First FT8/FT4 Activity from Caucana, Sicily (IT9/OK1TK)

During the first operating sessions on 8 August and 10 August 2026, I spent only a few hours on the air using FT8 and FT4 from my holiday QTH in Caucana, Sicily (JM76GS).

I only managed to spend a few hours on the air during the first two operating sessions, but still logged 66 FT8/FT4 QSOs. A great start to the holiday operation, with contacts across Europe, Africa, North and South America. The longest QSO reached Argentina – over 12,000 km away.

Top 10 DX

Call	Country	Band	Mode	Distance
LU8VLE	Argentina	15 m	FT8	12,295 km
PR2AR	Brazil	15 m	FT8	9,289 km
PT7PT	Brazil	15 m	FT8	8,106 km
KF9UG	USA	15 m	FT8	8,100 km
9J2FI	Zambia	10 m	FT8	5,979 km
5Z4VJ	Kenya	15 m	FT8	4,813 km
D2UY	Angola	12 m	FT8	4,703 km
UA3VVA	Russia (Eur.)	17 m	FT8	2,950 km
CT3MD	Madeira Island	10 m	FT8	2,836 km
M0BEW	England	17 m	FT8	2,190 km

The portable station consisted of a Yaesu FT-857D and a Yaesu ATAS-120A mounted on a tripod approximately 2 metres above ground. The coaxial feedline was grounded at the antenna using a copper ground rod. On all bands from 20 m through 10 m, the ATAS tuned successfully, with SWR typically ranging between 1.0:1 and 1.5:1.

Another WSPR Field Test of the Yaesu ATAS-120A

This WSPR test of the Yaesu ATAS-120A was carried out from the same location as the previous one, this time in hot and sunny weather. The goal was to check how repeatable the results were and to see how the current conditions affected the antenna’s performance.

The test started with the same setup as before, using only a single 10 m coaxial cable connected directly to the antenna. This served as the reference configuration for all further measurements.

Next, I inserted a 2.8 m coaxial cable using a UHF-to-UHF barrel connector. The connector was grounded using a homemade copper ground rod. After the connector, the original 10 m coaxial cable was connected back to the radio. In practice, I didn’t notice any measurable difference in the WSPR results or overall antenna performance.

Finally, I connected the Yaesu FT-857D chassis to a second copper ground rod using a 2 m grounding cable. This resulted in a small improvement in SWR. For example, on the 10 m band, the SWR dropped from about 1.3 to 1.1.

Overall, the SWR on the 20 m to 10 m bands remained between 1.0 and 1.5, so it wasn’t really a concern. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get the SWR below 2.5 on the 40 m band, as shown below.

10m (28 MHz)

Top 6 Longest-Distance Receptions

#	Callsign	Country	Grid Locator	SNR	Distance
1	V51RS	Namibia	JG87QL	−23 dB	8,076 km
2	OH6BG	Finland	KP03QA	−6 dB	1,500 km
3	GM4WJA	Scotland	IO87MN	−27 dB	1,409 km
4	OH3LMN/KIWI	Finland	KP11WM	−13 dB	1,400 km
5	SM3LNM	Sweden	JP82QG	−14 dB	1,369 km
6	LA3FY/2	Norway	JP40FJ	−28 dB	1,209 km

Top 5 Strongest Reception Reports

#	Callsign	Country	SNR
1	OH6BG	Finland	−6 dB
2	OH3LMN/KIWI	Finland	−13 dB
3	SM3LNM	Sweden	−14 dB
4	V51RS	Namibia	−23 dB
5	GM4WJA	Scotland	−27 dB

Summary

Transmit Power: 5 W
Total WSPR Spots: 11
Longest DX: V51RS (Namibia) – 8,076 km
Best Reception Report: −6 dB from OH6BG (Finland)

Coverage: The 10 m band was mostly closed during the test, with only 11 WSPR spots received. Despite the limited activity, one exceptional long-distance reception from Namibia reached 8,076 km, indicating a brief opening on the band.

12m (28 MHz)

Top 10 Longest-Distance Receptions

#	Callsign	Country	Grid Locator	SNR	Distance
1	5Z4GO	Kenya	KI96UA	−22 dB	6,479 km
2	HZ1SF	Saudi Arabia	LL34HQ	−24 dB	3,949 km
3	OH6BG	Finland	KP03QA	+2 dB	1,500 km
4	M9PSY	Northern Ireland	IO86HA	−17 dB	1,358 km
5	M9PSY-1	Northern Ireland	IO86HA	−17 dB	1,358 km
6	OH3MZT	Finland	KP10	−20 dB	1,275 km
7	ES2RR	Estonia	KO29HG	−18 dB	1,212 km
8	LA3FY/2	Norway	JP40FJ	−10 dB	1,209 km
9	SM4JST/RX1	Sweden	JO79KR	−16 dB	1,075 km
10	SA1CKE	Sweden	JO97HN	−20 dB	877 km

Top 5 Strongest Reception Reports

#	Callsign	Country	SNR
1	OH6BG	Finland	+2 dB
2	LA3FY/2	Norway	−10 dB
3	SM4JST/RX1	Sweden	−16 dB
4	M9PSY	Northern Ireland	−17 dB
5	M9PSY-1	Northern Ireland	−17 dB

Summary

Transmit Power: 5 W
Total WSPR Spots: 19
Longest DX: 5Z4GO (Kenya) – 6,479 km
Best Reception Report: +2 dB from OH6BG (Finland)

Coverage: Although the number of spots was relatively low, the 12 m band produced some impressive DX, including Kenya and Saudi Arabia. Most receptions came from northern and central Europe, with a brief opening towards East Africa and the Middle East.

15m (21 MHz)

Top 10 Longest-Distance Receptions

#	Callsign	Country	Grid Locator	SNR	Distance
1	VK8TH	Australia	PH57NJ	−22 dB	12,970 km
2	K9CZI	USA	CN83MW	−17 dB	8,779 km
3	K9IMM	USA	EN52CV	−24 dB	7,343 km
4	K9TRV	USA	EN82BI	−21 dB	7,049 km
5	K9TRV-4	USA	EN82BI	−20 dB	7,049 km
6	K9TRV-5	USA	EN82BI	−21 dB	7,049 km
7	KD2OM	USA	FN12GX	−25 dB	6,620 km
8	WA2TP	USA	FN30LU	−27 dB	6,503 km
9	5Z4GO	Kenya	KI96UA	−22 dB	6,479 km
10	KQ2Y	USA	FN31GN	−25 dB	6,478 km

Top 5 Strongest Reception Reports

#	Callsign	Country	SNR
1	SK6WW	Sweden	+2 dB
2	OH6BG	Finland	0 dB
3	EA8/DF4UE	Canary Islands	−8 dB
4	SA6BSS/HL	Sweden	−8 dB
5	OH3LMN/KIWI	Finland	−9 dB

Summary

Transmit Power: 5 W
Total WSPR Spots: 81
Longest DX: VK8TH (Australia) – 12,970 km
Best Reception Report: +2 dB from SK6WW (Sweden)

Coverage: The 15 m band delivered excellent results, with 81 WSPR spots and outstanding long-distance propagation. Besides strong coverage across Europe, signals reached Australia, Kenya, and multiple stations across North America, with the longest reception coming from Australia at nearly 13,000 km.

17m (18 MHz)

Top 10 Longest-Distance Receptions

#	Callsign	Country	Grid Locator	SNR	Distance
1	VK8TH	Australia	PH57NJ	−24 dB	12,970 km
2	K6VZK	USA	DM13NH	−22 dB	9,582 km
3	V51RS	Namibia	JG87QL	−24 dB	8,076 km
4	KD2OM	USA	FN12GX	−16 dB	6,620 km
5	WA2TP	USA	FN30LU	−23 dB	6,503 km
6	N2YCH	USA	FN31JG	−25 dB	6,483 km
7	KQ2Y	USA	FN31GN	−23 dB	6,478 km
8	VE3CWM	Canada	FN15XI	−28 dB	6,361 km
9	W1XP	USA	FN42FO	−23 dB	6,282 km
10	KM3T-3	USA	FN42ET	−25 dB	6,272 km

Top 5 Strongest Reception Reports

#	Callsign	Country	SNR
1	G8OCV/SDR	England	+1 dB
2	WESSEX	England	0 dB
3	SQ3H	Poland	0 dB
4	OH3MZT	Finland	−4 dB
5	OZ1BFM	Denmark	−5 dB

Summary

Transmit Power: 5 W
Total WSPR Spots: 257
Longest DX: VK8TH (Australia) – 12,970 km
Best Reception Report: +1 dB from G8OCV/SDR (England)

Coverage: The 17 m band delivered excellent propagation throughout the test, producing 257 WSPR spots. In addition to strong coverage across Europe, signals reached Australia, Namibia, Canada, and several stations across the United States, with the longest reception coming from Australia at 12,970 km.

20m (14 MHz)

Top 10 Longest-Distance Receptions

#	Callsign	Country	Grid Locator	SNR	Distance
1	WA2TP	USA	FN30LU	−25 dB	6,503 km
2	HZ1SF	Saudi Arabia	LL34HQ	−21 dB	3,949 km
3	EA8BFK	Canary Islands	IL38BO	−23 dB	3,372 km
4	EA8/DF4UE	Canary Islands	IL38BP	−19 dB	3,368 km
5	4Z4TJ	Israel	KM71JF	−13 dB	2,689 km
6	CR7CDF	Portugal	IM58NM	−27 dB	2,242 km
7	TA4/G8SCU	Türkiye	KM56VO	−23 dB	2,041 km
8	EC1CS	Spain	IN62BI	−26 dB	1,910 km
9	SM2LTA	Sweden	JP94AT	−21 dB	1,653 km
10	TA3AWF	Türkiye	KM38IJ	−28 dB	1,619 km

Top 5 Strongest Reception Reports

#	Callsign	Country	SNR
1	ON5KQ	Belgium	+5 dB
2	EI4HQ	Ireland	+1 dB
3	G6MC/K	England	0 dB
4	G4ZFQ	England	−3 dB
5	WESSEX	England	−4 dB

Summary

Transmit Power: 5 W
Total WSPR Spots: 438
Longest DX: WA2TP (USA) – 6,503 km
Best Reception Report: +5 dB from ON5KQ (Belgium)

Coverage: The 20 m band delivered the highest activity of the entire test, producing 438 WSPR spots. Propagation was excellent across Europe, with numerous strong reception reports, while reliable DX paths reached North America, the Canary Islands, the Middle East, Portugal, Spain, and Türkiye. Although the maximum distance was shorter than on the higher HF bands, 20 m clearly provided the most stable and consistent propagation throughout the test, making it the best-performing band overall.

40m (7MHz)

The 40 m band proved to be the most challenging during this test. The best result achieved was an SWR of approximately 2.5, using the original WiMo elevated radials, the ground stake system described earlier, and four additional 15 m wire radials (0.75 mm² PVC-insulated wire) connected at the antenna feed point approximately 2 m above ground. Removing the WiMo radials increased the minimum SWR to about 3.0, while shortening the wire radials by folding them back only made the match worse. Further experimentation with the radial system will therefore be required.

Top 10 Longest-Distance Receptions

#	Callsign	Country	Grid Locator	SNR	Distance
1	EI4HQ	Ireland	IO51UU	−30 dB	1,599 km
2	OH6BG	Finland	KP03QA	−6 dB	1,500 km
3	OH6AH	Finland	KP12KR	−7 dB	1,498 km
4	OH3LMN/KIWI	Finland	KP11WM	−9 dB	1,400 km
5	M9PSY	Northern Ireland	IO86HA	−24 dB	1,358 km
6	M9PSY-1	Northern Ireland	IO86HA	−24 dB	1,358 km
7	M9PSY-2	Northern Ireland	IO86HA	−25 dB	1,358 km
8	F4FPR	France	IN88DI	−24 dB	1,330 km
9	ES4O	Estonia	KO39DC	−18 dB	1,258 km
10	WESSEX	England	IO80QR	−7 dB	1,211 km

Top 5 Strongest Reception Reports

#	Callsign	Country	SNR
1	OE3GBB	Austria	+15 dB
2	LX1LC	Luxembourg	+9 dB
3	DC5AL-R	Germany	+7 dB
4	DL4ZBE	Germany	+7 dB
5	OZ7IT	Denmark	+5 dB

Summary

Transmit Power: 5 W
Total WSPR Spots: 282
Longest DX: EI4HQ (Ireland) – 1,599 km
Best Reception Report: +15 dB from OE3GBB (Austria)

Coverage: Despite the relatively poor antenna match on 40 m, the antenna still generated 282 WSPR spots across much of central, northern and western Europe. No intercontinental propagation was observed on this band during the test, but regional coverage was excellent, demonstrating that the ATAS-120A remains usable on 40 m even with an SWR of around 2.5. Further optimisation of the elevated radial system should improve both the impedance match and overall performance.

Overall WSPR Coverage

The map below shows the overall reception coverage achieved during the test. The vast majority of reception reports shown were obtained during the 5 W WSPR measurements described in this article. Some additional markers may originate from separate 10 W FT8 activity performed during the same period.

2026-07-25 PSK Reporter ATAS-120A Testing All Band

Even so, the map clearly demonstrates the excellent coverage achieved with the portable ATAS-120A setup, reaching stations throughout Europe, North America, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia.

WSPR Field Test of the Yaesu ATAS-120A

After making several improvements to the antenna’s counterpoise system and portable setup, I finally had the opportunity to evaluate the Yaesu ATAS-120A under real-world WSPR operating conditions.

The primary goal of this outing was to compare the antenna’s performance on the 10 m, 12 m, 15 m, and 17 m amateur bands. I also planned to continue with 20 m and, finally, perform a series of experiments on 40 m using a newly designed counterpoise system specifically developed for that band.

Test Conditions

The test was carried out from grid locator JO70FB (Prague, Czech Republic).

Unfortunately, the weather was far from ideal. Heavy rain showers and thunderstorms moved through the area during the test, forcing me to keep the operating session much shorter than originally planned.

Despite these conditions, I was still able to collect enough data to evaluate the higher HF bands.

Results

Considering both the weather and the limited operating time, I was pleasantly surprised by the overall performance of the antenna.

The 10 m, 12 m, 15 m, and 17 m bands all produced very encouraging results. WSPR spots were received from stations across Europe, along with several long-distance DX receptions, confirming that the ATAS-120A performs remarkably well in a portable configuration.

The detailed results for each band, including the Top 10 DX receptions, are presented in the following sections.

10 m (28 MHz)

Top 10 Longest-Distance Receptions

#	Callsign	Country	Grid Locator	SNR	Distance
1	EA8/DF4UE	Canary Islands	IL38BP	−21 dB	3,368 km
2	4X1DA	Israel	KM71LV	−23 dB	2,641 km
3	RX6ART	Russia	KN95RL	−14 dB	1,926 km
4	EA1FAQ	Spain	IN71PN	−18 dB	1,753 km
5	EA5XQ	Spain	IM99	−20 dB	1,691 km
6	SM2KOT	Sweden	JP95HB	−16 dB	1,685 km
7	SWLIO53PS	England	IO53PS	−21 dB	1,633 km
8	SV1BTL	Greece	KM18VA	−17 dB	1,530 km
9	OH6BG	Finland	KP03QA	−13 dB	1,500 km
10	GM4WJA	Scotland	IO87MN	−2 dB	1,409 km

Top 5 Strongest Reception Reports

#	Callsign	Country	SNR
1	ON5KQ	Belgium	+20 dB
2	ON5HB	Belgium	+11 dB
3	LX1LC	Luxembourg	+10 dB
4	G8OCV/SDR	England	+10 dB
5	PE0MJX	Netherlands	+9 dB

Summary

Total Number of WSPR Spots: 162
Transmit Power: 5 W
Longest DX: EA8/DF4UE (Canary Islands) – 3,368 km
Best Reception Report: +20 dB from ON5KQ (Belgium)

12 m (24 MHz)

Top 10 Longest-Distance Receptions

#	Callsign	Country	Grid Locator	SNR	Distance
1	EA8/DF4UE	Canary Islands	IL38BP	−25 dB	3,368 km
2	EA1FAQ	Spain	IN71PN	−23 dB	1,753 km
3	EI4HQ	Ireland	IO51UU	−18 dB	1,599 km
4	SV1BTL	Greece	KM18VA	−15 dB	1,530 km
5	OH6BG	Finland	KP03QA	+1 dB	1,500 km
6	M9PSY	Northern Ireland	IO86HA	−18 dB	1,358 km
7	M9PSY-1	Northern Ireland	IO86HA	−23 dB	1,358 km
8	M9PSY-2	Northern Ireland	IO86HA	−17 dB	1,358 km
9	EA3IQK	Spain	JN11BJ	−12 dB	1,355 km
10	GM4DTH	Scotland	IO85JW	−17 dB	1,345 km

Top 5 Strongest Reception Reports

#	Callsign	Country	SNR
1	HB9VQQ	Switzerland	+18 dB
2	HB9VQQ/RS	Switzerland	+18 dB
3	DARCT13	Germany	+17 dB
4	HB9VQQ/RE	Switzerland	+17 dB
5	HB9VQQ/RL	Switzerland	+13 dB

Summary

Transmit Power: 5 W
Total WSPR Spots: 118
Longest DX: EA8/DF4UE (Canary Islands) – 3,368 km
Best Reception Report: +18 dB from HB9VQQ (Switzerland)
Coverage: Excellent propagation across Europe, with the longest reception reaching the Canary Islands.

15 m (21 MHz)

Top 10 Longest-Distance Receptions

#	Callsign	Country	Grid Locator	SNR	Distance
1	V51RS	Namibia	JG87QL	−28 dB	8,076 km
2	VE6JY	Canada	DO33OR	−22 dB	7,467 km
3	WD4ELG	USA	FM06BE	−21 dB	7,291 km
4	WA2TP	USA	FN30LU	−23 dB	6,503 km
5	KQ2Y	USA	FN31GN	−22 dB	6,478 km
6	EA8BFK	Canary Islands	IL38BO	−24 dB	3,372 km
7	EA8/DF4UE	Canary Islands	IL38BP	−20 dB	3,368 km
8	EA1FAQ	Spain	IN71PN	−14 dB	1,753 km
9	EA5XQ	Spain	IM99	−22 dB	1,691 km
10	SM2LTA	Sweden	JP94AT	−21 dB	1,653 km

Top 5 Strongest Reception Reports

#	Callsign	Country	SNR
1	HB9VQQ	Switzerland	+27 dB
2	HB9GZW	Switzerland	+17 dB
3	DK6UG	Germany	+17 dB
4	IW3HBX	Italy	+8 dB
5	DARCT13	Germany	+6 dB

Summary

Transmit Power: 5 W
Total WSPR Spots: 281
Longest DX: V51RS (Namibia) – 8,076 km
Best Reception Report: +27 dB from HB9VQQ (Switzerland)
Coverage: Outstanding propagation across Europe, North America, the Canary Islands, and Africa, with the longest reception reaching Namibia.

17 m (18 MHz)

Top 10 Longest-Distance Receptions

#	Callsign	Country	Grid Locator	SNR	Distance
1	V51RS	Namibia	JG87QL	−23 dB	8,076 km
2	VE6JY	Canada	DO33OR	−21 dB	7,467 km
3	N4MXZ	USA	FM17FK	−29 dB	7,046 km
4	KD2OM	USA	FN12GX	−25 dB	6,620 km
5	WA2TP	USA	FN30LU	−24 dB	6,503 km
6	KQ2Y	USA	FN31GN	−22 dB	6,478 km
7	VY0ERC	Canada (Nunavut)	ER60TB	−19 dB	4,753 km
8	HZ1SF	Saudi Arabia	LL34HQ	−28 dB	3,949 km
9	7Z1DH	Saudi Arabia	LL24FN	−17 dB	3,834 km
10	EA8/DF4UE	Canary Islands	IL38BP	−23 dB	3,368 km

Top 5 Strongest Reception Reports (Unique Stations)

#	Callsign	Country	SNR
1	PA0LSB	Netherlands	+17 dB
2	DD5XX	Germany	+15 dB
3	IW3HBX	Italy	+15 dB
4	ON5KQ	Belgium	+15 dB
5	DK6UG	Germany	+12 dB

Summary

Transmit Power: 5 W
Total WSPR Spots: 457
Longest DX: V51RS (Namibia) – 8,076 km
Best Reception Report: +17 dB from PA0LSB (Netherlands)
Coverage: Excellent propagation extending across Europe, North America, the Middle East, the Canary Islands, and Africa, with the longest reception reaching Namibia.

An Unexpected Technical Issue

When I switched to 20 meters, an unexpected problem prevented me from continuing the test.

During transmission, both JTDX and WSJT-X repeatedly reported an „Unable to read audio input“ error, causing the software to stop decoding. Restarting the applications—and even the computer—temporarily solved the issue, but it returned after some time.

At the moment, I suspect that RF energy is coupling into the DigiRig Mobile USB interface, particularly on the lower HF bands.

For my next field test, I plan to:

replace the current USB cable with a higher-quality shielded cable,
install ferrite common-mode chokes on the USB cable,
add additional ferrites to the remaining interconnecting cables if necessary.

Only after solving this issue will I be able to complete the planned testing on the 20-meter band.

40-Meter Counterpoise Experiments

Because the weather deteriorated rapidly, I unfortunately had to cancel the part of the test I had been looking forward to the most—the 40-meter counterpoise experiments.

For this band, I have designed a new counterpoise configuration using longer radials specifically optimized for 40 meters. Based on earlier measurements, I expect this setup to provide a noticeable improvement compared to my previous portable configuration.

These experiments will therefore have to wait until my next portable outing.

Conclusion

Despite the poor weather and the unexpected technical issues, I consider this field test a success.

The results clearly demonstrate that the Yaesu ATAS-120A, when combined with a properly designed counterpoise system, is capable of delivering excellent performance in portable WSPR operation.

Over the coming days, I will continue updating this article with detailed results for each band, including Top 10 DX stations, propagation maps, and additional observations from future field tests.

ATAS-120A Tripod Mounting System

As part of my portable station, I wanted to use a Yaesu ATAS-120A antenna on a K&F Concept K234A7 tripod. This led me to design a custom mount that could accommodate both the antenna and the WiMo Counterpoise Kit.

The full article includes technical drawings, assembly photographs and details of two different mounting configurations.

👉 Read the full article here:
[ATAS-120A Tripod Mount]

CQ WW RTTY Contest 2025

I was pleasantly surprised by my results in the CQ WW RTTY Contest 2025 😊

My first satellite QSOs

On Sunday July 28th at about 10:55 UTC a made my first three QSOs via satellite. It was the Saudi-OSCAR 50 (SO-50) satellite. Unfortunately no camera was at this time. Later the same day I tried another attempt via the same satellite and I made two QSOs with Ukrainian HAM radio stations.

ISS Tracking

Prague, JO70FB, 27.07.2024, AOS 16:58

Testing our new ARROW II Satellite antenna setup with home made antenna holder mounted on a Velbon tripod. We used two OpenGD77 radios, Retevis RT3S for Rx and TYT MD-UV390 Plus 10W for Tx. With the possibility to adjust the polarisation the reception was much more better. Unfortunately there was a short inexplicable reception loss and then issues while Tx. So, more experience needed….

Arrow II antenna

Our first test of the ARROW II portable Yagi antenna for Satellite 146/437MHz with the Radioddity GD-88 TRX. Listening to the SO-50 satellite in the JO80ac locator.

87th men’s Ice Hockey World Championships 2024

During the 87th Men’s World Ice Hockey Championship, station OK1TK and club station OK1RJO participated in a diploma contest for contacts made with occasional stations OL87DL, OL87F, OL87G, OL87HB, OL87LA, OL87OH, OL87OK, OL87SPOM, OL87OL8OL8OL , OL87W, OL87YL and received the following diplomas:

75th ANNIVERSARY Unión de Radioaficionados Españoles

Diplomas obtained by stations mi OK1RJO and OK1TK during the month of April 2024 as part of the competition of 75th ANNIVERSARY Unión de Radioaficionados Españoles.