Messages

346

Amateur Radio / Re: ARRL January VHF / UHF Contest Weekend 1/15 - 16/2022.

« on: January 16, 2022, 2040 UTC »

Well, a good time to do this contest is 3hrs, before the close at 11PM EST, or 04:00UTC. Seasoned contesters are usually burnt-out hearing and working the regulars, but when they hear someone new then, they'll try and grab them for the points. Since I work most Saturdays, Sundays, near the end, are when I try this contest. Difference this time being is the freezing rain I'm getting now. Kind of throws-out the match on antennas on all bands. (Uh...)

347

The RF Workbench / Re: Boxes for HF beacon?

« on: January 11, 2022, 2012 UTC »

I've seen where someone used a trashed cooler. All plastic, and easy to drill through. Especially, small drip holes on the bottom. Paint that all white, and the reflected radiation will keep it cooler in the summer.

348

10/11 meters / Re: Late night "E" on 10M to 06:00UTC! And, again last night on 11M.

« on: January 11, 2022, 2004 UTC »

Huh... CB CH38LSB was jammin' with GA stations past 2AM EST last night. Nothing, heard on 10M though.

349

Huh? / Re: Time to Come Clean on AM Quality? Well, yeah!

« on: January 09, 2022, 2007 UTC »

Actually, don't you still have an AM Stereo station in your area?    https://radio-locator.com/info/WXYG-AM?loc=44.96446%2C-93.26820&locn=Minneapolis%2C%20Minnesota   How's that one sound?

350

Amateur Radio / Re: Xiegu G90. On AM??? Some AM'ers say it's good.

« on: January 09, 2022, 1934 UTC »

Listening to the 40M AM'ers on 7290kHz, I heard one station talk about the Xiegu G90, where he commented on that for AM Mode, it was the best low powered, near QRP, rig out there to sound nice on AM that he's stumbled on. Now, I have listened to mine on another rig, in headphones, and for what I have, the 'sweet-spot' settings there seem to be to set te MIC Gain on "5", (From the scale of 1 - 20.), and to have the COMP "ON". I've yet to try a QSO with just the rig's 5W carrier, but I know that it can be done, if the Bob Heil Pine-Board Projects proved anything. And, 10M 29.00000AM should be had at 5W. Most amps will take 5W nicely and bump that from 30W - 50W. Worth a try? Why not???

351

10/11 meters / Late night "E" on 10M to 06:00UTC!

« on: January 09, 2022, 1922 UTC »

Glad to hear 11M and 10M jamming last night, when I got back home from work. Heard MN and WI, but worked three friends in the same town in MO, doing a round table, just after 04:30UTC on call FREQ 28.400USB. Then, seen a nice spike of a signal on 28.405USB, with a Texas station working Philadelphia, PA. When the Texas station later called CQ, I jumped-in with just 20W and worked him to 06:00UTC, when we signed. He worked with 100W, with signals from S3 - S9, and must have had that direct pipeline from WV to TX. NICE!!!!!

352

Amateur Radio / ARRL January VHF / UHF Contest Weekend 1/15 - 16/2022.

« on: January 08, 2022, 1925 UTC »

Sporadic E rarely rocks for this, but some Tropo by coastal areas and the lack of foliage absorption usually makes this contest decent for 222MHz and 432MHz.    http://www.arrl.org/january-vhf   Now... When's that AM Heavy Metal Rally?

353

Huh? / Time to Come Clean on AM Quality? Well, yeah!

« on: January 08, 2022, 1845 UTC »

Article from an ENG to Radio World,   https://www.radioworld.com/columns-and-views/guest-commentaries/time-to-come-clean-on-am-quality

My $0.02 worth was that I believe that the noise levels are like X10 of what they were, even 30-some years ago, when I wrote back to him.

354

Pirate Radio History / Re: For anyone who hasn't seen this... Ah-huh...

« on: January 07, 2022, 0859 UTC »

Oh yeah... Posted that back about a 1 1/2 ago for the 30th anniversary of that. It's in here, some where. Every September, I re-air Radio Wolf International, since that's when they did the recording of that trio taping / broadcast with Franklin Video. That Youtube upload is a better copy than the VHS one that I bought back in 1991. But, thanks for reposting that, since there really wasn't anything like that in North American pirate radio coverage at the time. Not the best in production, even for 1990, but a great watch, nonetheless.

355

Amateur Radio / USS Midway on the air on HF.

« on: January 06, 2022, 1847 UTC »

FWR from K8RRT:

 A local museum radio team will be activating the aircraft carrier this weekend.

     NI6IW will be activating the ship on HF
7.200 LSB
14320 USB
14070 PSK.

Also they will be DStar .



    If you have a Facebook page there's a link below to get more info about working the USS Midway carrier.

       Good luck and have fun



https://www.facebook.com/groups/12699105116/permalink/10165946597150117/

356

Huh? / Re: Station changes, like formats, or ownerships?

« on: January 06, 2022, 0530 UTC »

Ahhhhh... Ask, as you shall receive, eventually.  Bram Stoker gave me,    https://nationalradioclub.org/  (Download the sampler.)

And, Cosmik Debris gave me,   https://www.fybush.com/     That one, I believe that you really have to me a member to get anything.

THANKS guys!!!!!!

357

Huh? / Station changes, like formats, or ownerships?

« on: January 05, 2022, 2000 UTC »

So, has anyone heard of any station changes in formats, ownership hands, coming on-air, or even going off-air?

358

General Radio Discussion / Re: Best band to start broadcasting pirate SW on at night?

« on: January 05, 2022, 0742 UTC »

That's what I was going to ask on what coverage would be desired, regional, or other-side-of-the-world, coverage? Ya know, Sporadic E for Winter has just kicked-in, so be monitoring the CB 27MHz band for those short-skip stations that can be heard from early evening to even past midnight. There's still that little used 11M International Broadcast Band from 25.670MHz - 26.100MHz. 5W on AM to a 1/2-wave 11M dipole could do wonders there. The most listeners that ya might get would be CB Outbanders, but what comments might ya kick up after doing a broadcast. Certainly, can give you an idea that you have been heard. (Hi-hi...) Do forget to try and use DX Maps,    https://www.dxmaps.com/spots/mapg.php?Lan=E&Frec=50&ML=M&Map=W2LN&HF=N&DXC=ING2&GL=S

359

Equipment / Xiegu bangs-out another one, the X6100.

« on: January 04, 2022, 2000 UTC »

Huh... Still learning the Xiegu G90, but looks like Xiegu has found their niche market, which seems more than a niche.   https://swling.com/blog/2022/01/the-new-xiegu-x6100-is-it-a-good-sw-mw-broadcast-band-receiver/


And yes, I did move this over from RF Workbench. Duh-know why I put it there in the 1st place. I'll blame it on the coffee not hitting me, yet.

360

10/11 meters / Finally!!!! Winter 27MHz Sporadic E looks like it's back. Well, sort of...

« on: January 04, 2022, 1950 UTC »

Got back from work last night to hear Texas stations on CH38LSB at 11PM EST, so that can't be F2 that late. No 'Needle-Benders' there, but the strongest station was around 5lbs. Now, can we wake-up the 10M gurus?