A New Way For Amateur Radio

Update 2011-05-06

Then we should take the same expertise developed in the analogue world and branch into the digital age, is my suggestion.

The key to kids, students these days is the development of Digital Signal Processing followed by computing ability - all radio engineers these days are expected to understand such concepts.

Take for example:http://www.fpga4fun.com/ They have tutorials, development boards available. (FPG = field programmable gate [array])

There are other sites on DSP, however the important thing is the other concepts one has to fully understand to go with it: propagation techniques, transmission line theory and practice.

http://www.dspworks.in/products.html#

http://www.sgcworld.com/dspintrotechnote.html

http://logix4u.net/DSP/Tutorials/DSP_tutorial.html

I have recently attempting to put together a series on Direction Finding and as a result, I have had to grasp once again the history behind radio, the concepts, propagation, antenna's, and getting a grasp on DSP and how important Direction Finding is even to the modern world of electronics. Except they now talk about Angle of Arrival or Time of Arrival rather than purely direction of the signal. Plus how it relates to the modern intruders and interference sources all interrelated.

There are development boards, kits and plenty of ARDF type kits for VHF and 80 metre systems.

Or perhaps we can be cheeky and just ask some of the bigger companies, I am sure they would be impressed that we asked and therefore produce a breeding ground for new RF engineers for the future?

The same concepts are required from the analogue world, there is so much more we can achieve in Amateur Radio, we only have to reach out and grasp it.

Think about it, the ability to be a 1kHz away from another transmission using digital filters, whereas often you can hear another QSO 3 kHz down the band.

One does not have to give up the analogue world, but have a better understanding of it and how it relates to modern day systems.

My thought for the day.

de ZL1GWE

John

A Reply to ZL1GWE E-mail

I like your concept John.

It sounds attractive and workable to me.

I wonder how it can be developed further.

Maybe an introduction to ac, dc, waves and electronic components would be necessary.

The course could then be completed with filters, antennas, feed-lines and amateur radio practices.

I would like to put it in Infoline and on the web to see if it attracts comments and interest.

Regards

Jamie ZL2NN

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