Svar till: SAQ transmission 01-07-2018

[s lloyd hughes]

I was glad and amazed to receive the 1045 utc SAQ cw transmission. I had only read about it a few days earlier.

I followed the links on receiving SAQ from your website. Plugged in a USB sound card. A generic 7.1 FullHD 24bit/192KHz USB2 sound card. The same as the Diamond XS71HDU. The receiver software was SAQRx_0-98. I also downloaded Spectrum Lab.

When I tried out the system the night before, with nothing connected to the line input of the sound card I could identify the station on 16.4 KHz, JXN. So I was hopefull.

During the daylight hours it was obvious I would need an antenna. Not having a spare 3.5mm stereo jack connector, I used the supplied stereo jack to twin RCA phono plugs. A 50cm croc clip lead was connected to the centre pin of the White phono plug. With a random coil of wire connected at the other end. ( Approximately 30 turns 15 cm diameter 18swg (1mm) enamel copper wire ). Hooked onto my inside plastic curtain rail.

Listening with headphones I was sure I could hear CW tuning and then the transmission. However listening to filtered noise can make you believe you are hearing morse code (CW). Holding the coil seemed to increase the signal levels and improve the signal/noise. But is not a subsitute for a properly designed antenna. If you have time, build an E-Field Antenna.

Today I fed the received audio into the Spectrum Lab software. The resultant audio output, waterfall display and CW filter confirmed what I had heard was real. Even the sudden frequency drift, part way through.

At the same time as the SAQ transmission the ISS (International Space Station) was flying overhead with a special transmission of SSTV signals. Celebrating Russian space achievements on the Station. I was also able to receive them with simple equipment.

It felt like history being demonstrated. Radio Old and New.

Congratulations to those present and for putting the station on the air. Hopefully in the future someone may be able to get permission to set up another VLF station to sent a reply.

best regards

73’s Simon GW0NVN N1XIH Barry UK IO81IJ