Skegness Log: 18-12-14 (FM)

Band 2 Meteor Scatter:
105.4 0133  I  Südtirol 1, Brenner=Brennero/Zirog Alm=Zirago (bz) 5F51  1052km
105.6 0141 ROU SRR Radio Resita, Resita/Semenic (CS) EE03  1801km
104.3 0153  I  Radio Subasio, Campello sul Clitunno or Città di Castello (pg) 53FD **
102.8 0154 HRV HRT Radio Osijek, Beli Manastir (os) C317  1552km
104.1 0200  D  delta radio, Bungsberg/DTAG-Turm (shs) D3E9  694km
102.0 0210 HRV HRT Radio Osijek, Psunj (sb) C317  1500km
103.1 0213 POL Radio ZET, Solina/G.Jawor II (PK) Pops, as 103.4  1591km **
103.6 0213 POL Radio RDN Malopolska, Tarnów/Lichwin (MP) 3508 -R_D_N- PI:3507 PS:_R_D_N__ 1465km **
101.7 0214  D  Radio Salü, Saarbrücken/Schoksberg (saa) D3B8  628km
103.4 0221  F  France Info, Lyon/Mont Pilat (42) F206  917km
103.3 0235  D  Antenne Bayern, Unterringingen (bay) D318  863km
102.9 0236  D  Radio PSR, Leipzig Wiederau (sac) D3C8  843km **
 88.4 0713  F  France Culture, Bar-le-Duc/Willeroncourt (55) F202  607km
 89.4 0713 SUI Radio Fribourg, Sorens/Gibloux (fr) 4F1C  864km **

** Personal 'First'

It looks like Südtirol 1 from Brenner on 105.4 is going to be one of those transmitters which gets out well via meteor scatter. I also had it a couple of times via sporadic E this year. So it's probably not the rarity I was expecting it might have been.

I have mentioned about the FDM-S2's ability to decode RDS accurately and at low signal levels, but there is a really useful thing you can do to enhance this feature even more. Providing the signal is strong enough you can loop a meteor scatter signal, over and over again if necessary, and the software should be able to extract a little bit more of data with each pass. This method often teases out the RDS PI and sometimes PS information where one single pass isn't quite enough. Here is a video to demonstrate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcUE34MDHhM The station is Radio RDN Malopolska from Tarnów.

Now then, there is no audio on this video, I just realised that Windoze has lost my soundcard. This has been acting up for a while and I have to keep installing the drivers. I am having so many problems with Windoze at the moment that the full wipe of the hard drive and re-installation is looming very close now. Hopefully tomorrow if I get the time.

Here's another one from today - Radio Fribourg from Sorens on 89.4: http://youtu.be/mCmOzcWMPMA No audio again, but the PI code is there.

Good DX!

John Faulkner
Skegness, Lincolnshire (JO03dd) <3m ASL.
Blog: http://skegnessdx.blogspot.co.uk
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/g1vvp
Vimeo Channel: https://vimeo.com/skegnessdx

Receiver:
Elad FDM-S2

Aerials:
Körner 9.2 @ 5.5 metres agl. QTH is 3 metres asl.
Triax FM3, one metre above the ground as a phasing antenna.
Fringe Electronics 20dB & Labgear 30dB band 2 pre-amps.
HS Publications Antenna Phaser.

Rotator:
Yaesu G-5500 azimuth & elevation rotator, allowing antenna to be vertical, horizontal, etc.