Please wait...
I have said that so many times over the decades, i dont even bother lying to myself now :)
Wed Sep 28 2022 07:50:07 PM EDT from Greg NesbittI now have the Tech license manual and the ancient IC-2GAT sitting side by side at my desk. If that's not motivation to get off my rear and get my Tech finally, I'm not sure what is. I was plannig to study up and take Tech & General at the same time, but at this point I just want to get on the air.
I got my son a Uniden scanner for Christmas, with the intention that when we go railfanning we can hear the chatter on the railroad frequencies. I have *no* idea where to get started, though.
Railfanning?
Fri Dec 30 2022 12:03:01 PM EST from IGnatius T Foobar
I got my son a Uniden scanner for Christmas, with the intention that when we go railfanning we can hear the chatter on the railroad frequencies. I have *no* idea where to get started, though.
when we go railfanning we can hear the chatter on the railroad
frequencies. I have *no* idea where to get started, though.
Around here, most of the railroad activity is on 158-161MHz. My local shortline Union RR is licensee KA5668, on 160.260/500/620/350/395 as channels 1-5. Standard or narrowband FM. There is less chatter than you would expect. I'd just head down to your local observation spot and scan around that range, you'll probably hear them.
I have an ICOM R-20 that's on a lot when I'm at home. I scan the local 30-40 repeaters, 6m/2m/70cm, they are all deader than dead. Most of the action here is police, fire, EMS. Pittsburgh is still on UHF simplex, county and most of the municipalities are on a county-owned UHF repeater system. All in the clear still.
My goal for the spring is to get an antenna up so I can hear PIT airport.
With the whip on the radio, I can hear arriving and departing flights but can't hear the tower, despite being up pretty high. I've got a nice 5/8 wave 2m magmount that should get er done I think.
We have some commuter lines that get an occasional freighter but we have no idea when they're running because they don't post the schedules.
Airport frequencies are interesting too but you can get most of them on liveatc.net without a scanner.
Any friends on top the hill? If so, stick a tower in their yard and a repeater.
Tue Jan 10 2023 09:39:34 AM EST from IGnatius T FoobarWe live in a valley so the prospect of ever receiving anything good at home is going to be slim for us. I might try SDR at some point and see what comes in just because it's cheap to get started. But the Uniden is specifically to chase trains around and find out where they are and where they're going.
We have some commuter lines that get an occasional freighter but we have no idea when they're running because they don't post the schedules.
Airport frequencies are interesting too but you can get most of them on liveatc.net without a scanner.
time to charge the batteries! ( emergency ham portables, and emergency e-ink reader.. )
Picked up 3 1watt solar panels recently to shove in the box with them. That is as larges as will fit. ( water proof ammo box ) so is a good excuse to charge them :)
ooo ran across my little BT programmer for my baofengs.. forgot i had that. Lets you program the radios via phone if you are out on the road. ( and dont feel like screwing with it by hand )
Supposed to also have a web interface, but never did try it. I should.
What's the deal with RFI on these stupid little power supplies? What kind of supply are commercially built clocks using that they don't have this kind of interference problem?
What's the deal with RFI on these stupid little power supplies? What
kind of supply are commercially built clocks using that they don't have
this kind of interference problem?
Shielding is nonexistent, cheapest of cheap parts sourced from China. Absolute RF nightmare. I see it over and over.
Any chance you can run off a couple of AA batteries instead? I imagine the draw is relatively small.
Or one of those lipo battery packs..
Wed Feb 21 2024 13:38:44 EST from fandarelAny chance you can run off a couple of AA batteries instead? I imagine the draw is relatively small.
Any chance you can run off a couple of AA batteries instead? I imagine the draw is relatively small.
It's an LED wall clock that runs 24/7 and is intended to be maintenance-free, so batteries are kind of out of the question.
I'm assuming the power supply is garbage, since it's CheapChinese. I want something cleaner, but I don't know what that would be.
Was digging around in the closet looking for a special power cable for a mini-vac that apparently vanished into that other dimension, along with socks ( special here anyway. a 2 prong *polarized* plug... all the others i have, are not and not feeling like trying to cut a notch in one so it fits ) ran across my old SW receiver.
Radio shack ( remember them? Back in the good days.. ) DX-375. Many an hour on that thing when i was younger.
The airwaves are really clean today. Check out propagation maps ... very good day for DXing.
I noticed that my WWVB clock was picking up time code at 60 KHz in the middle of the day. The transmitter is in Colorado and I live in New York State.
Normally I can only pick up the signal late at night.
It was slow at work today, so was playing with my that radio i just 'found'. Seems i cant run it off the power pack, too much interference. I don't remember that being a problem in the past. Even local FM broadcast stations go fuzz with it plugged in, and basically wont work unless i hold the cable to absorb the interference. But on battery is fine, so its not the radio.
And the antenna, its loose. really loose. Need to find ( or make ) a couple of microscopic washers for it. As old as it is im afraid of just taking a pair of pliers and squeezing the connector there at the screw a little.
I noticed that my WWVB clock was picking up time code at 60 KHz in the
middle of the day. The transmitter is in Colorado and I live in New
York State.
So I posted that message on November 12, and there really was good propagation on that day.
But I've also recently learned that WWVB was restored to its full transmitting power on October 10, having suffered damage earlier this year and transmtting at reduced power.
That explains why I'm seeing that beautiful red indicator on my clock far more often, the one that indicates that the receiver is locked and time code is being acquired.