Posts Tagged ‘learn’
Contact with Tim Peake on a handheld.
January 8th, 2016 | 
Author: And a happy new year to you too.
Today was a great day. I wanted to listen in on the ISS as it flew past and especially the contact that Tim Peake was going to have with Sandringham School in St. Albans.
The pass was scheduled for 8:47am and I decided that I would share my experiences of listening in and also show you all how easy it is to accomplish with nothing more than just a handheld radio.
Today I used my Yaesu VX8. only because it was the only radio charged up. The fact is that any 2m FM radio will be able to listen in on the ISS and other amateur satellites that fly overhead.
Anyway here is the video, I hope you enjoy it. And yes. It really was very very cold.
Today was a great day. I wanted to listen in on the ISS as it flew past and especially the contact that Tim Peake was going to have with Sandringham School in St. Albans.
The pass was scheduled for 8:47am and I decided that I would share my experiences of listening in and also show you all how easy it is to accomplish with nothing more than just a handheld radio.
Today I used my Yaesu VX8. only because it was the only radio charged up. The fact is that any 2m FM radio will be able to listen in on the ISS and other amateur satellites that fly overhead.
Anyway here is the video, I hope you enjoy it. And yes. It really was very very cold.
Contact with Tim Peake on a handheld.
And a happy new year to you too.
Today was a great day. I wanted to listen in on the ISS as it flew past and especially the contact that Tim Peake was going to have with Sandringham School in St. Albans.
The pass was scheduled for 8:47am and I decided that I would share my experiences of listening in and also show you all how easy it is to accomplish with nothing more than just a handheld radio.
Today I used my Yaesu VX8. only because it was the only radio charged up. The fact is that any 2m FM radio will be able to listen in on the ISS and other amateur satellites that fly overhead.
Anyway here is the video, I hope you enjoy it. And yes. It really was very very cold.
Today was a great day. I wanted to listen in on the ISS as it flew past and especially the contact that Tim Peake was going to have with Sandringham School in St. Albans.
The pass was scheduled for 8:47am and I decided that I would share my experiences of listening in and also show you all how easy it is to accomplish with nothing more than just a handheld radio.
Today I used my Yaesu VX8. only because it was the only radio charged up. The fact is that any 2m FM radio will be able to listen in on the ISS and other amateur satellites that fly overhead.
Anyway here is the video, I hope you enjoy it. And yes. It really was very very cold.
Solo mast erecting
I think the wind gods were against me on this day. I recently had a lovely evening with a few newly licensed amateurs, who asked a very simple question. How do you erect a radio mast for when you are on your own. Its something i never asked, and it was something i have perfected over a number of years.
So armed with the Go-Pro and log camera I visited my local park to try and demonstrate exactly how i erect the mast.
Of course, I never realised how windy it was, but i preserved and managed to record a quick video showing how i “get it up”
I hope the video is of use to you, and apologies about the audio.
So armed with the Go-Pro and log camera I visited my local park to try and demonstrate exactly how i erect the mast.
Of course, I never realised how windy it was, but i preserved and managed to record a quick video showing how i “get it up”
I hope the video is of use to you, and apologies about the audio.
Solo mast erecting
I think the wind gods were against me on this day. I recently had a lovely evening with a few newly licensed amateurs, who asked a very simple question. How do you erect a radio mast for when you are on your own. Its something i never asked, and it was something i have perfected over a number of years.
So armed with the Go-Pro and log camera I visited my local park to try and demonstrate exactly how i erect the mast.
Of course, I never realised how windy it was, but i preserved and managed to record a quick video showing how i “get it up”
I hope the video is of use to you, and apologies about the audio.
So armed with the Go-Pro and log camera I visited my local park to try and demonstrate exactly how i erect the mast.
Of course, I never realised how windy it was, but i preserved and managed to record a quick video showing how i “get it up”
I hope the video is of use to you, and apologies about the audio.
Acorn II SDR Kit
This year at the RSGB convention we will be running a buildathon based upon the same format of the other successful build events in the past – this is an excellent time to attract a new audience to our events.
This year however we are using a new kit. The Acorn II kit developed by Kanga Products and M0XPD, is a Software Defined Radio kit that runs on the SSB portion of 40m. But the kit can also be configured to run on any HF band – assuming you have a Band pass filter & a suitable Local Oscillator. The kit has been developed to allow you to pipe in an external Local Oscillator and allow you to connect Band pass filters for other HF bands.
The kit was developed to run with the M0XPD Si5351A Arduino shield, which allows you to use the Arduino as a VFO. And can plug straight into the radio as a local oscillator
Using just a stereo line in on a sound card, and some widely available SDR software (Such as HDSDR), you can get great results from little financial outlay. It is indeed a great introduction into SDR.
I built one of the prototypes here is a video of the build. I will cover configuration & set up in a forthcoming video – perhaps when I have access to a good 40m antenna
This year however we are using a new kit. The Acorn II kit developed by Kanga Products and M0XPD, is a Software Defined Radio kit that runs on the SSB portion of 40m. But the kit can also be configured to run on any HF band – assuming you have a Band pass filter & a suitable Local Oscillator. The kit has been developed to allow you to pipe in an external Local Oscillator and allow you to connect Band pass filters for other HF bands.
The kit was developed to run with the M0XPD Si5351A Arduino shield, which allows you to use the Arduino as a VFO. And can plug straight into the radio as a local oscillator
Using just a stereo line in on a sound card, and some widely available SDR software (Such as HDSDR), you can get great results from little financial outlay. It is indeed a great introduction into SDR.
I built one of the prototypes here is a video of the build. I will cover configuration & set up in a forthcoming video – perhaps when I have access to a good 40m antenna
Acorn II SDR Kit
This year at the RSGB convention we will be running a buildathon based upon the same format of the other successful build events in the past – this is an excellent time to attract a new audience to our events.
This year however we are using a new kit. The Acorn II kit developed by Kanga Products and M0XPD, is a Software Defined Radio kit that runs on the SSB portion of 40m. But the kit can also be configured to run on any HF band – assuming you have a Band pass filter & a suitable Local Oscillator. The kit has been developed to allow you to pipe in an external Local Oscillator and allow you to connect Band pass filters for other HF bands.
The kit was developed to run with the M0XPD Si5351A Arduino shield, which allows you to use the Arduino as a VFO. And can plug straight into the radio as a local oscillator
Using just a stereo line in on a sound card, and some widely available SDR software (Such as HDSDR), you can get great results from little financial outlay. It is indeed a great introduction into SDR.
I built one of the prototypes here is a video of the build. I will cover configuration & set up in a forthcoming video – perhaps when I have access to a good 40m antenna
This year however we are using a new kit. The Acorn II kit developed by Kanga Products and M0XPD, is a Software Defined Radio kit that runs on the SSB portion of 40m. But the kit can also be configured to run on any HF band – assuming you have a Band pass filter & a suitable Local Oscillator. The kit has been developed to allow you to pipe in an external Local Oscillator and allow you to connect Band pass filters for other HF bands.
The kit was developed to run with the M0XPD Si5351A Arduino shield, which allows you to use the Arduino as a VFO. And can plug straight into the radio as a local oscillator
Using just a stereo line in on a sound card, and some widely available SDR software (Such as HDSDR), you can get great results from little financial outlay. It is indeed a great introduction into SDR.
I built one of the prototypes here is a video of the build. I will cover configuration & set up in a forthcoming video – perhaps when I have access to a good 40m antenna
Arduino CW decoder – Conclusion
A few days have past since I last blogged about the CW decoder. Since then I moved the project forward and created a Vero version which worked well. It was based on the idea of a shield and plugged in on the top of the Arduino UNO. I added a reset switch, and tried the kit using a Adafruit Mic amp. Adding this – I needed to expose the 3.3v to the microphone, and in doing so I created a really great little piece of kit. At this stage I was formulating what I wanted the finished kit to consist of. And here is a breakdown of my immediate requirements :
1. Line in or Microphone input
2. Easy to read display – all boxed neatly
3. An LED that shows the Zero beat
4. Easily accessible Reset Switch
5. Powered from a 12v supply.
I did want to create a usable PCB, something that could be used by a student or someone wanting to build the kit. So using the Fritzing application I set about laying out a circuit board.
This was my very first attempt at creating a PCB , so nerves were a wee bit on the tense side. I also wanted to box the project, so my rationale was to find a box first to work out the physical dimensions of the finished project.
As with the Vero Version – I created a layout that would fit on top of the UNO.
After submitting the design, and waiting a week I managed to get hold of 3 boards. They looked awesome. All white and exactly how I laid them out.
I did make 2 small errors on these boards. The first issue was sitting the capacitors a bit too close to the LM567 IC. That is an easy fix for the next version. But the 2nd and more serious issue is I forgot to ground 2 caps. They were floating and in parallel. I did fix this by attaching a wire to ground from one of the caps. That solved the issue, and I have already corrected the fault for the next batch of boards.
2 further observations of the boards & the project as a whole have highlighted 2 further improvements to the project. The location of the pins for the display / reset switch and audio OUT should be on the other side of the board. That would make a far better layout. Also adding in an audio oscillator / switch & plug to insert a key on the oscillator – then feed the output to the Arduino would immediately mean this kit could be used as a practice oscillator too. – that would show the letters as you transmit them out.
So here is a review of the project so far, and what I intend to do with the project going forward.
1. Line in or Microphone input
2. Easy to read display – all boxed neatly
3. An LED that shows the Zero beat
4. Easily accessible Reset Switch
5. Powered from a 12v supply.
I did want to create a usable PCB, something that could be used by a student or someone wanting to build the kit. So using the Fritzing application I set about laying out a circuit board.
As with the Vero Version – I created a layout that would fit on top of the UNO.
After submitting the design, and waiting a week I managed to get hold of 3 boards. They looked awesome. All white and exactly how I laid them out.
I did make 2 small errors on these boards. The first issue was sitting the capacitors a bit too close to the LM567 IC. That is an easy fix for the next version. But the 2nd and more serious issue is I forgot to ground 2 caps. They were floating and in parallel. I did fix this by attaching a wire to ground from one of the caps. That solved the issue, and I have already corrected the fault for the next batch of boards.
2 further observations of the boards & the project as a whole have highlighted 2 further improvements to the project. The location of the pins for the display / reset switch and audio OUT should be on the other side of the board. That would make a far better layout. Also adding in an audio oscillator / switch & plug to insert a key on the oscillator – then feed the output to the Arduino would immediately mean this kit could be used as a practice oscillator too. – that would show the letters as you transmit them out.
So here is a review of the project so far, and what I intend to do with the project going forward.
