Xiegu X6100: Well This Was Disappointing

It's no secret (at least in my family) that I'm a massive fan of QRP radios, the outdoors, and especially anything that can combine these two (Parks on the Air). In an effort to make my POTA setup more portable, simpler, and quicker to setup, I've been on the look out for a radio that …

Miata Time: The Sequel

The last time we had a Miata in the garage, it was our 1996 project that we more or less raised from the dead. I wrote a ton of posts about our progress on it and, ultimately, we sold it back to the person we got it from for what we put into it. Ever …

HF at Home: Wiring to the Office and Antenna Testing

I've been having a ton of fun with HF radio so far and have been experimenting with different antenna ideas for a home setup. I had to figure out how to get coax into the office, get the radio setup inside, and finally what to do about antennas. Here's what I've done so far. Down …

HF on the Road Part 3: Prius Install

Since I completed the install of my Xiegu G1M Hf radio in our Chrysler Pacifica, I've had an absolute blast playing radio on the move. It makes my commute to work way more fun and I get to know the bands that much better. Since our minivan is the road trip car I focused on …

HF on the Road Part 2: Grounds, Bonding, & Ferrite

Grounding/Bonding The second, and arguably most important, step in my HF mobile install is proper grounding. Since this 20m whip antenna is an unbalanced antenna, it needs a great ground to ensure efficient operation. There are a few videos out there on this, but there is a fantastic blog this is considered the gold standard. …

HF on the Road Part 1: My First Mobile Install

While I still figure out the best way to install HF antenna(s) at the house, I decided to try my hand at getting one of our vehicles setup for mobile HF operations. Our 2012 Prius is mainly a commuter and not for road trips like our 2018 Chrysler Pacifica, so we decided the van would …

Wrangler Chapter 3: Fixing the Shifting

The biggest, most concerning problem our Jeep has had since we bought it in March is transmission-related. Once the vehicle heats up a little, it gets extremely hard to shift, especially first and reverse. I talked about this problem more in depth in a previous post, but to summarize it feels like either the clutch …

Wrangler Chapter 2: Time to Fix the AC

If there is anything that is absolutely required for a vehicle in Texas, especially during the summers here, it's a working AC system. Unfortunately our Wrangler, at least as bought, was not so lucky. The fan would turn on but just blow 85-90 degree air out of the vents faster. That needs to change, especially …

My Foray into HF Radio

When I was first studying for my Technician radio license a little over a year ago, I didn't even bother trying for the General or Amateur Extra exams because I figured I would be lucky if I managed to pass the tech, let alone any of the harder ones. I kind of regret that now, …

Talking to Satellites with a $35 Radio

I've been slowly getting back into playing with radios and recently had the chance to try something new for me: hearing amateur radio satellites with my HT. Like most Hams out there, I have a cheap Baofeng UV5R kicking around that I take with me on hikes and such for fun. If I forget it …