[R-390] RECEPTION OF SAQ 17.2 KHz SUCCESSFUL AT HOME LOCATION

[Michael Murphy]

Hi Todd,

Even at 180 kHz where I used to do some lowfering, the noise was so high,
that I too, was driven to a battery powered receiver. My setup was all
homebrew - a voltage probe antenna into a single conversion receiver with a
4 MHz upconverted IF based on a large crystal ladder filter  and a double
balanced mixer used backwards (IF out is the antenna connection).

Typically all of my listening was done mobile. The antenna which looks
exactly like a 5/8 2M whip is stuck on the roof and you drive to a quiet
spot and listen. Never tried 17 kHz.

Mike WU2D


----- Original Message ----- 
From: <ToddRoberts2001 at aol.com>
To: <r-390 at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Sunday, September 25, 2005 9:18 AM
Subject: [R-390] RECEPTION OF SAQ 17.2 KHz SUCCESSFUL AT HOME LOCATION


>
> Hi All,
>        Wanted to report I had successful reception of SAQ 17.2KHz Sunday
> morning at 12:30 UTC! Somehow I overslept the 09:30 UTC transmission but
it may be
> just as well as I was able to really dial-in my receiving setup before the
> 12:30 transmission.
>         SAQ was about RST 329 and copy was good - light static on the band
> and the signal was not too strong but very readable and clear. My CW is a
bit
> rusty and I was only getting bits and pieces of their copy - it sounded
like
> they were sending about 18WPM. If they had sent about 10WPM I think I
would have
> gotten solid copy. Sorry I didn't have a battery tape recorder to use so
> wasn't able to record the transmission. If I had recorded it I could have
gone over
> it a few times and I am sure I would have gotten solid copy of the
message.
> The transmission lasted 5 minutes. I did send them a reception report -
not
> sure if anyone else in the USA heard them but now I have a good idea of
exactly
> what to listen for and what kind of signal strength to expect. If anyone
else
> in the USA East Coast has a reasonably quiet location they should have
been
> able to copy them also.
>        I owe my successful copy to using a Hagan large ferrite-core loop
> receiving antenna with converter and using a battery-operated receiver.
The R-389
> would have done a good job but I had to be able to divorce the receiver
from
> the power lines in order to get reasonable copy down at 17.2KHz. I ended
up
> using a Drake R8A on batteries. After cutting the main breakers to the
house I
> found that by carefully aligning the loop I was able to null out about
80-90% of
> the awful power-line harmonics and noise that was normally running about
S-7
> on the Drake R8A S-meter. I was able to null the power-line hash down to
about
> S-2 - S-3 on the meter and I don't think I would have been able to copy
SAQ
> if I wasn't able to null out the noise. When I switched the house power
back on
> I was unable to null the noise and it was a constant S-7 on the meter
which
> would have made copy impossible. I sent them a signal report and mentioned
that
> I hope they would be able to make another transmission sometime during the
> winter when conditions are best.  73 Todd WD4NGG
>
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