Archive for the ‘ARRL’ Tag
Not Your Grandpa’s Ham Radio 2016
Update
Not Your Grandpa’s Ham Radio Wins ‘Best in Class’ Ribbon
Maker Faire Bay Area was extra-special for us this year: We won a ribbon for “Best in Class.”
Maker Faire Hq. explains there are two ribbon categories: a blue ribbon for best in show, and a red ribbon for best in class. The red ribbons are also used to show the Maker has an educational element.
This red ribbon is an excellent victory, because the Maker Faire staff recognizes for our mission statement:
To show people what today’s ham radio operators are doing with the newest technology, and to change the image of ham radio, making it both contemporary and chic in a hi-tech way. We also want to emphasize how ham radio can be used for science and technology education and a possible career path for youngsters.
Our projects demonstrate how ham radio technology changes with the times, yet still includes both past and present to accomplish one thing: Creating ways to communicate voice and data over the ether, without wires.
Maker Faire Hq. keeps track of Makers as they (we) win ribbons.
Notice several Makers have multiple ribbons. Now we have an additional Maker Faire goal: We need to win a ribbon each year.
Maker Faire Bay Area Team 2016
Left to right: Dennis Kidder W6DQ, Lisa Gibbons KF6QNG, Wayne Yoshida KH6WZ, Marty Woll N6VI, Patricia Yee, Brian Yee W6BY. Not pictured: Joel Wilhite KD6W, Victor Frank K6FV and Paul Zander AA6PZ. The new polo shirts made by Dennis gave booth staff a professional look. Photo by Dennis Kidder.
A Setup Day Tradition and Treat – Gerard’s Paella
Hungry Makers ready for paella and various beverages after setting up their displays and activities.
Volunteers scoop and serve paella to the Makers after Maker Faire Bay Area setup day.
Gerard and his nephew Tom as the paella feast winds down.
This is a tradition at the Maker Faire Bay Area: Gerard’s Paella. Gerard Nebesky trucks in his crew and giant paella pans, which are about 20 feet in diameter. Gerard feeds over 2500 hungry Makers on Friday evening. A great big Thank You goes out to Gerard and his Maker Faire crew!
Here’s a quick video of the paella feast at the 2014 Bay Area Maker Faire.
New Projects
Lightning Detector, Low Frequency (300 kHz) Receiver
The completed lightning detector-300 kHz receiver completed a few nights before the Maker Faire. On the right is the “lightning simulator” – a piezo BBQ striker in a plastic pill bottle.
The lightning detector-300 kHz receiver is built into a broken LCD TV cabinet. Originally, I thought I could re-use the power supply, infrared remote control and audio amplifier. Unfortunately, the TV is built with a small number of ICs with multiple functions. The power supply performed strangely when I probed around to map out the output voltages. Since I was on a tight schedule, I gutted the unit, and kept only the speakers.
Lightning flashes and Tesla coils generate a wide range of radio frequencies near 300 kHz, slightly below the AM broadcast band (540 kHz to 1700 kHz). The electrical impulses can be perceived as “noise” or “static” in a radio receiver.
The Lightning Detector is a “resonant tank circuit” which detects the electrical impulses, amplifies them so the noise can be heard on a speaker, seen on the yellow LED and moves the needle on the meter.
A lightning simulator is used to test or demonstrate the unit in action when no storms are in the area. It is a low frequency, low level oscillator. Another way to simulate lightning is to use a piezo electric striker, like the ones used in some cigarette lighters and gas barbecue starters.
Information on this circuit comes from Charles Wenzel’s Technical Library (TechLib). There are a lot of interesting projects and includes a gallery of readers’ projects.
A Software Defined Radio – Made with Vacuum Tubes
A what made with what?
This is an interesting mix of old and new. Dennis Kidder, W6DQ, came up with this idea. Vacuum tubes are fully capable of performing many of the same functions as modern solid-state devices.
Dennis says, “The best part of using tubes in a project — they look really cool!”
24 GHz Beacon
Brian Yee, W6BY, brought his Amateur radio beacon. A beacon is a one-way radio transmitters usually used as “propagation indicator” to help see how signals are traveling through the air. They can also be used as a signal source or reference to measure frequency, calibrate radio receivers and test antennas. Brian’s beacon operates on the 24 GHz band, and is made with modified microwave telecommunications sub-assemblies. An Arduino Nano is used as the beacon identifier. It sends out Brian’s ham radio callsign W6BY every 10 minutes (an FCC requirement) as well as a series of tones to help locate and identify the beacon.
N6VI Antenna and Spectrum Analyzer Demonstration
Marty Woll brought a portable spectrum analyzer and an assortment of hand-built antennas, including this corkscrew (circular polarized) antenna. A weak signal source was placed at the far end of the booth. By moving the antenna around, the spectrum analyzer shows frequency and signal strength. This can visually demonstrate antenna polarization and direction as well as frequency and harmonics.
KH6WZ 10 GHz Transmitter-Receiver System
The “anchor project” from past events is my 10 GHz transverter system. This station is used to demonstrate and explain frequency multiplication and division, frequency up-conversion (transmitting), down-conversion (receiving), polarization and antenna directivity to non-hams and even children.
W6DQ Software Defined Radio (SDR) Demonstration
Dennis Kidder W6DQ, displayed his software defined radio (SDR). There were many questions about SDRs and many visitors were surprised to learn ham radio operators have this technology. But this is another example of what radio hams are using these days.
Virtual Air Traffic Control Receiving Station Using ADS-B – Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast
ADS-B is the “next generation” air traffic control, to replace/supplement ground-based radar. Each aircraft transmits identification, GPS position, flight information and other data.
It is very easy to make an ADS-B receiving station. Here are the things needed:
- A digital TV (DVB-T) dongle – DVB-T is Digital Video Broadcast – Terrestrial, a digital TV standard used in Europe and other, non-North American locations
- Antenna for 1090 MHz, this can be built with cable TV coaxial cable and a few other items.
- Windows PC
- ADSB# (ADSB Sharp), a free application
- Virtual Radar Server, another free application
- Browser and Internet Connection
An inexpensive (less than $20 US) digital TV software defined radio in a USB dongle is used to decode ADS-B signals. Free downloadable applications for Windows PCs are used to decode and display the live air traffic broadcasts on a computer.
There is one important thing to know when buying your DVB-T dongle: The decoder and display programs work only with dongles using the Realtek RTL2832U with the RaefaelMicro R820T Tuner chip set.
More ADS-B Receiver Information
“Virtual Radar from a Digital TV Dongle,” QST, January 2014
ADSB# (SDR Sharp) – Download
Virtual Radar Server – Download
Broadband-Hamnet™ (formerly called HSMM-Mesh™) Demo
Dennis W6DQ (seated) assembling the BBHN network demo as Marty N6VI asks a few questions about the network.
Broadband Hamnet (BBHN) re-purposes commercial Wi-Fi equipment to operate only in the ham bands to create robust, wireless, IP-based networks suitable for emergency communications or remote monitoring and control.
Commercial Wi-Fi equipment is restricted through FCC Part 15 regulations, limiting power and range and precluding the user from modifying type-accepted products.
However, licensed ham radio operators are legally allowed to modify Part 15 devices to make them operate in the FCC Part 97 rules for ham radio operation. Larger antennas, higher power, adding receiver pre-amplifiers and other techniques are allowed for experimentation.
The result is a system which creates an ad-hoc, meshed network, supporting IP traffic, e.g., voice, video and data. A meshed wireless network affords greater reliability by providing alternative route paths in the event of a failure.
Dennis says there sure a lot of wires needed for wireless networking.
Note: There are two systems for amateur radio wireless networking – Broadband HamNet (BBHN) and Amateur Radio Emergency Data Network (AREDN). If you are interested in experimenting with this, check with others in your area to see what they are using.
10 GHz / 24 GHz Dual Transmitter-Receiver System
Joel Wilhite KD6W constructed a 10 GHz and 24 GHz dual-band transverter system for portable use. It consists of various modified modules from several sources.
We encourage kids and parents to talk to each other using our home-built radios. It helps make things more interesting than just looking at things.
October 3 and 4: Maker Faire® San Diego!
Maker Faire San Diego is October 3 and 4, 2015, from 10 AM to 6 PM at Balboa Park. Our “Not Your Grandpa’s Ham Radio” theme will feature some new projects as well as some of the old, but popular demonstrations from previous Maker Faire events. Pictured below is a project under construction, I hope to have it completed for this event. It is a homemade 1090 MHz collinear (vertical) antenna that will be part of an air traffic control monitoring station using a software defined radio (SDR).
October 15 to 18: Microwave Update (MUD)!
Microwave Update, or MUD, is a yearly technical conference for amateur radio experimenters making, modifying, hacking, building, testing and using the 1,000 MHz and up radio bands. Participants from all over the world gather at these events to share information about operating techniques, radio propagation and radio station equipment. One aspect of this event is the buying, selling and trading of surplus parts and assemblies for these frequency bands, since some items may be difficult to procure in some areas. But perhaps the best thing about MUD is socializing and making new friends from all over the world to discuss common interests and goals.
Preparations for the San Diego MUD are still under way. Last weekend, a few San Bernardino Microwave Society (SBMS) members gathered at Dave’s lab to sort and package some prize and give-away items for the event.
Left to right: Dave WA6CGR, Rein W6SZ, Pat N6RMJ and Jim KK6MXP sorting and packing some microwave frequency prizes and give-ways.
I hope to see you at any or both of these events!
Who: Huntington Beach Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) team will demonstrate and practice their emergency radio communications skills in a nation-wide drill called “Field Day.” RACES (pronounced “RAY-sees”), is a program endorsed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC Part 97, Section 407), that uses trained amateur radio operators (Hams) during emergencies. Administered by the Fire Department, RACES members use their personal equipment and skills, and volunteer their time to provide this service at no cost to the City of Huntington Beach.
When: Saturday, June 27, 2015, at approximately 11 AM – 5 PM (RACES volunteers will participate 24 hours)
Where: PCH and Goldenwest on the bluffs.
What: During Field Day, amateur radio (HAM) operators from the US and Canada will practice their emergency communications skills over a 24 hour period with the goal of demonstrating portable and completely independent communications. The public and the news media are invited to observe and participate in the radio exercise.
During an emergency, normal lines of communications can fail leaving amateur radio communications as the only means to communicate. In addition, they support public events such as the Surf City Marathon and the 4th of July Parade, and participate in the National Weather Service weather spotter program. Ham radio is a public service as well as an international educational technical hobby. Whether it’s contacting someone across the street or across the globe, or even outer space, ham radio operators are ready to supply reliable communications when normal lines fail. Ham operators range from ordinary citizens to astronauts. There are 18 city RACES groups within Orange County, operated under their respective city and county public safety departments.
More information on the RACES Program, visit www.hbraces.org
The 2014 Bay Area Maker Faire is now history.
One of the Maker Faire team members, Brian Yee, W6BY, was not able to join us – we are all hoping Brian recovers quickly from his injury.
Dennis Kidder, W6DQ and Marty Woll, N6VI (ARRL Southwestern Division Vice Director) – along with several University of California, Davis engineering students and their faculty advisor, Professor Leo Liu, displayed and demonstrated their projects to the Maker Faire crowd. Estimated attendance: 120,000.
Here’s a two minute “drones eye view” of the Maker Faire 2014
Highlights during setup day included meeting Anouk Wipprecht, the fashion designer; Tenaya Hurst, the Arduino Woman; and the paella dinner, sponsored by Liquid Wrench.
This year, I included a handout of frequently asked questions about Amateur Radio, and it turned out to be useful. However, we quickly ran out of copies, so I am pasting the text here:
What Are We Doing at Maker Faire 2014
Not Your Grandpa’s Ham Radio
Thank you for your interest in our Maker Faire display. We are radio communications experimenters using the microwave Amateur Radio (ham) frequencies.
Who are we?
We are licensed Amateur radio operators (“hams”).
Is this like CB?
Yes and no. Ham radio is similar to CB because we use two-way radios to talk to each other, but hams can communicate using Morse code and computers in addition to voice, and we even have our own satellites. Ham radio requires a license issued by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the USA.
How far can you talk?
We can communicate with other ham stations around the corner or across the globe, depending on a variety of factors that affect the way radio waves travel. The equipment we are using here operates on frequencies that generally follow line-of-sight paths. However, through experimentation, we find that signals can be reflected against objects such as buildings, trees, islands and mountains, to extend the range. Using these techniques, we are able to contact other stations hundreds of miles away.
What kind of radios are you using?
No commercially-built, “off-the-shelf” equipment for these frequencies exists, so we must build our own equipment, or modify commercially-made equipment meant for other services, such as cell phone, wireless links and radar systems.
How much does this equipment cost?
Like any other hobby, people spend as much or as little as they can afford. Most people involved in ham radio spend as much as any serious stereo enthusiast, amateur photographer or woodworker.
Where can I get more information?
Wayne Yoshida KH6WZ
http://wayneyoshida-kh6wz.com/
http://www.linkedin.com/in/waynetyoshida
American Radio Relay League (ARRL)
http://www.arrl.org
CQ, and CQ-VHF Magazines
http://www.cq-amateur-radio.com
The 50 MHz and Up Group
Meetings are held on the first Thursday of the month at 7pm at the TI (formerly National Semiconductor) Conference Center, Building E, in Sunnyvale, CA
http://www.50mhzandup.org/
The San Bernardino Microwave Society (SBMS)
Meets on the first Thursday of each month at 7pm at the American Legion Hall, 1024 Main St., Corona, CA
http://www.ham-radio.com/sbms/
The Microwave Group of San Diego
Workshops and informal meetings are held each month on the third Monday at 7pm in La Mesa, CA
http://www.ham-radio.com/sbms/sd/mgsd.htm
Here are some images from setup day, Friday May 16.
. . . More to follow. . .
This is our third consecutive appearance at the Bay Area MF, and continues my theme of showing how some ham radio operators continue the tradition of “teaching, mentoring, making, modifying, repairing and improving” radio and radio-related technology. Read my post about ham radio and the Maker movement.
Today’s ham radio operators have an incredible amount of exotic surplus material that can be converted into everyday use on the ham radio bands. Grandpa certainly never heard of surface-mount technology, talking on homemade 47 GHz transmitter-receiver systems or pocket-sized, satellite navigation systems (GPS). But he sure did mentor, make, modify, repair and improve the equipment in his bedroom radio station…..
Not Your Grandpa’s Ham Radio – Maker Faire 2014 Team
Wayne Yoshida KH6WZ
Dennis Kidder W6DQ
Brian Yee W6BY
Marty Woll N6VI
More information on the Maker Faire Bay area.
Here is a gallery of our booth posters for the 2014 Bay Area Maker Faire. More photos, videos and stories will follow. . . . .
UPDATE: Articles on San Diego’s First Maker Faire:
Inventors Show Off DYI Drones, Robots
Maker Faire Celebrates 100 Faires Around the Globe in 2013
Crowd Deluges San Diego’s First Mini Maker Faire: An Xconomy Slide Show
The First San Diego Mini Maker Faire Takes Off!
A Mini Maker Faire makes its debut in San Diego at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. Despite the sometimes heavy rain, most all of the exhibitors (Makers) showed up. San Diego Mini Maker Faire organizers kept the weather forecast updates on a positive note: “…Forecast: 100% Chance of Great Exhibits” – an excellent promotional phrase.
There were around 5,000 tickets purchased, amazing for a first run in inclement weather. Another positive indicator of interest in San Diego area “Making” is the number of Learn to Solder kits that were made during the event – all 350 of the blinky LED boards were built on Saturday.
The San Diego Not Your Grandpa’s Ham Radio team
Dave WA6CGR (San Bernardino Microwave Society – SBMS)
Dennis W6DQ (SBMS)
Jason W6IEE (SBMS)
Kerry N6IZW (San Diego Microwave Group – SDMG and SBMS)
Walt (SBMS)
Wayne KH6WZ (SBMS)
In addition to visitors from our own radio clubs (Rein W6SZ and his XYL, Larry K6HLH and his XYL, Ed W6OYJ, Michelle W5NYV and Paul KB5MU) many other San Diego area hams stopped by. As in previous exhibits, there is a pattern: Those who have a callsign but are not on the air, those who have callsigns and are active on the FM repeaters but not much else.
But this is one of the reasons I developed the Maker Faire theme called Not Your Grandpa’s Ham Radio – I want to show something new to licensed (active as well as inactive) hams, and I want to expose those not familiar with ham radio to what some of us are doing with twenty-first century technology in our hobby – we are embracing and doing hands-on experiments with microprocessors/microcontrollers, GPS, micro- and millimeter-wave construction techniques and other exotic radio-related technologies. We are having fun while learning new skills and expertise.
I hope this idea spreads to other active ham radio groups in other locations – surely there are other hams like us who are doing something more interesting than just talking to strangers, friends and family, right? If you are a ham radio operator and are involved in doing something interesting, let me know and we should join forces to help each other increase interest and participation in this concept – since – as most all hams know – being a Maker is certainly not a new idea!
Here are some pictures from the San Diego Mini Maker Faire. I have two videos posted on my YouTube channel: Walt’s Radio Wave Demonstration and The Electric Giraffe
Map showing the KH6WZ APRS beacon location. The location is approximate, I had to simulate the GPS coordinates since signals were blocked in the steel and concrete exhibit hall.
Despite the rain, there was a constant crush of people in, near and around the Not Your Grandpa’s Ham Radio booth at the 2013 San Diego Mini Maker Faire
Not Your Grandpa’s Ham Radio at the San Diego Mini Maker Faire – We were lucky there was a no-show next to us, so we combined the empty space with ours at the end of an aisle – good show!
A visitor (striped shirt and black hat) tries some of the hands-on microwave physics demonstrations made by Walt
Dennis brought his 10 GHz / 24 GHz dual band station with software defined radio and notebook computer. The “waterfall” display is used to visually indicate very weak to very strong signals across the receive band. The digital signal processing in this system can improve signal reception
Two more projects by Dennis – On the left, a transmit/receive sequencer, used to turn on or turn off circuit modules (or functions) in a specific order. To the right is a circuit under construction/proof of concept receive system using direct synthesis.
Jason W6IEE brought his airplane IFF detector. I will get a better description of his display in a later update.
Here’s one of Kerry’s gadgets – a surplus QualComm microwave diode being used to generate a wideband microwave signal. Intended to be used to detect a microwave signal to verify transmitter operation, it can also transmit a signal for voice communication – in this case, to my 10 GHz transverter system shown in the background.
Here are three of my projects. On the far left, is a microwave field strength detector, this is used to demonstrate vertical or horizontal polarization, the KH6WZ unit in the middle is an APRS beacon, transmitting GPS coordinates (this unit generated and transmitted the GPS coordinates used to generate the location on the APRS locator map at the top of this page) and at the far right is my distance record-setting 10 GHz microwave transmitter-receiver system.
Visitor’s to Not Your Grandpa’s Ham Radio at the San Diego event were able to see some vintage 1960s microwave ham radio units – like this “Synplexer” built by Ed Munn W6OYJ. A pair of these units were on display so we could demonstrate full duplex wide band communication on 2.4 GHz (2400 MHz)
Here’s a closer look at the Synplexer
Who’s that?
It’s great to see young ladies get excited about technical things. There’s a San Diego area high school program that includes a robotics class and competition
Quadcopters seem to be trendy with Makers. Maybe this is where Jeffery Bezos got that idea for small package delivery?
MakerPlace – a place where fellow Makers can gather and make, share and borrow tools and ideas to make things. Funny, it sounds like what a good and active ham radio club should be
Russell – the Electric Giraffe at the 2013 San Diego Mini Maker Faire. Russell and its builder Lindsay, are San Diego residents
The Electric Giraffe – This image may give you some idea of Russell’s size – this is the “down” position, with head lowered for crowd interaction
Links to More Information
Amateur Radio General Information
CQ Amateur Radio Magazine
American Radio Relay League (ARRL)
Polaplexer for 2.3GHz (2300 MHz) – a Vintage Microwave Transceiver
Another Polaplexer Article
APRS – Automatic Packet Reporting System -Beacons
Byonics – I Use TinyTrak Beacon Kits
Microwave Ham Radio Clubs in Southern California
San Bernardino Microwave Society (SBMS)
Microwave Group of San Diego / San Diego Microwave Group
San Diego Area Radio Clubs
Go here and search for ham radio clubs in your area
Russell the Electric Giraffe
Announcing San Diego Mini Maker Faire 2013 – Visit the Maker Booth called “Not Your Grandpa’s Ham Radio”
Here’s a quick overview of Maker Faire projects from past “Not Your Grandpa’s Ham Radio” exhibits. . .
The KH6WZ 10 GHz (X-band) transmitter-receiver unit on display at the Orange County Mini Maker Faire on the UCI campus
A vintage Helium-Neon (HeNe) laser communicator by Dennis W6DQ – from the 2012 Bay Area Maker Faire
An audio frequency test station with an oscilloscope, signal generator and audio amplifier. A microphone inserted into the amplifier input became a popular function for kids and adults – Speak into the microphone and see what you sound like!
KH6WZ-5 APRS beacon – active and sending position data at the 2013 OC Mini Maker Faire at UCI. The beacon message included the Faire’s URL.
Morse Code reader/sender with wireless keyboard and radio interface by Brian W6BY. This setup uses Ham Stack modules available from Sierra Radio
“Space Ball” azimuth-elevation antenna positioner, with wireless remote control and iPhone interface, by Brian W6BY
KH6WZ APRS beacon sending out the Discovery Science Center location
Not Your Grandpa’s Ham Radio 2012 Bay Area Maker Faire team – Left to Right: Brian W6BY, Dennis W6DQ, Wayne KH6WZ, Tony KC6QHP, and Mike Lavelle K6ML
Jeri Ellsworth – aka Circuit Girl – at the 2012 Bay Area Maker Faire. She’s playing her 8-bit bass key-tar.
More projects coming soon, so stay tuned!
The past weekend was a busy one indeed. I made some time to participate in the microwave contest, dragging my rig out to the bluff overlooking the Bolsa Chica Wetlands and then to El Segundo. The 10 GHz and Up Contest is unique, since it spans over two weekends, the first part is in mid-August and the second part near the end of September. This gives participants a chance to fix broken rigs and continue to add points to their scores.
To be honest, I was not prepared for this contest. I did not have any roving plans, my Prius was not modified to supply my 7 watt 10 GHz rig with power and my mobile radio was not programmed with any of the liaison / coordination frequencies. However, I managed to have some fun testing out my homemade 10 GHz (X-band) rig.
I noticed something during the contest: I was afraid of killing the 12V battery on the Prius, so I left the car on and “ready” during the entire contest. I turned off the air conditioner and the courtesy light. As with normal operation, the gasoline engine will only run when it is needed to charge the system, including the 300V (or whatever voltage it is) traction battery.
Since the rig draws 10 amps in transmit, and transmitting a continuous signal for “beaconing” so that other stations can find me is a routine practice in microwave contesting, I was worried that something might happen to the Prius power system.
However, the car seemed to be fine, and the rig was happy to run under full DC power, producing a clean signal and no “unlock” condition. The engine did start up and ran for less than one or two minutes at a time, and the engine is so quiet, sometimes I did not notice it was on.
Using the Prius as a power system worked out so well that I will eliminate my spare battery idea and mount a power connector on the battery box lid so I can use the DC to power station equipment for the next contest. I have a 100 Ah gel cell battery in a big plastic box that I usually use for radio contesting, so it is independent from the car power system – but I discovered the battery was dead and was not holding a charge when preparing for the Disaster Expo – that is another story. . .
Since I operated from these two locations before, I don’t have too many pictures of these places, but these will give you some idea of what operating a rover station in the 10 GHz contest is like. Well, not really.
My un-official score for about 5 hours of operating time is:
1900 QSO Points + 3341 Distance Points = 5241 Final Score
Best DX is 217 km, when I worked K6NKC and KC6UQH in DM12rr (East San Diego County) from El Segundo, DM03tw
The most fun and challenging contact happened to be my last contact. It was a two-way CW contact with WA6JBD in DM14go (not sure where), from the El Segundo water tower location.
Of the 29 total contacts made, 19 were unique callsigns
Here are some pictures . . .
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The first stop – KH6WZ in DM03xq – Huntington Beach, CA
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Some human as well as four-legged visitors to the Huntington Beach location. Take a look at the FT-817 S-meter and notice how the N6CA beacon (Frazier Mt., DM04ms) is booming in.
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Battery jumper cables clipped onto the little 12V gel-cell in the back of the Prius supplied power to the station, which draws about 10 amps on transmit.
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I really need to do something about the operating position inside the Prius. Yaesu FT-60, old Garmin GPS and the log sheets thrown in the back of the car.
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This is the second of two stops on contest Sunday. El Segundo, DM03tw. This is the top of a parking structure for a park, for some reason I never took note of the name. It is easy to find, just look for the water tower.
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The KH6WZ station at DM03tw. The camping chair is more comfortable than it looks.
APRS display of the KH6WZ-5 location beacon at the 2013 OC Mini Maker Faire at UCI. Notice the beacon message at the top of the screen capture includes the URL of the event – a great publicity tool!
This past weekend, the second OC Mini Maker Faire happened. And it just so happens to be the second running of my ham radio demonstration called, “Not Your Grandpa’s Ham Radio (2)!” This is my continuing mission to remind people of two things:
First, “The Maker Movement” is nothing new, Amateur Radio operators have been doing this for a almost a century, and nearly 2 million people worldwide are involved in ham radio in some way.
Second, Ham radio is not necessarily an old man’s hobby where weird guys talk to strangers from garages and basements. We are skilled wireless communicators and use today’s technology, from GPS and microprocessors to lasers and microwave frequency linking.
This time I added static and working displays of my various APRS beacons (KH6WZ, KH6WZ-5, and others). I programmed the OC Mini Maker Faire’s URL to the beacon message so people can take a look at what was happening – an excellent publicity tool!
I also planned on making some 10 GHz contacts with my rig, since this was also the same weekend as the ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest. The transverter covers were removed so people can see the system’s guts.
Based on previous experience at the Discovery Science Center “Meet the Makers” event, I demonstrated radio wave polarization- horizontal vs vertical – with my rig and the microwave strength meter.
Since I had plenty of space, I shared my booth with a company that makes interesting computer and microprocessor related items. This may sound trivial, until you realize this company is run by these three young guys . . .
Huxley, Max and Ethan showing one of their products called the SmartPac.
There seemed to be more people at this Faire, probably since not too many other events were happening nearby. The 405/605/22 freeway closure did not affect the MF, since it started after the event ended.
More than a dozen hams – either active or at least licensed – stopped by to visit. We talked about this event as well as the Bay Area Maker Faire, and what ham radio activities we are involved with.
One more thing: I met several guys from the San Diego area – they are finalizing the plans to have a Mini Maker Faire in the San Diego area – this is great news. Stay tuned and I will announce an update as soon as I hear something from the committee!
Here are some pictures from the event. I am already thinking of building some new displays for next year.
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The 24-inch M/A-COM dish with the KH6WZ logo makes a pretty decent sign for the booth, eh?
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The KH6WZ 10 GHz transmitter-receiver unit on display at the Orange County Mini Maker Faire on the UCI campus
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KH6WZ horn antenna and microwave field strength meter at the OC Mini Maker Faire 2013
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The KH6WZ APRS beacon (unit 1) at the OC Mini Maker Faire 2013. This was a static display unit to show components and construction.
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KH6WZ-5 APRS beacon – active and sending position data at the 2013 OC Mini Maker Faire at UCI. The beacon message included the Faire’s URL.
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This familiar unit makes an appearance at the Maker Faire. . .
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The robot “Titan” was a crowd pleaser – it throws flying discs and comes to you for a refill.
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Track Roamer robot at the OC Mini Maker Faire. Notice the Nerf gun. When you come to next year’s event, remember to wear a red shirt.
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One of the “roving displays” at the OC Mini Maker Faire 2013.
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Some ham visitors at the Orange County Mini Maker Faire 2013: Haliey, Michelle W5NYV, Paul KB5MU and John KJ6HZ.
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Michelle W5NYV wearing her daughter’s alpha wave ears. The ears move and react to pulses from a sensor clipped to her left ear.
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An unknown couple wearing Vocademy shirts. What a great slogan: Eat, Sleep, Make.
Microwave radio dishes used for ham (Amateur) radio communication.
The Orange County Mini Maker Faire is coming up (August 17 at UCI), so I added this intro to ham radio on the microwave bands. The Maker Fair coincides with the ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest, and so, rather than missing the contest, I thought it would be fun to try working the contest from the Maker Faire. . . . .
Click here to view the presentation>>>> Microwaves: Not Just for Leftovers
wayneyoshidakh6wz 