Category Archives: Ham Stuff

Jul 16

I Make An Awesome Omelet!

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Two eggs, Ham, Cheese, Diced Bell Pepper, Diced Maters, Diced Onion, Diced Mushrooms, and just a hint of Salsa. Yummmmmmmmmy!!!! Add a big ol’ glass of Sunny D and you’ve got something! (No, not to the omelet. That would make it really soggy. Nevermind.) And a toasted Bagel. Some mornings I just don’t feel like having my usual cheerio’s.

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Pretty much the usual today. Did move the last of the small manor stones to where I’m storing them until I rent a digger and get the upper-back yard leveled out and smoothed over. Watered most of that vast expanse we call a back yard. Picked some more peas.

Played with the radio a lot trying out different things as far as antenna’s go. Moved everything around to where I can use the AT-300 to tune the new antenna but can still use my old antenna’s through the automatic antenna tuner. Feel good about that. Then mostly just listened in on PSK31 on 20-meters. But I did find the settings for PSK on 10-12-15-17 meters also. Didn’t see anyone on those frequencies though.

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When I turn up my radio to 50 watts that “Forward” needle on the AT-300 jumps to well above 300 watts! Even had a signal report from Connecticut and Florida.

Really not much else going on around here. Took the last Netflix disc to the Post Office and just drove around awhile. Getting late so I think I’ll go lay down and read awhile. Then, in awhile, I’ll have to get up and make my last pee run. A short time after that, which is, in fact, awhile, I’ll nod off. Which is my normal routine.

Jul 15

I Just Don’t Understand This VSWR

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On my AT-300 Antenna Tuner there is a gage. On the left it says “Forward”, on the right is says “Reflected” and in the middle are a bunch of red lines indicating SWR.

So, if I transmit at 25 watts (psk31), I can adjust the “tuner” to 1:1 SWR, very little “Reflected” and the “Forward” meter hovers between 50 & 100 watts.

Does this mean I’m transmitting about 75 watts (even though my output is set to 25 watts in the radio), or, does this mean that approximately 75% of my 25 watts are being transmitted? (If the latter, how do I improve output?)

Yeasu 857d, signalink, 6-160 dipole fed by approx. 100 feet ladder line through the tuner.

Jul 14

I Keep Telling SWMBO

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That This:

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Is what I’ll be going camping in 10 years from now. She doesn’t believe me. Yet.

Not much going on around here today. Wasn’t as sore as I thought I’d be when I woke up this morning. Slept in late though. 0610. Guess I was tired.

Got out and moved another 30 cinder blocks from the lower back yard to the upper back yard. Figured it couldn’t hurt. And, in fact, it hasn’t much. Then I rinsed out the back of my truck to get all the dirt and bugs out. Even took one of those plastic scratch pad thingies and got all the BBQ sauce and grease from cooking on the tailgate during Field Day off. Wonderful me!

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Our Repeater has been a lot busier lately since everyone complained about it not being used except during our Nets. I’ve talked to several of the new Hams and even some of the older guys that stay home. Talked to AC7VA (Gary) about the 6-meter band and even heard him calling someone on it later. (I was busy doing something or I’d have tried to contact him.)

Well, the MCARC 10-meter Tuesday Chat Net went okay. Only 5 of us on air tonight. I think I need to move my antenna someplace else and maybe get a better signal.

Tried transmitting on 50.125. Shuts all my USB ports down. And I can hear myself through the speakers. Need more ferrite cores!

Anywho, that’s about it. Got my peas blanched. SWMBO is home safe and reasonably sound. Another hour and I can lay down and read for awhile.

Jul 12

Someone Hacked Our Damned Netflix Account. Lost All My List!

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Sunday. Nice, warm, partially cloudy Sunday. A day to finish the mowing of the back yard. Get out the whack-weeder and do around the house and garden. (What little garden I put in this year.) Whack-weed the walking path around the property. Pick the last of the blue berry’s and the peas that are ripe. (Yummy!) Water everything that needs to be watered. Mowed the upper-back and pet poop yards.

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Someone hacked our Netflix account over the past month. I tried logging on cause I stopped getting discs and wanted to see what’s up. That was what was up! Someone hacked it and changed everything to Spanish, deleted me (and my lists) and added someone called “Kids” and a Streaming Plan at $12/month. Luckily they only got us for a couple of months. But, still. Damn!

So I’ve cancelled the account online cause it’s just easier than trying to get through to a “Service Rep.” I’ll wait a couple of days until my new cards get here then start it again under my name with the new numbers. Then start rebuilding our lists. What a pain!

SWMBO’s Home Teachers came over for their monthly visit. These seem a bit more dedicated than any she’s had the past few years. Nice people. And they don’t stay too long.

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MCARC 2-meter Sunday Evening Chat Net went really well. We had 12 Check-Ins. If not a record then very close to being one. Several of the new Hams (KG’s) managed to join us. That was cool! Afterwards AC7VA (Gary) tried to explain 6-meters to me. It somewhat worked but I still haven’t heard anyone on 6-meters. Tried tuning into the 6-meter repeater in Shelton but didn’t hear anything there either.

Anywho, nice day. Only had to get dressed once (for SWMBO’s visitors). Nothing fell out of the sky and landed on the house, or us. Don’t really have to worry about Tornado’s here.