Build A HamCom Data SlicerBuild A HamComm Data Slicer

Until recently many of the ham radio operating modes required specialis equipment that most often had to by build and was exclusive to the task. Enter th Personal Computer. The PC made life a little easier for the ham as it was now able to tak over some of the jobs that bespoke hardware did. But it still wasn't quite there yet. Th task of the PC was mainly to be a 'front end' to a now multi capable bespoke box.

A while went by then some clever bloke worked out how to cut down the cos and complexity of the bespoke hardware and do the whole job in software with a ver simple, multi purpose hardware interface. The hamcomm interface was born! So calle because it was designed to accompany a software package called hamcomm.

Its a very easy interface to build an requires only a few £/$ worth of components. To build it of the self at < href="http://www.radioshack.com">Radio Shack would cost under $5 here in the US.

A you can see by the picture on the right, there's not much to it. To be honest, the pictur is misleading. This hamcomm interface has an added 'extra' facility. The original hamcom interface was RX (receive) only. This one has a TX (transmit) bit added on so that th user can send  also.

I built the one on the right a few years ago and took its picture using the SST equipment that I was building it for.hamcomm.jpg (43245 bytes) 

So what can you do with it? Pretty muc anything really. Its most commonly used for the reception of data modes like RTTY an AmTOR but can be found on simple Fax systems and of course SSTV systems. I have even see it used to decode 1200bd packet radio. Its limited only by the software that is used t run it.

Connecting it couldn't be easier. Click here t see how. Enhancements to the basic circuit can be found here.

I'm not going to bother with links etc for this device. There's a load o software and information available on the net. To look for some click < href="http://home.att.net/~k7szl/">here or < href="http://www.google.com/search?q=hamcom+software">here.

© & ® Mark A Phillips, G7LTT 1997/8/9/2000
Sunday February 13, 2000 16:28 -0000

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