Posts

Why is Yaesu FT-60R Dual Band Handheld 5W VHF/UHF Radio Trending?

Image
 When I checked for Google Trends for Amateur Radio, I found that Yaesu FT-60R Dual Band Handheld 5W VHF/UHF Amateur Radio Transceiver as the top trending topic with breakout results. But when I searched after some time, the top one was IC 7300 and it kept on changing frequently. May be because the total number of searches are not high compared to other search terms on Google. Checked Amazon.com about the availability and found that it is available, but will not ship to my region. I had noted that the interest on Google was mainly from United States of America. I noted Weather Alert as a special feature on Yaesu FT-60R. That may be the reason for it trending in the US. Other features seem to be similar to other dual band handheld radios, with 1000 memory channels and coverage for both VHF and UHF amateur radio bands as well as additional wide band receiver coverage, mentioned as even up to 999.99 MHz. That is just below 1 GHz! That could be another reason why it is popular in the U...
Post a Comment
Read more

What is USB-C PD and can it be used in Ham Radio?

Image
 As most of us are aware, USB is a data transfer protocol which has been revised from the original Universal Serial Bus to the latest USB4, with data transfer speeds up to 80 Gbit/s. Type C is the designation of the connector which you are familiar in mobile phone chargers. Type A plug and socket are the ones you connect with your laptop and type B the one for your printer. A cable to the printer from the laptop will have type A plug at one end and type B plug at the other end. My FT-710 radio uses a similar cable for CAT control or Computer Assisted Transceiver control as well. PD stands for power delivery and the current USB cables are capable of power delivery with rapid charging of devices including mobile phones with varying levels of voltage and current. Original USB devices could deliver only 5 V while the latest ones can deliver even up to 48 Volts and 240W. The white cable is a conventional USB type A to type C cable. The black one is thicker USB-C PD or power delivery cab...
Post a Comment
Read more

What is Radiation-hardened-by-design (RHBD) in satellite technology?

Image
 Radiation-hardened-by-design (RHBD) is a methodology that uses circuit techniques to make microcircuits more resilient to radiation as required at outer space in case of amateur radio satellites. In case of amateur radio satellites, it is more relevant for medium earth orbit and geostationary satellites located at higher altitude. You may remember that GreenCube or IO-117 failed after a good period of operation, possibly due to radiation induced damage. Ionizing radiation in outer space include particle radiation and high energy electromagnetic radiation. On the terrestrial aspect, RHBD devices are needed around nuclear reactors, particle accelerators and during nuclear accidents. Radiation hardening of semiconductor electronic components require some design and manufacturing variations that reduce susceptibility to radiation damage. As the demand will be low and extensive development efforts are needed, production of radiation-hardened chips lag behind the most recent development...
Post a Comment
Read more

The All New zBitx 5 watts QRP All Band, All Mode Radio is Here!

Image
 VU2ESE has announced the launch of zBitx on the BITX group. It is available for purchase at http://www.hfsignals.com/ and delivery will start in February 2025. According to VU2ESE, it is a low cost 5 Watt, 80m to 10m QRP radio with a 480x320 touch screen that allows you to run CW, FT8 and other digital modes without needing even a phone that the original zBitx needed. As previously posted, zBitx is based on a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W, which gives it the prefix 'z'. The physical size of zBitx is just 6 inches by 3.5 inches, 1.5 inches thick, weighing just 250gm, and includes a battery case that can hold two 18650 lithium polymer batteries. One has to get batteries from elsewhere. External DC supply can also be used with a maximum of 9V. zBitx seems to be quite 'pocket friendly' both in the literal sense and cost wise! An HDMI monitor, keyboard and mouse can be plugged in, to use like a QRP base station. zBitx runs the same software as sBitx radios. zBitx will ship with...
Post a Comment
Read more

What is an LCR meter?

Image
 LCR meter is an instrument used to measure inductance (L), capacitance (C) and resistance (R) as the name indicates. They can measure the impedance to a sinusoidal waveform of definite frequency and convert the measured value to capacitance or inductance. Higher end machines can measure true inductance or capacitance, equivalent series resistance of capacitors and Q factor of inductors. As actual capacitors and inductors are not ideal devices with only either capacitive or inductive components, they have a resistance in series which is defined as the equivalent series resistance. It is often taken as a resistance to alternating current, measured at a specified frequency which could be the self-resonant frequency or 100 kHz for switched mode power supply ( SMPS ) components and 120 Hz for linear power supply components. Q factor or quality factor is the ratio of a resonator's center frequency to its bandwidth when subject to an oscillating driving force. It is a dimensionless param...
Post a Comment
Read more

Building 80m Inverted V Antenna for Restricted Space: VU2XTO Design

Image
Caution: VU2XTO has informed that high power with a linear amplifier should not be delivered to this loaded coil dipole as it can result in heating of coils.  I can hardly squeeze in a 40m inverted V at my home. Still I wanted to try out 80m as some of my VU friends have started trying it out. I was told by an online DX friend that 80m is a very busy band in EU with DX even up to Middle East at night. I was active on 80m in 1980s with a horizontal dipole antenna tied on top of coconut trees at my parents' home using a homebrew 3 x 807 AM/CW radio. VU2XTO design published in the Madras Amateur Radio Society Newsletter, Volume 26, Issue 2, July-September 2018 has the details of an 80m antenna for restricted spaces. What we need is a couple of 118 microhenry loading coils and about 14 m of insulated copper wire. For the 118 microhenry coils, VU2XTO has suggested a 15cm UPVC former of 1.5 inch diameter and 18 SWG enamelled copper wire wound closely for a span of 11cm. It is basically a...
Post a Comment
Read more

Building a DIY Ham Radio Station on a Budget

Image
 A guide is presented to help you build a functional ham radio station with a limited budget. You will learn how to choose the right equipment, build antennas, and set up your station for successful communication. In this era of multiple modern communication modalities, the thrill of ham radio is of communication without the internet and cellular network. Imagine that you are in remote areas without cell phone coverage, if you have a portable ham radio setup, you can still contact your friends around the world with similar setup. That is how ham radio or amateur radio has been deployed in natural calamities also, when the conventional communication networks are down. Unlike other hobbies, amateur radio needs a license in the country in which you are operating from. That is needed for multiple reasons including security concerns and need to avoid interference with other radio services. Radio amateurs are required to appear for an examination, generally involving electronics, rad...
Post a Comment
Read more