Tag: Jon Kreski

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A Ham Radio Mystery

December 6, 2010

Ham radio operators encounter many mysteries over the years.  Some of them take decades to solve – for example – what WHERE those strange sounds we heard on our shortwave radios during the cold war?  Were they Russian submarines patrolling just off the American coastline?  Or simply a digital mode being used by some reporter in Europe?  And – what IS the source of that interference in my house?  AND – how do I eliminate it or filter it our?

Some mysteries can be annoying.  Like that rare DX (ham radio speak for distant) call sign for the station you JUST communicated with and that repeated YOUR call sign – so you KNOW they heard you – but you didn’t QUITE get all the characters of their call sign.

Some mysteries can be fun and challenging.  Such as fox hunts.  In the ham radio world the fox is a small, low power hidden transmitter.  The hunt is a search contest designed to test and enhance the signal tracking skills of the ham radio operator.  Those same skills can come in quite handy where there is someone causing intentional interference on the ham bands.  Or when you need to track down that stray signal from somewhere inside your house or apartment that is driving your receiver nuts.

My latest mystery though, has been haunting me for several months now.  The scenario goes like this.  I have nearly 200 specific frequencies programmed into my car ham radio.  Most of them are ham radio frequencies.  But since the ham radio is a really good radio and since it is designed to be used on a wide range of frequencies for ham radio purposes, the makers went the extra mile.  They threw in the ability for “wideband receive”.  To my not so technical understanding of the term it means that I can receive a whole bunch of other non ham radio related transmissions as well.  Some include police, fire, ambulance, aircraft, air traffic control, etc..  It also means that it can tune these frequencies in multiple modes (AM, FM, SSB, etc.).

The Appleton / Green Bay Wisconsin area has a LOT of power lines above ground.  Guess what?  Especially on AM, a really GOOD radio receives the static interference from those power lines VERY well.  While the ham radio frequencies I have programmed into memories are on FM and therefore not very prone to that static the aircraft frequencies, by design, are on AM and are very prone to the annoying static.

My stored frequencies are arranged in a given way so that I know where I am in the sequence of memories without having to look at the radio’s dial by listening to the type of transmission.  Ham radio repeaters in the first portion, airline related frequencies in the last portion.  This radio has a special set of five channels pre-programmed for the 60 meter (roughly 5 MHz) band.  Most ham radios can not tune these newer frequencies.  I end up listening to them when near certain power lines as I change memories away from annoying power line static.  These 60 meter frequencies are not prone to the static.

NOW for the mystery.  I consistently hear ham radio conversations on these frequencies.  BUT – are they REALLY on those specific frequencies?  You see, they could be on frequencies NEAR that band and the power of the signal could be causing my radio to receive them on other frequencies.  OR – it could be that since I have a 20 meter band ham radio antenna on the car and these are on the 60 meter band that the 20 meter antenna acts as if it is 1/3 the length of a comparable 60 meter antenna and thus produces a weak received signal.

One way to find out is to listen to conversations long enough to hear someone say that they actually ARE on a specific frequency.  The problem is that I’ve been listening for quite some time and have heard no such references.  I likely will continue this investigative technique while I explore other ideas as well.

Another idea is to just go ahead and order a 60 meter antenna and then see if I can establish contact with these hams.  But that would cost money and while that antenna is installed I would have to take down my favorite band’s (20 meters) antenna.  Not sure I want to do that.

My current thought is that I will spend some time with pen and paper in hand – or with a digital voice recorder and document the ham radio call signs of a few of the hams I am hearing.  Many hams publish their e-mail or phone contact information in public databases or websites.  And since I can find the exact address of virtually any ham radio operator via www.QRZ.com I should be able to find a phone number for at least ONE ham as long as they are not all unlisted.  I also will do some research on the internet about activities on the band and see if I am hearing any of them.  Any other ideas?  Leave a comment…

Stay tuned!

Jon Kreski, AB9NN  Appleton / Green Bay, Wisconsin area

http://www.HamRadioResources.com

http://www.Twitter.com/AB9NN

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About the author

AB9NN (Jon Kreki) is an Extra Class ham radio operator and Auditor / Financial Analyst. Jon loves HF mobile as well as 2 meters. Jon is a trained severe storm spotter, active ARES / RACES and Skywarn member in Outagamie County (Appleton, Wisconsin) area. Jon's lovely wife is Jane, KD8KRS!
www.hamradioresources.com