The project that was supposed to be but evolved into something else.
If you recall a few years ago, I built a portable battery box using a $5 plastic ammo can. It works phenomenal with my CB and ham radios. If I need a 12V source to test circuits with, I can also use it as a portable power supply. But what about my original idea?
From one of my eBay escapades, I picked up an older Cobra 21 LTD Classic. It was a really clean radio and I really like it actually! A step up from the Cobra 19 but with Cobra's Dynamike control. I received it without a microphone, however it didn't matter what microphone I tried. I would always get around 20 to 30% peak modulation. What's going on?
Another antenna plan, this time on a bit of a budget.
After doing so much reading on the Rybakov antenna, I thought it was time to give a go for the lower bands. There are many options for 80 and 40 meter antennas, but a loaded vertical seems to be what I'll be going for. Two custom made coils and a collapsible 18.5' antenna is all you'll need for this project. The result? An antenna that would most definitely be suitable for DX. If Chameleon antennas can make it, then so can you.
I'm sure many of you have some radios laying around that need the membrane keypad fixed on them. Lucky for you, I might have just the solution, and it's with things you probably have around the house.
In the past few days, I've been looking at building another antenna. My random wire is nice, but it's just not cutting it on the HF bands for DXing. 80 meters is a no-go for DX constantly and while I can get it to tune, it just has too much NVIS propagation. Time for something different, and I may have found the answer.
Kayaking never really appealed to me. Yeah, it was fun to try on a summer lake trip but that was about it. It was a novelty, something I'd only do once in a while. Until 2 weekends ago, which convinced me to actually take it up as a secondary hobby!
One very important piece of equipment to have with any APRS or packet radio setup is the capability of GPS. This provides tracking of your station in real time as well as an accurate clock fix. As you sit and read this, there are literally dozens of satellites above you right now that provide these services not only for you but for the government and businesses alike.
Navigating packet radio can be very hard, especially if you're just starting out in the hobby. You may have questions like "What's the difference between APRS and packet?" or "Why can't I use X software for packet?" Heck you may even wonder how can you set up your own packet radio operation. Today, I hope that this blog post can put some of those wonder and questions to rest. So follow me as I delve into (hopefully) helping you get your start in the internet of amateur radio - packet radio!
Okay everyone, we are just a few connections and solder blobs away from putting the packet radio node on the air! It's been quite the adventure, so let me tell you all about it!
Today, we gather to mourn the loss of yet another milestone in my amateur radio adventures.
Now that my Motorola is the candidate for a UHF APRS node, I am going to construct my AllStar node to function as a personal, radioless node. Stick around for the final build!
I bought another CB off of eBay that was a heck of a steal at about $10 or $15 shipped. It's a late 80s/early 90s Uniden CB radio. It's very similar to the PRO510 and PRO520 line of modern-day radios. It's quite basic - no ANL, no PA...just volume, squelch, and 40 channels.
Yep, another way. Just found it out today.
If you want a 10 meter radio that's channelized or if you don't want to try your hand at computer science, try this modification instead! The cost: Well below $10 or even $5. The candidate: A Midland 13-866 (or the 853 if it gets fixed).
After the initial failure of the 13-853, I decided that I needed to send it off to a local CB shop for repair. In the meantime, I purchased 3 more 23-channel CBs for conversion - just in case :). One of them is a Midland 13-857 - the coolest CB radio I've ever owned.
Hi everyone...
As of right now, the CB to CW conversion is on pause. As I went in to go realign the receive circuitry, I cracked not one but two of the ferrite slugs used to tune. They are jammed in the coils and I have no way of getting them out at the moment. I will be taking it to a CB repair shop and seeing if there is anything I can do.
That being said...is there a way to fix these crappy slugs?
Do you have a crystal scanner that you just can't find a crystal for? Perhaps you have one that has your area's old analog public safety frequencies. Not sure what to do with it except throw it in the trash? Well today, I might just have the solution to keep it out of the landfill.
Let me ask you something...
What is the number one thing that you have with you at all times? A pencil? Earphones? How about your cellphone?
In today's post, I'm going to be simplifying my CW CB radio to take away the OLED and rotary encoder to provide you with an easier user interface accessible via a web browser. After this, you should have a roughly-speaking software defined radio!
I FINALLY DID IT!!! After 6 years of off and on practice, I now can say that CW is my new favorite mode.
In my previous post, I discussed the possibility of building a personal AllStar node instead of a community-wide one. This would not only be easier to make but would also be less time-constraining and could more than likely be done in a day.
Okay, so my AllStar node was a bit too...ambitious. Therefore, Project AllStar has been cancelled :( I might make a personal radio-less AllStar node just for me.
That's okay, though, because I have a better and easier project that even YOU can do! And this should still benefit my community too!
Today and after many years of operating with an end fed antenna, I have learned that these antennas give off lots and lots of unwanted radiation, also known as common mode currents. So what's the answer? New antenna? More coax, less coax? Read on and I'll hopefully answer these questions!
Happy 2025 everyone!
After a solid year of HF inactivity, I am proud and happy to say that my FT-891 is back on the air in a rather permanent matter! The minute our basement was finished up (and I discovered, despite being old, our house is properly grounded!!! Hooray!!!), I began brainstorming ideas on how to build my HF station in the lower dwellings of my house.