Frequency Spectrum, Antennas, and Amateur Radio Troy Rank

Frequency spectrum  Focus On: HF – High FrequencyHF – High Frequency VHF – Very High FrequencyVHF – Very High Frequency UHF – Ultra High FrequencyUHF – Ultra High Frequency Lower Microwave FrequenciesLower Microwave Frequencies

HF  Frequency Range 3-30MHz3-30MHz  Who Uses HF? MilitaryMilitary MarineMarine AeronauticalAeronautical Radio AmateursRadio Amateurs World Band RadioWorld Band Radio

HF - Modes  Analog Modes AM, USB, LSB, CWAM, USB, LSB, CW  Digital Modes SSTV (slow scan tv)SSTV (slow scan tv) Amtor / PactorAmtor / Pactor RTTYRTTY PSK31PSK31 WeFaxWeFax BPL?BPL?

VHF/ UHF  VHF MHz  UHF 300MHz - 3 GHZ  Short Range  No Ionospheric propagation  Who uses VHF/UHF Who Doesn’t?Who Doesn’t?

VHF/UHF Applications  FM broadcast Radio  Broadcast TV  Local Radio Communication PolicePolice CommercialCommercial  Cell Phones  Satellite Communications  b/g

UHF/VHF modes  FM, USB, LSB, AM (on lower freqs)  Digital modes Packet RadioPacket Radio Digital VoiceDigital Voice IRLPIRLP APRSAPRS

UHF/VHF Repeaters  Retransmit signals Longer usable range  Receive on one Frequency  Transmit on a separate Frequency  Intermodulation Duplexers

Duplexers

IRLP  Internet Radio Linking Project Connects RepeatersConnects Repeaters Uses Internet For connectionUses Internet For connection

Amateur Satellite  VHF for transmit  UHF for receive  Types RepeatersRepeaters DigipeatersDigipeaters Other dataOther data

Beyond UHF  3-300GHZ (Microwave region)  Large Bandwidth  Highly subject to line of sight  Very low power Health hazardHealth hazard  Highly directional signals used

Applications 3-300GHZ  Wireless Data Links  Broadband Internet links Large bandwidthLarge bandwidth  Radar  Wireless USB

Amateur Microwave  Contesting

What is Amateur Radio  Hobby  Provide Emergency Communication Much more resilient than convention telephone lines / cell phonesMuch more resilient than convention telephone lines / cell phones  Experiment with new forms of RF communication

How to Become a Ham  Three License Classes TechnicianTechnician GeneralGeneral ExtraExtra  Take a Written Multiple Choice Test

Dipole Antenna  2.4 DB gain for ¼ wave  ¼, ½, 5/8, wave versions

Other Types Of Antennas  Loop  Yagi  Cubical Quad  Ground Plane  Aperature  Crossed Yagi  Helix

Yagi

Aperature  Commonly used for microwave freqs

Ground Plane  Omni directional

Crossed Yagi and Helix