Lately, I’ve been experimenting with embedded systems, probably an attempt to reconnect with my hardware roots from my electrical engineering past. I’ve stumbled over a exciting computer-on-module in form of the Overo series from gumstix. It’s also a great opportunity to refresh my rather rusty Unix/Linux knowhow. In the limit, I intend to port and install Android on this amazing piece of hardware.

I’m collecting my experiments in a wiki (using dokuwiki), mainly so that I have a way to retrace my own steps: Gumstix Overo with Android

So far, I’ve managed to install a host system with Linux, I have enlisted in the Android source repository and have started to adapt and compile the boot loaders for the Overo system. The first success: I’m able to boot the OMAP3 processor from the SD card into the u-boot bootloader prompt, using binaries built from x-loader and u-boot sources.

Next step is to get a basic Android kernel (which is actually an adapted Linux kernel) into at least terminal mode.

I’ve been off the air for the past 6-8 weeks already (missing dear contests like Salmon Run CalQP, NAQP, CQ WW DX RTTY, etc), as we were too busy getting our old place spiffed up and updated and get it ready to put it on the market.

Yesterday, I disconnected and packed my radios, antenna and feedlines. Once the dust of our move settles, maybe in 2-3 weeks, I can think again about getting an antenna up and be QRV again

Here’s a YouTube video that explains and conveys the contest rhythm quite nicely:

 

Two well-known fellow hams (none of them I know personally) are on a trail this spring/summer:

Bruce N7RR is getting ready to traverse the Pacific Crest Trail, according to his blog.

Steve KD1JV, the designer of fame for the ATS3 radio,  is also out on the Appalachian Trail, see his trail journal.

I seem to have a genetic predisposition to be attracted to such long distance trails: Over the past 2-3 years, my Dad made it his retirement mission to hike all of Switzerland‘s national border, from one boundary stone to the next.
Note to myself: I’ve seens his photos and paper travel books from the parts he has already completed, fascinating!. I need to convince (and help) him to post his journal on a web site….

If I only dared putting aside the necessary time from work and wife, that would be a very tempting adventure for myself indeed, How about hiking Pacific Northwest Trail or Continental Divide Trail?

On first hunch, this looks much like a thermal issue, something is heating up and cools off to revert to normal. On to debugging my antenna system. A quick test with a dummy load hooked directly to the transceiver showed no problem with either PA nor power supply.

Rain, work (and skiing, I admit) kept me from looking closer at the outside antenna components; besides, with lighter load cycles e.g. in CW, no repro. But this weekend, there was yet another RTTY contest, CQ WPX RTTY.

Since it seems to be a thermal issue that only reproduces unter load, the antenna analyzer measurments didn’t yield anything other than solidifying my initial gut feel.

Several components were suspects: coax run to antenna base, remote tuner (AH-4), balun, lightning protector or antenna insulators. Since I only send barefoot with 100W at most, any antenna insulator breakdown seemed improbable; also, a defective coax (water, rodents?) would be a more clear and consistent failure.

With my XYL as the remote control in the shack to start/stop RTTY transmission (with a preconfigured text, including proper identification), I sat at the antenna base, observing tuner, balun and protectors. After ~90 secs, the SWR spike showed again. With TX off, the quick touch test showed the balun’s core to be very warm. So looks like the core is oversaturating, heating up and therefore changing its inductance. Appears the prospect’s “200 W” spec isn’t for 100% duty loads like RTTY. I’ll wind my own and sturdier balun and try again to fully proof my failure theory.

Before work, I reserved and bought a new domain w7cf.net. Tonight, after work I spent roughly one hour creating a new WordPress installation, moved my content from my previous blog hosted on wordpress.com and searched and tweaked a theme for my new site.

That is efficient, and the one hour I did spend on all of it was actually concentrated purely on the content and deciding what colors etc; not twiddling with the software! That’s how it should be: be able to concentrate on solving the problem, not satisfying housekeeping of software and tools.

 This is exciting, I do love the CW sound & rythm of the new call