Frequency corrected Ramblings

The DV4 Mini saga continues. I initially set the dongle up with a Raspberry Pi and had limited success in setting it up for reliable use. Experiments with beta software and my XYL's Windows 8 laptop proved marginally more successful so I bought a second hand Windows 7 netbook for use with the dongle. After upgrading the firmware and using the latest beta release it was working, but not 100%.

The issue I had was with the Master Server, the GB server was not shown in the list, so I initially connected via a German server as I was informed that all the servers were hosted in Germany anyway. In the meantime the DMR Plus network in the UK had changed its allegiance to the Brandmeister host as used on the Continent and renamed itself "Brandmeister UK". There was a small adjustment needed for the host table on the laptop and once that had been addressed I connected to the Brandmeister server and, hey presto,  it's now working perfectly. The latest software has a "meter" for setting the offset on the frequency used for access via the dongle. You simply key the mic for about 10 seconds and watch the indicator. This has green, yellow and red sections and the idea is to adjust the offset until you get mainly green and no red showing on the indicator when transmitting.

It is very easy to overload the dongle, it's very susceptible to excess RF, even one Watt can overload it. To combat this I have wrapped the dongle in copper tape and the laptop with the dongle is in an upstairs room - away from where I would usually operate from. To access the laptop I use Chrome  Remote Desktop on my Android phone and it works a treat. No excess RF and no need to be sat in front of the laptop - happy days.

I now have a Raspberry Pi doing nothing so it will be utilised on an AllStar node. It's not as straightforward to set up as an EchoLink node so there's a bit more reading to be done and I suspect a small amount of experimentation no doubt. Work is in progress on that project and I hope to be able to report on it soon.

I have rekindled my interest in Data modes and have been having a great time on 20, 40 and 12 metres. Some good QSO's having been logged. Now I've mastered the software and macro settings it has been much more fun. I must do more with this mode as it's immensely satisfying.

Next week sees the South Kesteven A.R.S. fish and chip Xmas supper. Looking forward to munching on fish and potatoes with lashings of ginger beer in the Club meeting room!

I hope all readers have a jolly mighty fine Christmas.

73 de 2E0ENN ⛄✌

TYT MD-380 Review

Since using my DMR radios on a more regular basis I was intrigued to hear so many operators using the TYT MD-380 and so I decided I would buy one. I am glad I did, it really is a very good radio and, for the money, represents very good value.

The first thing I noticed when I took it out of the box was the sturdy construction, it really feels well made and substantial  in the hand. The battery fixes to the radio firmly and feels very good in the hand, despite the shape. The radio comes with a pair of SMA male antennas - a longer one and a stubby one for use when carrying on a belt clip. Both antennas work well and there is no heating up of the handset on reasonably long overs. The display is clear and well back lit, giving clear indication of the channel or talkgroup, as well as power settings etcetera in use.

Receive audio is nothing short of amazing. Crisp and clear audio, with just a slight hint of bass in the tone makes for an enjoyable listening experience. Transmit audio is reported as being very good, in comparison with my Hytera PD365, reports are that it has a slight treble effect.

Used in conjunction with my DV4 Mini dongle, the error correction is superb - by far the best of my three handhelds for performance with the dongle.

A slight disappointment is the length of time it takes to charge - the charge time is approximately six hours, so a second battery might be needed for continous use. The back light has either a time out setting or continously,  the problem is that when the back light times out the display is blank and will only come back in again once a button is pressed - this might cause issues if the display is required whilst monitoring.

The speaker/mic connection is the standard Kenwood type (as on Baofeng models) and accessories are easily connected. The buttons on the radio are particularly responsive, especially the PTT, which has a soft feel as opposed to a click switch.

My conclusions are that it is a very competitively priced radio, and represents good value for money and is also a good introduction to DMR. Build quality is very good and prolonged use is comfortable due to the ergonomic design. It has limitations with regard to charge time but I am finding it hard to say anything negative about it. Suffice to say, I'm quite impressed and would have no reservations in recommending this radio to anybody.

DV4 Mini Review

A week after receiving my DV4 Mini dongle I thought it would be helpful to give a review and my experiences with it.

Firstly, a note of caution if it is intended to use the dongle with a PC running Windows XP - Helitron don't recommend using XP, even though they supply software, and I can confirm that on two of my XP equipped laptops the software isn't suitable. It works fine on Vista and above but I have found the most reliable platform is via a Raspberry Pi.

The control software is good and easy to follow, and is relatively straightforward to use. It gives options for power levels and which server to connect to as well as giving a display as to which reflector you are connected to and the traffic through.

On the Pi (and Windows Vista on) the dongle needs no drivers as it is automatically recognised  (with XP a driver has to be downloaded - although I haven't been able to run the software on XP).

As a result of monitoring and using the DV4 Mini, I have observed that users accessing via Dstar have good connection and superb audio, and Fusion users have reported that it works very well on that system. DMR is a different matter though. The connection suffers from drop outs and missing syncs, which makes the use of the dongle very challenging. I have used various methods to try to address these problems; low power on the handheld, wrapping the dongle in foil and using an external antenna and siting it well away from the dongle to minimise excess RF getting to the dongle, but it would seem that these measures haven't improved matters much; which leads me to believe that the software needs some attention. Fusion and Dstar users report that it works fine. I have investigated my Internet connection and although connecting via wi-fi is ok, a direct connection through an ethernet cable is marginally more reliable.

So, my conclusion is :-

Very good idea and it works reasonably well. Software glitches need to be sorted for DMR use and once these are addressed the whole experience will be improved. It's early days for the DV4 Mini and I'm sure that the Amateur Radio Community and the software developers will work towards a solution - let's hope that it comes soon.

2E0ENN

DV and Scouting Ramblings

It's been a busy couple of weeks radio wise lately. Last week we at SKARS visited the 1st Barrowby Scouts to enable the Cubs to gain their communications badges. After a short talk about radio we set about getting them to pass greetings messages. We couldn't raise anybody on 2m so I went into the car park and carried out QSO's from my car. A great time was had by all and, more importantly, a good rapport was established with the Group.

Last weekend saw SKARS again involved with the Scouts, this time it was with the 1st Foston Scouts for Jamboree on the Air. Saturday and Sunday were occupied with the event and Andrew, Stewart and myself ran both HF and VHF stations from the Scout Hut. This is my favourite of all the events we cover - the enthusiasm and willingness to participate from all of the kids is infectious and goes to prove that radio really does affect us all.

My DV4 MINI dongle arrived last week and it is now running on a Raspberry Pi in the shack. It's a little disappointing as the performance on DMR is poor when compared to Dstar and Fusion. Drop outs and missing syncs are the major issues - perhaps a software update might improve things but we will have to wait and see.

Last Wednesday I gave a talk and demonstration on DMR to the Club and guests. It all went surprisingly well and as a result we gained four new members. I have ordered another DMR handheld (bringing the total to three) and the next major radio purchase will be a DMR mobile set to put in the shack. I can access the GB7RR DMR repeater so I will reinstate my X50 collinear on a 6 metre pole in the garden to be dedicated to this task.

As Christmas looms ahead we at the Club have decided not to have a Christmas Bash as such, we will be having fish and chips and fizzy pop at our December meeting instead. I'm very much looking forward to that, there's a particularly good Chippy close to the Church Hall and it will be good to get everyone together for a fish supper.

73 for now de 2E0ENN

Happy Ramblings

It looks like, at long last, my issues with TVI with the neighbours has been cured. After consulting the RSGB EMC helpline I got an almost instantaneous reply and after explaining the situation I was advised to replace the Y adaptor on their TV with a UHF distribution amp. They recommended a particular unit and I duly ordered one. The Y adaptor was taking the input from the aerial and effectively splitting the signal in half - sending half to their lounge TV and half to the one in their kitchen. With only half the signal getting to either TV my RF signals were over riding anything going to the telly. The dedicated UHF TV distribution box ensures that the full signal is distributed to both tellies, which also ensures that their received signal is far stronger than any of my RF emissions. Upon disconnecting the Y adaptor, it disintegrated in my hands (see photo) and it became instantly obvious as to where the TV was picking up the RFI. So, the box was fitted, keeping the high pass filter in the line, and my XYL stayed with the neighbours whilst I went back home to conduct some test transmissions. No interference was noted so I think we can say "mission accomplished". The remaining issue is with their pesky touch lamps - I think an axe and a tin of lighter fluid might be the best solution there (only kidding).

This morning I had a drive over to the home QTH of David (2E0RVV) to program his DMR radio. Having searched online for a suitable codeplug, and not coming up with anything, I took my own handheld with a view to cloning the Codeplug on that to his new radio (just as long as the programming software was compatible). The radio had a rudimentary codeplug installed and I was able to modify the contents of that one to suit his needs. The dreaded Prolific driver issue reared it's ugly head but was soon overcome by switching to another computer running Windows XP. My advice is to have a cheap laptop handy with XP on it - you never know when it will come in handy. Duly programmed, I conducted a few test calls from my handheld and all was working as it should. Before I left, David had a QSO with another DMR user, so, again "mission accomplished".

I had another opportunity to help an EchoLink user get to grips with his system and now he can ragchew to his hearts content as well.

After all the help I have received from the Amateur community, it has been an exceptionally rewarding weekend where I have helped a fellow Ham in his quest for radio enjoyment and given just a little back to a community of helpful and friendly people.

73 for now de 2E0ENN

Rambling Ramblings

I have a new toy. After months of searching for a suitable radio for portable use, I now have a Yaesu FT897, complete with an LDG AT897 ATU. Why I never got one of these in the first place is a mystery to me. With full coverage of HF,6m,VHF and UHF it's a much cheaper option to buying separate rigs. I know that mono band or dedicated radios work better than a shack in a box but for sheer portability and convenience, I think you have to go a long way to better them.

I haven't transmitted as yet (due to the TVI issues) but I will be testing the radio soon. I have re located my HF antenna, performance on receive is vastly improved so hopefully my problems with TV interference might just be a thing of the past. I have tried everything - low pass filter on the radio, high pass filter on their telly, ferrite on the radio power lead, reduced power and chokes wound into the feeder) - but still the problem has persisted to the point of the neighbours becoming thoroughly peed off with it (as am I) and my thoughts of giving up the hobby entirely. I'm in the position where I dare not pick up the microphone for fear of causing trouble. That's not a good place to be - I love the hobby and I really wouldn't want to be without it but I fear I may have to be an SWL if I can't sort it out. If anyone has any other suggestions, please contact me - contact details on qrz.com call sign 2E0ENN - as I'm at a loss to solve it completely.

73 for now, de 2E0ENN

Alternatively Located Ramblings

Followers of my blog will be aware of my continuing TVI problems at the home QTH. It would seem that, despite best efforts, the problem won't go away. So I have taken the decision to operate HF at an alternative location. VHF and UHF are no problem at home so I will concentrate home operations on those bands and EchoLink and DMR. I have a lock up garage a short distance away and I intend to set up my HF station there. It only takes 10 mins to get there so it should pose no problem. I have a weedy generator but it should still be able to power a PSU but I might have to work QRP so it doesn't get overloaded. This should prove interesting as the challenge will be to make QSO's with a limited antenna.

I have been having a clear out of shack ephemera and it's looking rather spartan at the moment. I'm looking at buying a mobile DMR radio to permanently install in the shack and permanently coupling that to the X50 collinear, which I replaced earlier in the year.

In typical Ham fashion in adapting to overcome the obstacles before me.

73 for now