Messages

31

The RF Workbench / Re: 15-Watt SHORTWAVE BROADCAST TRANSMITTER

« on: January 01, 2024, 0155 UTC »

Chris just doesn't want to deal with the legal liability of allowing commercial traffic of questionable goods on his site.  He pays the bills, that's his right to do so.

Yes and for those of you not clear on what this is, do a search for the Ramsey Electronics debacle with the FCC of the 1990s. Ramsey supplied FM transmitters. Being associated or being seen in any way as promoting illegal activity - in this case, allowing him to advertise - could be seen as reason for scrutiny from the feds. I have seen such scrutiny from the feds a few times (in completely different domains than radio) and it is not pretty.

You also have proven over the years to be rather obtuse and abrasive when confronted with concerns about your commercial activities, and that leaves a bad taste in peoples mouths.

You got it.

32

The RF Workbench / Re: 15-Watt SHORTWAVE BROADCAST TRANSMITTER

« on: January 01, 2024, 0141 UTC »

BTW, the pirate act only covers MW and FM not SW. The pirate act has been the “reasoning” that Stretchy can’t advertise here, which doesn’t make any sense.

As far as I know, Chris hasn't discussed the reason(s) so I'm not sure how you reached that conclusion.

Also, nobody is forcing you to buy his transmitters.

If you need to make accusations to make you feel better about a purchasing decision you may have made, that's not my problem, dude.

No one said anything about forcing anybody to do anything. I prefer to have an educated public understanding what they are getting into. Treating with kid gloves a supplier with a known spotty record of quality, an at times questionable record of technical decision making and a somewhat abrasive style is not helping anybody. He only came clean and fixed the problems (or at least claimed to) with his 40 W TX after I wrote a whole document about it, even though it was obvious that he knew about the problems before I ever did. He just couldn't be bothered.

If he feels entitled to advertise then I feel entitled to make people aware of what they may be getting into. I have no commercial interest in putting him down. I am not selling anything. I just don't like being lied to nor do I like seeing others being lied to and innocent people getting taken for granted.

To that end, I'll just leave this here: https://www.hfunderground.com/board/index.php/topic,67747.msg230885.html#msg230885
TLDR: See above.

33

The RF Workbench / Re: Distance with 10W on A.M. (M.W.)

« on: January 01, 2024, 0128 UTC »

Assuming that they aren't planning to boost output power significantly, the best things that this person could do is 1) make the earth/ground radial system as extensive as possible and 2) add a capacity hat to the top of the (presumed) vertical antenna. Both can have dramatic effects upon antenna radiation resistance and thus antenna efficiency.

34

The RF Workbench / Re: What to Know About Three-Terminal Voltage Regulators. Radio World rip...

« on: December 30, 2023, 0641 UTC »

Two things to note about what the author wrote:

1.

Three-terminal voltage regulators are high-gain devices to keep up with fluctuating input voltages and circuit loads. With high gain comes the possibility of breaking into oscillation and making their own high-frequency alternating current. They will sometimes start oscillating at a couple hundred kilohertz. The regulator will continue to put out its rated voltage, but with an additional 200 kHz or so of unwanted garbage. An oscilloscope will show that.

While the author is right that high gain enclosed in a small area often leads to stability problems, the problem in this case is not because of "high gain". Though we often don't think of it this way, linear regulators really are amplifiers but if the input to output gain was "high", it would not only be able to "keep up with fluctuating input voltages and circuit loads", but it would be wild and uncontrollable. The slightest change in the input voltage would lead to large changes in the output voltage. The fact that they exhibit fairly high Power Supply Rejection Ratio (PSRR) below ~500 KHz should dispel the notion that they have "high gain" there. There is gain but it enclosed within a feedback loop and this mitigates the input to output gain. The oscillation problem is the result of a change or degradation in the gain and phase margin of the regulator circuit, which is often the result of the input or output filter capacitors aging, which must be the case here. So, change the caps, as the author did, and presto....


2. "You gotta do what you gotta do", and I have done similar things many times myself but man, this is ugly:

35

The RF Workbench / Re: 15-Watt SHORTWAVE BROADCAST TRANSMITTER

« on: December 30, 2023, 0602 UTC »

Been making the same for years but I'm not allowed to advertise on here.

But then you proceeded to advertise in your post anyway.

Funny that!

Do you know what is REALLY funny? That you continue to think that you are somehow entitled to advertise here anyway.

36

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: Radio Barcelona 6960 AM 2100 UTC 14 Dec 2023

« on: December 14, 2023, 2258 UTC »

I'm late to the party and I do not know if I'm hearing the same thing but if so, the the audio is a lacking high end (treble) but tolerable. ("Communications audio", for sure.)  I see no current sign of FM'ing and the sync detector has no problem locking.

S9 / SINPO 45444 on an SDR in Massachusetts.

2252 - Unknown music (to me) potentially APB that definitely sounds post-punk/New Wave.
2310 - ID by computerized female into a remake of "The Harder They Come" ("The Harder They Fall")
2314 - The Clash, "London Calling". There is a pesky with laryngitis (and a lot of auroral flutter) underneath on LSB.
2317 - The Clash, "Spanish Bombs". Voiceover by computerized voice but I was not able to understand.
2321 - The Clash, "Police and Thieves"
2326 - Carrier off briefly after "Police and Thieves" and a brief announcement that I did not understand.
2327 - Carrier back on briefly with The Clash, "Lost In The Supermarket". Off again.
2328 - Carrier back on briefly with a snippet of something from Sandinista, but I've forgotten the exact title.
2330 - Presumed gone for good.

37

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: WFDR 6910 USB 2249 UTC 08 DEC 2023

« on: December 08, 2023, 2314 UTC »

0010 - Noted that "this was the real WFDR" and not the one sending out fake QSLs. "Happy Hanukah and Good Night."
0011 - Off

38

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: Radio Free Whatever 4185 USB 0109 UTC 04 DEC 2023

« on: December 04, 2023, 0238 UTC »

I picked the exact same show that 77LJS decided to play also totally at random. Well, kind of. It was recommended in my You Tube feed, which made me pick it for a transmitter test.

Big Brother Google's influence is felt far and wide. 

39

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: Radio Free Whatever 4185 USB 0109 UTC 04 DEC 2023

« on: December 04, 2023, 0218 UTC »

I can get it in the ballpark here attenuated on my SDL but you really can't beat listener reports in the distance. Thanks again for helping.

I know exactly what you are talking about. I aim to please (most of the time  ).

Scroll up to my first post for a recording.

40

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: Radio Free Whatever 4185 USB 0109 UTC 04 DEC 2023

« on: December 04, 2023, 0210 UTC »

ok Charlie...thanks for the report. Opened up the highs a little bit more. Any change?

Yeah, I think so. In fact, I think I noticed the exact moment that you did that. Seeing "energy" out a little past 4 KHz now, which is new. TNX, man.

41

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: Radio Free Whatever 4185 USB 0109 UTC 04 DEC 2023

« on: December 04, 2023, 0203 UTC »

Super strong, S9+15 / SINPO 55555 on a New England SDR with Casey Kaysem's American Top 40 countdown from obviously decades ago (about 1985 or so) but adverts from 2021. Replay from a station in the Canadian Maritimes, "Coast 101". (Eh?) Mentions of Nova Scotia in the adverts and temperatures in Celsius but then an advert for a car dealership in Newfoundland.

DJDW asked for comments on the audio. I'm listening on a hi-fi speaker. I'm going to be the contrarian and say that the high end sounds a little restricted; there is a bit more rolloff above 3 KHz than I have heard from you in the past on 43 meters. Sorry to rain on the parade. Otherwise, no problems.

Recording of 5:23 starting at 0209 UTC, after boosting the high end: https://voca.ro/1oMzWXHwR937

0241 - Live on-scene report from a pastry shop in downtown Saint John's (Newfoundland).
0246 - They are up to Phil Collins' "Sussudio" with Kasey playing all the sections of songs containing stuttering that have hit number 1.
0250 - Gotta go. I'm out. Cheers.

42

Shortwave Broadcast / WBCQ rebroadcast of Radio Clandestine 6159.9 AM 0007 UTC 4 DEC 2023

« on: December 04, 2023, 0013 UTC »

Not sure of the exact sign on time. Very loud, S9+20 / SINPO 55545 on an SDR in New England, USA.

~0007 - ID.
0010 - Billy Squire, In the Dark".
0013 -  Eric Burdon and The Animals, "When I Was Young".
0019 - "Clandestine calls you on the shortwave pirate broadcast band."
0025 - The Ramones, "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker"
0028 - REM
0032 - Cheech And Chong skit, I believe.
0046 - Multiple IDs.
0059 - Signoff announcement

Via WBCQ

It's true that this is normally their frequency but that this transmitter is somewhat off frequency makes me think otherwise. At one time, licensed stations were required to be within a certain tolerance of where they are supposed to be.

OK, OK. " American Debauchery" intro at 0104 UTC, so this is WBCQ. I got excited for nothing. Please move this to "Shortwave Broadcast", where it belongs. I'm surprised that they are ~70 Hz off frequency.

43

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: UNID 6955 USB 2331 UTC 2 Dec 2023

« on: December 03, 2023, 0040 UTC »

Back on. I heard "Silent Night" ending at ~ 0040 UTC.

44

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: WTF Radio Worldwide 6935 USB 0029 UTC 3 DEC 2023

« on: December 03, 2023, 0030 UTC »

Recognize the instrumental music but can't place it.
Weak on an SDR in Pennsylvania. The band has gone long.

0032 - ID, "W T F Radio, worldwide"
0036 - Better on an SDR in The US South. Announced they are moving to somewhere between 4175 to 4185 KHz in about 15 minutes.
0038 - Repeat the announcement
0039 - Off

45

North American Shortwave Pirate / UNID 6950 USB 2223 UTC 02 Dec 2023

« on: December 02, 2023, 2225 UTC »

2224 - Sign on with electronic music. S8 / SINPO 45455 on an SDR in Pennsylvania.
2227 - Instrumental music
2233 - New piece.
2251 - Long pause or off the air. No ID.