26 Aug

Big balls

Credit where credit is due: there are not many people out there capable and determined to pack up radios, antennas, fly and sail to the other side of the world to activate a rare island. Not to mention the obvious: to sort out accommodation on...
26 Aug

SunSDR2DX: the minimalist urban setup

Really not much to report – the SunSDR is performing flawlessly. Not a single hiccup. The radio is on at all times, and when I walk in to the shack, I am welcomed with a stream of decoded and an occasional ‘new one’ announcement.There is...
26 Aug

SunSDR2DX frequency calibration

Yes, I know that many of you do frequency calibration in one way or another for a living, playing with expensive professional toys. To you, frequency calibration is trivial, and you are probably smiling wondering – seriously, it this really necessary?Well, it is. Ham radio...
26 Aug

Struggling to find time to play radios?

Time is precious. Even in retirement! When you finally find the time to get on air, the last thing you want to do is to waste it unproductively. Especially if you are a DX chaser. “Have I worked 5H3 on 20m? Is the EL2 an...
26 Aug

Who robbed the bank?

A small analogy. Suppose you are the only witness of a bank robbery. In court, the judge asks ‘how many robbers did you see?’. "Three", you say.At that point in time, no one in the court room would dare to question your integrity because you...
26 Aug

20dB - what a massive loss

A couple of subscribers requested an update on the minimalist urban station development. I guess primarily due to their interest in SunSDR2DX - a 100W HF/6/2m SDR transceiver and it's performance in RF polluted urban environment.After two weeks of spending a couple of hours a...
26 Aug

Minimalist urban setup, part 4.

A quick recap: the major challenge in an urban environment is signal reception. Due to heavy city RF pollution - the result of hundreds of electrical devices in close proximity to a receiving antenna - only the strongest signals are audible and decodable.The best way...
26 Aug

You bastard!

Setting up an urban minimalistic station: Part 3By the time I got home, it was already quite late. But I couldn't wait to power up my SunSDR for the first time. The burning question was THE most important question of all: how many signals -...
23 Aug

Minimalist urban setup, part 2

Every project worth doing will take twice as long as originally anticipated. And be double the original estimate.After yet another trip to Bunnings (UV resistant rope and more stainless steel bolts, $70) the antenna was finally ready to go. Feed point: 8m above the ground,...
23 Aug

Setting up a minimalistic urban station

Three years ago, I took down my SteppIR and said goodbye to playing radios from Sydney.The noise was simply unbearable, especially on low bands. However, what broke the camels back was not the RF interference, but the interference from both neighbours who after many years of...
23 Aug

When only the best will do

"Hello Nick,It is with great interest that we read your comments on the SunSDR2DX vs the FLEX-6600.First, it is well known that JTDX does a better job of decoding signals than WSJT-X does.  What you did is compare JTDX to WSJT-X.  You did not do...
23 Aug

Goliath vs David?

Well this is just fun. The epic battle of David versus Goliath: a tiny SunSDR2DX and the mighty FLEX6600.The battlefield: 15m band, WSPR.A disclaimer: the test conducted below is not a controlled lab test, nor scientific test conducted by an engineer. It is simply a...
23 Aug

Installation, continued

The purpose of this short write-up is to warn you of a couple of 'gotchya' moments you will inevitably face during initial installation.Here is the key point: your radio will not start on initial power up. Plugging in LAN cable to router, powering up ON...
23 Aug

Unboxing

SunSDRD2DX [HF+6m+2m] comes in a professional looking package. The RF box is surprisingly, rather small - and begs an immediate compliment to the RF engineering team. The power cable, LAN and coax pigtail mini UHF to PL259 cables are included.The basic setup is to connect...
23 Aug

What is a software defined radio (SDR) and why most likely don't need one?

A software-defined radio (SDR) system is a radio communication system which uses software for the modulation and demodulation of radio signals. Mixers, filters, amplifiers, modulators/demodulators, detectors, etc. are taken care of in software, while the RF analogue to digital conversion (and D to A) side...
22 Aug

A major announcement

I am pleased to announce that DXing is now the exclusive Australian dealer for SunSDR transceivers. The radios are in stock, in our Sydney showroom, ready for immediate delivery.However, my intention over the next few days is to review and introduce the Sun SDR2DX 100w...
22 Aug

Go get them!

Yuri's message is loud and clear: "Work us now or wait another twenty or so years for the next expedition".And you are running out of time: KL7RRC operating from St. Paul Island, Alaska, is closing the operation in a couple of days.Getting into the log...

Big balls

Credit where credit is due: there are not many people out there capable and determined to pack up radios, antennas,...

SunSDR2DX: the minimalist urban setup

Really not much to report – the SunSDR is performing flawlessly. Not a single hiccup. The radio is on at...

SunSDR2DX frequency calibration

Yes, I know that many of you do frequency calibration in one way or another for a living, playing with...

Struggling to find time to play radios?

Time is precious. Even in retirement! When you finally find the time to get on air, the last thing you...

Who robbed the bank?

A small analogy. Suppose you are the only witness of a bank robbery. In court, the judge asks ‘how many...

20dB – what a massive loss

A couple of subscribers requested an update on the minimalist urban station development. I guess primarily due to their interest...

Great news for SunSDR 2DX owners

Expert Electronics has released a full, comprehensive manual for the latest software called ExpertSDR3.The manual and software are available from

Minimalist urban setup, part 4.

A quick recap: the major challenge in an urban environment is signal reception. Due to heavy city RF pollution -...

You bastard!

Setting up an urban minimalistic station: Part 3By the time I got home, it was already quite late. But I...

Minimalist urban setup, part 2

Every project worth doing will take twice as long as originally anticipated. And be double the original estimate.After yet another...

Setting up a minimalistic urban station

Three years ago, I took down my SteppIR and said goodbye to playing radios from Sydney.The noise was simply unbearable,...

When only the best will do

"Hello Nick,It is with great interest that we read your comments on the SunSDR2DX vs the FLEX-6600.First, it is well...

Goliath vs David?

Well this is just fun. The epic battle of David versus Goliath: a tiny SunSDR2DX and the mighty FLEX6600.The battlefield:...

Installation, continued

The purpose of this short write-up is to warn you of a couple of 'gotchya' moments you will inevitably face...

Unboxing

SunSDRD2DX [HF+6m+2m] comes in a professional looking package. The RF box is surprisingly, rather small - and begs an immediate...

What is a software defined radio (SDR) and why most likely don’t need one?

A software-defined radio (SDR) system is a radio communication system which uses software for the modulation and demodulation of radio...

A major announcement

I am pleased to announce that DXing is now the exclusive Australian dealer for SunSDR transceivers. The radios are in...

Go get them!

Yuri's message is loud and clear: "Work us now or wait another twenty or so years for the next expedition".And...