Listener here, is it just me or something happened in May and since then all Kiwis sound silent?
Hi, my first post and apology for the silly question. I have been using Kiwisdr receivers for over 3 years to practice my morse decoding skills (Thanks!). I used to use Websdr online receivers then I switched to Kiwisdr because they are more flexible.
Something must have happened somewhere around last May (maybe a software update?) so that the online receivers that I use (I am talking of the UK and West Europe based) suddenly sounded to me too quiet overnight.
I know that we are in a negative peak of propagation, but I have struggled to copy signals since then.
In comparison, I didn't notice much difference with regards to the WebSDR receivers but again I tend not to use them.
Please tell me I am not the only one. Thanks.
Comments
All my KiWi's are behaving normally, but are you basing your observations on S-Meter readings, which have gone through some changes, or something else ?
Just a thought, but it may be that somehow you have stored cookies that somehow set manual gain rather than AGC, or something similar.
Try a Kiwi site and then clear the cookies for it, and see if that helps.
Regards,
Martin
@G8JNJ Thanks, no I base my observation on the actual signal that I can hear and on the spectrum that I can see. I have instructed Firefox to delete all cache and cookies when I close the browser. So it's only me then. I can't really explain this. Sometimes the 40m band is totally dead even a peak daytime.
One of the sites I use the most is yours (Wessex). There are about 4.5 CW stations at the moment on 40m, which is not too bad, but it used to be 10s and 10s.
Check your filter settings under the Audio tab, make sure they're not triggered on when you don't intend them to be. Also check the squelch, AGC, volume slider, etc.
Every once in a great while, I'll come across a Kiwi that is muted (no audio, but plenty of modulation on the waterfall), recordings will have audio as normal on them. Clearing Firefox's cache and cookies typically fixes that.
Try listening to Wessex at the moment (19:00 UTC), 40m is buzzing and there is plenty of CW activity.
This is what the waterfall looks like, is yours similar ?
Regards,
Martin
G8JNJ, I don't usually check at that time. I normally do that at daytime (9 to 5).
Sorry for the noise, maybe I am picking the wrong sites or I go at times when it's dead.
At the moment I'll have to do with Websdr. Soon I hope I'll have my rig.
At daytime there is always a lot less activity on 40m than during the evening and night.
Propagation-wise, particularly during solar maximum, the range is limited during daytime. And people have also more time in the evening ...
Here's a simulation of the range on 40m with the same transmit power during day and night:
You have to follow the propagation to get the best results at any particular time of day or night.
That's the great advantage of being able to use a worldwide network of remote receivers.
You can pick a KiWi to give you the best chance of hearing signals from a particular region, on a particular frequency, at any particular time.
Something which is not possible when you only have a more traditional receiver sitting in front of you.
Regards,
Martin