u/blue-moto — reddlx

PSA - this fan is not grounded

Purchased off of Amazon really just wanted to get the smoke out of my face. I do mostly hobby soldering at home but after a 200+ joint project I figured I'd move some air. The fan is 110v @ ~ 1/4 amp

This is the best selling "Soldering extractor fan" on Amazon.

Upon unboxing I checked with a multimeter and found no continuity between the steel case, the fan surround which is also metal and the mains plug ground pin. The yellow paint and fan paint was insulating the ground ring terminal at the case.

After sanding down both painted areas at the ring terminal it now has continuity to the mains ground pin.

Be safe out there.

u/blue-moto — 1 day ago

▲ 2 r/Welding

Welding sequence to minimize warping

Hi. I received my parts from SendCutSend and I don't want to eff them up too bad. What methods and sequence would you use here to minimize warping? The 90° angle is important to the design.

It's 1/4" mild steel. I had the plate cut to assemble with full open corner joints as I hand drew in the sketch. (The original CAD drawing isn't accurate)

I'm thinking I'll tack the two main plates together then tack and weld the gussets in place. Then fill in the corner at the two plates. Thought?

u/blue-moto — 5 days ago

▲ 20 r/amateurradio

Finished my QMX assembly

These are the only left over parts so I'm judging it as a total success.

u/blue-moto — 8 days ago

▲ 5 r/soldering

Will i notice a massive difference - Hakko FX-971 vs Pinecil V2

I've been using a Pinecil V2 with a 100w USBc PSU a few times a week and on large PCB kit build for a few years. It's been great for everything even soldering 2.5mm copper rods for antennas.

What would i notice differently about the FX-971?

reddit.com

u/blue-moto — 14 days ago

▲ 2 r/soldering

Issue with Kester 285

I'm working on a PCB transceiver kit, adding through hole components only. I was told not to use my usual Kester 245 due to warranty issues so I'm trying 285 63/37 .02" RMA and having a hard time!

It's a 6 layer, 2 ground plane board.

The solder is not taking in the holes. It's riding up the component leads and the iron.

I've done plenty of PCB soldering and had never seen this. Is it the PCB soaking up too much heat? Or is my iron too hot at 375c? Too cold? Or is there something funny about the Kester 285?

I'm going to re-do these joints but WTH?

u/blue-moto — 15 days ago

▲ 1 r/amateurradio

IF Bandwidth on FT-891 with an Hi-Z IF Tap Board ?

Does anyone have a KD2C Hi-Z IF Tap for Board in an FT-891 and tapped IF at C1300? What is the actual bandwidth? I'm having a hard time finding this info

reddit.com

u/blue-moto — 19 days ago

▲ 24 r/HamRadio

New operating category for 2027: QROca

I'm starting a new operating category / contest category.... or one may say "Operating Philosophy." Our first contest will take place in spring 2027.

The category: QROca

This is High Power, Crappy Antenna.

Are you tired of hearing "I use my fully kitted $3800 KX3 to make DX QRP contacts all the time. There's no reason to use over 5 watts"

Or, "100 watts is so overkill, I made 3 QSOs during field day with my QMX and a SteppIR UrbanBeam"

Well, here's our chance to level the playing field.

Challenge yourself with High Power / Crappy Antenna.

Our two simple rules:

Antennas must be below 1/65th of a wavelength long for the desired band.
All metallic surfaces must show signs of significant corrosion.
Power limit: none (check your local regulation)

Testimonials:

Tony: "I made my first QROca antenna from discarded brass wool soldering iron tip cleaners. I just smooshed a few together."

Arthur: "Oh I dunno, I whipped together a 13" base loaded jobby for 160 meters with decommissioned 25-pair PBX bundles. It may have took em all but I got her loaded!"

Why use an efficient antenna? Absolutely no reason to. Stop wasting resources. Challenge yourself. A QSO is a QSO even if it takes all day!

Stay tuned for details about our spring contest.

73!

reddit.com

u/blue-moto — 24 days ago

▲ 33 r/amateurradio

New Q code: QROca

I'm starting a new operating category / contest category.... or one may say "Operating Philosophy." Our first contest will take place in spring 2027.

The category: QROca

This is High Power, Crappy Antenna.

Are you tired of hearing "I use my fully kitted $3800 KX3 to make DX QRP contacts all the time. There's no reason to use over 5 watts"

Or, "100 watts is so overkill, I made 3 QSOs during field day with my QMX and a SteppIR UrbanBeam"

Well, here's our chance to level the playing field.

Challenge yourself with High Power / Crappy Antenna.

Our two simple rules:

Antennas must be below 1/65th of a wavelength long for the desired band.
All metallic surfaces must show signs of significant corrosion.
Power limit: none (check your local regulation)

Testimonials:

Tony: "I made my first QROca antenna from discarded brass wool soldering iron tip cleaners. I just smooshed a few together."

Arthur: "Oh I dunno, I whipped together a 13" base loaded jobby for 160 meters with decommissioned 25-pair PBX bundles. It may have took em all but I got her loaded!"

Why use an efficient antenna? Absolutely no reason to. Stop wasting resources. Challenge yourself. A QSO is a QSO even if it takes all day!

Stay tuned for details about our spring contest.

73!

reddit.com

u/blue-moto — 24 days ago

▲ 6 r/amateurradio

FT-891 Hiss noise in headphones and thumping from display changes

I just received a used FT-891. It's a mid 2022 build. I noticed when the volume is low or all the way down I hear a considerable hiss in my headphones. This happens in all modes and bands, and RF gain at any setting.

I also hear a light "thumping / click" sound in the headphones when there is any change to the display. For example when the signal strength changes it's click click click... Turning the knob in the menu makes a click for every change on the display.

I tried 3 pairs of headphones and 3 headphone cables. I'm using the side headphone jack on the front panel and I have the switch in the PH position.

I do not hear the display noise from the mono speaker output in the rear or from the built in speaker.

Does anyone have a fix for this?

My FT-710 and FT-818 do nothing like this.

u/blue-moto — 26 days ago

▲ 529 r/3Dprinting

Wife left the planter empty too long

This actually fell off a shelf and landed in there

u/blue-moto — 29 days ago

▲ 762 r/HamRadio+1 crossposts

Do you have trouble getting past 3 WPM?

u/blue-moto — 29 days ago

▲ 4 r/Welding

Bracing 1/4 plate for open corner weld

I need to weld two steel plates similar to this. The plates will be 15" x 5" and 6" x5". All 1/4" thick hot rolled steel

What is a good way to brace it before I tack it so it's at a perfect 90 degrees? I'm not feeling confident with the magnetic arrows.

u/blue-moto — 1 month ago

▲ 0 r/amateurradio

Any android apps format FT8 for field day?

I left my laptop out of town. I only have an android tablet, iPhone and Android phone. Are there any FT8 apps that will follow the proper exchange for arrl field day?

Ft8CN does not work for this.

reddit.com

u/blue-moto — 2 months ago

▲ 43 r/amateurradio

Harbor Freight PTT switch

I'm a foot pedal guy but this is a good price and should get the job done. May want to disable the hot circuit led circuitry.

u/blue-moto — 2 months ago

▲ 77 r/RideitNYC+1 crossposts

Shout out to fellow WR owner of Brooklyn!

This is not a missed connection I promise! Nice WR from a fellow WR enthusiast in the neighborhood

u/blue-moto — 2 months ago

▲ 1 r/amateurradio

Elecraft AX1 counterpoise

Anyone with an AX1 or similar very small base loaded vertical, what counterpoise length do you use for 20 meters?

reddit.com

u/blue-moto — 3 months ago

▲ 141 r/amateurradio

Finally stopped caring about POTA "cheaters"

As an avid user of the ARCGIS mapping service I create an overlapping park map for any two-fer / three-fer POTA activations I partake in. Lately I've noticed some activators showing three-fers, five-fer and one nine-fer. Quickly plotting their parks it clearly shows some of those to be impossible. Parks don't overlap being miles away, POTA trails don't cut through and are hundreds of feet away. Some activators showing their rewards for activating X many parks in one day when they clearly didn't. This really used to bother me.

If you're claiming parks that you aren't operating it only cheapens the accomplishment for yourself. Your award does not make up for this.

At the end of the day the rules are made up and the points don't matter. I operate for the satisfaction of knowing that I completed the challenge. For myself. I played by the rules and hiked in 5 miles to get that three-fer. Man that feels good. I no longer look at rewards and activation records as they are not always what they seem.

reddit.com

u/blue-moto — 3 months ago

▲ 6 r/Welding

Questions after first MIG class

Took a MIG class a couple weeks ago and have some general questions:

- the back of my (guiding?) hand got really hot a few times where I had to stop. Every time I was laying a 5" bead had to stop 3 times. Was this just because we were told to go slow for the class? I have a high tolerance for pain but not that much.

- I couldn't really see the joint well or at all. We were doing the push method. Could this just be the scratched up helmet I was using? Or incorrect helmet settings? But visibility was shit. Even the puddle I had a hard time seeing. But couldn't see the seam at all

Thanks

reddit.com

u/blue-moto — 3 months ago

▲ 11 r/amateurradio

Significant SSB / Fading this week on HF

Have many of you noticed a significant amount of rapid QSB / fading this past weekend?
I'm just trying to make sure it's not my equipment..

reddit.com

u/blue-moto — 3 months ago

▲ 99 r/amateurradio

(The hitch mount is only used for stationary HF work)

Looking for other truck cap guys setups.

I just added the fiberglass bed cap and am looking for ideas for a UHF / VHF antenna/s for a mobile rig. I'm thinking to add aluminum windows screen to the underside of the cap. I'll be adding Yakima tracks and an 80/20 extrusion rack over the cap. I don't mind drilling.

To recap: antenna mounted to roof rack of bed cap, bonded to aluminum window screen on the underside of the cap for a ground plane. All bonded to the truck.

Thoughts, ideas, inspirations?

u/blue-moto — 3 months ago