Topics

106

Huh? / Radio Survivor Podcast #342 – The Famous Computer Cafe

« on: August 18, 2024, 1453 UTC »

Got to admit, it's kind of a different turn for Radio Survivor, but digging-up 1980's computer shows are no doubt of interest. So, enjoy.   https://www.radiosurvivor.com/2024/08/podcast-342-the-famous-computer-cafe/

107

General Radio Discussion / CHML 900AM Hamilton, ON going bye-bye? Uh...

« on: August 16, 2024, 1557 UTC »

Ya know, I've just RSVP'ed a post, where someone was asking about station that still air Old-Time Radio programs, and CHML 900AM was one that I remembered that still did nightly. Well, I guess not anymore.  https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-corus-shuts-down-hamilton-radio-station-amid-other-necessary-changes/  That sucks, as it was also another neat alternative talker that could be easily heard driving around WNY. (Thank you Boomer, for passing that along to me.) Still, sucks to read about.

108

10/11 meters / 0352 UTC, 8/12/2024, CB CH38 LSB. Rare, late night F2 and late season Sporadic E

« on: August 12, 2024, 1739 UTC »

Surprised to hear activity on CB CH38 LSB, 27.385MHz, at 11:52PM EST, with Sporadic "E" from Illinois, and F2 from a 416 Jeff, from Melbourne, Australia, peaking out at S9. Then, there was this dude DX'ing from Hawaii, but didn't mention where. Still, neat to hear that late at night, on 11M.

109

Huh? / What's your 'College Stations' list?

« on: August 08, 2024, 1718 UTC »

With the recent buzz of the movie documentary 35000 Watts, www.35000watts.com , that leads the question out there to y'all. What college stations did you either visit, listen to, was on-air with, or even provided engineering to? With me??? Still thinking about it, my list keeps getting longer, but been to the studios of:

WJSL, (Now WXXY.), WNTE, WALF, WITR, WECW,

Station that I have not been in the studio, but just outside, or at the TX site:

WETD, WGCC, WGSU, WBSU, (That includes the AM Carrier-Current trainer station.), KSUA, (Got to also see their parade float in 7/1985.), WRUR, WBNY, WSBU, WVCR, WEOS, WMUL, WWVU, WSPN, WVBR,

Other stations that I've listened to, but never been to:

WICB, WDWN, WFSE, WCEB, WCMO, WKPS, WSRU, WQSU, WERG, WVWC,

The only station to provide engineering to, thus far:

WNTE


Am I forgetting some? I know that I am. I'll never beat Jennifer Waits's list. So, how many do you know on this list? https://www.35000watts.com/college-radio-database/

While I'm at it, LPFM stations that I've been to:

WTSQ-LP, WSVQ-LP

Now, how many pirate stations have I been to? Um... Let's leave that one for another subject.

Incomplete list? 8/10/2024: Forgot about listening to Toronto's 89.5FM, CIUT,   https://ciut.fm/  heard driving down Rt 390S, to as far as Wayland, NY. That was in the late 1990's, and they just played a long set of Trance tunage then. Thus far, the only Canadian college station that I remember hearing. Probably, couldn't do that today, with all these newer FM translators on-air.

110

SDR - Software Defined Radio / Radio World discovers, SDR: The Next Level of Shortwave Radio Listening? Ok...

« on: August 07, 2024, 1622 UTC »

https://www.radioworld.com/global/sdr-the-next-level-of-shortwave-radio-listening   Hey, gotta' start somewhere on this. At least, the author got his RTL-SDR to work, where as I'm still doing occasional on-line Kiwi-SDR's and the all-in-one-box Xiegu G90. Bigger and better SDR's in my future? Hope so, but $$$$, projects, and time, always have to go elsewhere.

111

Part 15 AM and FM Station Operation / Letter: Richard Fry on Part 15 AM Coverage Area? An RW rip of past conversations

« on: August 05, 2024, 1809 UTC »

https://www.radioworld.com/columns-and-views/readers-forum/letter-richard-fry-on-part-15-am-coverage-area    This subject has come-up more than once on the Part 15 sites.

112

General Radio Discussion / RNZ Inaugurates New Analog and DRM Ampegon Transmitter? SWLing rip.

« on: August 02, 2024, 1548 UTC »

https://swling.com/blog/2024/08/rnz-inaugurates-new-analog-and-drm-ampegon-transmitter/    Ampegon??? Isn't that the big TX that WBCQ is using?

113

Huh? / From WBCQ to LPFM, neat RW articles.

« on: July 27, 2024, 1119 UTC »

Radio World has done WBCQ articles before, but this one is even more inclusive,   https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/news-makers/wbcq-a-one-of-a-kind-shortwave-radio-station


Then, more coverage of LPFM,   https://www.radioworld.com/tech-and-gear/tech-tips/10-tips-for-starting-your-new-lpfm-station   

Gotta' thank Boomer for FWR'ing these, as I keep forgetting to hit RW to see what's up.

114

Huh? / 40W From Nowhere went, well, nowhere? Failed funding on this one.

« on: July 16, 2024, 1121 UTC »

As long as I was checking out radio documentary movies, I remember that another one was supposed to come out, if they got the funding to do so. 40W From Nowhere.   https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kblt/40-watts-from-nowhere-the-kblt-documentary   Well, that sucks. (Hey Andrew!!!! Do you see a potential Hobby Broadcasting podcast interview here?) Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm???

115

Huh? / 35000 Watts, Download Available Now? (Movie documentary.) COOL!!!!

« on: July 10, 2024, 1539 UTC »

I've just gotten the link for this,   https://www.35000watts.com/35000-watts-download-available-now/   I'd rather get the tangible DVD, but this can work as well.

116

Part 15 AM and FM Station Operation / Radio LPFM syndication re-airs Radio Survivor podcast # 120, Part 15.

« on: July 07, 2024, 1551 UTC »

https://www.radiosurvivor.com/2017/12/podcast-120-tiny-radio-station/     Heard WTSQ-LP 88.1FM Charleston, WV,   www.wtsq.org , re-air this podcast, Saturday 7/6/2024, morning on Part 15 radio, with guest Bill DeFelice.  Always, a good listen.

117

The RF Workbench / A brute-force power supply, or an RF nightmare? WFCO RV Power Converters.

« on: June 30, 2024, 1558 UTC »

In my new gig, I was able to dumpster-dive for one of those so-called Power Converters, from WFCO, used for RV Camping Trailers. And, easy enough to fix, since clearly seen are two blown 200VDC, 680uF, electrolytic CAP's. And, not hard to believe upon how that blew. These so-called converters are really cheaply-made switching power supplies. You go from 120VAC line, through a slow-blow 5A, MDL, fuse, then a multi-wound torroid. Then, a heat sink mounted, big-ass, bridge rectifier, that must have a pretty high PIV and current rating, and then those electrolytic CAP's. I, replaced those CAP's with ones rated at 250VDC, 220uF, but paralleled a bank of them. Also seen is a fist-sized transformer, and a banks of what maybe TO-3-AP heatsink-mounted MOSFET's. Then, there's a VERT mounted board, probably for regulation and protection adjustments, since there are, set & glued, trimmer POT's on there. So, I suspect that those are for either VDC OUT ADJ, current limits, or even an over-voltage Crowbar function. (Here, I'm speculating, but might make some logical sense.) And, as a test, at power-up, it didn't blow-up in my face. My test loads were one of those older GE 12VDC Emergency lights and a dialysis pump motor, maybe MAX'ing-Out around 7A, but still something to test. And??? Dead-nuts 13.72VDC Output, with only a 4mV ripple measured, if that. Then, came the RF test with an Eton E-10 HF portable, where from MW to the FM BC band, it's whiny, RF GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR, crazy! I did add extra filtering by the output, with a .33uF, 310VDC, CAP. And??? MW and lower HF were worst! It did help in upper HF, 25MHz - 30MHz, but didn't really help FM BC Band either. There's no really GND on this supply, only one marked 'FG' for Floating Ground. So, Good for motors, battery charging, 12VDC refrigerators, and 12VDC lighting? Sure... Radio stuff??? Hell, NO!!!! BTW, how you have an idea of current rating is the 'WF-89??' number. This unit is a WFCO model # WF-8955. That '55' tells ya that the MAX current rating is 55A. Pretty ballsy, until you put it to radio use. Sure, it will power a 200W Kenwood TS-480 transceiver, and even a 100W Vertex Standard commercial UHF 460MHz radio, both drawing around at least 40A , on transmit, but for RX'ing??? D.E.A.E.D!!!! (Don't Expect Anything Except Disappointment). So, what seems good, is not necessarily good for us. Still, I now have a brute-force bench-side power supply for power hungry tests, but not for testing receivers. BTW, lots of Youtube VID's on these. And, ebay and Amazon, sell these from $100.00 - $300.00. Worth it??? Not to me, but seen in a dumpster, it's pretty hard to pass-up.

118

FM DX Loggings / Nice "E" opening bowling over WCST 98.7FM, by Charleston, WV.

« on: June 22, 2024, 2343 UTC »

At work, I was setting up a used VIBE Camper for resale, and this unit, from 2018, it had a Weingard Rotatable TV / FM antenna, and was able to hear WCST on the camper stereo. https://radio-locator.com/info/WCST-FM?loc=38.48830%2C-81.80511&locn=25159%20%28Poca%2C%20WV%29  Yeah, less than 1kW, at 15 miles from the TX site. Around 10AM EST, (14:00UTC, I believe.), that station was getting trounced by several stations just popping in and out quickly. No DX ID's, but I heard Arkansas mentioned on one station. By 10:40AM, it was just back to hearing only WCST again. Well, always neat to hear FM DX at work. Oh BTW, those disc-like, King TV antennas, that the newer campers seem to come with? Those are 100% total garbage!

119

Amateur Radio / Biggest Amateur Radio Contest event, this weekend, Field Day 2024.

« on: June 19, 2024, 1638 UTC »

Uh-huh... This weekend, the Amateur Radio bands will go nuts with activity for a 24hrs period.   https://www.arrl.org/field-day  But, if you should want to avoid this, then the WARC bands, and the 5MHz (60M), Band, is a great escape. One thing about this heatwave going on is for some nice enhancement in the higher VHF and UHF bands, with Tropo Propagation, especially late night and early mornings. I believe that National Simplex 146.520MHz FM is forbidden to use for contesting, but all other Simplex FREQ's should be game. Happy contesting???

120

Equipment / Don't pass up those 1980's Radio Shack Mixers! MAG Turntable ready!

« on: May 23, 2024, 2019 UTC »

With the Vinyl Revival now in a full-swing, let's talk about gear to use with that vinyl. OK, you have a couple of turntables, that use magnet cartrige pick-ups, but no line-level preamps built-in. You could buy a Magnet Level to Line-Level extrnal preamp, but one tool that I've always found useful, from the 1980's, 1990's, and even more so now, are the cheap Radio Shack, Realistic Mixing boards, CAT # 32-1200 and #32-1100, as seen from this link.    https://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/flipbook/1986_radioshack_catalog.html?fb3d-page=53    Many of today's cheap and moderately priced mixers do not have an input for Magnet Cartrige Level turntables, but these mixers did, and are still widely available used. Yes, they will require clean-up, and some maintenance, like spraying contact cleaner in the slide POT's, RCA Phono Inputs / Outputs, switches, Cue buttons, and headphone jack. However, very doable. Want to add cassette decks, DVD audio, CD payer, Open Reel Deck, MiniDisc, 8-Track, MP3 audio, or something else? These mixers will still perform and be very valid to do so, today. I, have several of these mixers in my production A/V studios and On-Air Part 15 studio, and they are by no means obsolete. If, you see them for cheap, don't pass them up.