Messages

31

Longwave Loggings / Re: 338 UMP

« on: May 27, 2021, 0132 UTC »

NQC,

Man, that is pretty hard core,  maybe you ought to sign up for the upcoming Bouvet Is. DXpedition.   

Nice work on copying SAQ. 

32

Longwave Loggings / Re: 338 UMP

« on: May 25, 2021, 1553 UTC »

AFAIK, 516 YWA is still on the air, last logged it here in January.  However, it is on the decommissioning chopping block.
Have not heard the beacon on 529 in quite a while.  Can't remember the ID but think it was in TN...  could copy it loud and clear
on the car radio. 

Noise is the big problem on LW.  A loop can help.  MFJ 1026 even better but needs to be modified for LW.
Better yet is going to a local park to get away from the noise but not too feasible on a winter night at the
peak of the LW season.

33

MW Loggings / Re: Finally: WINS daytime !

« on: May 23, 2021, 1911 UTC »

NQC,

Nice Caribbean xtal set DX !

My set is nothing exotic...  spider web coil with a 365 uuF cap and a 1N34 developing signal across a 47K ohm.
The antenna is just 50' of wire run up the side of the house and across the roof.
The key is the antenna tuner that ties it all together.  Another spider web coil tuned by a 365 uuF cap that can
be switched in parallel or series with the coil.  The tuner is inductively coupled to the xtal set. 
Got to admit to some cheating in recent years to help my aging ears, been using a LM386 signal tracer to boost the
audio output.

btw, you mentioned WBBM... their signal here is not nearly as strong as WGN or WLS,
       could be their shared antenna (WSCR) and reduction in power when they moved

34

MW Loggings / Re: Finally: WINS daytime !

« on: May 23, 2021, 1522 UTC »

Pinto - Yep , darkness means a LOT on AM everything , even to simple radios. My "Boy's" two transistor  pocket reflex radio pulled in ALL of the "Usual East Coast" suspects on Dxpedition in NH, but many at super low audio levels. The Select-A -Tenna brought nearly all of them out of the mud (ie WBT, etc) and the Radio Shack  "Pocket Mini Amp"   really pepped things up to LOUD.

I have always been interested in 49 Meter relays, ie CHNS  (CHNX now QRT), etc. They used to do this in Germany too. Many of the BMW's, etc had a small slice of 49 M on the car radio, but no other SW coverage.

K

Can get many of the east coast flamethrowers at night on my lowly xtal set (has a hot NOS 1N34).  WCBS and WRVA are especially loud but the biggest signal in here is WBZ with all its power sent west towards me.  Enjoy listening to the Dan Rae Nightside show.

Got an old (50+yr) QSL from CHNX, 6130, 500 watts.  The SW is gone but the CHNS call letters live on as an FM station in Halifax.

35

MW Loggings / Re: Finally: WINS daytime !

« on: May 22, 2021, 2004 UTC »

Daytime DXing is the true test of an AM radio.  A pocket portable will catch skywave 500 -1000 miles out at night,
the propagation is doing all of the work.  Daytime it is all up to the radio.
Anyway, enjoy your listening from the park, best time of the year to be outdoors. 
Lots of parks around here just a 5-10 mile bicycle ride away to get relief from the neighborhood QRM.

btw, CFRB usually weak but copyable here daytime with a good radio, most of the signal is directed away from me.
At night the frequency becomes a jumble but WINS can usually be heard.

CFRX can be heard most days but need an outdoor antenna.

36

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.

37

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. 

38

MW Loggings / Re: CFZM Zoomer 740

« on: May 13, 2021, 0001 UTC »

Zoomer had good signal in here on a pocket portable (Grundig Traveler III) today at noontime...
about 200 miles. 

39

Weather / Re: No Drought About It

« on: May 07, 2021, 1249 UTC »

sounded like a cool job at the WX station 

40

Equipment / Re: MFJ-209C for medium wave tests?

« on: May 01, 2021, 0021 UTC »

Got the 209C here but have only used it on HF.  Very basic instrument but it works for my purposes. Picked it up on clearance, it does not seem to be widely available, cannot find it in the latest catalog, may be discontinued.

If anybody wants one and can find it, better grab it. 

41

Longwave Loggings / Re: 353 QG

« on: April 24, 2021, 1625 UTC »

353 QG back on this morning at full strength.

42

MW Loggings / Re: WHO and ZIZ

« on: April 23, 2021, 0021 UTC »

NQC,

WBZ is a real flamethrower, they send all their 50kw directly west.  (btw, WWL AM 870 New Orleans also sends all their 50kw inland, directly north in their case, you might want to give them a try).

Not a big deal but KMOX transmitter is actually in Illinois. If you really want a "K" call west of the Mississippi, give KXEL AM 1540 in IA a try.  Their 50kw is directional at night but it goes broadly north.  AFAIK the former NY station on 1540 is now silent so if you can hear WHO you should be able to pick up KXEL.  Another one to try would be X-band KCJJ AM 1630 also in IA.  They are only 1kw at night but for some reason their signal sounds much more powerful.  Only two other stations are on 1630 so KCJJ "The Mighty 1630" is a real possibility.

43

Equipment / Re: Best MWDX antenna?

« on: April 22, 2021, 0110 UTC »

My interest is HF, so I am more inclined to outright high pass MW BCBs with more extreme attenuation if absolutely required.

One of the best solutions I have right now is a PAR BCST-HPF 7th order elliptic high pass filter. Roll off below 160m is dramatic. Pair it with a preselector for even more dramatic results.

http://www.parelectronics.com/bcst-hpf-specs.php
https://www.eham.net/reviews/view-product?id=5086

My interest is mainly below the AM BCB.  Have found the PAR BCST-LPF very useful in attenuating AM stations.
Also found that using it along with the MFJ 956 tuner helps.
Big fan of the PAR EF-SWL antenna... Good for LW through HF.  Lengthened one of mine for LW/MW work.

44

Equipment / Re: Best MWDX antenna?

« on: April 22, 2021, 0058 UTC »

The real test will be when I go back and check my beacon list. Back in late February I logged 391 kHz, DDP, San Juan / Dorado / Luiz Munoz Marin Intl, Puerto Rico. That is nearly 2,000 miles away from my receiver location. Not bad for what is reported to be a 3kW NDB with a 200' vertical.

OO Oshawa ON dominates 391 here most days but can hear DDP when the propagation is right...  the wider offset of DDP helps.

45

MW Loggings / Re: DXing Baseball April 20-21

« on: April 22, 2021, 0040 UTC »

nice work under challenging conditions lately