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My History in ham radio:
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(top listing is most recent)

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  • 2024/10/19:
    • Connected tuner chassis ground to radio chassis ground.
    • Put fabric ground plane under the 20m hamstick.
    • Manually tuned to best SWR at about 1.5. Pleased. Heard several stations after about 4pm, didn't try to transmit.

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  • 2024/10/17:
    • KE6SLS at Tech Net last night clarified my misperception, explaining that
      the ground/shield connection on the coax is NOT the same as the chassis ground on the radio nor tuner.
      Right now I have the tuner chassis ground connected to the 12v gnd in the back of the 7000.
      Not sure if that's OK or not, but will change it regardless.
    • Awhile ago I bought 100' of RG-8x coax off amazon, good price as usual, but in retrospect looks like you get what you pay for.
      I wanted to make some short 1' jumpers to go between tuner/radio/SWR-meter/antenna-switches.
      I'm comfortable with soldering PL-259 connectors onto coax, (PL-259 connector soldering (link to:)), but ran into a problem with this cheap coax:
      the shield braid, regardless of being advertised as "tinned copper", would not wet/tin, even with liquid flux.
      I don't have tools or connectors to do a crimp connection, so I did the best I could, and they ohmed out OK,
      but surely will fail for oxidation/corrosion sooner or later.

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  • 2024/10/13:
    • Working with the hamstick again.
      Label identifies it as a Lakeview 9120. Doh! it's not 40m but only 20m.
    • Hooked up to NanoVNA with stimulus: 14 MHz - 14.35 MHz: R=52 ohms; L=450 nH, at 14.15 MHz, after calibration,
      but impossibly irregular slope.
      This is with no counterpoise.
    • When the dog laid down across the feedline draped over the floor, readings changed to:
      21 ohm, 2.7 nF
    • Putting the base on a sheet of Faraday cloth, readings changed to:
      68 ohms, 190 nH.
    • Connecting the cloth to the base with a jumper, readings changed to:
      64 ohms, 330 nH,
      SWR 177, only a little slpe3 across the band.

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  • 2024/10/12:
    • Confession and apology for being so poorly disciplined about recording my activities here.
      In fact I've done a lot in the two years since last posting. Impossible to reconstruct all now, but generally:
      • Built a 15' vertical on tripod, copying Kim Owen's (W7PCT) setup for his POTA,
        however I've yet to get a loading coil to make it tunable.
      • Did a lot of work with NanoVNA, mostly fumbling/learning...
      • Got Winlink (at least for telnet) installed on desk computer and on rPi,
        still working on process to get it connected and functioning with my radio for using it on-the-air.
      • Set up LDG tuner and SWR/power meter, connected to HF ant input on 7000
      • Got 40m hamstick out of the attic and connected. Would not tune, surely needs a balun/unun.
    • Found python program to calculate EF antenna lengths. Downloaded.
      Needed matplotlib.
      Installed with:
        $ pip install matplotlib

      but still won't run, says library not found...

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  • 2022/12/15:
    • Built a 10m dipole for attic. NanoVNA says min SWR 2.0 at 26.940MHz. OTOH didn't calibrate the nano before measuring. Will do so and recheck before snipping length. Have heard no signals in the band as is, last night or this morning.

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  • 2022/07/05:
    • Struggled to make 20m hamstick work. Had two radials strung out the window, each about 25' long. But the nanoVNA showed no SWR resonance dips until like 60 MHz.
      But when I pulled the antenna into my shack, sans radials and the 50' LM400 feedline, now I get resonance dips. WTF?
    • Set aside the hamstick and built a dipole that will fit in the second floor. Each leg 17' 5", but through the 50' feedline, nanoVNA says dip at 12.6 MHz, way too low.
      So I started snipping pieces off, about a foot altogether, and got resonant dip up to 13.9 MHz. Still too low, but I tried it.
      When I key the mike, the 7000 showed only a small SWR, but when I spoke, it maxed into 7+.
      Had some extra coax lying on the floor, so spooled it into a coax choke, and lo, now it works, I can key up and speak and SWR on the 7000 stays below 3. Very cool if incomprehensible.

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  • 2022/05/18:
    • Not sure what changed, but I can hit the Stacker repeater again. BFM.
    • Worked with Jaye on Tech Net last night and got Fldigi up and running, including PTT cable. Yay!

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  • 2022/05/16:
    • Have spent a few days trying to get Fldigi working with my SignalLink. Some success on tower, but when I tried to move it to the 4600 I can't get it to transmit. Working...
    • somehow have broken my programming or something on the 7000 and can't hit Stacker. I can hear myself on a Baofeng at 449, but no relay from the repeater. WTF?
      • Checked my ground plane antenna, all seems well.
      • Checked programming and the 100 Hz tone is correct.

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  • 2022/05/12:
    • Hooked up a couple of 25' radials to the 20m HamStick. Used NanoVNA to test. SWR before connecting wires was 6+. Afterwards it dropped to 1.45, though meter on 7000 showed 1 - 3 during transmitting.
      Wires were 18/2 lamp wire, split and hung off the roof in two different directions.
      Lots of static on the band. Did a couple of CQ's on USB at 20w but no response.
    • Scanned the band and found digital signals at 14.072 and 14.046 (clearly a CW signal, but only heard when mode USB selected)
    • Later (19:22) found a USB voice conversation on 14.180. Static still very bad.

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  • 2021/01/20:
    • Update:
      Bought a (go to:) nanoVNA last April. Worked some with it. No major problems.
      Now starting the process of installing (go to:) nanoSaver, the software to accompany it.

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  • 2020/09/01:
    • Have learned how to manually program the Baofengs, and both are functional and hit Stacker with good signals at 5w. Have not tried to install Chirp...
    • Bought a DMR radio, Anytone AT-D578UV-Pro from Colin's estate and have it up and running. (see my DMR pages)

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  • 2020/06/20:
    • Bought a Baofeng UV-5R HT. Deep into learning curve. Have tried to program manually, and semi-successful, though haven't yet figured out how to save to a channel.
    • Borrowed a USB cable from Colin, and downloaded Chirp, which is open-source free software for programming, but still need to get it properly installed on my Linux tower.

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  • 2020/04/09:
    • Received order of PL-259 -to- 3/8x24 fittings. Connected 20M hamstick to HF connector on IC-7000
    • Transmitted a few times, no response. Power and SWR meters glitchy. Back to the manual to figure out what's up.
    • Reduced output power from 85% to 40%.

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  • 2020/04/04:
    • Making incremental progress getting the 20M hamstick set up for a test:
      Ordered a mag-mount and some fittings.
      ARRL band-plan says 14.286 is "AM calling frequency"
      My General license can use: 14.225 - 14.350 MHz
    • However I don't seem to have an "AM" mode on my IC-7000, only CW, USB, & FM ...
      [04/06 edit: Paul says the radio is capable of it, but it's just not programmed onto the screen.
            He also cautioned that the radio will get hot using AM over about 25 watts]

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  • 2020/04/03:
    • On a roll here. Local hams cleaning out their garages. Got two more antennas, 20M and 80M hamsticks from Paul N7JPF.
    • The 20M is labeled: " 9120 / Lakeview Co Inc" with address & partial ph# in So Carolina
    • The 80M is labeled: "75M HF Mobile Antenna"
    • Also got a Yaesu YS-60 SWR & Power meter

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  • 2020/04/02:
    • Gave up on WinLink after awhile. Surely will get back to it eventually, but off on other things for now.
    • Have been successfully checking in to Monday night net on Stacker without issue for several weeks now. Learning curve, I guess.
    • Just scored two new antennas from Jerry Cork K7HG
      • LnR Precision Inc EF-10/20/40 Mk2 - 25w max
      • MyAntennas.com EFHW-8010-1k end-fed half wave for 80M - 10M

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  • 2020/01/20:
    • Still hammering on trying to get WinLink set up. Long learning curve. See Winlink Blog for long story. Short story is I think I've discovered that in addition to the SignaLink hardware, I need something like SoundModem software, though just recently discovered DireWolf software might be an alternative. Still pounding on it...

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  • 2020/01/16:
    • Have had trouble being heard on Monday night net a couple of times. Once I had bumped the freq knob and put myself off freq. But this week I'm pretty sure I was dialed in correctly, but nothing.
    • I've been trying to get WinLink set up (see my WinLink blog for details), and have a SignaLink USB box connected to my radio, and even though it wasn't powered on (ie. wasn't connected to PC), I wonder if that might have been the problem, though I could still be in learning curve for selecting the pre-programmed freq from memory.
    • In any case, today I unplugged the SignaLink from the radio, and re-selected Stacker at: " C2 1* " (ie Not just " C2 ") and somebody (Brent I think) responded. Cool.

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  • 2019/08/24: Volunteered and was accepted to present a tech session at October GEAR meeting on Arduino/microcontrollers. Have been drafting it.
         Moved antenna to attic and all works. Using 50' of LMR-400 coax. Hit Stacker and Juniper Pt.

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  • 2019/08/19: Forgot to move the antenna when I checked in at Monday net, and glitched things again. I will need to test more to be sure, but I think it just glitches off the monitor. Not sure, though.

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  • 2019/08/17: Moved antenna across room (still only about 8' away from computer and monitor), and tried some test transmissions, and everything kept running. Yay.

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  • 2019/08/14: Connected with Colin on Stacker, then switched over to my new MFJ-1729 antenna, just received today, and signal even a little better according to Colin. But then tried to hit Mt. Defiance at 147.100 and couldn't get a response.
         An odd thing, but it appeared that having the antenna in the room with me, about 3' away from my computer, glitched it and shut it down. Had to power down and re-boot to get it back. Clearly will need to move the antenna elsewhere.

    • ---------------

  • 2019/08/11: Talked to Colin again, this time with rig inside. Connected on Stacker just fine, but I couldn't hear him on 2m, though he could hear me just fine.
         Picked his brain on battery info that he used for his go-box.

    • ---------------

  • 2019/08/10: Checked in to Monday night net this and last week on Stacker. All worked. Yay!
         That said, I could not connect to the 2m repeater on 146.74 (Haystack).
         About 8pm moved back out to the coach (that has a decent groundplane in the metal roof) and connected with Colin on Stacker, then moved to 146.52 simplex and that worked too (First Simplex Contact!), though there was some white noise in his signal (he's in Mosier), though he said I was loud and clear.
         Ordered a mag mount antenna - MFJ-1729.

    • ---------------

  • 2019/07/27: Took rig to coach, grounded it to frame, antenna on roof, and still no response from Stacker until I got through the menu to find the C2 calling freq that had the codes programmed. Worked! And Paul N7JPF responded - My First Contact!
         Later brought it back inside and, using C2 calling freq, got through again. Talked to Paul.

    • ---------------

  • 2019/07/25: Set it up in my shack but could not get response from Stacker. Using a mag mount 2m antenna Paul loaned me, just sitting on a table, but suspect without a ground plane of some kind it's just not getting out.
         Going through the manual and starting the Huge learning curve. Managing to do some things: set local time; set display parameters; now experimenting with scanning on 2m.

    • ---------------

  • 2019/07/24: My radio is here! Got it set up and running at Paul's, using his outside antenna. Hit Stacker. All is well.

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  • 2019/07/14: Been distracted/pulled-away with other projects, so no work being done. OTOH it's looking like the IC-7000 from Paul will happen, likely within a couple of weeks. :-)

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  • 2019/06/28: Still struggling without success to get SDR working. Bought two more, different models, but have not tried them yet...

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  • 2019/06/22: WARS/GEAR field day at Sorosis. Not a lot of people, but fun and learned a lot. Paul may be able to find me an IC-7000 used.

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  • 2019/06/18: Vanity call sign Approved!: KJ7TTT (13 business days!)

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  • 2019/06/17: Incremental progress with SDR. Have SDR# installed on Windows tower, however it's not working, and gqrx mostly installed on Linux laptop, but it's not working either. Still researching.

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  • 2019/06/11: Continuing Java study with SDR tutorial.

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  • 2019/06/09: Continuing Java study and researching for first radio.

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  • 2019/05/29: I'm Licensed!!!
    8 business days from exam
    KJ7GUT - a candidate for a vanity sign if ever there was one ...
         Submitted Vanity call sign request for KJ7TTT
    Answer should be available in 18 business days, June 25 (June 11 will be 8 bus days...).

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  • 2019/05/28: Received Alinco power supply. I like it.

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  • 2019/05/25: Java study continuing. Struggling with Packages and Directory structure.

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  • 2019/05/23: Finally got Java installed on Linux Dell Precision. Had to abandon version 12 and go back to 8. In any case, I can compile and execute now!
         Ordered power supply: Alinco DM-30 from Gigaparts
         Received SDR!

    • ---------------

  • 2019/05/22: Just starting this Blog today. So to bring it up to date:
         I'm still watching the FCC database to see when my license is posted. Antici ... ... pation.
         Previous to passing the tests on the 18th, I'd been introduced to the world of SDR's by one of the GEAR members. So I started researching and studying. That led me to this great tutorial - G0KLA (link 3) That led me (falling deep into the rabbit hole...) to the fact that I needed proficiency in java. I've done some Python with the raspberry Pi, but no java to date. So I'm now starting that learning curve process.
         After passing the license exam on the 18th, I ramped up what had previously just been a toe-in-the-water effort to research hardware, and I started collecting options and pros & cons for transceivers, antennas, and power supplies. See: GetMeOnline for latest.

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  • 2019/05/18: see: My History in ham radio
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