AmateurRadio.com

The folks at No Starch Press kindly sent me a copy of John Boxall’s Arduino Workshop. I opened the box with a little reluctance as it was roughly the fifth book on Arduino I’d read and none of them were very useful. I’m not an electrical engineer or computer programmer by trade (and I’m often jealous of the many hams who are who can throw together amazing things off the top of their head).

I’m happy to report that Arduino Workshop was the first book I’ve read that helped me really make sense of the practical applications the Arduino is capable of. I spent last night really thinking about what the difference is between those books, and this one. I came up with the answer. This book is the first one which provides real-life projects that seem to make sense in a broader context. Specifically, using the Arduino to solve a real problem or add depth to more mundane projects.

OK, it’s not the first book I’ve read on the Arduino that uses project examples. The difference is, this is the first book where the examples are something more intriguing than 1) build a LED that blinks, 2) watch it blink a lot, #) Yay, you’re done! If I can’t see applicability, my mind tunes out quickly. It’s OK to build a simple flashing LED as you’re beginning to learn, but it’s certainly not the nadir of all projects.

OK, take a look at the projects in this book. They’re just fun sounding!

• Creating a Blinking LED Wave
• Controlling Traffic (building a working traffic signal — one of my favorite projects!)
• Creating a Single-Cell Battery Tester
• Creating a Quick-Read Thermometer That Blinks the Temperature
• Creating a Temperature History Monitor
• Creating a Temperature Logging Device
• Creating a Keypad-Controlled Lock
• Building and Controlling a Tank Robot
• Creating an Accurate GPS-based Clock
• Building a Remote Control Thermometer
• Creating an Arduino Tweeter
• Building an Arduino Texter

These are only just a few of the projects. The cool part is it really gives you a foundation to build, say, an Arduino project that Tweets the temperature from a remote sensor.  You can see how the jump to Amateur Radio-related applications is not far at all.

Anyway, check out the book if you — like me — have been wanting to explore the Arduino but didn’t know where to start. This book gives you everything you need to go from zero to some pretty amazing projects!

If you’re looking to get started without buying the book, the author has a nice Arduino tutorial section on his website. Also, the publisher provides a sample chapter to see if the book might be for you. The book is available in both a print edition ($29.95) and ebook ($23.95). If you purchase the print edition on their website, you also get the ebook edition at no extra charge. If you haven’t had a chance, check out the official Arduino website. Another good resource is a Yahoo! group called HEAP (Hams Exploring Arduino Programming).

(Editor’s Note: Just got an e-mail from the No Starch Press. They created a coupon code for 30% off the print or ebook edition of Arduino Workshop. Enter ‘RADIO‘ in the coupon box at check-out on their website. Please note that other than receiving the book itself to review, we don’t receive a commission or other compensation.)

So, what are the coolest Amateur Radio-related projects you’ve built with Arduino?  Post in the comments below!

First Impressions:

Very well packed with bubble wrap for shipping. Included is information about X1M from Xiegu Technology but it is in Chinese so does little for the North American Operator. When I took the unit out of the box I was once again  amazed at the size and ruggedness of the build. The green display is easy to read as is all the silk screening on the front and rear covers. The audio from the unit is also very clean and loud for a small unit. The unit is very light for an all band and all mode unit. Preamp works well and unit is very quiet on receive. Menu navigation is easy.

New Version Comments-Read last review for comparison:

1. Coax connection is still an SO-239 connector. Change over to BNC would be an asset.
2. Polarity is now marked and unit comes with barrel connector included.
3. CW delay works wonderful on this unit now with no issues
4. Adjustable cw pitch is an added bonus
5. CW mode will not work if microphone is plugged into the front of the radio
6. Marked KEYER on the back which is nice to see
7. No Power Out or S meter indication on display
8. No adjustable filtering for SSB or CW use.
9. Adjustable cw side tone volume would be nice feature, too loud with headphones on
10. Headphone jack should be on front of unit –BUT NOT  A BIG DEAL
11. Display is clear and bright, not too small and still easy to read
12. CW tone is clear
13. Audio is clear from unit
14. Size of radio makes it very compact for portable use
15. Data jack on back of unit nice feature for digital modes
16. Silk screening is very pleasant to read
17. Case and unit is well built
18. All controls on unit feel good
19. 99 memories
20. General coverage receiver

RIT Button:  When pressed for 2 seconds this will bring you too the SYSTEM MENU display-from here you have 2 options- YES or NO. By pressing the button directly underneath either option will make the choice. If YES is pushed this is what you may see: * indicates default setting when radio received.

1. RCLK Ratio  x6*  x1
2. DDS Clock  032768131*
3. LSB BFO  08988750*
4. USB BFO  09000850*
5. CW BFO  09001380*
6. IF OFFSET  +08999830*
7. KEY MODE  MANUL*  AUTO
8. KEY SPEED  A-KEY-SPEED 060* (adjustable)
9. CW DELAY  1000* (adjustable from 0000-5000)

NOTE: Obviously all radios will have different default settings. Owners should be advised to write these down for future reference.

New items in menu are:

10. CW TONE  800*
11. MUTE  NO*
12. RST SETTING NO*

To make any changes to the menu values push main tuning knob in and if value can be changed you will see 2 arrows on either side of the setting, it then can be changed. Once changed quickly press main tuning button again to exit menu.

When all settings are adjusted-momentarily press and release RED BL/LOCK button- It will then ask if you want to SAVE CHANGES? YES or NO

Press the black button directly under the option you wish to choose. You will then be directed back to the VFO/MEMO setting when all is saved.

Conclusion:

After having given this small radio a good going over into various antennas and testing I have to say that it does what a 5 watt QRP rig should do. It has proven itself on cw for me as I an avid cw operator. Only draw backs on cw are that there is no adjustable cw sidetone volume or any form of cw filtering for the unit. Keeping in mind all the horsepower under the hood I would not expect there to be a whole lot of room left for such a filter. But when tested against other rigs and put on frequency counters this unit is bang on frequency from the factory. I operated the radio on all bands in cw and traces of me calling cq and the frequency were bang on according to The Reverse Beacon Network.

Audio from the internal speaker is great sounding, for a tiny speaker the unit has lots of output. Volume control is also good with full control from minimal output to full output with no gaps or problems in between; some smaller radios are either too low or too high in volume because of the lack of audio control.

A good power source is required if using a wall wart as the audio will get distorted if the power draws too much when turned up and listening.

Here are the current specifications of the radio in receive and transmit: Note volume turned down to low level for these tests, so some very slight increase in current will be there when volume is turned up.

• Receive with backlight off: 413 ma
• Receive with backlight on: 492 ma
• Transmit with backlight off: 1.15 A
• Transmit with backlight on: 1.23 A

These measurements were taken using a dummy load on transmit for a 1:1 swr and the radio showed almost a full 5 watts at 13.6 volts from the power supply.

The radio case is very rugged looking and nicely assembled, the radio does get warm when sitting after being turned on but does not affect the operation of the radio. The green display is nice to look at, a bit small but still able to navigate through it no problem. The buttons on the front appear to be a better quality than the first model that was tested and very easy to push and gain control of the radio with.

The backlight default is ON so if you turn the unit off with the backlight OFF it will come back on when radio is again turned on.

The microphone is small as well. Comments on SSB are that the microphone is very hot or sensitive and the radio can be overdriven if talking too loud or too close to the microphone. I did tests on 40 meters using the dummy load and another radio out in the backyard and was told that the audio was best when the microphone was held at chest level and talking into it. Keep in mind that this is 5 watts on SSB so not a whole lot of RF being sent out like on cw. Both USB and LSB work well on receive and even when shortwave listening it sounds great when tuning an AM station once you get used to it.

The memories are nice if you wish to program your favorite calling frequency or shortwave station. You cannot however use the memories and then tune the vfo from them; you have to go to VFO mode if you want to change frequency as the memories are locked as just that. 2 VFO’s for split operation also make the unit like the big boy toys. The RIT works too but you have to turn the knob slowly, if you tune too quick the RIT will jump some pretty big increments either to the plus or negative side.  This does not appear to be an issue when doing normal tuning on the ham bands in VFO mode.

The Band Pass Filters (BPF) on the traditional ham bands really click into play when you tune into the band, you can hear the noise dissipate almost instantly. Because this radio does have full open transmit one would have to ensure that when using it on the WARC bands or out of band for other purposes that there are no spurious emissions being sent out or harmonics that might cause problems.

CAT control is not possible at this time with HRD as the cables used here for my testing would not allow communication to the radio. Using this radio with HRD would be really cool as it would make this portable unit that much more fun to control from the computer screen. This would make frequency and memory changing a snap.

If used with a small amplifier this little radio would be a powerhouse in the field for portable operations and still allow conservation of power for field use. A small snap on or strap on battery pack the same size as this radio would also make it a winner in the field.

Overall this radio is a big improvement from the first unit I tested and with some small changes I think this radio is going to give the ham market a run for its money. Filtering and adjustable sidetone volume are a few of the things that should be looked at in future revisions, the BNC connector will be an added nice change as well to this radio. As long as QC (Quality Control) and returns and repairs are dealt with in a efficient manner this will keep North American buyers happy as they seem to be the toughest market to please considering many countries still have strict radio regulations and many and much of their ham gear in other parts of the world is still built by the ham.

I give the radio a 4-4.5 rating at this time out of 5 because of the tests that it has gone through. More testing on SSB is required but band conditions have not been good to say the least. Great job all around with this radio and I look forward to the X1M MKII and testing that if it comes out in assembled version.

I might add that many of the builds that come from Asia are difficult for the North American builder because of instructions and language barriers. The other issue is lag time when exchanging parts for many of these builds and not having a supply in North America. Just my .2 cents worth on that one.

(Editor’s Note: A new version of the X1M is going to be available soon from Ed at Import Communications.)

Sterling Coffey, NØSSC

We’re very lucky here at AmateurRadio.com to count as contributors some of the best ham radio bloggers in the world. With the recent demise of Google Reader, I’ve heard from many subscribers about how valuable they find our daily newsletter. Thank you for your kind words and support — without which this site would not be possible.

It’s with great pleasure that I announce our newest regular contributor, Sterling Coffey, NØSSC. In addition to being a full-time college student at the Missouri University of Science and Technology, Sterling serves as ARRL Youth Editor writing the popular [email protected] column. Sterling will bring his youth-focused enthusiasm for ham radio and fantastic writing style. You’ll enjoy his posts!

If you’re on Twitter, make sure to follow him (@n0ssc). Also, check out his YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/sterwing) and posts on Reddit (http://www.reddit.com/user/kawfey).

Welcome aboard, Sterling!

Image © Freeworldmaps.net

The IARU HF Championship took place this weekend. This is the contest where every country has national stations which exchange the abbreviation of the radio amateur society. Therefore it was an opportunity to reflect on what the names of the national societies mean. Many of the names in the IARU list portray the heritage of a hundred years. It is not so strange then that this may make some of them hard to understand and even a bit old-fashioned.

Starting with the ARRL – American Radio Relay League or NRRL (Norwegian …) then this is about a network of stations relaying messages in a country with large distances. This is a bit 1920’s to me. Looking at the ARRL web page it looks as if the the ARRL agrees and really would like to modernize the name to the National Association for Amateur Radio. The Portuguese may already have modernized it a bit by the use of network instead of relay: “Rede dos Emissores Portugueses”  (Network of Portuguese Transmitters), or perhaps it is just because this is the same word as “relay” in Portuguese?

Most societies have “radio amateur” in the name like the German and the French: Deutscher Amateur Radio Club, Union Francaise des Radioamateurs. My knowledge of Spanish is not so good but this one sounds better to me: Union de Radioaficionados Espanoles as “radioaficionados” gives me the impression of “radio fans”, but perhaps it is just another word for “radio amateurs”?

Just like “radio relay” is a bit old-fashioned, the Swiss also have an old name in Union Schweizerischer Kurzwellen-Amateure. It must have been coined before VHF and UHF as Kurzwelle means Shortwave.

A name which sounds more contemporary despite its age is the Radio Society of Great Britain. Many others have similar names, one example is Amateur Radio Society of India.

The word “club” is used by many and seems to emphasize the hobby aspects, e.g. Radio Club Argentino and Český radioklub (Czech Radio Club).

Contesting is in many ways like a sport, at least in the same sense as chess is called a sport today. Examples that use this word are Chinese Radio Sports Association, Belarussian Federation of Radioamateurs and Radiosportsmen, and Mongolian Radio Sports Federation.

The there’s those who value the experimental aspects, like Vereniging voor Experimenteel Radio Onderzoek in Nederland (Society for Experimental Radio Research), Experimenterende Danske Radioamatører (literary Experimenting Danish Radio Amateurs) and Federacion Mexicana de Radio Experimentadores.

A similar technical emphasis is in the word “transmitter”: Irish Radio Transmitters Society, Foreningen Sveriges Sändareamatörer (literary Society of Swedish Transmitter Amateurs) and Österreichischer Versuchssenderverband (literary Austrian Experimental Transmitter Society).

The protection from the royal family exalts the society, but it is something I could only find in Belgium: Royal Union Royale Belge des Amateurs-Emetteurs / Koninklijke Unie van de Belgische Zendamateurs / Königliche Union der Belgischen Funkamateure.

Finally, these are the most serious and ambitious names I could find: Egyptian Radio Amateurs Society for Development, Syrian Scientific Technical Amateur Radio Society, and above all the Wireless Institute of Australia.

Which words should be used in the name of a radio society today? It’s a balance between reflecting a hundred years of history and communicating with contemporary people.

Personally I don’t like to use the word “amateur”. It comes originally from the same root as “amour” and “amore” and thus means someone who loves and is passionate about something. But today it gives the impression of being unprofessional. A contemporary name should also emphasize the experimental side in my view.

Its always difficult to see a computer screen in bright daylight. Here in Florida, there are numerous pavilions with roofs over them and that helps a lot. Something extra is usually needed on a bright sunny day.  I had a pizza today and while I was waiting for it to come out of the oven at the Pizza shop, I asked the cook if I could buy a couple of extra boxes. I told her what they were for and she gladly gave them to me. The $4 tip didn’t hurt that situation I’m sure!

I’ll make the next one look prettier. 

I’m sure that I’m not the first one to come up with this idea. But here is my version of the Pizza Box Sunshade.

The interior of the box is pretty dark. Note the clear packing tape holding the sunshade together.

I did this job by myself, so I didn’t have anyone to hold the box in place while I applied the tape.

Using ordinary paper staples was a mistake, they leave sharp places to stab your fingers with.

Cheap and workable, the Sunshade should last a while. I’ll collect pizza boxes  to keep me supplied.

It took 3 Pizza boxes to make up this sunshade, and it was worth every bite of Pizza! 

I took this photo with a flash to show the interior of the sunshade.

73 de AA1IK

Ernest Gregoire

Right on the Gulf of Mexico, not 50 feet from the water, This is my favorite venue for QRP.

The crosses are a memorial to people that drowned in a freak storm that blew in from the Gulf Of Mexico, unannounced and unanticipated. This is a beautiful spot for ham radio operation, (bug spray required)!

MFJ push up pole is neatly deployed from the 2 inch towing receiver on the back of my truck. This is the first time I tried it out. There is a 30 meter EFHW, End Fed Half Wave antenna attached to the top with a rope and pulley.

Dave, K4DFG and I operated QRP from this park today. He worked 20 meters. I worked 30 meters. Both of us use the PAR EFHW, antennas. They are very easy to put up and take down.

Kx3 for a radio, and a computer for logging and transmitting CW,

I worked a guy in OK who was also QRP and very glad to be working QRP and is back on the air after a long lay off. We hit it pretty good here today, they just finished mowing the grass as I set up.

Dave used his FT817 and worked a couple of guys in Texas.

No goats here, sorry! No long hike, just a drive up and plop!

Hiking with all this stuff is unthinkable. But for a drive up and plop style of operating. I take extra parts, batteries , just in case!

Fiberglass electric fence post keeps the terminal end of the EFHW off the ground.

The coax is the ‘other half’ of the antenna. I try to make sure its close to a 1/4 wave long on whatever band I happen to be on.

This seemed unnecessary today on 30 meters, the coax was a bit short of that figure but it worked well anyway.

We had a great time, made a few contacts and enjoyed the beautiful venue.

Air boats haunt this very shallow cove so its a good idea to have noise cancelling headphones but even then, they are pretty loud. Only one went by today.

72 de AA1IK

Ernest Gregoire

Hanz and I went canoeing on Hermit Lake this morning. We made a QSO with NC while /mm and then we stopped on an island and made a few more… it was all makeshift because I forgot a tuner!

It was 85 degrees on Hermit Lake… hot and humid, but with a nice breeze. We set out about 10:30 with an FT-817, a bit of wire and hopes for a great adventure. That’s when things started going wrong…

As I began to raise the 14 foot fiberglass pole, I broke off the tip and had to rethink my strategy for attaching a wire. I knotted the wire around the tip and pretended everything was fine. I reached for the tuner, only to discover I had left it behind in a last minute gear switch. I thought the adventure was over… but recovered quickly. Oh well… who needs a tuner? We’ll just find the band with the lowest SWR and hope for the best.

After putting up the antenna, I stuffed the wire into the center conductor of the SO239 on the back of the rig. I didn’t even use a counterpoise. I turned the rig on 17 meters and there was K2J, the 13 Colonies Special Event Station from North Carolina, calling CQ with an S9 signal. I called him signing /MM. He came right back to me. Hanz and I grinned from ear to ear. I told the operator I was on a lake in New Hampshire and thanks for the contact! Then I realized I had forgotten to switch on the external battery. I was running with 2 1/2 watts on the internal AAs with no tuner. And all that with a few feet of wire wrapped around a 14 foot pole lashed to the canoe with rubber bands… and no counterpoise. To make things worse, the bands were clearly very poor. Geepers!

We floated around for a while but there wasn’t a lot of activity. At one point we heard KG4TO in Guantanamo Bay. He heard us and tried coming back to the /MM, but he couldn’t quite get our call. We headed for an island to get
out of the wind a bit.

Once there, we decided to land and set up a dipole cut to frequency. We grabbed the gear, and headed up a short but steep hill. At the top was a clearing with some tall trees. We heaved a wire over a branch and pulled up 33 feet of wire and laid a counterpoise over the tops of some bushes, and listened around. 20 meters sounded like the best bet. We had to shorten the wires a bit to lower the SWR, but quickly made contact with Paul, KW7D in NM. Paul gave me a 579 and we were thrilled. Hanz took the key.

Hanz worked K2G, the 13 Colonies station in Georgia. Tim gave us a 599. We figured we’d beaten the odds of an outing with no tuner and called it quits.