Are you a licensed ham who is interested in Dstar or DMR – but without the cost of expensive radios?

Here are three steps you can take to accomplish the task. This applies to the three most popular protocols.

It begins by acquiring a special USB Dongle that contains an analog to digital and digital to analog IC chip reffered to as an AMBE3000. They
sell for about $100 but that’s still only 1/4 the cost of an Icom IC-51HT or DV4HOME V2 SDR.

http://nwdigitalradio.com/product/thumbdv

Because only licensed hams are permitted on each system, registration is required.

For Dstar go to:
https://regist.dstargateway.org/Dstar.do
(Login then click REGISTER, it takes 10+- days).

For DMR registration go to:
https://www.radioid.net/cgi-bin/trbo-database/register.cgi

You can confirm your DStar Registration later at:
http://dstar.info/query.html

For software I recommend the free BlueDV Windows client:
http://software.pa7lim.nl/BlueDV/BETA/Windows/BlueDV-09548-preBETA.zip
(note: expand the BlueDV-09548-preBETA.ZIP and RUN the contained .MSI installer).

and here for the latest changes to build 9548:
http://www.pa7lim.nl/bluedv-windows-changelog/

When you plug in the ThumbDV it should create a new “virtual” serial port. Look under Control Panel, Device Manager, Com & LPT . You must note the new COM port# it creates and use that COM# when setting up the BlueDV setup software. Also remember the ThumbDV™
Dongle works at 460800 baud (older models are at 230400).

Be aware that BlueDV build 9548 is BETA, although the Dstar and DMR operations are very stable, Fusion has yet to be fully implemented, currently limited to receive only.

I quote from David, the author: “Press CTRL+1 to activate C4FM (Fusion) on BlueDV but it currently only works in receive mode. I find BlueDV software to be superior to WinDV.

As always, install any software you download online at your own risk. Every computer configuration is different and not all software will be compatible with all systems.

Youtube Help and setup video for BlueDV:

73 & Happy Digitizing!

The 2019 State of the Hobby Survey, a comprehensive questionnaire for ham radio operators (and other interested participants), opened this week and will be available throughout March.

Dustin Thomas, N8RMA, got the idea for a comprehensive ham radio survey while browsing Reddit back in 2017. “I started to notice an influx of surveys being posted, almost all in regards to highly specific topics in amateur radio,” he says. “I made sure to complete the surveys but always wondered what the results were. So I decided to host my own survey, make it broad enough for anyone in this diverse hobby (not easy) and publish the results as hard as I solicited responses.”

First licensed in 2014, Dustin upgraded to General in 2015 and looks forward to reaching Extra. His personal ham radio interests include contesting, DX, and Field Day operations. But as he got into the hobby, he wondered where it was headed. They survey is a way for him to make a meaningful contribution toward the hobby’s future.

“I always wanted some baseline questions to compare from year to year, as well as specific issues impacting amateur radio today,” he says. “The State of the Hobby was born.”

Dustin pointed out some highlights — and surprises — from the 2018 State of the Hobby survey:

• Concerns over HOA’s came in as the third most reported issue (fourth overall as the biggest single issue) yet 75% of respondents reporting not being effected by an HOA
• Respondents ranked HF award nets (such as 3905 Century Club and OMISS) very low – on par with believing there should be a code requirement for licensing
• 68% of respondents claimed to have talked with a new ham in the last 12 months
• DMR seems to be growing in terms of local repeaters, outranking both YSF and D-Star

Why should you bother to take the survey?

“It’s important for independent bodies (independent from the ARRL or commercial organizations with unknown agendas) to solicit and publish the opinions of ham radio operators,” Dustin says.
“This survey will give us insight into what is working and what is not, new or emerging trends in modes or activities, and successful ways to increase membership and licensing.”

He said interest in the survey has surprised him and that several clubs have reached our to say they’ve used insight from the survey to promote ham radio and establish new activities.

Dustin hopes to get more opinions this year from folks who may be studying for their license, or on the fence about whether to get involved. “This year I’ve also included a second for those not yet licensed, but who are interested,” he says. “This will give us a great insight into how new operators are preparing, what works / what doesn’t, and what recently caused them to be interested.”

More information:
https://www.radiosoth.org/2019/03/2019-state-of-hobby-survey.html

2019 survey link:
https://goo.gl/forms/fllqlu7kRkq0enAg1

Stories you’ll find in our July, 2018 issue:

TSM Guide to Monitoring Air Shows
By Larry Van Horn N5FPW

Every year from March through November, millions of people hit the road to watch the excitement and thrills as military and civilian aero teams put their high-performance aircraft through their paces to entertain the crowds and perform at air shows all over the world.But you can add to the experience by monitoring the performing teams’ radio communications. With a radio scanner in hand, you will experience a whole new perspective of the show that few attendees will experience. Larry lets us all in on the frequencies used by all participants in these shows in VHF and UHF civilian and military bands.

A Look Back at the 2018 Air Shows
By Brian and Jo Marie Topolski

Air shows offer a variety of aerial action and every year is a little bit different. Veteran air show attendees, Brian and Jo Marie, give us a look ahead at the 2019 season and a look back at what happened last year. Among the new teams to look for this year are the Royal Air Force aerobatic jet team known as the Red Arrows and the US Department of Defense F-35A Lightning II demonstration team. Brian and Jo Marie tell you where you are likely to hear communications from these teams as well as all of the others. The duo also takes a look back at the losses that occurred during last year’s air show season.

Photos from 2018:
B-52 Stratofortress; Japanese Navy Type 97; Mitchell B-25
By Brian and Jo Marie Topolski

It’s hard not to be attracted to the impressive sight of a Blue Angels or Thunderbirds aerial demonstration. The number of planes in the air at once, the deafening sound of their pass across air show center are thrilling. But there are plenty of quality side shows as well. Brian looks closely at several examples of vintage aircraft and the role they played in aviation history.

In the Air for Sean D. Tucker’s Last Solo Season
By Kevin Burke

The dramatic photo on the front cover was taken by Kevin Burke, who has had the opportunity several times to fly in a chase plane following the daring aerial exploits of veteran air show pilot, Sean D. Tucker. It’s not an easy assignment and to get this kind of photo you need to have a good camera, plenty of experience using it and an ability to forget that you’re being held into the plane by a belt during a flight nearly as breathtaking as Sean’s.

Photographing USAF Thunderbirds’ Air Show Demonstration
By Kevin Burke

When you go to an air show, you’ll want to bring along your camera to try to freeze some of the drama for later viewing. But, there’s a trick to photographing moving objects, particularly when they’re moving at hundreds of miles per hour, at heights anywhere from 200 feet to 5,000 feet, under rapidly changing light conditions. Kevin has had a lot of experience doing so and has some tips for your next air show.

Scanning America
By Dan Veeneman
Scanning Jackson County, Mississippi

Federal Wavelengths
By Chris Parris
Atlanta Federal Mysteries and Super Bowl 53

MilCom
By Larry Van Horn N5FPW
Monitoring Venezuela’s Military

Utility Planet
By Hugh Stegman
Rejoice! WWV is Saved!

Shortwave Utility Logs
By Mike Chace-Ortiz and Hugh Stegman

VHF and Above
By Joe Lynch N6CL
ESA Astronaut Tim Peake KG5BVI and
UK Space Agency’s Principia Education Campaign

Digitally Speaking
By Cory GB Sickles WA3UVV
EMCOMM and DV Radio

Amateur Radio Insights
By Kirk Kleinschmidt NT0Z
Antennas before Amplifiers

Radio 101
By Ken Reitz KS4ZR
OTA-TV and the Mystery of HDMI

Radio Propagation
By Tomas Hood NW7US
It’s a Gray Area

The World of Shortwave Listening
By Ken Reitz KS4ZR
Shortwave Listening in the 21stCentury

The Shortwave Listener
By Fred Waterer
Shortwave Still Offers Exotic Listening

Amateur Radio Satellites
By Keith Baker KB1SF/VA3KSF
Amateur Radio Satellite Primer (Part III)

The Longwave Zone
By Kevin O’Hern Carey WB2QMY
Still Learning with SDRs!

Adventures in Radio Restoration
By Rich Post KB8TAD
James Millen and the Toy Company

Antenna Connections
Dan Farber AC0LW
Flying High Again: Aircraft Antennas

The Spectrum Monitor is available in PDF format which can be read on any desktop, laptop, iPad®, Kindle® Fire, or other device capable of opening a PDF file. Annual subscription is $24. Individual monthly issues are available for $3 each.

One of the most enjoyable operating events of the year is fast approaching — the Novice Rig Roundup or ‘NRR‘. Technically, it is a contest, but I have the feeling that most participants think of it as just a lot of fun and a nice opportunity to hear and work some of the great old ‘classics’ of the past — rigs that were used when they were teenage Novices or rigs that they could only drool about owning, back in those formative years when they each discovered the magic of radio.

Once again the bands will be alive with the sounds of Heath AT-1s, DX-20s, DX-35s, DX-40s and DX-60s, Johnson Adventurers, Eico 720s, Drake 2NTs, Knight T-50s and T-60s, Ameco AC-1s and of course, an endless variety of lovingly-constructed homebrew delights and … a full 9 days to celebrate the ‘good old radio days’ of their teen years, as many of us remember them.

The dates to remember are 0000 UTC March 2 to 2359 UTC March 10 and this multi-day opportunity is, for me, what makes the NRR so enjoyable. With a nice diversion from the usual ‘contest frenzy’ associated with standard weekend operating events, the NRR can be enjoyed throughout the week, whenever you choose to participate. If last year’s operating patterns continue, you should find activity at any time of the day … and even more as sunset arrives.

With the fast-approaching solar minimum, we will be hard-pressed to relive the glory days of worldwide 15m propagation, as even last year’s event proved to be tough on this band. With a little luck and, hopefully, a well-timed solar flare, we may get lucky! If you operate during the daylight hours, please get on 15m and give it a shot … and be sure to announce your activity on the NRR’s sked and chat page here, so that others will know where to find you, especially if you are rock bound in true Novice fashion. With our present spotty conditions, we need all the help we can get and the sked page proved a very valuable asset during last year’s affair.

Although technically not required, if you plan to participate it’s best to obtain your own NRR number, which is an easy 30-second process.

Additionally, there is an online logger where participants can post their daily log. The nifty logger also keeps track and figures out your score as it goes and no ‘after contest’ log needs to be submitted. If you plan on submitting a log, the logger is a requirement. The logger will also require you to set up a ‘log-in’ and once again, a simple 30-second process will take care of that from here. If you used the logger last year, you will have to set it up again for this year as the old system has been changed.

Stations may run either crystal-control or VFO or can switch between either method … the online logger will keep track and score things appropriately.

All of the rules and information can be found on the NRR’s excellent website. As well, the soapbox comments and station pictures from last year’s NRR may provide the inspiration that you need to spark-up your own activity in this year’s event … from what I can tell, this year will be bigger and busier than ever!

There is also a dedicated NRR Yahoo Group, often the source of much valuable discussion but there is a now HUGE group of great NRR chat and activity now on Facebook’s NRR Group here. I avoided Facebook for many years and have now discovered that it is an excellent forum for real time chat and information exchange … one can still choose to maintain a very low profile and avoid unwanted interaction if set up correctly.

In 2017 I ran my homebrew Longfeller in the (now eliminated) QRP category, and had a ton of fun. You can read about it here. Last year, I refurbished a nice Drake 2NT that had been gathering dust in the basement for over 25 years and ran it during the 2018 NRR. You can read about my activity and some of the rigs encountered during last year’s fun here.

If you have access to the web while operating, be sure to bookmark and check into the NRR’s realtime chat page. Many ops that are crystal controlled will announce their operating frequencies, making it easier for you to find them … sometimes way up or down from the normal NRR watering holes of ~  3550 – 3650 kHz,  7100 -7125 kHz, 21.100 – 21.150 MHz and 28.114, 28.120 MHz … and don’t forget to check the colorburst crystal frequency of 3579!

‘CQ’ers should always remember to tune up and down the watering hole for replies from other NRR stations that may be crystal controlled and not able to answer you on your own frequency!! This is extremely important and a real reminder of what was common practice back in the Novice days.

courtesy: Harry – VE7AIJ

Harry’s homebrew 6AQ5 crystal oscillator (Feb ’55 Popular Electronics) and Hallicrafters S-53, pictured above, allowed him to work the world back in the amazing radio days of Cycle 19. Let’s relive some of that excitement in the closing days of Cycle 24 … in the NRR!

You still have time to get that old clunker on the air but if that’s not possible, you can join the fun with your modern rig as well … all are welcome to jump in and have a great week of radio-fun. I think you will be surprised, just as I was last year, how good some of these old classics can sound … and you’ll hear some great bug-fists as well.

As indicated on the NRR website, this is “more of an EVENT than just a typical contest … once again taking our OLD ham radios off the shelf and putting them to use again! “

See you in the 2019 NRR!