Supplemental ideas that could work with the 2021 Winter Build Project! If you haven’t heard of the Arduino, where have you been?! For those that are wondering, the Arduino is an open-source microcontroller platform that is inexpensive, easy to learn, and very well documented. The Arduino microcontroller comes in many different packages, depending on the […]
Quick Multimeter Test Jig
Recently I had the need to test a handful of through hole resistors. I’ve had this need before when going through drawers of discarded components as well. Being colorblind, it’s not even helpful for me to memorize the color code, so I have to measure them. I’m all about simplification, so simplifying the setup, handling, […]
Kit Building Resources
Here are some resources to learn the basics of soldering, tool use, and building of electronic kits. This is a supplement to the 2021 Winter Build Project, but is a great resource for anyone trying out soldering for the first time! Soldering Adafruit Guide To Excellent Soldering Multimeters and Measurements Electronic Tools Kit Building Kit […]
Microcontroller Projects for Amateur Radio
Book Review “Microcontroller Projects for Amateur Radio” is a great book for folks with some background with microcontrollersand have a knack for improvising and troubleshooting. That may sound like a left-handed complement, but read on. It was submitted to ARRL for publication two years before it hit the ARRL Store. Every schematic was redrawn, which […]
2021 Winter Build Project
Updated 12/18/2021 There has been some recent interest in kit building within the ranks, so I’ve created a course that I think would be both fun and educational. Sign-up has ended for this session Schedule: Unit 1: Setup, Soldering, and a Dummy Load Saturday November 6, 2021 @ 9:00AM ESTRecording Available Here (click) Unit 2: […]
2021 – August Breakfast Picnic Social and Park Fox Hunt
This Saturday, August 14th @ 8:30am, Randolph Park, Dublin, VA Let’s do this thing again! Come out at 8:30am for some rag chewin’, BYO coffee/consumables. About 9:30am we’ll start the Fox Hunt. Only using 2 meter band this time to reduce some of the antenna weight for you runners. We’ll have 3 foxes to find, […]
Fox (Transmitter) Hunting
Amateur Radio SPORT? (Updated Aug 26, 2022) Next Fox Hunt scheduled (Oct 1st 2022) in Christiansburg, VA, starting at the Country Kitchen around 9:30am. Vehicles needed. Arrive early (8:30 ish) for “pay your way” breakfast. Click for PDF of event details. That’s right… get on your running shoes, sweat bands, and start stretching. We’re going […]
Foxhunt Review – July 2021
A Slippery Situation It was suspected that the day was to become a steamy one, but as hams gathered at Bisset Park in Radford, it was more about the gear, helping new hams, and building trust in your equipment. Three foxes were hidden by yours truly, W4XXV, and consisted of two plastic ammo cans, and […]
Field Day 2021
2021 ARRL Field Day was fun, even with the protections taken to provide for a safer environment combating COVID-19.
ARRL Virginia Section Ham Radio News
Here is a collection of ARRL Section News from Virginia in PDF format for our club members to view. August 2021 – VASectionNews-28.pdf July 2021 – VASectionNews-27.pdf June 2021 – VASectionNews-26.pdf May 2021 – VASectionNews-25.pdf April 2021 – VASectionNews-24.pdf March 2021 – VASectionNews-23.pdf Februrary 2021 – VASectionNews-22.pdf (invalid reference link to Williamsburg Next Door Neighbors […]