NOTEBK20.TXT The LF Notebook (From The LOWDOWN November, 1994) News and Comments About LF Radio & Experimental Topics (c) 1994 John Davis; all rights reserved. PO Box 367, Warm Springs, GA 31830 Fax/Voice: (706) 672-0964 E-mail: johnhdavis@aol.com *This month we honor our veterans, give thanks for our blessings, and look forward to the DX season. One of the things for which your columnist gives thanks is the end of the summer doldrums. Now, I love summer...don't get me wrong about that. But with the start of autumn, reader participation in this column picks up again, and that makes a better publication. Thanks to all who wrote, faxed, or otherwise communicated this month. Many of our regulars are represented, with quite a bit of information to pass along. Don't let that stop you from joining in, too, though. As with holidays, "the more, the merrier." *Cosmic connection continuation. Our lightning series should resume next month. The Internet files that were recommended to us last month by Duane Schulke are available if you have ftp access, which my service providers haven't quite managed to provide yet. I'll be signed up with another one by the time you read this, and should be ready to absorb and pass along some details next time. *Mid-month Updates by Voice Mail? Last winter I put out a small news sheet around the middle of each month. It was nothing fancy, but it contained whatever schedule or frequency changes were reported since the previous column went to headquarters. Several members availed themselves for the mere cost of a few SASEs. This year, we have the Longwave BBS serving some of that same function, and the time it takes to maintain the bulletin board pretty well eats into the time I used to have for printing and mailing the news sheet. What to do for the folks who are not computer oriented, but who would still like to receive a mid-month update? Several months ago, I mentioned the possibility of a "voice BBS" that could be used by anyone with a Touch Tone" telephone. At that time, the only software I had seen was close to $500. Well, as is usually true in the computer field, if you wait a few weeks, someone will come up with a vastly cheaper package. This version only handles one line at a time, so we couldn't have live roundtables, but it offers most of the other essential features. I plan to set it up to replace my fax/answering machine eventually, but if there is interest, I'll go ahead and configure the whole works! What that will provide is: the same fax and voice answering capability I have now; the ability to enter a numerical code and receive a voice update on beacon activity; the ability to leave and retrieve individual voice mail; and fax- back capability. The latter should be especially useful, because fax users will be able to select up to 10 documents...including a typed version of the update...to be immediately transmitted to them. If all you're after is the update, the cost of a 2-minute phone call at night or weekend rate would be less than a 29 cent stamp. That's for either voice or fax. Not too shabby, eh? If you are interested, please write or leave a message on the answering machine sometime this month. *A reminder for correspondents. For the benefit of newcomers, I'll just take a moment to mention my personal policy on addresses and such. When you write in (or fax, transmit, e-mail, etc.) with some material for this column, I like to print your address on the first appearance, and from time to time with later correspondence. This is to encourage flow of information among members who may want to pass along questions or possible solutions. Telephone numbers are pretty useful for beacons that operate by request, and I like to include numbers for other beacon operators as well. However, I seldom list phone numbers of other correspondents unless that's the only contact point they give, or unless they specifically request it to be listed. And, I normally print e-mail or packet addresses on the same basis as mailing addresses. If you do not want your address or other information used (some members do not want to associate their ham call sign with their LF activity, for instance), please indicate that in your letter. We will respect your wishes. Signal Relaying Follow-up In last month's feature piece on signal relaying, we mentioned a number of potentially useful Part 15 bands, including the one at 49 MHz. As it turns out, we have a member with practical experience at relaying whistlers by that very means. I'll let David Holland (DCH) tell you about it: "The setup I have been using for a few years now is a Part 15, crystal controlled, narrow band FM transmitter. The system is a homemade WR-3 receiver, fed into a Maxon 49 MHz HT. Radio Shack also has them. The audio output of the WR-3 and the mike input of the HT are about the same impedance, so direct feed can be used. The audio control on the receiver is adjusted so as not to overdrive the transmitter. A 12 volt gel cell, through a 10 volt regulator, powers the system. The whole thing is installed in a metal tool box, with receiving and transmitting antennas on each end. "I march around the back lot, with tool box and pocket scanner in hand. When a hot spot is found, I leave the box there. For best results, a full quieting signal is needed into the scanner. An audio filter can also be added to the scanner, to clean up the sounds of nature. So for me, it's a simple matter to reach out from under the covers and turn on my bedside scanner." LF Ham Band Efforts and PLCs St. Louis area ham Bob Magraw, K0CBA, is one of those pursuing the idea of a 1750 meter ham band. He wrote this past month about his efforts to encourage ARRL support of the concept before the FCC, and his efforts to interest equipment manufacturers in the possible commercial prospects. He feels the New Zealand band plan could serve as a guideline, with amateurs of General class and above using the band on a shared basis. He has been urging others to write, also. Apparently, ARRL Executive Vice President David Sumner, K1ZZ, responded, but had some reservations about power line carriers. In his latest letter to Sumner, Mr. Magraw says, in part: "I do not claim to be well versed on the l.f. carrier current communica- tion system, but it does seem to me that it is purported to be a 'closed circuit, non-radiating' system. Perhaps if the ARRL and the LowFERs could get together and apply for an STA (special temporary authorization) to conduct a few tests, this matter could be resolved one way or another, but the help and endorsement of the League is essential, and that is what I am asking for. The voices of all the hams in the U. S. could not be heard above the sound of shuffling paper and coffee being poured at the FCC without the League. "One thought that may be worth using if the League will help try to get this allocation: if the Government's very own GWEN system, with all its watts and efficient antennas, doesn't bother the utility companies, it seems a few hams running only 5 or so watts EIRP would be pretty unlikely to bother them, especially when we want and need to stay as far from power lines as possible." The effect of LF ham operation on the utilities is a question that has not been raised very loudly before, and is one to consider. But, just as the ARRL sometimes appears reluctant to challenge unlicensed intruders into the non-shared part of 160 meters, it may be averse to intruding upon a spectrum use that has no allocation status at all. Power line carriers date back to about the time of TV pioneer C. Francis Jenkins, who in 1925 wrote about using power lines, railroad tracks, and water pipes to carry radio frequencies, in addition to transmitting them through the air. ("Present metallic channels now employed for other purposes...can be made a new source of revenue, and at a ridiculously insignificant cost.") Their inception parallels the early days of cordless telephones, in that they just happened, allocation or no, and the regulators eventually had to acknowledge them in some way. In the case of power line carriers, that acknowledgement is literally a footnote to the FCC Table of Allocations, US294. It says, in part: "In the spectrum below 490 kHz electric utilities operate Power Line Carrier (PLC) systems on power transmission lines for communications important to the reliability and security of electric service to the public. These... operate under Part 15 of the (FCC Rules) or Chapter 7 of the (NTIA) Manual of Regulations and Procedures for Federal Radio Frequency Management, on an unprotected and noninterference basis with respect to authorized radio users. Notification of intent to place new or revised radio frequency assignments or PLC frequency uses in the bands below 490 kHz is to be made in accordance with the Rules...of the FCC and NTIA....This footnote does not provide any alloca- tion status to PLC radio frequency uses." (Emphasis mine.) In the definitions for Part 15, Sec. 15.3 (t) explains that PLCs are used for "protective relaying, telemetry, etc., for general supervision of the power system." It specifically excludes electric lines between substations and the consumer, which must meet the regular conducted and radiated limits of Part 15. More requirements are set forth in Sec. 15.113, including one that says details of existing or proposed PLC systems must be submitted to an industry- operated entity. That entity, in turn, is supposed to supply the FCC and NTIA with a list including frequency and power of transmitters, and location of transmitters and receivers (Sec. 90.63 (g)). Thus, engineering information should be available to estimate the impact of amateur operation with minimal guesswork. As mentioned before, Mr. Magraw is also contacting equipment manufactur- ers. In letters to TEN-TEC and MFJ, he emphasized the existing pool of LowFERs, potential U. S. hams, and existing New Zealand hams, as possible customers for transverters or full transceivers that could be used under either Part 15 or ham rules. With so little equipment available "off the shelf," he suggests it could be a ground-floor opportunity for foresighted manufacturers. Non-ham LowFERs may be concerned about the impact of new use in the 15 kHz we effectively have left of the band. And, the narrowness of that segment might bother some prospective ham users as well. (When or if studies occur, your columnist suggests it may also be worthwhile to consider the 130 - 150 kHz segment, too.) You can reach Bob Magraw at 2401 Gladiator Drive, Fenton, MO 63026. The ARRL address is 225 Main Street, Newington CT 06111. Your comments are always welcome here, as well, and will become indispensible if or when serious action on allocation of the band takes place. On To The Mailbag . . . * Robert L. Laney (WB7PZU, Herndon, VA) renewed recently, and reports developing an increased enthusiasm for longwave activities. "Presently I have constructed a transmitter (and it works!!) from Ken Cornell's Scrapbook, have a keyer under construction, and hope to have an antenna up and a beacon operating before the snow flies." Recently Bob discussed longwave with an inactive ham acquaintance, and loaned him a copy of The Lowdown. "He brought up a point that I have thought about after reading various articles in The Lowdown—old equipment." Sometimes, he says, "authors of articles and notes casually mention receivers and other equipment like all of the readers know exactly what they are talking about. Some of the equipment is perhaps of WWII vintage, maybe some younger." Bob thinks a lot of newcomers may be puzzled by some of this unfamiliar gear, and suggests that maybe one of the "longwave 'old timers'" could do an article on various types of older equipment being used in longwave activities, "something about its operating characteristics, strong and weak points, availability, etc." Any volunteers? It has been some time since your columnist has seen any reference material listing civilian equivalents to some of the classic military equipment, too. Perhaps that would be worthwhile to include, and maybe a summary of books, magazines, or clubs that specialize in such gear? (See also John Reed's letter later in this section.) Bob concludes his letter with thanks to Bill Oliver "for coordinating a great monthly publication." * A Correction: John Lyman (TAL, Tacoma, WA) says "Oops! I gave you the incorrect fax number for reaching me. The correct number is (206) 472-0599." If you tried to reach John about his beacon at the number given before, you may want to make a note of the correct one. * Dave Holland (DCH, K3YAY, 300 South Main, Berlin MD 21811) reports DCH should be back on the air by the time you read this. He also passed along some information on the signal relaying concept, elsewhere in this month's column. * Joe Saloka (KRY, WB8KRY, 13370 Taylor Wells Road, Chardon OH 44024) updated his beacon listing this past month. KRY remains available on 175.388 by request, but may be on full time by now. Joe may try lowering the power this season "to see what can be done;" sort of QR-QRP, perhaps. Radio time has been at a premium because he bought a 36 acre farm this year. "No animals yet, but with all the poison ivy and oak I have, I think I'll raise that stuff instead. As the weather turns, I should have more time for radio. Might try to listen on LF at the farm to see if the noise from light dimmers is less." * Brice Anderson (BA, IE, Lancaster IL) sent a very informative letter that arrived here in early October. He has BA on the air (possibly with an improved antenna by now), and MedFER IE may be back, too. It has an outdoor antenna once again, but an exciter problem had it off for a while. Work around the house has kept Brice from much radio activity. It didn't keep him from celebrating his 76th birthday on August 31, we're glad to see. It has been a year now since Brice's hip replacement surgery, and he reports being fully recovered and able to walk fine, but he's still not supposed to lift heavy weights or climb towers. That provided him with the inspiration for a light weight 40-foot mast for his LF vertical. It's made from PVC pipe, and is equipped with a rope and pulley, "to easily pull up any type antenna I wish to try." Removal of the old wooden one was the only thing standing in the way, and that may be solved by now. Brice kept BA on during the summer, except when it was disconnected and grounded during storms, or during overnight absences. Reception, as of late September, was still limited to local areas of Illinois and Indiana. At the end of September, Brice said the only beacons he heard were MS and YHO, which came in best just after sunrise. The QRN was too intense at night. In other news from the midwest, he reports receiving a call from George Clark asking him to listen for GEC, around 188.81. George's antenna is a circular loop on the ground, which didn't sound too promising to Brice. George hears it for several miles on a portable radio without a BFO, though. Brice wasn't able to receive it at that time, but says he will continue to look for it. Brice says 9HDQ has not come in for some, and he's not sure why. Also no reception of CLI, even last season. Bart Prater asked Brice about frequencies that are clear in Illinois, and he noted that 189.100 is one of them; possibly VA will appear there from time to time this winter. * Lyle Koehler (LEK, K0LR, Aitkin, MN) keeps us posted on the north central states the way Brice does on the midwest and mid-Atlantic region. In addition to news about several stations in his area, Lyle reports success with BPSK: "Summer formally ended in Minnesota in early October with the first killing frost. I'm still a long way from the winter routine of indoor projects. Lots of ideas but nothing wired and working. Daytime QRN levels are now quite low, and our thunderstorm season is just about over. "My son Bruce has left beacon BK running for the past couple of weeks. He has made further improvements to his antenna system and is almost S9 here. We've had several 'solid' real-time QSOs and exchange computer-generated messages routinely on weekends. At 10:30 PM local time, BK is still booming in well above the QRN. Bruce's QSL address is 2317 E. Montana Ave., Maple- wood, MN 55119. "ART came back on the air last week and is available by request. I met Roger, K0MVJ, in person when he was in the area on business a few weeks ago. He plans to put RM back on the air soon. "I'm pleased to report that BPSK really works! Using VE2IQ's COHERENT software, I copied MAX for the first time at about 0800 CDT on September 7th. His signal has been readable several times since then, but with my present receiving setup it's difficult to maintain the required 1-Hz frequency accuracy. LEK has been transmitting 'almost coherent' BPSK most nights from about 0400 UTC to 1300 UTC. At present the transmitter frequency is derived from a synthesized signal generator with better than 1 Hz accuracy at 187.250 kHz. I plan to switch to 186.750 kHz around the middle of October, and will transmit CCW during the daytime and BPSK at night. Eventually the signal will be phase-locked to WWVB. My alternate MIN identifier is no longer in use." * Steve McGreevy (MedFER RR, 45 Elda Drive, San Rafael CA 94903) had good results on a mid-September whistler hunt in eastern Nevada..."about 20 loud, pure-tone 2-hop whistlers per hour"...and sends news of two of our West Coast friends. (I didn't realize at first that Steve's letter included whistler news, but I'm sending that part to Dan Levit for use in an upcoming Natural Radio column.) Steve reports "Mike Mideke, writer of 'The Sounds of Natural Radio' in The Lowdown over the past several years, can still be reached via PO Box 123, San Simeon, CA 93452. He is presently living near Santa Cruz and is oversee- ing the conversion of the San Simeon Baldwin Ranch into a Zen retreat center for the Tassajara and Coralitos Zen monastic communities. Jim Ericson, long- time editor of the Western Update, has relocated from Sunnyvale, CA, to Glacier, WA (about 40 miles east of Bellingham, and 50 miles from downtown Vancouver, BC.) He can be reached at PO Box 2001, Maple Falls, WA 98266-2001. His location is a good one for Natural Radio listening—closer to the auroral zone." * John Reed (KA5QEP, 2408 Hummingbird, Ponca City, OK 74601; Compuserve 72123,630) says: "I've been in the LWCA for about 8 months now, and thought I'd write you about my activities. I use the bulletin board, and have found it helpful. "I have several receivers here for shortwave reception that have been tried on longwave with less than the best results. I have an ICOM IC-R71A that's about 10 years old now. It generates a lot of noise on the longwave band, and with a small loop (Palomar) that seems to be the best antenna, this receiver is pretty much useless. An NRD-525 has the same problem, although not quite as bad . "Recently I bought a Watkins-Johnson HF-1000. This is quite a receiver on shortwave. On LF it is quieter, but not quiet enough. When it's turned on, and I have another receiver using the loop, I can hear the noise level come up. I talked to Watkins-Johnson about this, and they tell me it's pretty much unavoidable since there are 3 different computers running in this receiver. I mainly use this set for monitoring the ham bands. I'm a listen- ing station in the ARRL intruder monitoring network. "The problem then is to find a quiet receiver. About 6 months ago I came upon a CEI (now Watkins-Johnson) R1401A/G surplus set. This receiver covers 1 - 600 KHz with analog tuning and nixie tube frequency counter readout. This is a quiet set, and I can use my small loop sitting almost on top of this receiver. With this arrangement I logged about 200 NDBs last winter. I have a 200' wire antenna that I can also use, but the loop is almost always better. The advantage of the loop is in being able to null out noise or a strong beacon carrier on top of the desired signal by tilting and turning the loop. "My newest project is to revive another surplus set I picked up recently. This is an R1490/GRR-17. It's a 2-30 MHz receiver that is synthesized using a stabilized oscillator. There is no readout, the frequency is selected by setting 5 dials. This was probably one of the last sets built by the old National Company. It was designed in 1968. It's actually quite a good short- wave receiver. While not completely able to match the HF-1000, it can usually come close. "When I first looked at it, it was completely dead. It turned out that a toothed belt was broken in it. I had to add a couple of extra band switches, and disable the filters in the front end. I haven't noticed any problems with doing this. I was able to extend the requency coverage down to 100 KHz also. It is nearly as good as the LF set now in this band. Due to heavy shielding around all the internal modules this is a quiet set. Not having a digital display helps also. "This winter I plan to do some experimenting with antennas and try to log some 1750 meter beacons. This should be quite a challenge since there aren't any close to me here. Although I didn't log any last winter, I didn't look for them much." John asks about LF propagation, and whether gray-line enhancement takes place at LF. He suggests a review in The Lowdown about this topic "would be helpful and interesting to other converted shortwave DXers." * John Howard (K4RKN, Mobile AL) wrote for the Color Computer Morse keyer information recently, and mentions "I am in the process of collecting parts for one of the transmitters described in Ken Cornell's Scrap Book," so perhaps we will soon have a beacon representing coastal Alabama. * Robert Fear left word that he appreciates the BBS and that it is encouraging his interest in longwave. "Thank you for the access. I have been sending mail (paper) all over the country for this type of information. I'm currently building some transceiver equipment in the LF bands and would love to share the information and get some additional input on antennas, etc..." Robert also enjoys direction finding of NDBs, and plans to attempt the same on LowFERs 9HDQ and MS. He can be reached through the LF BBS e-mail. * John Kepner (WD6DFG, Charleston WV; Compuserve 75266,760) inquired last time about off the shelf equipment, and has since discovered a vendor of various kits that may be of interest. "Pan-Com is a division of Panaxis Productions, P.O. Box 130, Paradise, CA 95967-0130, (916) 534-0417, and has a catalog that contains 'kits, plans & books for Electronic Hobbyists Since 1975'. They have a section entitled 'Low Frequency Communications" containing various plans and kits for the Lowfer and Medfer enthusiast. Some of these are from already known sources such as LF Engineering and Curry Communication. "Myself being an basically self-defined off-the-shelf practioner of the art was interested in their #1650B 1600-1800 Khz beacon and #1750T3 1750m tx which kits are apparently available at a price. The catalog lists many other interesting kits and plans that would probably have appeal to many." John also refers to recent advertising (October CQ) for the "'Capacitance Terminated Short Vertical Radiator' (CTSVR). It reminded me of the short verticals with tophats that are used on the 1750 meter band. I thought that I would run it by you and any of those that are interested. The ad states 'The CTSVR requires an area of 25 x 25 feet to achieve 160- 80-17-10 meter operation. The groundsystem is one 8 foot ground rod at the base of the antenna with a minimum of six radials 34 feet long. The CTSVR is 31feet tall, top loaded (etc.).' (Uni-Hat Corp., Dallas, Tx, $499, 800- 807-5646) Judging from the picture the mast is guyed at 1/3 intervals, and the top hat looks to be about 12 feet in diameter. What about an easy mod that would allow it to beused in the lowfer band while still allowing amateur band operation. Any thoughts?" * Bill de Carle (2IQ, VE2IQ, St Adolphe d'Howard, PQ) communicates his latest schedule changes: "Medfer beacon 2IQ on 1606.250 Khz will now operate only BPSK except by request (it can be switched over to CCW). Yes, I know there is terrific QRM from BCB stations around that freq, but that is where BPSK is supposed to shine, right? Hopefully someone with a BPSK receiver will still be able to pull it out through the interference. To make things easier, I have built a 100 mw spotter beacon, and it is now operating on 1802.5 Khz in the 160 M amateur band (it IDs DE VE2IQ/B once a minute). If you can hear the CW beacon on the amateur band, you know the medfer BPSK is going to be in there somewhere." * Todd Roberts (ABC, WD4NGG, Hilton Head Island SC) sent photos of the transmitting loop antenna that has done so well for his MedFER on 1677.5 kHz. It seems to be highly effective. When I heard it here in West Georgia earlier this fall, it was neither oriented toward me, nor was I in the null, but it was at least as strong as Todd's top-loaded vertical. It even surprised Todd how well it works, and "it is definitely directional with a strong figure-8 pattern." The construction is rather unique: "It is a wooden frame of 2 X 2's, supporting a single turn loop element of 2" wide copper flashing supported on PVC standoffs. The loop is tuned to resonance with a vacuum variable capacitor mounted inside a weatherproof plastic Rubbermaid container. "I inductively couple a 3-turn, 1 foot diameter tank coil from the MOSFET final into a corner of the loop. The coupling is adjusted by swinging the tank coil back and forth around the end of one of the PVC stand-offs, moving it in and out of the corner of the loop. "Once the tuning is set, it seems to remain very stable, not changing even in the middle of a rainy downpour. I have the loop bolted against a pine tree for support, about 8 feet above ground level (next best thing to a tele- phone pole)." In the close-up photo, the board containing the final amplifier can be seen below and slightly to the right of the circular tank coil. The coil has an inductance of 5 uH. The capacitor mounting plate is visible just to the left of the tank coil. (NOTE: The photos appeared in the magazine, but are not presently available on the BBS.) The regular vertical antenna was operating on 1644.2 kHz for a while, but is back on 1643.5 now. Footnotes. My own MedFER SEA has been on most of the time this fall, and will be joined by SEA (LF) on a regular basis this month. I still haven't finished the long-hoped-for helical, but what I put up will at least have a better capacitance hat than before. Maybe this will be the year for some DX. I hope your own efforts will be well rewarded. Let us know! * Til next month, 73 . . .