lowfer mp heard in AR
I copied MP last night 185301.1 hz at 0300 utc.
I was set up looking for COV and found MP when I
reviewed the captures this morning. Distance abt 810
miles.
Paul Daulton LOWfer " XR " Antenna Photos
Jacksonville,AR
em34wu
Posted by Andy - KU4XR on November 02, 2008 at 15:10:44.
Greetings everyone: I snapped some photos of my LOWfer antenna for Beacon-XR. They can be viewed at http://webpages.charter.net/ku4xr . 73 to all: Re: LOWfer " XR " Antenna Photos
Andy - KU4XR - " XR "
Posted by Gregg on November 03, 2008 at 00:04:12.
In reply to LOWfer " XR " Antenna Photos posted by Andy - KU4XR on November 02, 2008
Thanks!
Photo's like that can tell a good story for newcomers :-)
Cheers!
Re: lowfer mp heard in AR
Posted by Gregg on November 03, 2008 at 00:05:34.
In reply to lowfer mp heard in AR posted by Paul Daulton on November 01, 2008
Nice catch!
There's been some spectacular LWDX this season.
Cheers!
Re: HIFER
Posted by Gregg on November 03, 2008 at 00:08:16.
In reply to HIFER posted by Lee Bahr on October 29, 2008
Hi,
Has there been much success with HiFER in this band? I get about 7 S-units of QRM there and even an S-unit or two if I go up a logging road from all this computerized stuff nowadays.
Cheers!
MP into Duluth
Posted by Roger on November 03, 2008 at 04:02:35.
Nice copy of MP all night long. Good signal as usual Mitch. Nice to see you again.
Roger
self made coil cores from ferritic powder
Posted by Ernst D. Schmitter on November 03, 2008 at 12:33:09.
I am interested in making a coil core for VLF/ULF reception using ferrite powder filling into a long thin tube (say 70cm long, 1-2cm diam). Are there any hints or links about this?
Thank you and regards, Ernst
Mystery signal update
Posted by Sal, K1RGO on November 03, 2008 at 14:20:57.
Hi everyone, Re: self made coil cores from ferritic powder
The latest on the 1750 m digital signal, freq. 187.000 kHz, 4 bursts of a digital code, cw , baud unknown seems like 30 to 40 wpm followed by a 10 second dash, signal strength at FN31nh is ~ S6, traced from 14:05 UTC to 16:45 UTC, repeated 4 times per hour example: 14:05, 14:25, 14:45, 15:05. I'm confused, is it some kind of PLC contol signal?? DF'd ~ West / East bi- directional if my memory is correct (not much time to DF).
Later.....Sal
Posted by Gregg on November 04, 2008 at 01:02:42.
In reply to self made coil cores from ferritic powder posted by Ernst D. Schmitter on November 03, 2008
Hi,
loose ferrite will induce eddy currents that will make the core really lossy. Best bet is bundling AM ferrite rods, IMO.
Some flyback guys tried this at their frequencies, similar to ours:
http://4hv.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?8635.0
Scroll down to the post by "Marko".
Hope this helps.
Cheers!
Re: Mystery signal update
Posted by Andy - KU4XR on November 04, 2008 at 11:16:13.
In reply to Mystery signal update posted by Sal, K1RGO on November 03, 2008
Hello Sal: Do you have any way of recording that audio signal and sending it to me as an MP3 file? I'm curious as to what you're hearing. I have lots of powerline carriers here that send short bursts of data between 2 to 4 seconds in length. The carrier is always there, Never heard the 10 second dash, but different power companies can use different signaling techniques over their lines. Don't you just love Ghost Hunting ?? 73; " WMS " copied in Friendsville, TN. - EM75xr
Andy - KU4XR - " XR "
Posted by Andy - KU4XR on November 04, 2008 at 11:24:32.
Thought I'd do a little monitoring on 11/4/2008, so I shut my beacon down for a few hours, and looked for Paul - WMS ( 187.492 ), His signal was in for about 5 hours from 11pm EST to around 4am EST, with a beautiful peak around 1:30am. I got one of the best captures of his signal ever. 73 to all;
Andy - KU4XR - Beacon " XR " @ 184.322 KHz
Re: Mystery signal update
Posted by Sal, K1RGO on November 04, 2008 at 15:30:46.
In reply to Re: Mystery signal update posted by Andy - KU4XR on November 04, 2008
Hi Andy , I have a tape recording for now. If I could grab it on spectran in audio mode maybe it will be possible to digitize it. But for now try listening at the times I mentioned, I think it may run that way 24/7 05min after the hr to 25 after to 45 after again to 05, +/- a few seconds I used WWV to confirm, with my digital clock a bit slow....it's right near my lowfer beacon freq. on 187 kHz.. Re: self made coil cores from ferritic powder
next month SJ will run 24/7, I'm waiting for all the leaves to fall and the ground to freeze somewhat. Didn't see your XR yet.... still trying with spectran
Later...Sal
Posted by Alan G3NYK on November 05, 2008 at 14:00:46.
In reply to Re: self made coil cores from ferritic powder posted by Gregg on November 04, 2008
Hi Greg I remember an article where the ferrite was bonded in epoxy into quite long thisk rods. The permiability achieved was not as good the sintered material but the results seemed quite usable. Even some sintered ferrites are lossy but at ELF you have take what you can get. The air-gaps in bundles give the same sort of problems, though as you say the loss might be less.
I think as I remarked to Ernst that the article may have been in LowDown.
Alan
Re: HIFER
Posted by Lee Bahr on November 05, 2008 at 18:01:14.
In reply to Re: HIFER posted by Gregg on November 03, 2008
Low S meter reading of noise here all the time. No higher noise here then on 20 meters.
Lee
ARRL's 500 kHz station, WD2XSH, wants to hear from you
Posted by Mike Terry on November 08, 2008 at 00:01:08.
Southgate
November 5, 2008
Fritz Raab, W1FR, coordinator for ARRL's 500 kHz Experimental Station,
WD2XSH, reports that fall has brought lower static and good propagation,
making excellent conditions for the 500 kHz experimenters.
The experimental license, issued in September 2006, has more than 20 active
stations. Raab said that last year, a second US experimental license -
WE2XGR, with five participants - joined the project, as well as
experimenters in the UK, Germany, Sweden and the Czech Republic.
These stations' operating modes include CW, QRSS, PSK-31 and others.
Contacts have been achieved at distances up to 1234 miles, with signals
received from all over North America, Alaska and Hawaii; transatlantic
reports are not uncommon.
"The 500 kHz experimenters are experiencing excellent propagation
conditions, " Raab said. "The best time to listen is between sunset and
sunrise. The operating frequencies are: WD2XSH - 505.2 - 510 kHz; WE2XGR -
505-515 kHz; UK - 501-504 kHz, and SM, DL, OK - 505.0 - 505.2 kHz.
Raab requests that listeners file reception reports at the experiment's Web
site so that they become part of the station's data base
http://www.500kc.com
http://www.southgatearc.org:80/news/november2008/arrl_500khz_station.htm Re: LF Loop Antenna for Small Lot Dwellers
Posted by Mike on November 08, 2008 at 15:21:33.
In reply to LF Loop Antenna for Small Lot Dwellers posted by Gregg on September 13, 2008
I read the article in Lowdown with interest. My question is, in order to duplicate the balun, what is the toroid type? I need a little more help in narrowing it down.
Thanks.
Rycom 6030 Original Manual for Trade..........
Posted by Bill Marvin on November 08, 2008 at 16:06:04.
I have a like new Rycom 6031 SVM Original Manual for a Rycom 6041 Original Manual.
Contact OFF List
73
Bill KB9IV
"GNB" HiFER is back on the air....
Posted by Gary Babcock on November 09, 2008 at 18:53:04.
The "GNB" hifer beacon is back on the air with full power and a dipole antenna.
location is GRID DM73ud and coords are: LAT 33.104.182 & 104.373.357
We are on 13.556.2
Looking for signal reports and whatever.....
73's
Gary
PH / YPH 396 call change??
Posted by Ken Zichi on November 11, 2008 at 23:59:00.
I heard YPH this weekend and noted the last logging I have from this was in 2001, and it was "PH" at that point. I'm assuming this is the same station -- anyone know when it added the "Y"?
Is there a CURRENT list of Canadian NDB stations out there somewhere? The most recent I've seen is from 2002.
73 //Ken
Re: ARRL's 500 kHz station, WD2XSH, wants to hear from you
Posted by Sal, K1RGO on November 12, 2008 at 13:30:01.
In reply to ARRL's 500 kHz station, WD2XSH, wants to hear from you posted by Mike Terry on November 08, 2008
Hi Fritz, A Mountain Top Beacon Hunt - Short Story
I have been trying to get into the 500khz .com site with no luck lately. It used to be no problem before, but lately I'm just blocked. I hear alot of activity and /6 from Miss has been pounding in. If the webmaster can check this out, I can get some logs through.
later...Sal
Posted by ANDY - XR on November 12, 2008 at 16:21:10.
I took a day from work, and my wife and I dedided to go for a drive over the Foothills Parkway in the Smokey Mountains. The scenery was astonishingly beautiful. Vibrant Autumn colors, crisp, clean air, it was a trip well worth taking. I also seized upon the opportunity to see if I could hear my beacon from on top of the mountain, without having to make a special trip. So I took along my Sangean ATS-803A ( Same as the Realistic DX-440 ), I haven't had the radio very long, and found out quickly today just how lacking the internal bar antenna is at LF. For A.M. broadcast, it's fine, but reception drops rapidly as you go down. The receiver sensitivity is good, for the radio, IF !! you connect an external antenna. I tried that at home and signals everywhere.
When we reached the summit of the Chilhowee Mountain on the Parkway, there is an
overlook, so there is where I did my beacon search. At an altitude of 2,700 feet, I was ready for " XR " to blow the speaker out of the radio. I had preset the BFO before leaving home so as to be on frequency on the mountain. I pushed the power button; and out of the speaker came a disheartening " Hiss !! " NO BEACON !!, honestly, I couldn't believe it at first, so I walked around to different places, turned the radio in every concieveable way possible, Laid hands on it, hugged it, it just wasn't going to happen. One last effort; I placed the radio near the radio antenna on my van, and began to barely hear a carrier. That made the old heart rate jump up a little, so I moved the
radio around the body of the van until I found the strongest signal, Laying on the windshield. on its back, with the bar antenna near the windshield wipers. Hey ! it worked, I was definitely hearing a carrier. Weak but audible. I waited to see if it went off, and when it did, and returned 30 seconds later, I knew I had found " XR ". I'll jump ahead a little, ( at home ) , I calculated the straightline miles to be right at 8.5 miles, that's not very far, but remember, I'm using a consumer " shelf " radio, with a lot to be desired in the performance area when used stock. Now back to my adventure; When I knew I had " XR ", I listened to see what the signal did over time.
The weather was cloudy, and damp, a lot of visible foggy humidity, and was about 45 degrees or so. I noticed that the QRSS carrier was very wavy, almost like QSB. I thought that to be strange because I figured I was hearing a straightline - groundwave signal, but there were times that the signal would disappear into the noise floor of the radio, and in a few seconds raise back up to being audible again. I had no problem copying the entire QRSS " XR " sequence by ear, knowing my beacons repitition. I never was able to adequately copy the 10-WPM CW ID. sequence. It was barely audible at best. First off, I was thrilled to hear the beacon, but disappointed in the stock performance of my portable radio. The next beacon reception trip; I'll be equipped with some sort of external antenna for better reception. I'm not a propagation guru, and don't know if being on the top of a mountain had any effect on my reception. I would say more that it was equipment, and weather. I wonder if the foggy, and humid / damp conditions could have affected the signal ?? All in all,
I had a lot of fun, and got to hear my beacon at a pretty good distance instead of in the driveway, or just down the road. Isn't it weired how strangely people stare at you when you're standing on the side of the road holding a mysterious looking black box up to your ear ?? -- 73 all, and Good LOWfer-ing.
Andy - KU4XR - EM75xr Friendsville, TN. LW Broadcasters Strong Tonight
LOWfer Beacon " XR " @ 184.322 KHz
Posted by steve N8YE on November 12, 2008 at 18:25:27.
I have never heard the broadcasters so strong. Is it the low sunspot cycle? I'm getting North Africa, BBC, France ,etc every 9Khz from 153 khz through 250 Khz. Anyone else notice this?
Are the Russian Alfas still active?
Re: A Mountain Top Beacon Hunt - Short Story
Posted by Sal, K1RGO on November 12, 2008 at 18:26:41.
In reply to A Mountain Top Beacon Hunt - Short Story posted by ANDY - XR on November 12, 2008
Hi Andy, Re: LW Broadcasters Strong Tonight
I listen to my beacons all the time with a home brew receiver I built in 1985 and an L-400B active antenna and also an L-950 broad band coaxial loop antenna (LF Engineering Co. my designs) and I have a blast when I go hiking or mountain biking. hearing both medfer and lowfer rigs as far as 15 miles away.Keep having fun,dude.
later..... Sal
Posted by Andy - XR on November 12, 2008 at 20:10:45.
In reply to LW Broadcasters Strong Tonight posted by steve N8YE on November 12, 2008
Hey Steve: Yes the sunspot minimum greatly enhances low frequency propagation, just as the solar maximum enhances the higher frequencies. Excellent LF conditions are predicted to be around for about 2 to 3 more years, and then start to drop as cycle 24 rises around late 2011. If you're new to LF, this is your best opportunity to get in on some exciting LF - DX . 73,
Andy - KU4XR - EM75xr Friendsville, TN. Re: A Mountain Top Beacon Hunt
LOWfer Beacon " XR " @ 184.322 KHz
Posted by John Hoopes on November 13, 2008 at 06:06:52.
In reply to A Mountain Top Beacon Hunt posted by Andy XR on November 12, 2008
Hi Andy!
I know what you're talking about when it comes to reception on the portables. Back when I was experimenting a lot with my beacon, I used a Radio Shack DX440 and a L400B active antenna for portable listening. The L400B made distant reception possible and was 1000 times better than the built in loop stick. What really hurts the portables though is the lack of selectivity and tuning resolution. I bet you loose 30 to 40 dB of signal with the wide IFs of the portables.
Anyway, don't be discouraged and get yourself a good active E-probe antenna and try it again. You won't be disappointed.
Good DXing PICKUP LOOP QUESTION?
John
Posted by dave sampson on November 13, 2008 at 12:40:10.
when designing a multi-turn loop for lf receiving: is it advantageous for the pickup loop to be in the center of the other loop windings and have the same spacing?...one article i read somewhere states that it is preferable for the pickup loop to be situated at a great distance (comparably) from the other windings.
73s Re: PICKUP LOOP QUESTION?
dave
Posted by J.B. Weazle McCreath on November 13, 2008 at 14:36:10.
In reply to PICKUP LOOP QUESTION? posted by dave sampson on November 13, 2008
Hi Dave,
On my big LF loop, which can be viewed on the
web page of Mike WE0H, I used a single turn
pickup loop made from RG-11 coax. I found by
trial that if it was spaced about 6 inches or
so inside the main windings and centered with
them that it worked the best. I've been able
to make several trans-Atlantic captures using
it, even though I'm hundreds of miles inland
from the Atlantic coast, so it indeed works!
73, J.B., VE3EAR/VE3WZL Re: PICKUP LOOP QUESTION?
Posted by Peter B on November 13, 2008 at 16:16:39.
In reply to PICKUP LOOP QUESTION? posted by dave sampson on November 13, 2008
Dave, Re: PICKUP LOOP QUESTION?
What J.B. said is correct and obviously works. But size maybe an issue of placement if a small M-T loop. Let's say it's a basic 4-foot box loop having turns solenoid fashion, all same dia, across the top. Then the convient placement is within the turns configuration, say one inch, but this is not critical. The worst is to overlay the link turn over the others. One turn is fine although some have used two at risk of over coupling and degrading loop Q. One is fine.
Posted by Gregg on November 13, 2008 at 20:02:28.
In reply to PICKUP LOOP QUESTION? posted by dave sampson on November 13, 2008
Hi,
I put mine inside by a few inches and centred just to 1) assist in balance and 2) maintain compact size.
Cheers!
Re: PH / YPH 396 call change??
Posted by Gregg on November 13, 2008 at 20:05:11.
In reply to PH / YPH 396 call change?? posted by Ken Zichi on November 11, 2008
Hi,
This is the one I use. It's current of December 22, 2007
http://www.dxinfocentre.com/ndb.htm
Cheers!
Re: PICKUP LOOP QUESTION?
Posted by John Hoopes on November 14, 2008 at 13:53:36.
In reply to PICKUP LOOP QUESTION? posted by dave sampson on November 13, 2008
Physical position does not matter but how close it is to the main winding is important depending on what kind of coupling coefficient you want.
Loose coupling (< 2") will provide a higher Q. Number of turns will affect the load impedance to the receiver. Even one turn loosely coupled will exhibit several hundred ohms to the receiver.
What I did on mine was to use a quarter turn by making the link in the shape of a upside down delta suspended from the top of the loop (square shape). Measured Z was about 200 ohms. Close enough to 50. This arrangement exhibited a higher gain and sharper tuning than the one turn that I had tried prior.
John
Canadian amateur radio operators on 600 Metres
Posted by Mike Terry on November 15, 2008 at 05:55:59.
November 10, 2008
Industry Canada has accepted an RAC proposal whereby selected
Canadian radio amateurs would be permitted to operate in the vicinity of
500 kHz.
These amateur operations would support Canada's efforts to action a
proposal on the agenda of the 2011 World Radio Conference (WRC2011)
which, if adopted, would create an amateur allocation in the 600-meter band.
Industry Canada have authorized RAC to recommend amateurs who would be
licensed to operate in the 504 to 509 kHz band with a maximum power of
20 watts ERP and bandwidth up to 1 kHz. Stations operating in this band
would be technically operating under Special Developmental Licenses
although they would all be radio amateurs. Distinct call signs would be
used and the licenses would be renewable annually subject to the amateur
demonstrating the research he has carried out.
More information will follow shortly in the pages of TCA or via
subsequent bulletins.
--
Vernon Erle Ikeda - VE2MBS
Rédacteur de service des nouvelles RAC.
RAC News Bulletin Editor
HiFer "OH"
----------
Sent by the RAC Bulletins from RACHQ mailing list robot.
Posted by Tom Lau N8TL on November 15, 2008 at 07:16:49.
HiFers...beacon "OH" operational status is changing from continuous 24/7 operation FSK cw signal
to operation by e-mail request effective immediately. The new 22-20 EFHW vertical is mostly operational on amateur 20 meter band in PSK31 mode. 22 meter operation
by e-mail request to n8tl@woh.rr.com. Regards, Tom N8TL
Posted by Steve N8YE on November 16, 2008 at 18:23:28.
I am hearing a strange frequency shift keying cw signal at night in Ohio. The center frequency is 172.5 KHz and the shift looks to be about 200 cycles (+/- 100 cps from 172.5)on my ARGO viewer in NDB mode. At first glance it looks like an "R" repeating over and over. The speed is about 7 WPM. If observed over a period of about ten minutes, the length of the dots and dashes gradually change into other characters such as an ME, o, W, T, (etc) then finally back to R. The timing change is ever so slight each time the character is heard. At times, the length of the dots and dashes are such that a Morse character cannot be discerned. This leads me to believe it is not really Morse code. new MEDFER station in the works
Any ideas what this is?
Thanks
Posted by Dave Cuthbert on November 16, 2008 at 18:44:12.
I'm building a MEDFER station that will be installed at the Great Salt Lake in Utah. The top loaded vertical will be mounted on the water to provide a nearly ideal ground. QRSS will be used. Should this be operated around 510 or 1700 kHz? And what specific frequencies are recommended? The signal on 510 kHz would be down 13 dB from a 1700 kHz signal but it doesn't have to contend with BC stations.
Re: FSK cw signal
Posted by Gregg on November 17, 2008 at 00:04:05.
In reply to FSK cw signal posted by Steve N8YE on November 16, 2008
I was getting odd FSK like that too, but at QRSS30 on 320 KHz last night. I thought it was a computer or SMPS, but the characters changed and repeated as well as it was a pure tone (no logging in my shop, so no recording).
It's not there tonight.
I've heard similar on other frequencies throughout longwave.
What are these, anybody know?
Re: Canadian amateur radio operators on 600 Metres
Posted by Gregg on November 17, 2008 at 03:37:19.
In reply to Canadian amateur radio operators on 600 Metres posted by Mike Terry on November 15, 2008
We will be listening out here in VE7 land! :-)
A Lowfer Equipment Question
Posted by Bill Marvin on November 17, 2008 at 10:00:21.
Would a FlexRadio Receiver to use is the way to go for LowFer reception?? Is there a site that has details on the "How To" for us starters with hamming experience?
Best
Bill KB9IV
LOWfer beacon " XR " mode change
Posted by Andy - XR on November 19, 2008 at 20:52:24.
Hello Everyone; I switched " XR " to QRSS-60 mode, hoping for a slightly better advantage against the noise with the longer keydown time. Let's see what happens. Any attempts at reception, and reports will be greatly appreciated.
73 for now:
Andy - KU4XR - EM75xr Friendsville, TN. Re: A Lowfer Equipment Question
LOWfer beacon " XR " @ 184.322 KHz
Posted by PAUL DAULTON on November 20, 2008 at 20:39:51.
In reply to A Lowfer Equipment Question posted by Bill Marvin on November 17, 2008
Bill
primary requirement for lowfer reception are 1hz resolution
and 1hz/hour stability. software limits the bandpass to 6hz
bandwidth on ARGO, the most popular. Narrowest if or audio
filter you can get will improve reception, but acceptable
results can be had with 2.5khz bandwith on most ssb rigs.
I have no experience with the rig you mention. Personally
I have two Kenwood TS50's which are adequate. Rec of choice
for most is the Icom r-75.
Look at Lyle Kohler's site for information, also the home
sites of W3EEE,W1TAG,W1VD,andW4DEX. Just google these calls.
Also gooogle andy key word such as "lowfer" "lowfer antennas" "lowfer grabbers" each site will lead to others.
There is a fine forum on www.qth.net look at the mailing lists for LOWFER then read the archives, subscribe if you wish.
Basic proceedure is calibrate it ,set it , and wait. Beacon
frequencies are very accurate. The computer sound card can
be calibrated by WWV or any known Freq. this is an important
step. Presently the two computers I use are 12 and 15 hz off
at 800 hz. Easy to miss a signal. Dont trust your equipment
check it against known standards.
Easyest signal to rec are the 600meter beacons and cw ops,
next would be the HIFERS on 22 meters. The part 5 ops on
137 come next, but there is little activity. Check the home
pages of the ops listed above for their schedules. Hardest
are the part 15 ops from 160 to 190 khz. Find the closest,
email the op and make sure he is on, then calibrate, set it
for capture and good luck.
List where you are. Ther are distance calculators on the net
for guides. From now to march nightly copies of 450 to 800
miles are possible on part15. Greater distances on 2200 meters and 600 meters.
WARNING this is addictive. " XR " received in Elgin, IL. mode change worked !!
Paul Daulton Beacon WMS 187492khz qrss30 Jacksonville,AR
Posted by Andy - XR on November 21, 2008 at 12:48:10.
In reply to LOWfer beacon " XR " mode change posted by Andy - XR on November 19, 2008
Hey everyone;
I'm thrilled that " XR " was received by Garry - K3SIW in Elgin, IL. on 11/21/08. Garry is about 492 miles from me, and in QRSS-30, he couldn't quite pull it out, but in QRSS-60, he got a good bold screen capture of the signal. The longer sampling rate does make a difference. I hope some of you that have tried before, will try again and see if it makes the difference at your end too. I have uploaded the capture to my webstorage at:
http://webpages.charter.net/ku4xr/ , for anyone who wants to look. 73 to all, and have a great weekend, and successful monitoring !!
Re: A Lowfer Equipment Question
Andy - KU4XR - EM75xr - Friendsville, TN.
LOWfer Beacon " XR " @ 184.322 KHz
Posted by Andy - KU4XR on November 22, 2008 at 21:10:13.
In reply to A Lowfer Equipment Question posted by Bill Marvin on November 17, 2008
Hello Bill; welcome to the world of LOWfer-ing. Allow me to start with a basic question; What rig are you using for your ham activities ?? If it's late 80's vintage or younger, then most likely it will do the job for you, as Paul mentioned, with the aid of the software, and computer. You'll learn a lot - quickly, about antenna performance at LF frequencies. The first thing though is to find out if what you already have will work without buying additional equipment. Post back with your rig, and the filters in it, along with your antenna setup, and if you have a computer to use with your rig. We can start there. 73 for now,
Andy - KU4XR - EM75xr - Friendsville, TN. Re: " XR " received in Duluth, MN. - EN36uu
LOWfer Beacon " XR " @ 184.322 KHz ( QRSS-60 )
Posted by Andy - XR on November 23, 2008 at 22:25:48.
In reply to " XR " received in Elgin, IL. mode change worked !! posted by Andy - XR on November 21, 2008
I received a report and capture from Roger - K0MVJ in Duluth, MN. after he received my beacon on 11-22-08. To my surprise, the signal was solid and consistent for the 2 hour scroll time of ARGO in QRSS-60. This is my best " DX " to date as a LOWfer, approximately 878 miles!!! Thanks Roger for the report, and 73 to all:
Andy - KU4XR - EM75xr , Friendsville, TN, Re: " XR " received in Duluth, MN. - EN36uu
LOWfer beacon " XR " @ 184.322 KHz
Posted by Paul Daulton on November 24, 2008 at 07:25:22.
In reply to Re: " XR " received in Duluth, MN. - EN36uu posted by Andy - XR on November 23, 2008
WMS is running .02 wpm which is closer to qrss 60 than 30.
I have listed it as 30 because I was concerned about the stability. I was considering switching chips to K1EL's new
chip, he now has .2,.02,.04 and.4 wpm available because
some have had trouble getting all three letters in a capture
due to fading. Maybe you and others would do well to check me on qrss 60.
Good move Andy.
WMS heard in IL
Paul Daulton
beacon WMS 187497hz
Jacksonville,AR
em34wu.
Posted by Paul Daulton on November 25, 2008 at 19:50:59.
I got a report and two fine captures from Garry k3siw in Elgin IL
distance of 536 miles!
Copy was at 0517 cst. Garry captured me on qrss30 set for slow speed.
Congratulations to Garry for a fine rec setup. I am not doing as well
only partial copy of XR last night.
Paul Daulton k5wms Propagation question
beacon wms 187492hz
em34wu.
Posted by Paul Daulton on November 25, 2008 at 19:56:26.
I may be imagining things but it seems like most lowfer
recepton reports seem to follow N/S routes. I have been
having difficulty copying COV and XR- east/west direction
from my qth.
Is there anything to this? I can understand if it is gray line
at sunup and sundown.
What say?
Paul
Re: Propagation question
Posted by Gregg on November 26, 2008 at 02:05:53.
In reply to Propagation question posted by Paul Daulton on November 25, 2008
Hi,
I noticed this myself as well. Same with NDB DX'ing.
I thought the phenomenon was unique to the west coast here at high lattitudes when reading other peoples logs?
Cheers!
Re: Propagation question
Posted by Andy - XR on November 26, 2008 at 12:43:07.
In reply to Re: Propagation question posted by Gregg on November 26, 2008
I'll have to say that I've noticed that same thing here in SE TN. My best reception seems to be from N.to S. and the reception reports that I have received so far for Beacon " XR " have also been primarily from a Northerly to Southerly path as well. Looking at the FCC US soil conductivity maps shows that the soil conductivity in the eastern US is really quite low as compared to the midwest. I would only be guessing at it with anything I could reason out.
Andy - " XR "
Re: Propagation question
Posted by Peter B on November 27, 2008 at 05:42:56.
In reply to Propagation question posted by Paul Daulton on November 25, 2008
Hmm...? In past seasons I've had my own suspicions about this. But then for a few years I used a T ant. for 1750M rx-ing. Reception was mostly east coast, cuz that's were the tx ops where. NC and MP were esp. prominent for me in IL. But also heard the MN, Ontario, and MS LowFERS. So it may be more about what's tx-ing and less about soil or esoteric conditions.
Peter - N IL
Re: LW Broadcasters Strong Tonight
Posted by Scott NM8R on November 27, 2008 at 09:51:14.
In reply to LW Broadcasters Strong Tonight posted by steve N8YE on November 12, 2008
Steve,
I've been a bit delayed in reading posts and just now noticed yours regarding LWBC. What is your receiving setup? Have you been listening to LWBC long? Scott NM8R Michigan
I'm a Fool forTube Gear
Posted by Bill Marvin on November 27, 2008 at 14:39:17.
Hi Group Recently bought a Mint/Unused RBL-5 (1943) a few dys ago. Should have it next week, need to beef up my desk for the 75 lb load including a SP 600JLX and R390A for NDB's, Broadcast LW.
Would any one recommed the Ten Tec R320D with Argo for QRSS with my dual core computer.
Great DX to All
Bill KB9IV
Re: I'm a Fool forTube Gear
Posted by Paul Daulton on November 28, 2008 at 20:38:17.
In reply to I'm a Fool forTube Gear posted by Bill Marvin on November 27, 2008
I have 50-100khz and 100-200khz coils for my HRO-M. It is deaf down there.
About the Tentec rec. Tentec folks say their gear is not optimised below broadcast bands. That is to say they are
deaf too. The reason being the lowest bandpass filter in the
front end is 1.8 mhz. Now my Pegasus is usable with a preamp. I use the loop tuner/preammp Lyle Kohler described in his home pages. With the preamp I have copied a few lowfers on the 160-190 band. but it is not as good as my
TS50. If you havent already bought one I would go for the
ICOM r-75, that is the rec of choice for most.
Paul k5wms
Beacon EAR info update
Posted by J.B. Weazle McCreath on November 30, 2008 at 06:50:13.
Hello John, Lowfers,
This is to confirm that the information on my Lowfer
beacon "EAR" and the operator address are correct as
they appear on their respective lists.
Date: November 30th., 2008.
73, J.B. Beacon "PNX"
Posted by john on November 30, 2008 at 07:09:21.
Does anyone know where beacon PNX originates from - i copied this beacon a few nights ago on 323khz. when i checked it in the RNA database there were a few loggings but know one seems to know where it tramsmits from - any ideas? i am in NE florida using a Drake R7 receiver and a longwire antenna. thanks, john
SJ,EH beacon status
Posted by Sal, K1RGO on November 30, 2008 at 08:09:42.
Well its that time of year again, the leaves are gone and therefore reducing the "environmental losses" on my lowfer antenna so SJ will now resume 24/7 on 186.850 kHz QRSS10. My medfer, 511.96 kHz and hifer, 13.557 MHz beacons will be shut down for now and will run by request only. All year I had only one report for the hifer rig and no reports for the medfer rig, I got the messaage.... how to build a loop for LW reception
Another signal to listen for on 187kHz is the 4 burst digital/10 second dash signal on the 5's every 20 min. example: starting at 00:05, 00:25, 00:45, 01:05,....etc it appears to be 24/7 (my track was early morning to evening)
lowfer season greetings.....later, Sal, K1RGO
Posted by john on November 30, 2008 at 09:11:10.
i have already built a loop for AM BCB reception, and it works great. what is needed in terms of wire length, size, variable capacitor value etc. to build a loop that works for LW dx? i would really appreciate any info. on how to build a simple loop for LongWave dx. thanks in advance, john
Re: SJ,EH beacon status
Posted by John Andrews on November 30, 2008 at 10:41:55.
In reply to SJ,EH beacon status posted by Sal, K1RGO on November 30, 2008
Sal,
SJ is coming in nicely this afternoon in central Mass.
John, W1TAG
Re: Beacon EAR info update
Posted by John Davis on November 30, 2008 at 11:18:04.
In reply to Beacon EAR info update posted by J.B. Weazle McCreath on November 30, 2008
Thanks very much, JB!
All other operators, please be sure to do likewise... either let us know your information is correct, or else post and/or e-mail me with the necessary changes. We're going to publish a full update of the Operator Contact List in the January LOWDOWN (I'd like to have your postal mail info for that one), and of course we want to keep the online lists updated as much as possible, too.
For e-mail responses, please use the mb at lwca dot org address. Thanks!
John
Re: Beacon "PNX"
Posted by edwslidell,la on November 30, 2008 at 11:45:02.
In reply to Beacon "PNX" posted by john on November 30, 2008
Hi John. I first noted the 'PNX'(323KHz)signal on the evening before Thanksgiving, 27 Nov., UT, and thought it was 'PKZ' in Pensacola on 326KHz at first. Then I thought maybe it was the replacement for 'PKZ', but heard that up at the normal frequency, weaker than 'PNX'. Today, 1930UT, 30 Nov., it is still fairly strong, with the much weaker 'PKZ' still audible above it. It must be closer to SE LA than 'PKZ', or using more power/better antenna system. I wonder if you can hear 'PKZ' normally from your location? Ed
Re: how to build a loop for LW reception
Posted by John Davis on November 30, 2008 at 16:53:28.
In reply to how to build a loop for LW reception posted by john on November 30, 2008
There are many longwave receiving loop antennas described on the Web, and a Google search will turn up a fair percentage of them. The November issue of our club publication, The LOWDOWN, also features one.
The author was kind enough to let us archive it online, as well. It was available until yesterday via a link on our home page, but it has now been relocated to our library. You can download the PDF version here.
John
John update the info on Beacon " XR "
Posted by Andy - KU4XR on November 30, 2008 at 20:41:49.
In reply to Re: Beacon EAR info update posted by John Davis on November 30, 2008
Hello John and fellow LOWfers: My freq. is 184.322 KHz, using QRSS-60 mode ( NO CW ID ) , beacon call is " XR " , located in Friendsville, TN. EM75xr. Physical adress is : 1228 Ratledge Road, Friendsville, TN. 37737.
73, Andy - KU4XR - Beacon " XR "
potrzebie