A Diary of Technology Pursuits
The RT-424 is a 4.5 foot tall roof-mounted tower for rotatable antennas. As I have heard, this looks like a nice product but the instructions leave something to be desired - something HUGE. Here are a few notes and warnings from my assembly process. Things you MUST know: There are 28 bolts, and eight of... Continue Reading →
After using some DXDUSB prototypes with DX Doubler SO2R boxes for several months, I finally got around to completing the PC Board layout for the next version. This one will add some power conditioning and choice of operation from +5 or +12 VDC. It also should be able to survive use in a Mobile environment... Continue Reading →
I have been looking at a way to get a Yagi on my roof. No room for a big tower at my QTH, but something on the roof is within reason. I have been looking at the Glen Martin Roof Towers, particularly the smaller Glen Martin RT-424 Roof Tower. It is a 4.5 foot tall,... Continue Reading →
DXDUSB Development Status I have had some requests to provide DXDUSB prototypes to couple people. The latest prototype (Protot3) is still very rough. I have a couple in ongoing testing and they seem to be working well. However, these are very rough - assembly is hand soldered wires attached to the Arduino board. While I... Continue Reading →
I have been working on a USB-only interface for the Top Ten Devices DX Doubler for some time. I recently completed the 3rd generation prototype. This is still a prototype - it uses a very small Arduino board with attached wires, but it is shoved into a nice small Ethernet drop-box enclosue. This version has... Continue Reading →
I went mobile again for the 2016 Virginia QSO Party, using the callsign KT4KA. I use that callsign so as not to confuse everyone when calling CQ (with my normal "3"call). The goal this year was to beat last year, and hopefully win the Mobile all-Band category. No matter what happens, this is always enjoyable.... Continue Reading →
As I try to continually improve my Station, I keep coming back to the antennas. I have a couple very nice Radios, but I am still not very competitive in Contests, especially DX contests. I have always used mainly wire antennas and generally if I can hear them, I can work them. Now I know... Continue Reading →
I plan to go mobile again this year for the VA QSO Party in March. This is an enjoyable contest with lots of activity. You will probably see every County and City in the State activated at some point over the weekend. I will be using the callsign KT4KA/M so as not to confuse people... Continue Reading →
If you have been working with Arduino boards, you may already know about this great little board. The Arduino Pro Mini is about 1.7" X 0.7" in size. It has the normal 14 Digital I/O lines and several analog inputs as well. The one thing you need to know is that you must have a... Continue Reading →
I just saw on the ARRL LOTW Web Page that they have processed my application for the ARRL Triple Play Award. I do enjoy Contesting but otherwise I do not spend much time chasing awards. The Triple Play Award, if you don't know, is for confirmed contacts with all 50 States on CW, Phone, and... Continue Reading →
WA7BNM Contest Calendar
Kg3v Ham Radio Blog 