Category Archives: From the OM

Scratching the Itch…

Posted on November 29, 2015 by robert

Putting together a Doppler antenna switch for fox hunting (Handi-Finder) reminded me how fun making things can be.  It’s been many years since I’ve built a radio kit, and I’ve been itching to feel that “glow” you get when you … Continue reading →

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Knot Good

Posted on October 19, 2015 by robert

Speaking of JOTA… When putting a dipole up in the air (thank you Willy, W1LY), its a good idea to have two spools of cord — one per end.  During Field Day, we killed off one of my 1000 foot … Continue reading →

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Teaching a large Technician Class in Foster RI

Posted on September 17, 2015 by robert

I’ve been teaching Technician classes for about four years now as a way of paying back the ham Elmers who started me on this path 46 years ago.  My usual class size is typically about a dozen, and I’ve been doing … Continue reading →

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Speaking of FUNcube-1: Certificate and QSL Now Available

Posted on July 29, 2015 by robert

AMSAT-UK announced that a ‘Certificate of Achievement’ and/or a amateur radio style ‘QSL’ card for FUNcube-1 are now available online.  Assuming that you’ve entered at least one telemetry report into the data warehouse, then you can print them yourself here: http://amsatuk.me.uk/on/funcube_qsl.php  

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Satellite Uplink Calibration

Posted on June 25, 2015 by robert

I finally had some time to ensure that my SatPC32 program was correctly calibrated to my Icom IC-9100 when using any of the three available linear transponder satellites.  While SatPC32 deals with doppler corrections (assuming the PC Clock is accurately set … Continue reading →

Posted in Contests, From the OM, Satellite | 2 Comments

Momento for W1AW/1 RI Operation

Posted on June 12, 2015 by robert

When I checked the mail today, I was pleasantly surprised to find a small desk plaque commemorating my participation this past year as a W1AW/1 – RI station.  They mounted a centennial and W1AW challenge coin into an engraved case … Continue reading →

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Worked All W1AW Plaque Arrives

Posted on June 11, 2015 by robert

Yesterday a box that was about a cubic foot showed up on my doorstep.  Expecting something heavy I almost tossed it over the roof when I picked it up — it weighed less than 2 pounds.  I didn’t recognize the … Continue reading →

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First Bureau QSL Cards Arrive

Posted on March 25, 2015 by robert

Since getting back on the air in Feb of 2011, I have sent off three sets of six envelopes to my QSL bureau in Jan of 2012, Jan of 2013 and Jan of 2015.  Up until yesterday, I’ve never received … Continue reading →

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Thank you snow!

Posted on March 5, 2015 by robert

In a way, I got back into the hobby in 2011 due to several huge back-to-back snowstorms.  I had bad cabin fever, and that drove me get back on the air just to have something to do other than working … Continue reading →

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1,444 Days Later…Am I a REAL DXer?

Posted on February 26, 2015 by robert

On February 12, 2011, I worked Rob, Vy2SS, a Canadian station — my second contact and my first “DX” since restarting the hobby in 2011.  It wasn’t really my first DX contact, I had worked a couple as a Novice back … Continue reading →

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