AmateurRadio.com

One of the things I have long wanted to do in this hobby is build a hand-held transceiver. I tried once back in the 1970s but the receiver didn’t work and the project eventually ended up in the garbage. Many months ago while browsing Roger G3XBM’s website I came across an old project of his called the Fredbox, a small, low-power hand-held 2m transceiver. This rekindled my desire to try to make my own VHF handy transceiver so I started the process of accumulating the parts that would be needed to make my own Fredbox.

However there were two problems. Roger designed the Fredbox as an AM (amplitude modulation) transceiver, a mode that was probably still in common use back in the 1970s when he first made it. Here, the only chance of making a contact with such a radio is if it transmits on 145.500 in FM mode, so I would have to modify the transmitter to produce FM instead of AM.

The other problem is that the Fredbox transmitter is crystal controlled. The days when suppliers advertised crystals for popular FM frequencies in RadCom at reasonable cost have gone, along with the crystal controlled transceivers that used them. I didn’t know where to obtain the crystal I would need but hoped that someone might have crystals from an old 2m radio that they wanted to get rid of.

My luck seemed to be in when, a couple of months ago, someone started selling batches of 2m crystals from old Japanese radios on eBay. I bid for and obtained three batches containing crystals for 145.450, 145.500 and 145.550MHz. I don’t know what radios these crystals were originally for or what oscillator circuit they were used in but by using the XBM80 as a test oscillator it appeared that most of the transmit crystals oscillated at around 12.1MHz.

I tried breadboarding the first oscillator stage of Roger’s Fredbox circuit in order to experiment with ways of FM-ing the signal but the crystal did not seem to be oscillating. I did some searching for other 2m FM transmitter circuits in the hope of getting some inspiration and came across one using an MC2833P IC – a complete FM transmitter on a chip. This seemed like the ideal solution, especially as the crystal used to get 144MHz output was 12MHz just like the crystals I had. Unfortunately I couldn’t find a supplier of this chip until on a whim I typed the part number into eBay. There was someone selling one chip! I ordered it and it arrived in the post this morning.

I built up the circuit from the application note on my breadboard (as you can see in the photo) but to my dismay I could not detect any signal when using any of my 2m TX crystals. It was very disheartening. I didn’t know if the chip was dead, whether I’d blown it by accidentally shorting together wires from components on the breadboard, or whether it was just a very fussy circuit. I experimented with different components and coils and got nowhere. I was just going for lunch when I had the idea to try one of my QRP CW frequency crystals. I had one for 10.106MHz and another for 14.060MHz. With both of those crystals I could detect not just a strong carrier on the fundamental frequency but also plenty of output in the 140MHz region. The chip is working, the problem is my eBay crystals!

The question is, what to do now? I guess the crystals I bought, being probably 35 years old, have deteriorated with age and are reluctant to oscillate. It appears that the only way to proceed with the project is to get a brand new 12.125MHz crystal custom made, if possible.

Due to having been banned from using the software I have not been keeping up with what is going on in the development of the ROS digital mode. However there have been a few interesting postings about it. In the digitalradio Yahoo group Skip KH6TY has posted the results of some tests conducted with ROS on 432MHz which appear to show that it suffers badly from the effect of doppler shift and flutter experienced at those frequencies, failing to decode over paths where Olivia was successful and even SSB was readable.

This has prompted a rebuttal from the ROS author, which however seems to overlook the problem of doppler distortion encountered by Skip. He has posted a series of comparisons between ROS 2250/8 and Olivia 32/1000 which purport to show that ROS holds up while Olivia prints garbage. He concludes: “The difference between both systems is about 5dbs (3.16 in natural units). This means that ROS8 need 3.16 times less power than OLIVIA 32/1000 to establish a QSO to 150 characters/minute.”

Assuming that this is true, I nevertheless feel that a tradeoff of bandwidth for power or speed is inappropriate in the context of the narrow HF band allocations for digital modes. Most amateur QSOs do not need to go at 150 characters/minute (most people can’t type that fast). On the other hand the 2250Hz wide ROS transmission blocks three channels that could be used for Olivia 32/1000, and even more channels that could be used for a narrower mode. The use of 2250Hz ROS effectively limits the number of people who can simultaneously hold a digital QSO.

Even if it is true that Olivia needs 3 times the power than ROS to get through, Olivia is still a better choice of mode in the real world, because it is easier to increase the power 3 times or to switch to a slower mode than to find extra space within the HF allocations to accommodate the use of such a wide mode.

ROS would be less of a problem if people used it only in circumstances where it would not be possible to communicate using a narrower mode. Unfortunately that discipline does not exist among today’s radio amateurs. People are using ROS to make contacts with others whose signals are strong enough that 30Hz wide PSK31 could be used. This is just selfish, and it is the reason why I feel that such a wide digital mode should not be permitted on HF at all.

I removed my Rip Curl 4×3 wetsuit from storage and discovered some serious funk growth since my last session. My sabbatical from surfing was more of a sabbatical from physical fitness in general. I was seriously burnt out from my military years in the Air Force however something happened between then and now.

It’s called middle age and those calories do not burn away like those invincible years of youth. My waist line has grown substantially since the days of the battle dress uniform. Likewise, I have things to consider like blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and relaxation.

I have surfed up and down the central coast of California although age brings on a different perspective. The urge to chase big waves has since retired itself instead I’m looking for the soulful, don’t harsh my mellow, surfing experience. Relaxation out in the ocean searching for the perfect Old Man wave is the goal.

I’m introducing GroundWave with further copy to follow at Jeff, K1NSS’s DashToons as well.

I want to promote in addition to ham radio, a healthy lifestyle, and surfing is a perfect fit at achieving this goal. Afterall, blogging is a personal journal, one that is shared with a community of friends. I hope you will enjoy the life and times of a middle aged surfer who happens to love ham radio.

Surf to live, live to surf.

P.S. The serious funky mold was cleaned from the wetsuit including my rash guard and booties as seen in photograph number two.

Back in December I wrote that the RSGB had set up a Spectrum Defence Fund to enable radio amateurs to contribute towards the cost of a legal challenge to the UK spectrum management authority’s failure to take action over the interference caused by power line networking devices. Pleased to see some positive action being taken I made a donation and also posted links on my blog and website to encourage others to do the same.

Today I noticed, at the end of the RSGB Annual Report, the statement that “following advice from the Society’s solicitors … it was decided not to proceed at this time with any legal action.” So the RSGB has given up the fight and I have removed the links to the Spectrum Defence Fund from my website so that no-one else wastes any money on it.

Although PLT devices are a killer for any radio amateur unfortunate enough to live next door to one, it is clear from the noise at my own station and the comments I received from others with a similar problem that PLT is just the thick end of the wedge. A far greater number of short wave enthusiasts are having their enjoyment of HF ruined because of rising noise levels from a multiplicity of devices that individually would not be particularly intrusive. Whilst it is possible to track down and do something about a PLT installation, eliminating the noise that most of us in urban areas now experience from all directions would require the willingness of all neighbours to co-operate with finding the interference-generating devices and agreeing to replace them. This isn’t likely to happen. I fear the battle to keep the short wave bands free of interference is over and ham radio is a lost cause.

The only place to enjoy HF radio nowadays is out in the country, which unless you happen to live there means operating portable or mobile. The question is whether only being able to operate portable or mobile is enough to maintain most people’s enthusiasm? Although I recently enjoyed operating from my car on a couple of fine afternoons, it is no substitute for being able to go into the shack on a wet day or a winter evening and have a tune around and make a few contacts. I find I am turning on my K3 less and less often these days and when I do I often turn it off again soon afterwards without making any QSOs.

Will ham radio will still exist in ten years’ time? Many former short wave and FM radio stations now broadcast over the internet rather than the airwaves and I suspect that an increasing number of ham radio operators will end up doing the same. They will get worn down by the losing battle against electrical noise and antenna restrictions and be forced to swallow their objections and switch to online “virtual ionospheres” like QSONet and HamSphere (shown above) where there is no QRN. You only need to visit the HamSphere site to see the number of amateur license holders that have taken this step already.

The RSGB’s apparent acceptance that it can’t fight even a clear case of interference to short waves is clear evidence that this is a war we can’t win. Final surrender is just a matter of time.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Cycle 24 sunspot production is tantalizing but it takes activity to move an event from contender into established franchise winner. The Russian DX Contest (RDXC) point structure does a good job promoting international activity however until the solar flux reaches triple digits, this event is one for the east coast.

Game Advantage.
Certainly, when one looks west of the Mississippi, population density drops significantly and its influence is felt on the reach of potential participants and enthusiasts. Frankly, I’m competing against a wall signals whose advantage is a single hop into Europe, albeit modest stations with sub optimal antenna systems or competitive stations with optimal antenna systems.

East coast advantage is a RadioSport constant that is nearly fixed across a continuum of time. It validates one of three variables when considering a goal within the game. The other two are antenna systems and station configuration.

One must weight location in relationship to score structure. Location is a RadioSport reality and options exist when considering the next competitive level.

Game Planning.
Ed, N4EMG made a good point, one’s rate in the game will influence whether or not it is worth spending time in that game. I listened across three bands; 10m, 15m, and 20m through Saturday morning into late afternoon while calling CQ on the same spaces. My flatline rate meter, for one who has an iron butt in the chair, perhaps was indicative of activity west of the Mississippi?

Likewise, Keith, W4KAZ pointed out that station configuration follows one’s motivation and it is not unlike other competitive sports. One competes for different reasons however moving to the next level requires serious commitment both in time and resources. It is important to determine strength, weakness, opportunity, and threat (SWOT) when mapping out the next level of the game.

What did I gain from this weekend?

1. Adjusted AF and RF gain controls to match headphone impedance according to K3NA’s Setting Receiver Gain Controls.
2. Added four 10m quarter wavelength radials.
3. Reduced listening fatigue because of improperly set gain controls.
4. Contributed to the success of other competitors.
5. Scored Brazil on 10m.

My goals were modest however my expectation overshot the reality of the game. I achieved at least one -Q although I’m curious if band conditions were not as stable as Cycle 24 numbers suggested? I heard Asia on 20m and 15m; South America on 10m; and, North America.

Conclusion.
Ric, N6RNO suggested mapping goals. I drifted a few degrees from this advice although re-visiting RDXC was five hours of additional experience which meets a long-term goal. Rate, on the other hand, does determine commitment in the chair or time spent in the game while motivation to improve is an on-going, component-by-component, process.

I have to venture something to gain something at the end of the day.

Contest on!

It was a fine day, too fine to stay indoors, so I decided to go out for a couple of hours and do some more mobile operating with the K2 and MP-1 antenna. I didn’t want to drive all the way to the coast as it takes a bit too long so I wanted to find a good site nearer home. I studied the map and found a likely spot not much more than three miles away near Tallentire Hill. There is a narrow lane that runs high up along the side of the hill with a good takeoff from north through west to south. At the high point there is a wide verge where you can park clear of the road. The only people who disturb you up there are a few dog walkers from Tallentire village, so it is ideal.

Today 15m didn’t seem quite as good as on Tuesday – or perhaps being beside the sea made a difference? Anyway after a while of tuning around on 15 I moved down to 17m and had a 5 minute chat with Sonny W8FHF in Ohio. Shortly after that I heard W1AW the ARRL headquarters station in Newington, Connecticut calling. It was being operated by Ron, K1RKD from nearby West Hartford. As an ARRL member I was particularly pleased to work HQ and Ron promised to log me on the computer so I would receive a QSL card via the bureau.

I heard several other US stations and also Javier, XE2CQ very loud. I was sure he would hear me given the chance but he was having a long chat with someone and I didn’t get an opportunity to call him. I made one more Stateside contact, with Roger N4ZC near Charlotte, North Carolina, though he struggled a bit to hear my 12W signal so it wasn’t a long one.

I went back to 15m after that, but the only other station I worked was Yussuf, CN8YZ, 59 both ways (he was running 25W.) Not great DX but still a nice contact.

I am getting a bit hooked on this mobile lark as I seem to be hearing much better DX than I do from home and it is just so pleasant to hear atmospheric band noise and copy weak signals instead of the awful racket demonstrated on my recent video. In fact I must find out where I can obtain another power cable for my K3 as I would like to try my best radio in the car. It would be nice to have a bit more power, although I’m getting a real kick out of making SSB contacts with 12W to a mobile whip, but the main thing is the K3 receiver is much better.

I received an email this morning (actually it was posted in my guest book of all places, though I have since deleted it) from a ham named Mike informing me that the program Morse Machine on my website contains a Trojan. It’s a false alarm, and I’ve had it before. I blogged about it a few months ago, so I pointed Mike to that blog posting by way of an explanation.

Mike didn’t mention which scanner gave the false alarm but I was able to deduce from the copy of the scanner log he posted that it was ClamWin, a free GPL virus scanner. Now I’m a fan of free software and in fact experimented with ClamWin a few years ago, but the honest truth is it barely deserves to be called a virus scanner. A bunch of enthusiasts working in their spare time do not have the resources to develop a commercial quality virus scanner and I don’t think anyone should be depending on such a program to detect viruses, especially as there are plenty of free (though not GPL) alternatives that are much better.

After Mike read my blog post he replied:

“I downloaded your CW learning program for my grandson, trying to help steer him into Ham Radio.

With the preponderance of malware out there, I find your opinions a bit disingenuous if not downright arrogant. i.e. the “Im ok and your not” attitude.

You could would write your own installer like I (and others have) and stop the complaints (and your belly aching) rather than baiting users with KNOWN problems.

That’s my opinion, although I will concede you have the right to yours and say and do what you want :)”

My opinion is that I don’t see why poorly written virus scanners should become my problem? Why should I rewrite the installers for all these programs, which doubtless will then be accused of containing a different Trojan? I don’t make these programs available for money and no-one pays me for my time working on them. If making them available means I am obligated to spend more of my ham radio time supporting and updating them because of issues like this, the best thing from my point of view would be to remove the programs entirely.

Nor do I see why I should have to put up with complaints like this just for making available programs I’ve written in the hope that others would find them useful. Of all the things I’ve done on this website, only the software results occasionally in emails that spoil my day and make me angry.

I don’t have time to delete the software section at the moment but I will when I get around to it.