Messages

811

The RF Workbench / Ya broke? Need a decent OSC? Look at trashed computers!

« on: May 28, 2020, 1907 UTC »

My bro-in-law 2 years ago wanted to trash his Y2K Dell desktop computer. So, I did rip & tear for the components and came across the 25MHz, SG-615P, CPU clock OSC. So, around Christmas 2019, I've built a PS circuit around it using a 9VDC wallwart, filter CAP's, an LM7805 +5VDC REG, another filter CAP, a 250uH choke, and by the info on-line, added a .1uF CAP before that IC. On the RF OUT I've built a homebrew adjustable Butterfly Filter and terminated that with just a 1k-Ohm resistor. And??? Nice clean sinewave on the 'scope, and the FREQ starts up right at 25.00000MHz, then sags to 24.999986MHz. Not bad, but I want better tolerance. However, I'd put that OSC project to the side for other 'Must fix' projects. Then, went back to it, after the scrubbed SpaceX manned launch. That OSC project still sags down to 24.999986MHz. So, I then looked at the AC ripple on the output of the 7805 REG  = .058V. Not bad DC, but did a 'What if' and added another 2,200uF CAP on the output of that REG. Now AC ripple is .001V. NICE!!!! And RF = 24.99997MHz. I then loaded to a 50 Ohm dummy load and now get 25.00000MHz. Huh.... Now that looks better, and useful for receiver aligning. So, if folks trash computers, especially by the roadside, and you're super cheap, (Like me!), there's some clock OSC possibilities there for use. And, the price is right! (Minus the Bob Barker.) 

812

General Radio Discussion / Re: Question

« on: May 28, 2020, 1831 UTC »

I know that I don't, anymore. I did 20-some years ago, when ya didn't need to sign-up for an account and PW for just that. And, that was the one for Rowe Productions for Mortification death metal fans. Gee... That had to be either 1998, or 1999. I seem to recall doing The ACE chatroom years ago as well. But... Just one more UN and PW to remember, and I have a whole book of just those to go back for that has accumulated. Today, if I wanna' chat, that's what two-way radio is for. The ultimate social distancing.

813

Equipment / Re: What are you using for SWLing?

« on: May 27, 2020, 2329 UTC »

Presently, to work Sporadic E, the Kenwood TS-2000X. Before that, I've realigned a TS-50S and its AT-50 Auto Tuner, then used that for a few weeks. Before that, (Late Fall.), DX'ed with an Icom IC-745. Nightly, I use a Sangean ATS-803A as my bedside radio. For portable runs, I like using that Eton E10 AM only portable. Next, I want to realign the CW / SSB on a Kenwood TF-F6A HT and try that on HF. It's fair, but handy, on the AM broadcast band, or quick CB scanning, or to listen to myself on 432MHz and 1296MHz SSB. I so under utilize what that HT can do. https://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/ht/0066.html

814

Equipment / Re: Grounding A Radio

« on: May 17, 2020, 0241 UTC »

OK, a schyttload. How much wire ya got, and how big are your carpets to stash that under? As much as possible. Maybe do a zig-zag pattern under the carpet, like I've seen done. You may have to experiment here. You can test RX using the WWV and CHU FREQ's, since they are on 24/7. I like to test RX'ing with Toronto's CFRX 6070kHz AM, since that's on 24/7. There's no real wrong answer here, since every APT-locked situation is a big challenge. I did more than one antenna set-up when I was APT bound. For FREQ's 15MHz and above, I used a Firestix CB antenna with indoor GND-plane kit, and an antenna tuner. For FREQ's below 15MHz, I wrapped a long wire along the ceiling edges of the APT. I did DX pirates, but was glad to get out of that set-up.

815

General Radio Discussion / Re: End Of Show Songs?

« on: May 14, 2020, 1908 UTC »

I've used the short filler from Deliverance - Cheese Burger, Maker Do, to end Capital Rips, since it has that chic at the end asking, "That's the end?" I don't know how many times I've heard The Doors - This Is The End, to end a show, or even end an entire station going off-air for the last time. Then, there's This Is The Last Goodbye. (Not sure, but was that Radio Head that did that?) Some more obscure ones are Saint - Time's End. (Title cut track from that album.) The Alter Boys - Final Hour. That last tune in Pink Floyd - The Wall comes to mind, before that quiet harmonica tune, but can't recall that name of it. (I know y'all out there can blast out that one, while I'm having a brain fart.) Oh... REM - End Of The World, as We Know It. Europe - Final Countdown. (Yeah, that one has been kind of over used already.) Still, some others that come to mind are, Orcus - Here Comes The End! Soberpill - The End. Two Wheel Eel - Last Goodbye. Hounds Of Heaven - Happy Ending. Liquid Violence - The End. Brainchild - Desend. The Black Coffee - The Last Train. Believer - Dust To Dust. Actor - Checking Out. Then, there's the 1sec track from The Lead - Wink Of An Eye. (Yes, it's that short.) So, a few choices out there. Many more I'm missing, fo' sure.

816

Equipment / Re: Grounding A Radio?

« on: May 13, 2020, 1906 UTC »

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, well... 3'rd floor of a condo, you'd expect that the GND prong is electrically grounded. (So you'd hope.) However, a better GND actually would be a cold copper water pipe, and not PVC. One problem being in a condo, (And I had this ground floor in a complex APT.), is the amount of noise that you may pick-up from the 120VAC electrical GND. Do you have a balcony, with a metal railing, outside to GND too? Even that maybe a better way to GND in an APT. Not to make ya spend more $$$$$, but MFJ actually makes an artificial GND unit, like an ass-backwards tuner,   https://www.amazon.com/MFJ-Enterprises-Original-MFJ-931-Artificial/dp/B00F8G0DAI     Yeah, this is made more for transmitting, but it will help your receive sensitivity as well. However, you can forgo that unit, and run an assload of old-ass speaker wire under a big rug, and that will act as a counterpoise as well. Good luck!!!!!

817

10/11 meters / Re: 10M FM repeater activity, Monday, 29.660-/R active.

« on: May 13, 2020, 1846 UTC »

Before I headed out to work, Dallas / Ft. Worth 10M repeater coming on 29.660MHz FM Monday evening, around 23:00UTC. As far as I know, no PL on this machine, and it get a hell of a lot of traffic, as well as various local 440MHz links. Yeah, figures... Always the propagation starts up when you don't have the time to work it. Right???

818

10/11 meters / Re: What the hell is this noise?

« on: May 12, 2020, 1920 UTC »

Got one of those portable 40CH CB's, or a 3MHz - 30MHz SW radio, that you could walk around with? This could be anything, (And I've heard that noise as well.), like Panasonic TV's, CATV, or DSL, MODEM, switching power supply for any appliance, computer desktop, laptop, pad, and their associated power supplies, printer, FAX machine, (Yes, I still have one.), power company's newer smart meter, any appliance with "Smart" tech and wi-fi in it, anything! At my QTH, I've used a portable to locate RFI spurs from the DSL MODEM, and our in-ground Clear Stream UV Light Power Supply. (I fixed that one by installing a .1uF - 250V CAP across the DC terminals.) Now, when ya find it, and prove it by powering a device down, then back ON again, see what can be done, like ferrite chokes on power and signal cables, HV CAP's across terminals, aluminum foil tape wrapped around a device. (Don't do it to a wi-fi device with built-in antenna.) Good luck!!!!!!  Happy hunting!!!!

819

Amateur Radio / Re: 20M AM? Sure... Why not? Active late night!

« on: May 11, 2020, 0015 UTC »

Surprise!!!! Nice 20M AM QSO last night at 04:00UTC to W5JAY in AR on 14.330MHz. The QSO to the dude in IN couldn't be had by me, since IN is too close to WV, so W5JAY had to take turns between myself, and that dude in IN. Nice signal on W5JAY, at S9 peaks, and never dropping out. Good audio from his Apachi Labs rig too. I was barefoot on the TS-2000X with the Heil HMM mic and Windom.

820

Part 15 AM and FM Station Operation / Re: What Automation Software Do You Use?

« on: May 07, 2020, 0623 UTC »

MRAM1500 got me into trying Zara Radio. Not bad. I've done 24hr tests with it, but use it mainly as the spot player for background tunage, liners, PSA's, promos, etc. What sucks is still using a computer to dedicate for it, so I only use it when I need it. Several stations, Part #15 and LPFM, are using Radio DJ software,   https://www.radiodj.ro/  . I have used the commercial NexGen station automation software that was dated from 2001, but still on XP Pro. Works, but watch out with XP's idiosyncrosies.   (Huh... My spell checker can't find that word, so I'll leave that one spelled wrong. O.F.W...)

821

Equipment / Re: Vertical antenna build questions

« on: May 04, 2020, 1905 UTC »

Well, here's what I've been wanting to try for years, but the closest that I've gotten too was to shunt-feed a tower. My plan is to build a raised VERT dipole on 40M in an +80ft pine tree. However, I don't have an 80ft pine tree where I am here, but did up in WNY. The idea was to run the VERT radiator and radial mounted to the whole trunk of the tree. The few problems that I foresee here was the GND affect of not having that elevated GND radial high enough. That should actually be more of a problem for TX and not RX. S/N Ratio would be increased going VERT, so ideally having such an antenna as far from the power lines and the noises of the house would be good. NVIS closer-by stations would be harder to DX, so the HORZ dipoles for them, but European, Pacific, and Latin American, DX should improve significantly. (Lazer Hot Hits would be a good tester for this.) To reduce static build-up, a 1K-Ohm resistor between the radiator and radial would be a good idea, albeit it may go POOF with a close lightning strike. RG-6 is certainly not a problem for RX'ing, albeit your feed point would be elevated +40ft in a dipole situation. Sounds like you have a Balun already in mind for the slight miss match. (For RX, I wouldn't even worry about that.) If you went the 1/4-wave over GND based radials, the question is on RX only if the more radials, the better? I can tell you that just using 4 radials on the tower shunt-feed may not have been enough on TX'ing. Stations on MW, 160M, 75M, and 40M, were very good, like S+20/9 RX'ing, but getting back to them was doable, but I was told that I was weak. So, more elements for GND radials would have helped me there, but in your case 3, or 4, for just RX'ing maybe enough. As far as GND radial wiring to try? I was using AWG#10 solid copper, leftover from a 500ft spoil that I bought in the early 1990's. (Yeah... I've made a lot of antennas from that, as well as gave away a lot of it.) Aluminum should work fine for the GND radials. Never tried steel, but I don't see why that wouldn't work. And, a parasitic reflector? Hmmmmm... Do you have a close-by tall tree to run some metal element up and mount too? (Wishful thinking, but...) Finally??? Even though you want to dead-nuts match this VERT at 43M, you may find that it should be decent from MW to 30MHz, especially with an antenna tuner, but even without. So, good luck on this project! Just let us know what your results are after you get that going. I'm still going to wish for that +80ft tree to use for mine. Just my $0.02 worth. 

822

Amateur Radio / Re: 20M AM? Sure... Why not? Did it!

« on: May 02, 2020, 2317 UTC »

Nice QSO to KE7TRP in Phoenix, AZ on 14.330AM. He was on a 4 ele Mosley with a Johnson Desk KW, coming in better than an S7 and I was only sending him a 20W carrier with a homebrew Windom, giving him S+15/9. See, it can be done with a ricebox. (Especially on a Kenwood. Hi-hi...)

823

Part 15 AM and FM Station Operation / Re: Part #15 gear out there.

« on: May 01, 2020, 2249 UTC »

For anyone wanting to do the AM Carrier-Current thang, here's a Radio Systems CP-15 Coupler,     https://www.ebay.com/itm/RADIO-SYSTEMS-PHASE-II-CP-15-COUPLER-AM-RADIO-BROADCAST-TRANSMITTER/143587226054 The One I have is from 1979, so this one might be newer.

824

Part 15 AM and FM Station Operation / Re: Introducing Parking Lot Radio!

« on: May 01, 2020, 1735 UTC »

Well, that's better than what they are charging for this,    http://www.progressive-concepts.com/transmission-equipment/part-15-transmitters/---ACC100-Part-15-FM-Transmitters-Analog_PT687.html

825

Part 15 AM and FM Station Operation / Introducing Parking Lot Radio!

« on: April 29, 2020, 1725 UTC »

Huh... Looks like a new Part #15 AM TX is in development. https://parkinglotradio.com/    It will be neat to see what becomes of this.