Author Archive
Amateur Radio Weekly – Issue 186
FCC penalizes marketer of Ham-band drone
The FCC has imposed a $180,000 civil penalty on a Sarasota, Florida, company that had been marketing noncompliant audio-visual transmitters intended for use on drones in violation of the Commission’s Amateur Service and marketing rules.
ARRL
Building a QRP Field Day Station
It helps to test the station set up in advance. The hub of my station is the Elecraft KX3 transceiver. A new addition is the Elecraft PX3 spectrum scope. Now add a computer and logging software, and you have a few things to integrate.
N4KGL
Homebrew LF Antenna
The main loop is made of 35 turns of enameled copper wire of 0.35mm diameter.
galvanix
Time warp: Simulated Novice FCC Morse Code exam
Novice Morse proficiency exam practice.
HamRadioQRP
Using a mixing console in the shack
If you have a few receivers kicking around in your radio shack, this is one way to hook them all together and send their audio on to your favourite monitoring speakers.
The SWLing Post
One of oldest U.S. radio stations to go dark
Unofficial accounts indicate that KQV started out as “special amateur station” 8ZAE, to be used by the Doubleday-Hill Electric Company primarily for two-way communication.
ARRL
Build a Nixie Tube power supply
I finally received a batch of 1n-14 nixie tubes that I purchased from ebay for a future clock project. The tubes need a power supply that can supply 170 volts DC, which I didn’t have, so I built one.
awsh.org
Is Amateur Radio still relevant?
For over half a century, the BBC has had its own amateur radio group. Now, after several years of planning, the group’s latest home has just opened in BBC Broadcasting House in London, UK.
BBC World Service
Why bother getting an Amateur Radio License?
The Federal Communications Commission provided US citizens with an amazing opportunity to experiment with and develop innovative technology when creating Part 97.
AmateurRadio.com
Video
Xiegu X108G HF Transceiver review and on-air test
This little gem is pretty awesome. An HF radio that covers 1.8-30mhz with USB PC rig control through Ham Radio Deluxe and other software.
HamRadioConcepts
Ethernet powered tower light
YouTube
Amateur Radio Weekly – Issue 185
Millennials are reinventing Ham Radio
We have taken on the optimistic view that we can reinvent amateur radio.
FaradayRF
New: µBITX
µBITX works from 3 MHz to 30 MHz, with up to 10 watts on SSB and CW with a very sensitive receiver.
HF Signals
Logbook of the World to add support for CQ WAZ Award
Participants in CQ magazine’s Worked All Zones (WAZ) award program will soon be able to use the Logbook of the World (LoTW) system
ARRL
CQ White Paper on ARRL secrecy and censure
The ARRL’s recent actions regarding board elections, the code of conduct for board members and the public censure of a sitting director have prompted concern.
CQ Magazine
City’s Radio Shack one of the last still in business
Ham radio makes up about 30 percent of the business’s trade and, as the only such outlet in the region, draws customers from a variety of places.
Derby Informer
3D printed Anderson Powerpole adapter for FT-817
DL2YMR
FM satellites: Good operating practices
While working stations through an FM satellite is fairly easy, there are some operating practices that all operators should follow.
AMSAT
AM stereo stations in the U.S.
We salute and honor the following stations that choose to broadcast C-QuAM®™ AM stereo.
meduci.com
Review: Uputronics wideband preamp
Unit is massive, built like a tank (same case as all other Uputronics preamps), SMA female ports with nut and washer properly labeled.
Radio For Everyone
Video
6 Meter/50 MHz Magnetic Loop
Here is an all aluminum CNC machined simple to build and tune 6 meter magnetic loop antenna.
HamRadioConcepts
The good and the bad with AO-91
What’s right and what went a little wrong with AO-91. She hears very well, but she had a heck of a time learning to talk.
AMSAT
Amateur Radio Weekly – Issue 184
This weekend: ARRL 10 meter contest
The objective is for Amateurs worldwide to exchange QSO information with as many stations as possible on the 10 meter band.
ARRL
WSPR Beacon Rocket is launched into near space
I launched a WSPRLite beacon on my hobby rocket at the Dec 2nd rocket launch in Samson, Alabama.
N4KGL
Review: RTL-SDR Blog Multipurpose Dipole Antenna Kit
Four antennas, two mounts, one antenna holder with cable and one more extension cable. Costs $10 on its own.
Radio for Everyone
10 watt moonbounce success
The contact was made using a Yaesu FT-857 @ 10w into a DG7YBN 70-17m 17 element yagi on a frequency of 432.063MHz
Essex Ham
My love for analog FM
C4FM & DMR Repeaters have popped up all over the nation it seems.
K5ACL
Mic amp
I connected my d104 mic to it and hooked it up to the scope and the scope pattern looks good.
awsh.org
Building a WA5VJB cheap Yagi for satellite work
I took a Baofeng UV-5R and built a WA5VJB cheap Yagi which is also used in AMSAT demos at hamfests.
galvanix
EMP protection for the Radio Amateur
What is an EMP, why should you care, and what to do about them?
Off Grid Ham
Reducing SD card writes with Raspbian
A common concern of those running applications on a Raspberry Pi is SD Card exhaustion.
K2DLS
Morse Chrome
Chrome browser extension for Morse Code
Ham Radio QRP
Video
WSJTX & FT8 the easy way with the Icom 7300
For beginners or people who don’t want the work of integrating JTAlert and/or QSORelay and a logbook. The easiest way to make FT8 contacts.
K0PIR
Pakratt PK64 on the Commodore 64 connected to raspberry pi BPQ
Testing connections to my local BBS and another BBS in the area using my commodore 64 and a PK-64 Pakatt TNC connected to a remote raspberry pi bpq over the packet modem.
YouTube
Amateur Radio Weekly – Issue 183
Slow Scan TV from International Space Station Dec 5-6
The MAI-75 SSTV system in the Russian Service Module will be put through some extended testing.
AMSAT UK
What the heck is the ARRL Board thinking?
In effect, this is a gag order on a director if he disagrees with a Board decision.
KB6NU
KX2 firmware upgrade to increase power output
The latest KX2 field-test firmware allows power output to be set as high as 12 watts.
W2LJ
Success with the new AO-91 FM satellite
I did an AO-91 pass at 2 AM Sunday morning with the Kenwood TH-D72A. It was very different. It sounded crystal clear just like a local repeater.
N4KGL
Using a Baofeng transceiver to work Amateur Radio Satellites
I’m a brand new ham as of October 2017, and I had a really fun experience listening to RadFxSat Fox-1B AO-91 yesterday.
friendlyskies.net
Come join the fun with Olivia on HF
Olivia offers keyboard-to-keyboard chatting for when you want to relax, and maybe make a friend.
amateurradio.com
VHF/UHF FM/DSTAR/DMR mobile installation
The setup includes an ICOM ID-4100 running on FM and D-Star on the VHF band, and a Hytera MD-652 running on FM and DMR on the UHF band.
VA2SS`
Icom IC-R7100 and its clicking noise
Every time the squelch opens or closes, it produces a clicking noise.
EA4EOZ
EMCOMM Go Kit – Power Box
All together the power box weighs just under 31.5 lbs.
High on Solder
UK Amateur Radio license stats
Amateur Radio population in the UK has grown by approximately 10% over the past 5 years.
ARRL
Oldest Ham F8IL, SK
Jean Touzot, F8IL, of Albi, France — said to have been the world’s oldest radio amateur — has died.
ARRL
Video
Failed SOTA Activation
Round trip: 10 miles with a 3,900 elevation change.
KB1HQS
Getting Started with Chameleon F-LOOP 2.0 Magloop Antenna
The Chameleon F-LOOP 2.0 is a modular magnetic loop antenna system, which follows the Lego block philosophy often employed by Chameleon Antenna.
OH8STN
Amateur Radio Weekly – Issue 182
Millennials are killing Ham Radio
Maker Movement, digital modes are killing the hobby.
N0SSC
Is the Internet destroying Amateur Radio?
Although there are plenty of “keep the internet out of amateur radio” folks in the hobby, there are many more that have found clever ways to make use of the internet.
K0NR
FT-8: I’m not really feeling the magic
If you’re one of those guys who wants to make contacts, but doesn’t really want to talk to anyone, then this is the mode for you.
KB6NU
Best digital mode…? Not really
I have yet to download the latest WSJT-X release, as I presently have no need, nor see the need to use FT8.
AmateurRadio.com
AO-91 satellite declared open for Amateur use
AO-91 was built as a partnership with Vanderbilt University featuring the Fox-1 style FM U/v repeater with an uplink on 435.250 MHz (67.0 Hz CTCSS) and a downlink on 145.960 MHz.
AMSAT
NASA On the Air for 2018
Club stations at NASA facilities plan to be on the air with special events to celebrate these milestones and we are offering commemorative QSL cards and a special certificate.
NASA On The Air
Bitcoin and weak frequency signals
Two individuals introduced a project which secures consensus proofs with weak signal radio propagation.
Bitcoin.com
Ignored by telecoms, Detroit residents are building their own Internet
40 percent of Detroit residents don’t have any access to internet at all.
Motherboard
Junker: Unfortunate name for a great key
The Junker D.B.G.M. is one of the finest telegraph keys ever manufactured.
Ham Radio QRP
A photographic tour of Universal Radio’s new location
In October, Universal Radio moved from their large Reynoldsburg, Ohio retail store and warehouse to a smaller retail store and warehouse at 651-B Lakeview Plaza, Worthington, Ohio.
The SWLing Post
Video
Amazon Alexa and Amateur Radio
APRS, DMR, learning CW, and more with Amazon Alexa.
Essex Ham
AO-91 RX via Baofeng
YouTube
Tuning 40m in low noise location
I’ve spent a couple of days at a very low noise location. Here’s me tuning 40m in the afternoon.
YouTube
All WX solar powered Amateur Radio field station
The concept for a rapidly deployable, man-portable field station, came to me after the grid down disaster caused by Hurricane Maria.
OH8STN
Amateur Radio Weekly – Issue 181
The antenna on Rocky Top
The University of Tennessee Amateur Radio club has a set of antennas nestled between the lights at the top of Neyland Stadium in Knoxville. The tower is so high, most of the 102,000+ fans wouldn’t ever notice it. With the lights on, it’s impossible to catch a glimpse.
K4HCK
Portable AllStarLink node
Raspberry Pi 3 + Baofeng BF-888s connecting to a 4G LTE hotspot.
KP4IP
Ham Radio network keeps Capital commuters rolling along
The Capital District Commuter Assistance Network is a group of operators who provide information about travel hazards.
The Record
Thank you for my signal report
Maybe this is a radical idea but for my own operation I will strive to start sending more accurate reports and help the other station truly know how they are being copied.
AA4OO
Building a feedline HF choke
The choke has a resistance of over 1000 ohms on most of the Amateur HF bands, and up to 5000 ohms in the middle bands.
Daniel Estévez
Build an end fed match box
Connected to my end fed inverted L it shows decent SWR on 40 and 20m. My transceiver’s built-in ATU easily matched on both those bands.
marxy’s musing on technology
Video
NVIS event with a fence antenna
I connected to the fence using two alligator clips from the coax, one clipping to the fence and the other clipping to two 33ft radials which ran perpendicular to the fence.
VA3OSO
Antenna made from exterior Christmas lights
W6LG shows the dipole antenna and an instantaneous antenna tuner.
W6LG
USA-135M Cape San Blas lighthouse activation
The Panama City Amateur Radio Club activated USA-135M, the Cape San Blas Lighthouse.
W4RYZ
Rowboat mobile
While on vacation in Maine, I borrow a friends rowboat and go mobile maritime off the coast of Maine. I work a nice pile up and finish the day off with fish and chips.
KB1HQS
Behind the scenes at the Arecibo Radio Telescope
Matt and Tom
Baofeng UV-5R stress test: Receiver and transmitter overload
Open circuit with 5 minutes of RF, short circuit with 5 minutes of RF high power directly on the front end of the receiver.
YouTube
Resin casting tips and tricks
I cover some of the techniques that I use to be efficient when I am resin casting.
resin-casting-tips
Amateur Radio Weekly – Issue 180
The ARRL International Grid Chase
The year-long event hopes to build on the success of the highly successful 2016 National Parks on the Air. The objective is to work stations on any band in as many different Maidenhead grid squares as possible.
ARRL
160m FT8 – The end of an era?
If you follow any of the numerous ham radio-related discussion groups then you know that every once in awhile a thread pops up that triggers some extended and often heated chat.
AmateurRadio.com
Become an APRS Weather Alert Station
noaacap uses the NOAA CAP (Common Alerting) protocol and the Atom feeds published by the National Weather Service. Installation is quick and simple if you have a running aprx system.
K2DLS
Flying with lithium batteries
As I made my way through the security line, the battery was naturally flagged for further inspection. Eventually the security folks cleared it, pending approval from the airline.
WB4RFQ
6m J-Pole antenna
The antenna is manufactured from square aluminium tube, welded and with a perspex spacer at the top of the J.
marxy’s musing on technology
Encounters with the dead
All this has gotten me to thinking about how I’d like my websites to be handled once I become an SK.
KB6NU
FA-VA4 antenna analyzer kit
The case is a brushed aluminum with attention to detail such as counter sunk screws for securing case, the LCD and buttons lined up perfectly and a nice touch was not having stick on rubber feet.
VE3WDM
Build a lightning detector
Basic lightning detector schematic.
AWSH.ORG
The Spirit of Knoxville
The Spirit of Knoxville is a high-altitude balloon project run by amateur scientists and University of Tennessee students, with the ultimate goal of successfully sending an unmanned balloon across the Atlantic Ocean.
Wikipedia
How the integrated circuit came to be
It may surprise you that the microchip that we all know and love today was far from an obvious idea.
Hack A Day
Cape San Blas Florida Lighthouse activation
Saturday, Nov. 11, 1500 UTC to 1900 UTC.
Southgate
Video
First look: New Ailunce HD1 dual band DMR radio
This brand new high power dual band DMR radio made specifically for amateurs is about to be released.
YouTube
DX Monster antenna
Even with the current solar cycle as it is, I am making more DX contacts now than I ever have over 25 years. Part of my luck must be given to the new digital mode called FT8, but I am also of the mind that my antenna is doing a fine job.
Radio Hobbyist













