Jim Moritz said:
Funnily enough, I was using DL4YHF's excellent Spectrum Lab
software to record spectrograms of 136.5kHz last night - but
unfortunately only after 0100! Oh, well.
In fact VE1ZZ transmitted until 0130.
It all started like this. I was monitoring (off and on) the
frequencies between 136.4 and 136.6kHz and saw a fast CW signal, just
below 136.5kHz at 2300UTC. I called QRZ but got no response.
I then phoned up Jack, VE1ZZ and asked if it was him.
No it wasn't.
Then what time would he be transmitting?
Well he usually transmits around 0100 to 0130, 0200 to 0230 etc.
Well could he transmit now - I am looking at the frequency but I
don't know what conditions are like because CFH is off the air
Well no - he is just going out to take his XYL to a card party but he
will be back at 0030 and he would transmit then.
At 0030 a signal appears - bang on time and frequency (well 2Hz hi!)
It is readability 'O' sending rather fast QRSS, fortunately clear of
Loran lines. I was using Spectran in the verticlal mode at low
resolution so that I could monitor a wide range of frequencies. I
switched to horizontal mode at a higher resolution but the signal
readability did not improve - in fact it got worse.
I then phoned Jack and passed the report. He asked me how long I
would be monitoring and I said until 0115UTC. In fact I stayed until
0130 when the transmissions ceased.
Brief details of VE1ZZ's station are as follows:
The antenna comprises a 900ft length of wire strung out over three
masts 150ft, 104ft and 50ft high. It is loaded and fed at the end
furthest away from the shack via a length of coax feeder.
The valve (tube) transmitter with a plate input of 4kW, giving an
output around 2.5kW (10 to 11 amps antenna current).
I will call Jack tonight and ask him if he could transmit earlier,
say 2300UTC. I think that way he will get a few more customers!
He wont be listening for a while yet. His QTH is a computer free zone
so we (probably John, VE1ZJ) will have to work on it.
The signal level last night was 15 to 20dB below audibility (and that
was with 25w erp) although the QRN was high.
I will e-mail later as I get more info.
--
Regards, Peter, G3LDO
<[email protected]>
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