28 MHz has been open most days this solar cycle, and so it’s been my band of choice from the car. The antenna sizes are much more reasonable, so it’s easier to get an antenna mounted on the car that works well. I have a few options, but if static I have a 1/4 wave […]
This weekend the weather was planned to be over 30C, so I thought it would be better to be outside than stuck in the house. If I could find some shade, and keep out of the sun, this would be ideal. Power and keeping cool The weather was so warm, it was essential to stay […]
This long weekend, over at the Secret Nuclear Bunker I wanted to try some QRO operating on 144 MHz. Conditions on HF have been up and down, as the sun is very active right now. Using the 9e LFA on a 12m pump up mast and a low noise amplifier (LNA) and solid state linear […]
Firstly FT8 is not the only digital mode, amateur radio has been using “digital” to send messages from RTTY to Helscriber and even CW. FT8 is just an evolution, and while it fulfils the basic QSO criteria the exchange is minimal and this is not a chat mode. If you are looking for a digital […]
The Hermes-Lite is a low-cost direct down/up conversion software defined amateur radio HF transceiver based on a broadband modem chip and the Hermes SDR project. It is entirely open source and open hardware, including the tools used for design and fabrication files. The SDR is controlled over your LAN, and plugs into your router. This can provide both […]
FT8 has taken the HF bands by storm, a bit like PSK did in the early 2000s. These days it seems the mode of choice for DX stations, allowing them to make a number of QSO is a short duration. If you haven’t checked out FT8 then I would suggest you head over to Joe Taylor […]