Ham Radio Random Thoughts

[NQ6U]

Like the other Random Thoughts thread, only for ham radio-related things that don't warrant a thread of their own.

[NQ6U]

I'll get it started:

Looked up my call sign on PSK Reporter (http://pskreporter.info/pskmap.html) and noticed that I'd picked up three stations in South Africa on 10m over the last 24 hours. Since my antenna, a Moxon beam with a pretty high F/B ratio, is pointed towards Asia right now, I have to assume that reception was long path. Pretty long haul for 10m.

[KG4NEL]

An 1890s-era home's electrical system sucks for contesting. Who gnu.

Will have to figure something else out for ARRL Ten Meters.

[VE7DCW]

I'm wondering when I can arrange to get a re-cap kit for my Yaesu FT 101ZD power supply to get it back into operation..... I miss the damn thing.... I really do :yes:

[WØTKX]

If I sell radio x,y,z, will x+y+z=Flex 6300?

Or will I need to add radio "w"?

:chin:

[K7SGJ]

If I sell radio x,y,z, will x+y+z=Flex 6300?

Or will I need to add radio "w"?

:chin:

If you do get a 6300, are you still keeping the other flex, too?

[N8YX]

I'm wondering when I can arrange to get a re-cap kit for my Yaesu FT 101ZD power supply to get it back into operation..... I miss the damn thing.... I really do :yes:
I probably have most of what you need in my junk box.

[N8YX]

I spent the last week ripping the Cubics out of line and putting the Paragon IIs, Omni V and Omni VI in their place.

Now, to rebuild the several R7000 receivers sitting above them.

[KG4CGC]

If I sell radio x,y,z, will x+y+z=Flex 6300?

Or will I need to add radio "w"?

:chin:

V(x,p) = v(x)w(p)
then
Δ λ/ λ = v/c

[XE1/N5AL]

V(x,p) = v(x)w(p)
then
Δ λ/ λ = v/c
Kahneman, Tversky and Doppler were all acting in kahoots?
As V(x,p), the Kahneman-Tversky subjective value of a reward (i.e., the Flex 6300) increases; the more it (Doppler) shifts away from our grasp (Δ λ/ λ)?

[XE1/N5AL]

double post.

[KG4NEL]

I spent the last week ripping the Cubics out of line and putting the Paragon IIs, Omni V and Omni VI in their place.

Now, to rebuild the several R7000 receivers sitting above them.

I barely know what to do with two radios...on entirely different bands :twisted:

[NQ6U]

If I sell radio x,y,z, will x+y+z=Flex 6300?

Or will I need to add radio "w"?

:chin:

Whenever I try to figure that sort of thing out, I typically end up with something more like this:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/math/7/5/0/75038c7606574331ab8f06be8e78f9df.png

[KG4NEL]

The answer is D.

[KG4NEL]

Not coincidentally, also the grade I got in that class.

[KG4CGC]

Whenever I try to figure that sort of thing out, I typically end up with something more like this:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/math/7/5/0/75038c7606574331ab8f06be8e78f9df.png

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c79/bebop5/binets-fibonacci-formula.gif

[KG4CGC]

Fnet = ( Msat • v2 ) / R
Fgrav = ( G • Msat • MCentral ) / R2
(Msat • v2) / R = (G • Msat • MCentral ) / R2
v2 = (G • MCentral ) / R
http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/circles/u6l4b5.gif

[XE1/N5AL]

42

[WØTKX]

The dimension of time is important. Waiting a bit longer for the new SmartSDR software to mature before getting the 6300 is a good idea. I waited on the Flex 3000. And it's a great rig. The RX weak signal tricks still astound me at times.

I might entertain the idea of an Elecraft or Ten Tec rig, but I really like the way Flex Radio has treated me. Right up there with Ten Tec service. They're fun to do business with, and genuinely give a crap.

And there are older Ten Tecs to rescue. Maybe.

[N8YX]

An Electraft P3 mated to my Paragon IIs might make for an interesting setup. :chin:

[KK4AMI]

I went through all the trouble to put a mobile HF rig in my truck, but now that I'm retired I don't drive my truck enough to make use of the radio!

[kb2vxa]

I had to check your callsign twice, I thought it was VK2TV.

[KG4NEL]

I might entertain the idea of an Elecraft or Ten Tec rig, but I really like the way Flex Radio has treated me. Right up there with Ten Tec service. They're fun to do business with, and genuinely give a crap.

And there are older Ten Tecs to rescue. Maybe.

The Orion II was put to sleep too early - a version of that with an OLED display would have been fun to see.

[K7SGJ]

I went through all the trouble to put a mobile HF rig in my truck, but now that I'm retired I don't drive my truck enough to make use of the radio!


Get a job. :stirpot:

[NQ6U]

10m has been hot lately. Check out PSK Reporter (http://pskreporter.info/pskmap.html?preset&callsign=kj6bso&txrx=rx&timerange=86400).

[VE7DCW]

Get a job. :stirpot:

I just noticed your column signature Eddie ........ "La Rata Del Desierto" as close to the Rat Patrol as one can possibly get! :rock:

[koØm]

Amateur Radio can be hard work........if you take it seriously; this is about logging and QSL cards.

I wasn't into all that, unable to exercise my talents after moving into an apartment, I was an amateur in interest only, I didn't get on the air; I put other people on the air but, I wasn't into "Radio". Before that, back in the CB Daze when postage was cheap, I QSL'ed 100%.

Recently, I took a liking to radio again and, I was out there a lot so, I opened up a LOTW and Eqsl account but, I was kinda lackadaisical about uploading the info, I did it sporadically to one then the other but neither logging system was complete because I wiped out the files before I uploaded them to both places. I took a real look at just how many contacts were sitting there waiting for confirmation, but, I could not submit the files because they were gone. And, I didn't have any "Q-Cards".

I hopped onto Photoshop and threw together a card.

The JT65 / JT9 program kept a text log of all the contacts, I printed them out, four pages worth of contacts......here's where the hard work came in. I made a commitment not to operate the radio until I had entered all of those contacts into .aift format for uploading to LOTW. It took a minimum of 4 hours between yesterday and this morning (and that doesn't include interruptions) to input the data into the forms and upload the logs. Then, I had to fight with my MacBook because Apple decided to make the /Library folder a hidden item; I could not find the WSJT-1 folder to retrieve the log files from there.

One cannot brag about the contacts if they are not in the book.

.

[W5BRM]

If you like logging programs and dont mind a bit of complexity, i use dxkeeper and that uploads to lotw and eqsl. The eqsl is automatically uploaded and the lotw, all u need to do is enter your password and it does the rest. No manual tinkering or logging into different log sites. It also uploads to clublog.org as well. I think the only program u need besides wsjt-x is jt-alert. Thats the program that automatically interfaces dxk and wsjt. Once u get it set up properly, you dont have to log anything manually at all. The dxkeeper automatically fills in all the fields including name address etc if its connected to the internet. Its an impressive bit of workmanship.

Its a bit complicarted but theres a yahoo group the developer actively keeps up on. As a point of interest, he is also a dev for lotw so the 2 programs are almost made for each other.

[koØm]

If you like logging programs and dont mind a bit of complexity, i use dxkeeper and that uploads to lotw and eqsl. The eqsl is automatically uploaded and the lotw, all u need to do is enter your password and it does the rest. No manual tinkering or logging into different log sites. It also uploads to clublog.org as well. I think the only program u need besides wsjt-x is jt-alert. Thats the program that automatically interfaces dxk and wsjt. Once u get it set up properly, you dont have to log anything manually at all. The dxkeeper automatically fills in all the fields including name address etc if its connected to the internet. Its an impressive bit of workmanship.

Its a bit complicarted but theres a yahoo group the developer actively keeps up on. As a point of interest, he is also a dev for lotw so the 2 programs are almost made for each other.

As they used to say an 'America Online', "You've got mail!"

Yeah, that manual thing was just a test of integrity and courtesy to those who logged and QSL'ed me. I looking into some programs but until then, I will upload daily or so if possible.

.

[NQ6U]

10m was wide open to Europe from the west coast this morning. Not only did I work four new countries (Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands and England), I was actually on the receiving end of a small pile-up—something us Six-Landers are not accustomed to.

[KJ3N]

.... I was actually on the receiving end of a small pile-up—something us Six-Landers are not accustomed to.

http://mustbethistalltoride.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/inconceivable.jpg

[NQ6U]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2y8Sx4B2Sk

[kb2vxa]

"As they used to say an 'America Online', "You've got mail!"
As they used to say on Assholes On Line... there, that looks better.
Mine says "You've got mail fat ass!" It's a .313 ham computer alright, curses at me, belches, farts, screams, and at the end goes through a whole Star Trek routine firing a phaser at itself and explodes. At least when I turn it on it gives fair warning.

I too was under a few dog piles and thought it was rather strange, like what's so special about New Jersey? It certainly isn't Route 22!

[NQ6U]

I've rejoined the ranks of the gainfully unemployed. Not a really great job—local driving—but there aren't a whole lot of great jobs out there for the likes of me so I'm happy to take what I can get. With the grandkids here, money has been really tight with only the XYL's income. Things will be a lot more relaxed now that we're not wondering which bills we can pay this month and which ones can wait.

Most importantly, however, I'll finally be able to get some of my metal back up in the air and be able to operate on more than just 10m.

[K7SGJ]

I've rejoined the ranks of the gainfully unemployed. Not a really great job—local driving—but there aren't a whole lot of great jobs out there for the likes of me so I'm happy to take what I can get. With the grandkids here, money has been really tight with only the XYL's income. Things will be a lot more relaxed now that we're not wondering which bills we can pay this month and which ones can wait.

Most importantly, however, I'll finally be able to get some of my metal back up in the air and be able to operate on more than just 10m.

Good for you, Carl. I hope it helps take some of the pressure off.

[W7XF]

I've rejoined the ranks of the gainfully unemployed. Not a really great job—local driving—but there aren't a whole lot of great jobs out there for the likes of me so I'm happy to take what I can get. With the grandkids here, money has been really tight with only the XYL's income. Things will be a lot more relaxed now that we're not wondering which bills we can pay this month and which ones can wait.

Most importantly, however, I'll finally be able to get some of my metal back up in the air and be able to operate on more than just 10m.

So, the streets of San Diego are no longer safe....:pray:

[NQ6U]

So, the streets of San Diego are no longer safe....:pray:

Nor are the airwaves of the world.

[KG4CGC]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaUeG1H74xA

[NQ6U]

The streets of San Francisco are a truck driver's nightmare. The only place I ever drove an 18-wheeler that was worse was Manhattan. Talk about pucker power.

[kb2vxa]

That's why the best delivery time is around 3:00am when the streets are deserted. You can actually drive the 35mph limit on the avenues. If you start at a red light and hold a steady 35 all the lights turn green in front of you. The city never sleeps but it does take a nap every night. At least it's flat so you don't have those hills to contend with... EEK!

[KG4NEL]

35mph speed limits were invented by people who never drove 5-speeds...

[koØm]

35mph speed limits were invented by people who never drove 5-speeds...

Laws were invented because people have too much imagination and, not enough self-control.

.

[kb2vxa]

Laws were invented to take away your money.

[KF4ZGZ]

A bit of randomness.
I used to be an ARRL member and very active in ARES until the ARRL sold out ham radio to the gov't.
Remember BPL? ( Broadband Over Powerlines ).
This had the backing of EVERY major power and internet provider, but the ARRL stopped it.
Ever wonder how?
Selling out the emergency ham radio operator to FEMA.
The ARRL fought for years and years to keep ham radio autonomous , now you can't do anything without the FEMA certs.
And this all started with in a couple of months of the BPL plans going away.

There is no other way the ARRL could have stopped the billion dollar power or billion dollar internet industry.
BPL would have revolutionized the www and made it available to 99.9% of the US with only adding an end user interface .... the wire network has been in place for decades.
But the 400,000 strong ham radio community defeated this. .03 % of the population.

Yeah, right.

Matt - randomness done.

[N8YX]

The ARRL fought for years and years to keep ham radio autonomous , now you can't do anything without the FEMA certs.
I operate just fine without either the ARRL or FEMA, though I do think many affiliate clubs made Faustian bargains by hitching their wagons to the federal grant horse.

[kb2vxa]

I quit the ARRL for a more personal reason, never mind the government I hate, I'm a patriot who loves and supports this nation and its people rather like Irb W2VJZ like him or not. Whenever I tried to discuss an important matter with the section representative I was brushed aside and the same thing happened later with another rep at a hamfest where they were having an anti-BPL rally. Yeah, if you're so anti-BPL why won't you listen to discussion of the issue at hand? There are other non-representation issues but I'm not writing a book, they're quick to take my money and all I get out of it is what became a useless rag? The phrase "taxation without representation is tyranny" came to mind so I packed my bags and left the disorganization.

Rant mode off AR // EX

[KG4NEL]

A bit of randomness.
I used to be an ARRL member and very active in ARES until the ARRL sold out ham radio to the gov't.
Remember BPL? ( Broadband Over Powerlines ).
This had the backing of EVERY major power and internet provider, but the ARRL stopped it.
Ever wonder how?
Selling out the emergency ham radio operator to FEMA.
The ARRL fought for years and years to keep ham radio autonomous , now you can't do anything without the FEMA certs.
And this all started with in a couple of months of the BPL plans going away.

There is no other way the ARRL could have stopped the billion dollar power or billion dollar internet industry.
BPL would have revolutionized the www and made it available to 99.9% of the US with only adding an end user interface .... the wire network has been in place for decades.
But the 400,000 strong ham radio community defeated this. .03 % of the population.

Yeah, right.

Matt - randomness done.

I got out of ARES because it seemed like a lot of idle talk and whackerism. I don't think hams having at least a basic smattering of NIMS knowledge is a bad thing, but that's not going to make them relevant to their served agencies by itself.

I still volunteer for a few local bike races a year, because as a runner I appreciate the hams that cover the road races that I participate in.

[NQ6U]

For you Firesign Theatre fans out there, PSK Reporter (https://www.pskreporter.info/pskmap.html) show that not only can I get Duluth, I can get Tierra Del Fuego.

[NA4BH]

Did you push the chromium button?

[NA4BH]

Shadow Valley Condoms, if you lived here you'd be home by now

[NQ6U]

Midden Hills Retirement Village. Antelope Freeway, 1 mile. Antelope Freeway, 1/2 mile. Antelope Freeway, 1/4 mile. Antelope Freeway, 1/8 mile. Antelope Freeway, 1/16 mile. Antelope Freeway, 1/32 mile. Antelope Freeway, 1/64 mile. Antelope Freeway, 1/128 mile...

[K7SGJ]

For you Firesign Theatre fans out there, PSK Reporter (https://www.pskreporter.info/pskmap.html) show that not only can I get Duluth, I can get Tierra Del Fuego.

I think penicillin will cure that.

[NQ6U]

Take a look at this ad from the local Craig's List:

http://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/ele/5257692219.html

"This is the Highest Power 1/2 Wave 2M Dipole Antenna We Have Ever Had."

WTF?? It's a simple wire dipole. I sent the guy a letter suggesting that he might do better if he confined his marketing to CBers.

[N8YX]

Rainy days make for very low QRN. I've got the remnants of what once was Patricia coming down on me at the moment...and the bands are noise free. No power line hash to speak of.

[K4PIH]

Take a look at this ad from the local Craig's List:

http://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/ele/5257692219.html

"This is the Highest Power 1/2 Wave 2M Dipole Antenna We Have Ever Had."

WTF?? It's a simple wire dipole. I sent the guy a letter suggesting that he might do better if he confined his marketing to CBers.

Just what we all need, 5kw thumb tacked to the wall in the shack! Kids, who need kids?

[NQ6U]

Just what we all need, 5kw thumb tacked to the wall in the shack! Kids, who need kids?

In particular, who needs six-eyed kids?

[koØm]

10 meters is open from East to West.

[W3WN]

In particular, who needs six-eyed kids?
Wouldn't that be a kid who's wearing sunglasses on top or regular glasses?

[kb2vxa]

"No power line hash to speak of."
But power line hash is tasty, like corned beef hash with electron sauce.

[NQ6U]

From Science Newsline (http://www.sciencenewsline.com/news/2015110901240029.html).


Science has long dictated that brains don't fossilize, so when Nicholas Strausfeld co-authored the first ever report of a fossilized brain in a 2012 edition of Nature, it was met with "a lot of flack."

[...]

His latest paper in Current Biology addresses these doubts head-on, with definitive evidence that, indeed, brains do fossilize.

[NQ6U]

Here's an idea: offer to do a presentation on antenna physics for your ARC, use the following animated GIF of a dipole to hypnotize the entire club, then steal their wallets and HTs.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/Dipole_xmting_antenna_animation_4_408x318x150ms.gi f

i just recently noticed that i seem to have become anti-ARC over the last year and a half or so. Not that i particularly disliked my last ARC or anything--they were mostly good people--but the whole concept seems less appealing to me than it used to.

[KG4NEL]

I go about 3-4 months at a stretch without attending a meeting, and I find that works well.

[WA7PBE]

theres a functional ARC near me? who would have known!?

[kb2vxa]

I've been a member of several and there was one and only one I really enjoyed because it was the only one not split into political factions and at war with itself. The outstanding quality that made it unique in my experience... it did NOT have a repeater.

[n0iu]

...functional ARC...

Sounds like jumbo shrimp to me!

[kb2crk]

What is this ARC thing people keep talking about?????

[KK4AMI]

Wow! I went into ULS for the first time to change my address and it did not hurt!

[KG4NEL]

May be selling my 706MKIIG/AH-4 combo soon.

Prepare yourself, lowball offers are coming :hahano:

[WØTKX]

ARC=Amateur Radio Club


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8EgTyzG1gI

[KG4NEL]

I is impressed.

[NQ6U]

I is impressed.

I are too.

[KG4NEL]

If you listen really closely, you can hear someone complaining in a twee accent about QRM.

[kb2vxa]

That's why the FRC outlawed spark.

[KG4CGC]

17m is wide open.

[NQ6U]

Excerpt from an Signal discussion with my friend Tim, KC0KZA, about the current state of the ARRL and QST magazine (edited slightly for brevity):


Tim: i've been an arrl member for fckin ever and all i got is a stack of shitty magazines

Me: It’s true that QST *is* boring AF about 80% of the time. Mostly ads for MFJ

Tim: yeah it is like 90% catalog anymore, but then again that's also not the worst thing. at least the ads in it are highly topical, it's not like cable tv commercials or some shit

Me: Yeah, you *can* learn stuff from the ads

Tim: you're not gonna find ham perfume vials shoved in there...unless i win the lottery

Tim: if i do win the lottery i'm gonna sponsor a company like Demeter to come up with a ham scent of like, ozone, parking lots, aspercreme, and a hint of pork chop bordered on BO



———

Made me laugh so hard that I couldn’t even explain to Ella why I was laughing for at least five minutes.

[WZ7U]

LOFUCKINGL

[N8YX]

Ham perfume is either a mix of cosmoline, nicotine and insulation fabric as used in old boat anchors - or it's the smell of unwashed ass. There is no middle ground.

[WZ7U]

Or, all of the above!

[NQ6U]

The bands are quiet. Too quiet…

[KG4CGC]

The bands are quiet. Too quiet…

The calm before the storm? Get your logging software ready because it's about to be a big one!

[WZ7U]

What? What am I missing?!?


Maybe the A of 38 has something to do with it

[NQ6U]

Been seeing this thing on FT8: VOTA. I assumed at first it must mean Virgins On The Air, thinking it made sense since no woman in her right mind would want to sleep with an amateur radio op but I found out that it actually means Volunteers On The Air.

I kind of like my first interpretation better.

[N8YX]

Not quite ham radio related but radio nonetheless (and maritime to boot):

Spending a lot of time monitoring the GMDSS frequencies with YaDD 1.7.1 One iteration is running in a Win7 VM and is hooked to an IC-R71A, on which fully automated scanning is supported. The other is running in a Mint 20.3 VM under WINE. That system is hooked to an IC-703+ and given the nature of the rig's relay-switched BPF, you can only scan 8414.5 and 12577.0 without the relays clacking. So I run it in manual mode.

The program also has a problem with hanging RTS when exiting under WINE, and the Digimode4 that's connected to the -703 will lock the rig in TX as a result. Not an optimal situation. So shutdown must be rig first, then wineserver -k in a terminal...and unplug the Digimode4 from the USB port before powering the rig back on.

Maybe I'll fix this at some point. The YaDD author is now SK else I'll collaborate with him for a fix.

[W3WN]

Been seeing this thing on FT8: VOTA. I assumed at first it must mean Virgins On The Air, thinking it made sense since no woman in her right mind would want to sleep with an amateur radio op but I found out that it actually means Volunteers On The Air.

I kind of like my first interpretation better.
You have a warped, demented, twisted, evil mind.





I LIKE that in a person!!! 😁

[KG4CGC]

double bazooka dipole

http://www.hamuniverse.com/bazooka.html