TWIAR News Feed

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Cornell has a radio for the whole world with software filtering

Posted: 17 Mar 2017 05:10 PM PDT
http://bit.ly/2nBbNpt

Researchers at Cornell University have developed a new type of
radio-on-a-chip that could mean cheaper, more flexible wireless systems.
Smartphone makers could, for example, use the technology to make a single
model of each phone that works anywhere in the world.

Single-chip radios have become a popular choice for communications hardware
in the last decade because most characteristics of the radio are determined
through software, not discrete hardware components. For this reason, they
are often referred to as software-defined radios.

But software can only do so much. In many transceiver devices -- ones that
transmit and receive -- an array of filters is needed to protect the
sensitive receiver circuity from signals being transmitted. Those signals
can be up to a billion times more powerful that the ones being received, so
without the filters, the radio would be overwhelmed and useless.

In cellphones, the radio transmits and receives simultaneously on different
frequencies. This allows you to listen and speak at the same time without
having to take turns and say "over" each time you finish.

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Just Like Houston: Engineering Students Begin Work on Satellite Ground
Station (Virginia)

Posted: 17 Mar 2017 05:04 PM PDT
http://bit.ly/2mcrEO4

Houston, we’ve had a problem here.�

Astronaut Jack Swigert uttered that famous statement on April 13, 1970,
when problems became apparent during the failed Apollo 13 mission. Members
of NASA’s Mission Control Center in Houston immediately went to work to
figure out what happened and ultimately saved the lives of the crew.

Since the space age began, spacecraft and their crews have been
communicating with ground stations via radio.

Now, University of Virginia engineering students are about to join that
tradition with their own ground station for tracking a small spacecraft of
their own design. The station will allow student engineers to track and
collect data from their craft, scheduled to be launched into orbit in late
2018 aboard a NASA-sponsored rocket as part of an International Space
Station resupply mission.

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Amateur radio groups to send a balloon to the stratosphere and back

Posted: 17 Mar 2017 04:57 PM PDT
http://bit.ly/2n7Cswt

Many UC Berkeley students have sky-high ambitions, but this weekend some
are going to new heights.

Members of the East Bay Amateur Radio Club and UC Berkeley’s radio club are
teaming up to launch a high-altitude balloon to near-space, and they are
inviting the public to come track its journey. On Saturday, March 18 the
group will launch the helium-filled latex weather balloon from Memorial
Glade on Cal’s campus at 10 a.m. and then, using software that tracks the
balloon’s location, chase after it in their cars.

The balloon is expected to reach an altitude of 90,000-100,000 feet.

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Girl Scouts and Guides "Thinking Day on the Air" Generates Enthusiasm for
Ham Radio

Posted: 17 Mar 2017 04:54 PM PDT
http://ift.tt/2nvkXqM

Skip Youngberg, K1NKR; Bill Machia, WM3N, and Dudley Allen, KD0NMD, were
among those sponsoring World Association of Girl Scouts and Girl Guides’
“Thinking Day on the Air� (TDOTA) events in February that enjoyed
enthusiastic participation. “Thinking Day,� officially February 22,
commemorates the birthday of Lord Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the
Scout and Guide movements, as well as that of his wife, Olave, who was the
first World Chief Guide.

“Talk about excitement, exhilaration, and satisfaction!� said Youngberg, an
ARRL Life Member who got involved in TDOTA through his daughter Jill Galus,
KB1SWV. She enlisted his club, the Nashoba Valley Amateur Radio Club
(NVARC), to conduct an event in New Hampshire 3 years ago. This year, the
NVARC set up in Shirley, Massachusetts, and in Raymond, New Hampshire.

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via the RSGB: DX News - 19 March 2017

Posted: 17 Mar 2017 04:51 PM PDT
http://ift.tt/2mQAEFV

SP5EAQ and SP7DQR are on the air as T2AQ and T2QR in Tuvalu until 4 April.
Activity is on the 10 to 80m bands using SSB and CW. QSL via SP7DQR. In
addition, Tim, NL8F will be active as T2TT from the 23 March to the 13
April. His activity will be on various HF bands using SSB and digital
modes. QSL via N7RO.

Kazik, SP6AXW is on the air as 9N7XW until 31 March from Nepal. Activity is
holiday style on the HF bands. QSL to his home call sign.

Ed, WA1ZAM will be active as PJ7PL until the 3 April from Sint Maarten.
Activity will be on the 10 to 30m bands using SSB and RTTY. This includes
being an entry in next weekend’s CQ World Wide WPX SSB contest. QSL to home
call.

John, W5JON and Cathy, W5HAM are on the air as V47JA and V47HAM,
respectively, from Calypso Bay in St Kitts and Nevis until 5 April.
Activity is on 6 to 150m bands, including 60m, using SSB. This includes an
entry in next weekend’s CQ World Wide WPX SSB contest. QSL via operators’
instructions.

Kaku, JA6REX and Toshiya, JH6HZH will be active as V633KS and V633ZH,
respectively, from Chuuk Island in Micronesia, IOTA OC-011, until 3 April.
Activity will be on the 10 to 160m bands using CW, SSB and RTTY with a
focus on the low bands. QSL to home calls.

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Maritime Radio Day Event Set for April

Posted: 17 Mar 2017 04:41 PM PDT
http://ift.tt/2mNXsG6

Maritime Radio Day will take place in mid-April, with activity — all on CW
— centering on International Naval Frequencies, 1,824; 3,520; 7,020;
10,118; 14,052; 21,052, and 28,052 kHz. Maritime Radio Day is held annually
to commemorate nearly 100 years of CW maritime wireless service. Register
online.

The event gets under way at 1200 UTC on April 14 and concludes at 2200 UTC
on April 15. Participants exchange QSA (signal strength, 1-5), QRK
(readability, 1-5), name, call sign of last or favorite
ship/aircraft/maintenance company and “additionally a tr, msg and/or a QTC,
if you like.� SWLs are welcome to take part. A newly designed certificate
of participation will be available.

Submit logs by May 1 via e-mail to Rolf Marschner, DL9CM, or Narzissenweg
10, 53359 Rheinbach, Germany. — Thanks to David Ring, N1EA

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RSGB: Bangladesh DXpedition call signs

Posted: 17 Mar 2017 04:41 PM PDT
http://ift.tt/2mAxkwK

The DXpedition to Bangladesh will use two different callsigns during its 12
day operation.

S21ZED will be used until the 22 March, with S21ZEE used for the last five
days—the 23rd to the 27th.

This is to comply with Bangladeshi regulations.

The DXpedition team asks that stations not work the second call sign on the
same bands or modes, if they already have worked the first.

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Amateur Radio has a Place at the Table for Engineering Day 2017 on Maui

Posted: 17 Mar 2017 04:41 PM PDT
http://ift.tt/2mD9rp6

Jim Andrews, KH6HTV, and Alan Maenchen, AD6E (aka KH6TU), staffed an
Amateur Radio exhibit on February 26 for Engineering Day 2017 at the Queen
Kaahumanu Center in Maui.

The main attention-getter was an operating display of Andrews’
70-centimeter high-definition Amateur Radio digital TV system. Andrews and
Maenchen also had a 100 W HF radio on the table as an introduction to
discuss Amateur Radio’s world-wide communication capabilities. ARRL Pacific
Section Manager Joe Speroni, AH0A, supplied an ARRL banner for a backdrop
and ARRL literature to distribute.

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Hamming it up: Whether used for hobby or emergency, ham radio is a booming
form of communication (North Dakota)

Posted: 14 Mar 2017 08:13 PM PDT
http://bit.ly/2mqFGYx

They are considered the last line of communication. When everything else
fails, they can bridge the communication gap and connect people.

Doug Nelson and Dave Miller are just two of the 750,000 registered amatuer
radio, better known as ham radio, users.

"I wanted to be available to help people," Miller said is why he got
involved in ham radio. "That was my main interest."

He is now the Douglas County emergency coordinator.

Nelson (call sign AAØAW) has a list of coordinator positions and
responsibilities after his name as well, and both Nelson and Miller are
involved in multiple groups throughout the Twin Ports area, lending their
experience to the emergency side of things.