Messages

1531

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: Clever Name Radio 6940 kHz USB 2055 UTC 27 June 2017

« on: June 27, 2017, 2306 UTC »

ID at 2301 into Lady Gaga. Peaking over S9+10 on the 31' vertical. SINPO 55445.

Thanks for the broadcast!

1532

General Radio Discussion / Re: Some interesting propagation data for a pirate transmission

« on: June 07, 2017, 0359 UTC »

Directional gain could be worth consideration if an East Coast pirate did want to try extending listener demographics further into the western states. Even a basic wire yagi with just a reflector (and maybe a director if possible) could get more of the signal into continental North America instead of the Atlantic Ocean. With only 2-3 elements, beamwidth still should be wide enough to cover the eastern states.

With my location in Florida, I have considered tossing up a ~40m inverted-v wire yagi pointing approximately NNW for pirate listening. Now if I actually felt like building and installing it....

1533

SDR - Software Defined Radio / Re: Kenwood R-600

« on: June 06, 2017, 0646 UTC »

Some of the latest portables have features not available on older desktop receivers, such as numerous filter bandwidths, sync detection, etc. For example, the Tecsun PL-880 comes to mind.

The R-600 also was rather basic on features, even during it era. I am not kicking it, as I have one, but I am trying to be realistic with the progress of technology. I hold on to my Kenwood receivers, as they suit my casual HF listening needs. I have worked in computers for most of my professional career, so sometimes it is good to just to turn off the computers, turn on a radio, and spin the dial.

Also note the risks of buying an older desktop receiver. Capacitors can leak, resistors can drift, solder joints can break, and a myriad of other concerns. Be prepare to fix them, or have them fixed. A prime example, solder joints at the attenuator in my R-2000 needed reflowing awhile back. It is not a difficult fix - well, for my hands these days it is a challenge (another topic) - but it is annoying ongoing maintenance of aging radios nonetheless.

1534

General Radio Discussion / Re: Some interesting propagation data for a pirate transmission

« on: June 06, 2017, 0626 UTC »

I am seeing another topic here beyond just propagation, too. SNR is the "real deal" as indicated, and from a technical standpoint, it could be beneficial to note signal and noise levels when logging a station. S7 over a S1 noise floor can be a dramatic listening difference from S7 over a S6 noise floor.

Chris, I suspect this is why IIRC you mostly log in SIO format, correct?

I used to do logging in SINPO, and I might go back to it or SIO as well.

1535

General Radio Discussion / Re: C-QUAM

« on: June 06, 2017, 0557 UTC »

Yes, the vintage sound. Shortwave powerhouses like Radio Rebelde (even with its often extreme dynamic compression) playing music at night can sound superb on my National NC-125 and matching speaker.... and I am the type of person that usually cooks music through a DSP declipper when listening via computer.

1536

Equipment / Re: Tecsun PL 660 frequency display problems

« on: June 06, 2017, 0533 UTC »

Dxman, it appears you have a lemon. I have had a couple of PL-660 portables over the years, and what you are describing is not normal operating behavior. Possible lomg-term reliability aside, it is a better radio than your descibed example.

Boombox, speaking of Japanese radios, there still is new stock of the Sony 7600GR on the market despite having been discontinued for quite awhile now. Goes for around $120 to $150. I had one or two several years ago as nightstand HF/SWL receivers. Not much on features compared to a modern portable like he PL-880, but great made-in-Japan build quality and performance. The sync detector even worked decently on weak signals once I did the needed modification, though admitedly, I am not sure the mod is worth the effort when ECSS tuning often can accomplish similar results.

1537

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: UNID 6925 AM 0052 UTC 03 Jun 2017

« on: June 03, 2017, 0111 UTC »

Heard music above the noise floor at 0108z, but it was still well under static crashes and ute activity.

Gone now, or at least too far into the noise floor for a copy here.

1538

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: UNID 6955 LSB/USB 0033 UTC 6/3/17

« on: June 03, 2017, 0058 UTC »

S5 at 0053z. Sounds like the audio feed could be occassionally dropping, plus there is utility activity.

Off air at ~0058z?

1539

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: Radio Free Whatever 6940 USB 2345 UTC June 2, 2017

« on: June 03, 2017, 0003 UTC »

Short ID into "Fight the Power" at 2357z. Averaging S6 with strong modulation. Some static crashing and occasional interference, but still an armchair copy.

Thanks for the broadcast and shoutout!

1540

Equipment / Re: Loop On Ground

« on: May 30, 2017, 0653 UTC »

Here are the basic details for my 148' "shielded" coaxial loop-on-ground antenna:

https://www.hfunderground.com/board/index.php/topic,29940.msg114696.html#msg114696

I actually built it for mostly regional listening of lower HF, but it worked decently enough for general purpose reception to take over as my primary receiving antenna from longwave through mid HF.

1541

Equipment / Re: Active Hula Hoop Loop Antenna

« on: May 23, 2017, 0333 UTC »

Liking the multi-way switchable amp design.
 
One possible tweak for later experimentation. Consider replacing the hulas with copper tubing, or maybe even just copper wiring. I suspect given the potential for increased resistive losses in an aluminum foil loop, a solid copper wire of a decently sized gauge placed inside each hula could work about as well (or better?), plus it also could allow for an improved electrical connection (and possibly less loss) between the antennas and amp versus the current mechanical feedpoint connections to foil.

1542

Equipment / Re: 11 meter rig

« on: May 14, 2017, 0248 UTC »

A horizontal dipole can have decent low-angle radiation at the proper height. Think in terms of a horizontal dipole over actual ground versus free space isotropic when modeling.

That said, yeah, a vertical dipole at height should be good for local and DX as well, especially as DX signal polarization can be random after ionospheric skipping anyway. Since it is just a receving antenna, you should be able to do a basic center-fed sleeve vertical dipole with the coax exiting the bottom element. Add a small torioid or some ferrites at the exit point to help with feedine decoupling IMO.

1543

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: Unknown Name Radio Network 6880 from 6888 AM 0108 UTC 14 May 2017

« on: May 14, 2017, 0233 UTC »

Peaking S9+20 at 0230z via my 148' loop-on-ground.... without preamp. o.0

Off air at ~0259z.

Thanks for the broadcast!

1544

Equipment / Re: 11 meter rig

« on: May 13, 2017, 0329 UTC »

The skyloop probably has some serious peaks and nulls in its pattern at 27MHz.

A quarter-wave 11m-band vertical was mentioned a few posts back. That is pretty much my generic mid- to upper-HF receiving antenna for if/when my loop-on-ground starts falling off - usually above 15MHz. A 9' stainless steel vertical ground mounted over four 9' ground radials, plus a preamp if needed.

I also have a Shakespeare 318-GBT 18' "end-fed" vertical in the backyard. I say "end fed" as mine is actually ground mounted over eight 9' ground radials to better deal with feedline coupling and common mode. I had one at moderate height back in the early to mid 1990s when I was active into talking 11m DX, and I was quite satisfied with its performance. I quit the 11m hobby long ago, but I found and bought a new-old-stock 318-GBT a few years ago and installed it for upper-HF reception.

1545

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: UNID 6940 USB 0218 UTC 13 May 2017

« on: May 13, 2017, 0316 UTC »

S9+10 at 0315z via my 148' loop-on-ground, though admittedly with about 20dB of preamp. Some static crashing, but a good copy with plenty of modulation.

Thanks for the broadcast!