I updated my website to use a different Hugo theme and switched comments to commento ( https://commento.io/) from disqus.

I also disabled google analytics (inspired by my instance buddies!).

Not 100% sure about the theme yet, and I see there’s a fair amout of link-rot, but it’s clean and quick. Oh, and @ https://hackerific.net

Happy Holidays everyone!

Here’s hoping everyone gets a bit of quality time with some random projects 🥂

So far, I’ve repaired Dad’s PSU (it works!) and build a new 60% mechanical keyboard. Some info here: https://github.com/mattfoster/gh60-satan-keymap Fun times!

Just pulled a dead rectifier from Dad’s EP-925 PSU.

It’s basically identical to the PS-30M I have which I repaired last year when a pass transistor shorted. Chunky and hard to get inside but generally fairly simple.

Fingers crossed this is the only problem with it. 🤞

#hamradio #repair

@carbontwelve Please add me to Ham Radio. #Trunk

Forgot to mention I found the AirSpy HF repo on github: https://github.com/airspy/airspyhf

These tools work with the Airspy HF+ Discovery on the Pi and Mac, (although I did still need a windows box to update the firmware). They’re also not yet packaged on Debian, or in the official homebrew project.

I’ve not had much time to play, but I think airspyhf_rx should work a lot like the RTL tools.

Also, this blog has a lot of cool content, even though I can’t read it: spinorlab.matrix.jp/ja/page/3/

#sdr

Well that was depressing to wake up to!

Looking around for some interesting/good news, I’ve found:

https://github.com/jketterl/openwebrx – A fork of OpenwebRX with support for AirSpy HF+ ( https://groups.io/g/airspy/message/33180)

Also, someone put an ultrasonic transducer on an SDR: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8z02pICisM So I could you could use this to make a bat detector? It’s super cool to hear the doppler shift.

#hamradio #amateurradio #sdr

Put a fixed pulley on the top of my antenna pole last night, and added a section of conduit to keep the cord close to the pole.

Hopefully that’ll stop it jangling in the wind.

#hamradio #amateurradio

Just got to work and took off my jumper…

I then touched my keyboard and got a massive static shock…

Which killed the USB port on my dock!

I wonder if the same thing would have happened to the computer if i was attached directly.

Playing with the Airspy HF+ Discovery (or trying to). It works fine with GQRX but the airspy utils, like airspy_rx don’t work on my Pi or my Mac.

I think I need to update its firmware, but to do that I need to use Windows, so I’ll have to do it at work.

Also, since I can’t use the airspy tools I can’t even work out what firmware release it currently has! Frustrating!

#hamradio #sdr

I just had a cheap AliExpress PL-259 patch cable fall apart in my hands. I guess you get what you pay for!

It was so badly crimped I was able to reuse the plugs and sleeves to make a new cable, with a slightly nicer bit of coax.