Blog
2023 Kansas QSO Party Plans
On August 26th and 27th, I will once again be participating in the Kansas QSO Party as a rover hitting up several counties around Kansas! This year, I will be using the call sign N0S and operating from the following counties on 20m and 40m: Saturday: Riley...
2021 Field Day Report
For the first time in several years, I decided to participate in a club Field Day operation. I headed to down Orlando, Florida to operate with WD4WDW, the Disney Emergency Amateur Radio Service (DEARS), of which my brother (KK4LWR) is the current club president. They...
2021 June VHF Contest Report
After my experience in the 2020 June VHF contest, I decided to participate again this year with a better setup and more dedicated effort as a Single Operator Portable (SOP) station. After searching for good campsites around eastern Kansas, I booked a campsite at Fall...
March 2021 Satellite Operations Gear
At the time of posting, I'm actually in the midst of changing my satellite gear so it is no longer my current setup. That said, I wanted to document it before I forgot about it and pass along my thoughts in case anyone else finds the information useful in the future....
Powering a Ham Radio with USB Power Delivery
A while back, I built a cable to power 12V devices (in my case a Kenwood TH-D74 HT) using the QuickCharge standard available in some USB power adapters. This allowed me to use a USB charger to charge my HT rather than bringing a dedicated wall wart which helped save...
Replacing Top Panel and Belt Clip on Kenwood TH-D74
I've enjoyed using the Kenwood TH-D74 for the last four years or so, and despite its regular use and fragile design, it has survived that period without any major damage. However, a couple years ago, a...
November 28 Roving Plans (EN70/71 and EN60)
I'll be hitting a few more grids on Saturday, November 28th. I'll try to keep this page up to date but plans are subject to change. Follow along on Twitter (@kd8rtt) for updates along the way including planned frequencies for linear sats. EN70/EN71 Grid Line: 1708z...
November 21-22 Roving Plans (EM48/49, EM58/59, EM69, EN70/71)
After a hiatus from the sats for a few months, I'm planning to hit some new grids during the weekends around Thanksgiving. These are tentative plans and subject to change. Follow me on Twitter (@kd8rtt) for real-time updates during the rove and frequencies for the...
Keeping Arrow Antenna Elements Tight with Loctite
I'm a big fan of the Arrow Antenna for satellite operations for its good performance and portability, but one issue that pops up is the constant need to tighten the elements. I leave my Arrow assembled in the back seat of my Honda Accord, so it loosens up on its own....
Activation Report: Prairie Dog SP (POTA K-2349) and DN90/EN00 Grid Line
Day three of my 4th of July rove - and the 4th of July itself - led me to Prairie Dog State Park, an interesting park that's named after the creatures that inhabit the area. After arriving, I headed to the Prairie Dog Town, a field in the park...
Activation Report: Webster SP (POTA K-2354) and DM99
After spending the night in Concordia, Kansas (see my 7/2 activations for more information on the preceding stops), I headed toward Webster State Park on the morning of July 3rd to grab some of the FM passes. After arriving and driving around a bit, I found the park...
Activation Report: Glen Elder SP (POTA K-2339)
As the second stop on my 4th of July weekend rove after Lovewell State Park, Glen Elder State Park provided another nice place to give out the EM09 grid to many of my fellow satellite operators who needed it. I arrived in the middle of the day and quickly searched for...
Activation Report: Lovewell SP (POTA K-2343)
This year for the 4th of July holiday weekend, I decided to do a four day rove to hit four new POTA parks (K-2343, K-2339, K-2354, K-2349) and four new grids (EM09, DM99, DN90, EN00) around northern Kansas. I'll be posting a separate writeup for each park, so check...