Messages

661

Amateur Radio / Re: FCC Proposes to Reinstate Amateur Radio Service Fees

« on: August 29, 2020, 2140 UTC »

Here's another link about that,    https://swling.com/blog/2020/08/fcc-proposes-50-fee-for-new-ham-radio-licenses-upgrades-and-vanity-applications/

 Well, we have time to give our $0.02 worth about this. But, ya know just what's weird about this? The FCC knocked off -$10.00 from the GMRS license, from $80.00 to now $70.00, and it went from a 5 year license to a 10 year one. I know this from renewing my GMRS license last month.

662

Huh? / Re: Here's my bitch. The broadcast industry wants HD Radio, but where's the push?

« on: August 28, 2020, 0740 UTC »

Well, at least the Segway got Hollywood exposer in various movies and TV shows. Anyway, I have been corrected in AM Stereo radios promotion. Apparently, a station in New England did give-aways to Sony AM Stereo Walkmans. (They certainly did not do that where I was living at the time.) The point is, promoting a new broadcast digital format will at least give the average, casual, listener an idea that there are actually radios that can receive this HD Radio thing. Despite what we may think about the method of this digital broadcasting format, having the public schooled on this format appears to be a bit of a disconnect. I've mentioned before that this was 'My bitch', but it's more like an observation of the whole thing. 

663

Equipment / Re: Ideal height and polarisation of MLA30 for best DX performance?

« on: August 27, 2020, 1948 UTC »

Well, not having one myself, so I doubt that I could really answer this. So, I'll ask, do you have a tree that you can put that loop in? Maybe try 10ft, (3 Meters), up it. Do you have a very low S/N Ratio with that antenna? If so, can you try a MW and HF preamp? Just some passing thoughts there, since a smaller loop antenna is almost always a compromise to a 1/2-wave dipole, or even a random length wire antenna. 

664

Huh? / Here's my bitch. The broadcast industry wants HD Radio, but where's the push?

« on: August 27, 2020, 1835 UTC »

Ya know... I can tell that I'm getting old, since now I'm bitching more about things that might possibly make sense, but won't happen. Case in point? When the Sony Walkman's were introduced in 1979, they were pretty damned expensive. However, radio stations did walkman give-aways in the early 1980's. And, I remember in 1982 a station doing a "$1,000 Stereo Component System Give-Away!". I also remember car stereo system give-aways. Then, when CD Players came out, there were stations that did give-aways of CD players and CD's themselves. They actually did the CD thing until the early 2000's as well as DVD's and Blue Ray. But, does anyone ever remember an AM Stereo station promoting AM Stereo capable receivers to gave away? Yeah... Neither do I. Fast Forward to +30 years later. There are several stations that are IBOC for HD Radio. Most of them are struggling, and most listeners are either listening on-line, or to that station's analog counter part. But, just how many of these stations are actually promoting the HD Radio receivers that can receive the HD Radio signal? (Uh-huh... Crickets.) Station managers!!! Have a clue!!! If stations are willing to do the expense to push a digital medium, then go all the way. Promote and do contest give-aways of HD Radios. There... That's my latest bitch and passing thoughts on the subjects.     

665

Equipment / Re: To Chuff or not to Chuff?

« on: August 26, 2020, 1955 UTC »

The chuffing doesn't really bother me, since I mainly use the direct keypad enter for FREQ's. That was the big selling point of that portable back in 1989 - 1990, and the easy that it can do so. Therefore, I've never done the anti-chuffing MOD. The noise on FM? Do you have a CATV, or DSL, MODEM with wi-fi? Do you have various appliances with those cheaper switching PS wallwarts? They can added to FM noise. Take it outside and see if your FM cleans up. That portable is quite sensitive on FM, like around 2uV. That was good for a portable back then, with most being from 7uV to 5uV. BTW, what are you powering that portable with? Switching PS, or transformered wallwart? If you can, ditch the switching PS. The popping from buttons pressed? Yep, mine does it too.

666

Amateur Radio / Re: Hurricane Watch Net

« on: August 26, 2020, 1824 UTC »

Yeah!!! The leftovers are even predicted to dump here in WV this weekend. Good reminder on that net!

667

General Radio Discussion / All Digital AM??? An ENG's perspective.

« on: August 26, 2020, 1755 UTC »

Has this been posted and linked here already?   http://www.engineeringradio.us/blog/2020/04/all-digital-am/
Not a bad read.

668

Huh? / Wanna' know what your tax $$$$ paid for over the last 65 years? These!!!

« on: August 25, 2020, 2019 UTC »

https://www.cracked.com/pictofacts-1987-20-surprising-products-that-exist-because-space-travel/
Too bad that they didn't mention RF tech, other than IC's and wireless headsets.

669

The RF Workbench / Trashed commercial RG-11 CATV coax? Lots of various possibilities here.

« on: August 25, 2020, 1755 UTC »

After doing rip-down for Field Day 2017, a friend of mine asked if I wanted abandoned, ground run, RG-11 coax. Mind you, it's pretty much useless as actually coax, due to years of water contamination, but I see the potential in that solid, outer, aluminum, conductor, that has a heavy PVC coating. The potential is using that for various antenna construct projects, or even as a great GND conductor, at better than 1/2" diameter. Thus far??? I've made an experimental 2M Delta Loop for 144MHz SSB, and that hears stations during the ARRL VHF contests. (I need way better coax to that than RG-59 for TX'ing, but still a nice RX test.) Together, the friend and myself, ripped out more than 1/8 of a mile of that old RG-11. Plans??? Make a LW / MW W.O.G., (Wire On Ground.), O.C.F. Dipole, and various Loop Antennas. Has anyone else done this with trashed RG-11? Hey, the price was right.

670

Shortwave Broadcast / Re: OFFSHORE RADIO SPECIAL - Aug.31st 2020 via Radio Channel292

« on: August 25, 2020, 1738 UTC »

That 31M FREQ maybe our best bet in North America, since 6070kHz is 24/7 Toronto's CFRX, and 3955Khz is in the 75M HAM band here. So 9670kHz, cela peut être possible.

671

Equipment / Mystery 1960's B&W Balun?

« on: August 21, 2020, 1924 UTC »

Well, can anyone ID and give spec's to this Balun? It's a B&W model # RC-781, all solid metal construction, with female N-connector feed point, galvanized steel 5/8" wire rings, ceramic insulators, and the body shape resembles what was drawn in Sex Edu for the female anatomy. If I remember right, the toroid was was 1.5". This Balun was held together with 17 screw points. Definitely, constructed from a different era. I've actually e-mailed B&W about this, and they even said that it was too old for them to ID and give spec's on. However, they did suspect that this Balun was for RX only. So, does anyone else have a clue? How did I get this? The B.O.C.E.S. electrical instructor, (At the school that I was attending too in 1985.), gave it to me, as well as his collection of late 1970's 73 and CQ magazines. (Yeah!!! I still have them.) 

672

Equipment / Re: Finally!!! Radio Jay Allen covers the Realistic DX-440/Sangean ATS-803A portable

« on: August 21, 2020, 1919 UTC »

Oh, wow... I was a freight inspector for about 2 years, and over 95% of complaints came due to FedEx. I just finally had a package of stove hood filters get here, after a 4 week delay. Fortunately, that was USPS. If you catch FedEx delivering it, inspect that outside of the package immediately. And, if you see damage, REFUSE that package, and stick it back with FedEx. The driver will do what they can to try and not make that happen, but it is your right to do so. What sucks is that you have a single driver, with a huge area, with terrible time restraints. If stuff gets damaged, TFB. Like most down-sized corporations, they pretty much operate and exist to satisfy investors, and not you.

673

Amateur Radio / HAM Talk Live with Neil Rapp, WB9VPG?

« on: August 19, 2020, 1901 UTC »

Scott & Jill, from Tower Electronics,   http://www.pl-259.com/    ,   included a flier with my latest order about this new talk show / podcast HAM Talk Live,    https://www.spreaker.com/show/ham-talk-live     Anyone every check it out? What do you think? Good, bad, indifferent??? Looks like Tower Electronics is one of the main sponsors.

674

Propagation / Solar cycle 25 . Very interesting? I have my doubts.

« on: August 19, 2020, 1806 UTC »

Ya know... After the let-down from the last Solar Cycle 24, and all the predictions for at least the last decade that say that Cycle 25 will just suck, I'll believe this prediction when Type O Negative does a cover of Madonna's, Like A Virgin. https://www.onallbands.com/%ef%bb%bfscientists-forecast-that-solar-cycle-25-could-actually-be-epic-for-ham-radio-operators/     (I would have to admit that the preceding Type O Negative feat would, at the very least, be amusing.)

675

Equipment / Re: Finally!!! Radio Jay Allen covers the Realistic DX-440/Sangean ATS-803A portable

« on: August 18, 2020, 1811 UTC »

Well, if you do go inside, the most common problem that I've run into with several of these radios is that ribbon cable that half-ass plugs into an IC socket. Every time, (Due to dissimilar metals.), those pins and contacts are found corroded. If you find that, the quick fix is to clean all that out with 91% isopropanol, let dry completely, plug-in that ribbon cable, and see if that worked. However, that corrosion will happen again. On several radios, including my own, I've hard soldered those ribbon cable pins to the contacts of that IC strip. Mine still works +25 years later.