Amateur Radio Weekly – Issue 329

Amateur Radio Weekly

A heavy sad heart
MFJ is ceasing its on-site production.
MFJ Enterprises

A QSL card revival for the 21st century
No printing involved. No mailing involved. No cost involved.
Ham Radio Outside the Box

Making an AllStarLink node with the URC
The following guide covers the steps to modify the Universal Radio Controller (URC) to use in an AllStarLink node.
G1LRO

QRadioLink
A GNU/Linux multimode (analog and digital) SDR (software defined radio) transceiver application using the Internet for radio to VOIP bridging (radio over IP), built on top of GNU radio.
QRadioLink

Radio frequency burns, flying a kite, and you
At half the signal’s wavelength, an antenna that long would capture plenty of energy from the nearby broadcast antenna.
Hackaday

DX-peditions collection
The California Historical Radio Society contributed this collection of DX-pedition material to the Digital Library of Amateur Radio and Communications.
DLARC

Trying a $15 70cm transceiver
Browsing Amazon I noticed a pair of 446MHz transceivers for $30 and I wondered what you get.
Marxy’s Musing on Technology

How to make emoijis in VarAC
Modify the VarAC.ini file.
PE4BAS

Excellent video series on RF amplifier design
A six part video series on how to design an HF 50 watt RF linear amplifier.
SolderSmoke

Video

Introduction to the Remote Radio Unit
Open source full duplex transceiver with RF isolators.
M17 Project

Watch electricity hit a fork in the road at half a billion frames per second
Measuring a wave of electricity traveling down a wire, and answer the question – how does electricity know where to go?
AlphaPhoenix

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Amateur Radio Weekly is curated by Cale Mooth K4HCK. Sign up free to receive ham radio's most relevant news, projects, technology and events by e-mail each week at http://www.hamweekly.com.

What CW recipe do you want to learn….part one?

 


 Yes, you read it correctly......within the world of CW there are recipes that one finds they are following but before you follow a recipe you have to learn the ingredients for that recipe. The CW recipes that I am aware of are POTA including the other variations, conversational CW, DXpedition hunting and contesting. Most who want to learn CW do so with a particular interest in mind. Every recipe involves ingredients and each of the above CW recipes involves certain recipe ingredients that one needs to learn and get better and better at. So in part 1 let's begin with the one I am most familiar with....contesting. This was the main reason I wanted to learn CW. 

If you are interested in contesting then what are the ingredients for CW contesting.... Letters, numbers, speed and accuracy. How serious you want to get will determine such areas as speed but letters, numbers and accuracy will always be a mainstay in the recipe. Once you have the letters and numbers down you are then good to go for call sign and number string practice. There are many call sign and number practice programs on the internet. There is LWCO, Morse Code World, Morse Code Ninja and then there are programs as well such as Morse Runner, G4FON contest and RUFZxp contest programs to name a few. Best of all there is the real deal and that is getting on the air and operating contests. Start out doing search and pouncing call signs in a contest. Avoid call sign spotting programs as these do not exercise recall, retention and eventually instant recognition. As you continue to practice you will find with some letters and numbers that instant recognition is happening.

 There is a rhythm to CW contesting and you will find like all of us you will get used to the rhythm.....how do I know this you ask? Well in a contest when a station goes off script you can get lost. For example, you get asked to QSY to 14.023 or PSE UR CALL AGN not to worry as I have read even the seasoned contesters get thrown off now and then. In contesting you will only have to instantly recognize a few phrases. Such as NR?, TU, and AGN? (sometimes with or without "?") and that is about it. 

There are some things if you choose you don't have to worry about in contesting. Because contesting programs such as N1MM+ do everything for you. Sending manual code is optional as macros within N1MM+ look after everything. You won't have to worry about recognizing common QSO words and phrases. 

So what will contesting do for you......your code accuracy will improve, your speed will improve and instant recognition will happen. Also when you dip your toes in the big boy pool and call "CQ TEST" you will have the joy of multiple stations coming back to you. The brain is an amazing thing and I can attest to the fact that when you practice (using the above-named contest programs) multiple stations come back to you in time your brain will pull out one station. You may or may not get the complete call but you will have something to go back to them with. 

In closing the recipe of CW contesting can include as many ingredients as you like. As you master one you can add another and so on. Not all like contesting and that is why in CW there are other recipes one can follow. Next time we are going to look at the CW conversational recipe. As a side note to have access to the G4FON program you need to join the Long Island CW club or LICW. I am a member and its an amazing group. Check out the link and see what they are all about.


Mike Weir, VE9KK, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from New Brunswick, Canada. Contact him at [email protected].

LHS Episode #541: We’re on the Level

Hello and welcome to the 541st episode of Linux in the Ham Shack. In this short topics episode, the hosts discuss Ubuntu 24.04, the New England QSO Party, the GNU Radio Conference, alternatives to popular AI paradigms, systemd, FreeDV and much more. Thanks for listening and have a great week.

73 de The LHS Crew


Russ Woodman, K5TUX, co-hosts the Linux in the Ham Shack podcast which is available for download in both MP3 and OGG audio format. Contact him at [email protected].

ICQ Podcast Episode 428 – ICQPodcast Live

In this episode, we join Martin Butler M1MRB, Dan Romanchik KB6NU, Caryn Eve Murray KD2GUT and Edmund Spicer M0MNG  to discuss the latest Amateur / Ham Radio news. Colin Butler (M6BOY) rounds up the news in brief and the episode's feature is ICQPodcast Live session

We would like to thank Pete Leng (ZL4TE) and our monthly and annual subscription donors for keeping the podcast advert free. To donate, please visit - http://www.icqpodcast.com/donate

  • Amateur Radio Saves Family in Death Valley National Park
  • NASA confirms ISS debris hit Florida home
  • Programs for Disabled Amateurs marks 57 Years
  • ESRG March 2024 Key Messages
  • Hytera Communications Banned from Worldwide Sale of 2-Way Radios
  • Ham’s Efforts Help Shed Light on Solar Eclipse
  • Ohio NVIS Day 2024
  • Club Grant Program to Return
  • Radio Communications Foundation Recruiting New Trustees

Colin Butler, M6BOY, is the host of the ICQ Podcast, a weekly radio show about Amateur Radio. Contact him at [email protected].

Amateur Radio Weekly – Issue 328

Amateur Radio Weekly

April 8, 2024 Solar Eclipse QSO Party first results
Over 52.7 million radio communications were observed over the continental United States.
HamSCI

The solar eclipse shifted time signals in the USA
On April 8, 2024, the frequency of WWV shifted.
spaceweather.com

We need better, more flexible user interfaces
Poorly documented user interfaces are a stumbling block to new Amateur Radio Operators.
Zero Retries

The art of articulation
The IC-705 has a two channel parametric equaliser built into the radio.
M0AWS

N1BSD: My Path to Amateur Extra as a DL Ham
The CEPT agreement only applies if you are there in person.
DK1MI

Getting started with HF digital modes (without breaking the bank)
What follows is a QRP digital modes kit that I’ve experimented with over the last year.
QRPer

This Apollo-era antenna still talks to Voyager 2
DSS-43 is the only antenna that can communicate with the probe.
IEEE Spectrum

AM radio gets House hearing
Draft Legislation to Preserve Americans’ Access to AM Radio.
RadioWorld

Going the extra mile
The Radio Operators who connect all 26.2 miles of the Boston Marathon.
The Huntington News

Amateur Radio saves family in Death Valley National Park
Without access to a cell network, the Ham called for help on the 10-meter band.
ARRL

Video

CW without Morse Code
T9 method for continuous wave communication. Easier than learning Morse Code.
Ham Radio University

Paperclip CW paddles
Demonstrating my paddles made from three jumbo paperclips, a block of wood, a 3.5mm stereo patch cable and four screws.
N1JI

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Amateur Radio Weekly is curated by Cale Mooth K4HCK. Sign up free to receive ham radio's most relevant news, projects, technology and events by e-mail each week at http://www.hamweekly.com.

LHS Episode #540: LHS Ubuntu 24.04 Deep Dive

Hello and welcome to the 540th installment of Linux in the Ham Shack. In this episode, the hosts discuss the future release of the Linux in the Ham Shack version of Ubuntu 24.04. With the imminent release of the latest Ubuntu LTS, LHS is updating its re-spin in two versions: Gnome and XFCE. We discuss what's included and what's to come and the hopes to have it released for Hamvention in a month. Thanks for listening and have a great week.

73 de The LHS Crew


Russ Woodman, K5TUX, co-hosts the Linux in the Ham Shack podcast which is available for download in both MP3 and OGG audio format. Contact him at [email protected].

Common Ham Shack Radio Configurations

Amateur radio transceivers have improved dramatically over the decades and they pack a lot of capability into relatively compact radios. In this post, we will take a look at the typical configurations and how they may impact setting up a flexible amateur radio station today. This discussion is focused on currently available new gear, with 50 to 100 watts of RF power.

The Kenwood TS-430S was a popular HF transceiver in the 1980s.

The most common HF radio configuration used to be a 5-band model that offered CW, AM, and SSB on 80 meters, 40 meters, 20 meters, 15 meters, and 10 meters. In the early 1980s, the WARC bands were added (named for the World Administrative Radio Conference of 1979) that authorized these new bands. The WARC bands are 30 meters, 17 meters, and 12 meters. These attractive new bands were soon added to the standard HF rig.  Most HF radios include 160 meters (actually a Medium Frequency or MF band) on the low end and a general coverage receiver for 150 kHz to 30 MHz. So these days, the typical HF transceiver handles 9 bands and many different modes. (Actually, most of these rigs now include 6 meters, more on that later.)

Dominant Design

In the world of product development, the concept of a dominant design often emerges. This generally accepted approach dominates a particular market and is considered the standard way of doing things in a particular product category.

From Wikipedia:

Dominant design is a technology management concept introduced by James M. Utterback and William J. Abernathy in 1975, identifying key technological features that become a de facto standard. A dominant design is the one that wins the allegiance of the marketplace, the one to which competitors and innovators must adhere if they hope to command significant market following.

We will see that most ham radio gear conforms to the concept of a dominant design. That is, certain product configurations become standard, especially in terms of frequency bands and modes. Manufacturers still innovate by adding new features in an attempt to differentiate and obtain competitive advantage but the basic capabilities are standard. The dominant design for HF transceivers is the 100-watt radio that covers 160m through 6m.

VHF/UHF Radios

For VHF/UHF, the situation is a bit more scattered. 2-meter FM is the most popular band and back in the olden days, it was common to just have a single-band 2m FM rig in the shack. To cover 70 cm FM, a radio ham needed a second radio but later dual-band radios showed up that covered 2m and 70 cm. Today, the dominant design for VHF/UHF is the dual-band FM transceiver (typically 50 watts of output power) and there are so many of these available I won’t attempt to list them.

The IC-2730A is a basic 2m and 70cm transceiver with dual receivers.

VHF FM is the utility mode for amateur radio and many hams are just fine using FM (or one of the digital voice modes) on VHF/UHF. Those who want to stretch the limits of VHF/UHF operating usually go for all-mode rigs that offer CW, SSB, FM and various WSJT digital modes. Again, back in the olden days, a VHF+ enthusiast would acquire single-band all-mode radios for the bands of interest. A ham really into VHF/UHF might have single-band radios for 6m, 2m, 1.25m, and 70 cm stacked up in the ham shack. The 1.25-meter band has always been a bit neglected in terms of equipment availability because that band is not available worldwide. Transverters are another option to get all-mode capability on these bands using an HF transceiver to transvert to a single VHF or UHF band.

HF Plus 6 Meters

One important addition to the standard HF rig is that the 6m band is often included. Now this may not sound quite right because we all know that 6 meters is a VHF band, so what is it doing in an HF radio? It actually makes a lot of sense because a lot of 6-meter operating is similar to HF. (6 meters is the VHF band that often emulates HF.) There is FM activity on 6 meters but most of the action is on SSB, CW, and, yes, FT8. In fact, FT8 is seeing a lot of action on the band, so if you want to participate on 6m, you should consider that mode. Anyway, this all means you probably need an all-mode radio for 6 meters, and having it as a bonus band on an HF radio without a huge increase in cost is a good approach. (These radios usually support FM for the 10m and 6m bands.)

The IC-7300 transceiver covers all the HF bands and 6 meters (50 MHz).

All-Band All-Mode Rigs

Another common transceiver configuration is the All-Band All-Mode radio available from several manufacturers. A great example of this type of radio is the Yaesu FT-991A, which includes 160m through 10m plus 6m, 2m, and 70cm. Once again, 1.25m is passed over. This radio configuration has a lot of appeal because it covers pretty much everything with all-mode capability. (It also has a built-in sound card and USB connection which is handy for the WSJT digital modes.)

The Yaesu FT-991A covers 160m through 10m, plus 6m, 2m and 70cm.

The FT-991A is a good choice for the ham shack or operating portable but it is a bit large for a mobile installation. Icom offers the IC-7100 in a mobile form factor, with a novel sloping detachable front panel. Yaesu used to offer mobile products in this space such as the very popular FT-857D transceiver. However, the FT-857D is no longer made and its apparent replacement is the FT-981 which has only the HF + 6m bands.

The Icom IC-7100 is a mobile rig with HF, 6m, 2m, and 70 cm.

The main disadvantage of this type of radio is that it can only do one frequency at a time. Often, I want to be able to work HF while still monitoring the local 2m FM repeater and simplex channels. Or maybe I’d like to keep listening for 6 meter activity while working 2m SSB, especially during a contest. However, this type of radio is my first choice for portable operating for Parks On The Air because it covers all the bands and modes. This article is focused on 100-watt radios but note that there are all-mode all-band QRP radios such as the IC-705.

All Mode VHF/UHF Radios

One interesting and disappointing trend that has emerged is the distinct lack of VHF/UHF all-mode transceivers. There is only one such radio on the market today, the Icom IC-9700 which does all modes on 2m, 70cm, and 23 cm (1.2 GHz). It seems that Icom decided that if they are going to offer a VHF/UHF radio, they would go full-featured and include 23 cm. Note that if you pair this radio with an HF plus 6m radio, you can cover all the popular bands with all modes using two radios. This radio is not inexpensive, currently selling new for about $1800.

The Icom IC-9700 is a VHF/UHF transceiver that offers all modes on 2m, 70cm and 23cm.

I suppose we can declare this the dominant design for VHF/UHF but it is a lone product in this space. I have written previously about an all-mode dual-band portable radio for 2m/70cm that I desire. I own an IC-9700 and like it a lot but I would give up the 23 cm band to have a radio that is more portable and less expensive. I suspect that Icom is happily making good profit margins on the IC-9700 given that they have essentially no competition in this space. Yaesu has the technology to do something here but has been content to let the FT-991A cover the all-mode 2m/70cm space for them.

Common Ham Shack Setups

Now let’s take a look at some common ham shack configurations that consider these different radio configurations. When I say “ham shack” that may include your mobile or portable station, too.

Setup 1: FM VHF/UHF Only A Technician might decide they want to focus on 2m and 70cm, with FM being just fine for working simplex and repeaters on those bands. A basic dual-band FM transceiver will handle this nicely, see A VHF FM Station at Home. For some hams, their dual-band handheld radio serves this purpose.

Setup 2: All-Band All-Mode Transceiver As mentioned earlier, All-Band All-Mode radios cover the most popular ham bands and modes with one rig. They are a good way to get one radio that does everything. The disadvantage is not being able to monitor VHF/UHF at the same time as working HF.

Setup 3: HF/6m radio plus 2m/70cm FM radio This is a very common configuration for a ham shack because it separates the HF bands (and 6m) from the 2m/70cm FM operating. The FM rig can be left monitoring your favorite repeater or simplex frequency while you chase DX on 15 meters. If your 2m/70cm needs are basic, the FM radio might even be a handheld transceiver.

Setup 4: HF/6m radio plus all-mode VHF/UHF radio This is the setup for the ham that wants to cover all the bands and be able to do all modes on VHF/UHF. The band/mode coverage is similar to Setup 2 but we have two radios available which provides the monitoring flexibility associated with Setup 3. This configuration allows for having a really good HF/6m radio and a really good VHF/UHF radio.

Conclusions

The ham radio transceivers being offered tend to follow certain patterns consistent with the dominant design theory. If you buy a modern HF transceiver, you will get all of the HF bands plus the 6m bonus band. These radios vary in features and performance but they all have good band/mode coverage. The VHF/UHF situation is perhaps not quite as simple. The standard 2m/70cm FM rig is a popular option but is limited to FM only. The VHF/UHF weak-signal enthusiast does not have many choices beyond the IC-9700, which may represent an opportunity for another manufacturer to jump in with a more cost-effective 2m/70cm all-mode radio. The 1.25m band continues to be neglected and may be a good additional band to add to 2m/70cm radios.

That’s my analysis. What do you think?

73 Bob K0NR

The post Common Ham Shack Radio Configurations appeared first on The KØNR Radio Site.


Bob Witte, KØNR, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Colorado, USA. Contact him at [email protected].

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