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Messages - ThaDood

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1007
Propagation / Re: We have a sunspot
« on: April 09, 2019, 1659 UTC »
I believe that SHE said that we would.    http://www.spaceweatherwoman.com/      Ever check her out? How I know about her Sun Research is from Ham Nation. And she pretty much puts it near layman's terms.

1008
Amateur Radio / Re: HF Propagation websites
« on: April 07, 2019, 2241 UTC »
Do you know this one?

http://www.dxmaps.com/spots/mapg.php?Lan=E&Frec=50&ML=M&Map=W2LN&HF=N&DXC=ING2&GL=S

This is my goto site for various band propagation.

1009
Looks like C crane Company is learning a hard lesson about Chinese manufacturing. Oooooops.... This is why I do not have the Chinese manufacturing my US Patent. You'll see when you get into this article.

https://radiojayallen.com/radiwow-r-108-fm-stereo-lw-sw-mw-air-dsp-portable-radio/

1010
Propagation / WWVH over WWV on 5MHz, 4/1/2019, 05:30UTC.
« on: April 01, 2019, 1700 UTC »
Wow... That was different to heard both WWV and WWVH last night at 5MHz. I've heard this before on 10MHz, but this is my 1st to hear WWVH in there, and even over take, WWV on 5MHz. Also, heard several 75M QSO's on 3870kHz AM, all with "6" calls and on 3777kHz USB with all "6" calls. So, some long distance 75M and 60M propagation for sure.

1011
I actually heard several stations QSO'ing on 3870AM at the beginning of March and was able to catch several "6" calls over here in WV. Not a bad haul for AM mode. This morning, I checked out the CB Superbowl CH 6 and heard several mudduck stations popping in. I don't know if that was Sporadic "E", or meteor scatter, but neat to hear AM propagation getting that high up in FREQ.

1012
FREQ's to try, and power? Well, on 160M - 40M, high power is nice to have to get over the multitudes of QRM, especially with lightning crashes becoming more prevalent. However, when 20M on up opens, not much power is required at all. CB's keep proving that on 27MHz 11M. On 75M, QRP can happen. Last year, I've talked to several Pineboard Project 5W stations that did the Bob Heil, K9EID build. And, they were anywhere from S5 to an S9 peak! So, it can be done. On 75M, pretty much anytime 24/7 there could be AM activity from 3870 - 3885kHz. Albeit the best times for barefooters, (Like me at this time.), are early evening, just before sunset, and about an hour after sunrise. Albeit, I had a great QSO with Timtron, WA1HLR, last WED at 4AM EST on 3885kHz. I got back home from work at stupid o'clock, something told me to fire the rig up, I went through my memory channels, and heard Tim calling CQ. We had the FREQ for ourselves for about an hour. Good time for a 40M AM QSO? Try 7290 - 7295kHz during the late mornings, early afternoon, before CRI F's it up for everyone. I have heard late night 40M AM up there, but it's long skip where you are not likely to hear the other stations QSO'ing. 20M??? The status quo seems to be 14.286MHz for AM, but too many SSB on, or around that. Timtron suggested 14.330 - 14.340MHz, and I did that during the AM Rally with success to several stations. 17M, 15M, and 12M? Those might be likly to use as some of us locally are using 10M, as local round table AM chats, with those bands being dead now. But, don't forget that during Sporadic "E" 12M is just as good as 10M, if not better, since no one seems to use it during "E" opens. (Go figure.)   Oh, here's a quick copy & paste of AM chart for USA / Canada:

All Frequencies in MHz
160 Meters: 1.885, 1.900, 1.945, 1.985
75 Meters: 3.825, 3.870 (West Coast), 3.880, 3.885
40 Meters: 7.290, 7.295
20 Meters: 14.286
17 Meters: 18.150
15 Meters: 21.285, 21.425
10 Meters: 29.000-29.200
6 Meters: 50.4 (generally), 50.250 Northern CO
144.4 (Northwest)
2 Meters:
144.425 (Massachusetts)
144.28 (NYC-Long Island)
144.45 (California)

On some weekends, there are still some 6M, 50.400MHz AM round tables, and some of these can be heard pretty far, like +50 miles. During "E" openings, there's quite a few stations sitting on that AM FREQ, most only 20W, and less. For 10M? What I'd wish that they would do for Tech Class is give the whole 10M band to them. Today, 10M seems to be the new HAM Tech gate-way band, and not so much 2M. Why??? Many use 10M export rigs as CB's, but when they get their Tech Class ticket, they can operate 10M 28.000 - 28.500MHz, but need the Generals for 29MHz AM and FM's 29MHz portions. I always thought that to be kind of dumb not to give the Tech's all of 10M, like they did on 6M. Just my $0.02 worth.

1013
Equipment / Re: Questions CB and TX base station project
« on: March 23, 2019, 1902 UTC »
Some of my 1st CB indoor set-ups were portables. 40 channel CB portables that put out a 3-4W carrier on high power, and dropped down to 2W, and some down to lower than 1W, and use the built-in telescopic whip antenna, powered by a 12VDC - 2AMP power supply. About as plug & play as you can get with CB, and some of those older Radio Shack portables from the 1970's, 80's and 90's, were great units that sounded good and were very versatile. Many had External Antenna and MIC connectors. I've surprised some ops when I've told them that I was on a Realistic TRC-221 portable and have had responses like, "That's a portable?!?! I thought that you were base, or mobile!" Just another way to start out in CB. Location is everything as well. Are you a hilltopper, where a portable can get out +20 miles, or are you down in a gully, (Like me.), were you are lucky to hear 5 miles? I've never lived anywhere totally flat, like the Texas Panhandle, but I've been told that +10 miles is nothing in a location like that. A passing thought on another option to consider, and fairly affordable. Most being sold on ebay are from hunters that used these CB portables to hunt with 30-some years ago, but now use FRS, or MURS. 

1014
COOL!!!! Boomer told me about the Amateur Radio board. Great idea!!!!! (THANKS BOOMER!!!!) Whelp, the SSTV, CW, FT8, and other digital modes are neat, and will help keep this hobby expanding and going. However, how much interest is there in amateur radio AM mode? For the listeners, it can be an easy AM only SW portable that someone had gotten for $10.00 to hear HAM's on 160M, 75/80M, and 40M. (And even I have received a couple QSL requests from such listeners whom heard my 20W carrier AM ops on 3880 / 3885kHz. That's a lot of fun, and in my mind, easier catches, but what about the other bands in AM mode, 20M, 17M, 12M, 15M, 10M, 6M, and even 2M? Yeah, most cheap and modest priced SW receivers won't go past 30MHz, but there are some nice scanners that can RX from 25MHz to the GHz regions in both FM and AM modes. So, 6M and 2M can be had by some of these scanning DX'ers. Yeah, 20M, on up, sucks now with us being in the gully of the sunspot cycles, but when these high bands do pick up, my 20W carrier, or less, is all I need to make some nice AM DX contacts. Heck, with Sporadic "E" season coming this May 2019, 10M and 6M will come alive again. And, I've had several QSO's with 6M AM'ers running only 5W. But, not just on where AM can be had in the bands. We can also discuss various gear, tube, riceboxes, mics, audio processing, filters, RX DSP help and other noise reductions, antennas, etc. Even discuss AM techniques to MAX OUT what can be done on the very basic gear in RX and TX. (Like I try too, since I'm damned cheap.) Any thoughts???

1015
The Public Radio,    https://www.thepublicrad.io/    I may go e-mail them to inquire what these really are.

1016
LPFM station WTSQ-LP 88.1FM Charleston, WV, USA, wtsq.org , is doing their annual fund drive and offering perks. But, check out this perk! A single FM FREQ radio set to RX only 88.1MHz. Is this a regenerative receiver? Scroll down from this link to check out this perk.   https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/wtsq-88-1-fm-charleston-wv-annual-fundraiser-2019#/

1017
The goods news? It looks like this non-DSP radio is a good MW AM performer. But, FM might be ehhh, while SW sucks. There's the spoilers, now here's the meat & potatoes,    https://radiojayallen.com/panasonic-rf-562d-retro-design-am-fm-sw-portable-radio/


1018
https://radiojayallen.com/am-portables-mega-shootout-2019-update/     Yeah, no real specifications on these radio reviews, but I believe that this is written so that most non-techies can comprehend this. SW, FM, and some LW, (On portables that this applies too.), is covered on these portables as well. Still, a neat read on what's out there. Enjoy!!!!

1019
Equipment / Re: mag loop inside garage or attic.
« on: February 11, 2019, 1824 UTC »
My $0.02 worth??? I'd choose the attic over the garage, since the garage is more likely to have reactive metallic items around it, a car, motorcycle, roll-around tool boxes, aluminum garage doors, more electrical wiring, florescent lights, etc. Things to consider in the attic??? Is the roof standard wood and shingles, or tin? How far are you away from CATV, or DSL, MODEM's and routers? Is the fibre glass insulation, (If any.), covered in aluminum foil? Some things to consider, but I've fully made use of an attic to mount CB antenna and HAM antennas, and FM / TV antennas, and with decent results. On possible mounting for a loop is to mount it hanging upside down from the apex of the rafters. Good luck, and HAPPY DX'ing!!!! 

1020
If you are as sick of the NFL, like I am, then check out this weekend's AM Rally on the Amateur Radio Bands,  http://www.amrally.com/    Just runnin' a 20W carrier barefoot from a Kenwood TS-2000X last year, I had a QSL request from a SWL'er. COOL!!!!! So, ya never know whom, or what, might be DX'ing ya! And, they are more than welcome, fo' sure! HAPPY DX!!!!! (NFL, you don't need my attention, or $$$$$!!!)

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