Thursday, September 21, 2017

HF APRS


APRS can be a valuable tool to establish what resources are around you. But what if you aren't hearing very many packets or you're not getting digipeated on VHF? APRS via HF may be a good work around.

Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Mag Loop Tuning Aid

Since the HF transceiver I use doesn't have an SWR meter, I went in search for a way to ensure my mag loop antenna is tuned properly without any extra equipment. So, I built this little tuning aid.

Small Transmitting Loop (Mag Loop)


I've been seeing a lot about the small transmitting loop, or magnetic loop, antenna lately. An extremely small and portable antenna that still has similar performance of a wire antenna. From all the articles online and YouTube videos, it looks like the bees knees. I've decided to give it a try and find out exactly how good they really are.

Monday, July 24, 2017

ISS SSTV Event Results (July 2017)




To celebrate the 20th anniversary of amateur radio aboard the International Space Station, the ISS transmitted SSTV images all weekend long. I tried a couple methods to capture these images with varying results.

Thursday, June 22, 2017

REVIEW -- Baofeng Tech APRS-K2 TRRS Cable

As interested in APRS and packet operations as I am, I had to try out this new cable from Baofeng Tech. The APRS-K2 cable allows you to connect any cellphone to any radio using the two pin Kenwood style mic cable and VOX to enable easy access to packet radio operation. Let's check it out!

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Behold the SUPER EASY DIGI!



I know you might be tired of seeing posts about the Easy Digi interfaces I've been playing around with. But, I promise this one is the best iteration so far. I was recently contacted by another ham who wanted a cheaper alternative to a Signalink USB, while keeping the plug and play ease of use. This is what I came up with.

Monday, January 23, 2017

Winter Fury SET and Mobile Digipeater


Here's a good overview of my experience participating during this winters simulated emergency test Winter Fury. This SET simulated a massive winter storm in our area that closed all major roadways and caused a vast amount of chaos including interrupting normal modes of communication. Don't worry though, ham radio to the rescue!