My recent visit to Hong Kong was a 5 day visit to the port. My ship was anchored near Fenwick Pier and it was a great visit but not much city viewings due to some needed repairs to the vessel. In my early mornings here I spent most of it listening to my recently purchased Sony 7600gr. I was amazed at the catches in the early mornings, like 4318 khz Diego Garcia and 9790 khz Radio Romania. All the signals were extremely loud and were heard at 2200-2300 utc time periods.
Radio is fun hobby and one of my friends here teased me about tin foil antennas, funny how a few years ago some used it many times and even stuck these antennas in areas where they had antenna problems. Apartments not always being the friendly ones on outside antennas.
Try one and see what happens.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Saturday, September 18, 2010
recent purchase
I recently came across a shop that sells shortwave radios in singapore, mostly small portables. I been disappointed by the disappearance of my old shortwave 7600gr which I had in 2005 on a ship in the gulf. I got that one for $100. But since the prices have changed due to currency the unit now runs about $200.
I got the radio from a shop and put it through its paces again this morning and was quite happy with it. Picking up stations the sangean was also hearing but slightly weaker. A little reception on 8943 khz and hearing singapore working a brueni flight. Some others as well. I like portables but they have there weakness like hearing ghosts signals on top of others. I recall picking up a broadcast in the middle of 20 meters only to find out through some friends like Glenn Hauser,mentioning it could be a ghost of a shortwave station, I was picking up KTWR on top of the other, and came from there 15,220 khz broadcasts.
I got the radio from a shop and put it through its paces again this morning and was quite happy with it. Picking up stations the sangean was also hearing but slightly weaker. A little reception on 8943 khz and hearing singapore working a brueni flight. Some others as well. I like portables but they have there weakness like hearing ghosts signals on top of others. I recall picking up a broadcast in the middle of 20 meters only to find out through some friends like Glenn Hauser,mentioning it could be a ghost of a shortwave station, I was picking up KTWR on top of the other, and came from there 15,220 khz broadcasts.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
My Morning catches in Singapore
Some days here in Singapore I listen to shortwave and some days Ham or Utes. This morning it was shortwave on the 5000 khz bands. This was at 22:00 to 23:00 utc or between 06:00 am local time
5895 khz Voice of America signals were 44444
5905 khz BBC/WS comments were about future missions to the planets with robotic items 44445
5915 khz VOA was around 22:30 utc and later on same bands China Radio International transmitting on same bands mostly at 23:00 utc the bands were strong but it sounded like 3 people talking at the same time.
Shortwave is fun and can be as entertaining as TV but no commericals.
5895 khz Voice of America signals were 44444
5905 khz BBC/WS comments were about future missions to the planets with robotic items 44445
5915 khz VOA was around 22:30 utc and later on same bands China Radio International transmitting on same bands mostly at 23:00 utc the bands were strong but it sounded like 3 people talking at the same time.
Shortwave is fun and can be as entertaining as TV but no commericals.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
one of my favorite past times
One of my favorite past times is listening to aeronautical mobiles,mainly on HF as in airplanes from say San Diego to Los Angeles and the same flight traveling across the big ocean to manila or singapore or even in europe. Its fun to hear what the pilots have to say like there height and location. Once in a while you can hear the not everyday transmissions like hijacking but that seldom. I did monitor one from Indonesia to Manila.
It was a PAL flight out of Malaysia I believe and it was 811 which had been over run by a person who attempted to steal the valuables of every one on the flight including passports and jewels and money. Only problem he had a home made parachute in which was made of bed sheets. He jumped at 7,000 ft although the news papers said 6,000. He never made it alive and was found in mud in the middle of manila bay.
When you listen to these bands you need a radio with SSB capabilities like a Sangean 505 or 909 and if possible one with a recorder or one you can attach to the radio to help eliminate interference from those chatting around you. The fun of listening is the art of catching rare locations as like in a airport that the aircraft is still on the ground say in Guam or Palau and your in Oakland or Singapore. Some usually come on line and mention to ATC there intentions like destinations and what the flight schedule is, you can track the flight to its location like when the aircraft changes frequencies. For example Singapore tower will give a Primary and a secondary frequency. Just before the flight passes from one part of the world. The flight controller will pass on to them to now contact say SFO.
I heard one a few days ago when they mentioned to flight controllers they were allowed a 25 mile deviation due to weather, in this case the aircraft was asked 2 times and finally got the word it was granted by Oakland Center.
Check out the website at bottom and start listening to the fun world of aircraft monitoring. Carry a notebook and jot down some of what you hear and if possible send a small copy of your logs to magazines like Popcomm and MT. They will appreciate it
http://www.g4nsj.co.uk/air.shtml
It was a PAL flight out of Malaysia I believe and it was 811 which had been over run by a person who attempted to steal the valuables of every one on the flight including passports and jewels and money. Only problem he had a home made parachute in which was made of bed sheets. He jumped at 7,000 ft although the news papers said 6,000. He never made it alive and was found in mud in the middle of manila bay.
When you listen to these bands you need a radio with SSB capabilities like a Sangean 505 or 909 and if possible one with a recorder or one you can attach to the radio to help eliminate interference from those chatting around you. The fun of listening is the art of catching rare locations as like in a airport that the aircraft is still on the ground say in Guam or Palau and your in Oakland or Singapore. Some usually come on line and mention to ATC there intentions like destinations and what the flight schedule is, you can track the flight to its location like when the aircraft changes frequencies. For example Singapore tower will give a Primary and a secondary frequency. Just before the flight passes from one part of the world. The flight controller will pass on to them to now contact say SFO.
I heard one a few days ago when they mentioned to flight controllers they were allowed a 25 mile deviation due to weather, in this case the aircraft was asked 2 times and finally got the word it was granted by Oakland Center.
Check out the website at bottom and start listening to the fun world of aircraft monitoring. Carry a notebook and jot down some of what you hear and if possible send a small copy of your logs to magazines like Popcomm and MT. They will appreciate it
http://www.g4nsj.co.uk/air.shtml
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
