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@mcdanlj@social.makerforums.info
2026-05-30 01:25:56

Setting up for #HamRadio CQ WPX CW contest, and not1mm wasn't keying my radio. I had this at the beginning of NC QSO party too, and I have no idea whether the problem is in flrig or not1mm.
It seems that some combination of trying to send in fldigi eventually gets something unstuck and then it starts working. But when I finally started sending NR 001 half an hour into the contest,…

@mcdanlj@social.makerforums.info
2026-06-29 00:43:20

Back from my first #HamRadio #FieldDay CW mode captain experience.
We had about 10 Morse code operators, and several more folks listening along from time to time. We were set up with two rigs in two screened pop-up shelters right next to each other, and I had set my hammock u…

Photo of a jumbled pile of chairs, bins, and a tarp-covered table that had shortly before been covered by a pop-up shelter. In the background is an RV with a damaged awning.
Photo showing one pop-up shelter plastered against trees and bushes, and another destroyed.
@mcdanlj@social.makerforums.info
2026-05-27 12:05:30

Last night at our #HamRadio social gathering, I noticed that someone sitting across from me had a sequential call sign that was very close to mine.
When I got my license, there was one person in the room who was testing up from General to Amateur Extra sitting behind me.
Turns out I finally met him last night.

@mcdanlj@social.makerforums.info
2026-06-24 03:01:22

Tonight was my second ever session as a #HamRadio volunteer examiner, and my first as a VE grading exams. We had someone pass all three elements and go straight to Extra! What a treat! 🎉

@mcdanlj@social.makerforums.info
2026-05-27 03:01:10

As of this evening, one more Amateur Extra operator in the family, straight from Technician!
It was fun hearing him hunt POTA with /AE on the end of his call sign and hear the congratulations roll in. ❤️
And as a bonus, another friend and former coworker showed up at our ham club to explore whether ham radio might be a fun hobby to take up. He plans to return! 😀
#HamRadio

@mcdanlj@social.makerforums.info
2026-06-23 12:37:17

Are you in or near #Raleigh North Carolina and in any way curious about #AmateurRadio / #HamRadio? This weekend is our annual joint open house and emergency operations prac…

@mcdanlj@social.makerforums.info
2026-06-19 17:42:51

More #FreeCADFriday now in Friday in my own time zone. I have a fan that I want to make a table stand for to use outside while operating #HamRadio. First I modeled the fan in a silly amount of detail, including the grill, which took some learning, and I'm still pretty sure I d…

Screenshot of unreasonably accurate model of a fan with a grate.
Screen shot of fan in a box to be 3d-printed
Rear view showing grate to keep fingers out
Same rear view, fewer radials
@mcdanlj@social.makerforums.info
2026-05-17 19:00:29

New part coming soon for my #HamRadio Single-paddle #MorseCode key system. This is a base that you can glue magnets into, for using the key on a steel block like the commonly-used jeweler's blocks. Like the rest of my system, it is parametric, designed to be easily modified in FreeCAD. The…

Screen shot of FreeCAD model of morse code key base as described in text. It has twelve holes for installing magnets in. Each hole is highlighted in light blue.
@mcdanlj@social.makerforums.info
2026-05-16 23:02:05

Just finished my first session as a #HamRadio Volunteer Examiner, along with my wife, who is also a new VE. ❤️ About two dozen of the 20 people who had signed up showed up. Some upgrades, and a bunch of folks will get new licenses this next week or so.
It was great seeing some folks try exams that they weren't sure they were ready for, even if they didn't pass this time.
Mak…

@mcdanlj@social.makerforums.info
2026-05-13 20:31:51

In case you are wondering whether NCVEC listens to quality feedback on the #HamRadio question pool, this forum post shows that yes they definitely do!

@mcdanlj@social.makerforums.info
2026-07-12 02:45:56

My #HamRadio adventures today were kind of tame.
I went to a park and tried to make 10 contacts, but only made 8 before an incoming storm looked like it might get too close. This wasn't a failure except by the rules of the game. 🤣
Then this evening I tried hunting the WRTC stations. This is the "…

@mcdanlj@social.makerforums.info
2026-07-13 01:09:16

So... it turns out that one of the downsides of using good noise-cancelling headsets to do morse code #HamRadio is that they cancel the sound of thunder as well as of heavy rain. When I finally saw the lightning, I decided to give the rest of the Slow-Speed conTest a pass this evening.
For those not familiar, this is a weekly morse code practice session where you go slow …

@mcdanlj@social.makerforums.info
2026-05-11 11:20:42

#HamRadio #MorseCode operators, get ready for #CW on ARRL/RAC Field Day! Use

@mcdanlj@social.makerforums.info
2026-05-10 16:40:53

As of today, I'm accredited by Laurel VEC as a Volunteer Examiner. I've been encouraging folks to try #HamRadio so much, it's only fair that I volunteer to help administer tests too. 😁

@mcdanlj@social.makerforums.info
2026-06-04 14:45:43

I'm really hoping that the incoming CME and predicted G3-ish geomagnetic storm subsides before I try to operate NI4BK CW tomorrow evening. 🤞
#HamRadio

@mcdanlj@social.makerforums.info
2026-05-04 20:10:45

Wholesome, low sodium ham content on Reddit! Here's how to meet your neighbors on Reddit! 🙂
#HamRadio

A reddit post asking what his neighbor installed on his roof, with an image of a house with a large Yagi-uda on a rotator.
Response from the owner of the house exactly describing the antenna, and offering a shack tour.
@mcdanlj@social.makerforums.info
2026-05-01 19:22:45

I don't understand why people respond to me on bluesky (thanks to my allowing myself to be federated to bluesky), when they don't allow themselves to be federated from bluesky out to the Fediverse. How do they think I'm going to respond to them?
Almost every recent example has been a #HamRadio post, so — if you see this and have been wondering why I didn't respond to you, please a…