Learned About The MIDCARs And The ECARs Nets From A Facebook Group And Tuned In This Morning. I Was Encouraged

... --- ... We've all heard the dits and dahs of the morse code signal for S.O.S. ... --- ... It's been used in every type of entertainment medium. It's also the name of steel wool cleaning pads. ... --- ... S.O.S. wasn't formally adopted by the International Telecommunications Union until around 1908, so did no one need help before then? Before the ITU adopted ... --- ... there was -.-. --.- -.., or CQD. Come Quick Danger was the common call for help prior to the S.O.S. ... --- ... The radio operator aboard the Titanic had sent out various calls for help over morse code with CQD DE MGY, MGY being the callsign of the ship, before alternating between CQD and S.O.S. ... --- ... Alot folks have thought the meaning of the S.O.S. is "save our ship," or "save our souls," but the letters have no real meaning. The meaning can be found in the simplistic and easily remembered dit dit dit dah dah dah dit dit dit tones. The ITU believed that operators and listeners alike would better hear and understand the call for help. CQD lives on in amateur radio though. A general call of CQ can be heard over the airwaves for other stations to hear and respond. And now, ... --- ... you know ... --- ... the rest of the story, --. --- --- -.. -.. .- -.--!

73

Artwork by F. Allen Gilbert, 1909

Installed the new direct drive extruder and hot end onto the 3D printer and successfully tested the extrusion of filament. Now to start a print!

I apparently live in a soldering replacement tip black hole, so when I need a new tip I have to buy a new iron. The Chicago Electric soldering iron ($3.99 @ Harbor Freight) and the Weller soldering iron ($19.99 @ Ace Hardware) appear to be the exact same, aside from color. I've looked online and haven't found any specific manufacturer for thr Chicago Electric iron aside from "various Chinese" production companies, while the Weller is produced by Apex Tool Group, LLC out of Apex, NC. Still yet, the packaging for the Weller says it's made in China. Here's to hoping that the tip on the Weller is a bit better quality and doesn't deteriorate as quickly as the Chicago Electric one.

Got it updated and connected to my phone but it's the only one in the area. Need to build a mesh

Finally!

I crimped thr coupler over the main element and the contact of the SO-239 connector before using some heat shrink for a bit of added structural support. I'm not like all the other high class and fanciful hams, so I used my daughter's hair dryer on high heat to shrink the heat shrink. It worked like a charm!

Bands have been wild during the DX contest 25 & 26 Oct 2024

Listened in on 20 meters for most of the day and heard a fine young ham making some great contacts.