Ham Radio Workbench Podcast

It started as a normal episode - We invited Rod Hardman VA3ON and John Jacobs W7DBO (of the Field Radio Podcast) on to talk Holiday Shopping for Hams - one of our most favorite episodes to do each year.  During this session, we showed no restraint whatsoever because we were at the 4 hour mark when we stopped recording!  While we know you generally like long episodes, we thought we’d split this one into two parts. In part 1, we cover our workbenches and radio gear (topical since Black Friday is just around the corner).  In our next episode, we will cover radio accessories and gear for the workbench. Now through the end of the year, save 25% on the 4-Port Coax Relay Switch - https://www.hamradioworkbench.com/store/p6/4-Port_Coax_Relay_Partial_Kit.html Save 10% off of a PowerFilm Solar 30 Watt Panel with Anderson Powerpole Adapter with code WORKBENCH 10 at checkout (through Dec 31, 2018) - 30 Watt Foldable Solar Panel with Anderson Powerpole Adapter Save $100 on the Digilent Analog Discovery 2 Package by using

Bernie Nazari K6NAZ has been a ham for just under two years, but has already been bitten by the building bug.  Recently he’s shared two projects in our Facebook group that combine Arduino compatible Adafruit Feather boards and 3D Printing to add to his ham radio fun.  Bernie joins us today to talk about his remote Pi-Star hot spot display and controller as well has his approach for building a remotely controlled linked dipole an>ntenna. Save 10% off of a PowerFilm Solar 30 Watt Panel with Anderson Powerpole Adapter with code WORKBENCH 10 at checkout (through Dec 31, 2018) - 30 Watt Foldable Solar Panel with Anderson Powerpole Adapter Save $100 on the Digilent Analog Discovery 2 Package by using code “HamRadioWorkbench2018” in your cart prior to checkout - https://store.digilentinc.com/ham-radio-workbench-bundle/ Our Website - http://www.hamradioworkbench.com/ Follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/hamworkbench Contact us for feedback and ideas - http://hamradioworkbench.com/contact Connect with us on Face

George KJ6VU is away at Pacificon so Nick KN6NK stops by to deep dive on Solar Power fundamentals.  We talk about understanding your power requirements, sizing your batteries, and how to factor your solar production needs.  We also talk about solar charge controllers to tie it all together. Jeremy KF7IJZ also gives a basic overview of Ubiquiti Unifi networking equipment. Save 10% off of a PowerFilm Solar 30 Watt Panel with Anderson Powerpole Adapter with code WORKBENCH 10 at checkout (through Dec 31, 2018) - 30 Watt Foldable Solar Panel with Anderson Powerpole Adapter Save $100 on the Digilent Analog Discovery 2 Package by using code “HamRadioWorkbench2018” in your cart prior to checkout - https://store.digilentinc.com/ham-radio-workbench-bundle/ Our Website - http://www.hamradioworkbench.com/ Follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/hamworkbench Contact us for feedback and ideas - http://hamradioworkbench.com/contact Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/hamradioworkbench/ BrandMeis

George KJ6VU walks us through the most common components found in a modern FM repeater.  We cover antennas, duplexers, coax, radios, controllers, and other helpful information for those who are considering taking on the project of an analog repeater build. Save 10% off of a PowerFilm Solar 30 Watt Panel with Anderson Powerpole Adapter with code WORKBENCH 10 at checkout (through Dec 31, 2018) - 30 Watt Foldable Solar Panel with Anderson Powerpole Adapter Save $100 on the Digilent Analog Discovery 2 Package by using code “HamRadioWorkbench2018” in your cart prior to checkout - https://store.digilentinc.com/ham-radio-workbench-bundle/ Our Website - http://www.hamradioworkbench.com/ Follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/hamworkbench Contact us for feedback and ideas - http://hamradioworkbench.com/contact Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/hamradioworkbench/ BrandMeister Talkgroup 31075 - https://hose.brandmeister.network/group/31075/ Case for 12V DC Power Strip from Rocket City 3d

Most of us have several devices connected to the Internet in our Ham Shacks.  A computer, a digital mode hotspot, and a Raspberry Pi are several common items one would find.  We may not give much thought to these devices because affordable commercially available equipment make it a breeze to connect devices to each other and the Internet.  But, have you ever stopped to think whether your hotspot should have network access to the computer you do your taxes on? This week Nick KN6NK and Smitty KR6ZY join us to give an introduction to basic networking topics and a primer on basic but powerful practices to secure our networks in the ham shack and beyond.   Nick KN6NK - https://twitter.com/explodinglemur?lang=en Smitty KR6ZY - https://twitter.com/smittyhalibut Our Website - http://www.hamradioworkbench.com/ Follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/hamworkbench Contact us for feedback and ideas - http://hamradioworkbench.com/contact Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/hamradioworkbench/ B

Rod Hardman VA3ON joins George for part two of the “Workbench in the Field” series.  Rod and George discuss portable radio selection and field build projects. Our Website - http://www.hamradioworkbench.com/ Follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/hamworkbench Contact us for feedback and ideas - http://hamradioworkbench.com/contact Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/hamradioworkbench/ BrandMeister Talkgroup 31075 - https://hose.brandmeister.network/group/31075/ Save $100 on the Digilent Analog Discovery 2 Package by using code “HamRadioWorkbench2018” in your cart prior to checkout - https://store.digilentinc.com/ham-radio-workbench-bundle/ PowerFilm Solar Lightsaver Max - https://www.powerfilmsolar.com/products/lightsaver/lightsaver-max-portable-solar-charger New SharkRF OpenSpot2 Wireless Announced - https://www.sharkrf.com/products/openspot2/ Hytera AR482G Handheld down to $209 at HRO - https://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-015987 DMR Registration is Changing - https://www

This week we are joined by Rob KA2PBT and Evan KD2IZW to talk about building creative solutions to post emergency or disaster communications problems. Rob is engaged with his local high-school and has been working with youth to engage them in hands-on engineering and problem-solving using amateur radio. Evan is a former student who lead a team to design and build a balloon launched cross-band repeater for search and rescue purposes. He presented this project at the 2017 Dayton Youth Forum. He shares with us the components utilized in the repeater and the processes that he went through to design and build a solution. Rob continues to work with students today and he shares with us the most recent project-a portable solar-powered digipeater meant to handle text-based traffic in remote disaster areas with no infrastructure. Along the way, Rob also shares some of his tips on how to get youth interested in amateur radio. Our Website - http://www.hamradioworkbench.com/ Follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/hamw

Dr. Jack Mandelman K1VT joins us to talk about being a Ham and living in a neighborhood with an HOA that restricts antenna installations.  We will talk about approaches and some equipment that one can use to be active on HF when living with such restrictions. We also touch on the role that transmitting and receiving magnetic loop antennas can play in getting you on the air from within an HOA restricted area. Our Website - http://www.hamradioworkbench.com/ Follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/hamworkbench Contact us for feedback and ideas - http://hamradioworkbench.com/contact Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/hamradioworkbench/ Save $100 on the Digilent Analog Discovery 2 Package by using code “HamRadioWorkbench2018” in your cart prior to checkout - https://store.digilentinc.com/ham-radio-workbench-bundle/ Field Radio Podcast Ammo Can Repeater Episode - https://fieldradiopodcast.org/FRP10.php Changes to FRS and GMRS Regulations - http://www.arrl.org/news/fcc-personal-radio-

Get geared up for field operating and setting up your field workbench with John Jacobs W7DBO from the Field Radio Podcast.  In segment 1, John outlines his method for organizing and planning your field radio adventures. In segment 2 we list essential tools, parts, and test gear you need for light weight trail ops and full scale Field Day deployments.  We wrap up the show with an introduction to the Powerfilm Lightsaver MAX portable battery and solar panel. Our Website - http://www.hamradioworkbench.com/ Follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/hamworkbench Contact us for feedback and ideas - http://hamradioworkbench.com/contact Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/hamradioworkbench/ Save $100 on the Digilent Analog Discovery 2 Package by using code “HamRadioWorkbench2018” in your cart prior to checkout - https://store.digilentinc.com/ham-radio-workbench-bundle/ Segment 1 - Plan your Event Mission First Gear Second Identify what you want to accomplish and select gear to match What i

George KJ6VU takes us through a thorough deep dive of the design of the 4-Port Coax Relay Project.  We talk about the five major sections of the project - RF circuit switching with relays, control via PIC Microcontroller, the power supply, the user interface, and serial communications.  Each section provides a reference design that could be leveraged in other projects. Pick up the 4-Port Coax Relay Project Partial Kit from our store - https://www.hamradioworkbench.com/store/p6/4-Port_Coax_Relay_Partial_Kit.html Our Website - http://www.hamradioworkbench.com/ Follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/hamworkbench Contact us for feedback and ideas - http://hamradioworkbench.com/contact Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/hamradioworkbench/ Save $100 on the Digilent Analog Discovery 2 Package by using code “HamRadioWorkbench2018” in your cart prior to checkout - https://store.digilentinc.com/ham-radio-workbench-bundle/ $130 Ham Radio Notebook? - Microcenter Winbook TW110 - http://ww

George and Jeremy spend time talking about their 2018 ARRL Field Day Experiences.  They discuss their general setups, what worked, what didn’t, and what they would do differently in 2019. Our Website - http://www.hamradioworkbench.com/ Follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/hamworkbench Contact us for feedback and ideas - http://hamradioworkbench.com/contact Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/hamradioworkbench/ Save $100 on the Digilent Analog Discovery 2 Package by using code “HamRadioWorkbench2018” in your cart prior to checkout - https://store.digilentinc.com/ham-radio-workbench-bundle/ IKEA Office/Workshop Blog Post Bekant Desk - https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S19006323/ Alex Add-On Unit - https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20260718/?query=ALEX+Add-on+unit FD Logging Thought Exercise MQTT - https://www.hivemq.com/blog/mqtt-essentials-part-1-introducing-mqtt Eclipse Mosquitto - https://mosquitto.org/ Kubernetes - https://kubernetes.io/ Kubernetes o

Jason Chonko from Siglent America is joined by Nick KN6NK to give an in-depth intorudction to spectrum analyzers.  We talk about the specs, features, and engineering that make up this handy piece of frequency-domain test equipment.  We also explore several common spectrum analyzer uses such as filter and cavity tuning as well as radio purity evaluation. Our Website - http://www.hamradioworkbench.com/ Follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/hamworkbench Contact us for feedback and ideas - http://hamradioworkbench.com/contact Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/hamradioworkbench/ Save $100 on the Digilent Analog Discovery 2 Package by using code “HamRadioWorkbench2018” in your cart prior to checkout - https://store.digilentinc.com/ham-radio-workbench-bundle/ Siglent America - https://www.siglentamerica.com/ Siglent SSA3000X Series Spectrum Analyzers - https://www.siglentamerica.com/spectrum-analyzers/ EEVBlog Interview with Eric Qin Founder and CEO of Siglent - https://www.youtube.

One final piece of content from the 2018 Hamvention.  Every year, the QRP Amateur Radio Club International hosts a QRP conference called Four Days in May that proceeds Hamvention.  The event is home to a large collection of amateurs passionate about low power operation and building their own radios. George attended the event on Thursday and was able to capture talks by Hans Summers G0UPL of QRP-Labs fame and Dr. Jack Purdum W8TEE, famous in the BITX40 community.  Hans talks about the development of his smash hit new transceiver kit, the QCX and Jack talks to us about homebrewing. Special thanks to QRP ARCI President Preston Douglas WJ2V for allowing us to record these great talks. If you would like more information about QRP ARCI or are interested in joining, please visit http://www.qrparci.org/ We have launched the all new http://www.HamRadioWorkbench.com/ !  This includes our new Online Store where you can order Ham Radio Workbench projects that are currently in production.  You can also find documentation

  Our Interview coverage from the floor of the 2018 Hamvention hosted by the Dayton Amateur Radio Association. 00:02:29 - QRP Labs - Hans Summers G0UPL 00:26:07 - Siglent America - Jason Chonko 00:37:09 - Hytera America  - Matt Lunati N7OEI 00:52:20 - Small Batch Assembly -  Bob Coggeshall KW4WQ 01:14:48 - FlexRadio Systems - Mike Walker VA3MW 01:31:04 - Open Research Institute - Michelle Thompson W5NYV 1:37:17 - TAPR - Steve Bible N7HPR 1:45:33 - LOOP Antenna - Sergio I3VHF 1:50:44 - Rigol North America - Steve Huss KC7ZVM

This week George KJ6VU and Jeremy KF7IJZ are together in Xenia, OH for the 2018 Hamvention.  This episode celebrates the two year anniversary of the Workbench concept, and we are joined by our extended family for the occasion - Mark “Smitty Halibut” Smith KR6ZY, Kenneth Finnegan W6KWF, Gerald “Powerpole the World” Wilson KF5JNU, and Brittany Mrs. IJZ sit in for this roundtable.  We discuss Hamvention impressions, spending other people’s money, and (of course) DMR this week on the Ham Radio Workbench.

Eric Swartz WA6HHQ, co-founder of Elecraft, joins us to guide our understanding of RF receiver performance specifications.  Eric introduces us to common receiver specs such as Sensitivity, Noise Floor, Dynamic Range, Intermod Dynamic Range, Phase Noise, and RMDR.  He tells us what they mean in real-world receiver performance terms, how they are tested, and whether it’s better to have a higher or lower number in each one.  It’s also the final episode before the 2018 Hamvention and George and Jeremy share our plans for our Booth, special offers, and exclusives for show listeners who stop by booth 3104 in Xenia. Show Topic Begins at 1:09:36 Our Website - http://www.hamradioworkbench.com/ Follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/hamworkbench Contact us for feedback and ideas - http://hamradioworkbench.com/contact Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/hamradioworkbench/ Hamvention DMR Hotspot - 439.3125 TG 31075 George will be giving a forum presentation - Saturday, May 19 - 2:45 Room 3

Smitty KR6ZY joins as co-host this week as George is on vacation.  Smitty will be making a road trip to Xenia, OH to attend the 2018 Hamvention for the first time.  We talk about the preparations he’s undergoing to maximize his mobile Ham Radio experience as he drives cross country.  He talks to us about operating and charging a Bioenno Battery from his car as well as a speaker level audio mixer he’s designing to mix the audio of all of his radios.  Finally, we talk about Hamvention in general - including what to expect and what to look forward to. We look forward to seeing all of you at Hamvention in booth 3104 this year! 2018 Hamvention Discussion begins at 1:43:09 Our Website - http://www.hamradioworkbench.com/ Follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/hamworkbench Contact us for feedback and ideas - http://hamradioworkbench.com/contact Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/hamradioworkbench/ Mark “Smitty Halibut” Smith - KR6ZY Twitter - https://twitter.com/smittyhalibut YouTube -

Today we bring you a BayCon 2018 presentation from David Ranch KI6ZHD on Yaesu’s contribution to the Digital Voice radio market - Yaesu System Fusion.  David gives a brief overview of the mode and then talks about the state of Yaesu System Fusion in 2018. George and Jeremy spend a long time catching up on projects, many related to Digital Mobile Radio (DMR).  George gives a brief update on the Ham Radio Workbench Build projects for the 2018 season. Yaesu System Fusion Content begins at 2:20:23 Our Website - http://www.hamradioworkbench.com/ Follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/hamworkbench Contact us for feedback and ideas - http://hamradioworkbench.com/contact Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/hamradioworkbench/ Save $100 on the Digilent Analog Discovery 2 Package by using code “HamRadioWorkbench2018” in your cart prior to checkout - https://store.digilentinc.com/ham-radio-workbench-bundle/ Slides for David’s Presentation - http://www.bay-net.org/docs/ki6zhd-fusion-baycon20

We finish the second half of our DMR Basics conversation with Kirk K6RCT.  In this episode we talk about DMR networks such as Brandmeister and cBridges.  We also discuss the various options for equipment available to hams from Motorola to the venerable Tytera MD-380.  Jeremy is also on the road from the 2018 Midwest RepRap Festival, (think Hamvention but for 3D Printing). Our Website - http://www.hamradioworkbench.com/ Follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/hamworkbench Contact us for feedback and ideas - http://hamradioworkbench.com/contact Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/hamradioworkbench/ Kirk Smith - K6RCT Twitter - https://twitter.com/k6rct DMR of Anarchy Network - http://www.dmrofanarchy.org/ Save $100 on the Digilent Analog Discovery 2 Package by using code “HamRadioWorkbench2018” in your cart prior to checkout - https://store.digilentinc.com/ham-radio-workbench-bundle/ Everything Ham Radio Podcast - http://www.everythinghamradio.com/ Midwest RepRap Festival in a nuts

To mark the launch of the BayNet Brandmeister Talk Group 31075, Kirk Smith K6RCT (Operator of the K6DOA DMR Repeater in SLO) joins us to talk Digital Mobile Radio, or DMR.  DMR is a digital radio standard developed for use in commercial radio applications.  Because of its commercial background, there are several operating and technological concepts that are unique to DMR that differ from what we are used to in other Amateur Digital Voice modes such as DSTAR and Yaesu System Fusion.  In part one of this two part series, Kirk walks us through these fundamental DMR terms and concepts. In part two, we will talk about Brandmeister, cBridges topics and radio gear. Our Website - http://www.hamradioworkbench.com/ Follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/hamworkbench Contact us for feedback and ideas - http://hamradioworkbench.com/contact Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/hamradioworkbench/ Kirk Smith - K6RCT Twitter - https://twitter.com/k6rct DMR of Anarchy Network - http://www.dmrofan