International DXing

[mparker]

since ive gotten my tech license but no radio yet ive been listening to the ham bands on my bct15 just to learn the lingo and procedures...

anyhow just to be curious i stated scanning the low ham bands around 40 - 50mhz hoping to hearing some people speaking other languages...

i guess my question is am i doing it right? i usually listen around 8-10pm eastern....

[kb2vxa]

"i guess my question is am i doing it right?"

Er, no. To begin with that's not a ham band, 50-54MHz is 6M and you won't hear foreign stations from Ohio unless we get one hell of an opening next summer. If that's what you want you'll have to listen to the HF bands, the bottom end of 40M below the broadcasters at night would be a good place to start, 75M is another.

As far as procedure goes HF and VHF are considerably different, you really can't learn one by listening to the other so you need to learn them both, listen to them both. Sooner or later you may upgrade to General and earn more HF privileges, listen, learn and you'll be ready. CW is a world all its own and an interesting mode, if you don't already know the code it's good to learn and a whole new world opens up to you. Hint: when you know Morse you can identify repeaters both Amateur and other by the CWID.

Rather than writing a book that would be required to educate you I suggest you pick up some publications on propagation already out there to help your understanding of when and where to listen. Propagation charts on line will keep you up to the minute but some are a bit complicated so you'll have to lean the basics before you may interpret the data.

Maybe some of you guys can help me out on this, all I have bookmarked are probably a bit much for him so maybe you know of some simple and easy to read global plots?

[mparker]

Originally Posted by kb2vxa

If that's what you want you'll have to listen to the HF bands, the bottom end of 40M below the broadcasters at night would be a good place to start, 75M is another.

sorry for the newbie Q, but what freqs range would that be? some quick math revels... 12000mhz - 22500mhz i dont think my bct15 will go that high

*edit*
come to find out, the bct15 goes 1240mhz - 1300mhz. i set a custom scan to scan that area in 5khz step... i hope to catch something... time to start saving pennies for a wideband...

[aharry]

Originally Posted by mparker

sorry for the newbie Q, but what freqs range would that be? some quick math revels... 12000mhz - 22500mhz i dont think my bct15 will go that high

You got it backwords.. the longer the wavelength the lower the frequency.. the 40 meter band starts at 7MHz.. and 80 meters starts at 3.5 MHz.. but those lower ranges are usually represented in kHz so it's 7000 kHz and 3500 kHz, you're right about one thing.. most scanners won't go that LOW.

[mparker]

Originally Posted by aharry

You got it backwords.. the longer the wavelength the lower the frequency.. the 40 meter band starts at 7MHz.. and 80 meters starts at 3.5 MHz.. but those lower ranges are usually represented in kHz so it's 7000 kHz and 3500 kHz, you're right about one thing.. most scanners won't go that LOW.

ohh ok...

looks like my scanner goes..
Frequency Range

* 25- 512 MHz
* 764- 776 MHz
* 794- 956 MHz (less cellular)
* 1240-1300 MHz

[2beers4me]

Originally Posted by mparker

ohh ok...

looks like my scanner goes..
Frequency Range

* 25- 512 MHz
* 764- 776 MHz
* 794- 956 MHz (less cellular)
* 1240-1300 MHz

The other problem you have is your scanner wont do SSB. The only DX in FM you will get will be on 10 meters around 29.600. The band has to have a strong opening for the FM DX to get going.