Teacher helps students earn amateur radio licenses

/

Petal High School Information Technology teacher Brad Amacker N5MZ  helped his students earn amateur radio licenses thanks to a grant he received during the 2012-13 school year

The Hattiesburg American reports that Amacker used the grant for a project involving a digital mode of Amateur Radio called D-STAR, Digital Smart Technologies for Amateur Radio.

His IT classes studied Amateur Radio and FCC Rules during the fall semester and seventeen students earned FCC Amateur Radio licenses.

Full Story - http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/article/20130814/NEWS01/130814017/Petal-teacher-helps-students-earn-amateur-radio-licenses

80m ham radio band used for wideband video/data

/

Trials in the UK have used 3.613 MHz for 24 kHz bandwidth high-speed data and video transmissions

In recent years there has been increasing military interest in high-speed data on HF.

By using modern modulation techniques a SSB channel can support a raw data rate of 12800 bps and wider transmissions can support proportionally faster data rates. Trials have shown that color video at 15 frames per second can be streamed on HF in a bandwidth of just 18 kHz. That is the type of bandwidth that may be accommodated in the amateur radio 29 MHz band.

In the UK HF trials have taken place between Blandford and Portsmouth (Portsdown), and Arbroath and Portsmouth. They used frequencies, licensed by Ofcom, of 3.613, 6.390, 7.975 and 13.047 MHz with bandwidths up to 24 kHz and power up to 400 watts.

Information on the trials - http://www.hfindustry.com/meetings_presentations/presentation_materials/2012_sept_hfia/presentations/RC_WBHF_UK_Trial_2012.pdf

USA trials of video streaming over a 1320 km HF path - http://hfindustry.com/meetings_presentations/presentation_materials/2011_sept_hfia/presentations/3_Rockwell_WBHF_High_Order_QAM_OTA_Results.pdf

Military Aerospace reports that short wave radio (HF) is being considered as an alternative to Satellite communications (SATCOM) - http://www.militaryaerospace.com/blogs/aerospace-defense-blog/2013/07/are-costs-and-vulnerabilities-making-military-leaders-nervous-about-satellite-communications.html

Amateur Radio Exam at UKHAS Conference

/

A few tickets are still available for the UKHAS conference at the University of Greenwich, London on Saturday 7 September 2013

The UK High Altitude Society UKHAS conference attracts those interested in learning about building and flying High Altitude Balloons or in tracking their 434 MHz signals.

The conference is open to all, you don’t have to have flown a High Altitude Balloon, you’ll probably get more out of it as a total beginner as there will be a huge wealth of experience in the room you can speak to.

There is an impressive lineup of speakers in addition to which there will be workshops, demonstrations along with assessments and exam for the amateur radio Foundation licence. Among the presentations will be one on Narrow Band TV by Phil Heron 2I0VIM.

Workshops

  • Balloon Q&A - James Coxon M6JCX
  • Pi - Dave Akerman M6RPI
  • Foundation Exam Preparation - Phillip Crump M0DNY
  • Knots! - Anthony Stirk M0UPU

Demonstrations

  • Balloon -> ISS APRS Setup - James Coxon M6JCX
  • Setting up Receiving Station - Anthony Stirk M0UPU

Tickets - http://ava.upuaut.net/store/index.php?route=product/category&path=74