This article describes a homebrew project in which a two-channel DC wireless receiver and transmitter are used to remotely select one of three antennas (two dipoles and a wideband vertical); switch a balun between the dipoles; and perform all this from the comfort of a ham shack. A second wireless receiver is used in a display to indicate the selected antenna.
Could I get by with fewer amenities and shrink the size, weight, and power requirements of my keyer to make it more portable when going on a mini-DXpedition? It was worth an investigation.
I certainly didn’t need another desk mic, but the prospect of building one from a $1 LED lamp and a spare mic cartridge was a project I could not pass up.
A few years ago, we brought you a story about a guy building ham radio antennas from aluminum crutches. Now, he's using cable TV coax for his dipoles.
After trying different things to troubleshoot an intermittent problem with my MicroBITX kit (multi-band, software-defined ham radio transceiver), it turned out static discharge was the answer to my problems
Keeping your batteries ready for action in your ham radio hobby is something we all have to deal with. How much does “memory effect” come into play with recharging? Does it really exist? Let’s look at some different failure modes and what might really be behind them.
Meet the SW-4U: A four-position ham radio antenna switch with PC control via a USB connection. The switch is controlled by an application program running on the PC that allows you to select any of four antennas, ground all for safety, and to power the switch on and off.
