14 October 2023

Bad news

So it looks like I'm still off the air.  One of my HF rigs is dead and the other has issues working with my computer.  A new HF rig is going to be in my future someday.  With ICOM suddenly discontinuing my beloved IC-718, I'll be looking for a used rig.

If not a 718, I'd like to get a Yaesu FT-891.  I've heard a lot of good things about it and flrig has a lot of control over the radio which makes it easier for me to operate.  It's all a matter of money.

I have to fix the Apartment Antenna as its wander lead broke off.  I should go out and fix it this coming week when nicer weather is here (fall is approaching quickly here at my home QTH).

Just wanting to have a radio during the cold months.  Without a vehicle, not much to do when it's cold except stay inside and stay warm.

I am pivoting towards writing more ham radio software.  Not a lot but things I hope others will find handy.  My software will have binaries available for 16-bit DOS, Win32, 64-bit Linux, FreeBSD, and OS/2 (eComStation, ArcaOS).  If you want to roll your own, the Pascal-based source code will be available under the MIT License.  I use Turbo Pascal 7 for DOS and Free Pascal for all other operating systems.

I'm in the process of moving my computers back to Devuan Linux.  I do not like the way Windows is progressing being full of ads and now an AI bot (Copilot).

Back to amateur radio, I'm going to sell my SignaLink USB soundcard and buy a DigiRig.  I like how a DigiRig is tiny, open source, and has all the features I need.  From its website: "As a differentiating feature, Digirig only requires a single USB connection to the computer with all the digital goodness packed in a single small enclosure. The internals include a USB hub, audio codec, a fully featured serial CAT (Computer Aided Transceiver) interface, and potentially other modules such as GPS receiver for time synchronization."  A much better design and it's a tiny little box.

I'm really looking forward to getting back on the air!


No comments:

Post a Comment

Bad news

So it looks like I'm still off the air.  One of my HF rigs is dead and the other has issues working with my computer.  A new HF rig is g...