MT Utility World

Year's First X-Class Flare Causes N.A. HF Blackout

2012-01-27T11:17:00.000-08:00

An X1.7 X-ray flare was observed at 1840Z from Region 1402. A warning has been issued for a S1 solar radiation storm. This warning is in effect for the next 24 hours. This is the first X-class flare since November 3, 2011, when an X1.9 occurred. Region 1402 is close to the limb, and CME (if any) should not be geoeffective. This flare caused an R3 level radio blackout over North America,

Auroral Event In Progress

2012-01-24T21:45:00.000-08:00

Check out the photos of incredible aurora at high geomagnetic latitudes at this Daily Mail photo story. The past two Kp indices have been 3, below the storm threshold. As the news story notes, this was not a severe storm. While energetic particles are traveling at a high velocity, most are missing the Earth. HF propagation will not take a major hit from this one, although some signals from

Planetary K Index Now = 5

2012-01-24T13:20:00.000-08:00

We have crossed the minor storm threshold. Expect degradation of high-latitude paths, and perhaps a nice auroral show tonight in the northern US.

Geomagnetic Event Commences On Schedule

2012-01-24T11:50:00.000-08:00

Space Weather News for Jan. 24, 2012 http://spaceweather.com CME IMPACT: As predicted by analysts at the Goddard Space Weather Lab, a CME hit Earth's magnetic field on Jan. 24 at ~1500 UT (10 am EST). A geomagnetic storm is brewing in the aftermath of the impact, but as this alert is being written it is too soon to say how weak or strong the storm might be. High-latitude sky watchers should be

It's Not You: Sigmira Blows Up Again

2012-01-23T20:39:00.000-08:00

Now, I like Sigmira. It cranks on STANAG 4285, it has a great mode to demonstrate what's really up with the Japanese "slot machine" encrypted data station, and it does HFDL. It has this one odd issue where every so often the features.dat file becomes obsolete and must be replaced for STANAG 4285 to work again. This time, though, the problem is not loss of features. The program starts up very

R. Bulgaria To Leave Air 1/31

2012-01-23T15:27:00.000-08:00

The continual dropping off of one government short wave broadcast service after another can be explained by general lack of money and new priorities following the end of the Cold War. It still remains distressing, however. It reinforces the popular idea that "short wave is dead," and makes it easier to gain approval for new products that do not conform to EM compatibility standards. Then we

New CME May Cause Aurora Tomorrow

2012-01-23T12:51:00.000-08:00

From spaceweather.com: INCOMING CME: Big sunspot 1402 erupted on Jan. 23rd, producing a strong M9-class solar flare and a fast-moving coronal mass ejection (CME). Analysts at the Goddard Space Weather Lab say the CME should reach Earth on Jan. 24th at 14:18 UT (+/- 7 hr) and Mars a little more than a day later. Strong geomagnetic storms are possible when the cloud reaches Earth. Our

Ham Radio Software Meets Windows 7 #4: The Final Accounting

2012-01-16T10:31:00.000-08:00

After much sound, fury, hair pulling, and bad language, the results are in. Programs that recognize the W7 app data path variable, keep their data outside the program file tree, and work when installed to the default directory (Program Files (x86)): FLdigi (Note 1) JVComm32 TrueTTY Programs that should probably be installed in a different folder you create yourself (I called mine "Radio"):

Ham Radio Software Meets Windows 7 #3: Debugging PC-ALE

2012-01-14T15:43:00.000-08:00

After uninstalling MARS-ALE and removing various droppings still found throughout my computer, I bravely set out to see what PC-ALE would do in a home directory outside the Program Files (x86) or the virtual machine ("XP Mode"). Others had reported success when installed in this manner. The version I'd been using is in the 1.07x cycle. I had the installers on backups. The files are not on

Ham Radio Software Meets Windows 7 #2: DSCdecoder FIXED!

2012-01-14T12:55:00.000-08:00

OK. Thanks to the informative forum at HF-ALE, I have the intelligence that Windows 7 security prevents programs from modifying certain files in their own home folders and subdirectories therein. Variable data is supposed to be stored in User Data, App Data, or someplace like that. These old ham programs don't do that. The advice was given to create a folder OUTSIDE Program Files (x86) for

Ham Radio Software Meets Windows 7

2012-01-13T13:44:00.000-08:00

Despite knowing the perils of attempting to use ham radio software with anything newer than XP, I continued in my resolve to enter the modern age with an operating system that has some hope of support after next year. Since SDRs tend to like all the processor and memory you can throw at them, I loaded up on plenty of both, requiring the dreaded 64-bit operating system. Dreaded because most ham

Major BPL Company to Shut Down

2012-01-06T15:11:00.000-08:00

In the latest of a string of commercial Broadband over Power Lines (BPL) failures, International Broadband Electric Communications, Inc. (IBEC) is dropping its rural Internet service this month. In a 12/23/11 letter over the signature of Scott E. Lee, the CEO, IBEC states: It is with a very heavy heart, that we must inform you that IBEC will no longer be in a position to provide Internet

KSM and K6KPH Will Operate New Year's Eve

2011-12-30T14:59:00.000-08:00

MRHS stations KSM and K6KPH will be on the air for extended hours on New Year's Eve. All KSM HF frequencies will be active. We will also make a particular point of keeping 426kc active to give MF monitors a chance to copy us during night time winter hours. Announcements will be made on 500kc, then the MF transmitter will be switched to 426kc for the transmission. See: http://

1980s FCC 33.7 MHz NE US Fire Department Call Signs - Pt. 1

2011-12-23T10:14:00.000-08:00

Once every decade or so, global skip causes interest in identifying stations heard on the still-active low-band VHF fire department frequencies in the US. This can be a real research job, especially if licenses have expired. Here's the first part of a really old list recently unearthed here. It's guaranteed that at least a few of these are still on-air. FC = Fire Company; FD = Fire Department

Why Sorcerer Won't Be On My Next Computer

2011-12-21T21:27:00.000-08:00

You might have heard of a multimode decoder program for Windows that's been making the rounds of the utility scene lately. It's called sorcerer, and it's apparently a crack of a larger commercial package once offered by a company that at the time was widely known in COMINT circles. Everything about this program is scary. Most of the sites it's available on seem to offer the same referrers to a

White House Statement on Apparent Death of Kim Jong Il

2011-12-18T21:06:00.000-08:00

THE WHITE HOUSEOffice of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 18, 2011 Statement by the Press Secretary on reports of the death of Kim Jong Il We are closely monitoring reports that Kim Jong Il is dead. The President has been notified, and we are in close touch with our allies in South Korea and Japan. We remain committed to stability on the Korean peninsula, and to the freedom

Kim Jung Il Dead - Voice Of Korea Frequencies

2011-12-18T20:45:00.000-08:00

This comes from PCJ Media, which distributes the new Happy Station Show: Pacific DB36(024h): GS ID 1 SAN FRANCISCO(DIXON) DB37(025h): GS ID 2 MOLOKAI DB38(026h): GS ID 5 AUCKLAND DB39(027h): GS ID16 AGANA 2011/10/18(TUE) --> North Atlantic(southern) DB40(028h): GS ID 4 RIVERHEAD DB41(029h): GS ID17 CANARIAS(GRAN CANARIA) 2011/10/25(TUE) --> South America DB42(02Ah): GS ID11 ALBROOK(

HFDL System Table #48/ 30 Now Current

2011-11-08T09:13:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, a discussion on the HFDL Yahoo group produced the intelligence that the frequencies were being changed in bunches. As a result, it was predicted that ARINC would soon change the system table again. They did. You know the drill. Fire up PC-HFDL right now, put it on a loud ground station, and leave it there until the system table is sent to an aircraft. It is done so in a special

ARRL Announces Winter W1AW Schedule

2011-11-06T12:04:00.000-08:00

W1AW, the League Headquarters station in CT, is good for propagation checking, solar bulletins, and testing digital software. With the move back to Standard Time in the US, the following schedule is now in effect: 11/06/2011 With the switch from Daylight Saving Time to Standard Time, W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, has updated the W1AW operating schedule to reflect the change.

US EAS Nationwide Test November 9

2011-11-03T14:53:00.000-07:00

Release from US Government: First Nationwide Test of the Emergency Alert System November 9 at 2pm EST As part of their ongoing efforts to keep our country and communities safe during emergencies, the Federal Communications Commission and Federal Emergency Management Agency will conduct the first nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS). The EAS test plays a key role in ensuring the

PCHFDL.DAT File for System Table #47

2011-11-01T14:07:00.000-07:00

This file has been used on this computer to successfully update two different versions of PC-HFDL to System Table #47. The numbers changed to frequencies on both. I make no other guarantees, because it has not been tested on anyone else's machine. Use at your own risk. It won't hurt your computer, but it might not update PC-HFDL. It should be downloaded as a binary file, and saved anywhere

HFDL System Table #47/ 2F

2011-11-01T13:35:00.000-07:00

Here is the latest HFDL system table, as sent about 15 minutes ago by San Francisco: