KM1NDY
A Secret Little Adventure Ham Radio Blog
DIY RF Field Strength Meter / Detector With Audible, Visual, And Digital Indicators (Based on 555 Timer And Simple Parts)
This was a little rabbit hole. On some amateur radio forum somewhere someone mentioned the MFJ-802B RF Field Strength Meter. This piqued my interest because I had not realized that a field strength meter was a consumer accessible device. Turns out there are all sorts of RF meters and detectors available to purchase. Who knew? …
Dear Diary: ARRL Field Day 2024 (Equipment Checklist Download Included!)
Scroll to the bottom if you are only interested in the FD checklist! Is Field Day worth it? This year, more than any other, it seems this question was popping up on ham radio forums across the internet. Other versions seem to be what is the relevance of FD in the day and age of …
FIELD DAY PREPS: How To Set-Up And Synchronize N1MM+ Ham Radio Logging Software On Multiple Computers By Using An Ethernet Switch To Create An Offline Local Area Network (Step-By-Step Instructions)
For last year’s Field Day, I took a stab at networking a couple of computers together with an ethernet cable so that our N1MM+ logging software could be synced up. It was both surprisingly easy to do, but equally daunting due to the curious lack of reasonably digestible tutorials tackling the topic on the interwebs. …
Don’t Cha Know What June Is? Band Pass Filter Season!
With ARRL Field Day around the corner, it is the time of year where amateur radio operators far and wide wonder if they are going to be stuck having their QSOs wiped out every time their neighbor keys up the microphone. Interference between stations in a multi-transmitter field day operation can be the norm if …
Hi Ho Hi Ho, It’s Off To Work We Go! A Raucous Post-Hole Diggin’ Memorial Day Weekend Extravaganza…
And boy-oh-boy did we make a lot of noise! Running three generators, a cement mixer, and a tractor equipped with a scary-looking auger, we managed to dig…a hole! Congrats AA1F, on not only digging three feet into the ground, but on fixing your auger after it snapped a shear bolt when it wedged itself under …
HF Radio Blackout: You Are A Big Freaking Bully Sunspot AR3664
So much for playing radio this weekend. In the last half hour my 200mW Zachtek WSPR transmitter, cycling from 80M to 10M every 15 minutes or so, managed to be heard in 2 places… Both in Boston and presumably by ground wave. By comparison, here is a half hour block from a good propagation day: …
K-SARJ Technical Bulletin: Effect Of Near-Total Solar Eclipse On High Frequency Propagation Distances Using Cyclical Multiple Frequency Weak-Signal Propagation Reporter (WSPR) Transmissions
Doing a little hammy ham ham research during the solar eclipse at the Ole Farm-O-La…Welcome to the first Technical Bulletin of the KM1NDY – Secret Amateur Radio Journal.
Another Attempt At A DIY AM Transistor Receiver Build…Still No Success Thus Far
Every now and then I decide it’s time to homebrew a receiver. You may remember my attempt back here. Or even way back here. They never work. So this even more complicated, 3 transistor, 2 diodes, and audio amplifier IC definitely did not work. Again. Well sort of. Technically it is actually a receiver. Just …
Singing Me And Georgie Down By The Seashore
Stole the OM’s radio, grabbed the puppy, and went to make a qso or two for the CQWW SSB contest down on the seawall at Castle Island. That is the Elecraft KX2 with the AX1 antenna. I only managed a single contact…but it was to Slovenia. I think it counts. KM1NDY