Category Archives: SHF

Construction Contest thankyou!

Firstly to Robin G4IWS for hosting yet another successful event.

Also to EVERYONE who entered,  but in particular a callout to two first time entrants:

Guy 2E0GDC: “electrical noise detector”

Bernard M0PIK: “Iambic CW Key – Capacitive Touch” (homebrew PCB + surface mount) + inspirational talk on surface mount and making PCBs.

Also to:

Michael M0MPM: shaver mic adaption. Now, if you google that, you may come up with “pye shaver mic”.  Believe me, it wasn’t that. Mike gave us a beautiful light hearted short talk encouraging us to check the legal aspects of using fist mikes whilst mobile. And shavers.

Roundup:

  • Dave G4BOO: compact  MF/HF receiver
  • Robin G4IWS matchbox sized TTL two tone oscillator
  • Guy 2E0GDC: electrical noise detector
  • Mike G4CDF: multiband SHF antenna feed (1.2/2.4) demonstrated using the club’s new spectrum analyser + VSWR bridge.
  • Bernard M0PIK: surface mount CW paddle circuit and homebrew PCB. (3rd).
  • Michael M0MPM: shaver mic adaption/hybrid
  • Jim G0LHZ: remote control ATU (1st)
  • John G4RDC: FT8 from mc micro taxi radio (2nd)

If I missed anyone or got anything wrong my apologies – let me know and I’ll fix it.

Jim deservedly took first prize and I was very deeply honoured to take second place.

Most importantly we have ideas, enthusiasm and passion for what we do which will undoubtedly result in more developments next year.

I will make sure we have other events during the year where people can share what they are up to.

If anyone has pictures, send them to me and I’ll put them up.

73

John

G4RDC

Construction Contest on Thursday 8th November!

It’s the RADARC Construction Contest on Thursday 8th November!

Venue: Woodford Park

Start time: 8pm

TWO trophies to be won (1st and 2nd prize).

Just bring your “thing” along on the evening in good time (plan to arrive before 7:45pm) to get a place on the tables. If you need the projector (eg. for a video or a software entry) then please let me know.

Depending on number of entries, expect 5-10 minutes or so to present your entry.

Entries so far:

  • A multiband microwave antenna feed: Mike, G4CDF
  • Guy 2E0GDC: an electrical noise detector
  • Bernard M0PIK: CW dual paddle iambic key using SMD components
  • Simon M0ZSU: Construction group update
  • Jim G0LHZ: Mystery software entry (now with one less bug)
  • Robin G4IWS: Two tone test oscillator to check audio distortion on an HF rig
  • Adventures with FT8 and an FM taxi radio: me

Both Mike and I still have work to do so you’ll be in with a very good chance.

Have a go and support your club!

Many thanks to Robin G4IWS for running proceedings.

Homebrew Asda biscuits, tea and coffee afterwards as usual.

73

John

G4RDC

meeting Thursday 8th February: Noel Matthews‏ G8GTZ : The Portsdown Digital Amateur Television Project

On Thursday 8th February, we welcome back “Professional radio amateur” Noel Matthews‏ G8GTZ to tell us all about the Portsdown Digital Amateur Television project. You may recall his last talk on cubesats where they used magnets to orient the craft in orbit…we all liked that.

Venue: Woodford Park Leisure Centre, Haddon Drive, Woodley, RG5 4LY
Time: 8pm

So…continuing the theme of elegant engineering:

“The Portsdown DATV project provides an easy way to “get on air” with Digital ATV at relatively low cost. The Portsdown system enables amateur radio operators with little or no knowledge of Digital ATV to construct the hardware elements, load and configure the software and use the system to send live Digital ATV signals across town on their existing aerials. It includes the new Reduced Bandwidth modes and the ability to transmit to local repeaters using the more traditional 2 and 4 Msymbol DATV modes. Frequency coverage of 71 MHz, 146 MHz, 437 MHz and 23cms bands.”

Our very own Simon M0ZSU is also involved with the project and is
building one himself.

Noel and Brian Coleman G4NNS (who also gave us a talk on mapping
galaxies from your back garden using hydrogen line astronomy iirc!!) are now global super-stars after their appearance on Michael Portillo’s “Great British Railway Journeys” BBC programme using the Goonhilly 32m GHY6 dish for 3.4GHz and 5.6GHz EME operation.

Now RADARC members aren’t backward in coming forward so perhaps we can extract some stories about that too. There must be some.

If we ask nicely, Noel might also tell us about his web sdr which I find
very useful for monitoring:

http://farnham-sdr.com/

Tea/coffee/biscuits (many thereof) as usual.

73

John
G4RDC