AmateurRadio.com

Regular readers of my blog may have detected a loss of interest in HF band operating over the last few months. I have got tired of listening to signals through the harsh noise that it is never possible completely to eliminate, I got bored with the sameness of contacts using PSK31 and I got angry at having to battle with the renegade ROS mode if I wanted to use Olivia or other digital modes. My hopes were set on Sporadic E on the VHF bands but this year’s season has been disappointing with no major openings on 144MHz extending this far north as far as I am aware.

Most of my radio activity in recent weeks has been focussed on APRS, first on establishing a VHF gateway and in the last few days getting going on HF. As I haven’t felt much like actually sitting at the radio making contacts this has proved to be a good way to make some use of my HF equipment, a mode of operation that doesn’t constantly remind me of the limitations of using attic antennas from a poor and noisy location.

I recently set up my private Echolink node again. I now have a Kenwood TM-D710 transceiver, a dual band 2m/70cm rig with dual receivers, a built-in APRS TNC and support for Echolink. However I’m still using the FT-817 on low power into a dummy load for my Echolink node for now. Before I could run a public Echolink node I would need to buy a proper dual band antenna instead of the 2m Slim Jim I’m currently using and apply for a permit from Ofcom. I’d then lose the use of the Kenwood for local 2m contacts and WOTA chasing, while the number of stations that could actually access the node due to my poor location could be counted on the fingers of one hand. So despite its built-in support it doesn’t seem worth using the Kenwood for Echolink.

The node was on yesterday afternoon and I was sitting downstairs in the conservatory with the TH-F7E having a contact with John G4LRS from near Sheffield. After I finished with John I was called by VK6FSBB (if I remember it correctly) a Foundation licensee from Australia called Bill. Bill called because he had heard that my home location was Cockermouth. He was originally from the Workington area (Maryport in fact, though he had lived in Flimby, Seaton and various other places in West Cumbria) but had moved to Australia 45 years ago. He had held a ham radio license for only eight months and I was the first contact he had ever made into this area.

Bill had played rugby for various local amateur teams and mentioned various employers he had worked for, though as an incomer to the area I didn’t know any of them. When I tried to explain where exactly I lived, I realized that the town must have changed beyond recognition from the days when Bill knew it. Things like the A66 bypass simply weren’t there.

I could have talked for longer, but dinner was nearly ready and Bill’s hand-held was only just making it into whatever repeater he was using to access the Echolink network in Australia so sometimes he dropped out after a lot of loud hissing like an old analogue mobile phone call. It may not have been a direct contact on HF and it wouldn’t count for any awards, but to be Bill’s first contact back to the place of his birth after 45 years made this VK contact a special one by any standards, one to remember long after I’ve forgotten many humdrum HF QSOs.

One of my favorite QRP groups is the 4 States QRP Group that sponsors Ozarkcon. Today we had an interesting thread going on their email list concerning slingshot antenna launcher and visibility of the line and sinker.

I’ve been working on that issue for a bit and offered my current solution. Still not 100% perfected, but it is working well now. Here in Florida, the tallest trees are mostly pines and the bark is pretty sticky with sap and lots of crooks and crannies that don’t allow monofilament fishing line to slide as freely as I’d like. I’ve tried the archery reel and slick braided line and although it does slide nicely through the trees, it is much slower and challenging to reel in and also is very prone to tangles and wind knotting which wastes time to untangle. In low wind or super sticky pine trees it is still the best solution.

Below are some photos of my cheapo solution to the slingshot line launcher. A $4 slingshot from Harbor Freight and a 99 cent shelf bracket from Lowe’s are the basic components. One challenge is being able to see where the sinker and line end up after the shot. I tried painting the sinkers, but in tall grass or lots of leafy trees, it did not show up as easily as I would like. The simple solution I found was to use fluorescent plastic surveyor’s tape (also from Lowe’s) to add both vivid color and some motion to help me locate the sinker whether in the trees, air or ground. I’ve also recently switched to red colored monofilament line called Cajun Red Lightning that offers a bit more visibility than clear monofilament.

Here are the basic elements… slingshot, Shelf bracket, spincast reel

If you are looking for an inexpensive simple solution, this might be the answer! Give it a try and let us know how it works for you. Leave a comment or better yet, join the 4 States QRP Group and join the conversation.

Closeup of the mounting of the reel

The assembled launcher — slingshot taped to bracket

Series Three Episode Fifteen of the ICQ Amateur / Ham Radio Podcast. News Stories include:

• Russian spies and numbers stations
• New RAC Director - Quebec
• Leicester University CubeSat PLUME
• SANDS Contest Group DXpedition
• ISS packet repeater active
• Special Events Stations Hunter Award
• Ofcom Annual Report 2009/10
• Morse and iRTTY for iPhone
• ISS Contacts - an on-orbit decision
• Internet Amateur Radio Concern
• Minister 900 MHz band decision
• Poland's first 10 metre beacon
• DAB 'Flop' and Internet Radio

Your feedback, upcoming events and Colin (M6BOY) discusses SmartPhones for Amateurs

I’m trying something new this weekend and operating VHF RadioSport is a first inside the shack relaxation zone. My operating location isn’t a hilltop nor am I located inside my vehicle either. It is one of those fantastic days when weather conditions fall into place. The marine layer isn’t rolling in early or lingering late without a hint of sunshine.

Our Cycle 24 generator has heated ambient air into the comfortable seventies. The sound of Morse code mingles with finches and scrub jays creating wonderful conditions both inside and outside the shack.

CQ World Wide VHF Contest (link).

VHFDX (link).

Certainly, this weekend isn’t going down as epic 6m, instead, it is taking on a new challenge and propagating a little radio frequency toward unknown destinations.

73 from the shack relaxation zone.

SFI = 79 | A-index = 1 | K-index = 0 | Sunspot count is 17 @ 2111UTC.

Image courtesy of Astrid's Embroidery

1. Quick Identification

   It’s very important that other hams can identify you quickly at hamfests, classes, license tests, club meetings, and other events.  A callsign hat lets others know, from across the room, who you are.  If you are involved in EmComm, being recognizable is even more important.

2. Conversation Starter

   If you have your call on your license plate, you’ll be able to relate to this.  “What does WA7MDE mean?”  There are a few ways to answer this, but it really is a great opportunity to educate the public about our hobby and the contributions Amateur Radio operators make to society.  By displaying your callsign proudly, you’ll be surprised how many people will ask you what it means.  You might also meet other hams in your area, at the grocery store or a local restaurant, and have the chance to have an eyeball QSO with a new friend.   Use the opportunity!  Network and grow the hobby in your area.  While our hobby is often about talking to people all over the world, the real fun happens in your own community when you have the chance to interact with others who share your interests.

3. Support Our Hobby

   Are you proud to be in this hobby?  Are you proud of the service we offer to the community? Then why aren’t you showing it?  There is something special about the camaraderie that the men and women in our hobby share.  You’ve worked hard for your Extra (or General or Technician) call.  You should wear it on your person proudly.

Where can you buy one?  Most communities have local embroidery shops that will make you a hat for under $15 or $20.  If you don’t have a shop in your area or you would rather buy one from a fellow ham, Todd WM8C owns and operates Astrid’s Embroidery in Michigan.  They ship all over the United States and offer a huge selection of styles.  They even have a huge gallery for you to browse through.  Not comfortable ordering online?  Call them at (269) 795-7297.

Know of other embroidery shops owned by hams?  Post them in the comments!

As I’ve stated in the past, I’m fascinated by the use of radio communications by governments for espionage and wartime use.  When I came across this little nugget, I couldn’t resist.  What a joy it will be for those of us that can’t quite make it over to visit Bletchley Park.

The BBC has an article at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10239623

Bletchley Park (really hard to resist using “BP” for this one…..) has been trying to do this for quite some time.  Dwindling funds, repairs needed for the site have just made this one of those “round to it” projects. Many documents are too fragile to handle at this time and will take awhile to get posted online, but it will indeed make for a fascinating online resource.

I’ve had the pleasure of actually getting my hands on  real, wartime Enigma machine and it was REALLY NEAT!!!  You can read about it, but there is nothing like actually using one to get you even more interested in this topic.  Professor Tom Perera gives a number of great discussions at the New England ARRL Division convention in Boxboro Mass (I spoke to Tom at Dayton and he said there may not be a presentation this year).  His site is a HUGE wealth of information on this topic (and CW keys).  If you ever get the chance to hear him give a presentation – JUMP ON IT!!!!

His website is:

http://chss.montclair.edu/~pererat/telegraph.html

If you want to visit the actual Bletchley Park site and look at the offerings there, check them out at:

http://www.bletchleypark.org.uk/

The West Mountain Radio RigBlaster has always seemed to me to be evidence that most ham radio enthusiasts have more money than sense. Why spend all that when you could easily manage using a couple of cables?

Even if you wanted switching and level controls like you get with a RigBlaster, a sound card interface is not exactly rocket science to build, nor should it be expensive to manufacture. It’s hard to see how the cost is justified, given that the RigBlaster doesn’t contain an actual sound card.

You would think that someone forking over $200 or more for an interface would expect it to contain a sound card so as to preserve the one in the computer for normal use. But no! West Mountain Radio actually try to make a virtue out of this lack. Under the heading “Why RIGblasters don’t have built in sound chips” they state:

We designed RIGblasters to leave your computer’s sound fully functional as it was before. Plugging in any external audio device with Windows automatically disables the computers built in sound system. There is a work around’s to restore your computer’s normal function but this leaves most of the Amateur Radio sound card programs non functional. Re-configuring the few programs that can be re-configured is a chore that is not necessary with any present RIGblaster.

We do not use sound chip VOX circuits either; as any sound generated by a computer will go out over the air whether you want it to or not. We don’t want illegal transmissions of Windows melodies or “You have mail”!

Since every Amateur Radio sound card program, without exception, has provision for positive PTT control via a RS232 serial port we provide a software controlled PTT circuit in every RIGblaster, via USB, instead unpredictable VOX PTT operation.

Also the majority of Amateur Radio sound card programs work perfectly with any sound card! The only programs that require anything special are those written for transmit speech processing or digital audio over HF, and those only require a standard full duplex sound card, which is what most computers have anyway. Using transmit speech processing and digital audio is only possible with one interface on the market: the RIGblaster Pro!

What utter nonsense! The first paragraph is completely untrue, while the risk of unwanted announcements being broadcast if you use VOX is only present if you use the computer’s one and only sound card which the RigBlaster’s lack of one encourages you to do. An interface with its own sound card that you could dedicate to radio use would eliminate the risk entirely.

Whilst PTT control using a serial port is technically better than audio derived VOX, the fact that the majority of digital modes work quite happily with VOX combined with the fact that most computers don’t have serial ports make the VOX based solution by far the most convenient. And convenience is presumably what you are paying for.

What’s more, the lack of VOX forced many people who used RigBlasters to use TWO serial ports, one for the CAT control and one for the PTT, because the RTS and DTR lines, though unused by the CAT interface, were inaccessible to the RigBlaster.

At the other extreme, there are several ham websites that state that the quality of the built-in sound cards in computers is so poor that they cannot be used to operate digital modes satisfactorily. The only answer is to buy another plug-in board or use a SignalLink external sound card. I have never used a SignalLink, but the quality of all the low-cost USB sound cards I have tried has been demonstrably too poor to work with most digital modes. I have never had a problem using the built-in sound hardware, usually based on a Realtek chip. Another example of the nonsense talked about sound cards. The only problem is, each computer contains only one, which isn’t enough if you want to interface two or more radios or retain the ability to hear the sound from online video and audio.

Modern sound cards are getting very expensive due to the fact that they must perform as home cinema systems with surround sound, special effects and so on. There is a real need for more reasonably priced ham radio dedicated interfaces that include plain and simple sound cards. Currently the only products that I know of that do this are the SignalLink and the RigExpert interfaces. It’s time the RigBlaster started living up to its name and becoming a complete radio to computer interface instead of an expensive fancy alternative to a couple of home made cables.