Messages

826

10/11 meters / KP4's from Porta Rico 23:10UTC, 28.444.3USB.

« on: April 06, 2020, 0458 UTC »

10M to a KP4CQ just picking them from up and down the East Coast. Being that south is my terrible RF direction, signals MAX'ed out to an S3, and I wasn't able to work this one.

827

Part 15 AM and FM Station Operation / Re: Part #15 gear out there. RS CP-15 on ebay, 4/5/2020.

« on: April 05, 2020, 1927 UTC »

Here's a radio Systems CP-15 Carrier-Current Coupler on ebay now,   https://www.ebay.com/itm/RADIO-SYSTEMS-PHASE-II-CP-15-COUPLER-AM-RADIO-BROADCAST-TRANSMITTER/184186421837?hash=item2ae25dc24d:g:Vy0AAOSwr9ReVYyS

828

Part 15 AM and FM Station Operation / Re: Ye Poor Man's EAS. Cheap, very cheap.

« on: April 05, 2020, 1751 UTC »

Hmmmm, yeah... But, at least with the preceding circuit and method above the Part #15 user has more flexibility. And, no mysterious envelope to open for a nation emergency. Uh-huh...

829

Part 15 AM and FM Station Operation / Re: Part #15 gear out there.

« on: April 05, 2020, 0628 UTC »

Oh boy... On a Carrier-Current Coupler, you may have to roll your own, since LPB and Radio Systems are gone. However, there are power line couplers for mining companies, (At least, there use to be.). That was the only way that they could send down a radiating signal into a mine shaft was to couple to the power lines going down there. With all of these mining companies going bye-bye, I'll bet one can be had. Ernest Wilson, formally of Panaxis Productions, had shown in is Carrier-Current books on how to build a coupler. Also, look for on-line .PDF books by James R. Cunningham for this to download. Basically, you are looking for a medium wave tuning network that let's you tune down to very low impedance, like 10 Ohms and less. Over 20 years ago, JTA gave me a Radio Systems TR-20 transmitter and a CP-15 coupler. The problem was, it looked like lightning directly hit it. The TR-20 was a total loss, with thumb sized burnt holes in both the PS and Finals boards, but the CP-15 Coupler was fixable, and I'm using that today. So, ya never know. 

830

Part 15 AM and FM Station Operation / Ye Poor Man's EAS. Cheap, very cheap. The catch? You have to build it.

« on: April 04, 2020, 0627 UTC »

Boomer brought to my attention that someone on www.part15.org bitched that Part #15 ops are not required to have an Emergency Alert System (EAS). And no wonder... When I worked in TV broadcasting, that station owner picked up a used EAS for $3,000.00. Hmmmmmmmmmmm, that more than most Part #15 complete stations out there. Someone did come up with an idea there to use a Kenwood car stereo with an EAS feature for $100.00. Yeah, way better. Well, for years I've pondered on using a SAME Weather Alert Radio and came up with the following put-together project for around $50.00!   https://archive.org/details/yepoormanseasrev2.1/mode/2up    Works great! And the price is certainly right. And, you really don't need that much in electronics experience to build and put it all together. Might not be a bad idea to have something like this on our stations with the conditions that we are experiencing today.

831

Part 15 AM and FM Station Operation / Part #15 gear out there.

« on: April 04, 2020, 0616 UTC »

(Yeah, this was moved from RF Workbench.) Lots of home brew radiating gear, (For the 10ft FCC Part #5 compliant stuff.), but you have companies like, www.sstran.com , www.chezradio.com , www.am1000rangemaster.com , www.theradiosource.com , www.pll.gr , www.vectronics.com , www.iamradio.net , and there's others out there. Some companies even got-in on doing the 10ft Part #15 antenna like, www.isotronantennas.com , (Tell them that you want Part #15 compliant. Not cheap, but....) So, there's stuff out there. And, anything that's Carrier-Current, (Where you permissibly couple to the power lines.), from LPB, Inc., and Radio Systems, gets bought out almost immediately from ebay. So, somebody wants that gear.

832

10/11 meters / Sporadic "E" on 11M / 10M Sunday evening.

« on: March 30, 2020, 1708 UTC »

With the dull drums of the upper HF bands, and now lightning crashes plaguing the lower HF bands, some late March "E" Sunday evening, 23:00UTC, on 11M and even 10M, was welcome. On CB, the usual skip chatter on CH's LSB38 and 39, then the broadcaster wanna' bes on AM CH 28, then the mudducks on Superbowl CH 6, 11, and 15. Tried calling CQ on 10M 28.400MHz, but only heard one station try coming back to me. Too bad that I couldn't make that out. 11M from states MO, KS, OK, and IL. Well, that's why they call Sporadic "E" sporadic.

833

Software / Tis the season to get ZAPPPPED! Real Time Lightning site.

« on: March 28, 2020, 1958 UTC »

Did someone post this site before?    http://en.blitzortung.org/live_dynamic_maps2.php?map=30      Scroll west to North America, then use the +/- to zoom in. About a 7se - 20sec delay on this map seeing what you have LIVE. Tis the season.... Too damn soon.

834

10/11 meters / Re: People who live in glass houses...

« on: March 23, 2020, 1901 UTC »

Back in the 80's, there was a very close analpore 1/2 mile down the hill from me whom pissed-off two states, four counties, and every town he'd visit. He even ran fake call signs on the 10M band, and back then you could get away with it, for a while. However, even when he ran so-called barefoot power, he still spurred a harmonic at X5 the fundamental FREQ. i.e., CB CH19 = 27.185MHz X 5 = 135.930MHz. I had a scanner that did AM aircraft band, so when that dude keyed up on CB CH19, I knew it right away over the scanner. A bit more difficult on CH38 LSB, but you could still do that to tell that someone very close is keying up there. 27.385MHz X 5 = 136.930MHz. When the scanner stops and unsquelches on SSB in AM mode, then you'll know he's there. And, when these dudes ran power with CB's, they almost always kick spurs more into the aircraft VHF band. Hey, no doubt that he covertly monitors YOU, so here's a way to keep monitoring HIM. Certainly nothing illegal about monitoring that way. Oh BTW... Don't have a scanner that does AM aircraft band? Then try an analog tuning FM receiver at the very end of the dial, i.e. 27.185MHz X 4 = 108.740MHz. Many of the older analog receivers can go there. If anything, this is a nice experiment to show and learn how harmonics work.

835

Part 15 AM and FM Station Operation / Re: Part 15 MW?

« on: March 22, 2020, 1829 UTC »

While you're on this Part 15 kick, here's another site,   http://boomerthedog.net/radio.html

836

General Radio Discussion / Re: Interest in Ham Radio soaring as country grips with virus outbreak

« on: March 22, 2020, 1823 UTC »

Yeah... This month we've got new HAM's and Generals upgrades. Ironically, not more repeater activity, but I did talk to one of the new HAM's on our area 10M USB chit-chat FREQ.

837

Amateur Radio / Re: HF activity is on the rise

« on: March 17, 2020, 2036 UTC »

And, more activity on 17M (18MHz), centered around 18.140MHz, during the daytime.

838

Amateur Radio / Re: Back on HF again!

« on: March 13, 2020, 0638 UTC »

Really??? Your IC-718 isn't open to 5MHz on TX? That OCD and a tuner would do it. I too use a home brew OCD, with a 1990's 4:1 W2DU current balun. The auto tuners on both the semi-older Kenwoods won't do 60M, (They can't seem to decide to use the 40M, or 75M, settings.), but my MFJ-941D manual tuner goes there very nicely. And, with 60M, you are on par with everyone else, USB, or CW and FT8, at 100W ERP MAX. Well, except for the military, they no doubt run stupid power. And, you'll hear them from time to time, even doing military to amateur radio call-in tests. And, during the day, 60M is a great regional NVIS antenna set-up band. At night, coast to coast is very possible, even to the UK. And, with the band channelized to 5 FREQ's, you know that some douche that's only 2KHz away from you won't be keying up a kW. I enjoy it, and the three rigs that are opened up to TX there do it nicely. I put each of the 5 FREQ's into their own memory channel and alphanumerics, so that there's no mistake in FREQ / channel tune-in. Passing thoughts... 73!!!!!!!   

839

Huh? / Charleston Hamfest CANCELLED this SAT March 14TH!!!!

« on: March 12, 2020, 2046 UTC »

FROM: Mike, NU8LL,     FYI:

I just received formal notice from one of the hamfest committee members that the Charleston hamfest has been cancelled for this year.

I am sorry to hear this.  I was still planning to attend.  But I stand behind their decision, as they do it in the best interests of everyone.

Please feel free to pass this information on, as it is a late announcement.

73,
Mike
NU8LL

840

Amateur Radio / Re: Back on HF again!

« on: March 11, 2020, 1827 UTC »

GOOD!!!! Now you can also work those dudes in the afternoon on 60M, and later Sporadic "E" 10M around May. Speaking of which, caught a dude on 28.415MHz USB whom just upgraded to General Class and threw together a 102" whip and home brew GND radials to get his Anytone rig on 10M. But, wait until you try a 102" whip on other bands with just RX. Then, TX with a tuner down as low as 20M. Even MW isn't half-bad to DX with such an antenna. Be lookin' for ya on 10M! Even the OCD does decent on an "E" opening.