Connectors… BNC, N, TNC, UHF, SMA… what?
OK, so everyone has their favorite type and installation method for RF connectors. While I’m not going to address everything, I’m going to describe my setup a bit, and the…
VX-1700 VFO mode
The VX1700 is a fairly nice radio, but it has one shortcoming from a flexibility standpoint – the VFO is not enabled by default, nor is it a simple software…
Return Loss, Part 2, or SDR VNA
After my last post on return loss, I ended up scouring eBay for a return loss bridge – or a set of directional couplers – to measure antennas and other…
Shack Reboot
I decided that it’s time to reconfigure the shack… this time using dispatch consoles. The main purpose is to limit the surfaces I can pile things on – and cut…
BC 780XLT IF Tap
Several years ago, I modified a Softrock kit to operate at 455 kHz. The main purpose behind this build was to add the ability to connect it to a receiver’s…
VRS 750 Interface Cable Build
Several months ago, I stumbled upon an eBay special on VRS-750’s. I picked one up for $50 – at that price, it was worth having a backup on the shelf.…
RSSI correlation
One interesting aspect of the BCD-996 and similar radios is the digital command and status protocol. In digging into the software, I learned that there is a RSSI (Relative Signal…
A generic radio programming cable
Many years ago, programming the memories in an amateur radio was a “neat” feature. As the capability was included in more radios, the radio manufacturers also began charging a hefty…
Return Loss – A new take on VSWR measurement
Well, first some background – and definitions I’ll give some basic definitions and descriptions… if you want the full detailed technical description, try here http://microwaves101.com/encyclopedia/index.cfm Network Analyzer A network analyzer…
Adding IF Taps to the FT-1000 for Station Monitoring
So, about a year ago, I decided I wanted to tinker with SDRs. Many of these, such as the Flex radios, were way too expensive – so I looked into…