One Half the Peace Sign Salute to the ARRL CSI

 

Hermes Lite 2.0

Whether you like it or not, eventually you will be forced to have a CSI "stickered" appliance box in your shack. The Nerds from Newington likely will lobby the FCC to make CSI a regulation and law of the land. Time to dump your membership! This effort by the ARRL Lab will kill home grown radios and force you to dump anything other than CSI appliance boxes.

While that is the death knell for ugly construction and home-grown crystal filters there is much to be said for the Thetis Software and a reasonably priced commercial SDR transceiver. The Hermes Lite 2.0 costing about $500 in a finished form plus shipping coupled with the Thetis software is an eye-popping experience. I have one and the Thetis front end is superb. A microsecond with the Noise Reduction functionality will convince you.

With an outboard RF Sampler (about $100) you now have the Pure Signal Functionality of the Apache Labs radios. You can add a 100-watt amp and have something rivaling the ICOM and Yaesu SDR radios and still have some change in your pocket. I have a CCI AN762 amp and so I am there.

For us OT's, The HL2, Thetis and an Amp would be like having Bridget Bardot as a close friend... a really close friend with benefits.

Copilot explains...

Here’s a clean, high‑impact overview of the Hermes‑Lite 2.0 HF SDR transceiver, pulling together the most authoritative details from the latest sources. This gives you the essentials fast, then dives into the technical depth you appreciate.

⭐ Hermes‑Lite 2.0 — What It Is

The Hermes‑Lite 2.0 is a low‑cost, open‑hardware, open‑source HF SDR transceiver covering 130 kHz–30 MHz with 5 W output, built around the AD9866 modem chip and a Cyclone IV FPGA. It’s essentially a compact, Ethernet‑connected, ANAN‑style radio designed for experimenters and serious SDR operators.

📡 Core Technical Specs

• HF Coverage: 130 kHz → 30 MHz

• RF Output: 5 W QRP

• Architecture: Direct down/up‑conversion SDR

• Main ICs:

• AD9866 broadband modem

• Altera Cyclone IV FPGA (same family used in ANAN 7000)

• Interface: Gigabit Ethernet for low‑latency I/Q streaming

• Form Factor: Single‑board SDR (HL2+ variants add I/O features)

🧰 Operating Modes

• CW

• SSB

• AM

• FM

🔧 Advanced Capabilities

PureSignal / Adaptive Predistortion

• Full support for PureSignal, just like Apache Labs ANAN radios.

• Requires an RF sampler feeding back into the radio (typically via RF3).

• Thetis analyzes the sampled RF and applies real‑time linearization.

Upgradeable Gateware

• SparkSDR and other tools can load new FPGA gateware.

• Custom gateware required for HL2+ companion boards.

Open‑Source Everything

• Hardware, firmware, and software are fully open.

• Active community, group buys, and ongoing development.

🖥️ Compatible SDR Software

The Hermes‑Lite 2.0 speaks the OpenHPSDR protocol, so it works with:

• Thetis (most advanced UI + PureSignal control)

• PowerSDR

• SDR Console

• SparkSDR (also loads gateware)

• Quisk

• PiHPSDR

🧩 Optional Add‑Ons

Filter Board

• Required for proper TX harmonic suppression

• Includes RX high‑pass filter to reduce <2 MHz broadcast overload

I/O Board

• Relay control

• Antenna switching

• PA control

• Sampler input for PureSignal

Hermes‑Lite 2+ Companion Board

• Local mic jack

• Local headphone jack with sidetone

• Iambic keyer

• AH‑4 tuner interface

• Hardrock‑50 PA control

(From Makerfabs and community documentation.)

💡 Why Operators Love It

• ANAN‑like performance at a fraction of the cost

• Open‑source ecosystem encourages experimentation

• PureSignal support gives exceptionally clean transmit audio

• Gigabit Ethernet means low latency and high bandwidth

• Huge software flexibility across platforms

🧭 If you want, I can also help you with:

• A Hermes‑Lite 2.0 vs ANAN 7000/8000 comparison

• A step‑by‑step PureSignal setup for your HL2 + Thetis

• A POTA/SOTA‑optimized HL2 portable setup

• Choosing the right sampler, filter board, or PA

Just tell me where you want to go next.

To run the Pure Signal functionality, you must have the I/O Board installed (about $53) so order that too!

The RF Sampler (about $100) can be had from the Ukraine at this link.

You are stuck with CSI and so aside from flashing half the Peace Sign, you can get a radio that has Pure Signal functionality. The HL2 is a semi kit as you will have to install the boards in a case... but it is more like LEGOs and no soldering required.

I have had my HL2 for about 5 years and actually the bonus benefit is its use a piece of test equipment. Many a time I was able to evaluate a conventional home-grown rig to look at the spectrum and check for any spurs and best of all to see if I really was 30 Hertz low.

Them that know, Survive and I just flashed half the Peace Sign to the ARRL.

73's

Pete N6QW

Build, Test, Enjoy, Ignore the ARRL

Something for the notebook. In the course of things, displaying 1/2 the Peace Sign to the ARRL CSI.

Them that know, survive.

73's

Pete N6QW

Who is in Charge?

We live in the era of poor service. Count how many times a week where you have an expectation of service (and paying dearly for same) only to experience the short shrift. 

I want to share an example of such an event. Income Tax time and this year I had a good news bad news story. The good news no Federal Tax as I had made provisions for such but on the state income tax, I did owe a small amount to the State of California. My accountant filed my taxes electronically.

You have options for paying the State Tax and if you use a Credit Card there is a hefty fee. I chose to use a check (no fee) but did send the payment via the USPS Priority Mail so I would have tracking of the receipt. That fee was $12. 

It took eight days to travel from Newbury Park to Sacramento a distance of maybe 450 miles. If I had sent the tax return via Priority Mail on April 8, 2026, I would have been delinquent. In another instance a Priority Mail letter to Florida took over a week. Who is in charge?

We might ask the same question about the Iran war as it appears that certain actions taking place may have been influenced by a TV Host's comments or individuals leading a podcast. Who is in charge?

I am a fan of WWII action movies, and one obscure movie has a radio twist. That movie is the American Guerilla in the Philippines staring Tyrone Power. In the movie Power is an Ensign and an Officer on a PT Boat who has his boat literally shot out from in under him on December 8, 1941. He ends up in Cebu and gets pressed into service setting up a guerilla radio network. It was so cool to see the building of a radio transmitting station all from scrap parts. Luckily there was no ARRL rep standing around complaining about not having a clean signal. No question Power was in charge.

The real answer is we are in charge and we can accept or reject what is currently happening. Old what is his name needs to hear from us if we do not agree with his policies as that is the foundation of democracy. In a few short months we will also get a chance to clean offices of those who represent us who are not doing their job and giving us the short shrift. Time for us to be in charge and clean house.

Them that know, survive.

73's

Pete N6QW

More Breaking News about the ARRL CSI

Some have asked why the Brouhaha about the Clean Signal Initiative being touted by the ARRL. That is a genuine question that needs a full investigation. 

One current argument: this is no big deal as it only affects commercial equipment. What are you smoking as in time this opens the door to ALL equipment including kits and home-grown radios. 

There is no such thing as compartments and so it is a big deal. It also suggests that in the future the only compliance will be SDR based radios with pre-distortion algorithms. Read a significant incremental cost to appliance boxes driven not by the FCC but by the ARRL Laboratory.

The ARRL is a business, and businesses must survive to stay in business. This survival always causes a shift in the internal Mission Statement versus that which is the openly suggested Mission Statement.

From Copilot...

🎯 Official ARRL Mission Statement

“To advance the art, science, and enjoyment of Amateur Radio.”

This is the long‑standing, formally published mission statement used across ARRL sections and official documents.

🆕 Updated Mission Language (2024 Board Discussion)

ARRL leadership recently highlighted a refined version emphasizing youth and future growth:

“ARRL’s mission is to promote and protect the art, science, and enjoyment of amateur radio, and to develop the next generation of radio amateurs.”

This updated phrasing appears in ARRL Board communications and reflects strategic priorities but does not replace the classic mission statement in all official materials.

Now the problem is just how does one execute that; well, we certainly know the demonstration of emphasizing youth and future growth: From no license to no class Extra Class in 45 minutes. No technical expertise required which seems to violate the original Mission Statement about advancing the art and science of the hobby.

The ARRL is a business, and you have to make it viable and that comes from revenue generation. At the current dues rate, all you routinely get is a digital copy of QST, and that likely is a negative impact to the revenue stream. The primary source of revenue has to be the advertising base.

From the ARRL Executive Committee Meeting Minutes of November 5, 2025, the official membership is:

🟦 1. ARRL’s Official Public Figure

• “More than 160,000 members”

This is the number published on ARRL’s own website and membership pages. This is the figure ARRL uses for public-facing materials.

At 160,000 members the dues would be about $9.44M and at 130,240 members that number is $7.68M and that folks equate to about a 19% drop in membership revenue. Ouch... no wonder they are trying to give away licenses

If this is true, there is about a 30,000 member disconnect from the published to the internal executive committee report and at say dues of $59 a year that would suggest a $1.8M decline in revenue. The Far East Radio Manufacturers certainly must have their hair on fire as that also represent 19% less readers fondling the pages of QST in search of a radio they don't need. 

So, from a business perspective you have to sell more advertising to offset those who have dumped the ARRL. [That number will likely decline further in 2026 as more members dump the ARRL as $59 is a couple of days groceries.]

So how to generate the shortfall differential. Advertisers is the likely place. So, if the ARRL Lab creates a new transmit standard where all the Far East Manufacturers would have to participate... The one hand washes the other with the manufacturers paying more for the adverts BUT can charge more for the product so they can have the sticker. This also is a boon for the manufacturers who might not spend the R&D for CSI now have an excuse to charge more and actually do it. No matter how you slice it just like the Trump Tariffs... you pay for it.

Yes, this is a brain fart conspiracy theory but no different than a plan to invade Greenland and Cuba. It is just business and mathematics. You don't have to believe me but certainly what is theorized has a certain charm to it. It is all about a Lab Grade SDR in every ham shack as that must be the ARRL View with CSI.

 Them that know, survive.

73's

Pete N6QW

Prepper #2 ~ The Antenna

OK Preppers, The Most Critical Piece = The Antenna! Tattoo that on a significant part of your anatomy. Your radio no matter how expensive has to have a good antenna for maximum performance.

Think about it as you are trying to get on the air where ostensibly there is no power, the world is in turmoil, the regular antenna systems are on the ground, and the 5th Horseman of the Apocalypse is here. [The Four Horseman of the Apocalypse are from the Bible. The Fifth Horseman is suggested as the Orange Horse and represents a person simultaneously declaring Marshall Law and President for Life.]

But your very 1st problem is getting on the air and determining a "how bad is it" status. That act requires having an antenna in place. The very first question regarding an antenna should be who the contact matrix is. Local communications likely would have greater import over some inane (stupid) ARRL QSO or DX party. 

Some antennas like the NVIS (Near Vertical Incident Skywave) ones are quite good for local communications out to 200 to 400 miles. The Linear Loaded Dipole is another option. But structures to support dipoles simply are not there and a NVIS may be a problem. Whereas a Vertical Antenna mounted on a camera tripod with an elevated ground plane, opens the range up with low angle radiation. Simplicity, and ease of deployment by a single person rank high on the desirability list.

For the long-haul communications, an elevated Vertical delivers the low angle radiation. The antenna shown below is a folding manpack antenna 285 CM (9.35 Feet) and folds into sections no longer than 12 Inches.

About $45 at Bozos

My Vertical setup includes a tapped base loading coil that on one end mounts on short camera tripod and the whip connects to the other end of the coil. Three wires each 32 feet long connect to the ground side of the coax and form a counterpoise. A "T Match" antenna tuner at the radio perks up the system. BTW the interface to the Tripod was the Jeep Wrangler Bumper Mount I fabricated on my Milling Machine. It has the 3-24 Fitting built in.

Going back to the NVIS, there are telescoping masts that would offset the lack of vertical structures, but these can be expensive. See the 46' DX Engineering pole.

 DXE-TFK46-HD ($300)

There are of course many other possibilities such a loading a rain gutter. But as I explained to a brand-new Extra recently who couldn't load his rain gutter... It has to be a metal gutter not plastic. That is what happens when there is only 45 Minutes between no license and an Extra Class.

Them that know, survive.

73's

Pete N6QW

We Interrupt this program for Breaking News

The Original intent of today's post was to cover Prepper Antennas. You will see that in a couple of days.

The Breaking News is about your ARRL (I am not a member, and the following is more evidence of why not.). The Nerds of Newington have come up with a new bent straight from the bowels of the ARRL Lab. It is called the Clean Signal Initiative 

The thrust of this effort is for transmitters (likely require all) to have a "clean" signal output.  I put this effort in the realm of the SAVE Act. The object of that act is not a clean vote but to suppress the vote of the non-MAGA voters. C'mon Donald, all of us are not blind!

And so should you be not blind about the impact of the ARRL Proposal. 

Open your eyes, for any new built ham transmitter to be legally sold in the USA it must be type accepted by the FCC. Kits for now slip under the radar as do homebrew transceivers/transmitters and boat anchors from the past. So why is the ARRL Lab taking on the job of the FCC?

Even the ARRL got a dose of their own medicine when they reissued the Tuna Tin Two project as the original design did not meet today's spectral purity standards.

But the biggest impact is to your wallet! The Far East Radio manufacturers will jump on this like a horny blonde. Their radio offerings will see a sale price increase to comply with the ARRL CSI rating, and you pay for it. 

In truth these manufacturers likely will affix a sticker to the back of the radio stating CSI compliant and do nothing more and the price goes up by $100. Since all the Far East Radio Manufactures will do it, the relative price points do not change except an increase for all of us to bear just like The Trump Tariffs.

We previously mentioned the Apache Labs SDR Radio and they have already been addressing this with their pre-distortion approach. An Apache Labs radio median price = $4500

From Copilot

Apache Labs’ ANAN series is best known for one signature capability: PureSignal adaptive predistortion, a real‑time linearization system that dramatically cleans up your transmitted SSB signal by reducing IMD products by 20–40 dB. If you care about clean transmit audio, driving an external amp, or operating in crowded bands, Apache Labs radios are in a class of their own. Here’s a clear, structured breakdown of what they offer and why they matter.
📡 What “Predistortion” Means in Apache Labs Radios
PureSignal (developed by Warren Pratt, NR0V) is an adaptive predistortion system built into the OpenHPSDR/Thetis ecosystem.
🔍 What it does

• Samples your actual RF output via a sampler or coupler

• Measures distortion products (IMD)

• Applies an inverse polynomial correction in real time

• Produces an extremely linear transmit signal

🧭 Why it matters

• Cleaner SSB, AM, and digital modes

• Dramatically reduced splatter on adjacent frequencies

• Ideal for driving solid‑state amps, which are more IMD‑sensitive

• Makes your signal look “lab‑grade” on panadapters

This is why Apache Labs radios are beloved by operators who care about signal purity, especially in competitive or crowded HF environments.
🏆 Apache Labs Models That Support PureSignal Predistortion
Below are the major models known for PureSignal capability, with notes from the search results.
ANAN‑10E

• Proven PureSignal performer

• Frequently used in demonstrations of predistortion effectiveness

• Example setup: ANAN‑10E + HF Packer Amp + Ameritron AL‑811 using PureSignal sampling

ANAN‑G1 (100W HF/6m SDR)

• Modern successor platform

• 16‑bit ADC, 100+ dB dynamic range

• Thetis‑compatible

• Designed for high‑performance TX/RX with PureSignal support

• Pre‑order model from Apache Labs

ANAN‑G2 / G2‑1K (800–1500W HF/6m SDR)

• Next‑generation architecture with massive FPGA horsepower

• Designed for extreme linearity and high‑power operation

• Ideal for PureSignal with built‑in sampling ports on some amps

• Pre‑order deposit model from ML&S

🧪 How PureSignal Works in Real Stations
A real‑world example from WA6NUT shows:

• ANAN‑10E running PureSignal

• Output sampled via directional coupler

• Amplified chain (HF Packer → AL‑811)

• Before/after panadapter images show dramatic IMD reduction

This is exactly why Apache Labs radios are favored by operators who run external amplifiers—PureSignal keeps the entire chain clean.
🧰 Why Apache Labs + PureSignal Is UniqueApache Labs radios are essentially lab‑grade SDRs with amateur‑radio‑friendly interfaces.

Apache Labs radios reward operators who appreciate:

• Clean transmit audio

• High dynamic range

• Open‑architecture SDR

• Ability to integrate external amps cleanly

• Experimentation with DSP and waveform shaping

Apache Labs has set the standard and now the ARRL wants it to be the standard for all radios. There will be the scope creep, and kits and home grown in time will be affected. Once MAGA fades, hams with Red Hats will join the ranks of the SDR Police to simply carry out the ARRL CSI mandate.

Remember it was the ARRL who instigated the incentive licensing initiative, today's current no class Extra Class and now CSI.  CSI will hit your wallet big time. 

The CSI rating will likely impact home grown rigs and then the ARRL's unstated goal of 100% operating and contests will be achieved. The ARRL argument boils down to a Lab Grade SDR in every ham shack.

Them that know, survive.

73's
Pete N6QW

Prepper #1 ~ Powering your Prepper 20W SSB Transceiver

So, you have in hand the Prepper 20 Watt SSB/CW transceiver and 12V, 10 Amp LiPo battery. Now you need a charging system for the battery. I turned to Copilot and specified a location and typical operation.

When sizing a charging system you have to know stuff. So, before you simply rush in and flash the plastic first flash the brain. Things you have to know include the load (20 Watts PEP with a 50% duty cycle), how much you will operate on a daily basis (1 hour per day) and your location. 

The location is a key factor like Yuma; AZ has 4000 hours of sunlight a year which is more than 10 hours a day every day. Port Townsend in WA, I swore had 4000 hours of rain a year. Location also plays a part in the tilt angle that you set the panels to garner the most energy generation. Solar panels are terribly inefficient like maybe 20% so every bit counts. Panel direction is also paramount. Find your old Cub Scout Compass and face the panels SOUTH.

In a apocalyptic scenario operating times may be limited but you also want the system sized so you get more than 15 minutes per day. You also must figure in the charging of phones and laptops.

Realistically I invoked the Chu Lai standard: MRE's, no lights at night and warm beer. Thus a 10 Amp battery was OK. You might think about building a crystal set as no power is required and you can run that 24/7 without batteries.

In my system I have included a small inverter to intermittently power devices that need 115V AC but no more than 70 watts. The inverter is good for 150 watts and has a single outlet and a USB charging port... get an adapter for USB B to USB C.

The answer was astonishing and the price was less than $50.

Solar Powered Charging System

🌄 Best Specific Model for POTA/SOTA

Topsolar 30W 12V/24V Monocrystalline Solar Panel Kit

Why this is the right choice for portable ham ops:

🏕️ Field‑Ready for POTA/SOTA

• 30W panel is the ideal size for backpack/portable ops — enough to recharge your 12 V 10 Ah LiPo after a day of SSB activity without being bulky.

• Lightweight and compact, easy to strap to a pack or deploy on a summit.

• Weather‑resistant for coastal or mountain environments.

🔋 Perfect Match for Your Load

Your 20 W SSB radio uses:

• 4A peak, 50% duty, 1 hour/day → 2Ah/day (≈24Wh/day)

A 30W panel in SoCal coastal sun produces:

Even derated, that’s 5–6× your daily consumption, giving:

• Fast battery recovery

• Margin for fog, shade, or short winter days

• Ability to operate longer if needed

⚡ Controller Included

• Comes with a charge controller suitable for 12 V LiFePO₄/LiPo systems.

• Protects your pack from overcharge and keeps things simple in the field.

🧰 Practical Advantages

• Works great with Powerpole adapters or ring terminals.

• Easy to mount on a tripod, lean against a rock, or lash to a pack.

• Affordable and widely used by portable operators.

10 Amp Battery and Inverter

For my location I point it South and set the tilt angle to 35 Degrees.

My actual radio is a KX3 @ 15 watts so the system will be loafing along. 

This brings up another key point and that is the radio power output level. The siren's song is the $250 Xiegu or a Usdx. That is like the blonde with fake boobs. Nice looking but still not full bodied. The minimum power is 15 watts with 20 watts a better choice. Likely in the apocalyptic scenario the hex beam didn't survive the negative peak air overpressure, and you have a wire in a stump. You will need a bit more than 5 watts to be heard with a wimp of an antenna.

Them that know... survive.

73's

Pete N6QW