HFU HF Underground
General Category => General Radio Discussion => Topic started by: loul on June 15, 2017, 1149 UTC
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Planned for Saturday 24 June 0430utc - 0800utc at a highly secret location on New Zealand's East Coast. I plan to keep an ear on 6.850 - 7.000 MHz and any other frequencies folk would care to suggest. If the weather forecast looks atrocious on the 23rd I may need to post a postponement email (although it was somewhat rugged last time and only the bamboo props at each end of the dipole fell over...) UPDATE: postponed to Sat 1 July (any further modifications will be posted...)
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Which east coast of NZ? North Island or South Island? Just curious.
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South Island East Coast - though there is an online Kiwisdr receiver on the East Coast of the North Island and some keen listeners up there too. However, I am having to postpone the planned DXpedition due to another appointment, and plan to reschedule to Saturday 1 July.
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Why is it "highly secret"?
Planned for Saturday 24 June 0430utc - 0800utc at a highly secret location on New Zealand's East Coast. I plan to keep an ear on 6.850 - 7.000 MHz and any other frequencies folk would care to suggest. If the weather forecast looks atrocious on the 23rd I may need to post a postponement email (although it was somewhat rugged last time and only the bamboo props at each end of the dipole fell over...) UPDATE: postponed to Sat 1 July (any further modifications will be posted...)
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It's where the Penguins are holding your beloved Amelia Earhart, Al. I can't say which island.
The man is trying to do you a favor and all you can do is ask silly questions?
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Highly secret as it's the kiwi version of Pine Gap.
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The "highly secret" seems to fit nicely with "HF Underground", and it might just be that some of the transmitters on the 6.85-7.0 MHz area might also have their own highly secret locations (even though they are filling gaps left by official broadcasters pulling the plug on their official transmissions...) However, I can confirm that the comment about penguins is not far from the mark. Although I have not been accosted by any they aren't far away...
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That'll teach him, loul. I know my penguin habitats. Well, not always.
I had an Uncle who worked for a defense contractor in Australia and lived in Melbourne for several years in the 80's. On my first visit, he was off at whatever secret location he worked when I arrived so my cousin's boyfriend and I went knocking around the city regularly. One late afternoon he asked me if I wanted to "Go see the penguins?" I figured it was the Aussie version of a "snipe hunt" and told him it was going to get better bait than that to get me out that house than going looking for Australian penguins. My Aunt and cousin's assure me if we went to a nearby pier, the penguins came in just before dark to their nests in the rocks and the jetty. I relented and off we go.
We get down there, and there's a good sized crowd of people. I start to think, "Hmm... they're surely here for some reason?" I ask a woman, "Are there really penguins here?" She says "Not yet, but they'll be here soon." We grab a spot and wait. A guy with binoculars shouts, "Here they come!" and we start scanning the waves. Within minutes they come riding in on the waves and waddling up on the rocks, little penguins about a foot or so tall heading for their nests. I said, apparently fairly loud, "I'll be damned, penguins in Australia! What's next polar bears?" Some guy behind me shoots back ,"We've already got those at the zoo, Yank." I laughed so hard I thought I'd cry.
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I suspect the penguins might land at dusk the same time as the good radio signals so I might miss them... the penguins, that is.
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Just watch out for the Moas, though. I've heard they're dangerous.
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Forecast good for putting up the antenna; might need the guylines out though, looks like wind increasing into the evening and could be damp packing things away. The plan is to test Icom R75 versus Elad Duo-R. (Last time was Elad Duo-R versus Lowe HF-150 and overall there wasn't much difference, with both those receivers having their pros and cons.)
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On the road (and hence offline) to the secret location (Penguins included, but more likely to have seals to respectfully avoid).Am anticipating some activity on the airwaves... And, as a p.s., there is the Kiwi SDR network online at sdr.hu (try Firefox if Safari won't open the individual sites) - there is one available in the Bay of Islands, Northland, New Zealand if one scrolls down the list of receivers. However, they have a capacity of 4 users at a time.
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Conditions were soggy out on the coast tonight and loggings of interesting stations somewhat spartan. It was great to hear Channel Z for around 45 minutes; Verdad R; Shanwick and Gander (the latter two are usually reliably received). Once I have checked the sound clips I will do a final post with comment on Icom R75 versus Elad Duo-R versus Lowe HF-150.
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Sound clips taken with cellphone recorder were very patchy due to stuffing cellphone mic end into headphones. However, all 3 receivers got Channel Z radio. Best point that I like, to date, about Lowe HF150:audio quality and speed of travelling around the dial; about the Elad Duo-R: the very large filter selection; about the Icom R75: don't have to hang on to it with one hand while driving it with the other - and a good range of easily navigable functions.
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What is "Channel Z"? Just curious.
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HFU Wiki: Channel Z (https://www.hfunderground.com/wiki/Channel_Z_Radio)
Channel Z Radio is a pirate radio station that started broadcasting in November, 2004. The station’s programming is mostly new wave music and relays of other stations, including Pirate Radio Boston, WNKR, and Radio Free London. Their email address is channelzradio@gmail.com, and they use the Blue Ridge Summit maildrop.
All of Channel Z Radio’s transmissions are made on homebrewed transmitters in AM mode. A total of five transmitters are in use, with 6925 and 6950 kHz being the primary frequencies. DX test transmissions have also been logged on 9292 kHz and 15067 kHz. The station has been heard in 20 states and 6 countries.
The first transmitter built was a Grenade clone. Fearless Fred of WAZU and Radio Anarchy were instrumental in reverse engineering the design of this legendary transmitter. The modulation transformer in the original Grenade was based on a modified Radio Shack automotive choke, part number 270-030-A. Radio Anarchy successfully developed an equivalent design, and the construction details can be found on Dave Martin’s website
Two transmitter designs by Dave Martin of WNKR were constructed next; the Corsair and the Commando. The Commando produces 25 watts of carrier when supplied by a 14 VDC source and has been logged in 4 European countries.
Low power QRP DX tests were carried out in early 2007 using a Radio Anarchy Guerilla transmitter, with an 8 watt carrier output. These transmissions were logged over 2,000 miles from the transmitter site.
Long distance DX tests were carried out on 15067 kHz using an LU8EHA transmitter design. This transmitter is a Class E design and produces 18 watts of carrier. These transmissions were heard in Europe and the USA.
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I suspect the penguins might land at dusk the same time as the good radio signals so I might miss them...
Perhaps the penguins are the source of DX, not the ionosphere.
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Channel Z is an unofficial (a.k.a. pirate) broadcaster.