SAQ Grimeton UN-Day Transmission on October 24th, 2021
News from New 22 m Grabber, new 22 m QRSS transmitter
Alexander SAQ
Grimeton Friendship Association
www.alexander.n.se
SAQ Grimeton UN-Day Transmission on October 24th, 2021.
On United Nations Day, Sunday October 24th, 2021, the unique and historical Alexanderson alternator in Grimeton Sweden, with call sign SAQ, is scheduled to send out a message to the whole world on 17.2 kHz CW.
Program and Transmission Schedule:
15:30 CET (13:30 UTC: Information about World Heritage Grimeton for visitors at the Visitor's Center
16:00 CET (14:00 UTC): Transmitter Hall visit for visitors.
Transmission & YouTube Live stream:
16:25 CET (14:25 UTC): Live stream begins.
16:30 CET (14:30 UTC): Startup and tuning of the Alexanderson Alternator SAQ.
17:00 CET (15:00 UTC): Transmission of a message from SAQ.
YouTube Live Stream:
17:20 (15:20 UTC): Live music concert from the transmitter hall. More details to follow on our website.
We are proud to announce that this year’s message has been composed by the Swedish human rights lawyer and sustainability expert Ms. Parul Sharma.
Test Transmissions
We are planning to carry our some test transmission on October 22nd, approximatley between 13:00 CET (11:00 UTC) and 16:00 CET (14:00 UTC). SAQ will be on air shorter periods of time during this interval, when we will be carrying out some tests and measurements. Your comments are welcome to info@alexander.n.se.
Live Video from World Heritage Grimeton Radio Station
The event can be seen live on our YouTube Channel or by following the link below.
Live Video Stream from World Heritage Grimeton Radio Station.
Scheduled at 16:25 CET (14:25 UTC) on Octobert 24th, 2021
QSL Reports to SAQ
QSL reports to SAQ are most
ALEXANDER.N.SE
Föreningen Alexander – Grimeton Veteranradios Vänner
On United Nations Day, Sunday October 24th, 2021, the unique and historical Alexanderson alternator in Grimeton Sweden, with call sign SAQ, is scheduled to send out a message to the whole world on 17.2 kHz CW. Program and transmission schedule:15:30 CET (13:30 UTC: Information
Posted by John K5MO on October 01, 2021 at 15:34:17.
Hello All,
I've got a 22M grabber running as of this morning (thanks Bob!) and it's pushing grabs to my QSL.NET address (qsl.net/k5mo) . The goal is to keep this running 24/7.
Also, I've got a new QRSS beacon in test which is visible in the grabber above. It's a Si5351 clock generator being controlled by a Nano. I've set it to 4hz shift and I believe I have it set to the old "JB" frequency, but not having an accurate enough frequency reference I'm not entirely sure. I hope to have it connected to the 1/4 wave antenna this weekend so I can get some feedback on its actual freq. Software is some hacking I did on a CW beacon sketch I found on the web, with the addition of an adjustable frequency shift (4 hz in this case). I can program in an appropriate calibration offset if needed, based on reports.
I've had this running for some days now and I'm impressed by its performance. One thing I noticed is that the purple board material Chinesium version of the 5351 breakout board does not seem to work (surprise!) like the Ada version does, so beware. I lost a day trying to debug the software only to find out that *it* was working fine, but the board was not. The software compiles and runs, but it's not generating outputs on the expected frequency. I have an idea why, but have not had the patience to investigate further yet.
There's a few hz of warmup drift, but it settles down after 30 sec or so, with power applied to the board and stays put. Oh, and there's 3 separate RF outputs to work with (all of which can be independently controlled and used simultaneously).
For something like $12 for the 5351 , $3 for the nano and a junkbox LPF, this may be a nice alternative.
John
22 m Hifer band grabber via Ottawa QRV
Posted by Andy G0FTD on October 02, 2021 at 14:58:21.
Running it for about 3 hours, 1400 UTC - 1700 UTC assuming no technical breakdowns ;-)
www.qsl.net/g0ftd/grabber.htm
73 de Andy
Re: evening wspr2 hifer
Posted by swlem3 on October 03, 2021 at 00:50:01.
In reply to evening wspr2 hifer posted by swlem3 on September 03, 2021
Been away for a few evenings due to the presence of T-Storms all over Texas. Got setup today for wspr2 hifer activity, but also saw WM hifer on Argo. Mostly K3SIW on wspr2 but ROM and SZX in there also.
1510 -19 -0.2 13.555389 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 1528 -24 1.5 13.555393 0 KA9SZX EN40 7 1054 1540 -18 -0.3 13.555389 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 1548 -27 1.6 13.555394 0 KA9SZX EN40 7 1054 1550 -23 -0.1 13.555389 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 1708 -24 1.6 13.555393 0 KA9SZX EN40 7 1054 1710 -19 -0.2 13.555389 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 1728 -28 1.7 13.555393 0 KA9SZX EN40 7 1054 1740 -27 -0.3 13.555389 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 1800 -20 -0.1 13.555389 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 1810 -23 -1.9 13.555330 1 VA3ROM EN58 7 1877 1810 -18 -0.1 13.555389 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 1820 -25 0.2 13.555389 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 1830 -27 0.0 13.555389 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 1840 -22 -0.1 13.555390 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 1850 -27 -0.0 13.555390 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 1900 -16 0.2 13.555390 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 1910 -13 0.2 13.555388 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 1920 -27 -2.1 13.555330 0 VA3ROM EN58 7 1877 1920 -16 0.1 13.555389 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 1930 -28 0.1 13.555389 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 2000 -29 0.2 13.555390 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 2010 -18 0.5 13.555391 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 2030 -18 0.2 13.555390 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 2040 -21 0.2 13.555389 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 2050 -26 0.2 13.555390 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 2100 -27 0.2 13.555391 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 2110 -26 0.1 13.555391 1 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 2130 -27 -0.0 13.555390 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 2140 -28 -0.0 13.555387 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 2150 -23 -0.1 13.555384 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 2200 -24 -0.1 13.555383 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 2210 -26 -0.1 13.555383 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 2230 -28 -0.3 13.555383 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 2240 -26 -0.3 13.555383 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 2300 -26 -0.1 13.555384 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 2310 -30 -0.3 13.555387 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 2320 -27 -0.4 13.555389 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 2330 -20 -0.5 13.555386 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 2350 -27 -0.2 13.555387 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 0000 -26 -0.4 13.555391 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 0010 -29 -0.1 13.555389 -1 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 0020 -29 -0.2 13.555386 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 0030 -30 -2.0 13.555331 2 VA3ROM EN58 7 1877
Ray ... ELAD FDM-S2 w/ random wire vertical
22 m Hifer band remote grabber QRV for a few hours via Ottawa
Posted by Andy G0FTD on October 06, 2021 at 17:59:14.
Until about 2300 UTC Wednesday 6th October if anyone is interested.
www.qsl.net/g0ftd/grabber.htm
73 de Andy
UNID 900 kHz "DDD"
Posted by James R. Renfrew on October 07, 2021 at 05:35:39.
While reviewing Perseus recordings from Cappahayden Newfoundland, NOV 14 2020 1930z I am hearing "DDD" repeating. Definitely groups of three "D" characters. I suppose it could be TII instead of D, but I think not. Nothing listed on Class Axe. There was an unid "DD" reported in Finland more than 10 years ago. I heave heard quite a few Russian NDBs in the medium wave spectrum, and I suspect that is what I am hearing. Any ideas? Thanks.
Thur PM: Going Back to Cali (and AZ)
Posted by John Davis on October 08, 2021 at 18:52:24.
Had decent copy from the West between 0100 and 0200 last night. 7P was alone at the watering hole, and TON was at fair audibility. VAN's curved DAID was frequently visible, and sometimes so was the keying of the ID, but not audible. K6FRC was at fair and sometimes quite good audible levels.
Re: Thur PM: Going Back to Cali (and AZ)
Posted by Ed Holland on October 08, 2021 at 23:46:36.
In reply to Thur PM: Going Back to Cali (and AZ) posted by John Davis on October 08, 2021
It must be time for some maintenance to the PVC antenna, nothing by way of reports for a while.
Further, an opportunity to explain the odd frequencies that accompanied my WSPR reports (included in the recent Lowdown). This is entirely thanks to operator error/laziness. When configuring a 22m option in WSJT, I simply added 13.560 MHz, not appreciating that this would be the basis for frequencies in the listing. Since the receiver tuning was set to 13.55390, the WSPR list ought to read as follows:
23:48 -29 0.7 13.555407 0 WA1EDJ EM83 7 3652
00:08 -27 0.1 13.555406 -1 WA1EDJ EM83 7 3652
00:28 -29 0.9 13.555407 0 WA1EDJ EM83 7 3652
00:28 -27 3.1 13.555436 0 WB8ELK EM64 7 3266
00:48 -22 2.8 13.555436 0 WB8ELK EM64 7 3266
01:40 -26 1.6 13.55542 -2 K3SIW EN52 7 2962
01:48 -28 3.1 13.555427 0 KA9SZX
/Ed
Re: Thur PM: Going Back to Cali (and AZ)
Posted by John Davis on October 09, 2021 at 17:24:46.
In reply to Re: Thur PM: Going Back to Cali (and AZ) posted by Ed Holland on October 08, 2021
PVC was seen here as recently as two weeks ago. Sorry for the reporting delay, Ed, but I've been working on a project that will (I hope) finally make it possible for me to do HiFER monitoring without mounting an expedition to the farm every time. That should enable near-real-time reporting, perhaps even operation of a grabber; but meanwhile, the project requires so much time and effort that my reporting has suffered badly.
On the night of 24-25 September, in fact, PVC was all alone at the watering hole after 7P faded out shortly after sunset. It was good that it did fade, because 7P had been strong all day, and it turned out that PVC was right on the same frequency. Around 0130, I thought I was seeing 7P return to visibility, but it became apparent that the ID was three characters long. It faded away for another hour and a half, and then returned more clearly (above), at which time I could at last determine that it was PVC.
My preparatory work is nearly done, so it will soon be up to the demolition company to remove the rat-trap little house next door. Then I will finally have a yard in which to install a low-noise vertical for HF, and possibly MF. (I have doubts whether LF will be practical in this neighborhood, but who can say for certain yet.) Then I'll be able to both listen and report from the same premises, with climate control, internet access, liberty and justice for all!
---------------------------------------------------------------
File Attachment 1: 24sepa82.jpg
Atlantic 252 - memories
On the morning of September 1, 1989, presenter Gary King introduced listeners to the first taste that would be Atlantic 252.
Broadcasts from the station could be heard as far away as Finland, Ibiza and even Moscow.
The station became the go-to for pop and rock music fans.
At its peak of popularity in 1993, the station had six million listeners who tuned in across Ireland and the United Kingdom.
It was a fond favourite for hair salons and customers alike up and down the country.
https://www.dublinlive.ie/news/history/rise-atlantic-252-what-happened-21787530
Re: Poland 225 kHz - off for maintenance
Posted by Mike Terry on October 10, 2021 at 15:49:28.
In reply to Poland 225 kHz - off for maintenance posted by Mike Terry on September 26, 2021
Its now back on the air.
Re: Thur PM: Going Back to Cali (and AZ)
Posted by Ed Holland on October 10, 2021 at 15:58:30.
In reply to Re: Thur PM: Going Back to Cali (and AZ) posted by John Davis on October 09, 2021
Hello John,
Thanks very much for the report and screenshot - That is super encouraging. Conditions here, when I've been able to set up for monitoring, have been improving with the change of season.
I read in The Lowdown about your new plans for a home listening station. Good luck with the project. Details of the antenna configurations and feed arrangements for low noise would be of interest to many, I suspect. That you have been able to conduct so much monitoring from the remote location is quite amazing.
Best regards and 73s,
Ed
Radio Medi 1 171 kHz
Posted by Mike Terry on October 12, 2021 at 16:07:10.
Radio Medi1 (from Morocco) has been heard this week in the US, programmes in Arabic and French. The transmitter reportedly has an output of 1600 kW. Very strong for this early in the LW season.
PVC Off for the day (13 October 21)
Posted by Ed Holland on October 13, 2021 at 20:40:02.
Just a quick note. Thanks to a power cut at PVC, the beacon is currently off air. I'll notify once it is restored to operations.
Technically, I could have switched over to the crystal oscillator, with a resulting QSY to 13,558.4 kHz. However there were other pressing matters including setting up the generator and ensuring the fridge and freezer were returned to service (literally saving our bacon).
73's
Ed
Re: PVC Off for the day (13 October 21)
Posted by Ed Holland on October 14, 2021 at 16:43:16.
In reply to PVC Off for the day (13 October 21) posted by Ed Holland on October 13, 2021
PVC was restored to operation yesterday evening (13 Oct)
Frequency for TAG…185.302?
Posted by John, W1TAG on October 14, 2021 at 20:22:46.
I’m planning to put Lowfer TAG back on the air at the end of the month. Last winter, I ran it as a WOLF beacon on 185.800. Reception around New England was OK, but there was little interest among those who actually had a chance of copying it. This year, I’m going to improve the antenna a bit, and go back to QRSS. My old watering hole frequency of 185.297 is unusable at my MA receiving QTH, due to an old plasma TV next door. Based on postings from last winter, 185.302 looks clear. The frequency would be very stable, with a 10 MHz OCXO in use. Any objections? Reprogramming the rig will be a project, and once it’s on, it’ll be on until spring.
John, W1TAG
LCSC
Posted by Pat Bunn on October 14, 2021 at 20:39:03.
Is anyone seeing LCSC? I cannot monitor it from my QTH. I am at the LCSC QTH and it seems to be working, but would like to be sure before I leave on Sunday. Thanks
Pat Iceland 207 kHz longwave
N4LTA
Posted by Mike Terry on October 15, 2021 at 07:09:36.
Is Iceland 207 kHz longwave undergoing revision these days? Vy. week signal detected on western coast SDRs and also nothing in nth/west Germany for 2 weeks now. Whilst 531 KVF is good. I miss the usual musical px.
Karlheinz Endlinger (14 October 2021)
Via Ydun's Medium Wave Info https://mediumwave.info/news/
Re: LCSC
Posted by John Davis on October 15, 2021 at 17:49:57.
In reply to LCSC posted by Pat Bunn on October 14, 2021
It was coming in fine when I looked last Sunday. Probably can't go to the field today, but I will check tomorrow.
Re: Frequency for TAG…185.302?
Posted by John Davis on October 16, 2021 at 09:11:08.
In reply to Frequency for TAG…185.302? posted by John, W1TAG on October 14, 2021
Sounds OK at this end. A wandery PLC sometimes shows up there in the day, but is not a problem at night.
FJB Hifer
Posted by Bill Hensel on October 16, 2021 at 15:17:37.
Coming into KFS SDR omini antenna Q5 qso quality Re: FJB Hifer
freq. 13563.45 khz...time 1500 utc
Posted by John Davis on October 16, 2021 at 18:36:02.
In reply to FJB Hifer posted by Bill Hensel on October 16, 2021
Hi Bill. Is FJB a replacement for your T beacon?
As you probably recall from the days of PCO, I've always had trouble copying you here in Kansas, inside the first skip zone. Back in the summer, when short-hop sometimes existed, there were a few times when I thought I might be hearing T but never could be sure it wasn't random signals with dash-like timing. Having characters with a nice mix of dits and dahs like FJB does may make it a little easier to tell when I've tuned in an actual signal. Good luck! Re: Frequency for TAG…185.302?
Posted by Eric Smith on October 16, 2021 at 18:39:29.
In reply to Re: Frequency for TAG…185.302? posted by John Davis on October 16, 2021
I think this is great. I have a new QTH and plan to have UWL back on this year which should drop in fairly close to your .302, John, but not on top of.
I plan to run QRSS and maybe a little DFCW if anyone “listens” for these anymore.
… and, if I end up too close to you John I can adjust. I’ll be using the old ZL1BPU exciter I built around one of the 10 MHz TCXOs a few of us got from Stewart 15 or 20 years ago.
Not terribly easy to program, but doable.
Eric kd5uwl
Re: FJB Hifer
Posted by Bill Hensel on October 16, 2021 at 21:03:03.
In reply to Re: FJB Hifer posted by John Davis on October 16, 2021
John, Re: LCSC
That is correct FJB replaced the simple "T" id. so you can list it accordingly if you wish
Posted by WA1EDJ Bob on October 16, 2021 at 21:08:57.
In reply to LCSC posted by Pat Bunn on October 14, 2021
Pat,
You can check
https://swharden.com/qrss/plus/
Look for WA5DJJ HIFER1 Grabber page. I often see USC showing up there,
Any myself at 13.555 380
It is the only HiFER grabber (besides K5MO) I know of.
Bob Re: LCSC (and friends)
EDJ
Posted by John Davis on October 17, 2021 at 02:17:17.
In reply to Re: LCSC posted by WA1EDJ Bob on October 16, 2021
The attached is a view of the watering hole late this afternoon with both of your beacons, Pat, along with NC and EH (they were in full collision an hour earlier), 7P, EDJ, MTI (some minutes nicely audible but other times invisible), and ROM (decoded five times in a row, but I had to set the computer clock more than 2 seconds fast to do it).
Away from the watering hole, WV was fair at times, TON was visible and almost audible, RF was fair near 13564.9, FRC was barely visible, snd KAH varied between weak and good.
---------------------------------------------------------------
File Attachment 1: 16oct-hf.jpg
LowFER KE
After seeing some lowfer activity starting up, I decided to set mine back up. I replaced the two support poles with fiberglass military tent poles. I currently have the antenna 24' high. The frequency should be the same as last year. 187.227~
Thanks!
Kasey
Re: LowFER KE
Posted by Kasey Everhart on October 17, 2021 at 15:42:46.
In reply to LowFER KE posted by Kasey Everhart on October 17, 2021
Whoops, forgot to post the speed. I have it going at QRSS 60.
Re: LCSC (and friends)
Posted by WA1EDJ Bob on October 17, 2021 at 15:56:25.
In reply to Re: LCSC (and friends) posted by John Davis on October 17, 2021
Wow! Nice John. We really have it going on 22M! Great showing, TNX!
Bob SIW
EDJ
Posted by John K5MO on October 17, 2021 at 16:02:45.
Some very nice strong signals from SIW this morning. Good job! Also SAW WM in for a while while the band changed.
qsl.net/k5mo has some of the recent grabs
Sunday wspr2 hifers
Posted by swlem3 on October 17, 2021 at 23:30:40.
Sunday Oct. 17, 2021 wspr2 hifers. Seems KA9SZX had the best snr decode, while SIW had the most decodes here into N. Central Texas. Decoded from approx. 10am to 6pm local time. Spots uploaded to wsprnet.
VA3ROM ... 5 decodes ... best -22db
KA9SZX ... 19 ... best -9db
K3SIW ... 31 ... best -16db
Ray ... Elad FDM-S2 w/ random wire vertical
Re: LCSC (and friends)
Posted by Pat Bunn on October 18, 2021 at 00:31:00.
In reply to Re: LCSC (and friends) posted by John Davis on October 17, 2021
Thanks John for the screen shot. I really appreciate you help.
Pat UN Day Transmission from Sweden's SAQ Set for October 24
N4LTA
Posted by Mike Terry on October 19, 2021 at 12:58:57.
On United Nations Day, Sunday October 24th, 2021, the unique and historical Alexanderson alternator in Grimeton Sweden, with call sign SAQ, is scheduled to send out a message to the whole world on 17.2 kHz CW.
Program and transmission schedule:
15:30 CET (13:30 UTC: Information about World Heritage Grimeton for visitors at the Visitor’s Center
16:00 CET (14:00 UTC): Transmitter Hall visit for visitors.
Transmission & YouTube Live stream:
16:25 CET (14:25 UTC): Live stream begins.
16:30 CET (14:30 UTC): Startup and tuning of the Alexanderson Alternator SAQ.
17:00 CET (15:00 UTC): Transmission of a message from SAQ.
YouTube Live Stream:
17:20 (15:20 UTC): Live music concert from the transmitter hall. More details to follow on our website.
We are proud to announce that this year’s message has been composed by the Swedish human rights lawyer and sustainability expert Ms. Parul Sharma.
Test transmissions
We are planning to carry our some test transmission on October 22nd, approximatley between 13:00 CET (11:00 UTC) and 16:00 CET (14:00 UTC). SAQ will be on air shorter periods of time during this interval, when we will be carrying out some tests and measurements. Your comments are welcome to info@alexander.n.se.
Live Video from World Heritage Grimeton Radio Station
The event can be seen live on our YouTube Channel or by following the link below.
https://alexander.n.se/en/saq-grimeton-un-day-transmission-on-october-24th-2021/
22 m Hifer band remote grabber QRV for a few hours via Ottawa
Posted by Andy G0FTD on October 19, 2021 at 17:34:08.
Tuesday 19th October 2021, started at 1730 UT.
Will try to keep running until about 2300 UT.
www.qsl.net/g0ftd/grabber.htm
or via
https://swharden.com/qrss/plus/
73 de Andy Re: LowFER KE
Posted by John Davis on October 20, 2021 at 01:00:15.
In reply to Re: LowFER KE posted by Kasey Everhart on October 17, 2021
Sorry, not a peep seen here thus far. Do you foresee a possibility of getting any taller antenna this season, Kasey?
Re: LowFER KE
Posted by Kasey Everhart on October 20, 2021 at 11:20:28.
In reply to Re: LowFER KE posted by John Davis on October 20, 2021
Hey John, conditions may not be at their best yet. Yeah, once I get me some good rope, I can get the antenna up to about 36'.
Kasey
Romania - 153 kHz
Posted by Mike Terry on October 20, 2021 at 12:45:44.
October 19, 2021
At the moment (October 19, 2021, 16:55 CEST / 14:55 UTC) there’s no modulation on Antena Satelor at 153 kHz LW, only an empty carrier. See on the Kiwi’s from Szekesfehervar (http://fsdr.duckdns.org/ ) or Bucarest (http://sdr.yo3ksr.ro:8073/ ).
Antena Satelor is on air on 1314 or 630 kHz (last QRG on Bucarest Rx.). No idea if this is a playout fault or a tx defect in Brasov..
Just now on 16:59 MESZ / 14.59 Antena Satelor is back on 153 kHz. I detected this at about 16:30 CEST and until 16:59 there was no modulation. Now it’s back, don’t know why this QRG was muted.
Nils Düwel (2021-10-19) via https://mediumwave.info/news/
Re: FJB Hifer
Posted by Ed Holland on October 20, 2021 at 17:43:56.
In reply to FJB Hifer posted by Bill Hensel on October 16, 2021
Bill, Thanks for the update. I'll add FJB to the watch list.
73s
Ed
Re: FJB Hifer
Posted by swlem3 on October 21, 2021 at 23:21:19.
In reply to FJB Hifer posted by Bill Hensel on October 16, 2021
FJB hifer...
If you listen closely to the audio of the transmission, you'll hear something like a crowd chanting, "Let's Go Brandon" ;-)
Ray
p.s. Sorry Bill, couldn't resist that. wspr2 hifers
Posted by swlem3 on October 21, 2021 at 23:25:35.
Seems propagation has been light the past couple days. Decoded numbers have been down. Was able though to decode WB8ELK a couple times both days. Here's today's results ... Oct 21, 2021 :
1440 -25 -1.7 13.555394 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 1500 -27 -1.8 13.555394 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 1550 -25 -1.9 13.555395 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 1610 -27 -1.9 13.555395 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 1620 -26 -1.9 13.555395 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 1630 -26 -1.9 13.555395 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 1640 -22 -1.9 13.555393 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 1710 -18 -2.0 13.555396 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 1720 -25 -1.9 13.555396 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 1728 -28 -0.1 13.555366 0 WB8ELK EM64 7 1081 1730 -24 -2.1 13.555395 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 1740 -25 -1.6 13.555337 0 VA3ROM EN58 7 1877 1740 -21 -2.1 13.555394 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 1750 -24 -2.0 13.555395 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 1800 -25 -2.0 13.555397 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 1810 -25 -1.9 13.555397 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 1820 -23 -1.9 13.555397 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 1828 -19 -0.1 13.555401 0 KA9SZX EN40 7 1054 1848 -23 -0.1 13.555402 0 KA9SZX EN40 7 1054 1850 -26 -1.9 13.555398 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 1908 -22 -0.1 13.555403 0 KA9SZX EN40 7 1054 1928 -21 -0.1 13.555404 0 KA9SZX EN40 7 1054 1930 -25 -1.7 13.555400 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 1940 -21 -1.9 13.555400 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 1948 -23 -0.1 13.555404 0 KA9SZX EN40 7 1054 2000 -21 -1.9 13.555401 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 2008 -19 -0.1 13.555405 0 KA9SZX EN40 7 1054 2020 -27 -1.9 13.555400 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 2028 -29 -0.1 13.555371 0 WB8ELK EM64 7 1081 2030 -25 -1.9 13.555401 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 2050 -27 -2.2 13.555344 0 VA3ROM EN58 7 1877 2050 -23 -1.9 13.555403 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 2100 -25 -1.9 13.555403 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 2110 -26 -1.7 13.555403 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 2120 -28 -1.9 13.555404 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 2128 -27 -0.0 13.555374 0 WB8ELK EM64 7 1081 2128 -29 -0.3 13.555408 0 KA9SZX EN40 7 1054 2130 -26 -1.7 13.555404 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 2140 -25 -2.1 13.555347 0 VA3ROM EN58 7 1877 2150 -20 -1.9 13.555404 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 2200 -25 -1.9 13.555404 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 2210 -26 -1.9 13.555404 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 2220 -21 -1.9 13.555405 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 2228 -26 0.1 13.555374 0 WB8ELK EM64 7 1081 2230 -25 -1.9 13.555404 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 2240 -25 -1.9 13.555404 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330 2250 -24 -2.0 13.555404 0 K3SIW EN52 7 1330
Re: wspr2 hifers
Posted by John Davis on October 22, 2021 at 05:11:27.
In reply to wspr2 hifers posted by swlem3 on October 21, 2021
There may be more than propagation at work; some beacons are shooting themselves (or sometimes their neighbors) in the foot. VA3ROM's RTC was as much as 4 seconds fast at one point last week, but appears to be in line with most others today, per your decodes. When it was that far off, I could either set my computer's clock three or four seconds fast and forget the other stations, or else had to live with no decodes of ROM.
WB8ELK was visible here on Tuesday, but the frequency was high enough that it was in partial collision with MTI, overlapping sidebands by at least 2 Hz.
A similar collision was occurring the same day when USC drifted down to 13555.403 kHz or a smidgen lower, encroaching on the top of K3SIW's WSPR spectrum. Today, USC was a couple Hz higher, but the path between IL and southeast KS was not open this time.
My best reception here this week was on Monday, 18 October, when the following were seen (note that frequencies were WAY off, by as much as 285 Hz high, due to a typo that went unnoticed until my return to the barn that evening):
1540 -21 0.7 13.555607 0 VA3ROM EN58 7 YSO, RF, AN2, other good targets
1600 -23 0.0 13.555617 1 VA3ROM EN58 7
1610 -20 -0.3 13.555622 0 VA3ROM EN58 7
1610 -13 -0.4 13.555685 0 K3SIW EN52 7
1630 -18 0.5 13.555628 0 VA3ROM EN58 7
1640 -23 -0.3 13.555631 0 VA3ROM EN58 7
1640 -12 -0.5 13.555696 0 K3SIW EN52 7
(22 more spots of VA3ROM, then...)
2348 -27 1.2 13.555702 0 KA9SZX EN40 7
2350 -22 -0.6 13.555638 0 VA3ROM EN58 7
Posted by John Davis on October 22, 2021 at 05:30:54.
Just a heads-up that some of the CW beacons that have been hard to copy here during the summer are becoming more like regulars again with the change of seasons.
YSO has been fair to good copy every mid-morning this week and fair copy much of the rest of the time, at 13563.500 ±10 Hz. AN2, which tends to appear once every few months here, has been present at least briefly on four out of the past five mornings. RF with its distinctly visible, tilted dash-after-seven-IDs has been visible every day this week, and audible on about half. It's been hovering near 13564.9, give or take.
KAH and ODX had become rare in late summer but are frequent copy again, and K6FRC has been visible and sometimes audible even at mid-day.
WAS remains rare, but sometimes comes in nicely for short periods. Likewise with TON.
WV is not as consistently strong as in the good ol' days, but it still comes in...just not always at the same spot, sometimes varying from about 13554.020 to .110 from one day to the next.
Midnight at the Oasis
Posted by John Davis on October 22, 2021 at 07:08:28.
The Southeast HiFER Pipeline was open at solar midnight! I checked on my evening 1750 meter experiment about 1 AM CDT, with such poor results (thanks to QRN) that I was ready to pull the plug for the night.
But first, I quickly switched over to the 22 m watering hole just on a whim--and there they were: LCSC, a ghost of NC's squarewave, USC (now drifted down to .400 exactly, EDJ, and at the top of each minute, MTI. That was at 0615 UTC, and again at 0630, effectively straddling solar midnight at this longitude. In between, I did a band scan that turned up exactly nobody else...not from due east, or northeast, or west...only from Georgia and the Carolinas.
Reminder - SAC - Test transmissions
Posted by Mike Terry on October 22, 2021 at 15:22:36.
We are planning to carry our some test transmission on October 22nd, approximatley between 13:00 CET (11:00 UTC) and 16:00 CET (14:00 UTC). SAQ will be on air shorter periods of time during this interval, when we will be carrying out some tests and measurements. Your comments are welcome to info@alexander.n.se.
www.alexander.n.se
Re: FJB Hifer
Posted by Bill Hensel on October 22, 2021 at 15:53:52.
In reply to Re: FJB Hifer posted by swlem3 on October 21, 2021
Thats what I heard also sounded good to me.
Re: FJB Hifer
Posted by Bill Hensel on October 22, 2021 at 15:54:38.
In reply to Re: FJB Hifer posted by Ed Holland on October 20, 2021
I think it is better at 10 wpm...
Freq for Hifer RY
Posted by John, W1TAG on October 24, 2021 at 00:05:59.
Hifer RY was on 13555.380 in QRSS3 for a time this summer. I’m getting ready to restart it for the winter. I have two choices: plain QRSS3, or DFCW with “dashes” 5 Hz higher than “ dots”. If I do DFCW, the question is where to put it so that it won’t bother anyone, but won’t be TOO far from 13555.400. No question that it will stay put. Opinions from regular watchers would be appreciated.
John,W1TAG
Kalundborg LW 243 kHz
Posted by Mike Terry on October 24, 2021 at 04:54:39.
If you listen to DR Kalundborg LW 243 kHz (on air 4 times a day with navigational warnings, weather forecasts and news) and want to send a reception report, you can use either e-mail or ordinary mail. BBC 198 kHz
Jens Christian Seeberg, in charge of sending out QSLs for Danmarks Radio’s LW section, has informed me, that reception reports can be sent to him, and he will be happy to answer them with a QSL.
E-mail: jseeberg@post3.tele.dk or
Ordinary mail: Seeberg Consult, Solbakken 9, DK-4400 Kalundborg, Denmark.
Ydun Ritz (2021-10-23)
Ydun's Medium Wave Info
https://mediumwave.info/news/
Posted by Mike Terry on October 24, 2021 at 14:07:02.
"For the past few years, the BBC’s long wave transmitters (but not the MW transmitters) have been partially funded by the electricity industry in order to provide the Radio Teleswitch Service, which uses phase information in the long wave transmissions to switch ‘Economy 7’ electricity meters between day and night modes. This arrangement was originally due to end in 2020. However, due to delays in smart meter installation, the contract has been extended several times and currently expires on 31 March 2023. Further extensions are possible. However, once the Radio Teleswitch Service ends, it is likely that the Radio 4 Long Wave network (including the MW transmitters) will close."
Future of AM Radio, Frequency Finder website, last amendment April this year.
http://www.frequencyfinder.org.uk/Opinion_AM.pdf
Re: Freq for Hifer RY
Posted by WA1EDJ Bob on October 24, 2021 at 15:10:25.
In reply to Freq for Hifer RY posted by John, W1TAG on October 24, 2021
Will be good to see RY back John.
I like QRSS6 lately. Much easier to spot on small screens. EDJ is on .555 380 - 385 running QRSS6. Just my personal preference with older eyes.
Whatever you choose, we welcome your "freq reference standard" signal.
Bob Freqency hopping WSPR?
EDJ
Posted by WA1EDJ Bob on October 24, 2021 at 17:28:54.
Not sure what I'm seeing on WA5DJJ HIFER1 grabber but looks like a frequency hopping WSPR signal. The W3PM WSPR TX I built has that option to "hop" around the WSPR band on each TX cycle. Don't know for sure but it's the first time I've seen that.
Bob Lowfer TAG 185.302 kHz
EDJ
EM83du
Posted by John, W1TAG on October 24, 2021 at 17:29:36.
Lowfer TAG from Raymond, ME (FN43sv) is on the air, 185.302 kHz, QRSS60. Barring problems, it should be running until early May. The frequency should be within 10 milliHertz, and is likely to stay put due to the proportional oven-controlled 10 MHz crystal oscillator.
Reports are very welcome.
John, W1TAG
Re: Freq for Hifer RY
Posted by John, W1TAG on October 24, 2021 at 17:36:29.
In reply to Re: Freq for Hifer RY posted by WA1EDJ Bob on October 24, 2021
Bob,
If EDJ can be running as low as 13555.380, I should go lower. The Hifer listing has you as WSPR on 13555.387, so I was going by that. Will try to fit in between you and MTI's CW.
John, W1TAG
FJB audible copy
Posted by ed holland on October 24, 2021 at 19:39:03.
FJB is audible today at the PVC listening post. Repeated copies around 19:30 UTC (12:30 PDT). Visual traces have been evident for most of the morning. Frequency 13563.52kHz as indicated using the Icom R72 and Spectrum Lab.
Nice work Bill!
73s
Ed
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File Attachment 1: 24-Oct-21x75.jpg
Re: Freq for Hifer RY
Actually, I would suggest maybe returning RY to 13555.390, since Bob is now lower than the list shows. (So many changes and temporary operations and unintentional drift in the past month that it's been hard to keep up.) MTI is only 5 Hz below where Bob is right now, so there's not room between them for DFCW, nor really any safety margin for plain QRSS.
And as of last week, ELK was no longer at .418 as previously advertised, but was just below MTI, with the higher WSPR frequencies bumping into the MTI sidebands.
At least EDJ has been stable at its current spot since the change of modes, and MTI is also frequency-standard quality. So is K3SIW at .400, on the rare times it's visible here, so that's why I figure .390 would still be a good fit for RY...providing none of SIW's upper neighbors decide to drift too far "south."
Re: FJB audible copy
Posted by Bill Hensel on October 24, 2021 at 20:50:56.
In reply to FJB audible copy posted by ed holland on October 24, 2021
Ed,
Thanks for the report...sunny up here in the mountains temp in the 60s.
"Every day is a good day and if you don't believe that then try missing one"
Bill AA0RQ
Re: Freq for Hifer RY
Posted by John, W1TAG on October 25, 2021 at 00:13:06.
In reply to Re: Freq for Hifer RY posted by John Davis on October 24, 2021
Not having spent much time looking around there recently, I’ll take your advice, and use 390/395. Will start it on Monday..
John, W1TAG
Re: Freqency hopping WSPR?
Posted by John Davis on October 25, 2021 at 00:29:36.
In reply to Freqency hopping WSPR? posted by WA1EDJ Bob on October 24, 2021
Sorry I didn't see this sooner. Can't be sure now, but that's the sort of thing XE2ITY was doing at one time. Frankly, it's a very bad idea to create random QRM!
Also, XE2ITY was hopping around both in AND OUTSIDE the WSPR segment, so there was less than a 1-in-3 chance of being tuned to a suitable spot in the decode bandwidth when it appeared--which, at ultra QRP levels, happens so rarely anyway. What sort of beacon purpose does such a scattergun approach serve?
Imagine an aeronautical beacon hopping and skipping all over the NDB band, taunting pilots to "find us if you can."
Re: Freq for Hifer RY
Posted by John Davis on October 25, 2021 at 01:08:01.
In reply to Re: Freq for Hifer RY posted by John, W1TAG on October 25, 2021
It will be great to have RY back on general principle, as well as a frequency reference available again on one of my "pipeline" paths!
Hifer RY On Air
Posted by John, W1TAG on October 25, 2021 at 14:44:26.
Hifer RY from Raymond, ME is now running on 13555.390 kHz in DFCW3 mode. Both dots and dashes are 3 seconds long. Dots are on 13555.390, dashes on 13555.395. The "Y" may remind you of the Starship Enterprise (NCC 1701, no bloody A, B, C or D). The beacon should be on until early May. If you notice anything awry, please let me know right away, as after Wednesday, it will be all alone, except for mice and Lowfer TAG in the cellar.
John, W1TAG
PVC off
Posted by Ed Holland on October 25, 2021 at 21:36:31.
Hi Folks,
PVC has been taken off air due to a power outage. I'll notify when it is restored.
/Ed
Re: Freqency hopping WSPR?
Posted by John Davis on October 26, 2021 at 14:29:13.
In reply to Re: Freqency hopping WSPR? posted by John Davis on October 25, 2021
As of last night, I can confirm that it was XE2ITY jumping around pointlessly.
Opening from the West
Posted by John Davis on October 26, 2021 at 14:43:30.
Better than average 7P and TON and a rare audible appearance of VAN were noted in the hour following sunset last night here in EM27. K6FRC was also quite strong. Unfortunately, so were all the remaining western codar sites.
The only other signals visible were brief weak appearances by NC and USC, and then later the XE2ITY WSPR jumping bean.
Re: Freqency hopping WSPR?
Posted by WA1EDJ Bob on October 26, 2021 at 17:55:55.
In reply to Re: Freqency hopping WSPR? posted by John Davis on October 26, 2021
Ok, Thanks! I did get 1 decode here in EM83du last night.
Not enough to see the hopping. That showed up on WA5DJJ HIFER1 grabber.
The W3PM WSPR software includes that option but I do not use it. As you say, stick to one spot.....Like the RY freq. standard.
Bob Re: PVC off
EDJ
Posted by Ed Holland on October 26, 2021 at 20:24:50.
In reply to PVC off posted by Ed Holland on October 25, 2021
PVC returned to service ~ 17:00 PDT on October 25th.
Re: BBC 198 kHz
Posted by Ed Holland on October 26, 2021 at 20:37:26.
In reply to BBC 198 kHz posted by Mike Terry on October 24, 2021
I hope they can keep 198 kHz on for a few more years. The soft tone of LW is absolutely the best way to enjoy the cricket.
Also, I do hope they remember to tell the Trident Submarine captains before the service is cancelled, otherwise we'll all have more to worry about than Test Match Special:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Radio_4
"The longwave signal is part of the Royal Navy's system of letters of last resort. In the event of a suspected catastrophic attack on Britain, submarine captains, in addition to other checks, check for a broadcast signal from Radio 4 on 198 longwave to verify the annihilation of organised society in Great Britain.[14][15][16]" Re: Hifer RY On Air
Posted by John Davis on October 26, 2021 at 23:52:48.
In reply to Hifer RY On Air posted by John, W1TAG on October 25, 2021
Still trying, but having unaccustomed difficulty seeing RY here. I didn't expect to spot it last night after seeing how strong the westerners (including codar) were, but it's a bit worrisome that late morning, mid afternoon, and late afternoon today turned up nothing either. (Unfortunately, we are supposed to be plagued with wave after wave of t-storms tomorrow, which will mean no further field trips for a while.)
Re: Lowfer TAG 185.302 kHz
Posted by John Davis on October 27, 2021 at 00:01:11.
In reply to Lowfer TAG 185.302 kHz posted by John, W1TAG on October 24, 2021
Watched til midnight last night (Monday) but only saw WM. After that, I switched over to look for EAR, whom I had not seen for a couple weeks, and it was present part of the time.
Tonight I've been watching both WM and SIW, starting about 90 minutes before sunset. QRN was lower this afternoon than on recent days. I'm hoping for an early evening propagation miracle, as storms will soon be developing in western OK and northern TX. They are expected to grow rapidly and be here before daybreak.
Re: Hifer RY On Air
Posted by John, w1TAG on October 27, 2021 at 00:10:31.
In reply to Re: Hifer RY On Air posted by John Davis on October 26, 2021
JD,
It was accidentally off the air this afternoon, and back on around 2200Z. I was unplugging AC cords this morning, while packing up ham gear for the return to MA. Mistakenly disconnected the cord for RY’s power strip. Didn’t realize it until tonight, when I noticed that the display was dark. All set now. Sorry for the confusion.
JA
F has returned!
Posted by WA1EDJ Bob on October 28, 2021 at 15:36:22.
Very strong signal on K5MO HIFER grabber.
Nothing on the WA5DJJ HIFER1 grabber.
Bob Re: F has returned!
EDJ
Posted by John K5MO on October 28, 2021 at 23:47:04.
In reply to F has returned! posted by WA1EDJ Bob on October 28, 2021
I just came here to post that, Bob as it's the first I've seen of "F". I took a screen grab but don't know how to post an image here.
Interesting that there are NO other signals on my grabber, but F which is super strong.
qsl.net/k5mo should be on at least 12 hrs a day on 22M. There are ALWAYS signals on the band during the day, I've really been surprised!
Re: Lowfer TAG 185.302 kHz
Posted by John Davis on October 29, 2021 at 05:53:05.
In reply to Re: Lowfer TAG 185.302 kHz posted by John Davis on October 27, 2021
Tuesday, between 2350 and 2400, the band deteriorated into QRN just as I was writing the previous post. Nothing further was visible right up until the storms were nearly on our doorstep, and it's been raining almost continuously since then. Will try this weekend as soon as the ground dries enough to reach the farm.
Re: F has returned!
Posted by WA1EDJ Bob on October 29, 2021 at 13:20:54.
In reply to Re: F has returned! posted by John K5MO on October 28, 2021
F was around a month or so ago. Then gone. He revealed himself here after much speculation. Generally quite strong signal. Shows up on the WA5DJJ grabber when he's on.
I can almost always find signals on your HIFER grabber anytime. That's great! You are in a sweet spot for HiFER RX. A needed contribution to the HiFER group.
Got to actually do some work here....More later....
Bob Re: Lowfer TAG 185.302 kHz
EDJ
Posted by John, W1TAG on October 29, 2021 at 15:23:50.
In reply to Re: Lowfer TAG 185.302 kHz posted by John Davis on October 29, 2021
JD,
Don’t despair. Finally figured out this morning that the plumber who winterized the plumbing yesterday flipped off the main breaker as he was leaving. He’ll be going back to the cottage today to re-energize the mighty TAG and the wimpy RY.
John, W1TAG
Fall propagation 630 m
Posted by swlem3 on October 29, 2021 at 17:08:50.
Noticing the continuing shift towards greater distances on the 630m band as we move into cooler temps and less band noise. Alaska (KL7L) and VK decoded overnight here in the South Central US.
Ray ... N. Central Texas ... Elad sdr FDM-S2 w/ active antenna
Re: F has returned!
Posted by swlem3 on October 29, 2021 at 17:34:15.
In reply to F has returned! posted by WA1EDJ Bob on October 28, 2021
Yes, F has returned. Strong sigs as ever into N. Central Texas. Decoding SZX and SIW on wspr2 today, as well as traces of others on qrss3.
Ray
Re: Lowfer TAG 185.302 kHz
Posted by John Davis on October 29, 2021 at 19:25:24.
In reply to Re: Lowfer TAG 185.302 kHz posted by John, W1TAG on October 29, 2021
I was about to blame the mice for hijacking the signals, especially after looking at the K5MO grabber yesterday and not seeing RY. Will refrain from falsely accusing them and check over the weekend.
Re: Lowfer TAG 185.302 kHz
Posted by John, W1TAG on October 29, 2021 at 23:53:57.
In reply to Re: Lowfer TAG 185.302 kHz posted by John Davis on October 29, 2021
TAG and RY are still off on Friday night. Hopefully the breaker will be thrown on Saturday.
John, W1TAG
Re: Lowfer TAG 185.302 kHz
Posted by John, W1TAG on October 30, 2021 at 18:22:45.
In reply to Re: Lowfer TAG 185.302 kHz posted by John, W1TAG on October 29, 2021
TAG and RY are back on the air as of noon on Saturday.
John, W1TAG
hifers heard today in Pine Colorado
Posted by Bill Hensel on October 30, 2021 at 23:38:26.
TSN on 13556 khz time 2330 utc out of Tuscon, AZ
RR dash 2325 utc out of Keeler, Ca
Frank in Tuscon heard FJB as well.
Hifers heard
Posted by F. Cathell on October 31, 2021 at 00:10:19.
Hearing FJB on 13.563.5 MHz, and RR on 13.562.8. Both good sigs with QSB. IC-736 with 80' wire with 9:1 Z-xfmr. 10/30/2021, at 2230 UTC.
Also - TSN will be running on and off for a while.(Tucson, AZ)
Re: F has returned!
Posted by John K5MO on October 31, 2021 at 14:30:06.
In reply to Re: F has returned! posted by swlem3 on October 29, 2021
....and apparently F has made good its exit for the present time.
Re: F has returned!
Posted by WA1EDJ Bob on October 31, 2021 at 15:06:22.
In reply to Re: F has returned! posted by John K5MO on October 31, 2021
He comes and goes. Checked your grabber this morning and it is hopping!
10M grabber is showing G's comming in. You always seem to have a good amount of activity
on the HiFER grabber.
Bob
EDJ
potrzebie