HF receiver??

wicklaman83

just bought a YAESU VR-5000 and i find i cant turn up the squelch.there is a constant noise on it but only on the lower frequncies.because of this noise cant search automatically,i ave to turn the tuning knob manually.is this normal in HF

snowman707

darren254 wrote: »

just bought a YAESU VR-5000 and i find i cant turn up the squelch.there is a constant noise on it but only on the lower frequncies.because of this noise cant search automatically,i ave to turn the tuning knob manually.is this normal in HF

in what mode ? you don't usually operate squelch on ssb,
don't know the particular rig , if it has rf gain turn that back to cut down on noise,

you have read the manual haven't you ?

hope you enjoy the set.

wicklaman83

snowman707 wrote: »

in what mode ? you don't usually operate squelch on ssb,
don't know the particular rig , if it has rf gain turn that back to cut down on noise,

you have read the manual haven't you ?

hope you enjoy the set.

i have read the manual and read it again and again and its no good.i've had a fair few ordinary scanners so maybe i'm expecting it to be like them.is it normal to have a constant background noise in it

APM

generally the background white noise is always there when using HF. Its one of the joys of hearing something coming through all the hiss

wicklaman83

APM wrote: »

generally the background white noise is always there when using HF. Its one of the joys of hearing something coming through all the hiss

so is there no way of allowing the unit to search itself like an ordinary scanner.how do you actually find stations on it

watty

You need an external aerial to get anything on HF, if you don't have chock-a-block stations from 3MHz to 20MHz you are missing an aerial!

Depending on time of day and conditions the maximum HF frequency varies from 19MHz to 30MHz. Lower at night time to 11MHz to 16MHz.

The part of world you hear also depends on time of day and season. Dawn & Dusk are special for North/South reception, though this time of year Ireland to Brazil then and Spring/Autumn would be South Africa instead. Google "grey line"



I do have Squelch that works on two of my HF radios on SSB. But I'd not scan on HF. Pointless. Too many stations!

It's more useful on VHF/UHF and on FM mode.

A whip or indoor aerial is only good for nearby VHF/UHF stations.

I have Sony ICF2001D: All HF, AM/SSB and actually can pickup 7.050MHz LSB amateur stations on a whip.
Soft Rock 6.2: SDR, needs laptop with stereo soundcard. 7MHz & 3.5MHz bands only. Needs large aerial wire.
Yaesu VR500: Very poor HF on Rubber Duck Whip. Good Airband/VHF/UHF on whip. Needs attenuator on using external 20m long external wire aerial.
Yaesu 817ND. Even worse on Rubber Duck Whip, but superior to VR500 for HF on 6m CB home base aerial (loading coil removed from inside base and external Auto ATU from Elecraft) or on 20m long wire.
Yaesu FT101ZD. Only Amateur Bands on HF. Only works on external aerial. 20m long wire on lower bands and approximately 4m vertical wire held up by nylon cord to roof of house for higher HF bands.

USA Amateur stations very strong on Monday during daylight on 14MHz band.

1.8, 3.5, 7.0MHz Amateur Bands use LSB for SSB
14, 18, 21, 24.9, 28MHz use USB for SSB
10MHz is Morse/CW

watty

With PC and VR5000 connecting ear or line out to soundcard line in you can get software (some free) to decode:

Broadcast Digital Radio on HF (DRM)
SSTV (Photos send by full colour radio fax)
Weather Maps (Radio Fax)
PSK31 (Digital Text Chat)
RTTY, Hellscriber (old pre WWII analogue Text modes!)
and many others...

google digipan and Mixw

wicklaman83

watty wrote: »

You need an external aerial to get anything on HF, if you don't have chock-a-block stations from 3MHz to 20MHz you are missing an aerial!

Depending on time of day and conditions the maximum HF frequency varies from 19MHz to 30MHz. Lower at night time to 11MHz to 16MHz.

The part of world you hear also depends on time of day and season. Dawn & Dusk are special for North/South reception, though this time of year Ireland to Brazil then and Spring/Autumn would be South Africa instead. Google "grey line"



I do have Squelch that works on two of my HF radios on SSB. But I'd not scan on HF. Pointless. Too many stations!

It's more useful on VHF/UHF and on FM mode.

A whip or indoor aerial is only good for nearby VHF/UHF stations.

I have Sony ICF2001D: All HF, AM/SSB and actually can pickup 7.050MHz LSB amateur stations on a whip.
Soft Rock 6.2: SDR, needs laptop with stereo soundcard. 7MHz & 3.5MHz bands only. Needs large aerial wire.
Yaesu VR500: Very poor HF on Rubber Duck Whip. Good Airband/VHF/UHF on whip. Needs attenuator on using external 20m long external wire aerial.
Yaesu 817ND. Even worse on Rubber Duck Whip, but superior to VR500 for HF on 6m CB home base aerial (loading coil removed from inside base and external Auto ATU from Elecraft) or on 20m long wire.
Yaesu FT101ZD. Only Amateur Bands on HF. Only works on external aerial. 20m long wire on lower bands and approximately 4m vertical wire held up by nylon cord to roof of house for higher HF bands.

USA Amateur stations very strong on Monday during daylight on 14MHz band.

1.8, 3.5, 7.0MHz Amateur Bands use LSB for SSB
14, 18, 21, 24.9, 28MHz use USB for SSB
10MHz is Morse/CW

i'm using a long wire antenna.i have got in a few stations.kinloss,shanwick,china i think and a few more.i have a UBC3500 and UBC3300 for UHF,AM which i have no bother with but this HF crack is proving more difficult.is there any way to actually allow the unit find an active station like an ordinary scanner.just press scan/search and your away.but with this unit it seems to think it has a hit and wont budge because of the noise

snowman707

darren254 wrote: »

i'm using a long wire antenna.i have got in a few stations.kinloss,shanwick,china i think and a few more.i have a UBC3500 and UBC3300 for UHF,AM which i have no bother with but this HF crack is proving more difficult.is there any way to actually allow the unit find an active station like an ordinary scanner.just press scan/search and your away.but with this unit it seems to think it has a hit and wont budge because of the noise

I"ll give a fiver for it if you want to flog it.

Do you know exactly what you want exactly from the rx ?

you stick a non resonant long wire into the ant socket & you expect the rig to pick up stations for you.. not as simple as that. there is a host of info on the net & elsewhere, if you are a dedicated swl you will get hours of enjoyment from the hobby, as watty stated the list is endless no matter what time day or night, there is always some activity.

wicklaman83

snowman707 wrote: »

I"ll give a fiver for it if you want to flog it.

Do you know exactly what you want exactly from the rx ?

you stick a non resonant long wire into the ant socket & you expect the rig to pick up stations for you.. not as simple as that. there is a host of info on the net & elsewhere, if you are a dedicated swl you will get hours of enjoyment from the hobby, as watty stated the list is endless no matter what time day or night, there is always some activity.

i've no intentions of flogging it.so keep your fiver.

i have been scanning for 7/8 years and then i had problems starting off but i got it in the end with a little help.thats all i'm looking for.most people in to radios try to help each other to keep the hobby alive.

so what are you saying.i should get a different antenna?if so have you any recommendaions?as with scanners i'm used to just pressing search/scan and away it goes but thats obviousy different with HF.how do you find active stations and have you any that you can give

watty

Stations depends on location, season, time of day, type of aerial.

An HF aerial is a little more tricky than VHF/UHF. SWL (HF Radio) is very different to VHF/UHF scanning.

There is no need to scan on HF as the bands are full of stations. Perhaps you have interference from CFL, power line networking, TV set or whatever?

As well as the aerial wire you need a very good RF earth. A short wire to a metal spike, rod or pipe in the ground. NOT the mains earth!

Unless you have an aerial matching unit the aerial may work better shorter or longer. Make up a piece of plastic to wind up the far end and a nylon cord or non-metal washing line cord to hold up the far end as you shorten it.

Frequency vs approx length
3MHz 20m
6MHz 10m
12MHz 5m

A vertical will pick up differently to a long wire:
Get a "Silver stick" CB home base, about 18ft to 21ft long depending on model and open the bottom. Remove the coil and reconnect bottom of aerial to the socket without it.

EITHER mount it within 2m of the ground with less than 3m of coax to the radio,
OR put it on chimney and use 4 x wire radials draped across the roof spaced apart as much as possible, the 4 connected together to the "earthy" side of the coax connector on the "Silver Stick". The wire can be any insulated kind including metal cored washing line, bell wire, speaker flex, mains wire etc, Cat5, any number of cores (just connect all cores together). grease/vasiline/paint the wire connection to stop the copper corroding. The length should reach to the gutters.


Interference.
Turn EVERYTHING off except radio. Put radio as far as possible from neighbour houses, with short earth wire to ground (at least a 1m pole/pipe/spike in damp ground). Turn each thing back on one at a time to see what is causing interference.



@Snowman707
A 2nd hand little used VR5000 is worth over €450. So don't be rude or it will be a red card.

3MHz to 6MHz has Marine and Aircraft using USB
Broadcast is all AM (analogue) or DRM (digital).


Getting aerial correct and avoiding interference is MUCH harder on LF, MF and HF.

On 150KHz to 270KHz can you get BBC R4 (198kHz), German and French radio as well as the overwhelming RTE 252kHz? If you only get noise then your aerial isn't working or there is too much local interferance.

Try running coax to outdoors
Make an air cored transformer out of a 7up bottle or plastic pipe etc (anything more than 5cm)
and then 4 turns insulated wire (one core of a flexiable 5Amp mains cable) to the coax. (one end to inner and one to outer). And then 8 turns on top, one end to the ground spike and other to your long wire,

A current Balun is better still, but needs 3 windings to do 4:1 impedance and decent ferrite core.

watty

http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/1107

wicklaman83

watty wrote: »

S
As well as the aerial wire you need a very good RF earth. A short wire to a metal spike, rod or pipe in the ground. NOT the mains earth!

thanks watty.just 1 last question.with the RF earth,can i put that anywhere.i have the coax going to the attic,joined to the TV aerial,from there to a pole at end of house.(would TV aerial cause interference).would i just put earth from the end of long wire down to a length of steel stuck in lawn beside house.would any sort of wiring do

watty

A short wire (any kind, but thicker the copper the better) from the radio direct to the earth spike. (min 1m deep)

The earth spike should be in exposed ground. Ground under concrete /path etc is drier and thus needs more than one spike and longer.

The local Co-op sells cheapish galvanised earth rods for cattle fences.

TV generates a lot of interference and this can be radiated by the TV aerial coax and TV aerial. A TV aerial & coax on an unplugged TV has no interference.

wicklaman83

watty wrote: »

A short wire (any kind, but thicker the copper the better) from the radio direct to the earth spike. (min 1m deep)

The earth spike should be in exposed ground. Ground under concrete /path etc is drier and thus needs more than one spike and longer.

The local Co-op sells cheapish galvanised earth rods for cattle fences.

TV generates a lot of interference and this can be radiated by the TV aerial coax and TV aerial. A TV aerial & coax on an unplugged TV has no interference.

this is the back of the unit i have.can you point out where i can put the earth.i have the long wire in the outlet above antenna A on the right hand side: http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/widerxvr/0050r.jpg .


just in case it makes any difference this is the long wire im using
http://www.moonrakerukltd.com/Scanning-and-Receiving/HF-Wire-RX-Antennas/MWA-HFMKII.

thank again for your help:o

watty

Earth to black terminal of Ant B or outer frame of Coax Ant A.

Also instead of the Moonraker try length of wire (even metal core Tesco Washing line) direct to red Ant B connection. Adjust length between 10m and 30m+ long by winding up far end and then to far mounting point via nylon cord or plastic no-metal core washing line.

4 euros worth of insulated wire the CORRECT LENGTH or tuned with an Aerial Match/ATU often works better than an expensive prepackaged aerial!

Experiment with different aerial schemes. A good part of the fun on HF.

Google HF homebrew aerials

http://www.reynoldsworks.com/qrz_handbook_wiki/index.php/Basic_HF_Aerials

http://www.qsl.net/g3yrc/endfed%20wire.htm

snowman707

darren254 wrote: »

this is the back of the unit i have.can you point out where i can put the earth.i have the long wire in the outlet above antenna A on the right hand side: http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/widerxvr/0050r.jpg .


just in case it makes any difference this is the long wire im using
http://www.moonrakerukltd.com/Scanning-and-Receiving/HF-Wire-RX-Antennas/MWA-HFMKII.

thank again for your help:o

that moonraker aerial should work fairly well but if you are interested in listening to a specific frequency you should use a dedicated aerial for that freq. I was a swl for 30 years & used a double beverage for many years

If you don't have space a simple aerial is a loop made from about 20 feet of coax. here you see one version
http://www.flickr.com/photos/13508717@N04/2958426126/


you just tune the trimmer cap. for the freq any where between 1.8 to 30 mhz

unlike Phil's one in the link ,you can actually mount this on fiberglass mast or maybe a broom handle etc and rotate it to peak in the station you want & cut out possible qrm from different directions

it is very difficult for some one to give you advise, what works here may be useless at your location & vica versa, it depends on location noise level and many factors.

The irts 80 metres county contest is taking place new years day (thursday) from 14.00 to 17.00 between 3.6 to 3.8 mhz lsb , if you are interested might be fun to see how many counties you can log.

I am not really interested in radio any more & have a lot of stuff in my junk box, & if you are ever stuck for any bits or pieces don't be shy to ask.

Just remember you now have a top of the range rig, but it is only as good as it's aerial system , spending some time experimenting with the aerial system & you will be rewarded.

BTW. i offered you the €5 in jest & hope you didn't take offence I certainly didn't mean to be "rude"

Mike seems to be anxious to hand out red cards but Limerick referees are noted for this aren't they. ? maybe I just got one,.