Endeavouring to learn CW
After months of chatting on MSN, IRC, Echolink, and working on HamTests.co.uk, I finally managed almost by accident to work M3PHP.
I guess I will have to write that QSL card I have been theatening to write for months.
Wasn’t direct though. Worked via GB3VA in Brill.
Now I think is time to buy a Beam and Rotator and work the UK.
Earlier in the day (when it was still raining) I decided was no good just thinking about repairing my RG58 cable for HF, I should do something about it.
I rolled the cable up into my shack and cut the damaged (was torn away from plug earlier in year) part off.
I was going to leave it at that, but thought I will just prepare for soldering. This was promptly done and then I realised I had screwed the plug on without the jacket so had to remove to add and then screw plug back on again.
I then thought as I had come this far, may as well solder the plug on. This was uncharted territory for me. Soon the Soldering Iron out of the plastic bubble it came in and then solder was prepared. I did a cold run as was my first solo attempt at soldering to make sure things were where I needed them.
The Soldering was soon completed (although slightly messy) and it had stopped raining. So with the PL259 now on my RG58 cable I re-attached to my 1/2 sized G5RV.
2E0TZO is now back on HF (reminder, tidy up the RG58).
On Wednesday my cable box stopped working. At the time I was rather annoyed.
Thursday night I was at my Radio Club (even won 2 trophies – visit 2E0TZO link) so didn’t want to watch any television.
Still my cable box was not working (tried unplugging for longer periods) and missed the launch of Big Brother. This annoyed me a bit, especially starting on a Thursday, but on Saturday I found a repeat on E4.
Well I think now it was a blessing that my box is broken because of the Shabhaz housemate.
So for now, I am fine reading the C4 website and DS:BB sites for updates.
In regards to the actual box, I phoned my cable company on Friday and was told Tuesday would be earliest to send engineer. I asked about possibly phoning on Saturday to find a cancellation, but was told there probably won’t be any. 1pm on Saturday I phoned them again and low and behold I got an engineer early Monday. Sometimes it pays to be persistant.
What are you on about?
I knew I had won the Monday Night Contest (the Small tankard) at the Local Radio Club Sutton and Cheam Radio Society. Basically each complete year club members have to work as many stations between 20:00 – 00:00 every Monday. 2 points awarded for non-club members, 5 for members (approx 65 members in club) and 30 for club calls (2 club calls), but I also had another surprise.
I won the Sutton and Cheam Radio Society’s G3DCZ Golden Jubilee Trophy. It takes into account things like, attendance at Club meetings, participation in contests, entries in construction contests, and some other things for good measure. The Chairwomen (and myself) had to do a double check. I was in Shock.
So these now have pride of place (dependent on Nephew being able to reach) on our sitting-room TV.
What’s Next? Maybe the Advanced (Full) Licence!
Gadget17 is Back.
There were some problems on the old site at gadget17.symbiandiaries.com, but I salvaged some of the info I had.
The main thing was the Links to Series 60 Stuff. Don’t worry it’s not gone. I have now made tastier. Yes it’s Del.icio.us. The links will be maintained at Del.icio.us/Series60 for your perusal. Enjoy.
My own list of links is at Del.icio.us/Gadget17.
