Topics

61

Huh? / A legit FM station on 87.7MHz? Really??? Franken FM?

« on: February 17, 2025, 1825 UTC »

https://radioinsight.com/headlines/292226/core-radio-group-launches-87-7-the-vibe-atlanta/     Interesting, if this FREQ is really true. A nice, clean, FREQ to be on, but just how many FM receivers in the USA can actually receive this? I-duh-know... It caught my attention. Am I missing something? In theory, you should be able to listen to this on an analog, NTSC TV, with mechanical TV channel tuner. Albeit, the audio maybe loud and distorted, with TV audio deviation being +/-25kHz, to FM BC's +/-75kHz. 
UPDATE: This could explain it, a Franken-FM.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Channel_6_radio_stations_in_the_United_States

62

Huh? / New Options for Pirates and LPFM? Another RW rip.

« on: February 14, 2025, 1743 UTC »

https://www.radioworld.com/columns-and-views/new-options-for-pirates-and-lpfm     Actual, stumbled on this one on my own. (Oooooooooooooo...)

63

Huh? / The History of UHF TV in America?

« on: February 11, 2025, 2105 UTC »

Being one who's worked for a UHF TV station, for like 7 years, I can appreciate this site.    https://uhfhistory.com/index.html

64

Equipment / Stripped-down Nextel-like HT's? Well, at least intriguing.

« on: February 06, 2025, 2002 UTC »

https://rapidradios.com/?view=abconvert-index-WU8xc6vs   I've heard about these advertised on C2C AM, and I've had friends ask me just how would these work? My guess was right, they won't work in a totally dead cell area. There are like a stripped-down version of how Nextel made their cell flip-phones with that Walkie-Talkie function. That said, they do seem to offer a VHF / UHF HT.  https://rapidradios.com/products/my-emergency-radio-emergency-vhf-uhf-radio  Doesn't seem to be much INFO on these, but must be like Beofangs? (Speculating here...) Still, intriguing...

65

Huh? / More RW rips on AM Boosters and AM Noise Levels? Um, yeah...

« on: February 05, 2025, 1816 UTC »

I don't subscribe to Radio World, but apparently Boomer does. And, when he find interesting stuff e-mailed to him, he has a tendency to share those. What's nice about that is it filters down to mainly the most interesting articles, like this one on AM Sync Boosters.  https://www.radioworld.com/tech-and-gear/synchronous-ams-long-and-tortuous-history    BTW, on-FREQ Boosters have also been used on FM, but I don't hear about their use today anymore. Mainly, just the litter of off-FREQ translators.
The other article is a 'know-schytt Sherlock' conclusion that pretty much most of us would come to upon AM noise.   https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/nrsc-releases-details-of-am-band-rf-noise-study  This big difference, someone got paid to do this study, and we didn't.   

66

VHF/UHF Logs, including satellites and radiosondes / So, what are you hearing on Red Dot FREQ 151.625MHz FM?

« on: February 04, 2025, 1700 UTC »

Since the 1990's, I've been advised to put 151.625MHz FM in my scanners, since that FREQ seems to have lots of various activity. Indeed, it does. So much so, it's surprised me that the FCC didn't make it one of the license-free MURS Band channels. The MURS Channels were taken from those licensed VHF High Band color-dot FREQ's back around 2002, but Red Dot FREQ 151.625MHz, wasn't one of them. Here, in WV, I know that the tower workers are working in the middle of the night, on that now empty 600ft TV tower a mile behind me. When I would hear them on 151.625MHz, super strong signal, sure enough, I would see LED flash lights going up & down that tower. More recently, I hear a lot of mobile traffic from RT. 64. I even heard what sounded like Japanese spoken on there. Now, I have to question, is this still even a licensed VHF FREQ in the USA?   https://forums.radioreference.com/threads/itinerant-freq-151-625.307176/       So, what do y'all hear on that FREQ?

67

Propagation / Letter: Sporadic E Affects TV Signals, Too? An RW rip...

« on: February 02, 2025, 1709 UTC »

Boomer, alerted me to this RW article.    https://www.radioworld.com/global/letter-sporadic-e-affects-tv-signals-too       I miss TV Sporadic "E" DX'ing, but can still do it on FM. Plus, Tropo DX can still be had on VHF High Band and UHF TV Channels. When you hear a band opening, like distant 162MHz Weather Stations, do a re-scan on your TV off-air, with an antenna. It might surprise you of just what you might see, and how far.

68

Equipment / Another look at the Radio Shack DSP-40 NR / Audio Amp, and maybe improvements.

« on: January 25, 2025, 1857 UTC »

http://www.gbppr.net/scanner/dsp40/index.html   I bought one of these at a hamfest, in the late 1990's, for $5.00. I couldn't turn that down, since the components themselves are at least worth that. As with everyone else who has tried one, the results are not that impressive, but my take is that it's great for taking out HET's when someone tunes-up on the FREQ that you want to QSO on. Anyway, after sitting in a bin for like 20-some years, it was time to take yet another look at this unit, and see if there were any modifications to be done with it. Apparently so... I'm going to try these.

69

Part 15 AM and FM Station Operation / Low Power Broadcasting Book, James R. Cunningham .PDF

« on: January 24, 2025, 2009 UTC »

http://www.gbppr.net/lpfm/Low_Power_Radio_Broadcasting.pdf    Don't know why link is listed as LPFM, it's more LPAM, and then some. This dude knew his stuff, so download this, while ya can. Lots of good INFO on "How-to's!" in here.

70

The RF Workbench / Opening up the Icom IC-705 for MARS operations? This, seems the best way?

« on: January 16, 2025, 1631 UTC »

Well, I can't afford to get an Icom IC-705, but those that have, have asked me how to do a MARS MOD to that rig. Not done so to that rig myself, (Yet...), I did a Startpage Search on the subject, and the most descriptive one that I've come upon is this one.  https://www.prc-77.com/2024/04/mars-modding-ic-705.html   The dude who wrote this does also mention MODS.DK, my original 'go-to' on MOD's, but I like how he meticulously lays it all out. So, will it work? I leave y'all with that responsibility on that one, as I pass the INFO on it, but I can not vow that this will actually work. (There, my disclaimer.) The newest rig that I've MARS'ed it, the Xiegu G90 SDR. So easy there, an SMT diode, with an arrow pointing to it. All my other rigs are older ones, with MARS done, for opening up the 60M, 5 Channel, Amateur Band. Well, except my Kenwood TS-2000X, AES did the MOD, but didn't tell me. Oh BTW, if you do successfully do the MARS MOD on the IC-705, there's a possibility that the auto-tuner may not work well on MARS FREQ's. I say that, since the TS-2000X's auto-tuner gets confused on 60M, wanting to toggle from 75M and 40M. The same with the companion auto-tuner for the TS-50S, the AT-50. Pure speculation on my part here, but it can't be bad speculation. Good luck!!!!

UPDATE:  Not confirmed, but apparently, those that have the Japanese Version of the IC-705 have to do a different procedure. Can anyone confirm this? 

71

The RF Workbench / Aligning the Henry Radio 30A02 RF Amplifier? Good info to have.

« on: January 15, 2025, 1947 UTC »

https://www.qsl.net/kp4md/henry_30a02.htm      Try #2 to post this, and not have Firefox crash and Windows update at the same time. Anyway... I bought one of these 'lil VHF commercial High Band amp at a Horseheads, NY Mini-Fest, back in the late 1990's for like $20.00, when the fest was at end and vendors were doing last minute close-outs. Hey, the parts were worth at least that. However, I've yet to power up and put RF to it to see if it even works, and to also see what FREQ it was tuned-up to. So, in a storage bin it's sat in for like +25 years. I did try a search for this amp over 20 years ago on-line, and could find nothing about this amp, at the time. Well, a few weeks ago, while searching for something completely different, that preceding link came up. (Well, COOL!!!) Not only that, but apparently, Henry Radio is still around today.  https://www.henryradio.com/  Anyway, back to that Henry 30A02 Amp, it looks very straight forward and has a nice filtering section. Better, than like Ramsey, or Mirage, amps do. So, if you have one of these amps, and an RF spurious HT, like those early Beofangs, this would be an ideal amp to use on it. Anyway, good INFO, I believe. 

72

Part 15 AM and FM Station Operation / Ye Poor Man's AM Carrier-Current Coupling Unit! DIY'ers, run with it!

« on: January 01, 2025, 1811 UTC »

https://archive.org/details/ye-poor-mans-am-carrier-current-coupler-10-5-2024-experimental       Experimental Medium Wave Band Carrier-Current Coupling Unit for Broadcasting via FCC Part 15 Rules permissibly. I have had very limited time to work on this project, therefore, I am leaving it to the Open-Source DIY'ers out there to go ahead and run with this. There is no physical, electrical, connection from a transmitter's RF Output to the power lines, but it is all LC, (Inductively & Capacitively.), done to couple Radio Frequency signal to the AC power line. This will help alleviate the hazards and fear of electrical AC shock. That said, care and safety still needs to be observed. Power levels tested were as low as 2 milliwatts. VSWR stayed below 1.5:1 from 530kHz to 1710kHz. However, best coupling effectiveness seemed to be around 1200kHz. One possible problem with this method of coupling is that there is little, to no, Harmonic Suppression. Therefore, it is suggested to use a well filtered transmitter with this method of Experimental Coupling. Components are all listed on the crudely drawn schematic, and should be readily available. Try this and permissibly broadcast around your neighborhood, or just up and down the street. Ranges will very with power lines locations. You may get a few hundred feet, or even a few thousand. Go to it, and good luck!
BTW, while you are there, on Archive, check out the whole page for schematics, interviews, construction projects, manuals, etc., download and use. https://archive.org/details/@thadood   That page is growing, when I have time to add to it.

73

Amateur Radio / Heads-up on AM Marathon and The Heavy Metal Rally this NYD's? And, more...

« on: December 28, 2024, 1700 UTC »

I blew off C2C AM and woke-up listening to the AM'ers on 3885kHz. Anyway, I heard them talk about an AM Marathon for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Then, the annual AM Heavy Metal Rally, for the weekend of 1/4 - 1/5/2025. (Called that since the idea is to use older tube Amateur and military gear, but anyone can get-in on this.) Where to monitor, and, or, talk?

160M - Centered around 1885kHz.

75M - From 3873 - 3885kHz. However, there is AM activity down near 3700kHz, in the Extra Portion of the band.

40M - From 7285 - 7295kHz. (Albeit, later in the day SW Broadcasters still crash this on 40M.)

20M - Call FREQ has been 14.286kHz. However, due to lots of SSB'er there, Timtron, WA1HLR suggested using from 14.320 - 14.345MHz. (I tend to agree with that practice.)

17M - Upper portion of that WARC band.

15M - Suggested 21.420 - 21.445MHz.

12M - Upper portion of that WARC band.

10M - Centered around 29.0000MHz (Calling FREQ.), with activity about every 10kHz up.

6M - Centered around 50.400MHz (Calling FREQ.), with activity about every 10kHz up.

2M - This has been considered a 'Local Option' upon where to operate. However, a suggested Calling FREQ could be 144.300MHz.

222MHz, 902MHz, 1.2Ghz, and up? Well, you could always experiment with AM where the band calls for 'Mixed Modes'.

Regardless, the idea is to have fun on AM. Hear you on? Hope so. OH yeah!!! The AM Rally starts on February 1st, 2025.  http://www.amrally.com/    This page is from this year, but could answer some questions.  https://forums.qrz.com/index.php?threads/heavy-metal-am-rally.895916/

Hear ya on-air AM? Hope so!!!!

74

North American MW Pirate Radio / UNID 1620 AM 0230 UTC 27 DEC 2024

« on: December 27, 2024, 1632 UTC »

EDM music, battling it out with Pensa Cola, FL's 1620kHz, and Cuba. In between tracks, no ID, but a double blast of a siren, then start of next track. Heard on the truck stereo on the way back from work. Nothing, on 1710kHz, thus far.

75

VHF/UHF Logs, including satellites and radiosondes / In my area, it looks like VHF MURS, take #2?

« on: December 26, 2024, 1842 UTC »

My scanners not only include HAM FREQ's, but also all five VHF High Band MURS channels, as well as GMRS / FRS. About a decade ago, local CB'ers were trying out the MURS Band, and I joined them, so that they could get away from the Cycle 24 F2 Skip then. What killed that? When Cycle 24 died-out, and the locals thought that they could talk further back on 27MHz CB. And, due to the fact that the terrain here sucks for VHF, and especially UHF, in West Virginia, I could certainly see that. Last week, I was hearing the scanner stop on a QSO on MURS CH2, 151.880MHz FM, and recognized a CB friend of mine. So, I joined-in and asked what's up. Whelp, a bag of douche is trashing the CB locally. So, since some of these dudes still had MURS rigs, they're trying it again. How long will this last? I duh-know... But, it's neat to hear them on again, and get newer folks to try the band with cheap Chinese commercial HT's. Hey... Antennas are easy enough to build for that band. So, what are you hearing on MURS out there?