Radio Topics
Radio Topics
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How to Read the Smith Chart on the Nano VNA
When tuning antennas for a specific band, we often resort to using a SWR bridge and transmitting on several frequencies to find our resonant point. The Nano VNA gets around this by sweeping across the band at very low power and displaying both VSWR and impedance (using the Smith Chart display).
This video explains how the Smith Chart provides this information, saving you time in determining how to trim your antenna.
Переглядів: 2 317

Відео

Icom IC-R8600 Advanced Scanning: Skip/Select/Program/Priority
Переглядів 1,3 тис.9 місяців тому
In the last video, I described the process for programming frequencies into the R8600 Groups and Memory Channels, and starting a basic memory scan. Here, I discuss how to skip certain channels in a scan, how to scan only selected channels in a group, how to scan continuously from one frequency to another and how to set up a priority channel to interrupt whatever you're tuned to when a signal ap...
ICOM IC-R8600: Simplified Memory Programming and Scanning
Переглядів 2,3 тис.9 місяців тому
The Icom IC-R8600 is a powerhouse communications receiver, but lacking any band 'presets', storing frequencies in groups and channels becomes necessary. This radio covers 10 kHz to 3 GHz, so casually tuning around with the VFO knob would take forever to get from one end of the spectrum to the other! This first video covers the basics...more advanced memory storage and scanning coverage to follow.
Hallicrafters S-40 - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Переглядів 538Рік тому
The Hallicrafters S-40 is a classic MW/SW tube radio from the late 1940's. Some time ago, I resurrected the exterior of the radio from its pathetic state, and recently had a go at the alignment procedure. In this video, I take you through the controls, the woes of alignment and its performance.
The QYT KT-5000: Review and Manual Programming Guide.
Переглядів 11 тис.Рік тому
Chinese dual band VHF/UHF amateur radio transceivers are getting smaller and smaller. They're handy for mobiling or putting into a go-box, but with diminished size comes compromises. These are outlined in this video, along with instructions on how to program repeaters in manually. DISCLAIMER: The following is an AliExpress affiliate link. If clicked, I receive a small commission if a purchase i...
RE-MATCH: RSPdx vs Ham It Up on SDR Console
Переглядів 1,1 тис.Рік тому
This time, I compare the two HF SDR solutions on the same platform: SDR Console. Previously, I compared them using SDR# for the Ham It Up and SDRUno for the RSPdx. That video can be found at ua-cam.com/video/4hYdkCT6ciM/v-deo.html DISCLAIMER: The following are Amazon affiliate links. If clicked, I receive a small commission if a purchase is made from a link. This is not a solicitation, but is f...
Software Defined Radios (SDR): SDRplay RSPdx vs NOOELEC Ham It Up
Переглядів 21 тис.Рік тому
The RSPdx SDR from SDRplay comes at a premium price but offers some noticeable improvements over the NOOELEC Ham It Up. Depending on bands and modes that you wish to listen to, this video should help you decide which works best for your budget. DISCLAIMER: The following are Amazon affiliate links. If clicked, I receive a small commission if a purchase is made from a link. This is not a solicita...
RF Preamps for HF Receivers: Worth it?
Переглядів 5 тис.Рік тому
We usually expect RF preamps to improve our ability to receive weak signals on HF. But do they? As you'll see, they can, but it depends. By the way....the best solution for shortwave listening is a GOOD antenna.
Make a 6 Meter Mobile Antenna from a Cheap CB Antenna
Переглядів 4,1 тис.2 роки тому
I wanted to try 6 Meter (Metre for us Canadians) mobile operation, but was reluctant to put a 4 foot whip on the trunk of my car. This video describes how you can modify a cheap and low profile magnetic mount CB antenna for 6 Meters. DISCLAIMER: The following are Amazon affiliate links. If clicked, I receive a small commission if a purchase is made from a link. This is not a solicitation, but i...
XEIGU G90 - Wacky SWR Issue.....Resolved
Переглядів 9252 роки тому
This video outlines how I encountered a high SWR problem when the XEIGU G90 was left in SPLIT mode. Bottom line...and, spoiler alert - you can skip watching the video by doing this... To avoid high SWR, make sure the SPLIT function is always turned OFF if you only intend to operate simplex, specifically if VFO B is set to an out of band frequency. (I can hear the collective 'DUH!' now.) If you ...
Amplified Loop vs Ham Radio Tuned Antennas - Which is Best for HF Reception?
Переглядів 1,7 тис.2 роки тому
Indoor or portable preamplified loop antennas are convenient for indoor or portable longwave/medium wave/shortwave listening, but how do they compare on the HF ham bands? I took my loop outdoors to compare it to my trap vertical (Hustler 4BTV with added 30m trap) and a homebrew 11m/17m fan dipole. But what about general coverage shortwave listening? Stay tuned for my comments at the end to find...
Eton Elite Executive Radio: How to Program Memory Pages
Переглядів 4,3 тис.2 роки тому
The Eton Elite Executive memory pages allow you to group favorite frequencies into groups. Each page will give you 7 memory positions, and you can create up to 100 pages for a total of 700 memories. This method applies to all bands that the radio covers (LW, AM, SW, FM & Air). DISCLAIMER: The following are Amazon affiliate links. If clicked, I receive a small commission if a purchase is made fr...
Comet DS-150S Discone Antenna Review
Переглядів 13 тис.2 роки тому
Trust me to turn a simple discone antenna review into an antenna and Smith Chart theory lesson, but skip past that and you'll get to the test results. They might surprise you! Music: Soundstripe WFHJVHTCBXIADHVN Soundstripe MEQV0MYUZU9UTLVU Soundstripe TZKOZL3NLQLIGTML
Vintage Shortwave: Nordmende Globetraveler II
Переглядів 2,6 тис.2 роки тому
Continuing in my series on vintage shortwave receivers, this time we look at a West German classic portable. DSH1PNOLQRNITY00I MEQV0MYUZU9UTLVU
Vintage Shortwave: Heathkit Mohican
Переглядів 2 тис.3 роки тому
This is the first in a series of vintage receivers I will be highlighting on this channel. The performance of the Heathkit Mohican isn't outstanding, but it comes from the era of early transistorized shortwave radios that started appearing in the 1960s. Nostalgia, indeed. Stay tuned! Music codes: MEQV0MYUZU9UTLVU TZKOZL3NLQLIGTML
Eton Elite Executive Radio Antenna Problem: Resolved
Переглядів 9 тис.3 роки тому
Eton Elite Executive Radio Antenna Problem: Resolved
Eton Elite Executive Portable Radio - How Well Does it Perform?
Переглядів 58 тис.3 роки тому
Eton Elite Executive Portable Radio - How Well Does it Perform?

КОМЕНТАРІ

  • @bhambhole
    @bhambhole 3 години тому

    Excellent explanation. Easier to comprehend than a turboencabulator. You have a new subscriber. I look forward to future videos.

  • @yardleybottles6025
    @yardleybottles6025 9 днів тому

    Nice work

  • @TalmidAndy
    @TalmidAndy 19 днів тому

    While this was somewhat of an interesting video this really was not a fair comparison. Comparing a stick, barely modified from its original use as a DVB-T receiver, to a specifically designed SDR receiver is not a good comparison point - even if you are using an extremely broadbanded and poorly filtered transverter to compare operation far below where the stick SDR was designed to operate. At ~$220 for the SDRplay and less than $100 for the NooElec setup for the new SDR user, casual user, or even a regular user looking for some level of flexibility the price is going to be far more important than a few heterodynes. Comparing the NooElec to an RTLSDR with another transverter would have been a much fairer comparison.

  • @rohnkd4hct260
    @rohnkd4hct260 21 день тому

    I used to have a S40B. I sold it, wish I hadn’t.

  • @kevincooper8666
    @kevincooper8666 27 днів тому

    Bigger is not always better looks and sounds a lot like my Eton G3 globe traveller very good thought about getting a big all knobs and whistles table top receiver but seeing your tests I think I'll stick with the G3 and save my money

  • @ronbarbi2008
    @ronbarbi2008 28 днів тому

    You are a genius....was going nuts with this bug, swapping cables, antennas etc......problem now fixed with your help.....KD2MNZ

  • @geirha75
    @geirha75 28 днів тому

    split...

  • @christophercullin9309
    @christophercullin9309 Місяць тому

    mine wont transmit faulty TX cable inside

  • @andrewmunz1639
    @andrewmunz1639 Місяць тому

    Thank you!

  • @Flagrazi
    @Flagrazi Місяць тому

    You should use the same software, SDRuno is far superior than the other one. I have both RSP and RTLSDR and differences are very small using SDRconsole with is in my opinion far better than Sdruno.

  • @mcdeadsquirrel
    @mcdeadsquirrel Місяць тому

    Many many thanks for this!!!!

  • @Amritpal016
    @Amritpal016 Місяць тому

    which one is better on am band xhdata d 808 vs eton elite executive

  • @eb3bnj
    @eb3bnj 2 місяці тому

    Thanks a lot. 73

  • @NickWindham
    @NickWindham 3 місяці тому

    Helpful

  • @migsvensurfing6310
    @migsvensurfing6310 3 місяці тому

    Thank you. I had much the same results on a no brand discone.

  • @migsvensurfing6310
    @migsvensurfing6310 3 місяці тому

    This is a very good amplifier it seems. Thanks for the demo.

  • @harryholden9045
    @harryholden9045 3 місяці тому

    When listing to LW or MW , select that range in the band panel to enable the high dynamic range feature to get the best signal quality.

  • @FouaadRizek
    @FouaadRizek 3 місяці тому

    Rlqit

  • @AB1Vampire
    @AB1Vampire 3 місяці тому

    Would like to see your analysis with the preamp at the base of your antenna.

    • @migsvensurfing6310
      @migsvensurfing6310 3 місяці тому

      Me to. Antenna amplifiers should always be installed at the antenna. Best practice.

    • @AB1Vampire
      @AB1Vampire 2 місяці тому

      ​@@migsvensurfing6310 yesterday completed antenna work with a mast-mounted HF preamp. Testing to begin soon although I don't have scopes & SA's I'll note what I find here. Thanks for posting. n2eye

  • @stephendavis4241
    @stephendavis4241 4 місяці тому

    I got my Executive Satellite in an estate sale grab box for a dollar (lucky me). The PDF manual was no way near as helpful as this video. Thank you! Now if I can just learn how to hunt my local stations in Southern Tennessee. Where is your buy me a coffee button?

  • @gilgabo
    @gilgabo 4 місяці тому

    Excellent. Thank you

  • @RudixSA
    @RudixSA 4 місяці тому

    So you had split on? 🙈

    • @radiotopics1874
      @radiotopics1874 4 місяці тому

      Correct, without knowing it. "Fat fingers" will do that.

    • @ronbarbi2008
      @ronbarbi2008 28 днів тому

      You are a genius.....this problem was driving me nuts....fixed now....KD2MNZ

  • @Johnmfoss
    @Johnmfoss 4 місяці тому

    I’m curious if you have tested it receiving cw signals. Can the bandwidth be set narrow enough? Thanks for your review - it was very helpful. John - WA4RXO

    • @radiotopics1874
      @radiotopics1874 4 місяці тому

      In SSB mode, it will go down to 500Hz bandwidth. I don't work CW any more, so I'm not sure whether or not that's sufficient. Hope this helps

  • @Robert-vu9wv
    @Robert-vu9wv 4 місяці тому

    Thank you Sir.

  • @darylcheshire1618
    @darylcheshire1618 4 місяці тому

    It was fascinating to connect the VNA to a manual antenna tuner in line to the antenna, you can twiddle the knobs and see the SWR waves go up and down as you manipulate the inductor and capacitors. I’m new at this and never used a manual antenna tuner before this. It would have been frustrating to operate the antenna tuner blind.

    • @bhambhole
      @bhambhole 3 години тому

      That's a creative idea. I'm going to give it a try.

  • @syfynightmares
    @syfynightmares 4 місяці тому

    Solved my issue thank you.

  • @jonizornes5286
    @jonizornes5286 5 місяців тому

    Can you imagine being in West Germany in the 60's and 70's? They were smack dab in the middle of the shortwave broadcast universe, in those days! I was in West Virginia at that time and shortwave was absolutely fascinating, listening to the outside world.

  • @srtamradiosdave991
    @srtamradiosdave991 5 місяців тому

    Maybe open the radio and look for a pwr adjustment pot.

  • @LIM_Khuan
    @LIM_Khuan 5 місяців тому

    good presentation

  • @janetantonelli4525
    @janetantonelli4525 5 місяців тому

    I have a Mohican in great shape that was my husband's. What would the value of this be and is there a market for these?

  • @gaoldias
    @gaoldias 5 місяців тому

    While it's true that the RSPdx is almost twice the price of the Nooelec sdr+upconverter, the RSPdx has the ability to connect 3 antennas. I would also prefer having 1 piece of gear rather than 2, all else being equal.

    • @timm7524
      @timm7524 2 місяці тому

      Not to mention, I needed the Nooelec MW bandstop filter to keep AM harmonics from overwhelming the low HF bands. For what I paid for the Nesdr, filter, and upconverter, I could've gotten this instead.

  • @noimnotarobotcanubeleiveit7024
    @noimnotarobotcanubeleiveit7024 5 місяців тому

    Anything that amplifies noise at the same rate as signal is effectively just extra signal loss. Spend the money on a better antenna

  • @wordsmith_bob7222
    @wordsmith_bob7222 5 місяців тому

    I bought an S-40B with some good potential off eBay about 10 or 12 years ago and spent some time recapping, aligning and generally getting it into what I consider excellent condition. I wound up replacing the toggle switches, one of which was broken. Amazingly, these were still available in their original form. Alignment is an art form. I have spent countless hours aligning everything from S-38s to Hammarlund SP-600s (48 adjustments in the RF section alone). My feeling is that dials were designed using a prototype chassis. Given the vagaries of parts control, they just don’t fit all the production units very well. Oscillator points should be adjusted about 10- to 20-percent in from each end of the band to get the best fit throughout the band. The frequencies specified in the alignment instructions should serve only as starting points. Once the main tuning was aligned as well as possible, I developed frequency graphs on the bandspread logging scale. An outboard crystal calibrator is helpful for this. I restrung the tuning and bandspread dials using 50-lb test, microfilament, braided fishing line. This is much better than regular dial cord, as it provides exceptionally smooth tuning with minimal slack or backlash. The bandspread on the S-40B lacks the nice flywheel present on the original S-40. My unit is also setup to plugin an optional outboard Heathkit GD-125 Q-multiplier. This improves selectivity. Many years ago, a ham buddy taught me how to tune single sideband using combinations of the sensitivity and pitch controls, and CW and AVC on/off switches. For tuning SSB as well as narrow bandwidths produced by the Q-multiplier, the main drawback of these old radios is stability. They drift significantly during warmup, and somewhat less thereafter. All things considered, the S-40, S-40A and S-40B were excellent cost-performance tradeoff options for hams and SWLs 70 years ago. Yours, sir, is a beauty and must give you lasting satisfaction in its restoration.

  • @Michael-qr7hn
    @Michael-qr7hn 6 місяців тому

    Great information, got my eye on the latest one of these this helps in the decision to buy one.

  • @daviddawkins1
    @daviddawkins1 6 місяців тому

    Thank you, much appreciated and very clearly explained.

  • @Voiceguitar
    @Voiceguitar 6 місяців тому

    Thanks for these videos! I am seeking an RF amplifier that can input 250mw and boost to 3 watts+. Frequency range is 470-480mhz. Do you have any recommendations? Do you take on custom work? Thanks!

  • @nathanpetrovski7525
    @nathanpetrovski7525 6 місяців тому

    Why do so many of these radios still have muting while tuning when we know it can be disabled? Surely the manufacturers know that most shortwave listeners hate it when radios do this.

  • @Matt-qq8dh
    @Matt-qq8dh 6 місяців тому

    I know this is 1 year old but I hope you see my comment. Thank you very much for this video. I had the same issue you had. I did what you said and it fixed this problem. My SWR hardly flickers now. I had to make sure the split band was within the ham bands and I also turned the split function off. Both had to be done in my case. I have a random wire 35.5 ft antenna with 9:1 unun and common mode choke on the feedline near the antenna and transceiver. My antenna runs along the wall in my room. I know it is very compromised but now I know my SWR is under control and I might have a chance to talk to someone with the SWR under control. I am handicapped with arthritis and have a heart issue, that's why I have it inside. Makes it a little easier than outside. Thank you very much again for this video. It helped me very much. I have had some strong signals come through on my indoor antenna, too.

    • @mandytuning
      @mandytuning 6 днів тому

      You don't use a choke at feedpoint on a random wire. Your killing the counterpoise.install it Only after 17ft of the feedpoint. Then put a smaller one at the transceiver.

  • @MikeSmith-fe3ng
    @MikeSmith-fe3ng 6 місяців тому

    Good detailed explanation. Looking to get one soon and this is a big help. Thank you.

  • @handsomeclem208
    @handsomeclem208 6 місяців тому

    No BFO for CW & SSB reception?

  • @mckessa17
    @mckessa17 6 місяців тому

    The handle on top is usefull for tieing a rope to for a boat anchor.

  • @richardpriest9554
    @richardpriest9554 6 місяців тому

    This video would be better without background music.

  • @rkmklz7562
    @rkmklz7562 6 місяців тому

    Air Band on this wasnot good...The 🐻 cat was still better .....I like Icom ...I have a VHF Marine by Icom....like it

  • @rkmklz7562
    @rkmklz7562 6 місяців тому

    I have been using the Sony ICF -38... for AM DX....I got California and Oregon 740 San Francisco and St Helen on 1500... very good from my area in the Pacific....The problem with the Eton it is chugging... they should go back to Analog....I have a Jensen that is bad on AM... very hard to DX with it

  • @vahanyazarian5582
    @vahanyazarian5582 7 місяців тому

    Why would you support or buy any radio that mutes between stations and has AGC problems because it uses a chip?

  • @cw2gtc
    @cw2gtc 7 місяців тому

    Nostalgia has a valid home in ham radio.

  • @Porco_Utah
    @Porco_Utah 7 місяців тому

    My old yaesu FT-7900 has Mic connector at control head, but they Yaesu re-designed to Yaesu FTM-6000, Yaesu made same mistake by placing Mic Connector in Main unit. AG6JU

  • @mehdimirza8777
    @mehdimirza8777 7 місяців тому

    Excellent Explanation good service to Humanity and consumers

  • @JayRamble1
    @JayRamble1 7 місяців тому

    Used programming cable from QYT-8900D, with downloaded software from the QYT software page, happy to discuss further

  • @jimbell7008
    @jimbell7008 7 місяців тому

    I wondered why I couldn't make a ontact on 40m. Turns out I was OPERATING SPLIT. Its almost as bad as calling cq for a 1/2 hrs only to find out I was connected to a dummy load.😂