AmateurRadio.com

The zed is reporting today that the source code and rights to Ham Radio Deluxe have been sold to three radio amateurs, Mike Carper WA9PIE, Randy Gawtry, K0CBH and Rick Ruhl W4PC.  No details are posted right now other than development and support will be continued on the product (emphasis mine).

HRD is arguably one of the best, if not the best amateur radio loggers ever written.  It’s the first amateur radio program I would give straight As for design and usability.

While HRD has always been a free piece of software, it would follow that if someone has paid cash for the source code and rights, they intend on getting a return on that investment.  Considering one of the purchasers runs an amateur radio and communications software company, this is quite plausible.

I find myself sounding a lot like the open source zealots I used to bemoan on Slashdot, but I’m increasingly concerned with closed source software and systems within amateur radio.  I’ve seen freeware closed source software authors and followers who think they have a license to be arrogant to users or use the software to further an agenda or an ego.  Some closed software stagnates over time when the author no longer has the time or interest in maintaining it.  Networks run by closed source software tend to be silo solutions developed in a vacuum, ignoring standards and recreating the wheel.  Open source can prevent all these scenarios and create a design and development “ecosystem.”  Such an ecosystem is quite apparent in the Linux and Arduino communities and for a spell in the 2000s I think we had such an ecosystem in QRP.  I don’t think we’ve ever had a truly great software ecosystem.

There is one positive if HRD goes commercial.  With a revenue stream there will be an incentive to continue development, support users, and maintain it as the fine product that it is.  Perhaps I’m jumping the gun and prematurely assuming it will go commercial, but I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibilities.  I made a contribution to HRD in the past, so I would probably buy the commercial product as it’s just that good.  It’s just unfortunate that HRD couldn’t have been released as an open source project and been freed to evolve in a community based effort.

The code-writing squirrels at Radio Artisan Labs have produced another update to the Arduino Keyer code. This update provides a plethora of functions for the PS2 keyboard feature, increases the number of memories to 12, and the number of supported transmitters to six.  I’ve never encountered the Ultimatic mode in the wild, but it’s now available as are Iambic A, Iambic B, bug, and straight key modes.  Ham Radio Deluxe can now talk to the keyer, which can be used to provide a rather nice graphical user interface to most keyer settings and functions.  A host of other logging and contest programs should interface with it as well as some kinks in the serial USB interfacing were worked out.  And as if that wasn’t enough, the code now sports a GNU license like all good free software should.

The next features to be developed are an LCD display with eight soft keys and CW receive capability.  The squirrels want to write some code that will automatically make QSOs while they’re on a DXpedition vacation in Aruba, wanting more time on the beach and less in the shack.

Hidden in a nondescript mountain location in eastern Pennsylvania, the highly trained squirrels at the Radio Artisan Lab have been working feverishly lately on the Arduino keyer code.  Besides being amazed that squirrels can code in C or even operate computers in the first place, I’m amazed at some of the features they’ve been pumping out. Here are the highlights:

You can now plug a PS2 keyboard right into the keyer, no computer required.

The keyer interfaces with popular logging and contest programs with the new Winkey Emulation feature.

Iambic A and B modes are now available.  Straight key and bug modes are also available as before.

Various timing niceties like wordspace adjust, keying compensation, autospace, and first element extension are now available, along with the existing PTT lead/lag and dit-to-dah ratio features.

There’s now a Dead Operator Watchdog.  If you keel over mid-QSO and one of the paddles gets stuck, the keyer will stop transmitting so you won’t be QRMing the frequency until your unfortunate (or fortunate) XYL finds you.

A few months ago one of the bright-eyed and bushy-tailed new guys wrote some Hellschreiber code on his lunch break.  I’m not sure anyone will use it, but it’s there if some one wants to build a hell beacon or respond back to an unsuspecting CW op in hell.  [insert joke here]

The little rodents tell me there’s more coming.

Amateur Radio Antenna Review Form Version 1.0
Name of Antenna________________________
Reviewer Callsign_________

Type of Antenna: (check all that apply)
( ) Commercial dipole that seems to work better than any dipole I've ever built
( ) Off center fed dipole that works better than a regular dipole
( ) Vertical that doesn't need any radials
( ) 6 foot whip that works great on 6m - 160m
( ) Old design from Handbook someone is selling as a new idea
( ) A dipole or dipole variant I'm selling to unsuspecting people
( ) I don't know
( ) Other _________ (specify)

Owned Antenna For:
( ) 0 - 6 Months
( ) 6 - 12 Months
( ) More than 30 years
( ) Never owned one but I think it's great

Why Antenna is Great: (check all that apply)
( ) Got a 59 / 599 report from several stations
( ) Is stronger in comparison tests against my old crappy antenna
( ) Worked a guy in ____________ (print country)
( ) Neighbor / XYL can't see it
( ) Antenna annoys Neighbor / XYL
( ) Manual good translation from Chinese large help in assemblage
( ) Antenna gain specification is in dBd and not evil dBi
( ) Heard on 80m roundtable it was good
( ) Can be fed with: (check all that apply)
              ( ) Any length of coax
              ( ) RG-58 or RG-8
              ( ) Specific length of "special" coax (included in box)
( ) Low SWR (1 to 1) across entire:
              ( ) Band
              ( ) RF Spectrum
              Antenna Tuner Required To Get Low SWR: Yes / No (Circle all that apply)
( ) Antenna has a cool name
( ) Antenna as good as multiple stacked four element yagis when condx are good
( ) Repels lightning
( ) Antenna includes mystery black box

Overall rating: ( ) Fine Business   ( ) Magic   ( ) Dead Full Quieting  ( ) 5 out of 5

The JX5O DXpedition crew is in route and you can view their progress and latest news here and on The Facebook.  I’ve often thought a DXpedition to Jan Mayen or Svlabard would be cool, quite literally.  They’re not super rare like Bouvet or Heard Island, but for mere mortal radio artisans like me who can’t take three months off work and drop $30K or 40K of life savings on playing radio, they’re attainable DXpeditions.  Sure, they’re not tropical like the popular VP prefix destinations, but that would be too easy :-)

Svalbard is Cool

(Photograph by Hannes Grobe, Shared under Creative Commons)

Inevitably each year the debate over just what is Field Day erupts in club meetings, on the air, and in Internet forums.  One side calls it a contest while the other classifies it more as a casual operating event.  I can argue this both ways, but regardless of which side you’re on one of the objectives of Field Day is simply to make contacts.  If you consider Field Day a contest, more contacts means a higher score.  If you’re in it as just a casual operating event, making more contacts is naturally more fun than making less.  Here are some tips for making more QSOs, not only during Field Day, but really any operating event or contest:

The other station knows his callsign.  The only time you should say or send the other station’s call is when you are calling CQ and giving the other station his report.  A possible exception to this is if you’re replying to a CQ and there are multiple stations on the frequency calling CQ.  Otherwise, sending the other station’s call is unnecessary and it just wastes time.  It often messes up CW operators calling CQ because they’ll start typing the first callsign they hear.  Once they realize it’s their own call coming back, they have to backspace and type in your call.

Adjust your syntax based on the number of stations you have piled up.  If things are slow going, you can be more generous with the verbiage.  If you know you have a pileup going, be more sparse so you can turn around the QSOs more quickly.

Hold your ground on a frequency.  If you have had the frequency for a long time and a LID pops up on your frequency or nearby causing interference, just hold your ground and it’s likely that they will go away shortly.  Often I’ll make longer CQ calls or do a string of QRLs or say “the frequency is in use” and they’ll get the message.  When operating QRP this strategy may not work so well and QSYing may be your best bet.

Switch between CQing and search-and-pounce.   Often people will pick one over the other.  I tend to favor CQing as much as possible and then switch to search-and-pounce periodically to scan the band and harvest QSOs from those calling CQ who haven’t worked me yet.  Keep an eye on your QSO rate while you’re CQing and watch for declines; this is your cue to go into search-and-pounce mode.

Use phonetics when it makes sense and use standard ones when you do.  Much has been said about the use and abuse of phonetics, but there’s a reason there are standard phonetics.  They have the most clarity and are less apt to be confused with other letters over the air.  Cutesy phonetics can be problematic and actually aggravate the problem phonetics is supposed to help.

Make good use of air time.  If you didn’t get a station’s full callsign, you don’t need to give them a 30 second monologue on how you didn’t get their callsign, what letters you exactly heard, and the five combinations of letters you think their call might be.  Just say ‘again?’ and they’ll repeat their call.  The same goes when you have a messy pileup.  Just say ‘again?’  or if you were able to pick out one letter of a callsign, say that letter so you can thin out the pack and get a full callsign.

Lately there’s been more saber-rattling and calls to arms over HR 607 here in the US.  This is the bill that places several UHF bands on the auction block for commercial wireless service and public safety.  The item of concern to amateur radio is the listing of the 440 band which amateur radio has a secondary allocation.

There are some “inconvenient truths” about 440 and its potential reallocation:

1.  Amateur radio usage of the 440 band is abysmal.  (Dead repeaters don’t count as usage.)

2.  What usage there is of 440 is inefficient when compared with 3G and 4G technologies that could use the band.

3.  Millions could benefit for 440 rather than a few thousand who use it today.

4.  Amateur radio’s 440 band is a secondary allocation, not primary.

BPL was a major threat to amateur radio and I adamantly opposed it.  Millions could have benefited from BPL as well so opposition of BPL may seem hypocritical, but there is key difference.  BPL didn’t actually use the spectrum, it polluted it.  If BPL would have made actual use of the spectrum for transmission of data, we may have seen a de facto reallocation of amateur radio HF spectrum.  But ultimately physics and market forces killed BPL.

When it comes to the reallocation of 440, I’m neutral about it and almost leaning towards letting the chips fall where they may.  However, I feel like I’m selling out amateur radio.  It’s been ingrained in our minds that we have to reflexively defend amateur radio against any and all threats.

The comments I see from amateurs regarding HR 607 seem to reflect a lack of understanding of the real world today, technology, and amateur radio’s place in the world.  Perhaps I’m reading and hearing the wrong comments, undoubtedly from venues that cater to those who speak before thinking.  But I digress.

Amateur radio has little to no political pull today.  Any semblance of political power is merely momentary photo opportunity politics.  We lack the numbers to give politicians appreciable benefits from sticking their necks out for us.  The post 9/11 homeland security “importance bump” we received is winding down and arguably so will the war on terrorism.  The next war is going to be a war of limited resources and debt, areas where amateur radio is politically irrelevant and potentially a roadblock.

We can’t expect to hold on to valuable spectrum forever with 1960s technology when faced with 21st century technology that can make use of a limited resource that would result in a benefit several orders of magnitude greater than what amateur radio is doing today.  In recent years in American society it’s become common for vocal citizens to complain about entitlements, programs, and hand outs under the guise of reigning in the national debt, thinly veiled in patriotism, protecting the American Way and all that is good.  But when it comes to cutting entitlements, programs, and hand outs from which they receive benefits, the conversation abruptly ends and out come the protest signs and 16th century costumes.  It’s much the same with amateur radio bands.  Our wise and aging licensees are deathly afraid of the coming debtpocalypse, but “you can pry my barely used UHF spectrum from my cold, dead fingers.”  I see retorts to HR 607 like “why do they need more spectrum; public safety/cellular has X MHz” or “why don’t they reallocate FRS/TV/WIFI/Cellular!?!”  I just have to do a face-palm.  It’s painful to read.

Ultimately I doubt 440 will be reallocated as a result of HR 607.  Amateur radio is a secondary allocation, the primary being the military.  All the boilerplate letter mailing campaigns and phone calls to poor overworked congressional staffers won’t have an effect.  If the military throws in the towel on the 440 band, the amateur radio 440 allocation is going down for the count, regardless.  Much like the situation with BPL, it’s mostly out of our control.

Rather than just totally blocking the reallocation of this band, “we’re the radio guys who will save the world, end-of-story”, we need come up with some reasonable compromise options that gives something to the public and justifies what spectrum we hold on to for decades to come.  Perhaps this means offering up 10 or 20 Mhz and keeping the remain part for satellites and data modes.  As I mentioned in a previous article, we need to develop a digital protocol and network to utilize this spectrum at a respectable level with applications beyond ragchewing and exchanging grid squares.  We certainly can’t forever defend holding on to this band with analog repeaters and point-to-point links linking vegetating two meter repeaters.