Apparently what Ray calls "the Lift" is what we USians call "Sporadic E-skip". And timely, 'tis the season. I like to FM DX, and back in the day when television was using VHF, worked several interesting catches there as well.
I miss TV DX in the old days....on Band 1.....I got TVNZ New Zealand on channel 1 in Hawaii doing the summer of 1999....also TVO Brisbane QLD Australia on Channel 0 ...got QSL from both stations.. 70 to 90mhz FM is Japan and New Zealand....I been waiting for opening to Japan
Great video. End of March I was on El Hierro island in the Canaries and in the afternoons was scanning the FM band while driving a car around the island, surprisingly could here quite strong FM broadcast station from North Portugal abt. 1.800 km away. On El Hierro the FM band isn't very crowded so you can hear distant stations when conditions are good. Here in Slovenia close to It border where I leave cannot do any FM broadcast DX SWL since every single frequency is packed with strong local stations. IT seems doesn't have any regulation on that in practice and even there are multiple stations on same frequency interfering each other. Will try to listen during the summer when Es openings are common on the East Europe FM portion if I get something from East Europe. I have on the mast a 5el yagi for 4m band so can use it for that. So far right on our 4m amateur band 70 - 70,45 megs didn't hear them but wasn't scanning out of the band. But most probably in past years with low solar cycle the Es wasn't that common or strong enough to hear them. Will give it a try. I remember back in the 80's we had here our national TV on a low VHF channel (probably around 50 megs) and we had on the roof big log periodics to wach that. Sometimes during the summer I remeber for short periods we could watch channels from Spain even some for short interferring with our local channel. Yep happy days 😂 73 Andrej - s57rw
Hi Andrej , it's great to hear from you. Thanks for all the info, I find it very interesting. I'm quite new to these frequencies as I've not been able to receive them before. I'm hoping for more Es this summer as I also use 6 metres which is great during openings. Cheers for now, Ray.
Hi Ray, good to see another video from you. Some of the old Scanner Receivers are quite good for lo-VHF dx’ing with wide and narrow FM modes. I like to listen out on 33 MHz for the USA Fire Dispatch repeaters in particular. There is still some interesting stuff to hear as you say 👍🏼 73 Franco
Hi Ray, here is another way to DX, which you may not have tried. Over here, and maybe over there, quite a few people include small mp3 transmitters in their cars and signals from these can be occasionally received on the FM band, usually around 87 MHz and 108 MHz as the cars get in range. These can range from music or talk, depending on what is being broadcasted. they are supposed to be very short range, but they can be heard if close enough. Anyway, all the best. Rob.
Hi Ray. You mentioned putting your 4mtr aerial up on the chimney. This is also what I have in mind. Being retired like you, my wife, Mary, is always finding me things to do around the house, things that include ladders, high steps, and paint brushes, etc. Being safety conscious I do my best to point out to her that I'm getting on, and should I be taking the risks involved in that kind of work. Not that I don't want to do it, I just want to be safe. I'm sure you have this same same sense of danger in the house, Ray. So, drawing on your experience, how would you go about getting your wife to allow you on to the roof? Would you say there's a brick up there that needs urgently re pointing, and while I'm up there I'll stick up the aerial. Or, do I wait until she goes shopping for the day, then get the ladder up as soon as she's out of sight? Being a coward I think the wait for her to go out might be the best! What would you do? Cheers, Nigel.
Hi Nigel, I don't like heights so there's no way I would climb a ladder and go on the roof! I paid someone to put an aerial on the chimney. Not cheap, but I had no choice. Cheers, Ray.
Hello Ray, passed your audio clips through google translate on my phone (you just open the app, select russian to english and tap the microphone) and yes it is Russian I have an sdr but without an upconverter I tought it was useless, you proved otherwise because I can already monitor these frequencies Time to make myself an aerial I guess. Thanks and greetings from Quebec Canada
No need for an SDR or a dedicated receiver. I just use a mini circuits double balanced mixer and an old Racal synthesised signal generator to mix any signal onto a frequency I can listen to on my HF receiver.
idk if Ukraine still uses OIRT but Russia and Belarus still uses them, maybe the former ussr stans in central asia may as well. im sure a list of still active stations is around.
Hello Ray, I've just bought a 4m Transceiver from the Spalding rally last weekend, it;s the one frequency that I hadn't got covered, I'm of the old school Radio Amateur, who likes to listen more than talk. I'll have to listen out for the OIRT, and it's nice to see and hear you.
Great video as always Mr Ray Never heard it called lift be for In that frequency range tropiçferic ducking I just picked up a ic7000r It clean n only 300usd But I just did not renew my extra class license government here done Whint crazy
Amazing what You can receive without spending much. My Nooelec SDR Smart With homemade 4:1 balun and a bunch of old 4mm earth wire lashed up in the garden with an about 100yo vintage SW listening earth rod, I found next to my house. I have copied the ISS on it and a cheap Boafange UV-5R and homemade copper pipe J-pole in the loft and 75-Ohm CT100 I saved from an old SkyTV install lol. Great fun this hobby. I must plan on my Foundation license real soon as been putting it off for about 5 years now.
@@g4nsj Cheers Ray. Hope to see you in the log soon. I love your pirate videos. Got a 'mate of mine' to make an FM transmitter. Amazing how far half a Watt goes. Your are a bad influence ;)
Hi, yes I listened the other morning. Those stations were audible in Norfolk but not Berkshire at the time! Interesting how you can see the QSB affecting on more than one frequency but at exactly the same time. Stations on HF don't tend to show this, but maybe it's because the Es cloud is quite localised and the stations audible all come from close to each other geographically. So as the Es cloud fluctuates, is affects all the stations refracted from it in our direction. Interesting...
Its good fun when you get a lift I have worked from ZL to VK2 on 144.1MHz 2475km with 10W SSB on a home made J pole. We have police and fire on 73 to 78MHZ in NZ. 73 ZL4SY
Great to see you again Ray! This is a hobby with never-ending possibilities, and so we all discover. Thanks for keeping in touch and alerting us of your explorations in the airwaves. Keep well! Regards and 73s from VK2 land. 😊
Hi Ray, well done receiving the OIRT stations via SpE DX. I have heard these stations while using various online remote DX tuners based in the UK and Europe. I think Russia mostly use these frequencies due to part of Band 2 previously being used by their analogue TV channels. The Japanese FM band uses 76 MHz to 92 MHz as far as I know. Anyway, take care. Rob in Melbourne Australia.
I used to receive east European TV on band 1 years ago, all I used was an old dual standard TV and fiddled it so it switched to 625 lines on VHF, with just a dipole stuff came in really strong at times and would be on for hours de Mike G4VQH
Apparently what Ray calls "the Lift" is what we USians call "Sporadic E-skip".
And timely, 'tis the season.
I like to FM DX, and back in the day when television was using VHF, worked several interesting catches there as well.
Sporadic E is one of the reasons for anomalous propagation (enhancements) but there can be tropospheric ducting which also occurs in the US.
I miss TV DX in the old days....on Band 1.....I got TVNZ New Zealand on channel 1 in Hawaii doing the summer of 1999....also TVO Brisbane QLD Australia on Channel 0 ...got QSL from both stations.. 70 to 90mhz FM is Japan and New Zealand....I been waiting for opening to Japan
Sounds like you did well back in 1999. I used to enjoy TV DXing. I now monitor around 68 to 90MHz. Great when there’s an opening.
There is a lot of Dutch pirate broadcasts around 68MHz in FM stereo and RDS. Also around 85 MHz.
Thanks Nige, I'll have a listen. I do hear the Dutch around 1630kHz which is fun. Cheers, Ray.
Interesting stuff Ray!
Thanks for taking time to share your findings - I’m looking for a TEF6686 to try OIRT RX.
@@G7LWT Hi, the TEF6686 is a nice radio. Good luck with your search. Cheers, Ray.
Great video. End of March I was on El Hierro island in the Canaries and in the afternoons was scanning the FM band while driving a car around the island, surprisingly could here quite strong FM broadcast station from North Portugal abt. 1.800 km away. On El Hierro the FM band isn't very crowded so you can hear distant stations when conditions are good. Here in Slovenia close to It border where I leave cannot do any FM broadcast DX SWL since every single frequency is packed with strong local stations. IT seems doesn't have any regulation on that in practice and even there are multiple stations on same frequency interfering each other. Will try to listen during the summer when Es openings are common on the East Europe FM portion if I get something from East Europe. I have on the mast a 5el yagi for 4m band so can use it for that. So far right on our 4m amateur band 70 - 70,45 megs didn't hear them but wasn't scanning out of the band. But most probably in past years with low solar cycle the Es wasn't that common or strong enough to hear them. Will give it a try.
I remember back in the 80's we had here our national TV on a low VHF channel (probably around 50 megs) and we had on the roof big log periodics to wach that. Sometimes during the summer I remeber for short periods we could watch channels from Spain even some for short interferring with our local channel. Yep happy days 😂
73 Andrej - s57rw
Hi Andrej , it's great to hear from you. Thanks for all the info, I find it very interesting. I'm quite new to these frequencies as I've not been able to receive them before. I'm hoping for more Es this summer as I also use 6 metres which is great during openings. Cheers for now, Ray.
Hi Ray, good to see another video from you.
Some of the old Scanner Receivers are quite good for lo-VHF dx’ing with wide and narrow FM modes. I like to listen out on 33 MHz for the USA Fire Dispatch repeaters in particular. There is still some interesting stuff to hear as you say 👍🏼
73 Franco
Hi Franco, I'll look out for an old scanner covering FM. Thanks for the tips. Cheers, Ray.
Hi Ray, here is another way to DX, which you may not have tried. Over here, and maybe over there, quite a few people include small mp3 transmitters in their cars and signals from these can be occasionally received on the FM band, usually around 87 MHz and 108 MHz as the cars get in range. These can range from music or talk, depending on what is being broadcasted. they are supposed to be very short range, but they can be heard if close enough. Anyway, all the best. Rob.
Hi Rob, Great idea, I'll give it a try. Cheers, Ray.
Hi Ray. You mentioned putting your 4mtr aerial up on the chimney. This is also what I have in mind. Being retired like you, my wife, Mary, is always finding me things to do around the house, things that include ladders, high steps, and paint brushes, etc. Being safety conscious I do my best to point out to her that I'm getting on, and should I be taking the risks involved in that kind of work. Not that I don't want to do it, I just want to be safe. I'm sure you have this same same sense of danger in the house, Ray. So, drawing on your experience, how would you go about getting your wife to allow you on to the roof? Would you say there's a brick up there that needs urgently re pointing, and while I'm up there I'll stick up the aerial. Or, do I wait until she goes shopping for the day, then get the ladder up as soon as she's out of sight? Being a coward I think the wait for her to go out might be the best! What would you do? Cheers, Nigel.
Hi Nigel, I don't like heights so there's no way I would climb a ladder and go on the roof! I paid someone to put an aerial on the chimney. Not cheap, but I had no choice. Cheers, Ray.
Hello Ray, passed your audio clips through google translate on my phone (you just open the app, select russian to english and tap the microphone) and yes it is Russian
I have an sdr but without an upconverter I tought it was useless, you proved otherwise because I can already monitor these frequencies
Time to make myself an aerial I guess.
Thanks and greetings from Quebec Canada
OK on the app, that's interesting. Yes, get an aerial sorted out. I hope to improve mine soon. Cheers from the UK.
Didn't they used to have low band TV near these frequencies too? I mean Eastern Europe, the former Warsaw Pact countries...
Yes, I think you're right.
No need for an SDR or a dedicated receiver. I just use a mini circuits double balanced mixer and an old Racal synthesised signal generator to mix any signal onto a frequency I can listen to on my HF receiver.
Excellent, Jim. Sounds good to me. Cheers, Ray.
The ex military clansman 353 covers these bands; bit of a boat anchor built like a tank.
That's interesting, thanks.
idk if Ukraine still uses OIRT but Russia and Belarus still uses them, maybe the former ussr stans in central asia may as well. im sure a list of still active stations is around.
Yes, there must be a list somewhere.
Hello Ray, I've just bought a 4m Transceiver from the Spalding rally last weekend, it;s the one frequency that I hadn't got covered, I'm of the old school Radio Amateur, who likes to listen more than talk. I'll have to listen out for the OIRT, and it's nice to see and hear you.
Hi Paul, I tend to do more listening than chatting on the air. OK on the 4m rig, let me know what you hear. Cheers, Ray.
@@g4nsj will do
Great video as always Mr Ray
Never heard it called lift be for
In that frequency range tropiçferic ducking I just picked up a ic7000r
It clean n only 300usd
But I just did not renew my extra class license government here done
Whint crazy
Icom, great radios!
Sounds like nice sporadic e-skip out of Russia.
Indeed, Joe.
Amazing what You can receive without spending much. My Nooelec SDR Smart With homemade 4:1 balun and a bunch of old 4mm earth wire lashed up in the garden with an about 100yo vintage SW listening earth rod, I found next to my house. I have copied the ISS on it and a cheap Boafange UV-5R and homemade copper pipe J-pole in the loft and 75-Ohm CT100 I saved from an old SkyTV install lol. Great fun this hobby. I must plan on my Foundation license real soon as been putting it off for about 5 years now.
Sounds great, Steven. Good luck with the Foundation license. Cheers, Ray.
@@g4nsj Cheers Ray. Hope to see you in the log soon. I love your pirate videos. Got a 'mate of mine' to make an FM transmitter. Amazing how far half a Watt goes. Your are a bad influence ;)
@@stevenyemc I'm bad! Haha! You're right, half a Watt can cover miles.
Hi, yes I listened the other morning. Those stations were audible in Norfolk but not Berkshire at the time! Interesting how you can see the QSB affecting on more than one frequency but at exactly the same time. Stations on HF don't tend to show this, but maybe it's because the Es cloud is quite localised and the stations audible all come from close to each other geographically. So as the Es cloud fluctuates, is affects all the stations refracted from it in our direction. Interesting...
Its good fun when you get a lift I have worked from ZL to VK2 on 144.1MHz 2475km with 10W SSB on a home made J pole. We have police and fire on 73 to 78MHZ in NZ. 73 ZL4SY
VHF can be very interesting. OK on ZL to VK2 that's great!
Great to see you again Ray!
This is a hobby with never-ending possibilities, and so we all discover.
Thanks for keeping in touch and alerting us of your explorations in the airwaves.
Keep well!
Regards and 73s from VK2 land. 😊
Thanks! Great to hear from you!
The cheap baofeng handhelds have a fm radio mode that goes from 65 to 108. You could use an sma adapter to connect to your outdoor antenna.
Your looking Great Ray !
Thank you!
Nice video, tnx for posting. 73 Andrej - s57rw
Hi Ray, well done receiving the OIRT stations via SpE DX. I have heard these stations while using various online remote DX tuners based in the UK and Europe. I think Russia mostly use these frequencies due to part of Band 2 previously being used by their analogue TV channels. The Japanese FM band uses 76 MHz to 92 MHz as far as I know. Anyway, take care. Rob in Melbourne Australia.
Thanks for the info, Rob. I'm looking into all this further as I find it quite interesting. Cheers, Ray.
I used to receive east European TV on band 1 years ago, all I used was an old dual standard TV and fiddled it so it switched to 625 lines on VHF, with just a dipole stuff came in really strong at times and would be on for hours de Mike G4VQH
Hi, Mike, that’s Excellent! I remember hearing New York taxis on 56mhz. Band 1 TV.
Used to listen to this stuff years ago. Didn't realise it was still active though 🎉
Interesting!
Main OIRT FM transmitters are at Ostankino tower in Moscow.
Thanks for the info. Cheers, Ray.
Thank you Ray, have a lovely week of glorious sunshine.
Thanks! 🌞👍
Here in Au I don't think 66 to 74 MHz is used for anything at all. Maybe a bit of military way long ago.
Interesting, thanks.
Absolutely fascinating Ray.I love this time of year as those frequencies are always providing signals that we can't normally hear.
73
G7HFS/PA3IKH 😊
Hi Ian, great to hear from you. I'm looking forward to many more openings. Cheers, Ray.
@@g4nsj Great video on this topic: ruclips.net/video/sTHb0DFfXWE/видео.html