Messages

1036

Equipment / Re: Cuthbert AM Stereo C-Quam TX Kit! Finally!!!!! Boomer's AM Stereo Demos Page

« on: June 09, 2018, 2113 UTC »

Yeah, me again... Geeeeeeeeeeeez, if only Motorola did 1/2 as well as Boomer did in demoing AM stereo,     http://boomerthedog.com/am-stereo-is-cool.html     Enjoy!!!! (That Carver receiver is to die for.)

1037

Equipment / Re: Review Sirio Antenna SD2000N Discone antenna. Ever tried satellites?

« on: June 09, 2018, 2008 UTC »

Yeah... My fellow Disconers out there. I've always wondered about this on Discones, below the actual disc array the GND radials reflect signal towards the horizon, but above the disc it would appear that signal should go straight up to space. So, the question is, has anyone tried using a Discone antenna for satellite communications? I certainly have a rig for it, a TS-2000X.

1038

Equipment / Re: And, Cuthbert 6 Channel 3 Band Stereo Audio Compressor!

« on: June 08, 2018, 1754 UTC »

A mini Optimod from Cuthbert,     https://radiojayallen.com/cuthbert-6-channel-3-band-stereo-audio-compressor/        I certainly hope that it is light years better than Ramsey's Stereo Companion. That thing just sucked to high heaven with terrible S/N Ratio. From the sounds of it, this should be much better, and it's an all-in-one. I use three steps of processing currently. From the boards, to an original TERK VR-1, (Not the Audiovox version.), then an Alesis compressor (Set at 4:1 radio.), then an added 16 band EQ. The EQ was actually added to reduce harsh S's and T's from podcasts that don't use a DeEsser unit. It all works, but all-in-one package is very tempting.

1039

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

« on: June 05, 2018, 1838 UTC »

The AM1620 side is the Radio Systems, I Am Radio, (Updated Talking House.), and the ATU (Antenna Tuning Unit.), is mounted up at the eves. I bought the thing in 2010 when it was around $400.00 at the time. The actual TX is pumping out the massive 92mW PEP from a floor rack. The GND'ing? Old outer braid RG-8 coax to an 8ft GND rod. No array below. (The manual actually tells you to ground for lightning protection.) I added a Gas Discharge Tube to aid in protection. (Albeit, I know that it will not take a direct hit, but what will?) Heck, see it all for yourself,      https://vk.com/realfreeradio      (I purposely do not use facebook and Twitter, and 4 years ago Just-In Timberlake wiped everyone's myspace. So, VK.) Anyway, the top has the PIC's of a ragtag studios, the carrier-current station AM610, the rack with the AM1620 TX, then the ATU, and the newer AM1620 copper 9ft antenna. Range? Varies, a lot. Winter time I've heard it in a parking lot over 3 miles away, albeit any noise would obliterate it. The good range towards the northern field (Very clear.) is heard over a mile driving, in the day. In November 2017, the CB whip was swapped for the 5/8th" copper pipe, with capacitive Tophat. Boomer calculated that my range could be +6% better, and I think he's right on the money. (Will the listeners notice? Doubt it.) Nighttime? Maybe 1/2 a mile over Cuba and South Bend, IN stations. (BTW, AM610 feeds audio to AM1620 in the garage.) How does it all work? Most of the time, very reliably. However, as you can see from my PIC, not the neatest installations. (Just like a real AM station!) However, PIC's of other Part #15 stations on ALPB and Part15.us sites put me to shame, but will AM C-QUAM stereo be in my future? Lookin' at it!

1040

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

« on: June 05, 2018, 1531 UTC »

Ahhhhhhh, but that's where you can be creative here. My AM1620 transmitter is just mounting in the garage, on the inside "A" point of the eves. The radiating antenna is about 12 inches short of 3 Meters in length, to compensate to feeding a 12 inch #8AWG from transmitter to the actual radiator, thus making it Part #15 FCC compliant. You may have other locations that can work, like the inside / outside eves of a tool shed. Passing thought, again... Not everyone can do this, (Including me, thus why I garaged-it.), but your house attic eves can be utilized the same, if you own your own house. 

1041

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

« on: June 03, 2018, 0342 UTC »

Eh, who knows??? Maybe he's gotten veroboard boards for a dime a dozen. I can't bitch, I've built my 22M mW transmitter on one as well. Certainly doable. Still, the kit is under $200.00, so Cuthbert's broken that ceiling barrier for a kit like this. I seem to recall paying almost that much for a Panaxis AM-100 100mW mono exciter kit back in 1991. (I still have that.)

1042

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

« on: June 02, 2018, 1937 UTC »

Good to know about the SdrDx! Hmmmmmmm, Radio Jay didn't mention the actual ebay site for the Cuthbert C-QUAM TX kit, so here that is,      https://www.ebay.com/itm/AM-Stereo-C-QUAM-Transmitter-Kit/132644744317?hash=item1ee23e2c7d:g:U5gAAOSwIgNXoPEJ      and the quick demo Youtube VID,     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEDBxmDJYwo&t=6s       Neat item, but it is nice to know where to get it. Just my $0.02 worth.

1043

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

« on: June 02, 2018, 1647 UTC »

Yeah, no kidding! Just how hard would it be to write up software for SDR's to be able to have C-QUAM capabilities? I am the last person to know this since I almost failed out of computer electronics in college, since I hated machine language.

1044

General Radio Discussion / Re: Rolling QRM from 3000-10000 khz - What Is It?

« on: June 02, 2018, 1557 UTC »

I still have a UPS that does the Frankenstein Movie BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ-BZZZZZZZZZZZZ-BZZZZZZZZZZZZ sounds from 67kHz to 24MHz. I'm too damn cheap to replace it, and reduced the spurs a lot with capacitors and ferrite chokes, but still hear it on close-to-house and indoor antennas. I ended up moving some antennas +50ft away from the house and power lines. Then, Clearstream water sanitizer has a UV power supply buried in our back yard for the septic that blew away LF, MF, and HF.  A 1uF - 250VAC CAP across the 120VAC terminals reduced the spur range down to just 5ft. (YEA!!!!!) Very acceptable. How did I find that? Took my Eton E-10 portable and walked around the property, until I DF'ed it. You might have to do the same.   Oh yeah, one mo' thing, is if you have something with MOV's (Metal Oxide Varistors.), in it, when they go bad from multiple spikes, like lightning, they too send spurs from DC to light.

1045

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/   

1046

Equipment / Re: Review Sirio Antenna SD2000N Discone antenna

« on: May 30, 2018, 1729 UTC »

Thus far, I've used two brands of Discones over the last 30-some years, the 1st being the Radio Shack one from the 1980's. That worked very well on VHF high and UHF, and was my 1st dual band antenna for 2M / 440MHz. Terrible on VHF low band, but that was to be expected. I had that one over 30ft in a large fur tree, and the aluminum GND radials broke off of that one during +80MPH storms. A decade ago I bought the $100.00 Diamond Discone, with tunable 6M VERT stinger. I'm using that for 2M, MURS, 222MHz, 440MHz, but wouldn't match 462/467MHz GMRS. Also, 6M FM 52.525MHz. Again, about 30ft up on masts. (This time.) I'm in the bottom of a river valley, and that just less that unity gain helps to get me out of this valley. Anything higher gain just bounces back at me off the hills. (And yes, I've tried it and proven this to myself.) The Diamond also survives +70MHP storms and those stainless steel GND radials seem to hold up well. So, it sounds like that you can't go wrong with the Sirio discone. As far as a preamp? TV amps may be wide band enough for ya, and some have switchable FM traps. As far as not RX'ing IMD? How close are you to pagers, TV stations, and EMS / fire / police dispatch? So far, no IMD for me being only 1 mile from a 1MW UHF DTV transmitter here, but I do get some UHF pager bleed through. So does a friend of mine a few miles away. 


 

1047

Equipment / Re: easy question for you: how do I read my SIGNAL meter?

« on: May 30, 2018, 1635 UTC »

I have yet to try a 750, but I've had the chance to try the 800 that a friend of mine asked me to resurrect from battery acid leakage on the motherboard. (And I was able to get everything, but FM going on that.) Anyway, I've found the 800's "S" meter to be close to the "S" meters in my Icom and Kenwood rigs. That dual display analog meter on the 750 is always a nice feature to have on any radio, desktop, or portable. Kind of a ballpark figure, but an S9 reading on older rigs with around a .25uV (Microvolt.), sensitivity would be a signal of around 30uV in strength. (A decent signal.) A +10 reading (S+10/9, ten over nine.), would be 10dB (Decibels.), over that S9 reading. And scaling up that meter would be the same, +20 on that meter would be +20dB over S9, and so on. As far as that 1 - 5 meter scaling? My $0.02 worth, it matches the 1 - 5 signal meter scaling that's on their lower priced and moderately priced radios receive meters. Since this is a receiver, there is no SWR (Standing Wave Ratio.), reading. That is only for transmitters and transceivers, so that's not what that is for. However, an antenna good low SWR reading on the transmit side can indeed compliment the receive side for better reception. I am kind of going off topic talking about SWR, but since you asked about it, I'll hit it. Generally, the radio transmission standard impedance is 50 Ohms. What an SWR meter tells you is how close, or how far, your antenna is from matching that. Anyway, I hope that this helps, and doesn't confuse you. (Anyone else want to add to this?)

1048

General Radio Discussion / Re: Memorial Day listening conditions could have been better...

« on: May 29, 2018, 1651 UTC »

My $0.02 worth? The summer doldrums early. I know that when I worked in TV broadcasting the biggest month in Nielsen Ratings was May (Go figure.), and every TV station would be down in ratings from the November sweeps. So, the biggest competition was the weather. It's nice out, who wants to watch TV? Radio habits are there as well. With all that I need to get done outside, with summer-like weather just exploding, I'm not on the radio much at all either. If I see Sporadic E open towards me, I'll check out 12M - 6M. Low bands? Forgetta'boutit... I hear nothing but lightning crashes, and it's been storm, after storm, after storm, then flooding. I'll be back down there, (Hopefully for Field Day 2018.), this Fall in October / November. So, my radio activities haven't dried up, (Totally.), but modified for the time of year it is. Just my take. Oh yeah, my other radio activities now are when I'm in the truck and I hear friends on 2M, MURS, and CB. Someday, I hope to try HF mobile again.

1049

Equipment / Re: A very high antenna for ADS-B Aircraft Transponder Decoding

« on: May 29, 2018, 0313 UTC »

Interesting pattern. You must be in a valley that looks NE and SW. Contemplating that due to the null you have going towards NWPA and WNY, and the opposite direction towards the ocean, which you'd think would be the greatest range. As far as antennas go? A 1/4-wave GND-plane for 1294.500 FM Simplex (The 23cm band.), may also work well. Heck, make one out of a female, chassis mount, N-Connector and solder on 14AWG solid copper wire, bare. Maybe make the elements about 1/4 inch longer for better matching. One thing about 1GHz, and higher, is the line loss really sucks, so the idea of a mast mount preamp is a must for sure. Even LMR-400 will be more than -3dB at 100ft. Passing thoughts, but sounds like you are on the right track here. The F-connector is good, since down converted Ku and C band satellite FREQ's at 950MHz - 1050MHz uses F-connectors as the standard still.

1050

Equipment / Re: AM broadcast pirate PWM

« on: May 28, 2018, 0326 UTC »

Back in Summer 2015, I wanted something better for my aging +27 year old AM Carrier-Current gear, a Panaxis AM-100 exciter and a 2W home brew linear amp with a 7 element Chebychev. Looking at what that dude on PLL.gr had certainly fit the bill,   http://www.pll.gr/product?pid=AM-20W   (I was one of the last ones to get the unit with analog VU and SWR / RF OUT meters.) So, for $455.00USD's, I'd gotten an AM exciter with FREQ agile DDS oscillator, +24VDC - 6A power supply, 80W PEP amp, and an auto switching LPF board, with VSWR warning and RF fold-back protection. Beats paying Radio Systems for their $3,500.00 FCC certified TR-6000 10W AM exciter. However, I don't believe the amp is PWM, but a push-pull Class AB amp. Still, should last me for another +27 years, especially since I'm not running full bore 20W, but less than a 5W carrier to the CP-15 Radio Systems Carrier-Current coupler. Those Greeks seem to be kicking some RF butt on AM, and I'm glad to see that someone is.