Building one’s own amateur-radio equipment is frugal and satisfying. Every January we celebrate our club members’ DIY accomplishments at Home Brew night with tales of their successes and—how shall we call them—lessions learned. During the January 2021 club meeting, Kerry K3RRY, Sam WB6RJH, and John AC6SL presented their work of the past year to meeting attendees Brad, Gary, John, Karen, Ned, Ray, Reed, Richard, and Tuck.
Kerry K3RRY is working to restart efforts in optical communcation that had been destroyed in the summer’s wildfires. Originally he was learning while recreating a transceiver that was designed and documented by KA7OEI. That effort was motivated by the then upcoming 10 GHz and Up contest, but with that September deadline past, he is exploring how to use 10-µm infrared light to help cut through atmospheric haze
Sam WB6RJH described his successes over the holidays in receiving SSTV from the International Space Station. Using an ordinary, vertically polarized 2-meter antenna, his equipment received and stored dozens of images, several of which he showed. The 640 × 496 pixel images are transmitted using PD120 mode, with each image’s transmission lasting 120 seconds. Images are decoded using free software. Sam is considing trying a Quadrifilar Helix antenna next time. (Slides)
John AC6SL described several of his 2020 projects, the highlights being: adding an XY mode to a software-based oscilloscope, vastly improving the 12-volt-supply wiring in his shack, and organizing the shack’s storage through a home-brew French Cleat wall system. (Slides)
