http://w5tsu.net/ Recent content on W5TSU Hugo -- gohugo.io en-US Copyright 2017 Mark Grennan Tue, 17 Feb 2026 10:48:05 -0600 http://w5tsu.net/welcome/ Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://w5tsu.net/welcome/ Hello, my name is Mark (W5TSU). I became a hame in Feburary of 2007 as KD5AMB (tech). I now have a general class license. (Working on my Extra. :-) I enjoy electronics and amature radio. This website, is my way of keeping notes and sharing with others. If you want to ask questions you can email me at ‘mark@w5tsu.net’. My primary intrests are Software Defined Radio (SDR) and antennas. I’m an open source software eveloper. http://w5tsu.net/posts/hermes-lite2/ Tue, 17 Feb 2026 10:48:05 -0600 http://w5tsu.net/posts/hermes-lite2/ The Hermes-Lite 2 (HL2) is a low-cost, open source HF SDR transceiver. This is a truly fantastic radio it competing head to head with the Flex radio. The whole project – hardware and software – is fully open source, led by Steve Haynal (KF7O). Although this radio has been around for years the community support is poor. My hope is this post will help document what I’ve found for my own use and maybe help others. http://w5tsu.net/posts/thetis-and-rmnoise/ Sun, 01 Feb 2026 22:17:30 +0000 http://w5tsu.net/posts/thetis-and-rmnoise/ Yes, I’ve started a YouTube channel. My first post is about RMNoise, an AI filter, used to remove noise from SSB voice or CW radio signals. Noramly, audio is connected into and outo of a physical radio. I’m using Thetis radio software connected to a Hermes-Lite 2+. To connect Thetis to RMNoise I’m using Voice Meter Potato to create virtual audio cables to “wire” these together. Thetis’s Input is connected to my microphone (Focusite). http://w5tsu.net/posts/arrow-loop-antenna/ Tue, 27 Feb 2024 15:21:56 -0600 http://w5tsu.net/posts/arrow-loop-antenna/ I’m going to create a delta loop antena made from arrow shafts. I believe this should be good match from 40 to the 10 meeter band. This will include 3D printed parts for antenna mounts and for a matching coil. http://w5tsu.net/posts/digipeater/ Thu, 12 Oct 2023 13:40:57 -0500 http://w5tsu.net/posts/digipeater/ I’ve build a Digipeater. These are my notes. Equpment Using DigiPi, Digirig, and a handheld I had not used. DigiPi runs on RaspberryPi. I’m using a Pi4 with a Geekworm for Raspberry Pi UPS - X729 for grater uptime and 12 Volt support. DigiPi is a great progject developed my Craiger (KM6LYM. This project is using version 1.8.1. You can plug it into your radio’s USB interface, use a radio interface like DigiRig, or use a sound card with your radio in VOX mode, to run many digital modes. http://w5tsu.net/posts/notes-on-js8call/ Thu, 12 Oct 2023 13:40:57 -0500 http://w5tsu.net/posts/notes-on-js8call/ My best friend KX0U invited me to JS8Call. This is my project to get there. OH, and thanks Jim! Equpment Starting from the computer end, I’m using [Dragon OS] (https://sourceforge.net/p/dragonos-focal/wiki/OriginStory/). More on it latter. The computer is connected to a Xiegu DE19 interface. I tried using a DigiRig with much frustration. More on that latter. The Radio is a Xiegu G90 controled by flrig. JS8Call is connected to flrig. My antenna varies between DX-Comander virtical and # QRPGuys Portable No Tune End Fed Half Wave Antenna. http://w5tsu.net/posts/going-dmr/ Thu, 18 Aug 2022 12:51:00 -0500 http://w5tsu.net/posts/going-dmr/ Not your father’s radio! I’ve started with a couple of new radios for this round of Ham Radio projects. A Radioddity G90 and their GD-88. As a fan of SDR, I’m using digital modes with both. FT8 on the G90 and DMR on the GD-88. I love the way FT8 cuts through the noise when signal are low. But I can’t yet say I’m a fan of DMR. It seems like a radio build by a government committee that didn’t know anything about it. http://w5tsu.net/posts/repeterbook.com/ Wed, 22 Jan 2020 12:51:00 -0500 http://w5tsu.net/posts/repeterbook.com/ If you need to program your HT for a local area, look no feather than RepeterBook.com. After creating an account, you can build a list of repeaters based on your location and export it to many common file formats, including Chirp and CSV. W5TSU http://w5tsu.net/builds/am-broadcast-band-filter/ Sun, 23 Jul 2017 11:06:17 -0500 http://w5tsu.net/builds/am-broadcast-band-filter/ For the W5TSU.net:8030 receiver I build a broadcast band filter. This should front end overload and intermod created by these stations and allow for better Ham band receiption. I also wanted to learn how to build my own coils. I found a design at the vk3il blog. This filter was modeled with the ELSIE (free version). It is a 7-pole Chebychev filter with cutoff frequencies of 1.7MHz. I started by winding some coils from 22, 26 and 30 awg magnet wire. http://w5tsu.net/posts/am-broadcast-band-filter/ Sun, 23 Jul 2017 11:06:17 -0500 http://w5tsu.net/posts/am-broadcast-band-filter/ For the W5TSU.net:8030 receiver I build a broadcast band filter. This should front end overload and intermod created by these stations and allow for better Ham band receiption. I also wanted to learn how to build my own coils. I found a design at the vk3il blog. This filter was modeled with the ELSIE (free version). It is a 7-pole Chebychev filter with cutoff frequencies of 1.7MHz. I started by winding some coils from 22, 26 and 30 awg magnet wire. http://w5tsu.net/builds/aprs-transmitter/ Tue, 20 Jun 2017 12:49:15 -0500 http://w5tsu.net/builds/aprs-transmitter/ I’m working on the design of a APRS Tracker transmitter. The dream is a self contained radio transmitter, modem, and controler with a bluetool connection to a tablet running Xastir. There are lots of designs and APRS Trackers. Some are almost what I’m looking for. Many are out of date or the designer is dormant. The bigest example is MicroModem. Wounderful design from 2014 but the deveoper is… In his how words… “Long Time, No See”. http://w5tsu.net/posts/w5tsu-started-in-1951/ Mon, 22 May 2017 14:06:47 -0500 http://w5tsu.net/posts/w5tsu-started-in-1951/ This is my grandfather’s ham license from 1952. My mother told me stories of her and her father lessioning to the radio. Him teaching her morse code. I picture in my mind, mon sitting on her fathers lap and her talking to some ham on AM. My mother tough me my name in code when I was five. – .- .-. -.- W5TSU http://w5tsu.net/posts/new-wspr-station/ Sun, 21 May 2017 21:28:31 -0500 http://w5tsu.net/posts/new-wspr-station/ I’m fascinated by the WSPR (http://wsprnet.org) network and found out you can build a transmitter station with an Raspberry Pi. So, because I have a few Raspbery Pi comptuers setting about doing nothing, it’s time to put one to work. The code for this is at (https://github.com/JamesP6000/WsprryPi). WSPR net has some documentation on it (http://wsprnet.org/drupal/node/5353). The output from the RaspPi is a square wave so lots of filter is needed. (http://www. http://w5tsu.net/posts/extra_study/ Fri, 12 May 2017 10:42:59 -0500 http://w5tsu.net/posts/extra_study/ I’m working on getting my extra class license. Here are a few things I have found that help. Even with a background in electronics and years of being a ham I still score about a 50% on any practice test I take. Here are several places to get study guides and take sample tests. I use my phone to take practice test ofter. Check out Dave Casler, (KE0OG) youtube videos. These are very nice and a great resource. http://w5tsu.net/posts/kiwisdr/ Fri, 11 Jul 2014 11:54:24 +0200 http://w5tsu.net/posts/kiwisdr/ Start here: http://sdr.w5tsu.net:8073 ( Kiwi SDR ) http://sdr.w5tsu.net:8074 ( Kiwi SDR ) http://sdr.w5tsu.net:8075 ( OpenWebRX ) This includes both HF, VHF, and UHF I have a new radio. I picked up a KiwiSDR (http://kiwisdr.com/) receiver from Seeed. (https://www.seeedstudio.com/KiwiSDR-Kit-p-2725.html). The KiwiSDR was developed by the Funkamateur John Seamons ZL / KF6VO, is a branch of the OpenWebSDR project and realy started life as a kickstarter project. This is the best HF (10kz-30mz) receiver I own. http://w5tsu.net/posts/m17/ Fri, 11 Jul 2014 11:54:24 +0200 http://w5tsu.net/posts/m17/ M17 is a digital radio modulation mode, like DMR, D-Star, or Fusion, developed by Wojciech Kaczmarski (SP5WWP) in 2019. Unlike other protocols, M17 has every part of the protocol open source. See: M17Project.org. OpenRTX is an open-source project used to replace the firmware in commercial amateur radios. See: OpenRTX.org. OpenHT is a hardware project working to build and Open Hardware Handy Talkie. It is based on FPGA design - a complete Lattice Radiant project for the LIFCL-40-7SG72C.