Messages

16

22 Meter Band HiFER Beacons / Re: TSN

« on: September 26, 2022, 2128 UTC »

TSN was prominent during 22m monitoring this weekend. Long periods of audibility here on the SF Peninsula. Random wire dipole transformer matched to 75 Ohm Coax. RX used on this occasion was Icom R-72.

17

The RF Workbench / Re: Turn Off the Stereo and See What Happens? Radio World???

« on: September 08, 2022, 1613 UTC »

Interesting. With digital quality (whatever that is..) everywhere, no-one knows much about the analogue world, except perhaps for a few vinyl enthusiasts. I recently restored a Fisher receiver, and had to learn about how the FM stereo circuitry operated, to understand what was really going on in the alignment of the MPX decoder, and its correct operation. This being mid 60's equipment (of quality), the selector allowed for Mono, MPX permanently active and an automatic mode driven by a detector for the 19kHz pilot. Nicely implemented, and very effective in practice.

18

22 Meter Band HiFER Beacons / Re: Midnight Hifers

« on: August 23, 2022, 1735 UTC »

That would certainly tally with recent observations. Very interesting, Thanks!

19

22 Meter Band HiFER Beacons / Re: Midnight Hifers

« on: August 16, 2022, 0010 UTC »

It is quite repeatable, even. Monitoring over 13th/14th August this weekend demonstrated beacon reception and WSPR decodes throughout the night.

20

HF Beacons / Re: Coastal Slider Back On 4109.5

« on: July 18, 2022, 0420 UTC »

Receiving the Coastal Slider here on the SF Peninsula with no difficulty this evening. S3 to S5.

21

HF Beacons / Re: New whooper beacon on 4095.65

« on: July 18, 2022, 0412 UTC »

Jum[img in a bit late, but I just started looking for Beacons outsides 33 m. The DW signal is very readable here in Northern California after dark, S3  S5, equal to the noise. Antenna is an 80 ft random wire with transformer isolated feeder back to various radios. The higher frequency "desert slider", 4108 kHz is also easy copy, similar strenghts.

Ed

22

The RF Workbench / Re: Pyrite Radio, Dispatch? Radio, from a piece of iron pyrite? Yep...

« on: July 01, 2022, 2150 UTC »

I like that.

A transmitter is possible, bringing us the low power pyrite pirate.

Negative resistance oscillator: http://www.sparkbangbuzz.com/els/iposc-el.htm

23

22 Meter Band HiFER Beacons / Re: hifer SIW in slant mode

« on: June 21, 2022, 1948 UTC »

Good Catch Ray!

24

22 Meter Band HiFER Beacons / Midnight Hifers

« on: May 25, 2022, 1615 UTC »

I've been allowing my receive setup to run overnight at weekends, with some interesting results seen, on occasion, through the night. More details are available, along with screenshots, over at LWCA.

It's not uncommon at the moment to see longer path HiFERs here at my NorCal QTH late into the evening and sometimes into the early hours.

25

22 Meter Band HiFER Beacons / HiFER Screenshots from 10 April 2022

« on: April 12, 2022, 2316 UTC »

Reception improved markedly in the (local) afternoon and evening of 10 April here in Northern California. Screenshots (and WSJT) captured several HiFERs:

Those can be seen over at LWCA.org: https://www.lwca.net/mb/msg/12547.htm

26

22 Meter Band HiFER Beacons / PCO, W8AC, 7P

« on: April 05, 2022, 0030 UTC »

Heard yesterday (April 3rd, ~ 1400 PDT) in Northern California

PCO - Audible sometimes good readability between fades

7P - Well above the noise for long periods.

W8AC - several WSPR decodes during late afternoon local time. A new logging at this location.

27

Equipment / Re: Common mode noise

« on: April 01, 2022, 1929 UTC »

I realise the conversation is a month+ old, but one thing that has really worked for my (receive) antennas is the use of a transformer balun. In this way, there is a very good barrier to common mode signals. The method was inspired by reading W8JI's website, particularly in relation to connection to beverages. However, the approach has worked nicely with a dipole, and an 80ft random wire, both connected with coax.

One can demonstrate the common mode noise that would result without these simple transformers, just by touching the receiver's antenna input to the braid of the coax. In normal use, no or very little conducted noise is experience throughout most of the HF range. For LF work (500 kHz and below), I have another transformer that can be placed in-line, which provides an audible benefit in increased CM isolation e.g. for 136 kHz (2200m) beacon reception. It really helps tame the household noise from switch mode PSUs.

Ed

28

Utility / 1680 kHz UK and Europe. Stanag or other mode?

« on: March 30, 2022, 2218 UTC »

Hi Folks,

While visiting the UK, I was doing a little listening in the Marine MF band above 1600 kHz. Superimposed on the Floro (Norway) station USB weather reports on 1680 kHz was a systematic buzzing, audible after dark only.

Checking Sigidwiki for comparson of the audio suggested that this may be a Stanag variant of some kind similar in sound to Stanag 4285 , but I can't swear it is identical. Almost any SDR based in the UK or Northern Europe seems to pick it up.   https://www.sigidwiki.com/wiki/STANAG_4285

Can anyone shed more light here? Extensive searching has turned up nothing at all.

Thanks

Ed

29

22 Meter Band HiFER Beacons / High power signals in 22m 6 March 22

« on: March 08, 2022, 1855 UTC »

Hi Folks,

I was wondering if any other 22m listeners heard the strong signal data transmissions on 6th March (Afternoon hours, PST)? This appeared to start with a single tone, ahead of a fast rate transmission with wide bandwidth (500 Hz or more) roughly centered around 13,555.40 kHz. It continued for many minutes, possibly longer, as I did not monitor the receiver continuously, although I should have screenshots that can be reviewed to help time-stamp the entire event.

The signal had the character of a powerful transmission at considerable distance, judging by the slight fading and other characteristics suggesting skywave propagation.

Ed

30

22 Meter Band HiFER Beacons / Re: TSN

« on: December 08, 2021, 2015 UTC »

TSN has been heard regularly over the last few weeks during weekend monitoring here at PVC. (SF Peninsula). It is frequently strong enough to be easy copy by ear.