Messages

331

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.

332

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....

333

10/11 meters / Re: 11m Activity 01 Dec 2021

« on: December 01, 2021, 2015 UTC »

Vancouver Island heard CQ'ing on CB 38LSB with an S9 signal. I've yet to hear HI, or AK.

334

Weather / Re: Snow in WNY? Keep that up there!!!!!

« on: November 29, 2021, 1913 UTC »

Yes!!! I do not miss it. However, it does make for some interesting daytime Medium Wave listening. How so??? Try the easy catches, like the weaker Rochester and Toronto station. Even try 1kW stations, 790AM WLSV, or 600AM WFRM, and see how strong they comes-in with snow on the ground. Might as well take advantage of it, since you are stuck with it.

335

Amateur Radio / Re: Xiegu G90? Just bought one, and tried it Sunday 28th. AM performance?

« on: November 26, 2021, 2056 UTC »

I guess I'll find out next week. I'd just bought a used one. I like the idea of all-in-one package and not have a computer tied to yet another appliance. So, has anyone tried this rig on AM TX to see how it sounds?
UPDATE 11/29/2021: The rig from MTC, (Main Trading Co.,),   https://www.mtcradio.com/  for $369.00, free shipping, came Saturday. So, got 1/2 of Sunday to try it out. Date code is Jan. 2021, so a pretty recent 2nd-hand rig. Gotta' say, for that 'lil 1.8" DIA OLED screen, it's very sharp and concise. Even did a Toronto, ON P.O.T.A. Station on 1st try. Nice, to have eyes as well as ears. I've yet to try an AM QSO on this rig, but certainly plan too and see what opinions that I get. So far, only complaints are that the COMP is all, or nothing, so you have to 'Ride-The-Gain' on the mic. CW decoder is iffy, at best, but I'm still trying the learn the rig's 'Sweet-spot' there. And,  when to goto programmed Memory Channels, you can't tune off from them, like you can with many other rigs, which is my preference of band and mode switching. Still, these are not deal-breakers by any means. And consider this, how much would you pay for a separate antenna analyzer? It has one built-in! . My MFJ-259C was like $250.00, and my original MFJ-269 PRO was like $500.00 in 2005. So, nice!!!! QRP'ers will like this rig going down to 1W. The no EXT Speaker Jack??? I plan to make one. Looks doable. 

336

10/11 meters / Re: 11M Band conditions? 11/25/2021, roaming "E" cloud last night.

« on: November 26, 2021, 2021 UTC »

Huh... 11M did it again last night. Starting early even from Texas and about Midnight here, ended to Lake Superior. Almost no activity heard on 10M, albeit that I know that was open, since I heard several beacons below 28.300Mhz.

337

10/11 meters / Re: 11M Band conditions? "E" skip to 1AM last night!

« on: November 25, 2021, 2115 UTC »

To my surprise, when I'd gotten back home from work, at 03:30UTC, CB CH38LSB was hopping with a pipeline to Texas. That pipeline lasted to past 1AM my time. Huh... Should've been talkin' there, since I wasn't able to 'Break-In' to 3885AM last night.

338

Huh? / Legendary radio host believes local content will be the key to KDUN’s success?

« on: November 20, 2021, 1846 UTC »

Neat story! And, rare today.   (Thank you again Boomer for the FWR of this!)    https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/news-makers/delilah-revels-in-rediscovering-her-roots


Oh yeah... Here's the station's site,               https://www.kdunradio.com/

339

Software / Re: A 'Work Around' for defuncted Reciva based wifi radios? Maybe...

« on: November 20, 2021, 1831 UTC »

And, a follow-ups that Boomer FWR to me:    https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/with-reciva-dead-internet-radio-manufacturers-manage-the-fallout

340

The RF Workbench / Giuseppe’s Homemade “Magic Tablet” Antenna System?

« on: November 19, 2021, 2019 UTC »

Another SWL'ing rip.   https://swling.com/blog/2021/11/giuseppes-homemade-magic-tablet-antenna-system/#comment-677623 

I made something like this from a godz-eye antenna, but mine is for just Medium Wave, but this dude made is switch from 40M, then 80M, and then 20M. Nice!!!! Granted, my Italian is non-existent, but the VID shows a lot.

341

MW Loggings / Re: Excellent Conditions On AM? Good RX'er to do it with.

« on: November 17, 2021, 1955 UTC »

I am also a fan of the Sangean ATS-803A, since Dec. 1989. Some of the very 1st SW pirates, as well as AM band and FM pirates, have been had with mine. And, keyboard FREQ entry is certainly nice. The only real flaw, as with most portables, is front-end overload from local AM / FM blow torches. That RF Gain is nice to have in it, but limited. Try yours on one of those godz-eye antennas. They can DX to over 2MHz and you can even use amateur info 160M gate-way station WA0RCR Saturday nights after mid-night to 4AM on 1860kHz AM from MO as a nice upper MW test FREQ. And, BTW, that portable isn't a bad beacon hunter on LF below 520kHz. And, see how many TIS and pirate stations you can get from 1710kHz to 1730kHz. You may even catch a 100mW Part #15 station. So, you have a nice portable to AM DX'ing, fo' sure, I just hope that 1030WBZ doesn't dig IMD into it, like Rochester's 1180WHAM did on mine, when I lived only 1 1/2 miles from that TX 20 years ago. https://www.eham.net/reviews/view-product?id=2814

342

General Radio Discussion / The Low-Down On Long-Wave: Unlicensed Experimental Radio?

« on: November 14, 2021, 2212 UTC »

Interesting that HACKADAY covered this, but.....       https://hackaday.com/2021/10/19/the-low-down-on-long-wave-unlicensed-experimental-radio/


BTW, there are still NBFM Intercoms out there that use the 1750M band, around 175kHz, but many are 10mW, or even less. Still, some of the older ones can be cranked-up.

343

The RF Workbench / SWL'ing covers the Radio Shack iconic TRF portables!

« on: November 14, 2021, 2031 UTC »

NICE!!!!! I have the #12-655 portable. Not the best AM-Only portable out there, but I think that it certainly holds it's own.   https://swling.com/blog/2021/11/guest-post-remembering-the-radio-shack-trfs/?unapproved=676517&moderation-hash=a653775516a8dc68ab4b681bf45ebddf#comment-676517

I've added my own $0.02 worth in the comments, and a link to this dude's site:      http://earmark.net/gesr/12-655.htm

BTW, when I recorded the Pat Murphy and Andrew Yorder interviews on C2C AM, the RS #12-655 is the portable that I used to record from.

344

General Radio Discussion / Re: US CB to get FM? President is out with one for the USA market!

« on: November 13, 2021, 1956 UTC »

Huh... Looks like President is already runnin' with a dual-mode CB, as ripped from this SWL'ing article.      https://swling.com/blog/2021/11/guest-post-peter-discovers-the-first-fm-capable-cb-radio-for-the-us-market/

345

Other / WWV at 25MHz is heard again!

« on: November 10, 2021, 1959 UTC »

Wow... For the 1st time in about 6, or 7, years, WWV at 25.0000MHz came-in to WV at 17:10UTC, MAX'ing out to S9. Then, faded out after that. So, F2 from Ft. Collins, CO. Good to hear that, again.