Sometimes you see something that just…you HAVE to have it. Especially if it scratches an itch regarding the interest of the week: RTTY and Teletypes. Earlier this year, I came across the Dovetron MPC-1000R(ish) Mark II and thought it looked so bad ass that I had to have it. It would add a RTTY cross display to my setup as well as maybe add some features? Anyway it came packed well, so lets dig into this thing and see what a nightm..fun time we’ll have with it.
Continue reading “Diving into the Dovetron MPC-1000R Mark II RTTY Terminal Unit”Added a “Radio” page to Junknet.net
I figured it was only appropriate that I add an actual radio page to my Junknet.net web site here. While a majority of what I put up here is in the blog area, there are times where I’d like to be able to refer to a few things from time to time and have a few “static” pages in place.
As such, “The Radio Page” is born! Not much there yet, but I can only type like 600 words a minute, give me a chance to build it out! At least it does explain how I got into radio.
Have fun and 73s!
(PS – Yes I know 73 does not have to be plural, but you can bet your a$$ I love the idea of saying “bestestest wisheses!”
Franklin Institute W3TKQ Station – 1990s to 2002
As I mentioned in a previous post, a lot of my Franklin Institute… obsession?…is related to what used to be called the “Futures Center”; a massive addition to the Franklin Institute in the early 1990s that not only added on a large portion of the building, but filled it with all things modern, like computers, virtual reality, automation, space, and so on.
Continue reading “Franklin Institute W3TKQ Station – 1990s to 2002”Franklin Institute W3TKQ Amateur Radio Station Updated in 1962 (With Sound!!)
You may recall a previous post HERE where I show an original QST card from the original W3TKQ ham radio station, located in the Franklin Institute in 1958.
Well as all things go with technology, the station needed an update after a few years, and in May 1962, Dr. Wynn Laurence LePage, W3QCV, then president of the Franklin Institute, introduced a new, updated W3TKQ station…
Continue reading “Franklin Institute W3TKQ Amateur Radio Station Updated in 1962 (With Sound!!)”WebSDR.org – Listen to radio, anywhere (on anything!)
Earlier this year I discovered (maybe re-discovered) websdr.org, a site that hosts many online SDRs, or “software defined radios”, that allow you to stream radio from nearly anywhere. Perhaps streaming is the wrong word…
Continue reading “WebSDR.org – Listen to radio, anywhere (on anything!)”Making Ham…..Radio: Amateur Radio Kits. Projects, and Ideas
To go along with a talk I’ll be giving about “Making” and Ham Radio at the Phil-Mont Mobile Radio Club’s monthly meeting, I figured I’d assemble a list of links for various kits, kit vendors, and other interesting ham radio projects that I can simply link to here. It’s possible I may update this or make it a permanent page down the road. This page is VERY link heavy so feel free to click away! Onto the good stuff…
Continue reading “Making Ham…..Radio: Amateur Radio Kits. Projects, and Ideas”Listening to the International Space Station (ISS)
While away on vacation last week, I did something that I thought initially to be a lot more difficult than it really is – I tuned in the International Space Station (ISS) and received SSTV images from it! If you didn’t know, the ISS has a ham radio onboard and transmits on the 2 meter band (145.800 specifically), and depending on the situation you may even be able to talk up to it.
Continue reading “Listening to the International Space Station (ISS)”Learning about Teletypes – Down the Rabbit Holes We Go!
With temps in the high 90s and low 100s in Philly, after picking up my Teletype ASR-32 a week ago, I’ve been sitting in the AC diving into all sorts of resources, web sites, and videos learning about them and the various technologies they either originally used or continue to use today.
Continue reading “Learning about Teletypes – Down the Rabbit Holes We Go!”Hamfest Weekend and Teletype acquired!
Did a ton of walking and shopping this weekend at two back-to-back hamfests. What’s a hamfest? Easiest answer is “an electronics flea market”. They’re called “hamfests” as they’re often hosted by ham radio clubs, and while a majority of the gear for sale is radio related, you’ll find other deals at them as well.
The first was the MARC Hamfest in Kimberton, PA. Got a few goodies there and met up with some regulars.
Next up on Sunday was the Sussex County Hamfest up in New Jersey. This one is a bit of a haul and I attend it both to support some friends, and plugs it’s a bigger event. I found a few goodies here as well.
The biggest item on the loot pile? A Teletype ASR-32! While it’s not the ASR-33 (I’d still LOVE to find one for a decent deal!), its nearly identical in appearance and I’m hoping I can use it for vintage computer fun as well as some ham radio RTTY (radio-teletype) action. As part of the deal I also got a HAL ST-6 “teletype unit”, which is a demodulator (receiver) for RTTY. You can find a picture of it here. This unit receives RTTY signals from a radio, and converts them to serial data thats transferred to a teletype via a “current loop” connection. In this case the HAL ST-6 has been modified with a AFSR board so the teletype can be used for sending RTTY as well. More importantly, it looks techy and has blinky lights. No pics yet, but some will be forthcoming as I mess around with it and get it going.
With weather forecast in the mid to hid 90s this week, I think imma stay in the AC and geek out some!
Ham Radio Field Day this Weekend (June 21-23 2019)
“Field Day” is this weekend for ham radio operators. In the radio hobby, this is a set weekend every year where ham guys set up remote operations, usually in a public place such as a park, and operate from there. The idea is so that the public can see how they operate, ask questions, and even try it out without needing to buy gear or even get a radio license.
While anyone can participate, radio clubs usually do it as a group effort, where they pick a location, set up tents/generators/antennas/etc and have multiple radios going. In addition, clubs often designate “cooks” to grill up some food while they’re busy playing radio, and eating good is just as important as getting contacts.
If you see a group, and/or are curious about amateur radio, feel free to approach them and ask questions – thats the idea of this after all! Not only can you ask questions, but most hams/clubs will have a “Get On The Air (GOTA)” station set up for visitors to try out. Also note theres no age limits as well.
Fridays are usually the start of setup, with setup usually finalized by Saturday morning. The official “contest” (who can make the most field day contacts) starts at 2pm Saturday and goes for 24 hours until 2pm Sunday. By then things are usually winding down and the stations are being packed up, so your best bet is Saturday afternoon, or earlier if you can lend a hand setting up.
If you’re interested but not sure where to find a field day setup, use this locator page to find some near you: http://www.arrl.org/field-day-locator
Last but not least, this page offers a more detailed explanation of field day and what it entails: http://www.arrl.org/field-day
Have fun and 73!