Re: [IRCA] Question for the competing ULR LW NDB DXers ;)
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Re: [IRCA] Question for the competing ULR LW NDB DXers ;)



Hi Stephen,

Ultralight radio NDB-DXing is a new offshoot of the Ultralight AM-DXing craze that began in late 2007. It took about three years for the concept to get off the ground, mainly because there weren't any suitable Longwave-capable Ultralight radios until Tecsun introduced the DSP models, and until some tinkering fanatics developed some potent Longwave upgrade loopsticks and external antennas.

Rob has already given you some great answers to your questions, and description of the new DXing craze. But Rob and I aren't the only ones who enjoy chasing NDB's on Ultralight radios-- Steve Ratzlaff, Kevin Schanilec and others around the world have received hundreds of Longwave beacons on Ultralight radios, and are enjoying this new DXing challenge in a major way.

73, Gary DeBock (in Puyallup, WA, USA)


-----Original Message-----
From: Robert Ross <va3sw@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: Mailing list for the International Radio Club of America <irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thu, Dec 29, 2011 4:42 pm
Subject: Re: [IRCA] Question for the competing ULR LW NDB DXers ;)


On 2011-12-29, at 7:23 AM, Stephen Airy wrote:

Alright you guys ;)

I saw the post that one of you has logged his 25th NDB state (bonus
points for
not even residing in the USA).

Stephen...that was me!! Last night I logged a Beacon from Missouri for Longwave State # 25 Logged on a ULR Receiver. I am located in London, Ontario CANADA...in the middle of the Great Lakes. If the USA had won the War of 1812.....I may have
actually been IN the USA!! I'm only 60 Miles from the MIchigan Border.


So who will be the first to do at least one of the following...
Log all 50 states (bonus points if it's done by someone outside the
USA),
although the contiguous 48 may be passable. (You could log all Canadian
provinces or Mexican states, as alternate options.)

50 Longwave States on a ULR Receiver will be almost impossible no matter where you live!!! Even in the center of the USA like Nebraska or Kansas, it would be tough!! I don't think you'll see it happening any time soon! The 25 States I have logged so far are most likely all the Easy Ones...they will start getting
Real tough now!!

All Provinces would easier than all States, there are a lot more Higher Powered Beacons in CANADA than there are in USA. Some States I believe actually have NO BEACONS left on Longwave....so All 50 States may actually be IMPOSSIBLE now!!


Log at least one NDB on every allocated frequency by a particular
country (in
1 kHz divisions, for example 282.5 - 283.5 kHz would count as 283 kHz)
Log every NDB on one frequency in your home country plus adjacent
countries

That may be possible ....but would still be a big job and a lot of work!! Would
take a while......


I know I won't be the first. I'll be lucky with my current equipment
(PL-606
and barbed wire fence - does the fence, even though it's fixed, non-rotatable, non-tunable, and originally wasn't designed as an antenna, put me in the "unlimited" category?) to log my 15th NDB overall, 5th state, 4th using ONLY the built-in ferrite (unless DGPS & traveling 80 miles for another one doesn't count), OR 2nd on the same frequency (from the same location) before all current
competitors have completed all of the above challenges. ;)

Stephen..although the Fence is not intended to be an Antenna...it is regarded as
one, and would automatically put you in the Unlimited Class.



73,
Stephen

P.S. With those Ferrite Sleeve Loops, does every single NDB frequency
sound as
crowded as the Class C (graveyard) mediumwave channels would sound at night when
using only the Amidon 7.5" stick?

When conditions are real good....some of the Frequencies on Longwave can get a little clogged, similar to Graveyard Frequencies!! Usually you don't hear more than 2-3 Beacons at a time though. On most frequencies they fade in and out one
at a time making it a little easier to ID them.

73.......ROB VA3SW (For the ULR AWARDS Committee)

Robert S. Ross
London, Ontario CANADA
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