Last week, using Total Recorder, I made recordings every night. I recorded from 2:55 am - 3:05 am, 3:55 am - 4:05 am. Last night I added 4:55 am - 5:05 am. All times local EST. Each night, I put the radio on a different frequency and just left computer and radio on all night. The frequencies used were: 1630, 1700, 1650, 1610 and 1590. A couple of nights were productive. Most notably WRDW on 1630 which I had not heard before - though I logged them many years ago on 1480 I believe.
I got the idea for doing this from this discussion group. Sure beats the way I accomplished unattended recording years ago which entailed plugging my receiver and reel-to-reel recorder into an analog timer.
A problem I have using the computer is that the CRT generates RFI. The computer generates alittle RFI but not as much as the CRT. I'm hoping to switch to a flat LCD display which I would hope generates little or no RFI. One thing that helps using my current setup (computer/crt) is that the CRT goes "to sleep" after a number of minutes.
The other thing I'd like to do differently is program the R8B to switch to another frequency (which it will do using the timer) so I can record at least one more frequency unattended.
I use a program called Chronograph to keep the computer's clock on correct time which is necessary in order to keep Total Recorder starting and stopping when I schedule it to.
Now that I am older and can't stay up all night like I used to, the method described above is very helpful to me.
I have been keeping the recordings and will probably archive them all to a cd when I have more than I care to store on my hard drive. Nice thing is Total Recorder names them using the following format: TR20040222_050500.wav which indicates year, month, day, hour, minute and second. I rename the file adding frequency to the end for TR20040222_050500_1630khz.wav which tells me every thing I need to know to place the file.
Jim Nall
Louisville, KY
N4FXC
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