Back at it again with CB radio...but this time, with a twist.
Sunday, September 08, 2024
Sunday, September 01, 2024
The PeaNOT: A 74HC04-based QRP Transmitter
As a computer scientist, we deal with several ICs that serve many purposes. Some are microcontrollers. Some are logic gates. Some are just...rather interesting. There's one IC in particular that has its uses as a minimalist oscillator or transmitter with at least 6 components: the 74HC04, the legendary CMOS inverter.
Thursday, July 18, 2024
My Thoughts on Citizens Band
So I'm not one for making opinion posts...but...
I want to make it clear - CB radio is what got me into ham radio. I remember going down to clean out our basement one day when I was about 10 and I stumbled upon a bluish-grey metal box with a mic coming out of it. It was a Roadmaster (Royal Sound) RE4000 CB radio - and it changed my life forever. And for all you CBers reading this post - I hope that I can speak for all of you...
Monday, June 17, 2024
Hearing the Dead
Satellites, that is...
Miles and miles above the ground, thousands of metal bodies with specialized instruments orbit our blue and green marble of a world, taking photos, surveying weather phenomena, and even providing amateurs with extraterrestrial repeater service!
With that being said, I can't emphasize how many orbit the earth - there are so many that concerns have been raised about the threat of space debris falling from the sky. In recent months, space debris from old satellites have fallen from the sky, and in rare but not impossible instances, they have ended up in someone's home.
However, some of these pieces of space junk have been found to be fully alive! After 40, 50, and even 60 years, some satellites just spring back to life. Below are a few examples of ones I've found - and heard!!!
Tuesday, June 04, 2024
HamDashboard de VA3HDL
Jason, KM4ACK, has done it again. He's shown another really cool ham thing on his YT page - a ham-friendly dashboard!
If you're looking for a way to have ALL your ham radio internet-linked things at your fingertips, look no further than VA3HDL's Ham Radio Dashboard. All you need is a web browser to get started.