It's amazing!

Oh no!

I have more oscilloscopes.

Well,

I've been critical of my IC-7610 and the lack of audio spectrum display centred around the CW pitch frequency - the Kenwood 890 has it.

I recently came accross a design in Practical Electronics for a simple audio spectrum analyser and decided to build one as an experiment. The DSP chip cost less than 3 GBP.

I wonder why Icom can't do this?

Well,

I've had a few folk contact me directly recently asking about rig control using macros and CAT commands.

I did a quick video to demonstrate the concept with Logger32 and then Ham Radio Deluxe:


I hope this is useful to someone!

If you like what I am doing on YouTube, please subscribe to the channel, I would very much appreciate your support.

CAT control at its best:

Well,

Whilst rummaging in the attic looking for something, I stumbled accross this old Direct Conversion receiver I built when I was a young whipper snapper. This is a design by Drew Diamond, VK3XU and is published a the G-QRP club book called "Radio projects Vol 1".

I did a video for my YouTube channel having a look back at my construction capabilities from all those years ago:


I hope you enjoy!

Well,

I've been having an e-mail exchange with a Radio Amateur in New Zealand - he has been trying to get one of my YouTube projects based on the STM32 blue pill boards to work.

Following a few emails back and forth, he sent me this:


which is nice :-)

My latest ramblings on YouTube are all about the classic Sudden HF receiver, you should check it out!


Fun, don't you think?

Well,

I've been having a play over the weekend in the CQ WW WPX CW Contest. Here's the log as a map:


There was interesting "blanketing E" propagation, but no real DX.

I did a quick video on the TS-890 in these busy contest conditions with Writelog, CW Skimmer and CW Get:


Fun, egh?

I hope you like it!

Well,

In an attempt to learn more about microcontroller programming I have done a little bit of training during this Covid-19 lockdown:



My first real attempt to use these skills is below. I've used a GPS 1pps signal to accurately count an external frequency. This is a GPS disciplined freuqnecy counter:


Good, isn't it?

Here is a picture of me (with Covid-19 dog clipper hair cut) and my beloved Bonnie dog:

A nice little milestone today, if you'r not already subscribed to my YouTube channel I would very much appreciate your support:

http://www.youtube.com/c/MarkG0MGX


Local conditions.

Well,

I've been trying to learn more about STM32 microcontrollers, their programming and to understand more about the on-board peripherals.

This is the result of my musings:


Fun, egh?

Well,

By popular request I have created my best shot at an "idiots guide" to setting up digital modes on the TS-890:


I hope this is useful to someone....

Well,

I've been fiddling some more with STM32 and have created a DDS based CW & WSPR beacon for 6M.

You can find the details of the project here:


The WSPR code is stolen from Anthony F4GOH, his code and other bits and bobs are on GitHub here:

https://github.com/f4goh/wspr

To counter any drift in the DDS, I've modified my AD9850 board to use an external signal for the clock and configured my Leo Bodnar GPS referenced oscilator to give me 10MHz from output 1 and 125MHz from output 2, thus:


The 125MHz is now used to drive the DDS. I'd be delighted to receive reports from the beacon, the CW signal is on 50.030 and every multiple of 10 mins it sends a 2 min WSPR transmission on 50.293 + 30Hz.

Here's the WSPR beacon RX from G0ORC:


No drift - not even a wobble! Excellent.

Fun, dont you think?