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Messages - vlfradio

Pages: 1 2 [3] 4
31
HF Beacons / Microwatt Miricle - sand-dune temperature drifter
« on: September 30, 2012, 1852 UTC »
I have implanted a mile from a small desert town in Inyo County a free-running oscillator beacon of about 1 mW output to low-1/4 wave wire up 3-8 feet above sand (1/4 wave gnd. counterpoise) amongst sand-dunes and scrub that is drifting between 2671 to 2679 kHz depending upon the outside temp and temp within its clear-plastic enclosure - the wee beacon runs on a 12 v/ 9 aH gel cell 24/7 and drifts upward as the temp declines. It is keyed by a 555 low-power timer chip to J-fet oscillator (coil is wound on a toroid) to a 2N2222 output buffer trans. keyed by a 2N2222 keying transistor. It FSKs about 2.12 kHz with one of its "side" of the FSK being a tad stronger than the other.

This beacon seems to closely track ambient temperature of its osc. circuit, thus it is called the "dunes drifter."

It might make the ULTIMATE skip-DX beacon for Token or those in a quiet location at dusk or night to dawn.

73 and gud DXing - -v-

32
HF Beacons / Re: A 2097
« on: September 30, 2012, 1743 UTC »
A means AZ.

38 watts output (about). Not mine, but I know all about it - it had to get a new p.a. and ident keying method, as the Monsoon t-storms and/or keying transient glitch kept zapping its high-pwr. mosfet p.a, so it got fixed last month and should blare away for a good while now.

73 de -v-

33
HF Beacons / Re: Unknown dasher, 2018.32 kHz
« on: September 30, 2012, 1740 UTC »
Hi Token abd beaconeers,

This one is also same friend's of mine whom planted the 2008.45  NV beacon - this one runs about 11 mW output to inv. vee up in a **very remote** canyon in the Inyo Mountains up in a Pinyon Pine forest at about 7500 feet or so - like 2008, it runs night-only and also is on a 8-D-battery battery pack and will be there all autumn and winter for this friend whom lives outside CA to DX from his home state in NM.

73 and great DXing from -v-

34
HF Beacons / Re: Unknown dasher, 2008.43 kHz
« on: September 30, 2012, 1731 UTC »
Hi Token,

Your receiving capabilities with your SDRs and ant. farn there in Kern Co. are amazing!

OK, the 2008 beacon is a friends of mine - it runs night-only via a 8-d-cell battery pack - 130 mW output to south/north-facing dipole up 25-30 ft. in BIG pinyon pine trees in s.w. Nevada to the north of DVNP at elevation 7400 ft. - it as you have researched and observed, runs with overall real low duty cycle in order to preserve the alkaline-D-cell battery pack as long as is possible.

73 - v

35
HF Beacons / Re: Unknown dasher 2025.16 kHz
« on: September 30, 2012, 1702 UTC »
2025.16 is located in Inyo, co. CA and is night-only (dusk to dawn) with about 1.5 watts output to inv. vee on granite rock-pile - 73 - v

36
HF Beacons / Two 8.193 to 8.195 MHz bcns to try for
« on: July 30, 2012, 0739 UTC »
yes, there are still some 8 MHz signals - "S" is silent pending a visit someday by the ops..., but hre are two in the West some could try for:

8193.75 or so - "MarinDit" 10 mW nor. Calif. - about 80 dits per minute
8149.5 (chips) Inyo Whooper dasher - daytime only second harmonic quite strong - also 4097.25 with a "whoop" in LSB mode. 70 dashes per minute or so, if I recall - 73 - v-v

37
HF Beacons / Re: Russian Naval beacons
« on: October 23, 2011, 0230 UTC »
in the mornings at sunrise in the eastern CA desert, the eastern russian beacons on about 7038-7039 kHz (M, F, and a third I can't recall at this moment) are very strong and not same ones as heard in eastern USA at sunset there... often the three eastern Russian beacons are accompanied by an ongoing ham lsb qso daily there on 7040 LSB - like a sort of wierd broadcast, and these ham signals sound s.e. Asian (or Philippines) in language...

38
HF Beacons / MarinDit
« on: October 23, 2011, 0225 UTC »
The 8193.8 kHz "MarinDit" attic beacon is a daily signal in the eastern CA desert as well as in NM and utah now - short skip allows for a  good daytime signal 300 miles away from this 5 to 10 mW signal in Marin County, CA that I placed in my parent's house about 11 yrs ago... :) it is the most QRP of the phifers...

39
HF Beacons / Re: 6961 pirate beacon
« on: October 23, 2011, 0214 UTC »
 :) it is in mojave desert of calif.,  on for 1 week with vfo... v

40
North American Shortwave Pirate / welcome to the HFU board
« on: June 01, 2011, 1511 UTC »
We're glad to have you reporting! 73! v

41
FM Free Radio / Nifty CZH050 transmitter on eBay
« on: June 01, 2011, 1504 UTC »
There is a little nifty 0.5 watt xmtr for local pir8ting on eBay - look for the "CZH-05A" model or "CZH-05B" unit(s) and also, search Google for these model numbers, and you will get to the links/seller.

The prices are not too bad, considering just a few years ago quality, pre-built units were much scarcer.

Also check out "Broadcast Warehouse" in the UK...

Happy FMing!

vlfradio/ML

PS - build a "J" antenna - works a few dB better than a 1/4 wave groundplane...

corrected my vlfradio 02 June 11


 :)

42
HF Beacons / MarinDit 8193.8-ish - 10 mW
« on: June 01, 2011, 0841 UTC »
I forgot long ago to reply and say that it is a very low-powered "attic-beacon" MarinDit on 8193.8 kHz or so with short dits - maybe 90/min or so - 24/7. Only maybe 10 mw max. out put - just 555-dit ident to xtal osc. - it is maybe "Part 15" power in my parent's house attic with end-fed wire strong in rafters -

73,
vlfradio/ML/TR  ;)

43
HF Beacons / 4089 kHz Death Valley Ditter
« on: June 01, 2011, 0815 UTC »
 :) Yes, it is the Death Valley Ditter on about 4089 kHz. - 73, ML/TR  - ::)

44
HF Beacons / TR on 6926 and other 43m freqs
« on: June 01, 2011, 0618 UTC »
That's a very nice video, Token, you made of reception on April 11th - I had no way of knowing it was getting out so well for about 100 mW.

 8) With the recent increase in solar-activity and higher MUF's on HF in the daytime now, it was decided to put this beacon back in the 6.9 MHz region rather than down on 4.0 - 4.1 Mhz region.  It usually runs when I go on trips to DX it from various locations, like nor. CA or other desert locations, etc.  The VFO mode (in an old BC-221 enclosure using that unit's var. cap and switches but with all else gutted) make for the chirp, but that is a fun charcteristic of TR. The ident came from an old Medfer beacon used in the late 80's(!)

Token, looks like you have a very excellent DX set-up in the desert! Your vids on YouTube excellent, as is your receiver - many thanks!

TR will occ. run about 6930 kHz or a tad higher so as to not QRM too badly 6925 USB xmssions.

73 - ML/TR

45
HF Beacons / Re: TR on 6926
« on: May 31, 2011, 0431 UTC »
 :D The TR beacon in the Northern Mojave Desert runs occasionally.  The ant. was shortened for 43m beacon signals in March 2011.  It is 100 mW. Inverted-vee.

VFO is jfet osc. to 2n3866 buffer to NTE-295 power amp. NPN -class-C p.a. (?) - forget final amp. exact number - anyway,  it is on 6930 kHz tonight past midnight PDT for Memorial Day transmission.

It can be put in a very FM-ey "AM" mode as well for low-power broadcasting to local desert on hikes.

ML/TR

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