[Lowfer] Was XPQ BDQ in CT/Others

Thu Jan 10 14:38:02 EST 2013

Gents - thanks for all  the reports - looking at the lightning map I wasn't expecting anything much out E/NE so pleasantly surprised. The first 1500 miles on the path are very variable -and first hop is in a mountain and glaciated environment which doesn't help much (at all) - and my ground wave sort of stops pretty quickly just 10 miles in that direction as it hits a bank of 5000 footers

 I listen to 730 kHz AM a  "24hr road and traffic" in Vancouver driving home from work - its about  1325 miles SE from here and on a very clear channel - and the difference on day to day at the same time is huge - last night it was very strong, but the night before I couldn't hear it at all...and that's listening for over the 1 hour drive.

Jay - Im a bit concerned over the >100W level at the moment- mostly in the tuning unit and my autotransformer - I need to uprate that as it's a 106 sized baby and need to get a 200 in there. I'll see if I can do that.  I'll be using the 77 material - Im using the 78 material on the 10:11 ratio transformer into the main loop itself and its running cold at 100W. Do you know anyone that is now selling the 78 material commercially? - I really should insulate and stack 3 for the main loop transformer if Im going 50 to 1000W as I've done for the 137kHz  system

I had a "flood" of failures this week - my VLF  Realtek soundcard, the 100-200kHz bandpass (now fixed) and smoked a 500kHz LPF and blew apart a 4046/drivers on your deck - must use better labeled cables :-(  but started the repairs and replacement - the aim is to get back to the outboard freq driver so I can use DFCW and the other modes - so I'll probably be using the locked transverter/TS850 again to produce the 1.012 and a bit MHz into the deck drive chain, but I need to clean up the buffering before the 74F74 as the 4046 squarer I used before that used to fire off when it shouldn't have. Or Ill use the TS850 and the "IF" level output direct at 506 and use your doubler  circuit http://www.w1vd.com/X2LinearClassDinterface.html  which I have in a box somewhere - I think I'll have enough drive at 500 from the TS850 by itself without buffering.

At present the QTX 100W modded design  is using a simple onboard 5.061MHz source divide by 10 then driver into a single 640 - its very tame at 28V and been very tolerant but only capable of QRSS in the present form using the K1EL keyer outboard.  Just sits there barely warm save one inductor...

Ill keep the Tx running again thru the day and overnight again 506.8817 or so QRSS20 for base line measurements

Laurence KL 1 X   WE2 XPQ Alaska

-----Original Message-----
From: lowfer-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:lowfer-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of jrusgrove at comcast.net
Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2013 5:11 AM
To: lowfer at mailman.qth.net
Subject: [EXTERNAL][Lowfer] XPQ BDQ in CT

Lots of static propagating in from the Texas area last night ... almost didn't bother to set up for 
XPQ. As Dex and Eric have noted the short signal peaks on XPQ makes it difficult for a full call 
reception. Laurence ... maybe you should just send "Q" ... reminiscent of the 137 kHz Quartz Hill 
Australia operations a decade ago ;~). Another 6+ dB from the 500 watt amp would make a night and 
day difference. Anything needed to get it up and running? Happy to send 'care package' of parts if 
needed.

Fragments received during several periods overnight. Best captures at:

http://www.w1vd.com/XPQ011013A.jpg

http://www.w1vd.com/XPQ011013B.jpg

BDQ easy copy ... making dogbones at:

http://www.w1vd.com/BDQ011013.jpg

Jay W1VD  WD2XNS  WE2XGR/2

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