Category Archives: News

Announcements, News

Philippines Amateur Radio Association committed in aftermath of Haiyan

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herologo(Source: Southgate ARC)

Hams still involved in Philippines typhoon disaster

While humanitarian aid continues to flow albeit slowly in some areas in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan in central Philippines, the Ham Emergency Radio Operator network stations are handling lots of vital messages.

The death toll has been put at 2,000 or so officially, even though estimates have been much higher.

Ramon Anquilan DU1UGZ, of the Philippines Amateur Radio Association (PARA), said its Ham Emergency Radio Operator or HERO network is working inside the disaster areas, and sending messages on HF and VHF elsewhere in the archipelago.

He reports that the first improvements in the relief response were felt with cellular mobile companies beginning to restore their services in hard hit Tacloban.

The RADNET HERO station there had been handling inquiries about the whereabouts of people in the Tacloban and the nearby Palo areas, but when Internet services became available the pressure from residents was greatly reduced. The RADNET station could not operate after dark due to a curfew imposed to maintain law and order.

Ramon DU1UGZ said that the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has now used the HERO network for several messages.

“It appears that NTC had an emergency meeting and decided to provide hams in the area with mobile rigs and hand-held portables.

“The NTC’s awareness of the importance of Amateur Radio is maturing and there are talks of our clubs training and maintaining stations at NTC regional offices,” he said.

The national agencies have relocated the Command Post to the Tacloban Grandstand. For coordination reasons, the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Mitigation Council (CDRRMC) has joined them.

Ramon DU1UGZ said that the hard-working DU5AOK station is left by itself in the second floor of city hall in Tacloban, with security, food, and logistics problems starting to emerge.

“We are urgently requesting assistance to sustain the DU5AOK station and ensure operations in the other hard struck areas are established – Samar, Panay, Cebu, Biliran, and the tourist area of Palawan,” he said.

“We need equipment (field deployable systems, power source generators and antenna systems), food or ration packs and operators tent.”

Financial donations are also welcome via the PARA Paypal account.

Jim Linton VK3PC

Chairman IARU Region 3 Disaster Communications Committee

Announcements, News, Portable, Product Announcements, Websites

W1SFR offers an array of products for the QRPer

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The KX3 helper non-slip pad.
The KX3 helper non-slip pad tilts your KX3 at an optimum angle for operation.

Steve Roberts (W1SFR) has recently informed me about his new website, KX3helper.com where he sells an array of products for QRPers.

Steve’s product line includes:

  • KX3/KX1 Helper: A foam stand lined with non-slip material to hold the KX3 at a high angle (also other rigs with the controls display on the top surface such as: KX1, HB1-B, TenTec 40/ series, and PFR).
  • QRPad: A foam stand lined with non-slip material for rigs with front-facing controls such as MFJ, OHR, Weber, and Open QRP.
  • FistRest: Neoprene mat covered with non-slip material to provide support when using keys.
  • EndFed 40-6m Antenna: 31 feet long and made with genuine “Wireman” 18 ga Silky Antenna wire. The 9:1 UnUN weighs 3.92 oz. The Antenna wire and lug weigh 3.12 oz. Total weight about 7.34oz.

I’m impressed that Steve tries to source all of his products and materials locally and that his items are quite affordable.

Check out Steve’s site by clicking here.  Many thanks to Graham (G3ZOD) who also informed me about KX3helper.

Announcements, Kits, News, Product Announcements, QRP Radios

OpenQRP kit now available in North America

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OpenQRPMany thanks to Graham (G3ZOD) who writes:

The OpenQRP 40m CW Transceiver kit is now available for delivery to the USA and Canada from OpenQRP.com (USA) at $150.00 plus $10.00 shipping (USD).

This provides around 6 to 8 Watts output at 13.5 V on 7 MHz. It includes an LCD display, CW decoder, memory keyer, and has 400 Hz IF selectivity. The processor is based on Arduino technology, allowing experimentation with the firmware. It is designed by Steve Elliott, K1EL, well known for his WinKeyer family of keyers.

(The OpenQRP 40m CW Transceiver kit is also available from Kanga Products (UK) http://www.kanga-products.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=76&Itemid=78  at £89 (GBP) excluding delivery.)

Kits, News, Product Announcements, QRP Radios

OpenQRP transceiver available in the UK

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The OpenQRP transceiver (Photo: kanga-products.co.uk)
The OpenQRP transceiver (Photo: kanga-products.co.uk)

Graham Smith (G3ZOD) writes:

“Kanga Products (UK) provided the first Open QRP 40m transceiver kits at the UK National Hamfest on 27/28th September.
http://www.kanga-products.co.uk/index.php/openqrp-transceiver

The kit is priced at £89 (GBP) and has an LCD display and front panel controls for Tune, RIT, RF Gain, and 6 push buttons.  Output is 6 to 8 Watts at 13.5 V. [T]he Open QRP transceiver also includes a separate chip that decodes incoming CW and CW sent via paddles!

The spec. is available here:
http://www.openqrp.org/files/openQRP_SPECS_R02.pdf

The transceiver was designed by Steve Elliott, K1EL, of WinKeyer fame.
(Kits are also expected to be available in the USA at some point from a separate supplier.)

I was fortunate to be able to purchase one of the kits at the Hamfest.  Although I haven’t yet had time to put it together, one purchaser already has his transceiver up & running.

This is an exciting product for us in the UK, as normally items like this are imported from the USA, suffering high tax and import charges.

It begs comparison with Ten-Tec’s Model 506 Open Source QRP CW Transceiver, which is more or less the same concept based on Arduino technology (probably the Rebel was inspired by K1EL’s design, which he started in 2009).  The Open QRP is single band and a kit, whereas the Rebel has two bands and is ready-built.  The Open QRP has an LCD display and 6 push buttons, where as the Rebel has no display and two push buttons.
When UK companies sell USA amateur products such as the Rebel, they quite often adopt a “dollar – UK pound equivalence” pricing, which makes them far more expensive here than they are in the USA (although the UK companies do have to shoulder the import costs).  On this basis, if the Rebel is priced at £199 (GBP), it will make the Open QRP kit less than half the price at £89 (GBP).”

Many thanks for the info, Graham! Please let us know about your experience building and getting the OpenQRP transceiver on the air!

Announcements, Events, News, Satellites

Say “Hi” to Juno as it passes by Earth today

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EFB_publicmap1-675Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, Troy, who emailed me about a really fun and unique opportunity for amateur radio operators:  to send the NASA spacecraft Juno a Morse Code greeting [specifically, “HI”] when it passes over Earth tomorrow, starting around 18:00 UTC.

The NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory explains:

“NASA’s Juno spacecraft will fly past Earth on October 9, 2013, to receive a gravity assist from our planet, putting it on course for Jupiter. To celebrate this event, the Juno mission is inviting amateur radio operators around the world to say “HI” to Juno in a coordinated Morse Code message. Juno’s radio & plasma wave experiment, called Waves, should be able to detect the message if enough people participate. So please join in, and help spread the word to fellow amateur radio enthusiasts!

This page will be updated with additional information as the event approaches. In addition, we have created a Facebook event page where you are welcome to a discuss[ion of] this activity.”

ham_morsecode_ditsTo be clear, this is a coordinated and unified message to the Juno craft; there will be no opportunity to hear a response from it.  Rather, the Waves instrument data containing the message will be shared by the Juno team after the flyby.  But still, what fun!

If you’re a licensed ham, and this sounds like something that you’d like to be part of, please check out the the NASA JPL page dedicated to this event. It has all of the information you’ll need to transmit to Juno, including a countdown clock–or to simply listen to everyone who does. Be sure to check out Juno’s Technical FAQ (click on the FAQ link) which answers a lot of the questions participants have already asked.

I’ll certainly do my best to be a part of the unified greeting to Juno.

I should note that I’m pleased to see the JPL page is running despite the US government shutdown. Many other NASA web pages have been affected.

Hi, Juno; we send our greetings!

juno-banner

This article has been re-posted from my shortwave radio blog, The SWLing Post.

Conferences, News, People, QRP

2013 Ten-Tec Hamfest and W4DXCC: Rob Sherwood guest

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TenTecLogoAlong with the Dayton Hamvention, I try to attend the Ten-Tec hamfest every year. Not only is it one of the hamfests nearest my home base, but also their “radios only” free tailgating is the source of many great quality radio finds. In the past, I’ve purchased several “boat anchors” and Ten-Tec radios at this event’s tailgating.

This year I’ll be joining the ranks of tailgaters as well, as I reluctantly part ways with my trusted OMNI VI+ in order to pay for some shack upgrades. If you come to the hamfest, be sure to stop by and say hello.

Moreover, this year Ten-Tec has invited Rob Sherwood (NC0B) of Sherwood Engineering to a speak-and-greet. I know Rob; he’s a great presenter, and you’d be hard pressed to find a guy more knowledgeable about receiver design. His free presentation will take place at 11:00 am on Saturday. (He will also host a forum Friday night at the W4DXCC–see below).

Here’s the Ten-Tec Hamfest presentation schedule (see full details on their website):

Friday Afternoon Forms:

1:00 PM  John Occhipinti will speak about the Ten-Tec user nets followed up with a 40 meter SSB net beginning at 2:00 PM direct from the TEN-TEC Homecoming Hamfest.

Saturday Morning Forums:

9:00 AM  Learn about the new FG-01 Antenna Analyzer by You Kits  (Jim Wharton, NO4A)

10:00 AM  Learn what makes a quality receiver  (Rob Sherwood, NCØB)

11:00 AM  Learn about the many features offered with the TEN-TEC 506 Rebel  (Craig Behrens, NM4T)

…and QRP @ W4DXCC

W4DXCC-Logo-2013-Blue2Each year, the W4DXCC coincides with the Ten-Tec Hamfest, and I always try to attend this excellent event, too. My buddy Dave Anderson (K4SV) is the new president of the W4DXCC, and does a fantastic job putting together an informative, fun event. I’ve made many friendships there over the years.

Though the W4DXCC is a DXer/Contesting convention, that definition isn’t strict, so don’t think for a moment that QRP doesn’t have a place there–! Indeed, my good friend, Vlado (N3CZ), is opening the convention with a presentation on QRPer operation.  I do hope he will also display some of his homebrew QRP transceivers (one of which was built into a USB keychain!); no doubt his presentation will be very interesting.

If you’re planning to attend the Ten-Tec hamfest, consider spending the remainder of the day at the nearby W4DXCC. At $30 at the door, it’s a bargain, and I promise you’ll return home with new friends and an even better understanding of DXing.  Come join the fun!

News, Portable, Product Announcements, QRP, QRP Radios

LNR Precision introduces the FX-4: a four band CW/SSB transceiver

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I saw a prototype of the FX-4 at the Dayton Hamvention this year. Initial impressions are that it is well-built and easily back-packable.

I will see about reviewing the LNR FX-4 after they become available.

Many thanks to Chris (K4RCH) for the tip!

(Source: LNR Precision)
FX-4 NEW!

It is has been a few months since we announced the FX-4 Transceiver but it is getting very close to being available for purchase. For those of you that are friends of our Facebook page or visited our booth at Dayton Hamvention got an early peek at it. Here is an updated picture and it will be a very sharp black color. Other pics are on theFacebook page. We have been making some last minute tweaks that we think you will really like. We plan to offer it for purchase under $500 and you can add your name to the wait list which can be found at the bottom of our purchase page.

FX-4 Specs

Transceiver size in inches 4.10L X 2.8W X 1.5T
Transceiver Weight 12.8 oz.
Current Drain on receive 250-270 ma
Current Drain on transmit 1200 ma
Receive/Transmit Bands 7.000.00 to 7.300.00 MHz
14.000.00 to 14.350.00 MHz
9.999.00 to 10.150.00 MHz
18.068 to 18.168.00 MHz
Frequency control 75 MHz
Display type LCD-128×64
Transmitter Max output power 5 watts CW
5 Watts SSB
Spurious emissions -43dB at 5 Watts
Side tone pitch 550Hz to 1500Hz adjustable
Receiver sensitivity 0.3uV
Selectivity -3dB/ 2.6K -40db/ 4.5K
Audio Output 1 Watt with 8 ohm speaker
Keyer Iambic A & B adjustable speed from 5 to 40 wpm
Memory Storage 10 per each Band total of 40
DSP filtering 300KHz, 500KHz. 1.3KHz, 1.6KHz, 1.9KHz, 2.2KHz, and 2.5KHz.
VFO Drift <5Hz after 5 minute warm up at 30c (<10Hz after 30 minute operation @ 40c)

 

Announcements, News, Product Announcements, Software Defined Radio

HackRF: an open source SDR transceiver

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HackRF prototype (Source: ossmann.blogspot.com)
HackRF prototype (Source: ossmann.blogspot.com)

[From my shortwave radio blog…]

Michael Ossmann is making a business out of developing and producing open-source hardware.

His latest creation is called HackRF, and in less than a day, it has been fully backed on Kickstarter raising over $290,000 US with 25 days left to go in the campaign (at time of posting). Backers can contribute to this campaign with some confidence as Ossmann has successfully delivered products from Kickstarter in the past.

What makes HackRF unique is the fact that the stand alone unit can operate between 30 MHz and 6 GHz; a frequency range substantially wider than any SDR currently on the market. Indeed, when combined with the Ham It Up converter, the HackRF will also cover HF bands and lower.

Additionally, HackRF is a fully open-source transceiver; applications are limited only to a developer’s imagination. You could potentially use HackRF for ham radio, radio astronomy, scanning, shortwave radio listening, remote control applications, wide band monitoring, and commercial/industrial applications. If you use two HackRFs in tandem, they’ll even work in full-duplex applications.

Though the project is fully-backed, you can still support HackRF in the Kickstarter phase and save a bit on the eventual retail cost of the unit. Production units are expected to ship early 2014. Check out the HackRF Kickstarter video below:


Additional information:

Articles, News

“The Weakest Solar Cycle in 100 Years”

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Past three solar cycles (Source: Sky and Telescope)
Past three solar cycles (Source: Sky and Telescope)

Thanks to QRPer.com contributor Eric (WD8RIF) for passing along this story from Sky and Telescope.

Scientists are unsure why this solar peak has been less than stellar:

(Source: Sky and Telescope)

Scientists are struggling to explain the Sun’s bizarre recent behavior. Is it a fluke, or a sign of a deeper trend?

The Sun is acting weird. It typically puts on a pageant of magnetic activity every 11 years for aurora watchers and sungazers alike, but this time it overslept. When it finally woke up (a year late), it gave the weakest performance in 100 years.<

What’s even weirder is that scientists, who aren’t usually shy about tossing hypotheses about, are at a loss for a good explanation. Three scientists, David Hathaway (NASA / Marshall Space Flight Center), Giuliana de Toma (High Altitude Observatory), and Matthew Penn (National Solar Observatory) presented possible explanations at this month’s meeting of the American Astronomical Society’s Solar Physics Division, but their results sparked a lively debate rather than a scientific consensus. [Continue reading…]

Announcements, Interviews, News, People

BBC World Service interviews Paul (N6PSE)who is attempting to organize a DXpedition to North Korea

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(Source: BBC World Service)

A small group of US ham radio enthusiasts have been in North Korea recently to ask for permission to set up a ‘pop up’ ham radio station there. Paul Ewing is one of them; he wants to lead a group to set up a call sign for two weeks, to make contacts around the world from perhaps the most isolated society in the world. The BBC’s Dan Damon asked Paul to explain.