Messages

301

Equipment / Re: Please recommend some good MW and LW DX radios

« on: June 03, 2020, 0935 UTC »

Most portables just aren't going to hack it on LW for any sort of serious DXing.  Mostly they have no provision for an antenna other than the built in ferrite loopstick.  You may be able to fabricate some sort of an inductive coupled arrangement to transfer energy to the loopstick and greatly enhance reception but then you will be confronted with the inherent lack of selectivity found in
most portables.  Selectivity (filtering) is what costs money and most portables are relatively inexpensive and the selectivity just isn't there. 

However, for MW work, there are some portables that are outstanding AM broadcast band DX machines.  The CCrane Radios 2E and EP come to mind as well as the GE Superadios.
These portables all have provision for an external antenna but in most cases you won't need one... their large internal loopsticks are that good.  They also can be easily rotated to peak/null
desired/undesired stations. 

302

Equipment / Re: Please recommend some good MW and LW DX radios

« on: June 03, 2020, 0016 UTC »

Take a look at various ham transceivers with general coverage receive capability.   Lots to choose from new and used and most all nowadays have general coverage receive capability.
If your main interest is MW and LW DX, pay particular attention to the sensitivity specs for those bands.  Many of these radios are intentionally
desensitized below the 160 meter ham band to avoid receiver overload from powerful AM broadcast band stations.  Many are practically deaf
on longwave.  The Alinco DX-SR8 has worked out well for me doing LW DXing.  It is very sensitive in the CW mode on LW.  On long winter nights
when conditions are just right and the band becomes perfectly quiet you want all the sensitivity you can get to be able to hear a 25 watt NDB a
couple thousand miles away.  Almost as important if not more so is the antenna.  All kinds of choices here from simple to quite exotic...
longwires, loops, ferrite sleeve, Beverage, KAZ, flag, K9AY, active, and on and on.

303

General Radio Discussion / Re: Husdon Co (NJ) TIS gets 100W STA

« on: June 02, 2020, 1953 UTC »

That NJ TIS can be heard here in Michigan most mornings.
Thought the announcement said something about cars having to use every other parking space...
apparently cars also have to "social distance" in NJ
Guess with all the automobile onboard electronics nowadays you wouldn't want your car to catch a "virus". 

304

Longwave Loggings / Re: Winter 2019 NDB Logs

« on: May 21, 2020, 2126 UTC »

Had to dig out the Atlas on some of them.

305

Longwave Loggings / Re: Winter 2019 NDB Logs

« on: May 21, 2020, 1623 UTC »

Who are MRC, AUI, OCE ?

306

Longwave Loggings / Re: Take Off to the Great White North

« on: May 17, 2020, 1402 UTC »

284  QD  The Pas  MB...    couldn't figure this one out at first, it is apparently miskeying as AA S. 

307

Longwave Loggings / Re: Take Off to the Great White North

« on: May 10, 2020, 1439 UTC »

Propagation generally poor early this morning but a pipeline into Manitoba for some reason.

212  YGX   Gillam  MB
244  TH     Thompson  MB
248  WG    Winnipeg  MB   big signal
269  UDE   Delta  MB

308

Equipment / Re: Vertical antenna build questions

« on: May 06, 2020, 1001 UTC »

IMHO, for a receive only vertical you may not need to be so detail oriented.  A 1/4 wave vertical with 1/4 wave radials cut for somewhere between your frequencies of interest
should work fine.  My approach would be to staple the radials to the ground with pins made for that purpose like those available from DXE or fabricate your own.  This will keep the radials
at or slightly below grade and thus not present a tripping hazard.  Even if the area is out of the way, various critters and especially deer will tear up any even slightly elevated radials.
Don't use steel wire radials for any permanent type installation as they will quickly rust and especially stay away from aluminum wire as it will deteriorate even more
quickly especially in soil in the woods that is probably acidic.  Consider insulated copper wire such as THHN building wire for the radials.  You may find that use of a typical off the shelf MFJ
antenna tuner will enhance your reception. 

309

MW Loggings / Re: WBBM 780 AM 0711 UTC UTC 3 May 2020

« on: May 03, 2020, 2112 UTC »

The Chicago and NYC stations are pests here... too many of them.

310

Equipment / Re: Copper Clad Steel

« on: April 30, 2020, 0956 UTC »

All RG6 probably not created equal.  My hunch is that the name brand made in USA coax sold only through electrical wholesalers may be higher quality than the offshore produced stuff sold at the dollar store.  This is only a guess because the problem is trying to find specs for the thickness of the copper clad.
Anyway, my 40/10 meter dipole is fed with RG6 while my 80-10 meter vertical is fed with RG213.  Some days the vertical seems to perform better than the dipole while other days the dipole has the advantage.  My VHF ground plane is fed with RG58 while my discone is fed with RG6 but no apparent performance difference between the two. My 100' wire antenna fed with RG6 has received many DX NDBs.  The RG6 in use on all antennas is supposedly quality material obtained at the electrical supply house.  Admittedly none of this is very scientific but just some actual observations.

311

MW Loggings / Re: KJJR 880 Kalispell, MT DX Test Sat May 2nd 12:01am Mountain!

« on: April 28, 2020, 2152 UTC »

Tnx for the info... need Montana for my logbook.
It will be tough with WCBS on the same freq.

312

MW Loggings / Re: Radio Nacional de Espaņa 1392 am 2345 utc 22 Apr 2020

« on: April 24, 2020, 1234 UTC »

Couple of clues here, 1392 is not a European channel and you don't hear it on the 880.  Beginning to look like some mixing in the IF.
What is the IF frequency(s), double or single conversion ?  Does it have an RF stage ?  Could be an almost infinite number of frequency combinations.
Have heard SW stations on various of my AM sets in the past and never really figured out the combination.

313

MW Loggings / Re: Radio Nacional de Espaņa 1392 am 2345 utc 22 Apr 2020

« on: April 23, 2020, 1109 UTC »

Interesting... are you sure about the frequency ?  1392 is not evenly divisible by 9.
Also, perhaps overseas territory (Canary Is., Ceuta, Melilla) ?

edit:  nearest 9kc channels are 1386 and 1395,  1386 is second harmonic of 693... there are several RNE AM on 693.

314

MW Loggings / Re: WKAJ 1120 am 0945 utc 21 Apr 2020

« on: April 21, 2020, 1335 UTC »

Looks like you may get KMOX regularly at night all the way out to ur QTH in CT...
that station is a real powerhouse.
Anyway, have noticed for the past week or so that many of the usual nighttime
clear channel blasters have been very weak or completely missing.

315

MW Loggings / WMAC AM 940

« on: April 14, 2020, 1543 UTC »

WMAC AM 940  Macon GA  "News Talk 940" 10kw @1025Z
Never heard this one before but WWJ AM 950 presently has its digital turned off which uncovers the adjacent channels.
They normally beam 10kw away from me at night but they had a really huge signal in here this morning...
makes me wonder if perhaps they were running their full 50kw omnidirectional signal given the current national
situation as well as all the severe WX throughout the South...
unusual combination of events for AM BCB DXing.