Pay More and Get Less. Flash the Cash!

Turkey Day can be stressful! It is a time where if cooking at home can be a huge problem on how do you make all the food get done on time and cooked just right? But that is not the real stress as this year is complicated by politics. The host discovers the cost of the meal as compared to last year (for the same meal) costs 25% more and so that is significant. Then there are those family members who support a certain party to the extent they wear their red caps during the meal. This year the hosts had to actually prepare a strategy paper on a list of subjects that could be discussed without the meal ending up in a full-fledged food fight. Boy that sure ended up being a small list. The other tight wire act was the seating to ensure that those who were at war last year are seated apart from those that fought last year.  The family grace at the meal initiation which in itself can be politically charged is now a simple: Thank you and let's eat.  Here are some suggestions for surviv...

  We all like it when we are noticed except when failing to stop at stop sign and the cop noticed.  In our hobby, notice takes many forms such as the big antenna planted on a small lot or on the air with a rig such as the Apache Labs Anon plus a Mercury Amp and a 6kHz wide signal. Then there are those that create You Tube videos of the latest radio from offshore being unboxed. Others will create projects that are published in QST such "How to work 100 FT-8 stations in 20 minutes using AI and a Raspberry Pi".  Still, some will publish articles about a sojourn to E51 and how they provided contacts so others can achieve the WAR award (Worked All Rarotonga). Everyone knows someone who belongs to five different ham clubs and has a presence on every social media platform plus two blogs, five websites and two podcasts. While some will see this as being noticed, at the core, it is a basic caveman born "a projection of power" through visible and audible means. You will hear ...

A friend from the St Louis area and a blog reader in response to our posting the other day sent me two links to projects of old.   (Tnx Pete WB9FLW) One link is for a 1967 QST and the other a publication on "Transistors". The time of publications (1960's) is important for several reasons. These include a time when electronic technology was rapidly advancing, and transistors were taking a more dominant role in our beloved gear. It also represents a time when our hobby was technically grounded and not all about contests and operating. https://www.worldradiohistory.com/INTERNATIONAL/QST/QST-1967-06.pdf https://www.worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/Technology/Author-Groups/Donald%20Stoner/Transistor-Transmitters-for-the-Amateur-Donald-Stoner.pdf As I read the QST link I was struck by the ads for the then advanced state of the art radios mixed with home-built gear projects like Solid State CW transmitters, Vacuum Tube SSB Transceivers, Beam Construction and operation on 2 Me...

So, you decided to build the CW transmitter project... good for you but now you need a CW control/keyer and we turn to AI for that piece. This part does not need to be consistent with the constraints document. You can cut and paste the code embedded in the link below. https://copilot.microsoft.com/shares/E3NXGChM6fd1RmTWbswDG Using an Arduino Nano write a sketch for a CW Transmitter controller. Input pins are A0, A1 and A2. Output pins are 4, 5, 6,7 and 12. Got it 👍 — you want an Arduino Nano sketch that uses A0, A1, A2 as inputs and controls digital pins 4, 5, 6, 7, and 12 as outputs for a CW (Continuous Wave) transmitter controller. Here’s a clean, well‑structured example sketch: cpp /* CW Transmitter Controller for Arduino Nano Inputs: A0, A1, A2 Outputs: 4, 5, 6, 7, 12 */ const int inputPins[] = {A0, A1, A2}; const int outputPins[] = {4, 5, 6, 7, 12}; void setup() { // Configure input pins for (int i = 0; i < 3; i++) { pinMode(inputPins[i], INPUT_PULLUP); /...

I get it! No one is interested in building anything at any time nor anymore. But this blog posting should get your interest as this is a possible scenario for 2026 and this you can't avoid. I asked copilot "what is up for 2026"? See you could have built a CW rig. Mike, WN2A did email me about a transmitter he designed that meets our specifications from yesterday. His rig design and project graced the pages of QST so it has a pedigree, and design features we would want in a rig built in 2025! The bonus, designs presented for various bands and good for 20 watts of fire to the wire. OUTLOOK FOR 2026 In 2026, Americans are expected to grapple with major challenges around the economy, political polarization, government dysfunction, and social division. These issues are shaping both daily life and the upcoming midterm elections. 🇺🇸 Key Issues Facing Americans in 2026 💰 Economic Pressures Cost of living & inflation remain top concerns. Polls show voters giving low mark...

So, I had this hairball idea about a challenge project consisting of building a solid-state two (or more) transistor CW transmitter that is constrained by the following. No Michigan Mighty Mites No Circuits from EMRFD No Circuits from Bitx No Si5351 PLL No IC transmitters No 1 transistor rigs... must be at least two transistors No new purchased parts*... Junk Box only No Kits... all scratch built * Bartering parts and used parts found at ham fests are exempt.  It is also OK to use Claude.ai for help. Bonus points for those using Analog VFO's  and for your dining and dancing pleasure a sample of possibilities is shown below. Read the article   So, the why do this has many aspects, including for the 99% who do not homebrew anything a chance to enjoy an exciting aspect of the hobby and you might even learn how to use Morse code.  Who is up for the challenge? BTW this would be a perfect companion to the DCR from N2CQR/KK4DAS.  Just imagine what could be done with tw...