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Thursday, August 29, 2013

In fact, the hamshack is top priority now

More or less.  I have got a workbench shelf for the test equipment built, and loaded up.  Except for my variable power supply, which had a number of, ahhh, ill-advised interconnects in it.

So I'm ramping up.  Bent two chassis and whistled up the large parts I don't have, will build two identical separate units.  Amping up to both current and voltage regulation, 4 amps continuous, should be able to dial in anything up to 30 volts when done.  I have a slew of 2a identical transformers, and so will parallel them through small-value dropping resistors, just like you parallel power transistors.  Yeah, identical transformers can be put in parallel without large circulating currents, yeah yeah yo'momma.  Who was watching the folks on whatever island was above water 20 years ago when they made the transformers for Radio Shack for QC?  So I'm going to do a little protective designing this time.

Biggest issue I had was a common ground between positive and negative supplies, and they went all kiddywompus when I put a load on them.  Separate supplies with no case ground on output unless you strap it down ought to take care of that one.  Got meters to rescale, and all that stuff, so we're just building two supplies out of the old NatSemi linear databook.

Next, I have some old 78s of family history that I have to push into the shack computer and get on CD before everybody dies out.

Trying to get the place sorted out before it gets too cold.  Oh, and there's some rot on the North wall at the bottom outside from yet another build flaw by the previous owner.  This I'm going to cut out and Bondo, because there are roof soffits and stuff built over the north/south walls.

No end of projects anywhere, including the Ham Cave.

Monday, August 12, 2013

Hola, amigos. Been a long time since I rapped at ya...

And now that that's over with.

Got the last of the cabinetry done, with the new dovetailed drawers and fronts done in the laundry room.  I'm working on cleaning up the ham shack, and the next project is probably going to be stacking the test equipment to see what risers and shelves I need to build to get that hodgepodge of doorstops on the bench, ready to work, and get my transceiver projects off the floor and under way.

Got the antenna mast replaced, the droopy trap dipole is now up to about 41 feet HAAT.  Evening action before bedtime at 9:30 to 10:00 is a little weak, I'm going to have to shoot some SWRs or find some benchmark settings for the tuner and see if there's anything other than dimwitted birds to snag with it.  At least it's not a worm-warmer any more.

Just so many things to get done around here, and no lottery cash to hire a crew, point, and say "fix all that."

We have a tentative contract at work with CenturyLink, voting in give or take a month.  Not a lot of cheers in the union hall last Wednesday, but I don't think I get much of a haircut from it.  Folks with families on the health plan, though, are growling like somebody just smoked them out of their dens.  That's getting typical in the workplace now.  There was some two-tiering, which is just getting the old hands and the new hires to fighting in the parking lot.  Ought to be outlawed.  Let the rich take off on their yachts and leave the rest of us alone.  And that goes double with sprinkles for politics.

But I digress.

No, I don't.