VHF Performance improvements

Well, the first sign of improvement on the new VHF setup came tonight.  I can now hear and exchange Digital signals on 146.500 with both Tom and Dave.   I have had success in the past doing digital simplex with Dave, but before tonight, I have not been able to send or hear Tom.   Success came tonight.  Could send and receive pretty well.

With Dave I could hear his signal as low as 10 watts.  He is 10.1 miles according to QRZ.  This is not bad in my opinion.

Voice with Tom is still a challenge. He is 9.9 miles according to QRZ.  I could hear him.  Not strong, but very clear.  He could not hear me.  Funny thing is I was putting out 50 watts and he was sending 5.   So the antenna at least is pretty sensitive.  Will have to check everything again to make sure I am not missing something on the transmit.

 It not do well with Richard who is across town from me (13.9 miles).  I could barely hear him above the static floor and he could not hear me at all.   Will have to continue to look into this.

Overall, some good improvement.

VHF Permanent Installation

The JT1B antenna found its permanent home.  A 4x4 3 feet in the ground with 100lbs of concrete around the base.  Rises 7 feet in the air.  Attached to this base is 2 - 10 foot top rail fence segments getting the bottom of the antenna up to 20 feet.  So the bottom is at 20' and the top is at 36'.  Hopefully this will get it high enough for good simplex communications and out of the RF shadow being caused by the house.

It connects back to the house with 100' of LMR-400 cable.  Tests indicate the SWR at < 1.1:1  .

LED Light Noise confirmed

I replaced the suspect LED light in my earlier posting that I thought was causing all of the RFI in the 2m band.  Replaced it and when the light switch was turned on, no noise.  Confirmed. Noisy LED light.   Here is a picture of the offender:

A Home Depot Ecosmart lightbulb. The earlier posting http://kk4sih.blogspot.com/2013/12/led-light-noise.html  has the details.   Now the question is it just this individual light, or is it a design issue.   I probably won't bother trying to figure it out.  I installed another Phillips brand LED light and it was quiet on 2m.

Using a signalink

I got my Christmas present early.   I have been using custom cables and direct connections between my Macintosh and my Kenwood V71 VHF transceiver.    It has been working pretty well with no complaints.  Only issue I have had is several people have asked me to help with their Signalink and I really have not had access to one.  So for Christmas, I decided to buy one.

So how did I set it up?

As far as connections I used the DIN-6 Connector on the back.
Wired it per the instructions but used the 9600 baud option

Setting up FLDIGI I set the following:
   Use "USB Audio CODEC" under Audio Devices menu
   Rig Control - Hardware PTT
         check "PTT tone on right Audio Channel"

Turned off SYSOP mode on the Radio.
          Interesting I had to have this on with the custom cables.  I will have to re-look at this using
          the cable method.

And it worked.

This is about the same I have been doing when I have been working with others trying to get theirs set up.

The real question is does it work better or not.  I have not been having any problems with the other setup so this will be hard to tell, but we will see over time.

Boafeng UV5R Digital Mode Cable

My friend Tom (AK4HN) has created a how to build a Baofeng UV5R Digital Mode Cable assembly guide.  A great How To on building a cable to interface your computer sound card to your Boafeng HT. I am attaching it to help those that want to set this up.  It works real well.

The link to the file is:
                     Baofeng UV5R digital mode cable.pdf

moved the antenna again

I moved the VHF antenna again.   Why do you ask.   I had problems last week on the digital net hearing everyone.  Even those I have heard before.  My thought was that I have the antenna in the RF shadow of the house from the west. AKA - the house is blocking signets to/from the west.

So what I did was to move the antenna slightly north and maybe 30 feet away from the house.   It helped tremendously at least to the folks I was trying to talk to.

So long term,  I think I am going to permanently mount it where it is now as opposed to the ladder mount I am currently using.   Will probably try and raise it form 10' to 20' as well.  I am concerned about it then being even with the tree canopy but we will see how well that goes.   Will probably take another couple of weeks.

New VHF Antenna

I installed a new VHF antenna this weekend.  Still up in a temporary stand,  but I am now using it.

My major problem is that I feel deaf.  People say they can hear me fine, but I just can't hear them.  So though was to try a larger antenna.  Mounted it on a 10' long piece of chain link fence top rail.  So the bottom of the antenna is at 10' and the top at 26'.

This is a Jetstream JTB1B.   It is a collinear antenna   3x5/8 on 2m and 8x5/8 on 70cm.  It is about 16 feet long.   Gain is claimed to be 8.3db on 2m an 11.7db on 70cm.   Testing it with a SWR meter, it is showing 1.2:1 or better at 50watts on 146.520mhz .  Can't beat that.

So how does it compare to the TRAM 1480 8 foot long antenna I have been using.

My current method is watching the built in meter on the radio on the NWS stations in the area.  Not quite 2m, but the only thing close to a beacon I can think of.
So  the results are using same cables, tests within 15min of each other:

Station   Freq     Tram   Jetstream
1         162.550     2         4-6
2         162.500     9+        9+
3         162.475     4          9
4         162.425     4          6-8
5         162.450     0          2
6         162.500     4-6       6-8
7         162.525     6-8       6-8


So what does it look like:

So compared to the Tram 1480 the antenna is twice as long.  Mounted at 10' as opposed to 16'  and is pulling in way more signal.  This seems to be an improvement.   Will run this setup for a week and if it continues to work well, will mount it permanently.

Still more VHF trial and error

I am still trying to get the most out of my VHF antenna.

I am trying to see what I can hear to get the best position for the antenna.  The problem is that the lot is heavily wooded.   I think I am hearing things pretty well, but I am still trying to improve.  I have noticed there is an optimal height.   I thought it was higher is better, but with the trees around and above my antenna site, Too high starts loosing signal as much as too low.  I figure it is problems with the vegetation absorbing the signal.

So how am I testing this.  Listing in to the NOAA weather stations nd making a judgement, better or worse.   So with the placement tonight.  Pole is raised about 16 feet.  Pulled as far from the house to the east as I can.  

Signal strengths:

162.550  -  9+ and clear

162.400  -  9+ and clear

162.475  - 9 and clear

162.425 - 5 and small scratch

162.450 - 9 and small scratch

162.500 - 9+ and clear

162.525 - 9 and clear

LED Light noise

I have been having problems hearing weak stations on VHF.  From my earlier posts, you can see I have been trying different antenna locations and setups but am still having problems.  Someone asked me if I had a lot of local noise.  I did not think so, but I figured I would look tonight.

First I tried to find a faint station to tune in to on the VHF radio.  I found a NOAA station that was pretty weak and noisy and started to eliminate sources.   The antenna was close to some lights on the outside of the house and I turned them off and on without making any difference.  Then I tried turning off and on the front porch light.  It was too far away I thought, but the switch was there so why not.  Turned it off and the station came in strong and clear.  turned it on and it died out again.

I found it (or at least one it).

Funny thing is that this lightbulb is 50 feet from the antenna.  20 feet from the radio.  DId not think that the interference would go that far.    I was able to listen in to the Wewahitchka repeater, 81 miles away (not sure of the height).  Much better than than it had been.

OK for the bulb.  It was an EcoSmart bulb from Home Depot.  I went heavily into LED lights a year or so ago replacing many of the most used lights with Phillips brand lights.  I purchased several other brands when trying to figure out which ones to use before I settled on Phillips.

The Home Depot EcoSmart bulb that is causing me problems was one of those test bulbs that had a bad color in the house so I put it outside where it would not matter too much.  I guess is is time to re-evaluate.

So to shorten this up some:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Philips-60W-Equivalent-Bright-White-3000K-A19-LED-Light-Bulb-420240/203248902#.Up_dWaWSPDM  = GOOD  - works fine with no perceived noise.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/EcoSmart-40W-Equivalent-Daylight-5000K-A19-LED-Light-Bulb-4-Pack-ECS-A19-CW-V1-120/204627114#.Up_d_aWSPDM   =BAD - Noisy on 2m radio

FLDIGI/MT63 and a phone

Don't have a radio and still want to send a digital message.  Got a traditional telephone (or in my test case a VoIP telephone not compressing the voice, aka: G.711).    Send the message using the built in speaker and microphone using MT63-2000l.   Worked fine.   Should have, but I did the test and it worked.

FLDIGI Testing

I have been playing with FLDIGI and one of the problems is finding someone to exchange traffic with. I have a fix for that I have been using.   If you have an iPhone, use the built in Voice Memo application and record some digital traffic.

Set the output to go to the built-in speakers and send a message while recording it with the app.   I have been using  MT63-2000L since it is tolerant of background noise.  Set the input device in FLDIGI to the built in speaker and play it back.    What I sent shows back up on the screen.

I have done this with FLMSG and the other programs in the suite to debug and get more practice.  Works well for me.

One caveat.  This does not work with the higher speed PSK protocols.  It worked with PSK31 but started to take errors with PSK125 and did not work at all with PSK250 and above.  Since I know it works with MT63 that is what I have mostly been playing with.

My current VHF antenna

I currently have my VHF/UHF antenna located in the house.  It is the antenna my Kenwood TMV-71 uses.   It is mounted at about 7 feet on top of a bookcase.  I improved the ground plane by mounting it on a 3x3 foot piece of steel from home depot.

This gives an idea of exactly how challenged it is.   In saying that, it works great against all of the repeaters in the area.  I have no complaints and would not hesitate to recommend it to others.

Working simplex on the other hand just does not work. I am located with a little bit of terrain around me being on the side of a hill.  I do not think that it is the antenna, but just the placement at 7 feet.

The antenna is a Comet CA-2x4SR.  It works real well mounted to the truck.   The description from the vendor is:
Description: CA-2x4SR VHF/UHF Dual Band Antenna 1.5:1 or less SWR: 140-160/435-465MHz Gain: 3.8/6.2dBi Max Power: 150 watts Length: 40 inches Connector: PL-259 Fold-over hinge included 

The other antenna up there is an old pair of rabbit ears from a TV I have been using on a SDR project.

Information for a new Ham

This is some information for someone who is starting out wanting to do Ham radio as a hobby.  It is a collection of stuff I stumbled on as I was trying to get up to speed.  Remember I have only been doing this since June, but it is a good start.


The Guide I used to study for the radio license test:  The Tech and General License study guides  are free,
   the extra license guide is $8.00 -  
   No nonsense study guide:  http://www.kb6nu.com/tech-manual/

A site that has information on the $35.00 Baofeng radio (UV-5R) : 
      http://www.miklor.com/uv5r/

Where to buy the Baofeng Radio:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=baofeng+uv5r
        I would buy with the programming cable and hand mike

Programming Software for the Baofeng Radio and others (freeware) 
      Chirp - http://chirp.danplanet.com/projects/chirp/wiki/Home

There are other radios out there for more money (and worth it) - 
     Wouxun  -  nicer/ more solid but around $100
      Some of the Kenwood/ICOM/Yaesu HT radios can be had starting at $150-$$$

Places to buy stuff:
   Gigaparts - http://www.gigaparts.com
   universial radio  -  http://www.universal-radio.com
   HRO - http://www.hamradio.com
   AES - http://www.aesham.com
   cheap ham  - http://www.cheapham.com
   main trading - http://www.mtcradio.com


How to build your own VHF antenna:  http://www.hamuniverse.com/2meter300ohmslimjim.html
If you want to just buy one:  http://www.2wayelectronix.com/Dual-band-2m-70cm-Slim-Jim-Antenna-dual-slim.htm

The best ham forum site I have found
   http://www.eham.net

Leon County ARES -  The ham emergency folks: 
   http://www.leoncountyares.org/index.php/Leon_County_ARES_Overview

Fldigi -  Digital modes for ham radio -  Freeware 
   http://www.w1hkj.com/beginners.html

Digital modes and speeds

Just for a reference on how fast digital modes can transfer data.  Includes Baud rate, bandwidth and other data.   I do not want to take credit.  I found this on the internet at:
http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/22895450/.../name/mode_table-EXP04.pdf‎     Please refer to that document if there are any questions or look up the protocols on wikipedia

Mode	Baud	WPM	Duty Cycle	BW (Hz)	Modulation	S/N	ITU	RSID-1	RSID-2
PSK31	31.25	50	80.00%	31	1-PSK		31HG1B	1
PSK63	62.5	100	80.00%	63	1-PSK		63HG1B	2
PSK63FEC	62.5	55	80.00%	63	1-PSK		63HG1B	22
PSK63RC4	63	220	80.00%	330	4-PSK4		330HG1BC	263	1
PSK63RC5	63	275	80.00%	416	5-PSKR		416HG1BC	263	2
PSK63RC10	63	550	80.00%	850	10-PSKR		850HG1BC	263	3
PSK63RC20	63	1100	80.00%	1725	20-PSKR		1725HG1BC	263	4
PSK63RC32	63	1760	80.00%	2775	32-PSKR		2775HG1BC	263	5
PSK125	125	200	80.00%	125	1-PSK		250HG1B	4
PSK125R	125	110	80.00%	125	1-PSKR		250HG1B	183
PSK125RC4	125	352	80.00%	650	3-PSKR		650HG1B	10
PSK125RC5	125	440	80.00%	825	4-PSKR		700HG1BC	11
PSK125RC10	125	1100	80.00%	1700	10-PSKR		1700HG1BC	12
PSK125RC16	125	1760	80.00%	2750	16-PSKR		2750HG1BC	13
PSK250	250	400	80.00%	250	1-PSK		500HG1B	126
PSK250R	250	220	80.00%	250	1-PSKR		500HG1B	186
PSK250C6	250	2400	80.00%	2000	6-PSK		2000HG1B	263	63
PSK250RC2	250	440	80.00%	600	2-PSKR		600HG1BC	263	20
PSK250RC3	250	660	80.00%	950	3-PSKR		950HG1BC	263	21
PSK250RC5	250	1100	80.00%	1650	5-PSKR		1760HG1BC	263	22
PSK250RC6	250	1320	80.00%	2000	6-PSKR		2000HG1BC	263	65
PSK250RC7	250	1540	80.00%	2350	7-PSKR		2350HG1BC	263	23
PSK500	500	800	80.00%	500	1-PSK		500HG1B	173
PSK500C2	500	1600	80.00%	1200	2-PSK		1200HG1B	263	27
PSK500C4	500	3200	80.00%	2600	4-PSK		2600HG1B	263	28
PSK500R	500	440	80.00%	500	1-PSKR		500-HG1BC	187
PSK500RC2	500	880	80.00%	1400	2-PSKR		1400HG1BC	263	24
PSK500RC3	500	1320	80.00%	1900	3-PSKR		1900HG1BC	263	25
PSK500RC4	500	1760	80.00%	2600	4-PSKR		2600HG1BC	263	26
PSK800C2	800	2300	80.00%	1400	2-PSK		2300HGB1	263	57
PSK800RC2	800	1280	80.00%	1400	2-PSKR		800HGB1C	263	54
PSK1000	1000	1600	80.00%	1800	1-PSK		1800HG1B	263	50
PSK1000R	1000	880	80.00%	1800	1-PSKR		1800HG1B	263	51
PSK1000C2	1000	3200	80.00%	3600	2-PSK		3600HG1BC	263	52
PSK1000RC2	1000	1760	80.00%	3600	2-PSKR		3600HG1BC	263	53
QPSK31	31.25	50	80.00%	31	1-QPSK		31H0G1B	110
QPSK63	62.5	100	80.00%	63	1-QPSK		63HG1B	3
QPSK125	125	200	80.00%	125	1-PQSK		125HG1B	5
QPSK250	250	400	80.00%	250	1-PQSK		250HG1B	127
QPSK500	500	800	80.00%	500	1-PQSK		500HG1B
CW20	10	20	44.00%	50	MCW		50H0A1A
CW40	20	40	44.00%	100	MCW		100HA1A
CW100	50	100	44.00%	200	MCW		200HA1B	6
CONTESTIA-4-250	62.5	40	100.00%	250	4-FSK	-10dB	250HF1B	55
CONTSTIA-8-250	31.25	30	100.00%	250	8-FSK	-13dB	250HF1B	49
CONTESTIA-4-500	125	78	100.00%	500	4-FSK	-8dB	500HF1B	54
CONTESTIA-8-500	62.5	60	100.00%	500	8-FSK	-10dB	500HF1B	52
CONTESTIA-16-500	31.25	30	100.00%	500	16-FSK	-12dB	500HF1B	50
CONTESTIA-8-1000	125	117	100.00%	1000	8-FSK	-5dB	1K00F1B	117
CONTESTIA-16-1000	62.5	78	100.00%	1000	16-FSK	-9dB	1K00F1B	53
CONTESTIA-32-1000	31.25	48	100.00%	1000	32-FSK	-12dB	1K00F1B	51
DominoEX4	3.9	29	100.00%	173			173HF1B	84
DominoEX5	5.4	44	100.00%	244			244HF1B	85
DominoEX8	7.8	58	100.00%	346			346HF1B	86
DominoEX11	10.8	80	100.00%	262			262HF1B	87
DominoEX16	15.6	115	100.00%	355			355HF1B	88
DominoEX22	21.5	160	100.00%	524			524HF1B	90
DominoEX44	43	312	100.00%	1600			1600HF1B	263	45
DominoEX88	86	614	100.00%	1600			1600HF1B	263	46
MFSK4	3.9	18	100.00%	154	32-FSK		154HF1B
MFSK8	7.8	36	100.00%	316	32-FSK		316HF1B	60
MFSK11	10.8	40	100.00%	218	16-FSK		218HF1B	148
MFSK16	15.6	58	100.00%	316	16-FSK		316HF1B	57
MFSK22	21.5	80	100.00%	435	16-FSK		435HF1B	152
MFSK31	31.3	55	100.00%	330	8-FSK		330HF1B
MFSK32	31.3	120	100.00%	630	16-FSK		630HF1B	147
MFSK64	63	240	100.00%	1260	16-FSK		1260HF1B	263	30
MFSK128	125	480	100.00%	1920			1920HF1B	263	31
MT63-500	5	50	80.00%	500	64 x 2-PSK		500HJ2DEN	9
MT63-1000	10	100	80.00%	1000	64 x 2-PSK		1K00J2DEN	12
MT63-2000	20	200	80.00%	2000	64 x 2-PSK		2K00J2DEN	15
OLIVIA-4-250	63	20	100.00%	250	4-FSK	-12dB	250HF1B	75
OLIVIA-8-250	31	15	100.00%	250	8-FSK	-14dB	250HF1B	69
OLIVIA-4-500	125	40	100.00%	500	4-FSK	-10dB	500HF1B	74
OLIVIA-8-500	63	30	100.00%	500	8-FSK	-11dB	500HF1B	72
OLIVIA-16-500	31	20	100.00%	500	16-FSK	-13dB	500HF1B	70
OLIVIA-8-1000	125	58	100.00%	1000	8-FSK	-7dB	1K00F1B	116
OLIVIA-16-1000	63	40	100.00%	1000	16-FSK	-10dB	1K00F1B	73
OLIVIA-32-1000	31	24	100.00%	1000	32-FSK	-12dB	1K00F1B	71
RTTY 45 5	45	60	100.00%	270			270HF1B	39
RTTY 50	50	66	100.00%	270			270HF1B	40
RTTY 75	75	100	100.00%	370			370HF1B	41
THOR4	3.9	14	100.00%	173			173HF1B	136
THOR5	5.4	22	100.00%	244			244HF1B	139
THOR8	7.8	28	100.00%	346			346HF1B	137
THOR11	10.8	40	100.00%	262			262HF1B	143
THOR16	15.6	58	100.00%	355			355HF1B	138
THOR22	21.5	78	100.00%	524			524HF1B	145
THOR25X4	24.3	88	100.00%	1800			1800HF1B	263	40
THOR50X1	48.6	176	100.00%	900			900HF1B	263	41
THOR50X2	48.5	176	100.00%	1800			1800HF1B	263	42
THOR100	97	352	100.00%	1800			1800HF1B	263	43
THROB1	1	10	80.00%	72			72H0F1B	43
THROB2	2	20	80.00%	72			72H0F1B	44
THROB4	4	30	80.00%	144			144HF1B	45
THROBX1	1	10	80.00%	94			94H0F1B	46
THROBX2	2	20	80.00%	94			94H0F1B	47
THROBX4	4	40	80.00%	188			188HF1B	146

Connecting Baofeng HT to my Macintosh

Setup that works from the a Macintosh but should work on a PC as well.   Might not be the prettiest setup, but it works.

On the Macintosh I plugged in a USB to Audio in/out dongle to break out the audio Send and Receive  (Headphone and Microphone ports)

The Baofeng HT uses a Kenwood style spkr/mic 2 pin plug .

I connected them together as follows:
MIC  port                  -   Shielded Cable  - 3.5mm to 2.5mm adapter   - radio
HEADPHONE  port -   Shielded Cable  - Ground Loop Isolater   -   radio

Without the Ground Loop isolator (which is just an isolation transformer) every time I would try and transmit I would get all sorts of noise and nothing would work.  Breaking the ground loop fixed it.

Parts:
Ground loop isolator was from amazon - PAC Ground loop isolator for 3.5mm applications  $12.29
3.5mm shielded cables from Junk Box
3.5mm female to 2.5mm male adapter (mono)   - Radio Shack

Now that they were together, the question was how to key the mic.  So I turned on the VOX in the radio.   It seems to have a 1/4 to 1/2 second delay, but not too bad.

Baofeng was set up set up where VOX=2

I set this up and it worked both transmit and receive.  No problems.

In the next version I would probably put a ground loop isolator on both wires.  In talking it over with a more knowledgable friend he suggested I could also have a loop if the devices were connected to the same power supply and that would just eliminate all possibilities.

The other concern I have is how well the HT will work with the amount of transmitting digital transmissions usually do.  After playing for 5-10 min I noticed when I finished, the base of the antenna was warm.  I was not transmitting all of the time, but it just surprised me it was warm.  Not going to scare me off since I will try it with an external antenna next time and see if that helps.  It might just be the poor antenna that comes with the HT.

Kenwood TS-590 settings with FLDIGI

Connect Radio to PC using USB cable
        once you have the device drivers loaded on your PC/MAC you are set.

FLDIGI Settings

        Audio -> Devices   =  USB Audio CODEC  (capture and playback)
Audio -> Right Channel = Reverse Left/Right channels checked on
Rig->RigCAT  = Use RigCAT
= Rig descripton file = TS-590S.xml
= Device = cu.SLAB_USBtoUART
= Baud rate = 57600
= RTS/CTS Flow Control
= CAT command for PTT
= DTR +12v

Kenwood TM-V71 Setup with FLDIGI

   

How I get my Kenwood TM-V71 VHF/UHF radio to work with FLDIGI

One time settings on radio:
Need both Serial and Packet Cables 
         Pink Audio Cable to PC MIC input 
         Green Audio Cable to PC Headphone input 
               ****  Pull Pink cable out until you see static on waterfall display  
                     or get mono-F to stereo-M adapter     *****    
   PR1 Setting in Kenwood setup program to 7+ 
   9600 Baud 
   Channel A or B does not seem to matter

Make sure Radio is put into EchoLink Sysop mode -  PowerOn+PF2 
    
FLDIGI Settings:
Audio->Devices =C-Media USB Audio Device (Capture and Playback) 
   Audio->Right Channel = Uncheck All 
   Rig->RigCAT = uncheck use RigCAT 
   Rig->Hardware PTT =  Use separate serial port  PTT  
                                     = Device = /dev/cu.usbserial  
                                     = Use RTS  
                                     = Use DTR

Temporary VHF Antenna

I put up a temporary VHF antenna to help with connecting to the Sunday Night Digital Net.  We have been sticking to HF communications for this, but now we are spreading our wings to include VHF.  We are running a simplex VHF communications digital net around Tallahassee and I am pretty sure my normal VHF antenna will not cut it.  I guess I did not mention that the normal VHF antenna is inside the house on top of my bookshelf.  Maybe at 8 feet.

Well a while back I purchased a TRAM 1480 collinear antenna.  Was on sale for $40.00 dollars so why not.  

• It is 8 feet tall
• Gain is 6db on 2m and 8db on 440
• 5/8 wave 2 element 2m and 5/8 wave 4 element 70cm

The photo is it mounted on my painters pole supported by the ladder.  The base is 16 feet in the air making the top 24 feet in the air.  

I was able to talk across town (13.8 miles) to a friend with an antenna mounted at 30feet, so I will claim it was a success.  I will be putting it up and taking it down for the next several weeks until I can get a good permanent mount for it, but It did work pretty well.

Blog Start

This Blog is a way to share information on my new hobby.  Ham Radio.  Maybe by sharing, some others can save a few steps that I am figuring out.