Messages

271

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.

272

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/

273

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... 

274

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.

275

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.

276

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.)

277

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

278

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

279

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?

280

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.

281

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!!!!

282

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.

283

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

« on: May 13, 2022, 1808 UTC »

Just got SWL'ing news about this:   https://swling.com/blog/2022/05/wbob-last-minute-50-kw-dx-test-on-600-khz/   Having a Carrier-Current station on 610AM, I'm not likely to hear this, except on the road. Should be a clearer FREQ than 1100AM was.

284

10/11 meters / Sporadic "E" open to about 03:00UTC last night on 10M.

« on: May 09, 2022, 1802 UTC »

After sunset, a dude in N. MI was working "1"-land, yet I hear him in Southern "8"-land. He wasn't hearing me, but worked a bunch of New Englanders, and occasionally I could hear them. Tis the season for Summer "E"'s.

285

Equipment / Re: Shortwave car stereo (Sony CDX-G1200U)?

« on: May 08, 2022, 1806 UTC »

I don't remember what year it was, but 'Passport To World Band Radio' covered this very subject, when they reviewed the The Becker Mexico car stereo, with SW bands on it. As it was back then, still seems true today, that since shortwave listening is a hobby in North America, and not seen as a necessity, they are just not offered over here. So, interested enthusiasts have to order from overseas and pay stupid money to do it. Me??? I'd love to have MW - HF available on the road, and not have to rig-up a portable, or HF rig, to do it. It's mainly about supply and demand. And, I also suspect, with today's wacky political climate, it may also be a way to keep the public from hearing alternative news sources from around the world that across radio unfiltered and uncensored. Just my $0.02 there.