[MRCA] SAQ transmission on 17 Kcs

[Al Klase]

Gang,

It's been a lot of years since I received SAQ, so I defer to Breck as 
the reigning expert, but here are some observations:
*
**Location, Location, and Location!*

SAQ's signal is not very strong.  My pet theory is that either they 
don't know how to properly tune their antenna, or the grounds, etc., 
have deterioated to where they don't get full radiated power.  There's a 
tuned circuit at the base of each of the multiple towers.

The PC sound-card guys are a couple hundred mile from Grimeton. But a 
spectral display on the PC, perhaps looking at the 3 KHz wide output 
from an SSB receiver, is helpful to sort things out.

In case you missed it, my adventures from 1998 including an audio 
recording are here: 
http://www.eht.com/oldradio/awa/events/grimeton/grimeton.htm.

I've tried a number of times since, but no joy.  I'm now living in 
Jersey City, so it's probably out-of-the-question from here.  Now the 
MSK signals from the likes of NAA in Maine, and the Navy station in 
Hawaii are very strong, I can easily hear them from here.  Ditto, WWVL 
on 60 KHz.  My wrist watch hears them almost every night.  A couple of 
years ago, here in JC, I was hearing MSK stations that I was pretty sure 
were in Europe, but not a sign of SAQ.

*A Loop Antenna is likely you best bet:*

At these frequencies, the atmospheric noise is pretty high, even out in 
in the country.  So, you'd likely need a looooong beverage to out 
preform a simple loop.  Better to set up portable equipment, and take 
the loop to the beach.  You need to get down to the point where you can 
hear 'pherics (lightning crashes, etc.)

Good hunting,
Al

Al Klase -- N3FRQ
Jersey City, NJ
http://www.skywaves.ar88.net/

On 11/20/2014 5:37 AM, Christopher Bowne wrote:
> What are you guys using to receive SAQ on this side of the pond?  A 
> German Wandel und Goltermann Selective Level Meter that covers the 
> range from 2 kHz to 18.4 MHz followed me home from NEARFEST last 
> month.  I can pick up the FSK signals from NAA Cutler Maine at 24 kHz 
> solidly 24/7 and from NPM in Luauluauei HI at night on 21.4 kHz quite 
> well, along with WWVB on 60 kHz at Boulder, CO.  Of course it also 
> does a good job hearing all of the LF NDBs up and down the East Coast 
> and Caribbean and into Canada, along with the proliferation of 
> differential GPS beacons that are replacing the NDBs.  So far I have 
> just used my 80 meter dipole, but am thinking of putting together a 
> portable loop for use on VLF for the SAQ event, and taking the setup 
> out into real quiet location and powering it from a small 12VDC to 115 
> AC inverter, powered from either the Tacoma truck battery or a 
> separate 12V battery as the W u G only draws 20 watts. Considering the 
> recent weather, I would much prefer just using the 80M dipole here at 
> home though, I could also configure it and its coax feed line as a top 
> loaded T and put down some radials underneath it temporarily, what do 
> you think?
>
> The W u G is also an excellent CW and SSB receiver for HF use, have 
> been using it as my receiver of choice on the CW MilRad Net of late.
>
>
>
>
>
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