Surfin’: Not Your Father’s 3-D

This week, Surfin’ considers 3-D printing as a tool for ham radio makers.

AM DX Log: Four New Loggings

• 2013-02-15   2323Z   WHCU   870 kHz  Ithaca NY   1kW   180m   WNW   station id
• 2013-02-17   0353Z   WHKW   1220 kHz   Cleveland OH   50kW   450m   W   station id
• 2013-02-17   0400Z   WWVA   1170 kHz   Wheeling WV   50kW   430m   WSW   station id
• 2013-02-17   0405Z   CKOC   1150 kHz   Hamilton ON   50kW   360m   WNW   station id

My receiving equipment: C.Crane CCRadio-SW and CC twin coil ferrite antenna.

Surfin’: Station Identification

This week, Surfin’ hears weak ones, and then identifies them the old way and the new way.

AM DX Log: WAEB

Logged one new AM radio station this evening:

WAEB transmitting 1500 375 watts on 740 780 kc from Allentown, PA, 150 miles WSW (2013 Feb 14, 2333Z)

My receiving equipment: C.Crane CCRadio-SW and CC twin coil ferrite antenna.

UPDATE from Mike Schaffer, KA3JAW:

News Talk AM 790 WAEB is licensed for operation on 790 kHz (not 740 kc) with
3.6 kilowatts daytime and 1.5 kilowatts nighttime, employing different directional
antenna patterns daytime and nighttime in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

On September 4, 2009 the western most tower of the stations' five-tower directional
antenna array in Whitehall Township was toppled when a vandals cut the tower's guy
wires.

March 5, 2010, on behalf of Capstar TX LLC requested an extension of the initial
special temporary authority (STA) that was granted on May 16, 2008.

Extensions to operate the station with emergency antenna facilities to replace the
tower. The authority expired November 11, 2010 with further extensions being made
till September 28, 2013.

During the dated of your reception the WAEB AM operated with an emergency non-
directional antenna at reduced power not to exceed 0.9 kilowatts daytime and
0.375 kilowatts nighttime, only as necessary to facilitate the repair work.

With that in mind, you can make a log modification that you received the station
at 375 watts of power vice 1.5 kW

WAEB antenna farm

AM DX Log: Two Birds with One Stone

I logged two new stations on the same frequency at the same time. The two stations, WTNT and CKAC, faded in and out in tandem on 730 kc for about a half hour while I tried to identify them. WTNT was amazing catch since it is transmitting only 25 watts!

• WTNT in Alexandria, VA on 730 kc. Talk radio, 25 watts, 300 miles SW

• CKAC in Montreal, QC on 730 kc. Talk radio, 50 kW, 270 miles N

My receiving equipment: C.Crane CCRadio-SW and CC twin coil ferrite antenna.

WTNT antenna farm

AM DX Log

Home sick, but feeling good enough this morning to turn on the radio and listen to the static. Logged four new ones!

• WIZZ in Greenfield, MA on 1520 kc. Oldies format, the station transmits 10 kW 68 miles NNE

• WQEA416 in Southington, CT on 1670 kc. CT DOT traffic advisory station transmitting 10 W 3 miles E

• WARV in Warwick, RI on 1590 kc  (my first logging on 1590). Religious format, the station transmits 5 kW 78 miles E

• WPQH451 in Rocky Hill, CT on 1610 kc. CT DOT traffic advisory station transmitting 10 W 14 miles ENE

My receiving equipment: C.Crane CCRadio-SW and CC twin coil ferrite antenna for the first two stations and my 40-meter dipole antenna for the last two.

The antenna farm at WQEA416 in Southington, CT

Surfin': APRS Finder

This week, Surfin’ repositions an airplane finder app to APRS-equipped vehicles.

AM DX Log: WMTR

Another nice catch this evening: WMTR. Here is the log entry:

2013-02-01   2325Z   1250 kHz   WMTR   Morristown, NJ   5 kW   97 miles NE S-0 to S-4 QSB    station id

My receiving equipment: C.Crane CCRadio-SW and CC twin coil ferrite antenna.

Surfin’: Finding the Good Stuff

This week, Surfin’ reveals where to find the websites and software that comprise “the good stuff.”