Quite often I am faced with soldering jobs that require portable irons. The HS01 from Fnirsi seemed to fit the bill of my requirements and so I ordered one and after several months of ownership it has proved to be a very useful tool and I wanted to write a small review of it so…
Airspy R2 Repair
This Airspy R2 belongs to a fellow scanning enthusiast. I have replaced the USB socket twice on this unit already. I stated to the owner, use extreme caution when plugging or unplugging from micro USB. It is so important not to be heavy handed when plugging or unplugging the unit. Micro USB sockets are very…
Cheap Multimeter test lead kit (via Aliexpress)
I bought these test leads from a vendor at Aliexpress store. Link to item below https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001552039341.html I paid £7 GBP around $8.50 USD including delivery for 3 sets of the “20 Amp” version. There were many positive reviews from buyers of this item on the Aliexpress page. Two weeks or so after I hit…
SDRPlay RSP1B SDR Receiver
SDRPlay and a bit of history. SDRPlay are a British Company who manufacture SDR products. The origins of the comapny can be traced back to their first product to be released to the world market way back in August 2014 with the original RSP1 radio receiver which had a 2 tone grey and blue…
AT-100M and AT-100M Pro Automatic Antenna Tuners by BI3QWQ.
The AT-100M is a further incarnation of the popular N7DCC type tuners which are widely available. The AT-100M standard version on the right and the new AT-100M Pro on the left. One thing which set this tuner apart was the quality of internal parts and the assembly which is more than acceptable…
Building and Improving the ATU-100 Antenna Tuner.
Some useful information for builders of the ATU-100 (N7DCC) ATU kit (Link Below) . http://www.merseyradar.co.uk/building-improving-the-atu-100-n7dcc-automatic-antenna-tuner/
Vintage WIN-108 Civil Airband Receiver
If you were a civil airband enthusiast in the late 1980s you may recall the WIN-108 receiver. The radio had 20 channels in 2 banks of 10. I had one of these, a very capable machine back in the day and I liked using it on my plane spotting visits to Manchester Ringway Airport, UK….
M1GEO Wellgood Active RX Loop Antenna.
Added February 2023. M1GEO Wellgood Active RX Loop Antenna. A guide to my install of M1GEO Wellgood Active Loop receive antenna . To view article, please click the link. M1GEO Wellgood Active RX Loop Antenna.
Belka DX HF Portable Receiver with DSP
An article on the wonderful HF DSP “Spy Radio” from Belarus The Belka DX. Included are a few World Excusive Photos of the early prototype “Belka 1” and some commntary from the creator Alex Buevsky EU1ME. Click on the window below to open the article. Belka DX HF Portable DSP Receiver
L-Band DIY antennas for Jaero
Carrying on from my previous JAERO/L-BAND blog post linked below http://www.merseyradar.co.uk/airband-radio/satellite-acars-reception-on-l-band-with-jaero/ It should be noted that both of the antennas detailed below I intend to use with the excellent LNA Amplifier /Saw Filter Combination, The “Saw Bird io” by Nooelec which is bespoke designed for the intended frequency range (around 1545-1550mhz). …
HF Propagation Conditions