[Lowfer] LW AM Stations Heard in N.A.

Wed Mar 8 12:49:58 EST 2023

Several people with really long wires have received the Alexanderson
station SAQ in Grimeton, Sweden on 17.2 kHz. I find it interesting that you
don't even need a conventional receiver, just use the soundcard in your
computer connected to the antenna and audio spectrum analyzer software. I
don't think they have been heard in the midwest, though. I may be wrong,
but I think all the people who have heard it are on the east coast.

Zack W9SZ

On Wed, Mar 8, 2023 at 10:58 AM Gedas <w8bya at mchsi.com> wrote:

> Hi Steve and thank you very much for that excellent summary. I think
> your long wires have a lot to do with it !  I saw a YT video of a SWL in
> the Midwest that used a huge beverage (I think about 1/2 mile) and was
> switching around to several LW AM frequencies......it was really,
> really  impressive !  But this was some years ago when many stations
> were around and prop was quite different.
>
> I have several followup questions based on your reply, I hope you (and
> the group) do not mind.
>
> When you said you lived in the PNW were you able to pickup the European
> LW stations from there or were these Asian LW stations?
>
> For Morocco, what (local time for you) did you usually find signals the
> best for Europe? I seem to see the strongest carriers starting about 3
> hrs before my SR up until about an hour before SR.
>
> I also do not understand why, with carriers peaking 20 dB out of the NF
> I am not able to detect any modulation. Even if I did have a local birdy
> on that frequency I should be seeing some signs of the modulation in the
> waterfall but I am not. I usually listen using 2-3 kHz AM (usually SAM)
> and 2-3 kHz USB or LSB. In either case it's a no-go.  I will concentrate
> on Morocco although it is probably too late in the season.
>
> What do you use for a receiver?
>
> TU again, most helpful. 73
>
> Gedas, W8BYA EN70JT
>
> Gallery at http://w8bya.com
> Light travels faster than sound....
> This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
>
> On 3/8/2023 11:21 AM, Steve Ratzlaff wrote:
> > I try for LWBC for many years now; when I lived in northeast Oregon I
> > regularly heard them during the winter months. Since moving to Arizona
> > (20 miles southwest of Tucson) 12 years ago I have been thrilled to
> > also be able to hear LWBC. However this season has been the worst that
> > I can remember, apparently due to the high and frequent solar
> > activity. Only a few times so far this season have I heard any LWBC
> > when normally it's been at least several times a week. For me, 171
> > Morocco is generally the best, then the low pitched data signal on 162
> > France, 198 BBC, 252 Algeria; I've heard others (when they were still
> > on), but much less frequently. I first check in CW mode; I use 100 Hz
> > bandwidth--listening for the carrier. If strong enough then I switch
> > to SSB or sometimes AM and check for modulation. Since the 198 DIW, NC
> > NDB has been off past year or so, anything on 198 is LWBC from BBC. At
> > least for me, it doesn't take too much detected carrier to be able to
> > get at least some recovery of the modulation. Surely a 20 db out of
> > the noise carrier ought to produce some modulation for you!
> >
> > I'm fortunate (living on my brother's 20 acre property) to have room
> > to string  700' N/S and  900' E/W unterminated longwires; usually the
> > N/S gives better LWBC reception at my location.
> >
> > 73,
> >
> > Steve AA7U
> >
> > On 3/8/2023 9:01 AM, Gedas wrote:
> >> New member here, TU for allowing me to join in.
> >>
> >> I have a question regarding the ability of N.A. SWL's being able to
> >> receive the few remaining LW AM stations from Europe and N. Africa.
> >>
> >> I have a not so horrible VLF-MF SWL station consisting of a RSPdx and
> >> several wire antennas. My usual best is a 75m band Inv-V at 70. At
> >> times a pure 40m elevated vertical works well. I am in a fairly quiet
> >> rural area and keep my antennas several hundred feet away from the
> >> home and I like to use VLF CMC at both ends of my coax cables for
> >> insurance.
> >>
> >> In any event, I have been trying for several years to at least hear
> >> some modulation from a station like BBC-4 on 198 kHz. I can always
> >> see it's carrier, at times 20 dB above my NF but never able to detect
> >> any sidebands or hear any modulation. I have monitored many times
> >> (sometimes right from my sunset to sunrise in the UK) and can see the
> >> several hours of peak propagation but even then it's a no-go for any
> >> actual reception.
> >>
> >> I am located in Indiana which I know is going to make it a lot more
> >> difficult compared to stations along the east coast of the states.
> >>
> >> I have absolutely no issues detecting all of the dozen of so FSK/MSK
> >> military signals from various parts of the world and can nicely hear
> >> the ticks of DC77 and digital data from TDF on 162 kHz. TDD and Negev
> >> are easy to spot as well. Alphas no problem etc, etc, etc.
> >>
> >> So what is the issue with me not being able to hear any LW AM
> >> stations? I realize as of today only a few remain and I am hoping I
> >> can nab one before they are all retired. Are others able to hear BBC
> >> or Algeria from N.A. and if so what is the secret ?
> >>
> >> TU 73
> >>
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