Messages

436

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.

437

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

438

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.

439

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.

440

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/

441

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.

442

10/11 meters / Re: 11M Activity 8 Nov 2021

« on: November 09, 2021, 1955 UTC »

Have ya tried this site for 10M activity?    https://www.dxmaps.com/spots/mapg.php?Lan=E&Frec=50&ML=M&Map=W2LN&HF=N&DXC=ING2&GL=S

443

Amateur Radio / Re: Xiegu G90? The LDG Tuner would work.

« on: November 09, 2021, 1954 UTC »

I have the old LDG 100Pro, and that tunes with 4W CB's to 40M dipoles nicely, so it would certainly rock with the 5W carrier from the Xiegu G90, if ya went that way. Just FYI...

444

Amateur Radio / Re: Xiegu G90? Very, very tempting rig.

« on: November 05, 2021, 1854 UTC »

I'd seen that link before as well. The power connectors and cables is an idea that helped-out rigs like the 10M, RCI-2950, since it came with a chincy small-gauged power cable. That did indeed bring that rig to full RF OUT potential on both SSB and AM modes. Still, this Xiegu G90 fills the desire that I have, a stand-along SDR rig and not type up yet another computer for radio crap. I have more than enough of that. So, I'm looking to get one myself, since I can't justify diving $$$$$-wise for an IC-7300, or the new IC-705. The rig that I really want is that new TS-890S. That's not happening too soon with me.

445

The RF Workbench / Ferrite Toroids Can Be an Engineer’s Best Pal? Oh yeah!!!!

« on: November 05, 2021, 1831 UTC »

Boomer FWR this to me, and I have Ferrite clamps and toroids everywhere at my locations.  https://www.radioworld.com/tech-and-gear/tech-tips/ferrite-toroids-can-be-an-engineers-best-pal

446

Equipment / Re: Linear amplifier build? Listen for DIY by HAM's!

« on: November 04, 2021, 1932 UTC »

Sounds like you'd like what they talk about on 3885AM, 7290AM, and if you can ever catch 'em on AM in the 160M band, like around 1885kHz. (All +/- 12kHz.) A lot of those dudes are runnin' homebrew linears, some capable of 2kW, or more. And, not just HF, but Tuesday after on 7290AM I heard about a 2M SSB freak whom built his own 2M 2kW linear amp. And, if you go on there to QSO and ask these dudes about what they build, most of them are more than glad to share that info with ya. I've yet to do this, since my linear is an Ameritron AL-811A amp, that I bought from a silent key's family estate sale. Question is, when ever I wanna' attempt to do DIY linear amp building, do I want to go 'old school' tubes, or paralleled MOSFET's? Oh yeah... With F2 propagation coming back, 29.0000MHz AM in 10M is another FREQ to listen for that talk, +/-20kHz.

447

MW Loggings / GND-Wave continuity must be better now for local MW stations.

« on: November 03, 2021, 1738 UTC »

Huh... Where I am in WV, I won't hear 1020KDKA Pittsburgh during the summer months during the daytime, but do during the mid-day in the dead of winter. Well, on the work drive, KDKA was in there with a decent, steady, signal just before 5:30PM yesterday afternoon. With no fading, I've counted out skip. So, looks like this cold snap has given this a plus.

448

Amateur Radio / Long Haul 75M AM! WA to ME...

« on: November 02, 2021, 1827 UTC »

Whoa!!! Heard Timtron, WA1HLR, on 3885AM last night around 06:00UTC, workin' a station West of Seattle, WA. That's a good haul on 75M in any mode, let along AM, from ME to WA. I was hearing that dude at S20/9 with some kick-ass hardware on his end, a commercial Harris TX and a dipole at 160ft up! (No wonder I heard him that well.) Timtron, was bangin' into my QTH in WV at S40/9. Maybe, this weekend, I'll bring back a transceiver on-line and try and join them. 

449

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: WDOG 6930 USB 2347 UTC 31 October 2021

« on: November 01, 2021, 0419 UTC »

Banged in with S30/9 signal. Thomas Dolby, ELP, male announcer with French accent. Off by 000:25UTC.

450

VHF/UHF Logs, including satellites and radiosondes / Re: 162 Mhz NWR distance?

« on: October 31, 2021, 1849 UTC »

Well, they are great VHF High Band Propagational 24/7 Beacons, fo' sure. I've heard them +200 miles when tropo enhancement happens. Hey... Our taxes pay for these, so might as well use them.   https://www.weather.gov/nwr/