Tech Tips
Technical Committee
The mission of the Lodi Amateur Radio Club technical committee is to teach and These are the types of things we cannot do: Here you will find useful information about the technical aspects of Amateur Radio Such as information on calculating RF Exposure can be found on the new Technical Repository page click here. Other important information will be added as time goes on
Our radio system is linked to an Allstar Server, Node 27936. This allows us to link our repeater to other repeaters or ALLSTAR Nodes to increase our repeater coverage range. To learn more about ALLSTAR, click here.
This program a unique GUI client with PTT, COR and Scan used to control one or more radios at one or more locations that are connected to an ALLSTAR server. We are using the ALLSTAR system that provides a popular Asterisk based Radio Over IP server package.
Often we hear HF Reports on our weekly net, that information mostly comes from posted information from those who have made plans well in advance, the rest of the QSO's come from just getting on the air and throwing our call sign out there. By using new tools and technologies we can up the odds of getting more frequent longer distance QSO's. How?? by knowing when and where to look!. It takes more than just a good Solar Flux number to get the contacts, we also have propagation factors based on the ionosphere and troposhere.
support our club members and those new hams who need an assist.
These are the types things we are able to do:
Assist with radio programming. i.e. help the ham get Chirp or RT Systems working.
Assist with antenna recommendations for antenna required for the need.
Assist the new ham with choosing the best radio to fit their budget and requirements
Help those in need with resource information where the best information can
be found such as Internet websites and YouTube video submitted by reputable persons
We can help you check the antenna systems in your shack and mobile.
We can recommend the best computer and software for your needs
We can help you get specialized systems operational as long as one of our team has
done it before
We can help you evaluate your shack antenna for RF Exposure safety
We will not repair any radio or accessory of any radio
We will not install any mobile radio or antenna on any vehicle
We will not repair or rescue any damaged computers or operating systems.
We will not install or remove any fixed base station antenna systems.
Technical Repository
Allstar
iaxRpt - Linking a PC to Allstar
This is how we use this very cool technology:
At a remote site used for repeater back-up and linking, an ALLSTAR Server has been installed, that server is wired into a full duplex base station radio that is on 444.250 Mhz. this radio talks directly to the WB6ASU UHF repeater that is linked into the 147.09 Mhz repeater via RC-210 controller.
The ALLSTAR Server has a "NODE" assigned to it that is being served by the Asterisk program running on the Server. When another ALLSTAR node or iaxRpt GUI Client links to this "NODE", that audio is passed throught the ALLSTAR SERVER, through the "NODE" and routed to the full duplex radio. This results in the audio being sent through the RC-210 Controller and out the 2M port for re-broadcast.
Click here to download the iaxRpt 01.01.46 Installer for Windows.
Install this program to connect to the 147.09 Mhz repeater with your laptop or PC Computer. You will need a good quality microphone or better yet, a good headset to talk using iaxRpt.
You will need this configure your iaxRpt Client in order to use it. The information required to configure the iaxRpt Client can be found here.
HF Propagation
By also knowing the MUF or 'Maximum Usable Frequency' we can get an idea of what bands are open or have the best chance for that long distance QSO. I have found this website that has not only the MUF on a map, but also displays the QSO's of those who log them on this website. When I started to use this website, I had an immediate postitive result.
Click on the following link to see the information on this website.
Sporadic-E clouds location and estimated MUF real time map