Monday, October 31, 2016

Milestone: KC7ZXY Has a Video with Over One Thousand Views!

- Video Link -

It has come to my attention that the "RTL-SDR 'Ham It Up' Upconverter" video has just passed over one thousand views!

I wanted to take a moment and reflect upon what might be considered to be a milestone achievement for the KC7ZXY YouTube channel and to say that I am truly grateful.

Passing the one thousand views mark is truly amazing to me. When I first posted these videos, it was all kind of an experiment...just to see if I could make a useful video and share it on YouTube. My belief was that these videos would be of interest to perhaps two or three people. I had no idea that so many people were looking for information on these topics! I enjoy sharing my ham radio experiences and all of the lessons learned. I am very grateful that there is an audience out there for this sort of information. Perhaps I should have known since I, myself, am an eager consumer of such material.

This is all so very encouraging and exciting. Thank you for being such a great community!

Below is a link to the Video that has reached this amazing milestone...


Connecting with so many people and making new friends via the blog and YouTube has been a rich and rewarding experience. It has enhanced the enjoyment of Amateur Radio as a hobby for me. Ham Radio is all about communications and I admittedly should have known that the "Internet vector" would open the door to new and exciting modes of communication. I am so glad that I went ahead and tried something new.

Here is a link to the original blog post that went along with the video (for the nostalgia of it)...
 RTL-SDR "Ham it Up" Upconverter Unboxing and Case Assembly

Let this particular blog post be a big "Thank You" to all of the KC7ZXY YouTube channel viewers and blog readers. Without you, none of this would be possible. Thank you for your support. More videos are in the works and will be on the way very soon. Comment below if you have any suggestions for future videos or blog posts.

Thanks for tuning in and keep coming back!

73,
KC7ZXY
Donald Watkins

► Twitter: @KC7ZXY
► Google+: +KC7ZXY 
► YouTube: KC7ZXY Tube




Monday, September 19, 2016

The Origin of My Interest in Amateur Radio

Heinrich Rudolph Hertz
Although Amateur Radio has been around since the first decade of the 1900's (and some may say it traces all the way back to when Heinrich Rudolph Hertz proved the existence of radio waves in 1888), the Amateur Radio hobby was not something with which I would become familiar until my first year in college.

At the end of a long hallway, near the many electrical engineering labs found within Michigan State University's College of Engineering, there existed an small and mysterious room. Every so often, I would pass by that alluring chamber when the door was slightly ajar and I would sneak a cautioned peek inside that often darkened space. Behind that heavy wooden door, was an enigmatic realm filled with the warm glow of CRTs, LEDs, vacuum tubes, and the strangely comforting smell of warm electronics.

Strangers and fellow classmates sometimes speculated that this room was the home of the MSU Amateur Radio Club. Of course, I had to find out what was going on in there and it turned out that the speculations were correct! This room was, indeed, the home of MSU's very own Amateur Radio Club.

The Michigan State University Amateur Radio Club (MSUARC) was founded in 1919 and is one of the oldest university clubs in the United States of America. 

 Follow MSUARC on Twitter

The sounds emanating from that mysterious domain were reminiscent of the Apollo space program and the activities of that endeavor were the backdrop of my childhood. Though the voices spoke of things about which I did not understand, they reminded me fondly of many childhood experiences. 

My father was an outdoors man, hunter, and avid "off road vehicle" (ORV) enthusiast. Over the years, his adventures necessitated the installation and use of a series of citizen's band (CB) radios. He and his fellow sportsman spent many hours perfecting their radio installations so they could get the clearest and strongest signal possible. Antenna and feed line length, their placement, and their quality were of utmost importance. Field strength meters were often utilized to optimize antenna lengths to match the precise frequency of the channel that was most used by my father's group of like-minded individuals.

The crackling sounds drifting from the depths of that arcane space in the halls of the Engineering building reached deep into my psyche and evoked memories that were not limited to the memories of my father. My maternal grandfather was a long-haul truck driver and, of course, this meant that he was also a seasoned installer and user of citizen band radio equipment. However, the deepest memories being reflected upon here were driven by the many evenings my grandmother would spend at home, by herself, while Grandpa was out on the road.

As a measure of comfort, my grandfather installed a small collection of police scanners around the house (living room, kitchen, and bedroom) so that my grandmother could listen in on the activities of police and emergency responders local to her area. Peace of mind was gained in knowing that Grandma might be able to learn of potential dangers from extreme weather or the activity of criminals before any trouble arrived at her home.

Hearing the short bursts of concise communications and the sound of abbreviated language coming from that small room in the Electrical Engineering building brought back visions of staying up late drinking root beer, eating oatmeal cookies, and following the staccato drama crackling through granny's many scanners.

At this point, the reader might be thinking that I was driven to enter the mysterious room at the end of the hall in the Engineering building. It would seem natural that my warm memories and the curiosity of it all would drive me to ask if I could take part in whatever was going on in that room. Alas, this was not to be case for, at that time in my life, fear was my master. I could not bring myself to enter the room nor even knock on the door and ask for assistance. It is clear to me today just how unfortunate it was that I allowed this type of fear to grip me so deeply. I now know that the people behind that door would have welcomed my visit and would have encouraged me to join their worldwide fellowship of Radio Amateurs.

KC7IIB AG
It would be many years before I found myself in front of a Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (VEC) and inquired about taking the FCC test and asking how to apply for my first Amateur Radio license. That story is probably worth a blog post of it's own. There is much on which to reflect when telling that part of the tale.

The short version of that story, of which at this time I will only briefly speak, is that while working as a computer programmer and IT support specialist, I felt my electronics knowledge was beginning to fade and I was seeking greater technical challenges. At that same time, my interest in hiking and biking brought me back to the world of CB, FRS/GMRS, and scanner radios. After some rather interesting adventures in the wilderness, carrying a handheld CB radio became a matter of safety. A radio is a tool for survival.

One day while messing around with a scanner, I came across some mysterious communications. At first I thought it was coded speech and, perhaps even, the work of some nefarious spy network! I laugh at the thought now. It wasn't long before I realized that the frequencies to which I was listening had been allocate to radio hams (Amateur Radio Operators). Those voices from long ago and far-away had returned to my ears.

Research showed that I would need to review and study a variety of electrical engineering concepts, learn some operating rules, locate a Volunteer Examiner Coordinator, and take a test in order to join the wide world of Amateur Radio. This sounded just like the kind of challenge for which I was looking! The rest is history and it is a story that will be told another day.

Amateur Radio has done a lot for me and I'm hoping that one day I will be able to put gratitude into action and return the favor! What can I do for Amateur Radio today?

Keep your tubes warm!

73,
KC7ZXY
Donald Watkins

► Twitter: @KC7ZXY
► Google+: +KC7ZXY 
► YouTube: KC7ZXY Tube


Saturday, April 2, 2016

Kenwood EMC-3 Clip Microphone with Earphone | Unboxing and First Look Review

(see video link below)
Having recently returned to the world of Amateur Radio, I've been dusting off, tuning up, and in some cases restoring my old equipment to proper working order.

The Kenwood TH-D7A 2m/70cm dual band handheld radio has long been my go-to favorite. This well used radio is still running strong even though it has outlived it's manufacturing lifetime. Yes, the TH-D7A has been replaced by a newer model. In any case, my D7A has many years of useful service still left in it.

Kenwood TH-D7A and EMC-3
At some time in the past, I owned a convenient lapel mic which had a high quality earphone attached to it. This microphone, the Kenwood EMC-3, also sported a well placed push-to-talk (PTT) switch on the side of the mic. Unfortunately, this wonderful microphone could not be found no matter how deeply I searched my old bins and boxes. Alas, it was time to search the Internet for a replacement.

Transcontinental Shipping!
A quick look at the Kenwood Amateur Radio headset webpage revealed many newer model headsets (such as the KHS-26) that would certainly have met my needs. However, my hope was to find a replacement for my tried-and-true device. Although the EMC-3 is no longer available from the manufacturer, I was still able to order one from Amazon.com. The delivery took an unusually long time to arrive but this was really no surprise once I realized that the piece would be shipped from a supplier in Japan.

Amazon and the supplier were very proactive with regard to informing me of the shipping details, approximate deliver date, and tracking information. The item arrived in perfect working order and the packaging, by itself, was a real treat with it's international labeling. I'm not sure why I enjoyed the shipping labels so much but, for some reason, it was a joy to see a package from so far away arrive at my doorstep.

The mic and earphone connector
The TH-D7A has a fairly standard 3.5mm TRS (tip-ring-shield) jack for the combined microphone/PTT input. However, for some reason the earphone jack requires the smaller (yet still fairly standard) 2.5mm TR plug. The EMC-3 employs a sturdy combination connector which holds both of these plugs in a rigid piece of rubberized plastic. The plugs are perfectly spaced and snap into place in such a way that the cable rises upward toward the top of the radio. This helps to keep the cord out of the way and is a smart design considering that may users will have this radio clipped to their belt with the cord running up toward their ear and mouth.

In the linked video, you will see the first opening of the original shipping materials and experience the the first look at this device along with me. The viewer will also get a glimpse of the TH-D7A radio in action.



Although this particular model of Kenwood handheld Amateur Radio has been discontinued, you may still be able to find a used one online or at an Amateur Radio swap-meet. You might even consider purchasing one of the newer models (such as the TH-D72A with built-in GPS) and enjoy all the new features available on those devices. Either way, if you are interested in Kenwood handheld Amateur Radios and their accessories, check out the video and let me know what you think in the comments below.

Purchase on Amazon.com (affiliate)...
Kenwood EMC-3 Mic - http://amzn.to/2vscto7

Thanks for visiting this page and I hope you enjoy the video. Please hit the like buttons and share these blogs and videos with your friends, family, and colleagues. Most of all, Keep Coming Back!

73,
KC7ZXY
Donald Watkins

► Twitter: @KC7ZXY
► Google+: +KC7ZXY 
► YouTube: KC7ZXY Tube

Source Links...
Kenwood EMC-3 at Amazon.com
Kenwood Headsets at Kenwood Website 
Kenwood Amateur Radios

Friday, March 25, 2016

Comet SMA-24 Unboxing and First Look

(see video link below)
Comet Original SMA-24
146/446 Dual-Band High Gain Antenna
Unboxing and First Look Review

Now that I've been getting back into Amateur Radio and have been spending more time with my gear, the decision was made to upgrade the antenna on my trusty Kenwood TH-D7A.

The stock antenna on the TH-D7A is actually quite good and has a sturdy build. The quality of the antenna was never in question. However, those stock antennas are designed toward a trade-off size between "long enough" to pull in a good signal and "short enough" to be portable and convenient to work with in a portable, handheld radio.

Inevitably, whether an Amateur Radio operator, a Shortwave Listener, an SDR enthusiast, or a fan of scanners, the curious among us will always seek to pull in more signal as we reach for those far away and elusive transmissions.

I'd been taking my handheld Kenwood TH-D7A to work so I could listen to a local 2 meter repeater which belongs to a club that I'm interested in joining. My goal was to monitor the repeater for a while to get a feel for the operating style preferred by the users of that repeater. I also thought it might be a good idea to determine the activity patterns of the repeater and maybe see if I could pick up a few call signs before jumping on the air.

The distance to the repeater from my work place and the physical structure of my building reduced the reception of that repeater's signal down to an almost unusable state. It was a struggle to get the radio into a position where the squelch would stay open while people were conversing on my favored repeater. Something needed to be done.

Many years ago, I had purchased the Comet SMA-24 (or something very similar to it) and had used it with a different handheld radio. My memory told me that the increased length of the SMA-24, as compared to the stock antenna, showed a significant increase in received signal strength. I could no longer find that antenna among my collection of parts, so I searched Amazon just to see if it was there (see links below).

It turns out that Amazon had the antenna and since my Prime account meant that I'd get free shipping, I placed the order. I am quite happy with the results. Not only was the antenna delivered quickly and in excellent condition, it has demonstrated the improvements in signal reception that I was hoping to realize.

With this new antenna, that repeater is pushing a clear and strong signal into my radio. With a small, mono earbud shoved in my ear, I'm good to go! And not only does the new antenna allow reception of the signal I was hoping to receive, it has greatly improved this radio's overall signal quality. I'm pulling in much more than ever before. While inside my work place, that radio used to sit mostly silent with the squelch opening mainly to the occasional burst of random noise. Now I am pulling in communications across all bands!

The Comet SMA-24 has a length of about 17 inches and acts as a 1/4 wave on 146MHz for a gain of 2.15dBi. Meanwhile, on 446MHz it shows a gain of 3.4dBi and acts as a 5/8 wave radiator. The manufacturer states that the maximum power that should be put into this antenna is 20 Watts.

All in all, I have to say that I am very happy with this purchase and would recommend this antenna to anyone interested in improving the signal gain of their handheld radios or RTL-SDR devices.

I hope this video helps those who might be thinking of purchasing the Comet SMA-24 dual band antenna or those who may be interested in the reliable Kenwood HTs.



If you enjoyed this video, please let me know by hitting the like button and sharing a comment below.

As always, please feel free to share the video and this blog with friends, and remember to subscribe to the KC7ZXY YouTube channel if you'd like to see more videos like this one!

Purchase on Amazon.com (affiliate links)...
Comet SMA-24 Antenna - http://amzn.to/2vCggiT

Thanks for visiting. Keep coming back!

73,
KC7ZXY
Donald Watkins

► Twitter: @KC7ZXY
► Google+: +KC7ZXY 
► YouTube: KC7ZXY Tube

Other Links:
Comet SMA-24 on Amazon.com
Comet Antenna Website
Kenwood Amateur Radio Website

Sunday, February 28, 2016

RTL-SDR "Ham it Up" Upconverter Unboxing and Case Assembly

As many Amateur Radio, Shortwave, and Scanner Enthusiasts will tell you, things can get arguably more interesting as we lower the frequency to which we listen. Down there, among the well known Amateur Radio and Shortwave bands, some mysterious and possibly clandestine signals can be found.

Have you ever heard a "Numbers Station" or an offshore pirate radio broadcast? Have you ever heard those seemingly unidentifiable sounds while scanning down toward frequencies where no one has gone before?

Very often those mysterious noises are of earthly origin and most are not so secret. Many of them are simply modulated in a fashion not often employed by the more familiar commercial broadcasts.

Now enter the world of Software Defined Radio where, if you can receive the radio signal and get it into your computer, you can find some software that will decode that modulation and retrieve the intelligence buried within that signal.

The increasingly available and strikingly affordable RTL-SDR USB dongle which has been getting a lot of attention these days has a lower limit to the radio frequencies it can capture and digitize. This limit is typically around 25 MHz. If you wish to explore the lowest frequency bands then you must augment your SDR equipment.

Now enter the world of superheterodyne receivers and the "Ham it Up!" upconverter available from NooElec. That little gem is the subject of this unboxing and assembly video. Actually, the upconverter board, itself, requires no assembly. Since this board is sold without an external enclosure, I chose to order the optional extruded aluminum case which is also available from NooElec.

This video does not cover software installation nor will it demonstrate the use of this device and the additional frequencies that can be received when using it. This video covers only a physical review of the parts and components and serves to document the build experience.

All in all, I was very impressed with the quality of construction and attention to detail that was given to the development of these components.

However, there is one small exception to my overall satisfaction with the enclosure kit as delivered. The kit did not include screws of the proper size to allow the board's standoffs to be attached to the case. This was a surprise because the standoffs aligned with some holes in the case which appeared to be intended for this use. This may have been a simple packaging and shipping oversight. It was not a big problem but it is worth noting.

As assembled using only the parts delivered with the kit, the board sat just slightly loose in the case because it was only being held in place by the mechanical connections provided by the switch, antenna jacks, and USB hardware. The entire assembly rattled a bit when shaken. You can see this in the video (below).


A careful search of my extensive collection of "extra" screws and other spare parts produced a set of screws that fit the standoffs and provided the necessary rigidity of assembly. Unfortunately, these screws were not countersink screws and they protrude from the bottom of the case. I had intended to add some rubber feet to the bottom of the case anyway, so this does not really matter much.

As you can see in the video (linked above), the device powers up and behaves as expected (short of actually testing its ability to pull signals out of the air). A future video will include step-by-step software installation instructions as well as provide a demonstration of how to use this new piece of hardware.

Thanks for visiting. If you enjoyed the video, please click the "like" button and remember to subscribe to the YouTube channel to receive notice of future content. Please comment below if you'd like to join the SDR revolution!

Purchase on Amazon.com (affiliate links)...
NooElec RTL-SDR - http://amzn.to/2v9vOb4
Ham-it-Up Upconverter - http://amzn.to/2udRUvy
Ham-it-Up Case - http://amzn.to/2udrOJi

Keep coming back!

73,
KC7ZXY
Donald Watkins

► Twitter: @KC7ZXY
► Google+: +KC7ZXY 
► YouTube: KC7ZXY Tube

Other Links...
RTL-SDR Blog - http://www.rtl-sdr.com/
NooElec NESDR - http://www.nooelec.com/store/sdr/sdr-receivers/nesdr-mini-rtl2832-r820t.html
AirSpy.com (Free SDR Software) - http://airspy.com/download
Software Defined Radio - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software-defined_radio


Monday, February 22, 2016

RTL-SDR Unboxing and First Look Review

Free SDR Software (see links below)
The Power of Software Defined Radio (SDR) becomes affordable for anyone who has access to even a moderately powerful Personal Computer!

All that is needed is some free software from AirSpy.com and one of the widely available RTL-SDR (DVB-TV) devices.

A lot of good information can be found at http://www.rtl-sdr.com/rtl-sdr-quick-start-guide/ and many more locations on the Web.

The RTL-SDR device used in this video comes in the form of a USB dongle and was purchased from Amazon.com for around $20. It is listed as "NooElec NESDR Mini 2+ 0.5PPM TCXO USB RTL-SDR Receiver" and includes a simple antenna with a magnetic mounting base.

Once you become familiar with the software and the basic hardware, you will probably want to experiment with a more efficient antenna. However, if you are just starting out then this is the kit for you! Later, you may wish to add the NooElec "Ham it Up" upconverter to bring in the lower "World Band" HF signals. That device will be covered in greater detail in an upcoming blog and video post.

There is a remote control which comes with the NooElec NESDR device but it is not being used in this video. There are some videos on YouTube which demonstrate using the device with various SDR software products and I will almost certainly be experimenting with the remote further down the road.

In the video linked below, I unbox and take a quick first look at the NooElec NESDR Mini 2+. The initial trial run involved the use of an old Windows laptop which is nearing the end of its useful life. The laptop employed in this video serves as a sandbox within which the software and hardware can be safely tested and explored.

The segment of video which shows the SDR software at work had to be captured by pointing a camera at the laptop screen rather than being directly captured via software (or by using an external capture device). This created a less-than-optimal video appearance but it still allowed for a useful demonstration of the look and feel provided by AirSpy's free software.

Because the laptop test was successful and the software was deemed safe, the entire setup will be moved to a much more powerful desktop computer. This new computer will also be able to directly capture the entire desktop screen via the NVIDIA GPU's internal ShadowPlay feature.

A future video will include a demonstration showing how to acquire and configure the necessary software. Later videos will focus on specific software suites which can be used with the base system to further enhance the utility of this device. These upcoming videos and blog posts will explore subjects such as Amateur Radio, Weather Satellites, APRS Tracking, Slow Scan TV (SSTV), Emergency Responder communications, Radio Trunking, International Space Station communications and a wide variety of exciting applications.

The Parts in the Kit (see links below)
For now, please enjoy the unboxing and first look at the hardware and software that will enable even the casual user to achieve some spectacular results and explore the world of software defined radio. Go have some fun!

Please fee free to share this page and the linked video with your friends and family. As always, remember to subscribe to be notified of new content as it is released.

Purchase on Amazon.com (affiliate links)...
NooElec RTL-SDR - http://amzn.to/2v9vOb4
Ham-it-Up Upconverter - http://amzn.to/2udRUvy
Ham-it-Up Case - http://amzn.to/2udrOJi

Thank you for visiting and keep coming back!

73,
KC7ZXY
Donald Watkins

► Twitter: @KC7ZXY
► Google+: +KC7ZXY 
► YouTube: KC7ZXY Tube


Other Links...
RTL-SDR Bloghttp://www.rtl-sdr.com/
NooElec NESDRhttp://www.nooelec.com/store/sdr/sdr-receivers/nesdr-mini-rtl2832-r820t.html
AirSpy.com (Free SDR Software)http://airspy.com/download
Software Defined Radio - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software-defined_radio