On ten from HI7. Cluster spots, DX, CW, and the Reverse Beacon Network.
Thursday, January 12, 2023
Tuesday, January 10, 2023
SolderSmoke Re-Play: Shep tries to build a Heising Modulator -- Shep on Parasitics and Troubleshooting: "That way madness lies"
You guys really have to listen to this. This is culturally important.
In this 1965 radio broadcast, Jean Shepherd describes his teenage struggles with parasitics and other technical problems in his homebrew 160 meter transmitter.
He describes the sound of parasitics on a signal, saying that they sound as if the signal is being attacked by "debauched erotic locusts."
He really nails it in describing the scornful, dismissive tone that many hams use in telling their fellow radio amateur that there are problems with his signal. ( I have recently been on the receiving end of this kind of treatment.)
He observes that no one is more worried, "than a man who has built something and can't get it to work." Indeed.
During a date with a girl from his high school, he is so obviously preoccupied with his transmitter trouble that she tells him that something is wrong with him and that his mother "should take him to a doctor."
And he describes the joy that comes when you figure out the problem and get the thing to work.
The REALLY good stuff begins at about the 25 minute point.
http://ia310115.us.archive.org/2/items/JeanShepherd1965Pt1/1965_01_29_Ham_Radio.mp3
Shep was quoting from King Lear: "O, that way madness lies; let me shun that; No more of that." In other words: "BASTA!"
EXCELSIOR!
Monday, January 9, 2023
Other Workshops: Building a Flying 21:1 Scale Airbus A-380
This is simply awesome. At almost every minute of this video, I found myself thinking, "Yea, I'd screw that up." Even the simple stuff, like cutting out the cockpit windows: "Yea, I'd screw that up too."
More info on the builder:
Arnie Coro CO2KK -- Homebrew Hero -- Silent Key
I was sorry to read this morning of the passing of Homebrew Hero Arnie Coro CO2KK. As we see in one of the obits, Arnie got his start in radio at age 12, with the gift from his father of a chunk of galena, a coil, and some headphones.
Here are some of the SolderSmoke posts about Arnie:
https://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/search?q=CO2KK
He will be missed.
Sunday, January 8, 2023
Wednesday, January 4, 2023
Dilbert Knack Video: Who was the "Doctor"?
I was looking at this again and I realized that there was more to it than I thought. Who was the "doctor" who was filling in for their regular doctor?
Sunday, January 1, 2023
Happy New Year and Straight Key Night from HI7/N2CQR
HNY from HI7! In keeping with SolderSmoke tradition, I recorded the above greeting. If you look over my right shoulder, or in the picture below, you can see the apartment building we will be moving into (at least for the winter months) later this year. There will be a small shack on the top level. And yes, a telescope.
This morning I fired up the uBITX on 20 CW and made two Straight Key Night contacts. My key is the straightest of the straight -- a homewbrew thing made from an old hack-saw blade, copper tape, brass screws, scrap wood, and duct tape. Picture below.
73 to all! HNY and good luck in 2023!
Saturday, December 31, 2022
Wednesday, December 28, 2022
Tuesday, December 27, 2022
Monday, December 26, 2022
A Blast from the Past: TR on Homebrewing (sort of)
"It is not the critic who counts; not the ham who points out how the homebrewer stumbles, or where the builder of rigs could have built them better. The credit belongs to the ham who is actually at the workbench, whose hands are scarred by solder and metal and glue; who strives valiantly; who errs, whose amp oscillates again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to build his rigs; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of homebrew achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid operators who neither know victory nor defeat.”
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