Re: EDJ Testing this weekend
EDJ made it to Kansas this afternoon and early evening! I make the mark frequency to be 13,555,527±1 Hz (would rather be more accurate than that, but the temperature was changing rapidly in the car), and the shift is only around 2.5 Hz this weekend.
Also saw USC, MP, the SIWs (though fading out gradually after 6:15 PM CDT), EH, and NC. Everybody experienced quite a bit of fading this afternoon at various times, but around 7 PM when everyone else was weak for an extended period, EH was brightly visible and very audible. "C'est la vie, say the old folks, goes to show you never can tell..."
The only conventional CW signal heard this afternoon was FRC.
Will check some more on the other side of sunset.
John Re: EDJ Testing this weekend
Posted by John Davis on July 01, 2013 at 05:26:33.
In reply to Re: EDJ Testing this weekend posted by John Davis on July 01, 2013
Well, no more EDJ after dark...nor most of the others. There was a faint trace of USC for a while, MP was fair, and even though EH was no longer blazing away like before, both it and NC were solid, steady copy with much less fading than in daylight.
Tuned down to 2200 meters for a few hours and caught MP there, nice and clear, despite continual static averaging S6 or S7 with excursions from S4 to S9. Bear in mind that the signal itself is not usually strong enough to reach the AGC threshold, so that entire S-reading is effectively noise.
Hope to see EDJ again next weekend!
John
Re: SAQ
Posted by Steve on July 01, 2013 at 06:19:29.
In reply to Re: SAQ posted by Todd WD4NGG on June 30, 2013
Tnx Todd...too bad reception conditions weren't better for
you. As a point of interest, what type of equipment were you using on 17.2 KHz ?
Steve
Re: EDJ Testing this weekend
Posted by Bob WA1EDJ on July 01, 2013 at 17:40:44.
In reply to Re: EDJ Testing this weekend posted by John Davis on July 01, 2013
Thanks John! I'll be putting EDJ back on probably starting on July 4th for the entire weekend. Next I need to do some antenna experimentation.....TNX!...EDJ....
HiFers Heard So Far This July
Posted by EdWSlidell,LA on July 04, 2013 at 03:22:12.
Hello all. Conditions have been fairly good this past weekend(28 through 30 June), and so far this week in July. AJO on ~13557.5KHz appears every so often, with good signals up to 449 at times. SZX on ~13563KHz has been peaking about the same 449, while GNK on ~13564KHz peaks about the same, but always seems to be there when checked. K6FRC on ~13565 KHz, has been less strong, during the times when it does appear. Generally FRC is less than 239, but portions of the callsign reach 339 occasionally. Paul's big 22m Telrex beam( or was it 2.2m whip? ) must be turned away from my location. So far, MTI on ~13556.5 KHz has not reappeared here in EM50cg, possibly being too near to me now(I think he indicated E. AL or W. GA), or bad weather in his new location is preventing him from getting it up and running again. Got the new RG-6QS run to the 22m dipole, so I will be listening for him. Ed WSlidell, LA EM50cg
Re: HiFers Heard So Far This July
Posted by John Davis on July 04, 2013 at 05:36:51.
In reply to HiFers Heard So Far This July posted by EdWSlidell,LA on July 04, 2013
Great report, Ed!
I went out to my field here in SE Kansas this evening and listened from before sunset to about 9:40 PM CDT, and then again around 10:30 PM for a while.
Early session first: FRC was the most audible regular CW signal...no complete IDs tonight, but a few good clear letters out of every cycle. AJO was very promising for a while and I thought I might be about to get a complete ID, but then the call of the wild diathermy machine (or other untamed wandering critter) drowned him out. SZX must be at just the wrong distance for me, as I only manage reception about once a year at best. Lately, even GNK (which I used to hear about half the times I listened) has tended to be absent a lot, too. Haven't heard WV in a long time, now that I think of it, nor had an operator update...anyone know if he's still on?
As for QRSS signals in the early session, only four were visible tonight: USC, MP, EH, and NC. USC was doing quite well, although the shift was fairly wide and the mark frequency was very close to MP. At times, USC was the dominant signal to the ear, and when it was, that nearly 8 Hz shift was audibly apparent. (I'm delighted by that fact, actually. Out of 800-some Hz, that's a musical interval of slightly less than one cent, which is sometimes described as the smallest pitch change that is discernible to human hearing. I don't know if that's so, but I'm pleased to think perhaps my old ears have still "got it.")
Now, between the first and second sessions, I spent about an hour watching the LF MP on 137.7805 kHz, but static was rough, so the result was not as clean as usual. Well, more accurately, I let the computer watch it. I took a break because my QTH had an excellent view of our city fireworks display from nearly 6 miles away! That was followed by a lot of private "shows" from around town, which didn't clear the treetops by nearly the same margin, but were still pretty.
The second HiFER session netted only two of the QRSS signals, and only snippets of FRC. USC and NC both vanished completely by that time, leaving MP and EH, both reasonably solid.
Haven't heard the return of MTI yet myself. Moving can be a lot more time-consuming than a person anticipates...and who knows what zoning and covenants are like in that community. We'll certainly be glad to have Thom back on the air whenever he can manage it, though!
John
Re: Rycom in TV trailer
Posted by AG9Y on July 04, 2013 at 06:01:10.
In reply to Rycom in TV trailer posted by Lee on June 17, 2013
It is a 3121B in case you have not already found out.
Re: Rycom in TV trailer
Posted by Lee on July 04, 2013 at 23:27:08.
In reply to Re: Rycom in TV trailer posted by AG9Y on July 04, 2013
Cool. Thank you very much!
EDJ QRT due to WX
Posted by Bob WA1EDJ on July 06, 2013 at 15:15:17.
Have not been able to get EDJ back on this weekend due to numerous TS in the area. Outlook is not good either.....If we get a break I'll hook it up. We've been in a prolonged rainy, stormy spell here in Ga. Have not seen this much rain in years!
Thanks John D. for the nice write up on EDJ in the latest Lowdown. You remembered the MedFER EDJ from many years ago! BTW, I think I'm in EM83du not dv.
Bob EDJ
Re: EDJ QRT due to WX
Posted by John Davis on July 06, 2013 at 19:46:59.
In reply to EDJ QRT due to WX posted by Bob WA1EDJ on July 06, 2013
>>> You remembered the MedFER EDJ from many years ago!
Sure did! That was one of my biggest challenges on MF, back in the heyday of the Expanded Band MedFERs. Stone Mountain to Warm Springs, Georgia, was just the wrong path length...too far for groundwave, too close for the first skyway landing. But one lucky evening just after sunset, when the grayline was tilted just right, there was EDJ clear as could be from the R-5000's speaker. Ah, the Good Old Days....
Too bad about the stormy weather this weekend.
Will amend the grid locator. Thanks.
John MP HiFER Change
Posted by John Davis on July 06, 2013 at 20:24:42.
On the evening of the Fourth of July, I saw HiFER MP disappear in mid-M. Simultaneously (although I didn't realize it until I reviewed all the captures later) a new but indecipherable signal signal appeared right under the middle of the EH FSK signal. Last night I finally saw that the "new" signal was MP, and asked Mitch about it.
Turns out he had moved MP to be farther away from a sawtooth signal reported by John W1TAG. (I haven't seen that one out here. Can anyone back east confirm its frequency, and/or who operates it?)
As of today, Mitch has tweaked the voltage to his chip a little more to drop the frequency a smidgen, and may be in the clear again if EH hasn't drifted the same direction. Will return to the field later to check on it myself.
John
NIGHT OF NIGHTS BROADCAST THIS JULY 12
Posted by Todd WD4NGG on July 07, 2013 at 01:24:36.
Don't forget the annual Night Of Nights broadcast this July 12.
The Maritime Radio Historical Society will be operating
Coastal Radio Stations KPH, KFS and KSM on many
frequencies including 426 and 500kHz, starting at 5PM PDT
on July 12.
I believe the transmission on 426kHz was widely heard last year
in the Western U.S.
More information on their operating schedules can be found
in their latest MRHS newsletter Archive No 38 :
http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs149/1109843077277/archive/1113987698739.html
73 - Todd WD4NGG Terrible Conditions Saturday Evening?
Posted by John Davis on July 07, 2013 at 05:32:17.
I generally don't waste bandwidth to report no reception, but I'm wondering if anyone else experienced the same thing. I couldn't see a single HiFER at the watering hole late this afternoon, or even after dark. I would've thought my receiver had died if it weren't for the ever present codar pulses and the spurious signal from my notebook computer's display.
WWV on 10 MHz was also nearly absent, which would have made my Argo calibration awkward...if there had been any signals to display.
Noise was nearly 2 S-units less on 1720 and 2200m tonight, compared to the past couple of days, but not even MP could make it through for some reason.
John
Re: Terrible Conditions Saturday Evening?
Posted by EdWSlidell,LA on July 07, 2013 at 14:48:46.
In reply to Terrible Conditions Saturday Evening? posted by John Davis on July 07, 2013
Hello John. Was listening yesterday afternoon and last night. Was only able to hear GNK on ~13564 KHz very weakly, most of the time lost in the noise. At best it was nearing 229. However, around about 0100 UT on 7 July, I started hearing some CW and a following dash, which turned out to be AJO above the old MTI ~13557 KHz frequency. In a short time it increased to a very loud 569 signal. It was still going strong about 15 mins later. The only other signal heard was the one around ~13557 KHz, which seems to be sending N's, A's or dashes of a similar combined length, and which like AJO sometimes becomes fairly strong for short periods. Ed WSlidell,LA EM50cg
Re: NIGHT OF NIGHTS BROADCAST THIS JULY 12
Posted by Paul on July 08, 2013 at 00:37:17.
In reply to NIGHT OF NIGHTS BROADCAST THIS JULY 12 posted by Todd WD4NGG on July 07, 2013
Thanks for bringing this up, Todd.
I'll be at the KPH transmitter site starting Thursday morning with the other guys getting all the old iron ready to go, so probably won't have computer access.
Something special this year- Transmitter #298, an RCA "H set" will be on the air on 22 MHz. This is believed to be the only working RCA H set left in the world.
The tricky part about this year is with NoN falling on a Friday, we'll have to stay up real late to put everything back to "normal" for KSM ops the very next morning. Usually we have a day or two between NoN and the next Saturday to put everything back to normal. This year will be a real marathon!!
Also, all KSM, KPH, KFS reception reports will receive a reply printed on an actual vintage RCA radiogram form. Just found a box of old message forms and plan to use some to show the "true believers" how much we appreciate the reports.
VY 73, PS Re: NIGHT OF NIGHTS BROADCAST THIS JULY 12
Posted by EdWSlidell,LA on July 08, 2013 at 01:24:23.
In reply to Re: NIGHT OF NIGHTS BROADCAST THIS JULY 12 posted by Paul on July 08, 2013
Hi Paul. Tks for info to you and Todd. Will try for the MF on 500 and 426 kc/s, but in the past signals have been very weak. What is the "H" type RCA. Something predating the 3U/4U RCA equipment? Is it a crystal controlled unit or fitted with a VFO? Ed
Re: MP HiFER Change
Posted by Bob WA1EDJ on July 08, 2013 at 15:28:07.
In reply to MP HiFER Change posted by John Davis on July 06, 2013
I did see something about 30 Hz below EH last night that appeared to be FSK but was very narrow shift. I did not stay long to watch but it was close to where MP usually is....could not really id it....Bob..
USC and WX
Posted by Pat Bunn on July 08, 2013 at 15:45:11.
Just a FYI. USC has been running for near 2 years without shutdown due to weather. I just let it run. Worst that could happen is a blown board that cost less than $10 to replace totally.
Hasn't happened so far during the worst thunder shower spring and summer I can remember.
I did have one bad Epson chip but likely it was not due to lightning. It was in the winter and it started oscillating off frequency.
Re: MP HiFER Change
Posted by John Davis on July 08, 2013 at 18:36:48.
In reply to Re: MP HiFER Change posted by Bob WA1EDJ on July 08, 2013
MP is now just 2 or 3 Hz below EH. The signal near where MP used to be is probably USC.
John
Protection of Epson Programmable Oscillator
Posted by Mark Garrett on July 10, 2013 at 16:44:47.
I am curious to see what others out there have done to protect their HiFer from the effects of lightning. I have been using an Epson oscillator being keyed for my HiFer SZX and have blown through one of these due to lightning. Since then I have been unplugging and disconnecting the unit to keep it from being damaged when storms are forecast. Any hints or ideas?
Re: Protection of Epson Programmable Oscillator
Posted by John Davis on July 10, 2013 at 18:12:19.
In reply to Protection of Epson Programmable Oscillator posted by Mark Garrett on July 10, 2013
Hi, Mark. It would help to know more about your transmitter configuration, such as where the oscillator module and the keyer are located, how they are powered, and how they are interconnected to each other and to the antenna, what sort of antenna tuner may be involved, etc.
There are lots of things one could try, which do work in certain cases more or less at random, but I'd prefer to offer suggestions based on sound engineering principles. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to lightning protection because there are so many ways of setting up a beacon. If one wants to skip a lot of trial and error, the first step is to understand the particular layout in as much detail as possible, to visualize how transients may be reaching the place where they cause problems.
John
Morning Hifers at the watering hole
Posted by Garry, K3SIW on July 11, 2013 at 12:24:14.
Nice copy this morning of hifers NC, EH, MP, and USC. The MP QRSS signal is splitting the difference between the EH high and low tones.
73, Garry, K3SIW, EN52ta, Elgin, IL
Re: NIGHT OF NIGHTS BROADCAST THIS JULY 12
Posted by Paul on July 12, 2013 at 15:17:34.
In reply to Re: NIGHT OF NIGHTS BROADCAST THIS JULY 12 posted by EdWSlidell,LA on July 08, 2013
It's a. HUGE and very complicated beast, and it's the only one left in the world that works. It's capable of all modes, including ISB. They were used by RCA for point to point service.
There will be video on YouTube.
Spent yesterday moving feedlines, waking up old transmitters and all sorts of prep work at the transmitter site. Headed over there in a few minutes to continue.
NOTICE- special bradcast today
Posted by Paul on July 12, 2013 at 15:26:41.
Frequency- 22.477.5 MHz.
Time- approx 13:00 PDT
Mode- CW
Message to be sent-
CQ CQ CQ DE KPH KPH KPH CQ CQ CQ DE KPH KPH KPH CQ CQ CQ DE KPH KPH KPH
PLEASE STAND BY FOR A SPECIAL MESSAGE =
THIS IS THE FIRST OFFICIAL TRANSMISSION FROM RCA T3 TRANSMITTER NUMBER 298 SINCE
IT WAS ABANDONED AND LEFT FOR DEAD YEARS AGO. NOW ITS VOICE IS HEARD ONCE AGAIN
FROM THE RCA TRANSMITTER SITE IN BOLINAS, CA. WE BELIEVE THIS IS THE ONLY WORKING
TRANSMITTER OF ITS TYPE IN THE WORLD. THE RESTORATION OF THIS TRANSMITTER WAS
CARRIED OUT OVER THREE YEARS BY A DEDICATED TEAM OF MARITIME RADIO HISTORICAL
SOCIETY VOLUNTEERS, ALL CURRENT AND FORMER HEWLETT PACKARD ENGINEERS. TRANSMITTER
298, ONCE A CORRODED HULK, IS NOW A SLEEK AND POWERFUL EXAMPLE OF THE BEST IN
INDUSTRIAL DESIGN.
LIKE ALL TRANSMITTERS AT THE BOLINAS SITE, TRANSMITTER 298 IS PROPERTY OF THE
POINT REYES NATIONAL SEASHORE, PART OF THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE. THUS IN A
SENSE IT BELONGS TO ALL AMERICANS. POINT REYES NATIONAL SEASHORE SUPERINTENDENT
CICELY MULDOON DID US THE HONOR OF PRESSING THE BUTTON TO BRING TRANSMITTER 298
BACK TO LIFE TODAY. NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE VISION
AND TRUST OF THE MEN AND WOMEN AT THE POINT REYES NATIONAL SEASHORE.
LISTEN FOR TRANSMITTER 298 ON THIS FREQUENCY LATER TODAY AT 1701PDT/0001Z WHEN
NIGHT OF NIGHTS 2013 OFFICIALLY BEGINS. WE WISH YOU FAIR WINDS, FOLLOWING SEAS
AND GOOD LISTENING
+
DE KPH * Re: Protection of Epson Programmable Oscillator
Posted by Paul on July 12, 2013 at 15:32:21.
In reply to Protection of Epson Programmable Oscillator posted by Mark Garrett on July 10, 2013
Polyphaser!!! Install one properly and forget about it.
My HiFer is on a mountaintop at a commercial communications site and gets lots of lightning action. Never had a problem in all these years.
HiFer FRC also has a cavity helical bandpass filter behind it, and that provides additional isolation.
Re: NOTICE- special bradcast today
Posted by Paul on July 12, 2013 at 20:43:50.
In reply to NOTICE- special bradcast today posted by Paul on July 12, 2013
The dedication went very well (the transmitter didn't blow up) and the video will be up shortly.
Sending the above message at various speeds now. Will send it several times at different speeds, then will go to standby so we can bring the other transmitters online and start Night of Nights in a little over 3 hours from now.
LATEST OPERATING SCHEDULES FOR NIGHT OF NIGHTS BROADCAST JULY 12
Posted by Todd WD4NGG on July 12, 2013 at 22:14:46.
Hi All,
This is the latest schedule for operating frequencies on Friday,
July 12 for the Night Of Nights Broadcasts starting at 5PM PDT
and running to about 9PM PDT or 0000-0400 UTC actually July 13 UTC time.
http://www.radiomarine.org/gallery/show?keyword=nonxi&panel=pab1_5#pab1_5
If you mail in a reception report they will send you back an official
RCA Radiogram confirming reception.
73 - Todd WD4NGG
Re: LATEST OPERATING SCHEDULES FOR NIGHT OF NIGHTS BROADCAST JULY 12
Posted by Paul on July 13, 2013 at 04:43:38.
In reply to LATEST OPERATING SCHEDULES FOR NIGHT OF NIGHTS BROADCAST JULY 12 posted by Todd WD4NGG on July 12, 2013
Yep. Guess who handles the reception reports...
This year, I'll be sending out KPH, KFS, and KSM QSLs on actual RCA radiogram message forms. The K6KPH reports will go out on the usual QSL card style radiogram looking cards.
Requested but not required- a buck or two which helps with postage. Last year's NoN, I was out of pocket over $100 after mailing out all the QSL's, so for those that include a buck, THANK YOU!
Re: NIGHT OF NIGHTS BROADCAST THIS JULY 12
Posted by John Davis on July 13, 2013 at 04:58:33.
In reply to Re: NIGHT OF NIGHTS BROADCAST THIS JULY 12 posted by Paul on July 12, 2013
Here in SE Kansas, no NoN activity was heard at or below 500 kHz, but HF was hot most of the time. I copied all the listed KPH HF assignments both before and after sunset, except 22 MHz. Perhaps that's because my receiving setup is calibrated in MHz rather than Mc? :)
Actually, my buffer amp has a gradual intentional roll-off above 540 kHz, except for a MHz wide bump centered on 22 meters. There's also a fairly significant and broad null near 12 MHz and another around 15, and then the regular rolloff resumes. The setup tends to be increasingly deaf above 17 MHz. I bypassed the buffer to try for 22 MHz, which did elevate the QRN somewhat, but still no go.
Interestingly, 4247 kHz was the most susceptible to QSB for KPH (same for WLO on 4343; I also checked out some of their frequencies). The 6477.5 signal was plenty strong most of the time, but during partial fades, it had a just-perceptible echo. There was more echo sometimes on 12808.5, which most of the time was surprisingly strong, considering it's within the edge of the notch.
The signal on 17016.8 was the most amazing of all. As I tuned the R-5000 up to it, the noise gradually receded because of the roll-off I mentioned before, but suddenly there was this beautiful, steady, strong signal rising up out of nowhere. It was so strong I could even detect just the faintest smidgen of power supply hum with the volume as high as I first had it. Now, the hum was well over 50 dB down from carrier as best I could tell with Argo, so to hear it at all meant I must have had an incredibly good S/N ratio for a signal over an HF path at that time of night. It was moving the S-meter quite a lot considering it was a frequency in the antenna's "dead zone." The loop on 17 MHz was different from the other frequencies in that there were no VVVs preceding the CQ, and at 10 PM CDT the operator switched to transmitting some other message that appeared to include lists of ships' call signs and seemingly those of some coastal stations as well. Since each of those was sent twice, I managed to copy some of them, but sadly, my code speed is way too slow for the rest of the message. (Aerobeacons are just about my speed....)
John
Re: LATEST OPERATING SCHEDULES FOR NIGHT OF NIGHTS BROADCAST JULY 12
Posted by Todd WD4NGG on July 13, 2013 at 05:13:23.
In reply to Re: LATEST OPERATING SCHEDULES FOR NIGHT OF NIGHTS BROADCAST JULY 12 posted by Paul on July 13, 2013
Thanks Paul I will be sending in my reception report and will be sure to include a buck or two for postage. That is a neat idea to send out the RCA radiogram forms. 73 - Todd
Long Wave Freq 514
Posted by Steve on July 13, 2013 at 19:40:02.
Today was the my first time to really try to hear something on Long Wave. What I did hear on 514 was some music in the background. It did sound like a radio station and I think I might have heard the words Staten Island. I was wondering if there is a radio station in Staten Island, NY since I do live in New Jersey. Re: Protection of Epson Programmable Oscillator
I am new to this Long Wave. So any tips would help. Thanks, Steve..
Posted by EdWSlidell,LA on July 14, 2013 at 00:55:42.
In reply to Re: Protection of Epson Programmable Oscillator posted by Paul on July 12, 2013
Hi Paul and Mark. Which specific model do you suggest Paul? I notice that the ones with lower activation voltages( like 1.5v, 5v and 18v) are only recommended for "read only" (receive/non-tranmitting?). The 5v unit would seem to be OK for something well below 0.5 watt. Ed WSlidell, LA EM50cg
Re: Long Wave Freq 514
Posted by John Davis on July 14, 2013 at 05:06:05.
In reply to Long Wave Freq 514 posted by Steve on July 13, 2013
Hi Steve. What sort of receiver and antenna are you using? The reason I ask is that many consumer radios which tune below the AM broadcast band don't have very good image rejection characteristics or internal shielding. That means they can appear to pick up stations which are really on some other, higher frequency, simply because the signals are strong enough to sneak into key circuitry and get detected as if they were the real thing.
The main thing you should hear from roughly 526 on down to about 190 would be Morse code (aeronautical beacons mostly, and in a few spots, amateur/experiemental licensees) and assorted odd-sounding digital signals...but the nearest aerobeacons in the 500-526 kHz range are located well west and/or south of NY and NJ.
John
Re: Protection of Epson Programmable Oscillator
Posted by John Davis on July 14, 2013 at 05:09:52.
In reply to Re: Protection of Epson Programmable Oscillator posted by EdWSlidell,LA on July 14, 2013
Again I suggest it would help to have a clearer idea of the station layout. At this point we don't really know whether protection is needed at the RF connection to the antenna, at the DC power source, or where the keyer connects to the RF module (in case it's not located on the same board or in the same physical enclosure as the RF section).
John
Re: Protection of Epson Programmable Oscillator
Posted by Paul on July 14, 2013 at 06:05:55.
In reply to Re: Protection of Epson Programmable Oscillator posted by EdWSlidell,LA on July 14, 2013
Hi Ed,
I use the Polyphaser model number IS-50UX-C0 for HF stuff.
Keep in mind, this is only to keep lightning from coming down the coax and toasting the beacon. John has some other stuff he asking to help protect it from surges through power supply, etc.
I found the best way to do it is build your beacon into a metal shielded box and ground it. Bond that ground to the Polyphaser ground and locate the Polyphaser near the point where the coax cable enters the comms shelter. Everything should be bonded. Mounting the metal beacon box to a metal comms building wall is usually good enough for that part. FRC's Epson has been running for over 3 years continuously on that mountaintop with no troubles at all.
I use a wall-wart type power supply for the HiFer beacon since it draws so little. The wall wart provides great isolation between the building's electrical and the beacon. However, the whole building has excellent surge protection on the incoming power lines. It also has a backup generator and a big UPS to keep critical things running until the generator comes online.
Re: Protection of Epson Programmable Oscillator
Posted by EdWSlidell,LA on July 14, 2013 at 14:28:09.
In reply to Re: Protection of Epson Programmable Oscillator posted by Paul on July 14, 2013
Hello John and Paul. Thanks for the comments. At present I only have a receiving setup, with the receiving point located 150 ft. or so from the vertical and dipole antennas. There is an 8 ft. ground rod directly below the vertical for lightning, and the six 18 ft. radials going outward. I did find one of the "BB" model Polyphasers for a low price($6 new), and it lists 5.4 v for the activation voltage, which sound good for a receiving setup, at least on a smaller antenna. Some of the others were 18 v, and these might work for the 143 ft. long wire without introducing any intermod. However, the HF Polyphasers are not cheap($70 for the 18 v unit). I am wondering what the trade-off/balance is for the cost of the simple antenna Polyphaser, and replacement cost of an oscillator unit such as the Epson? I'll be interested to hear what system Mark is currently using. Ed W Slidell, LA
Re: Protection of Epson Programmable Oscillator
Posted by Paul on July 14, 2013 at 16:45:33.
In reply to Re: Protection of Epson Programmable Oscillator posted by EdWSlidell,LA on July 14, 2013
The cost of a Polyphaser vs. an Epson clock osc? No comparison! However, that isn't the point. If you want your beacon to stay on the air, you disregard that. In my case, the HiFer is on a hill that is a 1.5 hour drive from home, and very steep requiring a specially modified truck to access. The goal was to avoid going there in the first place. Also, since it is a commercial shared site, the rules require all cables have a Polyphaser, so there really wasn't much choice.
Re: Protection of Epson Programmable Oscillator
Posted by EdWSlidell,LA on July 14, 2013 at 19:36:43.
In reply to Re: Protection of Epson Programmable Oscillator posted by Paul on July 14, 2013
Hi Paul. Roger on the site requirements for a Polyphaser unit. I was also thinking about your distance from the beacon, as well as, I believe, JohnA/W1TAG's distance to his beacon from his home QTH. The large tower near your container box probably provides complete protection within the 60 degree cone, so only the wallwart supply poses any possible damage path. I am not sure how close to the beacons GNK and SZX are, but suspect that Domenic is REAL close. At least I have one of the IS-BB 50/75 5volt types coming, and hopefully this will be sufficient at the end of a 150 ft length of RG-6QS. Thanks again. Re: Protection of Epson Programmable Oscillator
Ed WSlidell EM50cg
Posted by Domenic on July 14, 2013 at 20:58:46.
In reply to Re: Protection of Epson Programmable Oscillator posted by EdWSlidell,LA on July 14, 2013
Hi Ed and all. Yes I have to share my home QTH with both the Hifer and the ten meter beacons. The antennas as you know are all in the attic and the Astron supply is on an surge suppressor. If the storms are close I will unplug the supply and let the beacons run on battery power. Have a few extra oscillators as backup. Understand that not everyone on here can get to their rigs that easy and I applaud them for the time and investment needed to keep the beacons running. Domenic GNK.
Re: Protection of Epson Programmable Oscillator
Posted by John, W1TAG on July 14, 2013 at 23:04:12.
In reply to Re: Protection of Epson Programmable Oscillator posted by John Davis on July 14, 2013
Can't find the diagram at the moment, but I recall using a 2N2222A output amplifier on my (former) Hifer rig. It transmitted through a 6 dB pad, which gave it considerable protection from goofs and outside disturbances. At that power level, fan cooling was not necessary! The rest of the rig was not simple, as I used a DDS, microcontroller, keypad, display and a 10 MHz OCXO. Never had any problems with lightning.
John, W1TAG
Re: Protection of Epson Programmable Oscillator
Posted by Pat Bunn on July 15, 2013 at 21:23:09.
In reply to Re: Protection of Epson Programmable Oscillator posted by John, W1TAG on July 14, 2013
My beacon board has a 100 ohm trim pot as a load for the Oscillator with the rotor feeding a 7 pole filter. we have had lots of lightning here and I have not had a problem. The board has a PIC12F509 keyer and uses a LM317L to generate the frequency shift by slightly changing the Vcc on the oscillator. It runs on a 12 VDC wall wart.
Monday HiFERs in SE Kansas
Posted by John Davis on July 16, 2013 at 03:27:51.
When I started out late this afternoon, the SIW duo and EH were all I first saw, and it appeared EH and MP were in collision again. Within a minute, though, USC rose dramatically in level, becoming both audible and visible. NC drifted in and out of visibility too. Before dark, I also tuned the band for non-watering-hole signals, and came across AJO in bits and pieces, and brief traces of FRC.
From 20 or 30 minutes before sunset to about the same after, people were coming and going at the water hole, willy nilly, while I was busy battening down my little building against a horde of swallows looking for nesting sites.
After conditions more or less stabilized, USC was barely visible at all, but NC finally came into its own for a while. EH was up in frequency and not on top of MP any more, which let me see the latter for a while before it faded out for the evening too. The SIWs and EH remained well after 9 o'clock, but I tuned the band again for stragglers. This time, AJO was clear for extended periods, GNK came in loud and clear for a few ID cycles at a time, and I was able to hear multiple characters at a time from FRC. I'll try to post some shots later in the week.
Also got my hopes up a bit when I heard Morse near where MTI used to be, but it was a few dozen Hz higher in frequency and was over twice the speed that Thom formerly used. I have no idea who or what it was, and Argo showed it wandering in frequency.
John
Re: Monday HiFERs - Tuesday Followup
Posted by John Davis on July 17, 2013 at 02:58:35.
In reply to Monday HiFERs in SE Kansas posted by John Davis on July 16, 2013
Not such great conditions this evening. Only EH was ever visible at the watering hole, and not always that clean even so. AJO was audible for short periods of time, and FRC was very clear for a few characters at a time, then barely audible. GNK was nearly readable, but not quite.
Codar was only moderately strong, there was a bit of QRN tonight (even though less visible lightning than last night) and the cry of the wild diathermy device or untamed switching power supply could be heard wandering through the band.
John
EDJ back on this weekend
Posted by Bob WA1EDJ on July 20, 2013 at 16:46:13.
I'm about 60 Hz above EH right now. Will be dodging TS's this weekend. More on the way today and tomorrow.
I just ordered two of the Cabela's 16.5 ft crappie poles for antanna tests....lets see what I can make out them......Bob....EDJ
Re: EDJ back on this weekend
Posted by John Davis on July 20, 2013 at 19:36:29.
In reply to EDJ back on this weekend posted by Bob WA1EDJ on July 20, 2013
>>> I just ordered two of the Cabela's 16.5 ft crappie poles for antenna tests.... >>>
Sounds fishy to me, Bob. :-)
I will go out to the field in a few minutes and check for you. Dodging thunderstorms here, too, this weekend...so it may not be a long session.
Also going to try to see MP down on LF, as Mitch has returned his 2200 meter signal to the air after a couple of weeks off. (His HiFER has been on as usual, though.)
John
HiFers heard past weekend--20 and 21 July, 2013
Posted by EdWSlidell,LA on July 23, 2013 at 14:08:46.
Hi all. Not really a lot of signals, but on 20 July, while listening for the return of MTI around ~13557.5 KHz, AJO started to appear. It was above MTI's usual spot, ~13558 KHz, and soon became pretty strong, at best 449 or so. It started around 2115 UT, and stayed listenable about a half hour. After this listened for SZX on ~13563 KHz. It appeared from nowhere, reaching almost 559, and the entire QTH sequence was copied clearly. GNK on ~13564 KHz, appeared shortly afterwards, also reaching 559. Both only lasted about a half hour at that level. After 2230 UT, only GNK remained, but at best 239. No other stations were heard at that time. Earlier today, 23 July, around 1235 UT, heard an long series of fast dots, like maybe someone tuning up. This seemed to be in the region of the old MTI freq. But, it was fairly strong, and no QSB was noted, so maybe not Thom. Ed WSlidell, LA EM50cg
Morning Hifers
Posted by Garry, K3SIW on July 24, 2013 at 13:03:52.
Too early apparently for copy of NC and USC at the watering hole. Only EH is in there, and quite strong at that. Up around 13565038 Hz FRC is doing well and AJO on about 13558463 Hz is also in there.
73, Garry, K3SIW, EN52ta, Elgin, IL
Saturday Afternoon HiFERs
Posted by John Davis on July 28, 2013 at 00:05:54.
A few watering hole regulars didn't show up in early afternoon. Mainly present were the SIW duo and EH, with traces of USC, and hints that EDJ and NC might show up later. No MP.
By 5 o'clock, USC was solid most of the time, the SIWs and EH were booming in, EDJ was much clearer, and NC and MP were good most of the time but faded once in a while for a couple of minutes.
In mid-afternoon, I did two things: I tuned around for non-watering-hole beacons, and then I tried for MP and WMS at LF. There were some fairly strong carriers spaced about 25 Hz apart in the vicinity of AJO, so I had no luck there. There were several weak signals in the vicinity of NDB, SZX and FRC, so I couldn't tell if I was really hearing any of them or not. GNK was quite good for several minutes at a time, though.
Down at LF, I spent about half an hour each monitoring for WMS and MP. I really thought I ought to be seeing somebody, as the QRN level seemed to be pretty moderate today...just as I expected, based both on last night's forecast and the minimal activity I saw on the lightning map at noon. Alas, "seemed" is the operative word here. I finally thought to check WWVB, which was 30 dB below normal! A quick check of the antenna and preamp revealed a coax connector that was not quite snug. It didn't make much difference at 22 meters, but it sure did at 2200! With everything tightened up, WWVB was back to normal and the static was up 30 dB too, at levels where I've never been able to copy anybody on LF before.
Well, that explained it...and when I got back home, sure enough, I discovered thunderstorms were back in our forecast here for tonight, and they've already been active out in western Kansas. So, I'm glad I got out to the field this afternoon when the mud was just solid enough to hold the car, and didn't wait until tomorrow. It was a pretty productive day for HiFERs, at least.
Joh
NIGHT OF NIGHTS BROADCAST JULY 12 follow up
Posted by Paul on July 28, 2013 at 16:56:09.
In reply to Re: LATEST OPERATING SCHEDULES FOR NIGHT OF NIGHTS BROADCAST JULY 12 posted by Paul on July 13, 2013
Hi Gang!
Apparently, the QSLs are already piling up. Chief Operator RD is holding the mail until my next trip to the transmitter site in a couple weeks. Then, I will start working on the first stack. From the sounds of it, might have to scrounge up some more RCA Radiogram forms.
Something a little disturbing arrived in the mailbox: A package of reception reports from the "buro". The reports are from a VERY long time ago, the oldest from 2001!! If your report was sent through the "buro" and you haven't yet received a reply, this might be why.
Please, PLEASE do not send reports through the "buro", send them directly to us. I do not know why they chose to hang on to the reports for so long before forwarding, but I do understand this is a volunteer service, so we cannot be too critical.
Also, if you used some vintage gear to receive the Night of Nights operations, especially if the gear is of that which would be found aboard ship, please include a photo. We really treasure those.
VY 73!
Re: NIGHT OF NIGHTS BROADCAST JULY 12 follow up
Posted by John Davis on July 29, 2013 at 00:57:17.
In reply to NIGHT OF NIGHTS BROADCAST JULY 12 follow up posted by Paul on July 28, 2013
?
A "QSL Burro," or
the US Postal Mule?
:-) John
Re: NIGHT OF NIGHTS BROADCAST JULY 12 follow up
Posted by Paul on July 30, 2013 at 07:09:03.
In reply to Re: NIGHT OF NIGHTS BROADCAST JULY 12 follow up posted by John Davis on July 29, 2013
I had never heard of it until recently.
Doesn't sound like a very good way to exchange QSL cards at all.
potrzebie