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Author Topic: X-FM Summer outlook  (Read 3962 times)

Offline redhat

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X-FM Summer outlook
« on: May 26, 2017, 2033 UTC »
Its been 6 months since our last full fledged show, and I have to say I've got the itch pretty bad.  Our last test on 4085 was successful enough to consider adding to the future arsenal and a transmitter is currently being built for that band.  Two other transmitters are also being considered for 175 and 43 meters to replace the rather bulky and very inefficient current stereo transmitter for 43 meters.  There is a lot of technology in the new rig, and will make our field operations much easier than in the past.  The listener will benefit from better signal and higher audio quality.  We will benefit from battery operation which will make operation possible in places previously unavailable to us due to noise restrictions.

Its taken 3 years, but I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.  I have a pile of QSL's to do as well before things really begin to ramp up again too.  Expect testing under various aliases, some relays, and other transmissions in the coming months.  I hope to have regular shows running again closer to August, but maybe sooner or later depending on work load, available fundage, and weather.

All the best folks,

+-RH

Somewhere under the stars...
Airspy HF+, MLA-30/Mini-whip/Chi-Town Loop
Please send QSL's and reception reports to xfmshortwave [at] proton [d0t] me

Offline MDK2

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Re: X-FM Summer outlook
« Reply #1 on: May 26, 2017, 2052 UTC »
Can't wait. You already had possibly the best pirate signal around, so I really want to hear what an improved one is like. BTW, where you say 175m, did you mean 75m?
Denver, CO.
SDRPlay RSPdx & RSP2pro, Airspy Discovery HF+, Icom IC-7100, Grundig Satellit 750, Realistic DX-300, Tecsun PL-600.
MLA-30 active loop, G5RV dipole.
eQSLs appreciated wickerjennie at gmail

Offline redhat

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Re: X-FM Summer outlook
« Reply #2 on: May 26, 2017, 2055 UTC »
Technically, 171 meters, 1750 KHz.

+-RH
Somewhere under the stars...
Airspy HF+, MLA-30/Mini-whip/Chi-Town Loop
Please send QSL's and reception reports to xfmshortwave [at] proton [d0t] me

Offline ChrisSmolinski

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Re: X-FM Summer outlook
« Reply #3 on: May 26, 2017, 2059 UTC »
It's been a while since I've heard strong pirates on the MW band. Brings back memories of the 80s with WHOT, WDX, etc. And they weren't in stereo  ;D
Chris Smolinski
Westminster, MD
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netSDR / AFE822x / AirSpy HF+ / KiwiSDR / 900 ft Horz skyloop / 500 ft NE beverage / 250 ft V Beam / 58 ft T2FD / 120 ft T2FD / 400 ft south beverage / 43m, 20m, 10m  dipoles / Crossed Parallel Loop / Discone in a tree

Offline MDK2

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Re: X-FM Summer outlook
« Reply #4 on: May 26, 2017, 2103 UTC »
Technically, 171 meters, 1750 KHz.

+-RH

Thanks for the clarification. Hopefully that will still be copyable here in the west. :)
Denver, CO.
SDRPlay RSPdx & RSP2pro, Airspy Discovery HF+, Icom IC-7100, Grundig Satellit 750, Realistic DX-300, Tecsun PL-600.
MLA-30 active loop, G5RV dipole.
eQSLs appreciated wickerjennie at gmail

Offline redhat

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Re: X-FM Summer outlook
« Reply #5 on: May 26, 2017, 2111 UTC »
Should be.  It also helps that there is nothing on that frequency (most of the time...).

All new transmitters will be stereo of one form or another.  I've been considering ISB capability as well, as 90% of the circuitry will already be in the stereo exciter section.  Only the phase shift networks and a different pilot tone generator will be needed to be added.

This was all triggered by the death of the switchers in the Harris linear.  I was faced with dropping $500 in new supplies, or moving toward something with the following goals;

-Smaller footprint/less weight
-lower modulator distortion
-higher system efficiency north of ~80% permitting 48V operation at up to 600W carrier (3KW on mod peaks) using Current Mode Class D PA stage and a boost converter to get the required B+
-integrated exciter with monitoring capability and GPS frequency discipline.  Integrated processing to be added later (additional card).
-remote control functionality over the AES audio link

Some of this will be implemented in stages, and I hope the system will wind up being card based, so additional features can be added by installing a card.

Once its all built and working well, I'll eventually release the design so people can build their own.

+-RH
« Last Edit: May 26, 2017, 2123 UTC by redhat »
Somewhere under the stars...
Airspy HF+, MLA-30/Mini-whip/Chi-Town Loop
Please send QSL's and reception reports to xfmshortwave [at] proton [d0t] me

Offline Pigmeat

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Re: X-FM Summer outlook
« Reply #6 on: May 28, 2017, 1837 UTC »
That's going to have to be the mother of all batteries to supply that much power for an extended tx. I like the plan.

As someone who did all remote broadcasting during his career you're going to run into people from time to time that A) Wonder what the heck that thing is?, and B) Have bad intentions towards you.

With the first, a handful of stock stories will work, but if you're not a ham, don't say that you are. I knew a guy who tried to pull that with cop who turned out to be a ham and asked him for his call. From what I recall, he had to tell a real whopper to get out of that one.

With the second group, if you operate in a state where open carry is legal, seeing a pistol on your hip will discourage most of them. I know seeing a large skinning knife on my hip discouraged some weed growers who ready to put me in the ground to fertilize next years crop when they were walking in to check on a crop. Once we got to talking it turned out two of them knew some cousins of mine. They then tried to tell me they were looking for a horse! In a State Forest in the dark, no less. I had run in with a nut a couple of years later that thought I was spying on him with "surveillance equipment". When I stood up and he saw the pistol, he went back to his campsite and shot me dirty looks.

Another reason for a gun in my region was it's overrun with bears. Most will beat it when they smell and hear you, but garbage bears are different. They see you and your trash as source of food, especially if they've been fed by people staying in the general area you're tx'ing from. They have no real fear of humans and can be aggressive. A reliable shotgun loaded with slugs close at hand will turn the trick on our local black bears. I always took an old 12 ga. pump went I went to a place where garbage bears were likely to be. One thing with guns, if you're not prepared and willing to use one, leave it at home.

Two bad run-ins in just over a decade of broadcasting at least twice a month from the boonies isn't much to sweat. Just be aware of the people that may be around and how they behave and you'll be fine. Most of the people who approach you fall in the first bunch I listed above, they're just curious.

Good luck, and enjoy transmitting from the sticks. The pre and post transmitting dx is great and if you come from a light polluted area, the show in the night sky is the best of all.

Offline Nukem

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Re: X-FM Summer outlook
« Reply #7 on: July 03, 2017, 0213 UTC »
 ::) ::) ::) ::) ::)

Can't Wait, looking forward to the new spectrum test.

73's
Nukem