N1GY- The Simple Approach to Ham Radio

On this web site, as my comfort level with building the site grows, I will add articles and links to other ham-related pages.

I do notice that to properly view some of these pages, you will have to maximize the window in your browser. I do not understand why this is so, it appears to be just the way Site Builder works.

My purpose is to develop a resource for those hams who are intrigued by DIY amateur radio, but do not want to get into a major project right off the bat. "Walk before you run" is a good way to approach homebrewing electronic devices. I want to help other electronically challenged hams like myself to get comfortable with this wonderful hobby.

CELLULAR "EARSET" ADAPTERS AVAILABLE:

For those among the amateur radio community who do not have the time to build one of these devices that adapt a wired cellular headset (or "earset, if you like) to many of the most popular amateur radios, I do offer the adapter complete with a new "earset" for a reasonable price. These are completely "plug and play" devices and all are tested by me before shipping.

Units are available for the following radios:

Icom IC-703, IC 706 (all variants)

Yaesu FT-7800, FT-8800, FT-8900, FT-1802, FT-817, FT-857, FT-897

Alinco DR-150

I may be able to design circuits that will fit almost any radio that uses an electret mic element. The IC-7000 is a notable exception because of the basic design of the radio. Even radios that use a dynamic mic may be converted if a DC voltage is available at the mic connector.

The basic headset (earset) and adapter are priced at $45.95 shipping included. Additional auxiliary buttons such as the UP/Down, and Fast on the FT-817, 857, and 897 are $20 extra. The same applies to the IC-703 and 706 series. It is not possible to add auxiliary buttons to the adapter for the Yaesu FT-7800, 8800, 8900 and 1802 again due to the original design of the radio.

Shipping is via USPS Priority Mail and I can only accept USPS Money orders for payment.

If you are interested in purchasing one of these units, please e-mail me via the link on the "contact me" page of the web site.

About my "Blog" (see below): As I think of some subject that I want to make a short comment about, whether it be something new on the site, or something of import elsewhere, I will make an "UPDATE" to this home page. The latest "UPDATE" will appear at the top of the "LATEST UPDATES" text below. As older "Updates" become dated or no longer of importance, I will remove them from the site.

LATEST UPDATES FROM N1GY'S RADIO ROOM

UPDATED 11/23/09

This past weekend, I attended the annual meeting of the West Central Florida Group. This group owns and operates the NI4CE repeater system which services virtually all of the West Central Florida Section of the ARRL. Although not connected in any way to the Section, this repeater system of (at present nine repeaters all linked all the time) provides a venue for many nets, both Section Nets and others. Being able to reach the thousands of amateurs living in our area with news and information about the amateur radio activities that occur in the Section, this system allows any amateur to be well informed about ham radio. Well, the Board of Directors decided that it should be my turn at the helm for the next year. I am overwhelmed by their confidence in me, and will do my best to lead the group forward in the next year.

UPDATED 11/11/09

To go along with the new temporary mast article mentioned below, I have also added a companion piece on extending the coax runs from the mobile radio installed in the vehicle to the temporary masting and antennas outside. This falls into the "Junk Box" category of projects because any ham with a moderately well stocked "Junk Box" probably has all the parts on hand already.

UPDATED 11/06/09

I have added a new page to the website detailing the construction of the telescopic mast I mentioned in the last update. It was a relatively easy project to build and works very well. Just look for (NEW) in the title of the page in the navigation panel to the left of the screen. I have also received a note from the editors at QST that one of my little efforts will be in the "Hints and Kinks" column in the December 09 issue.

Life is good.

UPDATED 11/04/09

My wife and I were in a "nearly new" store the other day, looking for various and sundry inexpensive toys for the times when the grandchildren visit when I came across a real find. For less than $5, I purchased an extendable light bulb changing tool. It amounts to a 12 foot metal mast that telescopes down to about 4 feet when retracted. The working end, a kind of spring-loaded basket affair was easily removed. A little modifying turned the base of the "basket" into a connector that accepts one of my homebrewed OCF sleeve dipoles for 2 meters and 440. A little more home-brewing resulted in an adapter which connects the base of the mast to the "BigFoot" mount that I use for my 22' telescopic aluminum mast. The same adapter can also connect the smaller mast to a ground spike so that they both can be used at the same time, should the need arise.

My point in mentioning this is that one should be on the lookout at all times for anything that can be re-purposed for amateur radio. In this case, a light bulb changer became a temporary mast for an antenna. The old video tape cassette boxes can become enclosures, an old data switch can become a mic selector, you get the idea. One of the hallmarks of amateur radio operators is the ability to ad lib the creation of a working radio station in a few moments and get on the air. How we do that is always a work in progress.

UPDATED 10/28/09

The latest little project to be completed here in the radio room is an upgrade to the way I have my IC-706MkIIG set up. As you may be able to see from the photos of my QTH each radio has a mic selector underneath it, allowing me to choose the hand mic or a headset with the flip of a knob. I recently rebuilt an old Turner 254 desk mic with new wiring and an electret mic element so I could use it with my 706. This necessitated a change to the mic selector because the one I was using had only 2 positions and I now have 3 mics to select from. An old 4-position mic selector that I built years ago was resurrected and the RJ-45 jacks were repositioned to the front of the enclosure (except for the digital jack, which was left on the back panel). Testing demonstrated that all of the mic positions worked fine. Each of the mics has a slightly different tonal quality, but all are readable communications quality by all who responded to the test. The circuit for the mic selector is identical to the one on the web site with the addition of two more positions on the switch. All of my mic switchers are built from old computer data switches from the days before USB ports. They are very inexpensive now, the last two I obtained cost me about $1 each. For that one gets a solid metal enclosure and a multipole 2, 3, or 4 position switch. All one needs to add are the jacks and cables appropriate to the radio to be used and do a little wiring. All the details will be found on the mic selector page.

UPDATED 8/7/09

After the Tech Net the other night, I got an email from a ham who sent me a link:

http://www.mckayproducts.com/store/mckaystore.htm

This company offers "Blu-Com" a complete Bluetooth package consisting of a headset, PTT switch and dongle that plugs into a number of amateur radios. Just follow the link above and click on the "Bluetooth" button in the header. I had a long conversation with one of the owners of McKay Products and many other tranceivers can also be connected with the use of a simple adapter circuit. I have not yet had an opportunity to try their Bluetooth package out, but the price appears quite reasonable. In fact, if I had had to purchase all of the components of my Bluetooth system new, I doubt that I could have done it for less. Hopefully, someone will publish a full evaluation of McKay's Bluetooth adapter soon.

As to my DIY version of a Bluetooth system, the lashup has been neatly packaged into a suitable enclosure and is ready to take its place at the operating position here at N1GY. I have written the project up but need to take a few pictures before I post a new page to the site.

UPDATED 8/5/09

I have just assembled a gadget that is really interesting (to me at least). After reading Johnny Knight, WB4U's article in the August 09 issue of QST on adapting Bluetooth technology to amateur radio, I purchased a Jabra A-210 Bluetooth adapter and a Plantronics M2500 headset. Once I got the adapter back from Jabra, (the first one was DOA) paired them up and tried it out plugged into one of my cellular headset adapters. It worked great according to the reports. I then went on to combine the setup with a spare wireless PTT switch that I had left over from an article of mine and found that I could roam about my house while still conversing on my Icom IC-706MkIIG quite easily. They advertise the range of the Jabra A-210 as being 30 or so feet. I could not get it to go quite that far, but good enough for my purposes.

The only hang-up is that Jabra no longer makes the A-210, or so they tell me, so finding one may take a little searching on the web. There is at least one other manufacturer that produced a Bluetooth adapter similar to the A-210, (the Cardo Wireless BTAII, also apparently out of production) so keep looking. I plan to experiment with the lash-up for a while longer before writing it up, but I do think it is better to have control over the PTT than just trust to the VOX setting if it is available on your radio.

The receiver for the wireless PTT only uses about 25 mA/hr so powering it with a 8-pack of AA cells works fine for now. Many thanks to WB4U for his helpful suggestions on getting the Jabra replaced.

More on this new project later, right now I have to pack for a trip up North so 73 for now.

UPDATED 7/22/09

A few days ago, I received a telephone call from Greg Sarratt, W4OZK, informing me that the ARRL Board of Directors had chosen me as the Technical Service Award winner for 2009. Needless to say, I was overwhelmed. When one of my fellow amateurs asked me for my telephone number several months ago because he wanted to nominate me for something, I had no idea that he was nominating me for this award.

Apparently, one of the reasons that I was nominated for this incredible award was the fact that I write about various ham radio projects I have worked on and they sometimes get published in the pages of QST. I see many great projects that hams have designed and built in my travels around our section and I see many more on the Internet. Quite a few of these projects would have been published in the pages of QST if only their authors had taken the time to submit them to the editors. My advice to all hams then is to write your projects up and submit them to QST. The more that the ham community sees them, the more hams will build them. This can only be good for the "art of homebrewing."

I must thank Dee Turner, N4GD, WCF Section Manager, who reappointed me to the position of Technical Coordinator when he took office. His support and guidance have been much appreciated.

I must also thank that dedicated group of volunteers, the Technical Specialists of the West Central Florida Section. Their assistance in answering questions for those hams that check into the WCF Technical Net (every Thursday evening at 9:00 PM on the NI4CE repeater system) is the prime reason for its success. My sincere thanks go out to all those who have offered their congratulations since the announcement was made.