AmateurRadio.com

This afternoon I hiked from Shute Hill to Hunkins Pond. Once there, I set up in a farm field with a remarkable view. I worked Finland, Cuba, Russia and Spain.

The hike was about 2 miles cross country on an old logging road. The day was so perfect… about 70 degrees, sunny with a sky as blue you could ever imagine. I started out across from a cemetery on the top of Shute Hill. From there I headed south and crossed a small brook coming from a large beaver pond.

As I gained elevation, I went through a brilliant field of golden rod. The sound of buzzing bees was so loud, I could have been inside the hive itself.

The trail goes through the woods and over a pretty high elevation and down toward Hunkins Pond where it meets an old range road at a gate.

I brought my Kenwood TH-D72 APRS handie with me. Here’s an image of my track captured from http://aprs.fi – I continued down the Old Range Road to the east another quarter of a mile, but I couldn’t hit an APRS digipeater from there so it doesn’t show in the image below.

The range road borders the Swain’s dairy farm. The fields are simply gorgeous and so are the views. I set up my little HB-1B on 20 meters underneath one of the huge maple trees that David Swain taps each year for syrup.

I operated here for about 20 minutes using 4 watts and a half wave wire. I had good luck as you can see from the log.

17 Sep-12 1910  14.015 OH/DJ9DZ CW 599 599   Finland
17 Sep-12 1921  14.013 CO6RD    CW 599 599   Cuba
17 Sep-12 1923  14.033 UA6AES   CW 579 599   Russia
17 Sep-12 1930  14.060 EA2LU    CW 559 579   Spain

The last QSO was certainly the most notable. After working the low end of the band, I went to 14.060, the QRP frequency. Hearing no one, I called CQ. Jorge, EA2LU returned the call. He was also QRP. He was running a K3 at 5W with a 3 element yagi. Jorge and I have had at least 20 QSOs in the last five years, and it’s always a joy to hear him.

After this, I packed up for the return hike. It takes about 45 minutes back to the cemetery. These are prime outdoor days in New Hampshire. The bugs are few, the air is crisp and fragrant, and there’s plenty of incentive with cold weather ahead. It’s supposed to rain tomorrow.

Jim Cluett, W1PID, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from New Hampshire, USA. Contact him at [email protected].

Introduction:

• Join us this episode as our intrepid hosts, Richard and Russ (mad posstcatter!), interview John Hays of NorthWest Digital Radio.

Topics:

• Interview with John Hays (K7VE) from NorthWest Digital Radio.
• John has been a licensed amateur radio operator for 40 years. His wife and all of his children are hams, too!
• A couple years ago John gave a presentation at TAPR, and discussed his wish for a reasonably priced radio for digital communications with just a few connections: antenna, power and Ethernet.
• Bryan Hoyer (now K7UDR) approached John and volunteered to build one. Their collaboration (with Basil Gunn) resulted in NorthWest Digital Radio.
• Their first product will be the UDR56K-4 Universal Digital Radio, planned for availability in early 2013.
• John goes on to discuss the features of their digital radio and some of the design decisions the company made.
• Specifications (subject to change, of course):
  • 25W 70cm Transceiver
  • 4800 to 56Kbps
  • FSK, GMSK, 4FSK
  • Open Source Linux Platform — a full Linux-based web server is built-in. It uses the Debian kernel, running on an ARM processor (faster than a Raspberry Pi).
  • Web Interface over Ethernet
  • 4 USB Host Ports
• Applications:
  • Winlink Email
  • APRS
  • D-RATS
  • D-STAR Digital Data
  • Digital Voice with AMBE Card Option
  • 44 Net (AMPRNet)
• The radio can be completely controlled through the web interface or the command line.
• John talks about other potential applications for their radio platform.
• Keep an eye on the website for more information and to sign up for email announcements.
• You may also be interested in John’s blog.

Contact Info:

• Contact Richard at [email protected], Russ at [email protected], or both at the same time at [email protected].
• Listen to the live stream every other Tuesday at 8:00pm Central time. Check the LHS web site for dates.
• Leave us a voice mail at 1-909-LHS-SHOW (1-909-547-7469), or record an introduction to the podcast.
• Sign up for the LHS mailing list.
• Sign up for the MAGNetcon mailing list.
• LHS merchandise is available at the Merch link on Web site. Check out the Badgerwear or buy one of the other LHS-branded items at PrintFection.com/lhs or Cafe Press. Thanks!
• Thanks to Dave from Gamma Leonis for the theme music.

Russ Woodman, K5TUX, co-hosts the Linux in the Ham Shack podcast which is available for download in both MP3 and OGG audio format. Contact him at [email protected].

My blog from the very beginning was intended to get ham radio and in particular QRP operating out there. I have gleaned the fruits of other blogs, the information, the challenges and the new understanding to certain areas of the hobby I never new existed. In my last post I floated the idea about linking social media to my blog. My intent was to increase the exposure of ham radio to even more readers. After numerous personal emails and comments on my AmateurRadion.com feed I have come to the understanding the only real exposure would be the strong possibility of Mal-ware being spread!! I have done some surfing of my own and it would seem social media on my site could be used by hackers to infect the site with Mal-ware . This Mal-ware could be spread to the readers of the blog by simply following a link on my site or social media sites.
I have listened to my readers and have taken down all social media anything from my blog. This blog is here for the readers to enjoy, grow in the hobby and share their information and learning curves with me and the other readers....It's NOT a place to spread computer virus's and to have readers who found the blog useful and entertaining at times to pack their I.P address and go elsewhere.
As of this posting VE3WDM'S QRPower blog is social media free. The readers have been heard and action has been taken.....continue to enjoy the blog. 
Mike Weir, VE9KK, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from New Brunswick, Canada. Contact him at [email protected].

It was a perfect September afternoon. Judy and I hiked up to a field on Shute Hill. I worked Bulgaria, Bosnia, Cuba and three stations from Washington state.

We parked the car and walked north on the Rufus Colby Road. The town only maintains about a half mile of it, then it turns into an impassable woods road. After another few hundred yards, we headed east through the woods on an  abandoned farm lane. The woods open into a small field after a few minutes’ walk.

Here, there are two small fields separated by a stone wall. Judy gets a photo of me walking through the first field.

On the other side of the wall, we enter the second field.  I open my pack and setup the little Chinese HB-1B on 20 meters.  I heave a water bottle into an oak tree so I can pull up a wire. I miss my mark,  the bottle hits the ground, splits and all the water runs out. The bottle has lasted  for nearly three years of frequent outings. It had to happen sooner or later. I search in the stone wall for a suitable rock. I find one that’s a bit too heavy and my throw doesn’t go as high as planned. I use a half-wave sloper instead of a vertical! But still… it works.

With key in hand, I work six stations in about 20 minutes. Here’s the log:

Date      UTC   Time   Call      My His   QTH
———————————————————————————
16 Sep-12 2005  14.021 LZ1DS CW  449 599 BULGARIA
16 Sep-12 2015  14.026 E72U  CW  599 599 BOSNIA
16 Sep-12 2019  14.047 K7TJ  CW  599 599 WA
16 Sep-12 2020  14.048 W7WMO CW  599 599 WA
16 Sep-12 2022  14.049 K7INA CW  599 599 WA
16 Sep-12 2023  14.006 CO6RD CW  599 599 CUBA

This is a lovely, quiet spot to visit on an early fall afternoon. The air is chilly, but the sun is warm. These few days before the first frost are treasured, and I get out every time I can.

Jim Cluett, W1PID, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from New Hampshire, USA. Contact him at [email protected].

Please see Listening to my readers post for update on the social media scene at VE3WDM's QRPowers blog.  

Now that the blog is two years old and I have started to get the hang of posting, linking URL's, uploading pictures and changing the format of the blog around now and then. I felt it was time to move the blog (and me) along toward the social media arena. I have had a Facebook site (this link has been disabled due to possible virus threat) for some time now but have not really used it. I do have a Twitter (this link has been disabled due to possible virus threat) account as well and have been known to "tweet" now and then. I have not really been committed to either Facebook or Tweeter. It's not because I feel they were of no use it was just...no I had idea what I was doing!!!

 Well this weekend was the time to take the social media swan dive, easier said than done. I tried to log into  my Facebook account after numerous password failures I was asked to have a pass word reset sent to my email. For some reason it was sent to my (forgotten about) Gmail account. Kinda hard  to get the Facebook reset in an email account were AGAIN I had no idea what the password was!!!
 At this point I am two passwords in the hole, Gmail wants me to enter the "hint" regarding my password...favorite pets name of which I had many and the list went on. After many failed attempts  Gmail is going to send a reset password to my Hotmail account, now we are cooking with gas I know that account and password!!
 I logged into my Hotmail account and there was nothing from Gmail. After waiting for over a half hour and nothing meant something was up.....to make this a little shorter story apparently I have TWO Hotmail accounts well you learn something new each day. BUT back to no password again!! After several attempts a reset was going to be sent to my other Hotmail account. To finally get into my Facebook account I have to receive a reset password in one Hotmail account to then log into my second Hotmail account to reset that password to allow me to get the reset info for the Gmail account. One hour and 10minutes later I am in Gmail....not sure why now but I'm there. Oh it was to get info on the Facebook log in troubles, I am happy to say Facebook is now up and running and so is Twitter. Oh and the Twitter adventure I am not even going to get into but a very similar safari to that of Facebook.


Mike Weir, VE9KK, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from New Brunswick, Canada. Contact him at [email protected].

Press image for magnification

I like to build small electronics projects and like many others I have found the small Altoids tins to be excellent enclosures. 

These tins are inexpensive, well shielded, easy to work with, and least but not least they enable you to make experimental circuits that are sturdy enough that they can be reused later.

Pictured here is a collection of projects I have built over the years with the hope that  they may inspire others.

To the left:

• AVR Butterfly morse keyer (KD1JV)
• AVR Butterfly Digital SWR / Power Meter for low power transmitters (KD1JV). Actually this project was built in the slightly larger Whitman’s tin.

In the middle:

• 50 MHz to 14 MHz receive converter (WA3ENK) with a low-noise  preamplifier
• Pixie II QRPP transceiver for 30 m

To the right:

• 2 m/70 cm antenna diplexer (OH3MCK)
• Computer-powered VLF receiver

Press image for magnification

Sverre Holm, LA3ZA, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Norway. Contact him at [email protected].

Here we are at Episode #090, just 10 away from the century mark. Things have been rolling along fairly smoothly, and except for Russ being deathly ill for the last eight days, there’s not even a lot to complain about. In this episode, we have yet another interview. This time it’s with John Hays, K7VE, of Northwest Digital Radio. These guys are producing an entirely new purpose-built radio platform called the UDR56K. This technology promises to be a great advance in the amateur radio arena as well as in the computing arena. It’s a bit of kit that’s going to find a use in almost every radio amateur’s shack. If you want to find out why, please sit down and take a listen to this episode of LHS. We promise you will not be disappointed.

73 de The LHS Guys

Russ Woodman, K5TUX, co-hosts the Linux in the Ham Shack podcast which is available for download in both MP3 and OGG audio format. Contact him at [email protected].