Month: February 2011

Our New Microphone!

Just kidding… That’s actually a mic from an old Heathkit Benton Harbor Lunchbox.

I continue to get good advice from listeners on the mic issue. I hope to put this to rest soon — then we’ll shift away from AF back to RF. Several listeners advised me to stick to SolderSmoke’s “homebrew or roadkill” ethos, and to avoid the temptation to solve problems with credit cards. Good advice! People REALLY like the audio with the old decrepit computer mic and the Linux Ubuntu Laptop. So here is what I’m going to do: I’ll go back to that combo, but I will attempt to fix up some of the mechanical problems (the old mic is falling apart and it has all kinds of weird things taped on to it) and the electrical problems (it seems to pick up more AC hum than then D-104). It won’t be pretty, but it will be a nice homebrew/roadkill device.

A question for those who expressed support for this mic and for the audio in #129: Didn’t you hear the AC hum?

Audio Blues

OK, so the SolderSmoke community wasn’t exactly Astatic about my use of the D-104. I was really kind of disappointed. After all, I’d risked my dental health (duct tape on my teeth!) in an effort to improve the audio quality. I found it especially galling that a new demon was added to my audio woes: AM broadcast band interference. QRM on the internet! I suppose it is somewhat fitting, especially for a podcast that occasionally dabbles in crystal radios.

Thanks for all the comments. Even for the bruising ones. They gave me some additional insights. Most of the problem is clearly at my end of the fiber optic cable. But I think part of this problem has to do with the fact that people are listening to the show with a wide variety of equipment: some are using car sound systems, some are at home using computer speakers (fed by all kinds of different sound cards). A very wide variety of headphones and earbuds are in use. Also, there are big differences in our ears! I, like many listeners, have some serious high frequency hearing loss.

But never fear, SolderFans! The quest for the perfect podcast audio continues. I have turned one corner of the radio shack into a roadkill sound studio. I have worked on several new (and several old) microphones. I have visited (and have actually read) several websites about podcast audio quality.

There may be a “name that mic” contest in our future…

SolderSmoke Podcast #130

SolderSmoke Podcast #130 is available at
http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke130.mp3

Some important trivia questions (answers will be given in the podcast):

— What is the connection between radio amateur (and pioneer radio astronomer) Grote Reber and world famous astronomer Edwin Hubble?

— In the world of radio-controlled helicopters, what is “TBE”?

— In Britain they have radio “rallies,” but at one time they had hamfests.” When did this happen?

— Only one terrain feature on Venus is named for a man. He is man of radio. Who is he?

— What music did Neil Armstrong listen to on his way to the moon?

Plus:
— The Air and Space Museums
— Our music
— The SolderSmoke D-104
— NASA asks for our help
— Telescope repairs
— A BFO for the Trans-O
— Back on Echolink
MAILBAG!

Please send reports on the D-104 audio!

HT-37 on AM

I was very pleased to find AM activity up around 7290 last Saturday.
And I was even more pleased to find that my old
Hallicrafters transmitter can do AM.
The panel switch says DSB, but it is really putting out AM in that position.
If Verizon restores our internet connection I will send out podcast
#130 tonight.

40!

In search of early morning contacts I converted my 20m dipole into a
40m inverted V.
Wow! 40 is wonderful! I’m running into lots of fellow boatanchor fans,
and am also talking to Italian and Spanish radio amateurs.
Internet should be fixed on Friday.