AmateurRadio.com

Just a reminder about the 630m crossband activity night this evening. There have been two updates to the plan. VE7SL will start one hour later than originally planned and John, VE7BDQ, will be listening on both 160m and 80m QSX frequencies for callers.

The frequencies will be:

• VE7SL TX 473.00KHz QSX (listening) 1808KHz (160m) and 3535KHz (80m)

• VE7BDQ TX 474.00KHz QSX (listening) 1813KHz (160m) and 3532KHz (80m)

John will operate from 0200Z (1800 PST) - 0700Z (2300 PST) while I will start one hour later. Both stations will call several CQs at the top of each hour segment, at full eirp,  and listen for any callers on the specified calling frequencies.




The last time this was done, transcontinental contacts were completed ... hopefully conditions will continue to co-operate and propagation will be good tonight.


Steve McDonald, VE7SL, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from British Columbia, Canada. Contact him at ve7sl@shaw.ca.

It's like the Borg connected to the collective!

As my readers may have clued in already I am a big Elecraft fan and the two radios I have at the moment are the Elecraft K3 and Elecraft KX3. One of the best things I like about these rigs as well as the accessories such as the P3 and PX3  Elecraft is constantly improving and adding things to the radio. These improvements for the most part are  upgradeable downloads via the internet. The other thing is the upgradable downloads are not complicated to preform, it's as simple as

New software loading

downloading and setting up the utility from Elecraft. From then on  all you do is plug your rig in via USB or serial cable to you PC and double click on the utility icon on your desktop. Your software on your rig is read and if there is any new upgrades you see them on your utility and can download them to your rig...........and that's it! There are release notes telling you what has been added or enhancements to your rig. Time for me to get off my soapbox now.
Mike Weir, VE9KK, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from New Brunswick, Canada. Contact him at ve9kk@hotmail.com.

 

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THIS WEEK'S NEWSCAST

    Script

    Audio

 

Interlude time now, in between writing up the Calibration procedure for the M328.. We will push this little one in to keep you all happy.

I have a few various projects to build over the next couple of years, some that will require a regulated supply to feed various DC Volts  (low noise is a must!).  I had been running through my mind various ideas using regulators on some stripboard to mate up  the supply rails,  I had a few emails between my friend G0FTD  on the subject, he said take a look at these "5" seperate LM317 boards already made up on a PCB, complete with heatsinks for just over £5 ($8 US), which works out at just over £1 each! I couldn't even buy the heatsink for a £1 over here, never mind the LM317 and the PCB.  I ordered five they arrived within 10 days from HK, a couple of  the LM317's were not bolted up tight to the heatsinks, but a quick tighten with a screwdriver and all was ok, what a bargain!




Time to test one.
Most of what I will be requiring is between 3.3V and  5V with a 12V dryfit battery on the input end.

To prove I just rigged up a quick lash up with 15V feeding one module from my bench supply:



I was able to able to obtain a precision swing of between 1.25V & 13.5V as the the output is made variable with a multiturn pot attached to the PCB, ideal for what I am looking for. 






Conclusion: Another good purchase from China that is useful, money and time saving in project building!

Not only have I come across various types of regulator modules (some switching types so be careful!), but also LM386 Audio Amp modules, Timer modules and even a 3 Axis Magnetometer PCB built and ready to go!



 
Steve, G1KQH, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from England. Contact him at g1kqh@arrl.net.

My low cost 40m Pixie kit – although G1KQH only paid about 60% of what I paid – is on its way from China but has not yet arrived here. I assume, with free shipping, this comes by sea. I am in no great hurry. As I mentioned before, I very much hope to build this unit as I have not built much in ages because of my brain bleed.

UPDATE 1600z:   My kit arrived in the post today.  Still to open the package, but judging by the speed this must have come by air. It looks well packed.

Roger Lapthorn, G3XBM, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Cambridge, England.

In all my time in amateur radio I have never once experimented with microprocessor programming and I have done very little “digital” design.  This seems to be a gap in my knowledge, although I am still not really interested, preferring RF design, especially QRP.  I must say I remain very impressed with Wolf’s (W5OLF) tiny WSPR-AXE-CW beacon: this goes to show just how much can be achieved with so little physically. Maybe this is a whole area I should embrace? The trouble is it is impossible to be an expert at lots of things, unless you are very bright. Certainly I do not consider myself a polymath! 

Roger Lapthorn, G3XBM, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Cambridge, England.

here's a video of Steve WG0AT and Frank K0JQZ's operation in balmy Colorado last weekend. Frank mentions this is Steve's back yard - VERY NICE back yard!

  

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Larry Makoski, W2LJ, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from New Jersey, USA. Contact him at w2lj@arrl.net.