Messages

976

North American MW Pirate Radio / UNID, 1710, 11/22/2018.

« on: November 22, 2018, 1812 UTC »

UNID, 1710kHz, 11/22/2018, 02:34UTC. On transit, between work QTH's, heard a weak 1710kHz station airing 60's pop MX over my truck stereo. (Having a major brainfart on the artist, of coarse.) Wasn't there at 07:30UTC on the drive home, just a TIS station.    (Or the same damn thing that I've also posted on The FRN.)

977

Equipment / Re: Ridiculously High SWR for G5RV Jr.

« on: November 19, 2018, 1627 UTC »

The question that I have is, what is within close vicinity of that G5RV? Is it close to a sheet metal barn? Are powerlines / utility lines close by? Is it right over a wire / metal fence? Is it right over a solid sheet of bedrock under very shallow soil? (I had that up in WNY.) What I'm getting at here is possible close reflections can throw off your VSWR's on some bands, but look fine on others. Passing thoughts, again...

978

General Radio Discussion / The End of Carrier Current? Spoiler alert: not a chance!

« on: November 18, 2018, 1829 UTC »

The End of Carrier Current?
Spoiler alert: not a chance? Has this been posted before?   https://www.radioworld.com/columns-and-views/the-end-of-carrier-current     If it hasn't, thar' ya is. If it has, O.F.W...

979

MW Loggings / TIS Station WQFG689 DX'ed.

« on: November 18, 2018, 1659 UTC »

Must be doing something right with that raised Windom. Heard this TIS station 11/18/2018, 06.26UTC at an S3,   https://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/General_Menu_Reports/engineering_search_out.cfm    NJ accents and all with loop on winter survival and landline telephone audio quality. I haven't heard a TIS station this good via DX in over 20 years. UPDATE: Gee, your tax $$$$ at work. Sometime that above link works, and the other 1/2 the time it errors. So, try this at the TIS FCC site,      https://www.fcc.gov/media/radio/travelers-information-stations-search      , then select NJ, Single FREQ, and 1710kHz. You might have to do it more than once. Gee, we're paying for this?

980

Peskies / CB on the 13M band?!? 21.885 MHz 21885 kHz AM

« on: November 17, 2018, 2330 UTC »

Raised a Windom another 5ft, so tuned around 15M. Nothing... Continued into 13M and heard AM on 21.885MHz at 22:50UTC, 11/17/2018. To my surprise, it sounded like truckers using that FREQ as CB. Certainly different.

981

North American MW Pirate Radio / Re: UNID 1710 AM 0158 UTC 11 November 2018

« on: November 11, 2018, 1847 UTC »

      Well, ya done better than I have, since all that I heard on 1710kHz last night was what sounded like a TIS station and 1700kHz splatter.

982

General Radio Discussion / Re: Any interest in a 40m SSTV net?

« on: November 11, 2018, 0040 UTC »

       Heck, it's a push just to get folks to do 40M AM on 7290kHz. I suppose that I do have a rig that's already made for SSTV, an Icom IC-7000. The only rig that I have really set-up now is a Kenwood TS-2000X for voice on AM, SSB, and occasional 10M and above FM. Where on 40M is everyone doing SSTV? BTW, I do heard SSTV also on 160M around 1840kHz. 

983

The RF Workbench / A LOWFER's delight? Make the Kenwood TS-2000 to RX down to 10kHz!

« on: November 05, 2018, 1635 UTC »

Wow!!!!! Apparently, mods.dk has a MOD submitted on taking the 30kHz RX limit of the TS-2000 (Which is still pretty good to go down there.), down to 10kHz!    https://www.mods.dk/view.php?ArticleKey=f20d2674cdaf084aaa46808367fcc2f8     I haven't tried this, yet, but it's perked my interest.   UPDATE 11/18/2018:  Wow!!! That does work! So, what do I hear down in 10kHz? Treble highs from audio. It sounds like high FREQ AM splatter to me here. So, I can now listen to the limits of stereos, but BFD, stereos don't QSL.

984

Equipment / Re: Linear Amp for Just Below 40m

« on: November 03, 2018, 1942 UTC »

You can check out the reviews of various RF amps here,   https://www.eham.net/reviews/products/10    I wouldn't go solid state, if you intend to use it where I suspect you might, since most solid state amps are still not forgiving. Tube based amps are, not only more forgiving with long key-ups, but are easier to tune down to where you want to. Just don't over drive one and watch those high voltages.

985

Shortwave Broadcast / Re: CFRX Toronto

« on: November 02, 2018, 1733 UTC »

What's nice is that you can listen to Coast To Coast AM on this station. And, since it's on-air 24/7, it makes for a great 49M propagation beacon.

986

SDR - Software Defined Radio / Review of the Airspy R2 SDR Radio For FM Station DX'ing.

« on: October 30, 2018, 0252 UTC »

I've signed up with that FM Tuners Yahoo Groups years ago, and most of the time they bitch about MOD's and repairs, but once in a while someone there posts links to something decent, like this review,   https://fmradiodx.wordpress.com/2017/08/06/review-of-the-airspy-r2-sdr-radio/   I could see this being neat, not only for FM stations DX'ing, but a tool to use at an FM station to aid in monitoring.   

987

Huh? / Re: Orionid meteor shower, featuring debris from Halley’s comet, peaks Friday night

« on: October 20, 2018, 0350 UTC »

Yeah, if you can't see them, due to rain, then listen for them. If it's possible to find a quiet spot on the FM broadcast band, besides the end and beginning of the band, use a 1/4-wave whip antenna and listen for quick pop-ins and outs of multiple stations. Car stereos are great for that. Back in the 90's, I read an article in Popular Communications MAG where some DX'ers would get those 6hr, super slow, cassette recorders and leave them recording on an empty FM FREQ, then review later on the tape to see if an ID could be caught. I never did that, but I did listen indoors with a Bose Acoustic Wave System to meteor scatter that way, and that unit's telescopic whip still worked fine for doing this.

988

MW Loggings / Re: WWKB Buffalo 1520 AM 0135 UTC 17 Oct 2018

« on: October 17, 2018, 1928 UTC »

Yeah, try to listen to that in AM Stereo! They've turned back on the C-QUAM again, after 25-some years with it off.

989

Equipment / Re: Cuthbert AM Stereo C-Quam Transmitter Kit! Finally!!!!! Open source now?

« on: October 17, 2018, 1925 UTC »

          It's been mentioned to me that the other reason that Motorola C-QUAM AM Stereo is getting a push at the hobby level is that the patents for that have expired, thus in today's terms, C-QUAM could be considered Open Source with only yours, and today's tech, being the only limits for applications. Yet, another passing thought, but a good point that I thought was pointed out to me.

990

General Radio Discussion / JOTA is this weekend 10/19 - 10/21/2018. Suggesting FREQ's link.

« on: October 16, 2018, 1703 UTC »

Well, this is different to check out, Boys / Girls Scouts on the amateur bands, https://www.scouting.org/jota/  Last year, I participated in a club outing at a camp near Barboursville, WV to introduce scouts to radio, many for the 1st time. When I was growing up, every kid either had, or knew about walkie-talkies, and had parents with CB's. Last year's event, only about 3 out of 40 kids knew about two-way radio. And even if they never key a mic again in the amateur bands, you know that many will be exposed again to HF / VHF if they go into the military. This year? I was asked if I can stay at home and work the stations around me. The 1st time that I did that in the 1990's I worked a 6M SSB station from a camp just east of Buffalo, NY. So, what FREQ's? Anywhere that the volunteer amateur station's license lets them operate, but mostly the voice portions of the HF bands. (So, pretty liberal there, but a good bet that a majority will be in the General's portions.) On VHF / UHF, simplex FM FREQ's like 146.550MHz, 146.580MHz, and 446.000MHz. Around LA, CA and maybe Chicago, 223.500MHz, where the 222MHz band is still hot. Anyway, something different. Happy DX!!!!
 UPDATE!!!!!!!! Here's the quick link for the suggested FREQ's, https://www.scouting.org/jota/operators-guides/     Scroll down for the FREQ's. I see that on the 2M band that they suggest the 147MHz simplex FREQ's.