Messages

1

General Radio Discussion / Re: Good old days

« on: February 12, 2025, 1032 UTC »

I remember SW from the late 70's through today. Less stations today, of course, and ionospheric conditions aren't quite what they were in prior decades, even during this solar maximum. But, on average, the radios are better, with the advent of DSP in the early 2010's. DSP has pretty much saved the SWL hobby.

There still is DX, although it's different, obviously. But it's still cool to hear Kashgar, Urumchi, Botswana, Swaziland or Madagascar here in the PNW US.

2

General Radio Discussion / Re: Russia-linked cable-cutting tanker seized by Finland ‘was loaded with spying equ

« on: January 28, 2025, 0403 UTC »

The cut still looks pretty clean, almost as if it was done by an anchor with some sort of sawing implement attached.

3

General Radio Discussion / Re: Another site to check out while you can, dswci.org

« on: December 24, 2024, 1209 UTC »

The last Tropicals I was able to hear (Vanuato on 41 M aside), were the two that were in Brazil on 60 M during the 2010's, one of them being Radio Clube do Para. Both those Brazilians are off the air permanently (one of them on MW, I guess).

In earlier decades, I used to hear Sutatenza, and several other Caracol stations out of Colombia. And Barquisimeto out of Venezuela.

At the time the Tropical bands had all that activity, we didn't really understand how good it was.

4

General Radio Discussion / Re: OTH Radar Coming To India?

« on: December 24, 2024, 1200 UTC »

The article says that presently only the US, China and Russia have these systems. I'm surprised more countries aren't using them.

5

General Radio Discussion / Re: Stephen King's 3 Maine Radio Stations to go......Dark

« on: December 24, 2024, 1136 UTC »

Yeah, a lot of radio companies are finding the medium non-viable.

With King's millions, one would think he would keep at least one of the stations on the air, and maybe get on the air himself. After all, he owns them.

Delilah, the well-known night time radio personality, has done that with KDUN Reedsport, OR (1030 kHz), the first station she was ever on. She doesn't expect to make money off it, but wants to serve the community that helped her become what she is today. She still believes in the viability of the radio medium.

Not everyone does, though. And obviously, Stephen King is one of those people who doesn't believe in it.

To be honest, with advertising rates and revenues declining, especially for legacy media like radio, it does put radio station owners in a tough spot. It's a tough business these days.

6

HF Mystery Signals / Re: 6938 kHz

« on: October 07, 2024, 1519 UTC »

What did it sound like? What do these HF trading signals sound like?

7

HF Mystery Signals / Re: Mystery Multiplex Signal

« on: September 26, 2024, 1348 UTC »

Dumb question time: You're certain this isn't some sort of RFI?

Does the signal propagate? I didn't hear any obvious fading in the sound clip.

Personally, I haven't heard anything exactly like that signal. The closest noise to it is OTHR (over the horizon radar).  The famous Russian Woodpecker of the 1970's and 80's had a similar sound and pulse rate, but it also moved around a lot, and most times you could hear fading of some sort.

.

8

General Radio Discussion / Re: Priyom.org website down

« on: September 26, 2024, 1324 UTC »

Well, FWIW, it's up now.

9

General Radio Discussion / Re: WCBS 880 AM NYC - New ownership, New format - WOW

« on: September 08, 2024, 1821 UTC »

They were the #10 billing station in the entire United States.

Sounds like a terrific reason to flip to sports to me. NOT.

Sometimes Radio is run well. Other times it seems more like they're running it into the ground.

10

General Radio Discussion / Re: VOA Is Shuttering Its Marianas Shortwave Site

« on: August 20, 2024, 0945 UTC »

I think they also have Tinang and Udon (Thailand) to serve Asia on SW if needed.

11

HF Mystery Signals / UNID pulse noises, 50 kHz wide, 20M & 40M ham bands, 7/29 2120 UTC~

« on: July 31, 2024, 2354 UTC »

Recently there was a bizarre QRM phenomenon that hit the 20M and 40M ham bands, a constant pulse/beep heard nationwide in the US. The signals were around 50 kHz wide.

I tuned into it around 2119 UTC and thereafter, and it was about 50 kHz wide, and seemed strongest around 14133 kHz. Other people heard it in the same frequency range -- 14125-14175, and a similar range in the 40 Meter band (I didn't hear it down there, I didn't tune the 40M band that day).

I'm in WA, and I heard it, hams in MS, WI, PA, NC, TX, MN and other places also heard it. I have a recording, but this guy on the Amateur Radio Subreddit has a recording with a waterfall off his ICOM 7300, which probably is a better portrayal of what a lot of guys heard across the country.

No one seems to have a clue what this signal was. Being that it was heard all over the US, it wasn't RFI.

Here's a link to the discussion. I'm posting it here because it seems pertinent to HFU's interests in curiosities, and also maybe some experts here can help determine what exactly this pulse noise was.

Here's a link to the discussion thread. Any ideas, anyone?

https://www.reddit.com/r/amateurradio/comments/1efrjdz/theories_on_rhythmic_interference_heard_across/

12

HF Mystery Signals / Re: HF oddities to SigID Wiki

« on: July 25, 2024, 2313 UTC »

Very interesting samples of signals. Thanks for posting this.

13

HF Mystery Signals / Re: UNID Jet noise, 14356-14357 kHz, S4 (out of 5) & propagating, 0824 UTC

« on: July 25, 2024, 2158 UTC »

tiNG, thank you for your response!

Australia would indeed make sense, as propagation would favor regions across the Pacific to the West of me.

14

HF Mystery Signals / Re: 181059 MHz USB Unknown signal

« on: July 25, 2024, 0046 UTC »

So, this is 18105.9 kHz? That would be in the 17 Meter Ham Band.

I've heard similar bubbly noises on the HF ham bands before, usually 30-50 kHz higher than the FT8 frequencies.

I'm also curious as to what the signals actually are. Some digital ham mode, obviously....

15

HF Mystery Signals / Re: 17.446500 MHz 07/23/2024 22:00 UTC Odd signal

« on: July 25, 2024, 0032 UTC »

Sounds like it may have been propagating. Any idea of the changes in signal strength?