VE2DPE's Ham Radio Blog

A ham radio blog for amateur radio enthusiasts.

The ham radio blog (below) plays an essential role in my "triple action" communication strategy.

This Web site is especially designed to assert itself among amateur radio related Web sites. (How? See the "Powered by..." at the bottom of each page).
This blog, on the other hand, is designed to offer an extra access to the Web site's content (through RSS feeds), thus augmenting its "visibility" on the Web.
Last, but not least, this blog also enables me to publish special timely posts containing my comments on amateur radio related news and events, as they happen.

In other words, I am using every available channel of communication, on the Web, to make my information accessible to the largest audience possible.

A Proven Infopublishing Technique

I use a unique "infopublishing" process to give widespread access to my content, not only with this site, but with all my other sites!

Why use both a Web site and a ham radio blog to reach essentially the same audience?

Why not? It works!

Like so many other things in this world, amateur radio is changing.

This blog's mission is to help you stay tuned to the frequency of exciting changes that are occurring in amateur radio!

HamRadioSecrets.com
Blog

T-Network Ham Radio Antenna Tuner Woes

Did you know that ... Most popular ham radio antenna tuners are T-Networks. Why is that?

First they are less expensive to make because they do not require large variable capacitors. Usually, maximum capacitance of 250-350 pF are enough to cover most applications.

Second, T-Networks are less of a lightning hazard because they have a variable capacitor in series with the antenna, instead of a coil, therefore no DC connection with the antenna.

The big disadvantage of the T-Network is that it is ***very*** inefficient.

Oh! Don't get me wrong. You can adjust it to present a non-reactive 50 Ohm impedance to the transmitter (or transceiver). But ... a large portion of the power will be lost as heat within the "T-Network" tuner!(See the ARRL Antenna Handbook if you don't believe me).

The "Pi-Network", or the simpler "L-Network", are much more efficient. However, they imply the use of very large capacitance ... in the order of a few thousand Ohms!

I will be testing a LDG AT-600Pro Auto-Tuner over the coming weeks (Fall 2010).

The AT-600Pro is a "L-Network" type of tuner. It can switch between L-C or C-L configurations to handle high and low antenna system impedance respectively.

Banks of discrete fixed capacitors are switched in our out automatically as needed.

I nice concept that I am anxious to test on the air.

I will let you know how things went in due course. Stay tuned!

Ham Radio Sites Should Get Traffic Like This

Many ham radio sites suffer from lack of traffic. It is a shame because it is so easy to engineer a site to get lots of traffic. Here is how I did it.

Permalink -- click for full blog post "Ham Radio Sites Should Get Traffic Like This"

The Carolina Windom Antenna - 160m Special by Radio Works

The Carolina Windom Antenna - the 160m-10m Special version by Radio Works.

Permalink -- click for full blog post "The Carolina Windom Antenna - 160m Special by Radio Works"

I Need Your Vote On Facebook

You will gain a little chunk of ubiquity when you do.

What is ubiquity? It is being everywhere at once...

... without having to be physically anywhere
... and without having to spend any of the scarce funds you have earmarked for your ham radio activities.

Neat huh?

When I'm on the air on HF, as VE2DPE, I'm (almost) everywhere at once ... depending on propagation conditions. That is "almost" ubiquitous!

My Web site HamRadioSecrets.com (almost) completes my ubiquity ... but not quite.

Why, then, would I want to be on Facebook?

Facebook is an additional important meeting place where I can promote ham radio to the more than 500 million Facebook users who network there.

Facebook adds significant ubiquity to my promotional efforts.

Share Some Of My Ubiquity

Here is a chance for you to acquire a little ubiquity at no cost.

I have created a 14 second video titled "A Writer Finds Success Thanks To SBI!" that I have entered in the "15 Second SBI! Challenge" on Facebook.

May I ask that you vote for my video?

To do so ...

Go to the "15 Second SBI! Challenge" page on Facebook.
Click on the link labeled "Like" next to the word SiteSell located at the top of the page (you must be a Facebook member to do this).
Then look for my video titled "A Writer Finds Success Thanks To SBI!" further down on the page (I posted my video on Thursday, July 15. You will have to click on "Older Posts" at the bottom of the page to reach it).
View my video (only 14 seconds long).
Then please vote for my video by clicking on the link labelled "Like" located immediately below my video. You can also post a comment, if you want.

That's it.

Thank you for taking the few minutes of your time to do this for me.

By voting for my video, and commenting on it, you will be gaining visibility ... a little more ubiquity for yourself and whatever aspect of ham radio you want to promote.

Remember. Ubiquity is good for yourself and ham radio!

All you have to do is vote for my video on Facebook as explained above.

Thank you in advance.

73 de VE2DPE - Claude

Software Defined Radio Bliss

I just hooked up my QS1R software defined radio (SDR) (by Software Radio Laboratory LLC) to my newly installed Carolina Windom 160 Special (by Radio Works).

Man! What a combination. Being able to pick signals out of the background noise like that ... is pure unadulterated bliss! :-)

Making Progress On SDR Receiver Project

As now have one SDR ham radio receiver operational in the shack.

I have a QS1RServer and SDRMAX3.0 working on my MacBook Pro under OS X 10.6.4. I am using Cathy's modified server 2.0.0.8 and SDRMAX3.0 version 1.0.0.22.

I also have QS1RServer v2.2.0.4 and SDRMAX3.0 v1.0.0.21 working on an old PC running under Windows XP ... but that box coughs up so much spurious RFI as to make it nearly unusable operationally. The interference just clutters up the spectrum waterfall too much.

I suspect that my 18AVT/WB trap vertical just loves to pick up this mess of interference. I will be installing a new Carolina Windom 160 Special today or tomorrow. That should solve a lot of problems ... increase signal strength to the SDR rcvr input AND eliminate vertically polarized interference!.

Fortunately, my MacBook Pro is marvelously quiet (puts out NO interference).

I am still trying to make QS1RServer v.2.0.0.5 work with SDRMAX3.0 under Linux 9.10. No success yet, but I am getting very kind and timely help from Andrea Montefusco IW0HDV ... so there is hope there too. ;-)

I will keep you posted.

73 de VE2DPE - Claude

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