Monday, 18th November, 2024

Snowing today. First time here this winter. Weather is okay this week except for strong winds, so not sure if I’ll go out. I don’t mind cold but wind is just a pain. I’ll see how the forecast changes.

I should make use of the bad weather and go do my Christmas shopping. I’ll be annoyed with myself if there are lovely sunny, still days in December and I have to go shopping. But equally this could be the nicest weather and it just gets worse!

Started the shopping online. Hopefully I can finish soon enough. Although it’s the wife’s birthday in early Jan so have to make sure I have enough for that as well.

Started looking at morse courses online. There’s the CWops academy which do a two month course with meetings twice a week. Only problem with that is the times in the evening aren’t great for me. I want it to be 8-9 or 9-10 but they only do 7-8 or 10-11. Not sure why but perhaps depends on the advisors and what they want to do. Their course is Jan-Feb.

There’s another one run by the Long Island CW club, it’s more informal and you drop into sessions as a when, but they have lots of them. That is more convenient but I suspect less likely to get results than the intensive two month course.

Saturday, 16th November, 2024

Had to cancel my dad visiting today as most of the kids are ill. In some ways I’m relieved as it’s always hard work.

Picked up a second hand Morserino now. Let’s see if I actually do anything with it or it just sits on the shelf like the other SBC based projects… 😅

Had to calibrate my radio yesterday as people reported I was off frequency. You can use a signal generator (don’t have one) or tune into some standard frequency broadcasts. There’s a time broadcast from the USA which is called WWV. They broadcast on 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 MHz and announce the time. I couldn’t hear any of them when I tried. I think later at night makes it possible to hear it on 5 or 10 MHz. I thought I could hear a carrier signal on 10 and so tried to use that to calibrate the radio - but this just ended up with me being wildly out of calibration!

A friend said as I have two radios I can just transmit into a dummy load and the radio next to it would still receive it. So now I could test easily myself and just adjusted the settings until I was close enough. Seems to work now.

Told another ham friend about it and he had the same issue with his.

Friday, 15th November, 2024

I’ve been looking at this Morserino kit thing that’s for learning CW (morse code). Really it’s just me wanting to buy this thing vs actually going to learn. I should learn as it would make SOTA much more interesting with small radios.

Thursday, 14th November, 2024

I should look up some best ideas for sore muscles, as I woke up in the night as my legs were aching and felt hot! Perhaps ice baths or something…

Wednesday, 13th November, 2024

Did my big hike, and chose the sensible option of the shorter (still about 20 miles!) which was good because it did take me longer than expected and the weather wasn’t that great in the morning. Very windy which made everything a hassle. By the time I was cycling back from the summits it was a lovely day with blue skies 😅 Tired though and my quads are burning!

Monday, 11th November, 2024

I’m off out again this Wednesday to the mountains. There’s been a patch of high pressure over the UK for ages now and it’s kept things much warmer and pleasant. I think that’s going to end this weekend, and with the ever darkening days I think this could be my last chance for a big trip out - ie. multiple summits.

I can’t decide where I should go though. There’s two options - one is two big 10 pointers, on quite a long route that even if I can get to the car park for first light, still only just gets me back to the car about 45 minutes before sunset. People are telling me it’s too much to do and better for a summer’s day (or spring even). The only option to overcome this is by staying in a bothy at the foot of the mountain, then I get an hour’s headstart. But I have to stay in a hut at the bottom of the mountain overnight…not sure about that one.

People telling me I can’t do it, is really making me want to do it, to prove them wrong. Which is dumb and probably dangerous…but I still want to. The only thing is that I always feel like I’m rushing when doing multiple summits, and don’t have time to enjoy it, and I’m just obsessed with the points. My big push is to see if I can get to 200 by the end of the year. I’m on 139 right now, it took me from May to October to get my first 100.

The other route has more flex in the time, still two decent sized summits, but 2 points less (lol I know). Although potentially I could squeeze in another 4 pointer and get 2 more! If I have enough time - although working out if I have enough time on the day isn’t always straight forward. I suppose I should have a “if it’s xx:xx or earlier then you can go for it”.

I could leave home earlier, or stay in the hostel in the village, but it doesn’t help as it’s dark until about 7am. That wouldn’t be too bad but the first part is cycling and that’s more risky than walking in the twilight.

However, as people tell me, the mountains will still be there, and I do enjoy going on the radio and not just doing the bare minimum. I tell myself I’ll race up the points, then next time I’ll enjoy it but in all likelihood I’ll just keep doing the same until I get to 1,000 then never bother again. That’s probably not true, I will keep going but doing interesting ones or alternative routes etc.

The weather is looking nice, and whilst not perfect on Wednesday, is good and I should make the most of it…which pushes me back to the big route again 😅

I did a big walk last wednesday then a single summit on Friday. Friday was enjoyable as I was on the radio for around an hour or so. More than I’d timetabled but I was quicker up than planned.

I did want to try and do all 10 pointers in the region before the end of the year but I just don’t have the time and I’ve left it too late, but, you know, what’s the rush?

Well I need to decide by tomorrow evening, so I know what I’m doing. I think the smaller route plus a 4 pointer might be straight forward too, but not as spectacular - although setting up three times can be tiresome too! haha….bed time I think.

Saturday, 9th November, 2024

Two of my radio mountain friends have been building / customising Land Rover Defenders. I won’t lie and say I don’t want one now.

Tuesday, 5th November, 2024

My objective is to get Phil licensed for amateur radio 😅.

Saturday, 2nd November, 2024

Daughter has been watching Lord of the Rings for the first time. I have the extended +++ version on Plex but the audio was stuttering. There aren’t really many settings to play with and I couldn’t figure it out. So we got out the bluray version my wife has. Unsurprisingly, it works perfectly…

There must be lots of used dvd/blurays out there which are good value…or even new ones…I should try picking up favourites.

Which is funny as about 10-12 years ago I went through the effort of converting all our media onto the computer to play with plex.

Oh it’s November so stores have already started their early Black Friday promotions… the U.K. forgets it’s not celebrating Thanksgiving…but I suppose everyone likes cheap TVs…

Friday, 1st November, 2024

Been on two good hikes, always feels good. Out in the open and with no one but the wilds.

Hoping to get out twice next week, the weather is decent and still quite mild, hoping to go up a big mountain but we’ll see how the weather turns out plus work schedule.

New Mac mini? Every generation I’ve said I’d get the next one as my Mac, and now the latest one it’s out. I’m not sure what I’d use it for…Apple photos but I dunno.

Wednesday, 30th October, 2024

Every day the weather is nice and I’m stuck in work makes me mad that I can’t be out on a summit doing radio. Especially when the day I can go it’s going to be cloudy and maybe wet. Monday next week looks perfect for doing a big summit, but no, I have to present to the boss on some rubbish.

It makes me realise how much of the summer time I wasted on small hills, but equally I needed to go through the journey to figure stuff out.

We also have a lot of things in November which will limit me and it’s only getting darker and colder.

The clocks going back is also annoying as it means it’s lighter in the morning but darker in the evenings. This means I have to leave early to make the most of the light. Just another barrier.

Rant over. For now.

Tuesday, 29th October, 2024

Sometimes I think about just deleting everything, and not bothering with any notes, or photos or logs, blogs, clogs, or eggnogs. I’m looking forward to eggnogs.

Nothing to maintain, nothing to feel guilty about doing or not doing. No decisions to make. I couldn’t delete everything, but maybe there’s lots I can delete.

Spent all evening last night looking at radio handhelds for sale. The usual, I don’t need it but I want it. In fact I want to collect them. Why? Who knows…bored probably. It seems all the good ones are long out of production and the used market is so limited.

Like the Canon f/1.4 LTM being one of the best Leica ranger finder lenses as good quality and good value - but then you look to buy one and there’s nothing but a really expensive one on eBay in the U.K. then a hundred from Japan with various excellent++++++++ rating (has some fungus).

I’d like a new battery for my old HT but nowhere in U.K. sells them. They’re only $40 in US but then $80 shipping 🙃

I bought a game a few weeks ago that was recommended by my friends, but I’ve not played it. Maybe I should just play that and stop looking for things to buy.

Sunday, 27th October, 2024

Family who invite themselves to stay are annoying.

I want to redo my main site but not sure what or how.

I’ve also been thinking about a new logging software that I’d like to make (but probably won’t), which is SOTA focused but also databaseless. Plain text logging. Another ham I chat to likes the idea and offered to do stuff but I suspect, like me, he has lots of good ideas but never quite does any of them! Although he makes lots of good antenna and radio things vs. me who just thinks about them.

Back to work tomorrow, I’m really not excited about that. I’m sure it’ll be fine and be niceto catch up with people but still. Feels like I’ve been off for ages.

Wednesday, 23rd October, 2024

Looks like I need to do a hard reset via the breakers…so willl have to try that when we get back and hope it fixes it. The classic turn off and on again.

One week until the new government announces the budget. Goodness knows that they’re going to come out with…but it’ll be more tax in some form or other. I just hope it’s not a main one for me.

Been planning out what summits I want to do until the end of the year. Which is all very well but the weather could be the blocker, I don’t mind cold but not rain. Will just have to see what it is.