Here are a few pics of my 2008 Jeep Liberty. It is now equipped with HF in the form of an Icom IC-706MKII. I’ve installed a laptop for logging and digital modes. I actually made a JT65 contact from my driveway tonight.

As work progresses and I tidy things up, I’ll post more pics. If you have any questions or would like more detailed pics, feel free to ask!

I figured I’d post an update regarding some of the activities that are going on in and around the shack.

First off, the SVXLink project has stalled out while I search for a radio interface.  After finally getting it to compile on the Raspberry Pi, I was able to configure it up and get it to connect to Echolink and was able to log in via my iPhone/iPad.  The system will not, however, key up the repeater.  The interface board I’m using, the AMI-2, doesn’t use the same pins for COR that SVXlink is looking for.  So I may have to build an interface for it.  I’m still looking forward to getting it up and running so that I can put the WIndows laptop away and get something running more stable.

The repeater projects are still moving along:

• 33cm: I received a suggested 33cm frequency pair from the IRC, but unfortunately the input is being used by another local group, so I’ve given that information back to the coordinator and I’m awaiting an updated pair suggestion.  I do have a 16dB pre-amp and a 150W final amplifier.  I’ve also received the 915MHz filters in, so I’ll be replacing those in one of my TK-981’s that will be used as the receiver.  K3HTK and I still need to do the modifications on the external amps, but the pieces continue to fall into place.  Thanks to K9YDO for the loan of a 24VDC power supply to drive the amps.
• 70cm: I picked up two Micro 75W amplifiers at the Lafayette Ham Fest.  I’m hoping to bench and fire them up this weekend.  500mW should give me ~75W out.  Since the new 70cm repeater is centered around UHF Maxtrac’s I’m likely going to need to do a low power mod to stabilize the radio.  This involves a 10k pot and three resistors to regulate the voltage going to the VCO.  I have also submitted the update to my coordination to the IRC for the increased power level.  I will likely seek out a UHF pre-amp as well to round out the project.

In other news, I’ve jumped back into APRS.  I’ve had an Alinco DR-135T for a number of years.  It’s just been sitting in the shack.  I picked up a $40 GPS puck from Amazon and have it interfaces with the radio.  I’d initially planned to just setup the unit as a tracker as phase one and then expand my capabilities with phase two.  However, as tends to happen with projects in this hobby, phase one and two are rapidly merging into a single phase.  I have a laptop mount and pole left over from my previous police car, and I’ve ordered the foot plate to mount that in my 2008 Jeep.  Right now I’m using APRSISCE/32 on a Windows 8 laptop, and plan to mount that in the Jeep.  That same laptop will also be used for digital HF work once I get the IC-706MKII installed (see next note).

I’ve decided to take my first steps into a mobile HF operation.  I’ve purchased an Icom IC-706MKII from a fellow ham and have pieced together the remote mount kit for it.  I also have the LDG-Z100 tuner with the appropriate interface cables to allow it to function remotely from the control head.  I’m currently working out mounting options for what will be the fourth radio in my Jeep.  Planning to take the radio on vacation so I’ll have APRS running as well as digital HF (when I’m not driving).  The mobile antenna dilemma is still working itself out.  Short-term I’ve purchased a tri-mag mount for the top of the car and am going to try out a single 20M Hamstick off of one of my dipoles.  I plan throw that on the roof this weekend and see how it tunes up with one of my analyzers.  Long term will likely lead toward some sort of screwdriver antenna.

The best thing about this hobby is that there is always something new to try….  So many projects and so little time…..

Last night I decided to use my most recently acquired Raspberry Pi as a replacement for the windows laptop running the echolink software linking the NF9k and K3HTK repeaters.

Unfortunately since the RasPi is based upon the ARM processor, there are no readily available binaries for the Pidora/RasPi platform.  So I downloaded the tarball and sat out on the path of compiling it for myself.  It took me the better part of about three hours to track down all of the dependencies that popped up early in the make process.  I went to bed with it happily compiling.

When I got up this morning, I discovered that the build had broken on another dependency.  So it was lather, rinse, repeat.  After tracking down three or four more dependancies, I am happy to report that I have successfully built and installed SvxLink on my RasPi!

Tonight I plan to install a Senheiser USB sound card as well as the AMI Echolink USB board and see what happens.  If all goes well, we might be able to begin testing this evening…..  Fingers crossed!

The rack has moved from the garage to the shack. The Arcom, Cat 200 (currently unused), and the TKR-820 have been racked. Not sure on the final in-rack arrangement yet, but its a step in the right direction. The laptops pictured, one is the programming laptop for the Arcom and the other is for Echolink.

This is a photo of the new beginnings for the NF9K repeater system. Pictured are two Kenwood TK-981s and the TX/RX duplexers for the new 33cm system. Also pictured are two Maxtrac radios and a set of Decibel duplexers which will replace the Kenwood TKR-820 repeater on 70cm.

Both systems will continue to be linked with the K3HTK 33cm repeater in Noblesville as well as being available via Echolink on node #9600.

The 1.25M repeater is also still in the works but currently in the design phase.

Look for more pictures as the work continues.

A little something amusing that happened to me this week and thought I would share…

I was having dinner with a social group (not radio related) I’m a member of and met an older gentlemen from the UK who is now a resident of the US. It was his first time with the social group so we were all getting to know the new guy. He asked us what our hobbies were so I mentioned Amateur Radio. The conversation went something like this:

Him: “Oh, you mean ham radio, right?”

Me: “Yeah, that’s right.”

Him: “I’ve heard of that. Isn’t that a bunch of guys that just scream over the radio ‘Hello! Someone talk to me!’ and when they get a response they say, ‘I can hear you!’ and the other station says ‘I can hear you too!’ and then they talk about what radios they are using to talk to each other?”

Me: “Well, no, it’s not like that exactly. Well, maybe a little. But, hey!, we help out during emergencies such as severe weather.”

Him: “Oh, so then it’s one guy saying to another guy, ‘Hey, I can hear you! And there’s a tornado north of here.’ and the other guys says, ‘Hey I can hear you too! And I know about the tornado, I’m north of you. What kind of radio you got?’ ”

Me: “Well, no, not exactly. Umm, hey, so did you see that ball game last night?!”

For the rest of the night my girlfriend (who has no interest in ham radio but supports my hobby) kept looking at me and saying, “Hey, I can hear you!”

Ham radio operators, some people just don’t understand us

Today, I submitted an application the the Indiana Repeater Council for a 33cm coordination. I have all of the required pieces to put together a 33cm repeater. I still need to obtain a per-amp, a final amp, and the receiver may need some tweaking due to front end filters, but I have enought to get it online.

K3HTK and I are looking at building at a 220MHz machine as well. All machines will be linked, likely via Echolink.

More info to come.

The NF9K received a new controller this weekend. The Cat 200E was replaced with a new Arcom. The new controller has three ports allowing control of the repeaters at the same time. Two ports are currently in use, one for the 70cm repeater and one for the Echolink box.

As a reminder the 70cm repeater is on 442.850, +5, PL 100Hz and covers a good portion of NW Indy. The Echolink box maintains a full time connection to the K3HTK repeater in Noblesville on 927.0875, -25, PL 131.8Hz.

Ed Valasek (K3HTK) and I setup a modest Field Day operation. We operated mostly digital (PSK31) and a little CW. We had a great time setting up and playing with various antenna configurations. All in all, while not a major undertaking, it was thoroughly enjoyed by all.

Hopefully you were active in some fashion or another.

On our last trip to Gatlinburg, TN, I took along amateur radio for the first time. Outside the mobile setup, anyway. I took my IC-718, MFJ-993 tuner, and a Buddistick. I ended up working mostly digital modes (PSK31 and JT65), but managed to make around 55 contacts throughout Europe and the US.

Looking forward to the next trip and trying to figure out an antenna setup, since we’ll be staying in our timeshare vs. a cabin like last time.

I was very pleased with the amount of repeater traffic I heard and the QSOs I participated in on both legs of the trip. Very much improved over previous trips. Hoping to encounter similar when we go back in a few months.