Alex Discovers Amateur Radio

19 QUIZ ANSWERS: If you connect a computer to your rig there are programs like Fldigi that can generate and read Morse, as well as more recent data formats like PSK31 that will work even with very weak signals. Another data mode that has been around a very long time and is still heard on the bands is RTTY. You don’t even have to have your own rig . Once you have a licence you can use Amateur Radio VOIP like EchoLink . That’s right .…there’s even an echolink app to use smartphones like walkie-talkies to transmit worldwide via echolink. Another interesting system is APRS. It uses GPS technology to transmit your location, speed, and direction. So you can talk to other countries on your hand held! EchoLink is also connected to some UK repeaters so you can use EchoLink through them. You can buy rigs with APRS built in or use a Terminal Node Controller (TNC) between your PC and an inexpensive transceiver. The TNC converts the output from your PC into small data "packets" and sends them as audio to your transceiver. On receive, the reverse happens. APRS stands for Automatic Packet Reporting System - it’s not just automatic position reporting. (See www.aprs.fi) VOIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. This information can then be displayed on Google Earth including Street View. EchoLink is a well established system and is free to join. You email them a copy of your licence, download the free software and in no time at all you can be talking to Radio Amateurs all over the world. This is like Skype but there are transmitters connected to echolink so you can be sat at your computer talking through a transmitter to someone on their home radio, mobile, or portable, on the other side of the world. More recent systems are available that combine Amateur Radio and the internet. D-STAR (Digital Smart Technology for Amateur Radio) is an exciting new form of Amateur Radio that compliments other parts of the hobby. It utilises digital communication and the Internet, with optional GPS. As well as direct radio to radio contacts, it allows communications worldwide through special D-STAR repeaters. Amateur Television has been around for a long time and is easier than ever now using free computer programs to generate, decode, and display the signals. The simplest is Slow Scan TV which sends still TV pictures a bit like a fax machine. Using Computers EXPERIMENTING Designing a computer interface or complete radio, building from kits, experimenting with Raspberry Pi, are very satisfying and rewarding aspects of the hobby. You can also keep costs down. Software Defined Radio allows cutting edge development and experimental work without all the problems of continually modifying and re-building hardware. M6SIP Amy M0NBJ Neil G8WHR Alec