I had too many spots coming from Ham Alert, , so it disabled itself on my phone. I had experimented with having everyone in one big alert. I removed one really active FT8 user, because I think they may have been the busiest. I ended up breaking triggers into groups based on clubs.

The quarter-wave ground plane antenna in the tree disconnected in the wind, so I brought it back down and rebuilt it stronger with radials passing through the holes and woven together. I used randomly shorter radials, but 8 of them this time. I watched the SWR drop with the nanoVNA as I added radials. I resoldered the driven element into the socket and trimmed it to tune it again.

I recently added winlink back to my APRS ping on the UV-PRO. I immediately got a message from a Winlink gateway that I had 1 new Winlink message waiting. For the full RF experience, I fired up KISS on the UV-PRO and a session to K3IR’s Winlink gateway (145.030kHz) and checked my Winlink mail over the radio.

I needed to be careful to not let HT app start and re-enable “digital mode”. When “digital mode” is enabled, it would switch to APRS 144.390MHz every time WoAD would TX, and that doesn’t work. The hint was seeing APRS traffic in the WoAD log while waiting for my Winlink session to initialize.

The email was KC3WRY, Matthew, playing around sending Winlink via APRS. I acknowledged and responded to his message.

My Week in Radio

• Wind is nerve-wracking with my “temporary” antennas
  • long wire broke
  • one 1/4-wave ground plane worked itself loose and disconnected.
  • yagi on the aluminum pole is good
• X6100 was having trouble running and charging its failing internal battery
  • disable charging and it’s OK again.
• R1CBU 0.29.0 firmeware for X6100
  • finding and filing some bugs
  • they’re already getting fixed
  • will probably need to revert back to the older version
• Norfolk Island, VK9DX, FT8 on 10M, with only 2W.
• Radio with a waterfall is amazing to watch during CW contest weekends.
  • something is up!

Others

• N3ILS, Travis:
  • setup Allstar node for travel
• KC3SCY, Luke:
  • listening to W1AW on Drake 4TRX for code practice
• W3QP, Tim:
  • trouble with IC-7300 on battery. blown fuze on one pole.
  • all bands on fan dipole have high SWR after wind damage
• KC3RFG, Jim:
• KC3YSM, Steve:
  • working on some DX with the cold weather
  • needed to adjust some audio settings for TX. much improvement.
• NA3CW, Chuck:
  • Steve, good clean audio is so important for breaking the DX pile-up
  • hosted pre- and actual PMAM net
  • magneto synchronizer for an airplane, rebuild, repair
• KC3OOK, Bill:
  • simplex net: east had some trouble, so running late.
    • 23 contacts
    • drywalling the ham shack
• KC3TYX, Vic:
  • weekly nets
  • tried a 10M net, went OK
  • hard to tell what was happening on simplex net from his station
• KC3TRW, Mike:
  • programming up some radios
• WA3KFT, John:
  • busy on VHF by his paper log, including a little 6m and 10m.
  • sorting parts and cleaning up the benches
• AF3Z, Jim:
  • some CW
  • working on an old heathkit TRX
    • removed some solder and resoldered
• KD3AKZ, Wayne
  • getting a rig on the air
    • still has a beep
  • studying for general
• KC3NZT, Harvey:
  • building an antenna on an off-road magmount that was previously recommended.
    • tested well with nanovna
    • very strong magnets
    • mapping out some coax: shorter and better coax is better

Questions

• N3ILS, Travis:
  • Is it OK to use the internal tuner of the IC-7300 in series with an external tuner at the same time?
  • KC3NZT, Harvey: is it an automatic icom tuner connected by aux port
  • N3ILS: it is a manual MFJ tuner.
  • WA3KFT, John:
    • uses both internal and external tuner.
    • sometimes one tuner gets you all the way there
    • stacking them won’t hurt anything
    • but it’s inefficient.
  • W3CRW, CR:
    • uses Yaesu with 2 tuners in series.
    • heavy lifting with the external LDG
    • fine-tune it with the internal.
  • KC3NZT, Harvey:
    • IC-7300 can be made to match 10:1 in “emergency mode”.
      • it requires some of your power.
    • Does stacking the tuner skew the readings in the radio?
    • has used an automatic external tuner for icom. it disables the internal.
  • NA3CW, Chuck:
    • tune the external tuner with internal disabled to get close
    • then fine-tune to get the rest of the way.
    • combo could result in weirdo impedance between them, if done in the wrong order.
  • WA3VEE, Ron:
    • what NA3CW said
    • 2 auto tuners will compete and cause trouble
  • N3ILS, Travis:
    • Dave Cassler has a video saying “never stack them”, but that’s auto tuners.
  • KC3RFG, Jim:
    • Dave Cassler’s video is about 2 auto tuners.
• KC3RFG, Jim:
  • Why does my SWR go up with ice on the antenna? It drifted from 1.2:1 to 2:1.
  • WA3KFT, John:
    • ice on the antenna changes the diameter. it’s a conductor.
  • NA3CW, Chuck:
    • water dialectric constant is 80, compared to PVC insulation with 4.
  • KC3OOK, Bill:
    • observed the same thing. jumped to 3:1.
  • AF3Z, Jim:
    • 10M vertical dipole fed by old window line with a tuner.
    • any time it rains, the normal settings don’t work.
  • KC3RFG, Jim:
    • he has 40-foot tall bamboo, and he can tap the wire to de-ice it.
• NA3CW, Chuck:
  • this Friday is the breakfast
  • AWA PM/AM Net 3835kHz
    • https://www.antiquewireless.org/homepage/weekly-awa-nets/

My X6100 started freezing up its user-interface. This happens sometimes when the radio board shuts off, but the UI board hasn’t yet. It would happen when I was transmitting, even very low power, 2W. It even did it after a long time just listening.

I unplugging the USB-C from the computer, and it would allow the UI to shutdown, so the USB-C was powering the UI board, while the radio board had shutdown. The internal battery indicator looked like it may have shown low for a moment, but I was on 12V.

I finally realized I had enabled battery charging all the time. Charging the mostly-worn-out battery caused this new shutdown problem. I disabled charging, and now the radio is running fine again.

I ordered 2 new internal battery packs from Amazon to install. I used to be able to run the radio on internal battery for a little while, but now as soon as I unplug external power, the battery will read something terribly low like 7% and about 6 volts.

The new 107-ft (32.6m) EFRW in the backyard is doing OK, and I’m getting pretty lucky with low power on 10M FT8.

• Japan (10500 km): 5W, 2025-02-10 2245 UTC
• Norfolk Island (14000 km): 2W, 2025-02-11 2238 UTC

My Week in Radio

• Reconfigured fldigi with some more modular macros and used them for a short time for CQ WPX RTTY contest
• Replaced my 71-foot EFRW with 107-foot wire
  • ATU works a bit harder than the previous, but stretching the counterpoise in a different direction helped.
• 5W into the wire got me a contact to Japan on FT8

Others

• KC3SCY, Luke:
  • building out his radio desk
  • new Drake TR-4A and matching transmitter
• W8CRW, CR:
  • Nets
• WA3VEE, Ron:
  • checking out and testing equipment
  • interviewed on podcast: “operation freedom. ham radio in public service.”
  • KB3SVC presented on senior scams at another meeting
• W3QP, Tim:
  • 11 summits in Virginia!
• KC3TYX, Vic:
  • VHF nets, No HF.
  • hiking and geocaching.
• NA3CW, Chuck:
  • 985 activities
  • tower work at Joe’s when weather permits.
  • acquired merantz professional CD recorder
  • PM/AM net pre-net host. much better at 3:30pm for pre-net.
• KC3OOK, Bill:
  • 985 nets
  • South control for Simplex Net
    • 37 check-ins with only 2 controls
  • Passed along some gear to others via Joe
• KD3AIS, Tim:
  • drove to Parkesburg, and remembered to bring mobile glass-mount antenna and HT, so could contact to the repeater via RF.
• AF3Z, Jim:
  • working on Omni 6, which is broken
    • getting worse as he diagnoses
  • visited old shack in basement and rearranged it
    • finally returned to MB102 heathkit rig with power supply
    • replaced some capacitors
    • now working!
• KC3SQI, Wayne:
  • email reminder was appreciated to host the workbench
• WA3KFT, John:
  • playing with some heathkit lunch boxes.
    • 2m, 6m, 11m
    • doesn’t have the 10m
    • they’re regenerative receivers
    • not very efficient transmitters
  • vibrator power supply for radios that run off 120V AC
  • was convenient back in the day to be able to hang equipment from the old dashboard in cars.

Questions

• KD3AIS, Tim:
  • Given his recent foray into mobile radio and a glass-mounted antenna, he’s looking at mobile rigs. He’s seeming some that are higher-power single band, and some lower-power dual band. Also seeing single-band and dual-band antennas. But no 70cm single-band antennas. Recommendations and considerations?
    • WA3VEE, Ron:
      • Ron just runs high-power dual-band.
      • there are lots of 70cm repeaters around the area.
      • magmount antennas on top.
      • don’t worry about 65W vs 50W. close enough.
    • W3CRW, CR:
      • found a 70cm-only antenna on amazon.
      • still recommend dual band
    • WA3KFT, John:
      • dual band antenna is nicer for 70cm.
      • he dedicates a 70cm antenna and a 2m
    • KC3NZT, Harvey:
      • don’t worry much about power on dual-band radios
      • watch for nicer features
        • full-duplex
        • digital control
        • dual-watch
    • K3YVQ, Jack:
      • has Larson NMO 270 antenna to give away
    • KC3OOK, Bill:
      • recommended a couple radios with those features
    • NA3CW, Chuck:
      • dual-band rigs run less power because they’re a compromise.
      • single-band rig is no compromise, but more limited in features.
      • there are 470MHz antennas for commercial bands
      • feature: wishes his rig had split tones.
    • W8CRW, CR:
      • crossband repeat
      • split tones
    • WA3VEE, Ron:
      • Yaesus generally don’t support split tone
      • ICOMs generally do
    • W3GMS, Joe:
      • ICOM IC-2730A is great
        • split tone
        • good cooling
        • power makes a huge difference when you’re trying to open squelch on a repeater
        • nmo mount is nice, because you can swap specialized antennas.
    • KC3SQI, Wayne:
      • run IC-4730 for split tone and crossband
• KC3WWC, John:
  • Adding another dual-band antenna outside, probably dedicated to APRS. How close can they be or how should they be arranged?
  • WA3KFT, John:
    • 5 vertical antennas: 10, 6, 2m, 220, 440.
      • 2m and 440 are harmonically related, so separated
      • all mounted on a bar.
      • 440 and 2m are separated 7.5 ft, so they don’t interact.
      • 35 ft off the ground.
      • can’t separate them that much on a car.
  • KC3SQI, Wayne:
    • if the antennas are harmonically related, attempt to separate at least 2 wavelengths
    • dual band antennas are
    • DX Engineering has an antenna bar already setup with multiples
  • WA3VEE, Ron
    • Diamond dualband is good. mounted on front.
    • 220 in the middle
    • something else on the far back of the vehicle.

My Week in Radio

• KC3TMZ, Matt:
  • 3d-printing and building antennas is great
• Trying to build a tactical delta loop
  • 4:1 balun
  • 2 17 ft whips
  • 25 ft wire for the top
  • 3d-printed base
  • not great so far
  • will be using the 4:1 with other antennas, like rybakov
• ISS pass with APRS
  • decoded relayed packets from Pittsburgh PA, Smyrna DE, Atlanta GA.
• Bluetooth control of a radio is pretty convenient, big phone screen

Others

• KC3TMZ, Matt:
  • ordered a bunch of ferrites, enameled wire,
  • 3d printing some antennas
• KC3NZT, Harvey:
  • met up with KD3AIS
• KC3RFG, Jim:
  • organizing the shack
• NA3CW, Chuck:
  • PMA AM Net on 75m
    • it’s moving later due to propagation: 5pm
  • working on Joe’s tower project
• KC3OOK, Bill:
  • drywalling the hamshack
  • working on Joe’s tower
    • almost all bolts installed an tightened
    • guided tower with rollers, aligning
• WA3KFT, John:
  • nets: Packrats, DelVa, Weather
  • spoke to David in Texas on 15M
  • Bob on 10M in Virgin Islands
  • nice band openings
• KC3TYX, Vic
  • VE accreditation.
  • helped with first VE session.
    • all computerized
    • worked with WA3VEE
• KC3SQI, Wayne:
  • chasing POTA
    • West coast, 20M
• K3YVQ, Jack:
  • working on go-box for crossband repeater
  • relay from HT on a hike to car with 50 watts
• KD3AIS, Tim:
  • visited KC3NZT
• W3QP, Tim:
  • preparing for some SOTA activations
• WA3VEE, Ron:
  • worked a VE session
  • organizing the shack
  • working on lesson plan for technician review to prep for general
    • short videos / presentations
    • can arrange to do some teaching up here instead of just in delaware
• N3CRE, Charlie:
  • trying to hook a headset to FTM-500
• W3EMF, Jerry:
  • originator of the Workbench Net
  • new 2M rig in vehicle to access 985 more

Questions

• KC3TMZ, Matt:
  • Purchased a new antenna that may want ground radials. What’s the best way to connect temporary radials to an antenna?
  • KC3NZT, Harvey:
    • is removable a requirement?
  • KC3TMZ, Matt:
    • radials can stay, stapled to the ground
    • he wants to remove the vertical element, so dogs don’t tangle leashes
  • KC3NZT, Harvey:
    • terminate all radials to 1 ring terminal and screw that right to a ground rod
    • it’s a 20/15/10M trapped vertical (he sold it to him)
      • doesn’t need guyed
  • KC3TMZ, Matt:
    • liking the idea of a metal pipe into which he can just drop the antenna
  • WA3KFT, John:
    • worked in a AM broadcast
    • drive a pipe into the ground to slip antenna into or onto
  • NA3CW, Chuck:
    • drive a pipe into the ground, flush
    • has a PVC pipe that holds up an inverted-v
  • KC3NZT, Harvey:
    • copper braid with ring terminals, inexpensive on amazon
    • be careful to not short feed with ground in metal pipe socket
• KC3NZT, Harvey:
  • magmonut often comes with a length of coax. is there a magmount wiht an SO-239 so you can do use whatever coax you want?
  • W8CRW, CR:
    • make your own.
  • WA3VEE, Ron:
    • make your own.
  • KC3SQI, Wayne:
    • there is a bulkhead mount with SO-239 for the antenna that could be added to the magnet
  • K3YVQ, Jack:
    • there’s an empty magnet mount
• KC3WWC, John: I have a talent, how do we avoid doubling during checkin?
  • AF3Z, Jim:
    • don’t worry about it
  • NA3CW, Chuck:
    • silent “this is”. grab carrier, drop it, then give call.
  • KC3SQI, Wayne:
    • some nets use “this is” protocol. that lowers the chance
    • net host resolves it
  • KC3NZT, Harvey:
    • click method, and it doesn’t matter
  • AF3Z, Jim:
    • bigger issue is digital link people and leaving enough space
  • WA3VEE, Ron:
    • pulse/click method, silent “this is”
    • net control watches for doubles
    • net contral asks for checkins
• K3YVQ, Jack:
  • Can I combine 2 batteries of different capacities in paralllel on a bus to get larger capacity?
  • WA3KFT, John:
    • yes, it’ll work.
    • has a bus with power supply and battery on a bus of banana plugs
    • ok if they’re the same voltage
    • plug the batteries on the ends, and radios in the middle
  • KC3NZT, Harvey:
    • batteries are sometimes limited on max current
    • lithium batteries’ voltage drops very late in discharge
    • a deader battery could be a strong current draw
  • K3YVQ, Jack:
    • they have BCM, so they protect themselves.
    • may look into 12V cigarette lighter to power pole charger.
• N3CRE, Charlie:
  • Having trouble pairing a wireless BT headset with FTM-500.
  • K3YVQ, Jack:
    • check that the bluetooth protocols are compatible
    • maybe a firmware upgrade will fix it

After Party

• KC3NZT, Harvey:
  • when we lack questions, we should present little lectures on testing and equipment.
  • WA3VEE, Ron:
    • has demonstrated diagnosing feed line problems
  • NA3CW, Chuck:
    • some things can be explained verbally, others more visual
  • KC3NZT, Harvey:
    • a list of resourcse and videos could live on 985 website
  • WA3VEE, Ron:
    • lots of zoom practice with document camera, etc in his shack
  • KC3WWC, John:
    • I’ll bring my balun around for diagnosis on video
    • I have watched a video on using nano vna to test filters and baluns
    • I like to optimistically use it first, then dig in more if needed
    • I think that keeps me doing stuff that I might otherwise not realize to be possible
    • document my beginner experiences on a blog for my reference and others
  • W3EMF, Jerry:
    • echolink in the mobile
    • calling from Elizabethtown

I caught word that ISS was passing in a moment, so I tuned UV-PRO to 145.825MHz, the APRS digipeater on ISS. I heard packets from Pittsburgh, PA; Smyrna, DE, and Atlanta, GA. I tried to ping out my location a couple times, but it looked unheard according to https://ariss.net/.

The HT app and UV-PRO digipeats APRS packets like a mesh.