Longwave Messages April 1997

Subj: Re: Norwegian Consol Station
Date: 97-04-29 08:07:21 EDT
From: pthomson
I never figured out the acronym; it's a coastal nav system that dates back to WWII. It was essentially similar to the NDB/ADF system but had some difference. My guess is that it used two or more beacons in a hyperbolic system a bit like LORAN-A, but used the angular difference in the signals' directions rather than the time difference.
-----
```
*From: John Davis
*To: PTHOMSON@BRUDERHOF.com
*Subject: Re: Norwegian Consol Station
*Date: Monday, April 28, 1997 4:40PM
*I don't believe I've encountered references to Consol beacons 
before Jacques' post.  What is ...or rather, was... Consol, actually?
*73,
*John
```

Subj: Re: Norwegian Consol Station
Date: 97-04-28 12:16:50 EDT
From: pthomson (Pierre Thomson)
Jacques D'Avignon wrote:

  Subj: Norwegian Consol Station 
  Date: 97-04-16 06:38:45 EDT 
  From: monitor (Jacques d'Avignon) 
  Good morning... 
  There is still a LF Consol station in Stavanger, Norway. I understand 
  that it will close soon and I am trying to get a recording of it from 
  some friends overseas. Does anyone have the frequency of this station?

I did a bit of snooping in the aero charts and found this station listed on 319 KHz, with ID LEC. Jacques tells me this is the world's last Consol beacon. I thought others might be interested.
73, Pierre Thomson KA2QPG

Subj: MIR
Date: 97-04-28 00:17:06 EDT
From: d.jones160
All weekend, I have been looking for the MIR transmissions on my tape.
Mid-afternoon today, Sunday, I began to suspect that a signal just two seconds before the T-time was a winner. I put the calipers on it so to speak, even figuring doppler shift(almost none) and the error from my computer being off speed. The 1040Hz tone only lasted for a quarter of a second, peeking through a crack in the noise wall. Finally I came to the conclusion that it is the 1020Hz 17th harmonic of powerline freq. For some reason this shows up all over the United States when lesser harmonics do not. Maybe I will post a BB message about the ubiquity of that harmonic. When I convinced myself I was chasing a decoy, I quit and drove around in the rain.
David
Subj: Message area format
Date: 97-04-27 09:01:13 EDT
From: k0lr (Lyle Koehler)
Hi John,
I was hoping a format like this would be possible. It sure saves time when checking for new messages. Thanks.
Lyle
Subject: MEDfer loggings so far
Date: Sun, 27 Apr 1997
From: jtreed (John Reed)
I thought I would send in a list of my loggings for this season. The thunderstorm static is getting pretty bad here, and I doubt if there will be many more this season. Here is the list:
```
 1690.8  STLMO 3/5/97  morning and evening reception 
 1641.95 MIN   2/7/97  1228 UTC hrd on Eddystone 958/3 and R1414 (630 miles)
 1687.4  TSN   2/27/97 1223 UTC NRD-525 with CEI 357 Q-5er  (715 miles)
 1675.09 D     2/26/96 1229 UTC NRD-525 with CEI 357 Q-5er (450 miles)
 1683.8  MER   3/6/97  0124 UTC Aero beacon in Columbia. Carrier at 1685 
                                with sidebands at 1683.8 and 1686.2.
 1696.2  WM    4/14/97 1116 UTC NRD-525 with CEI 357  (803 miles)
```
Not too bad for low sunspots. My favorite receiver now is the NRD-525 hooked into a CEI 357 at 455 KHz. The 150 Hz filter in the 357 is excellent, and the NRD gives precise tuning along with 200 memory channels. I'm still experimenting with receivers, and expect to have more to write up on this subject later.
73, John
Subj: BPSK-CCW keyer schematic
Date: 97-04-25 12:51:40 EDT
From: k0lr (Lyle Koehler)
Hi John,
Thanks for getting the dual-mode identifier article on the Web page. I checked it over and it looks good. Unfortunately there's an error in the schematic. Henry, KA0TUP compared my computer-generated diagram against the hand-drawn schematic I had sent him for the STLMO identifier. Henry found that I had left out an R-C filter network on the BPSK RESET line. Rats! Anyway, a revised schematic is attached. Only the figure in the article has changed, not the text.
- (Note to readers: The corrected schematic is now included in the the document. The version Lyle sent also enabled me to make the IC pin numbers a little more readable. Enjoy. -John Davis)
Subject: Comments from South Africa
Date: 97-04-20
From:
Your LONGWAVE Page is excellent !!! I really enjoy reading it,especially the technical stuff (receivers,antennas,etc)
I hope to spend more time this coming winter on the lower freq's.
Have you got info on DXers interested to correspond re ELF/VLF ??
Best 73 - Thanks,
Francois Steyn
Johannesburg,South Africa
Subj: Norwegian Consol Station
Date: 97-04-16 06:38:45 EDT
From: Best 73's - Dick Pearce.
Subj: DGPS Beacon AE, Point Atkinson, B.C.
Date: 97-04-14 02:00:22 EDT
From: Darwin Long IV (DJL, 188.920 kHz), Thousand Oaks, CA.
I have noticed most loggings of DGPS beacons to contain no I.D.'s. This is true, for if one listens to these beacons either in AM or sideband mode, no intelligible I.D. will be found... in almost all cases.
There always seems to be that little exception to a rule. Case in point is a DGPS beacon near Vancouver, B.C., at Point Atkinson L.S. About three years ago, before the implementation of the DGPS system, I was on a vacation to B.C., as I usually do each summer to assist in an ongoing study of nesting common loons. As usual, my LF receiver tags along. NDB AE at 320 kHz was transmiting it's continuous dit-dah dit...dahhhhhhhhhhh, like most "normal" Canadian NDB's do, using a clean shift of +400 Hz. However, last year, DGPS was in full swing in the Northwest. I again tuned in 320 kHz while on the B.C. southwest coast. There was AE transmitting it's morse-characters... with a new twist. In AM mode, AE was coming through as a warbly 400Hz +/- 25Hz shift, instead of a "clean" 400 Hz shift. It seems that this DGPS beacon is an NDB converted for use as a DGPS beacon. The shift oscillator was left keying (at 320.400), while the 320.000 kHz oscillator had been replaced by an MSK shifting oscillator centered at 320 kHz, for the RTCM SC104 differential correction data broadcast. Apparently, leaving the shift oscillator (used for the I.D. beat) has no deleterious effect on the DGPS operation or useability by DGPS equipment. At my last listen, on 3/25/97, around 12:30 local time from here in S. Cal., it is still operating this way. I'll check it again "in person" this summer when I go back to B.C. If the "new" DGPS AE is zero-beat, AE keyes in "clean" 400Hz shift beat tones in the receiver.
If anyone else out there reading this has heard DGPS beacons with I.D.'s, could you let me (and any other pertinent logging/NDB entities of LWCA) know about it? If anyone doubts this claim, or is intersted, I do have audio recordings from Vancouver, of AE 320 in various modes for your verification.
I might be crazy, but let's hope AE 320 sets an example, and other DGPS beacons add I.D. service to again render the possibility of identification, just like the good 'ole days with marine RDF beacons. Maybe we should write some letters...
-Darwin Long

Subj: Loggings
Date: 97-04-14 17:23:01 EDT
From: caengrav
Nothing here at the moment, so I thought you might want some loggings from the left coast:

ID      FREQ    DATE     TIME
---     ---    -------   ----
UAB     200     03-15	0754
YJ      200     03-15	0754
AOC     201     03-15	0756
RMD     204     03-15	0813
YEU     205     03-14	1121
EC      217     03-14	0827
PR      218     03-08	0943
YZA     236     03-16	0855
OJ      239     03-06	0850
ONO     305     03-15	0828
RO      305     03-15	0828
LAC     328     03-08	0912
FIA     329     03-13	0918
TAD     329     03-13	0918
IA      332     03-08	0902
POA     332     03-13	0914
XH      332     03-08	0901
STI     333     03-06	0859
ZU      338     03-06	1143
YZH     343     03-06	1133
XX      344     03-06	1130
DJN     347     03-06	1105
LFA     347     03-06	1059
NUD     347     03-06	1110
MNC     348     03-06	1123
NY      350     03-06	1057
ON      350     03-06	1053
BO      359     03-05	0939
YQZ     359     03-05	0939
BF      362     03-05	0935
RPX     362     03-05	0934
ITU     371     03-09	0838
YK      371     03-09	0852
EP      373     03-09	0833
MF      373     03-09	0839
DDP     391     03-17	0840
EBY     391     03-17	0840
GOL     396     03-17	0838
LLJ     397     03-15	0903
QQ      400     03-15	0902
MW      408     03-27	0846
RD      411     03-27	0841
LYI     414     03-27	0831
PYD     414     03-27	0837
IEE     415     03-27	0829
CKP     423     03-27	0819
BTS     427     03-14	0839
SYW     428     03-27	0810
HMY     512     03-14	0835
CL      515     03-13	0839
INE     521     03-13	0835
ICW     525     03-27	0801

NUD-347 (US Navy, Adak Is. Alaska) was using a DA3ID format with a long 30 second cycle time. When I talked to them on the phone, they informed me the odd format indicated the backup transmitter. The primary was dead and the secondary unit had been built and installed in early 1941! As the base was being mothballed, they were not certain as to whether the NDB would be kept on-line.
UNID:
SG or UG, about 309, heard twice
IA or SA, about 380khz, heard 3 times now
Well, that is it for now. My equipment consists of an old National RBL-5 receiver and a 100ft longwire antenna. My location is rather noisy, especially between 200khz and 300khz, but I have been to hear and verify just over 380 NDB's since 1988. I can be reached at;
Stan Forsman
1312 Burrows Rd.
Campbell, CA 95008

Subj: Silent Key
Date: 97-04-13 15:07:58 EDT
From: k0lr (Lyle Koehler)
On a sad note, I've lost another long-time friend and fellow experimenter. Arthur J. Mundy, W0YFZ (LowFER ART) died suddenly on Friday, April 11th at the age of 78. Art was active in many aspects of the radio hobby over the years. At the time of his death he still headed up the volunteer examination program for the Anoka County (MN) Radio Club.
73 from Lyle
Subj: New Minnesota LowFER
Date: 97-04-13 15:07:58 EDT
From: k0lr (Lyle Koehler)
This morning I heard Jim Strong's (K0PM) beacon from Princeton, MN for the first time. It is presently operating on 181.50 kHz, using the repeated character "I" as an identifier. Jim will probably be using a different ID in the future. It's nice to have a local LowFER beacon to listen to again. Band conditions at 0945 local time were very quiet. I could hear a faint but identifiable signal from OK, as well as the third harmonic from WWVB on 180.0 kHz. Just checked again at 1400 CDT -- still hearing "I" and, amazingly, "OK".
73 from Lyle
Subject: LF for hams in Finland
From: monitorrac.ca Jacques d'Avignon
Date: Mon, 11 Apr 1997
Since April 1st, the Finnish hams can now use the following frequency band for their operation: 135.7 to 137.8 kHz.
Authorized output power is 100W. I do not know what mode(s) is/are permitted.
-Jacques
Subj: GWEN
Date: 97-04-11 11:07:13 EDT
From: (Robert C Magraw)
Hate to be a pest and I don't know if this is even the place to ask, but could you advise me or let me know where I can find out as many particulars as possible about GWEN?
I've scoured the LW pages and see NOTHING about it. Is it that much of secret?
Thanks,
Bob K0CBA
- Reply 1:GWEN itself is not that much of a secret...only what it transmits. Ken Stryker and others gathered quite a bit of information on GWEN that appeared in The LOWDOWN in the late 80's/very early 90's. I guess now that it has become established and settled down to one part of the band, nobody has been interested enough to write anything new on it. Jack Sippel in Overland Park has been doing some research on the site in northeast Kansas, and may have an article this spring. About the time he presents it, I will try to digitize some of the older material and get it here on the Web site too. Hope that will help a little.
  73, John Davis
Subj: WJ4P LDE ( Long_Delay_Echo), what ? Echo... :-)
Date: 97-04-11 12:41:18 EDT
From: wa5whn (Jay D Miller)
Every once in awhile, one of my neurons misfires, and something, in my memory, jars loose. It had happened again, when I was reading WJ4P's note with interest, and was listening to his *.wav file via KI7MN's web page (http://www.dancris.com/~ki7mn/).
Many years ago, K0FRP and I were stationed at the same site (USN-back when there were iron Men & Women & wooden ships). At this site was a Collins KWM-2 xcvr with a 30L1 amp, with assorted antennas. On 80 meters, one night, I was chatting with the Group back home, when I thought I had heard my own signal, delayed, and distorted, on the same frequency. I had thought, the same as WJ4P, that someone was spoofing me. (Spoofing will replace the correct word that was used.) :-) So, naturally, I had thought, let's see what happens if I move the VFO, in frequency, turn the amp off, and see if whomever is doing this, can find me. Guess what ? It was there again, that instant in space-time. Then I had thought, there was something wrong with the gear. Well, a sister site had the same equipment, and it was repeated at this site, a few minutes later. Along comes the "QST" with the article on "Long Delay Echos". I don't remember which issue.
(http://members.aol.com/warmspgs/natrad.htm
Then scroll down to "Radio propagation" at the above URL.)
One of the theories, that was suggested for "LDE's", was that the Earth's Magnetic Field was forming waveguides, similier to the phenomena that forms waveguides, 1000's of miles above the earth, in the magnetosphere, for VLF signals (whistlers, tweaks, chorus, etc..). This had started my interest in the VLF portion of the spectrum.
Which reminds me (Another neuron had misfired), INSPIRE VLF2 Radio Receiver Kits are now available for $65.00 (US), add $10.00 for shipment to any other Country, and the assembled receivers are $80.00 (US), add $10.00 if shipped outside the US. Send Your' orders to: Bill Pine, Science, Chaffey High , 1245 N. Euclid Avenue, Ontario, Calif. 91762 USA
Like WJ4P, I was baffled, and to this day, I still don't think we throughly understand what is happening on 80 meters with the LDE's.
72...Jay, WA5WHN DM65qd
Subj: Mir Paths for INSPIRE/INTMINS
Date: 97-04-11 04:07:11 EDT
From: d.jones160
Tonight I looked on http://www.chs.chaffey.k12.ca.us and found digitized maps of all the MIR course lines. Thanks to Brad Olson, one of Bill Pine's students.
David
- (Look below for more of David's information on the Mir tests! - JHD)
Subj: LEK report for April(Partial; re: Digital)
Date: 97-04-10 11:15:57 EDT
From: k0lr (Lyle Koehler)
As I mentioned in a previous letter, BPSK tests are continuing on the ham bands. At the moment there are half a dozen stations with two-way BPSK capability scattered from coast to coast, and you will usually find some activity at about 0300 UTC on 3591.000 kHz. We start out at 40 baud (MS25 in the COHERENT software) without the error-tolerant (ET) mode, and switch to ET if necessary to improve the copy. We've also run successful BPSK experiments on 160, 40, 30 and 20 meters. When the QRN chases us off 3591 kHz, the activity may shift to around 7081 or 10,141 kHz.
All that's required for BPSK reception is Bill de Carle's "Sigma-Delta" board, connected between the receiver audio output and the computer's serial port. To transmit BPSK, we simply take a very stable audio reference tone (which can be derived from the crystal-controlled clock on the Sigma-Delta board) and use an exclusive-or gate or double balanced mixer to produce the binary phase modulation, then feed it into the audio input of a transceiver in the SSB mode. The BPSK experimenters are using various combinations of modulating tone, bi-phase modulator, and low-pass or band-pass filters to clean up the audio signal before it goes into the transmitter. Everyone is using something slightly different, and all the methods seem to work equally well. It doesn't matter exactly what audio tone is used because the frequency of the SSB transmitter can be set to whatever is necessary to put the output tone on the operating frequency. For example, I'm taking an 1800-Hz square wave signal from the Sigma-Delta board, running it through a bandpass filter to turn it into a sine wave, then through a home-brew double balanced mixer and a simple R-C low-pass filter into the transceiver's audio input. Total parts cost for the transmit interface is about 10 bucks. The transceiver (several of us are using ICOM IC-706's) is set for "split" operation. On 80 meters the receiver is tuned to 3591.000 kHz CW with the narrow IF filter, and with the BFO pitch set for 800 Hz. The transmitter in my station is set for LSB mode at 3592.800 kHz, so that with a 1.8-kHz modulating tone the output is at 3591.000. A transceiver with the high-stability reference oscillator option is recommended, although I don't have one in my IC-706 and it seems to be stable enough for BPSK QSOs even on 20 meters.
The BPSK tests on the ham bands have been very useful in a couple of ways. First, they have proven that BPSK operation is not limited to propagation paths with long-term phase stability. Amazingly, signals on 80 meters will continue to "print" even under rapid fading conditions including severe flutter probably associated with aurora. Another benefit of the HF tests has been a series of significant improvements in the COHERENT software. I'm hoping the end result will be some new DX records for LowFER and MedFER signals next season.
- 73 from Lyle
Subj: Changes
Date: 97-04-10
From: rkeeley
The new homepage is MUCH better, much easier to move around!
Roy KC4IMC - kc4imc@maf.wa4wbi.ampr.org
Subj: CME (Coronal Mass Ejection)/Solar
Date: 97-04-10 07:37:10 EDT
From: wa5whn (Jay D Miller)
QRP-Lers,
I had just heard on the National News that NASA is warning Power Companies & Owners of sensitive Communications Satellites of a Coronal Mass Ejection, from the Sun. A possibility of impact either today or tomorrow with the Earth's magnetic field.
http://dxlc.com/solar/
http://www.sel.noaa.gov/today.html
WAHOO !! Warm up the 6, 10, 12, 15 meter gear & standby. :-)
72...Jay, WA5WHN grid square: DM65qd
- Also see the Top News section of the Longwave Home Page. -JHD
Subject: News from Spain
Date: 97-04-10
From: (Jon Iza)
I did listen to the HAARP transmission from Gakona and read the CW on 6.990. 3.400 was covered with nice classical music. On the LW/BPSK side, I'm finishing my delta converter since I recently got a bunch of audio-transformers to isolate the board and the computer. I had a very bad ground loop with 70 volts or so between them. When connecting or disconnecting, it hurts!
Good news is that I travelled to The Netherlands and attended the National Dutch Fleamarket, mid March. Got to a table and saw (for the first time on my life) a Frequency selective voltmeter. It was on top of a (twin) frequency generator. I saw a tag of 100 Dutch guldens (about 75 US$). I said to myself, OK, I'll come back. Wander around. shopped some stuff and, when leaving I went back to get the voltmeter. I gave the guy a bill of 100 gulden and while trying to carry the voltmeter, the guy told me (he was German and didn't know English): 'No, for 100 you may get both!!!!'
So there I was with two big and heavy boxes but a happy camper. BTW, the rigs are Wandel und Goltermann (The voltmeter is an SPM3) and I am looking for information. Built as a tank, and surely nice. Now, to build an antenna to log those beacons...
Be well.
jon, ea2sn since 1978 qrp'er at large!

Subj: More on INSPIRE Schedule
Date: 97-04-08 17:08:05 EDT
From: d.jones160
The MIR spacecraft will transmit a sub-audible frequency starting at T-time. The signal continues for ten seconds then changes to a one-kilohertz signal for ten seconds. This sequence continues for two minutes. Times are UT. European passes marked with an E.

                                               T-time
pass number     UT date      tape start      ISTOCHNIK starts   tape stop

19-1            4/19            0047            0059            0112
19-2            4/19            0222            0234            0247
19-3            4/19            0353            0405            0418
19-4            4/19            1900            1912            1925
19-5            4/19            2341            2353            0006
20-1            4/20            0123            0135            0147
20-2            4/20            0300            0312            0325
20-3            4/20            0431            0443            0456
E20-4           4/20            1328            1340            1353
E20-5           4/20            1458            1520            1533
E20-6           4/20            1638            1650            1703
20-7            4/20            1800            1812            1825
20-8            4/20            1931            1943            1956
20-9            4/20            2105            2117            2130
26-1            4/26            0023            0035            0048
26-2            4/26            0156            0208            0221
26-3            4/26            1653            1705            1718
26-4            4/26            1826            1838            1851
26-5            4/26            2011            2023            2036
26-6            4/26            2323            2335            2348
27-1            4/27            1600            1612            1625
27-2            4/27            1734            1746            1759
E28-1           4/28            1028            1040            1053
E28-2           4/28            1209            1221            1234
E28-3           4/28            1338            1350            1403

Subj: INSPIRE
Date: 97-04-06 18:16:09 EDT
From: d.jones160
Bill Pine sent the INSPIRE Journal. There are about sixty pages. No one has received the MIR (INTMINS) transmissions.
The MIR will make numerous transmissions starting the evening of April 19. Best chance for me is April 26, at 8:23pm for two minutes. The MIR passes over Grenada Mississippi southeastward to Jacksonville Florida. It seems to fly over just south of Columbus. They match up the courses with the locations of participants.
Bill editorialized about the loss of Omega next September. Omega not only is a simple check on the usability of a receiver, but gives the precise timing needed to correlate the transmissions with the tapes. Most spectrograms in the Journal have Omega lines on them. Even a dummy can figure out Omega since every ten seconds starts withan Omega beep. Of course you cannot receive all the stations so some thinking is still required.
I got a letter from the Navy Observatory which says they will close down the loran-C on the stroke of the millenium. Any way, January 1, 2000. I have dozens of pamphlets from time and frequency manufacturers. Loran-C is a natural for synchronizing their devices in spite of the increased accuracy an compactness of GPS. I have just two and fraction years to get my Austron standard receiver working.
David
Subj: Help with a CEI receiver.
Date: 97-04-03 00:22:50 EST
From: (Mark Mansfield)
I've purchased a CEI R-1687/G receiver. It covers 1Kc to 600Kc. It looks identical to a R-1401, CEI 357. Most all of the modules are the same.
I would like to exchange emails with someone who owns one of the R-1401 or 357 receivers. Like to discuss things like problems you might have had, sensitivity, selectivity, modifications, etc. I plan on using it for LOWFER and NDB DXing. Anyone have any comments or suggestions?
Thanks, Mark
Subj: 160-190 kHz in Canada
Date: 97-04-02 21:42:16 EST
From: PowellMclaven.fanshawec.on.ca (Mitch Powell)
Greg:
In reply to your request for info..... Contact your nearest Radio Inspector or Industry Canada office and ask for the RIC related to Low Power Operation in Canada. It is very extensive and lists all the frequencies and "bands" that you can operate unlicensed low-powered equipment - and includes the 160 - 190 kHz section of the spectrum.
There are many other areas that can be used - but the 160 - 190 is very similar, if not identical, to the FCC regs.
73 Mitch VE3OT
Subj: Canadian Part 15
Date: 97-04-01 07:01:20 EST
From: monitor (Jacques d'Avignon)
Just saw a posting (below)asking about what is available in Canada that is similar to the US Part 15. According to Industry Canada, there is something available but the request has to be made each year. From the information that I was able to get, the field strength is the governing factor.
There is a lowfer in Toronto, so if you want some information you could possibly contact him: VE3SCO and there is also a few in Quebec. These gentlemen could possibly help you.
Cheers

www.lwca.org

potrzebie