Return-Path: Received: (qmail 27698 invoked from network); 11 Aug 1999 13:31:12 +0100 Received: from magnus.plus.net.uk (HELO magnus.force9.net) (195.166.128.27) by guiness.force9.net with SMTP; 11 Aug 1999 13:31:12 +0100 Received: (qmail 8712 invoked from network); 11 Aug 1999 12:34:49 -0000 Received: from unknown (HELO post.thorcom.com) (212.172.148.70) by magnus.plus.net.uk with SMTP; 11 Aug 1999 12:34:49 -0000 Received: from majordom by post.thorcom.com with local (Exim 3.02 #1) id 11EXOG-0007r3-00 for rsgb_lf_group-outgoing@blacksheep.org; Wed, 11 Aug 1999 13:21:56 +0100 Received: from mcclure.tinet.ie ([159.134.237.31]) by post.thorcom.com with esmtp (Exim 3.02 #1) id 11EXOE-0007qy-00 for rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org; Wed, 11 Aug 1999 13:21:54 +0100 Received: from p136.lifford1.tinet.ie ([159.134.235.136] helo=beachwood.tinet.ie) by mcclure.tinet.ie with smtp (Exim 2.05 #23) id 11EXO7-0003xJ-00 for rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org; Wed, 11 Aug 1999 13:21:48 +0100 Message-ID: <000a01bee3f4$8bda0880$88eb869f@beachwood.tinet.ie> From: "Finbar O'Connor" To: rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org Subject: LF: re:Eclipse mon Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 13:23:02 +0100 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/html; charset=windows-1252 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.5 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1106 Precedence: bulk Reply-To: rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org Sender: Content-transfer-encoding: 8bit
                                Eclipse Monitoring  at Malin Head, Ireland.
The following is a very non-tecnical monitoring of various frequencies during the period of the Eclipse, today  11th August 1999. Receiver  ICOM R75, Antenna, my LF  136 khz antenna, untuned.
I tried to find a number of stations south of my qth, but rather than range over a wide frequency, I picked
one LF station, and the rest in the Medium Wave band. Broadcasters running relatively low power.
1.  The LF station was  the power house on 138.8 khz. Starting at 0915 utc as the base line, this station
      remained stable until  approx  1020 utc when its signal came up by about  6 db, then dropped back to 
      its normal level by  1035 utc.
 
2.   One Medium wave broadcaster  in Ireland on 540 khz , which is 250 km to the south was chosen as
      its signal is extremely weak here, its supposed to be  a 2kw rig but sounds more like 100 watts, even
      driving by in its service area its very weak. The effect of the Eclipse on this signal was a nothing at
      all, even listening on up to 1100 utc. Surprising, but there you go, that's how it was here.
 
3.   Three broadcaster were chosen at the top end of the Medium wave band,  1602 khz  BBC Radio
      Kent,  1521 khz  Fame 1521  Reigate/Crawley, and  1476 khz County Sound Radio , Guildford.
      All three transmitters run low power, ie,  1602 khz    250 watts,  1521 khz  1000 watts  and
      1476 khz  500 watts. There were very definite effects on these signals, particularly  1603 khz.
 
1603 khz  up to  1005 utc  nil  heard, however  at 1007  a Spanish broadcaster suddenly came up and
by 1013 utc  was  an  s8/9 signal, very strong. By  1025  Radio Kent started to come up under the
Spanish station, with a distinct fluttery signal and the Spanish station dropping rapidly down to a low level
in the background until  1030 utc when Radio Kent took a sudden dive down to almost nothing. The two
by now very weak signal mixed with one another for a about 3 minutes until 1035 utc, by  1036 the
freq was dead. NIL.  The most noticable effect was on Radio Kent, whose signal , although quite readable, yes they too were nattering on about the Eclipse, was the fluttering effect on their signal, rapid and although their modulation was good the carrier never got above about  s3.
Checked 1476 khz and 1521 khz from 0915 but not a trace of them.
1476 khz and 1521 khz. at  about  1004  both signals started to appear. By  1018  utc  1521 khz was
an  s6 ,  at  1019  1476 khz was  s7, by  1023 utc  1521 was up to  an s9, but  1476 khz was almost
nil. Both station took on this effect of rapid qsb, up and down from almost nil signal to  at best s9, by
1028 utc  1476 khz was running a very good  s7 up to  1031 utc , but at  1035  utc   1476 khz and 1521 khz were both dead and stayed that way.  There was no fluttering effect on either of these signal, just rapid and very deep qsb.
Whilst tuning down to 1521 khz  I noticed  a  s9  signal on 1575 khz from a Spanish station at  1008 utc and again at  1018 utc, an  s8/9 signal.
 
As far a the visual effect of the Eclipse on our location, yes it did get a bit darker, much like when a heavy rain cloud appears, but nothing very dramatic, mind you it was very cloudy, so no sight of the Sun.
The garden birds seemed to ignore the whole thing, I certainly did'nt notice them fluffing out their
pillows or putting on their electic blankets for a quick kip.
As far as I can see from my atlas, those top end Medium wave broadcasters are about  700 km from my qth. From an LF viewpoint , there was a very definite increase in the 138.8 khz signal of about  6 db's
not quite as much a the effect on this signal under normal nighttime  conditions when it goes up about
10-15 db's here.
Best regards
Finbar    EI0CF