Thursday Afternoon HiFERs, Part 2
It took me 24 hours to get a chance to put it all together, but here is what I caught in the hour leading up to sunset yesterday afternoon! For shorthand purposes, until Jim assigns his beacon an identifier, I'll simply refer to it as JIM...and it was booming in when I resumed watching the HiFER watering hole after an unsuccessful look at 74 kHz. You can scroll through the entire last 60 minutes below. (Caution: Huge file, may require extra time to load.)
Notice that everybody underwent bifurcation at one point or another, except for 7P and JIM. At one point, briefly, there are actually four separate traces visible on EH! About 15 minutes in, slant mode SIW shows hints of a receding Doppler trace, but it doesn't last. About 25 minutes in, though, both SIWs develop ghostly copies above the frequency of the main signal--and simultaneously, JIM fades away for an extended period until the Doppler effect on SIW begins to diminish and there's a significant increase in Codar noise.
About four minutes before I ended the capture, there was some wide-area event that brought a brief burst of Codar then a rapid blackout of Codar, NC, the SIWs, and JIM. It also impaired EH and USC to a lesser degree. It was all over in about 20 seconds, whatever it was. FWIW, there were some relatively modest C-class flares yesterday, and a lot of geomagnetic upset from an earlier CME. Quite intense auroras for a while last night in various parts of the globe.
Also note some thermal drift as variable sunshine on the farm building came and went. Anyway, see what you make of it:
73
John
Re: SJ off for the season
Posted by Sal, K1RGO on March 01, 2014 at 02:33:35.
In reply to Re: SJ off for the season posted by John Davis on February 28, 2014
Well by popular demand, SJ is now back on again. It's been a long winter and I am getting a bit "goofy" lately trying to keep my sanity with a few projects until the wx gets straightened out so I can get on with my outdoor activities. I got my garden to till, hiking,road biking,and mountain biking all long over due. The snow now is too crusted over to even hike as you crunch and sink down your feet which is trauma to your knees. Re: Thursday Afternoon HiFERs, Part 2
Later.......
Posted by Jim on March 01, 2014 at 13:28:39.
In reply to Thursday Afternoon HiFERs, Part 2 posted by John Davis on March 01, 2014
Yeoman's work. Very impressive. Lots of good info buried in
that data stream ... question now is, will we ever
understand it all?
Makes the time spent in developing the S/W and building the
relatively compact (4 foot square) tuned QW vertical
Edginton loop antenna all worth it too. Going into this I
didn't expect such an interesting 'return' so to speak; all
this being strictly 'experimental' adventure work ...
Thanks John.
Jim
Allen/Dallas Tx, EM13qc Grabber on HiFER band this afternoon
Posted by Andy - KU4XR on March 01, 2014 at 18:26:25.
http://lwca.org/grabbers/ku4xr/
Re: Grabber on HiFER band this afternoon
Posted by John Davis on March 01, 2014 at 18:27:42.
In reply to Grabber on HiFER band this afternoon posted by Andy - KU4XR (FWD) on March 01, 2014
Pretty good results there, Andy! At this moment I see NC, EH, the SIW duo, JIM (the dit-dasher), TAG (just barely below JIM's dash), and a trace of USC in your capture. Good paths to Tennessee today!
John Oops Re: Grabber on HiFER band this afternoon
Posted by Jim on March 01, 2014 at 18:51:20.
In reply to Grabber on HiFER band this afternoon posted by Andy - KU4XR (FWD) on March 01, 2014
Oops.
I can see where the 10 Hz dit-dasher has drifted up a little
too far in frequency ... I just moved it down 10 Hz (as the
house warms up here the HP8657A drifts some as it does not
have an ovenized timebase nor is it slaved to GPS.)
Thanks for posting the grabber, too.
Jim
Just reduced shift another 10Hz, 20Hz in all now @1856z
Posted by Jim on March 01, 2014 at 18:59:58.
In reply to Oops Re: Grabber on HiFER band this afternoon posted by Jim on March 01, 2014
Just reduced shift another 10 Hz, making it 20 Hz in all
now since my last post.
Reason being, looks like there might be another signal
present just below my low tone in the screen shot first
posted.
Jim
Allen/Dallas Tx, EM13qc
QRSS Bandwidth
Posted by AG6YM on March 02, 2014 at 00:08:36.
I recently completed the keying circuitry for my LowFER Station. I intend to operate it on 160.16 KHz. Will a QRSS 10 signal cause the bandwidth to extend out the bottom of the band? By my calculations it will not, but my calculations used the equation for regular code not QRSS.
Thanks
AG6YM
Re: QRSS Bandwidth
Posted by John Davis on March 02, 2014 at 01:24:11.
In reply to QRSS Bandwidth posted by AG6YM on March 02, 2014
The necessary bandwidth for communication will not pose any problems for keeping emissions in-band at any QRSS speed, provided keying transients (key clicks) are suppressed within reason. Even though they happen a lot less frequently than with normal speed CW, it's still a good idea to shape the keying if you can.
Re: QRSS Bandwidth
Posted by John, W1TAG on March 02, 2014 at 13:24:03.
In reply to Re: QRSS Bandwidth posted by John Davis on March 02, 2014
The sidebands from keying at a 10 second rate are spaced every 10 Hz on either side of the carrier, decreasing in amplitude as you get farther away. At 160 Hz above the band limit, there would be room for 16 sidebands. Heck, key the darn thing with a rusty sawblade, you'll be OK.
John, W1TAG
Are there any active 160-190 kHz grabbers?
Posted by Jim on March 03, 2014 at 02:59:09.
Thinking of trying 160-190 band next.
Will probably modify my current 160m antenna located in the back yard
presently used on 160 meters for the WSPR beacon and also for local and
regional contacts. Going to take some 'loading' to get there, of course ...
Jim
Allen/Dallas Tx, EM13qc Beacon JAM 187.015khz off till next season
Posted by Lee on March 08, 2014 at 00:23:46.
Beacon JAM 187.015khz off till next season. Last weekend we got washed away. This weekend I have the flu. I can barely make it to the can. Thanks to all who looked. Thanks to Neil and Mark in NUT for there captures. Thanks to Mark in Denver for JAM's best distance to date. 825 miles. I know kilometers sound better I'm old school. Miles work for me. Again thanks to everyone JD, Andy, mid west and east coast folks. See ya next season. Re: Beacon JAM 187.015khz off till next season
Lee
Posted by John Davis on March 08, 2014 at 03:02:30.
In reply to Beacon JAM 187.015khz off till next season posted by Lee on March 08, 2014
Kind of rough circumstances there. We certainly appreciate the hard work you put into your beacon all season, Lee, and look forward to trying for it again in the fall!
73 Re: Are there any active 160-190 kHz grabbers?
John
Posted by John Davis on March 08, 2014 at 03:07:29.
In reply to Are there any active 160-190 kHz grabbers? posted by Jim on March 03, 2014
I know KU4XR and some of the other guys tune their grabber receivers to 1750 meters intermittently, but I guess there must not be any full-time grabbers on the band these days. There's still quite a few of us who will be glad to look for you individually and report what we see.
John
OK - will try something then
Posted by Jim on March 08, 2014 at 14:07:43.
In reply to Re: Are there any active 160-190 kHz grabbers? posted by John Davis on March 08, 2014
Let me see what I can rig up then ... the last 160 meter weather net is tonight (or Sunday night?) on 1995 kHz so
I won't require the 160m antenna after that, and can work
on the loading for 1750 meters ... will announce here.
The antenna, when loaded for the proposed 630 meter band
didn't seem all that efficient, about on a par with one
expects from an antenna in one's small back yard though,
so, with weak signal techniques there ought to be something
observable ...
Jim
Allen/Dallas Tx EM13qc
Wanted! Circuit diagram of Spifire AM transmitter
Posted by Thomas Schneider on March 08, 2014 at 15:48:05.
Where can I get a circuit diagram of Spitfire AM transmitter ( http://www.vcomp.co.uk/spitfire/spitfire.htm )? I found no such diagram in the internet?
Kits and Ready-built AM transmiters ( 1 W - 10 W)
Posted by Johannes Waizenegger on March 11, 2014 at 18:52:38.
Which kits and ready-built AM transmitters with output powers between 1 W and 10 W are available? Where can I find circuit-diagrams of easy-built transmitters for this power range? Re: Kits and Ready-built AM transmiters ( 1 W - 10 W)
I am interested in transmitters for frequencies between 100 kHz and 2000 kHz.
Posted by Webmaster on March 12, 2014 at 00:59:26.
In reply to Kits and Ready-built AM transmiters ( 1 W - 10 W) posted by Johannes Waizenegger on March 11, 2014
Transmitters of that sort are outside the rules for both the Amateur Radio Service and the no-license Part 15/RSS-210 or similar regulations of different administrations around the world, and are therefore off-topic in this message board.
Recognizing that there are legitimate uses for such equipment in some countries, however, I would recommend searching eBay with the words "AM radio transmitters" to locate a number of sources of ready-made equipment in Europe. I cannot vouch for which of those transmitters, if any, meet the equipment authorization requirements within the jurisdiction where... and for the purpose which... you intend to use them. You will need to make that determination yourself, as I can only advise regarding such matters under U.S. rules.
I can be reasonably certain that there are presently no kits in that range of frequencies and powers which carry the required certifications, though.
John 20 meter beacon
Posted by Sal , K1RGO on March 12, 2014 at 19:23:22.
Just for something new to add, my 500mW QRP 20 meter beacon, K1RGO/B is being copied in Russia, Finland, and Sweden. I just Googled my beacon call and found a website that logs all Ham beacons in real time. SJ & SIW around sunrise in EN90xn
I have had no luck with Lowfers this season, there has been lots of local hash and crud and now, QRN added. As I tried copy during the quiet periods,nothing was heard or seen. I'll keep SJ on a for a week or two for ths season as things are finally thawing out and I can "groom" my antennas.
later........
Posted by Michael Sapp on March 12, 2014 at 20:42:03.
Nice enhancement for awhile around sunrise...
WA3TTS
Re: OK - will try something then
Posted by Andy - KU4XR on March 13, 2014 at 04:22:18.
In reply to OK - will try something then posted by Jim on March 08, 2014
Jim: I will be glad to run my grabber for you once you get up and running.. As of this post, I am monitoring the Wateringhole at 185.300 KHz, so I do watch 1750 meters.. 73, and Good luck on 1750 meters : Andy - KU4XR
MTI
Posted by Joe K2JT on March 13, 2014 at 14:26:17.
Beacon MTI heard this morning at 10:20 local time, 549/569 in Northeast N.J. Testing XR Hifer TX
TS570D + 80 mtr dipole at 25'
Easy copy.
Posted by Andy - KU4XR on March 15, 2014 at 22:14:36.
Greetings all: I am testing my new HiFER TX, and will be sporadically doing so over the next few days.. Time undetermined.. Trying to get it as frequency stable as possible.. For the moment at hand, it has settled down around 13.555.485 MHz - Mark, and 13.555.488 - Space.. But, it is temperature sensitive, and moves up, and down a few cycles as the ambient temperature changes.. The antenna is temporary, and I may not be getting past the driveway.. As I feel comfortable with the TX characteristics, I will put it into a well insulated box, and place it in a draft free place in the shack, where the temp will not fluctuate as mush as in the open.. It is presently inside a small paper box, partially covered with a paper towel, ( mainly to shield it from air flow as the HVAC cycles on / off ) ... As with all my projects; it will probably be a work in progress for quite awhile.. Any reception reports will be appreciated.. 73 to all : Andy - KU4XR - ku4xr at yahoo . com
Re: Testing XR Hifer TX
Posted by Garry, K3SIW on March 16, 2014 at 14:51:42.
In reply to Testing XR Hifer TX posted by Andy - KU4XR on March 15, 2014
Good copy in NE IL this morning Andy. Signal is just above EH and below 7P. The small DFCW shift stands out.
73, Garry, K3SIW, EN52ta, Elgin, IL
Re: Testing XR Hifer TX
Posted by Sal,K1RGO on March 16, 2014 at 16:08:16.
In reply to Testing XR Hifer TX posted by Andy - KU4XR on March 15, 2014
I got a good copy of XR fsk at 16:00 UTC , 30 Hz higher than SIW slant. Re: Testing XR Hifer TX
later......Sal
Posted by Mark Dittmar on March 17, 2014 at 05:56:30.
In reply to Re: Testing XR Hifer TX posted by Garry, K3SIW on March 16, 2014
You've been making it into Denver most of the day. Frequency looks stable.
This is probably my best capture of XR, right above EH.
http://i1324.photobucket.com/albums/u604/mbdittmar/Hifer_Argo_Captures/c0005_zpse899dd43.gif
Also seen are SIW and SIW slant. ABout 50 hz below SIW looks like another FSK signal but can't identify.
Using a WinRadio Excalibur receiver and an active antenna.
73 !
Mark ABØCW / WG2XNI
Re: Testing XR Hifer TX
Posted by Andy - KU4XR on March 18, 2014 at 02:50:33.
In reply to Testing XR Hifer TX posted by Andy - KU4XR on March 15, 2014
Thanks Guys for the reception reports on HiFER " XR " I am surprised that it's doing as well as it is.. The temporary antenna has an SWR of almost Infifnity, but evidently the LPF is protecting the Epson Oscillator.. Of course there couldn't be much power feeding back anyway.. hi -hi, maybe Micro-Micro watts of Reflected power ?? It's still on, and TXing away for those who might want to look for it.. The last time I checked, it looked like it was hovering right around 13.555.490 MHz, with an FSK of 3 Hz + ... 73 all, and Good DX your way : Andy - KU4XR
Re: Testing XR Hifer TX
Posted by John Davis on March 18, 2014 at 05:35:04.
In reply to Re: Testing XR Hifer TX posted by Andy - KU4XR on March 18, 2014
Excellent signal here in SE Kansas on Monday afternoon, Andy!
Earlier, the drifting of EH produced a collision, but it had wandered down below you by this time. As Garry noted previously, your relatively narrow shift is very distinctive and was identifiable even with EH present with you. There were lots of wandering screeches during the afternoon which obliterated signals briefly at times, but mostly yours was nicely readable anyway. Later in the day, 7P improved while the SIW duo faded somewhat just before dark.
Also noted at mid-afternoon today were PBJ (visible and sometimes audible), MTI (generally audible but with some fading), and GNK (generally two characters at a time between fades). By sunset, PBJ and MTI were interrupted often by codar, GNK was no longer audible, and FRC was beginning to be audible for entire ID cycles at a time.
John
BEACON MLS
Posted by Mark on March 21, 2014 at 03:00:14.
Hello everyone,
On March 31, I will be powering down Beacon MLS (186.204 KHz) for the season. We still have 11 days to go and I wanted to let everyone know in advance. I had cap hat damage last Nov and my quick repair held up ok and I received a lot of signal reports. My thanks to everyone! I'm glad I installed the heater in the transmitter box because it kept the system warm even when it dropped to minus 13 degrees here. This summer I'll be doing some "fine tuning" in the hope I can reach out even further this coming winter. Again, thanks for all the reports and 73.
**** Mark AC8CL
Re: BEACON MLS
Posted by John Davis on March 21, 2014 at 06:23:45.
In reply to BEACON MLS posted by Mark on March 21, 2014
Thanks for the update, Mark. You certainly had a good signal here on the nights when I was available to look, and the heater apparently helped stability quite a bit compared to the year before.
73 Hifer Antennas
John
Posted by AG6YM on March 23, 2014 at 07:15:12.
Hi,
Sorry to bother you guys again, but since LowFER season is winding down fast and progress on tmy station is moving along at a snail's pace. I decided to try a Hifer. I have a few questions about the antennas. Is a DX antenna or an NVIS style local antenna preferable? Would an antenna with less gain than a dipole, say a full wave loop be superior due to the dipole due to the field strength regulations?
Any help would be appreciated.
Re: Hifer Antennas
Posted by John Davis on March 23, 2014 at 08:31:45.
In reply to Hifer Antennas posted by AG6YM on March 23, 2014
I can't imagine that an NVIS antenna would be of any benefit to a HiFER.
As for gain, personally, I would say the azimuthal pattern of the antenna is more important. Where the maxiumum radiated field strength is the limiting factor anyway, there's a lot to be said for omnidirectionality, so as not to needlessly eliminate part of your audience.
Keep us posted how you'te coming along.
73 HiFER XR testing finished
John
Posted by Andy - KU4XR on March 24, 2014 at 03:02:30.
Greetings all: I took the test signal off the air at 02:30 UTC, 3-24-2014.. Thanks to those who sent me signal reports.. Not as much interest in HiFER signals it seems.. I'll post if I decide to put it on the air..73 : Andy
Re: HiFER XR testing finished
Posted by John Davis on March 24, 2014 at 04:23:52.
In reply to HiFER XR testing finished posted by Andy - KU4XR on March 24, 2014
Andy, just copied your signal again this afternoon. Excellent work, although XR and 7P had a little collision today. Could make out the XR ID just fine, though. Will post a picture tomorrow. Also saw JIM for a little while today, plus NC, EH, the SIW duo, and USC. (There was still that faint smear around .414 where I hope to see TAG some day, but still nothing definite.)
HiFERing is a little different from current trends on LF. Lack of reports for every HF reception does not mean lack of interest! We're doing long-term observations, not a flurry of tests when each new mode comes out. Most of us HiFER nuts check nearly every day, but only report maybe a couple times a month, or more often whenever there is a noticeable change in conditions. With spring approaching, there are getting to be more such changes daily. This is merely the start of the busy season for HiFERs! I'm already running late getting my own on.
It's important when trying to make sense of the nuances of propagation to have as many regulars on the air from as many directions and distances as possible. So, thanks for being on while you were, and I hope you will be returning soon with some sort of antenna.
John
Re: Hifer Antennas
Posted by AG6YM on March 24, 2014 at 05:43:44.
In reply to Re: Hifer Antennas posted by John Davis on March 23, 2014
Hi again,
I put together a prototype Hifer XMTR this afternoon. I'll be using the call EEE if it is available, because it should be simple to build the keying circuitry out of 4013 flip flops and 555 timers. Is QRSS a legitimate Hifer mode? I have seen mostly DFCW on the posted screenshots.
AG6YM
Re: Hifer Antennas
Posted by John Davis on March 24, 2014 at 16:23:18.
In reply to Re: Hifer Antennas posted by AG6YM on March 24, 2014
If EEE is not used as an identifier by one of your local aerobeacons or some such, it should be OK.
QRSS is a fine mode at 22 meters; ideally a 3 second dot length. A couple of beacons do use 6 second dots, which can give a detection advantage when propagation is stable enough. But much of the time at 22 m, the fading characteristics can cause those longer elements to break up into what appear as random trains of shorter dots.
For an ID consisting only of dots, though, I'd recommend considering DFCW if at all possible. Take EH as an example. By having both the mark and space frequencies visible, DFCW helps the recipient sort out the fact that each character in "EH" consists only of dots. It does this by making it clearer which is the spacing between elements, which is the spacing between characters, and what the overall spacing is between repetitions. The more clues you can furnish the viewer, the more likely he is to correctly decipher the call.
John
Re: Hifer Antennas
Posted by AG6YM on March 24, 2014 at 22:37:23.
In reply to Re: Hifer Antennas posted by John Davis on March 24, 2014
I'll try DFCW, and use ET. It should be almost as simple as EEE to build the keying circuitry and would put a dash in. The only Aerobeacon I can hear that sounds remotely local uses PCH.
SJ off for the season
Posted by Sal, K1RGO on March 25, 2014 at 02:14:49.
I am shutting down SJ for the season. I will be running some daytime cw tests and back to nightime QRSS through Wednesday and then QRT for the season. I hope to find a quiet remote location next season for a temporary receiving setup. The EH hifer will still be going strong as I can see alot of interest forming. Re: Hifer Antennas
later all.............
Posted by AG6YM on March 25, 2014 at 02:44:22.
In reply to Re: Hifer Antennas posted by AG6YM on March 24, 2014
My keying circuitry is outputting EE instead of ET so that may end up being the call.
AG6YM
Hifer T
Posted by AG6YM on March 25, 2014 at 04:17:39.
In reply to Re: Hifer Antennas posted by AG6YM on March 25, 2014
EE belongs to an aerobeacon I guess Ill just drop the keying circuitry and key it with a rectangle wave T is used by 5 aerobeacons internationally, but all of them are in Europe the Middle East Scandinavia and Russia.
AG6YM
Re: Hifer T
Posted by John Davis on March 25, 2014 at 18:05:13.
In reply to Hifer T posted by AG6YM on March 25, 2014
That should be fine. You're not likely to be confused with a station from another continent on a different band. :)
Re: Hifer T
Posted by AG6YM on March 26, 2014 at 07:22:47.
In reply to Re: Hifer T posted by John Davis on March 25, 2014
The TX is finished. This XTAL oscillator pulls more easily than I assumed and the DFCW shift is ~+15 Hz. I should be able to get the beacon on the air soon.
Re: Hifer T
Posted by John Davis on March 26, 2014 at 20:43:00.
In reply to Re: Hifer T posted by AG6YM on March 26, 2014
As you may have noted in reading some past posts on this board, a wide shift can tend to make it harder for the eye to recognize the mark and space of an FSK signal as belonging to the same signal, so I hope you will not employ the full available "pull" of the oscillator for your DFCW.
And, as you mentioned in one of your recent posts, a repeated sequence of the letter T will amount to a square wave, which is also the pattern NC uses as its graphical identifier. Therefore, I hope you have chosen a frequency that won't cause your signal to be mistaken for NC, and vice versa.
Not wishing to complicate things now that you are so close to being on the air, but an alternative to a square wave... if your frequency modulating circuitry would accomodate it... might be to integrate the output of your keyer into either a triangular ramp or a sawtooth. (Actually, an approximation of a sawtooth is already available at one pin of the 555 timer, and would only need to be buffered.)
Using such a waveform would make it desirable to slow down the repetition rate as well, so Argo's FFT bins would each receive enough energy to display as the frequency moves past them. As the SIW beacon has proven, a ramp can often be recognized by the eye even when it is broken up somewhat, either by noise or by propagation fluctuations.
There was once a HiFER beacon that used a sawooth waveform, but he is no longer on the air, so there is not likely to be any confusion with an existing station.
Just a thought.
John Re: Hifer T
Posted by AG6YM on March 26, 2014 at 22:36:36.
In reply to Re: Hifer T posted by John Davis on March 26, 2014
I expected possible confusion with NC, so I built the beacon at ~13.564 KHz. Also the duty cycle of my square wave can be adjusted over a wide range, NC appears to use about a 50% duty cycle. I currently am using ~30%, and can change it to almost any reasonable value. I probably don't have enough time to make any major overhauls to the tx for a while, since I am no longer on spring break. I may be able to get it on the air tonight.
Re: Hifer T
Posted by AG6YM on March 26, 2014 at 22:59:48.
In reply to Re: Hifer T posted by AG6YM on March 26, 2014
I know this is a question I should have asked earlier but I forgot. What side of the carrier is the frequency shifted on? My beacon shifts down in frequency because I assumed that since 22m is below 20m, and not 60m, LSB would be the mode used to receive.
Re: Hifer T
Posted by EdWSldiell,LA on March 26, 2014 at 23:28:25.
In reply to Re: Hifer T posted by AG6YM on March 26, 2014
Hi. Did you mean to say 13,564 KHz, or was that a typo? That frequency would put you on top of Domenic's CW beacon, GNK, at 13,563.99 KHz. Ed WSlidell, LA EM50cg
Re: Hifer T
Posted by John Davis on March 26, 2014 at 23:32:08.
In reply to Re: Hifer T posted by AG6YM on March 26, 2014
Actually, usual practice at 22 m is upward shift... probably because most of us receive in CW mode, and that's the sideband direction the BFOs of most radios use.
But until such time as you send letters with multiple elements (more than one dot or dash) it may be best to leave it the way you have it. I think it will have a more distinctive appearance this way.
John
Re: Hifer T
Posted by AG6YM on March 27, 2014 at 03:57:30.
In reply to Re: Hifer T posted by EdWSldiell,LA on March 26, 2014
Not exactly 13,564. That is just a rough estimate. It is within ± 1KHz of 13.564. I would be very surprised if it is exactly at 13,564.
Re: Hifer T
Posted by AG6YM on March 27, 2014 at 06:03:52.
In reply to Re: Hifer T posted by AG6YM on March 27, 2014
The beacon is at approximately 13.5644 MHz
LF Beacons
Posted by Garry K3SIW on March 27, 2014 at 15:15:02.
doo wap
Tuned into the lowfer watering hole a bit before local sunrise to catch the last day of SJ this season. Conditions were good to the East but not good enough to detect anything from TAG. Signal levels are definitely down compared to the winter peak, but they're still good enough to copy NDB GPI in Columbia on 309 kHz, a 4508 km path.
--
73, Garry, K3SIW, EN52ta, Elgin, IL
Posted by Doug on March 27, 2014 at 21:36:12.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cU-eAzNp5Hw
Hifer T On air
-Doug KB4OER
Posted by AG6YM on March 28, 2014 at 02:48:49.
In reply to Re: Hifer T posted by AG6YM on March 27, 2014
Hi,
I put Hifer T on the air for a test, using a fullwave loop up about 10 feet. My Beacon is located in DM13jr, and as I mentioned previously, it was hovering around 13.56437 last I checked.
73s AG6YM
Hifer T Test aborted
Posted by AG6YM on March 28, 2014 at 07:24:33.
In reply to Hifer T On air posted by AG6YM on March 28, 2014
I decided to listen in and see how my beacon was doing. It was not keying at all. I got a flat line using Spectran, so it will be off the air until it is fixed, hopefully this weekend.
73s AG6YM
MLS shutdown
Posted by Mark on March 29, 2014 at 00:13:03.
Hello everyone, Hifer T off the air indefinately
I will be shutting Beacon MLS down for the season on Sunday March 30th. The weather here is warming up (finally !). It's been a great season and thanks to all for their signal reports! 73 till next Fall...... Mark AC8CL
Posted by AG6YM on March 30, 2014 at 02:58:14.
I attempted to fix the TX today. but when I hooked up the power a Tantalum electrolytic exploded and the whole thing is now kaput, and off the air indefinitely. Depending on the extent of the damage I may have to start over.
AG6YM
Re: MLS shutdown
Posted by Mitch Powell on March 30, 2014 at 04:24:32.
In reply to MLS shutdown posted by Mark on March 29, 2014
Good copy of MLS through the evening - capture attached.
Mitch
London, Ontario
Canada
Re: MLS shutdown
Posted by John Davis on March 30, 2014 at 04:29:41.
In reply to Re: MLS shutdown posted by Mitch Powell (fwd) on March 30, 2014
Also tried for it here in SE Kansas again this evening, but static from the storms in Florida grew too strong after dark to see anything at 1750 meters, in the absence of a directional antenna. Will look forward to seeing your signal again in the fall, Mark!
John
Beacon EAR
Posted by John Bruce McCreath on March 30, 2014 at 13:52:40.
LowFER beacon EAR will remain on the air 24/7/52 for those wanting a challenge over the coming months.
73, J.B., VE3EAR Re: Beacon EAR
Posted by John Davis on March 30, 2014 at 16:57:53.
In reply to Beacon EAR posted by John Bruce McCreath on March 30, 2014
Thanks, J.B. It's a great target to look for.
WWII, Germany and Their 170KC C.D. Net
Posted by David Stinson on March 31, 2014 at 14:08:08.
I found this in the Nov-Dec 1954 issue of "G-E Ham News:"
"During the last war the enemy had a CD communication
system..... the number of stations on this net was amazing.
The area covered was massive- from the Channel to the
Baltic in the north, along the Russian Front, south to
Italy, along the Mediterranean and all the land in between.
... operation took place on Long Wave, down around
170 KCs. The operators were good, the discipline rigid
and unauthorized transmissions were nil. All transmissions
were coded... not for security, but for speed....."
This network was very active with Civil Defense-type
traffic- requests for fire fighting, medical aid etc.
Mode was CW. The piece makes it sound far more
effective and active than our CD nets at that time.
Those of you with contacts in Germany-
Does any technical data about this net still exist?
Is anyone still alive who knew of it?
My major interest is in the antennas used to make this
Longwave network so successful.
73 DE Dave AB5S
Re: WWII, Germany and Their 170KC C.D. Net
Posted by John Davis on March 31, 2014 at 16:58:13.
In reply to WWII, Germany and Their 170KC C.D. Net posted by David Stinson on March 31, 2014
Hi Dave,
Did the article provide any sort of name for the net?
I've been doing some research of German LW facilities recently in connection with a translation project, and haven't run across anything that sounds like this network yet. But if I had a specific name to watch for, I'll be glad to let you know if I find anything.
John
potrzebie