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Messages - fkradio

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1
General Radio Discussion / Re: Getting SWBC Station QSLs
« on: October 11, 2017, 1712 UTC »
While I'm an avid collector of pirate QSLs and eQSLs, I have not written for any QSLs from SWBC stations in ages, probably 20 years? I used to do this when I first started SWLing back in the late 70s, but slowly stopped. I'm considering getting back into that part of the hobby again. Before they all disappear.

What's the current protocols for getting QSLs? Do SWBC stations still send them, or have they switched to eQSLs? Do you still send a letter or can you email reports? I assume for the smaller (private, not government run stations) you still send a letter so you can include return postage. IRCs are gone now IIRC, so do you send a dollar or two?

Chris, Now a days, including audio clips is a must.  NO attachments to email, soundcloud/google drive/vimeo/youtube links work great.   I have found this to be a MAJOR help with broadcasters who may broadcast in a language I don't understand. (I cant stress the no attachments enough... slow internet or over agressive spam filters could screw you)

If listening to a foreign language station thats broadcasting music, download Shazam on your phone.. it is GREAT at identifying foreign music.  Include a few song titles.  I've sent voice of turkey reports with song titles in them.

Some stations, for whatever reason, dont respond to email too well. Usually those in 3rd world nations.   

2
General Radio Discussion / Re: Getting SWBC Station QSLs
« on: October 11, 2017, 1706 UTC »

Chris -

I have found VoT, RRI, KBS, Radio Ukraine, Radio Slovakia, RCI, Radio Prague, Radio Havana, DW all very receptive to email.  Some of my reception comes via WRMI relays.  I have found they will "sweeten the pot" if you share a story about yourself/listening hobby that they can share on mailbag program.  My last name is the Italian greeting for "Happy New Year", I share that information with them around the holidays.  That is always read on mailbag holiday programs and they have sent items in appreciation.

Two asides - Many of these stations run competitions where they will giveaway promotional items from qsl cards to knick knacks to radios to trips to their country.

Second - KBS publishes a wall calendar yearly.  Ask to receive one with a reception report in the near future, they are probably putting the mailing lists together now.  The calendar is generally a work of art with a single Korean related theme - Korean films, Natural Parks, K-Pop, Food, etc - I hang it in my office every year.  At this point in my correspondence with them, I don't even have to send a reception report/request any longer, they simply mail one annually.

KBS, VOT and RRI are the easiest. Ive had every single VOT report I've ever sent verfied by turkey.   Sent in so many reports over 2 months, they had to send me 2 cards, the first one ran out of room!!

3
General Radio Discussion / Re: Really good propagation lately
« on: October 11, 2017, 1703 UTC »
At the risk of jinxing things... the bands have been excellent lately. Besides the great DGPS decodes, I've been hearing lots of nice SWBC. Asia was particularly strong this morning.  Folks might want to tune around and see what they can hear.

Chris, here in the southern part of the Northeast US, the higher bands seem to be much better then usual as of late

4
General Radio Discussion / Re: X-FM is headed for dry dock
« on: October 11, 2017, 1702 UTC »
I've been spending a lot of time lately trying to get transmission gear to behave and at the same time trying to pay the bills.  As of late, things have been piling up faster around here than I care to admit, and progress on the transmitters and associated gear has been going far slower than I anticipated.  The looming date of Halloween, this list of things that must be finished beforehand brought me to a conclusion late last night that I didn't really want to admit, but now have to.  For the last six years or so, this has been my hobby, and one of my few remaining ways to blow off steam and have a good time.  Lately its become too much of a burden on my time and finances.  I'll never say I'm not coming back, but without a functioning transmitter and the spare funds to go out and play, it looks like its going to be a while.  Rather than half-ass something together, when we relaunch, it will be bigger and better than ever, even if only noticeable from this side of the mic.

I thank you all for your support over the years, your reports, and sticking through the rough conditions.  Needless to say unless something happens over the next month or so, Halloween is probably off the table, as are any show for the following year.

I'll still be hanging around the boards and helping folks where I can.

Thanks all,

+Redhat, X-FM Shortwave

Redhat, if you ever decide to sell some gear, unlikely as it may be... drop me a note. I might be interested, depending on what it is. I want to improve my broadcasts a bit.   

5
"Expedient antenna"!  I LOVE IT!

Good luck Fart Knocker!

Be aware you could cause a good deal of telephone landline music and TV interference for anyone still using over the air TV, in your building, especially using that much power!

I'm the only apartment in the building above a business that only has someone here a few hours a week.. late at night i should be ok

And yes, the antenna works, im glad :)

6
GOOD NEWS: I shall FART AGAIN!! I had been off air after my transmitter would not stay up and kept tripping off due to SWR's and nothing I did could fix it.

A buddy came by who is much more knowledgeable about these things and helped me.  We did a test today on 6955kHz after loading the transmitter into the fire escape stairs outside my apartment. Ran a full 400 watts and full modulation.. and it worked beautifully.

Well, as beautifully as farts radiating from a set of fire escape stairs can be.

And Yes, I am dead serious about loading the transmitter into the stairs

7
North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: UNID 6925 USB 2017 UTC 14 Sep 2017
« on: September 14, 2017, 2218 UTC »
Loved penny lane about 2213, S8 to S9 here in the western section of the northeast US.... clean, clear steady signal, good audio.

If he's reading this, how about Hard Days Night by the beatles and a shout out to Chief Fart Knocker?

8
Very nice! It is great that SW station coming back!

This is my cath: https://youtu.be/2LLjYxRClAY
Radio Nacional or Radio Nacional de Guinea Ecuatorial received in Mexico in frequency 6250 KHz with good signal, July 28 2017, 23:15 UTC.

What is the address for QSL request?

THANKS

73 DE XE-SWL-24-01, Mexico.

Radio Television De Guinea Ecuatorial
Ave. 3 de Agosto 90,
Ap 195. Malabo.

Thats the address for "RTVGE" in WRTH2017

Chief Fart Knocker

9
Do keep an eye out for us the weekend of July 8th and 9th, we'll likely make an appearance at some point with music.It a week or tow, we plan to have audio processing hardware installed to make our sound clean, level and loud with a little punch.  If for some reason 6945 is occupied, we'll look for an open channel and set up shop there instead

10
Tuned in about five minutes ago (0215) and saw a pretty decent AM carrier on 6945, and when it went away heard metal music in USB. 

I'm wondering if I caught the tail end of FKR or it was someone else.

That AM carrier was us

Chief Fart Knocker

11
We'll give this another try tonight around 10pm eastern/9pm central June 2nd, which would be 0200UTC July 3rd

12
Sorry I didn't appear on air local time Saturday July 1st, I took a nap and when I woke up... I discovered another operator already on 6945.. I didn't want to interfere with them and didn't feel like moving off 6945khz

We'll give this another try tonight around 10pm eastern/9pm central June 2nd, which would be 0200UTC July 3rd

13
There was no broadcast Saturday local time, I fell asleep pretty early and when I woke up, a friend alerted me to someone already on 6945, in LSB.. I didn't want to interfere with them so I decided against it. I might try tonight, Sunday June 2nd

Chief Fart Knocker

14
There was no broadcast Saturday local time, I fell asleep pretty early and when I woke up, a friend alerted me to someone already on 6945, in LSB.. I didn't want to interfere with them so I decided against it. Maybe I'll try again tonight, Sunday July 2nd

Chief Fart Knocker

15
SDR recording catch. Quite weak, but the signal came up a little around 0450 and I could hear music, but too weak for either me or Shazam to ID
Faded out at 0451.
Faded back in (a little) around 0456. Lost again around 0503.

Yup, that was us. We moved to 6945khz the next night, as you already found out.  Looks like we'll continue on 6945khz for the time being unless something necessitates we move, again

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