Getting My Feet Wet With PSK

I had my first experience with PSK back in March of this year during a quick QSO with AB9VJ. It wasn't great. PSK takes a little more setup than most would expect. I had just received a new Signalink USB interface and that was all setup, luckily. Unfortunately, I had not considered setting up all the macros in Ham Radio Deluxe. It was all new to me and I just wanted to try it out.

A waterfall display depicting several PSK31 transmissions.

After that first QSO, it would be another 8 months before I would try digital again. Just last month, when I was home for Thanksgiving, I decided to give it another shot. I familiarized myself with the program again and I was on my way. I made over 50 contacts that weekend on PSK31. That would include close to 20 different DXCCs. I think once that an operator has PSK setup and configured, it is a very satisfying mode. It's very fast-paced and you can have a number of contacts in just a few minutes. This will probably be the mode that takes me to DXCC and WAS.

Current and Future Projects

Don't worry readers, I haven't abandoned the blog! I am undertaking a few new projects, but they may take some time. Here are some things I am currently planning or already working on:

• Move ADS-B feed to Raspberry Pi to save power
• Move scanner feed to Raspberry Pi to save power
• Create an APRS iGate for my local area where there is currently no coverage.
  This is currently a work in progress. I wanted a system that could run on minimal power and be as stable as possible. I will be completely eliminating the need for a server or computer by building the iGate itself out of an Arduino board. The receiver is going to be a Realistic Pro-48 crystal scanner from the 70s. I picked one up used and figured there can't be anything more solid for this install. No frequency programming needed! I already have a crystal being made especially for this, so we will see how a crystal iGate works!
• APRS Digipeater
• Move scanner and future iGate to one discone antenna in attic.

The New Mobile Setup

My mobile setup initially started when I got into CB early last summer. Everything was pretty sloppy, the wiring especially. I wanted to fix it up and add a good VHF rig. I volunteer for a cycling event every year, so a robust VHF install was a must. My original intention was to go to a local 2-way radio and mobile electronics shop and have them do the work for me. I wanted a 3 or 4-radio rack on top of a floor-mounted post. They said it would be expensive and may be uncomfortable to have a passenger in the front seat. I agreed after hearing their argument. The tech suggested on a modified glove box design. I loved it! It would cost me about $600. The week before I driving back to school after the summer break, I called the shop and tried to book a spot. The tech I had spoken to was on vacation and nobody else was available. I even called another shop and they were booked too! I was so frustrated. Now I had to build it all on my own. I started by cutting the back out of the glove box and placing the radios inside for final measurements. After some trimming, I sprayed the inside with truck bed liner to cover the spray-on velvet that was original. Next was securing everything with Velcro. It looked great! Next was wiring. Power junctions were placed in the dash and wired to the battery and coax was run from the rear of the vehicle. I used a short piece of wood to mount all the mic holders to and Velcro'd it to the center of the dash. It took about a month to find the proper Velcro that would last. I found Scotch DualLock to be best with the heat and strength. This is the same stuff that is used for toll transponders.

Field Day 2014

Wow it's been awhile since I have written a good story on here, but for good reason I guess. As a lot of you know I am a college student, so my schedule provides little time to fully explore the hobby as most do. My Field Day was pretty uneventful. I had just come home from a business trip with my summer internship, so I didn't have much time to plan. In fact, I was preparing to leave on another trip! I decided to just use my home station on commercial power. I wasn't going to stay up all night making contacts so I hopped on the radio when I could and made a few contacts. Probably my most boring post, but there's more to come, I promise!

My Ham Radio Story Part V - 4/25/14

I always liked the idea of running HF mobile, being able to drive to great locations and fire up the radio right there in the car. I could never afford some of the bigger setups as a student, so I jumped at the chance to buy and HTX-10 25 watt 10 meter radio for my car. I found it listed for sale by Matthew KD8OMT, Section Emergency Coordinator for West Virginia, on QRZ. Matthew was great and I got the radio in just a couple of days. I wanted to make sure I installed it in my car correctly, though, so I did some planning. I ran a large cable from the battery to a distribution box under my dash. This would serve as an easy way to hook up other radios in the future. I also installed a new ground bolt nearby. This power setup should easily handle a variety of equipment and up to 50 amps of current. When choosing an antenna, I wanted to keep it simple. It was only 25 watts, so I just needed something that worked. I chose to go with the 10 meter version of the MFJ "Ham-tenna". This antenna comes in 2 pieces - a 4 foot fiberglass section and a 4 foot whip for the top. I never realized it was going to be so big! I mounted it using a clamp-style trunk mount and I was able to tune it perfectly within just a couple of minutes. It presents some problems with low height clearance, but I think it will survive for awhile.

As noted in older posts, I have participated in 2 public service events in the past. I would say they were good practice for how a service net is conducted, but they did not prepare me much to handle medical communications for The Boston Marathon. Some will say "it's just relaying information." Wrong! It's so much more. Try staying calm when you get a mayday from down the street for cardiac arrest and you're in the middle of processing another ambulance request. When communications are not medical-related or potentially life-saving, yes it is pretty standard, but one cannot help but stress when someone's life may be on the line and relying on you to make clear and concise calls to dispatchers.

This year was my first year working at the marathon and it was an amazing learning opportunity. Hams demonstrated their ability last year after the events that unfolded and they were brought back in greater numbers to support this year's event. We worked alongside police, fire, military, and ems crews as well as being under the coordination and advisement of the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). I think it may have been one of the first demonstrations of such a wide coordination across agencies and volunteers in state history.

The ARRL did a great article on this year's event and I think it sums up the big picture pretty well. http://www.arrl.org/news/more-than-300-amateur-radio-volunteers-support-2014-boston-marathon

I was stationed with Tom NV1U and George K1GHC at First Aid Station 13, which is located right at mile 19. George had to leave for a prior commitment right in the heat of the race, so it left Tom and I quite overwhelmed at times, but I think we handled it well under the advisement of our station's FEMA rep.

Overall, or station treated about 80 people, out of that only 4 were transported to the hospital. I am happy to report that 80% returned to the race. Our station was actually staffed by students and staff of Tufts University medical program. Tufts is a leading private research university and is known for their great medical programs. We were also an advanced-capability tent with advanced sodium testing and IVs and were also able to accept patients from EMS teams if they were overloaded. I would compare our abilities to that of a standard emergency room.

My Ham Radio Story Part IV - 3/25/14

It's been about 3 months since I got my General license. It's been an amazing journey in such a short time and I'm looking forward to so much more! On my spring break, I was able to return to my radio life. As a communications volunteer for the Boston Marathon, I was asked to attend the BAA Boston Marathon Medical Symposium. It was at 8 AM on a Sunday, not the best time for a college student on break. I made the most of it though, surviving all 4 hours of speakers. It was quite interesting to hear how officials and different coordinators were creating policies to deal with any scenario that may come about. I will not disclose those details here. I am proud to be able to be a part of the event this year. I grew up seeing the Marathon every year and was absolutely heartbroken by last year's events. It was not only a careless attack on humanity, it was an attack on Bostonian culture. The Marathon is the longest running marathon in the country, this year being its 118th year.

I will be working medical and logistics communications, although my final assignment will not be decided for another week or two. This is a huge responsibility. I am the line of communication between the command centers and the medical team I represent. If a runner needs life support, an ambulance, or a medflight, I am the guy calling it in. This is the largest responsibility I have ever had when peoples' lives have depended on me. Although, it does not far surpass leading 12 people 53 miles through the Rocky Mountains on foot in adverse conditions.  Being an Eagle Scout and experiencing these activities, you learn how to cope and make quick and accurate decisions.

The Marathon attracted 340 ham radio volunteers this year. Unfortunately, a few will be turned away, as there are only about 280 positions. This is one the meccas of ham radio public service. It attracts operators from not only Massachusetts, or New England, but across the country. There is even a guy that travels from Alaska every year to volunteer his time. Keep in mind it is actually against FCC law for us to be paid for our services.

I am also now one of 5 administrators for an international ham radio Facebook group. Our group has well over 11,000 members now from all over the world. We have some strict policies so moderation is nonstop. We pride ourselves in having a friendly and approachable atmosphere. New and old hams alike are invited to share ideas, promote activities, and ask questions. One of the biggest parts of the ham culture is the open sharing of knowledge. You can find us at https://www.facebook.com/groups/hamops/.

Getting back to actual radio stuff, I used my break to perform a complete overhaul of my shack. I wanted to be able to operate the station remotely from school. While the technology to do it has been around for about 10 years, it has not given great results until recently with the advent of VOIP and highspeed internet. I am now happy to announce that 100% of my stations functionality can be controlled from any highspeed internet connection. This includes being able to switch everything on and off with a simple text message, operating voice modes through Skype, operating digital modes, and being able to monitor all the meters via a camera.

I also created the only internet stream of my hometown's fire and police dispatch frequencies. I have a dedicated radio scanner hooked up to a computer at home that feeds the stream 24/7/365. The feed can be found at http://www.broadcastify.com/listen/feed/16648. The feed is also available through Broadcastify in many mobile apps.

I also got the chance to claim my new ham radio license plates that I had ordered. These simply spell out my call letters, separated with a lightning bolt. It was a nice perk to have on my car and make it truly unique.

Another big project I undertook was the grounding of my station. The station was never grounded when I originally set it up. Given that the system would be accessible to me 24/7, I wanted to be sure it was safe and complied with all standard and laws. If a nearby lightning strike branched down my antenna, I wanted to be sure my home and family were safe. The grounding system is the best safety barrier for this.

I also started getting into virtual radar using software-defined radio. Virtual radar is displayed by decoding radio emissions from nearby aircraft, which relay registration codes, GPS coordinates, and other data. This is a fun, inexpensive (about $25) way to explore radio technology and aviation.

Of course no true Bostonian of Irish decent would skip celebrating Saint Patrick's Day! Not only did I celebrate with family, but I also contacted a number of operators in Ireland on the holiday. It's always great to hear about customs in other countries.

My Ham Radio Story Part III - 2/2/14

Well I'm back at school now. Winter break was awesome. Chasing DX is an amazing way to learn about cultures, geography, and propagation. I am currently off the air with HF until next month at least. In my time on the air I have been discussing different topics with hams on Facebook and am now an admin for a buy/sell group found here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/718172524862444/. If I have the time to study, I will try to test for my Extra this month. This would greatly improve my chances for DX, as evening and night DX is usually in the Extra band, not to mention I have yet to contact Asia or Oceania. Once I have them, I will have WAC. I hope to get my home station setup for remote control over the next couple of months. This requires a couple more pieces of equipment and a grounding/lightning protection system since it will be largely unattended. As of today, my logbook amounts to 50 entries with about 15 confirmed. Of the 15, there are 13 different confirmed DXCCs. Well on my way to DXCC! Keep in mind, I did that in 2 weeks. Can't wait to see what I can do over the summer!

My Ham Radio Story Part II - 1/16/14

It's been a little over a month since my last update and boy has it been fun! I started studying hard for my General shortly after. On the 28th I took and passed my General with ease. Took a week or two to get a new antenna and some coax in and I began setting up for HF. Unfortunately that was the week that the "polar vortex" hit the US. Boy was it cold putting up an antenna! It was 10° F (-12° C) at most. Often temperatures were dipping to -10° F (-23° C). Even after everything was setup I had some difficulty 'getting out'. The SWR fluctuated day-to-day with the weather. One day could be rain and it'd be great, the next it would be ice and SWR was horrible. Snow didn't seem to affect things much unless it bonded to the balun and melted when I keyed, forming ice. I ordered an IT-100 tuner from cheapham.com. They had the best prices anywhere! Frank was able to ship same business day and I had it the next day from New Jersey! After hooking it up, I has hitting DX that a lot of experienced operators have never reached. I was even able to get Aland Islands in Finland. I have a friend in mainland Finland who said even he had only talked to them a couple of times! At the time I am writing this I have 35 logged QSOs and 7 QSLs. I have 4 of 6 continents for WAC and 26 DXCCs.

My Ham Radio Story Part I - 12/4/13

I grew up wanting to be an engineer. I love to tinker with electronics. My father has always been an engineer and I loved visiting his office. He worked at a small company outside Boston that manufactured switches and buttons. These went into everything from hospital beds to cell phones. I remember as a kid helping to find a solution to a problem with the keypad that would later go into the Motorola Razr cell phone.

When it came time to go to high school, I chose to attend the regional tech school in place of the conventional high school. I thought drafting would be a good fit, but I couldn't see myself sitting in front of a computer screen all day. I thought about electronics, too, but the math was intimidating at the time. I found that I loved IT. I could tinker and experiment all I wanted. I caught on quicker than expected. I was certified in computer repair at the age of 16.Coming to Pace for Information Systems, I kind of lost my ability to tinker. I ended up working for ITS Client Support for 2 years. I have since moved on to work for the Seidenberg School of CSIS, working not only with general support and repair, but also with servers, labs, and research environments.

I have had a couple of internships since coming to Pace, the most recent being in Charlestown, MA, on the edge of Boston and on the waterfront. I drove 50 miles to and from my job every day. The traffic got me a little aggravated after awhile. I wanted a unique, accurate, and inexpensive solution. I eventually thought about CB radios. These radios were used widely in the 70s by a wide range of drivers. Today they are used mostly by truck drivers to communicate about traffic. After installing the radio, I was able to get through traffic fairly smoothly. Drivers could communicate the location of accidents, disabled vehicles, and speed traps. If a major traffic jam occurred, drivers can even suggest what lane to be in to get through faster. Out of common courtesy, I would report all of this info as well, giving any driver in up to a 10 mile radius a heads-up. I was always seeing how I could get the best range and performance.

After reading up on CB for about a month, I found out about "ham" radio. It did require an FCC-issued license, but I was intrigued. It would allow me to not only talk to people locally, but also around the world, all over a simple radio. Shortly after, I started studying for a license exam. It would cover basic electronics and radio theory as well as governing laws. About 2 weeks later, I felt I was ready. I drove to a local exam session one Saturday in Slatersville, RI. Experienced ham operators called Volunteer Examiners are in charge of issuing exams. The exam was 35 questions. I passed with little issue. I received my license about a week later.

I started off with a small hand-held radio. This allowed me to speak locally. My first contact was made to Grant. Grant was a Pace University alum. Grant and I even shared a common major of Information Systems. I spoke to him right from my dorm room in Briarcliff using a repeater (think cell tower) in Valhalla. Grant was driving in New Rochelle. He informed me that he was a member of WECA, the Westchester Emergency Communications Association. He told me I should check it out and join. I attended a meeting about a week later. What a great group! I decided to join. WECA is one of the largest and most respected groups in the country.

I was even able to get ham operators involved in a yearly cycling event I am involved in. I work in parking and logistics and saw a great advantage to this. I was able to participate as a communications chase car. A team of about 10 operators tracked approximately 300 riders. We were able to ensure the safety of the riders and keep event organizers informed. I was even able to help police officers providing detail to get information and directions from organizers. At that point I knew this was not a standard hobby, I was a trusted resource. Not long after this event, I volunteered for another event in Sleepy Hollow. It was a horse event traveling through the Rockefeller State Preserve. The Preserve has some cellular dead zones and we would serve as precautionary emergency communicators. There had been an accident the prior year, so event organizers were glad to have us. We also had a county communications truck on-site, so that any emergency call could be immediately relayed to emergency dispatch. It was a great day, luckily no accidents, but it was a great event to see.

 

Emergency communications is a large part of ham radio. It is actually written into FCC law. Operators have the unique ability to communicate even when conventional modes are unavailable such as cell phones or landline phones. Operators have stepped in after notable events such as Hurricane Katrina and 9/11. Most recently, operators have been a life-line in the Philippines. I began to follow events closely after discovering their involvement.

I had been connected with an operator named Stanley out in California through Facebook. We, as well as others, wanted to help get people in the Philippines the resources they needed. Stan wanted to send some extra radio equipment he had. We also wanted to get other operators to consider donating. I was able to get in touch with Ramon, the Vice-COO of the Philippine Amateur Radio Association and a customs officer of 24 years. I started coordinating shipments, serving as a link between operators and Ramon. I personally could not afford to send anything since shipping costs were in the hundreds of dollars.

I have decided to start studying so that I can upgrade my license. This would allow me to operate on more frequencies and communicate more easily around the world. I am grateful to have found the world of radio!

Next April, I will be providing logistical and medical communications for the Boston Marathon along-side over 150 other operators. This has been a calling of-sorts since I discovered their involvement. Attending the marathon has always been a family tradition, cheering on runners and handing out water. I wasn't able to go this year. After the events that played out, I promised myself I would not miss it again. When the opportunity to volunteer arose, I couldn't pass it up. Why be a spectator when I could work behind the scenes at the most famous marathon in the world? I have even requested to work at the finish line. See you there Boston!