Maverick-603 from RadioStack is an affordable FT8 receiver board containing an RF receiver chip designed using fully open source tools and fabrication and capable of acquiring FT8 signals between 7 MHz and 70 MHz. The Maverick-603 chip shows that open source chip design is matching and surpassing the capabilities of its closed source counterparts. This project is designed to gather interest and support for continued development in both open-source chip design and amateur radio.
FT8 is an amateur radio digital-mode protocol that can be decoded at low signal strengths and has an extremely long range. Maverick-603 is a one-of-a-kind product with endless opportunities to expand amateur radio capabilities. While FT8 can often be a technically difficult concept to grasp, the Maverick-603 is designed to lower the barrier to entry for a whole new wave of Ham operators. Many products with FT8 capabilities are shielded from users because they require prerequisite knowledge of advanced concepts.
Key Features and Specifications
- MCU: ATMEGA1608
- Power Supply: 3.3 V / 10 mA
- Operating Frequency Range: 1 to 100 MHz
- Minimum Signal Strength: -25 dBm
- Input Antenna Impedance: 50 Ohm
- Data Interface: SPI
- Board Size: 2" x 1.75"
- 1.8 Volts, low powered - does not required battery or outlets
- 7 - 70 MHZ frequency range
- USB Connection
- A compact surface area
- Capable of receiving FT8
