Messages

331

Amateur Radio / Re: Consensus of average 40M noise level? Oh yeah!

« on: February 10, 2022, 2013 UTC »

Um... I didn't help matters on noise, here at home, lately. Rural King had those 4ft, drop-ceiling, LED, 50W panel array lights for $15.00. Nice lighting, but noise??? Broadband BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ all across HF. Clamping ferrite clamps on the light's power cord helped a lot to contain that noise to just a few feet, and not yard-wide. So, be aware!

332

Amateur Radio / Re: AM Rally this weekend 2/5-7/2022! A bust, for me.

« on: February 09, 2022, 1851 UTC »

The weather was the big competitor during the AM Rally for me. Projects that I wasn't able to get done the preceding weekend, I had to get done, then. So, I had only a 1hr window on Sunday evening and heard 3870kHz, 3873kHz, 3880kHz, and 3885kHz, AM all jammin' away. I didn't hear W1AW this year. No AM on 20M, but all SSB. 15M and 10M were dead by me. I heard a one-side QSO on 7290kHz. I also did a quick band-scan at 3AM SAT night / SUN morning, after work, and the bands were void of any AM then. Whelp... There's always the year after next.

333

Huh? / Re: SWL'ing covers, WBCQ TESTS 4790 KHZ IN FEBRUARY! Bought time!!!!

« on: February 08, 2022, 0600 UTC »

Did it. Bought time on the new FREQ 4790kHz, Saturday, February 12th, 9PM EST, or 02:00UTC. (Not Bro Staire.) Also, bought an hour for the following weekend of 2/19-20/2022, but that time has yet to be sched and TBA.

334

Huh? / Re: SWL'ing covers, WBCQ TESTS 4790 KHZ IN FEBRUARY! UPDATE:

« on: February 04, 2022, 0647 UTC »

SWL'ing UPDATE 2/3/2022:   https://swling.com/blog/2022/02/wbcq-4790-hkz-testing-update/

335

Equipment / Re: Any discone antenna fans? Oh yeah!!!

« on: February 03, 2022, 1858 UTC »

Oh yeah... Bought my 1st Discone in the late 80's as a scanner antenna. On VHF High and UHF, that worked great, but kind of sucked on VHF Low band, but the documentation did dictate that, so I knew it before hand. It was the 1st one to come out from Radio Shack at the time. Then, when I'd gotten my Code-less Tech Class HAM ticket, in 1991, it was my 1st multi-band 2M / 222MHz / 440MHz antenna. However, being made out of aluminum, those GND-radials keep breaking off. Today, I have the Diamond D-130J Discone, with 6M FM VERT stinger, all made of stainless, and that has held-up through hurricane force winds well. That, and being a low-gain antenna, it works well to get me out of the bottom of this current river valley location, where high-gain antennas fail, by taking advantage of reflection and refraction. So, it's my main VHF / UHF simplex base antenna. Also, works very well on the five MURS channels, but has a high VSWR match on 462 / 467MHz on the GMRS FREQ's.   

336

Huh? / Might be an interesting time to monitor the CB band for a trucker's rally?

« on: February 03, 2022, 0548 UTC »

With the buzz of the truckers rallying up in Ottawa, there's now a buzz in the USA of such a rally in February 2022, somewhere. So, it might be interesting to scan the 40 channels for truckers talking about this, around CH19 and +/- a few channels from there. And, if there is such a rally(s), then CB scanning would be essential.

337

Amateur Radio / AM Rally this weekend 2/5-7/2022!

« on: February 01, 2022, 2039 UTC »

http://www.amrally.com/    This is always a fun one. ARRL doesn't seem to mention this, yet, for this year. Question is, will this week's CME squash propagation from 40M, on up. Tech Class can still get-in on this with 6M 50.40MHz AM. I use to do +40 miles on 20W with a Kenwood TS-60S with a 6M Halo. 2M AM can be had, albeit no one seems to have a good AM spot for there, but more locally 'try & see', like 144.300MHz AM. And, if there's some Tropo, even better. 73!!!!

338

Amateur Radio / Re: Winter Field Day, January 29/30, 2022! Results dfrom just +1hr of operating?

« on: January 30, 2022, 1850 UTC »

30's??? That's what it is in SW WV this afternoon. And, North of me, they'd kill for above freezing. Only had a little over an hour last night to work this year's Winter Field Day. 160M was no phone but all CW contestants crammed-in below 1880kHz. Most activity was the upper 75M band. Apparently, I had to be corrected on my designation, not 1E, but 1H, for single op at home operations. I used only 20W, but apparently WV section was popular, since ops were commenting that they just were not hearing WV stations. (OK...) Filled a page of contacts with 75M, and only 1/2 page of 40M, all those were from "5" land. After 2AM, 75M stations were closing-up for the night, but 40M stations were still going. Wish that I had more time to work more of the contest, but all-in-all, that was a great +1hr of contesting last night and points giving. Next weekend??? The AM Rally. 73!!!!

339

Part 15 AM and FM Station Operation / A revisit to Part #15 media coverage? It's winter, so yeah!

« on: January 29, 2022, 1810 UTC »

Huh... Heard our local LPFM WSTQ-LP 88.1FM, https://wtsq.org/ , replay the Radio Survivor podcast with that interview from that dude from https://www.hobbybroadcaster.net/    . So, that is a good show to get Part #15 info from, and to even air on your Part #15 stations. Download from here,   http://www.radiosurvivor.com/2017/12/podcast-120-tiny-radio-station/

340

Huh? / Re: SWL'ing covers, WBCQ TESTS 4790 KHZ IN FEBRUARY! 3265kHz explained.

« on: January 28, 2022, 0749 UTC »

From Cosmik Debris:

    Quote
    What I find a little strange is the push for this new FREQ, when they still have 3265kHz down...


The main transmitter for the 3265 service is offline. It is the same model as the original 7415/7490 transmitter that burnt up because a long-term degradation of the plenum system. They aren't going to put this rig back online until a new plenum can be built. So, anything done on 3265 is using an auxiliary transmitter and is only used for experimental and test transmissions at this time.

There is also some antenna work that needs to be done for optimal operations down as low as 3265.

4790 is the transmitter that was formerly on 5130 and is ready to go.


THANKS Cosmik!!!!!

341

Huh? / SWL'ing covers, WBCQ TESTS 4790 KHZ IN FEBRUARY!

« on: January 26, 2022, 1907 UTC »

https://swling.com/blog/2022/01/wbcq-tests-4790-khz-in-february/     Cool!!!! I'm buying a couple hours on this myself. What I find a little strange is the push for this new FREQ, when they still have 3265kHz down. Eh... Whatever... Should have very similar propagation characteristics as WWV's 5MHz, and the 5-Channel 60M Amateur Radio Band, nice regional daytime coverage, and Coast to Coast coverage at night. Hey, I welcome that.  http://www.wbcq.com/

342

Amateur Radio / Winter Field Day, January 29/30, 2022!

« on: January 23, 2022, 1916 UTC »

https://www.winterfieldday.com/     Yeah... At the time of this writing, there a North American Sprint going on, (1/22-23/2022), but I heard several 75M SSB'ers sating that they were gearing up for this years Winter Field Day. Well, good! Any station that they contact, via non-repeater mode, is a point to them. Oh yeah... The AM Rally the weekend after that.

343

North American MW Pirate Radio / UNID 1710 AM 0255 UTC 23 JAN 2022

« on: January 23, 2022, 0530 UTC »

In battling with 1710kHz TIS, Hudson Co. (The Pest), was audio of Tucker Carlson talking about the Ukraine / Russian debacle. Was only in there for a couple of quick fades. UNID. It was certainly different.

344

Weather / Bitter cold makes for interesting LF, MW, and HF, signal enhancements? Uh-huh...

« on: January 21, 2022, 1903 UTC »

Reaching single digits Saturday morning 1/22/2022, this might be a neat time to check-out lower FREQ signal enhancements. And, not just the lower FREQ's, but possible Tropo from VHF / UHF stations, especially if you are up by the Great Lakes. And, if you have a Part #15 AM station, see how much further that's going to reach. If we're going to get stuck with being frigid, might as well have some fun with it. Right???

345

Part 15 AM and FM Station Operation / An AM Carrier-Current station from your livingroom? This dude does. And, gear???

« on: January 19, 2022, 1956 UTC »

Huh... Most folks doing a station either do it from the den, basement, attic, garage, or even a bedroom closet. This dude set-up in his living room. Eh... Why not???   https://www.radioworld.com/columns-and-views/workbench/workbench-retirement-starts-in-your-living-room