Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Warm Afternoon on Mt. Kearsarge
November 15th, 2016 | 
Author: Dave K1SWL and I spent a couple of hours at Winslow State Park at the base of Mt. Kearsarge this afternoon. It was 57F and really beautiful.
A nearby parking area serves as the trail-head for several hiking paths up the mountain. There are a few picnic tables in a small field nearby and we set up there.
Dave wanted to try out a new half wave wire and matching circuit he’d built. So he tossed a wire into a maple tree and pulled up the antenna. He used his KX3. He was already making a QSO on 20 meters as I was setting up.
A few feet away, I pulled up the 3-band LNR end fed wire. I supported it in the middle and used it as an inverted Vee. I had the 3-band MTR by KD1JV powered by 8 AA cells. The output is close to 3 watts. I made a quick contact with Ron K4UY in Alabama and received a 569 report.
As I finished I heard Dave working another station… VO1DD in Hearts Delight, Newfoundland. I called over and Dave gave me the frequency. When Dave signed, I gave the Newfoundland station a call. Doug gave me a 599 and we chatted for a minute. That was super.
In the meantime Dave was working a station in California. I never got the call, but had time to snap a quick photo of Dave before they signed.
I switched to 40 meters and happened to hear Joe N2CX calling CQ from an NPOTA site… the Clara Barton National Historic Site in Maryland. Fantastic! I gave Joe a call and received a 559. Joe left 40 meters before Dave could finish his California QSO, so Dave didn’t catch Joe this time around.
Now the sun started dipping below the trees and our picnic tables were in shade. Right away we began to feel the chill and packed up. It’s unlikely we’ll get another day this warm before the snow falls. Thank goodness we were able to take advantage of the opportunity.
Amateur Radio Weekly – Issue 133
Scientists are bringing back vacuum tubes
A group of scientists have developed super-efficient microscopic vacuum tubes that may be able to outperform semiconductors.
Popular Mechanics
3D print your next paddle
Mini Iambic Magnetic Morse Paddle is designed for portable or SOTA operation.
Thingiverse
End fed half wave antennas
End feeding antennas can be an incredibly convenient configuration because you only need one support (like a tree).
High on Solder
You can swing a dead cat but you shouldn’t swing your Bug
If it ain’t got that swing, that’s a good thing
N4PBQ
Funny old hobby
Our hobby is based upon communication – Yet, when face-to-face, we suck at it…
M0PZT
Amateur Radio satellites
Check the status and communication frequencies of all active Amateur Radio satellites.
N2YO
Comparing the weak signal performance of a WBR Regen with a K2
The WBR seems to get a bit of a bad rap with some people for it’s sensitivity. Based on my experience, this design does seem to be fairly deaf on AM, but the sensitivity on SSB/CW is fine.
AA7EE
SOTA Super Activation
The aim of the event is to get as many Summit to Summit – “S2S” – contacts as possible. The summit contacts can be between North America and Europe or within the regions themselves.
Southgate
Antarctica expedition
Felix, DL5XL (N5BC), will once again operate from Antarctica using his call sign DP1POL. Activity will be from November 2016 to February 2017.
DL5XL
Small-scale EME setup
you don’t need a huge antenna system to operate EME (moonbounce) successfully.
ARRL
Portable shortwave spectrum capture for the urban city dweller
Lightweight, portable set-up that would let me capture large chunks of the shortwave radio spectrum out in the field, which I could later explore in detail.
The SWLing Post
Copying GRLevel3 settings to another computer
Like many other Windows programs, preference data is stored in the registry, and this provides a somewhat easy work around.
Kevin.Sanders.io
Amateur Radio Weekly – Issue 132
HDSDR beta 2.75 released
HDSDR hasn’t been updated since 2013, so it is good to see that the author is back in action.
RTL-SDR.com
Put that Amateur Radio license to use on 915 MHz
Faraday makes it very easy to transmit and receive digital data, with decent power and range.
Hack A Day
Learning Morse Code in 4 hours
Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a system that teaches people Morse code within four hours using a series of vibrations felt near the ear.
Georgia Tech
National Geographic: Guide to Ham Radio
Can Ham radios really talk to space? And other answers.
National Geographic
Suspected terrorists believe HAARP controls minds
Two men collected dozens of weapons as part of a plan to attack the High Frequency Active Aural Research Facility or HAARP.
WALB
SainSonic APRS Tracker
1 watt APRS tracker with GPS, Bluetooth built-in.
SainSonic
KB6NU’s One-day Tech class videos
KB6NU has been sharing a series of videos from his One-day Tech class.
KB6NU
ISS APRS packet system switched to UHF
Crew member Shane Kimbrough, KE5HOD, has activated an ARISS UHF radio that had been in storage on the ISS, and it is now operational on 437.550 MHz.
ARRL
An improved knob for the K2
Compared to tuning knobs on most commercial rigs, the one on the K2 has a rather sharp edge, the effects of which can become obvious if you tune a lot by resting one finger against it.
AA7EE
Do you have a prepared Ham Radio elevator pitch?
Don’t try to be all things to all people, stick with the aspects of ham radio you enjoy and have passion and expertise.
Ham Cram
All-Seeing Eye: Russia builds gigantic military radar in Arctic
The so-called “over the horizon” radar is a type of radar system, which is able to detect targets at very long ranges, typically hundreds and thousands of kilometers.
Sputnik News
Video
Building an APRS Digipeater
The transceiver is a GM300, with a KAM plus TNC modulating it. If we didn’t happen to have a KAM+ on hand, I would have probably used an OT3m from Argent Data.
The Life of Kenneth
TYT MD-398 GPS Unboxing
This model is the GPS version. It also comes in a version without GPS. This is a pre-release model, however, it is identical to the Radioddity GD-55 model.
Ham Radio Review
W9BVX’s helium balloon vertical antenna
Watch now as he ticks another item off his ‘bucket list’.
KB8VBR
Radio Review: QYT KT8900 Mini Dual Band Mobile
Programming repeaters into the QYT KT8900 Mini Dual Band Mobile
AF5DN
The Spectrum Monitor — November, 2016
Stories you’ll find in our November, 2016 issue:
TSM Reviews: Elecraft KX2 QRP Transceiver
By Thomas Witherspoon K4SWL
As a ham who already owns both the KX1 and KX3 transceivers, and likes them very well, wouldn’t a KX2 be redundant? Maybe. But it also puts him in a perfect position to compare Elecraft’s latest offering. Thomas takes the diminutive KX2 into the field, where it was meant to be, activating more than twenty NPOTAs (National Park on the Air). What he finds is that “the KX2 is a profound upgrade of the KX1.” He also checks out the KX2 on the international shortwave bands and finds, “It’s an exceptionally sensitive and selective receiver, with a stable AGC, that would please the most dedicated DXer.”
Small HF Antennas for Portable and Restricted Space Use
By Mark Haverstock K8MSH
While small and shortened antennas have their drawbacks, their advantages—convenience for portable use, backpacking and avoiding HOA conflicts—are substantial tradeoffs. And, while their performance is less than should be expected from full-sized antennas, this doesn’t mean they don’t perform—you just need to keep your expectations in perspective. Mark takes a look at several of the more popular portable HF antennas available commercially and he looks at the options for making your own, including a 40-6 meter end-fed antenna he made himself.
Radio Power Supplies: A Primer for Hams and SWLs
By Bob Grove W8JHD
It’s the most basic piece of equipment in your ham shack or radio room—it’s certainly the least interesting—but it could be the most important. Bob Grove answers just about every question you might have had about the lowly radio power supply: Why 13.8 volts? Is a same-brand power supply best for my name-brand transceiver? Do I really need meters on my power supply? What’s a switching power supply? What’s “crowbar protection” and “variable voltage?” What amperage do I really need? If I’m using a battery as a portable power supply, which is best?
The Kit’s Meow: Shopping for DIY Radio Projects
By Richard Fisher KI6SN
With Ramsey shutting down its radio kits division earlier this year, many hams and shortwave listeners felt it might signal the end of the radio kits industry. Don’t people build things anymore? Regular TSM contributor Richard Fisher KI6SN set out to discover the current state of kit making. What he found is quite encouraging: more than 250 online companies offering kits as varied as the spectrum we listen to, with a great range in prices and required maker skills. Richard lists them all, complete with a sampling of their wares and links to their websites.
MURS: Dots, Data and More
By Cory GB Sickles WA3UVV
Along with Class D CB, GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) and FRS, (Family Radio Service) there’s another aspect to the FCC’s Part 95 two-way radio – MURS. The Multi-Use Radio Service occupies five channels in the VHF spectrum. By rule, it is limited to a 2 watts output power and may seem quite limited, but there’s more to MURS than meets the eye. In this segment of his Part-95 radio series, Cory, looks at the little known VHF service that can meet quite a few needed applications where you live.
Scanning America
By Dan Veenaman
Public Utilities as “Critical Infrastructure”
Federal Wavelengths
By Chris Parris
TSA Radio Updates and More Small Federal Agencies
Utility Planet
By Hugh Stegman NV6H
KPH Returns to Point Reyes
Digital HF: Intercept and Analyze
By Mike Chace-Ortiz AB1TZ/G6DHU
An HF “Beep, Beep, Beep,” Chirping Signal Mystery
HF Utility Logs
By Mike Chace-Ortiz and Hugh Stegman
Digitally Speaking
By Cory Sickles WA3UVV
DMR Update
VHF and Above
By Joe Lynch N6CL
Baofeng BF-F8HP and BTech UV-5X3 Handhelds and 220 MHZ
Amateur Radio Insights
By Kirk Kleinschmidt NT0Z
Forget the Holiday—It’s Contest Time!
Radio 101
By Ken Reitz KS4ZR
What’s New in CB and FRS/GMRS
Radio Propagation
By Tomas Hood NW7US
Space Weather: Solar Cycle 24 is Dying!
The World of Shortwave Listening
By Ken Reitz KS4ZR
Trends in Shortwave Radio
The Shortwave Listener
By Fred Waterer
EU SW Stations and Election Night Listening
Amateur Radio Astronomy
By Stan Nelson KB5VL
FITS Again
The Longwave Zone
By Kevin O’Hern Carey WB2QMY
Adventures in Radio Restoration
By Rich Post KB8TAD
The Freshman Masterpiece: a 1920s TRF Experience
Antenna Connections
By Dan Farber AC0LW
And the Twain Shall Meet: Let’s Build a Dipole
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.
Amateur Radio Weekly – Issue 131
BITX40 40 meter transceiver
The BITX40 is a single circuit 40 meter SSB transceiver capable of 7 watts.
HF Signals
Ham proposes vanity call sign rule changes
W4ADL is proposing that any licensee obtaining a vanity call sign be required to keep it for the full license term.
ARRL
Open Repeater Project
The OpenRepeater Project is the development of a low cost, low power, but a feature rich duplex Linux based amateur radio repeater controller using computers like the Raspberry Pi 2.
Open Repeater Project
24 GHz handheld
Vegetation completely blocks 24 GHz signals. A tree or even the smallest bush blocks the signal.
EA4EOZ
Designing an idiot switch
Building a micro controller device that removes power from a soldering iron when the user leaves it turned on for too long.
Ham Radio 360: Workbench
APRSpro
iOS APRS client with built-in iGate.
APRSpro
Taking your QRP signal to the next steps
The heavy lifting is done not by you but by the DX who is trying to dig you out of the mud.
AmateurRadio.com
Graphing realtime WSPR propagation
This gives useful information about when a certain part of the world can be heard and worked.
PE4BAS
Why you should care about software defined radio
It hasn’t become a household term yet, but Software-Defined Radio (SDR) is a major player on the developing technology front.
Hack A Day
Amateur Radio and FreeBSD [PDF]
Many of the applications written generically or specifically for Linux are easily transferred to FreeBSD.
FreeBSD Journal
Video
K7AGE Visits the new TWIT Studio
On my way to the Pacificon Hamfest, I stopped by the new TWIT studio and I was on Ham Nation.
K7AGE
Drone footage of 2017 Hamvention site
Quad-Copter touring the Greene County (Ohio) Fairgrounds
W8WWV
Drone footage of antenna install
The team at RemoteHamRadio.com installed two rotating towers in Maine.
YouTube
Amateur Radio Weekly – Issue 130
A geosynchronous Ham Radio satellite
The satellite’s potential footprint could extend over the US from the Mid-Pacific to Africa.
AMSAT-UK
Is wind energy a good fit for you?
For the off grid Ham who wants to expand beyond solar, is wind energy the next likely step?
Off Grid Ham
Calling CQ: An email letter for amateur radio enthusiasts
The best editorial content promoting the hobby.
KE9V
Terminated inverted U antenna
I built the antenna using two 10m fishing poles spaced 5m apart.
Cross Country Wireless
Polite society on DMR
The wide area TG is kind of like meeting someone in the hallway or a noisy lobby. The “on-demand” TG’s are out the way places to go have a discussion without upsetting the hall monitors.
Digital Mobile Radio for Hams
ISS Columbus Ham Radio inoperative
The Ericsson VHF handheld transceiver in the ISS Columbus module which is used for amateur radio voice contacts on 144.800 MHz and the packet radio digipeater on 145.825 MHz is unusable.
AMSAT-UK
CW Decoder Logic
CW decoder app for Windows.
LY3H
/P fun in the sun
In total, I made 8 QSOs (all CW, at 10-watts) 6 on 40m and 2 on 20m in what were reasonable conditions.
M0PZT
A simple approach to VHF contesting
The tow bar mount is made from a few off cuts of 47mm x 100mm (or 2″ by 4″ if you prefer) and a piece of rough sawn timber.
G7KSE
Hams in India monitoring “Highly Suspicious” VHF communications
The signals were being heard in the dead of night, with participants reported to be in motion and speaking in some sort of code.
ARRL
Video
1 foot mini magnetic loop transmitting antenna
I decided to make a mini magnetic loop and see if I could be heard down on HF with a tiny antenna.
YouTube
SOTA Signals from Signal Butte
Steve/K7PX and Steve/wGOAT activate Signal Butte for Summits on the Air.
WG0AT
Amateur Radio Weekly – Issue 129
Current rules holding Hams back from state-of-the-art technology
ARRL told the FCC in its comments that the current HF symbol rate “speed limit” reflects 1980s technology and has no place in an experimental radio service.
ARRL
Outernet broadcasting APRS packets globally
Outernet is a low data rate worldwide satellite downlink carried on three geostationary Inmarsat L-band sateliltes to provide web content (downlink files only) to remote areas anywhere in the world.
aprs.org
Building a Ham Radio power supply
After spending $820 for the radio, I wasn’t in the mood (or the financial state) to drop another $100 to $150 on an Alinco Power Supply.
Soliloquy Blog
Building your own GSM basestation
Having your own GSM basestation allows you to create your own private and free GSM network, or for more malicious illegal users it can allow you to create a system for intercepting peoples calls and data.
RTL-SDR.com
Open source, cross-band repeater board for high altitude ballooning
Project Echoloon is an Amateur Radio cross-band repeater device that can be lifted by a few helium or hydrogen-filled party balloons.
N0SSC
Top 10 Amateur Radio uses for the Raspberry Pi
The Raspberry Pi has proved to be a phenomenal hit with hobbyists around the world.
Adventures in Ham Radio
How the phonetic alphabet emerged
For a time the Able, Baker alphabet, derived from WWII when the US air force entered the war, hung around in aviation for years.
Southgate
Rehab for the KØNR Repeater
The SCOM 7K repeater controller has been in service for decades, handling multiple receivers and transmitters.
K0NR
What is Near Vertical Incident Skywave?
This series focuses on short-haul communication during a disaster in the Amateur Radio Service.
N4AE
Video
MMDVM home brew repeater demonstration
Here is a quick video clip showing the flexibility and ease of use when switching between the 3 digital modes DMR/DSTAR/FUSION.
N2LEM
Sean McQuillan: Engineer, farmer, pirate radio pioneer
Sean McQuillan single-handedly set up one of the first land-based pirate radio stations in the country. Sean recounts tales of many events in his life with humour, eloquence and humility.
Vimeo
