Messages

286

FM Free Radio / 87.9FM, 12/16/2021, 0230 UTC, weak, mono.

« on: December 17, 2021, 0755 UTC »

Sometimes I'll set the truck stereo on 87.9FM to see what comes up on the work commute. This time, a weak, mono station playing a Gorillaz tune that came IN / OUT for 2 miles. No ID. And, it wasn't bleed-through from 88.1FM's LPFM station locally. Usually, I hear other drivers on 87.9FM airing MP3's, or satellite radio, but they are true Part  #15 at just a few hundred feet. This covered miles. Station was gone by 06:30UTC, when I checked, later.

287

North American MW Pirate Radio / It's back!!!! That mystery X-mas music station on 1620, 03:30 UTC, 12/15/2021.

« on: December 16, 2021, 2041 UTC »

Yep... Last night it was really in there at 03:30UTC. A UNID station crankin' out really old-ass X-mas tunage on 1620kHz, and no announcements, and battling over those Pensacola and Cuban stations. Hmmmmmmmmmmmm???

288

Part 15 AM and FM Station Operation / Part15.us practically desolate? So is Part15.org. Try this site.

« on: December 15, 2021, 2219 UTC »

Huh... The Part 15 sites seem to be loosing traction, but there seems to be more Part 15 stuff here,   https://www.antiqueradios.com/forums/index.php    They are mainly doing Part 15 AM transmitters for something that classic rigs can jam to, but could certainly be used for our purposes.

And, forgot that Part15.us went to part15.org, but that even seems desolate.   https://part15.org/   

289

Equipment / Re: Yaesu FT-950 issue - Please help! Couple of things to look for?

« on: December 13, 2021, 1928 UTC »

I had that about 20 years ago with my original version late 1980's RCI-2950 10M All-Mode rig. Few things that I was advised to do:    1. Replace that teeny-tiny gauge of power cord cable for a way heavier duty gauge cable.    2. Look for any low DC valued electrolytic CAP's, like lower than 16VDC, and swap them out for 25VDC, or higher.  3. Look for any loose / intermittent connectors between boards, screws that make contact from a board's GND to chassis GND, and bad solder joints, (Especially around the rig's finals and modulation areas.) When I did that to my RCI-2950, RF power went just over spec, and ops told me it sounded great and perky. May last another +30 years. Another place for info is what use to be a Yahoo Groups for that FT-950, probably a '.IO' Group now and see if anyone else has come across these problems. Good luck to ya!   

290

General Radio Discussion / Re: US CB to get FM? And, more...

« on: December 11, 2021, 2015 UTC »

https://swling.com/blog/2021/12/guest-post-peters-fm-cb-update/    So far, SWL'ing seems to be the only ones talking about this. Is anyone else?

291

MW Loggings / It's back. The Mighty 1630KCJJ!

« on: December 10, 2021, 1905 UTC »

Well, it's always been in there, but last night is where I heard it with some sustaining signal strength to WV. Mainly airing hit music from a dozen years ago. https://www.1630kcjj.com/

292

The RF Workbench / Re: Giuseppe’s Homemade “Magic Tablet” Antenna System? God's-Eye Loop?

« on: December 05, 2021, 2053 UTC »

Oh... Huh... Just did a search myself for that, and years ago, there were all sorts of God's-Eye loop antennas instructions out there. Huh... Not as much today, which is odd,   but here's a .PDF download of one that's essentially the same thing, except this dude tilted his 45 degrees to look like a square. Either way, the same.    http://167.250.5.172/docs/Radio/Antennas/Am_Loop_Antennas_2004.pdf

Oh... Here's my search from Startpage results,     https://startpage.com/sp/search   , when I typed-in    "homebrew am god's-eye antenna loop?"    I try to stay away from Google, when I can. (Hi-hi...) And, what a difference substituting that "z" for an "s" on god's. Anyway, hope that helps.

293

Huh? / Re: Russian metal band mentions being back on WBCQ! X2!! Impact?

« on: December 05, 2021, 2023 UTC »

Huh... From what I gather, 7490kHz went way long SAT evening, and skipped over most of the NE USA and Canada, but may have reached the Caribbean and E. South American countries. I guess, time will tell.

294

Part 15 AM and FM Station Operation / The LPAM Handbook by Kyle Drake? Download free .PDF version.

« on: December 05, 2021, 2020 UTC »

Skimming through this, looks like a lot of good, compiled, LPAM info, including for Part #15 stuff.      https://sites.google.com/site/lowpowerradio/home/the-lpam-handbook-by-kyle-drake

While we're at it, might as well check-out the rest of the Low Power Repository,    https://sites.google.com/site/lowpowerradio/home   

295

Equipment / Re: Linear amplifier build? Still using 811A's, for now.

« on: December 04, 2021, 1913 UTC »

Hey Robrich:    Boomer let me know that ya asked if I did a tube swap, yet, in my AL-811A amp to 572's. Um, no... At least, not yet. The only time that I've used the amp is doing AM stuff with the ricebox, in this case, the Kenwood TS-2000X. And, that's only on 75M, thus far. I could do 1885kHz AM, now that I have a Windom that's dead-nuts 1.1:1, I might try down there. By Timtron, WA1HLR, he recommends me running no more that a 90W carrier on AM using 811A finals. Why not 572's, yet? The $$$$ always goes someplace else. Ya know how that is. I did run into a great deal on a Xiegu G90 SDR rig, with 5W carrier on AM Mode, and plan to make-up T/R switch and ALC cables for that. 5W there into the AL-811A amp should still be over 30W out carrier. So, on quiet nights on 75M, that would work fine on AM mode, since I was running barefoot on AM for years before, with 20W, or less. BTW, speaking of the Xiegu G90, did ya see what they want for the accessory 100W brick for that? It's more than the rig itself. (Uh...)   

296

Amateur Radio / 100th Anniversary of Transatlantic Tests: Special event station using a 1921 rep

« on: December 03, 2021, 1820 UTC »

SWL'ing rip.     https://swling.com/blog/2021/12/100th-anniversary-of-transatlantic-tests-special-event-station-using-a-1921-replica-transmitter/

297

Huh? / Re: Russian metal band mentions being back on WBCQ! And, again SAT 12/4/2021!

« on: December 03, 2021, 0726 UTC »

I've wanted a 2nd run of the corrected The Underground JAM, so when a spot opened, I'm hopping on it. So, back on WBCQ, 7490kHz AM, Saturday, December 4th, 7PM - 8PM EST, or 00:00UTC - 01:00UTC. Now, if we can get those solar flares to stay away. Hopefully, propagation at the time should favor Europe and Russia, to the East, and I'd suspect regional, Eastern Canada and USA. HAPPY DX'ing!!!! BTW, you can download the show here, https://archive.org/details/the-underground-jam-slate-no-tuj-09122021-review-of-master-master-of-time

Master's English site =  http://master-rockgroup.com/engl/news.php

www.wbcq.com

WBCQ Net Stream  =  http://splatterbox.us/wbcq1

BTW, I'll totally be missing this, since I've got to work them. So, if anyone can listen-in to 7490kHz then, and comment, that would be great.

298

MW Loggings / Re: 1710 am WQFG689 Hudson County 0150 utc 5 Sep 2021

« on: December 03, 2021, 0721 UTC »

Huh... This site use to work in TIS Searches,   https://www.fcc.gov/media/radio/travelers-information-stations-search
It no longer does, apparently.

299

General Radio Discussion / Re: Andromedid Meteor Outburst

« on: December 02, 2021, 2015 UTC »

Um... Actually, testing out that new Xiegu G90 SDR rig, before bed, I've been setting that rig on CB CH38LSB, (27.385MHz), on the 10M AR-10 Ringo VERT 1/2-wave, and I've been hearing a lot of quick pop-IN's / OUT's of stations around 3AM. So, I suspect that's the meteor scatter, that you've printed about. Huh... Maybe I should park another rig on the 6M Halo ANT on 50.125MHz USB. Hey... Since you have a Discone as a VHF OMNI, try a weak, or if possible an empty FM FREQ, (Yeah, right...), and see if you can slow record an ID from an FM station's meteor scatter skip. I've done that with a car stereo driving at stupid o'clock at night, bored with what else was on the radio at the time.

300

Equipment / Re: Can a common mode choke really help reduce RFI?

« on: December 02, 2021, 1957 UTC »

Hey Chris? Have you tried that on the 1750M Experimenter's Band and even 60kHz from WWVB, to see if that improves RX'ing them? Passing thoughts....