Oasis at Uinta-Wasatch-Cache

Go Forrest!

 - U

Bear Cave at Chalco Hills

WB0RLJ continues.

 - U

Dinner, a kneeboard, and POTA US-4578

First attempt with a cobbled together kneeboard. It works :)

I was trying to get a quick activation after dinner but conditions were not great.

This was not the day to try the 40m AX1 extension. I managed 3 QSOs from CA and OR. 20m was slightly better but I only managed 6 before needing to pack up.

Cleaned up the activation on the way back from golf. P2P for the remaining.

KX2 @ 10W; AX1; BamaTech TP-III; QRPWorks MagPi

10 QSOs

2 windows - 1hr for 6, 10min for 4

 - U

Pixie

Biggest build so far - the venerable Pixie.
This was mainly for soldering practice more than anything else.

Laying out the components.

This took a little while but made things insanely easy during the build.

Capacitors done.

Passive components done.

Completed build.

A pencil tip and higher iron temps worked out pretty well. Solder joints are a mix of decent ones and some that are in shambles.

The Pixie passed the smoke test but receive was a no-go. Something is happening as the buzz reduces substantially when a crystal is put in the socket but I couldn't here W1AW.

Transmit worked! It was dirty as hell but it did work :)

Onwards and upwards.

 - U

Dummy Load

20W Dummy Load kit from Pacific Antennas.

Easy build but I made a mess by starting off with the wrong tips - hoof tip and knife tip were waaay too big for the through-hole kit.

I think I had the iron temp too low as well.

I was trying under 400C since I had new tips - lead-free definitely needs 410-420C.

Not pretty but it works.

Learned a few things for the next build.

 - U