Page 40 - EngineerIt August 2021

AMATEUR RADIO

Radio Amateurs embrace and expanding its scope. It offers
something for everyone, from just yakking
away to a fellow radio amateur, to building
and communicating via satellites, to a
digital transformation 24 hour challenge in a contest to log as
many stations as possible.

Study space weather from your
By Hans van de Groenendaal, editor, EngineerIT
back yard
One of the current interesting
developments is the study of space
igital transformation secures Sure, sceptics will say “but I can do weather and building an amateur space
amateur radio’s future” was that on my cell phone and even free of weather station. But why space weather,
“Dthe title of an article published charge using WhatsApp or Telegram and I you may ask? Space weather effects
in the January 2021 edition of EngineerIT. don’t need expensive equipment and large the condition of the ionosphere, that
Digital transformation is the integration antennas.” But they are missing the point. important ionised region around our planet
of digital technology into all areas of There is something magical about that bounces shortwave radio signals
an activity; amateur radio has not been using the aether waves to communicate around the world. It also provides a new
immune from digital transformation and and if you have never experienced it, opportunity to get scientists and radio
is challenging a long history of analogue you will never know what it is like. Just amateurs to collaborate in finding answers
technology. The headline “Digital imagine what euphoria Marconi and many to the many unknown questions about the
transformation secures amateur radio’s other of the early experimenters felt when complexity of our planet and its environs.
future” was perhaps somewhat misleading they heard voices from other continents Radio amateurs have the
because from the outset, amateur radio on their crude shortwave radio receivers. observational manpower and scientists
always had a digital component, Morse And how a missionary in a hut in the have the expertise to study, interpret and
code, and keying a transmitter on and midst of the jungle felt when he heard the find answers to the many unanswered
off. Look at https://www.reddit.com for an first King George Christmas message on questions. Visit www.hamsci.org, a group
interesting take on this. BBC on 25 December 1932? of scientists and radio amateurs working
“Obviously radio waves by their nature It is difficult to describe their feelings; together, to learn about some of the
are analogue, but the most rudimentary perhaps it’s something similar to what a interesting projects they are working on.
definition of digital is something represented motorcycle rider experiences with speed Two organisations, the South African
by discrete values, which Morse code and the wind rushing past his face! Radio League and AMSAT SA are working
is, as there are only two options for Digital transformation will not overtake together to introduce some of the great new
representing something - dit or dah. That the old-fashioned radio communications, developments and activities to South Africa
said, because Morse code is transmitted which will always be there, but it will and the countries around us. Currently
on a continuous wave (CW) and the complement it and as it is with all modern in the planning stage is a virtual space
nature of radio in general isn’t Boolean, 0 developments, the younger generation will weather workshop in the September/
isn’t a signal, it’s a lack of a signal, but it ultimately drag the older generation along. October time frame. If you are interested,
could be represented in base 3, 0 being One of the unique aspects of amateur send an email to admin@amsatsa.org.za
the baseline, uninterrupted continuous radio is that it is continually developing and you will be put on the mailing list. n
wave, 1 and 2 being dit and dah.
There is nothing inherent in the
definition of digital that says that something
must be binary to be digital, right? We
use Boolean logic as it’s the simplest
explanation of how a switch works, if a
relay is open or closed, a valve or transistor
is passing a current or isn’t. We can register
either of those states as a value, but with
something like radio, 0 isn’t a value that can
be registered, it’s a lack thereof.”

Tradition lives on
While radio amateurs embraced digital
transformation as early as the 1960’s, it
is not the case that every radio amateur
bought into the digital communications
idea. Just picking up a microphone
and talking to someone thousands of
kilometres away has its own fascination.

EngineerIT | August 2021 | 38