[Lowfer] JD portable QTH

[JD]

>>>my Hifer still seems to be running ok this cold morning but hopefully 
>>>you'll indicate reception to confirm that. While testing yesterday I 
>>>turned the hifer off so I could monitor and found USC (13.554015 MHz) and 
>>>NC (13.555596 MHz for the low tone) coming in well around 2100Z

Ah, that explains it!

I haven't been to the field yet today, but when I checked yesterday 
afternoon, I SIW coming out of a deep fade.  Then around 2:20 PM, I thought 
it went into another deep fade.  But this time it didn't come out!  I 
presume that was when you shut down for listening.  Later, just before 
sunset, I tuned back to the HiFER watering hole and saw it on again, fine 
and dandy.

Other HiFERs here yesterday included MP and NC (both audible from time to 
time), USC (strongly audible for a few seconds, then not so much), and the 
new square-waver, COM.  At times I could copy WV, MTI, and AJO by ear, too. 
Too much noise above 13560 to hear any other westerners.  Didn't hear EH 
yesterday, but he was coming in fine Monday.  (I wonder if HI is still on? 
I heard a couple of H-es and something afterward a little above where Sal's 
signal should have been, but couldn't discern anything else about that 
particular signal.  It was undergoing very rapid and deep QSB.)

At the other extreme:  Using SAQrx with the "new" used computer's sound card 
down at VLF, I heard the "big three" Alpha frequencies, sounding like "E", 
"M", and "S" respectively, from lowest to highest.  I am not familiar with 
hearing Alpha this way, having only previously been able to listen to them 
through headphones at actual carrier frequency as high pitched interrupted 
whistles, so I'm guessing the seeming Morse-like letters depend on which 
stations are transmitting in which time slots on a given day.  (I love that 
300 Hz FIR filter in SAQrx!  I'm very glad Costas clued us in on that 
program back during the summer.)  TACAMO was on 17.8 for a while.  To my 
surprise, it didn't switch off abruptly, but gently faded out to nothing.

Both 137 and 185 khz very afflicted with lightning static yesterday 
afternoon, even more so as evening approached.  WMS (at its usual spot) and 
SIW (down on 185.185) were doing fine until the pre-sunset dip, and MP 
137.7805 was excellent the whole time.  It got too cold to remain in the 
field, so I left about sunset.

The grid square here is EM27kc.

John