Geojoek

Geojoek, 5 months ago to random

So you're telling me the vanity callsign N1NNY has been available since March of this year...

Geojoek, 1 month ago to amateurradio

So what's a cheap, small, light plastic container folks might use as an enclosure for a balun / unun for portable ops than one might have lying around the house or could get at a hardware store?

Outdoor junction boxes are too big and bulky / not great to throw in a backpack.

#SOTA #POTA

Geojoek, 3 months ago to random

Reading all the lovely tributes to Bob Heil has me testing out using software EQs to improve HF SSB audio / legibility on a webSDR, wondering if I should buy a cheap 12V car audio EQ to put in the shack.

But it occurs to me, I could run the audio through my Linux shack computer and use a Pulse or ALSA equalizer, plus maybe DNR software: it's probably a lot more bang for 0 bucks. I'm concerned about latency and ground loop hum, though.

Folks' thoughts on software vs. hardware EQs for this?

Geojoek, 1 month ago to amateurradio

Birthday #POTA commence. Starting high moving lower as the day wears on. Currently 28.408 MHz. Will try to post updates in the replies, but cell signal is sketchy.

But check my QRZ page to see what frequency in case I forget to post here: https://www.qrz.com/db/KC1SRI

Geojoek, 9 days ago to random

Weird question: Is it a bad idea to buy a radio like the DX10 from a ham-I-don't-know at a ham fest or on QRZ / eBay? Or just buy new?

Geojoek, 1 month ago to amateurradio

On air #POTA 3.960 MHz just to see if it will work.

As always, check my QRZ page to see which frequency I am on In case it does not get updated here

Geojoek, 1 month ago to random

SOTAData and QSOMaps seem to have errors with Leaflet.js not drawing all the QSOs for a given activation in spite of correct filter settings, so I guess I really am going to have to get serious about writing this Python script to make better QSO maps. 😂

Geojoek, 11 months ago to random

Interested in the ongoing discussion on these sort of things. My local ham club was talking about how they are trying to grow membership of the club by focusing on the prepper community.

I am wondering if a better strategy may be focusing on getting outdoorsy people interested radio via SOTA and POTA, given the explosion of interest in those since 2020 and how they seem to have attracted new hams like me into the hobby? Seems like there is aesthetic overlap with the geocacher community.

Geojoek, 5 months ago to hamradio

A #HamRadio shack mystery: I have my battery-powered HF rig connected to an outdoor antenna with a single very long counterpoise.

If I plug a powerstrip and space heater (turned off) into the electric outlet near the radio, the noise floor drops by 1-2 S units. Radio is not connected to house electric at all. If I plug more things into power strip, noise floor climbs back up.

I have my suspicions, but would love to hear theories & courses of investigation to nip this noise in the bud.

Geojoek, 2 months ago to random

(1/2)

Obstacles in homebrewing ladder line: I foolishly thought 14" zip ties would be long enough, doubled over, to use in a 6" fin tube insulator & have enough extra to loop around the antenna wire and engage the the teeth. Nope!

And it turns out 16" zip ties are too wide to fit through the insulator.

The simplest solution would be to purchase 4" insulators to use with the 14" zip ties. It would add $15 and another two weeks to the project with waiting for them to come in the post.

But...

Geojoek, 5 months ago to amateurradio

Ok now on air at 28.423 with my dipole broadside to western US and Mediterranean. Will be calling CQ #POTA but Mastohams take priority for chatty QSOs or QSYing to other frequencies to ragchew.

Geojoek, 1 month ago to random

"$200+ for an arborist throw line launcher!?!? I can make my own for $20".

It.... kind of works? (Video in thread).

The surgical tubing I bought isn't quite robust enough and it turns out pouches to hold the throw bag are a whole school of engineering unto themselves. I ended up spending $35 on a replacement pouch + tubing from an actual arborist throw line launcher. So am in $55 but that's still a lot cheaper than buying one.

Geojoek, 4 months ago to random

Me to my ethernet router: "Try to use the power cord as an antenna now, you little shit."

Geojoek, 2 months ago to random

I finally swapped the fancy and expensive mechanical keyboard I bought a few years ago back to a basic-butt 101 key Mac keyboard from the early 2010s that I fished out of a dumpster. My typing error rate has gone back down to almost zero. No regrets.

Geojoek, 8 months ago to random

I know next to nothing about Raspberry Pi’s.

If I wanted to get one, or some other brand, to primarily run Pi Hole and HomeKit (for now), and maybe hamclock, but stay as cheap as possible, which one should I even be looking at?

Historically, I would repurpose an old Lenovo thinkcenter or something for this, but a pi or some other micro seems more appropriate, and probably cheaper, and would use a heck of a lot less power.

Geojoek, 5 months ago to random

A while back I asked about used thin clients as shack computers and running a Pi Hole + Home Assistant off of, and some folks had some great suggestions (including, I remember, Dell Wyse?).

And of course I didn't bookmark any of those suggestions. Would folks mind re-suggesting?*

The HP T530s I bought for $10 a piece are very fickle about SSD compatibility and I'm tired of throwing money at that problem.

*(I am not interest in RPis)

Geojoek, 9 days ago to random

Time for our favorite game: identify that RF!

It's in one of the 2m OSCAR sub-bands... could this be a satellite?

Geojoek, 3 months ago to random

This seems like a good place to ask:

Besides the Linux phone (still in beta?) is it possible to own a smart phone and not have it basically be a tracking device sending constant data to Apple or Google?

Geojoek, 10 months ago to hamradio

Now considering a ZS6BKW dipole instead of an OCF 80-10, since, as some have pointed out, the radiation & null patterns & narrow band slices of OCFs is weird. I've seen rumors of OCFs not dealing well with with going through tree canopy (??), and one has to be very particular about the efficiency of the 4:1 and 1:1 transformer combo.

I don't like potentially losing 30 and 15 (especially 15) with the ZS6BKW, though. But it has less coax loss. Wondering which tradeoffs are worth it.

#HamRadio

Geojoek, 2 months ago to baltimore

Mastofolks / Fedifolks in and around #Baltimore and the mid-Atlantic U.S.:

Has there been any discussion about how the Key Bridge collapse might be affecting I-95 traffic between Balto and NYC?

I was ostensibly going to be driving to Balto to visit family and friends this weekend, and am trying to gauge if it might be better to postpone the trip.

(*Related question: what are the good restaurants with takeout or outdoor seating, besides Ichiban? My hometown has become a bit of a stranger.)

Geojoek, 5 months ago to random

I copied today's #Morsle at 30 WPM! https://morsle.fun

Geojoek, 1 month ago to random

OK, so, naive question: is the Quansheng UV-K5 a decent enough HT for a beginner, or someone coming back into the hobby after a long absence? Like, better than UV-5R or in terms of sensitivity and not random ones causing spurious emissions?

Geojoek, 7 months ago to hamradio

Given the current internet and phone blackout in Gaza is anyone hearing anything from #hamradio operators there or nearby?

Geojoek, 1 month ago to random

2m antenna deployment at the QTH a success..

Geojoek, 8 months ago to hamradio

First QSO card!

#HamRadio