Finished the build of the Qrp-Labs QDX digital transceiver kit. I must say the instructions are fantastic. And the best part is no magic smoke and both the send and receive sides worked right away on both Mac and RPi. Heard as far as 3,600 miles today via FT8.
Lounging on the back patio to start my day. 75F, sunny. Listening to the music of lawn mowers and enjoying the sweet smell of freshly mowed grass. 👍🏻
Today’s progress included installing 4 transistors, winding a transformer and winding 8 inductors.I think about 150 turns total. I caught a mistake on one inductor and fixed it. Hopefully my only mistake… Could be a bit neater but looks ok so far.
QDX circuit board day 1: 16 capacitors, 6 diodes and 4 inductors soldered so far. It’s gonna be awhile before I know if I made any mistakes.
My desk setup to start the QDX transceiver build. It soon got a lot messier…
My next project is to build a QDX low power digital transceiver from a kit. This is going to require a lot of soldering and provide ample opportunities for me to screw things up.
Lovely sky for this morning’s exercise.
Had to go with a slow, low impact, pace. My knees have not forgiven me for last week’s fall. I fear it will take weeks to really recover.
I primarily use D-Star for world wide digital transmission but there are 2 other popular protocols: DMR and C4FM/Fusion. I got a openSPOT 4 Pro hotspot yesterday which enables my D-Star radios to talk seamlessly with the others. Pretty nifty and the audio reports are all solid.
Follow the bouncing ball. Aka a bit of very casual ping pong after consuming s’mores. 🏓
We’ve been coming to this resort off and on for 15 years. It is a very chill experience for us and the kids started waxing nostalgic ever since we left home to come here. But they’re teens now and I suspect this will be our last visit here.🚙
Following the straight and narrow path.
Note: took this the day before I fell down a few steps. Still in recovery mode but going well.
Whenever I glance at this photo I feel it has an impressionistic look. Unintentional but I like it.
At Georgia Aquarium
Pre-dawn, pre-WWDC, pre-exercise sky. Twas a lovely summer morn to take it all in.
I have wishes for WWDC but I’ve avoided all the predictions. I prefer to just take it in as a spectacle and enjoy anything they announce that appeals to me.
Speaking of endurance: proud of our daughter finishing high school on a high, gettting a good job she loves, registered for college classes (+1 this summer), and to me for finding a used car she loves. Also for finishing the photo challenge. 😉
What swims in the ocean but isn’t a fish?
A lot of things actually. But dolphins are one example (mammals).
The stars and stripes flying over the memorial park. Thanks to all who serve and have served for providing us our freedoms. 🇺🇸
The contrail made me think of a scratch on the lens of an otherwise perfect fair-weather sky.
A rather odd quote written on a bar of soap in my Japanese hotel room a few years ago
I recently scheduled a vacation at a resort near San Antonio. It is a family favorite destination and requested by both the 18 and 13 year olds. But I was shocked at the price. So much higher than in the past. 😳 💴
The desert can be a magical place. Sandia Mountain behind an isolated tree stand supported by a creek. I liked the contrast.
This Lego Technic truck was the most intricate we’ve built. Lots of remote controlled moving parts that were very fussy to install. Even so I still had fun building it with my then 10 yo son.
This morning the dew point was matched the temperature making the sky about as plain as it can be. The humidity was over 99%. My clothes got damp just from moisture in the air.
My wife knitted a combination of yarns into a textile rug. It turned out great!
Symmetry within asymmetry
As is often the case my second beverage of the day is a cup of black tea.
