Messages

61

22 Meter Band HiFER Beacons / Re: Your best clear spots in the 22 m ISM Band?

« on: September 09, 2018, 2221 UTC »

You are welcome to discuss the frequency pulling question on this thread. It is all connected

I moved PVC to a new temporary frequency using the generator. It is a simple switch press on the transmitter to go back to the crystal at 13,558.4 kHz

Prizes for correct answers to "What frequency is PVC on today"

Cheers

Ed

62

22 Meter Band HiFER Beacons / Re: Your best clear spots in the 22 m ISM Band?

« on: September 06, 2018, 1714 UTC »

Thanks again for the feedback everyone.

Exo - your pic did not appear the first time I came back to the thread, but that is a great illustration, and very similar to what I experience along with others.

I also posted this at the LWCA message board, and I'll share what comes back.

Cheers,

Ed

63

22 Meter Band HiFER Beacons / Re: Your best clear spots in the 22 m ISM Band?

« on: September 06, 2018, 0040 UTC »

I would expect the band centre to have the most issues... Equipment using this frequency is likely crystal controlled, and 13.56 crystals are likely to be relatively well clustered around centre.

I'm considering moving my beacon frequency, but need to implement a different frequency source than the crystal which has limited pull range. It's worth figuring out what the better spots will be in the band.

Using web SDR is a great idea to do some surveying myself. Not so many of the ones I have found provide full HF coverage, but a few allow reception of 22 m.

Thanks

Ed

64

22 Meter Band HiFER Beacons / Your best clear spots in the 22 m ISM Band?

« on: September 05, 2018, 1940 UTC »

Hi Folks,
It occurred to me that it would be a good idea to share the quietest listening spots in the 13553-13567 ISM allocation we know and love as the HiFER band.

My reasoning for this is more or less obvious - Where is a good spot to put one's beacon, if trying to reach a particular area?

For my QTH in the SF bay area, the only spot with consistent interference is 13560 - 13562 (as tuned in USB with a typical 2.2 kHz filter). Ergo, I can easily listen from the lower portion of the band, up to about 13,559 before whistles and bleeps interfere with hearing, or the AGC kicks into action. Using a Spectrum Lab, this can be pushed a little further. On the high side, 13,562 kHz up is all quiet.

I would be interested to hear from other beaconeers on their local conditions.

Cheers

Ed

65

22 Meter Band HiFER Beacons / Re: DNU hifer beacon

« on: September 05, 2018, 0014 UTC »

I'll listen out when next at the radio bench.

Also have some nice printed QSL's for my beacon (PVC), and would be overjoyed to receive a report and send one off in the mail.

Cheers

Ed

66

22 Meter Band HiFER Beacons / Re: Signals to Correlate with 22m beacons.

« on: September 04, 2018, 2036 UTC »

Well, I started trying to correlate anyway - this is as much empirical investigation as anything else. The 13845 kHz signal is there much of the day, and on Saturday, moved from S3-5 with deep fades up to S5-7. Beacon observations seemed to track this single point observation, but more samples will build the picture.

The project continues, and I'll start to compare the 20 m beacons as well - there are plenty of receivers available

67

22 Meter Band HiFER Beacons / Re: Signals to Correlate with 22m beacons.

« on: August 27, 2018, 2149 UTC »

Great info, thanks Exo.

I'm aware of the 20 m beacons, and need to spend a bit more time observing them - good reminder!

The reason for looking at broadcast signals is to have something that is more continuous in nature, and would perhaps provide signals strong enough to record an S meter reading.

Anyway, I appreciate the response and ideas for other things to track.

Cheers

Ed

68

22 Meter Band HiFER Beacons / Signals to Correlate with 22m beacons.

« on: August 27, 2018, 1816 UTC »

Hi Folks,

One thing I have been attempting to pursue is finding a predictor/barometer for propagation at 22 m. Helpfully, there is a broadcast band nearby, and SW.info indicates that there are some potentially helpful signals:

13,840 - Radio New Zealand International
13,845 - WWCR University Network, based in Nashville USA

Ideally, schedules should line up with beacon listening, so that reception of beacons and broadcast can be compared. Has anyone else tried this approach?

Regards,

Ed

69

22 Meter Band HiFER Beacons / Re: 13 MHz Western USA Beacons

« on: August 27, 2018, 1800 UTC »

Another Northern California listener here on the SF Peninsula. I also copied AZ by ear, local afternoon ~1500 PST (+DST), over the course of about 1 hour.

I was pleased to hear this signal, as it had not made it here for quite some time.

70

22 Meter Band HiFER Beacons / Re: 2nd June HiFER report

« on: August 02, 2018, 2157 UTC »

Interesting indeed FFZ. I'll often make a note of traces seen at known beacon frequencies, but I don't count these as definative loggings without a positive ID (or enough fragments over several repeats from which an ID can be assembled).

Regards,

Ed

71

22 Meter Band HiFER Beacons / 2nd June HiFER report

« on: June 08, 2018, 1842 UTC »

I found time to switch on and listen for a while on 2nd June (Around 030 UTC) and was rewarded with quite good conditions. Observations were aided by the use of Spectrum Lab.

In the higher portion of the band, EPA provided a strong trace, along with a hint of BUH (or perhaps BUZ) Both are new to the log here. A trace corresponded to RF, another to KC7MMI, and GNK appeared for a while.

Lower down, I Caught PBJ, TON and a hint of trace from a possible PLM.

Below this, EH was plainly audible, and an easy trace to read. Neighbor SIW was visible below, and USC above.

Quite the best conditions we have had here for some time.

Ed

72

22 Meter Band HiFER Beacons / Re: GNK 13.564Mhz 23:40 UTC 4/28/2018

« on: April 30, 2018, 2132 UTC »

GNK was reaching Northern California yesterday evening local time (~0100 UTC). A nice clear and audible signal, with some fading every couple of minutes. Equipment used was a  JRC NRD 525 connected to the 90ft sloping dipole.

Also heard and recorded using Spectrum Lab, was the slow FSK station EH

73

22 Meter Band HiFER Beacons / Re: PCO loud and clear 13563.55 Khz

« on: April 25, 2018, 0000 UTC »

Happy Birthday PCO

I believe I caught a feint trace at the correct frequency during a brief chance to listen on Saturday (21 April ~ 20:00 UTC). Alas, not the usual audible signal I have been fortunate to receive.

74

22 Meter Band HiFER Beacons / Re: Question About Morse Code Speed for Beacon "BRS"

« on: April 23, 2018, 2057 UTC »

Interesting stuff.

I should have given more consideration to efficiency with my beacon. Wanting to put something on the air without too much design effort (time), I chose to buy a 20 m QRP transmitter kit from Vectronics. Of course, even this is too "QRO" for Part 15 HiFER work, so an attenuator was designed to reduce the 1.25 W to the mW range. It works, but is wasteful, and modification is planned. I also need to integrate the keyer to run off the same supply as the transmitter (probably using a 7805...)

Nor was I that impressed by the Vectronics experience. I had trouble ordering the kit with a case, and when that was resolved and finally arrived, the "Attractive plastic adhesive faceplate" was a cheap paper sticker with the controls completely mis-labelled. Hmmm.

But... it does work, and in the enthusiasm of getting something on the air, the details were happily overlooked.

Good luck - and I look forward to reading more.

Cheers

Ed

75

22 Meter Band HiFER Beacons / Re: Hifer Beacons Heard in Pine, Colorado

« on: April 20, 2018, 1832 UTC »

Chris,

There's a pretty comprehensive list here:  http://lwca.org/sitepage/part15/mfmain.htm

Not sure everyone is there who posts to HFU, but it is kept up to date pretty well.

Cheers

Ed