My Week in Radio
- I tried to get in with RF, but couldn’t make it, so on AllStar
- packet radio for Winlink and BBSes
- like my old modem BBS days
- phone + btech HT
- POTA, FT8 + CW
- learning value of chokes in the right places: computer interference from RF
- chasing CW POTA from home
- saw more FT8 this afternoon on 10M after a summer of quiet
- not ready to consider Winter Field Day and cold temps
Others
- KC3SCY, Luke:
- hamfests
- check out Kutztown Hamfest coming up
- 1929 hardware
- practicing with CW on vinyl
- W1RC, Mike:
- hamfest in the rain is good for deals
- Nearfest is coming up in MA
- W8CRW, CR:
- Mullica Hill Hamfest
- WA3VEE, Ron:
- acquired some rare Dimac gear, which preceded HP
- clearing out more stuff.
- breakfast coming up
- KC3RFG, Jim:
- antenna maintenance
- KB3ZIM, Bob:
- talked to W3GMS mobile a bit
- KB3ILS, Keith:
- Mullica Hill Hamfest in the rain
- planning for Winter Field Day
- got some parts for the parts box
- power supply boards with heatsinks
- some air variable capacitors
- AB3AP, Mike:
- looking forward to Winter Field Day
- traveling with army spouse: Orlando, Hawaii
- KC3SQI, Wayne:
- antenna mast work, but not much
- KC3OOK, Bill:
- net control for Simplex Net on Saturday and Welfare Net on Sunday
- got an HP spectrum analyzer from Ron
- tower work coming up at Joe’s
Questions
- KB3ILS, Keith:
- Comment: POTA is great practice for CW, and KD3EE sounds easier to send than KB3ILS.
- How do you clean up and make variable capacitors turn easily?
- WA3VEE, Ron:
- there’s an electronics-friendly lube from the same people who make deoxit
- oxidation may not have any effect on capacitance.
- KD3AIS, Tim:
- He has a new vehicle with blanks in the dash. Can he add switches to the dash to switch on the radio? Should he use a relay instead of plain switch? What’s the difference?
- KB3ZIM, Bob:
- some equipment demands more current than a switch (and wiring to it) will allow, so then you need a relay.
- avoid heating of the switch, too.
- W8CRW, CR:
- relay for higher-current hardware.
- maybe avoid connecting the radio to the vehicle power considering warranty.
- KC3OOK, Bill:
- check with Harvey
- KC3SQI, Wayne:
- consider using a dedicated battery
to avoid noise from the car electrical system
- also keeps it from draining the car battery
- consider using a dedicated battery
to avoid noise from the car electrical system
- KC3YSM, Steve:
- second the idea of a small dedicated battery
- WA3VEE, Ron:
- 4 radios in the van, and none of them are connected to vehicle power system.
- KC3NZT, Harvey:
- a relay is popular, because the connections on the back of a switch are often too small to handle the current without heat.
- use low current to control high current
- low current to the switch also makes it safe to pick anything handy as a ground, so you only need to run one wire.
- KC3YSM, Steve:
- Dabbling in HF, and feeling like he may no longer be getting out like he had been. How should he evaluate his antenna? He doesn’t have an antenna analyzer yet.
- Can we do an antenna day at the field day site?
- WA3VEE, Ron:
- excellent idea.
- remember it could be the bands.
- check solar weather
- come to the Thursday roundtable to discuss.
- dxmaps, dxheat, dxsummit
- hf propagation maps on google
- watch SWR on the 991.
- analyzers: rigexpert, mfj, bird, etc
- KD3EE, John:
- let’s play at the next breakfast.
- watch for solar storms
- check that colorful chart on QRZ