Picking up the Ham radio Projects thread...

[econjack]

Hi All:


A dated thread talked about ham radio projects that might use the Digispark. I've authored a number of programming books, the last of which was Beginning C for Arduino. However, I'm in the process of co-authoring a new book with Dennis Kidder (W6DQ) that has 17 ham-related projects. One of those projects is a PS2 keyboard to CW keyer and the other is a CW decoder. While I'm just starting the PS2 project and just got my Digisparks yesterday, I think both projects will "fit" within the Digispark constraints. I think this is a good ham project as it might get more hams involved with QRP, CW, and Digispark. Also, for those who don't know Morse Code, it would open new band segments for them. (Are there any legal restrictions on this?)


Anyway, I'll keep those interested on the PS2 and decoder project as I get more into it. If you're interested, jump in with your call sign and join this post.


Jack Purdum, W9NMT/8

[Bluebie]

Sounds like a really neat project. Morse code can be useful for all sorts of things outside ham radio - it can be transmitted by light, by simple unregulated OOK transmitters, or by sound as a crude sort of modem. I've seen people use morse code to debug an arduino-powered robot where a speaker was already present but connecting wires would not be suitable, and adding radios would be unjustified. The robot maker found an iPhone app which could decode morse code through the microphone and transcribe it on to a notepad on the phone. It worked pretty well, even at high speeds, though occasionally characters came out corrupt - but it would not be difficult to use morse code as a low level layer and implement a protocol on top of it with error correction.


We can always use more ways to debug digisparks using only one wire, avoiding the nitpicky USB stack - allowing different clock speeds.

[ramos96]

Hi there,

I would be interested in testing some things out and building some of the projects, I have a ton of resources just sitting around.

76,
K5ROO