[Lowfer] SAQ in CT

[Michael Sapp]

Jay, Laurence & All: 

Congrats on the robust SAQ receptions gentlemen. Nothing of the sort copied here in EN90xn. I did a cal at 100kHz around 0720 UTC at let ARGO run QRSS30 from 0730 up through 0900 UTC on/near 17200kHz..  I seem to have a (local ?) interefering carrier right on or about 17200Hz.

http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag19/wa3tts/saqrm13_zpsdb5c8b2e.jpg

likely one of the many "cousins" from a local source seen in this PC SDR capture

http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag19/wa3tts/VLF_zps1eb1fdc4.jpg

I was hoping to at least capture SAQ as a small "fuzz ball" similar to a CW station ID at the end of a QRSS sequence, but that did not apparently happen.   Jay. if you recall the time of "spin down" on SAQ, it might help me divine a window on time I may have a frugal partial trace capture, but I'm not holding out much hope for that.....

This was captured on the EWE antenna on the NE transformer with a CM choke several feet away from the antenna with u=10,000 core material. Unfortunately the SW transformer only has a CM choke with u=2200 core material, which is not (very) effective at 15~30 kHz, so there is still local noise entering the system.  The reception level of NAA did decrease 15~20 dB when I installed the first u=10,000 choke on the NE EWE transmission line---and the broadband noise decreased as well, so it is preventing the "snake antenna" action. Hopefully a second u=10,000 core material choke will make a further improvement when I get around to building another one for the transmission line connected to the SW transformer.  Not likely much F/B on the EWE at this frequency, I'm trying to get some isolation from local noise sources.  I may have to do a local "walkabout" with the e-probe and laptop running Speclab's SDR mode pedestrian mobile. Perhaps that may reveal the noise source.....

Good learning experience tho.....73 & happy holidays.....

Mike wa3tts