDF - Radio Diffusione Firenze, Firenze (FI). New relay? - 17.00-
92.2 MHz - Radio Siena, Siena (SI). - 17.13-
93.3 MHz - Radio 19, Genova tentatively. Spot to Genova. 16.57-
94.7 MHz - Radio Fiesole 100, Firenze(FI). - 17.09-
95.2 MHz - Radio Italia Uno, Padova. Not listed here. - 16.51-
95.2 MHz - Radio Studio Piú,Desenzano del Garda (BS). - 16.59-
95.7 MHz - Radio Sintony, Cagliari (CA), Sardinia, Italy. - 16.55-
95.8 MHz - Radio Macomer Centrale, Siniscola (NU), Sardinia, Italy. No ID only pizzeria spot to Siniscola with tel 0874-. - 16.51-

Tue 28.7.2009: South Italy opening

This summer has been one of the worst ever in my 33 years FM-DX-history!! There is not much time to have things better for this season. Very often August is worse than June or July...

On Tuesday we had a bit better opening to South Italy, to Puglia area mainly.
LOG Tue 28.7.2009 (South Italy, times UTC)
88.4 MHz - Radio Company, Benevento (BN). - 18.52-
88.7 MHz - Radio ItsyBitsy, Romania. This might be Europe's ONLY station for children!! There was one in France many years ago. - 15.40-
89.3 MHz - Radio Cuore. Funny rolling RDS-PS. One letter of word "CUOrE"is changing from big to small in sequence. 18.00-
89.4 MHz - KissKiss Italia. - 14.45-
90.2 MHz - Radio Puglia, Bari (BA). 14.36-
91.7 MHz - Radio Sound, Bari (BA) - 14.26-

91.7 MHz - Radio Venere, Corsano (LE). Full stereo-RDS. Unfortunately I make mono-rcordings. Otherwise it would have been nice to put a hifi-recording here. - 14.40-
92.1 MHz - RAI. Perhaps local px to Basilicata? Traffic instructions to Salerno etc. - 14.57-
92.2 MHz - Radio Jukebox, Lamezia Terme (CZ) (BA-tx). Listeners can make sms-order for the title they want to be played. This automated station gives title-code/name between the records by female voice.
97.9 MHz - Radio Alfa, Prato Perillo di Teggiano (SA). Rare-station to hear. - 14.33-
99.6 MHz - Radio TRC, Cerignola (LE). 3o years old station!- 14.35-

Sat 18.7.2009: France 2-3 minutes

Yesterday's big Es-clouds gave a little promise for today, but no. There were clouds over right places (Denmark etc.) but not enough MUF. Only one 2-3 minute opening to Bretagne. Perhaps there has been more short skips because I have not been monitoring all the time.

LOG Sat 18.7.2009
88.4 MHz - Europe 1. Tx in dep. 29, Bretagne, France. - 10.29-
90.1 MHz - Radio Bonheur, Pléneuf-Val-André (22). Guingamp-tx, Bretagne, France. This station was audible for about 2-3 minutes with nice IDs. - 10.30-
93.0 MHz - France Bleu Breiz Izel, Brest (29), France. MUF around 96 shortly. - 10.30-

Fri 17.7.2009: France opening for 30 minutes

Unexpected attack with French signals for about 30 minutes on late Friday afternoon! I heard stations from very large area from France - central, northeast and south. Not so many IDs but luckily one station never-heard-before (in Finland)!!

LOG Fri 17.2.2009 (France-opening)
91.0 MHz - RCF en Berry, Bourges (18). Spot to "Musique en Berry"-festival. - 14.43-
91.1 MHz - NRJ. Tx from departement 52 (NE France). - 14.45-
91.7 MHz - Active R, Joinville (52). - 14.49-
92.2 MHz - Radio Cactus, Semur en Brionnais (71). - 14.44-
92.9 MHz - Totem, La Primaude (12). Tx dep. 48. Big network now!!! Over 20 tx with 7 local officies. - 14.52-
92.9 MHz - RTL pushed over Totem. Tx dep. 03. - 14.54-
98.5 MHz - France Bleu Lorraine Nord (dep. 57) with RDS and music. - 14.57-

QSL Radio City, Katerini, Greece

After 6 months waiting I got a e-QSL from Katerini-city, Greece! Better late than never!
This station is Radio City, 102.8 MHz (www).
In the reply I was told that the transmitter is located in Mount Olympus - so no wonder it reached Finland.

1-2 minute openings...

During the past days Sporadic E has shown us only several 1-2 minute openings on many days in a row!! Typical for this summer, MUF does not rise enough and do not last long enough... Frustrating... Some stations anyway on Sunday from Italy, Bosnia, Croatia and Greece.

LOG Sun 12.7.2009
87.8 MHz - Latte & Miele, Italy. - 07.10-
88.0 MHz - Radio Republika Srpska, Kotor Varos (local px) tentatively, Bosnia. Spots to this city at 06.58- and 07.18-
88.0 MHz - ERA Net 105.8, Thessaloniki-tx, Greece. - 08.30-
88.2 MHz - Radio Dubrovnik, Croatia. RDS. - 07.12
89.1 MHz - Radio Slavonija tentatively, Slavonski Brod, Croatia. -07.06-
89.3 MHz - Radio F, Radio Federacije Bosne i Hercegovine. RDS. - 06.56-

Tue 6.7.2009: Turkey (Bulgaria, Greece)

On Tuesday evening we had the best opening so far. It was Turkey up to 108 MHz, Istanbul and around (Very rarely I can hear other parts than Istanbul, distance 2200 km)).
Unfortunately it was not so strong over 100 MHz here. Signals were also fading rapidly.
However, some new stations were up. (Some recordings are not checked yet):

LOG Tue 6.7.2009 (Times UTC)
87.9 MHz - Bizim FM, Sile. 50 km NE of Istanbul, Turkey. - 16.21-
88.0 MHz - Radyo 34, Istanbul. - 15.53-
89.0 MHz - Antena C, Kishinev tentatively "Aici Kishinev", Moldova. - 17.00-
89.3 MHz - Armoni FM, unknown location. Perhaps new relay to Armoni FM from Terikdag (European side of Turkey). - 15.47-
90.0 MHz - Radyo Viva, Istanbul, Turkey. - 16.10-
90.3 MHz - Alem FM, Tekirdag-transmitter, Turkey. - 15.58-
90.4 MHz - Haber Türk, Istanbul, Turkey. - 16.27-
91.2 MHz - Radio NRJ, Varna-tx, Bulgaria 16.01-
91.4 MHz - Ola FM 91.4, Thessaloniki, Greece. - 16.56-
91.8 MHz - Infopro FM , Romania
92.9 MHz - Kanal Türk, Istanbul, Turkey. Also with RDS. -16.48-
93.3 MHz - Radyo K, Istanbul, Turkey. - 16.51-
98.0 MHz - Kral Türk, Istanbul, Turkey. - 16.49-
98.5 MHz - Kiss FM, Romania. Very hard compression on audio. -16.50-
100.8 MHz - Radyo Ilac, Istanbul, Turkey. Very nice and lively ID. - 16.42-

Utö FM-DX-camp 2009 is over

I was in Utö-island for 9 days listening FM-band. It was DX-camp of 6 listeners. It was full of FM-monitoring, swimming, playing cards and drinking beer!

We had fair results on tropo and Sporadic E. It is always a dream to have good and stable Es-opening in Utö but it did not happen. Also no megatropo (not expected).
We identified stations from 29 countries (7 with tropo, 3 with meteor, 19 with Es)

You can read the results and daily log from http://www.uto-fmdx.blogspot.com/