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CQ 2026! :D #AmateurRadio #HamRadio

Neil E. Hodges

2025-12-28 02:30:20


Don't you love when it's time for the antennas to all come into bloom? :3

In all seriousness, it's awesome to be back on the airwaves after all this time, and 2-meter is a great place to start! 👍

#AmateurRadio #HamRadio

Capacitive hat on top of a 2m J-pole that looks like a flower
NanoVNA: all of 2m has SWR < 2

#hamradio #amateurradio

Don't you love when it's time for the antennas to all come into bloom? :3

In all seriousness, it's awesome to be back on the airwaves after all this time, and 2-meter is a great place to start! 👍

#AmateurRadio #HamRadio

Capacitive hat on top of a 2m J-pole that looks like a flower
NanoVNA: all of 2m has SWR < 2
#hamradio #amateurradio

Our cats gave us a nice Christmas present yesterday. :3

Yep. :/

:( #Seattle
#Seattle

Is Pam Bondi Trump's Bonzi Buddy? :P

The cables are good! :D

Finally done making these things.  I had no trouble getting all of the center conductors' strands into the SMA pins this time. 👍

(It only took so long because of the courier. I hate online shopping now. >:( )

#AmateurRadio #HamRadio

#hamradio #amateurradio

You know my vote. :(

Sometimes pre signals still work better than path signals. :3 #OpenTTD
#openttd

Guess we aren't allowed to forget our UPS passwords anymore. :/

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You know how the tech industry works. :/

. @clover got me this nice tool chest for Christmas and I just finished putting some polyurethane casters on it. :D
@clover

Made my first SMA cables today. It was pretty challenging because they are so small and it was my first time making them. I hope I didn't mess up. :( #AmateurRadio #HamRadio
#hamradio #amateurradio

. @clover and I made a delicious rib roast for #Thanksgiving because I don't like turkey very much. (She likes it more than I do so I got her a slab of turkey breast from a local supermarket.) #cooking
Rib roast
My complete plate. (I had the salad she made in another bowl.)
#cooking #thanksgiving @clover

Counterpoint:

Anthropy

2025-11-22 21:36:21


I had a silly idea

#forb #fox


Microsoft is a corporation that turns “Microsoft CEO claims 30% of all its new code is written by AI” into “Windows 11 Update KB5063878 Reportedly Causing SSD Failures”
Microsoft is a corporation that turns “Microsoft CEO claims 30% of all its new code is written by AI” into “Windows 11 update breaks localhost, prompting mass uninstall workaround”
Microsoft is a corporation that turns “Microsoft CEO claims 30% of all its new code is written by AI” into “Microsoft finally admits almost all major Windows 11 core features are broken”

Speaking of 1.25m, check out what just showed up yesterday. :O

I've never seen TNC connectors in person before. :P

#AmateurRadio #HamRadio

50W 1.25m transverter from Q5 Signal and Down East Microwave. It accepts a 10m signal and upconverts it to 1.25m.
Rear of the transverter, showing the BNC and TNC ports among others.
#hamradio #amateurradio

Going to put together my first full loop antennas soon. 👀 #AmateurRadio #HamRadio
#hamradio #amateurradio

Microsoft is a corporation that turns "Microsoft CEO claims 30% of its new code is written by AI" into "Windows 11 Update KB5063878 Reportedly Causing SSD Failures"
Microsoft is a corporation that turns "Microsoft CEO claims 30% of its new code is written by AI" into "Windows 11 update breaks localhost, prompting mass uninstall workaround"

Folks have been aware of this round-tripping for a long time. :/

I want an ICOM IC-705 for our car. :( #AmateurRadio #HamRadio
#hamradio #amateurradio

It's doing what it's supposed to do, but I need to add a variable capacitor to compensate for the added inductive reactance.
Decent impedance match @ 50 MHz (X = 32.61 + j3.152Ω); SWR = 1.544)
Dipole resonant frequency @ 52 MHz (X = 15.55 + j26.44Ω); requires compensation for the inductive ractance added by the autotransformer

Deep Thoughts — Litterbox Comics

Let's see if this autotransformer works. #AmateurRadio #HamRadio

Neil E. Hodges

2025-11-16 05:28:45


All that work to build a parallel coax transformer and it still doesn't cover the whole 6m band. :(

I don't know why, but this LMR-240-75 was way harder to strip and break out into terminals than normal 50Ω LMR-240 is. :/

#AmateurRadio #HamRadio

Parallel coax transformer to step the impedance down by half, for 6m
NanoVNA: SWR of 1.048 @ 51.7 MHz, but the SWR dip doesn't cover the entire 50-54 MHz band

#hamradio #amateurradio

All that work to build a parallel coax transformer and it still doesn't cover the whole 6m band. :(

I don't know why, but this LMR-240-75 was way harder to strip and break out into terminals than normal 50Ω LMR-240 is. :/

#AmateurRadio #HamRadio

Parallel coax transformer to step the impedance down by half, for 6m
NanoVNA: SWR of 1.048 @ 51.7 MHz, but the SWR dip doesn't cover the entire 50-54 MHz band
#hamradio #amateurradio

Busy busy. :3 #OpenTTD
#openttd

The more advanced order stuff in #OpenTTD sure is nice. :3
OpenTTD screenshot: Orders for a train featuring conditional orders and refitting to available cargo
OpenTTD: Cargo for the same train right before hitting its first major unloading point
#openttd

👍 Resonant frequency
👎 Radiation resistance

#AmateurRadio #HamRadio

#hamradio #amateurradio

Parallel coax impedance transformers work so well! :D

Every church needs its own oilfield! :P #OpenTTD
#openttd

Vance really is acting like he's this. :P

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