[Lowfer] VLF monitoring

Michael Sapp wa3tts at verizon.net
Tue Nov 25 18:26:54 EST 2014 

Doug & All:  A check this evening on my analog LF~MF converter with a Mini 
Circuits RAY6 DBM has 18.3kHz HWU audible at 20dB above noise,
19.6 kHz GBZ audible at about 10dB above noise, 20.9 kHz HWU audible at 
about 20dB above noise, 21.4 kHz NPM weak but audible about 6dB
above noise, 23.4kHz DHO weak but audible about 6dB above noise, and NAA 
24.0kHz 40~50 dB above noise as measured on the old WSJT4 Spectran waterfall
NDB/CW mode with my old Win98 Thinkpad.

Unfortunately I only seem to only receive 60 and 120 Hz harmonics in the 
11~15 kHz Alpha range and my 4-stack of BN73-202 EWE antenna transformers 
get
 lossy at 18kHz (2dB) vs 1dB at 20 kHz and .6dB at 25 kHz... I've tried the 
Spectrum Lab SDR with my e-probe and the 60-120Hz harmonics are
 worse, even with the hum filter supposedly operating. Having the 50KW AM 
station 4.5 miles away does not help either. However, I likely have a poor
 impedance match to the sound card input and likely require an aggressive 50 
or 100 kHz LPF.  At some point I will look into that issue.....Sure would 
like
 to hear some beeps in the 11~15kHz and one of these days......

   I did pick up a dozen 3.0MHz xtals and want to try an xtal notch filter 
on my 3.0 MHz IF output over the winter,  as that would do wonders for my
IF receiver dynamic range when attempting to receive at 3.011 to 3.015 Mhz 
for the Alphas....

73, Mike wa3tts


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Douglas D. Williams" <kb4oer at gmail.com>
To: "Discussion of the Lowfer (US, European, &amp, UK) and MedFer bands" 
<lowfer at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Tuesday, November 25, 2014 6:39 AM
Subject: Re: [Lowfer] VLF monitoring


> My main problem is probably that I do to bed too early. If you aren't
> listening, you aren't gonna hear much. ;-)
>
> D.
>
> On Mon, Nov 24, 2014 at 8:31 PM, David L. Wilson <dwilson314 at verizon.net>
> wrote:
>
>> I always got better reception on VLF in Ohio.  I has suspect that was due
>> to
>> poorer ground conductivity here in Virginia (2) compared to Ohio (8).
>>
>> --
>> David L. Wilson
>>
>>
>> > -----Original Message-----
>> > From: Lowfer [mailto:lowfer-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of
>> > jrusgrove at comcast.net
>> > Sent: Monday, November 24, 2014 8:01 PM
>> > To: Discussion of the Lowfer (US, European, & UK) and MedFer bands
>> > Subject: Re: [Lowfer] VLF monitoring
>> >
>> > Garry K3SIW in IL reports audible Alpha reception throughout the year 
>> > ...
>> > with the exception of the summer months. That's the same as here on the
>> > east coast. VLF signals suffer much less attenuation inland than, for
>> example,
>> > MF signals.
>> >
>> > Jay W1VD  WD2XNS  WE2XGR/2
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > ----- Original Message -----
>> > From: "Douglas D. Williams" <kb4oer at gmail.com>
>> > To: "Discussion of the Lowfer (US, European, &amp,UK) and MedFer bands"
>> > <lowfer at mailman.qth.net>
>> > Sent: Monday, November 24, 2014 6:31 PM
>> > Subject: Re: [Lowfer] VLF monitoring
>> >
>> >
>> > > FB, Jay. Audible reception of the Russian Alphas, as far inland in 
>> > > the
>> > > continental U.S. as you are, is noteworthy in my opinion. That, or I
>> need
>> > > to improve my VLF setup.
>> > >
>> > > -Doug
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > On Mon, Nov 24, 2014 at 6:12 PM, ka9cfd at mtcnow.net
>> > <ka9cfd at mtcnow.net>
>> > > wrote:
>> > >
>> > >> Hello Doug. They were quite audible here. Tried to listen for
>> whistlers
>> > >> with the tstorms down south but i didn't hear anything obvious. I am
>> not
>> > >> sure how often they occur but kinda gather it may be rare. Still
>> learning.
>> > >>
>> > >> 73 Jay
>> > >>
>> > >>
>> > >> Jay Hainline  KA9CFD
>> > >>
>> > >> <div>-------- Original message --------</div><div>From: "Douglas D.
>> > >> Williams" <kb4oer at gmail.com> </div><div>Date:11/24/2014  16:53
>> > >> (GMT-06:00) </div><div>To: "Discussion of the Lowfer (US, European,
>> > &amp,
>> > >>  UK) and MedFer bands" <lowfer at mailman.qth.net> </div><div>Subject:
>> > Re:
>> > >> [Lowfer] VLF monitoring </div><div>
>> > >> </div>The only way I've ever been able to confirm reception of the
>> > Alpha's
>> > >> short
>> > >> "bleeps" is by audible copy, here at my QTH.
>> > >>
>> > >> On Sun, Nov 23, 2014 at 9:04 PM, Jay Hainline <ka9cfd at mtcnow.net>
>> > wrote:
>> > >>
>> > >> > Thanks David. I have been reading up on it.
>> > >> >
>> > >> > 73 Jay KA9CFD
>> > >> >
>> > >> > http://www.lwca.org/grabbers/ka9cfd/
>> > >> >
>> > >> > -----Original Message----- From: David L. Wilson Sent: Sunday,
>> > November
>> > >> > 23, 2014 7:51 PM To: 'Discussion of the Lowfer (US, European, 
>> > >> > &
>> > UK)
>> > >> and
>> > >> > MedFer bands' Subject: Re: [Lowfer] VLF monitoring
>> > >> >
>> > >> > All the Russian RSDN use that frequency and it is likely you are
>> hearing
>> > >> > multiple stations rather than Morse code "O"s.
>> > >> > See http://www.vlf.it/alphatrond/alpha.htm --
>> > >> > David L. Wilson
>> > >> >
>> > >> >  -----Original Message-----
>> > >> >> From: Lowfer [mailto:lowfer-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of
>> > Jay
>> > >> >> Hainline
>> > >> >> Sent: Sunday, November 23, 2014 7:57 PM
>> > >> >> To: lowfer at mailman.qth.net
>> > >> >> Subject: [Lowfer] VLF monitoring
>> > >> >>
>> > >> >> I've had my Spectrum Lab grabber running for a while looking at 
>> > >> >> the
>> > >> >>
>> > >> > various
>> > >> >
>> > >> >> VLF frequencies. I am hearing a signal sending "O"'s on 14.881 
>> > >> >> KHz.
>> It
>> > >> is
>> > >> >> labeled as RSDN F3 Alpha station from Russia in the frequency 
>> > >> >> list
>> that
>> > >> >>
>> > >> > came
>> > >> >
>> > >> >> with Spectrum Lab.
>> > >> >>
>> > >> >> Jay Hainline KA9CFD
>> > >> >> Colchester, IL EN40om
>> > >> >>
>> > >> >>
>> > >> >>
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