[TenTec] Lost Sensitivity?

[John Huffman]

Stuart -

Checking beacons was the first thing I thought of.  But, if I can't hear a
beacon, is it propagation or the rig?

This is what I hear at 0000UTC - 7 PM EDT Thursday
Beacons -
15M - 4X6TU (S2), OA4B (S3), 4U1UN (S1) only
12M - OA4B (S1), 4U1UN (S1) only
10M - 4U1UN (S1), LU1FHH non-system beacon on 28.200 (S1)

SH/WWV on the DX-Cluster shows a sunspot number of 145, so I assumed
(incorrectly?) that I should be hearing good signals on 15M, anyway.

The antenna is a dipole (100' per leg) which I re-strung and re-soldered
last week.  There could be a problem there.  Feedline is twin lead to a
balun to an LDG tuner to the rig.

I may bring down the antenna and check the connections.

Thanks for your suggestions.
73 de K8HJ
John


----- Original Message -----
From: "Stuart Rohre" <rohre@arlut.utexas.edu>
To: "John Huffman" <hjohnc@core.com>; "tentec" <tentec@contesting.com>
Sent: Thursday, June 20, 2002 6:41 PM
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Lost Sensitivity?


> John,
> Absolutely, there is a way to check the rig sensitivity without a signal
> generator.  It is known standard frequency stations like WWV and WWVH, and
> known frequency and level stations like the DX beacons from 20m on up.
Look
> on DX web sites to find the Northern Cal. DX Foundation, and others, and
> find the links to explanations of the power stepping and time slots for
> various beacons located around the world.  They each have a time slot, and
> each steps power from 100 watts down and thus you can see if you hear the
> lowest powered step they have.
>
> You did not say what antenna you are using , how old it is, etc.  That is
> always the first thing to check, then your feedline.  Also, check WWV
> propagation bulletin, to see if the conditions are holding up for the
higher
> bands to even work.  As we head down the sunspot cycle from this double
peak
> it had last time, there will be varying conditions of some good band days
> and some not good.
> 73,
> Stuart K5KVH
>
>
>
>