SSB
Bob
I am new to SW and have recently purchased a ka1103 radio. It seems
to work very well, but I have trouble with SSB. I live in NY and I
don't seem to be able to pick up SSB. I am trying some of the The
SSB USB (AFRTS) frequencies listed in the SW schedule from a
magazine. I tune to the frequency, switch to SSB and then try to fine
tune into a broadcast. I just can't seem to pick anything up. Could
it be the radio or isn't there a strong enough signal? How can I
determoine the reason?
Thanks
JeroenK
AFRTS broadcasts dont use a whole lot of power as they are for smaller
area's instead of whole continents for example. Try the 80meter amateur
bands at evenings/nighttime in LSB mode. There should be a few HAM's
operating in NY for you to 'catch'.
There are also VOLMET stations transmitting in USB. I'm located in
Europe so I dont know any good frequenties for you off-hand. I have a
few in the UK I always use to listen for conditions or antenne testing.
Google is your friend here :)
HTH,
--
JeroenK
Roadie
If you live in NYC then you will be competing against a lot of tall
buildings and man-made interference.
That said try to match the frequencies to the time listened. And
don't forget to increase the volume while in ssb.
Try frequencies below 6mhz at night and higher frequencies during the
morning and daytime.
Bob
Thanks for the reply. After checking around I'm getting the feeling
that SSB is a more precise activity than just some casual tuning.
I'll carefully listen to the bands you mentioned at different times to
see what I can hear.
Bob
JeroenK
> Thanks for the reply. After checking around I'm getting the feeling
> that SSB is a more precise activity than just some casual tuning.
> I'll carefully listen to the bands you mentioned at different times to
> see what I can hear.
If you receive AM signals on the SW abnds you should be bale to hear SSb
as well. But most SSB stations use far less power then international sw
band stations ;)
Try tonight on the HAM frequenties, or some VOLMET stations. Maybe you
can even find a site from a SWL in NY that has some proven frequenties..
--
JeroenK
Doug Smith W9WI
What exactly is the issue?
I mean, are you hearing something but you can't make it intelligible? Or
are you hearing nothing at all?
I would expect to hear amateur signals in the 14.150-14.350MHz and
7.125-7.300MHz bands during the day, and in the 3.600-4.000MHz band
(especially closer to 4.000) at night.
Once you find a signal, careful tuning is required to make it
intelligible. It probably will NOT be on an exact 5KHz, or even 1KHz,
channel. You'll need to carefully adjust the fine tuning.
Telamon
Bob <ssw...@gmail.com> wrote:
Yes it is tricker to get an SSB signal as you need to be tuned to the
right frequency and adjust the BFO to get a good sounding signal.
Use Doug Smith W9WI reply for Ham signals to go after. The hams transmit
anywhere in the band not just every 5 KHz. Use the fine tung control for
at least 1 KHz increments, then the fine tuning BFO control to get the
ham sounding right.
--
Telamon
Ventura, California
I.P. Yurin
>Hello,
>
>I am new to SW and have recently purchased a ka1103 radio. It seems
>to work very well, but I have trouble with SSB. I live in NY and I
>don't seem to be able to pick up SSB.
Greetings, fellow NYer. (what's yer zip code?)
>I am trying some of the The
>SSB USB (AFRTS) frequencies listed in the SW schedule from a
>magazine. I tune to the frequency, switch to SSB and then try to fine
>tune into a broadcast. I just can't seem to pick anything up. Could
>it be the radio or isn't there a strong enough signal? How can I
>determoine the reason?
>
>Thanks
I suggest first starting with mastering your particular radio. Then
move on to specific ssb catches.
1) Tune in a strong commercial AM station.
2) Switch to ssb.
3) play with the fine-tuning to get a sense of just how "fine" it is.
You should be able to hear any of the AM stations you catch on both
sidebands (if your radio allows choosing).
Most of the time (emphasize *most*) tuning the sideband
("fine-tuning") to a local AM will set it to the right place to pick
up a truly sideband only HF signal. But not always...
So not only does it teach how to work the fine-tuning on your radio;
it also gives you a good starting place.
"When you support the Party, you support the People!"
--
Col. I.P. Yurin
Commissariat of Internal Security
Stakhanovite
Order of Lenin (1937)
Hero of Socialist Labor (1939)
RHF
Bob,
WWV Broadcasts in Double-Side-Band (DSB)
on 5000 kHz, 10000 kHz, and 15000 kHz.
WWV => http://tf.nist.gov/stations/wwv.html
Tune to them on AM and get your best Signal.
Now leave the Main Tuning Dial alone and Switch
the Radio to SSB.
Try Tuning using the BFO or Fine-Tuning Knob for
both Side-Bands : Upper USB) and Lower (LSB).
hope this helps - iane ~ RHF
.
.
. .
Bob
wrote:
Thanks for the tips, they worked!
I'm located in upstate NY (Rochester) zip 14607
Last night I tried again and had more success. I guess I'm still
getting the hang of it, getting the 'feel of the radio'.
I tried the 4.150 - 4.130 MHz in early evening and picked up quite a
bit of strong HAM activity from Maine, NYC, and Indiana.
I later tried some VOLMET frequencies as suggested and was able to
pick up a couple out of NYC.
It is pretty touchy to bring the voices into proper modulation. When
I was first trying I wasn't really sure they were voices.
Also the AFRTS do seem pretty week on my radio I think that was part
of the problem too.
Everyone was very helpful thanks.
Bob Miller
You'll have to tune back and forth on the signal to make it
intelligible. Too far in one direction, and it sounds high pitched and
like Donald Duck. Too far in the other direction, it sounds too low
pitched and like Darth Vader. You also have to make sure you're in USB
for upper side band signals, and LSB for lower side band signals. If
you're listening to hams, they're typically on LSB at 7.3 mhz and
below, and USB at 14.150 mhz and above. Not sure about SW
broadcasters...
bob
k5qwg
Roadie
>
> - Show quoted text -
Ther isn't an USB or LSB switch on the DE1103.
N9NEO
>
> - Show quoted text -
I am 14160. The reception in town here is dismal - especially if you
are in an apartment. I have access to all the antennas on top of
Harris, but the noise from the surroundings still makes swl
impossible. You will do much better to get out of town at night to
play with your radio. I go to Letchworth state park on weekend with
my radios to get away frrom noise.
NEO
Ross Archer
"driving it around" a bit on an easy signal before you try to use it
on a very weak signal like AFRTS can be sometimes.
For practice, you can always tune a local AM broadcast with your SSB
feature turned on. If you have a USB/LSB switch or mode button, try
both. If you have a dial that's marked "BFO" or "clarifier" or
similar, twiddle that. If you can get an intelligible signal in that
mode, you know your receiver works OK in SSB mode and will get a feel
for how to work the controls. You will probably hear a horrible
screaming whine which changes pitch as you tune which won't happen
with a "true" SSB only signal, so turning the volume down low isn't a
bad idea. When it's tuned so the pitch of the whine is so low you
can't hear it anymore, you're just about perfectly tuned. Tune for
maximum natural sound.
In SSB mode, when you run by an SSB signal, instead of an annoying
high pitched whine that drops as you get closer and closer to the
signal (and rises again if you continue past it), instead you'll hear
a gibberishy sound that changes pitch as you change frequencies or
rotate the clarifier/BFO knob. Start slow, and see if you can get
clear and natural sound. If the voices or music still don't make
sense [insert commercial radio-bashing joke here] , try the alternate
sideband if your radio has a USB/LSB mode switch. (If it has a BFO
knob, it should make sense when you have the knob set right without
any other adjustments.)
Using a regular AM radio station works because a standard AM broadcast
band signal is both a USB transmission, an LSB transmission, and a
carrier transmission, all in one. The USB and LSB parts carry
identical information (in mirror image), and the carrier is there to
keep the receivers simple. You can throw out the carrier and one of
the sidebands and lose basically nothing. That's how SSB works. (The
carrier is what makes the whine.)
One DXing trick is to leave your radio in SSB mode as you tune even
for AM signals. Even VERY weak signals that are barely discernable,
will cause an audible squeal as you tune past them, so it's a good way
to ensure you don't miss a weak signal.
Another neat trick for radios with a selectable USB or LSB mode, is to
tune an AM signal very carefully, and then listen to only the USB or
LSB side, whichever has less interference. Sometimes this can really
save your ears.
A last trick in "fun with SSB" is if you can't tell exactly what
frequency a station is on. In AM mode, you can be tuned off a bit and
not really hear any difference. But if you turn on SSB you have to be
pretty close to exactly on the carrier frequency for the whine to
disappear. This ONLY works on radios that don't have a knob for BFO
or clarifier, though.
Hope this helps a little.
-- ross
Bob
As one person mentioned above the ka1103 does not have a USB - LSB
selector just a SSB switch and a BFO knob.
I figured maybe it worked for both but I don't know. I know it works
good for 14.1xxx MHz so it picks up UBS.
One VOLMET I listened to was at 6.604 MHz so maybe it does LSB too. I
don't know if that's what that means or not.
Next I'm going to add a long wire antenna a see what that does.
I live in an apartment so I can't run one outside but I've read that
you can run the wire around the upper edges of the rooms even going
around more than once.
Thanks again for all the help and ideas. The radio crowd seems like a
pretty helpful bunch.
JeroenK
> One VOLMET I listened to was at 6.604 MHz so maybe it does LSB too. I
> don't know if that's what that means or not.
It should receive both fine. But tour assumption it is LSB is wrong
however. Almost all (99.9% or more) of the utility stations use USB over
the entire shortwave bands. Only HAM's use LSB below 10MHz, and USB
above. Why this is so I dont know, customs I guess :)
> Next I'm going to add a long wire antenna a see what that does.
> I live in an apartment so I can't run one outside but I've read that
> you can run the wire around the upper edges of the rooms even going
> around more than once.
> Thanks again for all the help and ideas. The radio crowd seems like a
> pretty helpful bunch.
>
Loop antenna's! If you dont have good ground, and dont have outside
space outside of the electrical noise field inside your house, loops are
pretty much the only thing left to use.
Try and make this puppy, you'll love it:
http://www.kr1st.com/swlloop.htm
Long wires are named becuase they are long, usually too long for
appartments. You'll also need rpoper ground with a random wire. Loop
antenna's dont need ground (at least, this one). Also, magnetic loops
are less prone to pickup interefreence from your electrical equipment.
I use that loop, and experimenting with an active pickup loop on ti
right now (with very good results). A (dutch lng, use babelfish) online
article of the pickuploop is here: (its not meant as a pickuploop, but
its working fine this way) http://www.radiocollectie.nl/Schema's.htm
I'd first make the passive loop. And if you like, built the active part
later if you feel like it.
--
JeroenK
Ma...@k4yz.org
>Bob wrote:
>
>> One VOLMET I listened to was at 6.604 MHz so maybe it does LSB too. I
>> don't know if that's what that means or not.
>
>It should receive both fine. But tour assumption it is LSB is wrong
>however. Almost all (99.9% or more) of the utility stations use USB over
>the entire shortwave bands. Only HAM's use LSB below 10MHz, and USB
>above. Why this is so I dont know, customs I guess :)
it realttes I am told how the first ham rigs generated SSB and how
they multiplied to get on the uppe r hf bands today t surrvies for
tradtion
>
>> Next I'm going to add a long wire antenna a see what that does.
>> I live in an apartment so I can't run one outside but I've read that
>> you can run the wire around the upper edges of the rooms even going
>> around more than once.
>> Thanks again for all the help and ideas. The radio crowd seems like a
>> pretty helpful bunch.
>>
>Loop antenna's! If you dont have good ground, and dont have outside
>space outside of the electrical noise field inside your house, loops are
>pretty much the only thing left to use.
>
>Try and make this puppy, you'll love it:
>http://www.kr1st.com/swlloop.htm
>
>Long wires are named becuase they are long, usually too long for
>appartments. You'll also need rpoper ground with a random wire. Loop
>antenna's dont need ground (at least, this one). Also, magnetic loops
>are less prone to pickup interefreence from your electrical equipment.
>
>I use that loop, and experimenting with an active pickup loop on ti
>right now (with very good results). A (dutch lng, use babelfish) online
>article of the pickuploop is here: (its not meant as a pickuploop, but
>its working fine this way) http://www.radiocollectie.nl/Schema's.htm
>
>I'd first make the passive loop. And if you like, built the active part
>later if you feel like it.
"one useless man is disgrace 2 become a law firm 3 or more become a congress"
adams
woger you are a Congress all in your own head
http://kb9rqz.bravejournal.com/
G
--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com
barne...@aol.com
Bob:
try this.. !
http://www.primetimeshortwave.com/america.txt
- also 11.175 USB ;
- And a random wire antenna . . ( 20 feet of wire, taped to your
window )
http://www.hard-core-dx.com/nordicdx/antenna/wire/index.html
- check out WBCQ ( 7.415) and WCCR ( frequency unknown )
for all Sorts of unusual stuff; espcly on weekends . .
- More here..
http://www.worldofradio.com/dxld4023.txt
JeroenK
I wrote:
>> I use that loop, and experimenting with an active pickup loop on ti
>> right now (with very good results). A (dutch lng, use babelfish) online
>> article of the pickuploop is here: (its not meant as a pickuploop, but
>> its working fine this way) http://www.radiocollectie.nl/Schema's.htm
>>
>> I'd first make the passive loop. And if you like, built the active part
>> later if you feel like it.
Oh ignore my comments about the active loop, although it al works as a
preselector, the effect of having an active pickuploop is less
beneficial then my daytime experiment made me thinking :)
But that Kr1st antenna is defenitally worth to built!
--
JeroenK