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.

Author Topic: March 2018 NDB's...  (Read 2705 times)

Offline Looking-Glass

  • DX Legend
  • ******
  • Posts: 1139
  • Condobolin, NSW, Australia
  • "Old fashioned DXer, no offshore computer rxing!"
    • View Profile
March 2018 NDB's...
« on: March 03, 2018, 2253 UTC »
During the past five days the distance factor has really picked up this way, New Zealand NDB's heard this week for the first time in nearly one year, also paths to the west over 2,000km also starting to reappear after a very long absence:

1430z  KT   238KHz  Kaitaia, New Zealand 529 report for 2,119kms
1441z  HK  310KHz  Hokitika,New Zealand 519 report for 2,071kms
1416z  WS  278KHz Westport, New Zealand 419 report for 2,081kms
1421z  CI  322KHz Chatham Island, New Zealand 319 report for 3,077kms
1442z  TG  346KHz Tauranga, New Zealand 519 report for 2,357kms
1614z  WR 326KHz Whangarei, New Zealand 419 report for 2,211kms.

1500z  KG  287KHz Kalgoorlie, Western Australia 519 report for 2,722kms
1523z  GIG 372KHz Gin Gin, Western Australia 319 report for 3,221kms
1428z  LEC 287KHz Leigh Creek, South Australia 559 report for 1,165kms
1435z  WR  248KHz Woomera, South Australia 529 report for 1,292kms
1444z  NF  260KHz Norfolk Island, 529 report for 1,755kms
1840z  BDV 413KHz Birdsville, QLD 559 report for 1,357kms
1843z  CS  364KHz Cairns, Northern QLD 519 report for 1,914kms
1417z  TVL 276KHz Townsville QLD 569 report for 1,631kms
1420z  KOW 242KHz Kowanyama, Northern QLD 529 report for 2,190kms
1856z  OOM 227KHz Moomba SA, 539 report for 1,292kms.
« Last Edit: March 07, 2018, 0021 UTC by Looking-Glass »
Condobolin, NSW.

Grid Square:  QF37ub

Yaesu FT-1000D, Yaesu FT-2000D, ICOM IC-736 HF/50MHz, ICOM IC R75 & Tecsun S-2000 to 450 feet of wire, 27MHz 1/2 wave CB antenna converted to 21MHz & a multi band vertical of dubious reliability.

Offline pinto vortando

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 924
    • View Profile
Re: March 2018 NDB's...
« Reply #1 on: March 04, 2018, 2126 UTC »
L-G,

Did you get that stuff on the Tecsun S-2000 ?
Das Radiobunker somewhere in Michigan

Offline Looking-Glass

  • DX Legend
  • ******
  • Posts: 1139
  • Condobolin, NSW, Australia
  • "Old fashioned DXer, no offshore computer rxing!"
    • View Profile
Re: March 2018 NDB's...
« Reply #2 on: March 06, 2018, 0342 UTC »
All received via the Yaesu FT-2000D base station, Tecsun drags in too much crud and hetrodyne on low bands. 
Condobolin, NSW.

Grid Square:  QF37ub

Yaesu FT-1000D, Yaesu FT-2000D, ICOM IC-736 HF/50MHz, ICOM IC R75 & Tecsun S-2000 to 450 feet of wire, 27MHz 1/2 wave CB antenna converted to 21MHz & a multi band vertical of dubious reliability.

Offline pinto vortando

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 924
    • View Profile
Re: March 2018 NDB's...
« Reply #3 on: March 06, 2018, 1237 UTC »
Tecsun drags in too much crud and hetrodyne on low bands.

Got the Satellit 750 equivalent here.  It does a fair job on LW with a good antenna but is likely to pull in  AM broadcast band "images" and other "crud" plus it lacks narrow enough filtering and the fine tuning required for really serious LW DX.  Otherwise a nice radio for casual SWLing.

What are the details of your 310' antenna ?

« Last Edit: March 06, 2018, 1241 UTC by pinto vortando »
Das Radiobunker somewhere in Michigan

Offline Looking-Glass

  • DX Legend
  • ******
  • Posts: 1139
  • Condobolin, NSW, Australia
  • "Old fashioned DXer, no offshore computer rxing!"
    • View Profile
Re: March 2018 NDB's...
« Reply #4 on: March 07, 2018, 0015 UTC »
Just wire strung through the trees out the back of the house in an upside down "U" configuration, seems to work quite well. 

During the 2016 season I logged JJY Time Signals on both 40KHz and 60KHz in the early hours of the morning here, both transmitters are 50Kw.

A big problem is the spurs, images and carriers generated by "modern devices" of my nearby neighbours from computers, refridgerators and flat screen TV's in addition to the sub carriers and birdies generated by the powerful MW transmitters that make NDBing difficult.

The Tecsun-2000 has very poor rejection and filtering generally so all serious DXing across LW, MW and SW is done on the Yaesu FT-2000D, the Tecsun is totally useless on LW.  :D
Condobolin, NSW.

Grid Square:  QF37ub

Yaesu FT-1000D, Yaesu FT-2000D, ICOM IC-736 HF/50MHz, ICOM IC R75 & Tecsun S-2000 to 450 feet of wire, 27MHz 1/2 wave CB antenna converted to 21MHz & a multi band vertical of dubious reliability.

Offline pinto vortando

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 924
    • View Profile
Re: March 2018 NDB's...
« Reply #5 on: March 07, 2018, 1309 UTC »
L-G,

Same problems here with the RFI/EMI crap.  Most DXing has to be done after midnight and before dawn when the neighborhood electronic junk quiets down somewhat.

The NDBs here in the States use 1020 cycle modulation whereas the Canadians most all use 400 cycle modulation with a long Dash After ID (DAID). 
What do your beacons sound like ?  My chances of ever hearing one are about nil but just curious.

Otherwise, do you couple your long antenna to the FT-2000D direct or do you use some sort of balun or unun such as 9:1 or whatever ?
« Last Edit: March 08, 2018, 0140 UTC by pinto vortando »
Das Radiobunker somewhere in Michigan

Offline Looking-Glass

  • DX Legend
  • ******
  • Posts: 1139
  • Condobolin, NSW, Australia
  • "Old fashioned DXer, no offshore computer rxing!"
    • View Profile
Re: March 2018 NDB's...
« Reply #6 on: March 07, 2018, 2357 UTC »
Wire is direct to rear of FT-2000D via a PL-259 plug, going to see if I can add another 50 feet to it when I get time, wire needs replacing as large Sulphur Crested Cockatoo's often snap it, they are a large bird and vandalistic ones at that.

Plenty of Australian NDB clips can be found on You Tube, try "Australian NDB's" in the search box.

Nearly scored "TUT" on 403KHz in American Samoa at Pago Pago Airport this morning around 1615z, it was a border line 219-319 report at best, didn't claim it as could only get the "U" and one "T" out of the noise but not full call sign sequence, 4,478kms from here.

"CI" Chatham Islands on 322KHz was coming in quite well at the same time which lead me to look for Pacific island beacons further afield.

A lot of the Pacific island NDB's are low powered 25 to 50 watts with just a few running 125 or 200 watts plus in the region so they are a rare catch this way. Modern man made noise plus splash over from Australian high powered NDB's make the going tough, not to mention associated crud from MW broadcast stations running big power.

Many beacons in this region were "retired" during late 2016 due to GPS Navigation being implemented and thus many NDB's no longer required, around 200 went off air in Australia, a few in New Zealand and many in Papua New Guinea were withdrawn so not a lot left.
Condobolin, NSW.

Grid Square:  QF37ub

Yaesu FT-1000D, Yaesu FT-2000D, ICOM IC-736 HF/50MHz, ICOM IC R75 & Tecsun S-2000 to 450 feet of wire, 27MHz 1/2 wave CB antenna converted to 21MHz & a multi band vertical of dubious reliability.

Offline pinto vortando

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 924
    • View Profile
Re: March 2018 NDB's...
« Reply #7 on: March 08, 2018, 0139 UTC »




Nearly scored "TUT" on 403KHz in American Samoa at Pago Pago Airport this morning around 1615z, it was a border line 219-319 report at best, didn't claim it as could only get the "U" and one "T" out of the noise but not full call sign sequence, 4,478kms from here.



Many beacons in this region were "retired" during late 2016 due to GPS Navigation being implemented and thus many NDB's no longer required, around 200 went off air in Australia, a few in New Zealand and many in Papua New Guinea were withdrawn so not a lot left.

Frustrating isn't it when you can only get one or two characters of a DX call. 



Some NDBs are being decommissioned here as well.  Lost several locals around here over the past couple of years.  The Canadians seem to be holding on to most of theirs...  usually hear more Canadians than U.S. from my QTH.
« Last Edit: March 08, 2018, 0141 UTC by pinto vortando »
Das Radiobunker somewhere in Michigan

Offline pinto vortando

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 924
    • View Profile
Re: March 2018 NDB's...
« Reply #8 on: April 01, 2018, 1800 UTC »
Wire is direct to rear of FT-2000D via a PL-259 plug, going to see if I can add another 50 feet to it when I get time, wire needs replacing as large Sulphur Crested Cockatoo's often snap it, they are a large bird and vandalistic ones at that.


Nearly scored "TUT" on 403KHz in American Samoa at Pago Pago Airport this morning around 1615z, it was a border line 219-319 report at best, didn't claim it as could only get the "U" and one "T" out of the noise but not full call sign sequence, 4,478kms from here.


You may want to try connecting that wire antenna to the receiver via a 9:1 balun (unun) for a better match.  You can buy one or build your own, plenty of plans on the internet.  Have had good luck here with #43 material for LW and MW.

Otherwise, almost logged  one this morning on 344... it faded in and was able to copy C?Q,  heard it send the ID several times and it faded out and gone.  Probably CGQ Corsicana TX but didn't get a solid ID so it doesn't get logged. 

Das Radiobunker somewhere in Michigan

Offline Looking-Glass

  • DX Legend
  • ******
  • Posts: 1139
  • Condobolin, NSW, Australia
  • "Old fashioned DXer, no offshore computer rxing!"
    • View Profile
Re: March 2018 NDB's...
« Reply #9 on: April 02, 2018, 0528 UTC »
I found on 344KHz CQL Carbondale CO at grid square DM69jk with 100w transmitter.  Maybe it?
Condobolin, NSW.

Grid Square:  QF37ub

Yaesu FT-1000D, Yaesu FT-2000D, ICOM IC-736 HF/50MHz, ICOM IC R75 & Tecsun S-2000 to 450 feet of wire, 27MHz 1/2 wave CB antenna converted to 21MHz & a multi band vertical of dubious reliability.

Offline pinto vortando

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 924
    • View Profile
Re: March 2018 NDB's...
« Reply #10 on: April 02, 2018, 1137 UTC »
I found on 344KHz CQL Carbondale CO at grid square DM69jk with 100w transmitter.  Maybe it?

Probably not, looks like CQL has been off the air for quite some time.

Just wanted to show a situation similar to your experience with TUT...  a fairly common occurrence when beacon hunting. A signal will suddenly fade in from out of nowhere and you may copy one or two characters of the ID and then it quickly fades out and gone.

Anyway, never coped the middle character but was probably CGQ in Texas.  So, for now, it doesn't get logged.   Good luck with your beacon hunting.  :)
Das Radiobunker somewhere in Michigan

 

HFUnderground T-Shirt
HFUnderground T-Shirt
by MitchellTimeDesigns