Saltwater and Plastic Antenna

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Saltwater and Plastic Antenna

A new antenna that uses saltwater and plastic has been developed by Lei Xing and her colleagues at the College of Electronic and Information Engineering at Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics in China

IEEE Spectrum reports researchers have developed an advanced liquid-based antenna system that relies on a readily available ingredient: saltwater.

The saltwater-based antenna that achieves 12 directional beam-steering states and one omnidirectional state. Its circular configuration allows for complete 360-degree beam-steering and works for frequencies between 334 to 488 MHz

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WOLFWAVE Firmware Upgrade

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The WOLFWAVE advanced audio processor already has bandpass filtering, noise reduction and age-related hearing correction. In a major upgrade, SOTABEAMS has added an effective Morse decoder that can decode signals from 1 to 100 words per minute.

In another new addition, professional musician Chris Rolinson, G7DDN, has composed a "startup" sound for WOLFWAVE, based on "WW" in Morse code. Chris' composition can be heard here: https://clyp.it/lw5qoigs

WOLFWAVE users can all benefit from the upgrades at the firmware page -http://www.wolfwave.co.uk/firmware

Yaesu Annouces FT-3DR 5W C4FM/FM 144/430MHz Dual Band Digital Transceiver

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Yaesu Annouces FT-3DR 5W C4FM/FM 144/430MHz Dual Band Digital Transceiver

The new FT3DR provides reliable 5W RF power output in compact design and light weight from factor – W2.44” x H3.94” x D1.28”/ 9.95oz (282g). Battery power-saving settings are available for each frequency band with TX output power level (5W/ 2.5W/ 1W/ 0.3W) individually selectable. Even in a compact body, the user can enjoy loud and clear C4FM voice quality from 700mW of audio power. Real Dual Band Operations (V+V, U+U, V+U, U+V) are available with two independent receivers, and the FT3DR supports simultaneous C4FM digital monitoring for both the A and B bands (C4FM/C4FM standby).

The new FT3DR is designed with a high-resolution 320 x 240 dot matrix full color TFT LCD display – which clearly highlights the frequency of the operational bands. Utilizing the Touch Sensitive Screen function of the display, three one- touch-panel keys at the bottom of the display are used for changing the mode, direct frequency entry and various setting from the function menu display with ease of use in mind. With its highly visible full color display, the new High-Resolution Band Scope function is available as one of the new advanced features which enables users to monitor up to 79 channels centered around the current VFO frequency in real time. Number of channels scanned is selectable from from19ch/ 39ch/ 79ch.

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