Colin M1BUU

Low effort lunchtime SOTA. Cardputer does the QSOs and logging whilst I eat snacks.

Enjoyed playing with SD Kez this morning. 😀

I'm hoping bringing our Standard home soon. A couple of hours were spent fettling yesterday.

I can assure you that it's a normal sized, average pencil. Here is the same pencil next to my Morse key.

Trying out Mini-FT8 V1.3.2 today. 6 QSOs in the automatic log.

Had a QMX+ on my bench last week, I had to update the QLG3 GPS as it had the date rollover issue. The firmware fought me too, bricked on first try, had to do hardware reset. This week I've had a regular QMX build on the bench.

GitHub - wcheng95/Mini-FT8: Mini FT8 on M5 Cardputer for portable operations Mini FT8 on M5 Cardputer for portable operations. Contribute to wcheng95/Mini-FT8 development by creating an account on GitHub.

github.com/wcheng95/Min...

The Cardputer managed 2 FT8 QSOs by itself. I switched to FT8TW on my phone to compare and the phone was definitely better. I need more time operating the Cardputer and I'm sure the firmware will improve. Maybe setting the system time via GPS will improve things.

Trying FT8 with my QMX and Cardputer from Whernside G/NP-004 earlier.

Ha! These are T37 toriods, not exactly huge! I do use T30, T25 and FT23 in my RockMites occasionally though.

QMX+

Mmmmmm, doughnuts!

All those kinds of rigs with parallel BS170 PAs are sensitive to VSWR excursions. The absolute worst thing you can do is tweak an ATU with the rig at full power. Either use an attenuator (e.g QRPOMETER) or reduce the rig supply voltage to tune up and then increase the supply voltage once tuned.

My QMX has been fine, I haven't tripped the SWR protection with the latest firmwares - I think the default was put up to 3:1. I run either a home made dipole or home made 7MHz EFHW on 40m and 20m.

Great to catch up with Trainee Search Dog Jura at Kendal Mountain Festival today. It was meeting Jura last year that inspired me to volunteer with my local MRSDE group as a 'body'.

Drove to Barnard Castle this morning. 👀

This Traveller was good only for scrap or total rebuild. The original engine did come back to life with a replacement cylinder head which happened to be laying around. The engine was sold for project funds.

It's not stupid fast, but it can keep up with modern traffic. With the six speed box it cruises on the motorway with ease. Yes, the brakes are good and the mass is low anyway.

Yeah, a little bit more up to date to make it usable. I tripped the engine management light yesterday, looks like we'll have to plug into the OBD port again.

No need for a key, no clockwork in this Moggy. 1.8l VVC twin cam provides the go.

AA batteries are generally a poor power source, but they'd probably work to some extent. A lipo battery and charger would be a good investment and needn't cost an arm and a leg.

150 mile road trip over Shap yesterday, just for fun!

3S lipo 2200mAh, it's just a nice size and lasts for a long time.

It was a bit cloudy yesterday.

YouTube video by EA2BD M1BUU/P in Mt. High Willhays

Ignacio, EA2BD, captured my CW from northern Spain today.

Seems to have been flying ant day on High Willhays G/DC-001 today. 11 QSOs in the bag using my old MTR2B.

Pencil for scale. (Haven't been food shopping yet, so no banana available.)

This pop aisle in Oban Lidl looks very different to the one in the Lancaster store!

It hasn't rained, but millions of wee beasties have descended on Coll

Yesterday was very hot, today was warm but cloudy.