Messages

6196

Equipment / Regarding long wire antennas.

« on: March 16, 2016, 1611 UTC »

I'm about to embark on my first antenna project, a simple longwire. I have a 100' spool (suburban living means that's about the maximum I can make it) and thought I would connect it to my chimney on the far end and a tree outside my window for the near. That should give me around 50' of taught wire.

My question is this. In my research of longwire projects find that people often solder on the lead that connects to their receiver. However my unit (a Grundig Sattelit 750) has a place where you can connect a bare wire for the antenna in a jack like you find on a stereo speaker. Assuming that I get the length nice and taught, can I just trail the end of the wire down to the receiver directly? Or is there a compelling reason for soldering on a lead?

Thank you!

6197

QSLs Received / Re: Ritalin Radio eQSL

« on: March 16, 2016, 0340 UTC »

 

6198

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: TCS 6876 AM 0030 UTC 16 Mar 2016

« on: March 16, 2016, 0236 UTC »

I could occasionally hear something.

6199

QSLs Received / Re: Radio Ritalin eQSL

« on: March 15, 2016, 1626 UTC »

Have you dialed those numbers to see who answers? 

6200

QSLs Received / Re: CHU QSL

« on: March 15, 2016, 0213 UTC »

The other side.

6201

QSLs Received / CHU QSL

« on: March 15, 2016, 0212 UTC »

My first hard copy QSL.

6202

Spy Numbers / Re: S06 15721 kHz USB 0400-0412 03-14-16

« on: March 14, 2016, 2238 UTC »

Sorry, that was a different link of yours. This one is working fine.

6203

Spy Numbers / Re: S06 15721 kHz USB 0400-0412 03-14-16

« on: March 14, 2016, 2130 UTC »

I get an error page that suggests I need to have a Soundcloud account.

6204

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: Burn it Down Radio 6935 kHz USB 0325 UTC 13/03/2016

« on: March 13, 2016, 0352 UTC »

Black Sabbath "Iron Man" at 0352
Pretty noisy - I couldn't make out half a dozen words of the conversation that preceded the song.

American Pie at 0357 (preceded by a quick snippet of another Sabbath song)
ID at 0406, then Fleetwood Mac "Go Your Own Way"
AC/DC "Back in Black" at 0410
ID @ 0414. Back to talking. Noisy again, can't make out conversation. Heard "when the economy crashes" at 0416, then some cracks and laughter, now noisy and faded at 0418.
Styx "Come Sail Away" @ 0418
ID at 0424. Farewell at 0425, with Billy Joel "Only the Good Die Young." Sign off at 0429, just seconds before 0430

Thanks for the show!

6205

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: Wolverine Radio 6930 USB 0140 UTC 13 MAR 2016

« on: March 13, 2016, 0156 UTC »

Getting a good (for pirate transmissions) signal here. (Just upgraded my equipment.) I'm getting it best at 6931 not 6930. It's pretty noisy and with fading, but I can clearly hear the music. Currently a Beatles song (0155z).
The Animals - It's My Life (0156)
Jimmy Cliff - Come Into My Life (0159)
ID @ 0202
George Harrison - What is Life (0202)
The Band - Life is a Carnival (0206)
Earth Wind and Fire - Got to Get You Into My Life (0211)
Joe Walsh - Life of Illusion (0214)
Howard Jones - Life in One Day (0218 - I haven't heard Howard Jones in a couple of decades)
Dire Straits - Walk of Life (0221)
ID (0225)
Talking Heads - Wild Wild Life(0225)

Thank you Wolverine!

6206

QSLs Received / Re: TCS Shortwave Relay Network eQSL

« on: March 12, 2016, 1454 UTC »

I got one that's exactly like Claudio's. Neat! Thank you John Poet.

6207

Equipment / Re: SSB - how to tell USB from LSB

« on: March 09, 2016, 2221 UTC »

Thank you Josh!

6208

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: The Crystal Ship 6876 AM 2350-0119* UTC 3/8/16

« on: March 09, 2016, 1753 UTC »

^ Nice. Explains why I could hear it at those times. Pirate transmissions are hard to come by where I am, especially with what I'm currently using.

6209

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: The Crystal Ship 6876 AM 2350 UTC 3/8/16

« on: March 09, 2016, 0020 UTC »

Getting it here in Denver - very weak to the point of almost being indistinct, but you can't miss Grace Slick's voice. (White Rabbit @ 00:18.)

Signal better at 00:27 - Venus.

6210

Equipment / SSB - how to tell USB from LSB

« on: March 08, 2016, 2335 UTC »

Hello, total newbie here. I have a Tecsun PL-600 which has a button for receiving SSB mode transmissions. It doesn't distinguish between whether the signal is LSB or USB, which I guess I don't need, but I'm curious. Most of the pirate station postings here identify the broadcast as being in USB, but from what I've read SSB transmissions under 10 MHz (which these all seem to be, in the 43m band) typically are sent in LSB with those over 10 MHz being USB.

So I have two questions. If LSB is standard, why are the pirates transmitting in USB? And is there any way I can tell which mode is being used when listening to something in SSB on my Tecsun - perhaps where I crank the BFO knob (+ or -) tells me that?

Thanks!