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Loggings => European Pirates and Private Stations => Topic started by: Radio Parade on February 26, 2023, 1342 UTC

Title: Radio Parade 8485 AM 1335 UTC 26 Feb 2023
Post by: Radio Parade on February 26, 2023, 1342 UTC
1335 50w 3khz sideband test
Title: Re: Radio Parade 8485 AM 1335 UTC 26 Feb 2023
Post by: Ray Lalleu on February 26, 2023, 1414 UTC
on 8484.95  AM
1412 "Green green grass of home", 1415 ID, protonmail, next pop,
1417 cut, then announcement badly modulated, 1418 pop,
1419 ALMOST LOST
1421 fading in again, very weak, ID, music, 1424 music, fading up slowly,
1425 ID, "Summer in the city"
nothing as good as before the cut at 1417
1428 ID, unk. pop, 1432 ID, "House of the rising sun",
maybe back to original level, not recording anything here, 1437 ID, W pop singer
1441 "Video killed the radio star", more pops and IDs,
1450 QRM ? sounds like a second carrier with other music at times ?

Strange effect. Trying on Weston SDR : tones around 400 OR 500 Hz look stronger on the waterfall, can't explain that.
yes around 50 Hz, power hum ?
Not really in my audio passband, by I can hear that when detuning the ECSS mode,
just like from alien carrier(s) on the channel.
Title: Re: Radio Parade 8485 AM 1335 UTC 26 Feb 2023
Post by: Ethernut on February 26, 2023, 1416 UTC
1416 on AM: "Flowers in the rain"
SIO 344 in SW England
Audio sounds a little "thin"
1422 Song "It's so funny". Audio sounds much better at 4 khz bandwidth
Title: Re: Radio Parade 8485 AM 1335 UTC 26 Feb 2023
Post by: Radio Parade on February 26, 2023, 1423 UTC
1423 Back on air - now 4 khz sideband 50w - Should be better sound
Title: Re: Radio Parade 8485 AM 1335 UTC 26 Feb 2023
Post by: Radio Parade on February 26, 2023, 1431 UTC

1425 ID, "Summer in the city"
nothing as good as before the cut at 1417

Yes, smaller bandwidth is better for getting above noise level with a weaker signal, wide bandwidth better quality, but it could just be a change in conditions too.  Same power and and antenna

Thanks for the reports everyone
Title: Re: Radio Parade 8485 AM 1335 UTC 26 Feb 2023
Post by: Radio Parade on February 26, 2023, 1500 UTC
on 8484.95  AM
1450 QRM ? sounds like a second carrier with other music at times ?

Not noticed this, maybe local QRM?
Title: Re: Radio Parade 8485 AM 1335 UTC 26 Feb 2023
Post by: Radio Parade on February 26, 2023, 1532 UTC
on 8484.95  AM

1450 QRM ? sounds like a second carrier with other music at times ?

Strange effect. Trying on Weston SDR : tones around 400 OR 500 Hz look stronger on the waterfall, can't explain that.
yes around 50 Hz, power hum ?
Not really in my audio passband, by I can hear that when detuning the ECSS mode,
just like from alien carrier(s) on the channel.

Not aware of any interference, there maybe two very, very weak side carriers to the main one, but only if the received signal is very strong, my TX isn't up to professional standard, although it doesn't produce unwanted harmonics.  I'm sure it's not 100% pure, and as you noticed, my carrier is almost always slightly offset from precise frequency
Title: Re: Radio Parade 8485 AM 1335 UTC 26 Feb 2023
Post by: Radio Parade on February 26, 2023, 1536 UTC
1530 QRT... thanks for your reports everyone
Title: Re: Radio Parade 8485 AM 1335 UTC 26 Feb 2023
Post by: Ray Lalleu on February 26, 2023, 1547 UTC
on 8484.95  AM

1450 QRM ? sounds like a second carrier with other music at times ?

Strange effect. Trying on Weston SDR : tones around 400 OR 500 Hz look stronger on the waterfall, can't explain that.
yes around 50 Hz, power hum ?
Not really in my audio passband, by I can hear that when detuning the ECSS mode,
just like from alien carrier(s) on the channel.

Not aware of any interference, there maybe two very, very weak side carriers to the main one, but only if the received signal is very strong, my TX isn't up to professional standard, although it doesn't produce unwanted harmonics.  I'm sure it's not 100% pure, and as you noticed, my carrier is almost always slightly offset from precise frequency

Those 50 Hz tones on both sides of the carrier, I could 'hear' them here, and I could see them on the waterfall of the kiwi SDR, seen with the same fades as the audio sidebands, and always stronger than the real audio tones, so I think they were really coming from the TX, not from artifacts here or at Weston. And they are stealing power that must be more useful in the real audio passband.
Title: Re: Radio Parade 8485 AM 1335 UTC 26 Feb 2023
Post by: Radio Parade on February 26, 2023, 1613 UTC
on 8484.95  AM

1450 QRM ? sounds like a second carrier with other music at times ?

Strange effect. Trying on Weston SDR : tones around 400 OR 500 Hz look stronger on the waterfall, can't explain that.
yes around 50 Hz, power hum ?
Not really in my audio passband, by I can hear that when detuning the ECSS mode,
just like from alien carrier(s) on the channel.

Not aware of any interference, there maybe two very, very weak side carriers to the main one, but only if the received signal is very strong, my TX isn't up to professional standard, although it doesn't produce unwanted harmonics.  I'm sure it's not 100% pure, and as you noticed, my carrier is almost always slightly offset from precise frequency

Those 50 Hz tones on both sides of the carrier, I could 'hear' them here, and I could see them on the waterfall of the kiwi SDR, seen with the same fades as the audio sidebands, and always stronger than the real audio tones, so I think they were really coming from the TX, not from artifacts here or at Weston. And they are stealing power that must be more useful in the real audio passband.

I was not aware some receivers can hear them, at least not in standard AM mode.  Yes, if they are exactly on both sides of my carrier and have the same fades, these are from my TX, not the power supply, but the tuning.... I'll see if I can improve this.  Thanks for your info.
Title: Re: Radio Parade 8485 AM 1335 UTC 26 Feb 2023
Post by: Radio Parade on February 26, 2023, 1632 UTC
on 8484.95  AM

1450 QRM ? sounds like a second carrier with other music at times ?

Strange effect. Trying on Weston SDR : tones around 400 OR 500 Hz look stronger on the waterfall, can't explain that.
yes around 50 Hz, power hum ?
Not really in my audio passband, by I can hear that when detuning the ECSS mode,
just like from alien carrier(s) on the channel.

Not aware of any interference, there maybe two very, very weak side carriers to the main one, but only if the received signal is very strong, my TX isn't up to professional standard, although it doesn't produce unwanted harmonics.  I'm sure it's not 100% pure, and as you noticed, my carrier is almost always slightly offset from precise frequency

Those 50 Hz tones on both sides of the carrier, I could 'hear' them here, and I could see them on the waterfall of the kiwi SDR, seen with the same fades as the audio sidebands, and always stronger than the real audio tones, so I think they were really coming from the TX, not from artifacts here or at Weston. And they are stealing power that must be more useful in the real audio passband.

Fortunately, that was a quick TX issue to fix. I have come across this phenomenon before with my TX.  Problem now solved. Thanks for pointing this out and that you could hear it.  I knew immediately what it was.  Thanks again.
Title: Re: Radio Parade 8485 AM 1335 UTC 26 Feb 2023
Post by: Radio Parade on February 26, 2023, 1711 UTC
on 8484.95  AM

1450 QRM ? sounds like a second carrier with other music at times ?

Strange effect. Trying on Weston SDR : tones around 400 OR 500 Hz look stronger on the waterfall, can't explain that.
yes around 50 Hz, power hum ?
Not really in my audio passband, by I can hear that when detuning the ECSS mode,
just like from alien carrier(s) on the channel.

Not aware of any interference, there maybe two very, very weak side carriers to the main one, but only if the received signal is very strong, my TX isn't up to professional standard, although it doesn't produce unwanted harmonics.  I'm sure it's not 100% pure, and as you noticed, my carrier is almost always slightly offset from precise frequency

Those 50 Hz tones on both sides of the carrier, I could 'hear' them here, and I could see them on the waterfall of the kiwi SDR, seen with the same fades as the audio sidebands, and always stronger than the real audio tones, so I think they were really coming from the TX, not from artifacts here or at Weston. And they are stealing power that must be more useful in the real audio passband.

I was not aware some receivers can hear them, at least not in standard AM mode.  Yes, if they are exactly on both sides of my carrier and have the same fades, these are from my TX, not the power supply, but the tuning.... I'll see if I can improve this.  Thanks for your info.

1710 UTC test.  Is this any better, Ray?
Title: Re: Radio Parade 8485 AM 1335 UTC 26 Feb 2023
Post by: Ray Lalleu on February 26, 2023, 1730 UTC

1710 UTC test.  Is this any better, Ray?

1723 hearing and seeing it weaker, but still somewhat there,
though, this does not hamper the normal listening
(I can hear low notes hums by detuning the rx in CW/ECSS mode)

1732 those 50 Hz tones are still there,
maybe less of a problem now that the signal is stronger at home,
see them on a waterfall when zooming at the maximum setting
Title: Re: Radio Parade 8485 AM 1335 UTC 26 Feb 2023
Post by: Radio Parade on February 26, 2023, 1731 UTC

1710 UTC test.  Is this any better, Ray?

1723 hearing and seeing it weaker, but still somewhat there,
though, this does not hamper the normal listening
(I can hear low notes hums by detuning the rx in CW/ECSS mode)

Same as me.... I'll see if I can make them any weaker, but at least this is an improvement.  Thanks!
Title: Re: Radio Parade 8485 AM 1335 UTC 26 Feb 2023
Post by: Ray Lalleu on February 26, 2023, 1754 UTC
1752 ID,
then OFF
Title: Re: Radio Parade 8485 AM 1335 UTC 26 Feb 2023
Post by: Radio Parade on February 26, 2023, 1800 UTC
Thanks, Ray.

I checked my silent carrier coming in at S9+20db at NW Ireland kiwiSDR and the two subcarriers were barely if at all traceable on the waterfall now, despite the very strong signal, but they were indeed certainly noticeable earlier this afternoon. I will keep an eye on it and see if I can improve it further.  Ultimately, I will never get the signal as perfect as with professional equipment, but as long as it's listenable.. I too have heard the hum previously.  Your antennas do seem to be picking up my signal quite well though, which is good as it's only 50w.  Thanks.