Need to get moving on this Compensator design, been a year now with family commitments taking all my spare time. I am considering a redesign to get it all fresh in my head and a couple of books on PIC development as the website I was using does not now exist. Also some ideas I had about the temperature sensor design may have to change, maybe I might use an industry bespoke boiler NTC.
With a lot going on at the moment I can’t do a great deal, one of my projects this summer is to repair and dry-line the shed so I have a room where I can work, this however is becoming increasingly difficult with the ever spiraling family budget and Her Majesty’s obligatorily among others eating into my income. Another project is an HF antenna system that might meet with objection from a neighbour or two, my plan now is just to put it up and see what happens, I think making it an issue for approval may force them to consider that it could be more of an obstruction that it actually will be and they will oppose it. Perception of my plan could get exaggerated and I know how much some people like a drama. It also involves digging up the lawn for the grounding system, so early autumn may be a wiser choice of timing, I have a way of getting the other half on board with the idea of digging the lawn up and that is to design the ground plane using copper tube with holes drilled along it’s length for irrigating the lawn in dry weather, just a small addition of a 3/4″ MIC for a Hoselock connector required at the starpoint.
With generally good weather and a clearing consciousness, all this becomes a possibility… Just a few matters to attend to in the meantime.
August 10th, 2013
HF now in operation, ATU in place and a hash up of an antenna, managed a QSO with a station in Staffordshire 180 miles as the crow flies this evening and my first ever HF QSO with Mr Chain even though we have been amateurs together for 19 years now! Gives me more motivation to improve my antenna, I have bought some books and studied a little about the subject which has made me realise I do not have the space for a top quality antenna set up, but has given me a few options on making the most of the space I have available. One set up I have in mind involves a 5.5M mast at the end of the garden which I am anxious my neighbours maybe a little disagreeable about. Not sure whether to approach the neighbour or just put it up and see what happens?
I am a little concerned about noise levels which make listening to distant stations very difficult, the origin of this noise is ‘Unknown’ and may be the result of my dodgy antenna design but could also be due to local interference. There is an issue with power line transmitters for Ethernet communication over domestic mains wiring supplied by the likes of BT for support of their BT Vision services, this radiates interference widely over the HF and VHF spectrum. If any nearby households are using this “technology” I could be in trouble.
Back in the day I got quite enthusiastic about radio and that somehow petered off, now that I have invested in a system that allows a more long range alternative to what I had previously used, the enthusiasm may reignite! Although listening to all the crap at the moment I aint too sure.
June 16th, 2013
On diet and what can I say? This may be the first time I have seriously taken it on without the aid of medicine and the results are quite profound. Have you ever been so tired you can hardly keep your eyes open let alone focus on a particular subject? Well that’s how it feels mentally when off diet with PKU all day. Don’t take my word for it, Have a look here.
I have often trialed the diet with the aid of antidepressants and had results, but I was never sure whether any of the positives were a result of the diet or the drugs. Now however, things have changed, I have tackled the lethargy and pulled myself out to attack this head on. Solidly on diet now for several weeks my entire perception is changing, I have more concentration and my view of things is a whole lot less depressive, you might say I am happier. Now for those of you who know me better, this may sound like another pile of bullshit but hang one, having been strictly on diet (before I may have cheated somewhat) there is a remarkable difference compared to when I have dieted before, not only with cognitive functions, but general awareness and overall contentment. So my aim is to stick with it, I have always been wholly conscious of the fact I do not metabolise protein well, and have adjusted my diet accordingly, I think maybe to reap benefits though, I must be strict, a different set of rules, wish me luck.
May 11th, 2013
Knickers! Why are they a pair? Trousers again, a singular and a plural, unless used as an adjective: ‘I caught the Plumber rifling through my wife’s knicker drawer.’ Is it because we have two legs? Hang on, we have two arms right but we don’t wake up in the morning and put on a pair of jumpers (unless it really cold :P). It appears anything associated with our legs has an ‘s’; shoes and socks I can understand, if I was to get a pair of my old Levis and cut off a leg would it become a jean? No! AAAAHHHhhh!!!
April 27th, 2013
What if North Korea is working for the USA? It wouldn’t be incredible if the powers in force have manipulated the North Korean government and have covert fundings in place for the continuation of their nuclear aims, and all recent events are just play acting towards the USA being able to deploy more military might in the Asian Pacific region. It does seem a little odd that such a small country would make such threats knowing if they were carried out their annihilation would be inevitable. We are led to believe that China are North Korea’s only allies securing a buffer zone between China themselves and the pro-western South Korea, but this could be part of America’s plan to get themselves on their border for a very likely military showdown. Recent events have already given the US an excuse to install hi-tech missile defense systems in the region and move in an aircraft carrier, this does look very much like a military build up against China. The world was forced years ago by the federal reserve that oil be traded in US Dollars, this made America the richest country in the world. Now however, countries are looking to trading in other currencies, notably China and Russia amongst others in Latin America and the Middle East (Interestingly Gaddafi and Mubarak were staunch adversaries to trading oil in USD). This is a serious threat to the US economy and their grip on world power, there is to be no doubt they are going to want to do something about it.
The outlook is that the US’s status as the world economic superpower is in serious jeopardy and it certainly wont want to share the wealth and will probably die fighting. These threats from North Korea, although only a small country, may have serious repercussions.
April 17th, 2013
I’m currently wondering what’s happened to the spring, having worked today in blizzard conditions over at Hastings and it being the 5th of April, it has kind of prompted me to post something. Driving to work I notice an odd show of rather sad daffodils, looking like they wish they hadn’t bothered. Other than that, glancing across the horizon and over the wooded hilltops there is not a leaf in sight, as if spring is emerging in slow motion. Wildlife is suffering with bird eggs remaining unhatched because of the cold weather, farmers have lost 100,000 sheep this winter due to either the inability to access them with feed, or they are being literally buried by blizzards, either way… they’re dead and not much cop, unless you happen to be hiking in Snowdonia with a shovel, a butcher and a backpack full of cooking equipment. These grey skies and bitter winds tend to suck out the serotonin and spring is welcomed by many with relief as the landscape explodes in to colour, the smell of blossom fills the air and longer brighter days evaporate away the mental mould accumulated throughout the long winter months, this year however, the mould lingers for many and the onset of warmer, brighter weather couldn’t come sooner. I could begin to babble on about my thoughts on whether or not I think this prolonged winter is a by-product of global warming, but my feelings are, that there are so many variables scientifically and such diverse opinion on the subject, it would be pointless. All I will say is, ‘The weather is different.’
April 5th, 2013
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