Thu
27
Nov '08
My friend K1LWI told me about this video. Check it out at http://www.opb.org/programs/ofg/videos/view/56-Electric-Drag-Racing. This car went from 69 HP to 300 HP with lots of torque.
N1EY
Mon
24
Nov '08
Twenty meters seems to be better lately. I heard some African stations - particularly lots of ZS - on twenty meters. I think that band conditions are improving albeit sunspot numbers are not on a grand upwards trend. I have worked some of the guys on the 147.300 repeater, which is giving lots of fits lately. 146.67 is not working during the cold weather.
I have worked a few DX stations during this past weekend. I was receiving favorable reports. I am waiting for the ARRL International DX contest for next year. CQ WW is another favorite of mine. I enjoy working those DX and I am hoping conditions shall be good for the contest during the winter months. The Solar Equinox for Winter is fast approaching. Things should get much better after the Equinox.
N1EY
Sat
15
Nov '08
Hello, I went with the North Shore Radio Association to the WBZ facility in Hull, MA. This facility is for WBZ 1030 AM. The site transmits the broadcast to 38 states. It is a clear station which always runs on a directional antennae array. Most of the other clear stations have to shift patterns in the evening. WBZ only has to worry as the time of darkness changes over the year. Well, they have to worry about Iboc as well.
The tour was fantastic. My friend,K1LWI, went on the tour with me this year. He had been there, previously. I have posted some of his pictures of the two tower array. These towers provide a cardoid pattern. The pattern is aimed towards the east as the array is located in the salt marsh of Hull on the eastern side of the Boston metropolitian area. Just use the search function to find the other WBZ pictures. The first picture is of the station engineer showing the plaque that the Town of Hull gave to WBZ upon the construction of the station in 1940.
This second picture is the engineer holding the plaque that a local family gave to WBZ. It is very nice plaque with a great graphic.
Here is W1QWT of the Scituate Repeater in action. He made a surprise visit to the repeater. K1RV is also in the picture.
Here is a photograph of the engineer in front of the audio processing chain. Just so you know the transmitters are behind me. The DX-50 is a solid state transmitter. The antennae tuner is to the right of this photo. Several of the boxes in the rack are for the EAS. There is a dedicated telephone line, which connects to the EAS system. All of the studio links are via copper line right. I told the engineer that Verizon had wired the whole town for FiOS in order to compete with the cable company and prevent the local municipality from extending into IP television and phone. Anyways, the EAS system has final command of the audio going to the transmitter. Any emergency broadcast from FEMA could theoretically be placed by calling the box and sending the audio.
This box here is a part of the current EAS system. Notice the XM on the box? XM Satellite is now heavily involved in the federal emergency broadcast system. I did hear some stuff about XM testing the system and accidentally broadcasting emergency messages on WBZ. Oh No!
In this picture you can not see N1ZZN, the repeater doctor, but he is here. He was in heaven as he just loves broadcast radio. The wall on the right has the two transmitter banks. They are both solid state. The blue GE Harris case is the back up radio. Should this site fail the transmitter in Allston may be immediately activated by Master Control in order to restore coverage to New England only.
Click here to go to the photo album for the WBZ tours. We had a great time on the tour. Most of the guys went over to the Red Parrot for lunch. The Parrot had twin lobsters for 13.99. What a deal! We also saw Massachusetts surfers in action. You have to wait for winter until you get actual waves, but it looks like great fun.
N1EY
Sun
2
Nov '08
Everyone wants a K3. I recently overhead a German lambast an American lightly about buying a Japanese radio. The German told the American that he should support the American economy and buy quality American equipment.
Who would have thought that Americans would come out with the best radio on the amateur Radio Market? I want an Elecraft!
N1EY
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