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[IRCA] Watching sunset power reductions.
- Subject: [IRCA] Watching sunset power reductions.
- From: "W. Curt Deegan" <WWWR@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 16 Mar 2006 21:26:42 -0500
The Ten-Tec RX-320D is a computer controlled receiver, all operating
functions are implemented in the software of a serially connected PC.
A new version of the RxPlus control program for the RX-320D has what is
called a Band Monitor mode. This was something I had mentioned on another
List that I would like to see, and a few days later the program developer
had produced this enhancement.
In this mode a range of frequencies -- such as the BCB -- are scanned and
the signal strengths of each station is recorded on a graph. The higher
the signal level the brighter blue the bar for that channel. The scanning
wraps around and adds new results above previous results. Each bar on the
graph has a slightly varying shade of blue from bottom to top in
incremental steps, representing the signal strength of the station at each
scan over the period of time the scans were run.
All this is by way of introduction to a very interesting result of running
the scans during the sunset period. As each station went to night power,
it was clearly obvious on the bar graph. Those that didn't, stayed at the
same shade of blue, those that did, dropped to a deeper shade. It was
immediately apparent which stations dropped on schedule, which ones later,
and if any that should have, didn't.
This direct comparison of before and after signals makes telling if a
station is "extending their daytime period" easily apparent.
I have placed the scan just made today here:
http://ScooterHound.com/WWWR/radio/bocabcbscan.html
along with a station list for this area and some further explanation.
It is tricky to pick out particular channels from the bar graph, but when
using the program the frequency is displayed when the cursor is positioned
on a particular bar. It is even trickier to determine times, since the
individual blocks that comprise a bar are difficult to separate and
specific time data is not recorded. Since several stations drop power at
about the same time, though, it is fairly easy in a relative way to tell
who is doing what.
I thought this was interesting. Since this is a newly implemented feature,
I'm hoping some more suggestions may further enhance the mode to capture
additional information, such as times. Just another example of the
advantage of running a receiver through a computer. Some day I'll spend
some time on the disadvantages. ;-)
Curt
-------
W. Curt Deegan
Boca Raton, (southeast) FL
[Ten-Tec RX-320D; LFE H-800; GAP DSP; ANC-4]
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