Messages

1

Propagation / Re: Solar cycle 25 . Very interesting? I have my doubts.

« on: January 19, 2021, 0413 UTC »

Yeah, MW is sucking this season, and HF has a few mornings where you can hear about half of what could be heard 8 years ago, the rest of the mornings are mostly static.

And I don't think that's due to stations going off the air, as I haven't read of Chinese CNR1 jammers going off the air lately.

They are just not heard as well due to the propagation.

2

General Radio Discussion / Re: Empty HF frequency band for emergency coms

« on: January 19, 2021, 0410 UTC »

If society collapses, just choose a usable frequency and a time to communicate with others beforehand, and probably it would be best to keep such transmissions short, should the TEOTWAWKI events take place. Not to protect yourself from authorities, who will undoubtedly be preoccupied with trying to hold together, but from potential marauders.

I doubt the military will be taking any measures against individuals using HF spectrum, they will have enough other problems to deal with aside from a few survivalists. CB would be handy in short range comms, as the equipment is portable, easy to use, and still plentiful.

And yeah, the spectrum is all 'spoken for', but in reality much of it is empty. The frequencies surrounding the CB band have been assigned to various governmental agencies for as long as I can remember and yet I have never in my life heard anything on those frequencies that remotely resembles a government agency transmission. Just outbanders.

3

Equipment / Re: Sangean ATS-909X2 Launch + Pre-Order

« on: January 14, 2021, 0252 UTC »

I'm glad to see that Sangean has continued the ATS-909 line. Not so glad to see so many issues.

It seems that in moving to DSP they've had more problems with their top of the line SW radio than when it was all analog. Sad to see. Their other DSP radios (the PR-D5 and others in that series) seem to have good overall performance without the big glitches.

4

General Radio Discussion / Re: Proposed Shortwave Station in Illinois Prompts an Objection

« on: January 12, 2021, 0458 UTC »

Where would be the other end of the data link ? Wall Street ? or in Europe? or elsewhere ?

The PDF of the application (linked on the Radio World page) says the station is to 'specifically serve the areas of Europe that may be authorized by the Commission". The PDF also has info on the type of log-periodic that the station plans to use. It looks like it's beam / azimuth is 47 degrees from true north -- aiming the signal NE towards EU.

5

General Radio Discussion / Re: Pirate radio station shown on Google Maps

« on: December 30, 2020, 1146 UTC »

Maybe the name of a legit station?

6

General Radio Discussion / Re: Proposed Shortwave Station in Illinois Prompts an Objection

« on: December 30, 2020, 1144 UTC »

I see it as a non-starter, aside from the mercantile data transmissions.

Who are they going to broadcast to that isn't already served by present day broadcasters? It doesn't make sense. 20 years ago, it would still have made sense. Not in 2021. I mean, how many DRM receivers are there worldwide, really?

7

Equipment / Re: equip question : new member: first post, i need help

« on: December 24, 2020, 0516 UTC »

Nice looking CB radio.

8

General Radio Discussion / Re: Trademark Modernization Act of 2020 in Covid Stimulus Package

« on: December 24, 2020, 0513 UTC »

Nothing like taking advantage of a nation in crisis to shove through whatever legislation that you couldn't get through Congress otherwise.

9

General Radio Discussion / Re: IBOC list

« on: December 15, 2020, 1250 UTC »

Interesting list... it's a bit outdated, though. Shows just how many stations dumped IBOC, though. Because I doubt even a quarter of the ones listed as active on that list are truly IBOC active.

10

General Radio Discussion / Re: Introductions! Just got a Tecsun R9012. Any stations I should look for?

« on: December 15, 2020, 1245 UTC »

If you were tuned to the Shortwave spectrum, the UK accents may have been the BBC to Africa in English, or possibly Radio New Zealand Int'l, which slams the West coast and probably is heard inland as well.

11

MW Loggings / Re: Radio Progreso 640 AM 0530 UTC 19 Nov 2020

« on: November 25, 2020, 0206 UTC »

Funny you say that; I was hearing music underneath KOFI the other night that I was trying to ID. Is Radio Marti also still on 1180?

I believe it still is. It was a few years ago. Haven't heard them in a while, though.

Easiest way is match it with 5025, which comes in fairly well even off the whip on most of my SW portables.

12

MW Loggings / Re: Radio Progreso 640 AM 0530 UTC 19 Nov 2020

« on: November 22, 2020, 0650 UTC »

Don't forget to check 1180 from time to time. Radio Rebelde can be heard during good conditions under KOFI. You can parallel the audio with the Rebelde outlet on 5025 khz. I've heard them on just a portable, more than once, and I'm in the PNW.

13

General Radio Discussion / Re: RIP Universal Radio

« on: November 22, 2020, 0647 UTC »

I'm a bit surprised no one is purchasing the online store. I'm sure the website gets a lot of traffic.

Not a good harbinger for the radio hobby in general.

14

General Radio Discussion / Re: Inside The FCC’s Plan To Allow AMs To Switch To All-Digital Broadcasting

« on: October 13, 2020, 0618 UTC »

It will save some stations, perhaps, 15 years hence. Most will stay analog or go off the air -- or a combination of both.

I say kudos to the FCC if they are indeed granting stations the option. Few will take it. Those that do may have some reason to have done so.

For DXers and casual users of the AM band, we probably won't see much difference when we tune the band. With the economy as it is, I don't see many -- if any -- AM stations investing in any new equipment, much less the equipment needed for all-digital.

As for potential interference to adjacents, I have a local 50 KW analog station that makes the two adjacent channels virtually unusable on most radios. I can't see where digital would be any worse.

15

Equipment / Re: Sangean ATS-909X2 Launch + Pre-Order

« on: October 13, 2020, 0611 UTC »

I read elsewhere it just might be all DSP. Can't confirm that, though.

(the present 909X is DSP only on the FM band -- the original 909, of course, was all analog).