Topics

1

Weather / rain

« on: June 26, 2021, 0902 UTC »

Four inches of rain yesterday (Friday 6-25-21), 3 inches of which fell last evening in a 1 1/2 hour period resulting in some minor neighborhood street flooding.
Presently raining this morning with more on the way throughout the day into tonight and more tomorrow.
Looks like we get to make up for the relatively dry Spring and Summer so far all in a few days. 

2

Weather / eclipse this morning

« on: June 10, 2021, 1129 UTC »

Although the sky was mostly clear, it seemed darker than usual before sunrise this morning maybe due to the sun rising in solar eclipse.
A dense fog rolled in at sunrise which could be a good thing as it will prevent the uninformed from trying to view the eclipse without proper safety equipment.

3

Longwave Loggings / 338 UMP

« on: May 22, 2021, 1512 UTC »

338 UMP Indianapolis IN another regular that has gone missing lately.
Found a NOTAM that has it U/S (unserviceable) until 06-07-21.
Let's hope it comes back but meanwhile a missing local beacon can open
a DX window for other beacons to be heard.

4

Longwave Loggings / 239 HKF

« on: May 22, 2021, 0128 UTC »

239 HKF Middletown OH usually a regular in here day and night in the past but haven't heard it lately.
Looks like it is QRT per a NOTAM... U/S PERM, which translated means unserviceable permanent. 

5

Longwave Loggings / winter 2020-2021 longwave season brief summary

« on: March 15, 2021, 2250 UTC »

Things started off quite nicely in October and early November with some good listening sessions netting several ATNOs.
However, things deteriorated around Thanksgiving time when the neighborhood Christmas decorations went up.
These are not your fathers' incandescent lights.  Nowadays it is LEDs with electronic drivers, flashers, etc.
along with the attendant RFI. Things got worse around Christmas when apparently some new electronic gifts were
put into service.  The noise is coupled back onto the power line due to lack of filtering in the device and is then radiated.
Along with the local generated QRM, there was a double whammy with a spike in solar flux in early December. This
may be a taste of things to come as solar cycle 25 ramps up. 

My longwave listening habits and emphasis may have to change to daytime DXing from local parks where the LW band
is quiet.

6

Longwave Loggings / unid DAI

« on: March 15, 2021, 0031 UTC »

This morning on 346.65 with dash after ID.

7

MW Loggings / WPTX AM 1690

« on: March 13, 2021, 1956 UTC »

Big signal from Lexington Park MD in here this morning.
"Your Easy Favorites" sounded like a local, loud with no QSB.
They ID a lot which is nice.

8

MW Loggings / WQFG689

« on: March 13, 2021, 1949 UTC »

Hudson CO. NJ TIS on 1710 loud and clear signal here this morning just before dawn
with no QSB (probably still on the "temporary" authority) but the audio was almost
unintelligible on certain announcements in spite of the good signal. 

9

Longwave Loggings / DIW ?

« on: January 04, 2021, 1116 UTC »

Anybody log  198  DIW  Dixon NC lately, say within the past 10 days or so ?
Usually a regular in here but not lately.  Propagation good to the south this morning,
329 Charleston SC and 344 Jacksonville FL both booming in but DIW not a peep.

10

Weather / calm before the storm

« on: December 29, 2020, 2250 UTC »

Nice sunny day here today, no wind, quiet.  However, a thin overcast has developed making for a hazy full moonrise.
Forecast now calling for snow tonight turning to freezing rain just before sunrise.  They are getting hit in Iowa now but
doesn't look like anything that bad here.

11

Amateur Radio / 10M Contest today

« on: December 13, 2020, 1822 UTC »

Band is open this afternoon north-south MI into 5 land... lots of big signals.

12

Longwave Loggings / some midwest beacons

« on: November 21, 2020, 2044 UTC »

Propagation was good this morning, logged nearly 70 NDBs in about 90 minutes.

Heard several that are rare visitors here:

347  AFK   Nebraska City  NE
356  ODX  Ord  NE
407  HRU  Herington  KS

13

Weather / bye bye warm weather

« on: November 14, 2020, 0002 UTC »

Last week at this time we were enjoying dining outdoors in the middle of an unusual warm period for November for Michigan
with daytime temperatures reaching into the mid-70s.  Tonight things are back to normal for this time of year.
We are dining indoors, temperature outside in the upper 30s with a cold west wind.

14

Longwave Loggings / unid 397

« on: October 10, 2020, 1609 UTC »

Hearing CIT on 397.
Maybe CIR Cairo IL miskeying ?
400 CI Sault Ste Marie MI was OK.

15

Longwave Loggings / 353 QG

« on: October 03, 2020, 1017 UTC »

Not hearing 353 QG Windsor ON... 
AFAIK it was not on the latest decommissioning list.
Last logged @ this QTH 8-24-20, sounded weak (usually big sigs hr).