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Loggings => Longwave Loggings => Topic started by: Looking-Glass on April 05, 2016, 0906 UTC

Title: NDB band seasonal change? April log so far...
Post by: Looking-Glass on April 05, 2016, 0906 UTC

Over the past three or so weeks I have noticed the reception here shifting away from northern Australia and across into the Pacific, last summer I logged many northern beacons that are not heard during winter, so a seasonal change?

Some loggings over the past two nights:

WR    326KHz    Whangarei, New Zealand for 2,211kms at 1605z  519 report.
CC     286KHz    Cape Campbell, New Zealand for 2,293kms at 1532z 419 report.
WS    278KHz    Westport, New Zealand for 2,081kms at 1531z 529 report.
HK    310KHz    Hokitika, New Zealand for 2,071kms at 1640z 539 report.
NF    260KHz    Norfolk Island for 1,755kms at 1620z 589 report.
LHI   272KHz    Lord Howe Island for 849kms at 1545z 559 report.
TNK  272KHz    Tennant Creek, Northern Territory for 2,224kms 319 report, out of phase with LHI on same freq.

Some mornings I get really exceptional distance, and other mornings only 150-900kms maximum, no two mornings are ever the same on the mystical NDB band! ::) :D

Title: Re: NDB band seasonal change? April log so far...
Post by: jFarley on April 05, 2016, 1442 UTC

I have my NDB loop pulled in for service, and have been relying on remote servers to satisfy the Beacon Jones.

Just had a very nice session on the KiwiSDR at Tauranga, New Zealand.  Several new ones noted with what seemed to be pretty good conditions.  I was able to log 12 new AUS/NZL/PAC beacons to bring my total off this rx to 75.

Title: Re: NDB band seasonal change? April log so far...
Post by: Looking-Glass on April 16, 2016, 0153 UTC

Thanks Farley, let me know what you have logged in Australia and New Zealand and time plus report, might be a good indicator for me to tune your way.  Problem is crud and other spurious from MW here, also many beacons in Australia share the same frequency so makes it hard to grab anything outside of this region.

My station is quite simple, 250 feet of wire and a Yaesu FT-2000D base station, normally use a Yaesu FT-1000D (which I think is better on NDB's) but it has a receiver stage fault. This morning was very poor, nothing from New Zealand, just plenty of medium and high powered Australian beacons, 1,755kms best effort with NF Norfolk Island on 260KHz around 1400z 539 report.

Come May 26th ASA will be turning off 181 Australian NDB's, so log them while you can... ::)