Category Archives: Ham Radio

The Cricket: The Four State QRP Group’s latest transceiver kit

Here’s a hot tip for those of you who enjoy building transceiver kits:

The Four State QRP group has just released The Cricket: a simple 80 CW transceiver kit. The Cricket was designed by David Cripe (NM0S) who is behind a number of successful kits (including the Ozark Patrol and the Bayou Jumper).

The amazing part about this kit is that it’s super simple, has no toroids to wind and doesn’t even need to be aligned. It even includes a Morse key.

All this shipped for $32.68 in the US, $39.50 in Canada and $43.50 for international orders. A serious bargain, in my book.

Typically, Dave’s kits sell out the same day they are posted for sale. If you’re interested in The Cricket, don’t hesitate to order! (I just bought three, for example.)

Click here to order The Cricket.

Here’s The Cricket kit description via the Four State QRP Group website:

Kitted and Offered For Sale By The Four State QRP Group

The Cricket is a low cost entry level minimalist CW transceiver for the 80 meter band. Chosen as the build session kit for OzarkCon 2017, it bears a family resemblance to the well known but much lower performing Pixie. However it is very different and vastly improved over the Pixie. This is NOT a Pixie, it is far superior! It features low parts count, better components including MOSFETs for better sensitivity and switching, and a modern NJM2113D audio amp.

A TX/RX offset is also incuded so that you can work other stations that have zero beat you, or are using a crystal on the same frequncy. Full QSK and a sidetone complete the essential operating features. Dave’s famous etched spiral coils are included on the pc board, so there are NO TOROIDS to wind. Additionally a straight key is included on the pc board, just snap it off, mount it on the board, and the whole rig is then self contained. Also included is an electronic keyer adapter – you can use your favorite keyer with the Cricket! These are many features for such a low parts count and inexpensive transceiver.

ALL THROUGH HOLE parts make this kit very easy to assemble. It will make a fine, fully functional, and educational first rig for a new builder, the new ham, or seasoned veterans wishing to just have fun with a new rig at minimal expense and effort. Note that Novices and Technicians have 80M CW privileges from 3.525 to 3.600, same as everyone else – so they also can build and use the Cricket.

This simple rig is fun and functional, and made many contacts at OzarkCon after the build session. A proven design and a great choice for your next rig, it is perfect for a group build with nets and contacts after the build. This is an excellent club project.

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Photos of a B-17G Radio Operator Position

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I had the pleasure of visiting the Champaign Aviation Museum recently and examining their under-restoration B-17G, “Champaign Lady”. Actually, the term “under-restoration” is incorrect. In actuality, the Champaign Aviation Museum is effectively building their B-17G nearly from scratch—quite an undertaking but one that the volunteers are performing skillfully and enthusiastically.

Being an amateur radio operator, shortwave listener, and would-be WWII-radio restorer, I was was pleased to see that Champaign Lady already has a nearly-complete radio-operator position installed, between the bomb-bay and the waist-gun section of the airplane. As a B-17G would have had during the war, Champaign Lady features a BC-348 liaison receiver and morse-code key mounted on a desk on the port (left) side of the bomber and a stack of AM/CW Command Set transmitters and receivers racked on the starboard (right) side of the bomber. In the photos, the top Command Set boxes are the transmitters and the bottom three Command Set boxes are the receivers. Of course, the BC-348 and the Command Set transmitters and receivers are fully tube-type, semiconductors having not yet been invented. During the war speedometer-type cables would connect the Command Set receivers to controls in the cockpit, allowing the pilot and co-pilot to control the Command Set receiver frequencies; electrical cables would have carried the receivers’ audio to the pilot and co-pilot and would have allowed them to change volume-level. The radio operator could transmit using the Command Set transmitters and could also switch the pilot or co-pilot intercom microphones to any of the Command Set transmitters to allow the pilot or co-pilot to broadcast to other bombers in the formation.

B-17G “Champaign Lady” radio operator position; BC-348 liaison receiver on the port (left) side and Command Set transmitters and receivers on the starboard (right) side.

B-17G “Champaign Lady” BC-348 liaison receiver and morse-code key.

B-17G “Champaign Lady” Command Set transmitters and receivers on the starboard side of the radio room

During the war, the B-17G radio operator was an enlisted man, typically a sergeant or higher in rank. If in an earlier version of the B-17G, the radio operator was also responsible for manning a .50 caliber machine gun located in his section of the airplane. In all versions of the B-17G, the radio operator assisted the navigator by providing position reports based on radio fixes of beacons or radio stations. Additional information about the role of the B-17G radio operator can be found on the B-17 Queen of the Sky website.

And, for those interested, here is what Champaign Lady’s nose-art looks like:

B-17G “Champaign Lady” nose-art, starboard side; the port side features a mirror-image version of the same design

The Champaign Aviation Museum has a beautifully restored B-25J, “Champaign Gal”, in flying condition. Unfortunately, I’ve not been able to see if Champaign Gal features a restored radio operator position.

I have a BC-224, which is the 12-volt version of the BC-348 liaison receiver to put back into service as well as a BC-696A Command Set transmitter that I hope to eventually put back onto the air in the 80-meter amateur band. It would be wonderful if I had a B-17G in which to install these items—or even just room to build a replica B-17G radio operator position!

73,

Eric McFadden, WD8RIF
http://wd8rif.com/radio.htm

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The new Cross Country Wireless HF Preselector

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(Source: Southgate ARC)

Cross Country Wireless release HF Preselector

Cross Country Wireless have released a HF Preselector.

It is a passive high Q design that does not use an amplifier or external power.

It tunes from 0.5 to 52 MHz.

It is ideal for use with simple SDR receivers like the RTF-SDR dongle with upconverter or SDRPlay. It can also be used with the new receiver socket modification on the IC-7300.

The web page has more details including network analyser plots showing the selectivity of the Preselector.

The web page is:
http://www.crosscountrywireless.net/preselector.htm

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Videos of the Icom IC-R8600 in action

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Many thanks to a number of Post contributors who’ve shared a link to links to bcloyaji’s YouTube Channel where a few videos of the Icom IC-R8600 have been posted. (Thank you for your patience, as well, as I’ve been traveling and way behind on posting this!)

I’ve embedded a few videos below, but I encourage you to also check out bcloyaji’s YouTube Channel for more:

I’m looking forward to checking out the IC-R8600 at the 2017 Dayton Hamvention and even potentially reviewing it here on the SWLing Post at some point.

Any Post readers plan to purchase the IC-R8600?

Though we have no US pricing yet, I’ve been checking with Universal Radio regularly for any news.

Follow the tag IC-R8600 for updates.

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April 7: Decipher an Enigma encrypted message on 40 meters

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(Source: Southgate ARC)

Enigma encrypted message to be sent in 40m

In cooperation with Bletchley Park, the Heinz Nixdorf Museum DLØHNF in Paderborn, Germany is hosting a cipher event on April 7

A Google translation of the DARC post reads:

As with the first event of this kind ten years ago, an encrypted message is sent over radio, to which radio amateurs are invited, to follow them and to play with them. This time, however, the message is not generated with a Lorenz machine, but with an enigma and then transmitted in encrypted telegraphy to 40 m from the club station of the Heinz Nixdorf Mueseum, DLØHNF.

DLØHNF will open radio stations with other stations, which also use historical technology and thus recreate a historical radio network, between the transmissions of various encrypted messages – which are specially approved for this event. DLØDM and DLØAFM are also involved. The activities in Bletchley Park go back to the mathematician Alan Turing, who during the Second World War succeeded in decoding the Enigma coded radio spoofs of the Germans with his Turing machine.

In the Heinz Nixdorf Museum you can watch the happenings from 9 o’clock on the spot. Visitors experience encryption with the Enigma, the Morse as well as a live transmission.

A precise frequency for the transmission of the CW transmission from 9:30 is not known. The museum information is at
http://www.hnf.de/start/date/2017/04/07/cal/event/tx_cal_phpicalendar/
cipher_event_wer_knackt_den_enigma_code.html

Source https://www.darc.de/

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FCC Approves MF/LF Ham Radio Bands

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(Source: CQ Newsroom & FCC)

Hams in the U.S. will soon have two new bands on which to operate, experiment and contribute to the collective knowledge of “the radio art.” In a Report and Order issued on March 30, the FCC approved creation of secondary amateur allocations at 135.7-137.8 kHz (2200 meters) and 472-479 kHz (630 meters), the first amateur bands with wavelengths above 200 meters since the dawn of radio regulation.

The new bands come with lots of strings attached, since they will be shared with “PLC” systems used by electric utilities to control the nation’s power grid. Hams will be limited to fixed station operation, antennas no higher than 60 meters (196 feet) above ground and radiated power limits of 1 watt effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) on 2200 meters and 5 watts EIRP on 630 meters (1 watt in some parts of Alaska). Plus, operation on these bands will not be allowed within one kilometer of electric transmission lines using PLC and advance notice of all planned operation to the PLC network coordinator will be required.[…]

Continue reading at the CQ Newsroom.

Click here to download the full Report and Order from the FCC (PDF).

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The Icom IC-7610 transceiver: a few details emerge

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mike Hansgen (K8RAT), who shares the following post from Icom UK:

The IC-7610 (Source: Icom UK)

Icom Inc. has released more details about the launch of the IC-7610 HF/50MHz SDR Transceiver and its target price. Icom plans to release this high performance HF SDR transceiver around late May with the product being rolled out across the globe in the following months. We expect that the IC-7610 should be available in the UK early Summer with a suggested retail target price of £2,999.99 ex.VAT. Please note that this target price and UK availability may be subject to change.

We expect demand to be huge for this product. Indeed many back orders are already on our system. So if you want to be one of the first customers in the UK to own one of these eagerly awaited radios, please contact your Icom Amateur radio dealer who will be able to put you in their order books.

More about the IC-7610 HF/50 MHz 100 W SDR transceiver

Following on from the technology incorporated into the IC-7300, the IC-7610 adopts the same RF direct sampling system for signal processing. By converting the analogue signal directly to a digital signal and processing it within the FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), it provides improved transmission phase noise and excellent RMDR of 105 dB (at 1 kHz detuning).

The IC-7610 will have two independent receivers, enabling simultaneous reception of two frequencies in different bands/different modes.

The IC-7610 will also feature high-speed, high-resolution performance. The real-time spectrum scope supports different bands and a dual display that can monitor different modes. It will also have a waterfall display function that displays received signals in time sequence. The DIGI-SEL unit will be available to both the main side and the sub side of the receiver. In addition, the IC-7610 adopts a large 7-inch full-colour touch screen panel.

Main features include:

• Further evolved RF direct sampling method.
• Excellent RMDR: 105 dB realized.
• Dual watch function can receive simultaneously in different bands and different modes.
• DIGI-SEL unit that eliminates excessively strong signals is installed in the main and sub of the receiving section.
• High-speed real-time spectrum scope and waterfall display function.
• 7-inch full-colour touch panel, outstanding operation and visibility

As mentioned earlier, demand is going to be enormous for this model, so get into contact with your authorised Icom Amateur radio dealer today.