Re: GBR 16 kHz CW
Posted by Costas Krallis SV1XV on June 04, 2001 at 07:47:26
I hope you all enjoyed the CW trasmission from GBR.
Does anybody know if they (the Royal Navy) are going to issue QSL cards? If yes, how do we contact them?
Costas
HiFER -TLTX
Posted by Tony Levstik on June 04, 2001 at 08:50:32
Beacon TLTX (13.560MHz) will be running QRSS 1sec dash , ID =TLTX , 2mw .
Will be operated 6pm-10pm during the week and 7am - 10pm on weekends.
I started xmiting QRSS yesterday (June 3rd).
Tony Levstik
Re: GBR 16 kHz CW
Posted by John Davis on June 05, 2001 at 10:55:25
-----Original Message-----
From: Eric Earl To: wun qth.net Date: 05 June 2001 14:58 Subject: [WUN] All of you Lowfers and your request for information on GBR
>
>
>Gentlemen/Ladies
>
>My son is a sub commander in the Canadian Navy. I asked him if he would look
>into Costa's request for QSL information some time ago on the special VLF
>xmission. Here is his reply. Hope this is of use to you all.
>
>Best Regards, Eric // Atlanta, Georgia
>
>==
>
>
>
>Dad,
>
>As requested I've done some investigation for you regarding a QSL card.
As
>you may or may not know GBR is a series of radio stations operated by
>British Telecom? This station normally transmits encrypted MSK originating
>from Northwood (the controlling authority) to surface and sub-surface NATO
>units operating in the Eastern Atlantic. Anyway, at the request of MoD on
>29 May 01 they interrupted their usual transmission for about 4 hours to
>transmit the submarine centenary message you passed to me.
>
>The radio station that actually originated the transmission is located in
>Rugby. Yes, the place where the game originated. I've contacted the
>station manager, Mr. Malcolm Hancock and he indicated that they are
>currently looking into producing QSL cards for the transmission.
Should you
>or any of your colleagues like to request one, a request can be sent to:
>
>Mr. Malcolm Hancock
>BTRS Rugby
>Hillmorton, Rugby
>United Kingdom
>CV23 0AS
>
>Additionally, should you need to give him a call he can be contacted at:
>(44) 1788 545 086. Hope this helps.
>
>
>--
>The Worldwide UTE News (WUN) mailing list. WUN is a non-profit,
>dues-free club established in 1995 to share information on shortwave
>utilities. For more information: http://www.wunclub.com. Write to
>listmaster wunclub.com if you need assistance with the mailing list.
>
Militarry vlf/lf receivers
Posted by Paul Nell on June 06, 2001 at 17:49:57
Wanted: RBA, RBA-1, RBB, RBB-1 RECEIVERS. IF YOU HAVE ONE OF THESE TRANSMITTERS YOU WISH TO SELL (OR KNOW OF ANY LEADS/CONTACTS), PLEASE CONTACT ME AT THE ABOVE EMAIL ADDRESS OR PHONE AT (570)758-6349.
THANK YOU.
PAUL N3YHO
HiFer YK on the air
Posted by Chris Lantaff on June 07, 2001 at 11:51:42
Just a note to let you guys know that YK is on the HiFer band now.
The id is YK at about a 2.5 second dot (still need to build a digital timer and get rid of the 555 timer) will try to stretch it out to a 3 second dot soon.
The frequency is 13.5579
Chris Lantaff, KE9YK Evansville, IN
"LowFer" YK 185.97 kHz off for summer
"HiFer" YK 13.5579 MHz www.KE9YK.topcities.com
Just a note to let you guys know that YK is on the HiFer band now.
The id is YK at about a 2.5 second dot (still need to build a digital timer and get rid of the 555 timer) will try to stretch it out to a 3 second dot soon.
The frequency is 13.5579
Chris Lantaff, KE9YK Evansville, IN
"LowFer" YK 185.97 kHz off for summer
"HiFer" YK 13.5579 MHz www.KE9YK.topcities.com
www.vlf.it update
Posted by Renato ROMERO, IK1QFK on June 08, 2001 at 19:40:57
Two new article in update at http://www.vlf.it MULTIDIMENSIONAL EM field analysis and representation, By Peter Schmalkoke MAGNETIC ANTENNAE FOR ULF, By Hans Michlmayr
73, Renato
11 meter beacon experiment in progress
Posted by Robert on June 08, 2001 at 22:33:45
I know, I know....
However, despite all the harassment I am receiving from all my supposed 'friends', I am running a beacon on 27.125 MHz from a high elevation site near Livermore, CA.
Running a 20 milliwatt carrier and AM modulation at 150% positive peaks, I can hear it ground wave out about 30 to 50 miles. I have reception reports from Sacramento and Oakland already.
Audio is random tones in a quickly switched pattern (sounds like space sound effects) which really cut through the noise (read that as distorted echo bleed over). 2 minute program clock: Tones for 1:50, morse I.D. for :05, then off the air for :05, then the cycle repeats.
So far, the CBers are having fits and I'm enjoying the heck out of seeing what part 15 HF does from high elevation.
For pictures, see: http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1696062&a=13024626
Robert
TLTX Hifer Moving to 13.5598MHz
Posted by Tony Levstik on June 09, 2001 at 12:26:13
HIFER beacon TLTX will be at (13.5598MHz) . CW 2mw I had bought a new EPSON xtal osc chip but it is off by ~20hz so my New freq will be (13.5598MHz)
Also my LOWFER beacon will not be on untill later this yesr Not June as planned.
Regaurds Tony Levstik
Re: 11 meter beacon experiment in progress
Posted by John Davis on June 09, 2001 at 20:00:30
Under what provision of Part 15 do you believe you are operating, Robert?
Re: 11 meter beacon experiment in progress
Posted by Robert on June 10, 2001 at 00:49:22
I am operating under CFR part 15.227, Operation within the band 26.96-27.28 MHz.
I assure you that my beacon has been measured and verified to comply with 15.209, Radiated emission limits; general requirements. I used the meathods outlined in 15.313, Measurement procedures.
Do you have a concern would like to express that I may have overlooked something?
Robert
11 meter beacon
Posted by Mike on June 10, 2001 at 10:11:58
Hi Robert,
What you're overlooking is the Communications Act. Part 15 operation exists on a basis of non-interference to other communications. While CB is not a licensed service, it is most definitely sanctioned by the FCC under Part 95. If the CBers complain that your beacon is a "jammer", and you haven't shut it down by now, that's deliberate QRM.
Mike, W2AG (KAF4472)
Re: 11 meter beacon experiment in progress
Posted by John Davis on June 10, 2001 at 12:31:15
:: Do you have a concern would like to express that I may have overlooked something? ::
Yes, I do. Section 15.313 applies to unlicensed personal communications services (PCS) devices operating in the 1910-1930 MHz and 2390-2400 MHz frequency bands, and it consists of a single sentence which provides only general guidance as to which other Subpart of Part 15 contains the relevant procedures for that service. The 15.3nn sections are Subpart D, not Subpart C. The latter contains the rules for the intentional radiators that we're involved with.
When you certified compliance for 15.209, I presume that was for harmonics and out-of-band emissions. Commendable, but it does not address the principal concern. Have you done all the necessary measurements to prove your antenna is inefficient enough to comply with the radiated emission limits of 15.227 (see below) with a rather hefty 20mW applied to it?
This does not seem very plausible, considering the _groundwave_ coverage you are claiming for it is up to 25 times farther than has yet been obtained at half the frequency with ten times the field strength. (And then, of course, there is the interference issue posed by beacon operation in a band where there is already an authorized communications service.)
Your friends may not be harassing you; they may only be trying to save your hide from a humiliating and potentially expensive encounter with the FCC.
-John
| Section 15.227 Operation within the band 26.96 - 27.28 MHz. (a) The field strength of any emission within this band shall not exceed 10,000 microvolts/meter at 3 meters. The emission limit in this paragraph is based on measurement instrumentation employing an average detector. The provisions in Section 15.35 for limiting peak emissions apply. (b) The field strength of any emissions which appear outside of this band shall not exceed the general radiated emission limits in Section 15.209. |
Re: 11 meter beacon
Posted by Robert on June 10, 2001 at 13:45:07
John and Mike,
Thanks, John for pointing out the additional sections and Mike for pointing out the common sense! John, I am not sure the sections having to do with PCS apply. Although, I have studied part 15 extensively (due to my profession), I cannot make the connection. I am very interested to know what your take is on this connection.
Yes John, I have carefully made the measurements and it does indeed measure less than 10,000 mV/m at 3 meters. The site elevation above average terrain is about 2,500 feet and the AMSL is even greater. This area has a lot of hills along the same ridge as the hill the beacon is on (the beacon is on the very top). Then it's just flat endless valley floor on the other sides. The line of sight down the central California valley for this site extends over 50 miles to the North and another 50 miles to the South- South/East. Line of sight to the East is for several more miles as the hills on the other side of the valley come into play.
Also, I am sure you know that VHF lowband is highly succeptable to radiator ground reflection which can force the antenna's radiation angle to increase dramatically. By having the antenna very high, this is reduced which keeps the angle very low to the horizon and provides a better angle of attack to the ionosphere.
The FCC has already been called and responded with a field officer to my beacon when it was in testing on my bench. It was determined that since the power was so low and the signal strength even at modest range is very low, upon moving the beacon to the hilltop, it would be far enough from any population areas to not propose a problem. I have been in contact with the local comms. office on many occasions talking with the field officer who responded and have yet to be instructed to turn it off. I have been informed only what people who called the office have been told. Everyone has been satisfied. My beacon cannot be considered 'intentional' interference since the freq. is not used in this area, I have made every effort to remove the near field pattern away from any population or public road areas, and I can turn it off remotely at any time (assuming there is not so much megawatt skywave that it cannot hear me).
The nearest population to the hill is over 10 miles away. At this distance, the signal strength is less than 10 microvolts/m. What is odd about this beacon's propagation (thus the experiment) is how the signal strength varies so much as you change your distance from the hill. At 20 miles out in some areas, the signal strength actually increases over close-in readings. At one point on another hill on the other side of the valley at some 120 miles from the beacon, I measured a signal strength of just under 10 microvolts/m. At less than 3 miles from the site on the West side, the signal drops to zero. You have to go out another 6-8 miles before you start to pick up the signal again.
Now keep in mind that the only time you can hear the beacon ground wave is in the wee hours of the morning. The skywave and local interference any other time is a constant S-9 to S-30 all the time. The most signal I have seen being away from the beacon is S-3 at 2 miles. At the nearest road some 10 miles away, the signal has not hit above S-2. The nearest population center is just a little further than that and the most signal I have seen there is S-1. You actually have to go further out and higher up to get any more signal than that.
If you would like to know my qualifications, I would gladly share them with you via private email. I am very interested in sharing more information about myself and this beacon with you, but I would not like to do it in a public forum such as this.
Thank you,
Robert
Re: 11 meter beacon
Posted by John Davis on June 10, 2001 at 14:23:06
:: John, I am not sure the sections having to do with PCS apply. Although, I have studied part 15 extensively (due to my profession), I cannot make the connection. I am very interested to know what your take is on this connection. ::
That's exactly my point. They don't apply. You wrote: "I used the meathods outlined in 15.313," but that is in Subpart D, which applies to PCS devices.
Now, were your signal measurements with the device installed in its operating position, and were they done in the plane of maximum radiation and at enough locations to determine that the limit was not exceeded in any direction?
If so, I would be very interested in the details of the antenna and how you would account for such extraordinary field strengths at remote distance.
-John
Re: 11 meter beacon experiment in progress
Posted by Robert on June 10, 2001 at 23:28:18
Oops. Boy is my face red...
I meant to refer to part 15.215, which covers additional provisions to the general radiated emission limitations. I was trying to use a CRF part to describe my measurement procedures, but I chose the wrong one.
Anyway..... The real question is can anyone else can hear it?!!!
Re: 11 meter beacon
Posted by Robert on June 10, 2001 at 23:33:36
Oh, about your question on coverage. On VHF (and VHF LOW) elevation is everything. Having the antenna 2,500 ft. HAAT helps the signal go out instead of up. Normally, over 90% of the signal gets refracted skyward never to be heard from again. Elevation helps keep more of that precious power down on the horizon.
Help needed for a toroidal transformer
Posted by Alberto di Bene, I2PHD on June 11, 2001 at 07:30:36
Hi all,
I need some words of wisdom and a bit of help about the construction of a small toroidal transformer.
First the antefact : I swapped recently my TS-850 for a TS-950SDX,
a very fine radio, but much less sensitive on the LF band than the TS-850.
Looking at the schematics, and doing some filter simulation with Electronic Workbench, I think to have found the culprit, i.e. L3, a small toroidal transfomer, with ratio 1:4, which is inserted in the signal path, after the input attenuator, and before the filters bank. With all probability,
its response at 136kHz leaves much to be desired. The TS-850 doesn't have any such transformer, the signal goes straight to the filters.
So I have decided to replace it. Looking in the MiniCircuits catalog, I have found what seems to be the ideal replacement, the T4-6T-KK81 model, which has a -3dB response from 10kHz to 100MHz. Problem is that this transformer is not carried in stock by the Italian distributor, and both they and the MiniCircuits sales office have a minimum quantity amount for an order.
At this point the only choice is to build it myself. And this is were your help could come in my rescue. I need to know what your experiences are in building such a wideband kind of transformers. What is the best type of material, caveats to not forget, optimal number of turns, you name it.
TNX for any help,
73 Alberto I2PHD
Re: 11 meter beacon
Posted by John Davis on June 11, 2001 at 18:09:22
:: On VHF (and VHF LOW) elevation is everything. ::
HAAT extends the radio horizon, of course. If one has an unobstructed path and good height, received signal levels can approach free-space unattenuated values. In practice, depending on the exact location of a receive antenna near the ground, it may be as much as 6db higher than the free-space value.
So... given 10mV/m at 3m, one should see 1mV/m at 30m; 100uV/m at 300m; 10uV/m at 3km; and 1uV/m at 30km. Even allowing for the possibility of happening to take the field strength measurement at a +6db "hot spot," one should never see 10uV/m farther than 6km from the transmitter. That's less than four miles!
To achieve 10uV/m at 120 miles, the field strength at 3 meters in that particular direction has to be between 322 and 645mV/m.
Alternate explanations???
Ground current Lowfer
Posted by Lewis Denton on June 11, 2001 at 19:47:39
Hi fellow Lowfers,
I have a question, I just got my lowfer on at 169.55 Kc
(Lip)at five words/min and have been checking how i am getting out in the neighborhood, as a emergency antenna for mobile use all i had was a old TV degaussing coil.
at first i tried it about 300 ft from antenna and reception was good, but i noticed when i held the coil in my hand the reception was better. well if i got in the vechicle and held it their was no differents, so i laid the coil on the ground and the sig. went up 7 s units. as i ventured out from the house this condition was good up to about a mile. as long as i put the loop on the ground. By the way all i can load up to is .65 watts with my antenna.
at most about a mile was all i could copy and this was true only as long as i put the coil on the ground.
Whats going on ?
Lewis wa4lip while i could only copy about 800 ft other wise.
does this mean most of my energy is in the ground ?
Re: Help needed for a toroidal transformer
Posted by Tim Brannon on June 11, 2001 at 21:57:23
I've placed some orders of about $35-40 with Mini Circuits before and they were filled, but they were for 5 or 6 units of the same part. You might consider ordering several units and then selling the extras thru the board here or via the mailing list.
Tim
Re: 11 meter beacon
Posted by Robert on June 11, 2001 at 22:01:40
QUOTE: Alternate explanations???
None. Except one: lucky?
Having a beacon up is just fun.
Robert
Re: Help needed for a toroidal transformer
Posted by Alberto di Bene on June 12, 2001 at 05:25:57
Tim,
thanks for the suggestions. The MiniCircuits sales office wrote me that they accept international orders for at least 50 USD, to which you have to add 15 USD for unspecified 'bank charges', even when you pay with Visa Card. That seems unfair to me, and moreover I received a very kind offer from an OM who has built in the past a similar transformer, to build one for me.
So I think MiniCircuits won't see my greens.
TNX es 73 Alberto I2PHD
Re: Ground current Lowfer
Posted by Lyle Koehler on June 12, 2001 at 10:02:06
The simplest explanation I can offer is that *you* are a better antenna than the loop. In other words, your body is acting as an E-field antenna, and is providing more signal to the receiver than the small loop. When you bring the loop very close to the ground, its capacitance to the earth increases the effectiveness of the E-field antenna you are creating. If you went further and buried the loop, it would look like a ground rod, while you (and the wires going to the radio) would be the vertical "whip" antenna.
When a loop is shielded and/or balanced, the height above ground does not have much effect on the received signal strength.
VLF receiver for loop antenna
Posted by Renato ROMERO, IK1QFK on June 13, 2001 at 11:05:12
An interesting article about VLF receiver for loop antenna can be found at:
http://Peter.Schmalkoke.bei.t-online.de/receiver/
This is a pre-view version. Complete version, by Peter Schmalkoke, will be post on www.vlf.it next month.
73, Renato
Re: Ground current Lowfer
Posted by Lewis Denton on June 13, 2001 at 16:07:44
Thanks Lyle,
I thought i was receiving the ground current.
In other words the small loop was made more efficient by the ground cap.and what i was getting was from the radiated energy in the ether.
Lewis PS got any suggestions on a mobile antenna for field test ?
radio
Posted by ghasselbarth on June 13, 2001 at 22:19:39
I would to find a good long wave radio that works.
Re: Ground current Lowfer
Posted by Robert Bicking on June 13, 2001 at 22:40:57
It takes a sensitive receiver to detect small signals. My beacon "RB" has been heard over 1000 miles away from Freeport, IL. so last New Years Eve I took a Sangean portable HF receiver and my LF Engineering L-111 up-converter and short E-field antenna (3 foot) up to our daughter's place about 75 miles away in Wisconsin. Answer, could hear NDB Beacons but couldn't hear my Lowfer. My best rsults have been on quiet nights using my Yaesu FT-1000 with Beverage antennas.
Beacon MV Moved, changed callsign
Posted by Tim Pauly on June 14, 2001 at 01:26:52
Since I and my family have moved from Upstate NY, to the Southeast Virginia area, I am changing the callsign of Beacon MV. Obviously the coordinates have changed also ;-)
The new callsign will be RAD, since it will now be located in Radford, VA.
My beacon operates during the winter months on 187.600 kHz.
Happy Lowfering,
(Feeling much more friendly now that I am out of the land of high taxes, unemployment, and Hillary... :-)
Tim N2GFT Radford VA
Ground current Lowfer (Portable receiver)
Posted by Lyle Koehler on June 14, 2001 at 12:23:21
I have had good results using a Hustler 5/8 wave 2 meter magnet mounted whip (actual length about 45 inches) on top of the car, going into the low impedance input of my "universal preamp". I think that my preamp circuit is still available in the file libraries section of the LWCA web site. Basically, on LF the 2m whip just looks like a 1-meter E-field antenna. However I would check any ham 2 meter antenna with an ohmmeter to make sure there isn't a DC short to ground because of some kind of loading/matching transformer. That is also true if you try to use one of the shorter CB whips, although a full-size 102 inch CB whip should be a pretty good antenna. A 30-inch loop works slightly better than the 1-meter whip (again, using a preamp), but I wouldn't recommend trying to hold the darn thing out the window when you're driving :-) As Bob Bicking points out, LowFER signals are very weak, and it takes a good receiving setup to pull them out of the noise. I don't have any portable equipment that works as well as a base station receiver with a big antenna.
One good portable receiver for checking your LowFER beacon is the old Sony ICF-2001 (not the 2001D, which is the same as the ICF-2010). The 2001 is broad as a barn, but unlike most radios it uses the whip rather than just a loopstick on MF and LF, and has a peaking adjustment to tune the whip. If you're out in the clear, away from trees and buildings, if the QRN is low, and if you tune very carefully, it is possible to hear LowFERs at 100 miles or so on the 2001 with the built-in whip. Since the ICF-2001 has been out of production for years, you have to look for them on e-Bay or at swap fests, where they should be available for under 100 bucks. I paid $75 for mine several years ago.
Decca 80325
Posted by Ko Versteeg on June 15, 2001 at 21:01:40
Hi all..
[Due to blocking the sun from the Xyl]
I am searching for info on the "Decca 80325" [active lf antenna]
Info on performance, is it noisy like the DX-One, or links would be great.
73 de Ko, NL9222
Re: radio
Posted by Joe T. Penrod on June 15, 2001 at 22:05:42
You didn't say whether or not you want to build, or buy off the shelf. If you want to build, I have plans for a rather decent Part 15 (1750M) receiver. It's not particularly fancy, nor is it "high tech", but it's easy to construct and performs as well as any LF analog receiver - or any receiver not employing the latest DSP technologies. Interested?
73
Joe T. Penrod
QSL for GBR 16 kHz CW
Posted by Costas Krallis on June 18, 2001 at 08:48:14
Thanks to Eric Earl, who posted the GBR address, today I received my QSL card from BT Rugby Radio Station for my reception report for the Special Transmission of 29 May on 16 kHz. It is signed by M J Hancock and the address on the card is:
BT Rugby Radio Station Hilmorton RUGBY Warwickshire CV23 0AS
which means that the station is opearated by Brish Telecom on behalff of the Royal Navy.
Costas
VLF receiver
Posted by Bob Grove W8JHD on June 18, 2001 at 09:05:03
I've been toying with the idea of developing a simple, effective VLF/natural radio receiver, possibly as a Grove Enterprises product. A number of questions come up in its design, such as ideal frequency range (0-100 kHz?), whether an up-converted single conversion would be a good step, or direct conversion, and whether there really is a market out there to support this as a commercial venture.
I'd appreciate any feedback via my email address; I rarely get a chance to check into these threads to read replies, but it's a great site, filled with some equally great talent!
Best wishes to all,
Bob Grove W8JHD
TLTX SLOW CW // RTTY
Posted by Tony Levstik on June 19, 2001 at 08:41:19
TLTX (13.560MHz) will be alternating between SLOW CW and RTTY.
RTTY = 45 baud on/off keying.
starting June 19th.
Re: TLTX SLOW CW // RTTY
Posted by Bill Ashlock on June 19, 2001 at 12:16:50
Hi Tony,
May have seen your signal after 12:00 last night on ~ 13.5599. Modulation too fast to read and could have been 45 baud RTTY. Can you send QRSS(~3) tonight?
Bill WA Andover, MA
Re: radio
Posted by Bill Ashlock on June 19, 2001 at 12:50:10
Hi Joe,
The greater share of LowFer communications as of last winter are now done via the QRSS mode with dot times as slow as 60 sec (which at this moment seem so slow compared to HiFer 3 second dot times). This requires a receiver with at least 10 PPM frequency stability in order to keep the signal on the ARGO screen from drifting off into space.
Was wondering if your home constructed receiver can work with ARGO? If so I'd be interested in the plans.
Regards,
Bill WA
Re: TLTX SLOW CW // RTTY
Posted by Tony Levstik on June 19, 2001 at 13:11:09
Bill
I will set the beacon to alternate between
(SLOW CW ID 4 times)and(RTTY ID 8 times)
I will also leave it on 24hrs.
Tony
Icom 746 Receiver
Posted by Bennie Hall on June 20, 2001 at 15:39:53
Has anybody tried using the Icom 746 as a receiver on the longwave frequencies??? I am a newbie to LW. I am using a full wave 40 meter dipole laid out in an horional loop about 10 feet off the ground. I am hearing many signals but was wondering if the converter route would work better??? de Ben WY4D
Re: Icom 746 Receiver
Posted by Jon Jesse W1JHJ on June 20, 2001 at 16:13:03
Hi Ben,
I used a 746 for the last few months of the LOWFER "season" and it worked just fine. I use an active antenna with it and copied 136kHz stations from Europe. It's stable without the TCXO but I added it anyway a few months ago. I believe there are a few UK stations that use the 746 to REC LF freqs as well. I did use an older Palomar VLF converter but it's not very stable at all.
I think you'll find the 746 to be a winner on LF.
Jon
Re: TLTX SLOW CW // RTTY
Posted by Bill Ashlock on June 20, 2001 at 20:15:27
Hi Tony,
I couldn't quite make out your call last night in the QRSS portion but I'm fairly sure I saw your signal for about 2 hours until ~1:40. Possibly the spaces in your QRSS are a bit short?
JJ, 60mi south of here, thinks he also saw you.
If you are set up for receiving check us out at 13.557.25 (JJ, the straight shooter) and 13.562.50 (me, with the sawtooth modulation). The three of us should form a 1356 club to compete with the 1355 guys. :<)
73 Bill WA
Re: TLTX SLOW CW // RTTY
Posted by Tony Levstik on June 20, 2001 at 22:42:51
Bill
I will add some extra time between the letters in the ID.
If you are able to copy my signal that will be my first contact.
Tony
Re: Icom 746 Receiver
Posted by Les Rayburn, N1LF on June 21, 2001 at 10:28:09
I purchased an Icom 746 just prior to last season. In the past, I had always used the LF Engineering converters, which are more stable than the Palomar units, but neither are really suited for weak signal work like WOLF.
I got the Icom with the TCXO option and also a 500hz CW filter and found the unit to be great for LF work.
A lot of general coverage receivers are "deaf"
in the LF range, but not the 746. And it's controls are easy to manipulate, even for critical frequency adjustments of 1hz.
I even have Lowfer and Medfer ID's stored into it's memory, so that I can search by name rather than constantly having to consult a frequency list.
Add to that it's great performance this year on my two favorite bands, 160 Meter and 6 Meters,
and you've got a real winner.
I wouldn't trade mine for the world!
73,
Les Rayburn, N1LF Lowfer "XMGR"
Re: TLTX SLOW CW // RTTY
Posted by Bill Ashlock on June 22, 2001 at 00:31:05
Hi Tony,
Was communicating with Mitch, MP, and he said you were really strong in London Ontario but also couldn't get enough clarity to make a positive ID. I didn't get much time last night to view your signal but there was an interesting interfering signal right next to yours that made it difficult to make out all the code. When you stoped transmitting for a while at 1:20am EDT the interfering signal also disappeared. Is it possible there is some phase modulation, of sorts, or oscillations on your signal? This also could be in the nature of the propagation for this distance. Possibly others may have a comment on this?
I'll continue to watch.
Bill WA
PS: Are you on the lowfer qth.net reflector? Lot of HiFer info exchange there.
Re: TLTX SLOW CW // RTTY
Posted by Tony Levstik on June 22, 2001 at 10:22:55
Bill
Glad to hear my signal is making it that far. I don't want to be transmitting if the signal is not clean RF. I will be looking over the xmitr tonight for possible causes.
and put it back on the spectrum analyzer to check it out.
I will also see about getting on the lowfer reflector so I wont be cluttering this msg board with HiFer stuff.
Re: TLTX SLOW CW // RTTY
Posted by John Davis on June 22, 2001 at 20:08:44
::I will also see about getting on the lowfer reflector so
::I wont be cluttering this msg board with HiFer stuff.
Don't worry about clutter! We do HiFER here, too.
I would encourage you to use both tools, especially whenever you have a change of schedule, frequency, or mode to report. Not everybody subscribes to the list, and not everybody reads this board. And, e-mail lists aren't quite as effective a message board for making sure all readers at least have a chance to see all posts. So, to reach the maximum audience, it's good to use both methods.
73,
John
Re: TLTX SLOW CW // RTTY
Posted by Bill Ashlock on June 23, 2001 at 00:19:12
Tony,
Earlier this evening your signal (I think) was in there at normal strength but still hard to read. Just to 100% confirm that this signal is TLTX, can you send only QRSS(3) continuously for 24 hours?. Hopefully you can send ~ 3 sec dots, 9 sec dashes, and 3 sec spaces on each character with sufficient spaces between letters and 'TLTX' repeats to make it as clear as possible.
Are you set up for ARGO receiving yourself? In my case, I was sending QRSS on 185.3 all last winter before I actually got to see what the signal looked like except for an ocasional screen shot sent back (including noise of course). Was a big help when I finally had a instant readout of what everyone else was seeing; AND particularly helpful in setting up this HiFer WA sawtooth ,// ,/ that I'm currently sending.
Sorry that I don't have a modem on my ARGO computer to send back my captures. Perhaps Mitch, MP, or one of the other guys can do so (or maybe already have).
Will keep watching...
Bill WA
HiFer YK off for week
Posted by Chris Lantaff on June 23, 2001 at 23:16:06
HiFer YK will go off the air sun 6-24 and will return Sat 6-30. I am off to scout camp for a week, so have to shut things down a while.
Chris, KE9YK
TLTX 13.560MHz off
Posted by Tony Levstik on June 24, 2001 at 12:00:14
TLTX will be off for the next few weeks. I will also be moving to another frequency. Apperantly 13.560MHz is being used by some Packet stations. And that is making it hard to determine if my signal is being heard.
I shut My beacon down on Sat. and and copied one of the Packet stations + 20 over S9 !!. They are sending a CW ID then Packet data. My beacon was sending CW ID then RTTY so I think the Packet stations may have been mistaken for my beacon.
Tony
Re: Noise and loops and K9AY
Posted by Andree Schanko DL8LAS on June 27, 2001 at 13:10:10
Hello, i look for a dealer who have the k9ay hardware in his programm!!
Pleas short email to dl8las aol.com Thanks vy 73 Andree
Medfer beacon new frequency
Posted by Jim Vander Maaten on June 27, 2001 at 13:39:05
I have moved my medfer beacon from 1689.43 to 1699.80 kHz.
The crystal is cut for 1700.000 kHz, will try to bring up the frequency to 1700.000 soon. The id is ESA ESA ESA
. Location is San Jose, CA, CM97BJ. Beacon is AM DSB with 800 Hertz id tone.
73 jim wb6qzl
July 1st 17kHz transmission
Posted by Mike Thompson (KG4JYA) on June 27, 2001 at 15:18:46
Hello All,
I heard about the upcomeing transmission on 17.6kHz (I think thats the frequency). I live in Central Florida and I wanted to know all of your opinions on weather or not it would be possible to monitor this transmission from down here. I currently only have a short wire antenna. I have a modified TenTec rx-320 with the software that allows a 300hz IF filter.
I can probably piece together a small amp with some MP102's, and twist up a quick dirty loop, but is there really a chance I would be able to receive this signal this far south?
Thanks Mike T.
Re: July 1st 17kHz transmission
Posted by John Davis on June 27, 2001 at 16:04:08
Hi Mike,
There is at least a chance of hearing the first transmission that far south, although probably not the later one. (Actual frequency 17.2kHz.)
In fact, at this time of year, if it weren't for the greater static levels in your part of the country, you theoretically should have a little better chance of hearing SAQ than our brethren in the north, because less of the southern signal path is in high-angle daylight.
73,
John
Re: July 1st 17kHz transmission
Posted by Bill Ashlock on June 27, 2001 at 18:19:40
Hi Mike,
I second John's comment about the propagation being good enough for SAQ reception at your location. Additionally, I suggest your put together a balanced loop antenna with balanced amplifier instead of attempting a copy with your wire antenna. You will find the noise immunity will be far better.
I've had good luck north of you in the Boston area with SAQ reception using my 3ft diam Lowfer loop tuned down to 17.2 kHz with some fairly large capacitors (one each side of the center tap.
Bill WA
Meeting
Posted by chris steele on June 27, 2001 at 21:03:29
Hello, I am looking for Bill Cantrell, I am Chris Steele we talked before on the phone about seeing your setup and all. Please give me an email at above address...Chris KG4LQZ
'RW'Beacon on 480 kHz, 0600Z - 1200Z
Posted by Paul Signorelli on June 27, 2001 at 21:09:18
The RW Beacon is a Part 5 beacon and is now going to Summer Time operation because of the high atomspheric noise. The operating hours are now 0600Z to 1200Z (Midnight to 6 am MDT).
The RW Beacon is sending CW at 15 wpm on 480 kHz. The beacon is located in Colorado Springs. Please send reception reports to Paul w0rw aol. com Thanks and good hunting...
Re: July 1st 17kHz transmission
Posted by Mike Thompson (KG4JYA) on June 28, 2001 at 12:50:29
Gentlemen,
Thanks for the comments. I'd like to give a listen, to see if I can actually hear this transmission, at both scheduled times.
I'd also like to put together a small loop for this event. Any suggestions for a quick dirty loop for 17.2 kHz? I have a capacitor decade box good up to 1uF.
Thanks Mike T.
SAQ transmission July 1
Posted by Stan Krumme KO6YB on June 30, 2001 at 00:27:23
I too am going to be listening for the Grimerton transmission. Sort of a field day event, I live in southern California (Huntinton Beach) where it is very noisy!
I am in Bass Lake area right now (near Yosemite national park). Will be going up to a senic stop one mile up in elevation, that has a fantastic view of the northern horizon (25 degrees right of north). Have built a 5 foot sq loop + preamp to feed the sound card. Besides taking an RAK-7 as a stand by. Don't know what to expect, longwave is new to me. Will check back tommorow before I go to set up. Cheers, Stan K.
HiFer YK Back on air
Posted by Chris Lantaff on June 30, 2001 at 21:48:14
I am back from a week in the woods with a bunch of Boy Scouts, so HiFer YK is back on the air 24/7 at 13.5579 QRSS .4 wpm.
If you really want a challenge give it a try, because I plan on going QRO soon.
Chris, KE9YK
www.lwca.org
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