Tootfinder

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 "…

I found another bunch of SWL cards from the 1950s from before my dad got his license and added them to the page:
#hamradio

I wrote a draft of this here, but got tired of searching for it, so I put it on my blog... #MorseCode #HamRadio
https:…

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

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,…

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…

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.

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! 🎉

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…

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…

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…

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…

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!
https://

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 …

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