Tag Archives: ham radio

Crosstown Traffic: KB6NU explaines why the first hacker in history was an amateur radio operator

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My friend Dan KB6NU posted this supporting evidence that he found on the Royal Institution website that a radio amateur was one of the first hackers to successfully hack a “secure” radio system:

I’ve often maintained that amateur radio operators were the first hackers. Now, I have some supporting evidence.

As reported in this post on the Royal Institution website, a public demonstration of Marconi’s wireless communication system, aka radio, was hacked by a British magician. Apparently, Marconi was touting his system as not only being able to send messages over long distances, but as also being secure. Well, now we know that radio transmissions are anything but secure, but they didn’t know that back in 1903.

So, when a public demonstration was set up at Great Britain’s Royal Institution, a British magician and inventor, Nevil Maskelyne, was hired to “hack” into the demo. Before Marconi could send his message from his Cornwall station to the receiving station set up at the Royal Institution, Maskelyne sent the message, “RATS RATS RATS from his transmitting station, presumably somewhere near the Royal Institution. This was picked up by the receiving station, thereby demonstrating that Marconi’s wireless system was anything but secure.

Thanks for that interesting post Dan!

 

(Published from 30,000 feet over the southeast corner of Oklahoma)

In the News: Tower fight pits federal PRB-1 pre-emption against Napa, California planning commission

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Here we go again.  As we talk about expanding the FCC’s PRB-1 amateur radio antenna preemption to homeowner associations and covenants and deed restrictions, here comes a classic ham operator-vs-city fight that will likely end up with a lawsuit and the city as a loser.  From the Napa Valley Register:

Since the longtime amateur radio enthusiast raised the spidery metal mast in April, some homeowners have attacked it for spoiling their views, and others claim the antenna has even disrupted their electronics – or, in one case, disabled a woman’s electric wheelchair.

But their efforts to fight the mast in their midst has bumped against federal law Hullquist argues protects his right to build and use the antenna, even without a city permit.

On Thursday, the city Planning Commission granted him a use permit for the ham radio antenna – but with limitations including a requirement to lower the mast to 21 feet between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. to avoid intruding on his neighbors’ views. (The city allowed an exemption to transmit during a local emergency.) Hullquist also was barred from operating his transmitter while the antenna is retracted. (Emphasis mine — AD8BC)

Afterward, Hullquist promised to appeal his case to the City Council – which also is scheduled to hear a counter-appeal from an opponent of the antenna.

The decision continues a seven-month stalemate pitting Coombs Street homeowners – who say the antenna also disfigures the Napa Abajo-Fuller Park Historic District that includes the street – against Hullquist, who has argued a Federal Communications Commission memorandum from 1985 blocks cities from passing laws that make ham radio use impossible.

In as much as the city is overstepping it’s bounds here, the statement I emphasized above in the quote is beyond scary:

Hullquist also was barred from operating his transmitter while the antenna is retracted.

The city has absolutely no authority to bar him from transmitting his radio on his property.  This is purely federal FCC jurisdiction here.

This will be one of those fun cases to follow.  We’ll keep up with it here.

 

(Published from Chicago, IL)

In the News: KERO-TV News in Bakersfield, CA “Ham Radio operators can help save lives in times of crisis”

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After this news disaster, it’s nice to see a well-formed profile of ham radio on the news.  Bakersfield California ABC affiliate KERO presents a 2 1/2 minute segment on ham radio and the support they provide during emergencies (click link for video):

Not only is it a hobby for people, but it could also save lives in times of crisis and danger.

Over the years many emergency communication centers throughout the country have relied on Ham operators. When all other forms of communication go down, the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service can still communicate.

They have been called to action during events like Hurricane Katrina and the Boston Marathon bombing.

Amateur radio operators were on scene and helped coordinate evacuations and assisted with emergency communications.

The Kern County Emergency Operations Center received a Homeland Security grant to purchase equipment and are currently constructing a permanent spot at the center for the group to operate during a crisis.

Nice job, Kern County hams!

 

Crosstown Traffic: KC5HWB-Ham Radio’s Forgotten Bands: 220MHz and 900MHz

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Great blog post and discussion from Jason KC5HWB over at the Grapevine Ham Radio blog about 220MHz and 900MHz, the “Forgotten Bands” of ham radio:

When I was first licensed in 1994, the most inexpensive radio I could buy was the Radio Shack HTX-202 mono-band, 2 meter only, 12 memory channel HT. This radio sold brand new in the store for $189. You could also buy the 70 centimeter version of this radio, which had the same memory channels and features, for the same amount of money. Back then, if you wanted a dual-band HT, you were going to spend $300 or more. Today, however, anyone can buy a Chinese dual band for under $50.  20 years ago, if you wanted a 220mhz radio, you’d have to pay several hundred dollars. I don’t remember anything about 900mhz back then, the frequency spectrum belonged to us, but to my recollection there were little to no radios at all.

Today, you can buy a mono-band 1.25 meter radio from Anytone or TYT for under $200. Also, there are many 900mhz radios on the market, most of which are used, but many are obtainable for $100 or less. A good example of this would be the Kenwood TK-981 radio. I constantly see these radios sell used on eBay for $100-$125.

So the question is, why are these two bands forgotten? Today you can get a radio in either of these bands for a decent amount of money, and some people are using them, but they are not nearly as popular as the 2M and 40 bands in amateur radio.  The 1.25 meter band is widely unused in the DFW area, and the band itself, being VHF, could be as reliable as 2 meters.  The 900mhz band is becoming more popular in DFW, but radios are mostly purchased from used markets and surplus of businesses of local government agencies.

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In the News: Washington Times-KC1ACF “has world at his fingertips”

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Another fantastic article featuring amateur radio in a positive light.  Yesterday the Washington Times featured Mark Vess KC1ACF:

While Vess has reached operators from exotic locations across the world, their conversations often revolve around everyday occurrences.

“In most cases, it’s your life that you share with other radio operators.

Vess said radio operators adhere to a set of unwritten rules that promote a cordial atmosphere over the air. Religion and politics are hardly ever discussed, and repeatedly trampling over other operators’ conversations will quickly earn you a reputation as a jerk.

Among the different countries Vess has reached by radio include Cuba, Italy, Spain and England. However, he said most of the conversation conducted voer the air is done in English.

“Amateur radio spans the world. It’s in every populated area and especially in unpopulated areas,” Vess said.

(Published from DFW, Texas)

In the News: “Why is Ham Radio more popular than ever” from the Saugerties Times in Kingston, NY

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The Saugerties Times in Kingston, NY reports that ham radio is more popular than ever!  From the Times:

With a smartphone in every pocket, isn’t amateur radio a thing of the past?

The answer, as was clear at the Woodstock Rescue Squad Headquarters on a recent Saturday afternoon, is no, far from it.

“Year to year [the number of licenses issued is] increasing, which is not what most people would tend to expect,” said Keith Tilley, certified instructor with the American Radio Relay League.

The occasion was a two-day licensing class organized by the 55-member-strong Overlook Mountain Amateur Radio Club, which was founded in the 1960s. Participants learned the basics, took a test and received their call signs a few days later.

Over 725,000 Americans have ham radio licenses, up more than 60 percent since 1981, according to NPR. Perhaps part of the appeal is the charm of analog, which has made LPs the fastest growing music format in recent years not transmitted over a wire. Compared with the amount of incoming data on a web browser with several social networking and messaging apps running, ham radio is refreshingly focused. Another factor: preppers. Our increasing interconnectedness and diminished self-reliance have nurtured a certain strain of anxiety that can only be relieved by having all supplies on hand for a worst-case scenario— including communications.

Always good to see a complimentary piece in the news!

 

(Published from DFW, Texas)

Famous Hams: New President and Vice President of Indonisia are both hams

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I missed this last month!  I caught it on last week’s Ham Nation during Don AE5DW’s Newsline report (at exactly 20:00 on the video).  The ARRL Reports:

Indonesia’s new national leaders are both Amateur Radio licensees.

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, YD2JKW, holds a General class license. Vice President Jusuf Kalla, YC8HYK, is an Advanced class licensee.

Elected in July, Jokowi, 53, a former furniture exporter, and Kalla, 72, were inaugurated on October 20 in Jakarta. Indonesia is the world’s third-largest democracy, with a population of approximately 250 million.

Secretary of State John Kerry represented the US at the inauguration and met with the new president afterward. Jokowi previously served as governor of Jakarta and as mayor of Surakarta.

(published from DFW, Texas)

Hams and the Law: FCC revokes KB7ILD, finds sex offender ineligible to hold radio license.

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The ARRL reports that the FCC has reversed a previous determination by an Administrative Law Judge that had allowed David Titus KB7ILD of Seattle to renew his license in 2009 in the wake of a sex offense conviction.  From the ARRL article:

“We find that the ALJ erred in holding that the Enforcement Bureau failed to meet its burden of demonstrating that Titus is currently unqualified to remain a Commission licensee,” the Decision said, “inasmuch as the ALJ failed to consider relevant convictions for sex offenses and failed to give appropriate deference to the judgment of local law enforcement authorities that Titus is a convicted sex offender who poses a high risk to the safety of the community.”

In January 2007 the FCC issued a show-cause Order and designated for hearing the issue of whether Titus was qualified to remain a licensee in light of a 1993 felony conviction for “communicating with a minor for immoral purposes.” The Communications Act provides that the FCC may revoke any license, if conditions come to its attention that would have warranted a denial of the licensee’s original application. The Commission has said in the past that felony convictions, “especially those involving sexual offenses involving children,” raise questions regarding a licensee’s character qualifications.

Titus’s General class license expired in 2009, and the FCC had deferred action on his renewal application while the revocation proceeding was still in play. The FCC also dismissed Titus’s 2010 reply to the Enforcement Bureau’s exceptions in the matter, because they were filed 5 days late. The FCC said Sippel should have given more weight to incidents in 2002 and 2004 that, while not resulting in conviction, “prompted the Seattle Police Department to raise Titus’s assessed risk level from moderate to high.”

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Ham TV: W5KUB webcast with “Arduino and Ham Radio” author Glen Popeil KW5GP

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Tom Medlin W5KUB is probably best known for the many years of his live web broadcasts from the Dayton Hamvention where those unfortunately unable to make it to Mecca Hara Arena in Dayton each May could watch the Hamvention from their own home.  Tom and his crew lately have been branching out to cover other special Amateur Radio events such as the K6H special event station on the set of Last Man Standing in Hollywood in September.  Now Tom has created his own special event — an interview with Glen Popeil KW5GP, author of the new book “Arduino for Ham Radio” published by the ARRL.  I did miss the live broadcast — but Tom has put the video up on his archive page.  I’m kind of skimming through the video segments looking for the “good” parts. Oh – and special guest John Amodeo NN6JA, producer of ABC’s “Last Man Standing” makes a special appearance too.

I will probably pick up a copy of Glen’s new book, and I am hoping that it was much better prepared than the last ARRL-published microcontroller book that I purchased (“PIC Programming for Beginners“) which was published prematurely, poorly edited, and some of the PIC programmer parts were not even available by the time it was published. I’m serious, it was an unmitigated disaster–click here to visit the Amazon page and scroll down to the reviews.  This one was my review.  I met the author of that book the next year in Dayton and found out that he was as disappointed in it as I was and that there were publishing and marketing snafus.  Anyway, I’m willing to give the new Arduino book a chance.  The book is available direct from the ARRL or Amazon or probably your favorite book seller.

 

(published from DFW, Texas)

Crosstown Traffic: Hackaday features Raspberry Pi-powered foxhunt transmitter — with or without an actual transmitter!

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(my apologies about not posting in awhile.  I was on jury duty.  It was an emotionally draining case.  I’ll make up for it over the next few days.)

Hackaday ran an article yesterday that featured a hackaday.io project that Corey KM4EFP posted describing his Raspberry Pi powered Foxhunt transmitter.  What I found unique about this is that you can either feed the audio from a Pi output pin directly into a handheld transmitter, or actually transmit RF directly from the output pin (!) by adding a low-pass transmitter.  There is far more information about this project available on Corey’s GitHub page.  From the Hackaday.io project page:

My foxbox consists of a Raspberry Pi model B with Raspbian running pifox and is powered by a 6000mah usb power bank with a mausberrycircuits.com power switch and my gpio setup is laid out on an electro-resales gpio breakout pcb. All this is fitted inside a 30 caliber ammo can by use of non conductive foam padding. It starts transmitting automatically when the Pi is powered on and the transmit switch is flipped on. The transmission of my call sign and fox message and current time runs through gpio 4 and a lpf before reaching the antenna and also lighting an led indicating a transmission is in progress. No handheld is needed the Pi is the radio transmitter. You can also use audio out on the Pi to trigger vox on a handheld radio if your not comfortable building a low pass filter. Led and switches are also optional as well as automatic or manual transmissions and timing. Build your fox the way that suits you. There are many customizeable settings for pifox to fit your needs

 

We’ve seen directly driving an antenna from a GPIO pin before using PiFM.  I’m not sure I’d use it in any application where I would require frequency stability or any kind of a solid RF signal… but maybe the application of this is better than I originally thought.

 

(Published from DFW, Texas)

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