Dear all,
the remarks of Mike, ZL4OL, reminds me of my two years as a wireless operator on
a german freighter in the years 1956-58:
At that time, a lot of vessels crossing the pacific from New Zealand and
Australia to the U.S. and Canada had been equipped with medium wave equipment
only (410 - 512 kHz). Shortwave was not needed, because several thousend sea
miles could be covered at night dependably employing the medium wave
transmitter, with a power of a few hundred watts, and typical T or inverted L
wire antennas. Even engaged operators who had HF available liked to do all
communication on medium waves at night.
When crossing the atlantic westbound, from Europe, the coastal radio
transmitters of Chatham Radio, WCC (30-40 kW), and Amaganset Radio, WSL (15 kW),
both in the New York area, could be heard on 500 kHz from about 30 degrees west,
but ships still had to employ 8 MHz HF to work these stations. Therefore it
appears that LF/MF conditions over the atlantic are not so favourable.
Furthermore, operators at the german coastal radio station Norddeich Radio, DAN,
located in the outmost northwestern corner of germany, north of Emden, could
hear WCC and WSL sometimes, but not regularly, during very cold winter nights.
Perhaps it would be interesting to ask former operators of U.K. coastal radio
stations, especially Landsend Radio, GLD, and former colleagues of EI0CF at
Malin Head Radio, EJM, and of Valentia Radio, EJK, if they were able to
contribute to these observations.
HW?
73 Ha-Jo, DJ1ZB
ComPact schrieb:
Hello all
It's been interesting following the discussion on the possibility of
crossing the Atlantic with amateur LF signals. Although the frequency is
much higher it may be relevant to mention that several stations in ZL are
getting consistent reception of the Galveston Texas NDB on 206 kHz. This is
reported as a 2kW beacon which presumably means there wouldn't be more than
500 watts or so in each sideband. Distance is about 12500 km and signals
peak just before Galveston sunrise. I don't have any data on GLS's antenna
but if it's anything like most NDB's would not be hugely efficient.
Mike ZL4OL
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