Topics

466

Huh? / FCC Chair: New LPFM & Noncomm License Opportunities Coming Soon?

« on: September 04, 2020, 2032 UTC »

From Radio Survivor,     https://www.radiosurvivor.com/2020/08/10/fcc-chair-new-lpfm-noncomm-license-opportunities-coming-soon/     As if the FM band isn't crowded enough.

467

Amateur Radio / ISS with Crossband repeater!

« on: September 03, 2020, 1910 UTC »

I wasn't too sure to either put this under Satellite, or here, in Amateur Radio. So, I tossed a coin, and here it is:

ARISS News Release No. 20-13


September 2, 2020—The ARISS team is pleased to announce that set up and installation of the first element of our next generation radio system was completed and amateur radio operations with it are now underway. This first element, dubbed the InterOperable Radio System (IORS), was installed in the International Space Station Columbus module. The IORS replaces the Ericsson radio system and packet module that were originally certified for spaceflight on July 26, 2000.

Initial operation of the new radio system is in FM cross band repeater mode using an uplink frequency of 145.99 MHz with an access tone of 67 Hz and a downlink frequency of 437.800 MHz. System activation was first observed at 01:02 UTC on September 2. Special operations will continue to be announced.

The IORS was launched from Kennedy Space Center on March 6, 2020 on board the SpaceX CRS-20 resupply mission. It consists of a special, space-modified JVC Kenwood D710GA transceiver, an ARISS developed multi-voltage power supply and interconnecting cables. The design, development, fabrication, testing, and launch of the first IORS was an incredible five-year engineering achievement accomplished by the ARISS hardware volunteer team. It will enable new, exciting capabilities for ham radio operators, students, and the general public. Capabilities include a higher power radio, voice repeater, digital packet radio (APRS) capabilities and a Kenwood VC-H1 slow scan television (SSTV) system.

A second IORS undergoes flight certification and will be launched later for installation in the Russian Service module. This second system enables dual, simultaneous operations, (e.g. voice repeater and APRS packet), providing diverse opportunities for radio amateurs. It also provides on-orbit redundancy to ensure continuous operations in the event of an IORS component failure.

Next-gen development efforts continue. For the IORS, parts are being procured and a total of ten systems are being fabricated to support flight, additional flight spares, ground testing and astronaut training. Follow-on next generation radio system elements include an L-band repeater uplink capability, currently in development, and a flight Raspberry-Pi, dubbed “ARISS-Pi,” that is just beginning the design phase. The ARISS-Pi promises operations autonomy and enhanced SSTV operations.

ARISS is run almost entirely by volunteers, and with the help of generous contributions from ARISS sponsors and individuals. Donations to the ARISS program for next generation hardware developments, operations, education, and administration are welcome -- please go to  www.ariss.org  to contribute to these efforts.
(Cool!!!! I have the same dual band rig. Happy ISS DX'ing!!!!)

468

SDR - Software Defined Radio / A review of the Xiegu G90 general coverage transceiver

« on: September 02, 2020, 1908 UTC »

The Chinese stuff is making more attractive head-ways. And for around $470.00, it's hard to turn something like this down. https://swling.com/blog/2020/09/a-review-of-the-xiegu-g90-general-coverage-transceiver/
Question is, how does it do to fight IMD and strong signal overload? I don't like that it doesn't really have a convenient RF Gain Control up front, but that's nit-pickin'. Even for under $500.00, I'd want to wait and find out if it can take the test of time.

469

Huh? / Here's my bitch. The broadcast industry wants HD Radio, but where's the push?

« on: August 27, 2020, 1835 UTC »

Ya know... I can tell that I'm getting old, since now I'm bitching more about things that might possibly make sense, but won't happen. Case in point? When the Sony Walkman's were introduced in 1979, they were pretty damned expensive. However, radio stations did walkman give-aways in the early 1980's. And, I remember in 1982 a station doing a "$1,000 Stereo Component System Give-Away!". I also remember car stereo system give-aways. Then, when CD Players came out, there were stations that did give-aways of CD players and CD's themselves. They actually did the CD thing until the early 2000's as well as DVD's and Blue Ray. But, does anyone ever remember an AM Stereo station promoting AM Stereo capable receivers to gave away? Yeah... Neither do I. Fast Forward to +30 years later. There are several stations that are IBOC for HD Radio. Most of them are struggling, and most listeners are either listening on-line, or to that station's analog counter part. But, just how many of these stations are actually promoting the HD Radio receivers that can receive the HD Radio signal? (Uh-huh... Crickets.) Station managers!!! Have a clue!!! If stations are willing to do the expense to push a digital medium, then go all the way. Promote and do contest give-aways of HD Radios. There... That's my latest bitch and passing thoughts on the subjects.     

470

General Radio Discussion / All Digital AM??? An ENG's perspective.

« on: August 26, 2020, 1755 UTC »

Has this been posted and linked here already?   http://www.engineeringradio.us/blog/2020/04/all-digital-am/
Not a bad read.

471

Huh? / Wanna' know what your tax $$$$ paid for over the last 65 years? These!!!

« on: August 25, 2020, 2019 UTC »

https://www.cracked.com/pictofacts-1987-20-surprising-products-that-exist-because-space-travel/
Too bad that they didn't mention RF tech, other than IC's and wireless headsets.

472

The RF Workbench / Trashed commercial RG-11 CATV coax? Lots of various possibilities here.

« on: August 25, 2020, 1755 UTC »

After doing rip-down for Field Day 2017, a friend of mine asked if I wanted abandoned, ground run, RG-11 coax. Mind you, it's pretty much useless as actually coax, due to years of water contamination, but I see the potential in that solid, outer, aluminum, conductor, that has a heavy PVC coating. The potential is using that for various antenna construct projects, or even as a great GND conductor, at better than 1/2" diameter. Thus far??? I've made an experimental 2M Delta Loop for 144MHz SSB, and that hears stations during the ARRL VHF contests. (I need way better coax to that than RG-59 for TX'ing, but still a nice RX test.) Together, the friend and myself, ripped out more than 1/8 of a mile of that old RG-11. Plans??? Make a LW / MW W.O.G., (Wire On Ground.), O.C.F. Dipole, and various Loop Antennas. Has anyone else done this with trashed RG-11? Hey, the price was right.

473

Equipment / Mystery 1960's B&W Balun?

« on: August 21, 2020, 1924 UTC »

Well, can anyone ID and give spec's to this Balun? It's a B&W model # RC-781, all solid metal construction, with female N-connector feed point, galvanized steel 5/8" wire rings, ceramic insulators, and the body shape resembles what was drawn in Sex Edu for the female anatomy. If I remember right, the toroid was was 1.5". This Balun was held together with 17 screw points. Definitely, constructed from a different era. I've actually e-mailed B&W about this, and they even said that it was too old for them to ID and give spec's on. However, they did suspect that this Balun was for RX only. So, does anyone else have a clue? How did I get this? The B.O.C.E.S. electrical instructor, (At the school that I was attending too in 1985.), gave it to me, as well as his collection of late 1970's 73 and CQ magazines. (Yeah!!! I still have them.) 

474

Amateur Radio / HAM Talk Live with Neil Rapp, WB9VPG?

« on: August 19, 2020, 1901 UTC »

Scott & Jill, from Tower Electronics,   http://www.pl-259.com/    ,   included a flier with my latest order about this new talk show / podcast HAM Talk Live,    https://www.spreaker.com/show/ham-talk-live     Anyone every check it out? What do you think? Good, bad, indifferent??? Looks like Tower Electronics is one of the main sponsors.

475

Propagation / Solar cycle 25 . Very interesting? I have my doubts.

« on: August 19, 2020, 1806 UTC »

Ya know... After the let-down from the last Solar Cycle 24, and all the predictions for at least the last decade that say that Cycle 25 will just suck, I'll believe this prediction when Type O Negative does a cover of Madonna's, Like A Virgin. https://www.onallbands.com/%ef%bb%bfscientists-forecast-that-solar-cycle-25-could-actually-be-epic-for-ham-radio-operators/     (I would have to admit that the preceding Type O Negative feat would, at the very least, be amusing.)

476

Huh? / Is Bomar Crystal the last one in USA?

« on: August 18, 2020, 0606 UTC »

Yeah, is this the last domestic crystal manufacturer left. And do they actually make crystals here?     http://bomarcrystal.com/

477

Equipment / Finally!!! Radio Jay Allen covers the Realistic DX-440/Sangean ATS-803A portable

« on: August 14, 2020, 1834 UTC »

I've told Ray Jay about this portable for years, and apparently I'm not the only one,    https://radiojayallen.com/realistic-dx-440-sangean-ats-803a-am-lw-sw-fm-radio/

I still use mine daily, or should I say nightly, as a bedside radio. Radio Jay did knock the selectivity on the FM portion of this portable. In the mid-1990's, I did the Bruce Elving IF TOKO filter swap, from 200kHz to 110kHz, and after that it was, and still is, an FM DX machine. Necessary today with all of those FM translators littered, (And yes, I mean littered.), all over the FM dial. My big gripes are the same as with other portables. When either the memory AA batteries, or the "D" batteries, leaked, that acid would run into the main board. I run my portable off of a transformered wallwart. No battery acid, and no RF hash from a switching power supply. Of coarse, when I loose power at the house, I have to reset the clock and the 9 Memories on it. (B.F.D...) The other pitfall is that ribbon cable that loosely plugs-in to a terminal strip are dissimiliar metals, thus corrosion always seems to happen on the pins of that cable. I've repaired several ATS-803A's / DX-440's by hard soldering those ribbon cable pins to the board. Problem solved, and mine still working +27 years later of having that done. Anyway, +30 years later, my Sangean ATS-803A still rocks on.   

478

General Radio Discussion / This is your tax $$$$? So, why not search it?

« on: August 10, 2020, 0452 UTC »

Quick searches for USA FM / AM / TV / LPFM / TIS Stations from the FCC:

 FM Query     https://www.fcc.gov/media/radio/fm-query

 AM Query     https://www.fcc.gov/media/radio/am-query

 TV Query      https://www.fcc.gov/media/television/tv-query

 LPFM Search      https://www.fcc.gov/media/radio/lpfm

 TIS Search          https://www.fcc.gov/media/radio/travelers-information-stations-search 

Then, this commercial site is also very useful:        https://radio-locator.com/

There. Bookmark these, and thar' ya is.

479

Pirate Radio History / 25 Years of digital mainstream music and pirate programs sounding like crap!

« on: August 08, 2020, 1926 UTC »

Is this something to commemorate, really? Radio Survivor did,    http://www.radiosurvivor.com/2020/08/04/podcast-257-marking-a-quarter-century-of-mp3/     Now, why did I post this here? I didn't see the NEW TOPIC icon appear in the HUH category. Anyway, pirate stations have certainly taken advantage of the convenience of using .MP3 audio since about 1997. Which leads me to ask this, what pirate station was the first to try using .MP3 audio, and when? One way that you've noticed was when pirate relays stopped being 45min and 30min in lengths, or 1/2 the time of one cassette tape side. I still remember the September 1990 Radio Wolf Int. mentioning that the brief dead-air pause was them flipping over the tape. Ahhhhhhhh, memories.... 

480

Amateur Radio / DX The perseids Meteor Scatter!

« on: August 06, 2020, 0607 UTC »

While I was at it on the FM Meteor Scatter DX'ing kick, might as well mention that Meteor Scatter is, or was, popular to do on the Amateur Bands, like 12M, 10M, and especially 6M, USB and CW. I've heard a lot of very late-night scatter happen on the 11M CB band as well. Empty FREQ, then a strong station just pops in there for a brief moment in a quick fade, then gone. https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/everything-you-need-to-know-perseid-meteor-shower
Happy DX'ing!!!!!