Messages

856

Equipment / Re: DX Engineering Maxi-CoreŽ 20 Baluns and Feedline Chokes DXE-MC20-V4-1 TESTS.

« on: September 30, 2020, 1811 UTC »

Yeah... I know... I could've rolled-my-own, and usually I do. But, I had a $20.00 coupon with DX Expensive-neering, so this was a nice chance to use it, and I had only one more week left to do so. I also went with their experience in the toroid core type and turn windings. I'm really not that experienced upon determining core type make-ups and have only wound toroids a few times. The 1st time was with Fearless Fred's help upon homebrewing a MW 7 Element Chebychev LPF. That was over 25 years ago, and I still have that, which has three self-wound toroid transformers. Anyway... I went the lazy way, but am still glad that I've looked inside that Balun.  Maybe, I've bought one that was built on a Friday? Hmmmmmmm???

857

Amateur Radio / Re: Satellite attempt

« on: September 29, 2020, 2014 UTC »

Well, try building a 2M dipole Antenna, soldered to an SO-239 connector. The GND element = 51cm, and the main center conductor solder element = 49cm. One thing is for sure, with this Dipole, you should certainly hear 145.800MHz better.   One thing about a Dipole is it's high angle of radiation. Or, you could do what this dude did,    https://everydayready.wordpress.com/2017/02/06/diy-easy-2m-dipole-antenna/amp/

858

Huh? / Re: Mystery leak investigation continues on International Space Station

« on: September 29, 2020, 1945 UTC »

Pssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss...            https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/space-station-air-leak-forces-middle-of-night-crew-wakeup/ar-BB19xN6m?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=mailsignout     Yeah, they don't want that up there.

859

Part 15 AM and FM Station Operation / Radio Survivor - Social Distancing Sparks Interest in Part 15 Unlicensed Broadca

« on: September 29, 2020, 1834 UTC »

Here's the full, unchopped, title:  Radio Survivor - Social Distancing Sparks Interest in Part 15 Unlicensed Broadcasting, but Caveat Emptor.  Here's the link,      http://www.radiosurvivor.com/2020/09/21/social-distancing-sparks-interest-in-part-15-unlicensed-broadcasting-but-caveat-emptor/

On Part #15 FM, there no actual RF power out limit, but just that limiting FS limit of 250uV measured at 3 Meters away. I do remember that someone in the 1990's Panaxis EBN (Experimental Broadcaster's Newsletter) calculating with the possible RF OUT would be to a 1/4-Wave GND Plane Antenna, and it was something like 600pW - 800pW. That's picowatts, 10 to the -12! That small!!! 

860

Equipment / DX Engineering Maxi-CoreŽ 20 Baluns and Feedline Chokes DXE-MC20-V4-1 TESTS.

« on: September 29, 2020, 1744 UTC »

I did a spectrum test on that 4:1 DX ENG 5kW Balun.    https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/dxe-mc20-v4-1  I did a DC GND continuity test and measured 1.6 Ohms. Not bad, but I did look inside, and I didn't really like how they 1/2 soldered the connections inside, so I silver soldered them with the 140W gun. Passed DC GND tests at just .6 Ohms. Then, I took two 100 Ohm, 1/2W, resisters, (For 200 Ohms.), and tied them to the Dipole bolts. Then used my MFJ-269Pro ANT Analyzer and spanned from 1740kHz to 180MHz. WOW!!!! Solid, flat, 1:1 VSWR from MW to around 27MHz, but 11M and 10M were still a 1.1:1 match. Then, curved to 1.2:1 about 63MHz, and was still that all the way to 2M, which was a 1.3:1! Then, the curve raised about 1.5:1 around 158MHz. Damn!!!!! Now that's wide banded! Anyone ever put one of these Baluns up on a Dipole, or a Longwire? For over 25 Years, I've used the W2DU 4:1 Current Choke Balun, running barefoot power, with nice results. However, I believe that the power rating of that is 300W. The 5kW rating on the new Balun is certainly overkill, but at least 500W won't be a problem.

861

Huh? / Re: Why Does the FCC Allow Sinclair Broadcasting to Violate Station Ownership Rules

« on: September 29, 2020, 1729 UTC »

The FCC hasn't been referred too as the Federal Corporate Coddlers for nothin'. Someone's getting a  $$$$$$ kick-back.

862

Equipment / Re: 6P1 tube transmitter 5W tube shortwave transmitter on AliExpress for $32.87

« on: September 28, 2020, 1823 UTC »

Neat!!!! Kind of a modification of the Bob Heil's AM Pine Board Project that he was pushing a couple of years ago. So, 5W on the low bands can be had in the Winter on AM. I've done several QSO's with 5W / 6W 75M AM stations. So, can indeed be done.     https://heilhamradio.com/amateur-radio-post/the-pine-board-project/

863

Amateur Radio / Re: Satellite attempt

« on: September 28, 2020, 1817 UTC »

Being that you are in FL, that flat land allows most horizon to horizon sky for you. Unlike for me, where valley walls block better than 30% of the sky. So, I'd suggest that to aim straight up. When you hear the various calls coming in, like 8-land, 9-land, 3-land, 4-land, etc., that will give a clue where to point the beam at. Just the other night, I heard the ISS X-band Repeater, 437.800MHz FM, with an indoor 3 ele 440 beam, pointed at our local FUSION repeater. Hearing all those 9-land calls then, lead me to believe that I was RX'ing off the rear of the beam with an S2. 

864

Huh? / Mystery leak investigation continues on International Space Station

« on: September 27, 2020, 0455 UTC »

Well, this sucks...      https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2020/09/25/mystery-leak-investigation-continues-on-international-space-station/           This could also explain why I haven't heard the ISS Cross Band HAM Repeater on 437.800MHz FM in the last week.

UPDATE 9/26/2020: Huh... The night after I posted the preceding, before bed about 2AM EST, I programmed in 437.800MHz in to a Yaesu FT-70DR Fusion HT, and immediately, 9-landers were in there calling and making grid exchanges. So, that X-banding repeater is still rockin'.

865

General Radio Discussion / Re: Fast food drive through frequencies

« on: September 27, 2020, 0418 UTC »

I'm going back about 33 years, but the Golden Haunches in the town that I grew up in was heard on 35.020MHz FM. I just happen to catch it while doing a FREQ scan with the scanner. It would be dead-air for minutes at a time, then you'd hear a BOING sound, (Like a Mac Computer being booted up.), then a, "Hi!!! Welcome to McDonalds. May I take you order Please?" And, you heard both sides of the conversation. That was with a GND-plane antenna about 30-some feet in a pine tree and this McDonalds was over 3 miles away. However, I was living up on a hill, almost line of sight of the place. I've always wondered about the power of those Drive-In radios, but where I was, even 100mW wouldn't be a total stretch.

866

Equipment / Re: Scanner beam

« on: September 26, 2020, 1900 UTC »

Or, find a trashed TV antenna on a curb-side, junk store, or even a dumpster, and drill-out the holes in the boom to make it VERT, for next to nothing. Yeah... I'm that cheap, but this does work. Even some successful TV antenna MOD's for 6M, 2M, 222MHz, and 432MHz, Amateur Radio RX / TX.

867

Weather / Re: Very cold mornings with frost here in MD

« on: September 23, 2020, 1830 UTC »

The 'ol box-drop, P.O. Box 452-land, has been getting frosty nights, since the weekend. It's safe to say that their growing season is done. Not unusual for up there, since I remember frosty late August nights in 1982. I still remember the then 97ROCK Bearman & Snortin' Norton Morning Sickness Show screaming, "If you have a convertible, sell it!" (Damn, I feel old typing that.) 

868

Huh? / Re: Internet: Old TV caused village broadband outages for 18 months

« on: September 23, 2020, 1821 UTC »

Huh??? Well, as much as I like Panasonic gear, they are known to be spurious generators, but what did this guy's TV have for FREQ crystals? Spark gap generators? I do remember in the mid-80's RX'ing the IF FREQ's from my parent's TV from +80ft away with a scanner. 

869

Part 15 AM and FM Station Operation / Re: FCC vs God

« on: September 23, 2020, 0719 UTC »

Oh yeah... As soon as I read your initial post on this, I've FWR that to Paul. His e-mailed RSVP was, "Very interesting." .  And, they do cover Part #15 stuff on Radio Survivor, on occasion. 

870

Huh? / FCC site on domestic SW stations.

« on: September 23, 2020, 0710 UTC »

Yeah... I found this totally by accident,      https://www.fcc.gov/general/fcc-high-frequency-stations        Of course, I was looking for something else on WHRI's website, (Which really sucks!), but this is usually how I find things from the FCC, almost never from their own site search, but via off the wall and none related. Your Tax $$$$$$'s at work.