Digital Mode · Beginner · about 8 minutes of reading
In the previous article I explained what FreeDV is and why it is worth a try. This time it is pure bench work: FreeDV is installed, the Icom IC-7300 MK2 is plugged into the laptop with a single USB-C cable, and now every box in the software has to be filled in correctly. Here is exactly what I set, in the order I set it, including the traps I stepped into along the way.
Digital Mode · Beginner · about 10 minutes of reading
FreeDV turns an ordinary HF radio into a digital voice station with nothing but a laptop and one USB cable. It is free, open source, and it runs on any SSB transceiver — no vocoder chips, no licence fees, no internet link. This guide explains what it is, how it works, and walks through a full setup on an Icom IC-7300 MK2.
Beginner build · about 20 minutes of reading · total cost roughly $25-35
The 40 meter band (7.000-7.200 MHz) is the workhorse of amateur radio. By day it reaches across a region, by night it crosses oceans. And the antenna that works best for it is also the cheapest antenna you can build: a half-wave dipole made from wire, rope, and a piece of PVC pipe.
Pernah ikut special event seperti 8A100K, tetapi masih ingin tetap memakai call sign pribadi di JTDX atau WSJT-X? Daripada bolak-balik mengganti My Call di menu Settings, dan berisiko salah call sign saat QSO, lebih praktis membuat beberapa profil terpisah. Satu profil untuk satu call sign, masing-masing dengan setting dan log sendiri.
Caranya cukup menambahkan satu perintah, --rig-name, pada shortcut JTDX/WSJT-X. Panduan ini berlaku untuk Windows.
Antenna basics in the context of wireless telegraphy, such as those found in the Wireless Telegraphy Manual for HM Fleet, typically cover several key concepts:
A dipole antenna is one of the simplest and most widely used types of antennas in amateur radio. It consists of two identical conductive elements (often wires) that are oriented in a straight line. The antenna is usually fed at its center, where the transmitter or receiver is connected.
Pernah ikut special event seperti 8A100K, tetapi masih ingin tetap memakai call sign pribadi di JTDX atau WSJT-X? Daripada bolak-balik mengganti My Call di menu Settings, dan berisiko salah call sign saat QSO, lebih praktis membuat beberapa profil terpisah. Satu profil untuk satu call sign, masing-masing dengan setting dan log sendiri.
Caranya cukup menambahkan satu perintah, --rig-name, pada shortcut JTDX/WSJT-X. Panduan ini berlaku untuk Windows.
My late father, YC1BRN, is the reason this station is on the air. His call sign is silent now, but his love for radio carries on in every contact we make from this shack.
His love for radio began as a student at STM Budhaya in Jakarta. A school practical — building an FM transmitter with vacuum tubes — sparked a joy that turned into a lifelong hobby.
Before long he was building his own transmitter at home, quietly broadcasting songs late at night without a licence. Over the years that passion became more focused, and official: he was licensed as YD0WWC, became YD1BRN after moving to Bekasi, West Java, and finally YC1BRN — the call sign he held until the end of his life.
