New House

I’ve started installing antennas at the new house. I have a 71-foot EFRW out the backyard. Noise was a bit low, S2 or so. We’ll see how it looks when computers get here. That wire seems good for 80m.

I strung a 2m/70cm dipole into a tree in the front yard. I’m on the wrong side of a hill, so I’m missing W3GMS, but K3IR, KA3TKW, AA3RG, W3UU are coming in strong.

F4HWN 3.3

I loaded F4HWN 3.3 onto my UV-K5 to have a look. It only has 3 scan lists, and it’s awkward to cycle through them. I found starting the spectrum analyzer to be cumbersome as well, since i couldn’t attach it to a long-press of a button. The single VFO view is pretty nice; it puts lots of nice info on the screen, and it’s big. Ultimately, I went right back to AubsUK for the scan features.

CY9C and SuperFox Mode

CY9C St Paul Island Expedition

Someone spotted CY9C’s Saint Paul Island Expedition on the 21 mailinglist: 18095kHz, SuperFox FT8 mode. I tuned my WSJTX to the frequency, enabled SuperHound, and it crashed upon trying to decode.

  Running: /usr/bin/jt9 -s WSJT-X -w 1 -m 3 -e /usr/bin -a /home/john/.local/share/WSJT-X -t /tmp/WSJT-X
  sh: 1: /usr/bin/sfrx: not found
  Fortran runtime error: EXECUTE_COMMAND_LINE: Invalid command line

  Error termination. Backtrace:
  #0  0x7f02d8e21b9a in ???
  #1  0x7f02d8e22699 in ???
  #2  0x7f02d8e22afc in ???
  #3  0x7f02d90b8eeb in ???
  #4  0x7f02d90b9099 in ???
  #5  0x559f9788ca06 in ???
  #6  0x559f97885f15 in ???
  #7  0x559f97885467 in ???
  #8  0x559f978838a2 in ???
  #9  0x7f02d883edb9 in __libc_start_call_main
    at ../sysdeps/nptl/libc_start_call_main.h:58
  #10  0x7f02d883ee74 in __libc_start_main_impl
    at ../csu/libc-start.c:360
  #11  0x559f97883900 in ???
  #12  0xffffffffffffffff in ???

I filed a bug for the missing binary. In the meantime, I downloaded and installed the wsjtx deb file from sourceforge to make the DX QSO. I saw them again on 14.094MHz, but they don’t hear me.

I checked in on the bug, and the maintainer explained that those binaries are not open source, so not included with the Debian package. To fix it longer-term, I kept the new binaries, and went back to the package that Debian provided.

985 Workbench: 2024-08-26

My Week in Radio

  • The photos looked great from Bill’s, KC3OOK, antenna party
  • https://ft8.live/ for a more responsive visualization of pskreporter data.
  • POTA at Susquehannock
    • No digital, only sideband
    • QSO parties for Hawaii, Kansas, and Ohio
    • Bothered someone with a bit of CW badly
  • Morse Machine app on Android for practicing
  • I finally confirmed 50 states on QRZ.com with Hawaii
    • generally 5-10W
    • mostly digital, some sideband
  • I started playing with a couple Meshtastic nodes
    • Impressive range for low power, ~125mW

Questions

  • W8CRW, CR: Is there any device that would log a date-time every time you key your VHF/UHF transmitter?
    • W3DIB: string together an arduino, some AI, and voice recognition
    • WA3VEE: pull it from broadcastify
    • K3VIL: newer ICOM has a recording feature
    • NA3CW: security system that can log contacts opening/closing
    • W8CRW: looking for something radio agnostic
  • KC3OOK, Bill: Balanced-L vs T-Match network tuner for open wire feed. Is one better than the other?
    • Balanced L = L-C-L and it’s fed on the low-impedance side.
    • T-Match has a wider range, but maybe less efficient.

21 Tech Net: 2024-08-25

My Week in Radio

  • I Wish I had paid attention to the contest calendar for WW digital contest.
  • I’m awaiting a confirmation on QRZ for my last of 50 states: Hawaii.
  • Lots of new open updates for the Xiegu X6100.
  • Started compiling firmware for Quansheng.
  • Playing with a couple heltec v3 meshtastic nodes
    • marveling at the range, better than APRS?
  • I did my first POTA activation by only voice, no digital.
    • lots of qso parties
    • heard Hawaii really easily
    • Wasted someone’s time trying CW
21  tech  net  ka3tkw 

POTA US-1425

I ran some errands and wandered off to Susquehannock State Park, US-1425 to play. I started with SSB phone, and immediately heard Hawaii. The bands were busy with QSO Parties for Hawaii, Kansas, and Ohio, so I kept hunting people and easily got my 13 contacts. I never switched to the computer for digital modes!

In addition to the QSO parties, I caught a contact from Italy and K8MRD of Ham Radio Tube in a park in Texas. I bothered one last operator with a little CW, but I failed pretty badly. The radio was decoding for me, but my keying wasn’t up to the job.

985 Workbench: 2024-08-19

My Week in Radio

  • Iambic Keying
  • I started patching and compiling my own firmware for my Quansheng radios
    • building and flashing works
    • my minor change had no effect
  • New R1CBU 0.22.0 firmware for x6100
    • whole firmware is like a new radio
    • minor fixes and conveniences
      • peak marger on S-meter
      • nicer scrolling on waterfall
  • POTA by the Susquehanna River in Marietta
    • I heard some lighthouse events
    • I spoke to someone on a nuclear ship in Baltimore
    • I ran into a fellow ham and ex-professor from 25 years ago, Paul Ross, W3FIS.
    • It’s so quiet away from my normal desk of computers, I thought noise reduction was stuck ON
  • 10m looking pretty open today to California
  • I’ve been keeping the blog up-to-date, and I use this net to document my week.

Topics

  • Jeff, W3JAM, is having trouble with an MFJ antenna analyzer that’s not being reliable compared to his other analyzers.
  • Bill, KC3OOK, is preparing for the weekend’s antenna party.
  • Jim, AF3Z, participated in the QRP Skeeter Hunt with his Penntech, 68ft of wire, and a tuner. 5W on 40M got him 25 CW contacts.
  • Luke, KC3SCY, is building a transmitter from 1929.
  • Tim, W3QP, is planning some hiking and SOTA in Virginia.
  • Harvey, KC3NZT, was in PEI (I think) doing a little HF and listing to ship traffic.
  • Question from Jeff, W3JAM: What is Supermon and how does one get started?
    • It’s a web-based interfacet to an Allstar node.
    • ClearNode app runs on Android.
  • Question from Harvey, KC3NZT: In 120V wiring, does a voltage between 0V and 120V mean a broken or loose ground or common?
    • KC3RFG: Yes! The AC world is different from the DC world.

POTA US-4567

I setup camp at Marietta Riverfront Park with the EFHW stretched from the pavilion to the nearby tree. I was expecting to get rained out, but it never came.

I got 23 FT8 contacts on 20m and 3 SSB contacts on 40m and 20m at 10W. I also spoke to a nuclear ship in Baltimore, and I heard some light house special event stations. It was so quiet there at the park compared to my desk full of computers that I thought the NR was stuck on.

W3FIS, Dr. Paul Ross, stopped by to activate, so we chatted a while after nearly 25 years since I last saw him when I was in college.

985 Workbench: 2024-08-12

My Week in Radio

  • Watching APRS
    • trying different radios/antennas w/ aprsdroid
    • slim-jim working better with any radio
    • watching logs and better-understanding the structure of the packets
  • N3TWT repeater (South Mountain) looks good for “off grid” communication when camping in Cumberland county
    • heard lots of volunteer event activity
    • also heard N3FYI & N3KZ
  • moving in September, so scheming new antennas
  • maybe noticing a bug on AUBS firmware on Quansheng. I have copy of code to read and see about a fix.
  • I tried another firmware, but missing the killer feature: scan on start

Notes from Others

  • Everyone went to Kimberton Hamfest
  • AF3Z, Jim: wait 30 years, and that shiny new radio will be affordable.

Questions

  • W3JAM, Jeff:
    • using a generator, how important is ground?
      • KC3RFG, Jim:
        • already grounded if connected to home.
        • job site may require a ground rod, but doesn’t do much.
        • for field day, generator is the only “reference”, so no need for ground
        • modern generators have GFI built-in.
      • NA3CW, Chuck:
        • don’t let generator run down and stop under load, because it’ll degauss the residual magnetism
    • Heathkit SB102 w/ 6146B tubes. It wouldn’t tune up. is there concern with using 6146W tubes?
      • NA3CW, Chuck: 6146W is the ruggedized version. it should work. neutralize, and you’re good to go.
      • AF3Z, Jim: be sure to check the tubes with a tube-tester
  • AF3Z, Jim:
    • cable management while being able to access and change. beat the rats’ nest. Are there good systems for cable management?
      • WA3VEE, Ron:
        • best if you can walk behind the desk
        • everything slides on felt feet, so must have some slack loosely coiled.
      • NA3CW, Chuck:
        • desk 90 degrees to the wall for easy access to the back.
        • garden velcro: can be snipped to any length you need.
      • KC3JAM, Jeff:
        • military systems require being able to get behind things.
  • KC3OOK, Bill:
    • Has anyone used DragonOS / Linux?
      • NA3CW, Chuck: Mint, but not Dragon OS.

985 Workbench: 2024-08-05

My Week in Radio

  • Mobile APRS is proving to be really short-range
    • Couldn’t even spot myself outside at Sam Lewis up on the hill
    • Cycled with it, but no traffic
    • Needs a real antenna
  • Some POTA
    • Sam Lewis, US-1418
      • found the leading park activator, kn3a, in my spot. :)
      • storms rolling in, so called it quits
      • watched 20m slam shut: decoding 30 signals to 4
    • Susquehanna River, US-4567
      • Columbia Riverfront Park that’s open after sunset
      • spanned into the next day…again, so had an incomplete and a complete activation.
  • Got an FT8 contact to Israel with 5W from home: first Asia for me.
  • Weekly RTTY Test and FT4 sprint
  • Ham radio software may not be the most efficient
    • fldigi left running but disconnected from radio ran CPU at 95C doing nothing.
    • GridTracker likes to burn cpu too when left running.
  • AB3AP, Mike, on EZ-Hang slingshot: I’ve given up the slingshot and just swing my throw line by hand.
  • KB3ILS, Keith: there are scripts online for 3d-modeling any size knob you need.

Questions

  • W3JAM, Jeff:
    • Does anyone have experience using Drake TR4CW on AM?
    • Can you add a noise blanker to this radio?
      • Noise blanker would alleviate pulsing noise from electric fence.
      • Jeff will be getting the entire manual library on CD, which will have information.
  • KC3OOK, Bill:
    • How do you connect a NanoVNA to an open wire feed line?
    • WA3VEE: Would you need a balun to start getting close to impedance to match the expected 50 ohm?
    • W3JAM: Doesn’t matter so much where it’s tuned, since you use it with a tuner anyway.
    • NA3CW:
      • You don’t want it to be resonant anyway, because being resonant will give you the largest extremes to tune when trying to move to other bands.
      • NanoVNA may be limited on the impedance it can read.
      • Dipole should be at least as long as half wave + a little
      • He extended a wire to get it to tune where it wouldn’t.
  • WA3VEE, Ron:
    • SOCO connectors carry 208V. When rewiring those connectors, what’s a good caulk-like sealant that could be used for “potting” the inside of the plugs?
      • Plain bathroom caulk can be conductive.
      • Silicon may breakdown at lower voltage than needed too.