VK4ZXI

Software Defined Radio (SDR), mainly receivers are what really got me back into amateur radio earlier this year, after a 40 year absence.   I had a brief revisit to radio 10 years ago, when I was medically retired, but was disappointed that so little seemed to have changed. So I went and played (when I was able) with computers, audio, video, home cinema and satellite TV (and sport cars) instead. But once I had done about all I could do there, I was after something new. Then I re-discovered radio starting with the TV dongle software defined radio, rtlsdr. While I am still annoyed that mainstream transceivers (that I could afford; or justify) are still little changed, SDRs really are a hoot; you can see what is out there- lots of really weird stuff and no dial twirling hoping to find anything of interest. I started with the TV dongles; they are not to be dismissed lightly, a couple of MHz bandwidth, 60 MHz-1200GHz range, all for $20. I bought a discone ...

I am setting up a DVB-T tx on the atv channel on 70 cm. I am using a UT-100c USB dongle http://www.hides.com.tw/product_eng.html   http://www.idealez.com/hides/product-detail/en_US/69859 . It is only US$169 and produces 1 mW of DVB-T output. The software is at https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0BzoVnSl8XNdQMmZPbDhEczA2RjA&usp=shar ing . There are some pdfs of the device and how the software works.   To use the dongle, only the windows driver and PC2TV are needed. With PC2TV, only the video works at the moment. PC2TV takes a deal of setting up but will work with a PC/laptop webcam.   Only the UT-100C dongle is needed to start. Some ordinary domestic DVB-T receivers can be used.  The DVB-T channels in Australia are 7 MHz wide, the same as free to air TV. As such, the standard Australian DVB-TV settings can be used. At 1 mW, it is possible to xmit on a free commercial channel and tune a TV to it, without causing any dramas. How...

Hi all. The purpose of this blog is to share some of my activities and ideas on amateur radio and related areas, including home theatre. Currently, my main radio interests are Software-Defined Radios (SDR), smart/active antenna and computers in radio in general; more on that later. First, my journey around radio, electronics and computers; my path to my current interests. My interested in electronics and audio started in my early teens, playing with valve radios and loud speakers. However, the main kick-start was when my father, Wattie Wollin, bought me the September 1969 issue of electronics Australia. Dad was interested in radio and gave me some books on "wireless" dating from the mid-1930s when he was a lad. While very capable, his isolation from education, the 1930s depression and WWII lead him into a meat industry trade at 13 and away from radio. I first became interested in amateur radio when at Echuca High School in the early 1970s and obtained my limited...