HAM: Starting Out

 

So I’m getting into HAM radio; technically I’m getting back into it. I was kinda interested when my son was born to fill in those long hours in the middle of the night cuddles & feedings (and subsequent not getting back to sleep myself), but really drifted off as I did other things.

Alas, I’m back. I blame a post I saw recently suggesting that I could use SSTV to receive some pictures from the ISS. This of course was all done online; streaming an audio feed from half way around the world and processing it in a hope of receiving something.

After a week of not being able to use the audio on my main PC while mostly static came out of the speakers, I put together an old laptop running Linux Mint to do the job.

I installed the required software and let it go.

Then the spending started. I read about the RTL-SDR USB devices that work as radio receivers, and promptly ordered one. Then I decided to start playing with my old handheld transceiver again (receiving only of course) – a cheap Baofeng UV-5R. This lead to me deciding to buy a new antenna to mount on the roof – in this case a Diamond D150 discone antenna that is wired directly into my study.. and right now to the Baofeng.

The antenna needs to get up higher. There’s a repeater in the direction my roof currently blocks, so it needs height. Not quite my forte. Still, future problem.

The antenna seems to do a good job.

I had also been hunting for days for a patch lead that connected the bonnet mount I had the antenna I bought for my old Yaesu transceiver a few years ago. Finally it appeared this morning. No current plans for the car, but it might be handy to hook up to the handhelds once the D150 is on the SDR.

I ordered a new copy of the Foundation Manual from WIA recently as well. I *did* have a copy, but I haven’t seen it around in years. I also found the last receipt for it… it was $10 cheaper for the same version then than it is now. I might actually do something about getting licensed this time. Assuming I can ever get the exam done in this COVID infested state. The way things look, I might be ready for the Standard license by then…..

I also ordered some random plugs and sockets on eBay last night. I’ve already hit the wall a couple of times needing plugs to adapt things to make them work. The D150 uses a PL259 at the antenna end.. but inside, until I sort out a wall plate, I wound up using an old BNC connector I’ve been carting around for the past 20 years.. still in its packet. The SWR meter just happened to have an adapter to convert it to a male SMA. I don’t have an adapter to convert it to female to mount on the radio, so at the moment, the meter is in the middle. I did find the supplier has some BNC sockets that fit into standard Clipsal mounts, so I’ve ordered a couple. That will take care of how I actually finish this job off (it is currently hanging out of the wall with my data sockets.

I never really considered much value in using BNC, but the parts are there, the RG58 fits nicely, and for indoor low stress connectors they should be fine.

Gear coming:

• Cheap Baofeng DMR handheld transceiver. I really wanted something that could do a little digital so I can have a play.
• The RTL-SDR. I’ve read I may need two if i want to mess around with trunking (I do). At least if I buy the same, I shouldn’t run into any issues if I just do a dirty antenna split as I imagine they’re going to run the same impedance.
• Plugs and some patch leads (never enough).

Wish list:

• Transceiver for the car (probably something that can do digital)
• Transceiver for the “shack” (otherwise known as my study)

Goals?

My real aim is to understand how digital works with radios. I still haven’t got my head around it, but to do that, I really need to fill in the gaps with my knowledge of analogue.

Satellite & ISS. Yeah, I want to be able to get signals to and from them just to be able to say that I’ve done it. 

This is what I really want.. SSTV from the ISS. Knicked from Amsat-UK

 

My interest is far more about the how and why it works, and being able to make it work than actually interacting with people. It’s probably a similar thought process to how I function professionally in IT. I understand how to make really expensive computers work, I can build them to perform specific tasks, maintain them, and generally get them to do what I want. I understand enough to make it all work, and I’m always learning more about the intricacies of the more complex stuff. These boxes are accessible to the world, and they work; some with fairly heavy workloads. I understand how to achieve this. I’m not particularly interested in the data on them and what people are doing with them (as long as they’re not doing the “wrong” thing). In radio it’s probably much the same; I don’t care so much for the social element, I’m interested in the technical element. It’s just that in this particular field learning the correct protocols and flow of “data” requires listening to the social element to learn the nuances of the protocols and their application.

Besides, one day when the mobile phones all stop working and no one can text each other any more, knowing how to communicate by seemingly “archaic” means might actually be useful. Yes, there is a deep seeded part of me that is kind of looking forward to the zombie apocalypse.

73.