RTL-SDR revisited

As you are no doubt aware, I own one of the RTL-SDR sticks that do the rounds on the likes of eBay and Amazon, a cheap DVB-T stick that can be used as a software defined radio, trouble is it has flaws, those being that it can drift off frequency as it heats up and that it is prone to pick up of interference, particularly WFM from Band II, the FM broadcasting band, and methods of alleviating these problems do exists, my current stick is submerged in cooking oil in a golden syrup tin (though the sealant on all the connectors and the rest of the tin has been eaten away by the oil and it has escaped, so it is wrapped in a plastic bag), this did work well to keep the heat down and the noise contained, as some of it was conducted along the USB cable it was modified for the feed inside the can.

Though that stick is still very much usable, once salvaged from the tin and degreased, I have purchased an improved one by American company NooElec. they have taken the basic design and improved on it, replacing components, and removing redundant components, even going as far as to replace the MCX antenna port with an SMA (which I have a couple of adaptors for to allow use of any external antenna I see fit), the unit I have ordered is in a much different case than the original one I bought, and comes with a selection of antennas for different jobs, and as it is the same chips for USB and tuning as my existing stick it should work in a sense with the software that works with the old one with little change.

I partly bought this to use as a reliable scanner receiver, as I knew my existing RTL-SDR was not cut out for the job, and I hope to have it by the end of this week and will be doing a couple of YouTube videos on the stick all being well.

I'll see what happens with this

73 de 2E0EIJ

Shack re-establishment

With the QTH move all done, I have started to get my shack set up, the shack computer is operational but requires network connectivity and at present the only network feed to that room is for my web server, so I am looking at getting a switch in order to run the shack computer, the NAS box and the server off wired ethernet, I don't intend to set up wireless at all for the NAS and the shack computer will only be on wireless temporarily until an Ethernet switch arrives which will probably be around pay day.

The radios are working, I put the 2/70 antenna on top of an old computer case first on the top of my shelves, which I had assembled previously, SWR was very high but not dangerous to the radio, so I had a theory it may work on the radiator, so I attached the magnet there and low and behold the SWR dropped considerably, in fact the needle is not moving on 10 watts on 2 metres and is at most 1.4:1 on 70cm, which I find incredibly impressive for a compromise antenna, then came the turn of my CB antenna, I placed it on top of 2 old computer cases (one of these being one I used for the 2/70 antenna before placing it on the radiator), the mismatch on 11-metres was bad, at the bottom end was well into the red on the SWR metre but an improvement on the old excalibur, the top end (UK40 channel 40) was about 2, suggesting the antenna was far too short, theory, use it for 10-metres, plug it into 10-metre rig with a power output of around 10 watts, in the FM segment the SWR was very low, suggesting it will tune across 10-metres, which I will give a go at a low power at a later date.

I am so far impressed but as time progresses I intend to hide a couple of wire antennas in the nearby trees if possible to get me on both 10 and 11 metres at home, I already have my T2LT which has seen some but not a lot of action, and some kind of wire antenna for 10-metres could also be made, worth investigating

73 de 2E0EIJ

Disturbing news for the Amateur radio community

I have learned today that Chance Callahan KD0MXN is to study for the US General licence (he has technician already, which is like our foundation, General is like our Intermediate), this confirms that the FCC have been incompetent and disregarded all evidence I gave against him, and thus this individual is still in our community and has not yet been shunned out.

I suspect I know two reasons as to why he intends to do this, first and foremost is because he is now aware that I have my Intermediate and he feels that I should not be better than him in all things Amateur radio given his extreme pathological hatred of me, second is because his current callsign has been pretty much outed as bad.

So what can be done? Seeing as the FCC will not revoke his licence despite all the evidence I handed to them there is nothing that can be done, and with me moving QTH I have not been able to study for my Advanced yet, but I certainly intend to at some stage, something I have made very clear.

Despite a monumental pile of evidence against him and even his local Sheriff's department watching him due to other crimes why is he still licenced and allowed in our community? I guess we will never know, he will be ousted, and that is certain, as the Amateur radio community has no time for people like him.

73 de 2E0EIJ

second postponement of 2m FM activity contest

In light of my car being serviced on Tuesday I arrived back home too late to get the rig set up in the car, I have decided to hold off again of the 2m FMAC until August, when I will be able to take part with no hindrance as my move will be complete and my car is not due back in the garage until MOT day (which will be done at the back end of August to allow travel to the National Hamfest the following month).

I still need to set up the rig in the car as I can't put the antenna onto the roof of the car while it is wet as it has been raining heavily lately and my car is full of all sorts of things including my bicycle which has been removed from my shed while work goes on.

I have not had a lot of time on air with the move either and my shack is still not set up, as I have some finishing works at the old QTH before I hand the keys back to the local housing department, I still have all my HTs at the new QTH but I don't have the chargers plugged in as these normally go in the shack.

I should be operating again in the next few days all being well.

73 de 2E0EIJ

Move to new QTH nears completion

I have physically moved in to the new QTH, the majority of the shack however is still boxed up, some of it is in the room where it is going to go, the shelves used at the old QTH to separate the shack from the living room will be assembled in the shack room, in order to get wired network I will have to get another switch into the shack room, I located the server in a wardrobe in that room (it is intended as a bedroom) and with the wardrobe doors shut the noise is lower than at the previous QTH and should not be picked up by my radio mics at the very least.

With the closing door it will allow me to operate without other noises in the flat being picked up, the room is also close to both the main entrance door to the flat and the room containing the circuit breakers and electricity meter so shutting the shack supply down in an emergency should be no problem, I will need to make a set of emergency procedures to back this up, I will fit an easy to access emergency stop on the extension lead supplying the shack when I upgrade the desk for a bigger one now I have the room.

My licence has been updated with Ofcom, and my RSGB membership also changed after I found the latest RadCom at my old QTH, will need to inform the club if they need my address.

73 de 2E0EIJ

Entry to the 2m FM activity contest postponed until July

Given that the likelihood of my car not being repaired until Wednesday at the latest, I have put my entry in the 2-metre FM activity contest on hold until July, this it not the news I wanted to give but given the nature of what has happened and the fact I had to remove my home antenna there is little else I can do at this time.

I wanted to enter the contest's restricted section, which would allow me to use anything up to my legally allowed 50 watts, though I could easily use 25 as my FTM-400XDE has that at it's mid setting and my QYT KT-8900D has that at high power, hence why I require at least an external antenna or my car, as neither are available to me right now (the magmount is in fact in my hallway and so is the antenna) the contest is not realistic to enter in June, though back in May when I did all the planning my car had a fully working clutch and simply a rattle underneath.

I have updated the upcoming events on YouTube to allow for the live streaming of myself taking part in the contest, my laptop will be used for logging and I will be changing Minos to reflect this as well so the contest date is correct for my uploading of logs.

The QTH move will begin in the next week or two, so I may not be on air or updating this often during that time

73 de 2E0EIJ

The search for a new QTH... green light to move after the 10th June

I have been given the all clear to set a move-in date after the 10th June, this falls after this month's 2m FMAC but in order to facilitate the move I need my car running, which at time of writing it is at the garage exactly where myself and the recovery truck driver left it on Tuesday.

So I will be at the new QTH for July's 2m FMAC but I intend to still operate from a higher point than the top floor flat I move to (this one does not have a loft though).

So what does this mean for me, an external antenna possibly for 2/70, the shack in its own room, the shack computer no longer having to stand on top of my NAS box which I intend to locate to the same location as my webserver, as well as a closing door that will reduce any unwanted noise.

Of course I will be starting out on my biscuit tin antenna but that's a situation that I can rectify later on.

So the time at this QTH is now measurable in days rather than months or years.

73 de 2E0EIJ