Re: VLF: RX stations in Canada and US?

[Roger Lapthorn <rogerlapthorn@gmail.com>]

Dear Mal,

People like to experiment, to try the impossible using all means at their disposal. Not many of us have the opportunity, or indeed the wish, to run many kWs and these days most don't have the space for large antennas. So, we choose to try new and innovative techniques to overcome our limitations. Some of us will succeed and feel proud of our efforts. Others will fail, but will have learnt a lot on the way. 

As some wise soul said, "the journey is more important than the destination".  It is better to try that to sit back and continually moan.

73s
Roger G3XBM

On 7 June 2010 20:09, Rik Strobbe <Rik.Strobbe@fys.kuleuven.be> wrote:

brute force versus brains ?

73, Rik  ON7YD - OR7T

________________________________________
Van: owner-rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org [owner-rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org] namens mal hamilton [g3kevmal@talktalk.net]
Verzonden: maandag 7 juni 2010 20:02
Aan: rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org
Onderwerp: Re: VLF: RX stations in Canada and US?

The Dreamers band is now becoming more a Nightmare band
A simple VLF experiment to exchange reports amongst radio amateurs requires
a Phd with the ability to manage a frequency stabity of
0.000000000000000000001 cycles otherwise you could be missed also a speed of
QRS  203573 taking several months or even years to send a DOT.
Summer vacation taken up winding a large coil to resonate antenna. The whole
thing is not real.
For a Radio Operator the task is difficult for an Appliance Operator
impossible
My approach is to generate K/watts of rf at the tx end and  have a  suitable
array of wire antennas at the rx end. Communications would be by normal CW
where frequency accuracy is not critical.
Why wait around for months or years for a DOT to be heard when this can be
done on other bands like 137 or 500 kcs and HF.
Commercial operators have already exploited these frequencies and radio
amateurs are re inventing the wheel
g3kev


----- Original Message -----
From: "Stefan Schäfer" <schaefer@hst.tu-darmstadt.de>
To: <rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org>
Sent: Sunday, June 06, 2010 8:47 PM

Subject: AW: VLF: RX stations in Canada and US?


Hi Joe,

I don't know that RX but what i recommend is using the soundcard of your PC
(or an external) as the RX, just as Paul Nicholson and Jim and Wolf and
Markus and Renato and...... did it. You do not need an extra RX. An extra
usual RX is just a source of frequency instabilities (offset and temperature
drift). You have to have a very stable frequency, say 8970,00 Hz +- 0,01 Hz.
This can be reached by using your soundcard and e.g. DL4YHFs Spectrum
Lab(V2.75 b08 or higher versions) and compensating the frequency drift by
locking to a military reference MSK signal that is available almost all over
the world.
Then, in a first step you can watch the ALPHAs on 11904,762 Hz and watch
your accuracy. It should be an absolutely horizontal line!
Theoretically, this could be tried this evening :-)

Best 73 and good luck :-)

Stefan/DK7FC

________________________________

Von: owner-rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org im Auftrag von jcraig@mun.ca
Gesendet: So 06.06.2010 20:38
An: rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org
Betreff: Re: VLF: RX stations in Canada and US?



Hi Bill, Group.

Just returned from a one week trip inland (Ottawa).  Yes, I'm near St
John's and have acquired an ITT mackay 3031A which might be satisfactory
for VLF RX. Any comments on the suitability of this RX would be
appreciated.

73 & TNX
Joe VO1NA

On Sun, 6 Jun 2010, Bill de Carle wrote:

> At 07:45 AM 6/6/2010, Stefan/DK7FC wrote:
> [..]
>> What about the canadian stations? These are in the shortest distance to
EU
>> and will become a very important factor in some months when the QRN
levels
>> decrease. Are there already stations who permantently monitor the
dreamers
>> band (not the whole VLF) with a suitable RX system? Means, not only
copying
>> the ALPHAs by ear but having a SLOW QRSS/DFCW window where DFCW-600 or
>> DFCW-6000 can be displayed. Here, it makes no sense to monitor the ALPHAs
>> and 8,97 kHz in e.g. 4 Hz FFT bandwith, what we need is 4 mHz! So, that
one
>> DFCW element takes 10 minutes. Another important step is to have a STABLE
>> soundcard sample rate. This is well performed in the latest SpecLab
>> version. Alternatively a GPS synchronisation  or so is necessray!
> [..]
>> What do the canadians or US stns think about that? Any REAL interest?
>
> I have the necessary frequency stability/accuracy either already in place
or
> easily arranged and I'm certainly interested, but unfortunately I live
inland
> about 1000 miles from the East coast of Canada (the best Rx location would
be
> somewhere around St. Johns Newfoundland).  Nevertheless, I'll see if I can
> receive the Alpha signals for a start.  I've been monitoring your
experiments
> and you guys have me all excited about this VLF stuff!
>
> 73,
> Bill VE2IQ
>
>
>

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G3XBM    GQRP 1678      ISWL G11088