KB2GOM
Active Member
While waiting to start the Commuter Assistance Net on 2 meters this am, it seemed like a good time to see what happening on the HF broadcast bands. So I grab the CCrane Skywave SSB, extend the whip antenna, and press and hold the DOWN button to start it scanning from 10 MHz downward. (the Skywave SSB has a slick trick: if you are in AM mode, it will hop from international broadcasting band to international broadcasting band as it is scanning; if you are in SSB mode, it will hop from ham band to ham band while scanning.)
Presently, the Skywave stops on 5955, and I can hear a broadcaster, fully copyable but in the noise. Wondering what the signal sounds like on the Satellit 800, I switch it on and punch the frequency. Nothing. Nothing? Really? Maybe my horizontal room loop antenna is deaf on that frequency. I switch the Satellit to its whip antenna. Still nothing. Weird. Can it be that the Skywave with a whip antenna is actually more sensitive than the Satellite hooked to 50 feet of wire?
Then I tune the Satellit to 5950; big, fat signal. Clearly the Satellit has better selectivity than the Skywave, which stopped scanning at the edge of the signal. Tuning the Skywave to 5950, the signal is better, but still lots of noise. Engaging SSB and narrowing the bandwidth, the signal comes nicely up out of the background.
Note to self: don't make assumptions about what's working or not working, and learn to use the tools at hand.
Presently, the Skywave stops on 5955, and I can hear a broadcaster, fully copyable but in the noise. Wondering what the signal sounds like on the Satellit 800, I switch it on and punch the frequency. Nothing. Nothing? Really? Maybe my horizontal room loop antenna is deaf on that frequency. I switch the Satellit to its whip antenna. Still nothing. Weird. Can it be that the Skywave with a whip antenna is actually more sensitive than the Satellite hooked to 50 feet of wire?
Then I tune the Satellit to 5950; big, fat signal. Clearly the Satellit has better selectivity than the Skywave, which stopped scanning at the edge of the signal. Tuning the Skywave to 5950, the signal is better, but still lots of noise. Engaging SSB and narrowing the bandwidth, the signal comes nicely up out of the background.
Note to self: don't make assumptions about what's working or not working, and learn to use the tools at hand.