AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

AIRE VALLEY REPEATER GROUP 

We Need Your Help (Cash!) Urgently We are asking for donations urgently from regular users and supporters in the area to ensure we can keep our local amateur VHF & UHF radio repeaters operational. The cost of maintaining amateur radio repeaters is increasing every year and in common with many groups across the country, we are now struggling to keep our repeaters on the air. Background: As you would expect, the major costs are site rent and electricity. In addition, much of our equipment and infrastructure is becoming old and unreliable so we have a “shopping list” for future replacements running into several thousand pounds already. Apart from the generous donation of equipment and funds from Adam 2E0LXA, Karl G1YPQ, and the Keighley RAYNET group, all costs have been covered by the repeater keepers for several years now. This simply can not continue. Reluctantly, we will have no choice but to close down the repeaters in the district (GB3TP, GB3XL, GB7TP & MB7UL) by June 2015 if we fail to raise additional funds in time. Next Steps: If you feel you can help with a small cash donation, there are several ways you can give. PAYM: e-payment from your current a/c to mobile 07 454 316 603 PayPal: g8zmg.avrg@yahoo.com Cash: In person to Geoff Priestley G7JZM at the Keighley Amateur Radio Society, Parkside Social Club, Butt Lane, Haworth, BD22 8QJ, Thursday evenings from 20:00 We intend to publish a list of all donations received on the AVRG website and on the AVRG Facebook group page. If you wish to make a donation anonymously, please let us know and we will withhold your details from publication. Thanking you in advance for your continued support. Aire Valley Repeater Group Keepers: Phil Holmes M0IRK Steve Watson G8ZMG

(c) Phil Holmes M0IRK  & Steve Holmes G8ZMG 

blog produced by Phil Cole M1PAC

This blog (c) m1pac productions 2015

DMR RADIO , THE MOTOROLA DM46000

THE MOTOROLA DM 4600 

I obtained this wonderful bit of kit  from  adam over at hamdmr.co.uk .

Over  the last 6 months I have owned this radio and used it on the new up and coming DMR - MARC Repeater system I can't really say much more than its one of the best pieces of kit that I have owned. Easy to program easy to use , capable of sending and receiving text messages, there are 3 versions that I know of ,  this one its 1-30 w, then there is the high powered  version 25-45 w , the DM4601 with integrated Bluetooth audio and data, integrated GPS, text messaging and a full 4-line colour display with day/night mode to make reading work .

Motorola DM4600, 

The rear of the DM4600 simple & elegant 

AUDIO BEYOND EXPECTATIONS 
When it comes to exceptional audio clarity, the quality 
of digital can’t be denied. With the DM4000 Series mobiles,
 you get digital quality audio form that front mounted speaker .
With Intelligent Audio, the radio volume automatically 
adjusts to compensate for background noise so you 
don’t have to adjust their radio volume to avoid missing 
a call in loud situations or disturbing others when anyone  
moves into a  quiet place. Increased background noise 
suppression filters out unwanted external clamour – 
from road traffic to the roar of engines. 
Bluetooth® audio, built in to the radio, provides voice 
communication with exceptional clarity – giving your 
people the freedom to move without wires. Also, 
IMPRES™ audio accessories enhance noise suppression 

and improve voice intelligibility for smarter audio than 
you’ve ever experienced before

To Explain what is what on the front.

This PSU/Stand  will power most of the motorola radio's

Because MOTOTRBO uses TDMA digital technology, 
you get integrated voice and data, twice the calling 
capacity and clearer voice communications. Also, the 
smart IMPRES™ technology in motorola's high-powered 
accessories enables easier communications – 
everywhere you travel.

This is a typical motorola repeater Again Simple & Elegant  and rack mountable 

Versatile and powerful, MOTOTRBO combines the best of two-way radio functionality with the latest digital technology. DM4000 Series radios integrate voice and data seamlessly, 

the DM4000 Series mobile radios undergo Motorola’s 
unique Accelerated Life Testing to help ensure they will 
stand up to the hard knocks of everyday use. For even 
greater peace of mind, they are backed by a two-year 

Standard Warranty

(c) m1pac productions

RTL-SDR dongle's

Having fun with a dongle 

There are few things in this world that you can do on a budget. However the DVB Digital dongle is available on  amazon.co.uk  and on e-bay and most of them are capable of receiving from 24MHz to 1.4GHz . Now that PC 's and laptops have got good processing power,good sound cards and good graphics cards  it is now  possible to decode those invisible radio waves that are all around us , and to do that there are copious amounts of software out there to decode anything you can hear with a decent Arial, NOT I hasten to add  an antenna , with an Arial  you can receive on a wide band   like from say 28 to 30 MHz now that's a 2 meg band width  and is fine for listening, an antenna is tuned to transmit and receive on a very narrow band. Below is a screenshot of a program called HDSDR and it's quite an intuitive program easy  to use and easy to setup and gives you quite a nice display .

Tracking Aircraft

The fact that it can be used to  listen to  HF/VHF/UHF/SHF frequencies  is just icing on the cake.There are the ever popular RTL1090 that decodes the Mode -S from the aircraft, there is the very popular Plane Plotter, but you only have 21 days to use it  and this site here will help you to set it up.There is a program out there called adsbSCOPE and with it comes an alternative to RTL1090 ADSB# .I like that program  as its easy to set up and customize to your own liking  and below is a screen shot of mine. I don't recommend you take a laptop and dongle to the viewing gallery of any major airport as their security has a funny way of looking at it and could mean the confiscation of your equipment.

The location of my aerial and the receiver is in the town of Keighley and I am 8 floors up about 118 mtrs above sea level  the  I made the aerial with these plans here   and as you can see I was getting a lot of "hits".

Its not expensive and is quite interesting in an amateur radio kind of way ,and you don't need to be an amateur to understand how to set it up and operate it all. well I hope you like  this blog, please leave a comment .

(c) m1pac productions  2014 

The Blackpool Rally 2014

As seen  from the other side of the table 

This Year at Blackpool I was on the other side of the table helping my good chum Adam (2E0LXA) with his DMR Radio equipment. He had booked two tables and I had some stuff to shift  we set of  early  and we got there with  lots  of time to spare to finalize the setting up .
We had already been the night before to set the tables out and fix  the banners to them ,all that was needed was to write out the prices for some items .

The Blackpool rally is always a good one to attend , even if you don't buy anything there is lots to do and see. 
I have been going for a long time and as long as I can I will attend future rallies.

M1PAC behind the tables of the HAM DMR Stand at the Blackpool Rally

Adam with prospective buyer

The stand at Blackpool

DMR UK

Traders 

Radioworld stand

Lammcomms stand

THE BAR

The view from the table 

My Ju.... Equipment  to sell .

I found A few bits and pieces that I needed as well as some new AA rechargeable batteries for my camera.

I hope to be on the other side next year as there is a whole lot of sitting around waiting for people to come an buy your equipment.

All photos (c) M1PAC 2014 m1pac productions 

THIS IS A LOCAL SHOP FOR LOCAL PEOPLE

HAMSHOP

 welcome to royston Keighley

There is a whisper in the wind that soon you will be able to purchase  supplies and equipment for the amateur radio enthusiast in the local area known as the HAMSHOP.

I am informed that there is a link to the site HERE . The folk tell me that you can buy accessory's such as coax,Plug's  ,connectors ,swr meters, and all those pretty little things that make life so interesting for the lowly radio ham.

There is also an assortment  of the new digital radio equipment both new and refurbished and that you will be able to trade in good radio hardware on a part exchange.

The scribes have told me that there will be someone attending a stand at the Blackpool Radio rally and that the there is a webpage link HERE .There will be a demonstration of the DMR-MARC  network  and you can buy a radio there and then .


I will be attending the rally and you may see me at the stand, you will easily recognize me I will be wearing my call sign badge with my name on it  , please come over and say hello .

 THE SHOP HAS NOW GOT A SPOT ON A POPULAR FORUM 

www.hamradiodeals.co.uk

We like to think that all our radios are very competitively priced as standard. So we are offering all HRD forum users free carriage on all orders, of any value (usually only for orders over £200)
Use coupon code: HRDFORUM at checkout.
We're hoping to get a few more offers together, but keep an eye on the for sale forum for lists of our latest trade-in / refurbished equipment.
Adam
www.hamdmr.co.uk
01535 517277


p.s. don't forget to come say hello at the Blackpool rally where we will have a range of digital equipment (new and used) for purchase on the day. Radios can also be programmed / re-programmed on the day.

(c) m1pac productions 2014 

Fear and loathing in Pudsey west yorkshire

The Jolly Green Giant

The Jolly Green Giant  ( or JGG  as it will now be known ) is an old military radio telescopic  mast and was kindly donated to my fellow radio ham M6STZ by another radio ham  M0DIT who was in need of the space and the JGG was taking up considerable room in his garage.

 I put the JGG in my car and took it over to the QTH of M6STZ who was pleased as punch.

Since we erected it the  mast has been up and down like a Brides nightie for various reasons. It came with a canvas bag full of guy lines and this enabled us to  fix it in position when the  terrible winds  that we knew were due came . It survived them with aplomb, and there was a LOT of wind , speeds of up to 70 mph were bandied about.

Now with the advent of DMR radio  LINK to explanation both me and M6STZ have both obtained radio's to utilise that particular mode of transmission.There are severel DMR repeater's and one of the local ones is GB7TP   Link to details  I use it both on local and roaming as I am only 3.72 miles or 5.99 kilometres from its location as the crow flies.

The group that maintain both GB7TP and GB3TP are the aire vally repeater group  whose web page can be found here  .

The JGG and M6STZ

This day called for the JGG to be taken down for maintenance, the installation of some low loss coax supplied by  adam from specialist radio and here is the link,as well as the fixture of a dual band  yagi antenna for 144MHz and 70 cm that is fixed and  pointing in a southerly direction . The mast stands at about 6 M6STZ's or 36 feet .

Thank you for reading my blog  

Please note all pictures (c) m1pac productions 2014