AmateurRadio.com

Most modern tranceivers can be controlled by computer, I don’t have to tell that. But the majority of them are using serial ports for control, and most modern computers don’t have those ports anymore. That’s were most radioamateurs have a problem, they buy a unknown brand of USB to serial converter from which drivers are already obsolete and don’t work on Windows Vista or Windows 7. The consequence is lock-ups and irritation, then the endless search for non existing drivers begins.  At the end of all this many radioamateurs give up hope to ever get their radio connected to the computer. Though it doesn’t have to be that difficult if you choose the right converter or modem. Following my own experience and many others the best are those who have the FTDI chipset on board. They will install flawlessy and are very stable. Now since I needed to install my ZLP electronics modem again because of a computer crash I had the opportunity to make a small video. Unfortenately for the english readers I have a Dutch Windows Vista version so I guess it is worthless for international readers. Anyway, the ZLP has a FTDI chipset inside and it is like advertised plug&play. I hope to encourage people to try again to control you transceiver by computer. This gives you many opportunities to do all kind of things which you normal do by pushing knobs on the radio. Think about the DX cluster, you see a call that you like to hear or work and one click on the call gets you on the right frequency. You have unlimited space for storing all  kind of frequencies and click once you’re there. You can scan all those stored frequencies or just scan part of a band or several frequencies on all kind of bands. Radio control by computer is a thing you really need when contesting. Even the newest WSPR version with frequency hopping makes use of it. And there are so many other things you can do with it. I like to control my Yaesu FT817 with it as it is famous for it’s extended menus, on screen everything is clarified and much easier to control. Best program to use is Ham Radio deLuxe, but there are others less populair as well. Most contest software is working with it. Good luck with controlling your transceiver!

USB to serial converter install video (Dutch)

Just kidding!

It has always been a dream to power everything in my shack with sunlight. Unfortenately solar panels and batteries are too expensive at the moment and you would only do such a thing when no other power source is available, like in the new shack from fellow blogger VK2TPM Peter. A good inspirator is VK5SW Rob, he has his solar powered station in the Australian bushbush. But for the average hobby radioamateur his equipment is too expensive I think, look at the size of the batteries! Those are very expensive for shure. In a previous post I wrote I bought a cheap 1,8W solar panel. It’s not sufficient to charge the 7Ah battery actually, it’s just topping it when you’re not using it. If I would have my antenna tuner connected all the time the battery will be below the 12,4V that it needs as minimum supply within 2 hours or so. I measured the current that the tuner takes when just connected and it’s 430mA. That would be P=U*I > 12,4*0,43=5,3W you see that I need a panel that is much larger. As I want to supply the W5OLF TX as well with solar in the future I even need some more power and a bigger battery. I found a nice package including regulator at this german shop, it’s reasonable priced and delivers 30W at a sunny day. Together with a 45Ah car battery I think that will do. They also got all kind of other handy things to connect to your solar installation. Like a fluorescent lamps – potential transformer, a idea for the new shack, imagine free solar powered light in your shack. I like that idea. Unfortenately if you look at the costs of all these nice gadgets you better switch on your light from the mains, till now it will save you money. I think to power my future shack with sunlight the solarpanels need to be a lot cheaper. 

It was balloon foxhunt day today. A yearly event I always try to participate in you can find some more information on http://www.ballonvossenjacht.nl. I always try to improve my station to connect via the balloon transponder. And as always try to get my call into the logbook on 80m. Well, the propagation was very low today on 80m I could hardly copy PI4VRZ/A who was this time on USB instead of the normal LSB. But I finally managed to get my call into the log. I wanted to improve a little since last year so I removed the rotor from below my vertical and placed it on a tripod with on top horizontally my dual band Maspro beam with about 5 degrees elevation. Overall I noriced about 3dB improvement in favor of the Maspro beam. Not bad considering it was on about 4 Mtr above ground behind the house and the vertical nearly 6 Mtr above ground with free sight to the south. Last year I recorded a QSO between PD5DP and G4RUL, this year I succeed to make a QSO via the transponder with G4RUL. So I made a improvement for shure. I did use both radios to see the difference between the two antennas instantly. I noticed that all radio equipment was covered by a pile of dust an the Icom gets very old it switched off twice without touching anything and FM output was only there after 30 minutes. But who cares, I’ve been radio active again.

You can find a small video here