Ham Radio Workbench Podcast

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This is your bi-weekly deep dive on making, DIY, electronics, and technical topics of interest to the radio amateur. Join your hosts George KJ6VU and Jeremy KF7IJZ as they discuss current developments in ham radio while introducing listeners to a plethora of topics and skills such as test equipment, 3D Printing, Arduino, Raspberry Pi, and more. Ham radio is a hobby of hobbies - George and Jeremy introduce hams of all ages to experimenting and learning within ham radio, which can be one of the most rewarding aspects of the hobby. We are proudly sponsored by Autodesk Eagle ECAD tools and Elecraft.

This is your bi-weekly deep dive on making, DIY, electronics, and technical topics of interest to the radio amateur. Join your hosts George KJ6VU and Jeremy KF7IJZ as they discuss current developments in ham radio while introducing listeners to a plethora of topics and skills such as test equipment, 3D Printing, Arduino, Raspberry Pi, and more. Ham radio is a hobby of hobbies - George and Jeremy introduce hams of all ages to experimenting and learning within ham radio, which can be one of the most rewarding aspects of the hobby. We are proudly sponsored by Autodesk Eagle ECAD tools and Elecraft.

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United States

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Technology Podcasts

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Language:

English

Episodes

HRWB063-Listener Projects with Arduino and 3D Printing

11/6/2018

Bernie Nazari K6NAZ has been a ham for just under two years, but has already been bitten by the building bug. Recently he’s shared two projects in our Facebook group that combine Arduino compatible Adafruit Feather boards and 3D Printing to add to his ham radio fun. Bernie joins us today to talk about his remote Pi-Star hot spot display and controller as well has his approach for building a remotely controlled linked dipole an>ntenna. Save 10% off of a PowerFilm Solar 30 Watt Panel with...

Duration:01:58:13

HRWB062-Solar Power

10/23/2018

George KJ6VU is away at Pacificon so Nick KN6NK stops by to deep dive on Solar Power fundamentals. We talk about understanding your power requirements, sizing your batteries, and how to factor your solar production needs. We also talk about solar charge controllers to tie it all together. Jeremy KF7IJZ also gives a basic overview of Ubiquiti Unifi networking equipment. Save 10% off of a PowerFilm Solar 30 Watt Panel with Anderson Powerpole Adapter with code WORKBENCH 10 at checkout (through...

Duration:02:21:23

HRWB061-Introduction to Repeater Building

10/9/2018

George KJ6VU walks us through the most common components found in a modern FM repeater. We cover antennas, duplexers, coax, radios, controllers, and other helpful information for those who are considering taking on the project of an analog repeater build. Save 10% off of a PowerFilm Solar 30 Watt Panel with Anderson Powerpole Adapter with code WORKBENCH 10 at checkout (through Dec 31, 2018) - 30 Watt Foldable Solar Panel with Anderson Powerpole Adapter Save $100 on the Digilent Analog...

Duration:04:25:47

HRWB060-Introduction to Networking and Security

9/25/2018

Most of us have several devices connected to the Internet in our Ham Shacks. A computer, a digital mode hotspot, and a Raspberry Pi are several common items one would find. We may not give much thought to these devices because affordable commercially available equipment make it a breeze to connect devices to each other and the Internet. But, have you ever stopped to think whether your hotspot should have network access to the computer you do your taxes on? This week Nick KN6NK and Smitty...

Duration:06:02:09

HRWB059-Field Radios

9/11/2018

Rod Hardman VA3ON joins George for part two of the “Workbench in the Field” series. Rod and George discuss portable radio selection and field build projects. Our Website - http://www.hamradioworkbench.com/ Follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/hamworkbench Contact us for feedback and ideas - http://hamradioworkbench.com/contact Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/hamradioworkbench/ BrandMeister Talkgroup 31075 -...

Duration:05:07:10

HRWB058-Portable Repeaters for Emergency Situations

8/28/2018

This week we are joined by Rob KA2PBT and Evan KD2IZW to talk about building creative solutions to post emergency or disaster communications problems. Rob is engaged with his local high-school and has been working with youth to engage them in hands-on engineering and problem-solving using amateur radio. Evan is a former student who lead a team to design and build a balloon launched cross-band repeater for search and rescue purposes. He presented this project at the 2017 Dayton Youth Forum....

Duration:01:31:41

HRWB057-Antennas for HOA Restricted Areas

8/14/2018

Dr. Jack Mandelman K1VT joins us to talk about being a Ham and living in a neighborhood with an HOA that restricts antenna installations. We will talk about approaches and some equipment that one can use to be active on HF when living with such restrictions. We also touch on the role that transmitting and receiving magnetic loop antennas can play in getting you on the air from within an HOA restricted area. Our Website - http://www.hamradioworkbench.com/ Follow us on Twitter -...

Duration:05:02:17

HRWB056-Field Radio Workbench

7/31/2018

Get geared up for field operating and setting up your field workbench with John Jacobs W7DBO from the Field Radio Podcast. In segment 1, John outlines his method for organizing and planning your field radio adventures. In segment 2 we list essential tools, parts, and test gear you need for light weight trail ops and full scale Field Day deployments. We wrap up the show with an introduction to the Powerfilm Lightsaver MAX portable battery and solar panel. Our Website -...

Duration:05:50:05

HRWB055-4-Port Coax Relay Project Design

7/17/2018

George KJ6VU takes us through a thorough deep dive of the design of the 4-Port Coax Relay Project. We talk about the five major sections of the project - RF circuit switching with relays, control via PIC Microcontroller, the power supply, the user interface, and serial communications. Each section provides a reference design that could be leveraged in other projects. Pick up the 4-Port Coax Relay Project Partial Kit from our store - ...

Duration:05:29:25

HRWB054-Field Day 2018 Debrief

7/3/2018

George and Jeremy spend time talking about their 2018 ARRL Field Day Experiences. They discuss their general setups, what worked, what didn’t, and what they would do differently in 2019. Our Website - http://www.hamradioworkbench.com/ Follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/hamworkbench Contact us for feedback and ideas - http://hamradioworkbench.com/contact Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/hamradioworkbench/ Save $100 on the Digilent Analog Discovery 2...

Duration:05:03:59

HRWB053-Spectrum Analyzers

6/19/2018

Jason Chonko from Siglent America is joined by Nick KN6NK to give an in-depth intorudction to spectrum analyzers. We talk about the specs, features, and engineering that make up this handy piece of frequency-domain test equipment. We also explore several common spectrum analyzer uses such as filter and cavity tuning as well as radio purity evaluation. Our Website - http://www.hamradioworkbench.com/ Follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/hamworkbench Contact us for feedback and ideas -...

Duration:02:04:28

2018 FDIM Presentations by Hans Summers G0UPL and Dr. Jack Purding W8TEE

6/5/2018

One final piece of content from the 2018 Hamvention. Every year, the QRP Amateur Radio Club International hosts a QRP conference called Four Days in May that proceeds Hamvention. The event is home to a large collection of amateurs passionate about low power operation and building their own radios. George attended the event on Thursday and was able to capture talks by Hans Summers G0UPL of QRP-Labs fame and Dr. Jack Purdum W8TEE, famous in the BITX40 community. Hans talks about the...

Duration:02:41:12

HRWB050-Live from Hamvention 2018

5/22/2018

This week George KJ6VU and Jeremy KF7IJZ are together in Xenia, OH for the 2018 Hamvention. This episode celebrates the two year anniversary of the Workbench concept, and we are joined by our extended family for the occasion - Mark “Smitty Halibut” Smith KR6ZY, Kenneth Finnegan W6KWF, Gerald “Powerpole the World” Wilson KF5JNU, and Brittany Mrs. IJZ sit in for this roundtable. We discuss Hamvention impressions, spending other people’s money, and (of course) DMR this week on the Ham Radio...

Duration:02:20:19

HRWB051-2018 Hamvention Interviews

5/22/2018

Our Interview coverage from the floor of the 2018 Hamvention hosted by the Dayton Amateur Radio Association. 00:02:29 - QRP Labs - Hans Summers G0UPL 00:26:07 - Siglent America - Jason Chonko 00:37:09 - Hytera America - Matt Lunati N7OEI 00:52:20 - Small Batch Assembly - Bob Coggeshall KW4WQ 01:14:48 - FlexRadio Systems - Mike Walker VA3MW 01:31:04 - Open Research Institute - Michelle Thompson W5NYV 1:37:17 - TAPR - Steve Bible N7HPR 1:45:33 - LOOP Antenna - Sergio I3VHF 1:50:44...

Duration:01:58:13

HRWB049-Understanding RF Receiver Specifications

5/8/2018

Eric Swartz WA6HHQ, co-founder of Elecraft, joins us to guide our understanding of RF receiver performance specifications. Eric introduces us to common receiver specs such as Sensitivity, Noise Floor, Dynamic Range, Intermod Dynamic Range, Phase Noise, and RMDR. He tells us what they mean in real-world receiver performance terms, how they are tested, and whether it’s better to have a higher or lower number in each one. It’s also the final episode before the 2018 Hamvention and George and...

Duration:05:09:12

HRWB048-2018 Hamvention

4/24/2018

Smitty KR6ZY joins as co-host this week as George is on vacation. Smitty will be making a road trip to Xenia, OH to attend the 2018 Hamvention for the first time. We talk about the preparations he’s undergoing to maximize his mobile Ham Radio experience as he drives cross country. He talks to us about operating and charging a Bioenno Battery from his car as well as a speaker level audio mixer he’s designing to mix the audio of all of his radios. Finally, we talk about Hamvention in general -...

Duration:03:04:35

HRWB047-Yaesu System Fusion

4/10/2018

Today we bring you a BayCon 2018 presentation from David Ranch KI6ZHD on Yaesu’s contribution to the Digital Voice radio market - Yaesu System Fusion. David gives a brief overview of the mode and then talks about the state of Yaesu System Fusion in 2018. George and Jeremy spend a long time catching up on projects, many related to Digital Mobile Radio (DMR). George gives a brief update on the Ham Radio Workbench Build projects for the 2018 season. Yaesu System Fusion Content begins at...

Duration:07:05:42

HRWB046-DMR Basics Part 2

3/27/2018

We finish the second half of our DMR Basics conversation with Kirk K6RCT. In this episode we talk about DMR networks such as Brandmeister and cBridges. We also discuss the various options for equipment available to hams from Motorola to the venerable Tytera MD-380. Jeremy is also on the road from the 2018 Midwest RepRap Festival, (think Hamvention but for 3D Printing). Our Website - http://www.hamradioworkbench.com/ Follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/hamworkbench Contact us for...

Duration:04:34:39

HRWB045-DMR Basics Part 1

3/13/2018

To mark the launch of the BayNet Brandmeister Talk Group 31075, Kirk Smith K6RCT (Operator of the K6DOA DMR Repeater in SLO) joins us to talk Digital Mobile Radio, or DMR. DMR is a digital radio standard developed for use in commercial radio applications. Because of its commercial background, there are several operating and technological concepts that are unique to DMR that differ from what we are used to in other Amateur Digital Voice modes such as DSTAR and Yaesu System Fusion. In part one...

Duration:05:05:01

HRWB044-Basic HF Antennas

2/27/2018

John Jacobs, host of the Field Radio Podcast, returns join in a discussion of basic DIY HF antennas. We talk some of the most common and easiest to build antennas such as Dipoles as well as how to build them and where to scrounge for materials! We also talk about our plans for our respective shows in light of Cale’s recent archiving of Ham Radio 360. We share the details of the Digilent Analog Discovery 2 package (and discount code!) with the audience! Follow us on Twitter -...

Duration:05:38:43