Mobile shortwave log

[k9rzz]

I've got my Icom IC706MkIIG in the car and using a 40 meter hamstick on the roof was tuning around the 31 meter shortwave band today, here's my 'quick log'. ID's all tentative using Passport to World Band Radio, (http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/books/1008.html)

Location was Cliffside Park near Racine, WI (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=....816055,-87.814751&spn=0.060945,0.175781&z=13).

Although I've been to this park many times, this is the first time with my radio ... boy is it nice and quiet! There is a coal powered power plant about 1/2 mile to the north and a few houses to the south, but it's railroad to the west and Lake Michigan extending 90 miles to the east. Sweet! Much quieter than at home. I'm tempted to go back soon and string up a temporary wire!

Approx. time: 2030z (3:30 pm local, 5 hours before sunset)

9665khz Radio Ext. Espania - Arabic
9680khz Voice of America via Germany? French
9690khz Radio Canada via Sweden? French-
9790khz Radio France International - French - Sports - Olympics?
9755khz Vatican Radio to west Africa - Arabic
9765khz Radio Algerienne via UK to Africa - Arabic
9765khz ?? another Arabic station under - weaker - BBC to Africa??

I'll bring a camera next time and take a few pix. Tomorrow??

 

[k9rzz]

Day 2.

Icom IC706MKIIG, 40 meter hamstick.

Cliffside Park - Racine, WI

More static crashes today, but better signals overall.

2100 - 2130z

9575khz Radio Mediterranee Internationale, Morocco Arabic signal: G
9780khz Africa Number One , Gabon VG
9600khz China Radio International Kashi to Europe English Fair
9625khz Radio Canada International, Northern Service, English, Excellent
9700khz Radio Bulgaria, English, Very Good
9820khz Radio E Televisao De Portugal, Portuguese, Football game (Olympics?), VG
9840khz Radio Exterior de España, English, VG
9855khz Iran, Arabic, VG
9870khz Broadcasting Service of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Arabic, VG

I'll go back tomorrow with a spool of wire and a camera!

 

[Shortwavewave]

Nice to see someone getting out there, I do stuff like this all the time.

Heres a video of my latest discovery, and hope im not hijacking this thread
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAFjl_UA8Rc

 

[k9rzz]

Cool ! So what do you think ... did it work well ???

I have a guard rail nearby that's about 1500 feet long and slopes downhill towards Mexico. The problem is that there is no place to park next to it like your's and it seems to be grounded pretty frequently.

That might be an interesting project though ...certainly there are no shortage of guard rails in this country to try and are certainly safer than railroad tracks to try!


Hmmmmm .....


Taking tonight off from shortwave to DX the Perseids meteor shower on FM BC. (See my post under tropo/skip).

(Edit: What I could do is put my Palstar R30 and a battery in a back pack and sit in the woods near the guard rail, just to test it out. Will report on how that works out).

 

[Shortwavewave]

Yes I did like it, although like the video says I think approx.4000ft is overkill, 1000-1500ft would be alot better.

An easy way to measure the rail is count the posts, and measue just one, then multiply.

Keep the stuff, pics, and logs coming Im sorting out my logs now.

 

[gcgrotz]

Park near (safely far enough of course) the train tracks. They make a good ground plane. A local 1kw AM'er here is right next to the tracks and the signal couples into them, they get out extremely well for 1kw on 1400.

That's a great video though, I might have to try it. Problem here is that most guardrails are on metal post driven down, not wood like you've got there. But, as dry as its been lately they probably don't present much of a ground! There's a big chain link fence right behind me, hmmmm. I bet the xformer from my PAR end fed would work on that.

BTW, the non-North American stations broadcast on 9khz spacing, not "on the nines". Set your tuning step to 9khz and you will be correct. The closest channels to 700 khz are 702 and 693. Sometimes it is hard to tell about strange languages with all the US stations broadcasting to ethnic minorities. But look out, for you have been infected with the medium wave DX bug! Good Luck!

 

[k9rzz]

My latest mini-DXpedition - Harrington Beach State Park:

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&i....511833,-87.844448&spn=0.060255,0.175781&z=13

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TbnCxc-_p8

Nice place to DX - quiet - very few houses, closest 1/2 mile away. Nearest house between QTH and Europe Africa is 90 miles! Lots of room to lay down BOGS (Beverage On Ground). Very few people walking around to trip on wires.

I shall return !!

 

[Shortwavewave]

Nice, must be nice living next to a lake that big. I go out quite often too, I try to find the highest and quietest place, theres a "so called" Tiger Mountian in east oklahoma, I will try when fall comes around, not really a mountian, but a hill, it still gets me up there though

 

[KC0QNB]

Ernie nice video, not sure what time of day you out there, but here is a guess as to what we heard.
15590 0900-0930(UTC) Japan R. Japan As
Translation, Radio of Japan, through the Ascension Islands relay
That is the only 15590 I could find. What time of day were you listening, in UTC?

 

[gcgrotz]

Hey everybody, me again. There's a video on Youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWsdaSmWg7E of a guy in Norway using a guardrail 8000 meters long! He was DXing the ELF stuff, Russian Naval transmissions 9KHz to 23 KHz, with a laptop and spectrum analyzer program.

You guys make me so jealous with my vertical antenna in my noisy city back yard!

 

[Shortwavewave]

grotz, thanks for posting nice video, but im confused I didnt know the TS2000X could go that low? or even be esaly modified?

Id like to know the secret....

 

[gcgrotz]

I'm not sure how low they go, I saw that shot of it on 37KHz. I think the other stuff he was decoding directly into the sound card of the PC. I've seen articles on it but I don't know a lot. The R75 has no problem at 60 KHz.

 

[k9rzz]

In the comments section of one of his other videos, he states that he uses the "RIT" control to go that low:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1R9k6A6aUrk&feature=related

 

[AndersonMBK]

This looks like fun. I'd like to start. What's a good receiver to start with? I'd prefer a handheld over a tabletop..