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Scaevolus posted:I'm having trouble seeing how a pirate shortwave station could operate for long (assuming the transmitter stays in a constant location)-- isn't it trivial to triangulate broadcast position? I've heard stories about people who build a low power transmitter powered via a battery that is charged during the day via solar. They either run all day and until they run out of juice at night; or are setup to turn on after dark and run until the battery dies. These are usually places way out in the middle of the desert in arizona/nevada and run without any human intervention. I've only read about one but I've always wanted to catch one and listen.
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Sep 5, 2007 01:05
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blugu64 posted:I've heard stories about people who build a low power transmitter powered via a battery that is charged during the day via solar. They either run all day and until they run out of juice at night; or are setup to turn on after dark and run until the battery dies. These are usually places way out in the middle of the desert in arizona/nevada and run without any human intervention. I've only read about one but I've always wanted to catch one and listen. I've picked up fucktons of these. Usually those are transmitters set to playback a single message, like an amateur letter beacon. A letter beacon is a transmitter that sends out nothing but a single morse letter or pair of letters over and over. However, not all letter beacons seem to be run by amateurs. There's some weird  stories surrounding the world of letter beacons, some of which put number stations to shame. Lets just say if you were to make an FCC complaint about interference caused by a military letter beacon, death threats ensue. Edit: Here's the wikipedia entry on Letter Beacons: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letter_beacon AstroZamboni fucked around with this message at 01:34 on Sep 5, 2007 |
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Sep 5, 2007 01:27
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AstroZamboni posted:I've picked up fucktons of these. Usually those are transmitters set to playback a single message, like an amateur letter beacon. A letter beacon is a transmitter that sends out nothing but a single morse letter or pair of letters over and over. The Amateur beacons are supposed to be publicly known (Location I mean) and they are setup for armatures to know if that frequency is able to be used from wherever you are to that beacon.
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Sep 5, 2007 02:04
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I finally finished revamping my magnetic loop last night, and it rules. I'll try to take some pictures later.
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Sep 5, 2007 14:07
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Well tonight I thought that I would take my trusty goon given DX-375 out with a random wire antenna and see what I could get. I ended up getting nothing exciting, but I did get radio japan at 11715 khz at around 6:50 UTC. From the charts on NHK's online website it is broadcast out of far East Russia. That is kinda cool. (I am in San Jose, CA) I also got radio Australia and some Cuban news/propaganda. I really feel that without a good antenna, being unable to do SSB and 1 khz tuning, I am missing out on a lot of stuff. Any goons have any extra radio's they wanna sell me .  I also even when not using the wire antenna I get a lot of interference, even outside. There is a crazy bastard a few streets down that I have discovered has around 15-20 very large antennas in his backyard. Looks like he is a pretty hardcore HAM guy. I wonder if he could cause local interference...
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Sep 6, 2007 08:21
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Chalk up another $90 to the financial damage totals. I picked up a RadioShack DX-394 this afternoon from a coworker. I figure it'll work to get me started, although Google searches now make me want to mod the gently caress out of this thing. I plan to start listening tonight.
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Sep 7, 2007 00:37
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SleeplessNights007 posted:Chalk up another $90 to the financial damage totals. Added, wilkommen, and have fun! OP has been updated with a couple of new links and corrected math on the financial drain. I have no idea why the Sony drain was showing as 4 thousand and change.
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Sep 7, 2007 01:30
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What's the antenna jack size on the Eton E5 - 1/8 or 3.5mm? I'm ordering some stuff from Radio Shack and want to be sure I get the right stuff. (I don't have the radio with me, but I have the manual, and I can't find that in the specs).
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Sep 7, 2007 15:14
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1/8", mein Freund. I was pissed that the spec wasn't in the manual, so I had to snag the demo radio and start trying to plug in the right sized plug in the store. Irritating.
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Sep 7, 2007 15:51
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Overflow, you said you're going to make the Commando. Can I see the diagrams and information you are working from. I've joined homebrewpirateradio, but it's a bit tricky to sift through all that information. I've never made any sort of complex electronic device, this could be interesting.
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Sep 8, 2007 07:42
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meatpotato posted:Overflow, you said you're going to make the Commando. Can I see the diagrams and information you are working from. I've joined homebrewpirateradio, but it's a bit tricky to sift through all that information. I've never made any sort of complex electronic device, this could be interesting. Yeah.. I'm actually getting the Corsair and the Commando transmitters mixed up. The Commando is the higher power version of the Corsair transmitter.. but you need to build a modulation transformer for it which I have no idea how to do. I intend to build the Corsair, which runs about 5-10 watts. Check the files section and then the "EXTREME" folder. The plans I'm working with are Corsair2005pcb.bmp and Corsair2005comp.bmp (you need to be a member of the Yahoo group to see them.) More information can be found on Dave Martin's (designer of the transmitter) Corsair/Commando page at http://www.geocities.com/thecorsairtx/Circuit.html. I have yet to get started on it; it'll probably be something I work on a few hours here and there until it's completed.
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Sep 8, 2007 18:28
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Today I was chatting with a classmate who happens to be a shortwave geek, and she had the idea of organizing a "Laser CONET" event. You see, it goes something like this: Sick of seeing advertisements for "Laser Floyd" shows, describing them as "Pink Floyd like you've NEVER seen it!" (except for all of the OTHER Pink Floyd laser shows you've been to), she is trying to put together a similar type of laser show, but totally different and infinitely more hosed-up, set to "The Conet Project." If she were unwed, I would have taken her in a manly fashion right then and there when she told me about it. Coolest and most hosed-up idea EVER. AstroZamboni fucked around with this message at 00:54 on Sep 11, 2007 |
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Sep 11, 2007 00:52
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I found the John Lightning show on 7415 (WBCQ) at 0000 UTC Sunday night. It's hippie radio with modern references, and just as dippity. Gooood times gooood times. Definitely a show I'm catching next week. I also listened to some hams at around 7346 last night have a conversation about moving to upstate New York, it ended up with about 3-4 hams talking about retiring to NY and where the snowfall was lowest. I'm in KCMO and these guys were from Florida, North Carolina and two other places I didn't catch.
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Sep 11, 2007 21:19
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porktree posted:I also listened to some hams at around 7346 last night have a conversation about moving to upstate New York, it ended up with about 3-4 hams talking about retiring to NY and where the snowfall was lowest. I'm in KCMO and these guys were from Florida, North Carolina and two other places I didn't catch. Fact: Hams have the most boring conversations on the planet, no exceptions!
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Sep 12, 2007 00:04
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AstroZamboni posted:Fact: Hams have the most boring conversations on the planet, no exceptions! Hey now! I had an egaging chat last evening about which burger joint was the best in dallas. It was quite entralling and you youngins aught learn some respect!  EDIT: drat kids! It's JC's Burger House off Central expressway. If you're in town I'll buy you a burger. blugu64 fucked around with this message at 06:24 on Sep 12, 2007 |
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Sep 12, 2007 02:25
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blugu64 posted:Hey now! I had an egaging chat last evening about which burger joint was the best in dallas. It was quite entralling and you youngins aught learn some respect! Way to blueball us by talking about this INCREDIBLY FASCINATING conversation without telling us what the best burger joint in Dallas is. Fucker. 
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Sep 12, 2007 05:16
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blugu64 posted:Hey now! I had an egaging chat last evening about which burger joint was the best in dallas. It was quite entralling and you youngins aught learn some respect!
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Sep 12, 2007 07:46
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nmfree posted:You're not supposed to discuss commercial interests over ham radio, please surrender your license quietly when Uncle Charlie rings your doorbell next week. He can sell and trade his burgers occasionally as long as they're radio-burgers.
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Sep 12, 2007 08:02
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AstroZamboni posted:Fact: Hams have the most boring conversations on the planet, no exceptions! Not so much boring as just everyday-type subjects. I heard a couple of older-sounding guys talking about, "I ain't gonna git it. I read in Reader's Digest that them ann-gee-oh... You know, the thing where they go in yer leg and look at yer heart... angioplasty. I read in Reader's Digest that they ain't safe and don't work anyhow." Not so bad for the general public, but as a cardiac nurse, I was tearing my hair out.
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Sep 12, 2007 08:18
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Well tonight I moded my goon-given DX-375 so it won't mute when tuning/changing stations. This made the radio 1000x more useful. I was able to catch stations I would normally miss due to the long pause when changing stations. Armed with my speaker wire antenna, I was able to pick up a crap-loads of stations in Asia, Australia and all sorts of Jesus nuts. I also herd some weird interference with an Asian station and Stairway to Heaven, kinda creepy! Well the highlight of my night was that I was able to hear what I think was my first numbers station! It was in Spanish and on two frequencies. Here is some youtube links so you guys can check it out! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojwI6IosehQ and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CF7WMts_1A8 God I need a better radio! I am hooked!
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Sep 12, 2007 11:11
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Capnbigboobies posted:Well tonight I moded my goon-given DX-375 so it won't mute when tuning/changing stations. This made the radio 1000x more useful. I was able to catch stations I would normally miss due to the long pause when changing stations. Yep, that's our Cuban lady friend without a doubt. Just think, somewhere in the US, Cuban spies were diligently recording those messages to find out their daily orders.
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Sep 12, 2007 15:31
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Capnbigboobies posted:Well tonight I moded my goon-given DX-375 so it won't mute when tuning/changing stations. This made the radio 1000x more useful. I was able to catch stations I would normally miss due to the long pause when changing stations. Yeah, finding number stations by accident is always the greatest. My first two were New Star Broadcasting in China, and Atencion. Both of them I didn't know the frequencies for, so I just happened upon them by accident.
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Sep 12, 2007 15:47
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AstroZamboni posted:Yeah, finding number stations by accident is always the greatest. My first two were New Star Broadcasting in China, and Atencion. Both of them I didn't know the frequencies for, so I just happened upon them by accident. Yup, this was the first 'cool' thing I have even been able to hear on my shortwave radio. I am still pretty happy about it!
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Sep 12, 2007 21:09
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Well, I made some adjustments to the slinky, refitting it so that it plugs into the antenna socket with a jack instead of clipping to the whip. I'm no longer getting ANY interference from radio Disney, and the only interference I'm getting is weaker, more distant SW stations at the same frequency. MUCH stronger signals, and much cleaner signals. So I'm having a bit too much fun with the slinkies, and that might put off building my magnetic loop for a while.
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Sep 12, 2007 22:55
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AstroZamboni posted:Well, I made some adjustments to the slinky, refitting it so that it plugs into the antenna socket with a jack instead of clipping to the whip. I'm no longer getting ANY interference from radio Disney Thank Ohm for that. Did you get anywhere with the local hams to get the FCC rallied up?
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Sep 12, 2007 23:47
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meltie posted:Thank Ohm for that. Did you get anywhere with the local hams to get the FCC rallied up? That was already addressed a couple of pages ago. The hams were already on the warpath by the time I had started to set my scheme in motion, and before I was able to start making a complaint the station had already scaled back their power quite a bit.
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Sep 13, 2007 00:29
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 START GENERAL THREAD NOTICEI may be away from the intertubes for a few days while dealing with a horrific personal emergency (which, come Saturday, may result in an E/N thread of epic proportions). SO... if anybody has any links or submissions of ideas to include in the OP AND/OR additions to the financial drain, send me an e-mail at schwartznumbers (at) yahoo (dot) com. Thank you very much, and have a nice day. END START GENERAL THREAD NOTICE
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Sep 13, 2007 21:14
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Sorry to hear that, I'm thankful you posted that tip about the 1/8" jack. I wired one onto my antenna and the difference is absolutely stunning compared to wrapping it around the whip.
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Sep 15, 2007 00:53
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Okay, E/N thread averted. Everything (almost) back to normal, carry on as before. By the way, I think I may have picked up the HAARP array last night!
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Sep 15, 2007 02:53
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I have a camping trip booked for northern Scotland (possibly Ben Nevis) October 19-21, so I'll be taking the long wire up there. Which should be excellent for getting the SAR ops base at RAF Kinloss on 5680. Usually you can hear it all over the UK, but the helicopters and planes are usually a little silent. Also hoping to get the usual collection of worldwide stuff free from EMF
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Sep 16, 2007 01:17
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thehustler posted:I have a camping trip booked for northern Scotland (possibly Ben Nevis) October 19-21, so I'll be taking the long wire up there. In December I'll be in the middle of bum-gently caress nowhere near the Colorado/New Mexico border on my Dad's land. I'll be taking a longwire with me and trying to pull in some crazy poo poo.
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Sep 16, 2007 02:35
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I've been picking up a ton of Ham's on the 40m band (I think, in the 6900-7400khz range). I'm not sure if it's because I never looked before, because it's the weekend, or because I put out a 100 foot L antenna in the backyard. I also notice I'm getting stations during the day in the 17000's which I never got before. I'm using an Eton E5, and per information from this thread bought a 1/8 plug. Right now I'm using an alligator clip on the external antenna, because I can't figure out if I should solder the lead line into the outside or inside part of the plug (or both). I'm going to call Eton on Monday, but if any of you know which one I should use it'd save me the trouble. Thanks.
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Sep 16, 2007 04:39
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AstroZamboni add 39.99+ 8.49 shipping to the total, I got a Kaito ka1102 off ebay. I need something with SSB, 1kz tuning and a antenna port dammit! I read the reviews and it seems like a great deal for 40 bucks. I know you have to change it to like page 9 or something funky to use SSB, but I can live with it. Any other goons useing this radio?
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Sep 16, 2007 07:15
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Capnbigboobies posted:AstroZamboni add 39.99+ 8.49 shipping to the total, I got a Kaito ka1102 off ebay. Added, and I'll try to get some information on jacks for porktree shortly.
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Sep 16, 2007 16:16
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porktree posted:I've been picking up a ton of Ham's on the 40m band (I think, in the 6900-7400khz range). I'm not sure if it's because I never looked before, because it's the weekend, or because I put out a 100 foot L antenna in the backyard. I also notice I'm getting stations during the day in the 17000's which I never got before.
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Sep 16, 2007 23:49
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All right, add $73.90 for the DE1103 I just bought on ebay.
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Sep 17, 2007 03:44
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Opensourcepirate posted:All right, add $73.90 for the DE1103 I just bought on ebay. You just pushed the financial drain over six thousand dollars. Dear god, what have I done?
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Sep 17, 2007 03:51
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I want to add an antenna onto my roof. I have a spot I can run the wire out, but there is a lot of electrical lines ran in my patio for lights and they put out a lot of interference when I put my radio close to then. (even when the lights are off.) Will this cause my antenna that I would run to pick up this interference? I would have to run my antenna (and it would be next to the electrical wires for the patio lights.) around the patio and then onto the roof. I think the best idea would be to run some sort of shielded cable up to the roof then mount an antenna or something to the chimney. Any idea what type of cable would work best for this? Pretty much the inside of my house kills all shortwave reception. I have to currently go outside and throw a random wire antenna on the roof to get anything. I want to be able to have an nice setup on the roof so during the winter I wont have to freeze my rear end off outside when I want to listen. EDIT: I just realized that a simple longwire antenna will have to be just that- LONG. Would just stapling the wire to the roof, then connecting the long wire to shielded coax then connecting that to the radio work? Capnbigboobies fucked around with this message at 05:29 on Sep 17, 2007 |
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Sep 17, 2007 04:20
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Capnbigboobies posted:I think the best idea would be to run some sort of shielded cable up to the roof then mount an antenna or something to the chimney. Any idea what type of cable would work best for this? Pretty much the inside of my house kills all shortwave reception. I have to currently go outside and throw a random wire antenna on the roof to get anything. I want to be able to have an nice setup on the roof so during the winter I wont have to freeze my rear end off outside when I want to listen.  Right now I've got an alligator clip on the part in the house, but I've got a coax wall jack I'm running it into next weekend, and then when I figure out which part should be hot on the 1/8 jack, I'll put a cable that screws into the wall and has an 1/8 plug on it. So far just having the alligator clip and longer antenna has opened up a ton of new signals for me. edit: The thing I worry about, is right now I've go the end at the deck tied in a loop around one of the fence slats - does looping the end of the antenna hinder it's performance?
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Sep 17, 2007 20:44
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nmfree posted:The tip is for the antenna, the sleeve is for a ground (if you use one, and you should if you can). Also, I don't think anyone's mentioned it yet - but you want a 1/8" MONO connector. And, as nmfree stated, you definitely want to solder the braid of the coax or a ground wire to the sleeve of the connector. It will seriously sound like crap if you don't.
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Sep 18, 2007 00:22
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