The AM Forum
March 28, 2024, 03:46:51 PM *
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
 
   Home   Help Calendar Links Staff List Gallery Login Register  
Pages: [1]   Go Down
  Print  
Author Topic: 3875 December 26th Recording of Beautiful Conditions  (Read 9317 times)
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
W1AEX
Un-smug-a-licious
Contributing
Member
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 1488


Apache Labs SDR


WWW
« on: December 27, 2011, 10:28:25 AM »

The screen capture can be watched in 720p high definition if you select that option in the YouTube player.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQdfH1rScq8

Conditions were excellent on 75 meters last night with strong signals up and down the coast. Unfortunately, several sideband stations slid in above us, and European RTTY also began to roll in quite loudly. Fortunately, it's easy to pull in the upper sideband to eliminate the interference up there. Stations heard in order during the video are: Al-W1VTP, Brian-KB3WFV, Wally-W1JDR, and Todd-KA1KAQ. Stations present before the video rolled were Rich-K1ETP, Bill-W1MPY, and Steve-W4YJ. Stations arriving after the video were Tim-WA1HLR, Steve-K4HX, Joe-WA2PJP, and Robert-W0VMC.

Rob W1AEX

Note:  The picture below is Todd's signal filling up the passband very nicely. At times during the QSO his KW-1 touched 40dB over S-9.


* todd - ka1kaq.jpg (68.06 KB, 732x396 - viewed 1004 times.)
Logged

One thing I'm certain of is that there is too much certainty in the world.
AF9J
Guest
« Reply #1 on: December 27, 2011, 12:12:13 PM »

Fantasic signals Rob!  I wish I'd at least listened in, but I was sick as a dog!  Sad  After coming home from helping out with the cleaning at a local animal shelter, and washing up, I collapsed on the couch and fell asleep - for 5 hours!  I woke up at midnight, only to stagger off to bed!  Being sick sucks!  I still feel wrung out.
Logged
Steve - K4HX
Guest
« Reply #2 on: December 27, 2011, 12:26:47 PM »

Yes, conditions were excellent. Here is how I was hearing Al, W1VTP. I was switching back and forth between the dipole and the phased Beverages. Even on a quiet band, the Beverages can make a noticeable SNR improvement. The distance from my location to AL's is 480 miles.

Track Log

Seconds     Antenna

00 - 13       Dipole
13 - 22      Beverage
22 - 34       Dipole
34 - 48      Beverage
48 - end     Dipole

* w1vtp27dec110448z3875.mp3 (702.98 KB - downloaded 482 times.)
Logged
Steve - K4HX
Guest
« Reply #3 on: December 27, 2011, 12:27:56 PM »

Here's how I was hearing Joe, WA2PJP. All the recording was on the Beverage antenna. He was approaching 50 db-over-9 most of the time!
Distance: 320 miles.

* wa2pjp27dec110505z3875.mp3 (606.79 KB - downloaded 494 times.)
Logged
Steve - K4HX
Guest
« Reply #4 on: December 27, 2011, 12:28:51 PM »

Here is Todd, strapping in as received on my dipole (he's off the back of the Beverage). Todd was also at 50-over most of the time. Distance: 128 miles.

* ka1kaq27dec110507z3875.mp3 (560.39 KB - downloaded 482 times.)
Logged
Todd, KA1KAQ
Administrator
Member

Offline Offline

Posts: 4310


AMbassador


« Reply #5 on: December 27, 2011, 04:07:58 PM »

TNX for posting the audio, guys. It makes me feel a bit better since I've been raving about how well the gang up north makes it down this way. Figured folks would start to think I had a little too much Christmas cheer.  Grin

Rob, that display is just too cool. Is that along the lines of what the SoftRock will provide? Since Gary posted that a few years back it's been tucked away in the back of my mind for future use. Pretty neat to see the bandwidth expand on the screen as the fidelity increases.

Conditions were quite enjoyable on this end. The analogy I used a few nights back with Steve certainly applies: it was like being out in a boat on a lake at night, with the surface of the water like glass.

Stations heard here were:

KC2UDZ
W1VTP
W1MPY working via the net from NY to NH
K1ETP
W1AEX
W4YJ trying out a homebrew 6146 rig given to him
KB3WFV
W1JDR
WA1HLR
WA2PJP
K4HX
W0VMC
WA3MJY light copy

It was a typical ebb and flow night, just as the group got big a few folks would leave, then later more would join. I had to check my S meter while talking to Rob as I couldn't figure out how his audio was staying so strong during the QSB. Turns out there wasn't much QSB, the bouncing was caused by voice peaks up to 40db over S9. The band was that clear.

Joe's new dipole works incredibly well. He was neck-and-neck with Steve/HX at times. And Robert was 20-30 over from WI.

It was great! Though a regular in that area of the band, Jeff W2NBC was conspicuous by his absence. He must be enjoying some Christmas downtime.

BTW - did anyone mention that Al/VTP was producing that signal Steve recorded with a whopping 52 watts??
Logged

known as The Voice of Vermont in a previous life
W1AEX
Un-smug-a-licious
Contributing
Member
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 1488


Apache Labs SDR


WWW
« Reply #6 on: December 27, 2011, 04:53:20 PM »

That's right, Al was traveling light and using the Courier for his afterburner as the pair of 3-500's are temporarily on the bench. It's amazing what 50 watts and a good antenna can do. If the Softrock is used with any of the 2.x.x versions of PowerSDR you can "skin" them to look pretty much like anything you want. The skin in the video is one I made last summer and is one of about a dozen that I give away here:

http://www.w1aex.com/psdr/psdr.html

Feel free to grab anything that amuses you when you get around to playing with the Softrock -> Boatanchor combination!

Rob W1AEX
Logged

One thing I'm certain of is that there is too much certainty in the world.
W1AEX
Un-smug-a-licious
Contributing
Member
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 1488


Apache Labs SDR


WWW
« Reply #7 on: December 28, 2011, 12:15:47 PM »

Fantasic signals Rob!  I wish I'd at least listened in, but I was sick as a dog!  Sad  After coming home from helping out with the cleaning at a local animal shelter, and washing up, I collapsed on the couch and fell asleep - for 5 hours!  I woke up at midnight, only to stagger off to bed!  Being sick sucks!  I still feel wrung out.

Sorry to hear you were sick Ellen. Hope you are feeling better soon so you can enjoy the finer things in life like great band conditions!

Rob W1AEX
Logged

One thing I'm certain of is that there is too much certainty in the world.
Pages: [1]   Go Up
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

AMfone - Dedicated to Amplitude Modulation on the Amateur Radio Bands
 AMfone © 2001-2015
Powered by SMF 1.1.21 | SMF © 2015, Simple Machines
Page created in 0.053 seconds with 18 queries.