Upstate RF - The personal blog of W4LVH

I love sharing information with my readers, not only in the pages of Monitoring Times each month, but also here on the GlobalNet blog.  I haven't been very active lately, but it's not for lack of interest.  As I know many are these days, been feeling like too little butter stretched over so much bread (10 points for those that can spot where that quote comes from!) - which doesn't leave a lot of extra time for much extra work.

But, all work and no play makes Loyd a grumpy dude.  Internet Radio isn't the only way I enjoy spending my time or in pursuit of the DX hobby.  Many of you know my love of DXing on the mediumwave bands and pursuing rare DX there.  I have also been bit by the Ham radio bug pretty hard.  I first was licensed back in 2004 but due to an unfortunate act of nature taking out almost my entire ham radio station, had to spend some time away from the hobby until I was recently able to get back on to HF.

Have a new personal blog up - not just Internet Radio related, but more of my personal thoughts and happenings in my pursuit of the DX hobby.  If you want to know what's up at the QTH, check out Upstate RF - W4LVH's Radio Blog

Really enjoying the digital modes, so expect to see a healthy dose of information and postings about PSK31, RTTY, Olivia, JT65, JT9, SSTV and more.  It should come as no surprise that the Internet Radio guy would be all about digital HF radio, right?

For my fellow hams that are readers - look for me on the bands.....have some QSLs to send out, and maybe soon, version 2 will be coming out.  A little sneak peek can be found below.

73 and best of DX to you all.

W4LVH is back on the air!

Hey everyone!  Good news, W4LVH is back on the air on the amateur radio HF bands.  Lots of contacts already, in only my first week of working the bands.  Printing up some QSLs, should have those out soon to anyone I owe a card to.  Also, for the folks on the 3905 CCN and OMISS nets, I am sending in envelopes to the bureaus today and tomorrow, should be good there soon.

Working on an ICOM IC-746, running 100 watts into a W5GI "Mystery Antenna".  Great signal reports so far, pretty happy with the performance.  More details to come, but all my fellow Hams out there, hope to see you in the log soon!!

73

Loyd Van Horn
W4LVH

Online streaming for Sandy coverage

BREAKING NEWS

For those looking for stations carrying live coverage of Hurricane Sandy through the Web streams, I have had a chance to confirm that the streams below are working and carrying Sandy coverage in some form.   If you have found a station with coverage, send me an email at globalnetmt@gmail.com or send me a message on Twitter:  @GlobalNetMT.

New York
WCBS - 880 AM - New York, NY - WCBS - New York
WABC - 770 AM - New York, NY - WABC - New York (Cutitng in with updates in normal programming)
WINS - 1010 AM - New York, NY - WINS - New York
WOR - 710 AM - New York, NY - WOR - New York

New Jersey
WOND - 1400 AM - Pleasantville, NJ - WOND - Pleasantville, NJ
WCTC - 1450 AM - New Brunswick, NJ - WCTC - New Brunswick, NJ
NOAA Weather Radio KHB38 - Atlantic City, NJ - NOAA WX Radio - Atlantic City, NJ
Atlantic and Cape May Counties Fire, EMS (NJ) - Atlantic and Cape May Fire and EMS (NJ)

Delaware
WDEL - 1150 AM - Wilmington, DE - WDEL - Wilmington, DE
WDOV - 1410 AM - Dover, DE - WDOV - Dover, DE
WILM - 1450 AM - Wilmington, DE - WILM - Wilmington, DE

Connecticut
WTIC - 1080 AM - Hartford, CT - WTIC - Hartford, CT
WICC - 600 AM - Bridgeport, CT - WICC - Bridgeport, CT 

Rhode Island
WPRO - 630 AM - Providence, RI - WPRO - Providence, RI
NOAA Weather Radio WXJ39 - Providence, RI - NOAA WX Radio - Providence, RI

Massachusetts
WBZ- 1030 AM - Boston, MA - WBZ - Boston, MA
WTAG - 580 AM - Worcester, MA - WTAG - Worcester, MA
WSAR - 1480 AM - Fall River, MA- WSAR - Fall River, MA

Pennsylvania
KYW - 1060 AM - Philadelphia, PA - KYW - Philadelphia, PA
WPHT - 1210 AM - Philadelphia, PA - WPHT - Philadelphia, PA

District of Columbia
WMAL - 630 AM - Washington, D.C. - WMAL - Washington D.C.

Maryland
WBAL - 1090 AM - Baltimore, MD - WBAL - Baltimore, MD
WFMD - 930 AM - Frederick, MD - WFMD - Frederick, MD

Virginia
WNIS - 790 AM - Norfolk, VA - WNIS - Norfolk, VA (Updates in normal programming)

Fantastic resource for Long Island Scanner Freqs and updates:  W2LIE

Check back often for continuing updates.....

Loyd - W4LVH

The dream DXpedition?

What if this DX season you were logging catches from the ultimate DX setup and location?. For only 500 Euros (plus getting there and back) you can!

Just set up an online receiver while you are there so the rest of us can only imagine how great it would be and what we are missing out on.

73s

Loyd
W4LVH

Need more room?

One of my first 'do-it yourself' projects as a DX/radio hobbyist was building a basic shelving unit to put on top of my radio shack desk.  I needed more room and thought this would be a fun way to get it.

So I found some plans online, went to my hardware store for the lumber, and started building.  It was my first time building anything with wood, and to be honest, it had a far greater chance of falling over than it did holding up my precious equipment. 

Surprisingly, it did last a while as I hauled that shelf from house to house, to various apartments over the years until it finally could take no more.

Ever since, I have been trying to decide just how I wanted to proceed with replacing my shelving, because I absolutely needed something for the shack.

Another trip to my hardware store yielded my answer:  closet storage!

The folks at ClosetMaid have created the PERFECT radio shack shelving and storage systems in their closet organization shelving.  There are a number of different options available at their Web site, however I have opted to start with the 31" shelving system found at this link here.

I recently made myself a homemade desk using two small $15 bookcases at Wal-Mart that provide me with much needed shelving for logbooks, my assortment of ARRL books, and even some basic tools for splicing, wire work and other random needs that pop up from time to time in the shack.

On top of those bookcases, I put a door I found at the Habitat for Humanity Restore that I bought for $5.  I used another $5 to set vertically on top of the other door, to give me room for corkboard mats to hang things like maps, QSLs and other necessities.

The ClosetMaid shelving unit it the perfect size to fit on my desk top.  I can even get two and still have 15 inches on one side to use for a laptop.

It was easy to build and my scanners, receivers and Ham rigs fit perfectly inside, while still providing room for ventilation.  At $15 each, this is the perfect solution for what i was trying to accomplish.

All told, I am only out $55 for this desk that I built on my own and has exactly what I need for my shack.  I am going to drill some more cable holes with grommets and add probably one more shelf soon.  I hope to put up some pics once it is all done.

So if you are looking for a way to give you more room on your shack desk and want to spend as little as possible (and aren't handy at building with wood) I highly recommend the ClosetMaid products.  They can be found at most larger hardware stores, Wal-Mart, Target and of course, online.

Until next time, 73s and good listening!

Loyd

W4LVH

Premiere Radio Networks - Show Clocks

Hello all!

So, as I have been venturing back to the dials lately in pursuit of some tasty AM DX catches, I have been trying to use the power of the Internet to aid in my chase.

Back before the Internet, I remember shipping letters off to various networks such as CBS, ESPN and others, begging for affiliate lists so that I could use those as DX aids.  Now, you can easily go online to find affiliate lists.  Back then, I had more than my share of letters from affiliate managers questioning my motives for asking for this information.

One tool I remembered about tonight in my DX session, that can help not only DXers, but those interested in listening to station streams as well, are what we used to call 'show clocks' when I was an on-air guy in radio.

Show clocks, like this one from Coast-To-Coast AM, are great DX aids

'Show clocks' are large pie charts that will break down when network and local breaks are scheduled to be triggered by a network's automated system, or even just for that DJ sitting in a booth, so they know when to shut their mouth and play commercials.  From a show clock, like the one pictured with this post, you can see not only when to expect commercials, but also 'liners' and IDs, which are the perfect time to make sure you are listening for those elusive call letters.

I found a great Web site that will show all of the current 'show clocks' for all Premiere Radio Networks shows, including Coast-To-Coast and others.  Anyone sitting there staring at their clock at 1:18 in the morning, wondering when you would finally hear a station ID, your salvation is a few clicks away.

Tonight, I used the C2C show clock to great effect.  I had been listening for a while to 550 AM, which was a clutter of stations with no clear front runner.  THere was, though, a station playing C2C that was the 'easiest' to hear.  I used to clock to identify not only when a local break would come (the BEST time to hear call letters, weather, news, local ads, etc..), but how long it would last (the best times to tune in a local break are beginning and end.).

From the clock, I identified my next window to be between 30-34 minutes into the hour.  I let George Noory do his thing, and came back at :29.  Sure enough, the local break fired, there was some fading so I lost the signal.  But, I was patient, as I knew at :34 after I would have one last shot.  At :33 after, the station faded back up as they were finishing a weather forecast.  Then, I heard it, the 55 KRC ID.  WKRC - Cinncinati isn't a sexy or spectacular catch, but it was new for my location, and I was able to DX smartly, using the aids at my disposal.

How do you use the Internet to help you DX?  Do you use streams to help identify stations?  Share your tips, email me at loyd@globalnetmt.com.  Your tips may just appear in a future GlobalNet column in MT!

73s and good listening!

Loyd
W4LVH

Why, hello again my friends!

Hello all, sorry it has been so long since the last posting.   A lot has happened since last I wrote here.

The biggest thing is that I am now in a new house!  The best part of a new house? I have a new monitoring/DX shack and lots of room for WiFi radios!

Hope to be posting pictures soon.  Actually turning the dials of the old-fashioned AM radio tonight and doing a little of my beloved mediumwave DX.  It has been entirely too long.

Write again soon, until then, 73s!

Loyd
W4LVH