Messages

46

Amateur Radio / Re: Snotty Hams

« on: November 13, 2022, 0313 UTC »

As far as the second part goes, speaking as someone who's only relatively recently licensed, I find that though there are clubs around and folks say they want to welcome more to the hobby, they still often (perhaps subconsciously) have a standoffishness about them as if it's more up to us to try to show we belong than it is on old hands to welcome new blood.

I’ve been in clubs where no one talks to you until you have been there for 6 months, and I have been in clubs where they purposefully station people at the door to grab the new faces, say hello, and welcome them aboard.  My current club has a reputation for welcoming newcomers, both at the meetings and on the repeater.  We have one old timer in particular who never lets a new callsign on the repeater pass by without greeting them and telling them about the club.

I wouldn’t read too much into a “standoffishness” being because they don’t want new blood.  It may be as simple as they are introverts and uncomfortable with any new faces until they get to know them.  I would wager there are more introverts than extroverts in ham radio.  Odd for a hobby where the major activity is meeting strangers on the air.  Maybe that is why so many like FT8 —- QSOs with no personal interaction!

Unless the club/members exhibit outright hostility, the right answer is to be friendly, approachable, and be patient.  You will know soon enough whether that group is a good match for you.  They may very well not be.  Every club is a bit different and there may be another nearby club that is a better match.

47

Amateur Radio / Re: Snotty Hams

« on: November 12, 2022, 1704 UTC »

I usually avoid this type of discussion but I feel a need to add my two cents.

When I got my ham license 50 years ago, it took a lot of work.  Exams were held at the FCC offices, CW proficiency was required, and you had no idea what the exam questions were (the Bash study guides came out years later).  I studied intensely for months to pass the test.

Every other ham I met back then worked just as hard to get their license.  It took real effort and the license meant you really wanted to be part of the community.  Having passed the exam hurdle meant something - I got my first jobs in the electronics industry partly because of my having earned a ham license.  A ham license had some meaning back then.  Not so today.  I rarely mention my ham radio background when I am involved in professional activities today.

Fast forward to the present.  Now you see people like W6NBC hosting 1 day cram sessions that emphasis pushing the test answers into short term memory and taking the exam that day.

My point is this:  you value the things that you work for.  If something comes too easily you won’t value it the same as something you had to work for.  You see this exhibited a lot on the air with “hams behaving badly.”

Today when I meet a new ham at our local club I am friendly and welcoming but in the back of my mind I always wonder if this is someone here for the long run or if they will be gone in 6 months.  I give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they are here because they love the hobby.  But too many drift away because they were never that interested.

48

Huh? / Re: Century Edition of ARRL Handbook for $80.00 hard cover.

« on: November 01, 2022, 2357 UTC »

The paper copy also includes a free download of the electronic version.

49

Equipment / Re: The WW2 Radio Shack

« on: August 21, 2022, 1324 UTC »

Sounds interesting, is there a pdf version of the book available? Perrhaps you can scan it?

It is available here:

https://worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/Handbooks/The-Radio-Amateur's-Handbook-ARRL-1942-Defense-Edition.pdf

50

SDR - Software Defined Radio / Re: Exasperating ergonomics of Kiwi SDR

« on: August 18, 2022, 1205 UTC »

Maybe it's because I use it on a small touchscreen, but :

Yes, this is where most of your frustration comes from.  When I access a KiwiSDR from a PC and normal size monitor, it works fine.   When I use an iPad (smaller screen) it works, but more of the screen is blocked and controls are a bit more difficult.

The station list at the top isn’t that useful UNTIL you edit it for your particular needs.  On my KiwiSDRs I have deleted most of the default stations.  I edited it to include more useful information like channel numbers, etc.  On LF I’ve marked many of the semi-frequently heard stations.  This makes it easy to spot which weak stations are potentially something new vs something I’ve heard before.  Same thing on the 22M band.  After doing all of this I find it very useful.

I suppose they could code the interface to recognize when you are on a mobile device and give you a different interface screen…

51

Huh? / Re: How to save images in MMSSTV?

« on: August 07, 2022, 0952 UTC »

They might but the KiwiSDR SSTV decoder can only work on 3630, 3730, 3845, 7171, 14230, 14233, 21340, and 28680 kHz. Those are all ham frequencies and are of no use for decoding pirate SSTV images.

The KiwiSDR SSTV decoder works on any frequency the KiwiSDR is tuned to.  I use it to decode pirate radio SSTV all the time. 

Tune in the pirate normally.  Then start the SSTV decoder from the <extension> drop down menu.  Do NOT select anything from the SSTV decoder subwindow dropdown menu <freq>.  The SSTV decoder will be operating, listening on the frequency the KiwiSDR is tuned to.

52

Huh? / Re: Anyone ever check-out this magazine, The Spectrum Monitor?

« on: April 10, 2022, 1030 UTC »

I’ve been a subscriber from issue #1.  It’s an excellent magazine with relevant and timely content — a worthy successor to Monitoring Times.  I especially appreciate that the issues come out as pdf files vice something tied to a proprietary platform with DRM like Zinio.

While we are talking about magazines, I would like to put in a plug for the RSGB magazine Radcom.  They put QST to shame, having far better technical content.  It reminds me of the old QST, decades ago.

53

General Radio Discussion / Russian Comms

« on: March 12, 2022, 1858 UTC »

From the Scan-DC mailing list:
https://rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/russian-comms-ukraine-world-hertz

I have seen Reddit postings of supposed sound bites of Russian troops calling home where they talk of looting and murders.  If Ukraine is the source of those postings, then they must be actively mining the cellular network.  If the Russians are using cellphones for Command and Control like the URL article suggests, then the Ukrainians are reading this too. 

54

General Radio Discussion / Re: Shortwaves for Freedom Project (Ukraine / Radio Free Europe rebroadcast project)

« on: March 09, 2022, 1510 UTC »

It is looking likely that Russia will isolate their Internet from the outside world.
https://fortune.com/2022/03/07/russia-runet-disconnect-ukraine-dns-chernenko-letter/


The USAGM thinks the internet is the way to go.
https://thehill.com/policy/technology/597411-grassroots-effort-uses-shortwave-radio-to-broadcast-voa-in-ukraine-russia

Even if USAGM can’t restore some of the government transmitter sites quickly to bring VOA back to SW, there are something like 15 licensed SWBC stations, commercial and religious, in the US and it’s territories.  I’d bet that some of them would be tickled pink to sell airtime to USAGM.

55

Equipment / Noise around the house

« on: March 04, 2022, 1251 UTC »

Some noise sources you might not suspect:
https://youtu.be/ewcemoXLzcU


I use switches like this to turn off noisy items (like my Keurig) when I am not using them:
https://www.amazon.com/Oviitech-Grounded-Outlet-Adapter-Indicator/dp/B0747N2Z66/ref=sr_1_4_sspa?

56

General Radio Discussion / Re: BBC launches new shortwave radio service in Ukraine

« on: March 03, 2022, 2034 UTC »

BBC goes old school.

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/bbc-ukraine-shortwave-radio-frequencies_uk_621fa132e4b0a7784bb2808f

57

General Radio Discussion / Re: BBC launches new shortwave radio service in Ukraine

« on: March 03, 2022, 2023 UTC »

Listeners in the area will be able to tune into the broadcasts at 15735 kHz from 16:00-18:00 GMT and 5875 kHz from 22:00-00:00 GMT.

Is it possible that those times are actually 1400-1600Z and 2000-2200Z?  That seems more consistent with what other people are reporting.

58

Longwave Loggings / Re: 100kHz time signal? 1320UTC 2/27/2022

« on: February 28, 2022, 1448 UTC »

The KiwiSDR radios have an integrated Loran-C decoder built in.  It could be used to help decode what Loran you might be hearing.  But as Sigint noted, there aren’t voice announcements.  My guess is you are hearing an image.

BTW, a few years ago I was hearing eLoren out of Wildwood on 100 kHz.  I haven’t heard them since.

59

Longwave Loggings / Re: Receiving LWBC in North America

« on: February 28, 2022, 1439 UTC »

I should probably invest in a few more ferrite toroids and the like. There's still so much noise coming out of my house! And I do have an AM BCB filter around here somewhere, so I'll experiment with putting that in line.

Be sure to use ferrites with the right mix!  Mix type 75 or 77 is what you should be using.  You can get them at DXEngineering.

I also have all of the connections to my KiwiSDR going through Type 77 ferrite cores - antenna, GPS, ethernet, and power.  Each has two cores glued together, and then wrapped in fiberglass cloth tape (the tape helps protect the ferrites from chipping).

The purpose of the LPF is to ensure that strong out of band signals on the BCB or SW don’t drive the receiver into compression.

The KiwiSDR is a very capable LW receiver.

60

Longwave Loggings / Re: Receiving LWBC in North America

« on: February 27, 2022, 1501 UTC »

I have received them in Virginia on a KiwiSDR and a Wellbrook loop before, but not every day.  Conditions need to be good.  Winter is better because thunderstorm QRN is much reduced.  Many believe the best months for LW propagation are Sep-Oct, but there will still be audible thunderstorm QRN.  A large Loop-On-the-Ground (LOG) antenna worked well too, better I think than the Wellbrook.

If you hear electrical noise when you tune through the LW band, you probably need to work to reduce that first.

You need to put effort into reducing any local noise sources and eliminating common mode noise.  Common mode filters on your feedline, at both the antenna and at the receiver, that use the correct ferrite mix for LF (e.g. Type 75 or 77) are important. I also use a LPF that cuts out the AM BCB.