Messages

346

The RF Workbench / Pyrite Radio, Dispatch? Radio, from a piece of iron pyrite? Yep...

« on: April 20, 2022, 0627 UTC »

From Radio Survivor, https://hii-mag.com/article/sound-design-a-feast-for-the-eyes-and-ears-at-pyrite-radio-dispatch    And the rest of the RS podcast #326 read,   http://www.radiosurvivor.com/2022/04/podcast-326-the-state-of-listening-and-broadcast-radio-in-2022/

347

General Radio Discussion / Re: Trends in tropical bands broadcasting 2022? Gained one!

« on: April 19, 2022, 1915 UTC »

In a bit of irony, we've actually gained a station in this FREQ region, if you want to include WBCQ's 4790kHz.

348

The RF Workbench / Wanna' communicate, and broadcast, with light? It can be done!

« on: April 15, 2022, 1844 UTC »

I've experimented with IR and white light LED's. Even thought of this as a station STL. However, this is Line-Of-Sight, so snow fall, heavy rain, even birds, will block this.   http://www.modulatedlight.org/optical_comms/optical_index.html     and    https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/optical      All neat, and legal to do.

349

SDR - Software Defined Radio / Wanna' build an SDR? This book could tell ya how?

« on: April 14, 2022, 1719 UTC »

https://www.amazon.com/Software-Defined-Radio-Transceiver-Construction/dp/B09WYP1ST8/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=Software+Defined+Radio+Transceiver&amp&qid=1649851795&amp&s=books&amp&sr=1-3&amp&tag=swlcom01-20         Well, sounds intriguing. I've bought books like this before, and they are a nice resource to keep around.
 Yeah... Another SWL'ing rip.

350

Huh? / Anyone ever check-out this magazine, The Spectrum Monitor?

« on: April 09, 2022, 1948 UTC »

https://www.thespectrummonitor.com/     and      https://www.eham.net/reviews/view-product?id=14036   Apparently, most columnists are ex-Monitoring Times.  For $25.00, I might give that a go.

351

Weather / Well, Space weather. Cycle 25, where are we?

« on: April 06, 2022, 1740 UTC »

A friend of mine linked me to this,    https://spaceweather.com/

352

Huh? / Wanna' see where Jeff White works? WRMI tour.

« on: April 06, 2022, 0643 UTC »

https://www.radioworld.com/global/a-look-inside-wrmi-its-european-broadcasts       I always do like seeing these.

353

The RF Workbench / This Amateur Radio Antenna Is Made From a Single Tape Measure?

« on: April 01, 2022, 1827 UTC »

https://www.hackster.io/news/this-amateur-radio-antenna-is-made-from-a-single-tape-measure-95a0020726ea     I've heard of doing this, but never tried it myself, yet.

354

Huh? / The Cooling Radio Station & MUSA: The Ultimate SSB Receiving Site?

« on: April 01, 2022, 1823 UTC »

Yeah... Another SWL'ing rip, but a neat radio history read, nonetheless.     https://swling.com/blog/2022/04/the-cooling-radio-station-musa-the-ultimate-ssb-receiving-site/

355

Huh? / More Emergence TIS Stations upgrades, or more TIS Pests?

« on: March 30, 2022, 1924 UTC »

https://theradiosource.com/articles/news-2022-mar.htm        This includes, Communities that have received license waivers for increased signal and/or antenna height. So far, the only one that I hear is that NJ, Hudson Co. one on 1710kHz.

356

Amateur Radio / Re: 2M FM Simplex?

« on: March 27, 2022, 1937 UTC »

Is there any way that you could get your VHF VERT above the tree, foliage, level? Being in the land of FL, I would believe that 20W on 2M could talk 38 miles daily. And, if you happen to have a 2M beam, you could bounce off of a tall BLDG and see how far you could get out. A friend of mine and I did that with 222MHz national Simplex FREQ 223.500MHz FM. He was over 20 miles away on a IC-3AT HT, (MAX'es-Out at 1.5W.), and I was on my base with a home-brew 1/4-Wave GND-plane. I talked him into downtown Corning, NY, mobile, then lost him. Minutes later, I heard him call me. He was standing 10ft from the front wall of a Wagmans Supermarket and found a sweet-spot to work me on his HT! If he moved a couple of feet, I couldn't hear him. It was a neat test. We also did that bouncing signals off of hills too. BTW, that trick works well on 440MHz, 446.000MHz simplex FM. Passing thoughts.

357

Equipment / Re: Larsen NMO 2/70 antenna deaf on HF

« on: March 23, 2022, 1841 UTC »

You may have an existing 30" AM / FM RX'ing antenna that you can already use on your vehicle. They certainly work better than those new short stubbies that come on vehicles today. That 10", 45deg, AM / FM stub antenna on my sisters 2012 Chevy Cruz just sucks.

358

Huh? / Radio Jay Allen covers the rise & fall of AM Stereo.

« on: March 21, 2022, 0427 UTC »

Hey... AM Stereo is still out there and an option on some stations.   https://radiojayallen.com/the-rise-and-fall-of-hi-fi-am-am-stereo/

359

Amateur Radio / USB trend noticed on both 75M and 40M? As well as C4FM.

« on: March 21, 2022, 0419 UTC »

Has anyone else noticed this on both the 75M and 40M bands the last few months? I've been noticing USB being used more on these bands,  instead of LSB, mode. Now, as far as I know, there's nothing in the rules that says that an op can't do that, but even tonight, on 7296kHz, ops were in USB mode. Just an observation. Someone, around the AM portion of the 75M band, 3880kHz, is trying Yaesu's digital C4FM mode. They must be using the FT-991A, since it can do C4FM in HF. I have the FT-70D VHF / UHF C4FM HT, so it might me interesting to see if I can up-convert 3880kHz to 2M to decode that. (It would make for an interesting experiment.) 

360

Equipment / Re: Noise around the house? Keep things from the house.

« on: March 07, 2022, 1855 UTC »

I'm waiting for somewhat drier weather, but before the Spring growth goes crazy, to lay out the W.O.G., (Wire On Ground.), RX'ing Antenna. I have everything I need together for that project, but now waiting upon Mother Nature to cooperate. Getting away from the house isn't enough, but I also need more distance away from the power lines, outside the house.