Andrew Fletcher

Hi and welcome to my web site. Here you can have a look at what I do in my spare time. Most of what you'll see is about radio, electronics and microprocessors. I don't claim to be an expert about radio and electronics as I have much to learn but you can probably trust what I say about microprocessors as I used to make them do various things as my job. I simply record here what I have done, even if it didn't quite work, in the hope that you will find it interesting and perhaps instructive. Nothing here is groundbreaking!

I like learning about RF electronics. RF means radio frequency and this kind of electronics is very different from other electronics as very often radio waves affect the circuit. This makes it more difficult and more fun. I've always, since I was a young teenager, been fascinated with radio. I still find it amazing that a very low power radio wave can be heard such a long way away. My best in this regard is 5 watts of voice signal reaching the mid-west of the USA with a dodgy aerial, but this not even close to the amazing records that have been made. That a radio signal with a power much lower than most light bulbs can be heard so far away is astonishing.

To be allowed to transmit radio waves at these distances you need a radio amateur licence. Also if you want to make simple radios that work the easy choice is to use morse code. This is easier in one sense in that the circuits are usually simpler than voice radio or data modes, but harder in that you have to learn morse code. So I have a full radio licence and I'm in various clubs: CPSARC, FISTS, G-QRP and RSGB which help me along the way.

The older pages on this web site are separate handcrafted HTML pages, newer pages are part of a WordPress blog. Older pages can be found via the 'More' menu above and newer posts are in my blog. I used to host this site at saltoun.uk and you may have been redirected here: please either search my blog, or use the 'More' menu above.

I also have some ancient pages about some friends of mine The Valves, but they have better and more up-to-date pages on the usual social media sites (search for 'The Mighty Valves'). There's nothing here about me or my family, you should look on social media or pick up the phone for that.

For radio amateurs: here are my my QSL details or you can see them at HamQth. TNX QSO HPE CU AGN ES GUD DX 73 DE MM0GYG. Or in plain speech: Thanks for the contact. Hope to see you again. Wish you good radio fun. Bye bye from Andy.