Tootfinder

@mcdanlj@social.makerforums.info
2025-10-09 02:38:23

Drilling for #AmateurRadio #POTA, I cranked the Morse Walker noise up to "heavy" and was surprised when I heard only one caller when the counter said I had two. The other was literally lost in the noise.…

Morse Walker
Morse Walker is a CW pileup trainer with modes such as POTA, SST, and CWT, plus beginner-friendly features, including adjustable speeds and Farnsworth spacing.

@mcdanlj@social.makerforums.info
2025-10-08 23:40:15

Today is my "hamiversary" — Today last year, the wheels at the FCC turned and I was awarded the #AmateurRadio call sign KZ4LY.
Today I celebrated by going to park US-2755 after work and doing some QRP CW #POTA.
I was in a hurry and missed disconnecting the 20m link on t…

@mcdanlj@social.makerforums.info
2025-10-04 23:37:20

Today's #HamRadio adventures... My oldest and I went to do #POTA together. He's a technician, and 10m was mostly dead where we were, except for a booming SSB QSO with California to a club doing the CA QSO party, so he didn't get his 10 today.
I started running CW QRP (5W) on on 1…

@mcdanlj@social.makerforums.info
2025-09-01 02:40:24

Today's #HamRadio #POTA CW activation of US-3847 Occoneechee Mountain Natural State Conservation Area (four hunting park-to-park QSOs, six running calling CQ) along with tonight's SST together made a milestone for me: Now 75% of all my logged QSOs are Morse code.
I still marvel t…

Map of POTA activations; 7 5W QRP and 3 15W; all CW

Analytics of all my logged QSOs:
FM: 2%
DIGI: 2%
SSB: 20%
CW: 75%

Sorry that doesn't add up to 100%; rounding strikes again.

@mcdanlj@social.makerforums.info
2025-07-31 22:37:12

#HamRadio achievement unlocked!
I have previously successfully activated #POTA parks by "hunting" CW (answering people in other parks calling out to connect to anyone who can hear them), and by calling CQ on SSB (using voice to call out for any station to come back to me) as well…

A map of QSOs (ham conversations) using only 5 watts of power, all done with morse code

Photo of a linked dipole consisting of 33' of RG-316 coax, 26 gauge wire with 2mm bullet connectors as links for 10, 12, 15, 17, 20, 30, and 40 meters, and 5m of 2mm shock cord at the ends of the wires to hold them out. A carabiner is at the top, and the coax is wrapped around a toroid as a common-mode choke where the two legs split. The winder is 3d printed in green ABS plastic.

@mcdanlj@social.makerforums.info
2025-09-28 23:03:42

Today's 5W QRP #HamRadio #POTA activation of US-4857 Jordan Lake Educational State Forest was fun radio therapy. Successful QSOs on 30 meters, 20 meters, and 17 meters. Ironically, I set up a 40m end-fed half-wave antenna, and then only one of the 10 QSOs was on a resonant ban…

Map of the continental US showing the paths for ten morse code conversations using only 5 watts.

Map of part of the northeast US showing 5 watt conversations when I was the one calling CQ (any station).

@mcdanlj@social.makerforums.info
2025-08-24 20:08:06

This afternoon's 10–15W SSB #POTA #HamRadio activation. Three QSOs on 15m including Dominican Republic. Then when I needed just one more QSO to successfully activate US-4857 for my first time, I got Germany with a 33 signal report on 15W. ❤️ Most of the QSOs were on only 10W.

@mcdanlj@social.makerforums.info
2025-09-21 23:51:26

Today I went to Swift Creek Bluffs State Nature Preserve, just a few miles from my house, and stumped up to the ridge for some #POTA #HamRadio therapy. Tossed a 40m EFHW into the twigs and a 13' counterpoise wire over a branch of a nearby sapling, connected to my tiny QRP unun, and hoo…

Map centered on the continental US showing ham radio conversations with QA, AL, QC, WV, CA, CO, FL, LA, MT, KS, MN, NM, UT, and MI

@mcdanlj@social.makerforums.info
2025-07-19 20:13:22

Squeaking in at the end of @… week #HC29S — I played #POTA today, hunting CW park-to-park, to test my new QRP linked …

Map of QSOs on 5–15W of power, on 15m, 20m, and 40m, from Umstead State Park US-2755 near Raleigh, North Carolina

Linked dipole with links for 10, 12, 15, 17, 20, 30, and 40 meters in 24AWG silicone wire, and 5m of 2mm shock cord to pull into an inverted V, with about 30m of RG316 coax with an SMA connector on one end, and a 7-turn common-mode choke / balun wound on a FT82-31 toroid, all mounted to a 5mm-thick 3D-printed winder form. One of the shock cords is wrapped around the winder and coax loop, making a tidy bundle.

@mcdanlj@social.makerforums.info
2025-09-14 20:37:26

Today's 20m #HamRadio #POTA activation of US-3844 Jordan Lake State Recreational Area. The first 10 QSOs (conversations) were 2-operator on SSB with my wife doing her first-ever activation, then once she successfully activated and called it quits, I went on to hunt another 10 park-to-p…

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