Re: [IRCA] East Coast online SDR's (most get an "F")

[Rick Dau <drummer1965us@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I checked out a few Southern KiwiSDRs last night, namely, from Texas, Alabama, Tennessee, and Kentucky.  For me, the litmus test is how well they sound on longwave, i.e., if the amount of buzz is impeding non-directional beacons from being heard or not.  I figure that if they are relatively clean on longwave, then mediumwave, of course, will be worth trying.

IMHO, only the SDRs from Lubbock, Texas and Fort Rucker, Alabama, passed muster in that regard.  By the way, I noticed, while looking at the map on sdr.hu, that Bob Hawkins has turned off the SDR in Edinburgh, Indiana.  Hope this isn't permanent, as I always found it to be one of the better-sounding SDRs out there.

73,
Rick Dau (nightly visitor to the KiwiSDR in Overland Park, Kansas - metro Kansas City)
South Omaha, Nebraska  EN21af

________________________________
From: ABDX@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <ABDX@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> on behalf of Mark Connelly MarkWA1ION@xxxxxxx [ABDX] <ABDX@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, February 27, 2019 12:57 AM
To: CapeDX@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; badx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; nrc-am@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; ABDX@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [ABDX] East Coast online SDR's (most get an "F")



Periodically I check out the KiwiSDR directory page since new receivers come on from time to time (and old ones are occasionally dropped).

For the uninitiated, the links homepage is:

https://sdr.hu/

Two TA stations are very consistent here mid-evenings and are therefore good candidates for evaluating the receivers. These are RNE Spain on 855 and Absolute Radio UK on 1215. Since those are midway between domestic channels, the AM Narrow setting on a KiwiSDR should be adequate to separate those stations from domestic interference. Those receivers are far from a Perseus, Elad, or Excalibur (or, for that matter, Collins R-390A) in the selectivity game but those two big stations even can be heard on ultralight portables, at least near the ocean.

Last weekend I simultaneously had audio from my own receiver running as I tried about 15 online receivers in the Eastern time zone of the US and Canada.

The 855 and 1215 signals were both doing great here around midnight EST / 0500 UTC.

Only TWO (!) of the available online receivers had audio from these stations.

Bill Whitacre's Lubec, Maine receiver was doing the best job and had results about the same as I was getting on my Elad here.

http://qhkiwisdr.proxy.kiwisdr.com:8073/

The mid-coast Maine receiver run by WA2ZKD/1 came in second with somewhat weaker TA's than on either Bill's receiver or mine. Domestic splash was worse, indicating a less directive antenna.

http://rx2.wa2zkd.net:8073

Interestingly there was very little internet delay (live versus online) audio. The old (2005 era?) DXTuners used to run about 8 sec. of latency.

So what about the dozen plus other receivers including ON, QC, New England, NY, NJ, MD, and all the way down to FL? ZIP .. ZILCH .. NADA! Just huge adjacent channel slop onto 855 and 1215 or, if not that, the sounds of silence .. or electrical buzz.

The Dominican Republic SDR also had zippo on 855 and 1215.
http://dr.twrmon.net:8073

So if you're looking for interesting MW DX on an eastern US or Canada SDR, don't waste your time, just go to one of the two receivers above.

I believe that the deficiency in most cases is the antenna. If Kaz in IL and Tim Tromp in MI, not to mention DXers all the way out to BC/WA/OR, frequently hear 855 Spain and 1215 UK, then there is no excuse for a  receiver in NH, MA, NJ, MD, VA, etc. not to have those stations "inbooming".

The only other US East Coast KiwiSDR's I see having much use are two in Florida, mostly to keep an ear on Cubans and other close-up Latins:

http://keywest.twrmon.net:8073
http://qth.ddns.net:8073

Mark Connelly, WA1ION
South Yarmouth, MA
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