Messages

1036

SDR - Software Defined Radio / Review of the Airspy R2 SDR Radio For FM Station DX'ing.

« on: October 30, 2018, 0252 UTC »

I've signed up with that FM Tuners Yahoo Groups years ago, and most of the time they bitch about MOD's and repairs, but once in a while someone there posts links to something decent, like this review,   https://fmradiodx.wordpress.com/2017/08/06/review-of-the-airspy-r2-sdr-radio/   I could see this being neat, not only for FM stations DX'ing, but a tool to use at an FM station to aid in monitoring.   

1037

Huh? / Re: Orionid meteor shower, featuring debris from Halley’s comet, peaks Friday night

« on: October 20, 2018, 0350 UTC »

Yeah, if you can't see them, due to rain, then listen for them. If it's possible to find a quiet spot on the FM broadcast band, besides the end and beginning of the band, use a 1/4-wave whip antenna and listen for quick pop-ins and outs of multiple stations. Car stereos are great for that. Back in the 90's, I read an article in Popular Communications MAG where some DX'ers would get those 6hr, super slow, cassette recorders and leave them recording on an empty FM FREQ, then review later on the tape to see if an ID could be caught. I never did that, but I did listen indoors with a Bose Acoustic Wave System to meteor scatter that way, and that unit's telescopic whip still worked fine for doing this.

1038

MW Loggings / Re: WWKB Buffalo 1520 AM 0135 UTC 17 Oct 2018

« on: October 17, 2018, 1928 UTC »

Yeah, try to listen to that in AM Stereo! They've turned back on the C-QUAM again, after 25-some years with it off.

1039

Equipment / Re: Cuthbert AM Stereo C-Quam Transmitter Kit! Finally!!!!! Open source now?

« on: October 17, 2018, 1925 UTC »

          It's been mentioned to me that the other reason that Motorola C-QUAM AM Stereo is getting a push at the hobby level is that the patents for that have expired, thus in today's terms, C-QUAM could be considered Open Source with only yours, and today's tech, being the only limits for applications. Yet, another passing thought, but a good point that I thought was pointed out to me.

1040

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.

1041

General Radio Discussion / Re: Over and out: CB radio-maker struggles to adjust to Trump tariffs

« on: October 13, 2018, 2107 UTC »

I see one of two things that can happen here. 1: A resurgence of classic CB restoration, (Which I have a tendency to do myself.), or 2: a golden opportunity of the other up and coming tech countries to take up the slack, like India, Pakistan, South Africa, Brazil, Ukraine, etc. China should have never been an all-in-1-basket for cheap tech.  Doesn't anyone remember South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, (And yes!), 1950's - 60's Japan? 

1042

FM Free Radio / Re: Pirate Radio station heard on 87.7 FM playing Hip Hop music.

« on: October 13, 2018, 2056 UTC »

Those stations on analog TV CH6 87.750MHz have been called Franken-FM stations by Radio Survivor, and they covered that too,   http://www.radiosurvivor.com/2018/01/30/podcast-127-franken-fms-are-low-power-tv-stations-masquerading-as-radio/

1043

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!!!!!

1044

General Radio Discussion / Re: FCC seeks limits on protection for 50,000 watt Class A AM stations

« on: October 09, 2018, 1715 UTC »

I kind of experienced that with FM. In the early 1980's DX'ing routinely from various cities daily from Buffalo / Niagara Falls, Rochester, Syracuse, Toronto, London, Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Erie, Cleveland, Toledo, Binghamton, Utica, London, ON, etc. Back then, when smaller towns had FM stations, they'd sign-off at midnight, opening more chances with DX'ing FM. Then, in the late 80's, 90's, and especially now, came every crap town starting an FM station and the total littering of translators. FM DX'ing is pretty much a thing of the past for me now. And, it looks like it's going to happen now on the AM band. Won't be able to DX 1110kHz if Hurricane, WV goes 24/7 there. That's one example. 1030kHz is another one if Galapolis, OH on that FREQ goes 24/7. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....

1045

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?

1046

General Radio Discussion / Re: 160-190 Khz licenced users

« on: September 17, 2018, 0453 UTC »

Those FM, plug-in, intercoms work there in that band and use the house wiring, i.e. Carrier-Current, at about 10mW RF OUT. Ranges of those outside the intended house vary from being stopped at the very 1st utility transformer, to reaching better than 1/4 mile down the street.

1047

10/11 meters / Re: 11 meter propagation

« on: September 16, 2018, 1744 UTC »

Being September, Sporadic "E" season is done, for the most part. Oh, you might get some brief "E" openings, but now there's Aurora and Meteor Scatter to listen too on 27MHz. Hopefully, Winter "E" season will be good this Christmas, as it was dreadful where I am last year. WWV on 25.0000MHz makes a nice 24hr propagation beacon for this, (While we still have it.)   

1048

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/

1049

General Radio Discussion / Re: FCC Part 95 R/C Data Link Legal "Beacons" 26-27 MHz Frequencies

« on: September 15, 2018, 2003 UTC »

One good example is what Radio Shack had in the 1980's with the 7W Paging System,   http://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/html/1987/hr058.html
If I remember right, the main FREQ was 27.195MHz. Our college had one that I was sent to work on over at administrations office. Got the system, with included back of set center load antenna, to work from on top of a filing cabinet, where it used that as a GND-Plane.

1050

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.