Beyond My First Transatlantics

NIST radio site in Fort Collins, Colorado

Since I heard my first transatlantic stations with my "new" radio, I have been sticking around the low end of the long waves to hear what I can hear.

WWVB was loud and clear on 60 kHz. The Fort Collins, Colorado, time signal transmits 50 kW, 1661 miles to the west-northwest. I might have been able to log it before, but this was the first time I tuned around that part of the band. (I checked a few older top-of-hour-recordings and sure enough, I heard WWVB on each recording).

I also heard an AM station at 216 kc at 0400 UTC, but I could not identify it. It was too weak for intelligence, but it definitely was not English... probably French or Spanish. Radio Monte Carlo is the only station listed for 216 kc, so that is what I probably heard... with transmitters in nearby France (Roumoules) using 900 kW, 3855 miles to the east-northeast.

In this morning's 0400 UTC top-of-the-hour recording, I again hear Radio Mediterranee Internationale (Medi 1) (171 kc, Nador, Morocco).

I hear France Inter (162 kc, Allouis, France) again and again in my top-of-the-hour recordings. I even heard it live and in person at 2300 UTC Tuesday.

During the first transatlantic excitement, I forgot to mention two other new loggings made that morning:

AY navigational beacon on 356 kc transmitting 25 watts, 1043 mile northeast in St. Anthony, Newfoundland,

WGOP on 540 kc transmitting 243 watts, 283 miles south-southwest in Pocomoke City, Maryland.

Equipment used was my ELAD FDM-S2 SDR receiver with my 80-meter inverted Vee antenna.

Transatlantic

Recorded the 0500 UTC top-of-hour Sunday morning and upon playback, I was very surprised to hear my first transatlantics with my newest radio:

France Inter from Allouis, France, on 162 kc, 1000 kW over 3585 miles

Radio Mediterranee Internationale  (Medi 1) from Nador, Morocco, on 171 kc, 1600 kW over 3712 miles

BBC 4 from Droitwich, on 198 kc, 200 kW over 3278 miles

RTE Radio 1 from Clarkstown, Ireland, on 252 kc, 300 kW over 3096 miles

Also heard a carrier on 153 kc; likely suspect is Antena Satelor in Brasov, Romania, 200 kW over 4598 miles

Also logged AY (navigational beacon) from St. Anthony, Newfoundland, on 356 kc, 25 watts over 1043 miles

Equipment used was an ELAD FDM-S2 with an 80-meter inverted Vee.

Sixteen

I added the following 16 new stations to the log during the past few days using an ELAD FDM-S2 SDR receiver, an 80-meter inverted Vee antenna (for HF) and my 2007 Subaru's stock radio and antenna (for the FM logging) an ICOM IC-AH7000 discone antenna (for VHF/UHF).

YUY on 219 kc transmitting 500 watts from Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, 540 miles to the north-northwest

QB on 230 kc transmitting 500 watts from Quebec, Quebec, 360 miles to the north

OW on 236 kc transmitting 14 watts from Ottawa, Quebec, 289 miles to the north-northwest

YVB on 243 kc transmitting 90 watts from Bonaventure, Quebec, 576 miles to the north-northeast

YXR on 257 kc transmitting 400 watts from Earlton, Ontario, 538 miles to the north-northwest

YQA on 272 kc transmitting 400 watts from Muskoka, Ontario, 396 miles to the northwest

YLQ on 289 kc transmitting 550 watts from La Tuque, Quebec, 398 miles to the north

QT on 332  kc transmitting 1000 watts from Thunder Bay, Ontario, 929 miles to the northwest

GW on 371 kc transmitting 500 watts from Kuujjuarapik, Quebec, 967 miles to the north-northwest

JT on 390 kc transmitting 450 watts from Stephenville, Newfoundland, 838 miles to the northeast

3B on 391 kc transmitting 100 watts from Brockville, Ontario, 253miles to the north-northwest

Y8 on 401  kc transmitting 126 watts from Drummondville, Quebec, 393 miles to the north-northwest

YTA on 409 kc transmitting 13 watts from Pembroke, Ontario, 359 miles to the north-northwest

3U on 414 kc transmitting 85 watts from Gatineau, Quebec, 300 miles to the north-northwest

WAZZ on 1490 kc transmitting 1000 watts from Fayetteville, NC, 556 miles to the south-southwest

WNYZ-LP on 87.7 Mc transmitting 3000 watts from New York, NY, 80 miles to the southwest simulcasting WWRU-AM

Still More Navigational Beacons

This symbol denotes an NDB on an aeronautical chart. (Source: Wikipedia)

I heard these new navigational beacon loggings around 0700 UTC Sunday:

QB on 230 kc transmitting 500 watts from Quebec, Quebec, 360 miles to the north

OW on 236 kc transmitting 14 watts from Ottawa, Quebec, 289 miles to the north-northwest

YVB on 243 kc transmitting 90 watts from Bonaventure, Quebec, 576 miles to the north-northeast

YLQ on 289 kc transmitting 550 watts from La Tuque, Quebec, 398 miles to the north

Y8 on 401 kc transmitting 126 watts from Drummondville, Quebec, 393 miles to the north

3U on 414 kc transmitting 85 watts from Gatineau, Quebec, 300 miles to the north-northwest

As usual lately, equipment used was an ELAD FDM-S2 receiver and 80-meter inverted Vee antenna.

More Navigational Beacons

CA to WA1LOU

Before I went to bed last night, I tuned down the navigational beacon longwave band and logged six new ones:

BX on 220 kc transmitting 2 kW from Lourdes de Blank Salon, Quebec, 1005 miles to the northeast

QY on 263 kc transmitting 24 watts from Sydney, Nova Scotia, 718 miles to the east-northeast

YHR on 276 kc transmitting 500 watts from Chevery, Quebec, 881 miles to the northeast

NM on 278 kc transmitting 15 watts from Matagami, Quebec, 606 miles to the north-northwest

CA on 281 kc transmitting 1 kW from Cartwright, Newfoundland, 1111 miles to the north-northeast

YTA on 409 kc transmitting 13 watts from Pembroke, Ontario, 359 miles to the north-northwest

Nice thing about chasing navigational beacons is that as soon as you hear one, you can identify it because all it transmits is its callsign over and over again.

As usual lately, equipment used was an ELAD FDM-S2 receiver and 80-meter inverted Vee antenna.

F8

Victoriaville Airport

After feeding the cats at 0900 UTC, instead of going back to bed, I checked the AM band, but found nothing interesting. So I tuned to the navigational beacons and heard a half dozen beacons I had logged before including ML in Monroe, Louisiana, on 392 kc, 1232 miles away.

I heard a very weak beacon on 384 kc, so I hung in there for awhile and finally heard F8, a new logging from Victoriaville, Quebec, transmitting 25 watts, 310 miles to the north.

Equipment used was an ELAD FDM-S2 receiver and 80-meter inverted Vee antenna.

This Day in History… Transatlantic Cable Service

Better late than never...

On August 16, 1858, the first message was sent via the transatlantic cable.

The telegraph was the first device to send messages using electricity. Samuel F. B. Morse is credited with inventing the telegraph. He first demonstrated the telegraph in 1837.

Read the rest of the story here.

Bear III

Late Friday afternoon, my daughter yells out that there is a bear in our back yard. Sure enough... I look out the ham shack window and there is a black bear walking around the premises.

This is my third bear sighting here at the WA1LOU QTH on the top of Compounce Mountain and I have seen evidence of other visits in the past. It sure makes life interesting and for the next few days, I will make sure that all is clear before I go outdoors.

8 at 0800

Instead of recording the 0900 UTC top-of-hour, I switched to 0800 UTC and logged eight new stations!

WMSA on 1340 kc in Massena, NY, transmitting 910 W, 246 miles to the north-northwest

WASR on 1420 kc in Wolfeboro, NH, transmitting 137 W, 161 miles to the north-northeast

WAZN on 1470 kc in Watertown, MA, transmitting 3.4 kW, 104 miles to the northeast

WUVR on 1490 kc in Lebanon, NH, transmitting 640 W, 145 miles to the north-northeast

WSMN on 1590 kc in Nashua, NH, transmitting 5 kW, 107 miles to the northeast

CHRN on 1610 kc in Montreal, PQ, Canada, transmitting 1 kW, 266 miles to the north

WNRP on 1620 kc in Pensacola, FL, transmitting 1 kW, 1108 to the miles SW

WPLA on 1670 kc in Dry Branch, GA, transmitting 1 kW, 845 miles to the SW

Using an ELAD FDM-S2 receiver and 80-meter inverted Vee antenna.