This should include anyone under either 18 or 21 and also anyone still enrolled in college. This will help younger people get into the hobby cheap and wont be as discouraging if they don’t pass the test.

$14 today doesnt seem like much, but to a 12, 15, 17 year old who isnt working, besides maybe getting allowance or mowing lawns, its a lot of money. Once someone passes a test, they usually like to get involved with a club, usually the one who they took the test though. That means that your club will probably be getting yearly dues from the person. Usually this is $10-30/year. Why not allow them to do the hard part for free, and then later see a return in dues. If they dont pass the test, get discouraged and give up, then you wont see any club dues from them anyways.

When I got my license years ago, I failed the Tech test by 2 questions. I could of taken another test the same day, but I didnt have the extra $12 (at the time) to pay for another test. I had to wait another 3 months for the next test session to come up, and for me to save another $12, to be able to take it, and I passed it.

We need younger Hams to join our hobby, as the number of young Amateur Radio Operators is greatly less than the 30+ ages.

It shouldn’t be too hard of a project to design and build. It would need at least the following items.

• Ham Radio – Must have CAT port or ability to be controlled via microphone buttons.
• Arduino
• GPS with NMEA output
• Arduino data shield
• Memory card to hold data

POI Factory is a great place to start. They have great user submitted files made for GPS units that have Ham Radio repeater locations, PL tones and offsets already setup. This can be downloaded as a .csv file and we could use the Arduino and data shield to read it. With a GPS location, the Arduino can do some math and compare the current Lon/Lat and find the closest repeater listed.

Since the list includes all or most of the info needed (freq, PL, offset) we can use this to program the radio. It just needs to be read, formatted to the CAT standard for that radio and then sent to the radio over a serial connection.

A simple LCD can also show the text on a display so you know where it is and additional info on it.
A pushbutton would also be required to make it do the “automatic” change, since you dont want to be in the middle of a QSO and have it change freqs on you, without you knowing it.

Since I love to tinker and hack in the winter, Im thinking I might start on this project soon, after a few other projects and ideas are finished. Thats the curse of being a hacker /modder, you never have time to finish all your projects, before a new one comes to mind.

I found some kids toys, made for text messaging. Most of the models use InfaRed, but one set I found at Toys R Us for $20, that uses RF on 49.860Mhz. They are made by Digital Blue and are branded as WWE. Model number is WE5500.

Each radio is factory programmed with a unique 4 digit ID code. You can view the code in the LCD. This allows direct messaging to the correct unit that you want. The keyboard is the old cellphone type using 1ABC 2DEF 3GHI etc. It has a small 1 line LCD.

After testing them and sending a few messages, I opened one up, to see how it worked.
Inside are 2 boards. The main keyboard / LCD board and the RF board.
Luckily the manufacturer was nice enough to label the pinouts on the headers that connect the 2 boards.

Jack 1
GND
GND

Jack 2
RX-Power
RX-Data (audio)
TX-Data (audio)

Jack 3
6v +
GND
TX Power (4.15v – goes to GND/Low when Transmitting)

With these simple connections, it makes hacking easy! It can easily be wired to a higher powered Ham Radio.

I talked to one generous farmer, who instantly said YES to allowing me to use his site. I didnt even need to show him the paperwork with what I wanted to do and install. He is allowing me unrestricted access to the site and the “shack” at the bottom.

It is 90′ tall, with a ground elevation of 720′. It is located on a hill of aprox 60′, so the coverage is good. The grain leg has a ladder that goes up to 3 different levels,which 2 of them are easily usable.

So far I have just installed a VHF 5/8 wave mobile antenna at the top level with 120′ of RG-8 coax. Both will be upgraded later with better equipment. For now, they will serve their purpose for scanner feeds and a APRS receiver /iGate.

WX7FGZ on 28.380 SSB
Nathan at the Flagstaff Az office

WX7GTF on 28.340 SSB
Blair at the Great Falls Mt office

10 Meter band conditions weren’t great and I am only running 25w power now.
I didnt hear anyone on the local UHF link to the NWS office in Detroit Mi

The towers are a monopole, about 80′ tall. They are tilt up bases. The sensor wires are just wrapped around the pole and tied, knotted and taped to the pole. None are properly secured. The electical box didn’t even have a lock on the latch.

This is about the worst install I have ever seen.

If you already have a 440 repeater, you can easily add a digipeater or even a simple iGate, for very little extra cost and work, and this will greatly help the APRS community.

A large portion of UHF repeaters use dual band antennas already. Why not add a simple diplexor before the duplexor and split the VHF and UHF signals. These diplexers only cost $40-60 for a decent model. This way you can share your antenna that already has a nice scenic view, with good hardline, since its probably better than what some people use for VHF only. All you need now is a old radio, a TNC setup as a digipeater or even a cheap PC running a digipeater software, like AGWdigi.

If you dont have a dual band antenna, and use something made just for UHF, like a folded dipole setup, dont worry, there is still a easy solution. Obviously you dont want to transmit a VHF signal on a UHF antenna, but the antenna will still receive a VHF signal. Now, I know a lot of people are nay-sayers and say it wont work or will roll their eyes at the idea, but it DOES work. It might not be the greatest received signal, but its still a signal. If there wasnt any coverage there before, and you get a little bit, its still better than nothing. All you need to do is iGate local packets, instead of repeating them. You still use the same cheap diplexer, radio or even a old cheap scanner, and a PC.

Any swap savvy ham can find these items at most swaps and make a setup for under $150. You already have all the expensive stuff (antenna, tower & hardline) paid for, in place and working. Why not get more bang for your buck? This is a simple way to get twice the use out of your location, with very little work.

I will be starting on this project in the fall, once my kids are settled in school and I will have more free time. I would like to make it into kits to be able to sell for the DIY Ham Operator. They wont bee too technical and most hams who can solder should be able to complete these. Im thinking this can be built for under $200, minus rotor motors.

Planned features.

Controller

• Large 4×20 character blue LCD for easy reading.
• Possibly use a 2.8″ x 1.5″ graphic LCD
• 12 volt controller operation.
• Full turn Rotory Encoders for simple knob turn manual positioning. 1 for Azimuth, 1 for Elevation.
• A few user selectable memory preset positions.
• A 16 LED ring to show basic position of Azimuth.
• A 16 LED ring to show basic position of Elevation. (Only top 1/2 would be used)
• Wireless control to rotor box. Use 315Mhz (license free) transceivers for sending and receiving position data.
  These have a range of about 500′ when using a 1/4 wave antenna.
• InfaRed remote control capability.
• Internet or PC control.
• Be able to save a few passes and not require PC to be on to be used to auto track, after data is saved.

Rotor Box

My idea is to not require any special rotor motors, modify them for special position or limit sensors.
Any simple TV antenna rotor could be used or even linear actuators for Elevation.
The box will include heavy duty relays, so you can power your own rotor motors at whatever voltage they require.
The outside control box would mount to the antenna boom using a clamp. The control box will include a special digital sensor that can read magnetic compass, along with a 3 position tilt sensor. The compass will be able to tell the Azimuth setting and send it back wireless to the indoor controller. The sensor board can also tell Elevation and send it back inside wireless. The box will need to be mounted on the antenna boom, and will need to be positioned to North and set to 0* elevation (flat) upon install, to calibrate.

• 12 Volt operation. Can handle up to 35 volts, so you can also power some rotors with same power line.
• 315 Mhz wireless transceiver to controller
• InfaRed remote capable (perfect for portable use)
• Relays for rotor power
• 1 or 2 aux relays for preamps or antenna switching.
• LED to light when moving.
• Possible LED for signal link OK from inside controller.
• Setting for standard rotor motor or stepper motor

Please leave a comment if you have any other ideas, suggestions or criticism. I would love to hear your input.

73,   KC8GRQ

This is just to test it to see if it would work.
I will build a better system that saves all of the tones and allows me to choose from a menu system on the LCD.