Lecture and Lab Presentation 08-26-2018: Measuring Return Loss with the RTL-SDR

return loss plot_cropSeveral club members and guests have asked if I can share my presentation…so here it is!

Some links you might find helpful include:

The scanning and comparison software that we installed and practiced using, RTLSDR-Scanner: https://eartoearoak.com/software/rtlsdr-scanner

The “runner up” software that can, sometimes, display spectrum graphs in real time, Spektrum: https://github.com/pavels/spektrum/releases (be sure to use version 1.2)

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Tech Net News 08-25-2018

Helianthus_whorl credit l shyamal
Kansas is awesome! “Helianthus Whorl” by L. Shyamal, en.wikipedia.org

Hey, you. Pssst! Please sign up! Our club show-and-tell is coming soon. It won’t be a fun meeting this September 4th if you just wait and watch…plan to participate instead!

The contest calendar offers some great QSO parties for your enjoyment this weekend. The Hawaii QSO Party ends tomorrow evening; the islands are divided into 14 multiplier zones. There are lots of stations and locations to work. The Ohio QSO Party ends at 11 pm Dallas time today, so get moving.

And last but not at all least: the Kansas QSO Party is one of the most elaborate special events I’ve ever seen: it’s their 10th anniversary, and so there are special rules and tons of prizes, including t-shirts, sweaters, and antique radio postage stamps. Some of these prizes are not hard to earn at all, and they encourage “stamp collecting.” They have put 61 1×1 special event stations on the air this weekend, leaving me just a little bit amazed. Check them out and get working! Your time will be up at 3:00 pm tomorrow.

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Skynet 8-25-18 NASA Analog Missions (Part 2) & Constellation Aquila 9PM CT

Lunar Electric Rover (LER) Desert Testing in Flagstaff, ArizonaSKYNET!!!!  9PM CT – 10:30PM CT

Saturday’s Topic: “NASA Analog Missions (Part 2)”  and “Tour of the Constellation Aquila”

Net Control: Billye KF5PDS

Afterglow Movie 10:30PM:
“Moon” 2009

2-Meter Repeater W5FC: 146.880MHz, PL 110.9, –

Echolink: W5FC-R, node 37247.

Youtube.com Search “DARC Skynet”

Facebook.com Search “DARC Skynet”

Twitch.tv Search “KE5ICX”

Direct Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCishlh8WmW7OXy9Q6sxsaag

Yahoo Groups: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/skynet Continue reading

Lecture and Lab 08-25-2018: What to Bring

analyzer setup IMG_20180710_142419262This Saturday’s Lecture and Lab should be a fun one: we’re going to learn about different ways to turn our RTL-SDR USB dongles into antenna analyzers. Bring yourself and your curiosity. Bring $45.00! Bring your RTL-SDR dongle. Bring your favorite ideas about what to do with the RTL-SDR. We’ll have time to talk about them. Besides all those things, you should bring:

    1. A laptop computer. A Raspberry Pi might not have the horsepower, but if you’re stubborn, you can try.
    2. You’ll save time if you download and install the software we’ll be using. We’ll start by doing things the easy way, with the RTLSDR-Scanner. The installation is very easy for Windows, but a little more involved for Mac or Ubuntu. If you have a Windows or Linux laptop, you can also install version 1.2 of Spektrum, which we’ll discuss and experiment with.
    3. Bring your RTL-SDR Dongle! We will not have any for sale. If you’d like to support the club, your could order a dongle or a dongle with small dipoles through smile.amazon.com.
    4. A 12-14V power DC power supply for your noise source. It helps if it has a variety of barrel connectors so that you can be sure of having the right one. It can be very low power; only 0.2 amps are needed.
    5. Bring an antenna to measure. You can even bring more than one. (You can bring a lawn chair to analyze! Have Fun! —KE5ICX) We’re going to have plenty of time to measure antennas, experiment with the scanning software, and share our favorite tips and tricks for the RTL-SDR.

 

Tech Net News 08-18-2018

HAARP20l
This HF dipole array has transmitted conspiracy theories for thousands of miles. Credit: nl.hoax.wikia.com

Don’t forget: the DARC needs volunteers for the show-and-tell at our September 4th, 2018, meeting and for our October 27th, 2018 Tech Net on the Hill event. Please sign up! Show and tell presentations only need to be a few minutes long.

Our next Lecture and Lab is coming up in a week: join us on Saturday the 25th to build an antenna analyzer using your RTL-SDR dongle. You’ll need $45.00, a Windows or Linux laptop computer, a 12V power supply, and your dongle. You might also want to bring a VHF or UHF antenna to analyze! I’ll make a special post with more details in the next couple of days.

I’ve also been reminded that the Plano Balloon Festival, Sept. 21-23, is still looking for volunteers. Most of those who’ve signed up already are folks who have to be there: volunteer coordinators, and the like. More hams are definitely needed for this big and beautiful event.

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Skynet 8-18-18 “Top Astronomy Websites” & Constellation Sagittarius 9PM CT

Screen Shot 2018-08-18 at 9.53.25 AM

SKYNET!!!!  9PM CT – 10:30PM CT

Saturday’s Topic: “Top Astronomy Websites”  and “Tour of the Constellation Sagittarius” 

Net Control: Tom KE5ICX

Afterglow Movie 10:30PM: 

“Special Bulletin” (1983)

2-Meter Repeater W5FC: 146.880MHz, PL 110.9, –

Echolink: W5FC-R, node 37247.

Youtube.com Search “DARC Skynet”

Facebook.com Search “DARC Skynet”

Twitch.tv Search “KE5ICX”

Direct Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCishlh8WmW7OXy9Q6sxsaag

Yahoo Groups: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/skynet

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/306498286059167/

Saturday’s DARC SkyNet is at 9PM CT.

Discussion topic of the evening.

The 10 Best Space and Astronomy Sites on the Internet – From the Astronotes Website

http://www.armaghplanet.com/blog/the-10-best-space-and-astronomy-sites.html

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Skynet 8-11-18 So You Want to be an Astronaut” & Constellation Scutum 9PM CT

john-young-geminiSKYNET!!!!  9PM CT – 10:30PM CT

Saturday’s Topic: “So You Want to be an Astronaut”  and “Tour of the Constellation Scutum”

Net Control: Tom KE5ICX

Afterglow Movie 10:30PM:

“The Indestructible Man” (1958)

2-Meter Repeater W5FC: 146.880MHz, PL 110.9, –

Echolink: W5FC-R, node 37247.

Youtube.com Search “DARC Skynet”

Facebook.com Search “DARC Skynet”

Twitch.tv Search “KE5ICX”

Direct Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCishlh8WmW7OXy9Q6sxsaag

Yahoo Groups: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/skynet Continue reading

Tech Net News 08-11-2018

baby squirrel credit karlsruhe police _102929576_048601307
Credit: Polizei Karlsruhe

The summer’s heat is still strong, but the end is in sight. That means that the DARC is becoming more active! We’re looking for short, 20-25-minute presentations for our Tech Net on the Hill event this October 27th. Please get in touch with us and volunteer! We also need folks who can share something cool in 5 minutes or less: our next meeting is a show and tell night.

Our next Lecture and Lab will be on Saturday, August 25th. We’ll have a few antenna analyzer kits for $45.00…but even if you don’t get a kit, you can still learn how to use the equipment you order on your own.

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