Matt M0PUH @m0puh@mastodon.radio

Finally got my Pi synced to the PPS pin on the GPS I plugged into it. It's currently indoors with a small ceramic antenna, but works.

Software is gpsd and chrony, hardware is a cheap ublox board with a hirose u.fl connector and a patch antenna, soon to be replaced with a chinese outdoor antenna.

The Pi is a model b, configured to use the standard UART (ttyS0) not the better one (ttyACM0), but that might need to change.

I think it'll be cool to add a little display with position/clock info.

Our stall at Westrally was busy! Manning it was good fun and stopped me buying too much junk.

Most interest was in G0VFS’ paddles but nobody bought them 💁🏼‍♂️

Looking forward to Westrally (https://westrally.weebly.com/) tomorrow, in Frome.

I plan to help out on the T&DARC (https://sites.google.com/view/tdarc/home) stall so it should be a fun day!

#amateurradio #hamradio

Whoops, that last but was supposed to be the image description. Not sure what I did there.

Frank (G4YXS) holding a t shaped wooden antenna. The antenna is a dipole made of coax!

Had a lot of fun on the club’s fox hunt last night. It was my first, so I basically went to see how it worked. My team failed (mostly due to a lack of decent gear I reckon) but I will know what to do next time! First on the list is getting my tape measure antenna working.

Looking forward to it!

#hamradio #amateurradio

The RSGB has relaunched RadCom basics: https://www.rsgbshopping.org/public_html/acatalog/RadCom-Basics.html

For some reason they have done it using their crufty and ancient online store!

#hamradio #amateurradio #rsgb

I highly recommend the Ham Radio & Electronics Stackoverflow weekly newsletters.

They bundle up the top questions each week and mail them out, which makes for a quick and easy way to learn a few interesting things.

To signup, go to your SO account (on any instance) find your profile and navigate to newsletters.

https://ham.stackexchange.com/users/email/newsletters/<your-user-id>

#hamradio #electronics #amateurradio

This double sideband TRX kit looks like fun, and not too expensive: https://www.dk9jc.de/blog/equipment/180-d4d-dsb-transceiver-kit-for-digital-mode-for-only-39-95

A bit like a useful version of the RSGB's PSK receiver kit perhaps.

#hamradio #amateurradio

(I don't remember where I found DK9JC's blog, but it's worth subscribing.)

It is proven! I am mpf on Keybase: https://keybase.io/mpf/sigchain#8cdc9fffaf805595458fe5e1c0b41fe2fcc54c3ce128b2607b1301b3f27231d30f

There's 15% off "Tech & Appliances" on eBay UK at the moment with a coupon code (PLUGIN15).

This includes the Radio Communication category!

See https://www.ebay.co.uk/b/Electronics/bn_7000259660

#amateurradio #hamradio

UK radio amateurs: how does licensing for portable repeaters work? Is it the same as for fixed repeaters?

I'm curious because some foundation license holders I know want to make a low power portable repeater using back to back HTs and I think they almost certainly aren't allowed but I can't find anything obvious in the license terms about it.

#hamradio #amateurradio

Interesting to see the news about the new SDR based Elecraft K4: https://elecraft.com/products/k4-transceiver

The back panel looks absolutely jam packed! And there will be a solderless kit!
#amateurraduo #hamradio #sdr

Been busy with other stuff recently so not done much radio/electronics but I made this BNC patch cable for @2w0kpf last night.

Pretty pleased with how it turned out.

Crimp connectors are great once you get the hang of them!

#hamradio #amateurradio

Haha, someone tuned a bowl of Custard and made some FT8 QSOs: https://michaelcullen.name/2019/04/custard-antenna/

#hamradio #amateurradio #custard

This looks like a cool way to prototype using SMD parts: https://www.g8jnj.net/SMD%20PCB.png

He's using kapton tape stuck on a PCB as a heat-proof mask, then sticking copper tape on top of that to make interconnects.

This gem popped up on RSGBTech in the midst of a discussion of the current Amateur Radio exams! https://groups.io/login?r=%2Fg%2FRSGBTechnical%2Fmessage%2F48564

#electronics #hamradio #amateurradio