Archive for the ‘twitter’ Category

CW decoder – Introduction


If you do follow me on twitter (and if you don’t – you really should) you will have no doubt seen my recent tweets about constructing  a CW decoder. After a number of retweets, and favorites from other very interested hams – I did promise that I would collate all my knowledge into a blog posts and share the details with you all.

So, for those who have not been following me on twitter – here is the sales pitch. I recently started looking at some projects that I could get my Arduino Uno involved in with the radio hobby. I have a number of reasons why I want to combine radio, Arduino and some electronics – more about this later.

I stumbled across a video on YouTube where Budd Churchward showed his Arduino copying and decoding CW straight off the HF band and at a reasonably high speed. I ventured further and wanted to know what electronics Budd was using to achieve this excellent little project.

I used the limited shared knowledge and discovered that the electronics is basally a LM567 – Tone decoder chip that (I have since discovered the chip is used in the ARRL book for Arduino Projects) I discovered takes an audio input and converts this to a HIGH / LOW output suitable for the Arduino to use as a signal for decoding.

Finding a suitable project for the LM567 and trying to work out how fellow constructors had configured their LM567s was not an easy task. This did indeed take quite a lot of chasing and head scratching.  I will go into more technical detail on the next post – but for the reason why I wanted to complete this ? very simple. I w
ant to create a project that would “inspire” young electronically minded students that might have an interest in radio – (i.e the morse code) some coding experience and some construction / electronic interest. This project covers all 3 areas, and only lightly covers each subject area.

In the next post – I show the LM567, the schematic and give you the list of parts required.

CW decoder – Introduction


If you do follow me on twitter (and if you don’t – you really should) you will have no doubt seen my recent tweets about constructing  a CW decoder. After a number of retweets, and favorites from other very interested hams – I did promise that I would collate all my knowledge into a blog posts and share the details with you all.

So, for those who have not been following me on twitter – here is the sales pitch. I recently started looking at some projects that I could get my Arduino Uno involved in with the radio hobby. I have a number of reasons why I want to combine radio, Arduino and some electronics – more about this later.

I stumbled across a video on YouTube where Budd Churchward showed his Arduino copying and decoding CW straight off the HF band and at a reasonably high speed. I ventured further and wanted to know what electronics Budd was using to achieve this excellent little project.

I used the limited shared knowledge and discovered that the electronics is basally a LM567 – Tone decoder chip that (I have since discovered the chip is used in the ARRL book for Arduino Projects) I discovered takes an audio input and converts this to a HIGH / LOW output suitable for the Arduino to use as a signal for decoding.

Finding a suitable project for the LM567 and trying to work out how fellow constructors had configured their LM567s was not an easy task. This did indeed take quite a lot of chasing and head scratching.  I will go into more technical detail on the next post – but for the reason why I wanted to complete this ? very simple. I w
ant to create a project that would “inspire” young electronically minded students that might have an interest in radio – (i.e the morse code) some coding experience and some construction / electronic interest. This project covers all 3 areas, and only lightly covers each subject area.

In the next post – I show the LM567, the schematic and give you the list of parts required.

Twitter & Morse

I love twitter. Some years ago I thought it was a load of rubbish, and had no purpose. But actually there is a fantastic community on the social media network, and more importantly a group of like minded Radio Hams are also on their sharing ideas, knowledge and experiences.

Take Dec 23rd for example. A simple thread was started about how we are progressing learning Morse and how we are attempting to up our speed. The conversation naturally came around to what’s best – paddle or straight key, and which particular keys do you own. For some crazy reason I mentioned I would complete a YouTube video of my keys, and share with the other participants of the conversation. Well I’m delighted to see that others have gotten on the band wagon and are sharing their keys and their experiences with them. Have a look at the following. I’ve ordered them in chronological order :


David @G7AGI

Nigel @M0CVO

Patrick @M0ZPK

Im sure a couple more videos may appear here as i originally tagged a few more in the 1st video. But we shall wait and see ! Iain (@M0PCB) also contributed by sharing his list of keys available on his web site https://www.m0pcb.co.uk/?page_id=68 Have aloof - he has supplied a nice description against each key he owns.

Social networking

I noticed today that this blog has now got 150 followers not including those who read it on AmateurRadio.com. I’m amazed and humbled that so many people find what I write worth reading, especially as I am not all that active at the moment. While I wasn’t looking, my other blog One Foot in the Grave passed 50 followers as well. Thanks to all of you for your interest.

These numbers are not as great as the number of followers some of my blogging colleagues have got on Twitter. I’ve resisted joining Twitter, in part because I couldn’t see the point, but also because I don’t need yet another way for people to try stealing my identity. I seem to remember a couple of years back writing something on the lines of “if I start Twittering, send the men in white coats round.”

A few months ago I signed up to Google+ which is nowhere near as popular, but only because I use so many Google services already that one more won’t make a difference plus it uses the same login. But perhaps I should take the plunge and join Twitter.

If you’re a Twitter user, in what ways do you find it useful?

ARRL Forums are Open for Business

I haven’t seen anything on this on Twitter, but every now and again, I like to make sure to check the ARRL’s website for info on what’s going on. It seems that a lot of it seems to not make it to Twitter. Either no one’s retweeting it or I keep missing it on the ARRL’s Twitter.

Screen Shot of the ARRL's New Web Forums

Screen Shot of the ARRL's New Web Forums

The ARRL has opened up a forum on their website back on July 26th. I have only taken a glance at some of the forums that are open, like DXCC and VUCC. There is also a couple of RFI forums as well. I could use that with my mobile radio. But at first look alone, this looks to be a good resource for new as well as veteran hams.

Forums rules are also posted for all to read, and I encourage those of you planning on using the forums to read them. I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m not a fan of coming in to a forum and reading a question from a new ham and seeing a sideways comment aimed at them. I’m reasonably sure no one likes that.

As the forum is brand new, there really isn’t much in there, but I think a few good posts could help that and get more people in there to post. Plus if more people talk about it, that would help greatly. So if you can, retweet the link, or better yet, retweet this story! Yeah, That’s the ticket!

73.

Rich also writes a Tech blog and posts stories every Tuesday and Thursday on Q103, The Rock of Albany’s website, as well as Amateur Radio stories every Monday thru Friday here on AmiZed Studios.

LHS Episode #006

After putting this off some because of the holidays and other obligations, Episode #006 is now hot off the press. This is the second in our two-part series on PSK31. In the first part, we looked at sound cards, rig control interfaces and the basics of getting a PSK31 software package installed on your Linux operating system.

In part two, we take a much closer look at two popular programs for operating PSK31 mode on Linux: gmFSK and fldigi. On top of that, we respond to listener comments and questions, talk about updates to the web site, and explain how you can be involved in the recording of Linux in the HAM Shack by listening to the live feed and interacting with us in the chat room.

Next up in Episode #007: Install episode! We’ll guide you step by step through the entire process of installing Debian or Ubuntu Linux on a machine to use in your HAM shack. If you join us for the live feed, we’ll even be able to answer your questions in real time.

Stay tuned, and please, keep the feedback coming.


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