Re: Loran
Posted by John Cramer on February 02, 2013 at 01:24:29.
In reply to Re: Loran posted by Bill Riches on February 01, 2013
Loran
Greetings All,
Loran station at Wildwood, NJ is up at 2118 est. I guess they are running surveys again. I am located 3 miles NW of Wildwood Crest NJ where the station is located.
73,
Bill, WA2DVU Re: Loran
Cape May Court House, NJ
Posted by Bill Riches on February 01, 2013 at 02:22:57.
In reply to Loran posted by bill riches on February 01, 2013
Ooops - FX is 100 khz 73, WA2DVU
Re: MLS QRSS60 TEST THIS WEEKEND
Posted by Garry, K3SIW on February 01, 2013 at 21:25:28.
In reply to MLS QRSS60 TEST THIS WEEKEND posted by Mark on January 31, 2013
Mark, your QRSS60 is coming through nicely in the daylight to NE IL (about a 400 mile path). Frequency is wobbling around a bit but not too bad, especially given that winter has returned, hi. I see it at 186204.9 Hz at 2125Z.
73, Garry, K3SIW, EN52ta, Elgin, IL
Re: Loran
Posted by John Cramer on February 02, 2013 at 01:24:29.
In reply to Re: Loran posted by Bill Riches on February 01, 2013
Bill,
Havre, MT appears to have been up at 17Z on Tuesday 29 January on 96 khz....
PBO --BACK ON AIR
Posted by Rick KA2PBO on February 02, 2013 at 01:41:47.
Winds have subsided...PBO is back on.
Rick KA2PBO
Re: MLS QRSS60 TEST THIS WEEKEND
Posted by John Davis on February 02, 2013 at 17:53:30.
In reply to Re: MLS QRSS60 TEST THIS WEEKEND posted by Garry, K3SIW on February 01, 2013
MLS came into SE Kansas quite nicely overnight, despite static that ranged from 3 to 4 S-units over signal-plus-background in a 270 Hz bandwidth. I first tried watching it with Argo set for QRSS30 Slow, but that wasn't very satisfactory. As you can see here, the signal faded in during the first dot of the "L" and was fading out by the final dot. When I switched to 60-second dots, the result was much better for the next full ID.
John
2200m WSPR
Posted by John VE7BDQ on February 04, 2013 at 01:27:29.
Beaconing on normal wspr on 136.000 dial (tx ~137.500) for the next few hours.. running about 34 percent -- any reports appreciated.
Re: MLS QRSS60 TEST THIS WEEKEND
73 John VE7BDQ 04_0120z
Posted by Mark on February 04, 2013 at 23:12:11.
In reply to Re: MLS QRSS60 TEST THIS WEEKEND posted by John Davis on February 02, 2013
Thanks for the report! I have six states that have logged me so far plus one station in Canada. I switched back to QRSS30 this afternoon and will probably leave it at that speed for the rest of the season. My next project is to have better control of the temperature in the transmitter box and stop the slow frequency drift. I'll keep the beacon running 24/7 till probably late March. Again, tnx.... Mark
Re: MLS QRSS60 TEST THIS WEEKEND
Posted by Garry, K3SIW on February 05, 2013 at 13:44:07.
In reply to Re: MLS QRSS60 TEST THIS WEEKEND posted by Mark on February 04, 2013
Mark, MLS is coming in fine this morning (1345Z, 020513) at QRSS30. Frequency currently is about 186204.4 Hz.
73, Garry, K3SIW, EN52ta, Elgin, IL
EH Medfer QRT
Posted by Sal,K1RGO on February 05, 2013 at 14:54:52.
So much for another fruitless season, no reports, it's like I'm in a life boat and flew a kite to lift my antenna wire,strapped the yellow box with the side crank to my leg,and cranked SOS with no response as I drifted out to sea. It's time to focus on a 630 meter rig. Maybe next year I'll try EH on 511.905 kHz again. CV ,ON for testing
Later Sal, K1RGO
Posted by Charlie W5COV on February 05, 2013 at 18:14:55.
CV is now on a horizontal test antenna , on 185.2984 , running both QRSS60 and QRSS30 . It is on 24/7 and running roughly .3 watts into the short antenna .
The new LowFER antenna is finished , except for making up a couple of more cables outdoors .
With the test setup , I have been seeing CV on the Austin , Texas grabber every night when there is a peak in propagation . Not very strong , but certainly identifiable .
Hopefully when I get the beacon and loading coil off of the test bench and back in their regular operating position , I will get it hooked to the regular vertical LowFER antenna , for a MUCH better signal and better power output .
Thanks , 73 ,
Charlie , W5COV , EM26ex
Re: EH Medfer QRT
Posted by Douglas Williams on February 05, 2013 at 22:52:20.
In reply to EH Medfer QRT posted by Sal,K1RGO on February 05, 2013
"Day after day, day after day, We stuck, nor breath nor motion; As idle as a painted ship Upon a painted ocean. Water, water, everywhere, And all the boards did shrink; Water, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to drink."
LF, Sal. I received SJ many times this season. How Lowwww can you go.......
MF, LOL!
73, Doug KB4OER
Re: Loran
Posted by Steve Vukusic on February 06, 2013 at 00:12:18.
In reply to Loran posted by bill riches on February 01, 2013
Tnx for the info..
Have been hearing it since 1200 UT, here in NW IN..
still going at approx S-5 level, abt half hour ago.
Steve, KQ7E
Re: CV, ON for testing
Posted by John Davis on February 06, 2013 at 04:29:01.
In reply to CV ,ON for testing posted by Charlie W5COV on February 05, 2013
Not bad for a horizontal antenna!
Re: EH Medfer QRT
Posted by Sal,K1RGO on February 06, 2013 at 14:51:24.
In reply to Re: EH Medfer QRT posted by Douglas Williams on February 05, 2013
Doug, Funny NDB's
I guess running that flea power and a micro antenna has it's issues LOL. I wonder when we are going to get the 472-479kHz band I'm working on a cw rig right now.
later dude, Sal
Posted by Bill KB9IV on February 06, 2013 at 16:46:53.
On 423 Khz NC Reidsville - Slammer On 424 Khz is Reidsville GA- Jail...kinda funny and odd??
Bill KB9IV
PBO copied
Posted by Sal,K1RGO on February 06, 2013 at 18:06:28.
Today at 17:20 utc on, I copied PBO for the first time this season. Considering the horrific noise environment here, I say it was a good signal. It was a low noise day for a change. Hifers copied in NE IL
later.....Sal
Posted by Garry, K3SIW on February 07, 2013 at 15:36:20.
Dropped my hifers briefly to take a look at the 13.555 MHz watering hole and found NC, EH, and USC all coming in well. Tuned higher up and found CW from MTI on 13557547 Hz and AJO on 13558462 Hz.
73, Garry, K3SIW, EN52ta, Elgin, IL
Re: Funny NDB's
Posted by Steve on February 07, 2013 at 16:16:48.
In reply to Funny NDB's posted by Bill KB9IV on February 06, 2013
Good one !! Re: PBO copied
Steve, KQ7E
Posted by Rick KA2PBO on February 08, 2013 at 01:28:11.
In reply to PBO copied posted by Sal,K1RGO on February 06, 2013
Hey Sal; thanks for listening!Im actually having some decent results with my new vertical this season. Better reults than the loop. I cant imagine what my signal would be like if the vertical wasnt surrounded by trees. Unfortunately; I havent been able to do any listening this season thanks to some new rf trash generator in my neighborhood! I have a solid S7-S9 hash from lf to 20 meters and dont have a battery operated receiver to go tracking.
Thanks Again
Rick Re: PBO copied
Posted by Sal,K1RGO on February 08, 2013 at 15:22:52.
In reply to Re: PBO copied posted by Rick KA2PBO on February 08, 2013
Yes Rick, you signal is the best I copied so far. I have noise issues here and I get a break now and then but I still have to use the noise nuller. Cutting down the trees had an effect on my bridge readings by 10 or more ohms lower. Trees do suck up the rf quite significantly. Anything on the new 630 m band? I am prototyping a rig on the bread board for now. Blizzard 2013 blues
later...Sal
Posted by Sal,K1RGO on February 09, 2013 at 17:42:12.
Well I'm snowed in, can't even walk through the snow becuz it's 31" deep.I heard a periodic crackling in the shack and to my surprize it was the winds charging up my 160 meter antenna and the tuner was arching. My shoulder is sore from shoveling and I didn't even clean the driveway yet. Why bother, our road isn't even plowed. Hoping for a low noise period today to tune in some lowfers. For any blizzard stories , I'm all ears.
Later ............Sal,K1RGO
Re: EH Medfer QRT
Posted by Andy on February 09, 2013 at 18:11:23.
In reply to Re: EH Medfer QRT posted by Sal,K1RGO on February 06, 2013
Sal,
What antenna are you using for the EH beacon?
Andy Re: Blizzard 2013 blues
N3LCW
Posted by Steve, KQ7E on February 09, 2013 at 18:15:21.
In reply to Blizzard 2013 blues posted by Sal,K1RGO on February 09, 2013
Hi Sal...that's a bit of snow...31 in..wow !
Hope you folks out east can get through this without too much
trouble. Guess you'll have time to play 'radio'.
Have a local noise source which seems to have emerged, here in NW IN, which peaks at about 55 Khz; S9+; is disruptive into Mhz region also...think the source must be in neighborhood.
73...stay ....safe during the snow storm Re: EH Medfer QRT
Steve
Posted by Sal,K1RGO on February 09, 2013 at 18:57:14.
In reply to Re: EH Medfer QRT posted by Andy on February 09, 2013
For the medfer EH, I have a base loaded vertical section of 6' and a top hat of a screen 3' in diameter with a bunch of .141" cable outer copper shield in the ground as radials. Re: Blizzard 2013 blues
later....
Posted by Sal,K1RGO on February 09, 2013 at 19:07:47.
In reply to Re: Blizzard 2013 blues posted by Steve, KQ7E on February 09, 2013
Steve, I hear you on the noise problem, I have issues here too most likely the power company with its automated meter reading. This blizzard is like the one we had in 1978 and worse than the 2011 storms combined. You can't even walk in it and I unfortunately don't have snow shoes. I'll try finishing the driveway today and maybe they will finish plowing. We are snow bound right now. I need snow shoes and a ski-mobile or a cat. Re: PBO copied
later......Sal
Posted by Rick KA2PBO on February 10, 2013 at 01:15:20.
In reply to Re: PBO copied posted by Sal,K1RGO on February 08, 2013
No , nothing planned yet. I will probably use my 1750 vertical with adifferent loading coil/ switch arrangement.Good luck with the tx prototype. Im guessing most hams will be using some sort of transverter with their multiband rigs. I wonder who will be the first company to sell a commercial transverter?
Good luck and let us know when you ge something going.
73 Re: Blizzard 2013 blues
Rick
Posted by Krystallo on February 10, 2013 at 14:18:38.
In reply to Re: Blizzard 2013 blues posted by Sal,K1RGO on February 09, 2013
Hey Guys,
Ditto here in Boston, nearly ALL cars still snowed in.City at a standstill, MBTA transit out of service til Mon , etc. No work for me last night and maybe none tonight either.
I actually set the long wire into an 1/8" gap to gnd, but despite the heavy snow not single flash over during the entire storm.Weird.Other snow storms gave 1" + of arc.
Local noise during storm was bad.I did my thunder snow QRN monitoring on 640 Kc w/ long bar ferrite boom box and Select- A - Tenna.640 was the lowest clean frq I could find on AM BCB.
No lightning seen here,one anecdotal report just SE of Boston,but I'm not sure I buy it, per ham reports. Further S. in MA and into RI, etc actually did get some/ lots of lightning "for real".
Gusts maybe 55 MPH w/ BIG whiteout.
Most of my time spent on V/UHF (MA Emergency Management Agency, Boston fire, etc). Deep QSB during heavy snow on 146.565 simplex ( +60db down to zero) to stations 10 to 20 mi out., UHF QRP OK into local machine.
LW dead as it has been for a few days now.
de N1NQC Sunday HiFERs
Posted by John Davis on February 11, 2013 at 01:39:05.
My experiments at 185.3 and 137.78 kHz were considerably impaired by static from the big storms east and southeast of here this afternoon, but 22 meters was in good form.
Visually, MP, USC, EH, and NC were all splendid. Each was audible part of the time as they traded places ruling the band.
During my usual aural scan, I was surprised to hear AZ from Oro Valley, AZ, at just a smidgen above 13554.0 kHz. I believe this may be the first time I've copied it! Couldn't get a precise fix on its frequency because it tended to only be audible for two or three repetitions at a time, and always when CODAR seemed to be at its strongest, putting lines all over the Argo screen. But when it was audible, it was very plain to the ear.
I think I got a "W" from WV, but can't be sure because one of those whooper signals started in and covered everything up for quite a while.
AJO was very good most of the time on 13558.5, and FRC came in pretty well for several characters at a time. All in all, a productive afternoon at HF.
John
Re: EH Medfer QRT
Posted by Andy on February 11, 2013 at 06:38:47.
In reply to Re: EH Medfer QRT posted by Sal,K1RGO on February 09, 2013
Sal,
Interesting. I'm planning to put a Medfer beacon up using a magnetic loop. I've tested them at my work QTH and the radiated field is stronger than a loaded vertical similar to what you described. I have been wondering if it would be enough to make a difference.
Is anyone listening to the Medfer band these days? If not I too will be frustrated if there is no one there to report back on my mag loop efforts.
Andy New 472-479khz band hardware
N3LCW
Posted by Lee on February 11, 2013 at 09:29:35.
I just realized the other day that the AM88 transmiter I use for LowFering can be set up to transmit in the new 472-479khz band. Per Bill Sheets at North Country Radio, filtering in this range is not so hot but can be worked around. Anybody else have some hardware in mind that can be set up in the new 600meter band. Re: New 472-479khz band hardware
Lee
Posted by Pat Bunn on February 11, 2013 at 14:19:29.
In reply to New 472-479khz band hardware posted by Lee on February 11, 2013
If it isn't stable to at least 1 HZ you are going to have trouble with lots of modes. My ICOM 718 is worthless for WSPR -15 and not good for WSPR-2.
I think that quite a few people are going to be dissapointed that this narrow slice of band will not become another hot CW band. In my opinion, it will be mostly digital and QRSS with a small amount of CW. With an ERP of 5 watts and antennas that are very inefficient, I see this as an experimenters band. A band where the best equipment is home brewed. My signal sources are two older HP generators that are GPS disciplined. They can be found on EBAY for $200 or so. The DDS kits that use the DDS60 board are also easy to lock to a GPS source and are inexpensive.
I'd build a simple class D transmitter running about 100-150 watts watts fed with something locked to a temperature controlled crystal oscillator or beter yet, GPS disciplined source.
Maybe I am wrong, but I hope the band stays an experimenters band, a bit of relief away from the appliance operators.
BTW, Harmonic lowpass filtering is not as important as you might think. The bandwidth of a 600 meter antenna is so narrow, that the antenna itself is a very good lowpass filter itself.
Pat
N4LTA
Re: Blizzard 2013 blues
Posted by Steve, KQ7E on February 11, 2013 at 15:07:34.
In reply to Re: Blizzard 2013 blues posted by Krystallo on February 10, 2013
Sorry to hear the storm has been so harsh on you folks out east..hopefully things will clear up shortly.
Out of curiosity, wrt your long wire...roughly what's the length and height ? Are you having success with it on LW and higher freq's ? The 1 inch arc seems bizarre...thinking I may need to set up spark-gap on mine, also after reading your account.
Being out east, are you able to monitor any trans-oceanic MW stations ?
Tnx...Steve
Re: New 472-479khz band hardware
Posted by John Davis on February 11, 2013 at 17:31:35.
In reply to Re: New 472-479khz band hardware posted by Pat Bunn on February 11, 2013
I agree with Pat that it will most likely be an experimenters' band, although that does kind of run counter to one of the big arguments that was originally made for a low MF allocation...namely, with its improved groundwave coverage over 160 meters, it would be better suited for emergency communications. I notice nobody's talking much about that any more.
Of course, I suspect it's going to come as something of a culture shock when ARS rules take over from the comparatively anything-goes nature of experimental licenses. No more unattended operation, no digital transmission modes with unpublished protocols and/or which determine their own operating frequency apart from human control, etc.
With that much bandwidth available, though, I actually do hope there will be a fair amount of real live CW, and some keyboard modes like PSK too. It'd be nice to see some person-to-person contacts, not just the gee-whiz-there's-my-callsign-on-somebody's-spotter-website activity that currently dominates the band some days.
As for harmonic filtering, though, I suggest that it is probably a more significant concern than most people realize. Antenna Q providing ample harmonic rejection was widely accepted as a truism in the LowFER case, where antennas were an even smaller fraction of a wavelength and TPO was less than a watt...and where Part 15 didn't really require a lot of attenuation in the first place. But it wasn't entirely true even then.
It's readily possible for a Part 15 LowFER to cause interference, as I discovered the first time I tried to watch VHF television after activating my LowFER in Georgia several years ago. I got right on the situation before the neighbors had a chance to track down the source. The problem, of course, is that the antenna itself does not have high Q! That's a function of the loading coil resonating with the antenna. If you depend solely upon the loading coil for harmonic and spurious suppression, that coil had better not be self-resonant anywhere below the highest harmonic frequency coming out of the final! For a switching mode amplifier, that can be quite a high frequency indeed...and my multi-millihenry loading coil was just another capacitor in series with the antenna at VHF, so far as those switching transients were concerned.
With many times more transmitter power to achieve a 5 W ERP, and very likely some taller antennas as well, basic and reasonable harmonic suppression practices will still need to be observed. You don't want to interfere with some of those Carolina radio preachers, or their heavily armed flock might pay you a visit.
;-)
John
Re: EH Medfer QRT
Posted by John Davis on February 11, 2013 at 17:51:41.
In reply to Re: EH Medfer QRT posted by Andy on February 11, 2013
"Is anyone listening to the Medfer band these days?"
Probably not. Ever since the expanded portion of the band began to be filled by 10 kW broadcasters, the noise levels have been just too high for anything but super-slow modes to be seen through them--and nobody uses anything like that with their MedFERs, so far as I can tell.
In the pre-broadcaster heyday of 1600-1700 kHz, you could sometimes reach hundreds of miles with CW and a cooperative ionosphere, but not any more.
In the availalble frequencies below the AM band, you may not have broadcast carriers and sidebands to worry about, but you do have (a) lower antenna radiation efficiency, (b)competition from several NDBs that are still on the air, especially out here in the Plains, and (c) DSL modems, harmonics of high efficiency lights, and ever-increasing "smart grid" RF sources to make life noisy.
"...using a magnetic loop."
As opposed to a regular loop? Perhaps I need to put on my optical eyeglasses and look that up some day... :^)
I wonder under what circumstances you were achieving a higher radiated field from a loop. Was that in an environment with lots of obstructions around the antenna? Was the circumference of the loop a legal 3 meters?
John
Re: New 472-479khz band hardware
Posted by Pat Bunn on February 11, 2013 at 19:50:59.
In reply to Re: New 472-479khz band hardware posted by John Davis on February 11, 2013
With the experimenters allowed to operate on 136-137 KHz and from 465 to 515 KHz, I doubt much will change with them.
Re: Blizzard 2013 blues
Posted by Krystallo on February 12, 2013 at 00:09:41.
In reply to Re: Blizzard 2013 blues posted by Steve, KQ7E on February 11, 2013
Hey Steve,
ROUGH ballpark figures: around 60 ft long, 15 ft above a flat apt roof, maybe 40 ft of single wire lead in.
Even MORE strange was that during the last big arc event (NOT this winter), there was no real correlation to arcing and the snow fall intensity. The snow would keep coming down at pretty much the same rate, yet the arcing would ebb and flow, sometimes even shutting down completely for a while and then starting back up to full force again.It went through a number of these cycles over quite a while before dying out for good.No obvious rhyme or reason.I have noted this over several years.
I have a theory on why this so , but who knows for sure.
I once had a home brew FET regen get fried by a snow arc. The circuit board was disconnected, but the ant was still on an isolated antenna post. It leaped right off the post (1" ?) and cooked the rig.Boo.
Live and learn.
Re VLF success: I have gotten this antenna to play quite well all the way down to maybe 3 Kc ( not so much as an ANTENNA but essentially as a "microphonic pick up " for a home brew whistler receiver).
In "near" "actual" "resonance" she does pretty good for LW b'cast with a 660/46 litz 175 uH basket wave coil / ceramic var cap in line.
This tank is normally my trap for AM b'cast but seems more like a series load(or AM b'cast "detune") at LW -var cap does little or nothing. W/O this coil in line , I do get some intermod products (at times),even on my Quad conversion R-71a.
With coil IN line LW is totally "clean" of spurious junk, but the local NOISE (power line, etc) can be killer.
I have put various other bigger (sometimes HUGE) loading coils in line, either for LW or VLF w/ mixed results.
On LW b'cast I mostly get the "bigger guns" ( France, Morocco, Algeria, Germany) but have pulled out some of the weaker ones too ( UK, Ireland, Iceland) under good conditions .
LW b'cast is NOT a sure bet here at the apt. Prop conditions, noise and season all play in as factors. I get almost nothing in summer,not even my usual best bet, France.Even in winter, some nights are weak or dead.
FWIW a 60' or longer ant (even LOW to the Earth) AT the beach is a LOT better than home QTH,w/ more stations, more often and w/ much less noise. I am only around 6 or 10 Mi inland, but it makes a big difference. Staring out AT the open ocean REALLY helps.
The antenna is great for the AM B'cast band either on the VERY high Q "competition" class crystal set ( have copied maybe 125 stations), or on my commercial rcvrs.
At HF, it seems to play well up to around 20 M, but other antennas ( the crumby 10 M sloped receive only coax fed dipole -or- my nice COAX fed 40 M Tx horizontal vee dipole) sometimes beat it on receive up toward 15 or 10 M.
This antenna is decent "overall" workhorse with good points and bad. Ex. She runs noisy, but has a single wire feed ideal for crystal set work OR the Icom(s).
de N1NQC
Re: New 472-479khz band hardware
Posted by John Davis on February 12, 2013 at 01:24:17.
In reply to Re: New 472-479khz band hardware posted by Pat Bunn on February 11, 2013
"With the experimenters allowed to operate on 136-137 KHz and from 465 to 515 KHz, I doubt much will change with them."
Possibly, but I suspect there'll be a different dynamic within the 630 meters slot when the amateur service receives the allocation. It may become harder to get renewed for the entire frequency span, for one.
At 2200 meters, it may become impossible to get authorized or renewed at all unless a person can establish a definite program of experimentation with well defined goals. The Commission has been fairly relaxed about justification for Part 5 licenses there, since they were the ones who suggested applying in that band for the very purpose of acquiring empirical data on interference potential for an amateur allocation. If that allocation finally happens, the present need for experimental licenses will go away.
John
Re: New 472-479khz band hardware
Posted by al,K1RGO on February 12, 2013 at 02:22:05.
In reply to Re: New 472-479khz band hardware posted by John Davis on February 11, 2013
I want to do some CW for a change , in the past, I had a blast having live cw contacts on 1750 meters. I am designing a 630 m cw rig and waiting for the band to open. Re: EH Medfer QRT
later, Sal.......
Posted by Sal,K1RGO on February 12, 2013 at 02:38:58.
In reply to Re: EH Medfer QRT posted by Andy on February 11, 2013
Well Andy, I don't see as much activity here as I did 3 years ago. I may discontinue the medfer rig when 630 meters gets activated. I have enough going with the hifer and lowfer anyway. I have been neglecting 160 meters and should go there as well. The loop may work ok, I never tried one here,as Rar is soooo low wid E or H antennas at the restricted length anyway. New AMRAD Converter
later dude........
Posted by Bill KB9IV on February 12, 2013 at 17:55:40.
Hi Group Yesterday I received a new tool for LW Dx'ing.... a AMRAD LF Converter built by Todd WD4NGG. I must say what a work of art. Ultra stable and accurate. Used with my Pixel Pro-1B and either a PMSDR or Icom 765 it's a deadly combo. Last nights LF band check out yielded ndb's from the Cayman Isl, BC, Nothern Hudson Bay, New Foundland with ease. Some frequencies have 5 or more NDB's in a mix.....no problem, I just rotate the Pixel which is ultra quiet and has good nulls night or day.
My quest for this season is Alaska, Greenland, NWT and perhaps north So. America. No easy feat from No. Mich.
This Dx season LW zseems more short propagation than long here. Have yet to log any 185 Khz Lowfer's....I have a noise issue below 200 Khz which I'll remedy next season.
Good Dx to All
Bill KB9IV
Re: New AMRAD Converter
Posted by Douglas Williams on February 12, 2013 at 21:22:41.
In reply to New AMRAD Converter posted by Bill KB9IV on February 12, 2013
Todd's converter makes any decent HF receiver into a nice VLF/LF receiver. Have fun!
73, Doug KB4OER
Re: New AMRAD Converter
Posted by Bill KB9IV on February 12, 2013 at 22:51:19.
In reply to Re: New AMRAD Converter posted by Douglas Williams on February 12, 2013
Hi Doug Thank's a million for the referral to Todd. I would consider his converter more of an instrument than a toy. Sure is nice to listen for whisper's at S1. My loop is only fair below 200 Khz.
Best Dx Doug
Bill Re: New AMRAD Converter
Posted by Douglas Williams KB4OER on February 13, 2013 at 22:04:17.
In reply to Re: New AMRAD Converter posted by Bill KB9IV on February 12, 2013
You are most welcome, Bill. :-) I hope you have much enjoyment from our VLF/LF hobby. My interest in low frequencies started with a "73" magazine back in the early 1980s, and I've been hooked ever since.
A Blast from the Past (WI Beacon)
Posted by Todd Roberts WD4NGG on February 15, 2013 at 18:02:52.
I thought you would like to know that Walt Glazar W3WI has turned on his lowfer beacon WI from his current address in Aiken, SC. That would put him about 110 miles distance north of me.
Here is a short MP3 clip of what his beacon sounds like here (473 KB file updated 16 Feb; right-click and save to disk if necessary). He is sending his call sign about 5WPM so it is aural copy so far. He is not set up for QRSS yet. His frequency seems very close to 187.507.34 kHz.
I was hearing WI well enough to try an NDB speed capture
on the ARGO screen :
http://imagehost.vendio.com/a/32051022/view/0047.jpg
It reminds me of what the lowfer band used to sound like back in the 90's! Dex (W4DEX) is the one who alerted me to Walt having his lowfer beacon back on the air again. Dex is hearing him Q5 near Charlotte, NC also.
Walt's address for reception reports is:
wglazar gmail com
I will update you if he is able to get it running on QRSS but he may want to just leave it running on normal cw for now.
73 - Todd
Re: A Blast from the Past (WI Beacon)
Posted by Douglas D. Williams KB4OER on February 15, 2013 at 22:13:18.
In reply to A Blast from the Past (WI Beacon) posted by Todd Roberts WD4NGG on February 15, 2013
Walt's "WI" was the first Lowfer beacon I ever received, way back in 1992. CW, of course.
I still have his QSL card from back then.
Let's all try to receive WI and send him some sort of reception report. Hopefully, he can transmit QRSS soon. That would increase his effective reception range considerably.
73, Doug KB4OER
Re: A Blast from the Past (WI Beacon)
Posted by Sal,K1RGO on February 16, 2013 at 03:31:17.
In reply to A Blast from the Past (WI Beacon) posted by Todd Roberts WD4NGG on February 15, 2013
Todd, Re: EH Medfer QRT
Back in 1985 and earlier I had a blast doing 3 way CW QSO's with WI and TH. Back in 1977 when I got the 1750 meter bug it was all CW with a few locals that came amd went.
later ....Sal
Posted by Andy on February 16, 2013 at 18:49:09.
In reply to Re: EH Medfer QRT posted by John Davis on February 11, 2013
"I wonder under what circumstances you were achieving a higher radiated field from a loop. Was that in an environment with lots of obstructions around the antenna? Was the circumference of the loop a legal 3 meters?"
Yes, the loop was the legal size in circumference. I had hoped to use the liberal view of diameter but decided it wasn't worth the potential hastle.
The measured field signal strength was 12 db stronger than a vertical base loaded with 2 meter diameter top load capacity hat measured at 10 meters distance over an outdoor test range. My work QTH test ground was a wide open antenna test range next to the Chesapeake Bay with the bay on one side and wetlands on the other. I used a Tektronix RSA 5000 series SpecAn for measurements and Agilent VNA to help resonate and match the antennas. The receive antennas were AH Systems H field probes as well as their loops.
The loop measurement was strongest in the plain of the antenna as expected by around 9db as I recall, very directional. I expected it to be less so since the loop was only 1 meter above ground. The vertical was on a fixture about 1/2 meter above ground. The feedline was decoupled with ferrite chokes on both antennas. Power to the antenna(s) was 50mw at 512KHz.
Indoors, I could not get any measurements in a chamber big enough to enclose a small helicopter, due to the chamber ferrite proximity to the antenna(s). I could not resonate the loop in the chamber at all and the vertical was also detuned beyond reasonable efforts to adjust.
When deployed at home QTH the goal is to put the MedFer loop in the attic above an existing wire mesh ground plane.
Andy Re: EH Medfer QRT
N3LCW
Posted by John Davis on February 16, 2013 at 19:31:14.
In reply to Re: EH Medfer QRT posted by Andy on February 16, 2013
Thanks for the details of your test setup, Andy. Sounds like a very thorough test.
I confess I'm still a little puzzled by the outcome. My own tests several years ago (admittedly with much less sophisticated gear, but still quite a bit of care to keep all relevant factors equal) over a distance of 100+ meters gave pretty much the opposite results between a legal vertical and a legal loop. On the other hand, I was working at 1640 kHz, which probably resulted in the vertical having a much greater radiation resistance (roughly 9 times better), and therefor more efficiency than it would exhibit at the low end of the band.
(The loop would have greater Rr at the higher frequency too, of course, but it may also have had higher Rloss there.)
One Southern MedFER experimenter active around that same time tested a square transmitting loop that was 3 meters on a side...not within the rules as we now understand their meaning, of course. It gave a signal comparable to a good vertical at the 250 mile distance over which I copied it, but that was with 16 times the enclosed area of a legal loop.
Another experimenter I know of in Texas uses a 3 meter circumference loop for broadcasting from room to room within his home on the AM band, mainly because it's less susceptible to interaction with wiring, wall construction materials, and other obstructions in close proximity. (That's why I wondered if your measurement site was unobstructed or not. It could make quite a difference.)
Good luck if you try a MedFER, and keep us posted so we can get the word out to prospective listeners. Even if your legal loop works better than a vertical in your situation, it's still quite a challenge to be heard over any distance in that band nowadays!
John
HiFer EH Copied
Posted by Tom Lau on February 16, 2013 at 21:58:48.
EH copied today at 1621UTC 16Feb13 on 13.55547 MHz. Very strong signal most of
afternoon. Equipment here is Icom R75 connected to 72 ft Delta Loop in the attic
of our condo.
Tom N8TL
HiFer OH
Posted by Tom Lau on February 16, 2013 at 22:06:37.
Hi Fer OH should resume transmissions on or about 1 April 2013.
This will be from new condo QTH using the attic Delta loop. Same 13.5556 MHz
frequency and same qrss3 mode.
Note to JD....locater changes to EN80 in listing.
Tom N8TL
Re: HiFer OH
Posted by John Davis on February 16, 2013 at 22:17:48.
In reply to HiFer OH posted by Tom Lau on February 16, 2013
Thanks, Tom, and good luck from the new location.
The March issue of the column has already gone to HQ (short month means an early deadline) but the changes will appear in the April print edition, and will be reflected in the online list this weekend.
John
Re: Beacon JAM 187.015khz QRSS60 mystery
Posted by Lee on February 17, 2013 at 03:24:38.
In reply to Re: Beacon JAM 187.015khz QRSS60 mystery posted by Lee on January 30, 2013
Ok so Firmware V23 seems to be the the final word in WinKeyer QRSS accuracy. I have that installed now. Now sending an accurate QRSS30 and QRSS60. Beacon JAM 187.015khz QRSS30 and QRSS60
Lee
Posted by Lee on February 17, 2013 at 03:30:07.
Beacon JAM is sending the letter J one time at QRSS30 and one time at QRSS60 plus a 5WPM message Friday noon till Monday noon UFN or until the end of the season. Re: EH Medfer QRT
Lee
Posted by Andy on February 17, 2013 at 06:49:38.
In reply to Re: EH Medfer QRT posted by John Davis on February 16, 2013
I need to do a 100 meter test in the near future. My tests were at the 10 meter mark where all the range probes were located at the time.
I used 1 inch copper pipe in an octagonal loop. The feed point used a ferrite binocular core made of 2 stacks of toroids as an inductively coupled matching transformer to the loop. The loop did not pass through the core but had a wire extension used as a winding. The tuning capacitor was located next to the feed point rather than the opposite side.
I've also tested vertical wire magnetic loops approaching 1/4 wave length circumference (on HF frequencies) with the same feed and tuning system as above. I've measured the E and H field strengths approaching equal magnitude. Typical small copper loops less than 1/10 to 1/20 wavelength have shown a much greater H field component as compared to the E field. I mention this since it may be practical to install an effective wire magnetic loop for the 600M band in the future.
While the FCC does limit us we can't control the local environment and it may explain why so many Lowfer and Medfer operators can have overwhelmingly positive results when their antennas couple into the nearby building wiring. The tradeoff is directivity but that in itself can be a good thing.
Hearing at this QTH has become a challenge but I've employed the Timewave ANC-4 noise phase filter and it makes the low frequencies completely useable again. I've given up on Hi Medfer since all I get is broadcast QRM.
Andy
N3LCW
Re: Beacon JAM 187.015khz QRSS30 and QRSS60
Posted by Douglas Williams KB4OER on February 17, 2013 at 19:31:32.
In reply to Beacon JAM 187.015khz QRSS30 and QRSS60 posted by Lee on February 17, 2013
I'll give it a try tonight, Lee. Was really hoping for a reception this season.
I'll monitor in QRSS60 "slow" mode.
73, Doug KB4OER
CV OFF
Posted by Charlie W5COV on February 18, 2013 at 01:47:07.
CV is off the air for some updates and also so I can do some listening .
Charlie , W5COV
CV BACK ON
Posted by Charlie W5COV on February 20, 2013 at 01:08:23.
CV is once again back on , still using the 29 foot vertical radiator .
The new 630m band
Posted by Sal,K1RGO on February 20, 2013 at 18:40:21.
Does anyone know when we can officialy start operating in the 630m ham band? The best I know is early this year. I'm close to completing my junk box special cw rig. I had time to work on it being snowed in for awhile. It's all on a bread board for now. Re: The new 630m band
I'm all ears....Sal,K1RGO
Posted by John Davis on February 20, 2013 at 20:45:52.
In reply to The new 630m band posted by Sal,K1RGO on February 20, 2013
It won't be for a while yet. Although the ARRL formally petitioned for the band a few months ago (see our story on the Longwave Home Page), no rulemaking proceeding has been opened thus far. The Amateur Service is not the Commission's highest priority right now. They continue to be extremely busy with further spectrum auctions, and all that follows from those.
Remember, Europe already had the 2200 band over a decade ago, and it received ITU recognition worldwide in 2007. But only now, five years later, is the FCC revisiting that band.
In fact, some commenters in the current proceeding have suggested merging 472-279 kHz into the discussion, since the FCC rather heavily suggested they might consider alternatives to 135.7-137.8 because of PLC concerns. Personally, I think this is an ill-advised approach! Both bands should be available for amateur use because they are not interchangeable... their propagation characteristics are far too different... but the tough decisions required to make both bands available will not be made if the Commission thinks it has an "easy way out" open to them.
The 472-479 band is not controversial. There is every reason to believe it will happen in due course, regardless.
Unfortunately, by trying to push it along as part of the 2200 meter debate, I fear the eagerness of a few well-meaning hams could unintentionally deprive us of the only LF band where hard-core experimenters can still pursue serious study into the radio art with no "appliance operators" and very few contesters to cope with.
I'll certainly be in there supporting 630 meters when it comes up for discussion, but with only five days left for original comment on the 2200 meter proposal, I hope hams all over the country will be supporting this one while there's still a chance.
John
Re: The new 630m band
Posted by Sal,K1RGO on February 20, 2013 at 21:18:01.
In reply to Re: The new 630m band posted by John Davis on February 20, 2013
Thanx John, Re: The new 630m band
I hope its sooner rather than later, at least get 630m going first, the 2200m later. I'm itching for some cw QSO's on 630 right now. I'm wondering if I should build it or wait leaving it on the bread board for now.I got the VFO and driver about done and it is reasonably stable. The PA is done, class E 50 to 60W. I may use the 160 meter 1/2 wave trying to estimate Rar which wid the combo should be well within 1W EIRP.
later.......Sal
Posted by Douglas D. Williams KB4OER on February 20, 2013 at 22:27:36.
In reply to Re: The new 630m band posted by Sal,K1RGO on February 20, 2013
Sal, I belive a USA 630 meter band is pretty much a done deal, so go ahead and build your transmitter, IMO.
John's concerns are correct. The FCC is probably, again my opinion, going to try the old "switcheroo" on us by saying "OK, we will give you an LF band.....on 600 meters". Nevermind that many countries have an actual Low Frequency band at 136(ish)kHz, as well as an MF allocation.
Re: The new 630m band
Posted by Sal,K1RGO on February 21, 2013 at 01:16:18.
In reply to Re: The new 630m band posted by Douglas D. Williams KB4OER on February 20, 2013
Cool,Doug, I think I'll get started. I scrounge parts from my years of collecting and come up with something. Once stabilized the 630m VFO cycles around 2 Hz, I use a 160 meter oscillator divded by 4 keyed scheme with buffering (~600mW) square wave to drive the PA, IRF640 class E. I use a unique tuning scheme using a pot and 47 pF NPO cap. which tunes 471.5 to 480 kHz. A counter on top of the rig will tell the freq. out. I assume ~1% efficiency wid the 160 meter antenna. I may use an old navy xmtr litz coil to load it. 2200m
later...Sal
Posted by John VE7BDQ on February 21, 2013 at 05:57:23.
Not very timely ...But I must confess it was VE7BDQ sending "T" on ~136.170.9 from 20_0500z until 20_0915z .. Thanks to Mark / KU7Z for the capture.
Tonight I have joined the fray on OP-era 32 on 136... got a decode from Neil / W0YSE/7 .. probably continue until 21_0930z or later..
73 John / VE7BDQ
Forwarded Message, Received 7:41 AM CST on 20 Feb 2013:
I set up to watch for DK7FC during the night using QRSS30, 60 and 120 screens. About 0600 utc I started seeing a dasher about 136.171. I was hoping it may have been part of the DFCW signal of DK7FC, but it soon became obvious that it was more local out west here. Not sure who it was but they were putting in a good signal when they turned it off around 0907 utc and went to bed.
Mark, Ku7z
DN41af
Ogden, Northern UT (NUT)
2200m
OP-era OP32 Feb21st
09:20 136 VE7BDQ de W0YSE Op32 1235 km -37 dB in N.Utah w/E-probe ant
07:08 136 VE7BDQ de W0YSE Op32 1235 km -38 dB in N.Utah w/E-probe ant.
06:35 136 VE7BDQ de W0YSE Op32 1235 km -36 dB in N.Utah w/E-probe ant
05:56 136 VE7BDQ de W0YSE Op32 1235 km -31 dB in N.Utah w/E-probe ant
04:36 136 VE7BDQ de W0YSE Op32 1235 km -32 dB in N.Utah w/E-probe ant
02:10 136 VE7BDQ de W0YSE Op32 1235 km -31 dB in N.Utah w/E-probe ant
Thanks to Neil for all the decodes -- Shut down at 0930z -- seems to have settled around -37dB CV OFF
73 John / VE7BDQ
Posted by Charlie W5COV on February 21, 2013 at 21:12:53.
Well from the warm inside view of the antenna farm and trees , everything is covered with ice and the beacon does not look happy with the ice , so it is off until the antenna thaws out . Will be listening though .
73, Charlie , W5COV
LowFER WI now QRSS30
Posted by Pat Bunn on February 22, 2013 at 04:25:59.
Just got an email from Walt. He got the keyer and is now running QRSS 30.
Pat Re: LowFER WI now QRSS30
N4LTA
Posted by Douglas Williams KB4OER on February 22, 2013 at 11:20:21.
In reply to LowFER WI now QRSS30 posted by Pat Bunn (Fwd) on February 22, 2013
And already several of us, including myself, have copied his QRSS signal. Thank you, Pat.
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/33457409/WI.jpg
CV
Posted by Charlie , W5COV on February 23, 2013 at 18:08:12.
CV is temporarily on the horizontal antenna . The tree crew is here as I type this , so with luck I'll be back on the 29 foot vertical tonight .
Re: CV
Posted by Doug Williams on February 23, 2013 at 21:00:09.
In reply to CV posted by Charlie , W5COV on February 23, 2013
Let us know. Sure would like to receive CV this season.
WI Received in Denver, CO
Posted by Mark Dittmar on February 24, 2013 at 17:27:05.
Hi All-
Received WI clearly into Denver CO last night, this time it was unmistakeable:
http://i1324.photobucket.com/albums/u604/mbdittmar/lowfer%20wi%202-24-13/capt0012_zps05f399f3.gif
http://i1324.photobucket.com/albums/u604/mbdittmar/lowfer%20wi%202-24-13/capt0013_zps40ce6621.gif
1355 mile straight-line distance.
Also monitored for JAM and MLS - traces of MLS but no sign of JAM.
73 Mark ABØCW / MBD lowfer antenna idea
Posted by robert on February 24, 2013 at 18:31:05.
anyone ever thought of using a cage antenna with a toroid wound with litz wire over a large buried radial system for the 1750m band?
the biggest toroid i have seen is 6.5 inches
just an idea i thought up.
2200m ham band and 1750m part 15 band
Posted by robert on February 24, 2013 at 22:12:53.
how would a new ham allocation down there affect the existing part 15 operating rules there?
would there be no change? would a part 15 station be allowed to work a ham station and visa versa?
i just saw the announcement on the lwca page about fcc taking comments on 136/137khz allocation.
Re: lowfer antenna idea
Posted by John Davis on February 24, 2013 at 22:24:28.
In reply to lowfer antenna idea posted by robert on February 24, 2013
Hi Robert. Your reasoning is basically sound, so I don't want to dash cold water on your efforts. However, extensive buried ground systems have been common among LowFERs for quite some time.
Litz wire has been popular in the LF community for a long time too; although conventional THHN household wire is almost as efficient if used carefully, so it is often employed nowadays where price or availability are concerns, generally with good success.
Toroid cores are a bit problematic at LF. Air cores are distinctly more efficient than available ferrite mixes. Given the reactances involved in the LowFER band, the voltage between one end of the winding and the other is quite high, even with only 1 watt of power... hundreds of volts. It is necessary to insulate the core well. Even so, compared to air cores, the Q of the coil is never very high at the values of inductance needed for LF transmission. I've partially dealt with those concerns by making my "stealth loading coil" out of a series connection of lower-inductance toroidal coils. Solves the voltage problem nicely, but the Q remains relatively poor. If I can ever get a burglar-resistance housing at the base of my antenna, I will immediately abandon the toroids for a big air-core inductor in the transmitter output network.
Cage antennas are iffy when one gets into the eternal antenna "interpretation" game, should you encounter an over-zealous inspector; but in my view, the real problem is that cages are of limited benefit when the antenna is already such a tiny fraction of the wavelength as it is for LowFERs. Cages do provide more capacitance to ground than a single conductor, which allows you to use a smaller inductor to achieve resonance--a modest benefit, in and of itself--but the resulting current distribution still tapers linearly to zero along the antenna's length. Ergo, there is no gain in radiation resistance from increased effective height, as there is when the extra capacitance is achieved by using a top hat. With no increase in Rr, there is no improvement in efficiency for the same ground resistance, which normally dominates the losses at most locations if the coil is decent. Better, therefore, to put the effort into increasing capacitance from the top of the radiator to ground, where it increases the effctive height and raises Rr.
John
Re: 2200m ham band and 1750m part 15 band
Posted by John Davis on February 25, 2013 at 01:12:28.
In reply to 2200m ham band and 1750m part 15 band posted by robert on February 24, 2013
Nothing is currently being proposed that would affect the 1750 meter band. No changes there.
Amateur stations are generally only authorized to communicate with other licensed amateur stations, with few exceptions. It does not appear any changes are contemplated that would allow Part 97-Part 15 communications.
John
Re: lowfer antenna idea
Posted by Neil Klagge on February 25, 2013 at 17:46:12.
In reply to Re: lowfer antenna idea posted by John Davis on February 24, 2013
John, that was welcome info. Tnx for posting. De w0yse, Utah.
Re: EH Medfer QRT
Posted by Larry on February 25, 2013 at 21:59:41.
In reply to EH Medfer QRT posted by Sal,K1RGO on February 05, 2013
I just found this message. Sorry you got no reports. I just got interested in all this and didn't know enough to send you a report. I did receive you a couple of times this winter, but I wasn't aware enough to think of posting a message about it. I had good clear copy in Spectrum Lab. I don't remember the dates.
Larry, WA8EJH
Re: EH Medfer QRT
Posted by Larry on February 25, 2013 at 22:10:36.
In reply to Re: EH Medfer QRT posted by Larry (WA8EJH) on February 25, 2013
Feeling foolish now. I just realized this was about the medfer beacon, not the hifer beacon. I received the hifer beacon. Please disregard.
potrzebie
