Messages

46

Equipment / Re: Economical HF receivers

« on: May 08, 2011, 1403 UTC »

Is the Degen 1103 the same as the Kaito KA1103 on Amazon? Some of the reviews of that are rather negative. My birthday is March 5 and I hope I can buy myself something, but don't know yet.

The same; for the money, the Degen is VERY, VERY good.

For a portable, I would say EXCEPTIONAL, and I own a variety of receivers as my tagline shows.

For a 'tactical' field receiver, I don't think it can be beat ...

The only thing I would change is: make the narrow IF filter even narrower ... for SSB use.

Review, including technical testing:

http://www.radioscanner.ru/info/article11/


Things I love about it:

o Sounds great for SSB and AM! I use it during morning walks to copy the 1990 kHz 160 Meter net (before dawn here in Texas) with W5VYY and the group and to listen to the AM guys on 3890 kHz during the Texoma AM Traders Net on Saturday mornings.

o I love the external antenna feature. GREAT for trying other antennas like loops, and dipoles and such.

o There is a AUDIO LINE OUT jack that is independent of volume control! And, it's STEREO (FM) output!

o Attenuator switch: sometime it's nice to be able to 'cut' the local noise (like switching power supplies) or static crashes while copying signals on 80 Meters

o Coverage: from like 9 kHz (below 200 kHz using 1711 trick; see below) through 30 MHz! And Stereo FM broadcast!

o The "Enter 1711 kHz and scan down" trick allows whip or external Antenna use in lieu of internal ferrite loopstick for MW and LW .. and extends coverage below 200 kHz ...

 

47

Utility / 5202u TX Army MARS Training Net 1330z 5-08-2011

« on: May 08, 2011, 1345 UTC »

Caught about 20 mins of the net this morning at 8:30 AM CDT local time ...

Saw them on a spec an while busy with other activities.

Net still active as of 13:45 Z / 8:45 AM CDT

Net still active as of 13:57 Z / 8:57 AM CDT

48

HF Beacons / Re: 69 69 69 BEACON 27 MHz Beacon 27.555

« on: April 09, 2011, 1818 UTC »

I had some difficulties getting online, and other things have been keeping me from logging on so I apologize for this report that is almost frozen in time by internets standards. On either 6/19/2010, or 6/26/2010 around 7:30 ~ 8pm local (CST) Southeast Texas. I heard a beacon that kept repeating "69 69 69 69 BEACON" on 27.555 MHz. As the sun went down I heard it for a bit longer till the greyline faded. I found it completely odd that I heard this almost about two weeks after I started to research HF beacons. Anyway, I'll be a bit more accurate the next time with the dates, times etc.

Did it look/sound anything like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMZGV-cPhYE


Looks like the message in Morse code worked out to be:

Long_tone ...

69 69 69 69 BY BE BACK SN 69 BY BE BACK SN

(assuming SN = "soon")

Actual Frequency: 27.550 MHz + 682 Hz (tone freq)

Received on USB.

49

North American Shortwave Pirate / Radio Junk 27.990 AM 4-08-2011 2030z 3:30 CDT

« on: April 09, 2011, 1802 UTC »

Late posting - copied in the field Friday afternoon, the 8th

ID'd as "Radio Junk"

Freq 27.990 MHz, AM mode

Quite a mix of material - well worth the 'mind trip' tuning in.

Degen/Kaito 1103 portable used as receiver using built-in whip

Copied in N. Texas

Was surprised to hear a pirate that high up; was in search of the 'sweepers' that usually seem to inhabit the 6925 kHz area .. the sweepers have been quite active in the 27.5 - 27.95 area lately (propagation has been that good) ...

50

Other / Re: 7365 0800z buzzing jammer?

« on: November 20, 2010, 2159 UTC »

11/19/10
7365 kHz
0755-0805z+: Pulsing buzzing, approx 240 bpm, possible jammer over what appears to be an empty freq as of this moment.  No carrier audible on 7365 for Marti, VOA or other.  Carriers and faint audio audible on adjacent 7360 (possibly POR RDP Internacional) and 7370 (presume Voice of Croatia), but buzzing fairly effectively nulled out by using narrow filter and sideband tuning.

3 min 30 sec mp3, 7365 USB, approx 0755z

Posted for reference: that 'buzzing' may or not be coincident (It seems to be) with this 'wandering' spur (spurious) emission that can be found in/near Forty Meters (7 MHz) ... here's the link:

http://www.hfunderground.com/board/index.php/topic,3437.0.html

Also note there is a linked video with a dual-channel radio that attemptsd to let the listener judge whether or not the two 'buzzing' sounds (from the jammer and from the wandering buzz) possess similar characteristics.

 

51

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: WEAK Radio 6935U

« on: November 18, 2010, 0419 UTC »

Late report from the field -

About 2215 CST local or 0400z strong into this part of Texas using a Degen 1103 portable radio.

Tune about that time was Steely Dan, "Reeling In The Years".

52

Equipment / Re: Recommendation for an Amateur Handheld Transceiver

« on: November 15, 2010, 0130 UTC »

Just getting started and a local ham recommended the Kenwood TH-F6A.

Anyone have thoughts or experience with this radio?

Daily carry or just once in awhile?

Fortunately, today's belt-worn 2-way stations are a lot more rugged than they were 10 to 15 years ago, so, if you're buying something of recent manufacture few worries for occasional use ... now, if it's going to be a 'daily-carry' and see a lot of use, there is only one choice IMNSHO: Motorola (been there and done it with several 'brands' ...)

53

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: 6940am Radio Casablanca 2226z 11-14-2010

« on: November 15, 2010, 0123 UTC »

And RC - off at about 0123z

Thanks for the show!

(As the OHR/Aurural RADARs move in on frequency!)

54

Other / Re: WHAT IS IT ?? !!

« on: November 15, 2010, 0018 UTC »

Okay, feedback. Just saying what it sounds like.

It does sound like feedback; as anyone who has worked with an SSB link and had their audio 'brought back' through another means (like land-line or another radio link as for testing a radio 'circuit') and allowed some of that 'audio' to enter the SSB link for anther go-around can testify ...

55

Other / Re: ALPHA RSDN-20

« on: November 15, 2010, 0015 UTC »

Greetings.

Can you point to a link or links about the new system? Any details on the transmitting antennas, their efficiency at such a low frequency and their ERP?

Thanks.

56

Other / Re: Very Strange Alarm Noise

« on: November 15, 2010, 0001 UTC »

Yes, I removed the video. I did this because I thought it was unnecessary now.
So, we're now changing this idea or something?

Yeah, based on new observations from the field ...

57

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: Radio Casablanca 6940 AM

« on: November 14, 2010, 2359 UTC »

And, I'd like to add: Thanks for the program this evening RC.

58

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: 6940am Radio Casablanca 2226z 11-14-2010

« on: November 14, 2010, 2354 UTC »

Fixed frequency in title (Oops, my bad)

59

North American Shortwave Pirate / 6940am Radio Casablanca 2226z 11-14-2010

« on: November 14, 2010, 2227 UTC »

Some Spanish-language traffic mostly on the upper sideband part of things ...

2227z Song: 50's fave: "Makin' whoppe ..."

For those wanting to avoid the voice-QRM try 6939.800 kHz LSB ...

2234z Pgm continues, but, fades to inaudible at times with complete loss of carrier here in Tejas ...

2343z Copied ID while in car: "Radio Casablanca"

60

North American Shortwave Pirate / 6925L, The Last DJ, 2031z, 11-14-2010

« on: November 14, 2010, 2035 UTC »

Saw him on the scope and tuned in ...

Freq closer to 6924.92 kHz (on the cal'd Icom)

This is LSB by the way.

2037z Peaking to S7 in Texas