Re: [IRCA] My First Longwave/Beacon Log!

[satya@xxxxxxxxxxxx]

Hey Paul:

I will let others throw in their more vast experience here, but here is my
two cents.

Make sure you have an SSB receiver that is truly designed to still be
sensitive on the LW frequencies, fitted a narrow CW filter (500 hz or less
is great).  Since you're only listening to one frequency (the beeping), an
AF filter like a Timewave or MFJ-784B is dynamite, and can compensate for
the lack of a narrower IF filter.

For antennas, gain is king, and noise can be terrible at times.  I am
currently using:

1.  A longwave head for the Quantum Loop.  It's good to have its
directivity to null out local noise, though co-channel interference is
nowhere near the problem it is on MW.  Down at these frequencies, the
sensitivity on ferrite loopstick products isn't as great as it is in the
MW band for a given ferrite and coil (darn those physycal laws!), so I
also often park a LW box loop in front of it for more gain.  A Wellbrook
loop on a rotor is likely the next investment (fabulous for both LW and
MW).

2.   An LF Engineering H-900 active whip, which REALLY works well on the
LW band.  I highly recommend this - Dennis Vroom also has an LF
Engineering whip for Russian LW stations every morning.  It is also a gain
monster across the MW band, all the way up to 50 Mhz or so.  (Alas, the
vertically-polarized noise around here went up dramaticially in the last
few weeks - not sure which of my neighbors bought what new electronic
machine, but anything below 1000 khz is drowned in noise on the H-900. 
Fortunately, I already had a slinky antenna up in the attic which, for a
townhouse with homeowners association restrictions, is about as much I can
do for a longwire.  It is essentially omnidirectional with such a short
length (80 feet coiled up into 25), but it still does very well for LW!)

For portable receivers, the Quantum Loop coupled to the modest Sony 7600GR
really pulls 'em in, though I miss the CW filter on my main receiver.  I
use a $15 Quantum Coupler for this, rather than plugging the loop directly
into the 7600GR's antenna jack, which allows me to still take advantage of
the portable's antenna.

Hope this helps!

73 - Kevin S
Bainbridge Island, WA


> I wanted to ask....
>
> What kind of transmission/antenna setup do beacons like this use? I am,
obviosuly, very familiar with AM and FM but have never seen a LW/Beacon
transmission set up.
>
> Paul



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