News and information

Here you find my latest news and information, that affect the amateur radio, as well as in the archive the ones published since 2004. New and recently modified webpages are marked in addition in the table of contents.

Again around the Brocken - on the way in the Upper Harz
15. - 23.2.2025
 
The main purpose of my holiday in the calendar winter was hiking, preferably in the mountains and on snow. Since the area where I live is rather flat and rarely snows, I chose the Harz as my destination. I also brought a radio station with me to activate one or another DLFF area or SOTA summit.
 
Base camp
 
I chose Schierke as the starting point for the hikes. You can get there every hour with the Harzer Verkehrsbetriebe (HVB) bus line 264, which starts in Wernigerode. In Schierke itself, I had booked a room in the Pension Schmidt, which is here..
 
As in many accommodations, you have to pay a tourist tax of €3.50 per day of stay. In return, you receive the Harzer Urlaubsticket (HATIX). This entitles you to free use of a large number of buses and trams throughout the Harz region. Everyone has to decide for themselves whether it's worth it. But the bus ride from Wernigerode to Schierke alone (2 tariff zones traveled through = tariff level 2) costs 5.30 €, while tariff level 1 still costs 3.20 €. And petrol costs the amount of the tourist tax can be quickly used up, and in many places there are additional parking fees. I can therefore only advise you to leave your car at home or at least in front of your accommodation.
 
DLFF-0006 National Park Harz (16.2.2025)
 
Despite a very cold night of -11 °C, the temperature was expected to rise to -5 to -4 °C. Even with cloudy skies and a northeast wind of 2 to 3 Bft, this promised to be reasonably good conditions for a DLFF activation.
 
I had chosen the refuge here in the 247 km² Harz National Park DLFF-0006. It is 3 km from the guesthouse and not far from the edge of Schierke, so that I could have quickly returned to the guesthouse if conditions were too bad. I achieved a total of 17 QSOs on 17 and 30 m, with the majority being on 30 m. Contests were running on 20 and 40 m.
 
Before my fingers got too cold after an hour without gloves, I dismantled the station. For the 4.2 km return journey, I used hiking trails above the railway line, which took me in a wide arc past station Schierke back to the town.
 

 
DLFF-0886 Harz/Sachsen-Anhalt (17.2.2025)
 
For today I had planned an activation in the 1661 km² Nature Park Harz/Sachsen-Anhalt DLFF-0886. The area roughly covers the entire eastern part of the Harz. The starting point of the 2.8 km long outward journey was Königshütte, or more precisely the bus stop Königshütte/Alte Brockenstraße, a few bus stops away from Schierke.
 
From there, a path slowly ascends to the Kammweg. About halfway along the straight section, there is here a shelter that I used to set up the station. I attached the mast to a small tree. This was enough, as there was only a southeast wind of 1 to 2 Bft. I was able to achieve a total of 29 QSOs on all 4 available bands. When no one responded after 1½ hours, I dismantled the station. This time my fingers stayed warm enough because I was wearing gloves.
 
Continuing along the Kammweg, I reached Elend after 3.3 km. There is a small wooden church there, which according to the information available there is the smallest of its kind in Germany. The bus took me from the Elend/Kirche stop back to Schierke.
 
DLFF-0006 National Park Harz (18.2.2025)
 
The weather forecast promised sunny weather for the Brocken after a very cold night of -13 °C, but only -3 to -4 °C with a southeast wind of 3 Bft. In the end, the sun persuaded me to take the first train of the Harzer Schmalspurbahn from Schierke to the summit. Please note: A one-way trip to the Brocken costs 37 €. The 716 m high Kleine Feuerstein (GMA DA/SA-013) is clearly visible from Schierke station. The 837 m high Kleine Winterberg (GMA DA/SA-009), the 971 m high Wurmberg (SOTA DM/NS-001) and the 906 m high Große Winterberg (GMA DA/SA-003) can also be seen from there.
 
Once I reached the top, after a walk around the summit plateau, I decided not to set up the radio station. The wind and the low temperature meant that I couldn't use the radio for long, even with gloves on.
 
So I quickly started the 10.4 km long return journey, this time on foot. I initially took the Brockenstraße and changed to the slowly descending Neuer Goetheweg at the railway crossing.
 
This path, which runs parallel to the railway line, offers amazing views. You can look back to the Brocken or spot the transmission towers near Torfhaus. The hiking trail also runs just a few metres from the tracks.
 
Most hikers on the Neuer Goetheweg use the Grenzweg am Bodesprung in a southwesterly direction. As a result, I was almost alone on the Oberer Königsberger Wegl in the direction of Schierke. Dadurch war ich auf dem Oberen Königsberger Weg in Richtung Schierke nahezu allein. At the end of this trail, I came across the Brockenstraße again, which took me back to the town at the National Park House Schierke.
 
From the Schierke/Jugendherberge stop I took the bus through the town to the Schierke/Stern stop at the other end. From there I took the Ackerweg to the shelter in the Harz National Park DLFF-0006 that I had used 2 days before. However, as I could only manage 1 QSO from there in ½ hour, I dismantled the station again. A bus that had just arrived at Stern took me back to the town center.
 
DLFF-0608 Kramershai (19.2.2025)
 
After a very cold night of -11 °C, the temperature was expected to rise to -4 to 0 °C with a southeast wind of 2 to 3 Bft and sunny skies. I had chosen a DLFF area west of Schierke as my destination. I reached this area after 4.4 km along Sandbrinkstraße, which begins at the youth hostel, then followed the Gelben Weg to the luge track and the Spechtweg. After a section on the Kolonnenweg, I turned onto the Ulmer Weg, which leads towards Wurmberg.
 
There is here a shelter on a once wooded part of the 1.8 km² nature reserve Kramershai DLFF-0608. I attached the mast to the bench in front of it while I set up the station in the sheltered hut, which has a table and benches. Within 1¾ hours I achieved a total of 26 QSOs on 20 and 40 m.
 
For the 2.8 km long return journey I used the Ulmer Weg. The Braunlager Weg begins near the 694 m high Scherstorklippen (GMA DA/SA-190). I reached the Gestellweg via this. From there I used the Braunlager Fußweg, which leads past the 670 m high Mäuseklippe (GMA DA/SA-191) to Schierke.
 
DLFF-0609 Harzer Bachtäler (20.2.2025)
 
Today, after a moderately cold night of -6 °C, with moderately cloudy skies and a southwest wind of 2 Bft, it should be around +3 to +5 °C warmer. The starting point of the hike was again Königshütte, or more precisely the Königshütte/Alte Brockenstraße bus stop, which is a few bus stops away from Schierke. Crossing the ridge of the mountain range, I reached the bank of the Spielbach.
 
This was part of today's destination, the 13 km² nature reserve Harzer Bachtäler DLFF-0609. I used the first available spot to set up the station. I found it after 2.9 km here in the form of a bridge over the Spielbach. I attached the mast to the wooden railing in the middle of the bridge, while I set up the station on the end of it. Within 1¾ hours, standing comfortably in the sun, I was able to achieve a total of 25 QSOs on 20, 30 and 40 m.
 
A nearly flat path runs parallel to the Spielbach. I used this to reach the K1353 road and, after a short stretch on the B27 federal road, the town of Elend. As the bus to Schierke had just left, I completed the rest of the 9.2 km long route back to Schierke along the Kalten Bode through the nature reserve Elendstal.
 

 
DLFF-0006 National Park Harz (21.2.2025)
 
The night was very mild at +3 °C. With cloudy skies and a southwest wind of 1 to 2 Bft, the temperature was expected to rise to a spring-like +8 to +10 °C. The starting point for the hike that day was the bus station Drei Annen Hohne . After a short stretch on Eschwegestraße, I turned west.
 
There is here a shelter here after 1.6 km on Kirchstieg. This is in the Harz National Park DLFF-0006. When setting up the antenna I had to pay attention to the overhead power line that runs just a few meters away. I could not detect any reception interference. Sitting comfortably in the sun, I managed a total of 32 QSOs in just under 2 hours on the 4 available bands.
 
For the 6.2 km long return journey, I initially took the path further up to the Glashüttenweg. This takes you to the 741 m high Trudenstein (GMA DA/SA-036). At the crossroads called the Spinne, I went down to just above the Harzer Schmalspurbahn. The railway parallel path runs almost parallel to this to Schierke station. From there you can reach Schierke via the Ottoweg. I chose the more comfortable road.
 
DLFF-0006 National Park Harz, DM/SA-001 Brocken (22.2.2025)
 
Although it was Saturday and the summit of the Brocken would be overcrowded with visitors, I had already bought a ticket for the Harzer Schmalspurbahn the day before, this time for a return trip for a total of 55 €. I again took the first train (10:50 a.m.) from Schierke.
 
According to SOTA rules, activation is possible up to 25 m below the respective summit. In the case of the Brocken, this height (1117 m) corresponds largely to the 1.5 km long Brockenrundweg. I therefore completed this circular route in order to find a suitable place that was not too stormy and relatively quiet and that was suitable for setting up the radio station. In the end, I headed for the place I had initially considered, behind a few fir trees that provided protection from the wind.
 
I attached the mast here to a leaning post on the wooden path border. I set up the station on a waterproof base before sitting next to it on another one of the same type, but thicker. Although the Brocken circular path was less busy than the plateau around the summit, two visitors asked me what I was doing while I was setting it up. Both knew radio amateurs from their circle of friends. While I was using Morse code in gloves, a few hikers stopped and watched curiously. But no one asked any questions because I probably seemed too focused and was also wrapped up thickly in the fresh wind.
 
I was able to achieve a total of 29 QSOs relatively quickly on 17 and 20 m, which can be credited equally to the National Park Harz DLFF-0006 and the SOTA summit Brocken DM/SA-001. After ¾ hour I ended the activation, dismantled the station and went back to the Brockenbahnhof to take the Schmalspurbahn back to Schierke.
 

 
Radio station, QSL cards, thank you
 
For station equipment, I had an Elecraft K1 designed for 40, 30, 20 and 17 m with 5 W transmission power, a Palm Portable Key, a LiFePo4 battery with 3 Ah and various accessories in my luggage. I use a doublet antenna as an antenna. In contrast to the antenna known in German QRP circles as a Twisted-Hille, I used an extended version with 2 × 9.5 m as a radiator and 8 m for the symmetrical feed line made of twisted wires. Together with a 6 m GFK Portable Mast, this antenna can be set up as an inverted-V. A few plastic pegs and short guy ropes complete the antenna. I did not use a balun because neither the transceiver nor the power supply are connected to the ground. The entire station equipment weighs only 1.8 kg.
 
In the meantime, all radio connections have been added to the SOTA and WWFF databases. The QSL cards to all those stations that were new to me or from which I received a QSL card in previous years are already on their way to the recipients via the QSL bureau.
 
Finally, I would like to thank all the radio amateurs who responded to my signals, which were certainly quite quiet. And for the radio amateurs whose signals I was unable to pick up, I will put them off until the next time, when the propagation conditions will hopefully be better.