751
Equipment / Re: Trying to decide between W6LVP loop and vertical dipole
« on: April 19, 2018, 0010 UTC »
110 x 40 sounds like plenty of room for a vertical.
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Well, sounds like you did all you could to make sure all is OK mechanically and connections are secure.
Next step would be to hunt for and isolate a component that may be changing value when you get enough time and nerve to dive back into the radio.
Good luck, let us know what you may find.
Probably not, looks like CQL has been off the air for quite some time.
Just wanted to show a situation similar to your experience with TUT... a fairly common occurrence when beacon hunting. A signal will suddenly fade in from out of nowhere and you may copy one or two characters of the ID and then it quickly fades out and gone.
Anyway, never coped the middle character but was probably CGQ in Texas. So, for now, it doesn't get logged. Good luck with your beacon hunting.
You may want to try connecting that wire antenna to the receiver via a 9:1 balun (unun) for a better match. You can buy one or build your own, plenty of plans on the internet. Have had good luck here with #43 material for LW and MW.
Otherwise, almost logged one this morning on 344... it faded in and was able to copy C?Q, heard it send the ID several times and it faded out and gone. Probably CGQ Corsicana TX but didn't get a solid ID so it doesn't get logged.
Managed to squeeze out a fairly decent session before dawn this morning in spite of the nearly continuous static crashes caused by T-storms in TN, KY. Logged 90 beacons in just over an hour and a half. No outstanding DX but did manage to snag a new one for me, 237 EZF Fredericksburg VA. Would probably have had a couple of others but could not pull a positive IDs through the static. Had some visitors that don't come around too often: 269 BEX Bloomfield IA, 305 YQ Churchill MB, 349 APG Aberdeen MD, 362 SUR Fitzgerald GA, 367 FVX Farmville VA, and 380 BBD Brady TX.
Log 'em while you can, the fun is coming to an end.
Another NY... for some strange reason, NY is pretty much a black hole here.
Took me over 5 years to log the two beacons at Buffalo (204 GB, 231 BU).
Should be an easy almost straight path across the Lake to here.
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752
Equipment / Re: Looking for suggestions for a directional antenna for circa 8 MHz
« on: April 16, 2018, 2315 UTC »
The Beverage is mostly used as a lower frequency antenna, 80 meters generally considered the upper limit. Hence my thought about a rhombic.
However, if you have the real estate, give the Beverage a try. If it doesn't work out at 8 megs no big deal as you still could use it for LW/MW stuff.
However, if you have the real estate, give the Beverage a try. If it doesn't work out at 8 megs no big deal as you still could use it for LW/MW stuff.
753
Equipment / Re: Looking for suggestions for a directional antenna for circa 8 MHz
« on: April 15, 2018, 2158 UTC »
maybe a rhombic
754
Equipment / Re: Tecsun 2000 FM band probs...
« on: April 14, 2018, 1529 UTC »
Circuit board is very cluttered and everything jammed up close together, didn't bother taking it out as afraid might not be able to get the screws holding it back in properly. Track circuit very small and couldn't get my meter ends to reliably sit as ends too big for this circuitry. Soldering in general is reasonably neat, unlike some Chinese boards I have seen with solder splashes everywhere this one is pretty good and clean.
Plug ins quite secure, disconnected and reconnected to make sure, gave the board a quick swipe with a tooth brush, very little dust or solder flicks. Gave the boards a little wiggle, all seemed secure in connection.
Put it all back together and up and running, reset as it went to default settings, FM band problem still there, huge noise up to 92MHz now. Don't have time or patience to totally dismantle and run the meter over it, another day maybe?
PS: Tried to post a pic I took of circuit board but attachment would not load onto this page (JPEG).
Well, sounds like you did all you could to make sure all is OK mechanically and connections are secure.
Next step would be to hunt for and isolate a component that may be changing value when you get enough time and nerve to dive back into the radio.
Good luck, let us know what you may find.
755
Propagation / Re: Intermixing of SW and headphones
« on: April 13, 2018, 1257 UTC »
Distance is your friend, move the SDR and PC as far apart as possible.
Otherwise, have used a MFJ 956 with the RSP1 with some success in receiving weak sigs and cutting down the spurs.
Otherwise, have used a MFJ 956 with the RSP1 with some success in receiving weak sigs and cutting down the spurs.
756
Equipment / Re: Antenna / Radio Patch Board
« on: April 13, 2018, 0855 UTC »
An economical alternative to a jumble of switches, etc.
You may want to color code the jumper from the transceiver with tape so as to identify it such that it doesn't inadvertently get connected to one of the receivers
You may want to color code the jumper from the transceiver with tape so as to identify it such that it doesn't inadvertently get connected to one of the receivers
757
Equipment / Re: Tecsun 2000 FM band probs...
« on: April 02, 2018, 1139 UTC »
L-G,
Have you had a chance to troubleshoot that radio?
Have you had a chance to troubleshoot that radio?
758
Longwave Loggings / Re: March 2018 NDB's...
« on: April 02, 2018, 1137 UTC »I found on 344KHz CQL Carbondale CO at grid square DM69jk with 100w transmitter. Maybe it?
Probably not, looks like CQL has been off the air for quite some time.
Just wanted to show a situation similar to your experience with TUT... a fairly common occurrence when beacon hunting. A signal will suddenly fade in from out of nowhere and you may copy one or two characters of the ID and then it quickly fades out and gone.
Anyway, never coped the middle character but was probably CGQ in Texas. So, for now, it doesn't get logged. Good luck with your beacon hunting.
759
Longwave Loggings / Re: Take Off to the Great White North
« on: April 02, 2018, 0019 UTC »
Some late season NDB action over the Easter weekend.
Most of the activity was out West:
212 YGX Gillam MB
248 WG Winnipeg MB
284 QD The Pas MB
287 ZWG Winnipeg MB
290 QR Regina SK
305 YQ Churchill MB
317 VC LaRonge SK
350 NY Enderby BC
368 ZP Sandspit BC
370 YBV Berens River MB
385 QV Yorkton SK
Maritimes:
212 SJ St. John NB
254 5B Summerside PE
North:
208 YSK Sanikiluaq NU
323 KR Schefferville QC
334 YER Fort Severn ON
Most of the activity was out West:
212 YGX Gillam MB
248 WG Winnipeg MB
284 QD The Pas MB
287 ZWG Winnipeg MB
290 QR Regina SK
305 YQ Churchill MB
317 VC LaRonge SK
350 NY Enderby BC
368 ZP Sandspit BC
370 YBV Berens River MB
385 QV Yorkton SK
Maritimes:
212 SJ St. John NB
254 5B Summerside PE
North:
208 YSK Sanikiluaq NU
323 KR Schefferville QC
334 YER Fort Severn ON
760
Longwave Loggings / Re: March 2018 NDB's...
« on: April 01, 2018, 1800 UTC »Wire is direct to rear of FT-2000D via a PL-259 plug, going to see if I can add another 50 feet to it when I get time, wire needs replacing as large Sulphur Crested Cockatoo's often snap it, they are a large bird and vandalistic ones at that.
Nearly scored "TUT" on 403KHz in American Samoa at Pago Pago Airport this morning around 1615z, it was a border line 219-319 report at best, didn't claim it as could only get the "U" and one "T" out of the noise but not full call sign sequence, 4,478kms from here.
You may want to try connecting that wire antenna to the receiver via a 9:1 balun (unun) for a better match. You can buy one or build your own, plenty of plans on the internet. Have had good luck here with #43 material for LW and MW.
Otherwise, almost logged one this morning on 344... it faded in and was able to copy C?Q, heard it send the ID several times and it faded out and gone. Probably CGQ Corsicana TX but didn't get a solid ID so it doesn't get logged.
761
MW Loggings / Re: 1512 kHz SBC Saudi Arabia 22:40 UTC 28 Mar 2018 transatlantic DX
« on: March 29, 2018, 2309 UTC »
Some nice transatlantic DX you have been posting
762
Longwave Loggings / Re: Take Off to the Great White North
« on: March 17, 2018, 1736 UTC »
254 5B Summerside PEI was booming in here early this morning but strangely the only Maritime in the log book for today.
763
Longwave Loggings / Re: Spring NDB Logs
« on: March 17, 2018, 1733 UTC »I begrudgingly accept the fact the the NDB season is just about over.
Managed to squeeze out a fairly decent session before dawn this morning in spite of the nearly continuous static crashes caused by T-storms in TN, KY. Logged 90 beacons in just over an hour and a half. No outstanding DX but did manage to snag a new one for me, 237 EZF Fredericksburg VA. Would probably have had a couple of others but could not pull a positive IDs through the static. Had some visitors that don't come around too often: 269 BEX Bloomfield IA, 305 YQ Churchill MB, 349 APG Aberdeen MD, 362 SUR Fitzgerald GA, 367 FVX Farmville VA, and 380 BBD Brady TX.
Log 'em while you can, the fun is coming to an end.
764
Equipment / Re: Tecsun 2000 FM band probs...
« on: March 15, 2018, 2048 UTC »
Since you think the noise is internal to the radio, it sounds like you may have a component gradually changing value. Capacitors (especially electrolytic) are the usual suspects but could be anything. Unfortunately, have not been able to locate a service manual or schematic for this radio. So, a more brute force form of troubleshooting may be necessary. Many times a flaky component can be located by use of a can of circuit freeze spray or alternately with heat from a hair dryer with some kind of a fabricated nozzle to direct the heat at suspect components. Also, a thorough inspection for bad, cold solder joints can sometimes detect a problem. Unplug and reseat any headers or other connectors. Even just tapping various components with the handle of a screwdriver can reveal a problem. None of this is very scientific but under the circumstances it looks like you are at the point of tearing into it anyway so, go for it. This sounds crude but a lot of radios have been fixed this way.
765
Longwave Loggings / Re: Winter NDB Logs
« on: March 11, 2018, 1722 UTC »Recent logs from Downers Grove, Illinois
2018-03-10 0402 358.0 NL Signal Hill, NL, CAN 2845 Km
2018-03-10 0002 407.0 FR Farmingdale, NY, USA 1224 Km New
NDBs this report 2 New NDBs 1
Another NY... for some strange reason, NY is pretty much a black hole here.
Took me over 5 years to log the two beacons at Buffalo (204 GB, 231 BU).
Should be an easy almost straight path across the Lake to here.