[Lowfer] Delightful Sunday, Part 1

[JD]

This is going to be a multi-parter because of all the captures.  I spent 
most of the last two days testing alternate AM BCB rejection techniques for 
my buffer amp, for future publication, and finally put the board back in its 
enclosure this afternoon for a final real-world test.  The critical 170 kHz 
test was utterly clear and free of mixing products, as expected.  In fact, I 
was concerned at first whether the thing was working properly, because I 
wasn't even hearing the modest static levels we've had of late.

A quick check of a few previously measured stations confirmed I was getting 
normal signal levels from them, so everything was actually working.  We just 
had a very static-free day for some reason, despite the approaching frontal 
system.  Fantastic!  This meant I could use the buffer for the first time 
with NO attenuation at the input of the receiver.  Who knows what might 
happen?

I took a minute or so to look for MP 137.7805.  Sure enough, it was there. 
Heck, it's there even if I leave the shorting strap on the antenna, so 
that's not much of a test...but it confirmed that the low static condition 
prevailed all the way down to 2200 m.  So I figured I'd come back to 137 
later.  But first, if the noise was so low, perhaps I could snag some 
daytime reception at 185.  Voila!  There were WMS and SIW, clear as could 
be, in broad daylight.

I got really adventurous then and tried for EAR, but didn't have any luck 
after several minutes.  Maybe I should return to 137 for a while.

Yup, there was MP.  Too much MP.  I cut back the Argo sensitivity, with some 
improvement.  Then I upped the clipping level significantly and cut the gain 
some more.  Even better, although there's still a little mid-afternoon 
dogbone.

Then, it was time for a trip to HiFER country; continued in Part 2.

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