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Strangest Radio Signals

The technical side of broadcasting. Think IBOC is a sham? Talk about it here! How about HDTV? Post DX reports here as well.
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Ben Zonia
Posts: 2464
Joined: Sat Jun 03, 2006 10:35 pm
Location: Honor

Strangest Radio Signals

Unread post by Ben Zonia »

Here's one-The Buzzer.

Buzzer breaks down at 2:00.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wcv_cGLjxCY
"I had a job for a while as an announcer at WWV but I finally quit, because I couldn't stand the hours."

-Author Unknown
bmw
Posts: 8065
Joined: Sun Dec 05, 2004 1:02 am

Re: Strangest Radio Signals

Unread post by bmw »

In reading through the comments, I stumbled upon this:

http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/

I wasn't aware that such an SDR existed. I knew there were online tuners but this one allows multiple users at once to tune to different stations.
CK-722
Posts: 1284
Joined: Sun Dec 16, 2018 3:53 pm

Re: Strangest Radio Signals

Unread post by CK-722 »

There was a marine navigational beacon near the Harrisville Harbor driving through back in the 1970s. It was either changing amplitudes/power or some type of carrier frequency shift (like FSK) code that gave the impression that it had several different amplitudes. I received it one night in Genesee County, with my long wire and tuned frequency inductively coupled antenna to my Sony AM/FM Cassette Recorder Portable . It was around 1620 kHz as I recall. I planned to use another radio oscillator to generate a carrier to determine the type of modulation. But after figuring that out, I never heard it again. I read on some obscure web page that experimental beacons used this frequency range, like 1610-1700 kHz. The Sony would receive up to about 1670 kHz without modification.
Is THAT where they got the idea for the 486-SX?

Same (x, y, z), different (t)

Your bullet missed my trial balloon.

RTN Price. Not guaranteed. As of 12:30, 157.71 Down 0.22.

Artificial Intelligence is a Child that needs a Parent to guide it through.
audiophile
Posts: 9391
Joined: Sat Dec 04, 2004 9:21 pm
Location: Between 88 and 108 MHz.

Re: Strangest Radio Signals

Unread post by audiophile »

bmw wrote: Sat May 02, 2020 9:51 am In reading through the comments, I stumbled upon this:

http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/

I wasn't aware that such an SDR existed. I knew there were online tuners but this one allows multiple users at once to tune to different stations.
Good site I stumbled upon 1008 kHz called United AM. Someone over here should consider making a station sound this interesting over here. It's a 100w AM station. Listen here on SDR http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/?tune=1008am

https://fmscan.org/net.php?r=m&m=m&itu= ... =United+AM

https://www.fmdio.nl/united-am
Radio United AM zend vanaf 11-5-2019 op 1008 kHz dat is 298 op de meterband middengolf. Met 100 Watt lpam zenden wij vanuit uit neede (Gelderland) met de beste muziek uit de 60’s-70’s-80’s en 90’s
Psalm 139:13 ~ For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb.

Jeremiah 1:5 ~ "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you;

Exodus 20:13 ~ “You shall not murder."
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SolarMax
Posts: 733
Joined: Sat Dec 04, 2004 5:59 pm
Location: 313

Re: Strangest Radio Signals

Unread post by SolarMax »

bmw wrote: Sat May 02, 2020 9:51 am In reading through the comments, I stumbled upon this:

http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/

I wasn't aware that such an SDR existed. I knew there were online tuners but this one allows multiple users at once to tune to different stations.
That's one of the early web SDRs, been around for a few years. Most webSDRs now allow for some number of users.
Here's a listing of available Kiwi SDRs
http://kiwisdr.com/public/
and a map
http://rx.linkfanel.net/
Radiobingoking
Posts: 21
Joined: Sat Dec 04, 2004 6:18 pm
Location: Livonia

Re: Strangest Radio Signals

Unread post by Radiobingoking »

Back in the late 60's there was a station at either 530 or 540 AM that broadcast just a morse code. I was only able to receive it at night. The code was -.. -... - The signal would repeat for hours on end, and I was never able to hear and ID for the station. Just wondering if anyone else remembers hear that.
John

If it aint country it aint music
CK-722
Posts: 1284
Joined: Sun Dec 16, 2018 3:53 pm

Re: Strangest Radio Signals

Unread post by CK-722 »

That is DBT in Morse Code. The three letter IDs are typical of navigational beacons. Most used to be Longwave or Medium Wave. Most have disappeared, along with private airports, which are disappearing along with golf courses.

Stacey DuFord from WNIC, WOMC and others grew up near the DuFord Airport in Northeast Genesee County, her father's airport. That airport is gone also. Many closed after crises like 9/11. However, private airports may start to thrive again soon with airline virus travel concerns. I'll look on an old Michigan VFR Map to see if it had a beacon and the code. It was probably on the VHF Aircraft Band though.

Here it is.

https://skyvector.com/airport/68G/Duford-Field-Airport
Last edited by CK-722 on Thu May 07, 2020 1:39 am, edited 1 time in total.
Is THAT where they got the idea for the 486-SX?

Same (x, y, z), different (t)

Your bullet missed my trial balloon.

RTN Price. Not guaranteed. As of 12:30, 157.71 Down 0.22.

Artificial Intelligence is a Child that needs a Parent to guide it through.
syntheticexctasy
Posts: 128
Joined: Wed Apr 27, 2011 10:26 am
Location: 49270

Re: Strangest Radio Signals

Unread post by syntheticexctasy »

bmw wrote: Sat May 02, 2020 9:51 am In reading through the comments, I stumbled upon this:

http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/

I wasn't aware that such an SDR existed. I knew there were online tuners but this one allows multiple users at once to tune to different stations.
There are online tuners everywhere :)

I host one on GlobalTuners.com
My globaltuners node:
https://www.globaltuners.com/receiver/1 ... t-Michigan
My airspy node:
sdr://fja4.com:5559
Last 1yr of FM DX logs:
https://tinyurl.com/7604dx
k8jd
Posts: 626
Joined: Fri Jun 28, 2013 3:35 pm
Location: Commerce, MI

Re: Strangest Radio Signals

Unread post by k8jd »

I have been hearing what I named "the Grim Sweeper. It starts at one end of a small range of HF freqs and rapidly sweeps to a higher end and repeats over and over Mostly between 3 and 12 MHz in about 100-200 KHz bites. It repeats the sweep maybe a dozen times and then moves on to another freq segment and starts again. Have not heard it in the last year.
k8jd
Posts: 626
Joined: Fri Jun 28, 2013 3:35 pm
Location: Commerce, MI

Re: Strangest Radio Signals

Unread post by k8jd »

Radiobingoking wrote: Wed May 06, 2020 4:01 am Back in the late 60's there was a station at either 530 or 540 AM that broadcast just a morse code. I was only able to receive it at night. The code was -.. -... - The signal would repeat for hours on end, and I was never able to hear and ID for the station. Just wondering if anyone else remembers hear that.
I remember hearing the Morse ID on my parents' car radio down at the bottom of the AM band.
Then I got an "all band" Regen radio kit one Xmas and one of the plug in coils was for LW, found many Airport Beacons (NDB) to practice my Morse copy.
Today with modern Receivers I have logged several hundred Becon signals from Detroit to Winnipeg ! The Canadians sitll keep them going on the little airports way out in the bush. Many of them , in Canada, and they often have more output power than the dwindling US ones.
k8jd
Posts: 626
Joined: Fri Jun 28, 2013 3:35 pm
Location: Commerce, MI

Re: Strangest Radio Signals

Unread post by k8jd »

Just a few NDB operating above 520 kHz ,you may hear, on a good AM radio, Located in;
521 SC, IA, KS
523 NY (I have heard this one)
524 TX
525 AK
529 AK
530 AK.
A lot seem to be in Alaska !
CK-722
Posts: 1284
Joined: Sun Dec 16, 2018 3:53 pm

Re: Strangest Radio Signals

Unread post by CK-722 »

UIZ (.._ .. __..) was the code for the Berz Macomb Airport. It is now a subdivision. It's Beacon was on 215 kHz, with a T type/Hammock antenna. You could hear the 6th Harmonic on 1290 kHz near the airport.

https://www.greatcirclemapper.net/en/ai ... rport.html

Image

Image
Last edited by CK-722 on Fri May 08, 2020 6:00 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Is THAT where they got the idea for the 486-SX?

Same (x, y, z), different (t)

Your bullet missed my trial balloon.

RTN Price. Not guaranteed. As of 12:30, 157.71 Down 0.22.

Artificial Intelligence is a Child that needs a Parent to guide it through.
CK-722
Posts: 1284
Joined: Sun Dec 16, 2018 3:53 pm

Re: Strangest Radio Signals

Unread post by CK-722 »

Th support towers for the T antenna are shown on the diagram as "NDB" and the Aeronautical Tower Icon labelled "+55' " around 300-400 feet North of the NDB locator.
Is THAT where they got the idea for the 486-SX?

Same (x, y, z), different (t)

Your bullet missed my trial balloon.

RTN Price. Not guaranteed. As of 12:30, 157.71 Down 0.22.

Artificial Intelligence is a Child that needs a Parent to guide it through.
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