Wednesday 31 July 2013

rds spy versus other leading brands

rds spy versus other leading brands
Noxon DAB stick RTL-SDR
Gain 17dB, Bandwidth 192kHz (In each case)
Your results may vary
video here

Tuesday 30 July 2013

RDS Spy test2

RDS Spy test2

10.7MHz IF tapped at output of 2nd stock 230kHz Ceramic Filter in a Denon TU-260LII, and fed to Cross Country Wireless SDR-4+.
HDSDR with RDS Spy
These are weaker FM stations.
My aerial is very poor, just a broken UHF aerial on the chimney :)
video

Monday 29 July 2013

SSTV 11m and OIRT FM

27700 SSTV testcard 28-07-2013
SSTV received on 11m probably via Sporadic-E from Italy.
RTLSDR MMSSTV
click here for video

OIRT FM from Brest BLR via Es  24-07-2013
RTL-SDR SDR#
video link

Sunday 28 July 2013

HDSDR and RDS Spy

HDSDR & RDS Spy test1
After much gnashing of teeth I finally got RDS Spy to work with HDSDR:)
video here





Another seaside video:
103 4 Heart vs CFM Tecsun PL-606 directivity
video here

Wednesday 24 July 2013

TVsharp test


TVsharp has a narrow bandwidth, so enables reception even when there is high QRM and strong baby alarms. (There is no audio). This application is highly suitable for TVDX.
I am just using a broken UHF TV aerial on a chimney.
video here

Blackpool UK

Monday 22 July 2013

FMDX Vlog 21st July 2013

FMDX Vlog 21st July 2013
Includes BBC R Scotland from Black Hill, Forfar and Meldrum.
Noxon DAB stick RTL-SDR + SDR# and SDR Console V2.
Sangean PR-D1 by the seafront.
video here

Wednesday 17 July 2013

tropo video+ Es unids


Tropo by the seaside 16th July 2013
Canon FS100 camcorder stereo via "mic in"
here

87.6 FF GG approx 10h00 16th July 2013 Es
Unid (s) Starts in French, continues in German. Received via Es.
here

87.7 Italy 10h07 16072013 Es
Italian station received via Es.
here

88.3 Italy10h11 16072013 Es
Italian station(s) received via Es.
here

91.7 Italy 10h15 16072013 Es
Italian unid via Es
here

Tuesday 16 July 2013

15th July 2013 FMDX Vlog

15th July 2013 FMDX Vlog
Portable radios by the seaside.
Sony XDR-S55DAB (No DAB only FM today) & Eton G8
video is here

Monday 15 July 2013

FMDX Vlog Part1 CCW SDR-4+ & Denon TU 260LII 140713

Most of these stations are 100kHz from permanent stations.
10.7MHz IF fed from a Denon tuner to a CCW SDR-4+ (Dedicated HF SDR). An I/Q signal with sample rate of 192kHZ via laptop sound card is fed to the SDR application.
video here
Blackpool UK

Sunday 14 July 2013

SDR 4+ panadaptor SDR Console V2 FM with RDS

Another experiment this morning...

10.7MHz IF fed from a Denon tuner to a CCW SDR-4+ (Dedicated HF SDR). An I/Q signal with sample rate of 192kHZ via laptop sound card is fed to SDR Console V2. (The Wide FM bandwidth is about 146kHz)
here


Blackpool UK

Friday 12 July 2013

Sporadic-E

First a tropo video I found on my iPhone:
94 3 MHz BBC R Scotland Tecsun PL-118
video here

There was good SPE yesterday late morning early afternoon. I missed the first bit as I was out, but still got a few stations as can be seen in the video. I'm still working on the logs and will post them when complete.

Part1-Pioneer Car stereo and indoor quad loop.
FMDX via Sporadic-E received in Blackpool UK
here

Part2-Noxon RTL-SDR
FMDX via Sporadic-E received in Blackpool UK
here

Thursday 11 July 2013

Latest video + tropo

Vlog FMDX 9th July

I had a bit of trouble
here


This morning better tropo conditions, but I might have missed some good stuff.
Brest from France, (maybe Rennes too)
North Hessary Tor (Devon, UK)
Caradon Hill (Cornwall,UK)

My Camcorder battery went flat, but I was able to press my iPhone in to service-there will be a Vlog :)

These were on the indoor rectangular quad loop. The top part of the band had white noise QRM. Fortunately 100.0 Classic FM came through to confirm North Hessary Tor.

The broken UHF aerial on the chimney connected to the SDR-RTL, gave Ireland and Pontop Pike, not France or Cornwall. With also my ancestral local station 95.9 BBC R. Humberside.

Wednesday 10 July 2013

More FM tropo from Ireland 7th July 2013

More FM tropo 7th July 2013

Audio recordings made at Blackpool seafront during tropospheric conditions, using IC recorders.
Olympus DM-650
Panasonic RR-US510
Radios: Eton G8 (Tecsun PL-300wt) & Sangean PR-D1
video here
Blackpool UK

Monday 8 July 2013

Portable radio FMDX (Tropo)

Big signals, small radio Tecsun PL-118. 6th July 2013
here

Sangean PR-D1 receiving RDS PS names at Blackpool seafront. 7th July 2013
here

LMFM Red Gap Mountain over BBC R  Lancs 7th July 2013
here

Includes a 25W community station from Northern Ireland.
7th July 2013
here

Blackpool UK

Saturday 6 July 2013

seafront FMDX with Tecsun PL-606 + aerial extender

The seafront here at Blackpool has virtually no QRM, unlike my home where FMDX is virtually impossible in the afternoon evening on a portable radio

Three FM stations are received on the Tecsun Pl-606 (+included aerial extender)  on one frequency at the same time.
95.8MHz 3 in 1 on Tecsun PL-606
click here for the video

The directivity of the Tecsun PL-606 with aerial extender
99.9MHz Classic FM Vs East Coast FM Tecsun PL-606
click here
The selectivity of the Tecsun PL-606 DSP pocket radio
Dublin's Spin 1038 next to BBC R Lancs Tecsun PL-606
click here

The audio was fed in to a Panasonic RR-US510 IC recorder in order to remove sounds of helicopters, light aircraft, seagulls, dogs barking, sirens wailing and drunks fighting-typical Blackpool sounds.

My YouTube page is here

Friday 5 July 2013

Portable radio videos

93.9MHz BBC R Scotland on Eton G8 DSP
click here for video

95.8MHz BBC R Merseyside Vs BBC R4 Black Hill
click me
Both the above on an Eton G8 (Tecsun PL-300wt) at the seafront  evening of 4th July 2013.
.............
252kHz LW Sony ICF-SW7600GR separates two stations

On 252kHz LW here in Blackpool, UK, Ireland is permanent even in daylight. Algeria  can come in over the top due to the directivity of the Sony's internal ferrite rod antenna.
3rd July 2013, approaching local midnight. (23:00 UTC)

click here
The Sony ICF-SW7600GR is a very nice portable radio.

Tuesday 2 July 2013

Azores High!

87.7 AZR Pico da Barrosa (RDP) RDP Antena 3 Açores 30kW 2471km (1535 miles)
1st July 2013 09:51 UTC

video here

My furthest FMDX via Es-and I didn't realize what I had received at the time! I thought for some reason it was from the East, and I was waiting at the bottom of the band for conditions to build. I also had a weak stations on 89.5 which was probably Antena 1 from the Azores. I didn't check higher up the band, nor did I make any WAV I/Q recordings (Reception was stronger on the car stereo using the indoor quad loop, than on the Noxon dongle which uses the broken UHF aerial on the roof). Fortunately when I played back my video after reading that there were conditions to the Azores at that time, I heard a jingle ID. Thanks to Jorge in Portugal who even recognised the first song, and to Andy (radioredcat) who received the station at the same time with RDS and recorded audio that matched mine.

Blackpool UK