Left Coast Political Scene

When I inputted to Copilot the specs for Blondie, I stipulated that her family roots should be eastern European (like the Ukraine), that she be around 25 and definitely shapely. Herman is Happy! Blondie, an AI Generated Girl Friend for Herman! The suggestion for the Ukrainian roots goes back to my high school days. In Western Pennsylvania, there were lots of coal mines and steel mills.  The source of labor for these industries prior to WWII was from Eastern Europe (Slavic and Polish) and following the war many refugees migrated to our locale under the sponsorship of relatives. In my senior class were a group of YL's who were born in Europe during the war and immigrated to our town. We had one from Italy, one from Belgium and a couple from the Ukraine. The Ukrainian YL's won out hands down!  I worked on the Hybrid Wireless yesterday including installing the main TR relay, building the 12GE5 RF Plate Choke and a bit of circuit installation revisions for a be tter part fit. ...

Meet Totally AI Generated, Helpful Herman! The use of AI is like the 13-year-old boy who suddenly discovers 16-year-old girls. The kid in a candy shop schtick.  It is addictive as you keep wanting to know more about various subjects. But you also have to know stuff as some of the AI spew is simply not true. I know you will like Herman! You have got to admit Herman has the stereotypical Hammie, Nerdy look complete with Hawaiian shirt. As you would suspect, Herman single handedly is fully capable of designing a DDC SDR Transceiver over a long weekend. Here is Herman's SDR front panel design whipped up over this weekend. He is still in the learning phase as no matter what I inputted about the Analog dial face being semi-circular with the end points 7.0 and 7.3 and having the pointer at 7.1... we never got there! The SDR waterfall part was understood! AI Designed Front Panel using Copilot Too bad we can't simply turn the current political polarization problem over to copilot for a ...

For the 1st time in 15 years, I attended a ham event at the campus of the California State University Channel Islands, a mere 3 miles from my QTH. A blog reader who lives in nearby Oxnard emailed me about the event and thus I went. I actually had an eyeball QSO with that ham and this was extra special since he follows this blog.  On a visit to another booth, I spotted a booth person with an unusual "6" call sign badge as it was one of the 1st issued with the "N" prefix. I was then asked my call sign wherein a second person in the booth said I know who you are. Startling news to hear! Then this person went on to say he initially recognized my voice and then the call sign sealed the deal. This ham was a long-time listener to the SolderSmoke podcast and thus the connection. Small world and you never know. I didn't stay too long as it was getting hot and no need to roast. Worked a bit more with the AI program and with some trial and error, was able to determine the ...

The one "large" open item on the Hybrid Wireless is the final design for the 12GE5 Final RF Amp stage. It is also the only module not already fully built and tested. The urge to use copilot AI loomed large and so there I went. Perhaps (and most likely) the results would be different using ChatGPT, or Gemini or the ham's best buddy, Claude. Parts, but not built! Whether AI or not, the best answer to a question always starts with the premise of the input. So, I asked about a design given the plate voltage (500VDC), the screen voltage (280VDC), the bias point (-30VDC), the operating frequency (7 MHz), the class of operation (AB) and that the output stage was a Pi Network.    From Copilot Provide a design of a linear RF amplifier stage using a 12GE5 with a plate voltage of 500VDC, a screen voltage of 280VDC and a bias of -30VDC operating at 7 MHz using a Pi-Network output circuit. Also provide an expected output power assuming class AB operation. Absolutely! Let’s walk throu...

Apologies for dwelling on the radios that never were. This is 2025 and many hams only want to see the New Stuff. So, I stop here.  Yesterday was a balance between the main Hybrid Wireless chassis and the Power Supply build. When I managed very large construction projects at a time that I worked for a living, it always amazed me that the most time on a project was spent on the last 5% of the work scope. It is no different with the Hybrid Wireless. The Four Power Supplies! What has evolved as the "power supply" for the Hybrid Wireless is really four separate supplies on one chunk of wood. 1. The HV supply @ 500VDC (Black Xmfr.) 2. The LV supply @ 280VDC (Blue Module) 3. The 12 VDC @ 5.6 Amps (Lower RH) 4. The -60 VDC Bias (Small Transformer) I have purposefully interlocked the power supply switch on the wooden board with the ON/OFF on the Hybrid Wireless. The next round of work will involve inspection of all built modules to assure I haven't damaged anything during the many...

For the unknowing there were Bi-Lateral SSB Transceivers predating the Bitx20 by some 50 years. Meet the Cosmophone 35.  It was expensive and only produced 35 watts PEP. It did not live long partly because of the low power. The timing of the pilot run of the Cosmophone slightly edged out the KWM-1. The Cosmophone grew from a homebrew rig designed by Butch Mason, a former Navy guy and California ham, known as the Portsider. Cosmophone 35 Moving back to the N6QW Newbury Park Lab, now the Big Task... wiring all the stages together and building the 12GE5 RF Amp stage. I am delighted how the front panel turned out. Lots of work yesterday with a good deal of time taken to locate and mill out space for the "Rocker Style" power switch. I have the program in the computer so I can do future switch installs pretty easy. How cool is that? Job creation numbers were amended and what looked bad is now significantly worse. Tariffs sure work swell! Semper Fi, I see where former Marine Colonel...