News and Information

Congratulations to Jeff KB9QG the ARRL’s 2023 Technical Service Award Recipient

News and Information, Photographs /

Word has been received that Jeff DeLucenay, KB9QG is the ARRL’s 2023 Technical Service Award Recipient. This award and other awards were decided at the ARRL Board Meeting in Windsor, CT late in July. Recognition for Jeff can be found on page 65 of the October, 2023 QST magazine. The Technical Service Award is given annually to a licensed radio amateur or to individuals who are licensed radio amateurs whose service to the amateur community and/or society at large is of the most exemplary nature within the framework of Amateur Radio technical activities. 

Jeff is currently Vice President of the Northeastern Indiana Amateur Radio Association. He is the ARRL DeKalb County Technical Specialist, VEC, NIARA Station Trustee, and develops and coordinates technical presentations, as well as numerous other activities.

In 2021, Jeff was was named Radio Amateur of the Year Runner-up by the Indiana Section ARRL.

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Getting Started with Pi-Star

Digital Corner /

GETTING STARTED WITH A PI-STAR

The easiest and quickest way to get started is to use the ZUM Radio Mini 1.3 OLED ZUMspot Kit Mini UHF Hotspot With 1.3 OLED ZUMspot Fully Assembled Kit in my opinion. You can purchase this at Ham Radio Outlet. https://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-017832 if you prefer a bigger screen https://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-017504 Both are ready to go with the image written on the sd card that is included.

The next step would be to setup the pi-star on the digital format you choose, DMR, D-STAR, WIRESX(ysf), P25, NXDN or M17.  The pi-star is capable of cross modes too being if you have an Yeasu(ysf) FT3 or 5 you can bridge to DMR, thus you are talking into a ysf reflector and it is coming out D-Star. Icom, Anytone and others can do this also. Before you start you need to determine which mode you want by the radio you have or are going to purchase, Yeasu, Icom, Anytone or others that are capable of digital. In our area you will need to program a frequecy between 433.100 and 433.900 for the radio to talk to the pi-star. The pi-star must have the same frequency which you can program in. Here is a link to give you an idea on how to setup a pi-star. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZQGSwKl8fY If you need help on deciding or have a Handheld radio, get in touch with JD, KD9QDL, kd9qdl@gmail.com or Jeff, KB9QG, jdeluce@frontier.com .

 

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2m-70CM Digital Radio

Digital Corner /

So, you are interested in Digital Voice Radio!!! This webpage is to help you get familiar and learn about the different mode and how to find an expensive means to use the many modes available to amateur radio operators. The following modes are for digital voice radio :

      1. DMR ( Digital Mode radio )
      2. D-STAR
      3. WIRES X
      4. FUSION (C4FM)
      5. P25
      6. NXDN
     7. M17

Do you have to buy seven different radios??? No!! Using a low-cost DMR radio and a low cost Hot spot, you can use the other digital modes by using what is called a reflector. The reflector is an internet gateway to a distant repeater on DMR which has a bridge to the other
modes and will send back the DMR mode to your hot spot. Here is an in expensive approach. Purchase the following : TYT MD-UV380 radio and a Zum Spot MINI which has a Raspberry Pi 4 computer and has the software already loaded on it.  The cost at the present is under $300.
The P-Star software is free and can be down loaded from the internet. Ham Radio Outlet has instruction on how the setup up the Hot Spot and the radio. There are youtube videos for which also can be used to setup the configuration. If you need any help from the NIARA, Jeff
KB9QG (JDeluce@frontier.com) or JD KD9QDL (KD9QDL@gmail.com) will be glad to help you!!

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