[Lowfer] Radio is like being in the Army...

[JD]

Mitch wrote:

Interesting that you actually heard a beat note between signals - with XES
being twice the distance from you that I am- so must have been a great 
signal from John.
All indications of a good season I think.

- - - - -

If the sun will stay quiet long enough at a time, I think it should be a 
splendid season.

MP did have about a 3 to 5 dB advantage according to ARGO (hence the greater 
sideband energy around MP from noise pulses causing the AGC to modulate the 
signals--the static was continuous, albeit not nearly as loud as 
summertime), but both stations definitely had excellent signal strength to 
be as prominent to the ear as they were!

It should be almost as warm this evening as last night, although I don't 
know what to expect with static levels, since a weather system is moving in 
tomorrow.  If it's not too noisy, I'll try again for EAR.

I also need to repeat my survey of PLCs at the top end of the 1750 m band 
now that I have sufficiently sensitive "ears" to work with, so I can make a 
final choice of operating frequency for the winter.  It'd be nice if I could 
wrap that up tonight.  I already have an oscillator module for a promising 
spot in the watering hole, but under current circumstances, it won't be 
stable enough for unattended operation out there on the farm.  This may not 
be the Old LowFER Spirit, but I am -not- going to sit in the car in sub-zero 
weather, stabilizing the oscillator temperature with the last of my body 
heat!  Beacon KT (formerly SEK) will probably go on at a sufficiently higher 
spot where it won't drift on top of anyone during temperature extremes, 
running DFCW-60.  At that rate, a complete ID cycle will only take 7 or 8 
minutes, depending on whether I choose short or normal spacing between 
idents.  If I don't injure any more tendons or come down with any more 
respiratory infections from all the dirt in our "pure" country air, I'd like 
to be on for testing by the end of the month.

John