Emergency Amateur Radio Communication Kit by KH7O
Emergency Amateur Radio Kit for field use, Using a Pelican case, Samlex switching power supply, Mobile Radio and Fuse panel from West marine to a modified 19" rack panel allows for a presentable look at public events and emergency field operations. Details at www.hawaiirepeaters.net COMMERCIALLY CUT /DRILLED PANELS ARE NOW AVAILABLE. See this link for NEW Panels and Kits www.hawaiirepeaters.net 73 Rick
UPDATED NOTE, MAY 2008: This is an old video from a year or more ago, when I was just getting my feet wet with building some HF radio kits. The Pixie is a great place to get started. I don't have a great deal of knowledge of radio theory, but this was educational in the visceral sense that I got to touch and feel the static and sounds of the HF spectrum. As far as being educational, well, it's not. Just enjoy this panorama of my small circuit board built on the kitchen table. I'm licensed as a General, but I am a novice builder. I assembled a Pixie I bought on Ebay, went over all the solder joints. This video shows what I get when I have the transceiver on the bench. The crystal is marked 7.040, but I seem to get signal at 7.038 +/-. So, it appears the XMIT function works--at least better than receive audio. I get a buzz when 9V is applied with a small dry battery. However, when I transmit "V" from my TS850S, the Pixie is making audio of it. Things work--but not everything works. I hope YouTube will work as a forum to get me on the air. Any tips? Please leave your comments on how to stop this op-amp from motorboating, and how to rubber teh xtal with a simple RIT. NOTE: These notes are old, and the pixie is semi-operational as of May 15 2007. But I'm still futzing with it. Next up--the mighty ROCK MITE!
Ham Radio – Passion for Communication
Ham radio has a long and important history. As society and technology continue to move on to new things, a small segment continues to enjoy the hobby as well as to educate and help during disasters.
WHAT IS HAM RADIO?
Ham radio is the the term coined for amateur radio enthusiasts who learn to operate radios as a hobby or for practical use. Hams - as operators are called - can use various methods for transmitting messages including Morse code via telegraph, voice transmission via radio or messages through a computer. New methods of transmitting television allow for images to be received around the world by hams. Some hams have contributed to the development of new technologies for other uses.
The term 'ham' has unknown origin although there are several theories.
WHO USES HAM RADIO?
Ham radio operators can be anyone - doctors, homemakers, truck drivers - who enjoys communicating with new friends. Hams can talk across town or around the world.
Ham radio was used by the military in the World Wars and by ships. The well known 'SOS' is just one of the codes that operators use to relay messages to one another.
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In emergencies ham radio operators volunteer to assist with transmitting messages when normal communications are unavailable.
So far, we've uncovered some interesting facts about ham radio. You may decide that the following information is even more interesting.
Hams are all over the world - even in space! While in orbit or on the space station astronauts have spoken with other operators as well as children, teachers and parents. The program is called ARISS, Amateur Radio on the International Space Station.
Hams are young and old, men and women and of every background and occupation.
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO START?
In the United States you must obtain a license from the FCC (Federal Communications Commission).
To be licensed by the FCC you must pass an exam. The exam is administered by a volunteer ham operator and you are then mailed your license. You can often find websites or groups where you can locate a tutor who will answer questions or offer instruction before you take your exam. One such resource is the ARRL website. The ARRL is the National Association for Amateur Radio and provides training and resources for getting started as well as updates and news for the ham radio community.
HOW MANY HAMS ARE THERE?
The ARRL site claims over 170,000 members. FCC licenses have been issued to over 600,000 individuals in the United States and there are over 3,000,000 hams in Japan and many more throughout the world according to statistics found at ah0a-Site.
With so many people to talk to, there are even competitions to see how far away you can transmit and many other events within the community.
The day will come when you can use something you read about here to have a beneficial impact. Then you'll be glad you took the time to learn more about ham radio.
Michael Hehn writes articles about various topics.
Find out what he has to say about communications at Communications
Article from articlesbase.com
Present Day Communication and CB Radios
Article by Jess
Trends in communication change as technology changes. There was a day long ago when sending a letter was the only way to keep in touch with people far away. Then came the telephone. As time went on more and more advances were made so people could have genuine conversations while away from home. Nowadays almost everyone over the age of 8 owns a cell phone. Younger children who don't actually own a cell phone know how to properly use one. There was a point in time where CB radios were the thing to have. In the 70s and 80s it was common to see a CB radio in just about every vehicle, including the family car. While they are not as commonly used as they once were, CB radios are still widely used on American highways daily.
CB radios have many advantages in comparison to cell phones. There is no monthly fee to use a CB radio. After the initial costs to buy a CB radio you are free to talk as often as you want. This makes having a CB extremely cost effective. CBs are widely accepted as a means to communicate. Simply turn on your CB and you are almost guaranteed to find someone within your range to talk to. CB radios also do not rely on towers such as cell phones. If a major disaster was to take out the nearest cell phone tower in your area your cell phone is as useful as a paper weight when it comes to getting a hold of someone. As long as there is power to your CB radio you are able to use it to contact some for help.
Most people that use CB radios will tell you they are actually fun. Although you don't have to know CB slang to use one, listening to other people having conversation can be quite entertaining. By far the most common users of CB radios today are truckers. Truckers use CB radios for everything from general conversations to weather updates. RVers also commonly use CBs for weather updates. Off road drivers typically use compact CB radios or handheld CB radios. When out with a group of friends on four wheelers and in Jeeps, handheld CB radios can be perfect for keeping in touch over the short distance.
With technology constantly advancing there are sure to be different ways of contacting people in the future. CB radios are even equipped with added features for modern use. Features such as Bluetooth and NightWatch are available on newer model CBs. Since all CB radios are limited to transmitting the same 4 watts of power the biggest facto that determines CB radio performance is the antenna. Having a correctly installed quality antenna with a less expensive CB radio will considerably out perform a more expensive CB with a lesser quality antenna. When choosing a CB radio the most important aspect to consider is how and why you will be using it. Make sure to determine how far away you are trying to reach people, get the right equipment for your needs, and have fun. Over and Out.
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