Messages

526

Propagation / Re: VHF Airplane Scatter? Oh yeah!!!!

« on: June 11, 2021, 1941 UTC »

This is another reason that I miss analog TV, the plane scatter DX from VHF Low and High. Signals will fluctuate too much for DT lock. But, I've done 6M regional DX from bouncing off 747's and those huge military cargo planes. At times, that's the only way that I can hear deep, in valley 2M ops on simplex is plane scatter.

527

Equipment / Re: Decent 10 > 15W 48M AM Transmitter recommendations?

« on: June 11, 2021, 1933 UTC »

Well... (Could be a deep subject here.) You could do the alternative of a full multi-mode HF rig to do the job, with minimal modifications to audio and muffin fan finals cooling. For AM, Kenwoods, Icoms, even Alinco, can do the job with a 15W carrier, even though most will MAX to a 25W carrier, but it is recommended to stay 20W, or less. Stay away from Yaesu for AM TX'ing. They will be power hungry, drawing from 15A to over 20A of current at 13.8VDC. Plus, you could do USB option. Then, have the option of the other side, the RX portion of the rig to RX on site. On the TX side, look for TX audio FREQ response, the wider, the better. On older rigs, you might be able to widen the audio. Anyway, the option of using an HF rig for HF TX'ing, as an SW TX, has been done for +40 years now. Passing though.   

528

Amateur Radio / Re: Oh crap!!! It's this weekend? ARRL VHF sweepsteaks!!! Uh-huh...

« on: June 11, 2021, 1900 UTC »

Now, if we can just keep Murphy's Law outta' there. Ya know... Propagation sucks on SAT and SUN, then picks-up right after that contest. And... Looking ahead to the ARRL Field Day, with all the flooding going on in the NE, might need Field Day, not as a contest, but for real emergency communications.  http://www.arrl.org/field-day

529

Amateur Radio / Oh crap!!! It's this weekend? ARRL VHF sweepsteaks!!!

« on: June 10, 2021, 2030 UTC »

Thought that thus was the weekend afterwards, since it's usually the weekend before ARRL Field Day, but not this year, apparently.      http://www.arrl.org/june-vhf

530

Equipment / The Icom IC-705 SDR HF / VHF / UHF portable hits all marks, except for one.

« on: June 10, 2021, 1856 UTC »

Awh… One big miss here. Just too bad that they couldn’t extend the range of the upper VHF RX from 200MHz limit, up to 225MHz, for for all-mode 222MHz in the 1 1/4M band. Yes, you can get a transverter for that, but still, it just misses that mark. Other than that, the IC-705 is very enticing. Hmmmmm... Makes you wonder if a firmware change can open that up to 222MHz?   https://swling.com/blog/2021/06/the-icom-ic-705-is-this-really-a-new-holy-grail-swl-bcl-receiver/  Yeah... I know... Nit picking to the MAX, but I'd like to see Icom go all-the-way.

531

MW Loggings / Re: Dxpedition to Wells, Maine. Did ya try a GND lead in the salt water?

« on: June 09, 2021, 2036 UTC »

Hey NQC!!!! Anyway, you could drop a GND lead wire right into the salt water for ultimate GND'ing? I did that with fresh water, by pounding a GND array right into the Genesee River. That really made our SW  RX more sensitive. I miss having that. My GND here in WV just sucks.

532

Propagation / Re: Heatwave could trigger some Tropo VHF / UHF Propagation this 6/ 6/2021 week?

« on: June 04, 2021, 1832 UTC »

Ahhhh!!!! Thank you!!!! I knew that I forgot to include that site, when I posted this.

533

Part 15 AM and FM Station Operation / New 6V6 Medium Wave AM transmitter.

« on: June 04, 2021, 1830 UTC »

Boomer FWR me this link for this TX:     https://www.ebay.com/itm/184784608562      The Blue Tooth feature wouldn't be a seller for me, but I could see where it would be attractive for others.

534

Propagation / Heatwave could trigger some Tropo VHF / UHF Propagation this 6/ 6/2021 week?

« on: June 04, 2021, 0648 UTC »

Surprised that we are in this see-saw weather, way below normal one week, cooking the next. Well, with this next heatwave coming for most of the Eastern half of USA and Canada, some of these late nights, early mornings, could yield some nice Tropo Propagation on the VHF / UHF bands. I like to use our tax $$$$ funded propagational beacons, a.k.a. the 162MHz, 24/7, Weather Stations. I'll put a scanner, or an HT, on scan on those FREQ's and see if the DX Weather Stations start coming in, besides the two that I normally get. Then again, when a DX station goes over our local 162.400MHz Station, that's a good give-away as well. I think that heatwaves suck, but if it does indeed yield to some nice Tropo Enhanced DX, might as well enjoy that.

535

10/11 meters / Re: KQ2H Repeater 29.620 FM NJ/NY Tropo to mid-west 0010 UTC 26 May 2021

« on: June 04, 2021, 0635 UTC »

Heard that 29.620/R- machine several times now on the indoor scanner, with just the telescopic whip on the back of it. Usually, the Dallas, TX machine on 29.660/R- comes in on that scanner, but not this year, apparently.

536

North American MW Pirate Radio / Re: UNID 1620 AM 0120 UTC 1 JUN 2021

« on: June 01, 2021, 1824 UTC »

Sounds like ya heard what I did:   


Offline ThaDood

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Re: UNID 1620 AM 02:00UTC, 6/1/2021.
« Reply #6 on: Today at 07:25 »
On drive to work, heard battling with that 1620 from Cuba classic Top 40 Hits, like Leo Sayer, Janis Japlin, Beattles, Hot Butter, etc. Much fade, but was dominant over Cuba most of the time. decent audio as well. Not around 06:00UTC.

537

North American MW Pirate Radio / Re: UNID 1620 AM 02:00UTC, 6/1/2021.

« on: June 01, 2021, 0725 UTC »

On drive to work, heard battling with that 1620 from Cuba classic Top 40 Hits, like Leo Sayer, Janis Japlin, Beattles, Hot Butter, etc. Much fade, but was dominant over Cuba most of the time. decent audio as well. Not around 06:00UTC.

538

Equipment / Re: Best MWDX antenna? The W.O.G....

« on: May 29, 2021, 1930 UTC »

JTA still swears on using the W.O.G., (Wire On Ground.), for RX'ing LF and MW super quiet signals. Hopefully, that may happen this Fall since, thanks, (Or no thanks!), to Biden, all gas line projects around the property here have been put on either a prolonged, or indefinite, hold. I have hundreds of feet of trashed RG-11 rigid coax, with tough PVC outer jacket. Useless as regular coax, but that solid aluminum outer conductor could make for a kick-ass antenna. Stay tuned!!!!!!

539

Amateur Radio / Re: RF Exposure Standards go into effect on May 3, 2021, including Amateur Radio!

« on: May 29, 2021, 1906 UTC »

Additional on this dude, whom called-in to Allan & Angela Weiner World-Wide, WBCQ, and passed-on this info:

http://forum.near-fest.com/index.php?topic=1546.msg3570#msg3570

540

General Radio Discussion / Re: Explosives "Resistant"/ Hardened Antennas

« on: May 26, 2021, 2228 UTC »

What y'all describe sound like the 160MHz antennas mounted on the roof of a train, and other type of railcar. Kind of looked like a large handle than an antenna.