Auds'n'Ends: 3/29/14

Auds'n'Ends: 3/29/14

I've been posting a lot of SSTV images on here from 27700 kHz lately.

Some people might wonder why, considering that it's not pirate broadcasting. These stations are unlicensed (the callsigns are self organized, from within particular organizations, such as the Alpha Tango group), but the operators are not broadcasting.

Well, for one thing, I think they're fun to tune in. They look more like amateur radio SSTV images than images that I've seen around the pirate bands, but you never know what might roll in and it's a good way to check propagation on the frequencies to various parts of the world. Also, some Dutch pirates have talked about their outbander activities. Between my posts here and Chris' posts on HFU, I wonder how long it'll take for a few pirate station images to pop up on 27700 kHz?

Posting Outbander SSTV pics are also a good way to keep the blog rolling along while I'm trying to write this book. I don't have as many chances to write here when I need to be working on the book, so letting the radio idle on 27700 kHz and then dumping in the images seems like a non-time-consuming way to post something that's somewhat interesting.

I don't really know, but my guess is that Outbanders go back to the '60s. I first read about the stations in Harry Helms' How to Tune the Secret Shortwave Spectrum, back in 1981, so their existence does at least reach into the '70s. Maybe some outbander who's been checking out this blog can let me know more about their history.

* My mast blew down in a storm about two weeks ago and I haven't yet put it back up. It's been windy & cold and the signals are still pretty good. Go figure. My mast is just seven fiberglass Army-surplus poles that were used to post camoflage netting in Desert Storm, so it's not like I lost a 100' TV mast or anything. Here's a pic of the top pole down, with the insulator and antenna attached to the top:

* I added a few paragraphs to the Philco 87 restoration article today.

* The other night, a DXer in Maryland reported hearing Channel Z in the middle of the 49-meter broadcast band, on 6150 kHz. Chris S and others then logged it. I heard it, too, and it sounded like it belonged on the band.

* Speaking of odd places to hear broadcasts, earlier today, someone was playing old presidential speeches on 17975 kHz. No IDs reported. Weird stuff. I need to dig through my old logs for the unid stations that were evidently pirates that I've heard up in this region.

* I received an e-mail from Dr. Tim, with some broadcasts from individuals who purchase airtime on private shortwave stations in Europe:

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