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Atmospherics (merged) (Part 3)


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Old 10-07-2012, 04:50
ACL777
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There wasn't a SpE opening today either although I'm getting some tropo scatter/lift. On 101.1 Pure FM from Wavre has just come through strong enough to give the PS on one Sony. I've got France Inter from Boulogne (1kW) on the other Sony - and Sky Radio from Goes (NED) on the Yamaha TX-500 is fading in out out - strongly enough to displace Classic FM. (I reckon the wife must think I'm mad ).

If you are thinking of interfacing to RDSSpy - it is very straightforward to do so to the sound card. I cannibalised a stereo audio lead - two wires to the RDS chip and the copper shield to a nearby jumper - as per the pictures on http://www.band2dx.info/sony/sony_sb920.htm. As I posted before I use a 3.5mm chassis mounting stereo socket mounted in a convenient existing hole in the base of the tuner and a right angle stereo 3.5 mm plug will just fit into the gap left by the feet. You'll likely need a clip on ferrite 'bead' and a large ferrite ring to prevent interference going up the audio cable - Maplin is a source for these. That will give more sensitive RDS detection and you can record the data stream. It's really quite exciting to come in from work and find a whole bunch of different stations have come in on one frequency over a period.

And that bit of a tropo lift seems to be developing slightly.

Rgds

David

Sittingbourne
Thanks. Rds is spy is something to consider as I'd love to know what stations were coming in where whilst im out at work.Anyway I've cut the squelch and modified the narrow gain slightly clockwise from its factory setting. I've not received any Dx for a week now .
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Old 10-07-2012, 12:53
radioredcat
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There's been nothing here since 06-07-12 and worse the weather is as bad as the SPE season.

At the moment there's Radio Warrington (rsl) on 87.8 booming in here 10 miles away until the 15th and more to come in the next few months.

Andy
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Old 10-07-2012, 20:43
radioredcat
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There was an opening at about 18:40 when I noticed (tune) on the Denon display lasting about 20 mins and I logged MEDI 1 (Morocco) on 87.6.

Andy
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Old 10-07-2012, 23:03
DDaveBB
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There was an opening at about 18:40 when I noticed (tune) on the Denon display lasting about 20 mins and I logged MEDI 1 (Morocco) on 87.6.

Andy
Remind me NOT to turn off everything just before a SpE opening appears! I should have left everything running when I went out this evening.

Anyway yesterday late evening (9th) there was a degree of tropo enhancement with Goes giving Sky Radio on 101.9 and NED R4 on 104.4 - and they were also there at 07:15 this morning. RTBF Vivacite on 90.5 finally got strong enough at 22:38 last night to give a pi code
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Old 11-07-2012, 15:34
radioredcat
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Remind me NOT to turn off everything just before a SpE opening appears! I should have left everything running when I went out this evening.
That's sods law I didn't my recording pc on either so it took a few mins for it to boot up before I could start recording.

Lache FM on 87.6 from Chester started today until 22/07/12 but it's weaker than it was last time it was on but still a nuisance.

Andy
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Old 11-07-2012, 19:22
ACL777
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Is that it for the SpE season then? There hasn't been an opening for days and we are past the peak. Is Dx Sherlock predicting anything this week.?
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Old 11-07-2012, 20:34
radioredcat
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You can't predict SPE like you can with tropo and even that is not always accurate.

If you look at the link below you can view the MUF activity back to 2001 and what stands out is 2001 was similar to this year and the best MUF years was at the solar minimum.

http://www.mmmonvhf.de/eseval.php

I can't vouch for the accuracy of these charts as technology has got better over the years and better reporting.

I have only been FM dxing for a few years and it is different to TV dxing because of the higher frequencies on FM.

Back in the 80's I worked shifts which is why I managed so much band 1 dx then and I used to curse having to go to work when there was good dx about oh happy days.

Anyway we will have tit by the radios until something comes by or record it like I do sometimes.

Andy
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Old 11-07-2012, 21:05
ACL777
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Well despite the poor atmospheric conditions I've just been told that I'm not allowed aerials etc of any size on my balcony as I'm in breach of my lease. Needless to say I'm going to have to look for somewhere else to live otherwise my Dx days are over. Still let's hope conditions improve.
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Old 12-07-2012, 18:26
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Well despite the poor atmospheric conditions I've just been told that I'm not allowed aerials etc of any size on my balcony as I'm in breach of my lease. Needless to say I'm going to have to look for somewhere else to live otherwise my Dx days are over. Still let's hope conditions improve.
I can think of a couple of possibilities for the time being. The higher you are the better - as height gain will be more important than aerial gain.

First thought - no aerials - or no fixed aerials? Are you allowed to put a clothes drier on your balcony or can you put a seat and patio table on the balcony (if it is large enough) - if so then you may get away with an aerial on a short mast that could be attached to the balcony rail with a bungee when you want to do DXing. If you had enough room for a patio table and an umbrella it could be disguised. A 2 ele Moxon antenna would only be 4ft x 20 inches - a 3 ele 4ft by 28 inches. Google for "Moxon antenna project" - as generally they are made with wire and you could cobble something together with bamboo canes just try it out.

A three element anti-ference aerial is relatively portable as it each element is in two halves and it comes in a small box with the elements folded down.

If you had enough room for a patio table and a big umbrella it could almost be hidden under the umbrella - and you could rotate it by hand.

If you can't get away with that - A Moxon indoors pointing at the balcony window should work well - on a 2m x 32 mm plastic mast stuck in a base stand for a patio umbrella. (If you have an 'other half' that may be contentious ).Again - if you are a couple of stories up - it could do quite well. It depends also on how much electrical noise there is a round you.

If you do decide to move - take a portable radio with you eg a Tesun or similar which has a signal strength meter - and find somewhere with a low level of electrical noise if you can!

I hope you can resolve the issues

David

Sittingbourne
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Old 12-07-2012, 19:17
ACL777
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Unfortunally only tables and chairs are allowed. Your not even allowed to dry clothes on the balcony. All this as I was about to put up my fm triax aerial. Thanks for the advice on the indoor moxon. The problem is I don't think it would pull in results as well as the triax so my dxing would be greatly reduced . Also the building is steel framed, almost impossible for mobile phone signals let alone Dx .
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Old 12-07-2012, 19:55
fmradiotuner1
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I can think of a couple of possibilities for the time being. The higher you are the better - as height gain will be more important than aerial gain.

First thought - no aerials - or no fixed aerials? Are you allowed to put a clothes drier on your balcony or can you put a seat and patio table on the balcony (if it is large enough) - if so then you may get away with an aerial on a short mast that could be attached to the balcony rail with a bungee when you want to do DXing. If you had enough room for a patio table and an umbrella it could be disguised. A 2 ele Moxon antenna would only be 4ft x 20 inches - a 3 ele 4ft by 28 inches. Google for "Moxon antenna project" - as generally they are made with wire and you could cobble something together with bamboo canes just try it out.

A three element anti-ference aerial is relatively portable as it each element is in two halves and it comes in a small box with the elements folded down.

If you had enough room for a patio table and a big umbrella it could almost be hidden under the umbrella - and you could rotate it by hand.

If you can't get away with that - A Moxon indoors pointing at the balcony window should work well - on a 2m x 32 mm plastic mast stuck in a base stand for a patio umbrella. (If you have an 'other half' that may be contentious ).Again - if you are a couple of stories up - it could do quite well. It depends also on how much electrical noise there is a round you.

If you do decide to move - take a portable radio with you eg a Tesun or similar which has a signal strength meter - and find somewhere with a low level of electrical noise if you can!

I hope you can resolve the issues

David

Sittingbourne
LOL I done this when we were looking at houses but I never had a choice to buy the place.

Some places really did have a bad signal like ground floor flats.

I guess we are lucky we have our own house now.
Hell the house has 3 floors plus a loft a roof but its just to high for us to get an aerial up there and it really does get windy here on the coast.
Lucky I can have all the aerials I want but have not really bothered with dixing this year as I mainly use the evoke flow or tuning radio on my S2 now.
Hopefully you get to find a new place very soon.
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Old 12-07-2012, 20:04
ACL777
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LOL I done this when we were looking at houses but I never had a choice to buy the place.

Some places really did have a bad signal like ground floor flats.

I guess we are lucky we have our own house now.
Hell the house has 3 floors plus a loft a roof but its just to high for us to get an aerial up there and it really does get windy here on the coast.
Lucky I can have all the aerials I want but have not really bothered with dixing this year as I mainly use the evoke flow or tuning radio on my S2 now.
Hopefully you get to find a new place very soon.
Cheers. Living in Clacton you must get Belguim tv and radio coming in even under flat conditions and maybe even France . It must be a Dx heaven.
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Old 12-07-2012, 22:53
DDaveBB
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Unfortunally only tables and chairs are allowed. Your not even allowed to dry clothes on the balcony. All this as I was about to put up my fm triax aerial. Thanks for the advice on the indoor moxon. The problem is I don't think it would pull in results as well as the triax so my dxing would be greatly reduced . Also the building is steel framed, almost impossible for mobile phone signals let alone Dx .
Ouch! That IS restrictive - admittedly drying washing on the balcony would lower the tone of the establishment and I suppose if you allow one aerial the next you know the building would have a rash of unsightly satellite dishes.

An indoor aerial probably won't work as well - but it would be better than nothing.

Final thought - I presume your flat is supplied with TV/SAT/FM/DAB signals. If so - and the actual aerial is high on the building maybe it would provide you some signals. I've noticed that a halo aerial is pretty standard on communal blocks and although they have less than 0dB gain - again if they are high up could get a reasonable signal.

David
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Old 13-07-2012, 08:45
ACL777
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The communal dab/fm aerial was my final hope but unfortunally it only pulls in the standard nationals and locals. My desktop discone pulls in more like Q and 538 under flat conditions. I'm not sure if it's a halo or horizontally polarised but it picks up noise signals and registers them as opposed to actual distant stations. I think it's the noise to signal ratio problem that appears to be the problem with most communal amplified aerials. Thanks for the advice though, usually one of those suggestions would have worked in most flats.
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Old 13-07-2012, 15:45
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Radio Rai in at the momment and plenty of other Italian stations around the lower band.
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Old 13-07-2012, 15:54
radioredcat
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Italy all over band 2 now.

Andy
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Old 13-07-2012, 16:53
ACL777
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Still going strong. RCS came in at 88.6. I got rds also for 92.7 and 91.1 just saying MOR music. Not sure if it is a station or programme.
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Old 13-07-2012, 18:06
brumlad36
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Still going strong. RCS came in at 88.6. I got rds also for 92.7 and 91.1 just saying MOR music. Not sure if it is a station or programme.
MOR means Middle Of the Road (type of music). You had the wrong thing showing on the display of the Sony tuner. Keep pressing "Display" button until it shows the RDS of the station.

I have also been receiving Italy on 91.1Mhz. RDS = RAI then RADIO1

Chris.
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Old 13-07-2012, 18:14
sleeper77
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Some signals from Italy still going. Hopefully it will go further beyond. Nice to have some E skip after a long absence.
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Old 13-07-2012, 19:04
ACL777
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MOR means Middle Of the Road (type of music). You had the wrong thing showing on the display of the Sony tuner. Keep pressing "Display" button until it shows the RDS of the station.

I have also been receiving Italy on 91.1Mhz. RDS = RAI then RADIO1

Chris.
The rds signals were so brief that by the time the tuner displayed rds received it had gone. The tuner can take a couple of seconds to display the station name which for a weak signal isnt quick enough so I was pressing the display button to try and get something quicker but unfortunally I only got MOR on a couple of occasions. If the tuner displayed the station name instantly I wouldn't have to press display at all. Hope that makes sense I know I'm rambling abit. Still nice to get some SpE at last .
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Old 13-07-2012, 19:08
sleeper77
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Greece now in on 87.6.

Edit: Also 89.4, Thessaloniki Deejay.
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Old 13-07-2012, 19:47
sleeper77
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Ended here it seems. Nothing for last half hour. I may have caught more Greek stations, although the signals were not great & some others were only playing music & no ID heard. Got a recording of an unknown one on 90.2 which I will post at some point.
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Old 13-07-2012, 19:50
ACL777
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The bands quiet again but got five mins of music at stereo level at 87.5. Strange as I'm certain it wasn't SpE as no other frequencies had anything and it didn't resemble the SpE effect. Unfortunally it's gone now and I didn't get to hear any talking in order to identify whether or not it was foreign.
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Old 13-07-2012, 22:30
ACL777
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Did anybody else log radio kisskiss at 88.00Mhz.I've searched the net but cannot find a frequency listing for the station ,
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Old 13-07-2012, 23:27
brumlad36
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Did anybody else log radio kisskiss at 88.00Mhz.I've searched the net but cannot find a frequency listing for the station ,
I've had this station before, but can't remember what frequency I received it on. It's from Italy and I think it's a networked station.

According to FM List, it could be ->
88.00Mhz, Specchia le, Italy, Radio Kiss Kiss, 1.0kW, vertical, RDS = KISSKISS

Chris.
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