Remote Updates to Ham Shack Firmware – Daily Uploads? 20 - April - 2013
Posted by k9zw in Amateur Radio, K9ZW, K9ZW Just Rambled, US Islands.Tags: Greengate Farm, K9ZW, W9EVT, Washington Island, WI-001L
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Quick stop at friend George W9EVT’s shack, to which I brought a thumbdrive of the latest firmware updates downloaded two days ago.
Loaded no sweat, only to find some of the updates have been updated in the last 48 hours!
The vastly improved internet infrastructure on Washington Island (US/CA Island WI-001L) made downloading the “latest latest” easy and a quick repeat brought things truly up to date – at least until the next firmware is released.
Very rough ferry ride out (I didn’t mind too much, but it wasn’t reasonable to read, so a quick kip substituted. Cold, but sunny (14F or -10c this morning early).
Hope to get some operating in tomorrow.
73
Steve
K9ZW
Is that Dayton on the Horizon? 30 - January - 2013
Posted by k9zw in Amateur Radio, Dayton Hamvention, Hamvention, K9ZW, K9ZW Just Rambled.Tags: Collins Collectors Group, Dayton, Dayton Hamvention, Hamvention, K9ZW, K9ZW Just Rambled, W9EVT
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Looking ahead fifteen weeks, Dayton 2013 is coming around.
Always makes sense when travel a fair distance to get one’s ducks lined up early, so reservations are being made.
Working to ballance a couple events our small group would like to attend – the the FlexRadio Dinner, the Collins Collector Dinner and one of the Contest or DX Dinners.
I make this one of two anual events where I meet up with the eldest of thre three family branches, so that is truly a highlight to look forward for.
This year George W9EVT is panning to be my navigator for Dayton 2013. Doing Dayton with George W9EVT is real pleasure as he knows and is friends with so many interesting hams – the wort that are doing neat things.
I’ve also invited my youngest son, Vic KC9NWB to come along. He will have to decide if he can cut some classes to make Dayton.
Links for this year are:
The Dayton Hamvention Website: http://hamvention.org/
The DX Dinner Webpage: http://www.swodxaevents.org/
The Collins Collectors Group Website: http://www.collinsradio.org/
FlexRadio Systems Website: http://flexradio.com/
The Contest Dinner Website: http://www.contestdinner.com/
Hope to see you there!
73
Steve
K9ZW
Bit of Vintage Ten-Tec – Paragon II 14 - October - 2012
Posted by k9zw in Amateur Radio, K9ZW, K9ZW Shack.Tags: K9ZW, K9ZW Shack, TenTec, TenTec Paragon II, W9EVT
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TenTec Paragon II Station (courtesy RadioPics)
Kind of a long story, as my friend George W9EVT had this radio left on consignment from an SK’s estate. The first ham to check it out blew it up. Not 100% certain what the chap did or how, but he killed it good.
After getting it back George W9EVT was left wondering what to do with the radio, and said to take it along if I wanted to fix it.
Not that Paragon II’s are very valuable and likely the repairs could exceed the value of the rig.
Sending into TenTec repair was easy. Within a few days I had an estimate and I gave my go ahead for what ended up being basically the value of the radio in repairs. Blown finals and related components and sorting out the other mischief from what must have been something like hooking the TX to the RF output of an amp, or powering it up key-down into a dead short, or worse….
Delayed slightly as the tech working on waited for parts and then had jury duty to work around, the radio is back good as new.
A junior sibling to the Omni IV/V/VI of the day, the Paragon II seems to be a much overlooked radio.
More on this rig later this winter when I get a weekend to give it a good run at making QSOs.
73
Steve
K9ZW
Trips to Washington Island, Heath SS9000, Flex-Radio PowerSDR 2.4.4 and Death’s Door Pig Roast 23 - September - 2012
Posted by k9zw in Amateur Radio, K9ZW, K9ZW Just Rambled.Tags: Death's Door Spirits, Greengate Farm, Heath SS9000, K9IY, K9ZW, K9ZW Just Rambled, M0ZMX, Red Cup Coffee House, W9EVT, WI-001L
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Last weekend was a quick run to Washington Island Wisconsin (WI-001L) to pick up George W9EVT for the W9DXCC event. Spent a little bit of time with John K9IY who retired to the island a few years ago and I had managed to somehow not meet.
This weekend we ran up to catch the Death’s Door Spirits Juniper Harvest & Pig Roast
http://www.deathsdoorspirits.com
http://www.deathsdoorspirits.com/juniperharvest/
Death’s Door Spirits Juniper Harvest
We also caught up with numerous friends, spent a little “Red Cup” coffer shop time, and kicked back.
Red Cup Coffee House
The Red Cup has switch provisioners to AnoDyne Coffee from Milwaukee – http://www.anodynecoffee.com We can recommend their coffee, having had is served to us on the mainland several time prior, and bulk purchased it for our machines at home.
AnoDyne Coffee
Spending some time with Susan and George W9EVT Ulm I also updated George’s Flex-5000A to the latest PowerSDR 2.4.4 and did other minor repairs/tweaks. Great to see them! I made but a single QSO being too busy visiting and being outside – Mark M0ZMX on the Isle of Grain (really not an island, but sounds cool) was 59+1- into the island on the Flex.
George has asked me to check out an unusual Heath radio – and SS9000 and PS9000 Power Supply. He has several and I am to give this backup a workout while sorting out a minor glitch. Here is a shot of this last ever Heath series transceiver from the period ad:
Heath SS9000 Transceiver
All in all a great time and truly this island is “North of the Tension Line!”
73
Steve
K9ZW
Collins S-Line Lessons – a Visit to the W9EVT Shack 14 - September - 2012
Posted by k9zw in Amateur Radio, K9ZW.Tags: Collins, K9IY, K9ZW, W9EVT, Washington Island
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Have arranged some Elmering – where the student is me! At George W9EVT’s Washington Island WI-001L Ham Shack getting first hand tutorage in running Collins S-Line Radio gear.
Having collected enough gear for my own station, but lacking any boat anchor experience, it has been excellent to have George W9EVT walk me through the basics and the tricks of the trade. In his large S-Line collection George has exactly the same gear as what I acquired.
Also had a bit of time to meet John K9IY who has retired to the Island and has a small station several miles south of George’s QTH. John has a wonderful place and is providing a community service as the Weather Observer for the Island, taking on the task when the couple who had done it for years couldn’t carry on observing.
Off to the W9DXCC now – see you there!
73
Steve
K9ZW
Yet Another Few Steps Closer on the Collins Station – Station Control 312B-4, Spare Tubes, and Capacitors 3 - September - 2012
Posted by k9zw in Amateur Radio, K9ZW, K9ZW Shack.Tags: Collins, Collins 32S1, Collins 75S1, K9ZW, W9EVT
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I think I am getting some of the idea about the “Collin’s Infection” as I’ve acquired a 312B-4 Station Control Unit (SWR/Watt Meter, Speaker and Phone Patch in one unit), and some of the replacement Tubes & Capacitor Sets for the gear. George W9EVT warned me that these rigs seem to “breed on their own…” New items are coming from Keith KD4AVP and Bill K8ZBY – thanks guys!
Collins 312B-4 Station Controller – Outside
- Collins 312B-4 Station Controller – Inside
In theory I should search down a Collins 30L Amplifier to round out the new vintage station.
I’ve most of the needed manuals, now I need to get this setup working and on the air.
73
Steve
K9ZW
