Summer 2019 NDB Logs

[jFarley]

Logs from Downers Grove, Illinois acquired during the past weekend's Coordinated Listening Event.  By no means are we at the real season start, but we are starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel.

2019-07-26  1704  240.0  CJ   -1044    +1045     Springfield, IL, USA  256 Km
2019-07-27  0631  242.0  EL   -1031              El Paso, TX, USA  1960 Km
2019-07-26  1743  242.0  LE   -1039    +1032     Lexington, KY, USA  513 Km
2019-07-27  0632  242.0  MMI  -1019    +1024     Athens, TN, USA  772 Km
2019-07-27  0948  242.0  XC            +404      Cranbrook, BC, CAN  2314 Km
2019-07-27  0319  244.0  TH            +410      Thompson, MB, CAN  1718 Km
2019-07-27  0952  245.0  ARM           +992      Wharton, TX, USA  1571 Km
2019-07-26  1707  245.0  FS   -1030    +1037     Sioux Falls, SD, USA  741 Km
2019-07-26  1708  245.0  HU   -1033    +1037     Terre Haute, IN, USA  270 Km
2019-07-26  1710  245.0  PWF           +1020     Batavia, OH, USA  443 Km
2019-07-26  1709  245.0  YZE           +402      Gore Bay, ON, CAN  636 Km
2019-07-26  1751  248.0  CG   -1036    +1025     Cape Girardeau, MO, USA  521 Km
2019-07-27  0314  248.0  FRT  -1031              Spartanburg, SC, USA  931 Km
2019-07-27  0954  248.0  PQF           +1038     Mesquite, TX, USA  1248 Km
2019-07-27  0154  248.0  UL            +400      Montreal, QC, CAN  1212 Km
2019-07-27  0636  250.0  FO            +405      Flin Flon, MB, CAN  1753 Km
2019-07-26  1759  250.0  UGS  -1021    +1022     Athens / Albany, OH, USA  573 Km
2019-07-27  0310  251.0  AM   -1033    +1033     Amarillo, TX, USA  1405 Km
2019-07-26  1716  251.0  JZY  -1040    +1034     Macomb, IL, USA  252 Km
2019-07-26  1716  253.0  DD   -1028    +1021     Columbus, OH, USA  479 Km
2019-07-26  1807  253.0  GB   -1058    +1041     Marshall, MN, USA  706 Km
2019-07-26  1812  254.0  HLB  -1018    +1013     Batesville, IN, USA  356 Km
2019-07-26  1812  254.0  MB   -1018    +1036     Manistee, MI, USA  319 Km
2019-07-27  0957  255.0  SW   -1026    +1027     Stillwater, OK, USA  998 Km
2019-07-28  1031  257.0  DT   -1042    +1045     Denton, TX, USA  1244 Km
2019-07-26  1719  257.0  FWC  -1013    +1009     Fairfield, IL, USA  377 Km
2019-07-26  1731  257.0  JYR           +1027     York, NE, USA  807 Km
2019-07-27  0638  257.0  XE            +380      Saskatoon, SK, CAN  1827 Km
2019-07-27  0641  258.0  ZSJ           +407      Sandy Lake, ON, CAN  1319 Km
2019-07-26  1739  420.0  FQ   -1077    +1023     Fairmont, MN, USA  559 Km
2019-07-27  0216  420.0  TU            +382      Tupelo, MS, USA  847 Km
2019-07-27  0156  423.0  PCW  -1012    +1019     Port Clinton, OH, USA  431 Km
2019-07-27  0642  426.0  IZS           +1015     Montezuma, GA, USA  1107 Km
2019-07-27  0645  428.0  POH           +1017     Pocahontas, IA, USA  343 Km

[i_hear_you]

I'm just starting into this now, and last night had 389 EN Kenosha, WI booming in. 

Is it just me, or is beacon Morse whack?  I couldn't ID "EN" for a bit because it sounded like either "ETE" (. - .) or "R" (.-.).  I can't detect a spacing between "E" and "N" (. -.).

[jFarley]

EN is a local for me, and I just took a listen.  The inter-character spacing between E and N 'might' be a bit short, but it's not totally out of whack.  There are a couple of dozen NDBs I can think of whose keyers are REALLY shaky, and are often the subject of DXer confusion.

BTW, welcome this often forgotten corner of the hobby!  The NDB season will start in earnest in a couple of months when the days grow shorter and the thunderstorms die down.  We are all hoping that this will turn out to be a spectacular year due to the fact that we are in the solar minimum.

[i_hear_you]

It's local for me, too, and the fact I didn't hear "EN" upfront suggests my ears need far more Morse training.

I've read your build log with some fascination.  I'm not currently up to the task of regen loops, but I'm starting into a remote tuned loop. I'm planning to purchase a handful of NTE618 varactors, unless you can recommend newer part.

I'm thinking of using this for the voltage control:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/LM317-AC-DC-Adjustable-Voltage-Regulator-Step-down-Power-Supply-Module-with-C7A4/352674072655

[jFarley]

The NTE618s have a hyper-abrupt junction and this gives a wide tuning range.  Used 'em here for years.

[jFarley]

Nooner logs from Downers Grove, Illinois

2019-08-14  1703  201.0  ZXU           +395      London, ON, CAN  584 Km
2019-08-14  1707  207.0  FD            +391      Brantford, ON, CAN  646 Km
2019-08-14  1711  212.0  UC   -1033    +1037     Union City, TN, USA  613 Km
2019-08-14  1715  218.0  AL   -1019    +1021     Alton  (St Louis  MO), IL, USA  363 Km
2019-08-14  1716  219.0  YMG           +409      Manitouwadge, ON, CAN  829 Km
2019-08-14  1718  221.0  RP   -397     +399      Rice Lake Airport, Carl's Field, WI, USA  497 Km
2019-08-14  1722  223.0  MW   -1039    +1038     Franklin, OH, USA  401 Km
2019-08-14  1727  227.0  FZ   -1021    +1017     St. Louis, MO, USA  404 Km
2019-08-14  1727  227.0  GW   -1035    +1035     De Kalb County, Auburn, IN, USA  262 Km
2019-08-14  1726  227.0  SQ   -1040    +1040     Connersville, IN, USA  332 Km
2019-08-14  1729  230.0  BU   -1024              Columbus, OH, USA  462 Km
2019-08-14  1732  233.0  AZN  -397     +393      St. Joseph, MO, USA  612 Km
2019-08-14  1733  233.0  QN            +408      Nakina, ON, CAN  943 Km
2019-08-14  1739  239.0  HKF  -1018    +1014     Middletown, OH, USA  396 Km
2019-08-14  1739  239.0  TN   -1043    +1044     Menominee, WI, USA  367 Km
2019-08-14  1746  263.0  CVM           +1018     Alton, IL, USA  362 Km
2019-08-14  1746  263.0  GR   -1034    +1024     Grand Rapids, MI, USA  253 Km
2019-08-14  1745  263.0  LQL  -1011              Willoughby, OH, USA  554 Km
2019-08-14  1748  269.0  BEX  -997     +994      Bloomfield, IA, USA  387 Km
2019-08-14  1756  272.0  OLY  -1017    +1008     Olney-Noble, IL, USA  339 Km
2019-08-14  1755  272.0  YQA           +403      Muskoka, ON, CAN  794 Km
2019-08-14  1758  273.0  FK   -1042    +1035     Fort Campbell  (Hopkinsville), KY, USA  564 Km
2019-08-14  1759  274.0  RG            +1028     Red Wing, MN, USA  488 Km
2019-08-14  1801  275.0  DE   -1019    +1021     Decatur, IL, USA  236 Km
2019-08-14  1802  276.0  YEL           +404      Elliot Lake, ON, CAN  669 Km
2019-08-14  1803  277.0  OT   -1050              Worthington, MN, USA  640 Km
2019-08-14  1804  278.0  ADG  -1021    +1018     Adrian, MI, USA  332 Km
2019-08-14  1809  281.0  DMO           +954      Sedalia, MO, USA  557 Km


NDBs this report 29  New NDBs 0

[pinto vortando]

Nice log for midday summertime...
Did a quick bandscan here just before noon and heard only 13 beacons.
The neighborhood powerline QRM has become really bad lately.
Could formerly log as many as 25-30 beacons daytime,
although some of those have gone QRT.
We both heard YQA and ADG today.

[jFarley]

Daytime is the only time it has been quiet enough to hear anything worthwhile, nites still way too much storm QRN.

"It won't be long (yeah) yeah (yeah) ..."    Lennon & McCartney

[pinto vortando]

206  QI  Yarmouth  NS @ 0840Z
in spite of hvy T-storms east of me

[ChrisSmolinski]

So it's not only DGPS Land where things have been dismal.

[refmo]

This summer has been the worst that I have ever experienced for LW reception.  Last summer was one of the best ever for LW here.  Propagation be fickle.

[Looking-Glass]

Some nice catches there Farley, especially your distance best 242KHz XC in Canada for 2,314kms on 27th July 2019.  The NDB band has been very erratic this way, I aim for stations over 2,000kms and only log new ones heard under this benchmark.

Best for me so far is 323KHz CAR Carnarvon, Western Australia at 1626z for 3,663kms a few days ago.

New ones are rare this way but did manage to log 212KHz IFL Innisfail QLD 1930z for 1,821kms 319 report for an ATNO, been looking for this one for a few years.

Heard some digital traffic the other week around 1330z on 475KHz, this frequency is allocated to "Low Power Experimental Stations" in Australia and New Zealand, is this frequency allocated the same in North America?

Must be a seasonal change this way as New Zealand stations getting less frequent, used to hear 322KHz CI Chatham Island nearly every night, now I haven't heard it for near three weeks. In the past few weeks only the high powered (50 watts and up) New Zealand beacons are being logged.

Good luck...

[pinto vortando]

L-G,

630 meters (472 - 479) is available to U.S. Hams General class and above, low power.
Have heard some CW there from time to time.