CQ CQ CQ de KE6WOB,
Are there any practicing HAM radio operators out there that have thought "Boy I wish someone made one of these." I'm looking for project ideas that require circuitboard design/fabrication.
I've considered creating a CW terminal with USB Keyboard input, RS232, paddle input and a nice big display -- but I don't know if I have time for the programming aspect of the job.
Any thoughts?

 

Hello,
KC1BGK here. There are tons on CW terminal projects, and the most compact one are usually based on Arduino/ATmega.
The book Arduino Projects for Ham Radio has a couple of CW projects including one with a keyboard if I remember well.
Hackaday amd Instructables are another good sources.

Cheers
de KC1BGK

 

@cdegrassi,
Thanks -- that's good information to know -- if there are a ton out there, there's no need to duplicate it, especially since AAC is leaning away from Arduino-type projects. Is the HAM world in need of something else that you are aware of?
Mark

 

Is the HAM world in need of something else that you are aware of?

Mark,
That is a $1Mil question. We can talk all day about this and get nowhere. I personally would like the return of more kits, even for more complex rigs, not just for QRP. Kits that could be customizable not just plug and play. Maybe modular radio kits, not sure.

The other thing is Amateur Radio is not really attracting the newer generations, that are saturated with telecom, from phones to internet, etc. They just don't care that much when they can find friends online while playing games. DX contest is just not that enticing to them (neither to me honestly ) so it would help to create stimulating electronics and radio games and kits for kids. Again, I am not sure exactly what.
Amateur Radio has already way too many gadgets, too expensive radios and now even more with internet pathways and the computational power in portable devices. It's all one-chip surface mount, not much room to play with.
Old school electronics for radio is still fun, but it's been all covered. You just need to look it up: it's likely somebody has already done it.
Amateur Radio innovation is probably heading toward new digital protocols, data compression solutions, and miniaturization.

I like programming micro-controllers and interfacing them with radios, but again, I mostly come up with an idea, I look it up on the internet and 99.5% of the time somebody has already at least a partial solution, or it's on ebay already packaged from China.

I wish I could come up with the $1Mil idea, but then I would not tell about it here

Cheers
de KC1BGK

 

Hi again @cdegrassi,
I'm not looking for something to market. I'm looking for something to write about (I write & edit for this site). And if I hear you correctly, I'd do well to come up with a circuitboard design that some interested person could assemble themselves. It's pretty difficult to get away from SMD completely as some ICs only come in that package these days -- but perhaps I could find a fab-house that would partially assemble the board, leaving the bulk of the work to the purchaser. Again -- I'm not planning to sell these things -- just design it and post the files.
I appreciate your responses -- thanks for taking the time.
Mark

 

Hello,

The ARRL published a book about the use of Arduino and PICAXE for hams:
https://archive.org/details/HamRadioForArduinoAndPicaxe

Bertus
PE1BLY

 

Hello,

The ARRL published a book about the use of Arduino and PICAXE for hams:
https://archive.org/details/HamRadioForArduinoAndPicaxe

Bertus
PE1BLY

@bertus,
Thanks quite the find Bertus. Thanks! I'll take a look later today.