Please note that these pages are now very old and date from the time when I was active on the 136kHz amateur band. I am no longer active there. They are kept on the website for archive purposes, and many of the links are no longer valid. For information about what G3YMC is doing these days please visit my main website.

136kHz at G3YMC


UK Radio Amateurs received permission to operate on the new 136kHz band (135.7-137.8kHz) in February 1998. This follows earlier permission to use the 73 kHz band.

The power output limit on this band is limited to 1W erp. To produce this radiated power with reasonable size antennas requires transmitter output powers of over 1kW - a few operators on the band are approaching the legal limit, but for many stations erp is measured in mW rather than Watts.

Because of the narrow width of the band, most of the activity is in normal CW, although SSB and AM has been used on the odd occasion. Low data rate data modes have also been used on occasion. Another specialist technique used is very slow CW with dot periods of several seconds which can be copied by DSP digital techniques allowing copy of signals way below the background noise level. Distances now being worked with conventional CW are now approaching those that have been worked using slow CW.
 
 
I have been active on 136 since soon after the UK was licenced for the band.   Although still occasionally on the band, I am now spending most of my time on the HF bands working QRP with my Elecraft K2 transceiver.
 
 
K2 transceiver
copyright Elecraft
 
This is my 136kHz award, number 7, obtained for confirmed QSOs with 5 DXCC countries.  Details of this award and other HF awards are available from the RSGB HF Committee website.

Click here to see the stations I have worked on 136kHz

136 award

 
 

Present station set up is as follows: 

  • Single IRF530 FET producing around 35W output 
  • Loop antenna 15m long by 10m high 
  • Vertical antenna 10m high 

Further Details: 

Loops
Vertical
G3YMC Transverter
Equipment
Operating
Summary
QRM from TVs

If you have not listened on the band, 136kHz is a band which is both technically challenging and a refreshing change from the rat race of the hf bands. All newcomers to the band are most welcome.
 

Other 136kHz information on these pages

Loops: Information on transmitting loop antennas, theory of loops, and practical experience at this station. Equipment: what equipment is used on the band and the various options Operating: modes, techniques and practices. Propagation, QRN sources
*NEW*
QRM problems from TV receivers
Which set to buy and which not to??
G3YMC Transverter: Circuits and description of the transverter used by me at present. Experimental Vertical: experiences with a vertical in a problem QTH.

136kHz sites of interest
(by no means complete!)
RSGB lf page               Information of a UK national nature
G3YXM site                 Plenty of 136kHz information and equipment circuits
GW4ALG site             Steve is no longer active on the band but there is a wealth of information here.
G0MRF site                 More equipment designs.
G3LDO site                 Updates to the LF Handbook, and his 3M impedance bridge with software
G3XDV                       Mike Dennison's site, with plenty of links to other sites and pictures of the 136 gang.
DK8KW                      Geri's site.  Details the voluntary 136kHz bandplan

Other useful links
 


 
Bracknell Amateur Radio Club Dave Sergeant TV G3YMC Home Page