Is it “Real Radio”?

There has been quite a lot of discussion regarding the relatively new (to the Amateur Radio Community) Digital and Internet linked communications technology. Systems such as D-STAR, DMR, Fusion and NXDN and P25 which use Internet Linked reflectors and VoIP platforms such as Zello, TeamSpeak and EchoLink which also utilise Internet as the carrier for communications. Many people accross the Globe use these systems in one form or another on a regular basis and derive great pleasure and satisfaction from it. These systems have their detractors though. 

Let’s look at each sector of Internet Linked Voice Comms, starting with  those modes generally accessible with a dongle such as the DVMega, MMDVM or Openspot. These systems usually consist of a Modem which takes the RF signal from a suitably equipped digital radio and converts it into a PC or Raspberry Pi for redistribution via a server. This communication is then decoded by other users in reverse order and received by their digitally equipped radios. The hotspot will typically run at a few milliwatts and a range from the transceiver typically around 30 or 40 metres is achievable. With the Internet link Global communications can be effected, thereby negating the need for complex antenna arrays, making this mode of comms ideal for those not in a position to erect towers or string wires over great lengths, such as people who live in flats or apartments and those more elderly operators who find themselves living in sheltered accommodation or nursing homes. 

RoIP (Radio Over IP) systems such as AllStar and EchoLink work in a similar way to digital hotspots. A node, consisting of a radio, connected to a computer running the appropriate software picks up an analogue RF signal and distributes it in much the same manner, the received signal being relayed via the operators node to their analogue radio. 

This brings us to Network Radio systems such as Zello and TeamSpeak. These are programs for PC or apps for a mobile phone or other VoIP device, which utilise the mobile or fixed internet and servers to distribute the comms. A typical Network Radio would run the Android operating system, Zello being the platform used to distribute the communication. Although not exclusively reserved for mobile devices, a computer or tablet can also be used. 

Is it Real Radio?

Yes and no. Yes, in the sense of a WiFi router or mobile phone sends data via RF, either to a cell tower or on 2.4 or 5 GHz. Yes in that some form of PTT is used to speak. No, in the conventional interpretation of “radio”. Amateur Radio is mostly considered to be RF point to point communications, but that description is based upon old conventions. 

Let’s consider the commercial application of VoIP. Many businesses use VoIP for their communications, mainly because a costly licence can be avoided due to the fact that they use mobile data on frequencies covered by the providers licence. Also a conventional mobile phone can be used, negating the necessity for expensive radio equipment (although dedicated cellular PTT devices are available). In the UK the Police Service use TETRA, essentially a VoIP system which uses a mobile data connection to provide essential communications. This system is due to be replaced by ENS, which works on similar principles, one major difference being an enhanced data service to provide almost constant coverage which is important for such vital communications. 

What happens if the Mobile Data service is switched off?  For security reasons the Government might require the mobile phone service to be inaccessible - for instance, in the case of a serious Terrorist threat or a natural disaster disables the service. Essentially there would be no alternative but to use point to point RF comms - that’s why Network Radio will NEVER be a total replacement for conventional RF. My standpoint on Network Radio and other Internet Linked communications is that it is supplemental to conventional radio. It’s not a replacement, merely another aspect of the communication hobby which complements the established systems that we have. In this case it’s no threat to what we already have, in fact if use of Network Radio encourages people to study for and attain an Amateur Licence (and there is evidence of this) then it can only be a good thing for the hobby in the long run. 

The disappointing thing for me is that some within the Amateur community are decrying Network Radio and representing it as the Devils Work. For a hobby that has innovated from day one with the developmental history of radio and all the changes and advances over the 100 plus years of its existence, I find it dismaying that some people are still stuck in the mid 20th Century. Is Netflix real TV? Are MP3 tracks real recordings? Tuberculosis was around until the 1950’s, that didn’t make it a good thing. As technology advances we either go with it or let it pass us by. In Victorian England, would anyone ever have thought that International communications could take place with devices that fit in the palm of a hand? When railways first became commonplace the detractors said that travelling at high speed would kill you. My point is that instead of dismissing something, take the time to try to understand it instead of writing to RadCom and pulling the whole thing down, due in no small part to the stubborn ignorance and refusal to accept that progress is made, not only in communications but in all walks of life - and especially in medicine, something that many of the more senior detractors should be happy to embrace. 

I will still be out and about with my portable HF gear, I will also still call on simplex frequencies and repeaters on V/UHF. I will still build aerials and other equipment and at the same time I will have my DMR hotspot and my Network Radio to supplement all of the above. I will always be a Radio Amateur and nothing will ever change that for me. 

73 de 2E0ENN 

Network Ramblings

Whilst not abandoning my interest in Hotspots and Digital Communications, I have recently been using my Network Radio equipment more just of late. I have used Zello for a few years but not to any great extent. I recently became aware of Network Radios Channels on Zello and decided to give it a try. To say that I’m impressed by it would be an understatement. Six channels, open to both Licenced and Non-Licenced people, there is activity all day long. There are some very knowledgeable people who participate, not only in th Amateur Radio field but also SWL’s and Android gurus. The conversations are informed, interesting and conducted in a very civilised manner. The Moderators are fair and attentive and the whole experience is very good. In light of this new found positivity, I have purchased two more Network Radios recently. 

The first is an Inrico TM7 Base/Mobile unit. Audio is excellent through the front mounted speaker and it is simple to use. The only criticism would be that the screen is too small to effectively be used as a touch screen. I have overcome this issue with a Bluetooth keyboard. 

The second is an Alps F40, otherwise known as the 7S+. 3/4g and WiFi, with a 4000 mAh battery, it’s excellent and cost effective as a portable unit. 

Both devices run EchoLink, TeamSpeak and Zello, as well as APRSdroid and work very well. 

Of course, you don’t need to buy a dedicated Radio to get on to the channels - an Android and iOS app is available for your smartphone/tablet/iPad as well as PC and iMac - so it’s accessible to everyone without the need to buy extra kit. 

You will need a data plan for use away from a WiFi hotspot but data usage is quite low - 1gb per month should be enough. There are lots of PAYG deals available and the option to tether to your phone’s hotspot is also a possibility. 

For those who travel abroad and do not hold a full Amateur Licence can use the channels as they don’t use Amateur frequencies. 

Is it “real” radio? Possibly not in the sense of Amateur Radio, but both WiFi and 3/4g use RF to access the cells so radio is definitely involved - even if on the Mobile cellular network. 

True to form, I have several devices for the Network based systems - when will I learn that one for each mode is enough? 

Rambling Onwards

The further adventures of an obsessed Ham. 

I’ve been dipping into the slush fund again. Two more DMR radios this time. First is a TYT MD9600 mobile radio. A used bargain from eBay again, I’ve upgraded the firmware and installed a codeplug which covers all UK repeaters. I’ve found that I can access GB7PE crime home so, for the moment it’s connected there on slot one, which is TG235 on the Phoenix DMR+ Network. 

The second purchase was a Radioddity/Baofeng RD-5R. Since upgrading the firmware on that one I find it’s utterly incompatible with the DMR network - they do work, but not if the firmware is upgraded. So, it sits on the shelf until the manufacturer issues a fix. 

Last Friday (4th May) I did a presentation and demonstration of Digital and Internet linked radio at my radio club, South Kesteven Amateur Radio Society. 

This went down really well with contacts being made on DMR, D-STAR, Fusion and Network radio. 

There were amazed faces when I made contact with Sid (G4RIO) on DMR whilst he was on holiday in France. That explained his absence from the meeting. 

With a little luck, hopefully I will have made believers of some of the more cynical amongst the members. The theme for my presentation was “Is it real radio?” I think I managed to establish that it was following several successful QSO’s. 

The Jumbospot arrived in timely fashion. It was assembled and working within half an hour, and now serves as my mobile hotspot, powered by a USB power bank and tethered to my mobile phone hotspot. After careful setting of the RX QRG, it works flawlessly and is continuing to behave itself, being used with my Hytera PD365 handheld - a great combination. 

The openSPOT also arrived and after a little time taken to understand the set up procedure, I’m astounded by the quality of this product and its superb performance. This has become my “go to” hotspot for shack use. 

The DVMega collection continues to perform without issues, thank goodness for Pi-Star software - easily the simplest and most effective means of digital communication via a hotspot. 

It’s the /P season again! Let’s see what can be achieved this year. Hopefully I’ll be out and about during the Summer. 

73 for now

Rambling in 1’s and 0’s

In my attempts to set up the ultimate in a digital and internet linked station, I have been flexing my Debit Card recently. The first acquisition was a second hand dual band DVMega. This was obtained at a very reasonable price but the firmware was quite out of date which meant that it couldn’t be used with MMDVM Host software under Pi-Star. Instead of using MMDVM I selected DSTAR Repeater as the host and used it for a while for DSTAR only. I got to thinking that the firmware just had to be updated but I was daunted by having to solder a wire jumper to the delicate Pi Hat. In a rare moment of bravery I took the plunge and broke out the soldering station and magnified “helping hand” project stand. Taking the attitude of “nothing ventured, nothing gained” I proceeded to solder the jumper wire in place. This went with surprisingly little drama. I re-installed the Pi Hat to the Raspberry Pi and rebuilt the case. Following excellent directions from the Pi-Star Users Group, I set about the procedure of updating the firmware. The first attempt was not a success - I had missed a line in the code, but on correcting the error and ensuring the firmware version was correct it flashed successfully. So I now have a bargain DVMega, with the firmware update jumper installed, working with Pi-Star, just as it should. 

I found that I had a Raspberry Pi 2 without a purpose, so I contacted Karl at dvmega.co.uk and ordered a new dual band Pi Hat. So now I’m using two dual band DVMegas, one for DSTAR and the other on DMR+, both set on VHF, with the Icom IC-880 and VHF Hytera MD785. 

My single band UHF DVMega is usefully employed on DSTAR and is exclusively used to connect to HUBNet’s AllStar/DSTAR cross link. This means that I can now access my favourite AllStar network with a DSTAR radio (IC-80),thereby freeing up my AllStar node for other connections. 

The UHF DVMega Bluestack is connected to a Raspberry Pi3 and is used for DMR on the Brandmeister Network in conjunction with the UHF MD785. The same hotspot can be detached from the Pi and be used mobile with BlueDV for Android software. I’ve been using it for a couple of weeks whilst mobile and, whilst the performance under BlueDV is not as good as with Pi-Star, I get very good results. 

Staying on the subject of Hotspots, I’ve been researching the Jumbospot MMDVM board and have ordered one to attach to a Pi Zero for a permanent mobile Hotspot solution. It’s cheaper than a Zumspot and nice and compact, so ideal for a mobile situation. I will road test it when I get it and I will post a review and my thoughts on it. 

Impulse buy! This months unplanned purchase was a Shark RF OpenSPOT. I’ve always been put off the OpenSPOT simply because of its price and the fact that it has to be connected with an Ethernet cable or a seperate MiFi router as it doesn’t have wireless capability. I suspect that the manufacturer has an updated WiFi version coming soon, as one supplier in the UK has massively discounted the current version (by 38%) and that's the primary reason for buying it. It hasn’t arrived at the time of writing this but I hear good things about it so I hope to enjoy experimenting with it when it gets here. 

I have a WIRES-X node and wanted to link that with an FCS reflector, so I have had an FCS reflector allocated and I can link the two together with a DV4 Mini. This isn’t the best way of providing the link but will suffice for the moment, until I can get my MMDVM home brew server working (that’s still a work in progress at the moment). Access is available via WIRES-X on LincsLink node 41087 and also on LincsLink FCS004/32. The link isn’t on continuously at the moment as I want to soak test it before permanently leaving it active. If you spot my call on either system feel feee to give me a call. FCS004/32 is on all the time so feel free to link in. 

Obsessive Compulsive Ramblings

I keep on doing it. I can’t help it. I can’t resist a bargain when it comes to radio equipment. As if the recent purchases of DMR radios wasn’t enough, I’ve bought another two radios this month. Both are DSTAR radios, an ID-880 mobile and it’s handheld counterpart the IC-80. Both were very reasonable used bargains. This brings the number of DSTAR radios to four. 

I have a Ham friend locally and we have talked on and about radio since I first became licenced. After a bit of a lay off from the hobby he decided to rekindle the hobby with a new TYT MD380 DMR handheld. I spent a Saturday afternoon with him, updating the firmware on his DVMega, installing Pi-Star software on his Raspberry Pi and writing a suitable codeplug for the radio. After a bit of coaching about how to access reflectors and imparting some knowledge, he has now found a renewed interest in the hobby and is now active again. It’s always good to have a Ham returning to the fold and it was particularly gratifying to be able to help him along the way. All in the spirit of Amateur Radio. 

I have decided to replace the AllStar RF node with something a little more suitable for a personal hotspot. I have always thought that using the Icom IC-E208 as a node radio was a bit of a waste of equipment, bearing in mind that attenuating the output to around 10mW with a radio capable of 50W is not exactly exploiting the radios capabilities. It would be fine if I was using it as a Gateway radio, but even then NoV conditions would be likely to limit the output to a fraction of the radios potential. Thinking about options, I considered a Micronode built by G7RPG but had issues in justifying the cost. I have used UHF for an AllStar node before but had to abandon it due to my neighbour’s not being able to use the remote central locking on their vehicles while the node was transmitting on its licenced frequency. I switched to VHF with no issues whatsoever. So, I needed a compact node, using a handheld radio and also using VHF. I approached the Guru of all things AllStar, Alan, M0AQC, about converting a VHF Wouxun handheld that I had in a cupboard, doing nothing. Alan suggested that the Wouxun might not be suitable but suggested the Baofeng UV-82 as an ideal candidate to build a dual band AllStar node. He then began to look into converting a UV-82, with one of his modified USB sound fobs. It’s a work in progress but my RF needs for AllStar will soon be met with the new node, freeing up the Icom for more suitable work. 

My involvement as part of the Admin Team for the UK Hub on the AllStar Network continues. Recent developments have included a bridge to WIRES-X and also a link into the Fusion FCS reflector System. Negotiations are also underway to allocate a Brandmeister Talkgroup for a DMR crosslink. Not too bad considering that the Hub has only been active for a few months. Join us if you can on AllStar node 43909 or 27066, alternatively EchoLink G7KDZ-L. Access can also be made through my nodes, which are 43989 or 42536, EchoLink 2E0ENN-L. 

Overdue Ramblings

It’s been a while since my last blog but things are a little different here at the home QTH. My station is now almost exclusively Internet linked, with the exception of a couple of local repeaters, mobile on V/UHF and portable ops on HF. 

DMR


I now have access, via Hotspots, to both Phoenix and Brandmeister reflectors. I have two Hytera MD785 mobile radios, one VHF and the other UHF. The UHF radio is used for Phoenix, with a DV4 Mini and the VHF radio is used with a dual band DVMega RPi, using Pi-Star software. I still use the venerable TYT MD380’s, both VHF and UHF, for the same purpose. I also use a Radioddity GD77 dual band handheld for both. For portable/mobile use I have the DVMega/Bluestack, running BlueDV for Android, with the very useful Hytera PD365 radio.

DSTAR


I have added a second DSTAR handheld to the inventory. It’s a IC-91 with the DSTAR module fitted. I bought it on an online auction site for a very reasonable price. Battery life is good but would be improved with a new battery. The audio quality from this radio is superb and I just love the quality of build and ease of use. This supplements the ID-51 and both are used with a single band DVMega RPi with Pi-Star software.

WIRES-X


My Wires-X gateway, MB6IAG, has now been decommissioned due to lack of use and the NoV has lapsed. The equipment is now employed as a personal node, with both the FTM-100 node radio and the FTM-3200 working through dummy loads. The FT1 XD is still in use as back up and when out and about. Two of our local repeaters are Fusion enabled so the handheld comes in useful when out.

ALLSTAR 
Not much change with the AllStar set up - RF needs being met with the Icom IC-E208 node radio, M0AQC interface and Raspberry Pi.
There are four more RPi nodes, connected with IAX to my TeamSpeak server. These continue to provide excellent service and reliability.

Winter has somewhat curtailed any forays into portable HF operations but it is hoped that I may just wrap up warm and brave the elements with the FT-817 and selection of home brew and mobile antennas.

The mobile set up has altered slightly with the FTM-100 being replaced with a Yaesu FT-7100 dual band radio, the Super Gainer antenna still being used with good results.
73 for the moment and Happy New Year

Updated Ramblings

The Shack is now reinstated following the recent building work here in Cranwell. MB6IAG is back on form on Wires-X and I have had a jolly time reinstating my personal AllStar node. I've been busy configuring and reconfiguring systems and now I have the definitive internet linked set up.

The Wires-X node has benefitted from a new PC, with a faster processor and more RAM. The results are outstanding and I'm now reasonably happy with the set up. I do need to set up an Ethernet connection in the shack, I'm thinking of a long ethernet cable from the router to the shack with a two or three port ethernet socket on the shack end. More on that in the next update.

After trials and tribulations with AllStar I have now settled on the definitive set up for my personal node. Previously I ran the node on a netbook which ran Linux, but there was a constant loud hum on the audio. This was traced to the PSU for the netbook so the whole node was mothballed. I decided to try to rectify the issue by going back to the Raspberry Pi as node computer. I had previously used an image developed by Ken, K5ENB, and I used this image initially. The downside to this approach is that the Pi has to be initially set up on an Ethernet connection, wireless being configured afterwards. This is all well and good but I found myself dashing between the shack and the living room, where the router is, setting and resetting the Pi and I eventually had the node running. For some unknown reason the node just would not register on the AllStar network so the image was scrubbed and a new image was sourced from Doug Crompton. This is a great image for AllStar, you do need to spend some time setting it up and it can be a bit complicated but it is excellent in operation. I have a 7 inch TFT screen and a USB keyboard attached to the Pi, so monitoring the node is simple, and there is also the option of using SSH to administer the node, so portability is possible. I have Allmon configured to monitor the node from a GUI, and EchoLink is also set up. After a bit of head scratching and a few late nights I now have the node pretty much as I would like it. The icing on the cake would be an Ethernet connection.

With my new found enthusiasm for AllStar, I feel confident enough to leave the node running, connected to either HUBNet UK or the AllStar UK Hub, and accessing via Echolink on my F22 RoIP handset.

There is now lots of C4FM activity on both the FCS reflectors and Wires-X. CQ-UK has a room on Wires-X which is well populated and there is a link from the FCS reflector system, which gives activity all day long. C4FM-Net is active most nights on FCS001-54, and once a fortnight there is a very well subscribed net on there on alternate Saturdays from 20:00 to 22:00 GMT.

DStar remains my Achilles heel at the moment. I've got hold of an Arduino dual band DV Mega but, as usual, I can't get any of my computer equipment to communicate with it, so it's a "work in progress" until such time as I can summon up the required enthusiasm to get on and sort it out. I've downloaded and installed drivers for it and I have the BlueDV program in the PC, but I need to flash the DV Mega firmware in order to use it. I can't do that until I can get the thing to communicate with my PC. I will persevere - it will not have me beaten - I would like to spend some time "on air" instead of tapping on a keyboard for hours.

The alternative (and looking more and more promising) is a Shark RF Openspot. It gets rave reviews but at over £200 it is a bit of a financial outlay - I'm still thinking on that one. I do need a stable platform for DMR, as the DV4 Mini is still not great, so that's another reason to consider the Openspot. I'm not convinced, as there are almost daily beta releases of the firmware - perhaps I may wait until there is a definitive stable release. I'm reminded of the debacle when the DV4 Mini was first released, with no support for software and catastrophic problems, particularly with its DMR capability. The jury is still out, but it's looking as though I might take the plunge.

I'm told that Spring is on the way, time to get my shoes wet with dew and a spot of portable HF ops with the FT-817. Roll on those lazy, hazy days of Summer.

73 for now and bye for now

de 2E0ENN

www.hamvoip.org
www.allstarlink.org
www.echolink.org
www.hubnetwork.uk
www.skars.co.uk

Rambling Without Antennas

We have the builders in this week to rectify our kitchen floor, after water damage. This means that the Shack contents have had to be relocated, resulting in having no access to the aerials. So, I am reliant on internet linked systems for a while and I'm really enjoying it.

I've had another bash at using the Raspberry Pi with the DV4 Mini and I've had a measure of success. I am running two Pi's with The DV4 Compact software, using a TFT screen. Its a bit fiddly, and small, but they work rather well. I have enclosed one in a plastic box to take out whilst in the car, however the performance whilst on the move is not as good, due to fluctuations in the quality of the 3g signal while moving. Having said that, as a portable hotspot it works well.

I have made quite a few ill-advised radio purchases in my time but by far the worst waste of time and money must be the speaker mic bought for the wonderful, Chinese F22 handset. I was so happy when it arrived, fitted it up to the handset and lo and behold - it didnt work. Nothing wrong with the mic, the audio power on the handset was so pitifully low that it wouldn't drive the speaker. So, if anyone wants a Motorola style speaker mic, get in touch.

With the builders being in, MB6IAG has had to shut down, as they are working in the shack area, rendering use of the antennas impossible. So, temporarily, I have the FTM-100 node radio working on a portable antenna, via a 2m ATU and the other FTM-100 is on a dummy load. At least the Wires-X capability is still functional, even if, for the moment, it is for personal use.

Interstingly, there is now a bridge between Wires-X and the FCS reflector network. It is connected to FCS001 Module 55 and is bridged to the Wires-X room CQ-UK. As I understand it, the FCS link is hosted on a DV4 Mini, and its output is sent to a Wires-X node, which is connected to CQ-UK. So, the DV4 and Wires-X node are on the same frequency, and traffic is passed via RF between the two. I'm not sure that it is a satisfactory set up, but it appears to work.

That's enough for now, I have some projects in the pipeline - more of which in the next bulletin.

73 de 2E0ENN

New Year Ramble

Well, that's Christmas and New Year over with. I have to say that radio activity for me has been quiet over the Festive period, due to being away for a large part of it and away from the shack.

Since returning four days ago, I have had MB6IAG running on the UK Hub Net on Wires-X and have heard little or no activity. There was a net publicised on the NWIS room for New Years Eve, where stations from all over the world were invited to take part and celebrate the New Year from wherever in the World they were, in real time, but that was also under subscribed.

There was a short local net on 2m on New Years Eve, for an hour or so earlier in the evening, but I couldn't make it to the radio due to visitors.

The Gateway is running at the moment and apart from a few overs earlier, there has been nothing for at least three hours. Admittedly I haven't called either as I'm doing other things, and I suspect that is what everyone else is doing.

This all points toward a distinct lack of activity in general. Could this be a sign that the Hobby is in decline? I know of several Operators locally to me who have forsaken the hobby to pursue other interests. Propagation on HF has been poor, lack of activity on other bands and modes and general disinterest have contributed to ghostly silences of late.

I'm concerned that we will soon have no hobby, despite record numbers of Licensees, where are they all?

New Year, new objectives -  I intend to get the studying in and the Advanced exam under my belt this year. I did say the same last year but circumstances led to my time being prioritised in other directions. I also want to tackle Morse this year - its something I feel I'm missing out on at the moment, so to have that capability in the arsenal would be an advantage.

I'm looking forward to the Spring and better weather to go out portable - it's awfully chilly at the moment, so I haven't been out lately.

VoIP seems to be growing in popularity and I have plans afoot to become more involved with AllStar and EchoLink - if the inactivity on 2m and 70cm continues it will soon be the only way to talk to anyone.

Anyway, let's hope that things will improve somewhat and in the meantime, I will carry on regardless.

For now 73 de 2E0ENN

Gateway to Rambling Heaven

I have been bemoaning my absolutely abysmal broadband connection for quite some time now. It was slow, unreliable and would drop - out at the drop of a hat. Well, that seems to be all in the past now, as I have a super - fast, high speed fibre connection now. It's been connected for 36 hours without a single drop out and the up and download speeds are improved threefold. The upshot of all this is that MB6IAG  (my Wires-X gateway) now operates as flawlessly as it can.

Heartened by this improvement I have obtained a second Yaesu FTM-100DE. The original FTM-100 is installed as node radio and the gateway operates through that and the HRI-200 interface, while the second FTM-100 is used for node access, local FM and to access the DV4 Mini.

The FT-817ND still continues to give a great deal of pleasure. I have found a superb spot for /P work and last Sunday I had a couple of hours working HF. I managed a QSO with a portable station in Denmark on 40m and a contact into Canada on 20m, amongst others which were mainly European stations, and all on just 5 Watts. Pound for pound that little radio has given better value in terms of enjoyment and functionality than any of my other radio purchases.

I'm still disappointed at not being able to have a decent V/UHF antenna at home but at least with the Internet Linked and Digital modes I am able to carry on enjoying the hobby. To be honest, working /P suits me fine - at least it gets me out of the house and into the fresh air.

And there I will leave it for now. Tune in next time for another exciting edition.........

73 de 2E0ENN

Ramblings

It's been almost a month since I set up my Wires-X gateway and I can report that it appears to be working well, despite not holding a solitary QSO on it! There are countless nodes and rooms connected but few, if any, conversations happening  I have called out on numerous occasions in various rooms and, apart from US rooms, I have heard next to nothing. I wonder why this is? Maybe it's a low number of operators on the system? Doubtful, as a glance at the connected node list shows thousands world wide. Are we becoming a hobby filled with licenced SWL's? It's a great shame, as the audio quality is superb, the infrastructure of the Wires-X system is extremely sound and the potential for a huge uptake is certainly there. Even using the Fusion reflectors in the FCS system shows a distinct lack of activity.

D-STAR is very busy at times, I connect to REF001 C regularly and there is always a lot of traffic. Granted, D-STAR has been around for much longer and there are far more people using it, but the audio in comparison with C4FM is a little "robotic".

As for DMR, the almost constant monitoring by the "DMR Police" and the equally constant changes in the infrastructure, and the Politics involved with the various networks has spoiled a once pleasurable experience.

AllStar has not been without its difficulties as well. There has recently been a "branching out" where members of the UK Hub have splintered away to form HUBNet UK, taking users and splitting the community. It's impossible to pledge an allegiance to one particular "network", I just want to talk to people regardless of their particular differences.

Locally, the already depleted ranks of operators on 2m have dwindled away to the occasional few. Not so long ago a QSO could be guaranteed almost every evening, but not so now. Even use of repeaters has decreased to the levels that would not justify a Repeater Keeper continuing.

What do I glean from all of this? I suspect that there are many disillusioned Amateurs out there. There are the "Die Hards" who only use Simplex, Analogue and decry "new fangled ideas" such as Digital and Internet Linked systems. There are the up-takers of systems like DMR, who are put off by the almost constant derision by those who are seldom heard in a QSO. They only come on air to chastise those who they perceive to have transgressed. The fact is that, regardless of the means used, it's all about talking to people. Why participate in a hobby that involves communication if you don't wish to speak to anyone? So, let's put the calls out, let's answer a few of those calls and get talking again!

On a somewhat lighter note, the FT-817 is still impressing me greatly. It really is a superb radio, and if power (or the lack of it) is an issue, just look at some of the QRP forums out there to see just what can be achieved with a measly 5W. I bought a Moonraker SPX100 portable multi-band antenna to use with the 817 and I have to report that as a dummy load it is as useless as it is as an antenna. It is not resonant (at all) on any of the bands and flatly refuses to tune with a tuner. Even adding counterpoises has made little difference, so my Hamfest bargain has flopped somewhat. All is not lost though, my trusty wire with un-un is still doing its job. I have it mounted on a 10 metre fishing pole, as a vertical, and it still tunes 80m to 6m with no problems. Granted, it's a compromise antenna, but for portable use its fine. It telescopes down to a metre in length and can easily be carried whilst out and about.

Last weekend was JOTA and myself and other members of South Kesteven Amateur Radio Society activated the Scout Hut at Foston for the event. I was unable to participate on the Saturday but managed to spend the whole of Sunday operating and assisting with the station. Best contact of the weekend was into Cyprus, and many European stations were also logged. The Cubs, Beavers and Scouts all had a whale of a time, as did Stewart, Andrew, Richard and myself. Looking forward to next year.

Not much else to report, but watch this space.....

73 de 2E0ENN

QRP and other Ramblings

Back on HF at last! My lovely other half got me a Yaesu FT-817 for my birthday, I've added a Z817 tuner and a multi-band antenna and I now have the ideal portable set-up. As a power source I have one of those car boost starter units - very small but packed with multi-voltage outputs and runs the 817 very well. As I write this I'm out in the car putting the set-up through its paces and I have to say that I'm mightily impressed.

Last weekend saw the National Hamfest,  just down the road from me at Newark. I went on the Saturday and had a fantastic day, meeting up with friends and making new ones. I collected my competition prize from the Practical Wireless stand, in conjunction with Yaesu UK. The Yaesu FTM-100 and HRI-200 interface are now up and working my Gateway, MB6IAG, on System Fusion/Wires-X. I did encounter a small problem with the interface in that it was the review model used by the magazine and had been previously registered on the Yaesu system. An e-mail to Yaesu quickly resolved the conflict and it's now working well.

JOTA is upcoming this month and it's my favourite event of the year. Members of South Kesteven A.R.S. (www.skars.co.uk) will be activating the event for several Scout groups in the Grantham area and I'm hoping to be there, all being well.

SKARS now hold a weekly net on a Wednesday evening using GB3GR and it is well attended. GR is Echolink (GB3GR-R) and AllStar  (node 28202) enabled, so if you wish to participate, please do. The net starts at 20:00 GMT and all-comers are very welcome.

Back to the radio for a bit longer now....

73 de 2E0ENN

Rambling On........

What's been happening Radio-wise since my last Blog? Well, I've now got more or less full Digital capability. I have acquired a D-STAR Icom ID-51 handheld, along with a second DV4 Mini and a Yaesu FT-1XD Fusion handheld.

I have one DV4 Mini coupled with a Pipo X8 Windows device that I use for Fusion and DMR, and the second DV4 Mini is coupled to a second Pipo X8 for D-STAR.

Activity is a bit limited on the FCS Reflectors for Fusion, but I suspect that word will get out and the number of users will grow. There is a lot of Fusion activity using WIRES-X and I hope to eventually get a Yaesu FTM-100D and WIRES-X box. D-STAR is a bit more lively with plenty of activity on REF0001C, so there's plenty of traffic to keep me occupied. DMR remains a small issue with the DV4 Mini in that it's awfully tricky to get just right with the settings, however it works sufficiently well provided I keep my overs short.

After months of indecision, I finally took the plunge and drilled a hole in the roof of the car to hard mount the SG7900 Super Gainer aerial for 2m and 70cm. I'm very glad I did, as signals are hugely improved over the triple magmount. Received signals are at least 2 to 3 S points higher and I suspect my transmitted signal is improved.

Back in the early 1980's, when I was a teenager, I had a CB radio. I had a shack and a Silver Rod half wave aerial and spent hours playing radio with fellow CB'ers in the local area. It fell out of favour for me when it became a haunt for ne'er do wells and the language and music playing made it an unpleasant experience. Fast forward to the present day and I notice that in my area are a number of Amateurs who still dabble with "The Dark Side". I have found an old Jesan KT-750 handheld CB and, after cleaning it up and installing fresh Ni-Mh batteries, it still works perfectly, so that's another weapon in the arsenal.

Have a listen out on AllStar  (nodes 41522 and 27066) D-STAR REF 0001C and Fusion  FCS001-55 for a natter sometime.

73 for now, de 2E0ENN

Clarified Ramblings

Having set up and used VoIP systems for a little while I thought I would provide a layman's guide to what it is, how it works, what's needed to operate it and general information.

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a means of communication whereby the service provider hosts a server that can be accessed via the Internet by its users. Voice (and data) traffic is sent to and from the server and users communicate in this way. To access the server, users are given log in credentials and these are used when signing in to the service.

There are many ways of placing your traffic onto the server: directly by PC using the sound card/mic and speakers, by connecting a radio via an interface to the computer being used to access the server and by mobile phone device access using dedicated software.
The software used transfers the traffic using a coding system that the servers can decode into voice.

EchoLink, for example, takes your voice traffic either directly from the PC (User mode) or from the node radio, via a connecting interface, to your PC (Sysop mode). You simply "dial in" the node number of the person you wish to speak to and, once connected, you conduct the conversation.

It really is basically that simple. There are more technicalities in how the systems actually work but for a layman's guide this should suffice.

Different systems (EchoLink, IRLP, All star etc.) can be linked with bridging software, however this is quite complex and best left to the experts.

BROADNET

BroadNet is a commercial VoIP service and is used mainly for professional communications via the Internet. BroadNet do offer a service for exclusive use by Radio Amateurs. Their UK NET gives access to registered users and there is a bridge into the AllStar UK Hub. They supply a mobile phone adapted for use with the service, which looks like a radio but is in fact an Android mobile phone with a PTT switch and external antenna. Access is via mobile phone data and it is supplied SIM free and can also be used for calls and texts, as it uses the mobile network.

If anybody needs any help or more information on setting up for VoIP, drop me an email 2e0enn@mail.com and I'll walk you through it

73 de 2E0ENN

Digital Ramblings

I have recently taken delivery of a Yaesu FT1XDE C4FM/ Analogue handheld for use with the DV4 Mini. Here is a brief review :-

The first impression upon un-boxing is the sturdy feel to the unit. It is well built and, whilst not being heavyweight, it does feel rather substantial in the hand without being uncomfortable in use. The XDE comes with a higher capacity battery than the previous model and the GPS function is improved. Having said that, the GPS and APRS is a little tricky to understand and set up - I need to do a bit of reading before I embark upon that side of things.

Sound quality from the speaker is good, it's not the loudest of outputs but it is enough. The keypad buttons are a tad on the small side and for my large fingers I find it slows me down a little when inputting but it certainly is no great detriment to the radio - just needs getting used to.

Analogue performance is what you would expect from Yaesu - DTMF, CTCSS and auto repeater shift are all present and work as they should.

Now the really good bit - C4FM Fusion. One word - WOW! - the audio quality is superb, vastly superior to DMR. Crystal clarity and a balanced audio experience. Users sound as clear as if we were speaking face to face. Another bonus is that it works flawlessly with the DV4 Mini - no drop outs due to incorrect frequency matching and, because Fusion uses a different system for digitising the speech, there is no need for error correction. The DV4 and the FT1XDE are a perfect combination.

Throw an extremely wideband receiver into the mix and you have a great all-in-one monitoring solution. The receiver covers 0.5 to 999 MHz in AM, NFM, and WFM but sadly no SSB. The internal antenna is only really any use with strong broadcast stations but, with an external antenna, things improve.

The GPS receiver uses a whopping 66 channels and ensures a truly accurate fix. Time to first fix was under a minute and subsequent fixes are done in seconds. The position data is displayed on the LCD display and it is shown in a simplified, clear way.

Programming is a little convoluted if doing manually, but the instructions are concise and once mastered it becomes very intuitive. Yaesu supply a programming lead with the radio and programming software is available to download from the Yaesu website. There have been various reports on the functionality of the Yaesu software but I programmed in quite a few simplex/duplex channels with relative ease using it. Chirp also supports programming but is not as good (in my humble opinion). There is provision for a Micro SD card for storage of radio data and also snapshot images, which come when using the snapshot camera mic (not supplied but is an extra cost option). The SD function is not like the dStar, where programming information can be loaded directly to the radio - the SD card is used merely as storage and for back up  (reading the card information into the programming software).

The radio functions are mainly menu driven but they do follow a logical path, so getting to grips with the menus is no real hassle.

Would I recommend it? - Heartily

Is C4FM worth the investment? - Certainly

Do Icom need to worry about dStar? - I think so, the monopoly on DV radio has been broken so we will have to see how Fusion stacks up.

I'm off to play radio for a while,

73 de 2E0ENN

No Ramblings to Report

Since my last post, nothing much has been happening radio wise. It's been a quiet and relatively dead period.

The Allstar nodes continue to function as they should but there's little activity of late, save for a bit of drive time traffic here and there. I suppose it's the season for being out in the fresh air as opposed to being in front of a radio.

The DV4 Mini is now working well attached to the Pipo X8 Windows device and having a wired ethernet connection. There appear to be cliques emerging on DMR with a number of regular operators only working within their little gangs - so far this evening I've put out over ten CQ calls and nobody has answered, despite a list of call signs appearing on the system. Maybe I should change my deodorant.

I will be away this coming weekend and will attempt to use EchoLink at some point, although I'm not holding out for much in the way of contacts if the recent lack of activity is anything to go by.

The Broadnet system brings the occasional QSO - this is also very quiet with call signs listed as connected but no replies to calls. It would seem that by and large the Amateur Radio community is increasingly being populated with "licenced SWL's"

Local activity on 2m seems to be centred on the same group of people as well, and repeater use is virtually non-existent. There does seem to be a distinct lack of interest shown these days. I'm considering giving it all up and looking for another hobby - what's the point if there's nobody talking much?

The only contacts I've had recently have been as part of my Radio Club's special event stations and I suspect that that's mainly due to curiosity as opposed to interest.

I'm in a state of flux with the hobby at the moment - it's not stimulating me much (if at all) at the moment.

So it's a half hearted 73 de 2E0ENN

Portable Ramblings

I now have a functioning portable set up. The antenna is a Watson Multi-Ranger-9, which sits on my triple mag mount. It covers 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, 6, 2, and 70cm and also receives on airband. Tuning is via a jumper cable in the coil and adjusting the length of the resonator. A quick test in the car gave promising results. I'm fortunate in that I have an LDG AT-897 auto tuner attached to the FT-897 and tuning on 40, 20 and 6 meters is a breeze. I'm not expecting earth shattering performance from a whip on a magmount but at least it will get me on the air and out of the house. I also have an Ampro whip for 40m so I have some options.
I also have the end fed wire and an 11 metre long fishing pole so there's even more flexibility. I have bought a 12 Volt car battery boost starter (essentially a battery in a case with jump leads and a cigar lighter socket attached) to either power the radio or jump start the car once I've flattened the battery.

I have relinquished the 70cm Gateway and have applied for a 2m allocation in its place, due to myself and immediate neighbours experiencing issues with interference to car remote locking fobs. My Gateway frequency is/was 430.500 MHz, which is also channel 40 on the LPD band. As Amateurs and LPD users are secondary users of the 70cm band (the MoD being primary users) and as I live within the confines of an active RAF Base,  I thought it prudent to make the change. I have conducted limited testing on 2m with the AllStar node and it seems to be stable, without interference issues. I'm just waiting for the NoV to be issued, it has been passed by Ofcom so I just need the NoV document to make it all above board.

I'm out and about over the next couple of days - working HF from the car, and I'm looking forward to the experience. I have a number of locations earmarked but if the weather isn't too bad I might just have a ride up the East Coast to the Mablethorpe area, near the salt water, and try some 6m activity.

73 for now, de 2E0ENN