While not strictly broadcasting... I did a bit of playing around New Year's Eve with NAVTEX on 518KHz, just below the AM broadcast band. I downloaded the Frisnit NAVTEX decoder & camped out on the frequency long enough to prove it was working.
Then, I let it run overnight.
Woke up to find messages from eight different sites:
B ZBR Bermuda C NMC San Francisco E NME Charleston, S. Carolina G NMG New Orleans N NMN Chesapeake, Virginia P XLJ895 Thunder Bay, Ontario R NMR San Juan, Puerto Rico U VAR9 Saint John, New Brunswick
NMC was a BIG (and pleasant) surprise. NAVTEX ID C on the East Coast is supposed to be Sept-Iles, Quebec -- but when I read the message text, it was warning of navigation hazards at the Golden Gate and Alcatraz Island!
2 comments:
This is the kind of stuff I like to come across. It makes me WANT to get back into the radio hobby.
BTW, what kind of SW did you use?
I was using Frisnit 2.1.5. Seems to be reasonably sensitive -- and it saves the loggings to individual files with timestamps.
Just leave the radio on overnight with the software running & collect your DX in the morning. Almost too lazy to be true :) .
FWIW, radio is a Yaesu FT1000MP, antenna is 160m dipole (center-fed antenna 80m, about 250', long) about 20m/65' high.
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