20 septembrie 2007

Un nou site cu si despre radioamatori

|Tot scobind prin maruntaiele internetului dupa niste documentatii referitoare la hobby-ul meu, radioamatorismul si statiile de emisie receptie, am dat peste un site tare misto si cu niste perspective de dezvoltare net superioare! Este vorba de www.radioamator.eu.
Site, e cam prea mult spus. Practic, este un forum bine structurat, asezonat cu o galerie de imagini care, prevad, se va dezvolta in lunile care urmeaza.
Ideea de la care porneste este buna, in romania existand destul de putine site-uri cu acest profil iar cele care exista deja sunt usor infantile sau prea batranicioase, in opinia mea. Era timpul sa apara ceva axat pe continut si nu pe aspect, iar baietii (sau fetele) care au pus asta pe picioare imi dovedesc ca stiu cam ce se poate scoate de la un simplu motor de forum!
Sunt curios sa vad cum va evolua pe viitor!
Galeria de imagini este aici.
Site-ul necesita o inregistrare cu o adresa valida de e-mail. Hei, asta poate fi un motiv de temere caci acea adresa este posibilsa inceapa sa fie sufocata de spam, dar, what the hell, eu am deja o adresa de email facuta special pentru inregistrari pe site-uri! Si nu sufera prea mult!

18 septembrie 2007

Echolink Bucharest

UPDATE:
Due to the timless life I have, I was unable to run on a permanent basis this Echolink node.
Fortunately, it is another one here, full time available, YO3KYD which cover the city of Bucharest!
You are invited to access this node!
INFO on YO3KYD-L:
Freq: 145.550 FM
CTCSS:103,5
Node number: 379326


Meantime, I found a Motorola GM900 radio for the UHF echolink node!!! I hope I'll find some time to setup the UHF node here in Bucharest!
12 aug.2008

73! de yo3hjv


This week-end I started again the Echolink 2m node.

There was no more echolink node for Bucharest in he past year due to some malfunction in the yo3hcv-l we experienced. That node was running for more than 3 years with the help of 2 friends, YO3FUU and YO3HCV. It's a pitty because we have had a "vanity" node number, 144.900 which was the frequency on which we run the VHF node.
Now I started the VHF node, but the one designated for UHF, in 144.300 Mhz. I plan to find a UHF Motorola radio to make it work under YO3HJV-L callsign, but I think this will be next year as will be a entirely private investment.

I intend to keep this node operational as long as I can.

Here are the info's:
Frq: 145.300mhz, CTCSS 103,5, node number:43750
Max key down: 210 sec, for both TX and RX to and from Internet.
Output power: 50W, antenna heigh is around 45m, so I will expect a good coverage of 80km around.
The radio is Kenwood TS2000X, Rigexpert+IBM Thinkad T43.
The node is in beta. I plan to use a dedicated radio I have around, Icom IC2100H with a dedicated antenna. Something like an open dipole for a good omnidirectional coverage.
Please feel free to call !

73! de YO3HJV

04 septembrie 2007

Alinco DJ-G5

Big, very "tech-looking" radio but versatile and sensitive!

I have owned the radio for more than 3 years and I sold it... Again, like with my FT-857D, this radio is back in my shack after passing a few fellow hams.
First, I have to say that the original stock antenna is one of the worst I have ever seen! But with a real dual band antenna, the things are changing! I used a Diamond RH771S and now I use a Kathrein K7151219 GainFlex antenna.

What I like

Is a real dual bander! This means that you can listen simultaneous on two different frequencies! The possible combinations are: V/U (reccomended), V/V, U/V, U/U. Add to this the two VFO's per receiver and you have a lot of possibilities!

Feeling. When you keep it in your hand, it feels very solid. The back-case is real-metal.

Cross band repeater. This radio performs a cross band repeater and it does well! This is usefull when in mobile operations, and emergency communications when a external antenna will be a plus! And a nice feature is that you can monitor the communications directly in the radio's speaker. Can work as one way repeater or two way cross repeater. Also is full duplex capable!

Battery life. The radio have a extended range of operating voltage. Somewhere between 4V-13V. So, a 9,6V EBP-36N will last about a week on a moderate receiving operation.

Simplicity in operation. The radio isn't "menu driven". The functions are very easy accesed from F+Key.

Good audio reports. On both receiving and transmitting!

BNC connector for antenna. Is very easy to connect a external antenna for mobile use. Also very easy to replace broken connector.

Good locking mechanism for battery.

Good place for external PTT Microphone/Speaker.

Front end attenuator. This can improve the IMD figure when the radio is use with a mobile external antenna.

Good AM receiving. I often monitor the Airband and the radio is good on this. But not with the stock antenna!
Normal 3.5mm jack for headphones. Is easy to use regular headphone, for one ear, to monitor when walking... No expensive accessory for listners!

I don't like

The radio becomes very hot. Even the power is set to M, the radio will be hot on about 5 minutes of transmission, so if you plan to use it as a cross band repeater, you have to put a fan on the radio!

The keypad inscriptions will be erased in months of moderate usage though the inscriptions above de key (the one on the case) will last for years!

Poor PTT, MON and secondary PTT switches and rubber. The rubber will break. I changed the PTT microswitch after 2 years.

Volume and Squelch controls. I wish I have knobs for volume and squelch for the two sections!

No alpha tags on memory. This can be annoying when you are a "listener" like I am. Hard to remember what frequency is!

No CAT. Can't programm with a cable tough there is a way to save the channels by Air Cloning. You have to record the DTMF's which are sent by the radio with another radio.

Other things about this radio

Is very solid, the screen light can be set on continuous by pushing F+LAMP, the radio have a lot of paging options. Is slow on scanning so I use it to monitor two frequencies instead of scanning. Also a nice feature is the band scope which works OK because it used the other receiver to "take the picture".
By default, the number of memory channels alocated for the two sections is equal but You can change this very easy. (by default 80+80 memory channels).
The radio use in the final stage hybrid modules and the measurements show around 7W on VHF and 6 in UHF when use 12V. Again, the radio will be really hot!

I am searching for a new case for the radio, new keypad and rubbers for PTT.

Overall, the radio is a "power-horse". Is best for backpacking but to heavy for pants! Alinco did a good job. This may be "the last true dual bander" from Alinco!

Here are the specifications from Alinco:

VHF/UHF FM Twin Bander
DJ-G5T/TY/TH

Tx: 144.000-147.995/438.000-449.995 MHz
Rx: 108.000-173.995 AM/FM /438.000-449.995 MHz

  • Channel Scope
  • Full duplex between VHF & UHF
  • CTCSS Tone Squelch
  • Memory channels VHF 80 + UHF 80
  • DSQ selective call
  • 20 auto-dialers
  • 2W output or 5W with the optional EBP-36N battery
  • U x U/V x V
  • Compact 57 x 139 x 27.5 mm body
  • Sweep Scan
  • X-band repeater
  • Direct freq. entry through keypad
73! de yo3hjv

I can't attach here the user and service manual but you can ask me to send by e-mail in pdf. format.

Below, the schematics in
gif format:

03 septembrie 2007

How to disable System Beep - Dezactivarea sunetului de sistem

Tested on XP Home Edition and XP-Pro SP2.

This post is useful for Digimodes especially when the computer's audio output is wired directly into the transceiver and VOX is used for PTT. Maybe you noticed that a system error (like two keys on the keyboard pushed simultaneous) give a loud "ding" sound into the speaker. On a big desktop PC, the system beep will be heard from the main board buzzer but on a laptop, the sound will be generate directly into the speakers. It's shure that we don't want to be sent over the air by VOX feature on the transceiver!
So, how to disable this without compromising the speakers?
Simple:
First, go to START>SETTINGS, then select SYSTEM.
From SYSTEM, select DEVICE MANAGER.
On Device manager window, in the menu bar, select VIEW and then, SHOW HIDDEN DEVICES. Look in the list and you will see "BEEP" listed. Right-click on it!
DISABLE is the magic word!
So, that was!
73! de yo3hjv










Testat pe Windows XP Home Edition si Windows XP-PRO SP2

Urmatoarele instructiuni sunt utile celor care folosesc un laptop conectat la un transceiver pentru modurile digitale, iar pentru trecerea in emisie se foloseste functia VOX.
Dezactivarea alarmei de sistem (un beep puternic) se poate face foarte usor parcurgand urmatorii pasi:
START>SETTINGS>SYSTEM>DEVICE MANAGER.
In fereastra DEVICE MANAGER, meniul VIEW se desfasoara oferind optiunea SHOW HIDDEN DEVICES.
In lista de periferice va fi afisat "BEEP". Apasati cu butonul dreapta al mouse-ului pentru afisarea meniului contextual. In acest meniu, selectati optiunea DISABLE.

73 de yo3hjv

01 septembrie 2007

YAESU FT-857D





LATER EDIT:
Here
you can find a solution for a "military-like" backpack radio based on FT857D.

TIP for mobile useres:
Two male RJ11 and 3m of 6 wire telephone cable for front panel, one male and one female RJ45 and 3m of 8 wire FTP cable for microphone.
The main issue is how to find a proper receptacle for the front panel... Well, this rceptacle is right on the radio, and is fixed on 4 screws. It's part number on the service manual is RA0450600 as shown on the picture below:


You can unscrew that receptacle and used it with some PDA support to attach it on the windshield with a suction cup. I use the same solution with my FT 8900...
It is the best solution for who is interested in a permanent mobile solution. Why spend a lot of $$$ on a "mobile separation kit"???

73! de yo3hjv
Adrian


Compact, full featured, modern look


Crammed into the little enclosure is an 100kHz-500MHz transceiver (receiving. Transmitting is subject to ham band limitations) with most of the modern bells and whistles that anyone could want, and which can supply 100 watts on 160-6 meters, 50 watts on 2 meters, and 20 watts on the 440 MHz band.
Is operating in the CW, AM, SSB, FM, and digital modes.
The main purpose of this radio is to be installed as a mobile rig, with removable front plate which can be mounted away from the main unit.
The single limitation of this kind of installation is the microphone and the speaker, which are connected directly to the main unit thus a second cable will be necessary.

I purchase this radio in the spring of 2006 from WIMO, a reseller located in Germany. I was, somehow, budget-orientated. My HSU (Ham Speding Units) was around 650 EUR and this radio fits very well (620EUR+shipping 36EUR) so I ordered right away!
I was very happy to have a "all band-all mode HF+VHF+UHF transceiver in one box. Furthermore, I needed a radio which could be the basis for a very portable station for field use. The FT-857 fills both requirements nicely.

The first approach to this radio was to download a pdf user manual (operationg manual) to see the features and to imagine what I can do with it. This is a habit to me in order to be already familiar with a new radio because I am a real ham and real hams do not read the manual when a radio is sitting in front!

The first thing I did when the radio arrived was to look inside...
I liked the solid aluminium frame in the central section and how the circuit boards are fitted! A solid frame is the key for a good thermal behavior and also a good backbone for a mobile or portable radio.
The FT-857 is build to last and to survive a lot of mechanical abuse.

The top circuit board contains all of the low level electronics. Although there is no space left over, nothing seems crammed into the space at all.
I saw a lot of radios from inside. Also I was a constructor of radios and other electronic things... It's like a classic painting what the Yaesu engineers manage to do in this box! Nevertheless, their work has made a design which is logical, clean, easy to repair and should be very reliable.

The bottom circuit board contains the separate HF and VHF/UHF power amplifiers, and all of the band switching components. Once again, the board looks full but very logical, with a very clean layout. The heat from the power transistors is coupled directly to the main casting, and the twin fans provide the air movement necessary to extract the heat from the unit. The fans run only when necessary, with variable speed, so the unit is quiet most of the time.

I purchase an optional original Yaesu SSB filter but on receiving it isn't what I expected! But in Tx-ing reports are better than the built-in ceramic filter, so i will keep it.
The pictur shows the two optional filters.



I like

This radio is tiny and modular. The removable faceplate is a good thing for mobile installation and even for a crowded ham shack.
If space is principal consideration, then the FT-857D is the best all=mode all-band full-power space-saver currently available.
The price also is good! Do not expect to have performances like a Kenwood TS2000! It is a very good radio in it's price range!

Reasonable front panel – With small size comes along the necessity to cram the front panel functionality into a minimum of controls. Reading the manual is absolutely required in order to get the maximum functionality out of the FT-857. However, the controls are well-thought-out, and benefit from a couple of generations of small equipment with few controls. The function selection and the menus allow everything to be controlled, and they have obviously thought through the usability of these. After a few weeks of trying every feature, I can go directly to what I need without referring to the manuals any more. For anything this complex, that is high praise.

Receive audio is quite good – The primary limitation on receive audio is the tiny speaker in the case. For any real use, it cries out for an external speaker. I have plugged in high-quality external speakers, and the audio is as good. There is also plenty of audio power available. Driving an inefficient old acoustic suspension speaker is no problem at all. Furthermore, there is a headphone jack on the front left side of the FT-857, which makes headphone use an easy thing. They provide a switch to change the power level on the headphone jack so that if you should want to power a larger speaker from that jack, the FT-857 will drive it. This is very well thought-out.

External programming software – After I bought the radio, I also bought the ADMS-4B programming software. The programming cable I made it myself with just two bipolar transistors and some passive components. Also I like how interacts with the Ham Radio Deluxe CAT, but the credits goes to the authors of the software!

DSP - Is OK for a audio only DSP and performs well on a crowd band. Also useful with the QRM and best on static noises.

All band coverage, including the CB which is very usefull on the road! Unfotunately, I was not able to make a good installation on my new car...

Adjustable drag on Dial Knob. No more to say about! Not to many hams are aware about this feature!



I don't like

No direct frequency entry - Unless you buy the fancy external microphone, it is not possible to do direct frequency entry. I can solve this with one easy purchase, but I already know how difficult can be as I have a ICOM IC2100 with a remote mic. Not so bad, but sometime I miss this feature.
No built-in tuner – I solved this with an external LDG AT-11MP and later a Z100 also from LDG (in portable operations) which matches the size of the radio, and will load up nearly anything. I read a lot of reviews for Yaesu tuners and I don't want to buy one! I also miss a OTT (One Touch Tuning) switch on the front panel! Could be useful a single switch to put a CW, 5W for external ATU.

Unlabeled back panel – There is a sticker on the bottom of the radio showing which of the many back panel connectors do what, but I miss having the labels where I can see them. I used a permanent ink pen to make my own "labels".

A connector or a hole or whatever to ground the radio direct to the chassis. I really miss this because I like to have a well grounded shack! I drive a hole through the rear aluminium solid block to connect a wire for grounding... Grrrr...

The SELECTOR knob is very poor! Is some optical switch with a high failure rate! Mine is fail to switch in the needed direction. Forward-back-forward when switching only forward or backward...

So that is it. I consider the FT-857 to be a really good deal in a ham radio transceiver, and one which is well-suited to anyone needing one which will fit into a very small space or need a second radio for field day, portable or DX-speditions. I really like my Kenwood TS-2000X "Big Rig" with all of the controls up-front, but the FT-857 does very well within the small space it requires.

In the spring of 2007 I sold the radio to purchase a Kenwood TS2000X. After the radio "travelled" from ham to ham, I bought it back in order to go in Elba Island, portable. So, Is here to stay... or to go portable again!

73! de YO3HJV



Here is the specifications from Universal Radio.com:

GENERAL
Frequency Range: Receive:
0.1-56, 76-108, 118-164 and 420-470 MHz
Transmit:
160 - 6 Meters including 60 Meters
0
2 Meters
0
70 Centimeters (Amateur bands only)
0
5167.5 kHz: Alaska Emergency Frequency
0
(U.S.A. version only)
Emission Modes:
A1 (CW), A3 (AM), A3J (LSB/USB),
0
F1 (9600 bps Packet), F2 (1200 bps Packet), F3 (FM)
Synthesizer Steps (Min.):
10 Hz (CW/SSB), 100 Hz (AM),
0
100 Hz (FM), 100 Hz (WFM)
Antenna Impedance:
50 Ohm, Unbalanced
Operating Temp. Range:
-10 °C to +60 °C (14 F to 140 F)
Frequency Stability:
Better than ±4 ppm (-10 °C to +50 °C)
0

Power Requirements:
DC 13.8V ±10 %, Negative Ground
Current Consumption:
Receive (Squelched) : 0.55A,
0
Receive (Max. Audio) : 1A
0
Transmit : 22A (@ 100W RF output)
Case Size:
6.1" (W) x 2.0" (H) x 9.2" (D) (155 x 52 x 233 mm)
Weight:
4.6 lb. (2.1 kg.)
0
TRANSMITTER
Power Output:
160 - 6m : 100 Watts (25 Watts AM carrier)
0
2m : 50 Watts (12.5 Watts AM carrier)
0
70cm : 20 Watts (5 Watts AM carrier)
Modulation Types : SSB:
Balanced Modulator
FM:
Variable Reactance
AM:
Early Stage (Low Level)
FM Maximum Deviation:
±5 kHz (±2.5 kHz on FM-N)
Spurious Radiation : Harmonics:
At least 50 dB down (1.8 - 29.7 MHz)
At least 60 dB down (50/144/430 MHz)
0
Non-harmonic:
At least 50 dB down (1.8 - 29.7 MHz)
0
At least 60 dB down (50/144/430 MHz)
Carrier Suppression:
At least 40 dB
Opp. Sideband Suppression:
At least 50 dB
SSB Frequency Response:
400 Hz - 2600 Hz (-6 dB)
Microphone Impedance:
200 - 10 k Ohm (Supplied microphone: 2 k Ohm)

RECEIVER
Sensitivity:
SSB/CW AM-N FM
100 kHz - 1.8 MHz (IPO off):
- uV 32 uV -
1.8 - 28 MHz:
0.25 uV 2 uV -
28 - 30 MHz:
0.2 uV 2 uV 0.50 uV
50 - 54 MHz:
0.125 uV 1 uV 0.2 uV
144/430 MHz:
0.125 uV - 0.2 uV
SSB/CW/AM-N figures are for 10 dB S/N, 12 dB SINAD on FM

Squelch Sensitivity : SSB/CW/AM FM
1.8 - 28 MHz : 2.5 uV -
28 - 30 MHz : 2.5 uV 0.32 uV
50 - 54 MHz : 1 uV 0.16 uV
144/430 MHz : 0.5 uV 0.16 uV

Intermediate Frequencies : 0
1st IF : 68.33 MHz (SSB/CW/FM/AM)
0 10.7 MHz (W-FM)
2nd IF : 455 kHz
Image Rejection : Better than 70 dB (1.8 - 30 MHz, 50 - 54 MHz)
00 Better than 60 dB (144 - 148 MHz, 430 - 450 MHz)
IF Rejection : Better than 60 dB
Selectivity (-6 / -60 dB) : 0
SSB/CW : 2.2 kHz/4.5 kHz
CW : 500 Hz/2.0 kHz (Optional YF-122C installed)
CW-N : 300 Hz/1.0 kHz (OptionalYF-122CN installed)
AM : 6 kHz/20 kHz
FM : 15 kHz /30 kHz (-6 / -50 dB)
Audio Output : 2.5 W into 4 Ohm @ 10% THD
Audio Output Impedance : 4 Ohm - 16 Ohm

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