Messages

151

Equipment / Xiegu's big competition to Icom's IC-705? I'd say.

« on: June 05, 2022, 2008 UTC »

I already have the Xiegu G90, but this looks very intriguing as well.  https://www.radioddity.com/products/xiegu-x6100   Even, as a portable SDR based RX'ing only rig.

152

Amateur Radio / June VHF / UHF Sweepsteaks Contest, 6/ 11-13/2022! And, Field Day 2022!

« on: June 04, 2022, 2021 UTC »

Tis that time of year!!! https://www.arrl.org/june-vhf    And, from WV, a couple of WV ops have already worked Europeans and JA's, (Japan.), on 6M. NICE!!! Now if we can just get the pesky T-storms out of the way for that time. BTW, ARRL Field Day, just a couple of weeks from that.       https://www.arrl.org/field-day   

153

Part 15 AM and FM Station Operation / The Talking House newer upgrade.

« on: June 01, 2022, 1906 UTC »

I don't know if this has been kicked around, but supposedly the Talking House transmitter's ATU, (Antenna Tuning Unit.), is an upgrade from the 2009 version that I have. And, I've had that one rockin' since Thanksgiving 2010.    https://www.theradiosource.com/products/infospot.htm   Question is, did they deal with that phantom phasing, that can be heard when putting a receiver in SSB mode? Hmmmm???

154

Huh? / Re: So, what's up with all of these NOAA Weather Radio outages?

« on: May 30, 2022, 0440 UTC »

Oh yeah!!!! I've always thought that made some nice sense to have a Weather FREQ broadcasting on the AM BC band. Well, if that is indeed a LPB AM-5, unless that took a big lightning hit and fried that, a decent tech shouldn't have too much trouble replacing anything on that transmitter. Even if a new crystal is needed, a DDS oscillator will do very nicely on that. I know this, since a friend of mine is running his AM Carrier-Current station with an AM-5 and a DDS OSC for his selected FREQ. So, far, rock solid for 8 years with him on that. So, can be done.

155

General Radio Discussion / Re: Does anyone still have a Franken-FM by them? Still more...

« on: May 29, 2022, 0621 UTC »

And then there's this.   https://radioinsight.com/headlines/226483/fcc-report-5-22-fcc-to-consider-franken-fm-status-and-whether-to-expand-radio-service-on-channel-6/

156

Huh? / So, what's up with all of these NOAA Weather Radio outages?

« on: May 29, 2022, 0550 UTC »

I do on occasion check this page out, since supposedly our tax $$$$$'s are paying for these, but scroll down and check out how many outages there are as of late, (5/28/2022).   https://www.weather.gov/nwr/outages   Weird... 

157

Part 15 AM and FM Station Operation / Re: An AM Carrier-Current station from your livingroom? This dude does.

« on: May 25, 2022, 1906 UTC »

It pretty much is that for the AM C-C Coupler, an adjustable, transformer isolating, Medium Wave RF Tuner, for matching very low impedance values. One of the best resources that I have is the 1979 book from Ernest Wilson, (The Panaxis Productions dude.), of Carrier-Current Broadcasting Techniques: The Wired-Wireless. I really need to get that scanned to .PDF. Thanks, for the links! Always good to have Part #15 broadcasting knowledge INFO out there.

158

Part 15 AM and FM Station Operation / Re: An AM Carrier-Current station from your livingroom? Good luck finding gear!

« on: May 23, 2022, 1752 UTC »

A friend is looking at starting AM Carrier-Current Broadcasting for himself. Problem is, the AM transmitters are not too hard to find, but finding Carrier-Current Couplers is getting to be more of a challenge, since when Radio Systems and LPB, Inc., couplers come up for sale on ebay, they go immediately. So, someone wants them. However, I found this on Digi-Key's site.   https://www.digikey.com/catalog/en/partgroup/power-line-communication-ac-coupling-circuit/81566     Has anyone ever tried this unit? It's meant more for data transmissions, kind of like DSL for PLC, (Power Line Communications.), a.k.a. same thing as carrier-current coupling really. What I don't see is how much power that this unit can take. That, and it's all fixed tuned-coupling, a.k.a. not adjustable like a Radio Systems CP-15 Coupler. Anyway, it's what is out there as a possible Carrier-Current start-up.

159

10/11 meters / Re: Hundreds of freebanders (Indonesian?) 0240 UTC 22 May 2022

« on: May 23, 2022, 1738 UTC »

Actually, the last time that I have was April 1992. I bought the Radio Shack version of the 'Big Stick' and it wasn't great for local rag-chews, but it was the best skip talking CB antenna that I've ever had. Anyway, I heard a lot of Oriental language on the CB Outband Region then, and wondered if it was Chinese, Korean, or something else. I can usually pick-out Japanese. BTW, your PIC of a Cobra 142GTL and D-104? I had that, back then. My audio went out on it, due to a lot of bad electrolytic CAP's. I believe that the dude before me cranked the internal power supply too high and slowly fried everything. Not the 1st time I've seen that in CB bases. (Uh... There I go, on a tangent, again.)

160

General Radio Discussion / Re: Does anyone still have a Franken-FM by them? FCC to consider Franken-FM?

« on: May 23, 2022, 1724 UTC »

The continuing story of this:       https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/headlines/fcc-will-consider-franken-fms-in-june

161

Huh? / WRMI on CBS News Weekend.

« on: May 23, 2022, 1717 UTC »

Huh... The last time that I'd hear about shortwave news on mainstream TV media news would be when a president would do his weekly radio address on VOA. So, this is rare to see.  https://swling.com/blog/2022/05/cbs-features-wrmis-ukraine-war-news-over-shortwave/#respond

162

Huh? / Lost BBC Led Zepplin track from March 1969? Apparently...

« on: May 21, 2022, 1925 UTC »

Lost BBC Led Zepplin track from March 1969?  https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/led-zeppelin-track-lost-by-bbc/     Interesting read, but make you wonder, why pop this up now, some 53 years later?

163

Propagation / Early heat wave may spur on VHF / UHF Tropo? And, another...

« on: May 20, 2022, 1939 UTC »

With this earliest East Heat Wave, (Since May 1981, if my memory can recall.), besides T-storms ripping up the HF bands, Tropo Enhancement could be possible for DX VHF / UHF. So, late night, or early morning, scan TV channels, the FM broadcast band, the 162MHz weather FREQ's, and the Amateur Bands, for that propagation.   (UPDATE): And, again for just after Memorial Day.  (UPDATE): And now, for early to mid-June.

164

Amateur Radio / Re: Dayton Hamvention?

« on: May 17, 2022, 1848 UTC »

I wish... Usual deal, can't get off-work and can't afford to. So, maybe next decade. Assuming that I can get past this one. Anyway, have fun!!!!

165

Huh? / Re: Another DX Test, WBOB 600AM, Florida, 04:00 - 07:00UTC, 5/15/2022!

« on: May 16, 2022, 1929 UTC »

To my surprise, the signal was not strong at all in WV, but did manage to hear the WBOB ID with the message, "Conducting equipment tests!, while on a late drive home from work at 04:13UTC, but QRM took over afterwards.