It is not a matter of absent mindedness but rather of having too much junk. Just yesterday while looking for something in the junk boxes, there I spotted a small box that had dust on it -- hmm this has not been opened in a long time.
Surprise -- not the kind like when you open a baby's diaper but a good kind!
Inside that box was an Arduino Mega 2560. For the unwashed -- the Mega is like an Uno R3 on Steroids with a greatly expanded IO capability both Analog and Digital and about 10X the programming space. This prompted the installation of a small program to see if it still worked.
Mega Next to a Mouse
Following yesterday's post on the one transistor transmitter I thought of a program, I wrote long ago to send the "CQ" string. I set up the program so that the on-board LED would blink the generated CW (pin 13 on the Mega). Thus, I could visually tell if indeed it was sending Morse Code, and I also included the Serial Monitor to see if the right letters are being sent.
Whew! We passed those two tests and so we can now build some interface electronics to take the output from Pin 13 and actually key the transmitter. We have many options for keying the transmitter including a Reed Relay to a PFET.
Then came a stream of conscious thinking that this code string could be customized for POTA or SOTA. Imagine just adding a string of letters/numbers for the POTA / SOTA location and we are there. You could even speed adjust the generated code, so the CQ POTA or SOTA is at a fast pace, but the location info is sent at a more readable speed. Yes, that is a cool idea all automatic and less fatigue for the operator.
But then the Insane Idea suddenly popped into my head. We have the POTA and SOTA which now are like passe'. Thus, time for something new to stir up interest on the ham bands.
We proudly introduce new location ideas, please welcome COTA and WOTA. Yes, COTA is from the parking lots of Costco, (Costco on the Air) and WOTA is Walmart on the Air.
Just think of all our ham contemporaries who would do the double dip -- Shop and Get on the Air all in one trip. We could distinguish the locale by using a Zip Code follow on like COTA 93036 (Costco, Oxnard CA)
This could be huge and would open up a whole new array of signals to flood our bands and cause QRM. This absolutely follows the tenet of the IARU -- contests and operating.
TYGNYB. If you want a copy of the code email me at my QRZ.com address.
73's
Pete N6QW
A ringing rhyme!
You do the double dip
Shop and COTA (WOTA)
All in one trip