All Things Related to Amateur Radio
Bellmore, NY
Updated Saturday, February 11, 2012 1:53 AM
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Sunday
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Tuesday
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Wednesday
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March 2008 and I finally complete my quest for WAS (worked all states) via the phone mode. KH7B, the Mauna Kea Contest Club in Laupahoehoe, HI is my Hawaiian contact.
In my ever continuing exploration of amateur radio, I am experimenting with slow scan tv. This is a method by which still pictures are sent over the radio. I am currently using MM SSTV. It is free and takes a bit of patience to get operating properly.
http://mmhamsoft.amateur-radio.ca/
The latest beta release of Ham Radio Deluxe incorporates a slow scan TV module. It is in the developmental phase but looks quite promising.
I am using the SignaLink USB from Tigertronics: http://www.tigertronics.com It is basically a plug and play interface and extremely simple to configure. The people at Tigertronics are very consumer friendly.
If your looking for a good deal on ham equipment from a reliable dealer, give Brandon at Gigaparts: http://www.gigaparts.com a call. Their prices are generally very competitive and they ship quickly.
Want to work towards DXCC or WAS without the expense of postage? Why not give the ARRL's Logbook of The World a try? It is relatively easy to use once you get it set up. Many DX stations use it and it makes verification of those contacts quick and painless. http://www.arrl.org/lotw/
Another nice alternative if you're not worried about DXCC or WAS is eQSL. http://www.eqsl.cc/qslcard/Index.cfm I use Ham Radio Deluxe http://hrd.ham-radio.ch/ to run my radio and the logging program can be setup to automatically post to eQSL.
What would amateur radio be without hidden transmitter hunts, aka "bunny hunts"? Want to find out more? Why not sign up for the Yahoo group? http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LITHARC/?yguid=227685203
Want to see something interesting?, click here: http://www.qrz.com/w6xrl4
A while back I purchased a Yaesu FT-817nd transceiver. This is a portable battery powered rig with a maximum power output of 5 watts. With the help of Clarke K8BP, I built an equally portable antenna to use with it. The one problem with the FT-817nd is that being a compact unit it uses a multi-tiered menuing system to access it's various functions. In addition, tuning via the tuning knob is a slow process. After searching out various solutions on the Internet I came across an interesting product made by Lynn, KU7Q. Lynn has built a device which permits control of the radio by a Pocket PC (in my case an Axim X51v) via Bluetooth. The Bluetooth interface plugs into the accessory jack on the back of the radio and "talks" to the Bluetooth enabled Pocket PC. Using the interface software designed by Lynn, you can control a fair number of the radio's functions with the touch screen of the Pocket PC. This includes scanning, direct frequency entry, 2m and 440 pl's and host of other features. The package is well worth looking into. Visit Lynn's WEB site at: http://www.lynovation.com . Lynn offers a free trial of the software. In addition to radio control it features QRZ look-ups, DX clusters and a Win-key program.
Ham Radio University which was held on January 9th, 2011 was an educational and entertaining event. Besides some very interesting seminars and presentations, it was a chance to sit and schmooze. For more info, check: www.hamradiouniversity.org
Having passed the Amateur Extra exam on Easter Sunday, I decided that I should give something back to the ham radio community. I applied for and was approved as a VE (volunteer examiner). I have received my badge and certificate and I am "ready to roll".
I am currently the Log editor for the Long Island Mobile Amateur Radio Club as well as the club's Public Information Officer.
73
Rich
WA2NLL
Me At The 1964 ARRL National Convention At The New York Hilton
Age 12
To read my ham radio bio, click here: http://www.qrz.com/callsign/wa2nll