More on Packet Radio

 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!

BBS Packet Radio PART II

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!

RIP NOAA 18

 Today, we gather to mourn the loss of yet another milestone in my amateur radio adventures.

Radioless ASL Node: Putting it ALL Together

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!

Attempting to Repair a Uniden PRO500D

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.

April 17th, 2025

Almost one year later, southwest Iowa was the target of another Tornado Emergency.

Yet ANOTHER Way to Convert from CB to 10 (CB to CW Part V)

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).

Midland 13-857: An Unexpected Joy

 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.

CB to CW Emergency or PART 2

 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?

Dusting off the crystal scanner

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.

CB to CW Part 4: Wireless UI

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!

CB to CW Part 3: The Final Installation

 I graduated college!!! Now what am I going to do?

I DID IT!!!

 I FINALLY DID IT!!! After 6 years of off and on practice, I now can say that CW is my new favorite mode.

Radioless AllStar Node

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.

BBS Packet Radio

 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!

Balancing the Unbalanced Truth

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!

Welcome to the Shack crib!

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.