Category Archives: Gear

Still fighting the good SDR fight

Posted on July 20, 2011 by robert

In May I acquired a FlexRadio Flex-1500 Software Defined Radio.  While the target market for that device might be the EME/VHF/UHF folks, it caught my attention for two reasons.  First, I have an ongoing interest in DSP and Software Defined … Continue reading →

Posted in From the OM, Gear | 1 Comment

Field Day 2011

Posted on June 27, 2011 by robert

Remembering the fun I had 40 years ago working field day for K4BFT in Huntsville Alabama, and K2AE in Schenectady New York, I figured it might be fun to try my hand at FD again.  I had hoped to contact … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative Power, From the OM, Gear, QRP | Leave a comment

You light up my life…(almost)

Posted on June 21, 2011 by robert

One of the conveniences of the WB4SON Shack (called the “Wombat Room” by family members), is a 40 Amp 12 VDC power bus, normally fed by an Astron linear power supply.  It is also fed by a 110 Amp-Hour deep … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative Power, From the OM, Gear | 2 Comments

Let’s do the power pole polka…

Posted on June 19, 2011 by robert

I can remember looking at Anderson Power Pole connectors when they first came out years ago and thinking they will never sell because there were other products that served a similar purpose and they were ridiculously overpriced.  Yet now I … Continue reading →

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Who does #2 work for…

Posted on April 15, 2011 by robert

I have a horrible habit of putting things into my pocket along with my car keys.  In the case of hand-held radios, the combination of metal keys is a scratch just waiting to happen. Such was the fate of my … Continue reading →

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We’ll have fun, fun, fun till our daddy takes the T-Bird away…

Posted on April 14, 2011 by robert

What do you think of when you hear the word “FunCube”?  If you are a Ham Radio operation then perhaps you might think of the FunCube satellite. But what if you heard the phrase “FunCube Dongle”?  Would you call the … Continue reading →

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The more things change…

Posted on April 1, 2011 by robert

Ever watch the sales and get to the point where you can predict when something is going to be discontinued.  I hate to say it, but I have that feeling in the case of the Kenwood TH-F6A, which has been … Continue reading →

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A lot changes in ten years…

Posted on March 20, 2011 by robert

One of the first things I did after getting back on the air was try to put together a history of sort (the fruits of which can be seen in some of my posts filed under “History”), with an eye … Continue reading →

Posted in Digital Mode, From the OM, Gear | Leave a comment

We will be right back after this word from our sponsors…

Posted on March 20, 2011 by robert

I think a confluence of several things got me to dust off my radio equipment and return to the air in February of 2011 after a decade of inactivity.  First off, I was pretty depressed now that my son was … Continue reading →

Posted in From the OM, Gear, QRP | 2 Comments