Messages

241

Equipment / Re: Inexpensive VNA

« on: September 13, 2019, 1943 UTC »

I received mine last Monday, just short of a month since ordering.
First impressions are good.
Checked it on an FM dipole which I believe is tuned to 91.6 Mhz. It returned a min reflected power on 91.4 but I will forgive it as the aerial is only about 8 feet up and the coax is dangling under it so may be throwing if off a bit. It may not have been calibrated to the band when I checked it also.
On one of my HF, aerials, it gave me a reading of 1:1 just off my operating frequency. The aerial is good for +/- 200 Khz (about 1.5:1 at the extremes) so happy with that. Z= 48.5 Ohm Zs.

Measured a new inverted MW antenna I just put up. Lovely curve on 1430 Khz. Z=40 Ohms without the atu so matching it should be easy enough.

I've measured several filters I have here, both homemade and factory built with interesting results.  I think this could be an invaluable tool for building filters.

The build quality is OK. Pity it's not a in an enclosure.
Spent most of the morning I got it making up SMA patch cables.

242

European Pirates and Private Stations / Radio Discovery (tent.) 6200 AM 1603 UTC 07 Sept 2019

« on: September 07, 2019, 1617 UTC »

Signal coming up nicely.
Boston - More Than A Feeling.


(tentative ID : added by Ray)

243

European Pirates and Private Stations / Re: The Ghoul 3905 AM 1934 utc 31 Aug 2019

« on: August 31, 2019, 2011 UTC »

Weak here and suffering from local noise

244

General Radio Discussion / Re: FCC petitioned to open up 45 to 50 MHz for DRM+ broadcasts in the USA

« on: August 30, 2019, 1239 UTC »

I think DRM has missed the boat. Pity as I think it had potential but the receivers were poor and too expensive.
About 16 years ago, I converted my MW transmitter for DRM using DReaM software with some success but nobody could hear it  except me, and only with a doctored radio and a PC.

245

Equipment / Re: Inverted L ground plane

« on: August 30, 2019, 1231 UTC »

Some run a wire along the ground under the h portion of the L for its entire length, in addition to the radials at the v portion.

This is exactly what I do, with good signal reports.

And no reason why not.
The purpose of the ground radials is to act like like a mirror of the radiating element which is the vertical section and is why concentrating the radials there is best.
In my own present setup, I can't run a radial the full length of the horizontal anyway as it runs over a neighbours field. I do have about 30 unused radials at the end of the horizontal wire from a previous setup which I may connect to the current setup. The more the better!

I'm lucky that I have a proper Field Intensity Meter (Nems Clarke WX-2E, similar to a Potomac) so any changes I make can be accurately measured.

246

Equipment / Re: Inverted L ground plane

« on: August 28, 2019, 1437 UTC »

My inverted L has the radials originating from the vertical section. I think this is best as it's the vertical that does the most radiating. As for whether it should extend out further under the horizontal, I don't know but it certainly won't do any harm.

If you're trying to improve the earth counterpoise, then I believe it's more beneficial to add lots of short radials than just a few long ones.

247

European Pirates and Private Stations / Re: Radio Merlin Int. 6305 0821 utc 25 Aug 2019

« on: August 25, 2019, 1948 UTC »

Short skip via UK SDR

Right now.

Great modulation.

Paul Watt, still rather hot in the studio.Only coffee, no ice-cream.

Playing indie rock for ya.

sinpo = 34444

best on 6308 t0 avoid slight qrm from 6295 refl europe

peaking s9

A couple of comments today about Reflections Europe. I was getting them very strong this afternoon and the splatter from them was stretching +/- about 25 or so Khz.  This isn't the first time either.

248

10/11 meters / Re: Loop melody in 27Mhz - 27.175 MHz / 27175 kHz CB Channel 18

« on: August 22, 2019, 1117 UTC »

Sounds a bit like the interval signals that stations used to broadcast before full programs started in the morning.

249

10/11 meters / Delayed Audio - Italian Trucker Channel 45 - 27.465 MHz 27465 AM

« on: August 22, 2019, 1113 UTC »

A couple of weeks ago I was scanning the 26/27 Mhz bands and came across a lot of chatter on one channel. Don't recall the exact frequency. I think it was probably CB from Europe, maybe Italian. The audio was difficult to hear as it sounded like several people talking at the same time.
I realised that I was hearing the same person talking but also on a delay of about 3 seconds. Everything he said was repeated but slightly weaker and quieter about 3 seconds behind.
I know that some OPs use reverb sometimes but this definitely a delay  of several seconds.
Anybody have any idea of what would cause this?

[mod edit - added frequency / Italian truckers on 27.465 MHz info to title for searching/archival purposes]

250

European Pirates and Private Stations / Re: KR1 6285 1408 UTC 21 Aug 2019

« on: August 21, 2019, 1526 UTC »

Moved to 6290

251

European Pirates and Private Stations / Re: Laser Hot Hits 6205 AM 1640 utc 19 Aug 2019

« on: August 21, 2019, 0948 UTC »

We were in Cork on Sunday, Dublin on Monday and Belfast on Tuesday. I would check in the early morning, then in the latter afternoon when back aboard, and intermittently in the evening, dusk and after nightfall. On 6205 I expected to at least hear something at some point, be it groundwave or skywave if far enough away for the latter. Nada.

You were too far away for groundwave in each of those locations.
You would have been within groundwave of another station though on your trip up to Dublin.

252

Equipment / Re: W6LVP loop feed line

« on: August 20, 2019, 2003 UTC »

If you don't have ferrets on the coax it's participating in the antenna system as far as picking up rf, loop or not. Not only is it directly coupled to the antenna, it also reradiates whatever signals impinge upon it to the antenna due their proximity to one another. Ferrets stop all that nonsense.

I would keep ferrets away from my coax. The rats do enough damage as it is.

253

General Radio Discussion / Re: IRCs Maligned

« on: August 18, 2019, 1135 UTC »

Jock, you should check your facts before starting to try make trouble.
It is NOT illegal to send cash in the post.

It is illegal where I am.

Postal orders are another option, btw.

In Blighty, gov depts state that cash sent by snail mail won't be returned.

I think it wouldn't be difficult for the list of IPU countries to be put on that station's website. Then listeners in those countries needn't send US dollars.

The op in Holland would then be able to exchange IRCs for Dutch postage stamps at a Dutch post office.

Brian, I'm making a point, not making trouble.

You are making trouble. Quote "That station needs to get a grip - after all, this ain't rocket science, and actually nowhere near it - not good to steer listeners in the direction of breakung the law. "

Laws differ all throughout the world. To suggest that the op is asking people to break the law  just because it is illegal in China is nonsense. It's up to people to check the laws where they live.
The station has no obligation to accept IRCs if they wish not to. They have their reasons. If's that's a problem for you, then so be it.

254

General Radio Discussion / Re: IRCs Maligned

« on: August 18, 2019, 0932 UTC »

Jock, you should check your facts before starting to try make trouble.
It is NOT illegal to send cash in the post.

255

Shortwave Broadcast / Re: 7290 AM 18:26 16 Aug 2019

« on: August 16, 2019, 1848 UTC »

s9+ here. I'm guessing not a pirate.