Messages

961

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: unid 6975 am 2254 20 oct 2021

« on: October 20, 2021, 2301 UTC »

Music at 2259z. Around S7 peaks, but I have considerable band noise at the moment. SINPO 35222.

Thanks for the broadcast! :)

962

10/11 meters / Re: 11 meters is opening up again 1345 UTC 20 Oct 2021

« on: October 20, 2021, 2230 UTC »

The 11m band has closed, or perhaps more like collapsed, here. Mostly an empty waterfall, and the noise floor is around -124dB on an active miniwhip.

Down to what sounds like a few locals on 27255 AM and 27285 AM, and those catches were with a preamp engaged.

963

Amateur Radio / Re: 12M DX

« on: October 20, 2021, 2223 UTC »

Rarely have I heard much of anything on 12m in recent years, but there was actual activity today. CW, FT8, PSK, and even a few SSB operators.

964

10/11 meters / Re: 11 meters is opening up again 1345 UTC 20 Oct 2021

« on: October 20, 2021, 2156 UTC »

Still a little 11m DX activity here, but it is starting to really drop off.

If I feel like it, I *might* be on 11m tomorrow for awhile if the band opens.

965

10/11 meters / Re: 11 meters is opening up again 1345 UTC 20 Oct 2021

« on: October 20, 2021, 1851 UTC »

24900 CW - Morse code activity. Couple of ops?
24915 USB - FT8 activity.
24920 USB - PSK activity.
24940 USB - Amateur radio ops. Potential QRM, but I am not sure they actually hear each other.

25635 LSB - Spanish language op(s).
25775 LSB - Spanish language ops.
25935 LSB - Couple of Spanish language ops.
25985 LSB - Spanish language op.
26005 LSB - Spanish language ops.
27075 LSB - Spanish language op.
26155 AM - Weak signals. Spanish language ops.
26165 AM - Weak signal. Spanish language op.
26185 AM - Weak signal. Spanish language op? Very faint modulation.
26585 USB - Might be AM. Weak signal in noise floor. Carrier with very faint modulation.
26690 LSB  - Data?
26715 AM -  Spanish language op.

27025 AM - Usual DX, including California. Usual joking around and poking fun at each other.
27085 AM - Usual DX ops talking to.... each other?.... someone?.... no one?.... themselves?
27105 AM - Strong signal op calling various handles.
27165 AM - California op with strong signal working DX. Some other weak signals near noise floor.
27185 AM - California op talking about channel 19 truckers.
27205 AM - Op with Caribbean accent ragchewing about DX. Other op(s) in noise floor.
27225 AM - Multiple ops in casual ragchew. Music at 1945z.
27255 AM - "AUDIOOOO!"
27275 AM - California op working DX.
27285 AM - Antigua op working DX.
27355 LSB - Ragchew about radios.
27385 LSB - Multiple California ops working DX.

27430 USB - Spanish language ops.
27450 LSB - Spanish language ops.
27455 LSB - Nevada op working DX. Later ragchew about antennas.
27475 USB - Spanish language op with strong signal.
27485 LSB - Ragchew about antennas.
27485 USB - Spanish language ops.
27535 USB - Spanish language ops.
27555 USB - Venezuela op calling DX. 5AT012 call. Strong signal.
27555 USB - Caribbean mobile op working DX.
27555 USB - Brazil op calling DX.
27555 USB - Guadeloupe Islands op calling for a QSY down the band.
27575 USB - English language op working DX. Slightly off frequency. African accent perhaps?
27580 USB - Canary Islands op working DX. 34AT185 call on a Kenwood rig with a 4-el yagi. Strong signal.
27605 USB - Considerable accent. Unsure about language.
27625 USB - Spanish language ops. One with roger beeps.... on SSB.
27685 USB? - Weak waterfall carrier. No modulation recovered.
27695 LSB - Weak signals. Sounds like Spanish language ops.
27695 USB - Weak signals. Sounds like Spanish language ops.
27755 USB - Weak signals. Sounds like Spanish language ops.
27785 USB - Weal signals. Sounds like Spanish language ops.
27835 USB - Spanish language. Sounds like a radio tuneup.
27915 USB - Spanish language op.

28280 CW - Weak signal. Sounds repetitive. Beacon?
28300 CW - Decent signal. Clean morse code.
28405 USB - Weak signal. Think I caught mention of Nevada.

966

10/11 meters / Re: 11 meters is opening up again 1345 UTC 20 Oct 2021

« on: October 20, 2021, 1800 UTC »

Activity is dropping off somewhat, but propagation is becoming more stateside.

967

10/11 meters / Re: 11 meters is opening up again 1345 UTC 20 Oct 2021

« on: October 20, 2021, 1629 UTC »

Swapped miniwhips, and it seems to be even better. I really need to map their frequency responses sometime, as they vary by bands moderately despite being only about 30' apart.

968

10/11 meters / Re: 11 meters is opening up again 1345 UTC 20 Oct 2021

« on: October 20, 2021, 1616 UTC »

Quick skim of the 11m band using one of my active miniwhips. Not too bad IMO.

969

10/11 meters / Re: Another good morning for 11m 1507 UTC 14 OCT 2021

« on: October 16, 2021, 0155 UTC »

I talked on a Cobra 89 GTL with a few mods for quite awhile. The radio is long gone, but I did keep my old Turner +3 desk mic. Perhaps for nostalgia?

After the usual Cobras and similar, I jumped to an early Dirland SS3900B for a few years before largely departing the hobby.

970

10/11 meters / Re: Another good morning for 11m 1507 UTC 14 OCT 2021

« on: October 15, 2021, 2238 UTC »

I skipped over the hobby for several years, but AFAIK, prices were even worse for awhile. I suspect most of the older 11m sweep tube splatter boxes are long gone by now. Then again, many of the cheapest-built modern 11m solid-state amps with little to no output filtering can be just as bad or even worse for IMD and harmonics. o.0

971

Amateur Radio / Re: 15 Meters is Open

« on: October 15, 2021, 1957 UTC »

I was thinking it was you that mentioned checking a balun and replacing coax, which apparently was a very good decision. I can about imagine the losses if an onboard tuner was easily loading an 80m OCF on 30m through the previous coax. ;)

Not sure what model you have, but even a basic LDG Z-100A will handle 4-800 ohms, so potentially up to 16:1.... complex impedances aside. I suspect that model or similar should handle 15m for your 80m OCF easily enough. 30m might be doable as well, though a good chunk of power might be dissipating as heat, too.

972

10/11 meters / Re: Another good morning for 11m 1507 UTC 14 OCT 2021

« on: October 15, 2021, 1941 UTC »

Back in the mid-90s I used to do the 27025 AM thing, along with the other AM DX usuals like 27.085, 27.265, etc.

CB stood for constant buying, including the routine replacing of previously inexpensive sweep tubes being abused way beyond CCS ratings. Anyone priced even just a modest used 6LQ6 in recent years? o.0

973

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: WPIG 6925 usb 2301 utc 14 Oct 2021

« on: October 14, 2021, 2342 UTC »

ID at 2340z. SINPO 14332. Unser S1, but generally above the noise floor. Some splatter and static crashes. Via the 31' vertical.

Thanks for the broadcast! :)

974

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: Moon River Radio 6930 USB 2240 UTC 14 Oct 2021

« on: October 14, 2021, 2338 UTC »

S8 peaks. SINPO 45444. Strong modulation. Via the 31' vertical.

Thanks for the broadcast! :)

975

Propagation / Re: echo R.Taiwan Int. 6105 AM 2230 UTC 21 Sep 2021

« on: October 14, 2021, 2234 UTC »

Different station, but similar happened to me a few days ago.

https://www.hfunderground.com/board/index.php/topic,87278.msg281234.html#msg281234

I suspect mine was simultaneous reception via both short and long path.