Search results

One common semiconductor material, silicon, is far more widely used in electronics than germanium, partly because it can operate at much higher temperatures. Semiconductors are crystalline materials with electrical resistivity values between conductors and insulators, whose conductivity can be altered through _doping_ with impurities like arsenic or phosphorous to create N-type (excess electrons) or P-type (electron vacancies) materials. Semiconductor devices, such as diodes, transistors, and integrated circuits, leverage these properties to control electron flow in circuits. A diode, a two-terminal device with an anode and cathode, primarily permits current flow in one direction, making it useful as a rectifier to convert AC to DC. Specialized diodes include Zener diodes for voltage regulation and Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) that produce light when current passes through them. Logic circuits, fundamental to digital electronics, have binary inputs and outputs, performing functions like AND, OR, and NOT gates, and can be constructed from various binary devices including solid-state diodes and transistors. A transistor is an active semiconductor device with at least three terminals (base, emitter, collector), capable of amplifying current. Integrated circuits (ICs), often called chips, are electronic circuits built on a semiconductor substrate, typically silicon. ICs are classified by transistor type (bipolar or MOS) and integration scale: Small-Scale Integration (SSI) with fewer than 10 transistors, Medium-Scale Integration (10-100), Large-Scale Integration (LSI) with 100-1,000, and Very-Large-Scale Integration (VLSI) with more than **1,000** transistors. ICs can be analog, digital, or hybrid, offering virtually limitless functions.

DX Pedition to St Helena 10-80 meters bands SSB RTTY FT8 CW by G0VDE

Northern Neck Contest Club

Vacuum tubes and more from the tubular years

A Fox transmitter by VE2EMM with construction details part list and schematic diagram

How to work the ISS using APRS Packet Radio

Home discussion group for NIAN

The Laurel Highlands VHF Society, Inc. owns and operates the Acme repeater, located on the Chestnut Ridge in southwestern Pennsylvania.

A 144 MHz transverter made by ur3lmz and connected to and Elecraft KX2 transceiver

Thsi article describes a microcontroller driven semi-automatic antenna tuner capable of handling power levels up to 150 watts. The device is a low pass filter tuner manually tuned by setting the optimized L/C combination by hand and then storing the values into the EEPROM of the mictrocontroller to recall them later (seperately for each band from 80 to 10 meters including WARC bands)

A not-for-profit organization incorporated to promote ham radio operation on the bands above 50 MHz in the southeastern United States.

Description of an HF beacon keyer with telemetry. What makes the keyer rather different is its versatility - it is a multi-mode unit, with ASK and FSK modulation, sending Feld-Hell and Morse on command

Malaysia World JOTA

Sending and receiving text with Morse code light pulses across the room is a fun and cheap project you can do on a Raspberry Pi or Arduino or any other microcontroller. This post explains how I did it, and how you can do it too.

The QCX 5W CW Transceiver From QRP Labs, a detailed article describing from the unboxing of the component to the final assembly of the CW QRP Transceiver

The Wanganui Amateur Radio Society Inc., Branch 48 NZART New Zealand

A review of the Chinese version of uSDX USDR HF QRP Transceiver. Author made an extensive review of receiver and transmitter features.

Efficient Low Band Counterpoise for Restricted Circumstances Loss Avoidance Opportunities and Techniques for the Low Bands The short and linear FCP was designed to reduce ground losses from inadequate radial systems beneath inverted L and other vertical antennas.

This page is a detailed description of a 6CL6 and 807 valve transmitter. The page includes the complete circuit diagram to build this transmitter and several pictures

ham radio clun in Vermont USA

The Tri-pole antenna, a clever modification of a standard dipole, allows for dual-band operation by integrating a third element. This design effectively shortens the overall dipole length by 10 to 20 percent, simplifying antenna rotation and offering a compact footprint. KK4OBI's article delves into the operational principles, using a 6 and 10-meter Tri-pole as a primary example, and provides comprehensive instructions for constructing any Tri-pole antenna within the 6 to 15-meter range. Key to the Tri-pole's performance is its off-center feed, necessitating a common mode choke at the feed point for optimal tuning and reduced noise. The author outlines a methodical approach to determining element dimensions, starting with a vertical element frequency calculated as 0.47 times the sum of the desired upper and lower band frequencies. This calculation, along with K-values derived from trend lines, guides the initial lengths for the horizontal arms, demonstrating how a 10m-6m Tri-pole can achieve a total horizontal length 78% shorter than a conventional 10-meter dipole. Tuning and balancing are critical, with the article detailing adjustments to arm lengths and the vertical element to achieve balanced SWR values, as validated through 4NEC2 simulations. Radiation patterns are analyzed at various elevations, showing gains around 5.7 dBi and favorable take-off angles for DX contacts. Construction details specify aluminum tubing dimensions, U-bolts, and an SO-239 connector, emphasizing the importance of a ferrite-based choke for wideband operation.

An exaustive article on how to receive the QO-100 geostationary satellite, that carries transponders usable by amateur radio operators

M0AUW's Amateur Radio blog specialising in Cobweb and Moxon antennas

The Nechako Radio Club was formed in the summer of '93 to provide a common meeting point for the local area amateur radio operators.

A ham radio blog primarily focused on newbies and those interested in the hobby. Covers a wide area of subjects that might be of interest to Amateur Radio operators, and material that can be used to study for the Amateur Radio tests.

An attempt to build a 2m antenna. Consist of a 4 element yagi antenna for SOTA activities

The FCC has answered some of ARRL questions about the RF-exposure rules. Changes to the regulations have a few pleasant surprises for Amateur Radio.

The Itchen Valley Amateur Radio Club (IVARC) provides a local hub for radio amateurs in the Southampton and Winchester areas of the UK. This club actively participates in various UK contesting events, including the weekly _RSGB VHF UKAC_ contests, _RSGB AFS club contests_, and _BERU contests_, alongside annual UK field days. As a _Brickworks Accredited_ club, IVARC is committed to supporting both new licensees and experienced operators in exploring diverse aspects of the hobby, fostering skill development and operational experience. Meetings are held on the 2nd and 4th Friday of each month at the Bianchi Suite, Otterbourne Village Hall, offering a consistent schedule for members and visitors. The club's recent activities include supporting _Jamboree On The Air_ (JOTA) for local Scout groups (e.g., GB1ESG), activating special event stations like _GB0SR_ from Solent Rescue Lifeboat Station, and organizing club visits to significant historical sites such as Bletchley Park. IVARC also hosts events like QRP Day and National Field Day, providing practical operating opportunities and fostering camaraderie among members.

This article aims to help promote the proper configuration for having a clean signal on the waterfall to avoid interference to other users and also to vastly increase the effectiveness of your signal.

Where abilities and disabilities become possibilities

A page with several testing and measurement resources usefull for those ham radio operators who needs to align or repair their own radio equipment.

An article on origin and usage of the Decibel, that has always been a logarithmically based representation of a power ratio

Northern Connectors offers over 30 years of experience distributing specialized electro-mechanical connectors and related components, primarily serving industrial environments. The company partners with manufacturers such as _Binder_, _Hummel_, and _Mencom_, providing access to a broad range of connectivity solutions including circular connectors, heavy-duty connectors, and sensor cables. Their product lines are designed to address demanding technical requirements in various sectors, ensuring robust and reliable connections for critical systems. The resource details specific product categories like M5, M8, M12, M16, M23, and M40 connectors, alongside power and data transmission solutions. It emphasizes the availability of custom cable assemblies and overmolded solutions, tailored to unique client specifications. The site also highlights their technical support capabilities, assisting customers in selecting appropriate components for complex applications. Northern Connectors maintains a significant stockholding in the UK, facilitating prompt delivery of essential components. They focus on providing solutions that meet stringent industry standards for performance and durability.

Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire England

Annual poll for radio amateurs - the good, the bad, the ugly! This is an annual survey conducted among the online community, and it represents the status of amateur radio. The authors ask to hams several questions, from the most used operating modes, to the typical ham radio lifestyle habits.

First impressions of the Icom IC-7851 Flagship Transceiver after some days of usage

An international non-profit organization dedicated to the perpetuation of the knowledge and traditions of telegraphy

This article documents the author's latest go-box build for outdoor ham radio operations using a Yaesu FT-891 transceiver. The go-box is constructed from a plastic "50-cal ammo case" and contains various components, including the transceiver, LDG Z11 Pro autotuner, DIY Yaesu FH-2 remote control keypad, and an external battery. The author details the design considerations, the mounting of components inside the box, and addresses issues related to ventilation and cable management. The go-box is geared for CW operations and POTA activations, with further modifications planned for a microphone and DATA jack. This project allows for rugged, environmentally protected outdoor radio operations while maintaining portability.

ARRL FCC RF Exposure Regulations

This paper presents the method of calculating the maximum usable frequency (MUF) and field strength of radio waves reflecting 2 times at the F2 ionosphere layer under inhomogeneous conditions of the ionosphere. The comparison between predicted and measured MUF has shown that the proposed method significantly increases the accuracy of calculation MUF.

A simple reading that allows to understand the basic working concepts and uses of an oscilloscope

Ham radio club blog

Basically, this antenna is a 23-foot wire fed through a 4:1 un-un transformer. This antenna can be easily used in portable operation, for operating all bands from 40-10 meters.

Common mode currents are those currents that flow in the same direction on a wire bundle, as opposed to the currents that flow

The Vacuum Tube Page with a lot of stuff about tubes

Elmendorf Amateur Radio Society Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson JBER, Alaska

The WhereAVR is a small, lightweight, low-power, and low-cost APRS tracker with a full compliment of analog and digital I/O, as well as the ability to decode ax.25 packets. This allows for the reception of remote commands without the need for a real TNC.

The XV4-10 is a linear transverter for the 4m band to be used with a 10m transceiver. Input frequency 29-30 MHz, output frequency 69.5-70.5 MHz

The Vibroplex Collector’s Page details the history and identification of Vibroplex semi-automatic telegraph keys, commonly known as "bugs." It traces the evolution from Horace G. Martin's 1902 Autoplex, which required a battery, to the fully mechanical Vibroplex patented in 1904. The resource explains how these keys generate automatic dots and manual dashes, helping telegraphers mitigate Repetitive Motion Disorder (RMD) and increase sending speed, thus improving their earnings. The site also covers the initial design by Alfred Vail in 1844, Jesse Bunnell's 1881 "Triumph Key," and William O. Coffe's 1904 "Mecograph." This page assists owners in identifying their Vibroplex models and determining their manufacturing dates, providing insights into the company's long history and notable figures like J. E. Albright. It notes that approximately 300,000 Vibroplexes have been produced since 1904, with the Original model still in production after more than 90 years. The resource also touches upon various Vibroplex models, including unusual, scarce, and common types, alongside legal and illegal clones from other manufacturers.