We seek to understand and document all radio transmissions, legal and otherwise, as part of the radio listening hobby. We do not encourage any radio operations contrary to regulations. Always consult with the appropriate authorities if you have questions concerning what is permissible in your locale.

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Messages - Exo

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16
There used to be hf barge traffic on the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, where did it go?

Cellphones.

17
Equipment / Re: New T2FD Antenna Construction and Performance
« on: July 28, 2019, 1854 UTC »
Generally speaking, the radiation pattern for a T2FD antenna with a balun is the same shape as a dipole of the same length.
The only difference is in the efficiency gain or amplitude of the curve.

On HF, it is advantageous to get the feedpoint as high as possible, especially to get the radiation center above ground clutter and above receive RFI sources.
For a single support, the Inverted-V configuration gets the feedpoint at the top.

And it turns out that the TFD tends to do very well as an Inverted-V.
Structurally, the inverted-v configuration helps to manage the weight and wind loading of the coaxial cable, balun, spreaders, and termination resistor.
The inverted-v TFD is the most commonly seen HF antenna throughout most of South America and Southeast Asia, as radio ops who travel there have probably noticed :)



18
Equipment / Re: New T2FD Antenna Construction and Performance
« on: July 27, 2019, 1649 UTC »
  I found that reception was equally good either near horizontal or tilted close to 30 degrees. Maybe Countryman's original 30 degree design was in regards to transmitting for his intended purpose?

The original Countryman T2FD antenna was tilted to help offset the imbalance problems the design had due to its high impedance open wire feed.

In other words, they had a lot of transmission line radiation that showed up as nulls and peaks in the measured radiation pattern.
Tilting the flat top helped to fill in those nulls.

There was no balun in the original designs.
The open wire feedline was not decoupled from the antenna at all.

Ferrite baluns, which came along later, were applied in updated Terminated Folded Dipole designs.
Using a ferrite balun provides feedline isolation over a broad spectrum, eliminating feedline radiation in the TFD.

There is no magic tilt (and no need for tilt) in a TFD that has a balun.

 

19
It is no wonder that these ISM signals can be propagated to very far distances.
The governmental regulations for these transmitting devices are very loose, allowing high power levels and high radiated signal strength.

For example, here are some of the US federal ISM transmitter regulations from about 10 years ago, at a time when many of the ISM devices presently in use were designed [emphasis added].

  • Operation on Particular Frequencies Designated for ISM Equipment

    The following frequencies are designated for use by ISM equipment, the emissions of which shall be confined within the frequency limits associated with each frequency:

    6780 kHz ± 15.0 kHz
    13560 kHz ± 17.0 kHz
    27120 kHz ± 163.0 kHz
    40.68 MHz ± 20.0 kHz
    915 MHz ± 13.0 MHz
    2450 MHz ± 50.0 MHz
    5800 MHz ± 75.0 MHz
    24.125 GHz ± 125.0 MHz
    61.25 GHz ± 250.0 MHz
    122.5 GHz ± 500.0 MHz
    245 GHz ± 1.0 GHz

    In the event harmful interference is caused by ISM operation to any authorized radio service outside the frequency limits specified,
    the operator of the ISM equipment shall promptly take necessary steps to eliminate such interference,
    except in those cases where the interference is due to direct intermediate frequency pickup by a receiver of the fundamental frequency emissions of ISM equipment operating on an ISM frequency, and the operator otherwise complies with this section.

    ISM equipment, other than industrial heating equipment, that is operated on the frequencies 915, 2450, 5800 MHz, and 24.125 GHz, is subject to the following conditions:
    1. The energy radiated and the bandwidth of emission shall be reduced to the maximum extent practicable.
    2. In the event harmful interference is caused to authorized radio services from spurious or harmonic radiation from ISM equipment, the operation of the ISM equipment shall be discontinued until necessary measures have been taken to eliminate such interference.

    Medical diathermy equipment may be operated on the designated ISM frequencies without regard to the type or power of emissions being radiated, except as specified above. However, any harmonic or other spurious radiation outside the frequency limits specified in this section shall be suppressed so as not to exceed a strength of 25 uV/m at a distance of 300 meters.
    Measurements to determine field intensity shall be made in accordance with standard engineering procedures.

    Industrial heating equipment and RF stabilized arc welders may be operated with unlimited radiation on any designated ISM frequency, but shall be adjusted to operate as close to that ISM frequency as practicable. Filtering between the industrial heating equipment and power lines must be provided to the extent necessary to prevent the radiation of energy from power lines on frequencies other than those designated for ISM, with a field strength in excess of 10 uV/m at a distance of 1600 meters from the industrial heating equipment, and at a distance of 15 meters from the power line.

    Miscellaneous ISM equipment may be operated on the designated ISM frequencies without regard to the type or power of emissions being radiated, provided any harmonic or other spurious radiation outside the frequency limits specified in this section is suppressed so as to not exceed:
    25 uV/m at a distance of 300 meters or,
    for equipment generating more than 500 watts of RF power on the fundamental frequency,
    25 uV/m times the square root of P/500 (where P is the actual RF power generated),
    but not to exceed 10 uV/m at 1600 meters,
    provided this increase is not permitted for equipment located in a predominantly residential area and operating on a frequency below 1000 MHz.

    Operation on Frequencies Other than Those Designated for ISM Equipment
    Operation of ISM equipment within the following safety, search and rescue frequency bands is prohibited: 490-510 kHz, 2170-2194 kHz, 8354-8374 kHz, 121.4-121.6 MHz, 156.7-156.9 MHz, and
    242.8-243.2 MHz.

    In the event harmful interference is caused to any authorized radio service outside the frequency limits specified in previous Section, by ISM operation conducted pursuant to this section, the operator of the ISM equipment shall promptly take the necessary steps to eliminate the interference.

    Medical diathermy equipment shall be provided with a rectified and filtered plate power supply, powerline filters, and shall be constructed so that any radiated radio frequency energy (including harmonic or other spurious emissions) on a frequency outside the frequency limits specified in the previous Section does not exceed a strength of 15 µV/m at a distance of 300 meters.

    Measurements to determine field intensity shall be made in accordance with standard engineering procedures.

    Industrial heating equipment and RF stabilized arc welders may be operated provided all of the following conditions are met:

    1. Radiation on the fundamental carrier frequency, as well as spurious and harmonic radiations resulting from any source frequency, and falling outside the frequency limits specified in the previous Section, shall be suppressed so that:

    a) below 5725 MHz the field strength does not exceed 10 µV/m at a distance of 1600 meters and;

    b) above 5725 MHz it is reduced to the greatest extent practicable.

    2. Filtering between the industrial heating equipment and power lines shall be provided to the extent necessary to prevent the radiation of energy from power lines on frequencies other than the designated ISM frequencies, with a field strength in excess of 10 µV/m at a distance of 1600 meters from the industrial heating equipment and at a distance of 15 meters from the power line.

    Miscellaneous ISM equipment may be operated on frequencies other than those designated for ISM equipment provided all of the following conditions are met:

    1. The equipment shall be provided with a rectified and filtered plate power supply and power line filters.

    2. Any radiated radio frequency energy outside the frequency limits specified in previous Section (including harmonic or other spurious emissions) shall not exceed:
    15 µV/m at a distance of 300 meters; or, for equipment generating more than 500 watts of RF power on the fundamental frequency, 15 uV/m times the square root of P/500 (where P is the actual RF power generated), but not to exceed 10 µV/m at 1600 meters, provided this increase is not permitted for equipment located in a predominantly residential area and operating on a frequency below 1000 MHz.

    Operation of ultrasonic equipment shall not result in radiation exceeding the following limits:

    1. Below 490 kHz
    2400 µV/m at 300 meters/Frequency (in kHz)

    Between 490 and 1600 kHz
    24000 µV/m at 30 meters/Frequency (in kHz)

    Over 1600 kHz (excluding frequencies within the limits specified in previous Section)
    15 µV/m at 30 meters

    2. For equipment operating below 490 kHz and generating more than 500 watts of RF power on the fundamental frequency.
    2400 µV/m at 300 meters “Frequency (in kHz) times the square root of P/500 (where P is the actual RF power generated), but not to exceed 10 µV/m at 1600 meters”, provided this increase is not permitted for equipment located in a predominantly residential area.

    3. On any frequency 490 kHz and above, the radio frequency voltage appearing on each power line shall not exceed 200 µV; below 490 kHz it shall not exceed 1000 µV.

20
Driving home last evening I have my radio set to 27.385 and as usual there is no activity, so I leave it at low volume. Just before 6:00 Los Angeles time, the swisher sound was so clear and very loud. I only heard one, it sounded like a local signal but chances are it came from some distance.

That ISM you heard could have been anywhere within a 2000 km radius, since it was probably via "short skip".
Put a pin at your location and draw a 3500 km diameter circle around it.
The location of that ISM was probably on that line.
It's amazing how strong short skip can be, almost as if it is being amplified.
There's been a whole lot of short skip (Es) lately around California, the west coast, and around the rockies.

21
Groundwave is probably the answer I think, but would appreciate comments from fellow HFU DXers. ;)

It was probably not groundwave.

It was simply NVIS (Near Vertical Incidence Skywave) propagation, very common via the F-layer of the ionosphere.
NVIS usually doesn't extend more than about 650 km (400 miles), so perhaps the DNB was within that distance from your receiver.

See this image of the Digisonde from your nearby Canberra ionosonde, for the time interval of your report.
The squiggly solid horizontal line in the bottom left side of the graph shows the zenith reflective F layer was good for NVIS propagation in the 1.74 MHz (fmin)  to 5.670MHz (foF2)  range.


For other dates and times, see this link to the Canberra ionosonde:
https://lgdc.uml.edu/common/DIDBYearListForStation?ursiCode=CB53N

22
HF Beacons / Re: 7 MHz Western USA Beacons
« on: June 16, 2019, 2207 UTC »
Just bounced back over to 7998 and HI has now returned.

09MAR2019 23:36z 7998.07 KHz,  fairly strong then fades out for a transmission or two.

Has anyone copied HI recently?

23
Noticing a large number of swooshes on the lower freeband frequencies - roughly 26.500 MHz to 26.900 MHz, with some in-band as well.  All 40 CB channels are busy at 1613 UTC.

Some possible speculation for the prevalence of ISM fish hook swishers below the 27 MHz ISM and CB bands:

1. Natural downward frequency drift of the ISM work head resonant L-C tank when in use.

2. Initial calibration at 27.12 MHz is done with the heating work head in free air, rather than in contact with the dielectric work piece, which increases capacitance and causes resonant frequency to shift lower.

3. Factory calibrators may intentionally tune each ISM device toward the low end of the ISM band ~26.96 MHz (rather than 27.12 MHz center) to avoid the wrath of:
_ a. Amateur radio 28 MHz fox hunt vigilantes, frequency cops, or intruder monitors.
_ b. CB radio operators who might get angry.

4. After the ISM device is purchased and goes into service, it is probably never frequency calibrated again because nobody cares.

24
22 Meter Band HiFER Beacons / Re: Antennas for covert install.
« on: June 06, 2019, 1902 UTC »
You want to set up multiple beacons?  Awesome.

In addition to a 22m beacon, you should set up beacons for higher and lower frequencies.  The 2, 4, 6 and 8 MHz bands are popular.  I also recommend setting up a beacon on 11 meters as that can have some spectacular results (well, it will when the solar cycle picks back up again). 

In regards to stealth or covert antennas, wire antennas are the way to go.  Since you're dealing with low power transmitters you don't need a thick wire.  The humble 1/2 wave dipole is a sure bet, but there are other options too depending on what limitations you have.

You're right about 11 meters, R4002.
It is starting to open up again lately, and it is great for low power beacons.
A 13.5 MHz beacon can double as a 27 MHz beacon, by modifying the output filter to let its 2nd harmonic through, and using a 2 band fan dipole.
Then, it is both a 22 meter beacon and an 11 meter beacon at the same time.

There are 4 MHz wild beacons that are often logged on their 8 MHz 2nd harmonic, so this is a proven technique.

For covert install of antennas, better not to put the beacon at the very peak of the mountain where most people go.
Instead, put it down the mountain on one side, in the favored direction, in an area away from paths.
A suitable antenna can be few black wires in trees, or supported by some large rocks. 
If the beacon transmitter can be mounted above ground, then the antenna wires can go direct to the transmitter antenna port, without need for coaxial cable or feedline.

25
High power RF generators, capable of lots of watts at 27 MHz, ending up on the surplus market. What could possibly go wrong?  8)

Back in the 1960s, there were many surplussed 13 MHz medical diathermy units that got turned into 20 meter CW and AM amplifiers by hams.

27 MHz diathermy "therapy" units were also produced.

They required adding bigger capacitors in their power supplies, because the diathermy designers didn't care how much awful AC hum they were transmitting.

You can see plenty of power supply ripple in the fish hook signals of present-day industrial RF power devices, too.

The shortwave diathermy units started appearing at junk yards... after the medical establishment discovered... that purposely RF burning their patients to relax their muscles wasn't such a great idea after all  :-\

These are known as quack machines now.

VIDEO: Old Spark Gap Shortwave Diathermy really lights you up



https://youtu.be/dez2UU3kUIc






This is reminiscent of the early "radium is good for you" craze.

Radium The Undark.



Radium Water. Yummm.



Radium lipstick, for glowing approval  :-*






27
I wonder how many of these ISM users use the 40.680 MHz frequency vs. 13.56 MHz or 27.12 MHz.  I know these sporadic-E openings have included (sporadic) 6-meter/50 MHz band DX as well as 11-meter and 10-meter openings.  So perhaps 40 MHz (8 meters!) 40.66-40.70 MHz is another place to look for these ISM swooshers/swishers/heaters/fish hooks if/when the bands are open and 6 meters/VHF low band is active.

BTW, Exo and Chris, great waterfall images.  Always nice to see signals literally every 10 kHz from 26.7 MHz or so to 27.5 MHz or 27.6 MHz when the band is open enough for the ISM signals to be seen on the SDR waterfalls.

You're right, R4002.
There are many ISMs on 40 MHz.

But, the big risk for the 40 MHz ISM transmitting equipment designers is the suppression of their 3rd harmonic, which falls right in the middle of the VHF aeronautical voice band!
ISM Band 40.680 MHz +/- 20 kHz = 40.66 MHz to 40.7 MHz band limits

40.660 MHz x 3 =121.980 MHz
40.680 MHz x 3 =122.040 MHz
40.700 MHz x 3 =122.100 MHz 
:o



28
I am now (2120 UTC 4 Jun 2019) copying one on the 19 meter band, not sure if I have noticed one before on either 13560 or 27120 kHz, where they "should" be:
-
And some more higher up the band:
-
And more!
-
The 11m was open this morning, around 1150z I was hearing lots of stations from the midwest, such as the Chicago area. I noticed quite a few sliders:

Those are excellent waterfall images of the 15 MHz fish hooks, Chris. 
The industrial RF processing machines are cluttering the entire HF spectrum, and extending up into low band VHF.

Judging by the number of CB AM carriers in that last image, that was quite an 11m opening you had to the midwest!

Today, in California, there was double-hop Sporadic E propagation which covered a lot of southern Canada, the midwest USA, and the Pacific Northwest.

During the unusual 27 MHz propagation, hundreds of fish hooks were seen on the waterfall.
Some of the longer duration ones, 20 to 30 seconds, may have been wood processing machines.

Video: How It's Made "Laminated Wood Beams" see the RF power wood glue curing machine at 1:50 in the video. "pressed between two plates" "about 20 seconds of heat cures the glue"
https://youtu.be/nU-2FiJVtC4?t=109

A few of the longer zig-zag drift patterns showed up on the waterfall today, probably RF wood processing machines:




29
Looks like the "Sliders" we talked about a few years ago? https://www.hfunderground.com/board/index.php/topic,12565.0.html

I still notice them from time to time, mostly on the higher frequencies, very rarely on the lower bands.

Yes, many of the same waterfall signatures shown here were also shown by the OP in that thread :)
There were several different types of other RFI source signals discussed in that thread.
These signals have been around for many years, but recently they have increased dramatically, especially in Asia.

Let's talk about the source of these signals.
There seems to be a design trend in the source equipment, toward targeting the HF ISM bands, such as 13 MHz and 27 MHz.
But, for the RF industrial devices which need to be designed around a lower fundamental work frequency such as 2 MHz or 10 MHz, they can produce very strong harmonics up the spectrum.
While the lower frequency fundamental power may be suppressed and only propagate locally, the higher harmonics are more difficult to shield and can propagate via the ionosphere, to be monitored thousands of miles away.

The proliferation of low cost RF sealing machines for use in consumer product packaging materials can explain the worldwide rise of widespread RFI from these devices.

Estimated by the signal strength compared to similarly located CB radio signals, some of the industrial RF power devices appear to be transmitting 10 Watts to 500 Watts ERP (Effective Radiated Power) into the air.


RF sealing is utilized to make many types of items, the most common is "blister pack" or "clam shell" product packaging and medical disposables.
RF welding is utilized for all types of materials, mostly metal, polymers, or plastics.
RF cutting is utilized for metal or plastic.
RF plasma cutters are common in metal machining and processes.
RF heating, laminating, embossing, and curing for wood and wood glue is common.

Conjecture about the source devices of the signals:
The frequency determining system is not precisely fixed.
In some types of RF power industrial units it is comprised of an inductance coil or capacitance in the cutting/sealing work head which combines with a variable or fixed compensation capacitor or tank coil for tuning them to self-resonance in the power transmitting circuit.
Also, the frequency needs to follow the self-resonance of the work head, in order to be power efficient and effective.
In other types of digital frequency-determining circuits, there needs to be a phase feedback sensor which tracks the work head self-resonance to the generator frequency.
Basically, it is an L-C power oscillator.
Power levels: hundreds of watts up to multiple kilowatts of RF.
The support structure and cable wiring from the RF power generator to the work head forms an unintended antenna which can radiate quite well.

When transmit power is initiated in bursts, either through the operator's foot switch pulser or the automated pulse timer, the inductor or capacitor in the work head heats up or temporarily changes shape. 
As the welder/sealer/cutter task is processed, the thickness and capacitance in the dielectric material between the work head and the grounded work surface changes.
This causes the self-resonant frequency to drift or sweep momentarily.
It cools back down again as the next work item or work spot is put into place under the head.
The process repeats.




In automated factories, the pulse bursts can be at very regularly repeated intervals.
In human operated machines or hand-held machines, it is more random.
The duration for RF sealing machines ranges from 2 or 3 seconds for plastic items, to about 30 seconds for wood.
Continuous duration or multi-minute duration is utilized for metal or plastic pipe sealing machines.

Listening to some of the remote receivers located near industrial zones of the world (US, Asia, Europe), it is easy to see the fish hook swishers starting up in the work day morning and ending later in the evening, often with dormant activity on Sunday.

RF 75 kilowatt HF welding machine:


Videos of RF sealing machines in action:

https://youtu.be/OmcHcfkuS_8

https://youtu.be/kDubcBvzFxc

https://youtu.be/F1g-268m1f0

https://youtu.be/8aLAbRF8HGQ

https://youtu.be/_l1WRNOuL08

-
Basic information about how RF heaters and sealers work, and human RF exposure to the high fields produced by them (World Health Organization and International Labour Organization)




30
27 MHz ISM Fish Hook Swisher Interference RFI EMI RF HF Sealers Heaters Welders Worldwide 11 Meter Band



Strong ISM type signals with a fish hook signature on the waterfall spectrum are observed worldwide in the 25 MHz to 27 MHz range.

Fish hook swisher signals may originate from poorly shielded ISM devices.

The industrial, scientific, medical (ISM) band at 26.957 MHz to 27.283 MHz overlaps the 27 MHz CB band.

Many types of industrial RF plasma devices, such as RF welding, plasma chamber deposition, plasma torch, plastic sealing or welding, or RF cutting machines use 27 MHz.

Other types of RF ISM type equipment, power RF devices, or RFID equipment may also be a source of signals with a similar spectrum signature.

The frequency accuracy of ISM devices may vary widely, and some ISM signals have been monitored operating 1.5 MHz or more out-of-band.

This category of EMI, EMC, or RFI  (ElectroMagnetic Interference, ElectroMagnetic Compatibility, Radio Frequency Interference) is heard intermittently and commonly by CB radio users, and sounds similar to a VFO knob being turned as the transmitter is swished across the band.
The sounds are often described as: "swishing, swisher, spinner, swish, slider, slide, sweep, whoosh, wind, howling, whoop, razzer, whooping".
They can often be much stronger than 11 meter CB radio signals.


Duration of the fish hook swisher signals is approximately 2 seconds to 20 seconds, with most of them averaging around 5 seconds long.

The initial frequency typically sweeps abruptly downward about 30 kHz to 50 kHz, then ends the sweep with a slower frequency change, or a stable frequency, which gives it the distinctive fish hook signature on the spectrum waterfall.

Some fish hook swishers have also been observed with upward frequency sweep, but they are not as common.
Some fish hook swisher signals have been observed having as much as a 400 kHz total sweep range.
Modulated tones, digital dithered, unmodulated carriers, and noisy carriers have all been monitored.

This report includes detailed monitoring of some fish hook swisher signals which were monitored during a very strong Sporadic E (Es) propagation opening which widely covered western USA in mid-2019.
These are not local signals near the receiver, such as switching power supply, computers, or lights.
The signals shown in this report are being transmitted by ISM sources 250 miles to 1200 miles away (400 km to 2000 km).


Report 2019JUN03 1800UTC
ID: various ISM signals, unidentified.
Frequency: 26 MHz to 27.8 MHz.
Signal levels: various, ranging from -130dBm to -70dBm


PLAY AUDIO 27 MHz Fish Hook Swishers compilation recorded in IQ mode at 12 kHz total bandwidth on 2019 June 03 EMI RFI


Spectrum waterfall images showing ISM RFI fish hook swishers in the 27 MHz range:















End of report.

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