[Lowfer] XBA/1 carrier at 29.499 kHz in EN90xn

[Michael Sapp]

Bob & All: I am able to capture your XBA/1 carrier at QRSS30 this evening. Some noticeable short-term fading. This evening the EWE is showing the XBA/1 carrier several dB stronger on it's SW transformer. It definitely is "hearing backwards" at 29.5 kHz compared to using the EWE antenna above 100 kHz where the directivity is reversed.  DC check verified transmission lines and transformers OK and I was copying MP well at 137 on the NE transformer while also copying XBA/1 weakly at 24.499. Upon changing directions MP's signal level decreased and XBA/1 carrier level strength increased to a solid copy....

http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag19/wa3tts/capt00010_zps8a495f81.jpg

The above capture was made with my Heath HD-1420 converter to my FT-847 with 300Hz Collins filter and 25Hz audio DSP filter....

I was also able to capture XBA/1 with the ZLW-1 DBM and IsoTemp 3MHz LO and the EWE antenna, with no preamplification. Not very strong, but "in there" and that setup was on the NE transformer where the XBA/1 signal was several dB down from the SW transformer.

http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag19/wa3tts/XBAZLW1A_zpsee34c753.jpg

Below is XBA/1 carrier on the HD-1420 and FT-817 at QRSS60. I switched antenna directions to the SW at about 0145 UTC. The result is apparent as the trace line becomes solid for the subsequent time interval of the capture

http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag19/wa3tts/XBA1CAR1_zps4c0963f9.jpg


The light trace at the begining of this capture using the NE transformer on the EWE antenna is not that much stronger than what was copied with the passive DBM & OCXO setup. I did not expect the ZLW-1 to work that well at 29 kHz. I was using the DC to 500 MHz IF port as the RF input. The RF isolation transformer I was using to separate the EWE ground from the station ground also has some measurable insertion loss below 100 kHz....

Imagine what 1W ERP would do versus .001W ERP....

73  Mike wa3tts