Category Archives: Featured

This category is for featured articles that we want to include in the sidebars and other areas on our website.

Baofeng/Pofung Radios: A Review For The New Ham

Baofeng UV-5R
Baofeng UV-5R

You may have run across the names Baofeng/Pofung here and there. They are a Chinese manufacturer of two-way radio equipment. What makes these radios attractive to the new ham is their low cost. If you look carefully on Amazon, you can buy a UV-5R+ dual band HT for around $40. Add a programming cable for $10, pair that with the free, open source programming software called CHIRP and you’ve got a very capable portable station.

The UV-5R+ covers 136-174 / 400-512 MHz (transmit and receive) with two power levels, 1- and 5-Watts. They also feature a dual-watch function, DCS/CTCSS encode/decode, DTMF keypad, VOX, and a handy LED flashlight. The front mounted speaker provides 1 Watt of clear audio. The audio and reception reports I’ve received were excellent. There is a two-pin, Kenwood compatible socket on the side of the radio for an optional speaker mike. An earphone-microphone is included.

One drawback to these radios is the fact that programming them manually is a bit of a challenge. However, with some practice, it is possible to program the radio without the aid of a computer. There are many YouTube videos on programming. It’s usually a good idea to learn how to program any radio in the field because your laptop/desktop computer may not be available to you in an emergency situation.

So you’ve got your new radio, you’ve charged the battery, turned it on, was greeted by the cheery voice telling you that you were in the frequency mode (yes, the radio will talk to you in English or Chinese)…now what? The first thing you should do is get CHIRP installed and running on your PC. Next, download the virgin configuration from the radio and save it to a file on your computer. That way you’ll be able to revert the radio to its factory fresh state in case you accidentally mess things up. More about CHIRP in another article.

One accessory you might want to consider is an antenna. The stock rubber antenna isn’t very good because of mismatching. You’ll find that most users recommend Nagoya antennas. These seem to be well made Taiwanese antennas that are much better than the one that came with the radio. Unfortunately, there is a rash of counterfeit Nagoyas out there so be careful. I have had good luck with the MFJ-1717S dual-band antenna. Just remember to get an antenna with a female SMA connector.

Another nuisance I’ve found is the retaining nut for the antenna connector on the radio coming loose after a couple of days use. The simple fix for this is to remove the nut and apply a small amount of thread locking compound to the threads. Tighten the nut well and that’s it. Just make sure that the thread locker is removable because there will come a time when you have to take the radio apart for servicing. I recommend Loctite Blue.

I’ve had my UV-5R+ for two years and it just runs. Last year I bought a BF-F9+V2 which is the tri-power version of the 5R+ (1/5/8 Watts). These low cost, easy to use radios will make a welcome addition to any emergency Go Box.

Bill, KA1SSR

The Colossus of Radio

Colossus of Radio
The rear of the Crosley Super-Power set. Everything that could be was chromium-plated.

Crosley Radio Corporation’s 1936 “WLW Model  Super-Power Radio Receiver”Front of Crosley Radio Corporation’s WLW Model Super-Power radio receiver. Features included multiple tuning, volume, fidelity, and tone controls, as well as a public address system.In 1935, the Zenith Radio Corporation produced a stunning radio receiver called the Stratosphere model 1000Z. The set used 25 tubes and three loudspeakers —  more than any other radio to date. An amazing (for the time) 50 watts drove its three speakers — one 6 inch dynamic high-frequency and two 12 inch dynamic low-frequency speakers.

Check this article out. Found by Ralph Keyslay, N1UH. Ralph suggests that we might want to include this article in a future newsletter. Looks like a great QRP rig!

Source: The Colossus of Radio – Nuts & Volts Magazine – For The Electronics Hobbyist

Inexpensive DIY Digital Oscilloscope Kit

I came across a DSO138 DIY Digital Oscilloscope Kit (SMD Soldered Version) on the Internet recently that looked like a fun project for the kids and me to work on together.  The price didn’t seem bad at $24 w/free shipping.  I ordered the optional clear acrylic case to go with it for another $7.50 more.

Basic specs (from the supplier site):

  • Maximum real-time sampling rate: 1Msps
  • Accuracy: 12Bit
  • Sampling buffer depth: 1024 bytes
  • Analog bandwidth: 0 – 200KHz
  • Vertical Sensitivity: 10mV / Div – 5V / Div (1-2-5 progressive manner)
  • Adjustable vertical displacement, and with instructions
  • Input impedance: 1MΩ
  • Maximum input voltage: 50Vpp (1: 1 probe), 400Vpp (10: 1 probe)
  • Coupling modes: DC / AC / GND
  • The horizontal time base range: 10μs / Div – 50s / Div (1-2-5 progressive manner)
  • With automatic, regular and one-shot mode, easy to capture the moment waveform
  • Available rising or falling-edge trigger
  • Adjustable trigger level position, and with instructions
  • Observable previous trigger waveform (negative delay)
  • Can freeze at any time waveform display (HOLD function)
  • Comes with a 1Hz /3.3V square wave test signal source

It came in the mail this weekend.  In the box was the case kit, bag of parts, main board, display board, test cable, assembly checklist, and a basic how to use guide:

Oscilloscope Kit

Oscilloscope Kit Oscilloscope Kit

Oscilloscope Kit Oscilloscope Kit

Oscilloscope Kit Oscilloscope Kit

Oscilloscope Kit Oscilloscope Kit

I plan to post updates on the build experience with photos along the way.  Stay tuned!

Wayne,  AG1A

 

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