SolderSmoke Daily News -- Ham Radio Blog

Sunday, January 15, 2023

Working Vienna Wireless Society member (KA4CDN) from Hispaniola

We'll be heading back to the States soon and I was feeling guilty about

not having worked anyone from my home club (the Vienna Wireless Society).

On Wednesday night I Zoomed in to the club's Maker group -- this made me want

to make at least one contact with the club. Plus Walter KA4KXX in Orlando has

been trying to set up a sked on 20... This morning I saw that the SFI was up above 200.

I lengthened the dipole so it would resonate on 20 meters (on this trip it started on 20, went to 17, back to 20, down to 10 and now, back to 20!). I worked one station on SSB, then sent a text to the club's DX spotter group, saying that I would be calling CQ on 14.060 MHz. Soon I got a call from club member (and Maker) Mike KA4CDN. We had a nice QSO. Thanks Mike (video of our QSO above). I will try with Walter tomorrow.

Thursday, January 12, 2023

On Ten Meters with a uBITX from the Eastern Tip of Hispaniola

On ten from HI7. Cluster spots, DX, CW, and the Reverse Beacon Network.

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:

https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/ramy-rc.html

https://web.facebook.com/Ramy.RC.airplanes/?_rdc=1&_rdr

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

A Really Great Podcast: 90th Birthday of the BBC

Listen!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3ct4lzh

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.