File Attachment 1: 6-Mar-22_x38.jpg
File Attachment 2: 6-Mar-22_x44.jpg
PVC Restored
Hi Folks,
PVC was knocked out of action for an unknown amount of time while I was recently out of town. Operation was restored around 0:00 UTC (16:00 PST, 28-2-2022 local time).
Thanks
Ed
wm hifer
Posted by swlem3 on March 01, 2022 at 23:22:09.
Saw WM hifer in today while decoding wspr2 hifers. Thought I'd post the pic.
www.dropbox.com/s/ua8bg5msjo8pi7a/wmhifer.jpg?dl=0
Ray ... N. Central Texas using e-probe w/ airspy HF+
Re: WM, TAG and SJ
Posted by Rick KA2PBO on March 01, 2022 at 23:49:23.
In reply to Re: WM, TAG and SJ posted by Mike N8OOU on February 28, 2022
Yes Mike ,radio has amazed me since the age of 13 and always will.This lowfer season has been not so hot . There have t-storms down south all winter. That was the first decent capture of WM this season. I havent seen very many captures posted here so far. Hopefully March will be good for us.
73 Continuous Wave Arcs
Rick
Posted by Ed Holland on March 04, 2022 at 23:50:15.
I've recently become quite fascinated (again) by early tech, and in digging around the World Radio History site have been able to learn a good deal more about things that were only hinted at in publications available to me in the past. Although the subject is more general radio interest, arc technology was typically operated below 500 kHz, Hence placement of this posting here in the LW category.
The use of arcs to generate "continuous waves" is rather interesting, more so where advances were made in telephony. A nice account of this, from 1918 is "Radio Telephony" Alfred N. Goldsmith. It contains a discussion of many examples of equipment and experiments by Poulsen and others, and can be found here.
worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/Bookshelf_Early_Radio_Technology.htm
It has me wondering about making some very curious experiments with batteries and pencil leads, large coils etc.. The idea of some manner of "Transmitter" involving no conventional electronics and 100+ year old methods has quite captured my interest.
Re: Continuous Wave Arcs
Posted by John Davis on March 05, 2022 at 07:28:21.
In reply to Continuous Wave Arcs posted by Ed Holland on March 04, 2022
The topic of arc converters for radio wave generation carries an addictive fascination with it for certain, Ed. And Dr. Goldsmith, despite a certain pedantic floridness of writing style at times, was a thorough chronicler of the essential technologies of his day.
I read the entire book at one sitting this evening. Last time I did that was when I could not put down our library's copy of Dracula (an old first edition, adding to the verisimilitude that Bram Stoker's journal writing style already exuded) while I was in junior high school. I finished by bed time, just as I had promised my parents...but it didn't really matter, because I couldn't bring myself to close my eyes from then until daybreak!
No problem like that tonight, fortunately. However, my poor ancient brain is now numb with excess information, most of which I will have to reference several times to retain any significant percentage thereof. I knew, for instance, that there were more types of CW converters other than just the Poulsen arc, some of which employed negative resistance principles, and others which were based on high-speed quenched sparks; but all previous encounters with such devices were curt, cryptic mentions without any useful detail. This book contains enough such details for an experienced practitioner of the art to comprehend the basic principles involved, if not necessarily to reconstruct individual devices.
I'm especially curious about the gap invented by Dr. E. L. Chaffee in conjunction with Prof. G. W. Pierce (of crystal oscillator fame), which could apparently operate as high as 1 MHz; and the oscillator invented by W. W. Hanscom which had its electrodes immersed in liquid alcohol rather than enclosed in the usual potentially-explosive atmosphere of hydrocarbon gases. (Although I notice there was also one that used pressurized carbon dioxide.) Even W. T. Ditcham, later the Marconi engineer whom we featured in my LOWDOWN column a few years ago as the newsreader beside the 2LO longwave transmitter at Chelmsford, but then still known as Lt. Ditcham during the war, had developed a workable radiophone as far back as 1912.
Amplitude modulation was still a rather primitive process, though the book does take away some of the mystery about how carbon microphones could be configured to survive multiple amps of RF in antenna circuits. I was delighted to see (at long last!) an actual description of the Majorana microphone, about which I had previously read only tantalizing hints. It even appears that Fessenden was the inventor of the capacitance microphone--and thereby, also frequency modulation, although not for its own unique benefits, but mainly to produced amplitude shift through detuning the tank circuit in step with the audio waveform (sort of a supply side version of slope detection, one might say).
Tubes were just coming into their own at that time, I suppose, but it was still rather surprising that nobody seems to have thought of plate modulation yet in 1918. The vast majority of audion based radiophone circuits employed control grid modulation of the oscillators. In that sense, all those early control grid designs also reinvented FM, although it was entirely an incidental effect for them. Even "Heising" in that day meant only screen grid modulation. The oscillator tank circuits as drawn by Dr Goldsmith also reveal that the early radiophone designers like De Forest and Alexanderson were, in practice, pretty much the real inventors of the Hartley and Colpitts oscillators too.
I was aware of the three different basic approaches to alternator designs that he discusses, but Goldsmith's descriptions of the differences are easier to follow than those of M. Berthiot, the Frenchman whom I was planning to quote regarding competitors to GE's design in our next installment on RCA's Radio Central centennial.
Good luck with the pencil lead experiments if you try them, Ed. I would not be surprised if you can achieve positive results, given that many CW receiving stations in that era employed hand-holdable miniature laboatory arcs as local RF sources to produce beat notes with incoming signals.
John
Re: Continuous Wave Arcs
Posted by John Bruce McCreath on March 05, 2022 at 15:42:26.
In reply to Continuous Wave Arcs posted by Ed Holland on March 04, 2022
Hi Ed....thanks for the link. Lots of reading material there!
73, J.B., VE3EAR 22 m Observatons (5th & 6th March)
Posted by Ed Holland on March 07, 2022 at 19:52:21.
Hi Folks,
22m Seemed quite active over the weekend. Loggings of a very strong 7P dominated. WSPR Decodes of SZX and two loggings of a beacon identifying as BZ.
NC and USC were in attendance on Sunday Afternoon for long periods before sunset.
SHO made regular, clear appearances on both days.
The band was taken over by a very strong, wide bandwidth FSK signal for prolonged periods towards the end of the day. This was something never encountered previously. Signals were strong enough, but subject to some fading to suspect a professional or military source at a good distance from the Northern California listening post of PVC.
Cheers
Ed
Re: Continuous Wave Arcs
Posted by Ed Holland on March 07, 2022 at 20:58:40.
In reply to Re: Continuous Wave Arcs posted by John Davis on March 05, 2022
I'm so glad this proved to be of interest to others.
As for experiments - watch this space. It will take a bit of time to figure out how to configure something safe and robust enough to stand any chance of positive results. Also, some large coils will be required, both for a low frequency tuned circuit, and to "choke" the arc current supply.
Another approach that has rattled loose in my head while contemplating this is a more delicate negative resistance oscillator I remember (and re-found, see link) using a point contact with oxidised zinc:
www.sparkbangbuzz.com/els/zincosc-el.htm
The results obtained by the experimenter showed capability into the MHz frequency range. They were able to reproduce the effect with a variety of objects and materials. Not sure if this could reach 22m, but the idea of an entirely pre-electronic HiFER has a certain allure.
Re: 22 m Observatons (5th & 6th March)
Posted by Garry, K3SIW on March 07, 2022 at 21:21:37.
In reply to 22 m Observatons (5th & 6th March) posted by Ed Holland on March 07, 2022
Thanks for the report of FSK QRM Ed. A couple days back I noticed no reports of my wspr-2 hifer. Seemed curious having just gotten a string of reports from the Canary Islands. But then I noticed the 1pps LED on my GPS unit was no longer blinking. That unit was positioned inside my basement hamshack years ago after searching for a location that provided enough signal to lock. For some reason it no longer worked inside so I moved it outside and then the 1pps signal was fine.
However, wspr decodes were still few and far in-between and when they did occur the indicated SNR was unusually strong. Today I'm seeing isolated reports from N2NOM with SNR as high as -5 dB. I was wondering if the problem was signal overlap from KA9SZX. LWCA lists 13555410 Hz for its frequency but reports from N2NOM indicate it has dropped to just 4 Hz below my hifer. It sends on the hour and at 10 minute intervals, whereas KA9SZX decodes are all at 2 minutes before TOH and 10 minute intervals from that. So thanks to the time offset that shouldn't be a problem. But something is and your note indicates what that something probably is.
73, Garry, K3SIW, EN52ta, Elgin, IL
Re: Continuous Wave Arcs
Posted by John Davis on March 07, 2022 at 23:11:13.
In reply to Re: Continuous Wave Arcs posted by Ed Holland on March 07, 2022
K7NS wrote elsewhere that he reached 12 MHz with a tunnel diode version of the point contact principle, but the characteristics looked to be so variable that I don't think it is very likely to meet even the relatively loose stability requirements of 22 m. :)
All kinds of dissimilar material junctions exhibit semiconductor properties when checked with a curve tracer. Some of the classic crystal detector materials should be especially good, such as galena, silicon carbide, and zincite. (If I recall, the latter is the material Oleg Losev explored at some length.)
I've also seen a circuit with a back-biased 1N34 diode that oscillated up into the AM broadcast band, due to negative resistance near the reverse breakdown voltage. I don't know whether one of the modern glass body germanium diodes would work or not, but the older cartridge type 1N21 and 1N34 mil surplus ones would...and there were even a few magazine articles in the late 1948-early 1949 era on how to add another point-contact junction to them to make your own transistor out of such diodes.
Re: 22 m Observatons (5th & 6th March)
Posted by John Davis on March 07, 2022 at 23:30:36.
In reply to 22 m Observatons (5th & 6th March) posted by Ed Holland on March 07, 2022
Ed, what mode was this "BZ" using, and if possible, what frequency please? Our friend KG7BZ (aka SHO) operates WSPR too; was that what you meant, or was it QRSS or CW?
Re: 22 m Observatons (5th & 6th March)
Posted by John Davis on March 08, 2022 at 07:19:41.
In reply to Re: 22 m Observatons (5th & 6th March) posted by Garry, K3SIW on March 07, 2022
Remarkable, Garry! EA8BFK copied you off and on through 0520 UTC, and WA1EDJ through 0352 this morning, over all those miles of darkness.
Haven't been in a position to monitor HF here for over a week, and even when I go to the field I am unable to run WSPR on the computer that's presently available. I'm still inside the first skip zone from Illinois under current conditions, so I'm not able to see SIW most of the time anyhow, and SZX almost never. But they would usually be drowned by USC's FSK, which just happens to be in the same span of frequencies as SZX. (However, USC's signal is a lot narrower than what Ed appears to be describing.)
WM slot on 22 m
Posted by John K5MO on March 08, 2022 at 14:33:48.
I've noticed that as of this morning, there's a strong noisy signal where WM was routinely transmitting. I don't think I've changed anything here (and WM is usually strong enough so that it would be seen though this stuff).
https://imgur.com/a/Qbxc4Ys
Re: 22 m Observatons (5th & 6th March)
Might just be local noise, but still.
Posted by Ed Holland on March 08, 2022 at 16:43:01.
In reply to Re: 22 m Observatons (5th & 6th March) posted by John Davis on March 08, 2022
I'll put up a screenshot of what was present on Sunday later on when I get back home.
IIRC there is a capture showing a strong carrier ~ 13,555.400 prior to what sounded like a high speed data stream occupying a good 500-1000 Hz. Whatever I have in my 10 minute interval captures will tell us how long this situation prevailed.
There were also a few strong burps from the Jindalee Radar, but those are typically very short bursts, around 10 sec, and usually very infrequent.
Re: LSF
Posted by mike hayden on March 08, 2022 at 17:29:09.
In reply to Re: LSF posted by Gregg on December 21, 2021
pretty cool. possibly hearing me is better than hearing nothing! thank you for the report. Re: NDB2
Posted by Steve VA3SC on March 09, 2022 at 22:29:30.
In reply to NDB2 posted by Marcy on February 21, 2022
Hearing a weak NDB2 on 12.554.3 a few minutes ago (22:15 UTC) in Southern Ontario March 9
Alaska on 518 kHz Navtex
Posted by Garry, K3SIW on March 10, 2022 at 12:03:32.
Haven't monitored RTTY Navtex transmissions on 518 kHz for quite awhile
but did so over much of last evening. Pleasantly surprised to obtain a
pair of messages decoded from Kodiak, AK during the 0750Z window from
transmitter $12X and another pair of messages during the 0930Z window
from transmitter $12J.
73, Garry, K3SIW, EN52ta, Elgin, IL Re: AN2
Posted by Steve VA3SC on March 11, 2022 at 16:31:57.
In reply to Re: NDB2 posted by Steve VA3SC on March 09, 2022
Heard AN2 pop up a few minutes ago (16:20 UTC) on or about 13.564.3 MHz
Re: 22 m Observatons (5th & 6th March)
Posted by ed holland on March 12, 2022 at 23:08:04.
In reply to Re: 22 m Observatons (5th & 6th March) posted by Ed Holland on March 08, 2022
Here is the transmission from last weekend to which I was referring.
Two instances commenced 1 hour apart, at exactly 11:35z and then 0035z
Nothing further was recorded during monitoring that contiued for another 2 hours.
Ed
---------------------------------------------------------------
File Attachment 1: 6-Mar-22_x38.jpg
File Attachment 2: 6-Mar-22_x44.jpg
Luxembourg
LUX 234 was switched off 13/03 /2022 at exactly 00:00 h CET! another night without RTLs programme.
Are there construction works going on or is this the beginning of the slow end of this historic transmitter?
I haven`t read about it on Radio 1 medienmagazin about this.
[Anybody knows what’s going on with the 234 kHz LW transmitter in LUX? / Ed]
Horst P, Germany (2022-03-13)
Re: Alaska on 518 kHz Navtex
https://mediumwave.info/news/
Posted by swlem3 on March 14, 2022 at 00:04:30.
In reply to Alaska on 518 kHz Navtex posted by Garry, K3SIW on March 10, 2022
Congrats on the Kodiak decodes Garry. I'm still not certain how to ID them. I see 4 digit identifiers, but when I look on the 'net for a list, I just see them using 2 digits... letters. I see the two letter/two number Id's in my decodes. What list are you using for ID? Can you provide a link to the one you use?
Thanks,
Ray
Re: Alaska on 518 kHz Navtex
Posted by Garry, K3SIW on March 14, 2022 at 00:51:48.
In reply to Re: Alaska on 518 kHz Navtex posted by swlem3 on March 14, 2022
Hi Ray, the site https://rxx.classaxe.com/en/rna/signals lists all Navtex stations decoded by N.A. listeners on both 490 and 518 kHz RTTY (you have to put a checkmark on Navtex for the signal type). The format is $XXY, where the 2-digit number XX indicates the worldwide region and Y indicates the transmitting station in that region by a letter. Another good source for station information is https://www.dxinfocentre.com/navtex.htm.
Navtex transmissions are of the form ZCZC XTNN, where X is the station letter identifier (one must use the time of transmission to deduce the region), T denotes the message type, and NN is the message number.
I use a program called NAVTEXview to display what stations might be active as time passes.
Hope that helps, 73 Garry, K3SIW
Re: Alaska on 518 kHz Navtex
Posted by swlem3 on March 14, 2022 at 16:42:15.
In reply to Re: Alaska on 518 kHz Navtex posted by Garry, K3SIW on March 14, 2022
Thanks for the two links Garry. Although we're most likely past the time of year for the good dx, perhaps there's still some propagation left for some stations other than the locals. Speaking of locals, you might suspect by my Texas qth that the Louisiana Navtex pounds in here. I'll check into that program navtexview also.
I'll probably try some decoding tonight if there aren't any T-storms to spoil things, and will post if I catch anything other than locals.
73 Garry,
Ray... N. Central Texas
Re: 22 m Observatons (5th & 6th March)
Posted by Ed Holland on March 14, 2022 at 18:11:40.
In reply to Re: 22 m Observatons (5th & 6th March) posted by ed holland on March 12, 2022
Re: 22 m Observatons (5th & 6th March)
There appeared to be a brief, but similar tramsmission, received yesterday at around 01:40 UTC. Received signal strength was weaker, but the waterfall appearance and frequency were the same.
Posted by John Davis on March 15, 2022 at 00:59:59.
In reply to Re: 22 m Observatons (5th & 6th March) posted by Ed Holland on March 14, 2022
Interesting, Ed, and an intriguing puzzle. Was the one yesterday also preceded by a prolonged steady carrier right at the center frequency of the FSK/PSK emission?
SJ QRT
Posted by Sal, K1RGO on March 15, 2022 at 02:34:05.
It's been another SJ season in the watering hole even with an old funky crystal which was giving me grief...HI....... I'll be back next season hopefully not having to go to the alternate frequency Re: SJ QRT
later........Sal K1RGO
Posted by John Davis on March 15, 2022 at 03:00:28.
In reply to SJ QRT posted by Sal, K1RGO on March 15, 2022
Sorry to see SJ off but was glad for it during the season. My most recent chance to see it was late in February. See the attached files for my captures from the night of 20-21 Feb.
---------------------------------------------------------------
File Attachment 1: 20feba30.jpg
File Attachment 2: 20feba44.jpg
Re: 22 m Observatons (5th & 6th March)
Hi John,
No - that is something I forgot to mention. There was nothing prior to the modulated signal that I could see on the chart. Also, I wasn't present on this occasion to hear the signal.
Ed
Re: Alaska on 518 kHz Navtex
Posted by swlem3 on March 16, 2022 at 03:26:03.
In reply to Re: Alaska on 518 kHz Navtex posted by Garry, K3SIW on March 14, 2022
Garry,
I did let the rx run overnight, last night, (T-storm noisy) and copied the following:
G,C,W,B,M,P,Q.
I see what you mean about transmission times because the Q could be a couple stations.
Pretty sure this is "run of the mill" stuff, but it was interesting to see what comes in on a typical night.
Ray
Re: Alaska on 518 kHz Navtex
Posted by swlem3 on March 16, 2022 at 03:34:45.
In reply to Re: Alaska on 518 kHz Navtex posted by swlem3 on March 16, 2022
Correction... there was no "M", should have been an "N" ... typo.
p.s. wish I could edit my posts if I make an error or wish to add something.
Re: Luxembourg
Posted by Mike Terry on March 16, 2022 at 12:28:50.
In reply to Luxembourg posted by Mike Terry on March 13, 2022
RTL 234 kHz Transmitter shutdown at night and power reduction during the day.
The night shutdown of the long-wave transmitter was justified by RTL Paris “following work at the Junglinster transmitter center”.
Which is false because BCE still has a back-up transmitter in Junglinster. The real reason is that RTL M6 in Paris refused to pay the electricity price increase!
Listeners have already sent letters of complaint to RTL 56 avenue Charles de Gaulle F-92200 Neuilly-sur-Seine ( contact.antenne@rtl.fr ) to have this decision changed and to ask that the power be no longer reduced and that the transmitter not be shut down at night.
If there are a lot of requests, the situation will be reviewed.
(Michel Fremy)
Re: 22 m Observatons (5th & 6th March)
Posted by August Johnson KG7BZ on March 18, 2022 at 15:10:59.
In reply to Re: 22 m Observatons (5th & 6th March) posted by John Davis on March 07, 2022
Though I've thought of using "BZ", that isn't me. Not using it at this time.
August KG7BZ
Re: Alaska on 518 kHz Navtex
Posted by John Davis on March 19, 2022 at 00:34:40.
In reply to Re: Alaska on 518 kHz Navtex posted by swlem3 on March 16, 2022
wish I could edit my posts if I make an error or wish to add something.
Fancier forums already offer that ability, but they can only do it because they require every user to have their own account and password in order to post, and they place cookies on users' computers. We don't. But since we do offer extra privileges to users who opt to register (the Authenticated Authors), there is at least a mechanism in place to identify them when they sign in with their authentication credentials, so if I can work out a few bugs related to the difference between the form textarea box and the HTML coding of already-posted messages, maybe it'll be possible for them to edit their own messages.
The project will take several days, so watch for later updates.
John
Re: Alaska on 518 kHz Navtex
Posted by swlem3 on March 19, 2022 at 03:38:33.
In reply to Re: Alaska on 518 kHz Navtex posted by John Davis on March 19, 2022
Very good John. Besides the ability to correct mistakes without making another post, sometimes I'd like to be able to update a post, for instance when I have additional copy of a station at a later time/date or a better screenshot, etc. I can just add an "addendum".
Ray
szx hifer
Posted by swlem3 on March 19, 2022 at 17:04:13.
Had a good copy of hifer SZX qrss3:
www.dropbox.com/s/t9ftmxvigv3d3nw/szx1.jpg?dl=0
Ray ... N. Central Texas... e-probe in a tree w/ airspy hf+ sdr
Future Board Features (was: Alaska on 518 kHz Navtex)
Posted by John Davis on March 19, 2022 at 17:26:13.
In reply to Re: Alaska on 518 kHz Navtex posted by swlem3 on March 19, 2022
Ray wrote:A worthwhile thought. To get an update or addendum noticed, I perceive that it will probably also be necessary to "bump" the post to the top of the chronological lists, which is an additional coding challenge...or three. Specifically: (1) to make it happen at all, everywhere it needs to happen, and in the right order; (2) to keep the edits from colliding with operations that take place during normal posting; and (3) to somehow signal to other readers that they should check out the post again, in case they don't notice the shift in position.
I'd like to be able to update a post, for instance when I have additional copy of a station at a later time/date or a better screenshot, etc. I can just add an "addendum".
Number 1 I'm reasonably confident can be done with sufficient care and plenty of testing. There are established steps one can take to ensure #2--if one remembers to do them. But #3 has proven to be a bit tricky, as I discovered a few months ago when trying to add a paperclip icon to links in the message list following file attachments to new posts. Do you reckon adding a bold plus sign ( + ) to the subject line would suffice?
Re: Future Board Features (was: Alaska on 518 kHz Navtex)
Posted by swlem3 on March 19, 2022 at 18:58:14.
In reply to Future Board Features (was: Alaska on 518 kHz Navtex) posted by John Davis on March 19, 2022
John, your points are demonstrating that "small" update/changes can be more involved (work/time) than the everyday poster realizes. I wouldn't like to see you waste time on something like this unless you feel others (and yourself) on the forum would find the changes useful.
Ray
Re: Future Board Features (was: Alaska on 518 kHz Navtex)
Posted by John Davis on March 20, 2022 at 00:37:40.
In reply to Re: Future Board Features (was: Alaska on 518 kHz Navtex) posted by swlem3 on March 19, 2022
No problem, Ray. Just thinking out loud like that helps focus my thoughts to organize the work. Even though it'll only be Authenticated Authors (a good reason to sign up for that, for those who haven't already) and board administrators who can use the new features, I think it'll ultimately make life easier for all of us.
PCO
Posted by Bill Hensel on March 21, 2022 at 16:37:36.
PCO (Pine Colorado) is the new ID replacing FJB (Forget Joe Biden) Monaco 216 kHz transmitter may be reactivated
freq. is still the same 13563.45 khz.
Posted by Mike Terry on March 23, 2022 at 14:14:12.
23 March 2022
Some news from Monaco. Yesterday evening it was announced that the Prince's Government (of Monaco) has received the request to reactivate the LW 216 kHz transmitter, for (evening) broadcasts in Russian and Ukrainian.
But the organization has not been named.
More news ASAP.
(Christian Ghibaudo on the BDXC group.io)
.
EH
Posted by Pat Bunn on March 24, 2022 at 21:08:00.
EH has been coming in here in EM94 loud over the last few days. I have a screen shot but can't seem to post it
sideband on 13.550
Posted by Pat Bunn on March 25, 2022 at 02:38:15.
I was in the shack tonight and heard a sideband signal. I first thought it was the main station receiver, but looking closer it was the receiver monitoring 13.550 MHz.
Looking at the argo screen showed it blanked out, blocking USC which is 5 miles away. I tried to tune the signal on USB. It was gone before I could do so. It was plenty audible.
It may have been on the opposite sideband.
Is this unusual? Local time was around 9:45 PM
518 kHz AK Navtex Mar 25, 2022
Posted by swlem3 on March 25, 2022 at 14:56:26.
Decided to give Navtex a try again overnight. Seem to have copied two(?) Alaskan stations if I'm reading the callsign info correctly. J and X.
www.dropbox.com/s/kunri7r97hra5j8/J.jpg?dl=0
www.dropbox.com/s/5mvledz3k4u0wwc/xa.jpg?dl=0
Ray N. Central Texas ... tree mounted e-probe w/ airspy HF+ discovery sdr
Re: 518 kHz AK Navtex Mar 25, 2022
Posted by Garry, K3SIW on March 26, 2022 at 03:26:44.
In reply to 518 kHz AK Navtex Mar 25, 2022 posted by swlem3 on March 25, 2022
FB Ray, Navtex stations J and X in area 12 are both in Kodiak, AK according to https://www.dxinfocentre.com/navtex.htm. Perhaps separate transmitters to increase reliability.
73, Garry, K3SIW, EN52ta, Elgin, IL
Re: 518 kHz AK Navtex Mar 25, 2022
Posted by swlem3 on March 26, 2022 at 13:56:13.
In reply to Re: 518 kHz AK Navtex Mar 25, 2022 posted by Garry, K3SIW on March 26, 2022
Ok on Kodiak having two transmitters Garry. I'd also assume it's done for reliable coverage. Not sure how long they'll be available to copy from my qth. I'm noticing the qrn is ramping up with the changing of seasons. Thanks for the comment, have a good weekend!
73, Re: szx hifer
Ray
Posted by Mark Garrett on March 26, 2022 at 14:37:53.
In reply to szx hifer posted by swlem3 on March 19, 2022
Just catching up on messages with SZX. Nice copy Ray. I am going to see if we can post some photos of it for folks to see.
Mark
SZX Photos
Posted by Mark Garrett on March 26, 2022 at 15:42:55.
Here is a link to photos of the SZX HiFer. This beacon also operates 20 meter WSPR under the call KA9SZX. The SZX HiFer is a modified Skytracker developed and programmed by Bill Brown, WB8ELK. Skytrackers were initially made to operate as a pico balloon to circumnavigate the world.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/fzsadov1zh6s2ez/AACZAFgmxRwCnryA6jSVp5hpa?dl=0
USC Great Signal!
Posted by Zeak on March 28, 2022 at 15:24:06.
USC, Very nice signal at this location from 0150Z until 0600Z. 100% copy and excellent SNR during those times for 27 and 28 March. Partial copy to snippets throughout the day. Slight variations of that report so far for the month of March.
Anytime Solar Flux > 95 you are good copy here.
Zeak,
Receiver KiwiSDR Re: USC Great Signal!
Ant(s): 80m dipole at 15m and 1m Loop
Location: DM12
Posted by Pat Bunn on March 28, 2022 at 16:34:25.
In reply to USC Great Signal! posted by Zeak on March 28, 2022
Thanks for the report, Zeak.
Pat PVC back on
N4LTA
Posted by Ed Holland on March 28, 2022 at 22:58:23.
Hi Folks,
PVC suffered an outage (time unknown) last week, and was restored to operation on 27 March circa 1800 PDT (0100 UTC).
No listening reports, as I have been away from the station for ~7 days.
73s
Ed
Re: Luxembourg
Posted by Mike Terry on March 29, 2022 at 11:00:12.
In reply to Re: Luxembourg posted by Mike Terry on March 16, 2022
Christian Ghibaudo wrote on the BDXC.io group on 27 March 2022:
In order to reduce the energy bill, night broadcasting (when there are fewer listeners) is suspended.
Following the surge in energy prices, BCE increased the rental price of transmitters. RTL/M6 doesn't want to pay more, so the only option was to decrease airtime.
A reminder the Luxembourg transmitter on 234 kHz does NOT belong to RTL but to BCE Luxembourg. new hifer
Posted by swlem3 on March 30, 2022 at 21:57:58.
I'm seeing a new call decoding in the hifer band, wspr2 mode. W8AC in EN91. My results can be seen in the wsprnet logs.
Ray ... N.Central Texas... e-probe w/ airspy hf+ discovery sdr.
Re: new hifer
Posted by John Davis on March 31, 2022 at 00:57:08.
In reply to new hifer posted by swlem3 on March 30, 2022
Very neat, Ray! W8AC seems to have been active mainly on 10 and 12 meters for a couple of years, sometimes 40 meters, and now 22 m. I see he's also being copied some of the time in the Canary Islands.
Thanks for letting us know.
Re: new hifer
Posted by swlem3 on March 31, 2022 at 14:18:44.
In reply to Re: new hifer posted by John Davis on March 31, 2022
FB John. I'll bet W8AC was surprised to see the overseas copy of his station. On another note, I just realized that wsprnet has a search category for 22m... both on the map and also the database. I think this is a recent development. Makes it a bit easier/faster to search hifer wspr2 activity.
73,
Ray
Re: new hifer
Posted by Bob WA1EDJ on March 31, 2022 at 14:39:48.
In reply to new hifer posted by swlem3 on March 30, 2022
I'm decoding W8AC direct down here in EM83du (N. GA) too. First I've seen of that call. Great! More to copy!
Disconnected ant from WA1EDJ WSPR last night due to possible storms but none happened. Not seeing WA1EDJ WSPR yet today on WSPRnet after going QRV this morning. Odd.....
Bob
EDJ
potrzebie