Projects

Summary of hands-on STEM Radio Communication Labs developed as part of the college grant funded program.

Hands-on study of the radio spectrum and communication modes with RTL-SDR (V4) USB Receiver.

Objectives:

Learn the theory of operation of a modern radio receiver that uses I/Q signals.
Learn the procedure to set up a portable receiving antenna with RTL-SDR USB Receiver connected to a PC running cross-platform SDR++ software.
Study of the radio spectrum bands from 500 kHz to 1.7 GHz with special focus on amateur radio bands.
Learn to identify modulation methods and types of signals by observing frequency spectrum waterfall displays.
Listen to and identify a variety of amateur radio analog and digital communication modes and modulation methods.

Practice and procedures for setting up and using a dual band Handheld Transceiver (Yaesu FT-65R and BTECH UV-5X3).

Objectives:

Learn the theory of operation of a modern amateur band radio transceiver.
Learn to set up the HT for simplex and duplex communication in manual mode as well as memory mode.
Learn to set up the HT for repeater-based communication.
Practice proper procedures for amateur radio communication using a pair of HTs.
Learn to program the HT by using web-based and PC software applications such as Repeater-Book and CHIRP.

Design, Analysis and Evaluation of VHF/UHF quarter wave vertical antenna with Nano-VNA.

Objectives:

Learn the basic antenna theory and more specific details of quarter wave vertical antennas.
Learn to configure Nano-VNA for stand-alone use as well as with PC software such as Nano-VNA-Saver.
Build a 70cm quarter wave vertical antenna for use with the HT as a rubber duck replacement antenna for base station use.
Measure the coaxial cable and antenna properties (tuned frequency, impedance, SWR, etc.) with the help of Nano-VNA.
Test and tune SWR and frequency of a quarter wave vertical antenna with the help of Nano-VNA.

Design, Construction and Evaluation of microcontroller-based DDS-VFO kit.

(Based on March 2016 QST Cover Plaque award winning article “A Modular 40 Meter CW Transceiver with VFO” by Dr Jack Purdum, W8TEE, Farrukh Zia, K2ZIA and Dennis Kidder, W6DQ)

Objectives:

Learn the theory of operation of Direct Digital Synthesizer (DDS) oscillator circuit.
Learn the theory of operation of a Variable Frequency Oscillator (VFO) circuit.
Build, test and troubleshoot a microcontroller-based DDS VFO circuit kit.
Measure and evaluate the DDS VFO output with an oscilloscope.
Learn to use the DDS VFO in amateur radio receiver and transceiver circuits.

Design, Construction and Evaluation of a DDS-VFO based 40m CW Transceiver.

(Based on March 2016 QST Cover Plaque award winning article “A Modular 40 Meter CW Transceiver with VFO” by Dr Jack Purdum, W8TEE, Farrukh Zia, K2ZIA and Dennis Kidder, W6DQ)

Objectives:

Learn the theory of operation of a Direct Conversion Receiver circuit.
Learn the theory of operation of a DDS VFO controlled CW Transceiver circuit.
Build, test and troubleshoot a microcontroller-based CW Transceiver kit.
Measure and evaluate the CW Transceiver performance with an oscilloscope.
Learn to use the CW Transceiver in QRP radio communication.

6. City Tech Emerging Scholars Program (ESP) Research Project

JiaWei Zhen (KE2GBA) and Nyran Singh (Electrical Engineering Technology)

Title: Implementation of Automatic Position Reporting System (APRS) in support of Emergency Radio Communication.

Description: This research project focuses on designing and deploying an Automatic Position Reporting System (APRS) to enhance emergency radio communication during disasters and crisis situations. APRS is a digital communication protocol used by amateur radio operators to transmit real-time information such as geographic position, short messages, weather data, and telemetry over radio frequencies.

The project aims to develop a reliable, low-cost APRS-based network that can operate independently of cellular and internet infrastructure, ensuring continuous communication when conventional systems fail. By integrating GPS modules, radio transceivers, and APRS software, the system enables emergency responders and volunteers to track personnel, vehicles, and resources in real time.

Background Information: