Spring about to spring

Boxed up another LoRa 439MHz APRS tracker. External power, GPS antenna and menu control for multiple IDs on this one.

Note to self; don't ever use a QMX+ with a "tuner" in "auto-mode"! It will destroy at least one of the BS170s, cause a short and blow a fuse!

Found a nice combination. A BHI noise cancelling speaker for my QMX+. 3d printed a mount for them.

Left the QMX+ WSPRing on 20m. Struggling to get SSB working properly, lower power out than I'm expecting (< 0.5W). Probably the mic insert I'm using is not quite right. Not a great amount of information about microphones for it. Need to obtain the electret described in the manual Fun though 🙂

Left the QMX+ monitoring 80 and 40m WSPR over night. WSJT-X was controlling the QMX+ alternating between both bands in its band hopping mode. Going to leave monitoring 20, 17, 15 and 10m during the day. SSB tx next job.

QMX+ had to be disassembled 🙁 Low gain on 40m tracked to poor joint on L403. A display corruption issue started to happen. Resolved by reflowing all the joints that are difficult to get at. If you've build one you'll know which ones! All looks very good now 🙂

Calibration tests underway on the QMX+. All seems to match specified parameters so far.

Progress has been made. QMX+ main board with all coils fitted.

First set of coils and pa in place. Surface mount components were already on the board. The unit will be a QMX+ transceiver.

Its that time of year when you can wind 🙂 New Year kit building.

Nearly ready to play Catan. Printed from shared files on Prusa Core One and decorated by me 🙂

Getting ready for bed 🐦 💤

Upgrading a favourite game.

New, to me, FreeDv mode, RADE, works very well. Updated this morning and reception is leagues way from previous versions which were always disappointing with marginal signals. The audio is far more natural. Also like the report functions to see where stations are and their reception levels.

First big failure. Still learning about how to do things 🙂

Blue Tit has been roosting in the bird box most nights for the last week. It really doesn't like the loud fireworks. Looks very unsettled when they go off 🙁

First radio related print. I laid eggs 🙂

Off for a bit of QRP SOTA in GW land tomorrow. See you on the bands if you chase such things...

Thats it. Finished building and testing my 3D printer by printing a tool to help remove other prints 🙂 Didn't know what to expect with such a complex kit that needed to be highly accurate in it's construction. The detailed instructions made this a very enjoyable build.

All tests ticked after a tiny amount of fettling. 3D printer ready to use. Now all I have to do is learn the software 🙂

Another session and now getting very close to completion and calibration.

Very first time I've had a roasting Blue Tit in the nesting box 🙂

Progress being made. Really enjoying the build.

I am building a thing 🙂

Now this is what I call a quartz crystal

Pictures from yesterday's SOTA activation of Corndon Hill (GW/MW-013). I had been trying out a new configuration of my "holiday" antenna, a 1/4 wave "linked" vertical for 20 and 17 metres. Best dx was to Japan on 17. Planned other hills but got invited to a friend's home and got distracted 🙂 #SOTA

🎶 Hello Corndon my old friend. Nice to walk on you again. 🎶 Start of the climb up Corndon Hill (GW/MW-013). Calling SOTA soon 🙂

The world seems very dark and grey at the moment but spring is not far away. Snowdrops are showing and daffodils won't be far behind.

Today's mood.

In Bath for the weekend. Walked the longest publicly accessible tunnel in the UK, the 1672m (just over a mile) Combe Down Tunnel 🙂

Current choice of favourite games. These are all I can get on the shelf 🙂

First time in over 20 years I have no aerials up for bands below 4m. Three main feeds for the antennas at the bottom of the garden were pulled back so they wouldn't get damaged while my fallen tree was removed. Cables are still in perfect condition 🙂

Was told a piece of equipment wouldn't charge batteries anymore. Think it tried a bit too hard 🙂

..... once the correct firmware for the hardware was loaded, and the configuration settings updated, another working Lora APRS has been added to my collection.

First power-up and greeted with what appears to be a bad display. But quickly worked out why.........

Well, hopefully, the New Year will start better than the end of the last. The chest infection and tummy problems I've had over Christmas have started to clear and I can feel a little more positive about recovering some fitness. I hope we can navigate the year ahead safely. Happy New Year.

Eyes not that bad

Been Here

If you were opposite here in October 1988 what were you doing? And if not why?

Tree must have had a late night, not got up yet.

439MHz LoRa APRS i-Gate is now properly boxed. Mobile, portable and home complete and working. Bored now 😉 What next 🤔

Part way through boxing up a 439MHz LoRa APRS tracker for use in my 'van or car.

More spaghetti 🙂 My QO-100 ground station (SG-Labs transverter) had been running with two separate Leo Bodnar GPSDOs for RX and TX since I built it. I've been testing with his new 2 port unit which has far better frequency resolution. Once happy I'll rebox it. #qo-100 #satellite

I really do need to tidy up my mobile 439MHz LoRa tracking set-up if I want to take a passenger 🙂 A suitable box has been ordered.

Starting to build a picture of the common routes, in my reception range, myself and others that are using 439MHz LoRa trackers take.

70cm LoRa APRS users. What antennas are you using? Had a long trip out mobile yesterday and was disappointed in the lack of coverage away from home. Mobile I was using a tiny 1/4 wave mag-mount. Home i-Gate is currently attached to a tri-band vertical above the roof-line.

Writing the January VHF column for Practical Wireless tomorrow. Done anything on VHF/UHF recently? Email me and I’ll include it in the column (email good on QRZ)

Slo-mo showing the reception of a LoRa spread-spectrum APRS beacon chirp.

For my portable 439MHz LoRa APRS tracker I have reused the waterproof box that originally contained a Byonics 144MHz tracker. I had lost interest in APRS on 2m due to poor coverage, but for now, low power LoRa is holding my attention 🙂