A big announcement or a fizzle….
The news is out the new Icom IC 7760 is out with a bit of a lunch bag letdown feeling among hams. As Rob Sherwood put in on the 7610 groups io site:
"Unless I am missing something, why would I "upgrade" from a 7610 to a 7760? With minimal details at this point, why would the lab numbers be noticeably better?"
Some of the highlights are:
A separate control head from the RF deck. This is nice to see and you can move the rig around the house but the specs say it requires a gigabit Ethernet connection to function.
200 watts power output.
15 separated bandpass filters. (7610 has 13)
The addition of a 2.4-inch sub-display for filter display or band stacking and so on.
A preset FT8 menu for the Digi fans.
4 antenna inputs. (7610 has 2)
Other than a few other minor stuff it basically is a 7610 but for double the price. But if an extra 100 watts, 2 extra bandpass filters, 2 extra antenna ports and an easy FT8 setup rev's your engine then the extra money is well spent I guess.
Here is the link from Icom with all the details and you can judge for yourself.
Icom IC 7760
Mike Weir, VE9KK, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from New Brunswick, Canada. Contact him at [email protected].
Amateur Radio Weekly – Issue 344
ARRL IT security incident – Report to members
ARRL agreed to pay a $1 million ransom.
ARRL
Freebeacon: FreeDV based beacon service
Listens for a trigger string in a FreeDV text message, then transmits a reply.
VK2ZIW
What’s new at Digital Library of Amateur Radio & Communications
I can hardly express how large this warehouse is and how much reading material was available for us: Commercial radio manuals, military documents, avionics repair guides, parts catalogs, schematics.
Kay Savetz K6KJN, Zero Retries
A shorted diode…and the sBitx
I blew a diode while pushing the boundaries of my IRF520 output transistors messing around with FT8.
WK4DS
Connecting Earth to space
How Amateur Radio links us to the ISS.
Sonshine
The most useful knots for SOTA and POTA
A super convenient friction hitch when the rope is very long (no need to access the end of the rope). Easy to undo.
AB1WX
LEO satellite systems cause environmental harm regulators didn’t prepare for
The disposable nature of satellites means 29 tons of satellites will re-enter our atmosphere every day at peak.
TechDirt
HamOpen
Facilitating the development of Open Source software and hardware for Amateur Radio.
HamOpen
Keeping Ham Radio relevant
Ham radio operators provide an unpaid, all-volunteer, citizen brigade of disaster relief workers.
Next Avenue
Video
Working SO-50 in Arizona
Stations heard on this pass included AI6YR in grid CM93 Santa Rosa Island, in the Channel Islands south of Santa Barbara, California.
WD9EWK/VA7EWK
Lucille Ball tells crazy story
Fillings pick up secret Morse station.
YouTube
Icom X60 teaser video
More info from Icom is expected today at the Tokyo Ham Fair.
Icom Japan
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Amateur Radio Weekly is curated by Cale Mooth K4HCK. Sign up free to receive ham radio's most relevant news, projects, technology and events by e-mail each week at http://www.hamweekly.com.
LHS Episode #552: Proxmox VE Deep Dive
Hello and welcome to the 552nd episode of Linux in the Ham Shack. In this episode, the hosts take a preliminary deep dive into the Proxmox virtualization environment. Proxmox is a replacement for VMware ESXi or other virtualization platforms. Topics include features, installation procedure, VM configuration, networking and disk provisioning options, ESXi migration and much more. Thanks for listening and have a great week.
Russ Woodman, K5TUX, co-hosts the Linux in the Ham Shack podcast which is available for download in both MP3 and OGG audio format. Contact him at [email protected].
Livestream: Space WX, Propagation, Amateur Radio – Sundays
Visit, subscribe: NW7US Radio Communications and Propagation YouTube Channel
The Talisman Radio
Lately, I’ve encountered many people who apparently believe their radio is a Talisman. What is a Talisman, you say?
Talisman – An object marked with magical signs and believed to confer on its bearer supernatural powers or protection.
These people purchase some kind of two-way radio and have it stored away in their desk or closet, believing that having it will confer communication powers during an emergency. (Not to pick on Baofeng owners, but these radios are almost always a Baofeng UV-5R.) In many cases, they have the radio programmed with a long list of radio frequencies that have been identified as being good to have during an emergency. These are usually a mix of amateur radio, Family Radio Service, General Mobile Radio Service, Multi-Use Radio Service, search and rescue, and local fire and police frequencies.
Usually, the owner of the Talisman Radio has no real idea of how these frequencies are used. Again, someone told them they are good frequencies to have in a SHTF scenario. They often don’t know how to operate the radio or know what to expect in terms of its communication capabilities. It is simply a magical device that will save them when bad stuff happens.
Sometimes these people take the basic step of getting their amateur radio Technician license. I applaud this decision as it is the first step towards learning about ham radio. It also provides the proper license for legally using the radio on the ham bands. Unfortunately, many of these people just memorize the questions long enough to pass the exam and don’t gain any useful knowledge. This is a fundamental error. A much better approach is to focus on acquiring skills, knowledge, and equipment as part of their emergency preparedness plans. (Serious preppers know and practice this.)
If you are the owner of a Talisman Radio, I urge you to build your skills and get your ham license (if you don’t already have it.) There are many good license books available and the Ham Radio School online course is an excellent approach to learning this material. If you encounter Talisman Radio owners, please encourage them to get some training and learn how to use the radio. Don’t offer to program their radio with a bunch of frequencies they are not licensed to use and that may cause considerable trouble in the frequency spectrum. Encourage and help them but don’t enable their dependence on a Talisman Radio that will only let them down.
Training, training, training.
That’s what I think. What’s your opinion?
73 Bob K0NR
The post The Talisman Radio appeared first on The KØNR Radio Site.
Bob Witte, KØNR, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Colorado, USA. Contact him at [email protected].
Vacuum Tubes – Electronics at Work: 1943 Educational Film
In the classic educational film titled “Electronics at Work,” produced by Westinghouse in 1943, viewers are introduced to the fascinating world of vacuum tubes. This film highlights the crucial role these devices played in both military and commercial sectors, including radio telecommunications, radar, and various industrial applications. The narrative suggests that vacuum tubes provided the United States with a significant advantage during World War II, particularly in enhancing communication and technology.
The Continuing Relevance of Vacuum Tubes
Despite advances in technology, vacuum tubes remain in use today for several applications, including:
– Transmitting radios
– Medical devices
– Audio amplification systems
– High-frequency applications
Understanding Vacuum Tubes
The film outlines the six basic functions of electronic tubes and illustrates how each type is employed in different industrial and military contexts.
Structure of a Vacuum Tube
A vacuum tube typically consists of two or more electrodes housed within a vacuum inside an airtight enclosure. Key features include:
– Electrode Types: Most vacuum tubes have glass envelopes, although some utilize ceramic or metal casings with insulating bases.
– Leads and Sockets: The electrodes connect to leads that pass through the envelope via an airtight seal. These leads often take the form of pins, allowing for easy replacement in a tube socket, as tubes were a common point of failure in electronic devices.
– Capacitive Design: Some tubes feature a top cap on the electrode to minimize interelectrode capacitance, enhancing high-frequency performance and maintaining safety by separating high voltages.
The Evolution of Vacuum Tubes
The earliest vacuum tubes emerged from incandescent light bulbs, which contained a heated filament sealed in an evacuated glass envelope. When heated, the filament releases electrons into the vacuum through a process known as thermionic emission.
– Electrode Functionality: A second electrode, known as the anode or plate, attracts these electrons if it holds a more positive voltage. This mechanism results in a flow of electrons from the filament (cathode) to the plate, creating an electric field due to the potential difference between them.
– Diode Function: A vacuum tube with two electrodes is termed a diode, which functions as a rectifier. Diodes allow current to flow in only one direction, converting alternating current (AC) into pulsating direct current (DC). This technology is widely used in DC power supplies and in demodulating amplitude-modulated (AM) radio signals.
Film Availability and Production Details
This film is available in the public domain under Creative Commons, and it can be accessed through the Library of Congress Prelinger Archives. The film has been edited and converted to HD quality for better viewing. Introductory and closing music is provided by Nero 10, with commercial use rights granted.
This film not only serves as an educational tool but also highlights the enduring legacy of vacuum tube technology in the realm of electronics, illustrating its significant contributions to both past and present technological advancements.
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ICQ Podcast Episode 436 – Cyber Security in a Ham Radio World
In this episode, we join Martin Butler M1MRB, Caryn Eve Murray KD2GUT, Edmund Spicer M0MNG, and Ed Durrant DD5LP to discuss the latest Amateur / Ham Radio news. Colin Butler (M6BOY) rounds up the news in brief and the episode's feature is Cybersecurity in a Ham Radio World.
We would like to thank Dino Papas KL0S, Nigel Wells (2w0cgm) and our monthly and annual subscription donors for keeping the podcast advert free. To donate, please visit - http://www.icqpodcast.com/donate
- Broadcast networks to spread Australian broadcast FM and TV coverage
- ARRL Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology Adds Third Level
- Spacex Gives Details Of Spacecraft To De-Orbit ISS
- College Ham Club ‘found’ During Renovation
- WRTC Spots To Be Sold To Highest Bidder
- Celebrating the Dawn of Mass Global Communication
- Spectrum Conference 2024
- Churches and Chapels on the Air 2024
Colin Butler, M6BOY, is the host of the ICQ Podcast, a weekly radio show about Amateur Radio. Contact him at [email protected].