[Lowfer] Lowfer captures

[Mitch Powell]

Mark - edition 2.
Others might wish to add/subtract.
Best of luck


Hi Mark:
Just to add to the confusion:
The TS850 is an excellent LF receiver, and used by many of the
Europeans for their LF work. No preamp is necessary in most
cases, as compared to other receivers.
ARGO - I have several Web sites where I upload ARGO captures
for the stations I copy. Check out these sites

technology.fanshawec.on.ca/tele354
technology.fanshawec.on.ca/eltn225

These are 2 web sites I use to show screen captures.
Please add  http://  at the beginning.
I tried to send this e-mail before but the "mailman" rejected it with
the http:// prefix..... so am sending again - I hope !


I am assuming you are starting from scratch.  :-) so apologize
if I get too basic.

1   FULL BAND VIEW - when you said you saw a huge white area, I wondered
if you were using the FULL BAND VIEW - i.e. the waterfall method ?
I find that is where I get a lot of full white screens. Just click a
particular
frequency you are set up for ( for example 800 Hz) and the screen will
switch to the horizontal scan. I use 600 Hz ( as you can see ).

2 - AUDIO INPUT - I use a Drake R8 receiver - which has a low level
output - phono - on the receiver ( 200 mV). I use a phono lead from the
receiver to the mic input of my sound card.  You may have trouble if you
use the  speaker or headphone output - wrong impedance, and may overload.
I used to have an 850 and forget whether there is a low level output ??

3 - SIGNAL LEVEL - I found that it was almost impossible to control the
level of the input signal with any detail. So - I got a 10 turn 5K
potentiomenter,
and put it in a mini-box. The output of the receiver goes to the pot, and
the
wiper (and ground, of course) goes to the sound card of the computer.
This makes a tremendous difference and allows you to finely adjust the
level of the signal into ARGO and allows you to adjust the level of the
screen noise, and therefore the readability of the signal. It makes all
the difference. You can use a regular 5K or 10K pot to check it out, but
a 10 turn sure gives fine level adjustment.

4 - FILTER  - I agree with Bill Ashlock - by leaving the receiver
wide-open (2.4 or 2.7 kHz) I am sure that the AGC will act and reduce
your sensitivity. I always use the 500 kHz filter..... this is more than
adequate, and more is not necessary.   I also have a switched capacitor
audio
filter which I can switch in - but it is so narrow that all I usually get is
a very wide white line - where the signal should be ( sound familiar ? ).

5 - TUNING - This is my method - and you will see variations, but it
does work for me.....
Example: BRO is on 182.200
I tune USB and set the receiver dial to 181.600, which is 600 Hz below
the station frequency.
Now I set ARGO up so that 600 is at the center of the scan (right side of
screen)
and BRO will appear at or about 600 on ARGO.

RAL in Raleigh NC is 184.600.
My receiver is set to 184.000
Argo is set to display 600, and for 30 second or 60 second dots, and appears
at or just below 600.

If you are set up for 800 Hz, as most of the guys seem to be -----
BRO 182.200  on a receiver is  181.400
RAL 184.600 on a receiver is   183.800

How's that for confusing the issue ?

Hope this helps,  and remember, on ARGO the left vertical column showing
level,
should be 1/4 to 1/2 "full" and in the green. Then use you fine level "pot"
to have a nice clean screen.\
73
and good luck

Mitch VE3OT

London, Ont