Messages

2146

North American Shortwave Pirate / Rave on Radio 6925 USB 0102z 4.26.13

« on: April 26, 2013, 0108 UTC »

Weak but audible
heard at about 0102z, had to crank in noise reduction
unknown music
0106z ID in clear
0110z ID
0123z /off

Band very noisy but reasonable signal & improving

As always RoR, good to hear you! Thanks for the Show~~~

2147

Equipment / Re: Antennas

« on: April 23, 2013, 1620 UTC »

Full wave 40M loop [~140'] hung like a picture frame [vertical] with ends up @45' & fed in bottom, center, with 450 ohm ladder line. I then tune the ladder line with an old Johnson Matchbox [275w version], then feed that through [an optional] Mizuho SX59 Preslector...
I intend to replace the Matchbox with binocular 9:1 xformer but not likely to happen until next fall. No point in doing it so the lightning gods can melt it over the summer!!!

That is my main DXing antenna, living in rural area means I already have a low noise level & I use this setup pretty much exclusively with my Perseus SDR...

It's a Grand Setup!!!

Rafman

2148

Equipment / Re: Headphones: One type better than another for Utility/Number Station Monitoring?

« on: April 23, 2013, 1611 UTC »

I have yet to find a better set of comms headphones that the Yaesu YH-55's I bought from Gilfer Shortwave [when they were still in business]

However, I have found a set of behind the head Plantronics that come very close for monitoring. While they do have a microphone, it can easily be swung out of the way. They are very lightweight & rather comfortable & they have a 3.5mm plug vs. a 1/4 mono on YH55s... Audio response seems almost perfect for SSB, etc too!

I will dig up the model number when I get back into my radio room.

Regards,

Rafman

2149

General Radio Discussion / Re: Recent FCC Activity on 6925 kcs.

« on: April 23, 2013, 1448 UTC »

I work in a somewhat "FCC regulated business" & they are doing alot of traveling related to tower lighting/marking/ASR violations. That has been a major enforcement issue that takes Field Agents to outlying & rural areas. I agree that this was an "accidental bust" but then again, it's not a true bust. It is a Warning with no fine attached [lucky for him]. If I were him, I would not do it from anywhere near the same location. "Studios in the Woods" comes to mind

I will say this [and will take the slings & arrows for it] but by bringing more folks to the site, the chances of some lawyer/cop wanna-be ham increases bust chances greatly. I say that as a ham. These types of folks have always been a chafing effect on my activities but I ignore them after 30 years. If I even mention pirates in a ham conversation, they are quick to pontificate upon the "unlicensed" aspect. I have come to care less... Hollingsworth preyed upon these poor folks, to the point he could have built a huge retirement castle out of the 1000's of "snitch" cassette tapes!!!

Pirates are "Entrepreneurs of the Airwaves" & the only difference between them & their detractors is a simple paper "permission slip" at the behest of a clueless government. Some of the stations I have heard over the last 2 years deserve a license, based solely on their operation's technical merits alone. C-QUAM & DRM is not for the faint-of-heart engineer...

Regards & thanks to all On Air & on this board for adding fun back into radio [for me]!

Rafman

2150

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: TCS 6925AM *0043 22Apr13

« on: April 22, 2013, 0118 UTC »

[I didn't see this up when I logged it myself in sep post]

0057z "If You're Going to San Francisco" Scott McKenzie
0100z ID "Flower Power" TCS Shortwave
0100z "It's All Too Beautiful" Itchycoo Park
0103z "Then Along Comes Mary" The Association

s7-8 fluttery

0127z back on 6925.6, was 6925.5 earlier

0148z "Green Tambourine"  Lemon Pipers
0150z "Hair"
0226z ID
0227z SSTV
0228z /off

s8-9 fluttery at times/rising static/deepening fades

Thanks for the Great Show!

2151

North American Shortwave Pirate / TCS 6925 AM 0041 UTC 22 Apr 2013

« on: April 22, 2013, 0053 UTC »

60's music [really good classics but can't recall titles!]

0057z "If You're Going to San Francisco" Scott McKenzie
0100z ID "Flower Power" TCS Shortwave
0100z "It's All Too Beautiful" Itchycoo Park
0103z "Then Along Comes Mary" The Association

s7-8 fluttery

0127z back on 6925.6, was 6925.5 earlier

0148z "Green Tambourine"  Lemon Pipers
0150z "Hair"
0226z ID
0227z SSTV
0228z /off

s8-9 fluttery at times/rising static/deepening fades

Thanks for the Great Show!

2152

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: UNID 6925 USB 2321Z 21Apr2013

« on: April 21, 2013, 2334 UTC »

Had them here s5-6

Alot of QRM

2153

North American Shortwave Pirate / R. Ronin SW [RTN Relay?] 6924.6 AM 0337z 4.21.13

« on: April 21, 2013, 0346 UTC »

0337z Ronin Shogun IS /multiple times
0339z R Ronin ID "Turning Japanese" Vapors
0343z ID R Ronin SW "5 to 1" Doors

*** 0353z Wiped OUT by QRM

otherwise s6-7 with same audio levels as RTN

RTN Relay? [Frequency & audio are not the usual RRSW heard here]

I'm confused a bit but thanks for the show RR!!!

2154

North American Shortwave Pirate / R True North 6924.6 AM 0240z 4.21.13

« on: April 21, 2013, 0253 UTC »

Strong carrier, very undermodulated...

Hearing some music but unable to make out what it is...

0305z ID "R True North broadcasting in the pirate radio bands"

s6-7 carrier strength peaking to s8-9

2155

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: Rave On Radio 6925U 0117 4-21-13

« on: April 21, 2013, 0128 UTC »

Got them at s6-7 pretty steady

0130z "Obla-Di, OhBlah-Da"
0132z "One Headlight"
0136z ID "If It's Too Loud, You're Too Old!"
0137z  "Over the Hills and Far Away"
0142z ID "Shutting Her Down"
0144z final ID

As Always, Thanks for the show RoR!!!

2156

North American Shortwave Pirate / KAMP 6925 AM 0240z 4.15.13

« on: April 15, 2013, 0242 UTC »

0240z hearing s8 carrier w/music/
0242z very low audio announcement

2157

North American Shortwave Pirate / Red Mercury 6940 USB 0228z 4.15.13

« on: April 15, 2013, 0230 UTC »

0228z "Always Something There to Remind Me" NAked Eyes
0232z "Man in the Box" Alice in Chains
0237z "Killing in the Name of' RATM
0243z talk of Spike chowing down on ice cream
0244z ID

0416z /off

s7-8 decent signal despite static!

Thanks for the show!

2158

North American Shortwave Pirate / ??? 6940 USB 0527z 4.14.13

« on: April 14, 2013, 0530 UTC »

0527z short catch of heavy metal music, then drop off

Is that you RML???

2159

North American Shortwave Pirate / RTN 6924.7 AM 0441z 4.14.13

« on: April 14, 2013, 0441 UTC »

0441z "Barracuda" Heart
0443z ID [missed due to static crash]
0511z ?ID? "Radio Antenna"?
0533z "In the End" Linkin Park
0539z "She Moves in Mysterious Ways" U2

s6-7 with high static level [OK, more like BRUTAL Level] Aurora "echo" isn't helping copy either!!!

2160

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: 6950am X-FM Shortwave 0200z 4/14/2013

« on: April 14, 2013, 0412 UTC »

0410z LIVE Time Check, ID w/email address, into "Shut Your Mouth"
0417z ID
0418z "Us & Them" Pink Floyd from 1973 [One of my Favorites too!]
0433z mentioned doing an interview for NASWA, question "Describe your programming" I am glad to share that living room!!!
0438z /off

S9-10 over

Great to Hear You Again Redhat!!! Thanks for the Great Sound & Show!!!