Powering this whole setup was the problem that took the longest to solve. The trackuino has a DC barrel connector and can run off 6x AA batteries. The Canon cameras run off 2x AA batteries. The video transmitter and camera run off 12v DC. They all had different power requirements and I didn't want...

I would say the most important piece of equipment for the high altitude balloon launch is the Trackuino. Here's the introduction to what the Trackuino does from its website:

This is the firmware for Trackuino, an open-source APRS tracker based on the Arduino platform. It was designed primarily t...

For my high altitude balloon launch, I wanted to send up something a little cheaper than a $400 GoPro camera in the event that I can't locate the balloon when it comes back to earth! So I found a much cheaper alternative that gave me the same level of customization but at a fraction of the price.....

In order to use the Flex6300 with N1MM+ you have to understand how the radio interacts with your computer. This is all controlled via the SmartSDR CAT application. You simply add COM ports in the CAT program and then match them to the corresponding config in N1MM+. ===You can have dozens of COM po...

The great thing about the FLEX Signature Series radio lineup is that you can operate the radio "headless" or from a remote location. On my Flex6300 I have power, antenna and an ethernet cable plugged into it running in a closet far away from where I actually operate. With the power of ethernet and...

I found a used Maxtrac 300 radio on eBay that I wanted to repurpose into an APRS tracker and realized I needed to program the APRS frequency. Here is how you use DoxBox to program your radio.

Things you need:

• Maxtrac Radio
• Windows computer (I'm using Windows 10 x64)
• Motorola FTDI p...

I'm in New Mexico from time to time and I like to use the NM5ML State-wide repeater network as I travel through the state. Here's a CSV file that you can import into programs like CHIRP.

Learn more about the state wide repeater network here > http://nm5ml.com/

Download the CSV file here...

I operated at the Cabin in Pecos, New Mexico for Field Day 2016. This was my first field day and I lumped it together with a family trip to the cabin so I didn't get much operating time. Between radio difficulties and band conditions I only managed 2 measely contacts all weekend. I used a Bu...

Being my first radio contest I think it went quite well. I ended up only making 34 contacts over a 24 hour period but it was still fun. Mind you this was between doing other things, not just me glued to the chair all day and night. I'd wander in and out and depending on the band conditions I...

The local Colorado State University CSU Amateur Radio club was doing some maintenance on their W0QEY repeater and I volunteered to help. Mainly we were just cleaning out old equipment and cleaning the existing equipment. It was fun seeing the guts of a repeater and seeing how the cavities ar...

My family was in New York for a wedding and we had a chance to visit the ARRL Headquarters in Newington, CT to see W1AW! We had a tour of the building and got to see the testing lab and all the departments at ARRL. Joe Garcia, the station manager at W1AW set me up to operate on one of their...

CQ, CQ, CQ this is doggo. Currently in a sploot on the bed

My first HF station, a used Icom-746 bought off Craigslist that came with an Astron SS-30M power supply. I messed with this radio for weeks not having good luck with contacting stations only to find out the transmitter was fried. It was only putting out about 3 watts of power. After having i...

The pocket analog radio, known by the bland model number SRF-39FP, is a Sony “ultralight” model manufactured for prisons. Its clear housing is meant to prevent inmates from using it to smuggle contraband, and, at under thirty dollars, it is the most affordable Sony radio on the prison market...

I participated in the annual ARRL Rookie Roundup this year with the help of John Wells, KB0NE. John was kind enough to share his shack with me and show me the basics of operating in a contest. I didn't score too many points but it was a great afternoon and got me thinking about how to contes...