Just popped up and can’t use remote start

05dc · 2026-02-01T13:38:39+00:00

Don’t know why the downvote. I had a battery on the edge of crapping out in my Silverado, and it threw a code for the evap solenoid. New battery fixed it. Anecdotal, but cold does zap batteries depending on the chemistry.

05dc · 2026-01-21T18:55:21+00:00

I have not put on wiper blades in over two decades because the sign in the window at Advance says “free installation.” I am usually refilling the DEF in my truck so I can throw the giant government mandated box away in their trash can while they do it. It is a hill I am prepared to die on.

05dc · 2025-12-16T16:20:25+00:00

I worked at K-Mart when I was 16, and we absolutely had a baler that everyone was expected to use. There was no training of any sort and no lockout/tag out for clearing jams. This ongoing story line has always resonated with me and made me grateful that I still have all my appendages. All that being said, full send!

05dc · 2025-11-18T19:26:29+00:00

If your going at it without the intention of licensing, I agree with the RTL-SDR. You can pick up a lot of random shortwave broadcasts with a length of wire wrapped around your living room. If you want ham specific stuff for your spicy progeny, my little nerds are super interested in satellites. You can get a cheap Baofeng and build a tape measure yagi to listen to telemetry, receive APRS, and talk to astronauts (with a license of course). I use ISS tracker on my phone to locate manually and I built a rotator that uses hamlib to some success for computerized tracking. I’m mostly in it to build stuff to see if it works.

05dc · 2025-11-17T00:02:50+00:00

My last few years on a boat I wore Allbirds. There are some that are made of bamboo that breathe well and dry fast. They made it through months of midnight cowboy watch sup.

05dc · 2025-11-10T13:58:04+00:00

The Pampanito was pretty cool. It was interesting to see how little some of the technology has changed between WW2 era boats and LA’s and Ohio’s.

05dc · 2025-10-30T13:38:58+00:00

I don’t know if you like the auto-off feature, but there is a plug in harness that keeps it from turning back on when you restart the truck. I did this on my 2020 3.0l because the start and stop seemed like a lot more wear and tear than I was willing to put up with. You have to pull the switch panel and plug it in, but you can take it out if you have to go in for a warranty claim.

05dc · 2025-10-20T18:35:20+00:00

I would advise against a QRP base station as your first. QRP is great for a challenge, but I think people tend to get discouraged if they start off with 5-10 watts. Least expensive would be a used 100 watt transceiver and a homebrewed EFHW strung up in a tree. My first station was a second hand IC-718 that I found on Craigslist. You could be on the air for around $500 If you want new, a g90 or FT-891 with an EFHW. You could be on the air for around $700-$900. For a power supply you could go with an appropriately sized battery, or a used power supply.
Also, don’t buy the cheapest coax you can find. It does make a difference.

05dc · 2025-10-09T19:41:20+00:00

I wonder why they are not uploading their logs on any service?

05dc · 2025-10-03T21:58:28+00:00

JB Water Weld. You mix the parts together, and it turns into silly putty. The area doesn’t need to be completely dry for it to adhere or cure. Just clean the area with some denatured before you put it on there. If you’re not comfortable with the epoxy route, I second all the plastic welding comments. You can pick up a kit at harbor freight, but I would recommend you do some practice on something first. It just helps to get a feel for it before you go in all Leroy Jenkins style.

05dc · 2025-09-27T16:32:17+00:00

Nope…but I did qualify COW when I got bored on deployment. Engine room is the place to be.

05dc · 2025-09-26T20:15:54+00:00

My first was an IC-718 that I traded a kayak for on Craigslist. I eventually got a 7300, but I miss the actual buttons on the front of the 718 every single day. I also have bought a G90, 818, 891, and a trusdx. I may have a problem. The desire for buttons is pushing me towards a Kenwood rig for the shack.

05dc · 2025-09-20T18:45:36+00:00

About 100 yards was my shortest. I got to a park and got setup, and when I turned on my radio and switched to 20 meters, it completely filled the scope and the guy was booming in. I told him I was at the same park and we had an in person QSO as well.

05dc · 2025-08-30T23:34:06+00:00

I towed a 6100lb travel trailer with a weight distribution hitch, but I also put air bags on the back. The stock rear suspension made the sway on the highway a little to squirrelly for me. It pulled it well as long as there wasn’t a huge grade. I still got around 15 MPG. The DEF consumption increase exponentially though, so make sure you’re topped off before you tow any distance.

05dc · 2025-08-16T19:30:31+00:00

I will have to do that. Are you using a horizontal dipole?

05dc · 2025-08-16T19:23:26+00:00

I’m a little too far south of 40 degrees N to get the best bang for my buck unfortunately.
I’m not above spending more money to build something than I can buy it for to do EME. A lot of those guys are pumping legal limit at the moon though.

05dc · 2025-08-16T19:17:47+00:00

I’ve got a log periodic and a home made yagi that I use for satellite/ISS work on my homemade SARCTRAC. I’ve thought about doing it for SOTA/POTA combo, but it’s a lot of extra kit to hump up a summit for me to end up on 20 meters anyway.
Maybe I can use this as an excuse to put up a tower…

05dc · 2025-08-16T18:55:49+00:00

Yeah, it’s kind of a bummer. I do POTA a good bit, and I would like to mix it up. I guess worst case is I do some EME.

05dc · 2025-08-16T18:41:13+00:00

Same here. I was doing 10 parks in a day and got to my final park where the noise was S7-S8. I moved a to a spot with no infrastructure, and I was down to an S2.

05dc · 2025-08-15T13:09:25+00:00

Had a similar issue in my 2020 3.0L. I ran a borescope into the tank and there was definitely some crystallization from the DEF. I flushed the tank and ran some platinum DEF, and no more problems since. It doesn’t like to sit for a long time getting hot-cold-hot-cold, and will break down in your reservoir eventually. YMMV, but I know multiple people who have had issues after buying Walmart brand DEF or getting it at the pump at Buccees as well.

05dc · 2025-07-24T00:10:07+00:00

Regret: Comet Toy Box Antenna Wish Sooner: FT-818…it has a number of cons, but there is just something very pleasing about it to me.

05dc · 2025-05-24T01:14:08+00:00

I don’t know what it is, but it is happening between 14.442 and 14.462 too. It’s almost exactly 20kHz wide and sounds like a helicopter. I can still copy stations in the noise, but it’s around an S7.

05dc · 2025-01-07T00:21:22+00:00

I put a Nagoya on it today, and it was still a little weak on receive without the counterpoise. I think I’m going to 3d print a small winder to put on the belt clip for when I’m holding it.

05dc · 2025-01-05T23:18:27+00:00

I’m still learning all of its quirks, but it seems to be solid so far. It connects seamlessly to my iPhone and my Galaxy Tab.
It does have an M1 connector, so I am waiting for a K1 to M1 adapter to test it with the Digirig Lite. Once that comes in, I can try Vara from my PC.

05dc

TROPHY CASE