This is a follow-up to my previous post. Here's a great video that you can download. It's very good and worth watching if your new to soldering or even if you'd like to refresh your memory.
Also, I want to stress the need for wearing safety glasses when soldering as I have been hit in the face with hot solder and I'm glad it wasn't in my eye!
http://www.makezine.com/blog/archive/2007/01/soldering_tutor_1.html
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Friday, January 4, 2008
How to solder
If one of your 2008 goals is to learn solder, here's a good tutorial on how to get started: http://www.aaroncake.net/electronics/solder.htm
Thursday, January 3, 2008
2008 Ham Radio Goals
Happy New Year!
Here is what I plan to do in the hobby in 2008, in no particular order:
1) Improve my CW, both sending and receiving
2) Start making CW QSO's on a regular basis
3) Read at least 2 radio related books
4) Complete my WAS on PSK31
5) Install at least 2 more antennas at my QTH
6) Build a K2
7) Learn more about electronics
8) Keep my blog up to date
I'll give updates during the year and then a year from now I'll see how I did.
Here is what I plan to do in the hobby in 2008, in no particular order:
1) Improve my CW, both sending and receiving
2) Start making CW QSO's on a regular basis
3) Read at least 2 radio related books
4) Complete my WAS on PSK31
5) Install at least 2 more antennas at my QTH
6) Build a K2
7) Learn more about electronics
8) Keep my blog up to date
I'll give updates during the year and then a year from now I'll see how I did.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
HamLinks: The Ham Radio Toolbar for Firefox and IE
HamLinks is a free ham radio toolbar that extends your (Internet Explorer or Firefox) web browser to give ham radio operators quick access to great ham radio content. It's completely free, easy to install (and uninstall) and can be configured by the user. No registrations, spyware, spam or other hooks.
Click here to see more info.
Click here to see more info.
Friday, December 21, 2007
NUE-PSK Digital Modem
I just got this e-mail from amQRP. This PSK31 device looks very interesting:
The AmQRP Club is now ready to accept orders for the NUE-PSK Digital Modem. Full technical and ordering details are located on the Modem's web page, located at http://www.amqrp.org/kits/nue-psk
As you will see there on the web page, several new and exciting "features" have been added to the product since we introduced the
prototypes back in October ...
1) We've designed a professional-grade aluminum clamshell enclosure that provides for rugged portable use, as well as shielding
from any possible "digi-hash" emanating from the modem;
2) We've improved the display system such that the modem now uses just a single/larger LCD, which displays frequency spectrum
in the upper half, and text in the lower half for Rx data, Tx typing buffer and the menuing/control system; and
3) We've made arrangements with a contract assembly house to provide the modem as a fully assembled/tested unit, such that
you'll just need to plug in your keyboard and SSB transceiver, and you'll be able to begin operating.
"Early Bird Special" pricing is being offered for this month only (December). A significant discount is available to those who
order this month as an effort to help the AmQRP get the product off the ground before the product can be shipped on/before Feb 15,
2008. These early orders are helping the club acquire the large number of parts required for the product introduction and automated
assembly/test process. A list indicating Pre-Orders will be maintained and those on the list will be periodically informed relative
to progress and shipping forecasts.
For now, the NUE-PSK Digital Modem is available at only as an assembled/tested unit. Later in 2008 we will offer a full kit
version, and partial kit version (pcb + programmed controller chips) for the homebrewers and experimenters.
This is a very exciting product, and many new features and configurations are in the making for the NUE-PSK Digital Modem. With the
field programmability feature, owners are able to easily download and install new software capabilities as they become available
from the designers.
The digital modem will be featured in several major publications in 2008, so many hams worldwide will soon be able to take to the
trail with portable PSK using the NUE-PSK Digital Modem. There has never been a better time to get into digital communications!
The AmQRP Club is now ready to accept orders for the NUE-PSK Digital Modem. Full technical and ordering details are located on the Modem's web page, located at http://www.amqrp.org/kits/nue-psk
As you will see there on the web page, several new and exciting "features" have been added to the product since we introduced the
prototypes back in October ...
1) We've designed a professional-grade aluminum clamshell enclosure that provides for rugged portable use, as well as shielding
from any possible "digi-hash" emanating from the modem;
2) We've improved the display system such that the modem now uses just a single/larger LCD, which displays frequency spectrum
in the upper half, and text in the lower half for Rx data, Tx typing buffer and the menuing/control system; and
3) We've made arrangements with a contract assembly house to provide the modem as a fully assembled/tested unit, such that
you'll just need to plug in your keyboard and SSB transceiver, and you'll be able to begin operating.
"Early Bird Special" pricing is being offered for this month only (December). A significant discount is available to those who
order this month as an effort to help the AmQRP get the product off the ground before the product can be shipped on/before Feb 15,
2008. These early orders are helping the club acquire the large number of parts required for the product introduction and automated
assembly/test process. A list indicating Pre-Orders will be maintained and those on the list will be periodically informed relative
to progress and shipping forecasts.
For now, the NUE-PSK Digital Modem is available at only as an assembled/tested unit. Later in 2008 we will offer a full kit
version, and partial kit version (pcb + programmed controller chips) for the homebrewers and experimenters.
This is a very exciting product, and many new features and configurations are in the making for the NUE-PSK Digital Modem. With the
field programmability feature, owners are able to easily download and install new software capabilities as they become available
from the designers.
The digital modem will be featured in several major publications in 2008, so many hams worldwide will soon be able to take to the
trail with portable PSK using the NUE-PSK Digital Modem. There has never been a better time to get into digital communications!
Thursday, December 20, 2007
MultiPSK 4.6 now available
The latest version of MultiPSK was recently released. If you use digital modes, this is worth trying. You can find it at http://f6cte.free.fr/index_anglais.htm
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
MorseRunner
If you'd like to improve your CW skills, check out MorseRunner (freeware) at http://www.dxatlas.com/MorseRunner. It simulates a CW contest and after a few minutes, you'll feel like you are really on the air! Best of all, it's fun!
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