[ARC5] Non Directional Beacons

Wed Apr 27 09:48:37 EDT 2016

Hi Bart and group, nice to hear from some old-timers! Southern California,
from San Simeon to the Mexican border was buzzing in the 80's with weekend
SSB nets and amtor/packet QSO's. Later the computer craze got in the way
and people lost interest in LF. All gear then was home brew from a beacon
design created by Ed Phillips and a clever, highly efficient class E
switching PA by Frank Cathell (K3YAZ.) Later a SSB transceiver by Cliff
walker (circuit boards) and Charles Faulkner (W6FPV) who designed the
circuit using parralled TIP31's that worked well beyond the 1 Watt part 15
input. We didn't care at that point about going beyond the part 15 limits
as the noise floor by local noise makers rose about 3 dB a year! These were
truly amazing times with off-the-chart discoveries and experiments. The
western Update reported many of the latest news as well as the "LowDown". I
had a LF kit company back then that did well for LF enthusiasts but a bad
idea for making any money.
I have not heard what mode has been assigned for the new LF/MF bands but
hope the FCC will get in the stick.
I continue to hold the torch for some 1750 meter CW fun. Let me know if you
can work me! . best 73s, Dave

On Tue, Apr 26, 2016 at 11:28 PM, Dennis Monticelli <
dennis.monticelli at gmail.com> wrote:

> As I recall the power rule by then was 1 watt input to the PA so antenna
> efficiency was paramount and hard to achieve.  1 watt ERP is a HUGE
> difference.
>
> On the other hand the noise level in urban areas has become a lot worse.
> My main enemies back them were crude light dimmers and brushed DC motors.
>
> Dennis AE6C
>
> On Tue, Apr 26, 2016 at 11:02 PM, Bart Lee <kv6lee at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> The VLF Interest Group of the California Historical Radio Society has
>> logged a Southern California experimental LoFer at 183.5 KHz:
>> •Dave Curry says: “The beacon is a Part 5 license that radiates just
>> under a Watt with about 100 Watts input to my class E transmitter working
>> at
>> •around 95% efficiency.”
>> •“It is heard over the western half of the country. I live in Burbank.”
>> "WH2XVN WH2XVN WH2XVN WH2XVN davecurry at charter.net. DM04. AR______"
>> ===   ===
>>
>>      Inasmuch as the FCC has authorized ops on 139 KHz and 472 KHz, the
>> experience of these LoFers going back to the 1970s will be very valuable to
>> operations in these new bands.
>>
>>      Lots of military radios will work just fine down there (with a
>> little tender loving care).
>>
>> 73 de Bart, K6VK, CHRS, AWA, ARRL  ##
>>
>>
>> -- --
>> Bart Lee,
>> Attorney at Law
>> Office Phone 415 956 5959 x203
>> Office Fax Line 415 362 1431
>> Cell Phone 415 902 7168
>> Snail Mail: 388 Market St #900
>> San Francisco, CA 94111-5311
>> www.bartlee.com
>> <http://www.LawForHams.com>
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Apr 26, 2016 at 10:15 PM, David Stinson <arc5 at ix.netcom.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Robert Eleazer" <
>>> releazer at earthlink.net>
>>>
>>> Anyone ever try using the 160 - 190 KHZ band for unlicensed operation?
>>>> From what I recall, you can use up to 1 watt ERP.
>>>>
>>>
>>> I and a great bunch of guys out west in the 1980s were
>>> very deep in this band.  In fact, I was the first to break the
>>> 1000-mile mark (8LXJ in Ohio to Nevada)
>>> and first to break the 2000-mile mark
>>> (TH in N.J. to Nevada) in 1985 or 86.
>>> Shortly after that, Mike Mideke and Shelden
>>> Remington QSOed California to Hawaii (yes the transmitters
>>> were legal) and it was "off to the races" for everyone
>>> after that.  Once they knew it could be done, they just
>>> went and did it  :-D
>>>
>>> Lots of us would stay up to the wee hours many nights
>>> a week, working to catch that really weak beacon
>>> half way across the country.  I used to tune the truck
>>> radio to a Canadian AM broadcaster on 530 KC.
>>> If I could hear him through the static, it was going to
>>> be a good night on 1750 Meters.  If there was a bunch
>>> of static, I went to bed.
>>>
>>> The only computers we used were the squishy ones
>>> between our ears.  "Slow CW" was just getting started
>>> and I never found it worth the trouble to take five hours
>>> to send a three-letter call sign.  I made lots of QSOs
>>> with the same CW I'd have used on 80 meters.
>>> One of my old QSL cards is posted on the web-
>>> Clint KA7OEI ran beacon "CT" in Utah and he was
>>> often good copy in Southern Nevada.
>>> You can see it at his archive at:
>>> http://www.ka7oei.com/ct_lowfer_archive.html
>>> scroll down and look on the right.
>>> Of course, I was in the middle of the Nevada desert
>>> with looong untuned beverage receive antennas
>>> on the ground, so that helped a whole lot ;-)
>>>
>>> Today, a few people are still fiddling down there.
>>> They don't want to hear about anything we learned in
>>> the 1980s, resent anyone who tries to talk to them about
>>> it and are thus, studiously "re-inventing the wheel" and
>>> making it way more complicated than it needs to be.
>>> So I don't fool with it any more.
>>> It sure was a blast in the 80s, though, and I do miss
>>> the outstanding people who helped break those
>>> records and were so enthusiastic and passionate about it.
>>> I still have copies of our news letter which Jim Ericcson
>>> in San Bernadino published.  What a bunch we were.
>>>
>>>
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>>
>>
>
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