10 meter related links ..

Feel bored today, so .. arming with google search, found the following informative websites related to 10 meter band (in no particular order):

1. 10 meter beacon list (pretty up-to-date list)

2. Wikipedia entry on 10 meter

3. 10 and 6 meters club (US)

4. 10-10 International (US)

Calling frequencies on 10 meter (by no mean standard worldwide, based on http://www.ac6v.com/callfreq.htm - use as a guide):

28.025 CW Rare DX & DXpeditions Frequently Operate Here – Split 


28.060 QRP CW Calling frequency


28.080 RTTY Rare DX & DXpeditions Frequently Operate Here -- Split 


28.080 to 28.100 Primary Range for RTTY


28.1010 10/10 Intl CW Calling Frequency


28.110 QRP Novice/Tech Calling FREQ


28.190-28.225 Beacons 
 


28.200 NCDXF/IARU beacons (STAY OFF OF THIS FREQUENCY) Many Hams rely on these beacons for propagation determination. For Details - see NCDXF/IARU International Beacon Network



28.380 10/10 SSB Intl Calling Frequency 


28.385 QRP SSB Calling frequency 


28.425 10/10 SSB Intl Calling Frequency – Another is 28.400 


28.495 SSB Rare DX & DXpeditions Frequently Operate Here -- Split 


28.600 Old General Callin Frequency - Still used by Old Timers 


28.675~28.685 SSTV Operating Frequency -- IARU Region 1 


28.680 SSTV Operations USA/Canada 


28.825 10-10 Backskatter Net - Paper Chasers Net 


28.885 6M DX Liaison Frequency -- Listen here for 6 Meter DX opening announcements and discussions. 


28.945 FAX Operating Frequency 


29.000-29.200 AM Operations 


29.300-29.510 Satellite Downlinks 


29.520-29.580 Repeater Inputs 


29.600 FM Simplex - Calling Frequency

And found here that might interest us in Malaysia, taken from http://please.name.my/177/10-meter-band-ham-radio-calling-frequency-in-malaysia.html

28.480 MHz USB

28.485 MHz USB

28.490 MHz USB

28.495 MHz USB

28.500 MHZ USB

NOTE: All the above are recommended calling and simplex frequencies but are NOT OFFICIALLY sanctioned by any standard bodies. I was told once that 28.490 was the standard calling frequency used worldwide but I could not find any information to back this one up. It seems that many DXers are fond to be at that frequency calling CQ.

6 meter anyone? ;-)

What is next in line?

My dear friend 9W2RUT is really testing me out .. he just bought two LCD 20x4 displays from Jalan Pasar .. that is enough to generate an interest to venture into new project for me. The Tracker2 and TinyTrak4 are both capable of displaying messages on 20x4 LCD. There are quite a number of LCD sellers on ebay, I'm aiming for the white-over-blue with backlight display.. RM42/pc sent from China .. not bad for the price since it cost more from Jalan Pasar. Probably will order it tomorrow :)

Info on how to get the LCD display working on Tracker2 could be found here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tracker2/message/5694. Photo posted by Scott:

And here is where all the information on how to get this thing working for TinyTrack4 (we need to have at least v0.51 firmware):

http://www.vk7hse.hobby-site.org/wiki/index.php/LCD_&_Keyboard

My hands are itchy now.

TinyTrak4 as fill-in digipeater

I was thinking, why do I need to power on my PC when someone already gated the packets out to the net. What I want to do is to escalate/repeat packets sent by APRS stations from "Bermuda" area of Sg Buloh to the digipeater-to-be somewhere at Genting. Since I've Argendata Tracker2 already, I was thinking, why not try the Byonic TinyTrack4 and have it run in standalone mode and acts as a digipeater. So, ordered mine through 9W2PD (bulk order) and received it early of the week.

The hardest part for me is to set the TT4 to recognise incoming packets. When I received the TT4, I could not get it to recognise any packet, so put off by it .. I didn't touch it for few days (+ the busy days debugging BSP/ABAP Object/middleware and stuff related to work that it). To get it working with my FT-60R HT, I need to set the SQL all the way counterclock wise (off), set the volume to 25%, RXAMP and CDCODE and CDLEVEL as the configuration shown below.

My configuration is: Tinytrack4 + Yaesu FT-60R, configuration as I put into the software (Alpha 0.51 firmware), the important fields to get the digipeater working are in bold:

300 is FALSE
TXTDISP is FALSE
NODISP is FALSE
PPATHING is FALSE
DMSDISP is FALSE
MICETMV is FALSE
ENTS is FALSE
TELHIRES is FALSE
TELVOLT is TRUE
TELTEMP is TRUE
PREEMPT is FALSE
DIGIID is TRUE
TOSV is FALSE
TALT is TRUE
TIMESTAMP is TRUE
TIMEHMS is TRUE
SBEN is FALSE
TSWPT is TRUE
AMODE is TEXT
BMODE is TEXT
ABAUD is 19200
BBAUD is 4800
SSIDROUTE is 0
ALTNET is APTT4
MYCALL is 9W2TPT-4
DIGI1 is WIDE1-1
DIGI2 is WIDE2-1
DIGI3 is
PPATH1ST is
PPATH2ND is
TSTATUS is Digipeater SgBuloh
BTEXT is >Digipeater SgBuloh
BPERIOD is 900
TXD is 60
PERSIST is 65
SLOTTIME is 15
QUIET is 10
CDMODE is TONES
CDLEVEL is 12
TXLEVEL is 128
TXTWIST is 50
RXAMP is 13
GWAYLEN is 9
GWAYMODE is NMEA
LOCATION is 0312.8666N 10133.4500E
GALT is 1000
TSYMCODE is #
TSYMTABLE is S
STATUSRATE is 1
PPERIOD is 600
SBSSPEED is 5
SBFSPEED is 60
SBSPERIOD is 1800
SBFPERIOD is 90
SBTANGLE is 27
SBTSLOPE is 255
SBTTIME is 5
MICEMESSAGE is 0
TSOFFSET is 17
TDAO is 0
TPROTOCOL is APRS
TPERIOD is 1200
ALIAS1 is WIDE1-1
ALIAS2 is
ALIAS3 is
DUPETIME is 30
FILTERCALL is

Update: aprs.fi doesn't like the beacon text w/o '>', so, added it manually to the beacon text line.. don't see this with Tracker2 though.

Update 2: According to Byon, the only required parameter to enable the digipeater is the ALIAS1. The rest are just supporting parameters.

Importing radio to Malaysia .. my experience

I did an ebay shopping early of the week and won a second hand radio from a seller in the US. It is a bit hard to buy directly from QTH.COM or QRZ.COM since many of them won't ship outside CONUSA (Continental USA). The shipping cost is surely makes most of us think more than twice when buying things from the US.

Anyway, was told by the seller that my radio has been shipped via USPS Priority Mail yesterday, so off me go to SIRIM today. SIRIM QAS International is the body which produces the AP and certifies the telecommunication equipment too. Since the radio that I'm importing is already in the MCMC approved list, I don't need to pay the RM180++ for certification etc. The cost of the import permit (AP) is RM70, increased from RM30 which I was told the cost before they were going into ePermit.

What I brought along when applying for the ePermit:

1. A copy of my AA

2. A copy of my IC - front/back

3. A copy of an invoice from the seller/ebay

4. A copy of the brochure

What I need to fill up there:

1. Application for ePermit

The girl at the counter went up to see the techie guy twice, once coming back because she wasn't sure that I've AA and the other time, because they don't have the current list from MCMC. So, I told them to check it out and the techie guy couldn't find it from MCMC website either, but later said that, OKlah, just pay the RM70 :)

Now, am suppose to wait for 24Hrs to see if my ePermit application is approved (or the girl said, call them back in hour time, probably done by then). One thing, there is no AP paper given to us. Customs just need the online ePermit thingy..

Anyway, will update this page again with any progress after this including the customs process. Hopefully it will be a smooth sailing.

Update 1: Tracking the radio:

International Dispatch, May 06, 2009, 9:15 pm, ISC CHICAGO IL (USPS) Electronic Shipping Info Received, May 05, 2009 Acceptance, May 05, 2009, 4:15 pm, FLINT, MI 48532

Update 2: Called up SIRIM QAS and I've got my ePermit approved. Just need to wait for Customs to send a yellow card asking me to pickup the radio from the airport clearance office.

Update 3 13/05/09: Received a POSLAJU notification from POS MEL & KURIER saying that the package is stuck at Customs. So, I guess I need to go to KLIA this afternoon to pick it up. Hopefully no hassle whatsoever since I've the necessary ePermit etc. Are they going to tax me? Hope not..

Update 4 13/05/09: Went to pickup the radio from KLIA, I had a wrong impression that there will be no tax, yes, no duty tax but they still impose 10% sales tax. Anyway, the radio is with me and have not much done to it. Need to read the manual .. and need to fabricate the mic connector too. Anyway, I was wrong about the AP thingy.. ePermit is by SIRIM but when you reached the KLIA POS Malaysia/Customs clearance centre, they'll need to print a JK6 (the paper AP) and need to bring it to the Customs for clearance and tax calculation. So, we still have the paper AP as proof that we're importing the radio through proper channel.

Update 5 14/05/09: My previous mic connector didn't work, I couldn't key the radio. Found out that I'm missing the GND and the M-36 mic connector that I have does not have GND, probably it shares with the MIC GND. So, did another one this morning using a patch cable, tested and it was wrong once again. The colour coding was not standard.. so, arming myself with a multimeter, I traced the wires one by one.. and yehaa.. I could use my MH-31 that I've for FT897D with this new rig. Now aiming to get Yaesu MD-100 .. but once again, need to think more than twice if I were to get if from US.. again, the shipping charges really kill.

The result as above .. a proud owner of a pre-owned excellent condition FT-920. The previous owner has his callsign at the back of the top cover.