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The Packet Radio beginners guide to packet radio operating by Buck Rogers K4ABT

A trap on the coaxial cable, also known as choke, helps to eliminate the sneaking of the reflected RF- energy to the shack. The trap can be made from the coaxial cable that feeds the antenna

A simple to build full length 20/40 dipole antenna to be used in inverted vee configuration

After you have build this antenna, you may not need anything else. This article shows how to build a VHF j-pole antenna and how to protect it by inserting it into a PVC tube, the correct way.

This resource details the construction of a portable antenna tripod designed for supporting small vertical antennas, utilizing readily available electrical metal tubing (EMT) or conduit. It outlines the necessary components, including a custom-fabricated _EARC tripod plate_, standard hardware, and a 10-foot section of 1/2-inch EMT cut into specific lengths for legs and a center support. The instructions cover assembly of the tripod plate, leg construction, and integration with a fiberglass fishing pole like the _Kwik Stix_ or _Shakespeare Wonderpole_ to support a vertical wire HF antenna. The project also describes an adaptation for using the tripod with 3/8x24 threaded mobile antennas such as _Hamsticks_ or _Buddisticks_, where the tripod structure itself contributes to the antenna's counterpoise system. A complete parts list is provided, along with ordering information for the specialized EARC tripod plate, which serves as a fundraiser for the Honolulu Emergency Amateur Radio Club. The document includes photos illustrating the assembled tripod and its use with a fiberglass pole.

In this article the author describes some new designs of ferrite loaded chokes for suppressing unwanted common mode currents at HF applied to feed lines like choke baluns, but also in the shack, applied to various coaxial, mains and data cables

Heathkit SB-220 Amplifier modification by KE5YA

Technical supplement with schematics of the Yaesu FT-2800M Yaesu Transceiver

A presentation of a HF multi-band sloper antenna. This antenna project is for low band operations, and antenna presented in this article works on 40 80 and 160 meters band. Article is in Polish.

An indeal stealth antenna made by multiple quarter wave verticals, supported by a tree.

Butternut article on radials usage on vertical and ground plane antennas

Schematic diagram of the VLA 200 power amplifier by RM Italy

VHF Power amplifier VLA 200 english manual

2 transistor transceiver for 28MHz CW

Designing and constructing portable wire antennas for HF operations, this resource explores several configurations including the _foldback dipole_ for space-constrained setups and an inductively shortened dual-band dipole for 20m and 40m. It details the calculation of inductance for shortened elements, providing a Visual Basic 6.0 program screenshot that illustrates determining coil parameters like turns and length for a **25.5 uH** inductor. The document emphasizes practical considerations such as adjusting wire lengths for optimal SWR, noting that a dual-band dipole achieved SWR below 2:1 on both 20m and 40m, with careful adjustment bringing it under 1.5:1. Further, the resource describes a half-wave antenna matched with a coaxial stub, a method often referred to as the _Fuchskreis_ in German amateur radio circles, to transform the high feedpoint impedance to 50 Ohms. This monoband solution, for a 20m application, uses a stub length of **2.98m** (0.216 lambda multiplied by coax velocity factor) and a shorted stub of approximately 48cm. The coaxial stub design is highlighted for its resilience to ground proximity, allowing it to be rolled up or laid on the ground with minimal SWR impact, making it highly suitable for portable QRP operations.

PIC micro controller based frequency counter with LCD readout

Download the Yaesu VX-8R Cheat Sheet PDF File

Photo construction manual of a portable antenna made with two heavy duty whips by buddipole. In this article has been implemented a 50 MHz portable dipole.

Explains the fundamental concepts of **PSK-31** digital mode, detailing its origins from phase shift keying and how it achieves a narrow 31 Hz bandwidth. George Rothbart, KF6VSG, demonstrates the signal's behavior on an oscilloscope, illustrating the 180-degree phase shifts that define its bit stream. The resource highlights PSK-31's superior signal-to-noise ratio compared to FSK, noting its 20 dB advantage over SSB, which enables reliable cross-country contacts with QRP power levels. It also delves into the unique **vericode** character encoding, which uses variable-length bit patterns to optimize data rate by assigning shorter codes to common characters, resulting in an average of 6.5 bits per character versus 10 for ASCII. The presentation concludes with practical guidance on assembling a PSK-31 station, outlining the necessary computer hardware, sound card, stable HF transceiver, and cabling, along with methods for PTT control via a COM port.

My Top Five Backyard Multi-Band Wire HF Antennas. A selection of the top 5 HF wire antennas for the backyard and for multi-band operation

Project for DXers and experimenters alike. An old article publishes by 73 Amateur Radio magazine in PDF format, where all the components required to build your own HF spectrum analyzer may be found in a well-stocked junk box.

Tips on winding wire coils used as inductive loads, traps, band-pass filters, are implemented in a number of amateur radio projects especially antenna projects

70 MHz transverter, 4m band, by G3XBM

Building a Windom HF Antenna. A PDF file presentation about homebrewing a windom antenna for the HF bands with formulas for 40 and 80 meters bands and step by step guide on making a 4:1 balun to feed the antenna.

A home made 4:1 Ferrite QRO Bal-un with a FB 241-61 Type K

Donwload the Kenwood TL-922A user Manual

An inexpensive rechargeable CMOS battery system that can be built from readily available parts.

Review of Cushcraft MA-5B multiband Antenna after some days of usage.

Find out how much to adjust the length of a quarter wave whip or a half wave dipole rather than the outright cut-and-try method.

W5UXH version of OZ1JHM Morse Code decoder project

Printable Quick Reference Card for Yaesu VX-7R

Accurate frequency measurement is crucial for amateur radio operators, particularly when building or troubleshooting transceivers and test equipment. This resource details the construction of a _PIC microcontroller_-based frequency counter, providing a practical solution for precise frequency display. The design incorporates an LCD readout, offering clear visual feedback of measured frequencies. The counter can operate as a standalone unit, useful for general bench testing, or be integrated directly into a receiver. Its built-in offset functionality allows for seamless integration, enabling the display of the received signal frequency rather than the intermediate frequency. The project focuses on accessible components and construction techniques, making it suitable for homebrew enthusiasts. Key features include a measurement range up to **50 MHz** and a compact form factor.

The resource details the construction of a multiband trap-style Inverted-V antenna designed for operation on 3.5 MHz, 7 MHz, 14 MHz, 21 MHz, and 28 MHz. It presents specific winding data for the traps, including the number of turns, wire gauge, and coil former dimensions, crucial for achieving resonance on the target bands. The document provides a parts list and a diagram illustrating the antenna's physical layout and trap placement. It outlines the process for building the traps using PVC pipe formers and specifies the required capacitor values for each trap. The design emphasizes a practical approach to achieving multiband operation with a single feedline, a common goal for HF operators with limited space. The document includes a table with antenna segment lengths for each band, allowing for precise replication of the design. It also offers insights into tuning and adjustment, ensuring the antenna performs optimally across the designated amateur radio bands.

Construct a compact, 20 meter rotatable dipole antenna of durable weather worthy components supported at a single point obviating the need for multiple supports and multiple support ropes crossing the yard.

Skin effect and proximity effect on making coils with stranded wire. An interesting comparison on making coils.

May 2015 Radcom Article on common-mode chokes that can be used for control cables, phone lines, but mostly on typical HF antenna systems. This article explain what common mode chokes does, why you meay need one, properties common mode chokes should have, how to build and measure performances.

VK Contest Log (VKCL) is a free contest log software specialising in Australasian contests but also covering some international ones too. Author is SK, you can donwnload the latest version 4.15.

An interesting article on guanella baluns that cover several aspects of homebrewing 1:1 and 4:1 current baluns by KN9B

Ten essential tips and truisms for understanding HF antenna: Non-resonant wire dipole antennas fed with open-wire line and an antenna tuner can function effectively as multiband antennas, as detailed in "The Classic Multiband Dipole Antenna" by WB8IMY in March 2004 QST. Coaxial cable, unlike balanced parallel-wire feed lines, can cause RF to travel on the outer shield braid, leading to RF feedback to the station; a 1:1 balun at the dipole center can mitigate this by isolating the unbalanced coaxial feed line. Antenna gain is achieved by shaping and directing RF energy, with beam antennas concentrating power in a specific direction, and wire antennas also exhibiting shaped radiation patterns. An antenna tuner's primary role is to match the transceiver's 50-ohm output to the antenna system's impedance, allowing modern transceivers to deliver full power. Wire antennas do not always require center feeding; end-fed long wires or off-center-fed dipoles (like the Windom) can be used, though they often necessitate an antenna tuner and a counterpoise or radial network. Dipole antennas do not need to be perfectly horizontal; their legs can be bent or inclined, which affects feed point impedance and may require SWR experimentation with coaxial feed. Vertical antennas shorter than a half wavelength require an efficient ground system, typically comprising elevated or buried radial wires, with more radials generally leading to better efficiency. A 1:1 SWR indicates an impedance match but does not guarantee antenna efficiency; an inefficient vertical antenna with a poor ground system can show a low SWR while wasting most RF as heat. Investing in high-quality, low-loss feed line, especially coaxial cable, is crucial for maximizing RF signal transfer and overall antenna system performance.

A 17 3/4-inch radiating element and 18 3/4-inch ground plane radials form the basis of this quarter-wave ground plane antenna for 2 meters FM. The design, attributed to AA1PG, utilizes a panel-mount SO-239 UHF connector and three lengths of #12 copper wire, with a total material cost estimated at $3.00. Construction involves soldering the elements directly to the SO-239, emphasizing thorough solder flow for robust connections. Recommended feedline includes _RG-8X_ for longer runs, with _RG-58_ acceptable for shorter lengths, cautioning against _RG-174_ for VHF applications due to high loss. The antenna is designed for elevated deployment, such as in trees or on roof gables, to maximize line-of-sight propagation. It aims to improve repeater access compared to typical rubber duck antennas, even with low power output.

Globe-S for RTL1090 is a light radar viewer for RTL1090. It communciates via a HTTP interface and can be interfaced over long distances.

Slot cubes are folded skeleton slot antennas with widened, folded dipoles bent into a cube to reduce size. QST Article 12 2019

The Ameritron ALS-600 600-Watt HF Power Amplifier review by AD5X

QST Magazine, 1991 July, review of the Kenwood TS-850S 160-10 Meter Transceiver

An ham radio contest log sheet in a PDF US letter printable format, can be used for portable operations, free to print and download.

This article is about a simple vertical end-fed-half-wave wire antenna for 10 meters that can be used in case of restricted space.

50MHz Collapsible 2 Element Mini Beam antenna, an overview the development of the 6MBA.

**LDG Z100** automatic tuner repair focuses on toroid replacement and troubleshooting. The guide provides detailed steps for diagnosing and fixing common issues with the toroid, which is crucial for the tuner's performance. It includes specific instructions on disassembling the unit, identifying faulty components, and sourcing replacements. The document is technical, requiring familiarity with electronic components and soldering techniques. It emphasizes the importance of using the correct toroid specifications to ensure optimal functionality. Successful repair of the **LDG Z100** ATU restores its ability to match a wide range of antennas, enhancing transmission efficiency. The guide compares the performance before and after the repair, highlighting improvements in SWR readings and overall reliability. Practical application of this repair extends the life of the tuner, making it a cost-effective solution for amateur radio operators. The document serves as a reference for similar repairs on other models, providing insights into common issues and solutions. It is a valuable resource for those looking to maintain their equipment without resorting to professional services.

A handy piece of test equipment useful for HF bands, can absorb a 200W modulated carrier for almost 2 minutes. It is housed in a tin and part filled with dry sand that helps in power dissipation

Diamond W8010 Multiband Dipole Modifications