Manual and My Imagination

Three additional top-of-the-hour recordings with the ELAD FDM-S2 receiver yielded five new stations:

• WZBK - 1220 kc - Keene, NH - 146 W - 149 miles
• WWRV - 1330 kc - New York, NY - 5 kW - 75 miles
• WEZS - 1350 kc - Laconia, NH - 412 W - 149 miles
• WOPG - 1460 kc - Albany, NY - 5 kW - 80 miles
• WJDY - 1470 kc - Salisbury, MD - 43 W - 265 miles

The ELAD FDM-SW2 software has a lot of features, but its manual leaves a lot to the imagination. As a result, I may not be using all the capabilities of the software.

So I will continue to study the manual, play with the software and try to figure it all out.

Time Machine

I am having a great time using the ELAD FDM-S2 SDR receiver. I particularly like the "time machine" feature, which I have been using to record the whole AM broadcast band at the top of the hour and then play it back to hear all the recorded stations.

In the "I learned something new" department, switching to LSB or USB, I was able to identify stations that were down in the mud and unidentifiable in the AM mode.

I am also trying to find out which overnight hours are the most productive. Here is the tally, so far:

• 0200 UTC = 6 new stations
• 0400 UTC = 6 new stations
• 0500 UTC on June 16 = 2 new stations

My latest recording at 0800 UTC resulted in 8 new stations:

• CMBR - 530 kc - Habana, Cuba - 10 kW - 1390 miles
• WRGC - 540 kc - Sylva, NC - 140 W - 702 miles
• WFIR - 960 kc - Roanoke, VA - 5 kW - 480 miles
• WLLI - 990 kc - Somerset, PA - 100 W - 340 miles
• WBLQ - 1230 kc - Westerly, RI - 1 kW - 60 miles
• WCMC - 1230 kc - Wildwood, NJ - 1 kW - 206 miles
• WBIX - 1260 kc - Boston, MA - 5 kW - 107 miles
• WNBF - 1290 kc - Binghamton, NY - 5 kW - 158 miles

Antenna used is an 80-meter inverted Vee.

Gone

Thank you for your suggestions on how to fix the interference problem I encountered while using the ELAD FDM-S2 SDR receiver with my MacBook Pro computer.

The source of the noise seemed to be the computer's battery charger/power supply, but all my attempts to fix the problem failed until I noticed that my Heath coaxial switch was not grounded. I assume its connection to ground had been disconnected while I was rearranging the furniture and I forgot to reconnect it.

Reconnecting the switch to ground made a big difference and eliminated most of the noise on the AM/MW band.

What's New!

While getting to know my new ELAD FDM-S2 SDR receiver, I have logged the following new 18 stations:

• WGYM - 1580 kc - Hammonton, NJ - 1 kW - 168 miles
• WACK - 1420 kc - Newark, NY - 500 W - 232 miles
• W241CG - 96.1 Mc - Southington, CT - 250 W - 7 miles
• WQFG689 - 1710 kc - Jersey City, NJ - 10 W - 85 miles
• WNEB - 1230 kc - Southbridge, MA - 1 kW - 73 miles
• WICH - 1310 kc - Norwich, CT - 5 kW - 45 miles
• WEMG - 1310 kc - Camden, NJ - 250 W - 162 miles
• WWRU - 1660 kc - Jersey City, NJ - 10 kW - 85 miles
• WTTM - 1680 kc - Lindenwold, NJ - 1 kW - 162 miles
• CKAT - 600 kc - North Bay, ON - power unknown - 455 miles
• WLVP - 870 kc - Gorham, ME - 1 kW - 188 miles
• CIAO - 530 kc - Brampton, ON - 250 W - 378 miles
• WHLO - 640 kc - Akron, OH - 500 W - 450 miles
• WPKX - 930 kc - Rochester, NH - 5 kW - 153 miles
• WFGL - 960 kc - Fitchburg, MA - 1 kW - 88 miles
• WRNI - 1290 kc - Providence, RI - 10 kW - 78 miles
• WGAN - 560 kc - Portland, ME - 5 kW - 195 miles
• WSYR - 570 kc - Syracuse, NY - 5 kW - 190 miles

The first four stations were found by randomly tuning of the bands. The remainder were gleaned from recordings of the complete AM band recorded at 0400 and 0700 UTC on various nights this past week.

Antenna was an 80-meter inverted Vee.

Nine New Ones!

Tuning around the AM band with my new ELAD FDM-S2 SDR receiver last week, I logged three new stations:

- WGYM on 1580 kc in Hammonton, NJ, transmitting 1 kW 168 miles to the SSW.

- WACK on 1420 kc in Newark, NY, transmitting 500 W, 232 miles to the WNW.

- WQFG689 on 1710 kc in Jersey City, NJ, transmitting 10 W, 85 miles to the SW. WQFG689 is a TIS for Hudson County, NJ.

Friday night, I tried recording the whole AM band for two minutes at 10 PM EDST. I spent a few hours listening to the recording and logged six new stations:

- WNEB on 1230 kc in Southbridge, MA, transmitting 1 kW, 73 miles to the NE

- WICH on 1310 kc in Norwich, CT, transmitting 5 kW, 45 miles to the WSE.

- WEMG on 1310 kc in Camden, NJ, transmitting 250 W, 162 miles to the SW.

- WWRU on 1660 kc in Jersey City, NJ, transmitting 10 W, 85 miles to the SW.

- WTTM on 1680 kc in Lindenwold, NJ, transmitting 1 kW, 162 miles to the SW.

- CKAT on 600 kc in North Bay, Ontario, 455 miles to the NW.

All were heard using an 80 meter inverted Vee antenna.

I am very happy with my new radio, but there is a problem: interference from the MacBook Pro battery charger/power supply. The interference is so strong that only the strongest AM stations are above the noise.

The cable between the charger and the computer is the problem because the noise disappears completely when I disconnect the cable from the computer even though the charger is still powered.

I installed ferrite cable clips on the cable, but that made no difference.

I wrapped the cable 20 times around a toroid ferrite core, but that made no difference.

One solution that works is to use the ELAD-MacBook Pro combo without the battery charger. This gives me a few hours operating without the interference, but sooner or later, the battery will need to be recharged.

Anyone have any other solutions?