Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Turn your Android phone into a modern ham radio transceiver

kv4p.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

51–60 of 196 posts

Re: Turn your Android phone into a modern ham radio transceiver

#51

Post by grendelt »

RobCodeSlayer wrote: post #3

This would be amazing for backcountry communication - e.g when backpacking with a large group. Is there any way to enable this for iOS?

> This would be amazing for backcountry communication

At 1W, you'd be better served with little FRS/GMRS radios. Better still, for less than the cost of building this yourself, you can buy ready-made a Baofeng UV-5R for under $20. The antenna is a little crummy, but you can buy that and _still_ be under the $30 build price. Further, the Baofeng isn't supporting a whole operating system so the battery will last much longer. I wouldn't want my "always-on" phone draining its battery until I need to transmit to someone. 1W is only going to be useful to hit repeaters in an urban environment - but because it's 2m (and not 70cm), it's even less likely to be all that useful beyond a neat/fun build.

Re: Turn your Android phone into a modern ham radio transceiver

#52

Post by grendelt »

lormayna wrote: post #4

I always ask myself why no any cellphone producer is making a phone with 2m/70cm capabilities.

I used to ask the same thing back when car stereos were all the rage --- I wondered why I couldn't get shortwave or SSB or Air/VHF reception and the answer lies in use-case. Yeah, you and I might eat up this super niche product, but the market on the whole would not. Just look at what electric car makers are doing with AM radio. They're saying "screw RFI problems, we'll not filter those and just remove AM reception from the car radio because who needs that?" The answer is a larger slice of the population than would want other radio services. Even Apple never enabled the FM receiver feature on their chips from Qualcomm. It's all about the time spend designing it, ensuring it doesn't cause issues with must-have features, is intuitive to access/use, _and_ aligns with buyer demands.

With ham radio making up less than 1% of most countries' populations, the need just isn't there. (Most folks you talk to are doing good just to even be aware of ham radio, let alone actually be a ham.)

Re: Turn your Android phone into a modern ham radio transceiver

#53

Post by sidewndr46 »

DoctorOetker wrote: post #50
threemux wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the US, there certainly is. The rule doesn't mention encryption specifically, it just prohibits "encoding for the purpose of obscuring meaning". The intent is what matters not the method.

would oblivious transfer qualify as OK? if the sender provably doesn't know what's transmitted, will the law rule it a form of obscuring meaning?

You're thinking criminal court standards, like beyond a reasonable doubt for a conviction.

It's a procedural thing. The FCC will tell you did it & tell you the penalties. Your options are zero.

Re: Turn your Android phone into a modern ham radio transceiver

#54

Post by sidewndr46 »

agiacalone wrote: post #34
tzs wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Note that various ham bands have limitations on what types of emissions are allowed. For example some only allow RTTY and data, so no phone or image. And some allow phone or image but no data. Even if the type of information is allowed there might be technical restrictions prohibiting some forms of modulation. So before using something that was designed depending on some non-ham part of the regulations for its legali…

Also, the ham bands as a whole cannot be used for profit-motives or any financial gain. People often forget this rule. Not to mention the (kind of absurd, IMO) rule against any form of encryption.

Encryption is permitted for remote control of space borne systems.

Repeaters may use any method to limit access and control to authorized users.

Re: Turn your Android phone into a modern ham radio transceiver

#55

Post by agiacalone »

sidewndr46 wrote: post #53
DoctorOetker wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

would oblivious transfer qualify as OK? if the sender provably doesn't know what's transmitted, will the law rule it a form of obscuring meaning?

You're thinking criminal court standards, like beyond a reasonable doubt for a conviction. It's a procedural thing. The FCC will tell you did it & tell you the penalties. Your options are zero.

Yes, the FCC would (theoretically) just revoke your license to prevent you from doing it again if they so wanted.

Re: Turn your Android phone into a modern ham radio transceiver

#56

Post by agiacalone »

sidewndr46 wrote: post #54
agiacalone wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also, the ham bands as a whole cannot be used for profit-motives or any financial gain. People often forget this rule. Not to mention the (kind of absurd, IMO) rule against any form of encryption.

Encryption is permitted for remote control of space borne systems. Repeaters may use any method to limit access and control to authorized users.

I forgot about that one use case. But it's not allowed for most practical purposes in the U.S. at least.

Re: Turn your Android phone into a modern ham radio transceiver

#57

Post by userbinator »

threemux wrote: post #42
userbinator wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

However, I don't believe there's a rule against steganography.

In the US, there certainly is. The rule doesn't mention encryption specifically, it just prohibits "encoding for the purpose of obscuring meaning". The intent is what matters not the method.

Do they also prohibit sarcasm?

Re: Turn your Android phone into a modern ham radio transceiver

#58

Post by agiacalone »

kanbankaren wrote: post #39
agiacalone wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have one too, and it gives off tons of spurious emissions (RF interference). I pretty much only use it for experimentation and receive.

Did you actually see the spurious emissions on a spectrum analyser? The old Baofengs had that problem, not Quansheng which are actually clean and the harmonics are within FCC specs.

I admit that I have not. But I have used it near other equipment and it causes interference. My Kenwood HT does not.

Re: Turn your Android phone into a modern ham radio transceiver

#59

Post by capitainenemo »

cactacea wrote: post #20
capitainenemo wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wonder how good the range would be. I was thinking that even if I didn't have the appropriate license, having something like this in a pocket on my backpack would at least give me one more signaling option in an emergency. I could deal with the fines later.

Generally speaking, line of sight. Assuming you're in the US, the FCC wouldn't come after you for using this in an emergency situation unless you were being absolutely egregious about stomping on other emergency comms, even then I seriously doubt you'd see a fine. Having said that you're basically going to need enough knowledge to pass the test to make use of this anyway. Why not just take the test and be legal?

Don't you have to register with your personal address in a public database?

Re: Turn your Android phone into a modern ham radio transceiver

#60

Post by grakker »

RenThraysk wrote: post #12
lormayna wrote: post #4

I always ask myself why no any cellphone producer is making a phone with 2m/70cm capabilities.

Sim card radios exist. eg https://www.wouxun.com/radios/two_way_radio_kg-v98.aspx

That is kind of cool. I did not know such a thing existed.
Post reply on HN