marxy's musing on technology

SDR++ continues to impress as an excellent SDR client. One terrific feature is that it has a server mode built in. You run the server side ...

 

A Reddit post drew my attention to a new digital mode that uses the OFDM modem code from FreeDV for having keyboard to keyboard chats. It...

A ham radio friend who runs windows and is using various digital chat modes recommended some software that takes dictation and enters it in ...

Some years ago Stephen, VK2BLQ, and I experimented with using low cost CW transceivers and the Hellschreiber mode. This mode works with simp...

Inspired by the VK3YE Beach 40 , I have constructed the "Bush 40" which is a version tailored to The Australian outback. (Just kid...

Recently I've been going a bit "old school" and built the Soldersmoke Direct Conversion receiver with its PTO VFO and another ...

I didn't have a smooth run with this project, despite the best of help. Here's how it sounds now: My tuning is very sensitive but at...

Very lucky here to have the space, and appropriately placed trees, to allow me to put up a full size dipole for 80m. By all reports it works...

After deviating from Bill's design I have come back to the fold and built the mixer as he described. Another insight is that I've co...

I built a DC receiver using the PTO VFO based on the "High School" receiver described by Bill, N2CQR , recently. It's a beaut...

Kyneton local Tim Sullivan from Sullivan Studios kindly put on a presentation about VR (Virtual Reality) at the men's shed this morning...

Like everyone I'm sure, I receive regular SMS messages and calls which are clearly scams. While I think I'm pretty good at recognisi...

While I deviated from the design, mostly due to deficiencies in my parts collection, Stephen, VK2BLQ, has built a faithful copy and it works...

Today was the Ballarat radio fest. About an hour's drive from my place at Drummond and well worth the trip. There was a big turnout and ...

Bill Meara of the wonderful  Soldersmoke blog  and podcast, recently published a nice design for a direct conversion receiver. He was looki...

My bench in the shack got very very messy. I had a desk lamp on there and all sorts of junk. Of particular note is the LED strip light I bou...

Normally I use an old Thinkpad as the shack computer. Works well, low RF noise, but takes up a lot of bench space. I've just done a fres...