Hiya;)
Umm, since around June last year,I made the command decision to try and get more involved with SDR. Sometime, long ago, around 2 years in fact, I looked at buying softrock SDR in kit form. To this very day, I really regret not jumping in head first, and, at that time, buying a full HF Transiever kit. Although, the first years of a ham's experience can be very expensive by getting access to enough equipment to be able to experiment in radio to his/her desired sensitivity, therefore satisfying ones own needs for knowledge. Therefore,I never bought or even made that initial investment in SDR. My negative reasoning was holding me back from the investment. Mainly due to the fact that, technology changes so rapidly and, at that time, I simply could not manage to spare enough time to support my interests in SDR kit building. I'm really deadly melting solder;).
At this point, I really just need to make a small point! For a number of years now, I have been mainly focused on open source software, mainly with the UNIX format. Although, because I use an OpenBSD or Mac box, the idea of reverse migration to a windows environment, simply does not feel positive. When at Uni, a long, long time ago, we were mainly taught in a UNIX environment but accessed the main frame with PC terminal! However, on this PC hooked- up to the main frame was Microsoft's MS DOS, before the dreadful days of the windows invasion! To be honest,I did not really appreciate the differences between UNIX and the MS DOS driven PC. Importantly, the point was made that, when using UNIX the experience was much different fom MS DOS, ie usually faster and much more slicker in nature. The early Mac, was displayed to the class as an example of using a graphical interface to access the computing power of a machine. To cut a long story short, I experienced the PC Windows experience earlier on when it first came out and, I hated the way in which the software package was devised. Eventually, whilst I was still being abused by Microsoft, there was a new noise present on the web, talking about the new free OS available for PC's. This turned out to be FreeBSD, OpenBSD and, some Linux distributions. In the end, I found my self being drawn towards the OpenBSD Project, in computing terms this was "the best thing to ever happen to me". For now,I really do not want to go any further with this subject, but, will return to this in a future post! At home these days, I either drive a Mac or an openBSD box, these will allow me to choose either a Linux flavour software solution or keep with Unix. This inherent flexibility of Unix and Linux machines completely dwarfes the choice of available software delivered by the current Microsoft platform. Plus, it ain't heavy so it is very much quicker, bit for bit, the GPL licences are more favourable to collaboration and to the further evolution of the software by developers than our rudimentary Microsoft platform. Therefore, in a nut shell, for me driving a Windows box is compared to riding a bike backwards but, still trying to get where you would normally expect to visit.
Since entering the world of ham radio just a couple of years back in time, I'm really shocked by the volume of hams, whom know nothing of the power of open source software! Therefore, for myself to really truly get behind the SDR movement, it must be driving a message to boldly use an open source box, ie; either a Mac, UNIX or Linux! Anything else really makes no sense logically, because,the code from UNIX, and perhaps even Linux is very stable and, has had a longer period of time for the projects code to evolve! Making, the system much more stable, slicker and faster during execution of the code with a giant tree of academic or professional knowledge for backup.
In one way, I really regret not buying a good softrock kit back in the early days of its initial development. However, there are even more interesting hardware and software developments available now for the SDR kit building enthusiast. For example there has always been the HPSDR project, which is really interesting but also relatively expensive project, when compared to the other alternatives. However, a positive point, perhaps,in favour of this project, much of the hardware comes already built, even should you wish to build yourself. Ummm, ok,I can see why some individuals might prefer this approach, ie; Possibly to spend more time actually operating than, to find your self snagging your previous nights work,not having fully operational and working equipment! It seems nutty from my perspective, why the project has become so expensive to keep up with, however this is open source! However, I'm not sure it was a few years ago!
You might ask yourself, "why did she not just pick the Softrock project", and, this is the an interesting question. In the early days of SDR, most of the Softrock kits of the day were available much more than they are today! These days, you need to be using a third party web-site to monitor any changes in the current Softrock kit selling site, www.http://kb9yig.com/. Here, you will find all the current Softrock crop for sale but, only, when available! The speed at which these kits fly off the shelf is crazy. However,this observation of the kits availability and, the extremely short shelf life must say a great deal about the quality of these cheap little kits. But, it also says a great deal about the quality and reliability of the end products devised and marketed by Tony Parks, KB9IG. The only negative point about these excellent kits is that they are usually sold-out within an hour or two!
Being completely honest about this subject, the main reason for me now entering the theatre of SDR radio was the passing of my advanced licence on 4th of August 2012. Having passed this important mile stone, in the world of ham radio, I was free to go out into the big world and sample all the different delights without worrying that, perhaps, I should really be concentrating on something else! Mind you, it's really just one hurdle after another, as now I really want to work to being proficient in using the CW/morse code!
Earlier this year, around about's September, again, I become fixated with SDR radio once more. What made the pull of SDR radio so powerfully this time, was looking how far the types of VFO/main oscillator had now been developed. My feelings led me to decide that these very accurate new all band VFO's might eventually be used in a QRP transmitter, with their individual strong or weak points too. In fact, I become much more interested in the Softrock project, when Tony Parks moved away from using actual crystals for the main clock towards the Si570 master oscillator. The beauty of using this oscillator actually encouraged many small research groups or hackers to gather together and, building on the success of the Softrock series of kits, start to produce projects to deliver new bread of SDR kits.
Really speaking, over the last few years, I have been searching for a SDR transmitter that worked better on a Unix or Linux box, when I came across QtRadio which is Linux in flavour but, still will quite happily run very nicely on a Mac or any other of the free UNIX platforms downloadable off the inter-web. Please now take just a moment to check out QtRadio in action; . If you have just taken a look at QtRadio perhaps you might have noticed how fresh and light the software package looked. Anyway, now that, I had found the right software to use as a base for my future SDR adventures, the time was very ripe to put my finger on to the the hardware kit that, I would really want to build.
One day last December 2011, I came across the MOBOKITS Web-site; . Immediately, I became excited because this SDR kit was based on a open source concept. Further more, the front-end of this project was engineered on the Softrock V6.3 RxTx, called Rg63 but, the parts were all now SMT! Quick as candy,I ordered the Rg63, Mobo kit plus everything else required to construct a HF transmitter. In the near future, when and, only if available, I will purchase the MOBO Widget that gives the wholes package a much faster PC reaction time,with a wider sample width for Unix & Linux based machines. But, there are other alternatives to these products available to buy pre-built that will allow you to operate instantaneously with your windows based PC. Yuck, as tempting as the dark-side might be, i would much rather role my own. But, to be truthful, I don't want to sit there with my updates interfering with the working of the flex SDR radio, that I just paid a small fortune to purchase! It might really break my heart, to have to pay a endowment just to purchase a SDR radio! Also, I really want to understand how the device functions, you never know, when these devices might malfunction. Plus,in the future, I would like to make updates to both the software and hardware elements, with ease and confidence.
Tuesday 3 January 2012
Monday 2 January 2012
New Year
Hello to everyone and anyone
My maim reason for writing this morning is the beginning of a New Year, 2012:). Therefore, happy New Year to everyone who might read this.
This year should be a very eventful in many respects. Obviously, the sunspot cycle will peak, which is especially important for amature radio, giving the chance of some extremely good DX. Although,in all honesty, I'm not expecting too much of the good DX, a nice copy to Austraila or South America on SSB would be nice. Almost certainly,I'm not going to hold my breath and, I would be most happy whatever might happen in the way of radio propagation. This sunspot cycle is very special because, it is my first as a radio ham. Apparently, this cycle has been relatively tame in comparison to the cycles before this. Interstigly, there was a cycle, in the 18th century, when the sunspot cycle was not very spotty! The sunspots just never started to be seen, neither did the splendid radio conditions materialise. It has been whispered that this sunspot cycle might be similar to that very uneventful sunspot cycle of the past!
The year 2012 is one of those special years where the Olympics are being held. luckily, they will be held very close to me, here in East London, later in the year. Locally to my location, everybody and the whole country are preparing for the summer games. Most of the buildings and special events required for the Olymics are already finished or are about to be finished. With the coming of the Olymics this year all ham's located in inner London, or very near will tempoarally loose the 70cm band for the duration of both games events in the summer, until September.
2012 is also well known for all the stories about the end of the world. For any of the readers, who have watched the film 2012. In this film,one of the characters is this crazy ham who is on a mountain top in Yellowstone national park, who was happily awaiting the beginning of the end of the world! From this point, when the crazy ham radio operator dies in the cataclysmic beginning of the re-setting and movement of the earths crust, everyone dies! Except, for the rich and lucky who escape to China to board a fleet of Arks, which will save humankind in the coming great flood. Not a bad film, I'll watch anything so don't go out and rent it tomorrow then blame me for it being really bad!;). mind you, there have been many earth quakes leading upto this year, plus the sunspots are in a dreadful state!
For me this year it is very important that I manage to easily attain a leat 18 words/min with my morse so that I might enjoy a few nice QSO's before the end of the world. This is one of my most important new years resolutions. Hopefully, with any luck and much really hard work, ready for the end of the world, I should be up to a decent speed with my morse code. Also, this year, I would like to construct, hombrew most of the radios that, I will use whilst out portable. Additionally, the portable work will almost all be entirely be QRP. Last year, was the first year that, I had really made a major effort to get out and about to do some portable work.
The main reason for me enjoying portable work so much, was the not very good QTH location, hence difficult antenna instalation and sometimes terrible levals of noise QRM wise. My home QTH, being located in East London UK, I live around 20 meters up in the air in a very tall high rise which faces east. Due to the difficult QTH, it helped shaped the way my mind works when I try to work out different methods to get my radio signals out, on any of the HF bands. This methodoligy that was picked up during my early ham radio days, was then used when I was out operating portable and QRP. Whilst out enjoying QRP,I'm free from QRM and, I can design my antennas in whatever conformation I wish. Also, it's really nice to just get out of the City some times.
My maim reason for writing this morning is the beginning of a New Year, 2012:). Therefore, happy New Year to everyone who might read this.
This year should be a very eventful in many respects. Obviously, the sunspot cycle will peak, which is especially important for amature radio, giving the chance of some extremely good DX. Although,in all honesty, I'm not expecting too much of the good DX, a nice copy to Austraila or South America on SSB would be nice. Almost certainly,I'm not going to hold my breath and, I would be most happy whatever might happen in the way of radio propagation. This sunspot cycle is very special because, it is my first as a radio ham. Apparently, this cycle has been relatively tame in comparison to the cycles before this. Interstigly, there was a cycle, in the 18th century, when the sunspot cycle was not very spotty! The sunspots just never started to be seen, neither did the splendid radio conditions materialise. It has been whispered that this sunspot cycle might be similar to that very uneventful sunspot cycle of the past!
The year 2012 is one of those special years where the Olympics are being held. luckily, they will be held very close to me, here in East London, later in the year. Locally to my location, everybody and the whole country are preparing for the summer games. Most of the buildings and special events required for the Olymics are already finished or are about to be finished. With the coming of the Olymics this year all ham's located in inner London, or very near will tempoarally loose the 70cm band for the duration of both games events in the summer, until September.
2012 is also well known for all the stories about the end of the world. For any of the readers, who have watched the film 2012. In this film,one of the characters is this crazy ham who is on a mountain top in Yellowstone national park, who was happily awaiting the beginning of the end of the world! From this point, when the crazy ham radio operator dies in the cataclysmic beginning of the re-setting and movement of the earths crust, everyone dies! Except, for the rich and lucky who escape to China to board a fleet of Arks, which will save humankind in the coming great flood. Not a bad film, I'll watch anything so don't go out and rent it tomorrow then blame me for it being really bad!;). mind you, there have been many earth quakes leading upto this year, plus the sunspots are in a dreadful state!
For me this year it is very important that I manage to easily attain a leat 18 words/min with my morse so that I might enjoy a few nice QSO's before the end of the world. This is one of my most important new years resolutions. Hopefully, with any luck and much really hard work, ready for the end of the world, I should be up to a decent speed with my morse code. Also, this year, I would like to construct, hombrew most of the radios that, I will use whilst out portable. Additionally, the portable work will almost all be entirely be QRP. Last year, was the first year that, I had really made a major effort to get out and about to do some portable work.
The main reason for me enjoying portable work so much, was the not very good QTH location, hence difficult antenna instalation and sometimes terrible levals of noise QRM wise. My home QTH, being located in East London UK, I live around 20 meters up in the air in a very tall high rise which faces east. Due to the difficult QTH, it helped shaped the way my mind works when I try to work out different methods to get my radio signals out, on any of the HF bands. This methodoligy that was picked up during my early ham radio days, was then used when I was out operating portable and QRP. Whilst out enjoying QRP,I'm free from QRM and, I can design my antennas in whatever conformation I wish. Also, it's really nice to just get out of the City some times.
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