eHam

eHam Forums => Long Wave / Medium Wave => Topic started by: WB9LUR on December 02, 2019, 06:40:00 PM

Title: Morocco - 171 KHz - Good Signal Tonight
Post by: WB9LUR on December 02, 2019, 06:40:00 PM
Radio Medi1 on 171 KHz longwave from Morocco is receivable tonight in FL with a fairly good signal that peaks S7...seems to be getting stronger.


Randy / WB9LUR
Title: Re: Morocco - 171 KHz - Good Signal Tonight
Post by: AE5X on December 03, 2019, 06:28:01 AM
Radio Medi1 on 171 KHz longwave from Morocco is receivable tonight in FL with a fairly good signal that peaks S7...seems to be getting stronger.

That's amazing - what kind of rx antenna are you using?
Title: Re: Morocco - 171 KHz - Good Signal Tonight
Post by: WB9LUR on December 03, 2019, 08:19:43 AM
Radio Medi1 on 171 KHz longwave from Morocco is receivable tonight in FL with a fairly good signal that peaks S7...seems to be getting stronger.

That's amazing - what kind of rx antenna are you using?

Just using my very low (20ft max) 160M dipole and a Kenwood TS-590 for receive.

Randy / WB9LUR
Title: Re: Morocco - 171 KHz - Good Signal Tonight
Post by: KC6RWI on December 03, 2019, 11:05:52 AM
Very interesting, I read the wiki on long wave to get an idea of just what long wave about. It said the band is used as an AM broadcast band. It would be interesting to know what kind of radio the public is using.
Title: Re: Morocco - 171 KHz - Good Signal Tonight
Post by: WB9LUR on December 05, 2019, 08:17:30 PM
Very interesting, I read the wiki on long wave to get an idea of just what long wave about. It said the band is used as an AM broadcast band. It would be interesting to know what kind of radio the public is using.

In many parts of the world radios used to come standard with longwave and/or shortwave bands, it was common. But times have changed and many of the broadcasters are gone forever.

However a few remain and tonight I'm getting Radio Algeria on 252 KHz ... hoping one day to hear RTE in Ireland on this same frequency. 73.

Randy / WB9LUR
Title: Re: Morocco - 171 KHz - Good Signal Tonight
Post by: AE5X on December 09, 2019, 03:41:37 PM
Here's a lowband challenge:  ;D
http://www.arrl.org/news/view/saq-sweden-s-alexanderson-alternator-announces-scheduled-christmas-eve-transmission
Title: Re: Morocco - 171 KHz - Good Signal Tonight
Post by: KM1H on December 10, 2019, 09:13:29 AM
I will be listening again, last years was cancelled due to technical problems. Ive copied SAQ 3 times so far from good copy to marginal using a 750' Beverage which is just a small piece of wire on 17.2 kHz.

I had considered building a VLF version of my 2 turn 1" CATV hardline balanced and rotatable loop used on 160/BCB but the Beverage was a pleasant surprise.

Receiver is a 60's National HRO-500 with the matching LF-10 preselector Ive had for over 30 years.....when they were cheap.

A 1934 designed by RCA WW2 USN RAK-7 has also copied it and its "AVC" control can be set as a superb distortion free noise peak limiter. I also have the matching RAL-7 and neither will ever win a beauty or ease of use contest but are IMO the best regenerative radios ever built.
http://www.navy-radio.com/rcvrs/rak-ral.htm

Carl
Title: Re: Morocco - 171 KHz - Good Signal Tonight
Post by: K0OD on December 28, 2019, 10:31:44 PM
Radio Medi-1 in Morocco coming in nicely tonight around 0600Z broadcasting in French on 171.0 KHz.

Radio is a Flex-5000a with Palomar VLF converter. Antenna is ham 43' Vertical.

K0OD
Saint Louis MO
Title: Re: Morocco - 171 KHz - Good Signal Tonight
Post by: K4KYV on May 19, 2020, 11:48:20 AM
Haven't listened lately, but a few winters ago I connected my Kenwood R-1000 to my 500 ft 160m beverage receiving antenna here in middle TN, threw together a tuned circuit out of junkbox components to cover the 150-300 kHz range, and was able to pull in stations from Germany, France, Iceland, Morroco, UK and Luxembourg, sometimes entertainment quality.  The nominal frequency coverage of the R-1000 stops at 200 kHz, but it actually picks up signals as low as 150 with reduced  sensitivity. The tuned circuit between antenna and receiver brought up  the signal strength and filtered out the birdies and spurious images that had blanketed the band when the antenna was connected directly.

Some of those stations were clearly audible before  sundown, around 4 PM.  I thought it was amazing that I was hearing longwave signals from Europe while the sun was still shining.

Unfortunately, the longwave broadcast stations in Europe are being phased out.  There may not be many left for much longer.
Title: Re: Morocco - 171 KHz - Good Signal Tonight
Post by: VA3VF on May 19, 2020, 01:48:13 PM
Quote
That's amazing - what kind of rx antenna are you using?

I'm way late, but for what's worth...

I heard them using a much maligned Mini-Whip, not even an 'original' one, but an eBay clone. Around the same time, both the BBC on 198 kHz and RUV on 189 kHz were received as well.

That said, it's not a sure thing. I have not heard them since.

This same antenna is used for 2200m and 600m WSPR, Opera, and JT9 decoding. On 600m, during the Winter, I was receiving the UK and could also monitor JT9 contacts between the US and UK.

That was back in the Winter, now, Spring 2020, it's US only.

The Mini-Whip gets a bad rap every time, but it has a lot going for it, if you accept that it's a compromise antenna.