Return-Path: Received: (qmail 18452 invoked from network); 27 Mar 1999 23:19:23 -0000 Received: from magnus.plus.net.uk (HELO magnus.force9.net) (195.166.128.27) by medusa.plus.net.uk with SMTP; 27 Mar 1999 23:19:23 -0000 Received: (qmail 4941 invoked from network); 27 Mar 1999 23:19:03 -0000 Received: from post.thorcom.com (194.75.130.70) by magnus.plus.net.uk with SMTP; 27 Mar 1999 23:19:03 -0000 Received: from troy.blacksheep.org ([194.75.183.50] ident=root) by post.thorcom.com with esmtp (Exim 2.04 #3) id 10R2KP-0002RY-01; Sat, 27 Mar 1999 23:17:21 +0000 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal Received: (from root@localhost) by troy.blacksheep.org (8.6.12/8.6.12) id XAA07972 for rsgb_lf_group-outgoing; Sat, 27 Mar 1999 23:17:47 GMT Received: from post.thorcom.com (root@post.unica.co.uk [194.75.183.70]) by troy.blacksheep.org (8.6.12/8.6.12) with ESMTP id XAA07898 for ; Sat, 27 Mar 1999 23:02:19 GMT Received: from hil-img-5.compuserve.com ([149.174.177.135]) by post.thorcom.com with esmtp (Exim 2.04 #3) id 10R258-0002JV-00 for rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org; Sat, 27 Mar 1999 23:01:34 +0000 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1106 Received: (from root@localhost) by hil-img-5.compuserve.com (8.8.6/8.8.6/2.18) id SAA11818; Sat, 27 Mar 1999 18:01:23 -0500 (EST) Date: Sat, 27 Mar 1999 18:00:55 -0500 From: "Peter Bobek" Subject: LF: 136 kHz To: "PA0SE - Dick" , rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org Message-ID: <199903271801_MC2-6FAF-6A81@compuserve.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Disposition: inline Sender: Precedence: bulk Reply-To: rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org Hello Jaap, hello all, transmitting with high efficiency is very important but more important - like on the other bands - is the capability to hear others calling. A very tall antenna does not only pick up a lot of static but is also often useless for low noise reception... You might have picked up a lot of LORAN noise as well. The frequency you mentioned for SCW 136.495 is not among those recommended for SCW. Most of us are using the wide window above 137,600 kHz. 3 sec dot lengths might be adequate for SCW in your case. Early morning or early afternoon is a good time to give it a try. Do kites also fly well at night? Donīt expect to damage the S-meters on the other side of the pond. A few enthusiastic US-boys just returned home from an expedition to see if they can hear EU BC- (and Amateur-) signals. 500...1000 kW from almost quarterwave verticals were audible - others werenīt. Your signal might be even some 30...40 db weaker over there even when radiating 31 watts ERP. Donīt be disappointed! It could happen, yeah! But the comments above are probably more realistic. Europe is within your reach. Try to catch the "poor EU-lowfers" struggling with efficiencies in the order of close to 1 percent (at maximum). During the RSGB-HF-Convention (fall 1998) we set up the following recommendation (using the frequencies listed below): 136,458 (+/- 3 Hz), the LORAN-free window is only 6 Hz wide. 137,600-137,800 (most of the activity is between 137,650- 137,750 kHz). >From recent examinations at a friends place close-by I can only recommend the use of an attenuator (switchable in 5 db- steps) between such a tall antenna and the RX-input to check overloading of the RX. Quite a few of us have to do this - including me (I have about 1,5...2 volts RF across 50 Ohm RX-input from LF-transmitters 25 and 45 km away!). Unfortuna- tely their tx-frequencies are too close to our band to use sharp cutoff-filters. A solution might be a narrow crystal filter at the front (RF) end. I hope you and the crew are not too frustrated reading my mail. PLEASE DO CONTINUE with your seaside experiments! We really appreciate them! There are many who still need a QSO with PA-land! Try to hear our whispering... Kind regards, Peter / DJ8WL (ex DA0LF, first German LF-lis)