// HAMRADIO

Software-defined radio and cheap hardware are shaking up a hobby long associated with engineering By Julianne Pepitone Will the amateur airwaves fall silent? Since the dawn of radio, amateur operators—hams—have transmitted on tenaciously guarded slices of spectrum. Electronic engineering has benefited tremendously from their activity, from the level of the individual engineer to the entire...

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RADIOAFITED LIMA, PERU IN 40 METERS THEY HELPED CHILENAN AMBULANCE PLANE Heading to Easter Island LOST COMMUNICATION WITH THE CONTROL TOWER Last Thursday, July 9 an aircraft departing Santiago de Chile carrying out an air ambulance service to pick up a patient on Easter Island, lost communication more than 1.000 nautical miles from the continent with its control tower, so the pilot turned to the frequency...

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“I’d like to say a big thanks to everyone who joined my journey with this project! I hope you had a good time listening on the site, and learnt some things about SDR. The purpose of this site was to provide a technological demonstration for amateur radio operators about Software Defined Radio, and I hope this goal has been reached. As this website was a one-person hobby project, with my tasks...

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Qatar’s Es’hail-2 satellite will provide the first amateur radio geostationary communications that could link amateurs from Brazil to Thailand. The satellite is expected to be positioned at 25.5 degrees East. A launch is planned for November 15, 2018 with a launch window from 20:46 UTC to 22:29 GMT.   Es'hail-2 coverage areaEs’hail-2 will carry two “Phase 4” amateur radio...

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AMSAT is counting down to the launch of the next Fox-1 satellite, Fox-1Cliff. According to Spaceflight Now, the launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base of Spaceflight’s SSO-A SmallSat Express mission, on a SpaceX Falcon 9 vehicle, is currently scheduled for November 19 at 1832 UTC. Fox-1Cliff carries the Fox-1 U/v FM repeater, AMSAT’s L-Band Downshifter, the flight spare of the AO-85 Vanderbilt...

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The wave of software-based digital modes over the past several years has altered the atmosphere of the HF bands. Some suggest the popularity of modes that make it possible to contact stations neither operator can even hear has resulted in fewer CW and SSB signals on bands like 6 meters and 160 meters. Traditional modes require far more interaction and effort on the part of the operator; the newer...

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The FCC has affirmed a huge fine of more than $400,000 on Jay Peralta, a Queens, New York, man who has admitted to making unauthorized transmissions on New York City Police Department (NYPD) radio frequencies, maliciously interfering with officers’ communications. The FCC had sent Peralta a Notice of Apparent Liability (NAL) last April 14. Peralta, 20, is alleged to have transmitted false bomb...

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The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) has announced plans to activate for the now-Category 4 Hurricane Irma on Tuesday, September 5, at 1800 UTC on 14.325 MHz. The net will remain in continuous operation until further notice, continuing on 20 meters for as long as propagation allows, then switching to 40 meters, 7.268 MHz. If propagation dictates, the HWN will operate on both 20 and 40 meters at the same...

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