If you were there for the last club meeting, we decided on taking some adventures together in learning. Here is the first “Concentration Area” (CA) that we will explore. Using satellites for amateur radio communication is nothing new, but doing it is new to a LOT of people! Rather than learning on your own, we […]
How-Tos
Starting With Arduino
Supplemental ideas that could work with the 2021 Winter Build Project! If you haven’t heard of the Arduino, where have you been?! For those that are wondering, the Arduino is an open-source microcontroller platform that is inexpensive, easy to learn, and very well documented. The Arduino microcontroller comes in many different packages, depending on the […]
Quick Multimeter Test Jig
Recently I had the need to test a handful of through hole resistors. I’ve had this need before when going through drawers of discarded components as well. Being colorblind, it’s not even helpful for me to memorize the color code, so I have to measure them. I’m all about simplification, so simplifying the setup, handling, […]
Kit Building Resources
Here are some resources to learn the basics of soldering, tool use, and building of electronic kits. This is a supplement to the 2021 Winter Build Project, but is a great resource for anyone trying out soldering for the first time! Soldering Adafruit Guide To Excellent Soldering Multimeters and Measurements Electronic Tools Kit Building Kit […]
Microcontroller Projects for Amateur Radio
Book Review “Microcontroller Projects for Amateur Radio” is a great book for folks with some background with microcontrollersand have a knack for improvising and troubleshooting. That may sound like a left-handed complement, but read on. It was submitted to ARRL for publication two years before it hit the ARRL Store. Every schematic was redrawn, which […]
2021 Winter Build Project
Updated 12/18/2021 There has been some recent interest in kit building within the ranks, so I’ve created a course that I think would be both fun and educational. Sign-up has ended for this session Schedule: Unit 1: Setup, Soldering, and a Dummy Load Saturday November 6, 2021 @ 9:00AM ESTRecording Available Here (click) Unit 2: […]
Fox (Transmitter) Hunting
Amateur Radio SPORT? (Updated Aug 26, 2022) Next Fox Hunt scheduled (Oct 1st 2022) in Christiansburg, VA, starting at the Country Kitchen around 9:30am. Vehicles needed. Arrive early (8:30 ish) for “pay your way” breakfast. Click for PDF of event details. That’s right… get on your running shoes, sweat bands, and start stretching. We’re going […]
Amateur Radio Resources at the VT Library
Selected Resources on Amateur Radio and Basic Electronics from the University Libraries at Virginia Tech from Edward Lener, College Librarian for the Sciences, AK4IS, More information on how to borrow these resources can be found here. Antenna Physics : An Introduction by Robert Zavrel, Jr.Call Number – TK6565 A6 Z38 2020 Antenna Theory : Analysis […]
Satellite Ops – Where to Start?
So far, I’ve yet to make a satellite contact using the FM repeaters available. Seems I’m either not fast enough, the repeater is down, or my equipment isn’t right. There’s always SOMETHING that works against me! EDIT: Finally made a contact on Oct 8, 2020 on SO-50! Sample audio in the article below! So, why […]
How Does the J-Pole Work?
J-Pole antennas are one of the true works of electrical engineering that gives us a smaller footprint vertical with no need for a ground plane. But how do these things work? Here is a great presentation from Dr. Ed Fong WB6IQN explaining. Other articles and information on J-Poles available here: The DBJ-1: A VHF-UHF Dual-Band […]