Our Portable Satellite Station antenna system uses a pair of Advanced Receiver Research Remote preamplifiers at the antennas to boost weak signals. These preamps have RF sensing and switching to protect…
PTT Router Front Panel
Our Portable Satellite Station 3.0 is coming together and has been tested thanks to help from several NARS members. Part of the project is to improve the sequencing system which manages antenna mounted preamplifiers. These improvements involved the design and construction of a simple Push To Talk (PTT) router. The article above explains the design, construction, and integration of this PTT Routing devices. It was a great homebrew addition to our Portable Satellite Station setup.
We have started our HAB-3 program and we are working with 4 schools who will be part of the launch. Two of the schools, Bishop Guertin High School and Merrimack High School have been through the preparation sessions before. To expand their involvement with STEM activities, the Nashua Area Radio Society has hosted kits builds at both schools.
Fred, AB1OC Elmers the BGHS Kit Builders
The first kit build was held earlier this month with 6 students from Bishop Guertin High School. They built the 40 meter Pixie Kit QRP radio, the same one the NARS built a year or so ago.
Pixie Kit
The students did a great job once they learned to solder and enjoyed the kit build.
Bishop Guertin Students Build the Pixie Kit
The students are also learning morse code and there will be a morse competition in future sessions at both schools, using the Pixie kits built by the students.
Merrimack High School Students build the Pixie kit
Last Friday, 5 club members were Elmers to 18 students at Merrimack High School, who also built the PIXIE kit. Thanks to Bill, AB1AV, Niece, KA1ULN, Mike, K1WVO, Jamey, AC1DC , Tom, AB1NS, and Fred, AB1OC for helping the kids to have a successful kit build.
Merrimack High School Students Building the Pixie Kit
All of the teachers and students had a great time and learned a lot during the kit build. They are looking forward to the morse code competition.
We installed a 75m loop for SSB operation on our tower when we built it. The loop is full size and is diamond shaped so that our lower SteppIR DB36 yagi can rotate inside of it. The loop is fed at the bottom corner about 20 ft up from the ground. It works great for SSB operation on 75m but we have often wished we could use it across the entire 80m band. This goal led to a project to create a matching system for the antenna. The idea was to use a set of loading coils in series at the feed point create a good match in all segments of the 80m band…
We shared this project at our project night meeting in January. I recently published an article explaining the design and construction of an 80m Broadband Matching System. The ideas used can be applied to many other matching system arrangements for many different types of low-band antennas.
Radio Amateurs Developing Skills Worldwide
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