Tag: Ham radio

I recently decided to jump back into amateur radio with both feet. This last weekend I picked up a bunch of gear. And I have a couple of radios still on their way. Our little home office (man cave) is now looking like an actual ham shack.

Previous to this, I was using a couple of raspberry pi VoIP nodes to do IRLP, AllStarLink, and echolink. I was using a handheld transceiver to utilize this. Well, I unplugged that stuff and decided I would try some new things.

 Here is a list of my new capabilities:

• I now have a regular VHF/UHF dual-band dual-receive mobile rig as part of my shack. This is an improvement.
• I now have HF. And a very capable radio at that. Unfortunately I am stuck with a definite compromise for an antenna in that I will be using something small, portable, and temporary. I will set it up outside when I want to use it. And take it down when I am not. I have very little choice about this due to neighborhood restrictions. Although the antenna situation may evolve into something better if I get creative.
• I’ve added D-Star capability. I built a little D-Star hotspot using a raspberry pi with a DVAP. And I obtained a new handheld transceiver that has D-Star capability. 
• I have also added WiRES-X capability. To do this right I went ahead and ordered the official WiRES-X interface box and a node radio. One downside is, this forces me to run Windows on my desktop computer system. This will be a big change. I’m not that happy about this aspect. Luckily I already had my Mac setup to dual boot. So it’s doable. 

Most people reading this probably don’t know what these things are. Here is some explanation:

• HF is a mode that uses radio frequencies to potentially communicate with other hams around the world. Signals bounce off the ionosphere. 
• VHF/UHF is pretty much local only. It’s a line-of-sight mode that uses repeater systems located at high elevations to communicate with others. 
• D-Star and WiRES-X are digital modes that are directly supported by radio manufacturers. These modes use UHF/VHF as described above. In addition, they use the internet to link repeaters (or private nodes) together. This facilitates long distance communications where one can talk to individuals and groups of users around the world. There are typically radios and repeaters on each end of the connection, with internet in between.

I will say, messing with the Baofeng 888 radios was a major pain. The main problem was actually getting the second radio from the seller (KD8MST). And when I finally did get it, it didn’t work correctly. So I disassembled both my new (non-working) radio and my old (working) radio to see what the difference was in the wiring.

Both these radios were modified and a cable was wired into the circuit boards to facilitate use as a node radio. I opened them up and sent pictures of the wiring to the seller in hopes that he could identify the problem. He didn’t see any problem, but confessed he may have used the wrong pin-out on the other end of the cable.

The problem I had… once I disassembled these two radios… I could not get them back together. So I simply tossed them both in the trash and wrote the whole thing off as a failed experiment.

I went back to my trusty Alinco node radio with my DB9 A/B switch. Everything is working great. There are only two minor inconveniences.

1) I need to switch back and forth between nodes (having only one node radio to share between nodes instead of each node having it’s own radio).

2) I need to remember to switch on my muffin fan when I’m connected up to something in order to keep the Alinco cool in case the system I’m connected to gets busy. However I did replace my previous fan with one that is now less noisy.

The Baofeng node radio idea really was an experiment. The first one I had worked great. But as I pointed out to KD8MST, my tolerance level for frustration on these things is quite low. I just don’t need the grief. And while the Baofeng solution was much cheaper than what I was using before… I already had a working solution that was perfectly acceptable.

I am truly an “appliance operator” type ham. I want things to just work. I’m not in it that much for the tinkering, but more for the communication aspect. I enjoy having a good conversation. And having a chat with someone you don’t know can be interesting, fun, and also good practice.

This is incredible. I found a guy online who provides a “modification service” for Baofeng 888 handheld radios. This modification allows the use of these cheap radios as a node radio for ham operators such as myself who want to run a local VoIP node. I have two VoIP nodes (one Allstar and one IRLP). And I had them setup using an Alinco node radio.

That Alinco radio is about $165 and it needs a $100 power supply to run it. It also can’t be run very long without using some kind of fan against the heat sink. The fan is noisy and it’s annoying to have to turn it on every time I want to operate.

The modified Baofeng I bought replaces that $265 worth of gear for $37. And it will operate all day long without any kind of a fan. No noise!

I am a happy camper.

I have sort of ditched local ham radio in favor of a couple different VoIP setups. I have two VoIP nodes… one is IRLP and one is AllStar. They both run on the raspberry Pi 2.

I only have one node radio. It’s connected up to a dummy load instead of a regular antenna. Since it’s only intended for my use at home, that works just fine. I have a DB9 A/B switch where I can switch my node radio from one VoIP system to the other.

I was originally running just an AllStar node. But I decided after awhile to add the IRLP node to my setup. While IRLP is not as nice as AllStar for a number of reasons, IRLP has far more of a history and established user base. At least that is my perception.

For those who have no idea what I’m talking about, let me explain.

I have a local ham radio that I talk on with an antenna in the attic. Then I have another radio (we’ll call this a node radio) that I have connected to an A/B switch which in turn connects the radio to one of two raspberry Pi systems that are connected to the internet. So I talk on my local radio which is received by my node radio. That audio then goes out over the net via my VoIP nodes. And of course I listen the same way. I control the nodes by using DTMF (touch tones) to “dial up” other nodes all over the world that are also connected to radios (usually high-powered repeaters that are located on hill tops).

So on all these nodes, there is a radio component that facilitates local communication. The VoIP aspect simply allows those radios to connect to each other over long distances via the net.

This is all sort of fun. But it reminds me of the last days in the life of the whole BBS scene. This was where BBS’s were fighting to stay alive by offering internet connectivity and such. That only delayed their death for a short time. In reality the vast majority of ham radio repeaters sit idle and are rarely used. In the Eugene area alone there are well over a dozen repeaters. But only one or two that actually have any activity to speak of.

I had a little problem with my ham radio setup at home. I figured I’d post about it here just for kicks. I have two “base” radios at home. One is a dual-receive Yaesu FT-7900R that I use to monitor local repeaters. My second rig is an Alinco DR-135 that is connected to my Allstar node. The antenna for my Yaesu is up in the attic above the garage. The antenna for the Alinco was in the garage below.

The Alinco is a 2-meter radio. I run it at 5 watts. When my Allstar node is connected to another node/hub, the Alinco transmits whenever there is activity on that node/hub. The output of the Alinco was essentially “desensing” my FT-7900. The symptom being that the FT-8900 suddenly became “hearing-impaired” whenever the Alinco was transmitting.

I typically monitor the Alinco radio from inside the house on my HT. And 5 watts is way more than I need for that. Unfortunately, regular mobile rigs don’t usually go lower than that.

I tried moving the Alinco node radio into my office in order to gain a little more distance between the two antennas. But even on low power the RF got into some of the electronics in the room which made that an unworkable solution.

After considering a number of other possibilities, I decided to take the antenna off the Alinco node radio and swap it with a dummy load. I tried this last night and it seems to work really well. I located the node right in my office and the RF no longer interferes with any electronics. And the dummy load allows enough RF to pass where I can talk though it from my HT with no problem.

After concluding a couple of weeks ago that I wasn’t going to be able to do HF here at home, I sold all my HF gear on eBay. I sold my Yaesu FTdx1200, my Buddipole and my Comet antenna analyzer. I also sold my Signalink (since it’s intended use was on HF).

I got pretty good prices for what I was selling. I actually sold the FTdx1200 for only $45 less than what I’d originally paid a few months back. So I’m officially out of the HF business.

After selling all that gear I decided to make a few more changes. I have a node radio (a Yaesu FT-7900R) that I use with my Allstar node. I’ve been running it on 5 watts, but even 5 watts is overkill just for my local use. And it’s certainly a much nicer rig than what is required for a node radio.

So there’s this guy that obtains used commercial radios and resells them along with the necessary control cables for use as node radios for both Allstar and IRLP. You can’t just spin a dial and put these radios on the frequency you choose. These radios must be programmed via special software for the frequency and tone you wish to operate on. And that’s part of the service he provides.

So I ordered a GE MVS commercial radio for use as my node radio. And I requested he set the transmit power level to 500mw. It will be very sweet to have a commercial radio as my node radio that only transmits with 1/2 watt. Should be about perfect. I talk to my node radio with my HT on it’s lowest power setting which also happens to be 500mw.

I had been toying with putting my current node radio (the FT-7900R) in the car, but decided against it. Instead, I bought a second Yaesu FT-60R for mobile use and put my FT-7900R up for sale on eBay.

My wife and I switch cars fairly frequently. So it is really better that I don’t have something permanently mounted in a vehicle. What I will have is a mag-mount antenna in each vehicle. And I’ll move my FT-60R back and forth as I switch vehicles.

I’ve learned a couple of things about running an Allstar node. Nothing too earth-shaking.

Allstar getting started info: https://allstarlink.org/getstarted.html

URI: http://www.dmkeng.com/URI_Order_Page.htm

Cables: http://www.uricables.com/

The Allstar folks are the ones who offer the ACID Linux distribution which has all the software you need to run a node. Much of it is preconfigured. It’s essentially CentOS 5.11.

So, buy the URI and the right cable for your radio. Download ACID Linux and install it on an old PC. And hook up the radio. Then configure and adjust the audio tuning in the software.

Most all the configuration can be handled via the Allstar portal. You set the configuration there and and it actually pushes it onto your computer. You do need to setup port forwarding on your router for this to work.

Because of a recent VHF/UHF radio purchase, I ended up with a “spare” dual-band radio. And, I’ve been having some fun lately monitoring the WIN System on a local repeater (that is connected via IRLP). So I figured I might try my hand at setting up an IRLP simplex node. I’ve had some experience with IRLP in the past and have really enjoyed it.

However as I was looking into it, I started hearing about Allstar. That is an alternative to IRLP. It’s a little cheaper to get started with Allstar, and it offers full-duplex operation. And it uses standard open-source VoIP software to do it’s thing.

So here you see my main computer, and next to it is a $45 Goodwill special. It’s a Core 2 Duo with 1GB RAM and an 80GB HD. Pretty wimpy, but more than enough to run the special Allstar Linux CentOS distribution. This Linux distribution comes with all the stuff needed to run an Allstar node and does the setup for most of it.

So I’ve applied for and received my node number. I went ahead and finished the Linux installation last night and that’s all good.

The only things I had to buy (besides the computer) were the URI (USB Radio Interface) and the URI cable. The URI plugs into a USB port and the cable connects it to the radio.

Now patiently awaiting those last two pieces.

So in theory… once this is all complete… I should be able to sit on my couch with my HT and talk to my node radio in the back room which will control the node. I can connect to other nodes all over the world with a few DTMF commands. And the connection quality should be rock-solid and full-quieting.

Plus, I have a neighbor who is a ham. He should be able to use it as well.

For most ham radio operators… having a decent working HF station is somewhat of a holy grail. First, let me define HF for those not familiar. The term HF stands for “high frequency”. This is the type of ham radio where you can talk around the world. Other types of ham radio (like VHF and UHF) are only suitable for local communications.

So most hams want to do HF, but it takes a lot more energy and effort. It also takes more dollars and higher license privileges. I’ve had the license privileges needed to do this for quite a few years. But I’ve only had an HF station very briefly. An HF antenna typically takes a lot of room. People who live in apartments or in houses that are on small lots face many challenges in setting up an antenna that will work. Also, many homeowners find themselves restricted from putting up antennas due to CC&R rules and such.

My wife and I recently bought a house and we live under such restrictions. The rule is basically, no antennas. However, there are a lot of “stealth” options available where you can put up an antenna (particularly a wire antenna) that people cannot see or will not recognize as an antenna. As I’ve recently become interested in operating HF, I’ve been thinking a lot about those options.

One possibility is putting up an antenna in one’s attic. Radio waves typically go right through wood and other building materials like sheetrock and roofing. However metal such as ducting or electrical wiring are problems. Other problems with antennas indoors or in the attic have to do with all the interference caused by normal household electronics. Not only will the electronics bother the radio reception, but the radio will likely bother the household electronics when it transmits as well. Then there is the reality that a misstep in the attic will mean a large hole in the ceiling and/or an injury. That’s the part that discourages me.

One can string wire antennas around their property. But a common example of a wire antenna would be 102 feet long. I have nowhere outside where I could possibly string a wire that long in a straight line. You can get creative and zig zag wires different directions or around corners but then you face the fact that it’s fairly likely that you’ll try many things that don’t work or don’t work very well. I know a lot of hams like this trial and error. But honestly, I just don’t want to dork around that much.

So I decided to go with the very well-known portable antenna called a Buddipole.

This will be 18 feet high. And while it’s not exactly “stealth”. It is not a fixed antenna. I can take it down in about one minute. And I would typically only have it up when it’s in use. So I think because it’s not mounted on the house or any fixed structure, I should be able to squeak by the restrictions. And it has the distinct advantage of being known as a very effective antenna (for it’s kind) where you basically follow the instructions, put it together, and it works! Gotta love it.

For my radio… I have long been wanting a Yaesu FT-857D. There was a $50 rebate on these that ended two days ago. I bought the radio online with the “will-call” shipping option on the last day of the rebate offer. I had been debating between that radio and the Yaesu FTDX1200. The FTDX1200 is far more radio. But it’s not as versatile (and certainly not as cheap). And it didn’t have a rebate.

However, the day after the rebate offer on the FT-857D expired I was on the store’s web site and guess what was on their front page? The FTDX1200… with a $200 rebate!

While it’s not typically going to be something I’ll take out of the house to operate at the park or whatever, it will be much nicer to use at home than the little FT-857D.

The reason for the title of this post… is because in spite of the fact that this is a “good” radio and a “good” antenna. There is no guarantee that it will work well here, or even be usable. There is only one way to know. It’s possible that it will totally suck. Here’s hoping it doesn’t.