Author Archives: robert

A charger for LiFePO4 batteries

Posted on February 11, 2021 by robert

In an earlier post, I described a rather inexpensive 16 AH LiFePO4 battery.  I’ve used that for my last three activations, and so far it works as expected.  A few folks have asked me “What charger do I use?”.  I … Continue reading →

Posted in Battery, LiFePO4 | 2 Comments

10 year old LiFePO4 battery still going strong

Posted on January 21, 2021 by robert

I purchased my first LiFePO4 battery a decade ago from a company called K2 Energy (still in business today).  It was the same size as a 7 AH Lead Acid battery, but 1/3 the weight with a 9.6 AH rating.  … Continue reading →

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An inexpensive LiFePO4 battery for POTA Activations

Posted on January 20, 2021 by robert

I’ve been a HUGE fan of BioEnnoPower LiFePO4 batteries and have been using three of their devices for many years.  I had put together a presentation for my radio club (Newport County Radio Club) suggesting a couple of configurations of … Continue reading →

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POTA Activation K-6979 Arcadia Wildlife Management Area

Posted on October 19, 2020 by robert

While Rhode Island is sort of small (Yellowstone can hold TWO Rhode Islands), it is a beautiful place, and is currently host to forty Parks On The Air entities.  One of them, Arcadia Wildlife Management Area covers a broad area … Continue reading →

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Use a 2mm Allen Wrench for HamSticks

Posted on October 12, 2020 by robert

I have a number of HamStick antennas that I use with my Truck.  Over time, I’ve lost every one of the little pesky Allen Wrenches that they come with, and couldn’t find the size listed anywhere on the web. I … Continue reading →

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The year that won’t end

Posted on September 19, 2020 by robert

Pandemic, social unrest, political unrest, unbelievable fires, running out of names for Tropical Storms, even a plague of locusts, and there is still another quarter of 2020 to go!  Nevertheless, I’m very grateful to have Amateur Radio as a hobby … Continue reading →

Posted in 160-Meters, Awards, COVID-19, DX, Education, Goals, Satellite | Leave a comment

Solar Cycle 25 OFFICIALLY Underway

Posted on September 15, 2020 by robert

NASA and NOAA made the announcement earlier today: Solar Cycle 25 is underway, with Cycle 24 ending in December of 2019.  Their best estimate is that it will be similar to Cycle 24, so nothing to write home about, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Propagation, Solar Cycles | Leave a comment

When Trees Aren’t Our Friends

Posted on August 8, 2020 by robert

A number of years ago, I wrote that hams often view trees as an enemy, preventing us from getting antennas up in the air, or interfering with satellite and VHF/UHF communication.  I suggested that we could alter our perspective and … Continue reading →

Posted in Antennas, Weather | 1 Comment

Another Field Day Completed

Posted on June 28, 2020 by robert

Field Day 2020 is now in the log.  As so many others did, I operated from home, class 1E, aggregating my score with Newport County Radio Club. Good thing I spent a bunch of time on my bonus points, because … Continue reading →

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Updating AMBE Server Firmware

Posted on June 10, 2020 by robert

The latest version of the AMBE 3000 Server is located here:  http://ambeboard.zumradio.com/firmware/ That zip file contains the “zumambev1.3.bin” firmware as well as the program used to upload to the ESP32 chip on the board. Open Device Manger and observe what … Continue reading →

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