Saq vlf receiver software

Saqrx was written primarily for reception of the 2006 christmas transmission from saq. Figure 1 map of great circle path between the two station. Receiving vlf with a pc sound card, miniwhip antenna and saqrx. Get set for saq on alexanderson day with these active antennas. This time i wanted to use my modified afedri sdrnet receiver together with my homebrewed 3turns loop antenna. The output from the loop antenna amplifier is high enough to directly drive a computer sound card so with a bit of software you dont need an exotic vlf receiver to hear the transmissions, just a bnc male to 3. The inspire vlf 3 receiver is designed to receive radio waves in the 010 khz range. Fixing up a receiver is easy enough, we linked to the original saqrx vlf receiver and the extended version in our previous coverage.

Over on youtube user mile kokotov has uploaded a video showing how he is able to receive very low frequency vlf signals between 300 hz to 30 khz using just his pc, a miniwhip antenna connected to his sound card input port and a program called saqrx panoramic vlf receiver. The following assembly instructions should be followed carefully. Because of the extremely low frequency, modern vlf enthusiasts can listen for the saq by using a communication receiver with an upconverter or a receiver designed to receive vlf transmissions directly. A specific control software is used in parallel to the sdr software in order to control the radio. The loop antenna was oriented northsouth during the reception putting saq well within its ideal radiation pattern. Saq aka grimeton radio station is a heritage vlf transmitter in sweden that transmits cw at 17. Only a few radio receivers on the market can receive the saqs frequency of 17. Sm6lkms brilliant little vlf receiver implemented entirely in software and available free via the internet.

A soft receiver for vlf use first of all, you must have a soundcard installed in your computer. Grimeton radio saq transmission on june 30th, 2019. This article is about receiving radio stations operating in the vlf band 330 khz. Over on youtube user mile kokotov has uploaded a video showing his reception of the saq very low frequency vlf signal. Sdrplay rsp2pro sdr receiver and associated sdruno software, twisted pair transmission line and lenovo m910 sff pc with windows 10 x64 operating system figure 3. As i had managed to builtup anything saq was already transmitting since the alternator is firedup about half an hour before the message. Today is december 24, 2014 and i liked to join in the traditional saq christmas eve transmission on 17. The huge vlf antenna of saq near grimeton, sweden credits. The most common solution for the reception of the saq is to use a converter, which converts the signal at 17. Saq transmissions on june 30th, 2019 not for qsl the. The last circuit is the audio amp section so you can plug head phones in to listen. Saq christmas eve transmission 2014 on afedri sdrnet vlf. I constructed a square loop antenna, 4 diagonals, with about 400 of wire. This entry was posted in longwave, news, radio history and tagged grimeton radio, radio grimeton saq, radio saq, saq radio, vlf on june 27, 2019 by thomas.

So anything was ready to go below is the receiver unit within a smogfree environment. Saqrx is a soundcard based usb upper sideband receiver covering 022 khz. Dec 24, 2015 another way to receive vlf stations is to obtain a vintage radio which includes the vlf band, like the 45 kg murphy b41 and the less heavy telefunken elk 639, both capable to receive vlf from 9. Saqrx is a soundcardbased usb upper sideband receiver covering 022 khz and the filter bandwidth is selectable in three steps, 300, and 2400 hz. There are even a software receiver available free on the net capable of receiving the transmissions with a suitable antenna connected to the pc. Jan 10, 2015 excellent vlf receiving system with sdrsharp free software, pcsoundcard and homemade miniwhip active antenna.

This allows reception of signals between 048 khz with a sound card that can sample at 96 khz. The alexander association grimeton saq veteran radio friends. Oct 24, 2008 a soundcardbased saq vlf receiver johan sm6lkm has made available software to allow you to receive vlf transmissions, such as those by saq, using your pc soundcard. The beating heart of the station is the huge alexanderson alternator. Jun 23, 2019 the saq signal, here in romania, pitesti, kn24ku, was much better than expected for my all home made equipment. In recent years, softwaredefined radios have been used to receive saqs transmissions. Ek896 receiver versions a number of additional features and operational. Intrigued, i looked for the requisite software and initially found some which after. If necessary, the agc can be configured as explained here. Another way to receive vlf stations is to obtain a vintage radio which includes the vlf band, like the 45 kg murphy b41 and the less heavy telefunken elk 639, both capable to receive vlf from 9. Using a pc with soundcard as a vlf receiver by wolfgang buescher, dl4yhf. Receiving saq and other vlf stations ernest neijenhuis. The pc is used to convert the vlf signal into a souncard runs at 44100 hz nominal sample rate frequency is converted down to an audio frequency of 650hz or similar.

Saqrx was written primarily for reception of the 2006 christmas transmission from saq but it was made tunable so it can be used for other purposes while waiting for the next saq transmission. Jun 27, 2015 to receive this low frequency you only need to connect an active antenna or some aerial wire to the sound card micinput of your pc and to install saqrx, a software defined vlf receiver by sm6lkm for the vlf band. A complete different solution is a piece of software called saqrx, which turns your pc soundcard into a vlf receiver. Intrigued, i looked for the requisite software and initially found some which after installing left my brain numb. Mar 19, 2019 the em signals from your watch are very low frequency signals so these signals will pass through the vlf receiver circuit to unimpeded. The filter bandwidth is selectable in three steps, 300, and 2400 hz.

You only need to connect an active antenna often called an efield probe to the sound card of your pc and to install saqrx, a software defined vlf receiver by. No tubes, no semiconductors, only an engine driving an ac generator. Excellent vlf receiving system with pcsoundcard, sdrsharp. This most interesting software program, has even a special setting for use of the analysis tool, as a soft rx for vlf use. If you are more interested in the reception of vlf natural radio which is a broadband audio application, there is another document for you. Due to the advantages of digital signal processing, embedded in the improved. The annual transmission on alexanderson day with the alexanderson alternator on vlf 17. Saq is the callsign of the swedish vlf station of grimeton, activated during the twenties with the purpose of granting a radiotelegraphic link between europe and east coast of united states.

Its ever so much more user friendly and after a few minutes i could hear some transmissions. There is even a preprogrammed setting for saq, grimeton radio, as well as other vlf and lf stations. The signal was fed into my netbook, fortunately saqrx worked also perfect under linux using wine. Inspire vlf 3 radio receiver kit since 1989, the inspire project, inc. Saqrx vlf receiver and the extended version in our previous coverage. Members of the uk radio astronomy association have been working on a vlf receiver system prototype design since 2006 and ukraa now sells it in kit and built form. Not to be defeated so easily, i tried a package called saq panoramic vlf receiver and installed that.

Operators from the alexander association was able to start the. Listen to world heritage grimeton radio saq grimeton radio is the last transmitter in the world generating rf power without any electronic parts. The pc is used to convert the vlf signal into an audible signal. This article describes how to use your pc as a receiver for narrowband signals in the vlf radio spectrum. Saqrx is based on a sound card control software by johan bodin, sm6lkm, running under microsoft windows. Very low frequency vlf detector circuit homemade circuit. Read more christmas transmission from grimeton radio saq in the morning of christmas eve, december 24, we. This receiver is to make special for receiving saq transmission on 17. The saq receiver application uses one of spectrum labs dsp blackboxes as automatic gain control. Due to the very low frequency, receiving such stations requires some special equipment, since most radios dont support these low frequencies. The 192 ksamps iq output is a 16 bit audio equivalent on usb, compatible with most of the sdr software.

If your pcsoundcard has 192 khz samplerate, than you can receive from dc to 96 khz. My inspire vlf receiver kit finally came, 4 weeks after the order. The famous program saqrx from johan bodin sm6lkm was inspiring me for adding. It requires a sound card capable of full duplex at 4448 khz sampling rate satisfied by most of the onboard pc sound cards. The sm6lkm software receiver is excellent and covers 022khz.

In that way receiver ground is not physically connected to antenna ground but it is. Only a few radio receivers on the market can receive the saq s frequency of 17. Saq only transmits its beacon on certain days, and last sunday july 3rd 2016 the saq beacon activated to celebrate alexanderson day, which is named after swedish radio pioneer ernst frederick werner alexanderson. The hardware used for the vlf receiver is the realtek sound chip on my.

But for most applications the default setting should be ok. Saq in grimeton zu aktivieren, einen regelrechten vlfsaqhype, dem auch ich. The inspire vlf 3 receiver kit is not a simple electronic assembly. Reeve anchorage, alaska usa member, society of amateur radio astronomers abstract. This is the green square with the questionmark in the circuit diagram. Excellent vlf receiving system with sdrsharp free software, pcsoundcard and homemade miniwhip active antenna. Saq is the name of grimeton radio, a historic radio station in sweden. Saqrx was written primarily for reception of the 2006 christmas transmission from saq but it was made tunable. Application of the ukraa very low frequency receiver system whitham d. Listen sunday 28th june for saq grimeton vlf long wave. Very low frequency or vlf is the itu designation for radio frequencies rf in the range of 330 khz, corresponding to wavelengths from 100 to 10 km, respectively. A soundcardbased saq vlf receiver johan sm6lkm has made available software to allow you to receive vlf transmissions, such as those by saq, using your pc soundcard. Jan 06, 2015 receiving vlf with pc and software only mile kokotov.