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Atmospherics (merged) (Part 3) |
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#301 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Between wigan and St Helens
Posts: 1,942
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Quote:
By the way if you need some sil sockets for the sony let me know and i'll drop some in the post.
I am receiving an unid on 86.6. Edit sounds like Algeria. Andy I'll only get taxi's down there I meant 87.6 Apologies for the confusion.I'm going back to bed. Andy |
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#302 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Skegness, Lincolnshire. JO03dd
Posts: 408
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Bloody hell Jeffrey, I didn't even spot it myself!
I make lots of mistakes like this, usually most days. Not good really but I am always happy to receive comments and corrections. I'll bet your 87.6 is Chaine 3. Or was it 76.6? Where am I? John |
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#303 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Between wigan and St Helens
Posts: 1,942
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Yes John I make mistakes I suppose we all do but I have had a bad week I started some new medication a month ago and was ok until monday wide awake at 6 am this morning 5 am so I now feel worn out.
I hope I can sleep tonight. Andy |
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#304 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Skegness, Lincolnshire. JO03dd
Posts: 408
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Sorry to hear that Andy.
As long as your medicine keeps you awake for the DX openings. I'm a poor sleeper at the best of times and usually and go to bed far too late so I am rarely up early enough for some openings. John |
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#305 |
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Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Grimsby, United Kingdom
Posts: 848
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Spain coming in weakly now!
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#306 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Norwich
Posts: 2,220
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Last night I had Lille and some of my regular-ish UK stations such as Viking FM, Lincs FM and Town 102, and the more regular BBC nationals.
I seem to keep missing the best of the Es because of work as well. I shall be on the continent fairly soon, though - might hear British stations on FM if I'm lucky! |
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#307 |
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Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Grimsby, United Kingdom
Posts: 848
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I just heard a weak Italian on 87.9.
From what you have said I'm glad I work weekends now because I have all week to listen for E's but will this backfire if we get a big lift as the past two years the big lifts have occurred on weekends Sunday being strongest. |
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#308 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Between wigan and St Helens
Posts: 1,942
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The band is going mad here with Italy.
Andy |
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#309 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Sittingbourne, N. Kent
Posts: 310
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Quote:
Hi Dave,
Thanks for the links. I have to say that the first link contains a lot of technical info which went WHOOSH straight over my head .I guess the guy who wrote the article is in the USA, because he refers to adjacent frequencies as being 200Khz away (USA only use the odd frequencies eg 88.1, 88.3, 88.5 etc), unlike here, where adjacent frequencies are 100Khz apart. I did understand about reasons for "non-symmetrical" selectivity in filters. Since your warning, I'm a bit nervous of using my soldering iron to remove the original filters, in case I damage the PCB. So I feel inclined to leave the originals in place for the time being. http://www.band2dx.info/sony/sony_sb920.htm (I already had this link, thanks) Using the diagram (in the above link), can you please tell me which value filters you use and in what order. In other words, where do you put the 1x 230Khz, 3x 150Khz filters etc? Many thanks, Chris. I'll respond to this post and include a comment regarding John's relevant post - and a question for John as well. I bought 22 ceramic filters from Digi-Key - shipped over from the States - for a total price of £21.86 including £12.00 shipping. 6 x 180 KHz, 8 x 150 kHz and 8 x 110 KHz. The part numbers are 490-4709-ND, 490-4710-ND and 490-4711-ND respectively and the latter are the most expensive at 62 p each. That was in early May this year. Just checked the Website and they are in stock - only a couple of pence more than I paid. OK they are not matched but I could try mix and match. So if you fit sockets for the filters you can experiment. I would suggest Filter 1 and 2 as 180 KHz and filter 3 as 150 kHz as a start and 110 KHz as filter 4. Unfortunately I did not fit sockets for the filters - so when I bought my Yamaha tuner and the bunch of filters I couldn't experiment on the Sony - and having unsoldered/soldered once I'm loathe to do it again on the same pcb. When ( ) I can get hold of another SB920 I'll definitely try all manner of filter combinations. All I can say is that with the 150KHz filters I put in - I still get RDS on clear signals when the signal strength is around 19-20dB.So a question for John - with your filter set up (which is?) - how low a signal strength do you note RDS Spy picks up the PI code on the Sony SB920? As an aside - almost - I played with the SDR radio software WrPlus using a USB DTV stick - the stick not much good for DX - but I was able to experiment with the bandwidth and see the affect on the responsiveness of the RDS that is part of the software package. 150KHz (and that's -60dB as the filter shape is 'square') lets RDS through - but slower to display than 180KHz and not discernibly different to 192KHz - the max bandwidth of the software. I've fitted 110KHz x 4 to my Yamaha TX-500 as it doesn't have RDS - very good selectivity at the expense of slight audio distortion in the narrow position. Al the best with the Sony - maybe you could get john to fit an output so you can feed RDS signals to you PC and run RDSSpy software. Must go - Italy is coming through all over the place.and I need to concentrate on spinning the dial. PS - own up - who outbid me on the Kenwood KT-8080? |
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#310 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Whitchurch, Hampshire, England
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Missed a lot of this as we had a visitor turn up at 7.30 pm local who has only just left, but before they arrived there were plenty of signals from Central Europe coming in with some of the same stations received as yesterday e.g. CRO 1 89.7, and SRO Radio FM on 91.9. Some fairly short skip too such as Bayern 2 on 88.2 from Büttelberg.
I did sneak a few listens during the visit and it seemed to be Italian DX when I checked. Having said that, OE 1 was heard a few minutes ago on 87.6 but it is all quiet at present. Dave - what's a Kenwood KT-8080? I've not heard of that one. |
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#311 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Lincoln (Belmont/Waltham TXs)
Posts: 2,344
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HI Dave,
Many thanks for the above info. I can understand why you don't want to solder/unsolder the filters on your ST-SB920. I promise it wasn't me who bid for the Kenwood KT-8080, honest. SP-E stations received in Lincoln in the past 30 minutes -> 20:43 BST 97.2Mhz RDS = "BARBAGIA" from Sardinia http://i1064.photobucket.com/albums/...6/100_3177.jpg FM List does not show power. 20:56 BST 97.6Mhz RDS = "ZITOUNA" from Tunisia http://i1064.photobucket.com/albums/...6/100_3178.jpg FM List shows power as 80kW. Chris. |
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#312 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Whitchurch, Hampshire, England
Posts: 4,323
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A few Spanish signals at the bottom of the band, patchy. 87.6 I think was Catalunya Informacio.
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#313 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Sittingbourne, N. Kent
Posts: 310
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Quote:
Missed a lot of this as we had a visitor turn up at 7.30 pm local who has only just left, but before they arrived there were plenty of signals from Central Europe coming in with some of the same stations received as yesterday e.g. CRO 1 89.7, and SRO Radio FM on 91.9. Some fairly short skip too such as Bayern 2 on 88.2 from Büttelberg.
I did sneak a few listens during the visit and it seemed to be Italian DX when I checked. Having said that, OE 1 was heard a few minutes ago on 87.6 but it is all quiet at present. Dave - what's a Kenwood KT-8080? I've not heard of that one. Very localised opening to Italy from 19:00 and still popping up now. I've had a number of stations at 1400 km +/- 1 km at 135 deg, and others at 1267 km at 138 deg - from my QTH - yet to post onto FM List. So I've been parking the Sony on a frequency, tuning to find the next station on the non-RDS Yamaha and leapfrogging to catch the PI codes. David Sittingbourne |
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#314 |
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Whitchurch, Hampshire, England
Posts: 4,323
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OK thanks for that Dave.
Still the odd signal appearing here. Something popped up on 88.7 with an OM on the phone in strongly accented French with hum in the background. By the time I had the CD recorder ready it had gone. No idea who it was, Morocco pehaps? |
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#315 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Skegness, Lincolnshire. JO03dd
Posts: 408
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Skegness Log: 21-06-12
Sporadic E:
87.5 0755 E Revive FM, Murcia/Puente Tocinos (MUR-MU) E022 MU______ Unattended 1689 km 87.6 0833 E Candil Radio, Huércal de Almería (AND-AL) EB02 Candil___ 1821 km 87.8 0834 MRC Médina FM, Oujda (otl) 111D 2059 km 89.5 0835 E Canal Fiesta Radio, Macael-Cantera de la Alta (AND-AL) E331 C.FIESTA 1773 km ** 89.6 0835 E Onda Cero, Melilla (MEL-ML) E2EE 2001 km ** 90.4 0839 E Canal Fiesta Radio, Carboneras/Mesa del Roldán (AND-AL) E331 C.FIESTA ALMERIA_ 1810 km 91.5 0839 E Canal Fiesta Radio, Sierra de Lújar (AND-GR) E31 C.FIESTA GRANADA_ 1837 km 88.6 0842 E Onda Cero, Baza (AND-GR) E2EE ONDACERO 1759 km 91.8 0846 E Cadena Dial, Pozo Alcón (AND-J) E274 CAD-DIAL 1749 km 93.4 0851 MRC SNRT Chaîne Inter, Boukhouali (otl) 1002 SNRT-INT 2104 km 93.8 0852 E Europa FM, Almería (AND-AL) E2ED EUROPAFM 1825 km 96.6 0855 MRC SNRT Al Idaâ Al-Watania, Boukhouali (otl) 1001 SNRT-NAT 2104 km 97.1 0856 E Cadena 100, Almería (AND-AL) E2CE CAD-100_ 1825 km 97.2 0857 MRC SNRT Al Idaâ Al Amazighia, Zaio (otl) 1003 SNRT-Amz 2036 km 97.7 0857 E RNE R.Nacional, Melilla (MEL-ML) E211 2001 km 87.9 0901 E Radio Castilla La Mancha, Valverde de Júcar (CAM-CU) E396 CASTILLA 1506 km ** 89.6 0906 MRC Médi 1, Nador (otl) 1281 MEDI_1__ 2016 km 89.2 0912 E SER/40, Motilla del Palancár (CAM-CU) E239 1522 km 87.6 0927 ALG Chaîne 3, Kef El Akhal (25) Yawn! 1927 km 88.1 0931 ALG Radio Batna, Metlili (5) YL, as web stream 2033 km 91.2 0939 ALG Radio Biskra, Metlili (5) Phone in, as web stream 2033 km 94.4 0941 ALG Chaîne 1, Metlili (5) Presumed with Arabic/French talk 2033 km 101.2 0942 ALG Chaîne 2, Metlili (5) Presumed. Arabic song 2033 km 87.7 0959 E iCat fm, El Vendrell (CAT-T) E233 Vocal ID 1334 km ** 87.7 1000 ALG Radio Chlef, Aïn N'sour (48) Full ID on the hour 1913 km 88.7 1006 ALG Radio Soummam, Akfadou (6) Presumed with Arabic OM talk 1867 km 87.7 1156 E Hit FM, Jerez de la Frontera/San Cristóbal (AND-CA) E200 HIT_FM__ 1904 km 88.1 1158 E SER, Irún/San Marcial (PVA-SS) E239 __SER___ 1103 km ** 87.5 1202 E Loca FM, Salamanca (CAL-SA) E069 LOCA_FM_ 1427 km 87.9 1202 E Canal Extremadura Radio, Mérida/Cerro de San Serván (EXT-BA) E30A ______EX 1670 km 88.0 1203 E RNE R.5 TN, Punta Umbría (AND-H) E215 RNE_5-H_ 1861 km 89.2 1205 E SER, Medina del Campo (CAL-VA) E239 __SER___ 1373 km ** 90.6 1205 POR Rádio Campanário, Vila Viçosa (evo) 80C1 1705 km 91.1 1208 ALG Radio Djelfa, Sbaa Mokrane (17) Talks about Algeria, as web stream 2081 km ** 87.6 1210 E COPE, Badajoz (EXT-BA) E2CA __COPE__ Extremadura ID 1682 km ** Personal Skegness 'First' via Es This is my midsummer's day's DX report! Does anybody know when the actual summer weather is arriving this year? Or was that it in March? It was a tricky day to do radio today. Lots of interruptions and things to do. Italy surfaced mid-evening and I was tempted to tune in but it seemed to be the usual Sicilians so I abandoned it and went out, enjoying some excellent real ales instead at a local hostelry - and a pub quiz in which I came bottom (that's about the norm for me in a general knowledge quiz – give me a pop quiz and I excell!). Happy DX all! John Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) 1m ASL Receivers: Sony XDR-F1HD (tropospheric) Kenwood KT6040 (sporadic E & meteor scatter) Icom IC7000 (OIRT) Conrad RDS Manager Aerials: Rooftop Triax FM5, 8m AGL Yaesu G-5500 azimuthal/elevation rotator Software: RDS Spy v0.97 VAC v4.10 |
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#316 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Between wigan and St Helens
Posts: 1,942
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I Couldn't believe it when the opening started last night as I wasn't feeling too good but I persevered until 22:00 and went to bed.
I had a reasonable nights sleep and have this morning got a banging headache. I have to look at last nights recordings before I post my log in case I have missed anything. The question as to when summer starts well we had it last winter ending in march as now we are getting the weather we should have had last winter and it's absolutely bucketing down here. Good log John. Andy |
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#317 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Between wigan and St Helens
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Okay things are happening HIT FM has appeared.
Andy |
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#318 |
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Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Between wigan and St Helens
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I am receiving R A I on 94.30 with acoustic guitar and singing.
Andy |
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#319 |
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Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Grimsby, United Kingdom
Posts: 848
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There's something hovering around 87.7, can't quite make out what language it is though.
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#320 |
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Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Grimsby, United Kingdom
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I think it's Spain as I heard a Spanish station on 89.7, but they're all very weak. Come on sort yourself out E's!
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#321 |
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Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Between wigan and St Helens
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I have signals on 87.7/6 and sound Arabic to me as Hit Fm has just disappeared after been here for the past hour with solid reception just like a local station.
Oh now it's back and also there's ticking noise on the fm band anyone else receiving that. Andy |
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#322 |
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Skegness, Lincolnshire. JO03dd
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Very low-key opening at the bottom of band 2 here. Spain (Valencia and Andalucia) plus Portugal (Mendro) and the occasional Algerian.
It's pathetically weak, intermittent and just not very interesting. This year's Es season really does seem to be dying off. I was unsure at first but the MMM stats appear to confirm this. John |
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#323 |
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Join Date: Aug 2008
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I am receiving a signal on 87.6 could be Algeria again.
Spain is here now. Andy |
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#324 |
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Join Date: Aug 2008
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Quote:
I am receiving R A I on 94.30 with acoustic guitar and singing.
Andy Andy |
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#325 |
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Skegness, Lincolnshire. JO03dd
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Algeria hovering on 87.7. Presumed Radio Chlef.
Who knows? Maybe there will be a sudden and intense opening to Turkey any moment. Sorry, just dreaming. Zzzzzzzzzzzz. John |
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All times are GMT. The time now is 11:00.



I'll only get taxi's down there I meant 87.6 Apologies for the confusion.

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) I can get hold of another SB920 I'll definitely try all manner of filter combinations. All I can say is that with the 150KHz filters I put in - I still get RDS on clear signals when the signal strength is around 19-20dB.