Case for SARK-110

Ive been looking for a bag or case for the SARK-110 for months. I had a look at point and shoot camera bags/cases, but they were all too small for the added bits or too bulky for what I had/wanted. The other week, a ham posted a photo of his case he had found at…

Icom IC-9100 RTS to CAT control

The IC-9100 that I have has a USB port on the back that allows audio and cat control directly from the radio. It works as advertised, and works generally well.. BUT.. a number of the software programs I like to use (WSPR) don’t have CAT radio TX control, they use the RTS method. I had…

HF Radio Club or SPOT GPS Position to APRS

One of the features my codan offers is GPS logging. The 4WD HF land mobile club HFRC I use will take those GPS positions and plot them on a map, on their system to show where you are and where you have been.   This commercial service is great, but it doesn’t interconnect with the…

3D Printer PowerPole Break-Out Box

A couple of weeks ago, one of the ham club members Marc VK3OHM teased us all at the club meeting with a very impressive UP!2 3d printer. And while I have asked santa for one for xmas (i don’t like my chances). Ive been having an explore on the 3d printer creation “wonderland” a website…

The $10 Component Tester

Earlier in the year one of the ham club members turned up with a component tester he had discovered on the internet and built up. The device measures essentially any component you connect on it and tells you what you have. From a simple resistor to a capacitor, diode or even a transistor. the specs…

Max Howden Crystals

I was sent this photo the other week from someone who had removed these Max Howden crystals from an old radio. An Interesting crystal holder, Max ran this company in the 1970’s and his son continued the business into the 1980’s I’m informed. Another piece of the A3BQ / VK3BQ callsign history.  

Spring VHF/UHF Field Day 2014 VK3ER

As normal, the EMDRC club station VK3ER/P headed to our normal contest location at Mclaughlins Lookout in the wombat state forest for the SpringVHF/UHF field day 2014. The team for Spring consisted of our normal operators. Peter, Mike Jonas and Jack, we had help from Greg and Michael, and I was able to assist for for the…

Sota Activation – VK3/VU-009 Mt Ida

Earlier in the week, I had a job near Echuca. We had to deploy a portable mobile phone tower for an event my company was hosting. With that job done, I had some other work in and around the district to undertake, on the way home, i was driving through the central victorian town of…