PY2SDR
Edson Pereira
Welcome
O conteúdo aqui apresentado está escrito no idioma inglês pelo motivo do mesmo ser o idioma dominante na literatura tecnológica dos tempos atuais. O pouco conhecimento que adquiri ao longo dos anos foi, em grande parte, lendo textos escritos em inglês por autores de diversos países ao redor do planeta — muitos deles cujos idiomas nativos não eram o inglês. Como retribuição a esses autores, apresentarei as informações sobre os meus experimentos e projetos no idioma inglês. Porém, o conteúdo desse site pode ser traduzido para o português, ou outros idiomas, usando a ferramenta de tradução Google Translate.
On this website, I share some of my amateur radio experiments, projects, and activities across RF electronics, antennas, SDR, weak-signal digital modes, microwave, and space communications. If you're new to amateur radio, I recommend starting with this introductory video.
By profession, I work in computer systems engineering and satellite systems engineering. My responsibilities span both technical implementation and project coordination. My academic background includes a Technician degree in Electronics, a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering Technology, and a Master of Science in Computer Systems Engineering.
Amateur Radio
Amateur radio is a multifaceted technical hobby and vital public service centered on self-training, intercommunication, and technical investigation. It operates on a strictly non-commercial basis—a fundamental principle codified by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
According to the ITU Radio Regulations (RR), amateur radio is defined as follows:
RR 1.56 (Amateur Service): A radiocommunication service for self-training, intercommunication, and technical investigations carried out by amateurs—duly authorized persons interested in radio technique solely with a personal aim and without pecuniary interest.
RR 1.57 (Amateur-Satellite Service): An extension of these same purposes to space stations on earth satellites, facilitating long-distance communication and technical experimentation.
I see amateur radio as a broad, interconnected set of activities, including:
Voice and Morse Communications
The foundational practice of amateur radio includes casual conversations and formal exchanges using traditional voice modes such as Single Sideband (SSB), Amplitude Modulation (AM), and Frequency Modulation (FM), modern digital voice, as well as telegraphy via Continuous Wave (CW) Morse code. These modes remain essential for both everyday operation and emergency readiness.
Contesting & Awards
This is the achievement-oriented side of amateur radio, bringing operators together worldwide to compete and collaborate in pursuit of awards. These include contact-based programs like DX Century Club (DXCC) and VHF/UHF Century Club (VUCC), location-based programs such as Summits on the Air (SOTA), Islands on the Air (IOTA), and Parks on the Air (POTA), as well as youth and community initiatives like Youngsters on the Air (YOTA) and Jamboree on the Air (JOTA).
Emergency Communications
Volunteer-based emergency communications in amateur radio provide resilient, independent backup networks during natural disasters, major emergencies, search and rescue operations, and public service events. Operators support civil authorities and relief organizations by maintaining situational awareness and passing critical information when commercial communication infrastructure is damaged, overloaded, or unavailable.
Scientific, Technical, and Experimental
The "maker" heart of amateur radio includes hands-on experimentation such as antenna design and modeling, RF and microwave electronics, software-defined radio (SDR) development, digital mode and signal-processing software, propagation measurement and analysis using modes such as WSPR and FST4W, High-Altitude Balloon (HAB) tracking and reception, and station automation and remote operation. Operators design, build, test, and refine new techniques and technologies.
Space Operations
Beyond-Earth communications in amateur radio include operating through amateur satellites, telemetry decoding and analysis, Earth–Moon–Earth (EME) contacts using the Moon as a passive reflector, and participation in the amateur radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program, which supports STEM education and outreach by enabling direct communication between students and astronauts aboard the International Space Station.
The above categories are rarely mutually exclusive, as many amateur radio activities naturally overlap. For example, a radio amateur might design and build a custom portable antenna as a technical experiment and deploy it during a Summits on the Air (SOTA) activation to evaluate its performance under real-world conditions. The same equipment might then be used during Field Day as a training exercise to practice operating from a temporary station under simulated emergency conditions, and later applied to support emergency or public service communications for a local community event. This demonstrates how experimentation, operating awards, training, emergency preparedness, and service often intersect in practice.
Background and Motivation
My interest in amateur radio began in my early teens and has remained with me ever since. I am fascinated by the physics of radio and by how invisible signals travel across space through the interplay of science and technology. Over the years, this pursuit has shaped both my personal interests and professional career, inspiring curiosity and a lasting passion for experimentation.
I view amateur radio primarily as a personal challenge. My main motivation is the continual expansion of my technical understanding. In this pursuit of knowledge, each project serves as a milestone in my technical development, and the reward is the satisfaction that comes with achieving a new level of technical mastery.
Beyond my personal journey, I have met many professionals who were first introduced to science and engineering through amateur radio. I strongly believe that amateur radio is a particularly efficient educational tool because it involves several disciplines, combining theory with hands-on experimentation in a way that powerfully sparks curiosity in younger generations. Amateur radio provides significant hands-on learning across STEM concepts such as physics, electronics, signal propagation, and data analysis, while building practical skills in problem-solving and critical thinking. Beyond technical knowledge, it fosters communication, teamwork, and leadership as operators collaborate during activities and events.
If you are interested in becoming an amateur radio operator in Brazil, the first step is to visit this Anatel site.
Before PY2SDR, I have held the callsigns PU2MWD, JF1AFN, 7N4NCL, N1VTN, and PU1JTE.
I can be contacted by email at: nospam@gmail.com (please replace nospam with my amateur radio callsign).
73, Edson PY2SDR