586
Group W Bench / Re: BallSmacker Radio 4030 AM 0154 UTC 14 JAN 2023
« on: January 14, 2023, 0252 UTC »Sadly, ("Heaven and Hell" by Black Sabbath) was dropped on the last round of cuts.
SAD FACE. VERY, VERY SAD FACE.
Shortwave Pirate Radio In North America And Around The World, And Other Signals That Go Bump In The Night
We seek to understand and document all radio transmissions, legal and otherwise, as part of the radio listening hobby. We do not encourage any radio operations contrary to regulations.
Always consult with the appropriate authorities if you have questions concerning what is permissible in your locale.
SAD FACE. VERY, VERY SAD FACE.
Whatever makes you happy.
Yes. I agree on your observation. They do frequent updates (often several times per week) but most of the updates have little relevance to me. I have not observed that much freezing up - perhaps twice in 12-18 hours of use. Though I think that both times it froze was on one of my laptops which is definitely slower and "underequiped" than my desktop computer.
Speaking of updates, in case anybody cares, SDR Chile always has the latest SDR# update along with a whole mess of the plugins, all in one download package. https://sdrchile.cl/en/
Yes, I remember hearing this more than once. That's all they could get, so something simple is understandable.
I always wonder about the reasonable number of Cuban hams on FT8. I'm visualizing a bunch of hams using 20-year old computers that can barely keep up with the demands of WSJT-X, like the 1950s Edsel cars in videos of Havana. At the same time, their computer clocks don't seem any more out of sync with accurate UTC time than the US hams so...
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SAD FACE. VERY, VERY SAD FACE.
587
Group W Bench / Re: Re: WANK 4030 USB 0126 UTC 14 January 2023
« on: January 14, 2023, 0224 UTC »0142 UTC WANK! ID Kinda like that station name!
Whatever makes you happy.
588
North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: BallSmacker Radio 4030 AM 0154 UTC 14 JAN 2023
« on: January 14, 2023, 0220 UTC »
My request: "Heaven and Hell" by Black Sabbath (when Ronnie James Dio was their lead singer). 
589
North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: B Side Radio 6935 AM 0141 UTC 14 JAN 2023
« on: January 14, 2023, 0201 UTC »
Yup. Weak, weak, weak and the modulation is quite low. Bud, did your transmitter croak, man?
0201 - The Police, The King of Pain.
0205 - Talk by Bud and the only part I got clearly is "BEEEE SIIIIIDE RAYYYDEOOOH".
0207 - Big Band/Glenn Miller-type song.
0213 - Paul Simon
0227 - Stan Getz
0228 - Signal strength is very good (S9+10) at VE6JY SDR near Edmonton, AB but quite a lot of polar flutter observed. There must be Northern Lights pretty far south tonight.
In fact, yeah, possibility: https://www.hfunderground.com/propagation/#aurora
This may be part of the reason why many of us are observing weak reception. It has nothing to do with the modulation level though.
0234 - Ben E. King, Waiting for Tomorrow.
0257 - King Crimson, 21st Century Schizoid Man.
0305 - Bud sadly makes a reference to recovering from "The China Flu". See ya, Bud. I won't be listening anymore, ever.
0201 - The Police, The King of Pain.
0205 - Talk by Bud and the only part I got clearly is "BEEEE SIIIIIDE RAYYYDEOOOH".
0207 - Big Band/Glenn Miller-type song.
0213 - Paul Simon
0227 - Stan Getz
0228 - Signal strength is very good (S9+10) at VE6JY SDR near Edmonton, AB but quite a lot of polar flutter observed. There must be Northern Lights pretty far south tonight.
In fact, yeah, possibility: https://www.hfunderground.com/propagation/#aurora
This may be part of the reason why many of us are observing weak reception. It has nothing to do with the modulation level though.
0234 - Ben E. King, Waiting for Tomorrow.
0257 - King Crimson, 21st Century Schizoid Man.
0305 - Bud sadly makes a reference to recovering from "The China Flu". See ya, Bud. I won't be listening anymore, ever.
590
Other / Re: AM Window Operators Talking About Pirate Radio 3873 AM 2350 UTC 3 JAN 2023
« on: January 05, 2023, 0250 UTC »
I miss the strapping contests.
591
Software / Re: Any SDR# (SDRSharp) Users Out There?
« on: January 05, 2023, 0233 UTC »In addition to what you wrote, I never liked that the settings always seemed to reset when you upgraded, and they do very frequent upgrades to SDR#.
Yes. I agree on your observation. They do frequent updates (often several times per week) but most of the updates have little relevance to me. I have not observed that much freezing up - perhaps twice in 12-18 hours of use. Though I think that both times it froze was on one of my laptops which is definitely slower and "underequiped" than my desktop computer.
Speaking of updates, in case anybody cares, SDR Chile always has the latest SDR# update along with a whole mess of the plugins, all in one download package. https://sdrchile.cl/en/
592
Latin American Pirate / Radio Compañía Worldwide (Presumed) 6925 AM 0125 UTC 05 January 2023
« on: January 05, 2023, 0130 UTC »
Weak carrier with music. SINPO 13331 on KFS SDR (NorCal) omni antenna. Confirmed program is // to what I am hearing on the same frequency on SDRs in Argentina and Brazil. Presumed since I have not heard an ID.
593
North American Shortwave Pirate / B-Side Radio 6935 AM 0110 UTC 5 JAN 2023
« on: January 05, 2023, 0112 UTC »
SINPO 45444 on KFS SDR (NorCal) omni antenna. Tuned in at 0110 to hear Bud Bigley announcing the next song.
0110 - CSN&Y, "Judy Blue Eyes"
0119 - Count Basie, "Doggin' Around"
0133 - Earth, Wind and Fire , "Boogie Wonderland.".
0139 - I changed to W0AY SDR in western Montana because KFS was freezing up too much. S7-S9+ on W0AY.
0144 - Gary U.S. Bonds, "Twist, Twist Senora" (1962)
0148 - Burton Cummings, "Guns Guns Guns"
0151 - Cream, "Sunshine of Your Love"
0157 - Shoutouts to HFU posters. (Not bad to the east coast with "10,000 milliWatts". Good use of the grey line, IMO.)
0206 - The Knack, "Good Girls Don't" (1979)
0211 - ELO
0221 "What is SINPO?" Listener subjective ratings. SINPO = Signal, Interference, Noise, Propagation and Overall. All on a scale of 1-5 each, with 5 being the best. Used a lot in SWL circles.
0237 - Tears for Fears, "Everybody Wants to Rule the World". (Last song.)
0240 - Close down
I'll tell you that I haven't figured this all out yet, however, but it's clear that the internet connection (at the source, at your end or somewhere in between) seems to be a big part of the issue and I have observations and experimental results to prove it. I have also observed that the processing load on the SDR computer has something to do with it, so when I am listening to something for a long time and don't need the waterfall, I will either slow the waterfall or turn it off completely to lower the load. I have seen it help in circumstances where the processor load is marginally OK. Some SDRs do this already, e.g., K3FEF.
So you are saying you got off before you got off?
0110 - CSN&Y, "Judy Blue Eyes"
0119 - Count Basie, "Doggin' Around"
0133 - Earth, Wind and Fire , "Boogie Wonderland.".
0139 - I changed to W0AY SDR in western Montana because KFS was freezing up too much. S7-S9+ on W0AY.
0144 - Gary U.S. Bonds, "Twist, Twist Senora" (1962)
0148 - Burton Cummings, "Guns Guns Guns"
0151 - Cream, "Sunshine of Your Love"
0157 - Shoutouts to HFU posters. (Not bad to the east coast with "10,000 milliWatts". Good use of the grey line, IMO.)
0206 - The Knack, "Good Girls Don't" (1979)
0211 - ELO
0221 "What is SINPO?" Listener subjective ratings. SINPO = Signal, Interference, Noise, Propagation and Overall. All on a scale of 1-5 each, with 5 being the best. Used a lot in SWL circles.
0237 - Tears for Fears, "Everybody Wants to Rule the World". (Last song.)
0240 - Close down
I changed to W0AY SDR in western Montana because KFS was freezing up too much. S7-S9+ on W0AY.
Glad I am not the only one who notices this. I assume it is either caused by a poor internet connection on their end or the bot infestation. I hate that many SDR owners allow or even encourage those guys to fill up almost every slot with bots decoding digital ham stuff. At least when I make audio recordings off it they do not freeze up or skip like it does when listening live.
I'll tell you that I haven't figured this all out yet, however, but it's clear that the internet connection (at the source, at your end or somewhere in between) seems to be a big part of the issue and I have observations and experimental results to prove it. I have also observed that the processing load on the SDR computer has something to do with it, so when I am listening to something for a long time and don't need the waterfall, I will either slow the waterfall or turn it off completely to lower the load. I have seen it help in circumstances where the processor load is marginally OK. Some SDRs do this already, e.g., K3FEF.
A really cute girl sang that song to me on the way home from a concert when it came on the radio, so we got off at the next exit and did.
So you are saying you got off before you got off?
594
European MW Pirate Radio / Radio Odynn 1656 AM 1855 UTC 04 Jan 2023
« on: January 04, 2023, 1901 UTC »
Typical Dutch MW programming. Excellent reception on Twente while demonstrating a SDR to a colleague here in California using my iPhone. ID and email address in English at 1856 UTC.
edit by Ray :
the ID in the subject was shortwave man, but that's only the e-mail addy of Radio Odynn
edit by Ray :
the ID in the subject was shortwave man, but that's only the e-mail addy of Radio Odynn
595
European Pirates and Private Stations / Re: Indy Radio (tent.) 6931 AM 2213 UTC 31 DEC 2022
« on: January 01, 2023, 0123 UTC »
0120 UTC 01 Jan 2023 -
Very weak but perceptible on the waterfall display on the W1NT SDR in New Hampshire (northeast USA) with 500 feet/150 meter long Beverage antenna aimed at Europe.
Very weak but perceptible on the waterfall display on the W1NT SDR in New Hampshire (northeast USA) with 500 feet/150 meter long Beverage antenna aimed at Europe.
596
European Pirates and Private Stations / Re: Zeppelin Radio 6954.88 AM 1824 UTC 31 DEC 2022
« on: January 01, 2023, 0121 UTC »
0116 01 Jan 2023
- Listenable but very week on the W1NT SDR in New Hampshire (northeast USA) with 500 feet/150 meter long Beverage antenna aimed at Europe.
- Very comfortable S7 / SINPO 33343 on the EA7FBK SDR in the Canary Islands, Spain.
- Listenable but very week on the W1NT SDR in New Hampshire (northeast USA) with 500 feet/150 meter long Beverage antenna aimed at Europe.
- Very comfortable S7 / SINPO 33343 on the EA7FBK SDR in the Canary Islands, Spain.
597
General Radio Discussion / Re: US FCC High Frequency Direction Finding Capability Center
« on: December 25, 2022, 0428 UTC »
You raise a good point.
The US Constitution has guaranteed the freedom from unreasonable search and seizure in the Fourth Amendment. No federal agency can be above the Constitution, however, it would be up to the courts or legislation to decide what is "unreasonable". I would think that this has been adjudicated for Federal agencies not dealing with criminal matters, given that the Bill of Rights was ratified and adopted well over 220 years ago leaving plenty of time for someone, somewhere to bring a case before the courts that would decide if such an agency policy as "we can inspect your radio whenever we want" or legislation saying something to that effect is unconstitutional.
The US Constitution has guaranteed the freedom from unreasonable search and seizure in the Fourth Amendment. No federal agency can be above the Constitution, however, it would be up to the courts or legislation to decide what is "unreasonable". I would think that this has been adjudicated for Federal agencies not dealing with criminal matters, given that the Bill of Rights was ratified and adopted well over 220 years ago leaving plenty of time for someone, somewhere to bring a case before the courts that would decide if such an agency policy as "we can inspect your radio whenever we want" or legislation saying something to that effect is unconstitutional.
598
General Radio Discussion / Re: Discussion on Russian Mediumwave Pirates
« on: December 23, 2022, 2144 UTC »When I ran across that schematic in the first decade of the century, there was an article with it that mentioned the one tube design was due to the fact that parts were hard to get. An ordinary citizen had to apply for a permit to buy a TV or radio and it took months and up to a year's salary to buy one. The pirates used tubes scrounged from scrapped TV's and radio's they found in the trash and preferred triodes.
Yes, I remember hearing this more than once. That's all they could get, so something simple is understandable.
Arnie Coro in his talk about his drifty SSB transmitter on "Dx'ers Unlimited" mentioned using tubes from those same type of Eastern Bloc TV's and radio's to build it. They were common junk in post Cold War Cuba.
I always wonder about the reasonable number of Cuban hams on FT8. I'm visualizing a bunch of hams using 20-year old computers that can barely keep up with the demands of WSJT-X, like the 1950s Edsel cars in videos of Havana. At the same time, their computer clocks don't seem any more out of sync with accurate UTC time than the US hams so...
599
General Radio Discussion / Re: US FCC High Frequency Direction Finding Capability Center
« on: December 23, 2022, 2136 UTC »
I think folks will find this entire page to be relevant, from the horse's (insert appropriate body part) itself:
https://www.fcc.gov/reports-research/guides/inspection-fact-sheet
Here are some very relevant sections:
https://www.fcc.gov/reports-research/guides/inspection-fact-sheet
Here are some very relevant sections:
Quote
Both licensees and non-licensees must allow an FCC Agent to inspect their radio equipment. Along with the privilege of possessing a license come responsibilities such as knowing the applicable rules, including allowing the station to be inspected. Licensees should be aware of the Commission's right to inspect. Equally important, FCC Agents are allowed to inspect the radio equipment of non-licensees. Non-licensees include those individuals or entities operating in accordance with Part 15 of the Rules. Non-licensees also include those who should have a license to operate their equipment but have not obtained a license and are operating without authority.
Quote
Q: Well then, if I am a low-power broadcaster and don't have an FCC license, they need a search warrant, right?
A: Wrong again. The FCC agents have the authority to inspect all radio equipment; even if you do not have a license, the FCC can still inspect your equipment. Section 303(n) of the Act gives the FCC the right to inspect all "stations required to be licensed." This language covers your low-power radio station. The FCC agents are inspecting the equipment, not searching your house.
600
North American Shortwave Pirate / B-Side Radio 6935 AM 0103 UTC 23 Dec 2022
« on: December 23, 2022, 0107 UTC »
Holy music. Likely B-Side Radio. Heard better in the west than the east but reception in the east is probably better than previous evenings.
0106 - recitation in perhaps Latin or Spanish, turning into singing by YL and musical accompaniment.
0112 - ID and music announcements.
0106 - recitation in perhaps Latin or Spanish, turning into singing by YL and musical accompaniment.
0112 - ID and music announcements.
