VA7OJ

Episode 199 - Adam Farson - VA7OJ / AB4OJ

Adam Farson, VA7OJ and AB4OJ, began his ham radio journey over 60 years ago as a youngster inspired by electronics and eventually ham radio in his native South Africa.  Pursuing a career in the broad science that surrounds telephony World wide, Adam has adapted telephony methods and test equipment to evaluate amateur radio transceiver performance.  Adam shares his ham radio and professional journey in this QSO Today.

Show Notes

Listen to Podcast

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QCX Transceiver Kit

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Adam’s Website

Philmore Crystal Set kit

Wonder Book of Electricity - UK book

The Boy Electrician, Alfred Morgan

Build an inexpensive valve/tube tester

Medium wave TRF

First License: Age 22, 1962, ZS1ZG, South Africa

Wireless set  No. 62 Set transceiver descendant of the 19 set

PMG Certificate (Marine Radio Telegraph Operators license)

Instructograph Morse Code Practice

ARC5 Transmitter

Marconi Radio Equipment Aircraft Receiver and Transmitter

Education: University of Cape Town, BSEE MSEE

​Reflections of a Retired Telecom Engineer, 2002, by Adam Farson

ISDN lines for data services

1947 Bell System Strike

Metered call unit - message unit

999 Emergency Calls British Post 1932

Raycal, Pretoria, South Africa

Racal TRA-967 VHF  Manpack

Solid State HF transceivers

Official Secrets Act,  South Africa

ME-61/GRC  Field Strength Meter.

The ZS6XT Hybrid 20m SSB/CW Transceiver (1964)

CERN, European Center for Nuclear Research
Proton Accelerator

Intersecting proton storage rings

GTE - Emek HaEla Earth Station, Israel

Classic Icom Station

• Icom IC-781 with the first spectrum scope ,
• Icom IC-25A Power Amplifier
• Icom AT-500 antenna tuner

Oldies but Goodies Icom Radios

• Icom IC-751A
• Icom IC-745
• Icom IC-735
• Icom IC-740
• Icom IC-730 compact transceiver
• Icom IC-735
• Icom IC-703 Portable

Noise Power Ratio Testing - band of noise with deep notch

Noise Power Ratio Testing of HF Receivers

Receiver IMD

Phase Noise

Third order dynamic range

ITU Band Noise Line

Current Station: 

• Icom IC-7610
• Icom IC-7300
• Yaesu Quadra 1kW MOSFET amplifier
• Icom IC-703+
• Assorted Icom ex-LMR radios

​Icom HF Users Net

TAPR

HPSDR - High performance software defined radio

Apache Labs - HPSDR

HPSDR Control Head Raspberry Pi

Project on workbench: 12 Mhz Precision Test Fixture  - no completed and in use!

Excited by: rapid evolution of technology

Advice to new or returning hams: Take a look around

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Adam's home brew 20 Meter SSB/CW Transceiver (1964)

VA7OJ Shack Picture

VA7OJ Test Lab

The Classic Icom IC-781 Transceiver