April, 2005   The Milliwatt   < Prev Page 8 Next >

ATV: e-mails from W6ORG

TXTV Exciter Board: On my Specials and Surplus web page I have added our TVXT exciter board kit for $30. The board along with a crystal on 2 meters will drive a 144 in/higher ham band out transverter for the ATV mode. Through the hole: I have just put out on our Specials and Surplus web page, some excess through the hole type parts that are used in our ATV boards. We bought them in huge quantities back before we started using surface mount parts and now don't need as many. They are good for experimenting, replacement, etc. and the prices are very low. ATV App Notes: I have added some downloadable application notes to page 3 of our web site ( www.hamtv.com) These include mods using Mirage D1010, D26 and RFC4-110 amps on ATV. Also there is an app note on adding audio squelch and an S-meter to the MCM Electronics channel 3 receiver. Tom O'Hara, W6ORG. Tom6org@hamtv.com PC Electronics 626-447-4565.

Another e-mail from Tom:

I just updated my 8 pole vs. 10 pole VSB filter application note with fresh graphs from DCI that show the attenuation curves for each and what they mean. You can go directly by copy and paste into your browser: http://www.hamtv.com/vsb8-10.html or go to our application page note and scroll down to the paragraph on ATV Repeater design and click on VSB Filter. The filters are available through us for $399 and $449 delivered via UPS ground in the contiguous USA with normal lead time of 3 weeks. Tom, W6ORG - Tom6org@hamtv.com www.hamtv.com

 

News you can use

Want a Duplicate License?

Want a duplicate hard copy of your amateur radio license? Here's how to get one online.
  1. Go to this website: http://wireless.fcc.gov/uls/
  2. Click on the button in the middle next to the word "Search" that says "licenses"
  3. Enter your station call sign in the box and on the next screen.
  4. Click on your call sign which will be underlined as a link
  5. Click on the "Reference Copy" link near the top of the page
  6. Print out the duplicate license
While this may not be an "official" license, it is just as good as the one sent out by the FCC. Actually, the only "official" license is the listing contained in the FCC's Amateur Service database.

 

Australian Optical Communications Record Broken in Tasmania

Mike, VK7MJ on Mt Wellington and Chris Long on South Barrow have set a new Australian record for full duplex optical communication over a path of 167.7km using voice. The contact occurred between 1100 and 1200 UTC on Saturday, February 19, 2005. Two way full duplex voice communication was established at 475 TERRAHERTZ (that's right - visible light), over a distance of 167.7km between stations on the summits of Mount Wellington near Hobart and South Barrow, near Launceston Tasmania. Both transmitters used current modulated 1W red Luxeon Lumileds into 200mm diameter fresnel lens, and they were clearly visible with the naked eye over the distance between the transmitters. The signals were detected by silicon photodiodes at the focus of fresnel lens and a field effect transistor input amplifier. Signals going north were reported as strength 4 readability 7 with some scintillation and slow fading by Joe VK7JG, Jason VK7ZJA and Chris Long on Mt Barrow.The signals received at Mt Wellington by Mike VK7MJ and Justin VK7TW were very noisy with signal strength 3 readability to 3. Despite this low signal level two-way duplex voice contacts were completed. This is certainly a record for Australian optical communications and probably a world record for non-laser communications. [WIA]

 

New QST column aims to take mystery out of modern ham gear

A new column, "Getting to Know Your Radio" will debut in the April edition of QST. Author and ARRL Product Review Editor Joel Hallas, W1ZR, says the column "basically talks about what all those knobs do" on modern equipment. "The idea is to acquaint users with the typical features of modern radios." Hallas says there was a time when radio receivers were pretty easy to understand--in some cases not all that much different from the broadcast set in the kitchen--so most new amateurs could quickly learn their way around the front panel. It's a new world now. "It's fair to say that modern transceivers have come a long way since the boat anchors of the 1950s and earlier," he says. "Many transceiver makers seem to sell their wares by claiming the most and newest features." As a result, modern ham transceivers can be pretty intimidating, making operation daunting for newcomers and veterans alike. The first installment of "Getting to Know Your Radio" will cover the now-popular--and common--passband tuning feature. Hallas says a column on audio compression systems is just ahead.

 

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