Jim
@k4sgp.bsky.social
EE, amateur radio, roller skating, backpacking, social dancing, and other random interests.
My snow covered transmission line running to the doublet in the backyard. It's so pretty lol. Works just fine like this too.
If you've made a contact to my ham radio station when I'm at home, I was using this setup!
If you've made a contact to my ham radio station when I'm at home, I was using this setup!
February 20, 2025 at 4:17 PM
My snow covered transmission line running to the doublet in the backyard. It's so pretty lol. Works just fine like this too.
If you've made a contact to my ham radio station when I'm at home, I was using this setup!
If you've made a contact to my ham radio station when I'm at home, I was using this setup!
The balun had also been removed. I think they probably considered it junk and scavenged it for the core. Likely why there are two in the collection.
Everything else seemed to be okay, so I had a go at repairing it. Especially because I happened to have a match for the cap on hand.
Everything else seemed to be okay, so I had a go at repairing it. Especially because I happened to have a match for the cap on hand.
February 19, 2025 at 2:34 PM
The balun had also been removed. I think they probably considered it junk and scavenged it for the core. Likely why there are two in the collection.
Everything else seemed to be okay, so I had a go at repairing it. Especially because I happened to have a match for the cap on hand.
Everything else seemed to be okay, so I had a go at repairing it. Especially because I happened to have a match for the cap on hand.
A friend, who knew I was into ham radio, gifted me some old equipment they had in storage under a house. It included two MFJ 949 tuners but one of them wouldn't really tune. The SWR meter never dipped below 3:1.
Opened it up and found a 33pF 1kV cap had blown.
Opened it up and found a 33pF 1kV cap had blown.
February 19, 2025 at 2:34 PM
A friend, who knew I was into ham radio, gifted me some old equipment they had in storage under a house. It included two MFJ 949 tuners but one of them wouldn't really tune. The SWR meter never dipped below 3:1.
Opened it up and found a 33pF 1kV cap had blown.
Opened it up and found a 33pF 1kV cap had blown.
Ellie is quite comfortable hanging out around my shoulders now.
February 12, 2025 at 12:44 AM
Ellie is quite comfortable hanging out around my shoulders now.
I was playing around making a proof of concept loop antenna and made a CW contact to Georgia from Ohio.
It's made from some 16 AWG wire taped to dowels. It's fed using a ferrite transformer. Using a junk box air variable cap it resonates from 8 to about 25 MHz.
It's made from some 16 AWG wire taped to dowels. It's fed using a ferrite transformer. Using a junk box air variable cap it resonates from 8 to about 25 MHz.
February 7, 2025 at 4:35 PM
I was playing around making a proof of concept loop antenna and made a CW contact to Georgia from Ohio.
It's made from some 16 AWG wire taped to dowels. It's fed using a ferrite transformer. Using a junk box air variable cap it resonates from 8 to about 25 MHz.
It's made from some 16 AWG wire taped to dowels. It's fed using a ferrite transformer. Using a junk box air variable cap it resonates from 8 to about 25 MHz.
I've been training Ellie to be a shoulder cat recently. Usually she's around the back of my neck, but today she decided to be on one shoulder like a parrot.
January 29, 2025 at 3:16 AM
I've been training Ellie to be a shoulder cat recently. Usually she's around the back of my neck, but today she decided to be on one shoulder like a parrot.
Got out with a friend during the most recent snow storm to activate a park for Parks on The Air/POTA.
I'm often surprised at the contacts that even a low hung antenna can enable.
I'm often surprised at the contacts that even a low hung antenna can enable.
January 24, 2025 at 2:31 PM
Got out with a friend during the most recent snow storm to activate a park for Parks on The Air/POTA.
I'm often surprised at the contacts that even a low hung antenna can enable.
I'm often surprised at the contacts that even a low hung antenna can enable.