27 MHz SSB CB legal

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Ofcom have announced amendments to Wireless Telegraphy licence regulations that will enable 27 MHz SSB Citizens Band operation with 12 watt PEP from 27 June 2014

In the late 1970's radio amateurs such as James Bryant G4CLF, the then President of the UK Citizens' Band Association, campaigned for the legalisation of AM/SSB CB. Now some 37 years later it has finally been achieved.

Ofcom statement - http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/wireless-telegraphy-fees-notice/statement/

AM/SSB and DSB CB IR2027.2– UK Radio Interface Requirement - http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/spectrum/spectrum-policy-area/spectrum-management/research-guidelines-tech-info/interface-requirements/IR_2027.2.pdf

Statutory Instrument 2014 No. 1484 - http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/1484/made/data.pdf

Read the article about CB Radio written by James Bryant G4CLF in the 2nd March 1978 issue of New Scientist magazine - http://tinyurl.com/CBradioNewScientist

New Ham Radio Digital Mode

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The ROS software FHSS Mode is a new HF digital mode based on FHSS-CDMA modulation

It uses 16 different CDMA codes with 1.8 seconds per Hop.

Every transmission uses a different CDMA code randomly chosen.

More information - http://rosmodem.wordpress.com/2014/05/16/new-digital-mode-fhss-mode/

ROS Weak Signal Radio Chat and Opera Weak signal QRSS Beacon can be downloaded from http://rosmodem.wordpress.com/

Introducing SmartMic Ham Radio Digital Voice

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David Rowe VK5DGR and Rick Barnich KA8BMA have been working on SmartMic, an embedded hardware product that allows you to run FreeDV without a PC. Just plug it into your SSB or FM radio, and you now have Digital Voice (DV)

The whole design is open hardware (TAPR license). It will run an embedded version of FreeDV which is also 100% open source.

Based on a STM32F4 micro-controller, SmartMic has a built in microphone, speaker amplifier, and transformer isolated interfaces to your radio. It’s just 80 x 100mm, and can be held in you hand and used like a regular PTT microphone, or sit near your radio in a small box form factor. SmartMic will be in production later in 2014 and will retail for US$195.

Read about SmartMic - http://www.rowetel.com/blog/?p=3125

Codec 2 - http://www.rowetel.com/blog/?page_id=452

FreeDV: Digital Voice for HF - http://freedv.org/tiki-index.php

Join the FreeDV Codec2 email list - https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freetel-codec2