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Tech Saturday Forum
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Open Discussion of all Amateur Radio related topics
We would like to invite all of our new members as well as our veteran members to our Tech Saturday Forums to help answer any questions and discuss any and all issues the new members have come across as they progress through the Amateur Radio Experience.
The Discussion Theme is a QSO starting point - a way to initiate a conversation. All Tech Saturdays are an open QSO of all subjects of Amateur Radio interest.
All questions are welcome as well as a venue for hams to show off their latest ham radio projects or gadgets. Have a problem programming that HT, we can help! Not sure what radio or antenna to buy, we can help!
All Club members who would like Clubhouse access to use its radio equipment would have to have some brief “Elmering” on the Clubhouse rules, such as using the alarm system, the A/C and heaters, the antenna system, and the radio equipment.
All are welcome - hams and non-hams - club members and non-club members. Take a guided tour of our Clubhouse. View our HF and VHF/UHF/Satellite Operation Facilities and our vast antenna farm.
As always, refreshments and snacks will be served at every Tech Saturday.
The Tech Saturday Forum is held on the Saturday after the General Membership meeting.
Tech Saturday, February 8, 2020
Raspberry Pi Hardware/Software Training Class
Tech Saturday, January 11, 2020
RTL-SDR Hardware/Software Training Class
SDR Useful Links
By Jon Pearce, WB2MNF
Virtual Audio Cable : https://vac.muzychenko.net/en/index.htm : This is needed for all of the other programs. There are other similar programs, but this is the one that we know.
MMSSTV SSTV Decoder (free for hams) : https://hamsoft.ca/pages/mmsstv.php
WxToImg Weather Satellite Decoder (free) : https://wxtoimgrestored.xyz : UISS ISS and APRS decoder.
SoundModem Programs : http://users.belgacom.net/hamradio/uiss.htm : Free but donation is requested.
Article on decoding NOAA satellite images using only the RTL-SDR radio and the cheap rabbit-ears dipole in the kit that we recommended. They use different software for the SDR radio and VAC, but the WxToImg program is the same. If you have that kit it’s certainly worth a try. NOAA passes vary in their elevation and consequent signal strength, but the occasional overhead pass can be very clear. Here’s the link : https://hackernoon.com/weather-sat-9620228789c8
John K2QA has set up a page on the Skunkworks website with the handouts and presentations from the January and February Tech Saturday sessions : http://skunkworks.w2mmd.org/tech_Saturday
By Jon Pearce, WB2MNF
Virtual Audio Cable : https://vac.muzychenko.net/en/index.htm : This is needed for all of the other programs. There are other similar programs, but this is the one that we know.
MMSSTV SSTV Decoder (free for hams) : https://hamsoft.ca/pages/mmsstv.php
WxToImg Weather Satellite Decoder (free) : https://wxtoimgrestored.xyz : UISS ISS and APRS decoder.
SoundModem Programs : http://users.belgacom.net/hamradio/uiss.htm : Free but donation is requested.
Article on decoding NOAA satellite images using only the RTL-SDR radio and the cheap rabbit-ears dipole in the kit that we recommended. They use different software for the SDR radio and VAC, but the WxToImg program is the same. If you have that kit it’s certainly worth a try. NOAA passes vary in their elevation and consequent signal strength, but the occasional overhead pass can be very clear. Here’s the link : https://hackernoon.com/weather-sat-9620228789c8
John K2QA has set up a page on the Skunkworks website with the handouts and presentations from the January and February Tech Saturday sessions : http://skunkworks.w2mmd.org/tech_Saturday
Tech Saturday, October 6, 2018
Tech Saturday, November 5, 2016
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Matt N2EEE shows off his VHF/UHF SDR receiver. During Tech Saturday, we hooked it up to the Clubhouse's ALT/AZ satellite antenna, and used it to listen in on amateur satellite conversations in progress during a satellite pass over the W2MMD Clubhouse. |
Tech Saturday Forum - March 5, 2016
Frank Bratton, KD2HIK
Tech Saturday Forum continues to be a big hit out at our new W2MMD Clubhouse. On the first Saturday after the general membership meeting for March 4, 2015, we had a number of people come out and stop by, at least for a little while, in spite of the cold weather and snow still covering the grounds.
 John Zaruba, K2ZA
In the main room, John K2ZA had a chance to show off his Arduino project in process, and have some conversations around D-Star and System Fusion radios that people had brought in.
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Al Arrison, KB2AYU
In the VHF/UHF room, Al was hunting amateur radio satellites using computer control of the clubhouse’s alt/az antenna, clearly locking in on some voices from one bird during a favorable pass. Maybe next time he’ll make a 2-way contact. Stop on by April 4 to find out!
At the other end of the Clubhouse, in the HF room, the 10 meter band was found to be hopping with lots of stations from Europe in a contest able to be heard. Some of our ‘new to HF’ members got a chance to log some of their first trans-Atlantic radio contacts, with a little help from their fellow Club members. Were you one of them? It’s amazing what one can do with less than 100 Watts. What a great experience!
Even when not behind the microphone, we had fun trying to pick out the callsigns from the sideband signals we were hearing, and looking them up via QRZ.com on our cellphones. Care to give it a try? Thank you again Al for that Wi-Fi, and the internet extension out at the clubhouse. It sure comes in handy!
Jim Wright, N2GXJ
Even when not behind the microphone, we had fun trying to pick out the callsigns from the sideband signals we were hearing, and looking them up via QRZ.com on our cellphones. Care to give it a try? Thank you again Al for that Wi-Fi, and the internet extension out at the clubhouse. It sure comes in handy!
Jim Wright, N2GXJ
W2MMD Clubhouse
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