Topics

421

General Radio Discussion / JOTA is this weekend 10/19 - 10/21/2018. Suggesting FREQ's link.

« on: October 16, 2018, 1703 UTC »

Well, this is different to check out, Boys / Girls Scouts on the amateur bands, https://www.scouting.org/jota/  Last year, I participated in a club outing at a camp near Barboursville, WV to introduce scouts to radio, many for the 1st time. When I was growing up, every kid either had, or knew about walkie-talkies, and had parents with CB's. Last year's event, only about 3 out of 40 kids knew about two-way radio. And even if they never key a mic again in the amateur bands, you know that many will be exposed again to HF / VHF if they go into the military. This year? I was asked if I can stay at home and work the stations around me. The 1st time that I did that in the 1990's I worked a 6M SSB station from a camp just east of Buffalo, NY. So, what FREQ's? Anywhere that the volunteer amateur station's license lets them operate, but mostly the voice portions of the HF bands. (So, pretty liberal there, but a good bet that a majority will be in the General's portions.) On VHF / UHF, simplex FM FREQ's like 146.550MHz, 146.580MHz, and 446.000MHz. Around LA, CA and maybe Chicago, 223.500MHz, where the 222MHz band is still hot. Anyway, something different. Happy DX!!!!
 UPDATE!!!!!!!! Here's the quick link for the suggested FREQ's, https://www.scouting.org/jota/operators-guides/     Scroll down for the FREQ's. I see that on the 2M band that they suggest the 147MHz simplex FREQ's.

422

Pirate Radio History / 1990's FM Pirate WBAD 91.9FM History on NPR (PRI) Studio 360!

« on: October 13, 2018, 2038 UTC »

         Wow!!! Not often that I listen to NPR on FM radio here, but happened to hear about this 30min segment of the NYC mid-90's Hip-Hop FM pirate station WBAD 91.9FM,   https://www.pri.org/stories/2018-10-11/rise-and-fall-pirate-radio-station-wbad      Even though I consider NPR mainstream media (Albeit, they had humble beginnings as Class "D" 10W LPFM stations in the 1960's, yet forgot that.), it was still neat to hear this story aired. Looks like you can listen and download it as a podcast. ENJOY!!!!!

423

MW Loggings / UNID, 1710kHz, gospel mx, 04:00UTC, 9/24/2018.

« on: September 24, 2018, 1722 UTC »

 Testing the AM Stereo capability on a newly converted McIntosh MR7084 tuner with an added Meduci AM Stereo decoder board for DX AM Stereo listening, but heard this gospel music station fade-in (Monophonically.). I wasn't able to RX this on my Awia AM Stereo walkman, but the McIntosh heard it, and with great audio quality. Wasn't able to catch any ID, or announcements. I might try to catch this on the truck's stereo later. It didn't even light up any of the tuner's 6 segment LED signal strength meter, but still good S/N Ratio. Nice test, but what was that?

424

Huh? / Tropical Storm Helene Heading to The U.K.!

« on: September 16, 2018, 1651 UTC »

   You don't see this very often, a tropical storm that 1st was thought to be a concern to the NE USA / Canada did a complete hook-shot and now threatens Ireland and the UK,    https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at3+shtml/144450.shtml?mltoa34#contents This could make for some interesting monitoring of emergency communications from there. In the meantime, Florence continues to be an extreme slow moving pain in the ass state-side.  https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

425

General Radio Discussion / 14.325MHz maybe the goto FREQ this weekend, Sept 13 - 16, 2018.

« on: September 11, 2018, 1653 UTC »

With all that noise that Hurricane Florence is making, the Hurricane Net on 14.325MHz USB maybe the goto FREQ to monitor. http://w4ehw.fiu.edu/ With HF propagation really sucking lately, keep an ear open for 40M, 60M, and 75M, net FREQ's as well. After much of the North East had leftovers from Gordon dumped on them (Like where I am.), flooding will be a problem with this one well inland. Stay tuned!!!! Literally.

426

General Radio Discussion / Fusion GPS and Russia Gate via Amateur Radio?

« on: August 29, 2018, 1511 UTC »

Heard this blurp on FOX New Radio, then, it disappeared. Found it!!!   http://jamiedupree.blog.ajc.com/2017/12/17/the-conspiracy-theorists-came-for-my-pizza-in-2016-now-theyre-after-my-hobby/    Anyone know what band / FREQ, or even monitored the QSO that took place?

427

General Radio Discussion / Monday August 20th is National Radio Day! SFW???

« on: August 20, 2018, 0149 UTC »

Yeah, when I heard about 8/20/2018 being National Radio Day, 1:, SFW?, 2:, Who thinks this crap up?, and 3:, WTFC? Well, I guess that we do, so here's the site about it, www.nationalradioday.com    Anyway, I believe that most of us are doing our part.

428

Equipment / No DRM around? Roll your own!

« on: August 14, 2018, 1538 UTC »

I was looking at this European company for their AM C-QUAM TX's, but found a neat DRM milliwatt transmitter,  http://www.aspisys.com/drmax.htm  So, if we don't have DRM here yet, we can literally roll our own Part #15-wise.

429

Equipment / Retro bring-back, an FM to AM converter! Another Cuthbert Kit.

« on: July 24, 2018, 1459 UTC »

Yeah!!!! I remember those car radio FM to AM radio tuner converters from the 70's and even the early 1980's. Well, here's a portable one.   https://radiojayallen.com/cuthbert-fm-to-am-converter-mkii/    Radio Jay did a miss print there where he typed 15kHz, 14kHz - 16kHz, to really mean 1500kHz and 1400kHz - 1600Khz. (But gee, wouldn't super ELF be a neat kit to modulate? Hi-hi...) Anyway, what would you use this kit for? Most of you have SWL rigs and HF transceivers that do not have the FM BC band. This would be a unique way to add that. Well, sounds fun...

430

Equipment / Sangean HDR-14 Compact AM/FM HD Radio, Radio Jay Allen Review.

« on: July 19, 2018, 1535 UTC »

This makes it the smallest, and most affordable AM/FM HD radio out there yet. And, even if you don't give a flying crap about AM / FM HD Radio in North America, you've got to admit that, at the very least, it is intriguing.     https://radiojayallen.com/sangean-hdr-14-compact-am-fm-hd-radio/

431

General Radio Discussion / New alternative to Youtube to launch 7/4/2018 by Mike Adams!

« on: June 28, 2018, 1509 UTC »

Yep, I've already signed up for my channel. It's going to be called Real Video. Grab your channel now!   https://real.video/    I'm not suggesting that Youtube's days are numbered, but it's always nice to know that there's another games in town to check out. Launch day for this service is suppose to be this July 4th, 2018. Check it out!!!!!!! I've asked if they have any PSA's, or any other radio promotional, for air. If so, I'll add the link.

432

FM DX Loggings / FM Sporadic "E" is back!

« on: June 21, 2018, 0301 UTC »

COOL!!! Around 6PM my time, a friend TEXT'ed that he DX'ed a 95.1FM station from Manitoba today on his car stereo! Manitoba to Charleston, WV isn't a bad "E" haul. Now, if we can only get that propagation this weekend for Field Day 2018.

433

Equipment / Cuthbert AM Stereo C-Quam Transmitter Kit! Finally!!!!!

« on: June 02, 2018, 1536 UTC »

Yeah!!!!! Finally!!! A Part #15 AM Stereo C-QUAM kit!      https://radiojayallen.com/cuthbert-am-stereo-c-quam-transmitter/    Question is, will this be a come 'n go sort of thing, or will it be a neat Part #15 buzz that can help give LPAM and C-QUAM stereo a kick where it needs it? Time will tell. The sad part is that it may end up being that there will be more AM stereo transmitters than receivers out there. However, there are kits out there for converting you favorite stereo tuner, or receiver, to have C-QUAM ability, like this site,     http://meduci.com/   

434

General Radio Discussion / Part #15 AM at Hamvention 2018? Looks like it!

« on: May 16, 2018, 1913 UTC »

Huh... Looks like Hamvention, the world's largest Hamfest, has a Part #15 AM station operating there. When you 1st goto this page,  http://hamvention.org/   you'll see, "Tune to 1620 AM for important Hamvention updates." COOL!!!!!

435

Equipment / Radio Jay's AM Portable 2018 Shootout!

« on: April 27, 2018, 1719 UTC »

Busy AM radio Friday for me, then comes news that Radio Jay Allen updated his AM Radio Shootout,     https://radiojayallen.com/am-portables-mega-shootout-2016-update/      WARNING!!!!! The following maybe a fun read! Yeah, Radio Jay doesn't use measured spec's in his write-ups, but then again the average Joe / Jane may make more sense of these.