Messages

1

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: BALLSMACKER RADIO 6960 AM 0059 UTC JUNE 01 2024

« on: June 01, 2024, 0107 UTC »

Just tuning in. Pushing close to S5 with some lightning QRN and a bit of QRM.

0104: Shooting Star - Bad Company.
0106: One Toke Over The Line - Brewer & Shipley

2

SDR - Software Defined Radio / Re: KiwiSDR 2 Now Available

« on: May 31, 2024, 1811 UTC »

Any moderator could modify the title?

Just deleting 'for pre-order' please

I just edited it.



As for a power supply, take a look at this: https://forum.kiwisdr.com/index.php?p=/discussion/3009/quiet-switch-mode-power-supply-smps-for-kiwisdr/p1

It's a SMPS but appears to be fairly clean. I built my own linear power supply using an old filament transformer, so I cannot speak from my own personal use of one, but I know someone who is running two KiwiSDR 2's and is using those Apple power supplies on both of them. They are the two Kiwis located in Mandeville, LA (he takes them offline during storms, so check back later if they are not online).

3

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: UNID 6930 AM 0245 UTC 1 APR 2024

« on: April 01, 2024, 0357 UTC »

It's definitely going to be worse tomorrow...

Looks to be that way. We should be getting some rain here tomorrow. Next weekend sounds like it might be nice.

4

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: UNID 6930 AM 0245 UTC 1 APR 2024

« on: April 01, 2024, 0248 UTC »

0228: Pushing S3-S4. Low bass and vocals of a blues tune cutting through.

0254: Now at 6925. Kiwi waterfall screenshot: https://i95.servimg.com/u/f95/15/46/86/41/carrie10.jpg I was using SAM mode so I didn't really notice it at first as my PLL followed the carrier.

0256: Now using USB

0304: SSTV S2:  0319: SSTV S2:


0333: SSTV R12BW: 0336: SSTV S2:


0351: SSTV S2: 0357: SSTV S2:


0403: SSTV [lighting crash right at header, didn't decode]
edit>Manually decoded from recording: R36C?


0405: SSTV R36:



QRN is starting to get bad:

5

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: UNID 6950 USB 0138 UTC 01 APR 2024

« on: April 01, 2024, 0222 UTC »

I've been monitoring this one for the past several minutes. Okay signal here tonight. Averaging around S4.

ID'd as OHR Outhouse Radio.

SSTV S1 0218: SSTV S1 0229:

6

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: UNID 6935 AM 0200 UTC 1 APR 2024

« on: April 01, 2024, 0211 UTC »

0208: Just tuning in.

Nice wideband AM signal. Pushing S7-S9 here. Sounds nice. Blues music. Very little QRM and QRN tonight.


Carrier off 0229 utc.

7

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: WTF Radio Worldwide 6950 USB 0133 UTC 26 FEB 2024

« on: February 26, 2024, 0150 UTC »

Just tuning in. 0150:

Babe I'm Gonna Leave You - Led Zeppelin.
0152: Whole Lotta Love - Led Zeppelin
0157: Ramble On - Led Zeppelin
0201: Heartbreaker - Led Zeppelin
0206: Immigrant Song - Led Zeppelin
0208: Black Dog - Led Zeppelin
0213: When the Levee Breaks - Led Zeppelin
0221: Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin
0228: The Song Remains the Same - Led Zeppelin
0234: Over the Hills and Far Away - Led Zeppelin
0238: D'yer Mak'er - Led Zeppelin
0242: No Quarter - Led Zeppelin
0249: Trampled Under Foot - Led Zeppelin
0255: Houses Of The Holy - Led Zeppelin
0259: Kashmir - Led Zeppelin
0307: Nobody's Fault But Mine - Led Zeppelin
0314: In The Evening - Led Zeppelin
0320: All Of My Love - Led Zeppelin

Good show.

Pushing close to S5 with QRM. I have the loop positioned E/W tonight.

8

North American MW Pirate Radio / UNID 1620 (1620.010) AM 0438 UTC 12 FEB 2024

« on: February 12, 2024, 0443 UTC »

Hearing someone playing Winchester Cathedral at about 0438z, hearing other music in there that I cannot quite make out. They are a bit offset at about 1620.010.

0438 Winchester Cathedral
...faded too low
0454 Do You Know the Way to San Jose
...
various adult standards/instrumentals
...
0528 Leaving on a Jet Plane

9

North American MW Pirate Radio / UNID 1710 (1709.986) AM 0500 UTC 11 FEB 2024

« on: February 11, 2024, 0506 UTC »

I'm watching a carrier at about 1709.986 coming and going. Heard a few moments of audio, but couldn't make anything out.

10

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: Thunder Chicken Radio 6955 USB 2320 30 Jan 2024

« on: January 31, 2024, 0058 UTC »

Just tuning in at 00:56 utc. Pretty decent signal, pushing between S5-S7.

0111 utc : SSTV M1

11

SDR - Software Defined Radio / Re: KiwiSDR 2 Now Available for Pre-order.

« on: January 01, 2024, 2138 UTC »

There are about 20 units remaining for purchase. They can be configured as full systems or board-only as needed.

In addition we are holding some in reserve for contingencies: Manufacturing attrition, customer support spares, delivery loss, etc. Although we're hoping for little of this.

12

SDR - Software Defined Radio / Re: KiwiSDR 2 Now Available for Pre-order.

« on: January 01, 2024, 0913 UTC »

For my Kiwi, I built my own linear power supply using an old Triad F-36A filament transformer, full wave bridge rectifier, and a 5 volt 3 amp LM1085 low dropout linear regulator. Along with the necessary filtering and decoupling caps. The power supply is plugged into a differential/common mode line filter.

A set of windings on the filament transformer are also used with a 12 volt linear regulator to supply power to my amplified loop.

The Kiwi is installed in a shed/shack in my backyard which I have the entire shack on a PowerVAR 3 stage toroidal power conditioner with a common mode pi-filter. The power conditioner is located back at my house, so it filters noise off the line before it has a chance to radiate from the feeder running to the shack and from the wiring within the shack.

The Beagle will shut down if the voltage dips below about 4.75 volts for even a fraction of a second, so you want your power supply to be able to provide a stable voltage output during moments of peak current draw (especially during start up). The cable you use to connect your Kiwi to your power supply should be of sufficient gauge as to reduce voltage drop. Depending on length, 22 to 18 AWG is typical.

13

SDR - Software Defined Radio / Re: KiwiSDR 2 Now Available for Pre-order.

« on: December 21, 2023, 2029 UTC »

It sounds like folks are having trouble placing an order at the moment, but the problem is being worked on.

14

SDR - Software Defined Radio / KiwiSDR 2 Now Available

« on: December 21, 2023, 2028 UTC »

As announced on the KiwiSDR forum, the online store for the KiwiSDR 2 has been opened for pre-order.

https://kiwisdr.nz/

https://forum.kiwisdr.com/index.php?p=/discussion/3051/kiwisdr-2-the-online-store-is-open-for-orders-please-visit-kiwisdr-nz

The six prototypes we received from our New Zealand manufacturer today work great. So it's time to open the store. Please visit kiwisdr.nz

KiwiSDR 2 assembled USD $395. Includes BeagleBone Green (software pre-installed), metal case, GPS active antenna (5m RG174), self-test cable.

KiwiSDR 2 board-only USD $295. Add to your existing BeagleBone Green/Black, AI, AI-64. Includes self-test cable.

Please note:

    • Shipment is likely early February 2024. Your order helps us to crowdfund the first production run. Thank you.
    • The first run is expected to sell out so purchases will be shipped in the order received.
    • We tried to limit the price increase as much as we could. $395 is 20% over the $330 price of two years ago. Many of our components doubled in cost (e.g. ADC).
    • Shipping costs are unfortunately terrible. (USD) $10 to NZ, $35 to AU, $40 to USA/Canada, $50 everywhere else. DHL tracked. It's not just us. For example SDRPlay charges (USD) $57 UK-to-NZ, $33 UK-to-USA.
    • VAT/duty applicable to your country will be collected by DHL.
    • Good news / bad news: We had to remove the balanced input transformer. Unable to eliminate the noise coupled into it. But everything else is there: digital attenuator, self-test, GDT, reverse polarity protection, better GPS chip. We added a shield can to the FPGA 1V SMPS for further noise reduction.
    The good news is that we're working on a separate box incorporating an antenna switch with multiple balanced outputs, AM BCB LC filter traps (tunable) and some sort of switched SWBC attenuation (TBD). There may also be an active GPS splitter. And perhaps even support for a frontend daughter card like Glenn's 2 GHz frequency extender. We'll be asking for your help in defining this device.

We sincerely appreciate your support. It's been a difficult couple of years. But we're back!

15

General Radio Discussion / Re: Question about NA MW pirate frequencies

« on: December 19, 2023, 0345 UTC »

Those Part 15 Talking House transmitters can be set to 520kHz, and I suppose if one were to output that into a linear amp...one could easily put a pirate station on the air at 520.

It's interesting those FCC certified transmitters can be set to 520 since most radios cannot be tuned down that far, even dial tuned sets aren't guaranteed to go down that far. I do have a digital tuned Sansui AM-stereo tuner from the 80s that can be tuned to 520.

I can't say I've seen a pirate below the AM/MW band before, or even on the lower half of the AM band. The length of antenna needed for efficient coverage is probably one reason, the usually higher urban noise floor down there probably plays a role too.