Schaumburg Amateur Radio Club Board Meeting August 5, 2026
August Minutes click on above link
Category: RHG
Radio Hill Gazette, the club’s monthly newsletter
Digital-Mode WSJT-X 3.0 vs. DECODIUM 4.0 “Shannon”
A Practical Digital-Mode Comparison Here is a useful digital-mode experiment for SARC members. WSJT-X 3.0.2 and DECODIUM 4.0 “Shannon” can both place weak-signal activity on your screen, but they approach the operating experience differently. WSJT-X remains the official reference program for FT8 and many related weak-signal modes. DECODIUM builds on that software lineage while adding … Continue reading "Digital-Mode WSJT-X 3.0 vs. DECODIUM 4.0 “Shannon”"
Building a Flexible SDR Ettus USRP B206
SDR Radio with the Ettus USRP B206 mini-i Compact Power for Wireless Innovation Here is a useful experimentation idea for SARC members: build a flexible software-defined radio bench around the Ettus USRP B206mini-i. Instead of buying a radio designed around one mode, this compact platform lets software define much of the receiver, transmitter, measurement, and … Continue reading "Building a Flexible SDR Ettus USRP B206"
ESP32 Lightning Detector and Home Assistant
Taking the ESP32 Lightning Detector to the Next Level Adding Home Assistant and Alexa announcements Here is a useful next step for SARC builders. The ESP32 and AS3935 lightning detector can already monitor nearby lightning activity, sound a buzzer, and show information on its local display. The updated project adds a brief Wi-Fi connection, MQTT … Continue reading "ESP32 Lightning Detector and Home Assistant"
Zenith & Amateur Radio History
Zenith, Mount Prospect, and Bill Shillington, W9ZCL Here is a local radio story worth exploring. Zenith began with two Chicago wireless enthusiasts and an amateur call sign. A few years later, its WJAZ broadcast station placed two landmark towers in Mount Prospect. Decades after that, Mount Prospect amateur operator Bill Shillington, W9ZCL, showed how radio … Continue reading "Zenith & Amateur Radio History"