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Messages - gil

#2506
Morse Code / Re: Copy Breakthrough!
February 15, 2013, 01:48:09 AM
Someday, someone might just put a whole QRP rig in a chip.. I can't wait for that.. We already have tiny mixers and audio amps.. To pass a checkpoint, you'd just swallow it! LOL.

Gil.
#2507
Hello,

I would say digital is more secure than Morse. Someone could record a Morse communication and play it back many times to finally decode it. Digital works fine but requires more gear and knowledge. The chances of being listened to are slim on Ham frequencies already... Morse, even less, and digital, extremely unlikely. I wouldn't worry about it. Start with voice modes for their simplicity. Once you understand more about modes, operating, propagation and antennas, try Morse or digital, or both. You will most likely use the same equipment anyway.. I love Morse because for me, it is the essence and origins of radio. To this day, nothing beats the simplicity of it and of the radios used. It can also be used with a flashlight, banging on something, touching someone's arm, blinking your eyes, the possibilities are endless.

Gil.
#2508
QuoteI guess I should ask, what is the difference between using voice (which is what I picture radio to be) and the "text and files" that you refer to.  Is the text more like typed messaging (actual text messaging) or more like Morse?

Hello. There is the privacy issue mentioned by Luke, though anyone who can do some research on the Internet can find out how to decode a digital mode. Simply downloading a program like Fldigi allows to decode many digital modes. Real encryption is illegal on Ham bands. It is peculiar, because encryption is not illegal on the internet. Go figure.. Anyway, it is also a matter of efficiency. Digital modes are more efficient than voice, meaning that you get more range for the same power. Personally, I am not a fan of digital modes because they require more gear, which means more stuff to carry, more batteries to charge. I believe in a real national emergency there would be few stations operating digital. I am not part of any emcom group, so basically, in it for myself, friends and family, none of whom are Hams.

My favorite mode is sort of a digital mode though, and that is CW, Morse code. You can do amazing things with Morse code that wouldn't work any other way. Last week I had a 830 miles QSO using 100mW! A tenth of a Watt! It takes a long time to learn (at least it did for me), but brings great rewards. I have a Rock-Mite radio I built that fits in an Altoids mints box and reliably gets me heard 600 to 1300 miles away. You can't do so much with so little using voice or a digital mode. A small CW transceiver will run 30Hrs on a few AA batteries..

If you want to know what's going on in the country, get a short wave receiver, or make sure the Ham radio you buy allows listening to SW. For example the Elecraft KX1 allows SW listening, even though it is a Morse code radio only. Most radios these days allow listening outside of the Ham bands.

Gil.
#2509
Digital Modes / Re: Signalink USB noise issues.
February 12, 2013, 12:24:34 AM
Quotehey, speaking of that, did you ever get an antenna tuner? I completely forgot about you needing that! If not, do you still need it?

It was an analyser I needed. No big deal, I got around that... As to bands for digital, whatever is used for Winlink, and that would probably be 40 and 20m.

Gil.
#2510
CB / Re: Galaxy DX 979 CB Radio Review.
February 11, 2013, 06:58:54 PM
QuoteWhat types of HAM radios can I transmit and receive CB on?

You can't legally transmit, only receive. My KX3 for example can listen to CB but will not transmit. The only Ham radios that can do that are some kits or modified radios. My K2 would transmit on the CB band. It is still illegal to do so. Some export model CBs can transmit above and below the CB band, but that is illegal as well. Too bad... the CB band should be part of any Ham radio, but unfortunatelt it isn't going to happen...

Gil.
#2511
CB / Re: Galaxy DX 979 CB Radio Review.
February 11, 2013, 06:11:42 PM
Hello Bob,

AM or SSB is the same whether you are talking about Ham or CB. It's just a legal distinction. AM has a carrier and two sidebands. SSB has one of the sidebands, period. You can listen to AM while in SSB mode, if you tune off the carrier to one of the sidebands. I never tried to listen to SSB while on AM.. Bottom line is, you want to be in the same mode. You will hear the other guy if he is in the other mode, and you then just flip the switch to make it intelligible. LSB and USB are mirror images of each other...

Trying to communicate using different modes, AM and SSB is not going to work...

AM has less local range but sounds better. The problem with CB is the noise. When you listen to the CB band using a Ham radio, it sounds very quiet. Switch to the CB and you get a lot of static. Why? That's the difference between $150 and $700... When I listen to channel 38 LSB with my KX3, it seems like the radio is off, until a signal appears. Of course we're talking about a $900 radio with DSP filtering... That said, an MFJ-9410 will beat the pants off a CB and costs $300. I have nothing against CB, because you get a lot for your money though.

Maybe someone else here can tell us if you can listen to SSB while in AM mode?

Gil.
#2512
CB / Re: Galaxy DX 979 CB Radio Review.
February 11, 2013, 05:11:49 PM
My suggestion would be to open it up and locate the parts. If you can find them, you can change them, assuming that you are familiar with unsoldering and soldering components on circuit boards. The improvement is not substantial, just noticeable, so it isn't a mod you must necessarily do...
Attached is the PCB layout. Make sure you click on the link that describes the procedure. See my original post..

Gil.
#2513
Digital Modes / Re: Signalink USB noise issues.
February 11, 2013, 12:41:14 PM
The problem is probably noticeable mostly on higher bands with a low noise level... That said, If I get one, I will make the mods he describes...

Gil.
#2514
CB / Re: Galaxy DX 979 CB Radio Review.
February 11, 2013, 12:38:28 PM
Hello Geek,

I didn't take any, and it isn't something you would see on the PCB. It's pretty easy to do mind you, just unsolder the components and replace them.. That said, the radio as sold works just fine. The mod does lower the noise floor a bit, and it helps for weak signals copy...
I like the DX 979 because it has SSB, is cheap and legal.

Gil.
#2515
1043 miles tonight with the 1.5W Rock-Mite into my magnetic loop. Ah the good old digital mode  ;)

Gil.
#2516
Isn't Jericho in Kansas?  :o

Gil.
#2517
QuoteYes Gil, your Morse skills are now 'owned.

Not quite but it won't be much longer... Sure, I can have a 7wpm QSO (10wpm on a great day) copying in my head, but that doesn't qualify as 'owned' in my book. I have started using RufzXP to improve my speed. It is a great tool. That and of course our skeds  :D

Well, it's time for me to wipe out the Rock-Mite 40 and see if I can make contact using my magnetic loop... I tried the PAR but all I got was blasting Rock 'n Roll in my earphones  :o The mag loop filters it out...

Gil.
#2518
QuoteIf a comuter IS in the loop - WINMOR is amazing.

Exactly what I plan on doing.. Winlink from home, just in case, and CW portable..
I am glad I put Morse under my belt first, the rest is easy  ;D

Gil.
#2519
Hi all,

I would like to emphasize again that one doesn't have to learn Morse code to use CW. Fldigi decodes Morse very well and allows sending via the keyboard, just like any other digital mode. The advantage of CW is that it can also be decoded by the human brain. That is of course my primary tool for decoding, but yours can be your computer. I actually do use Fldigi at home as a backup, when my brain decides to use it's resources for other background tasks and I lose decode capability for a short while  :o

So, what's the advantage? Well, first of all, obviously, you can reach more stations with this digital mode, since Hams without a computer can copy you. In a major SHTF situation, I suspect most digital stations will be down quickly, for lack of power to recharge batteries. Only the best prepared stations will continue to operate, and for how long? Second, as an example, I plan on a one week camping trip in a few weeks. The site I am thinking about is nine miles from the road. That means pulling a small cart with five gallons of water, food for a week and my camping gear. There is no way in hell I will add the weight of a laptop, bigger battery and solar panel. A small CW rig is not only a must but the only option in such a case. Something like an FT-817ND would work, but then we get into battery capacity problems again. CW is where it's at when it comes to leaving the house with communication capabilities.

My KX3 has RTTY and PSK31 built-in, allowing to send using the Morse paddles. It's great, but honestly, it doesn't do anything more than CW... Sure, Morse might be a bit slower than another keyboard-input mode, but it works just the same.

So, even if you don't want to learn Morse, you can still use it as a computer-controlled digital mode and reach more people than you would other wise do.  Given that most digital QSOs are just the RST73 type, which for me I think is a waste of my time, Morse offers more rag-chewing opportunities.

Gil.
#2520
Digital Modes / Signalink USB noise issues.
February 10, 2013, 11:22:03 AM
Anyone wanting to buy a Signalink USB interface might want to read the following articles. I am not sure I will buy one. Any good alternatives? I am sure it works fine, but apparently the noise from the USB supplied voltage is a problem..

http://www.frenning.dk/OZ1PIF_HOMEPAGE/SignaLinkUSB-mods.html

http://www.frenning.dk/OZ1PIF_HOMEPAGE/images/Wireless%20Article%20-%20Signalink%20USB%20Mods%20v6.pdf

http://www.k7sfn.com/projects/signalink.html

The noise problem apparently can be fixed for a few cents but does require some soldering..

Gil.