Circuit 1

Got stuff warmed up with a simple regulator circuit. LM317 for variable output, LM7812 for 12V, LM7805 for 5V. Running off a small 13.8 VDC supply.

This will be useful when I decide to mess with discrete transistor circuits. I need to mount it on standoffs. I'm in no hurry, I want to mess with tubes first. Waiting on some circuit board sockets, should be here this week.

The Radio Room / "Tube Lab"

This is about as neat as it is likely to get, so I took some pictures. I operate Ham radio from here, and work on electronics projects. Last night I repaired 3 old meters I got from eBay, I got all 3 working great! I need a fuse holder to get a Fluke nixie tube meter going. Everything else

you see here works just fine, except a little Conar frequency counter, I haven't gone into it yet.

Here's the view from the entrance:

A shot of the workbench. On the bench are XM radio, and an isolated variable power supply for AC line voltage, to bring up old equipment slowly. Look for smoke...ha! I should add a fire extinguisher, I guess.

A bunch of components I've come across various sources. Lots of tubes, IC's, transistors, resistors, capacitors not pictured, tons of coils, connectors, etc. I sort stuff while the ball games are on, I actually have it well organized.

Here's my view of the world! R-390A was my Cold War weapon of choice in the ASA, this one is supurb! I've got parts to re-cap it and replacement tubes, should the need arise. Kenwood stuff - the TS-570 and I have made several thousand CW (Morse Code) contacts, I love the TS-830s with the great receiver, I've got both narrow filters, and the tube finals put out a solid 100+Watts. F6a handheld gets little use, it's FM VHF. I built the Elecraft K1 and a RockMite in an Altoids can. The kiloWatt amp doesn't get much use, either, as I am 99.9% CW.

That's all for now, I hope to get some fall color pics this weekend.

Tube Lab

I finally got all the tubes I bought off eBay sorted and displayed. I tested about a dozen of them, only one was bad. I think most of these are in good shape. I have data sheets for all the bigger ones, and several of the little ones. I've been studying some tube circuits, and after I get a few more things sorted and boxed, etc. I will be ready to design and test some tube circuits. I want to have a home brew tube transmitter on 80 meters before January.

I like the old blue display board. I can find the one I want now. I think I'll start with 6AB4's. They are first, and they are simple triodes.

I have a lot of sockets in the top couple rows. I also got a great deal on some test adaptors, you put it in the socket, it has leads for testing, and the tube goes in the adaptor. Today I hope to get some circuit cards with provisions for 7 and 9 pin tubes. Pictures of the lab and test equipment, power supplies, more components, soon. This is going to be a fun winter!

Getting ready for Fall Colors

I joined Thousand Trails this Spring. I've got the RV set up @ Wilmington TT, next weekend, Columbus Day weekend, is the last weekend the park is open. I plan to figure a way to wash the beast, might have to drive it home to do that. After our stay, I'll winterize it and maybe move it from under the trees to an open place where no damage will occur in a snow or ice storm. I'll also take the little motorcycle back to the house.

No camping reservations for fall colors, I think I'll just day trip it, but we might do it twice. Pictures, I promise!

Been playing with electronics more than hiking. Work situation has improved a lot, I might stay around after 2012 if things continue to go well. Who knows what the future holds?

20 years sober August 14th, I scoped cancer free 2 years after the operation for colon cancer, my cardiologist says the treadmill test looks good (I had a heart attack in 2003) so I'm on triple bonus time.

New things

I got two new vehicles, it's all part of a plan.

First was a motorcycle, I still have the Versys, but I bought a Kawasaki Super Sherpa. You can find out more at http://www.kawasaki.com/Products/Product-Specifications.aspx?scid=14&id=371. This is a 250cc dual purpose bike, it weighs well under 300 pounds with a full tank of fuel. I will be able to take it with me on RV trips, and after I retire. It is an all around bike, doing nothing exceptionally well, but getting by quite well enough in city, backroad, highway, and forest roads. I can take it for short distances on the interstate, it will go 70 MPH easily on flat ground, but I don't think I want to do that for a long time. It will also handle some rougher trails than I have skills for.

Next, I traded the beloved Subaru for a 2010 GMC Canyon extended cab work truck, with 4x4. The only option on the truck is a locking rear differential. It is red. Here's more info: http://www.gmc.com/canyon/canyon/index.jsp. This was about the only option that can be towed 4 down without restrictions, will have quite enough capability to carry the motorcycle on a hitch carrier, is under 4000 lbs. so I can have some capacity for storage and still be under the 5000 lbs. towing limit for my motorhome, and has 4 wheel drive and good ground clearance. I have the hitch and a tonneau cover on order to be installed by Cruisers near Xenia, and the hitch carrier should arrive Wednesday. I take the truck to Lewis RV on December 7 to have the RV base plate installed so I can hook it up.

So, my rig will be the 2008 Itasca 26a pulling a 2010 GMC Canyon with a 2009 Kawasaki Super Sherpa hanging off the back. Sounds like fun!

Emo is not too happy with the truck, but he will learn to love it. I'm not so happy with all the dog hair and slobber, so we're even...

Shawnee RV trip

Emo and I did get back to Shawnee in late October, and camped in the RV for two nights. We spent most of our time cruising the forest roads and looking at the trees. As always, click on the pictures for a bigger look.

Some roads are winding -

Some roads are straight.

But the trees were always beautiful.

Motorcycle camping at Shawnee

I loaded a bunch of my backpacking gear into the bags on the Versys and put poor Emo dog in the kennel for the weekend. Took US35 to SR41, a twisty, pretty road, went to West Union and hit SR125, another nice road, and arrived at Shawnee State Park. I couldn't go in the campground because it was filled with children for the pumpkin festival, so I rode around for an hour. Here is the bike all loaded up at Picnic Point. Click on the pictures for a bigger view.

I finally went back to the campground after an hour riding around, and set up camp. This is a nice campsite a short way from the campground road.

Up on Picnic Point, I took a picture of some of the trees in color. That's Kentucky in the background, the river is down there.

I got to ride gravel roads a lot, the weather was perfect for the amount of gear I had on Sunday. With my new tires, this bike eats up gravel roads. Only a newbie, in short order I was comfortably putting around on the gravel, enjoying the trees. On some of the other paved roads around the forest, where there are small communities, I was chased by several dogs. I think the dogs and I both enjoyed it.

There are several overlooks at Shawnee, here I am parked at one of them.

I love this motorcycle, it is like my Subaru, it isn't the very best at anything, but it does everything well, and it does all I want quite well and quite enjoyably. Aside from being very cold in the tent at night because I brought the wrong sleeping bag, it was a great trip.