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Dolemite posted:This is unbelievable! I can't shake this loving gospel station!!!! They broadcast anywhere from 3-9 MHz! They are every where. Right now, they broadcast OVER Radio Marti, Radio Habana, and basically anything else that's cool! Either its being broadcast in shortwave within a few miles and you're getting "reflections" on other frequencies, or it could be a local MW gospel station that causes reflection interference. Welcome to my world, because that's been my big trouble with radio disney a mile and a half away. O.G. posted:I guess you can add another $73.90 to the OP. This stuff has been fascinating the hell out of me, so I couldn't resist the need to buy a DE1103 from ebay. Adding it right now.
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Mar 22, 2008 23:13
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| # ? May 27, 2024 07:21 |
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I'm not sure if this is super relevant, but I had found this auto-updating map when I was looking up what graylining was. http://www.spacew.com/www/160gray.html
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Mar 23, 2008 01:59
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TetsuoTW posted:Holy poo poo graylining is fun as hell! Last night I managed to get back from work in time to hit up a good half-hour of solid grayline conditions, and while I didn't get too many stations, I was still hell of impressed with what I did get. I heard about 5 minutes of what I'm pretty sure what Radio Free Afghanistan on 19010k from 1017-1022, and a few minutes of what sounded like Arabic chanting coming across pretty clearly on 21495k between 1024 and 1027 (Radio Riyadh possibly?). Now that I see the possibilities, I'm definitely going to make more of an effort to see what I can find. You're in Taiwan (or thereabout), right? I don't think greyline propagation is going to be responsible for DX contacts in the Middle East. Here's what the solar terminator looks like right now; it's almost perpendicular with the equator since we just passed through the equinox:  I bet you actually DXed a station in Indonesia (88% of Indonesia identifies as Muslim), but that's still cool beans. if anyone else is interested in chasing greyline, here are a couple links that'll help you get an idea of what propagation is possible throughout the year: An Earth-Sun interacive model, and a real-time greyline map edit: cool MUF/greyline map, Accursed! I missed that the first time around. McRib Sandwich fucked around with this message at 05:26 on Mar 23, 2008 |
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Mar 23, 2008 05:20
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McRib Sandwich posted:I bet you actually DXed a station in Indonesia (88% of Indonesia identifies as Muslim), but that's still cool beans.
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Mar 23, 2008 05:44
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It's time for a game of 'why does my longwire suck so bad?' I've got 60' of 14g wire strung along a wooden fence 5' above the ground, at the end Ive connected 50' of RG58 or 59 (75 ohm) coax with the shielding connected to a 1/2" copper pipe buried 10' deep. At the radio end Ive got the ground and antenna connection soldered up properly in the mini headphone style jack. At best, plugging it in gives me 1S on my meter (Grundig G5) and pretty much no improvement in reception, especially for the ~$40 I spent on supplies. Edit: This is the spec sheet for the coax I'm using: http://www.bluejeanscable.com/pages/technicaldocs/1855A.pdf w_hat fucked around with this message at 00:01 on Mar 24, 2008 |
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Mar 23, 2008 23:52
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So seeing as archives is down, and that's where the only ham radio thread on SA was, I was thinking of starting a new one. Only thing is, I have no idea what the best place is to open one. A/V arena? SH/SC? Plain-old GBS? Don't get me wrong, this has been a fabulous thread, but if the hams here were to fill it up with posts about DX logging, packet radio, and $2000 rigs it would probably derail the thread from the SWL aspect somewhat. Also, it would probably end up as a good resource for anyone from this thread whose interests in getting an amateur ticket have been piqued. What do you guys think?
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Mar 24, 2008 11:20
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McRib Sandwich posted:So seeing as archives is down, and that's where the only ham radio thread on SA was, I was thinking of starting a new one. Only thing is, I have no idea what the best place is to open one. A/V arena? SH/SC? Plain-old GBS? I'd probably do GBS, Also link us to it!
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Mar 24, 2008 14:39
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I'd be cool with a separate ham thread - I wouldn't mind reading one that's more ham-focused, since this SWL thing is getting me interested already, and it'd be nice to find out more without muddling this thread too much. I don't spend enough time in any of those subforums to have really any idea where it'd go, but as long as there's a link, I'm sweet. Although speaking of logging, has anyone set up any outside source for the SWLers in here to post logs? Or would it be alright to do so in here? If I had any idea where to start, I'd be happy to set something up under my domain.
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Mar 25, 2008 05:58
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So this is strange. I had experimented with lengthening my antenna by taking the existing coax wire I use as the antenna and using two splitters to attach two extra lengths of coax to the original piece which extended the length of my antenna. I found that this lengthened antenna gave me slightly better reception but at the expensive of that evil gospel station bleeding into EVERYTHING I tried to listen to. After a few days of making sure that is IS my antenna, I removed the extra sections and found that I didn't really lose any reception AND that drat gospel station is gone (or nearly) from everything I try to listen to. So now this has me wondering: What happens if I build a REALLY big antenna like a ground loop antenna, will that gospel station overpower everything I try to listen to like with the last time I tried to extend the antenna? Here's a crap MSPaint of my former setup. 
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Mar 26, 2008 02:05
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How long did it make the effective length of the antenna, and what frequency can you find that gospel station on? I realize it may be hard to find the actual station frequency, especially if it doesn't broadcast regularly and is bleeding over absolutely everything. My guess would be you managed to get the antenna to a fractional length of that particular frequency's wavelength, and so it was picking it up especially well, but I was pretty bad at physics.
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Mar 26, 2008 13:09
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I'm considering making a short trip to Hong Kong in the near future, motivated by a combination of tickets being pretty cheap right now and SW/ham radios being apparently much more easily available. I'm thinking of upgrading to an Eton E1 or Grundig G5 or G6, availability permitting - anyone have experience with these particular radios? I've read the reviews in Passport, but I'd honestly place the opinions of people in here above even Passport's reviews.
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Mar 26, 2008 15:24
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Dolemite posted:So this is strange. I had experimented with lengthening my antenna by taking the existing coax wire I use as the antenna and using two splitters to attach two extra lengths of coax to the original piece which extended the length of my antenna. I'm interested in learning more about using coax as an antenna. Are you using plain ol' RG6? It it much better than the dinky little longwire antenna that came with my E5? Do you terminate it with anything?
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Mar 26, 2008 17:30
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Accursed posted:How long did it make the effective length of the antenna, and what frequency can you find that gospel station on? I realize it may be hard to find the actual station frequency, especially if it doesn't broadcast regularly and is bleeding over absolutely everything. My guess would be you managed to get the antenna to a fractional length of that particular frequency's wavelength, and so it was picking it up especially well, but I was pretty bad at physics. Hmm. I will have to actually measure the antenna when I get a chance, but I know that the two smaller cables I used to extend the antenna were roughly 5-6 feet long. I don't know how long my existing antenna is, but it's basically a standard length roll of coax cable I had lying around that I bought from Target a long time ago. I just don't know what "standard" length is, but I'll assume 30-50 feet. So, taking the middle estimate and saying the roll is 40 feet plus my two extensions means my antenna's total length was probably around 50 feet long. I could never track down that gospel station (actually, it's more like I couldn't stand to listen to it long enough to listen for its FCC identification  ) but I did notice it came in the strongest somewhere around 2500-3500 KHz. I also theorized that maybe the wavelength of the antenna changed when I lengthened it. But, I tried to Google as best as I could and I could not find a wavelength guide that didn't require a math PhD to read.  I wish someone would put out a very basic X feet long antenna is good for Y frequencies!SpazRobot posted:I'm interested in learning more about using coax as an antenna. Are you using plain ol' RG6? It it much better than the dinky little longwire antenna that came with my E5? Do you terminate it with anything? Yep, I'm using a plain ol' TV coax cable as my antenna. On one end, I've stripped the coax connector off and basically shoved the exposed copper wire into the BNC connector on my Winradio card. The cable then snakes through my patio door over the patio railing. On the other end of the cable is the normal TV coax connector. I thought about stripping that off as well, but I figured more metallic stuff = more reception. I wouldn't know if it's better than your E5's antenna though. My Winradio was a hand-me-down from my dad and I didn't have any kind of antenna for it, so I made this setup from what I had. My understanding from having asked in this thread tons of pages ago is that coax is okay but not good. So far, I'm satisfied with the antenna's performance. I can pick up Radio Havana pretty well, I can also pick up Radio Netherlands, Radio China International, and various crazy preacher stations as far out as the Carolinas. I can get a decent amount of stuff.
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Mar 26, 2008 18:49
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This Bicycle Rim Antenna is pretty cool.
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Mar 26, 2008 21:27
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mrbill posted:This Bicycle Rim Antenna is pretty cool. The more cool stuff like this that pops up, the more I realize I need to hurry up and learn some basic electronics and re-learn to solder.
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Mar 27, 2008 06:16
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mrbill posted:This Bicycle Rim Antenna is pretty cool. Do you have any idea how this antenna would compare to say, the Sony ANLP-1? (I think that's the name of the Sony Antenna; I'm speaking about the one that's the large circle you hang in a window).
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Mar 27, 2008 15:28
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Accursed posted:Do you have any idea how this antenna would compare to say, the Sony ANLP-1? (I think that's the name of the Sony Antenna; I'm speaking about the one that's the large circle you hang in a window). For general SWLing, the Sony would be better.
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Mar 27, 2008 16:53
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Stumbled upon E10 Echo Zulu India at 23:34 tonight, confirmed the freq at: http://www.spynumbers.com/E10/e10-1.html Where do I send my SQL again?
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Mar 28, 2008 00:57
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You don't SQL numbers stations, because they're not broadcast for voyeuristic listeners, they're for agents in the field. Mrbill: How much better would the Sony be? I'm assuming the bicycle rim antenna is cheaper to make than the SOny is to purchase, but would the loss in quality make it worthwhile, or would it really just be better to go out and get the Sony?
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Mar 28, 2008 01:19
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Accursed posted:Mrbill: How much better would the Sony be? I'm assuming the bicycle rim antenna is cheaper to make than the SOny is to purchase, but would the loss in quality make it worthwhile, or would it really just be better to go out and get the Sony? Without doing a long drawn-out explanation: get the Sony.
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Mar 28, 2008 02:23
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Accursed posted:You don't SQL numbers stations ...unless they're Czech!
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Mar 28, 2008 05:23
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Accursed posted:You don't SQL numbers stations, because they're not broadcast for voyeuristic listeners, they're for agents in the field. QSLing them, on the other hand...  (Oh, and numbers stations won't QSL. However, if you hear a bunch of them, you might find it worthwhile to send your list to Monitoring Times or one of the internet logging blogs.)
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Mar 28, 2008 09:02
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Today on Dyslexia Radio, Accursed makes an idiot of himself! MrBill: Thanks! If it's going to be that technical, I probably don't want to hear it, and I'll just start saving pennies for the radio and antenna.
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Mar 28, 2008 13:26
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Accursed posted:You don't SQL numbers stations First thing that came to mind (of course): code:
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Mar 28, 2008 17:15
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mrbill posted:First thing that came to mind (of course): Congratulations, I think you just posted the nerdiest thing in a thread already about what I personally consider a pretty nerdy hobby to begin with.
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Mar 28, 2008 18:06
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TetsuoTW posted:I'm considering making a short trip to Hong Kong in the near future, motivated by a combination of tickets being pretty cheap right now and SW/ham radios being apparently much more easily available. I'm thinking of upgrading to an Eton E1 or Grundig G5 or G6, availability permitting - anyone have experience with these particular radios? I've read the reviews in Passport, but I'd honestly place the opinions of people in here above even Passport's reviews. I have an E1 and the G5. The E1 is an absolutely lovely radio (mind you, it ought to be for what it cost). It's quite the best thing I've encountered for SWL since it has an excellent feature that lets you "lock on" to a station you're listening to; it makes listening to shortwave a lot less tiresome than it can otherwise be since it minimises the fading in and out that you often encounter. It's a fairly large radio, so not one you'll take with you everywhere. Mine's hooked up to a G5RV that runs down the garden, I have the G5 for if I am travelling. The E1 is great for listening to shortwave broadcast stuff and if you're interested in digital modes and SSB stuff it's great for those too. As I mentioned, ought to be for that price  .I consider the G5 to be like the E1's little bro, really. It's not as posh as the E1, doesn't have the fancy lock-on feature or the big alphanumeric screen, but is still a great little radio that'll do the sidebands if you want them and is small enough to take everywhere. I've been on business trips and in my spare time been getting wefax off the G5 and my lappy via a longwire out the hotel window  .They are both great radios really. The E1 is definitely for posh, but is about the nicest radio for SWL I've ever used .
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Mar 29, 2008 02:51
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stinky ox posted:They are both great radios really. The E1 is definitely for posh, but is about the nicest radio for SWL I've ever used
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Mar 29, 2008 04:22
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TetsuoTW posted:Congratulations, I think you just posted the nerdiest thing in a thread already about what I personally consider a pretty nerdy hobby to begin with. If it were going to be anyone, it'd be mrbill. To be fair, at least two of us got the joke as well 
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Mar 29, 2008 04:26
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To be fair, it wasn't my SQL, I was just replying to W_Hat before my brain shut down after working all night. Awesomonster: Any initial comments on the G6, if you've gotten it yet?
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Mar 29, 2008 05:53
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Accursed posted:To be fair, it wasn't my SQL, I was just replying to W_Hat before my brain shut down after working all night. I haven't received it yet, much to my chagrin. I've been itching to listen to it, especially any from China about what is going on in Tibet. I'll definitely post as soon as I get it! If it takes much longer, I'll email the Amazon seller and make sure it's been shipped (Amazon has a policy that sellers have to ship within two days of the order) and maybe get any more info about when to expect it. Trust me, the wait is driving me absolutely crazy. I want my radio!
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Mar 29, 2008 06:30
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Awesomonster posted:I've been itching to listen to it, especially any from China about what is going on in Tibet.
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Mar 29, 2008 10:23
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I finally broke down, so add in 149.95 for a shiny new G5.
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Mar 30, 2008 16:40
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after reading this thread extensively, I went out and bought a grundig mini 300 for $30 from Radio shack. I'm playing around and I've already found some priceless religious (and quite racist!) sermons, not to mention some stations broadcasting in Arabic and other languages I don't understand. I also think I found a number station around 13.69mhz ....it was the clearest I've picked up so far and it was just a woman counting off random numbers in French...but now that frequency sounds like it is broadcasting in Mandarin. Maybe some kind of educational program? Can't wait to hear some stuff tonight, I might have to upgrade to a better radio already!
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Mar 30, 2008 22:20
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TetsuoTW posted:I haven't checked many of the Chinese-language broadcasts, but as far as CRI is concerned, don't hold your breath. The Central People's Broadcasting Service or whatever its English name is has barely said poo poo, barring a "press conference" held by Wen Jiabao which as far as I remember said little more than the party line of "it's just a few radicals, don't worry Taiwan, Macao, and Hong Kong, we've got it sorted, just ignore them, it'll all be fine, we love you all like brothers". Hah, trust me, I don't think I'll ever be expecting any official stations to be open with any sort of useful information. Aren't there a few pirate stations out of China, though?
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Mar 31, 2008 03:01
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Awesomonster posted:Hah, trust me, I don't think I'll ever be expecting any official stations to be open with any sort of useful information. Aren't there a few pirate stations out of China, though? There are a few clandestine operations broadcasting into China, but China's generally really effective in jamming them - the other night I found one broadcasting out of Taiwan into China, and despite my being effectively just up the road from the broadcast, China's jamming still killed it almost completely. And most of the stuff going into China that's not Radio Free Asia or other American efforts is Falun Gong stuff, and without going on a rant here, gently caress Falun Gong in their deluded, racist, retarded asses.
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Mar 31, 2008 10:30
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mrbill posted:First thing that came to mind (of course): Heh, well you joke, but someday sooner or later software-defined radio is practically going to let you record whatever hits an antenna straight to your computer, and pull out any signal you want to listen to. The trick is finding DACs that are fast and precise enough to record microvolt antenna fluctuations with reasonable fidelity.
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Mar 31, 2008 11:31
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Because the thread is pretty lengthy, and it's kind of a minor thing to dig through for, does anyone have the frequencies for the time-signal broadcast out of Fort Collins handy?
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Mar 31, 2008 14:20
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Accursed posted:Because the thread is pretty lengthy, and it's kind of a minor thing to dig through for, does anyone have the frequencies for the time-signal broadcast out of Fort Collins handy? 5mhz, 10mhz, 15mhz, and a few others iirc. edit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WWV_(radio_station) Full list here.
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Mar 31, 2008 17:27
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TetsuoTW posted:There are a few clandestine operations broadcasting into China, but China's generally really effective in jamming them - the other night I found one broadcasting out of Taiwan into China, and despite my being effectively just up the road from the broadcast, China's jamming still killed it almost completely. And most of the stuff going into China that's not Radio Free Asia or other American efforts is Falun Gong stuff, and without going on a rant here, gently caress Falun Gong in their deluded, racist, retarded asses. That really breaks my heart. The hold China has over any information going in or coming out is ridiculous. I could go on, but this isn't the place. Still, I'll keep an ear out for any news I can get about the whole situation (as soon as I get my radio, that is). American news is pathetically devoid of world events, to say the least.
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Mar 31, 2008 19:31
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| # ? May 27, 2024 07:21 |
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OP updated with latest purchases. Only 7 radios away from the BIG WINNER!!!
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Apr 1, 2008 16:45
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