lrj@UUNET.UU.NET> (02/01/90)
In article <35287@mips.mips.COM> crisp@mips.COM (Richard Crisp) writes: >In article <14359@jumbo.dec.com> broder@src.dec.com (Andrei Broder) writes: >>Unfortunately it seems that the San Francisco Bay Area, where I live, >>is one of the worst areas for SWL. [...] > Would a SONY >>2010 be enough, or a table top is a must? Or should I move :-?) >I am currently using a SONY2010 with a SONY AN1 active antenna, and I >also use an R390A with the same antenna.... > >I have received South Africa, Bulgaria, East and West Germany, Holland >London, Moscow, Bejing (why don't they call it Peking anymore?), Taipei, >Tokyo, and of course VOA (yuk). This has not been significantly improved >with the AN1. A couple of years ago I traveled several times to Silicon Valley, and took my 2010 with me. I used the ~10 m wire antenna that comes with it, strung around the hotel-room window. Yes, evening reception from Europe is nowhere near as good as from the East Coast, and evening tropical band reception from Latin America--always a good bet from my then-home in Miami--was virtually nil. BUT... I'd get up at 5:00AM every morning, and not just from the jet lag. The dark-path reception to Asia was something I--as an East- Coaster--could not have imagined. AFRTS Tokyo, 10kW, on 75 m. Kuching, Malaysia and Singapore (tentative) on 60m. Taipei's "domestic" service to the mainland (not via WYFR), heavily jammed, on 6087 kHz. Peking's (the BBC and I still call it that, I consider it enough of a concession not to call it Peiping :-)) domestic services, and "domestic" services to Taiwan, just about every everywhere below 10 MHz. The international services, such as Korea (North and South) were so easy to hear as to be hardly worth mentioning. As the sun came up, these frequencies would deteriorated rapidly, of course, but even at 9:00 AM, I could receive Peking's domestic service on 7504 kHz for a Chinese friend while standing in the office parking lot and using only the 2010's built-in whip. >After dark, it seems that WWV gets hard to pick up on 2.5, 10, 15, >and 20 MHZ (I can generally get it on 5MHZ, sometimes on 10 pretty >well). I usually concentrate on SW bands near there. Good luck. In the early morning 5 and 10 MHz were good for judging reception to Asia. On a fairly good day, I could easily hear WWVH, JJY (Tokyo), BPM (Xian, China), and BSP (?) Taiwan. Hearing their four voice ID's just before the hour--all given by women: two in Chinese, one in Japanese, and one in English--was in itself worth getting up early for. I don't know what the current sunspot peak is doing in the Bay Area there, but with Peking coming in on 11000, 11040, 11330, etc. kHz here in Virginia, you can bet I'll take my 2010 the next chance I have to go out there. -- Larry Johnson INTERNET: lrj@fibercom.com FiberCom, Inc. UUCP: uunet!fibercom!lrj P.O. Box 11966 PHONE: +1 703-342-6700, 800-423-1183, X317 Roanoke, VA 24022-1966 FAX: +1 703-342-5961
rchrd@BBN.COM> (02/02/90)
broder@jumbo.dec.com (Andrei Broder) writes: >* If you are a SWL fan and live(d) in the Bay Area, what equipment do >(did) you use and what can you hear? The problem with the Bay Area is the ocean, and the electrical noise (a problem in any big city). First be sure to have a good ground (a water pipe is ok). I use an active antenna and an antenna filter. My receiver is a Yaesu 7000 and a Yaesu filter. I dont remember the name of the antenna, but they are all similar. (Try Gilfer in N.J.) Night time weather is a serious factor in reception. Somedays the noise is so bad reception is impossible. Othertimes I am amazed. -- /s/ rchrd <=> Richard Friedman <=> rchrd@well rchrd@well.sf.ca.us | {apple,pacbell,hplabs,ucbvax}!well!rchrd [Pacific-Sierra Research / Berkeley CA] (415) 540-5216 (The usual disclaimers apply - I speak only for myself!)
crisp@BBN.COM> (02/02/90)
In article <239@millbrook.fibercom.COM> lrj@fibercom.COM (Larry Johnson) writes: >BUT... I'd get up at 5:00AM every morning, and not just from the jet >lag. The dark-path reception to Asia was something I--as an East- >Coaster--could not have imagined. AFRTS Tokyo, 10kW, on 75 m. Kuching, >Malaysia and Singapore (tentative) on 60m. Taipei's "domestic" service >to the mainland (not via WYFR), heavily jammed, on 6087 kHz. Peking's >(the BBC and I still call it that, I consider it enough of a concession >not to call it Peiping :-)) domestic services, and "domestic" services >to Taiwan, just about every everywhere below 10 MHz. The international >services, such as Korea (North and South) were so easy to hear as to be >hardly worth mentioning. > >As the sun came up, these frequencies would deteriorated rapidly, of >course, but even at 9:00 AM, I could receive Peking's domestic service >on 7504 kHz for a Chinese friend while standing in the office parking >lot and using only the 2010's built-in whip. > Gee 5 am.... too early for a hard core night owl like me! Well I certainly appreciate finding out about the world of early morning SWL'ing in the Bay area. I guess I'll have to shift my schedule in order to carry on my old hobby out here (I've been out here 6 months, I've not really SWL'd any in at least 7 years or so until last month). -- Just the facts Ma'am
ems@BBN.COM> (02/03/90)
In article <35374@mips.mips.COM> crisp@mips.COM (Richard Crisp) writes: >In article <239@millbrook.fibercom.COM> lrj@fibercom.COM (Larry Johnson) writes: >>BUT... I'd get up at 5:00AM every morning, and not just from the jet >>lag. The dark-path reception to Asia was something I--as an East- >>Coaster--could not have imagined. ... >Gee 5 am.... too early for a hard core night owl like me! > >Well I certainly appreciate finding out about the world of early morning >SWL'ing in the Bay area. I guess I'll have to shift my schedule in order >to carry on my old hobby out here (I've been out here 6 months Shouldn't need to ... I have a Sony 2002 and can get Radio Netherlands, from the Antillies at about 8:00pm or was it 9:00pm ..., Radio South Africa, Germany (in the daytime, no less), Radio Canada, and I think it was Radio Luxemburg about 6:00pm one evening. Of course the VOA, BBC, and Radio Moscow and a whole host of other stuff. All of this on the built in whip antenna! None of these is an especially hard catch, but just 'cause they are easy to hear doesn't mean they arn't worth listening to! If you are a late night owl type, just stay up! It is 3 to 7 hours earlier here than in the New Zealand & Australia area. That means that if the sun sets here at 6:00, it sets there at 9:00 or 1:00am our time. You should try Australia and New Zealand at about mignight! The 'dark path' opens at 9:00 in the evening and runs as late as you want to stay up! Then there are all those little Pacific Island states and the domestic services in Asia and the far east of Russia if you want a challenge (though you do need to know some other languages ... I'm no good at Russian and my oriental language skill is limited to ordering sushi ... ) Yes, it is hard to hear the little European states. So? I wish I could get them too, but I'm quite happy with Radio Australia (Even though it isn't beamed at North America ...) Mike -- E. Michael Smith ems@apple.COM 'Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.' - Goethe I am not responsible nor is anyone else. Everything is disclaimed.
chuq@BBN.COM> (02/03/90)
broder@jumbo.dec.com (Andrei Broder) writes: >Unfortunately it seems that the San Francisco Bay Area, where I live, >is one of the worst areas for SWL. >* If you are a SWL fan and live(d) in the Bay Area, what equipment do >(did) you use and what can you hear? Well, for the heck of it I brought my 2010 in to work today. I didn't get a chance to sit and listen DX much, but I did pick up the following: o Radio Moscow (doing a perfectly hilarious "The KGB isn't a secret organization any more, and works within the law" piece) on 17720 at 0:20 to 0:45. Reception was scratchy but understandable. o BBC World service (doing a piece on hooliganism at football) on 9590 starting at 0:45 (this is 4:30 in the afternoon PST, by the way, long before sunset). Almost crystal clear with very occasional dropouts and no static or hiss. o VOA (in special english (urgh), talking about how neat McDonald's is on 9815 at 0:55. (McDonald's restaurants, around the world, serve about 22 million people every day.) Both of these were on a 2010 using the whip antenna, inside a glass and metal building somewhere in Cupertino on the third floor -- not an optimal listening site, especially since the radio is surrounded by a good number of computers, hard disks, laserwriters and other pieces of RF generators. >From my point of view, at least, it seems like the Bay area isn't a dead zone, and it doesn't take hard-core equipment to listen through. -- Chuq Von Rospach <+> chuq@apple.com <+> [This is myself speaking] There is one difference between a discussion and a flame. A discussion is about an issue. A flame is about someone involved in a discussion.
crisp@THINK.COM> (02/03/90)
In article <6489@internal.Apple.COM> ems@Apple.COM (Mike Smith) writes: >Shouldn't need to ... I have a Sony 2002 and can get Radio Netherlands, >from the Antillies at about 8:00pm or was it 9:00pm ..., Radio South >Africa, Germany (in the daytime, no less), Radio Canada, and I think it >was Radio Luxemburg about 6:00pm one evening. Of course the VOA, BBC, and >Radio Moscow and a whole host of other stuff. All of this on the built in >whip antenna! > Yeah, it seems that after 11 pm or so all I get easily is Australia, moscow, and a few others like Beijing. What I meant, was when I'm up late here, there doesn't seem to be as much variety as I used to get in Texas during the mid 70's (which is where I was and when I used to listen). One thing I'm interested in is how various locations in the Bay Area do with receptions. I live in Cupertino, not far from the coastal range, I wonder how the folks do in the east bay for example which should see the coastal range as less of a barrier. Also someone in Santa Cruz or San Francisco on a hill with an unobstructed path to the Pacific would appear to me to be in a better location. Any of you guys in the vicinity care to share your experiences? >Yes, it is hard to hear the little European states. So? I wish I could >get them too, but I'm quite happy with Radio Australia (Even though it > I'd really like to be able to pick up Radio Tirana again, anyone out there picked them up lately? If so when and where (frequency and your geographic location)? -- Just the facts Ma'am
markz@BEAVER.CS.WASHINGTON.EDU> (02/04/90)
In article <35439@mips.mips.COM>, crisp@mips.COM (Richard Crisp) writes: > Yeah, it seems that after 11 pm or so all I get easily is Australia, moscow, > and a few others like Beijing. For the BBC, try the Singapore and Hong Kong relays, and ignore the targeted listings. The beam headings for coastal china and japan hit the west coast on the second or third bounce. > Any of you guys in the vicinity care to share your experiences? Is 800 miles north in the vicinity? :-) > I'd really like to be able to pick up Radio Tirana again, anyone out there > picked them up lately? If so when and where (frequency and your geographic > location)? 9762 Khz at 2:30 UTC (6:30 PM PST), The first time I got iwas just this last week after 5 years of trying (thanks to Monitoring Times). Welcome to the west coast of north america, where albania is a difficult catch and Radio New Zealand is trivial. markz@ssc.uucp
kevin@DECWRL.DEC.COM> (02/09/90)
In article <465@ssc.UUCP> markz@ssc.UUCP (Mark Zenier) writes:
->
->How to Bay Area residents deal with all the strong singnals there?
->
->Anecdote: A couple of years ago, a friend of mine, who lives in the
->dingleberries on the Olympic Peninsula, was hearing russian on his
->stereo. It turned out to be KGEI in the 6 Mhz band. (He got a new
->stereo).
The only station that I have real problems with is all 50kW of KGO; their
transmitter is about 4 miles from my QTH. It splatters from about 795-825kHz,
and pops up at 1620, 3240, etc. etc. I don't know if they're at full power
right now, though, as they had to drop to 10kW after the earthquake destroyed
2 of their 3 transmitting towers. There's a picture of it on (I believe)
the January 1990 issue of Monitoring Times.
The thing I have the most problems with is the modem for my computer. It
creates more noise than anything else I've been able to find.
--
Kevin Burnett, N6UWS (ex-KC6AOA) AMPR.ORG: 44.4.0.231
"She was an acrobat's daughter, she swung by her teeth from a noose;
but then one day, her dentures gave way, and she flew through the air
like a goose." - Daffy