[Lowfer] 29.499 tonight OP2H starts 2330...

[Garry Hess]

Bob's signal was pretty good here until 7:45 pm CDT when ComEd or a 
neighbor turned on a VLF noisemaker that lifted the noise floor around 
10 dB. That was too much for regular Opera to handle but the deep search 
code did. Detections were:

shielded loop

2014-03-11 06:09:02 WH1XBA 934km 29499.016Hz 1mHz -49.8dBOp  83% 16.7dB
2014-03-11 03:57:44 WH1XBA 934km 29499.016Hz 0mHz -47.4dBOp  97% 18.8dB
2014-03-11 01:46:31 WH1XBA 934km 29499.016Hz 1mHz -38.0dBOp  80% 20.1dB

rooftop e-probe

2014-03-11 06:09:02 WH1XBA 934km 29499.001Hz 2mHz -50.3dBOp  95% 18.2dB
2014-03-11 03:57:46 WH1XBA 934km 29499.001Hz 2mHz -46.5dBOp 100% 19.1dB
2014-03-11 01:46:31 WH1XBA 934km 29499.001Hz 1mHz -40.7dBOp  99% 19.7dB

The shielded loop receive setup used an SDR-IQ with external GPS-locked 
clock so obviously calibration work is needed for the 12000 sps rate 
(usually calibrate at rate 11025 sps and the true sample rate there is 
quite different from nominal).

Interesting "visitors" through the night were a signal on 29500 Hz and a 
couple of TACAMO transmissions at 29.4 and 17.8 kHz. The former was 
before the noise level rose and began quite strongly in the ARGO QRSS30 
display for the loop aimed East. Should have saved a capture but didn't. 
Not likely it was Dex, who normally operates on 29501 Hz and would be in 
a sidelobe. The latter signals went through the usual 50 bd RTTY, very 
wide band FSK, and then less wide band FSK sequence.

After WH2XBA/1 went QRT tuned to 518 kHz for Navtex transmissions. 
Copied messages from area 12 stations C and Q but again nothing from W.

Will email my Spectrum Laboratory configuration file for opds2h direct 
to Jay.

-- 
73, Garry, K3SIW, EN52ta, Elgin, IL