AmateurRadio.com

It's always interesting to use one of the many 'audio viewing' software programs, such as 'Argo', 'Spectran' or Spectrum Lab, driven with receiver audio, to dig deep into a section of the spectrum using very narrow bandwidths. The narrower the bandwidth becomes, the greater the signal-to-noise ratio, increasing sensitivity in effect. The use of digital signal processing software can create the extremely narrow milliHertz  filtering needed to view signals buried deep in the noise...the deeper the search (20db, 30db or more into the noise), the longer the time needed to build up the visual display of signals that would be far too weak to detect aurally.

Recently, rather than using Argo to view a slice of spectrum I set up the Perseus waterfall display to have a deep-look at 1240kHz. This is one of the broadcast-band's 'local' channels and one that BCB DXers refer to as a 'graveyard channel'. Almost all stations on the various graveyard frequencies run a maximum of 1kW day and night. According to the Medium Wave List, there are presently 166 stations in North America operating on 1240kHz...one of the reasons that 'DXing the graveyards' is so interesting.

With this in mind, I recently took a mid-afternoon listen. Just one station was audible to my ear, likely one of the stations to my south in Washington state. Centering Perseus on 1240kHz, the waterfall was set to display a ~50Hz slice of the spectrum...1240kHz +/- 25Hz. The screen below shows the display, ranging from 1239.976kHz to 1240.024kHz. After letting the waterfall visual display slowly build up, it revealed 26 separate carriers. The remaining signals, although propagating to my location, were too weak to be detected aurally.

26 midday carriers visible on 1240kHz

Checking the MWList once again, it shows only 11 stations to be within expected daylight groundwave distance from here...Washington, Oregon and B.C. Evidently there is some mid-afternoon skywave involved or I am seeing some extended groundwave from Idaho, Montana and California. MW List shows a total of 27 possible candidates, assuming extended groundwave, so it would seem that most of them are making it here in daylight.


The screen above was made approximately one hour after sunset (looping E-W) and shows the same 25Hz slice centered on 1240kHz. There are ~70 carriers visible by now, with most of them fading. Some transmitters appear to be rock-solid while most exhibit a cyclical drift, no doubt the result of some form of crystal temperature stability attempt. I'm guessing that the rock-solid ones are using more modern synthesizers for frequency generation.

Listening on 1240 during this period reveals a boiling cauldron of audio, mostly unreadable until one station fades-up and becomes intelligible for a short period before fading to be replaced by another. Sitting on this frequency at the top-of-hour identification time can often catch a few idents with careful listening.


Even comparatively empty 540kHz reveals 22 different carriers, the only audible one being CBK in Watrous, Saskatchewan, the brighter trace at 540.002kHz. The one at the right looks as if it may have just come on the air for the evening. It's possible that many of these are low powered traffic information stations (TIS) running at 10 watts.
Steve McDonald, VE7SL, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from British Columbia, Canada. Contact him at [email protected].

See https://www.youtube.com/user/ve3cnu

It is always fun to take a peek into other people’s radio shacks. This YouTube channel is hosted by Canadian VE3CNU. He has a nice shack and some nice gear.

I am amazed by how much money some people seem able to spend on the hobby.  This is, of course, a very individual decision and I am not criticizing anyone. Some pay a lot more to play golf, for example.

What I would say though is the hobby can be enjoyed on a shoestring if you build simple QRP radios and/or buy good second hand rigs. My own approach has been a mix of some homebrew and a few commercial rigs.

Others prefer to buy their rigs new (often with long guarantees) and experiment with antennas and peripherals. This is a very individual hobby that can be enjoyed in a number of ways.

Others just enjoy chatting on the air.

Roger Lapthorn, G3XBM, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Cambridge, England.

I’ve been busy lately producing video of each talk at the ARRL/TAPR 2014 Digital Communications Conference, held in Austin TX this year in early September. There will be a total of about 24 of them when I’m done, and eight are online now, along with a few peripheral videos like operating mobile (HF, VHF, D-STAR) on the long drive home, and setting up a portable station at the beach (where I spent most of my time producing video instead of relaxing). So far you’ll get an update on stuff from FlexRadio (including new APIs for SmartSDR, the software that runs their new 6000 series); a rant from Bruce Perens K6BP on patents for the AMBE vocoder used by D-STAR and DMR; a couple talks on Digital Amateur Television (we don’t have to, but you’ll probably want to); a demonstration of bringing up three SDR receivers (where the problems are generally getting the Windows software and drivers to work); and updates on SDR products from Ettus Research and NWDigitalRadio.

Also on the way back, I was invited to stop by the North Carolina Mountain State Fair, where several clubs got together to stage a major ham radio demonstration tent. I’ll include that video here. For the rest, stop by HamRadioNow.tv and scroll down the list. I’ve added a link to a YouTube Playlist that has all the DCC videos I’ve done over the past several years.

Dig a little farther back for Episode 161, a supplement to my QST review of Yaesu’s FTM-400 and FT1DR System Fusion C4FM digital voice VHF/UHF radios.

73, Gary KN4AQ

Gary Pearce, KN4AQ, is the host of HamRadioNow.tv. If you enjoy this and other HamRadioNow programs, help keep them 'on the air' with a contribution. Contact him at [email protected].

Having enjoyed using the IC-740 over the last few weeks and making some fun HF QSOs, there was another of my old HF rigs that I wanted to get going again. My old TS-940, bought second-hand from Jan G0IVZ, perhaps 20 or more years ago, maybe more had been sat up in the loft since we moved to Oxfordshire 10 years ago. I’d got it down some months ago and had been disappointed to find that only half a display lit up and it wasn’t well at all.

A few weeks ago, I noticed a post from my friend Matt 2E0MDJ on Facebook saying that he was having a repair done by James M1APC. James is based in Cornwall and is well worth following on Facebook (search for ‘The Shack’) and he posts pictures of many of the rigs that he has in for repair – which is fascinating to see.

Anyway, a couple of weeks ago, I emailled James to see if he would be willing to look at my TS-940. The answer was yes, so last week, I shipped the rig down to James to have a look at. I was delighted to see, on Facebook, last night a picture of my TS-940 lights bright and working again! James also sent me a video of the rig running on 10m – it sounds great.

James has the rig on soak test but tells me that he hopes to have the rig back with me very shortly. I’m really looking forward to it!

My plan is to have it on the bench, alongside the IC-740 and the FT-847, for a little CW, SSB and AM on the HF bands. Assuming it works well, and I am sure it will, that will probably free up the FT1000MP to go elsewhere.

If you want to find James M1APC on the web – he has a site here with some contact details.

Tim Kirby, G4VXE, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Oxfordshire, England. Contact him at [email protected].

Having enjoyed using the IC-740 over the last few weeks and making some fun HF QSOs, there was another of my old HF rigs that I wanted to get going again. My old TS-940, bought second-hand from Jan G0IVZ, perhaps 20 or more years ago, maybe more had been sat up in the loft since we moved to Oxfordshire 10 years ago. I’d got it down some months ago and had been disappointed to find that only half a display lit up and it wasn’t well at all.

A few weeks ago, I noticed a post from my friend Matt 2E0MDJ on Facebook saying that he was having a repair done by James M1APC. James is based in Cornwall and is well worth following on Facebook (search for ‘The Shack’) and he posts pictures of many of the rigs that he has in for repair – which is fascinating to see.

Anyway, a couple of weeks ago, I emailled James to see if he would be willing to look at my TS-940. The answer was yes, so last week, I shipped the rig down to James to have a look at. I was delighted to see, on Facebook, last night a picture of my TS-940 lights bright and working again! James also sent me a video of the rig running on 10m – it sounds great.

James has the rig on soak test but tells me that he hopes to have the rig back with me very shortly. I’m really looking forward to it!

My plan is to have it on the bench, alongside the IC-740 and the FT-847, for a little CW, SSB and AM on the HF bands. Assuming it works well, and I am sure it will, that will probably free up the FT1000MP to go elsewhere.

If you want to find James M1APC on the web – he has a site here with some contact details.

Tim Kirby, G4VXE, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Oxfordshire, England. Contact him at [email protected].

Well not quite, but flagpoles do make an excellent way of hanging a long wire, as you will find out below:






My friend Pete (G4WQR) rang me recently, he had been looking for a couple of 20ft poles, his current anchor for his long wire a tree, was going to have the chop. He said, "have you seen the price of 20ft poles? By the time you get one home via the post your talking £50!! Do you have any ideas Steve?" I said "leave it to me and I will have a look around".

Sure enough, anyone advertising aluminum for antenna work is expensive! But I had seen Flagpoles recently on ebay, and I wondered if these would be good enough to use? The spec looked good, and as I was not going to be the guinea pig they had got to be worth a try at half the price of antenna poles from emporiums.

He took my advice and ordered a pair from the link I found on ebay, we waited, they arrived very quick! Both well boxed, perfect just made for the job! I went over to see recently, by which time he had managed to errect one:



The contents of the box below including flags. (not shown is another small box which contains a few accessories, including cord, and a pulley which is perfect for hoisting the antenna). The small black 2ft tube is the ground sleeve, which you have to concrete in. The Pole is 2" diameter sectional, which simply slots together to form the complete length.





After viewing and taking a few photos, I was asked if I could dig a 2ft hole for the second pole and a mix a bit of fast setting concrete, easy done than said, phew! I did earn a few mugs of tea and a bacon sandwich.



Concrete complete with one section of pole installed in the sleeve:




Conclusion, an excellent economic way of hanging a long wire for HF work. The flagpole may be suitable for a small 3 element 2m beam if well guyed, and maybe a couple of exhaust clamps to hold the sections together a bit tighter?

I will be buying a set now too!

Ebay reference:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/20ft-FLAGPOLE-ALUMINIUM-FLAG-POLE-WITH-2-FLAGS-/170590373427?pt=UK_HomeGarden_Garden_GardenOrnaments_JN&hash=item27b7fa8633 
Steve, G1KQH, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from England. Contact him at [email protected].

Look at this huge sunspot, the largest yet of Sunspot Cycle 24! It is about the same diameter as Jupiter! Notice how tiny Earth is, in comparison. Sunspots are regions on the Sun’s photosphere, formed by the “convection” of solar plasma deep inside the Sun, causing the twisting and shifting of magnetic fields. They look like spots on the photosphere because they are cooler than their surrounding solar material, giving them their dark, blemish-like appearance.

The sunspot is the largest since November 1990, and is larger than a monster sunspot that spawned a series of major solar flares over Halloween in 2003. AR 2192 was one of the biggest observed sunspots of all time, ranking 33rd largest of 32,908 active regions since 1874, according to NASA scientists C. Alex Young and Dean Pesnell.

Interestingly, this sunspot never released any major coronal mass ejection (CME), because the magnetic fields were too strong to let any significant plasma escape! However, this sunspot group unleashed a fair number of moderate to strong x-ray flares (see one of them in this video at < http://g.nw7us.us/1s7L0vF >). All told, AR 2192 popped off 26 M-class flares, and six X-class flares! Of course, during the last sunspot cycle, Cycle 23, there were many active sunspot regions unleashing flare after flare within hours of each other. That’s typical during the active phase of most sunspot cycles. This cycle, however, is one of the weakest on record, so this large sunspot with its many flares is exciting.

Each sunspot region gets a consecutive number assigned to it by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This sunspot region is NOAA AR (active region) Nr. 12192 (we often drop the first digit when speaking of a sunspot, so in this case, this region was often referred to as AR 2192).

This sunspot region increased the ionization of the ionosphere, creating excellent conditions on all of the high frequency spectrum (shortwave, or HF). Even ten meters was alive with world-wide propagation. And, the best news is that this provided an exciting playing field for the CQ WW SSB contest in late October, 2014.

This sunspot region has now rotated away, but may return on about 24 days.

Credit: NASA/SDO/HMI

Check out: http://SunSpotWatch.com

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