Author Archives: robert

What a Beautiful Sight!

Posted on October 23, 2024 by robert
Posted in Weather | Leave a comment

Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS

Posted on October 16, 2024 by robert

This is seriously off topic, but there was good viewing of comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS about an hour after local sunset here in Rhode Island tonight.  It was fairly easy to find using a smartphone camera, but I had to wait a … Continue reading →

Posted in From the OM | Leave a comment

Spectacular Auroral Display

Posted on October 11, 2024 by robert

Solar Cycle 25 has been an exciting one for sure, with many X-level solar flares and a few excellent opportunities for those of us who live around 41 degrees latitude to see auroral activity. This past week several notable flares … Continue reading →

Posted in Aurora, Propagation, Solar Cycles | Leave a comment

CWT #120 (Gold) Completed at 19:04Z

Posted on October 2, 2024 by robert

After making my first 10 contacts, I officially completed CWT #120 for 2024. Completing CWT #120 was my last remaining goal for 2024. Hunt 1500+ POTA parks Do at least one activation with the Elecraft KH1 hand-held QRP rig Give … Continue reading →

Posted in CWops, CWT, Goals | Leave a comment

POTA Activation Silver Springs US-10547

Posted on October 1, 2024 by robert

Maybe it is the magic of a new month, or perhaps the cooler days, but today felt like an excellent day for an activation.  Silver Springs park is just a few miles from my home, and has a couple of … Continue reading →

Posted in Activation, CW, POTA, QSL | Leave a comment

Activated a Hamshack Hotline Phone

Posted on October 1, 2024 by robert

There is a group of hams that have formed a global PBX called Hamshack Hotline, that allows hams to use VOIP phones to connect to each other.  The service is free (donations are encouraged). After checking their website, it appeared … Continue reading →

Posted in HSHL, VOIP | Leave a comment

Hunted K4NYM 500 Times

Posted on October 1, 2024 by robert

During the summer months, Bill Brown K4NYM, wasn’t on nearly as often as before – perhaps avoiding the heat, or dodging the many storms that Florida has endured.  Even so, Bill and I worked each other 500 times.  100 of … Continue reading →

Posted in Hunter, POTA | Leave a comment

Yet another POTA Award

Posted on September 24, 2024 by robert

The Parks on the Air program really works hard to keep folks engaged.  One of the way they do this is by having an unbelievable array of different awards.  About a month ago, I earned my first “Eagles Nest Award”, … Continue reading →

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Updating MagTag WX for OpenWeatherMap API 3.0

Posted on September 9, 2024 by robert

A couple of years ago, I put an Adafruit MagTag Weather display together.  The MagTag was a fairly inexpensive CircuitPython device with an eInk display and built-in WiFi.  It used a free (at that time) service called OpenWeatherMap API Within … Continue reading →

Posted in Projects, Weather | Leave a comment

N5J Contact on 17m FT8

Posted on August 18, 2024 by robert

I’ve been casually looking for N5J on Jarvis Island for the past week or so.  I heard them once on 12m CW early on, and have seen many spots.  Since my operating time has mostly been between local noon and … Continue reading →

Posted in DX, FT8, Propagation | Leave a comment