Help Needed!!!!!!!

[bigash]

I am fairly new to HF listening and find it hard to get some frequencies if any my main question is when tuning in what do you tune to? I am finding that at times I have to tune 20 - 30 khz above or below the frequency I want.

Tried all day to get Stokholme Radio but to hardly any avail and when I do its only faint comms.


Any help on this matter would be appreciated.

Regards

Iain

[old_git]

Hi iain.

HF comms are really bad at the moment, we are all suffering poor reception.

as for the offset, well this is normal for some scanners, such as handheld jobbies.

don't forget we are tuning to Upper Side Band which is offset from the centre frequency, so unless your receiver adjusts automatically you will have to tune slightly off centre.

the most reliable frequencies to monitor are the oceanic ones such as 5.616 and 5.648 etc.

what scanner and antenna set up are you using.

hopefully Dervish will be along with some better advice than i can give, he understands this stuff, i just twiddle the knobs

[bigash]

The scanner I am using at the moment is a Icom IC-R10 portable thing. As for the antenna I am awaiting to buy a decent one, problem is it has to be for small spaces. Would you believe it if I said I was using a homemade aerial at the moment which is supposed to be for the vhf/uhf but it picks up the signals at the moment.

Thank you for the tech on the offset that explained it clearly for me, and in a way that I understand.

I managed to get some 14 mhz signals last night on the usb amature stuff but it was reaching the great USA clear enough that I could understand it.

Thank you

Iain

[sjnovis]

I too am starting to experiment with HF.

One thing I always start with is Shannon Volmet on 5505, this is a continuous weather broadcast, a bit like an airfield ATIS

As it is always broadcasting and is readable here in Swindon, (somedays are much better than others of course) it can give me a rough idea of what conditions are like.

[Farnborough1]

hi
i use a 40 year old TRIO 9R59DS Valve reciever with long wire antanne. have recieved aircraft
from all over the pond on various Freqs .Short wave needs a lot of patience and fine tuning of
the frequencys to get clear USB\LSB And at times its frustrating but then the sudden burst
of Aircraft makes it all worth while . Sadly missed is the call Speedbird concorde on shanwick

selcal code look up very very good
http://www.selcalweb.co.uk/

4722 RAF Aero Weather | Continuous
5505 Aero Weather | Shannon Ireland | Continuous best daylight
8957 Aero Weather | Shannon Ireland | Continuous best early Eve

these can be very good at times with Gander and new york raio
often heard.
5598 Air Traffic Control | North Atlantic | NY, Gander, Shanwick
5616 Air Traffic Control | North Atlantic | Gander, Shanwick

try this at late eve / Can be very good
8906 Air Traffic Control | North Atlantic | NY, Santa Maria
when i get chance will fire it up and post a log

tony

[old_git]

I've had the box on 11.300 Tripoli radio all evening to make a change, booming in tonight with some nice callsigns.

[SteveJ]

Just wondered what people are using for aerials ?

I have a realistic DX394 and because of being in rented accommodation I can't put anything decent outside. At the moment I've got a wire wound round the beams in the loft but although I pick up shanwick/gander/new york etc I really struggle to get the likes of Tripoli and I think I've heard Oz once !

Regards

Steve

[Farnborough1]

Arial Here is a 35FT Wire about 20 ft off ground Coax fed into Reciever and Earthed with copper earth rod

Problem with loft setups is noise pickups from Digital tv\ and Computers but coax feed often helps there
Big mistake many make is using the water Tank as earth point as this is now bonded
to mains Electic is a source of problems for noise. best coax is the type used for CB Radio
yes there still about i use mine a lot.

==========================
CAUTION Remember to fit a lightning Arrester to your AERIAL Damage to radio and Your home
could happen if Hit and surge protect the radio .EBAY or a local HAM\CB shop for the parts
=========================

tony

[Farnborough1]

hi

Fired up the HF this afternoon in my workshop ,all was ok after a long winter of non use

quick listen on 5598 Around 1645 bst produced

FQBR G-JCBB JCB1 Position Report

BQEH PH-MCT MPH053 Position report

AKFJ F-GSQO AFR3556 Position report

Transmission between a\c ground both ways Selcal checked
and verified

and the Evening primary for SW\ Santa Maria 8906 Backup 5598

Tony