An Cult Radio - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Pluscrafter
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 15, 2019, 06:19:28 pm
content: I've played with a shortwave radio I've found in the dumpster and on the 31m band 9.4MHz, there is a counfusing sender talking about the armagedon. Time. 20:15 CET/MEZ 15.06.19. Is this a radio show from scientology or jehoeas whitnesses?You can hear it right now

author: ebastler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 15, 2019, 06:28:08 pm
content: Probably "Bible Voice BCN", according to various Google hits. They use that frequency, and the topic sounds right.I have not figured out who is behind that network. Assuming that this is their website, it is operated by "High Adventure Gospel Communication Ministries":http://www.bvbroadcasting.org/Edit: This webiste has a bit more info:https://www.hagcm.org/.

author: daqq
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 15, 2019, 07:19:23 pm
content: Well, everyone needs a hobby. Prophesising the Impending End of the World has been an all time favorite among Christians of all flavors. Basically, every few years someone adds up the numbers in the Bible, adds some bullshit that only he understands because the voices in his head revealed it to him and picks a date for the next end of the world. Occasionally he makes a lot of money.See:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_dates_predicted_for_apocalyptic_events, Harold Camping was funny.

author: soldar
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 15, 2019, 10:59:44 pm
content: I have accurately predicted with 100% success rate all the ends of the world that have actually happened in the last 50 years.

author: AlfBaz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 15, 2019, 11:04:45 pm
content: How can you predict what's already happened? As far as I'm concerned the world ended on the 8th of November 2016

author: Pluscrafter
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 15, 2019, 11:08:23 pm
content: Quote from: ebastler on June 15, 2019, 06:28:08 pmThanks according to the information they transmit in this frequency for people in North Africa, but their transmitter are in sofia. I want to know where they get so much money to have so many transmit station ovrer the world.Gesendet von meinem G8341 mit Tapatalk

author: soldar
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 15, 2019, 11:11:00 pm
content: Quote from: Pluscrafter on June 15, 2019, 11:08:23 pmYou're supposed to send them money. Don't tell me you haven't sent them any money yet.Quote from: Pluscrafter on June 15, 2019, 11:08:23 pmBless you.

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 15, 2019, 11:31:52 pm
content: its the cult of Tchernobog

author: Circlotron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 15, 2019, 11:40:02 pm
content: Quote from: Pluscrafter on June 15, 2019, 06:19:28 pmJehovah’s Witnesses have their own website, in 977 languages no less.https://www.jw.org/en/search/?q=ArmageddonThey used to run station WBBR in Staten Island, New York from 1940s to 1960s or so.

author: Lord of nothing
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 16, 2019, 12:17:27 am
content: I also receive some weired stuff.Does the also Transmitt from the Austrian Station?https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sender_Moosbrunn

author: Pluscrafter
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 16, 2019, 12:23:36 am
content: Quote from: Lord of nothing on June 16, 2019, 12:17:27 amYes on 41m 7.425khzIts for their middle east hearers. In europe there seems to tramsmit from Nauen, Moosbrunn, Spain and Sofia. For europe, india, the middle east and north africa. Switzerland has blown up their SW and MW senders unluckly.))

author: Electro Detective
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 16, 2019, 02:26:00 am
content: Happy to transfer money once they send an officially stamped and sealed written exemption from the Sky Head Officelisting which armageddon they are marketing. Hey mix ups happenBut not before I've tested their Free 100 Year Trial Offer first

author: German_EE
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 16, 2019, 07:58:00 am
content: If the end of the world does arrive then the first people we should lock up are the folk who predicted it. As we deal with Armageddon the last thing we want are a bunch of smug looking religious folk walking around wearing t-shirts saying I TOLD YOU SO!However, at least the pets belonging to the non-believers will be looked afterhttp://aftertherapturepetcare.com

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 16, 2019, 10:36:19 am
content: There’s some hilarious stuff still out there on short wave. One of my favourites is a Chinese station around 7285khz. There’s a drama programme on in English which has me in tears of laughter regularly because it’s so terrible with a bit of propaganda chucked in occasionally.I think I can tune 9.4 megs on my K2 as it’s just under 30m. I’ll listen out for the Armageddon lot. Might have some propagation win there

author: Circlotron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 16, 2019, 11:49:06 am
content: Quote from: bd139 on June 16, 2019, 10:36:19 amRecord it and put it on YouTube and post a link!

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 16, 2019, 12:20:43 pm
content: Will do. I’ve got a patch cable for the radio to the laptop

author: janoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 16, 2019, 04:40:37 pm
content: Quote from: bd139 on June 16, 2019, 10:36:19 amIsn't that Radio Beijing? I used to hear them quite regularly in Europe. I don't recall any drama programming, though, it was mostly news (in very good English, I must say!) with occassional music.SW bands are full of weird and wonderful stuff - if one has a decent antenna there is a ton of stuff to find even with a DIY radio, especially when the Sun activity is high.

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 16, 2019, 04:49:08 pm
content: Sorry was China Radio International on 7235khz.Totally agree on DIY radios - amazing what you can get on one. Here's one I built a couple of years back that I refurbished last week just on a bit of wire around the living room ceiling downstairs in the middle of London, UK. Amazing design!Design isn't mine. It's from EMRFD section 1.5 (sample chapter):http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Product%20Notes/chapter_1.pdf... I added a narrow audio filter and used cheap nasty plastic variable caps but otherwise it's straight out of the book. Picks up 6900-7300khz.

author: janoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 16, 2019, 10:17:38 pm
content: Quote from: bd139 on June 16, 2019, 04:49:08 pmAh yes, that one is a classic. I had something similar built too, just I have used one of those cheap DDS modules from China with an MCU and a display for VFO - much easier to tune and more stable than an analog VFO (not like it matters for this application). Just the NE602/612 doesn't like strong signals much.Otherwise Pete Juliano N6QW has a good blog on DIY gear - his "Simpleceiver" is a good design that works splendid for 40m and it would be easy to adapt for AM broadcast use (just add a diode detector and remove the BFO).

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 16, 2019, 10:52:32 pm
content: Probably a good idea with the DDS module. I’ve got an Si5351 board somewhere I was going to build something with which I will probably never get around to. The SA612 sucks for sure on the front end. Not a fan. The K2 has a nice setup. TUF-1 up front followed by much selectivity and AGC then a 602 as the product detector.Big fan of Pete Juliano. Follow his creations regularly (and soldersmoke blog).

author: duak
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 16, 2019, 10:57:09 pm
content: Regarding the program content - it doesn't take all kinds, we just got all kinds.or, this stuff fills a badly needed void.

author: Zero999
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 17, 2019, 09:20:54 am
content: Quote from: daqq on June 15, 2019, 07:19:23 pmIt's not just the Christians. Look on YouTube and you'll find numerous channels predicting the end of the world due to: climate change (either due to CO2or natural causes such as grand solar minimum), magnetic pole flip, aliens or stuff falling from the sky. People have being predicting an apocalypse since the dawn of humanity. It seems to be human nature.

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 17, 2019, 09:28:08 am
content: Yes. Some interpret this as motivation to change. Some interpret it as motivation to gain mindshare for whatever other crack smoking ideology they are shifting. Some interpret it as a financial opportunity. Human nature indeed.As we're talking about radio here, and not climate, I'd just like to take the opportunity to shake my fist at the sun over the current propagation situation. Thank goodness cycle 24 is nearly over.

author: janoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 17, 2019, 09:37:41 am
content: Quote from: bd139 on June 16, 2019, 10:52:32 pmI have a few spare bare boards from this project, if someone wants them (Si5351 + MCU + display, providing VFO+BFO oscillator outputs):https://janoc.rd-h.com/archives/649The radio in that post uses the termination-insensitive wideband amplifier from Wes Hayward (a small SMD module:https://janoc.rd-h.com/archives/574, boards are on OSHPark), ADE-1 passive mixers and the "Simpleciever" IF stages from Pete Juliano, using the J310 jfets. I have originally used identical wideband modules there and a crystal ladder filter, but that was fairly deaf. The jfets stages together with a surplus Yaesu SSB filter (the cheapest I found on eBay) work quite a bit better.A fun little project, wanted to try my hand at building a proper superhet receiver and it has worked quite well.

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 17, 2019, 09:54:59 am
content: Interesting little radio. Thanks for posting. I may have a bash at one of them as I have most of the bits lying around apart from the ADE-1's and they're not too expensive to get hold of.Totally agree with the ladder filters I got some way through building a superhet here using a ladder filter and it sucked so bad on SSB it was unusable even after futzing witch matching networks and BFOs for the best part of a week. Fine for CW though. Got this far though, using a Rigol DG1022Z as a LO here:Another 612 at each end on this one. This is the final one that put me off the ICs as I couldn't get the MDS up high enough to be useful even though the damn things have a lot of conversion gain.

author: janoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 17, 2019, 12:34:39 pm
content: That works fairly well, actually!The issue with crystal ladder filters is that you must buy a bag of e.g. 50 cheap crystals and test each of them. In my case I had 12MHz crystals and they varied a lot in both frequencies and also signal level out of the crystal tester - some didn't want to work in it at all or the level was way lower than for the rest. If you get such duff crystal in your filter I guess you can imagine the result ...Then you take 5 (or how many you need) that are closest in frequency and build your filter. And then take a generator and sweep the filter while you fine-tune the capacitors to get the passband shape you want.I was doing it using the SSNA from here:http://rheslip.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-simple-scalar-network-analyzer.htmlThat's a huge time saver but it still takes a lot of fiddling to get the passband into an acceptable shape for SSB. In the end buying a surplus Yaesu or Kenwood filter is often cheaper and faster - it may not be on the exact frequency you want but with the digital VFOs and BFOs it is not really an issue, it is trivial to retune them.Fortunately for AM broadcast radio there are cheap filters available e.g. for 455kHz or for 10.5MHz IF, so no need to mess with crystals.BTW, you don't have to use ADE-1 - if you have matched diodes and the patience to wind the toroids, you can make double balanced mixers yourself (that's what ADE-1 is - a diode ring + 2 transformers). Another option is the popular SBL-1, also from Minicirquits. Or use an active mixer, e.g. with J310.

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 17, 2019, 01:07:56 pm
content: It sounds ok on CW. Sounds awful on SSB. I mean really bad. I went lazy mode and used a broadband noise generator and PC with spectogram on it to try and get the filter sounding about right but I couldn't get the capacitors or matching networks right in the end. Ripple was extreme which destroyed the intelligibility. The IF here is 4MHz which is a bit crap however as I only had enough 4MHz crystals lying around to get a matched set.No need for surplus filters now. GQRP sell new ones for £12 and matching carrier crystals for £4 a pair:http://www.gqrp.com/sales.pdf(need to be a member but it's cheap and the parts are cheaper than everywhere else).Only ADE-1 because I'm lazy

author: janoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 17, 2019, 08:34:01 pm
content: Quote from: bd139 on June 17, 2019, 01:07:56 pmYeah but you are in the UK. I have just checked what G-QRP membership involves and they really don't seem to want people's money - sending cheques and UK cash by mail? What century are we in? Oh they do have Paypal - but heck, it really takes a while to find that on that page, plus the chaos with which subscription you can pay and which address you are supposed to send the money to ...

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 17, 2019, 09:11:06 pm
content: It's quite straightforward - all paypal. Just the web site is crap. Had no problems though - they are very good and fast. Bear in mind its running part time.Shipping/billing address comes from your paypal account. Just go here, enter callsign (or none if you dont have one) and done:http://gqrp.com/paypaleu.htmEdit: also you get the bonus of a quarterly magazine full of things to whine about. It contains marginal non-reproducible designs which probably don't even work in real life that are built to the lowest price point!

author: janoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 17, 2019, 09:52:33 pm
content: Quote from: bd139 on June 17, 2019, 09:11:06 pmAh ok. Yes I do get it is a volunteer run club, but hey, you don't need money to clearly organize the website saying:X -> pay hereSo that one doesn't have to fish for it and decode which out of the options is the right one.Quote from: bd139 on June 17, 2019, 09:11:06 pmHehe, sounds about right. Can't be worse than the stuff commonly found onlineThere is nothing wrong with building stuff to the lowest price point - I have been raised frugally, something like a transistor or a LED were very much unobtanium for me unless I was salvaging stuff from old TVs (which mostly had vacuum tubes at that time in them still!). Yay, wonders of the planned economy in the Eastern bloc ... And you have probably seen the original BitX - coils wound on plastic straws and washers. But it works and is certainly reproducible.

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 17, 2019, 10:41:43 pm
content: Indeed. I started with tubes in the 1980s as well. My family were poor so it was equivalent of Eastern bloc planned economy. Most of what I had was abandoned on the side of the road or from junk sales and usually very hazardous. We are spoiled now. Things are cheap and plentiful and a lot better. Although if I’d collected all the tubes I had back then I could have sold them to guitar amp people now and retired!Good point with the bitx. The original bitx was and still is a marvel. I’ve got another half finished project of one somewhere. I will finish something one day. So many things to do and so little time.