PRISM available for Amateur Radio AX.25 Packet

The team that developed the PRISM satellite have announced it is being opened up for use by radio amateurs during afternoon passes.

The satellite was built by the University of Tokyo and launched on January 23, 2009 into a 660 by 670 km orbit. It uses AX.25 packet radio and can now be used by amateur radio operators as a store-and-forward message box.

Full details - http://www.space.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/prism/en/HAMservice.html

PRISM  - http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/satellites/satInfo.php?satID=119

Ofcom - ECC Decision on AM SSB CB apparatus

ECC published (June 2011) a Decision harmonizing CB radio across the European Union but until now Ofcom have dragged their heels in implementing it.

It appears that Ofcom intend to drag out implementation further but their statement says the ECC Decision should probably be implemented by the end of 2013.

In the late 1970's radio amateurs such as James Bryant G4CLF, President (UK) Citizens' Band Association, campaigned for the legalisation of AM/SSB CB now some 35 years later it looks as though it will finally be achieved.

Ofcom statement - http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/spectrum/spectrum-management/licence-exempt-radio-use/citizens-band-radio/notices/ecc-decision/

ECC Decision ECC/DEC/(11)03 - The harmonised use of frequencies for Citizens’ Band (CB) radio equipment -http://www.erodocdb.dk/Docs/doc98/official/pdf/ECCDEC1103.PDF

European Union gets 27 MHz SSB CB - http://www.southgatearc.org/news/july2011/eu_gets_27mhz_ssb.htm

James Bryant G4CLF in New Scientist magazine March 2, 1978 - http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ip4h-vBJcnsC&pg=PA559&lpg=PA559&dq=CB+%2B+%22James+Bryant%22&source=bl&ots=MYJjYXx98x&sig=6OxUWNo5gkdssb5CwgPLSZCZE68&hl=en&ei=aJXLToSvCYu3hAegu8CyDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CGIQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=CB%20%2B%20%22James%20Bryant%22&f=false

HF/VHF/UHF Multicoupler released

Cross Country Wireless now have the first production models of their HF/VHF/UHF Multicoupler available for sale.

This is a multicoupler or antenna distribution amplifier that can share a single antenna between up to five receivers. It also provides lightning surge and over-power protection on the antenna port.

This product has been under development for over a year and one of the spin-offs from the work was the revised RF front end for the SDR-4+ receiver.

The multicoupler has a very wide bandwidth (1 to 400 MHz -3dB) and a very high output IP3 figure of 40 dBm.

The specification for reverse isolation and receiver to receiver isolation is also very good (typically better than 50 dB).

More information - http://www.crosscountrywireless.net/multicoupler.htm