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1500 questions
5
votes
2 answers

My Baofeng UV-5RV2+ will receive a signal with rubber duck antenna but not with a new Nagoya

I bought my self a Baofeng UV-5RV2+ as an inexpensive way to introduce myself to the world of ham radio. With all of the stock components everything has been working fine. I wanted to try to increase the radios performance so I purchased a Nagoya…
T12mack
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5
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5 answers

HF Noise Level S5 to S9+18

Since I got my HF radio a year and change ago, I've been able to hear very little except noise and the WWV time station on 10MHz. Noise seems to vary by band, but not how I'd expect: 80m: S7-S9 40m: S9+10-20 20m: S2 15m: S3 10m: S9 6m: S5 My setup…
William
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5
votes
3 answers

What are the technical reasons that there are no FM transmissions on the long, medium, or shortwave?

Why are there no frequency modulated broadcasts on the long/medium/short wave, but only on VHF? I'm sure there are many historical and political reasons (long/medium/short wave were already in use for AM when FM radio was developed, VHF still had…
JanKanis
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5
votes
2 answers

How often are we required to send our callsign?

Amateurs on the radio and online tell us we MUST ID at the start of our transmissions. A couple of hams on 75m sometimes take me to task for not saying my callsign right away. 'The FCC says so'. Is that true or not?
Mike Waters
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5
votes
3 answers

HF antenna design for high-altitude balloon

I'd like to put a WSPR or JT65-like transmitter on a high-altitude balloon, but lacking much experience with HF antennas, I don't quite know where to start. I'm thinking it will operate on 20 meters, at (obviously) low power, say 100 mW or less.…
Rodney Price
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5
votes
4 answers

Detecting signals using statistics

I have sampled a section of spectrum every few Hz. I have mean, standard deviation, and range data for every frequency sampled (and I can gather more statistics if necessary). I've sampled for several seconds before storing the spectrum…
5
votes
4 answers

When should an adapter be used to marry a coax to a connector?

A quick follow-up to What should I consider when choosing a coaxial cable? Most commercial rigs come with a PL259/SO239 connector for use with something like the RG8/RG11. In the event the diameter of the cable used is significantly smaller; say…
VU2NHW
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5
votes
3 answers

Tiger Tail + capacitive coupling... what's the interaction?

I've been working on a 2m setup for hiking. My goal is to have the best possible antenna that can be used while walking, and that won't get damaged if I walk under a low branch or some other forest obstacle. The setup so far: Off the top of a…
5
votes
2 answers

Is using a DDS chip directly a viable way to transmit 2FSK and PSK on HF?

I'm thinking of building an HF transmitter for data (AX.25 or PSK31). Rather than using an IF stage, I'm thinking of generating the RF frequencies (or phases) directly with a Direct Digital Synthesis chip. The chip I'm thinking of is the Analog…
watkipet
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5
votes
1 answer

AX.25 on macOS (aside from APRS)

I'd like to send raw AX.25 packets from a macOS PC using a KISS TNC (mobilinkd TNC2). I've sent APRS packets with this set up using Xastir, but I'd like to send other information besides just APRS (i.e. put my own information into the AX.25…
watkipet
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5
votes
1 answer

Does geology affect radio signals?

following on from an earlier question about Iron Ore affecting radio waves... are there any other geological properties that can affect radio waves? Are certain frequencies more susceptible to geology than others?
Diatu
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5
votes
1 answer

How would I go about setting up my own repeater in the UK?

How would I go about setting up my own repeater in the UK? For instance, what license category would I need, what equipment would should be looking to purchase, and do I have to register it anywhere?
berry120
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5
votes
5 answers

What type of solder is best suited for radio and electronic use?

Many types of solder are available today, such as acid-core, silver, rosin-core and aluminum solder. What kind should I use for building antennas and radio equipment? Why? From test question: T7D08
JC Hulce
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5
votes
1 answer

Why is coax the most common feedline?

Why is coaxial cable the most common feedline in use? What are the advantages/ disadvantages of coax compared to other feedline types? From test pool question: T9B03
JC Hulce
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5
votes
3 answers

Does a receiving antenna need radials?

I am very new to radio and am using two 433MHz 1/4 wavelength monopole antennas to send and receive data. On the transmitting antenna I'm going to add radials (as it is the standard in my application). However I wonder, would it help adding radials…
user5227744
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