Amateur Radio news from Italy

IW5EDI Simone – Ham-Radio

Icom ID-5100

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Icom Japan just announced the release of a new D-Star DualBand Mobile Transceiver.

ICOM ID-5100 /D

Icom ID-5100

Icom ID-5100

The new ID-5100 is a dual band mobile transceiver 144 / 430 MHz that will be released in the market (Japanese) in February 2014 in two versions ID-5100 20W and ID-5100D 50W.

As far as I’ve understood from the japanese translation, some ID-5100 features include:

  • A touch panel to allows intuitive operation.
  • Nearest repeater search function in analog mode.
  • Usage of the D-STAR function by using Android apps
  • Support for Bluetooth with optional unit

At time writing only the Japanese Icom website is publishing the Icom ID-5100 release

FT5ZM log

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FT5ZM source TAAF

During these first days of the long-time awaited Amsterdam Island dx pedition FT5ZM, lot’s of us are looking for the FT5ZM log search in order to verify if that 599 TU was really address to our call.

Well, looks like the crew at FT5ZM have no internet connection, since the announced Club Log upload is still showing that sad message “FT5ZM has not uploaded any QSOs yet.”

You can easily check the FT5ZM Online log for your call or you can have an interesting overview of  dx cluster spot stats for FT5ZM on the responsive DXHeat dx cluster.

In the mean while the only pictures coming from the South Indian Ocean island are from the TAAF, meaing that the dx team are lacking of a suitable  internet connection.

Well, we can certainly understand that difficulties on being online from a such far place.

GL guys enjoy DX !

Google Glass Ham Radio app

Posted in Ham Radio 2.0, Ham Radio Software, HamRadio 2 Comments

 

Google glass are wearable computer, with a built-in Android OS on it, and in this movie N3WG Nick Garner show us a sample application of a ham radio related application written for the Google Glass platform.
Practically Nick is able to remote control an Elecraft KX3 radio via the Pigremote  connected via Wi-Fi, of simply give commands to the Android OS to display latest dx spots, or show GMT time.

I already wrote a post some months ago about the first ham radio app for google glass, QSL query by  AE5DY, but this app is a real example of a practical implementation of this new google interface.

Well done Nick !

Tokyo Hy-Power out of business.

Posted in Company and Products 2 Comments
Tokyo Hy-Power

Tokyo Hy-Power, world famous Japanes amateur radio equipment manufacturer filed for bankruptcy on 24th December 2013.

Tokyo Hy-Power, founded by JA1DJW Nobuki Wakabayashi, since 1975 has been an industry leader in military, medical, commercial and amateur product market, and is particularly famous in the ham radio market for their HF and VHF RF power amplifiers.

tokyohipower-hq Several news about Tokyo Hy-Power bankruptcy  has been published on the net during last days,  and major regional dealers are already taking actions, including HRO that announced  is already working to assure technical support and replacement parts in the US marked for the Japanese products.

Japanese web site has been taken down and is no more available,  while the US site is still responding.

As it’s easy to immagine, all purchased products will have no manufacturer warranty.

TokyoFactoryRead more about Tokyo Hy-Power on the web:

Ham Radio and Arduino

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Looks like the Arduino platform is getting popular and popular among amateur radio community.
I’ve been reading a lot’s of interesting projects based on the Arduino, from CW Players, to antenna tuners, beacons, keyers, and rotor controllers, magnetic loops controllers and more.

The Arduino looks is so popular that the ARRL is also publishing a book dedicated to application in the amateur radio use.

Well, honestly I’m not so inclined to microprocessors programming and related subjects,  and I believe I will feel more confortable with the other misterious device named Raspberry Pi, since is much more closer to my daily work that what the Arduino is.

In any case i will attend to a meeting dedicated to the Arduino and the Ham Radio applications that will be held at my local ham radio club in Firenze in the coming January.

 

Radio Arcala Antenna Collapsed

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Web rumors, and some social network postings, says that the largest 160 meters band antenna, setup in Finland, collapsed during a recent storm.

I can confirm that all Europe has been touched by violent winds and storms during last weeks.

At time writing the Radio Arcala website did not mention anything related to OH8X antenna crash, but it’s also true that the website does not look very up to date with it’s content.

However, in a recent ARRL Contest update is reported the followwing statement

“It has been reported and confirmed that the world’s largest amateur antenna, the 3-element 160 meter Yagi at OH8X, has collapsed in a recent storm. The Radio Arcala team is preparing a report that will be available in a few days.”

We’ ll monitor the OH8X web site for further updates.

Philippines and CQ WW CW – 40 meters band usage

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CQ WW CW - 40 meter band recommendations

CQ WW CW – 40 meter band recommendations

Received from Jojo DU1VHF, NTS Chairman and CFO for the Philippine Amateur Radio Association – please read and heed.

 

“The much-awaited CQ WW CW Contest is nigh and everyone is chomping at the bit. However, here in the Philippines, our enthusiasm is a bit tempered by the recent events of a catastrophic typhoon which took thousands of lives and destroyed much of a region in the Southeastern portion of the country. As such, hams in the Philippines are using the frequencies 7.095, 7.119 and 7.151 MHz for emergency operations. We hope that this could be given notice in order that QRM might be minimized and not hinder emergency operations.”

The subject is also addressed in this issue’s Conversation section.