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Simple Ham Radio Antennas--What in the world is WSPR? (PART 2). Post #429.

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If you have trouble viewing this video, please enter the title link into your browser: https://youtu.be/ZTXCnaSNEY. This is part 2 of "Calgary Toad's" tutorial on WSPR, a weak signal mode designed for the QRP Amateur Radio Community. This mode is becoming popular with hams experimenting in the 630 meter band (472 kHz to 479 kHz). The use of the mode may increase now that the FCC will release segments of the 2200 meter (137 kHz-138 kHz) and 630 meter (472 kHz to 479 kHz) bands for Amateur Radio use in the United States. There will be power and antenna restrictions placed on these bands, so weak signal modes such as WSPR will find an immediate application. I think it's time for me to order a WSPR kit and see what I can find on these two "basement" bands. For a first time effort, these two videos are quite good. For the latest Amateur Radio news and events, please check out the blog sidebars. These news feeds are updated daily. You can follow our bl

Simple Ham Radio Antennas--What in the world is WSPR? (PART 1). Post #428.

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Now that the FCC will soon release frequencies in the 2200 and 630 meter bands for Amateur Radio use, interest in these bands is growing, especially among members of the QRP (low-power) community. Because antennas for these bands are so large, hams are resorting to many digital modes to enhance whatever antennas they can create for these bands. For example, a half-wave dipole for 472 kHz to 479 kHz will exceed 991.ft/302.29 meters. This is where weak signal digital modes such as WSPR come in. This simple video from "Calgary Toad" serves as a short tutorial on WSPR or the Weak Signal Network. WSPR, designed for the QRP enthusiast, sends FSK transmissions and lets the operator see instant propagation reports. This video is part 1 of a 2-part series on the WSPR digital mode. For the latest Amateur Radio news and events, please check out the blog sidebars. These news feeds are updated daily. You can also get Amateur Radio news in detail from my two news sites: http://kh6jr

Simple Ham Radio Antennas--A Simple Wire Tuner. Post # 427.

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Stan Gibilisco (W1GV) explains the theory and design behind a basic, but effective and efficient, antenna tuner for feeding random wires, especially half-wave, end-fed antennas. You can buy a similar antenna tuner from MFJ and other companies, but why not build your own and have the satisfaction of saving some money and working stations on a tuner you built yourself? It's important to remember that random wire antennas, including end-fed half-wave wires, need a decent ground radial system to work propertly. Even a minimal number of radials (4-8) for the lowest band of choice will get you plenty of contacts. Good luck and have fun with your own homebrewed antenna tuner. For the latest Amateur Radio news and events, please check out the blog sidebars. These news feeds are updated daily. You can also find my Amateur Radio news at my news site: http://kh6jrm.net. You can follow our blog community with a free em-mail subscription or by tapping into the blog RSS feed. Thanks

Hello--Welcome to Amateur Radio. Post #426.

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An excellent, new video (02 May 2015) from the ARRL which introduces Amateur Radio and encourages people to get a license and get on the air. This video can be used as an introduction to any Amateur Radio License class. The photography is quite good and the narration nicely paced. For the latest Amateur Radio news and events, please check out the blog sidebars. These news feeds are update daily. You can find more Amateur Radio news at my two other websites: http://kh6jrm.net and http://paper.li/kh6jrm/1430289353. You can follow our blog community with a free e-mail subscription or by tapping into the blog RSS feed. Thank you for joining us today! Aloha es 7e de Russ (KH6JRM).

Simple Ham Radio Antennas--Terminated Folded Dipole. Post #425.

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This antenna from "remingtoncounty100" is a traveling wave or double terminated folded dipole that operates from 1.8 MHz to 54 MHz. The antenna designer claims that the antenna exhibits "a lower noise floor" than a conventional dipole and, in most cases, doesn't require an antenna tuner. I built a similar and somewhat cruder copy of this antenna using some 300 ohm television twin lead I had in the junk box. The elements were made from twin lead as well as the feed line. I ran the feed line into a 4:1 balun and used a piece of RG-8X to connect the balun to my Drake MN-4. The antenna was cut for 40 meters and was able to work 20 meters without difficulty. Some adjustments to the antenna transmatch were needed to get a low SWR on 15 and 10 meters. If you have a spare weekend, you may want to try this much improved design over the rudimentary folded dipole I made on a Saturday morning. If you'd rather buy a commercial version of the double terminated di