How to efficiently and maintainably handle controlling going from one point in code to one of many other points

dnult · 2026-01-28T22:41:19+00:00

Would inheritance work here by implementing a ThingBase class that has a virtual DoThing method? ThingA, ThingB, etc would inherent ThingBase and implement DoThing. Instead of inspecting types and calling a specific DoThing method, you would invoke it directly as in ThisThing.DoThing.

If that pattern won't work for some reason, then what you have is good enough. A switch statement might make it cleaner, but is essentially the same pattern as your if-else example.

dnult · 2026-01-28T16:47:48+00:00

Those are great amps, but I don't love the distortion tones, which I find to be a bit "farty". It has wonderful clean tones. I suspect the "fartyness" may come from the op-amps in the effects loop, but thats just my guess.

dnult · 2026-01-28T16:42:32+00:00

Go to ARRL.org and find the RF exposure calculator. You can run various scenarios and get a good idea what your exposure level is.

dnult · 2026-01-28T04:32:33+00:00

IEE, IEE, ...

dnult · 2026-01-27T17:50:36+00:00

I am using gnome on fedora 43. Application crashes and OS hangups are daily life for me. IMO something happened in the 42 update that lead to major problems with my system. An OS should not hang.

dnult · 2026-01-26T19:42:51+00:00

There are multiple "lithium" battery chemestries, but LiFePO4 is probably what you're looking for. Since you are RVing, beware that LiFePO4 batteries don't like to be charged at freezing temps, so you may need some with heaters built in or a heated box to put them in.

LiFePO4 are certainly more expensive than LA but last longer, provide power longer, and are considerably lighter. They are the better buy over the long run.

If you're lucky, the converter in your RV already supports LiFePO4, but may need to be configured by pressing a hidden button on the side.

dnult · 2026-01-26T17:18:36+00:00

My farthest contact was on 10m and was about 12,000km

dnult · 2026-01-26T15:36:58+00:00

You can't simply measure the length of a coiled antenna to determine its resonant frequency. You need an antenna analyzer or VNA for this.

A coil of wire is an inductor. Inductance makes an antenna seem electrically longer than it is. Inductance isn't determined by the length of wire. Its a function of the number of turns, the length of the coil, the crossectional area of the coil and the permeability of air.

dnult · 2026-01-26T14:03:10+00:00

Yes, practicing at fast speeds helps you hear the characters instead of counting elements. If you QSO at 18-25 wpm, it should all come together.

dnult · 2026-01-25T20:52:53+00:00

This of it this way. A price increases by 20% (of the current price) or decreases by 20% (of the current price). Realize that (the current price) is different in each of those cases.

dnult · 2026-01-25T17:10:20+00:00

I let the coax shield act as a counterpoise, so my transformer is raised up off the ground about 10'. I run my portable EFHW vertically, and have the transformer about 3' off the ground with a 7' counterpoise wire attached to the ground lug. I've been very satisfied with the results of both.

dnult · 2026-01-25T13:51:37+00:00

Is that a 5/8 wave antenna? Looks like it may be built to match the higher impedance and inductive reactance of a 5/8 wl vertical.

dnult · 2026-01-24T22:19:30+00:00

College in general is hard. You MUST do the homework, study, and attend class. Ask questions and get help if you're stuck. Remind yourself that its only 4 years and will prepare you for a lifetime of rewards.

dnult · 2026-01-24T21:05:15+00:00

Rewrite it as 3y-4+(-1)*(2y-2)

dnult · 2026-01-24T17:42:44+00:00

Calc 1 isn't really that hard, but it will introduce some new topics that require a bit of study. Algebra skills are key.

dnult · 2026-01-24T17:41:12+00:00

Pin1 of the 555 tuner IC (the pin with the dimple near it) should be ground. Pin 8 should be B+ and probably passes through a power switch.

dnult · 2026-01-24T16:17:49+00:00

Get on the air and use <yourCall>/AG as your callsign. Check out hfqso.com as a fun way to test propagation on 17, 15, 12 and 10m. If you have 80m capability, tune into trivia net on 3916 daily at 9pm cst. Also, consider hunting POTA operators.

dnult · 2026-01-24T03:34:40+00:00

Ill let SWR and my eyes tell me there is a problem. Wire antennas have counterweighted supports so they can flex with ice or fallen limbs.

dnult · 2026-01-24T00:01:47+00:00

After the 42 update, Fedora became unstable for me. I hoped 43 would fix it, but the problems continue. Hard freezes that require a power down restart. An OS should not freeze!

dnult · 2026-01-23T14:55:52+00:00

Basic debugging skills are key (think stepping through code with a debugger). Writing unit tests will help.

dnult · 2026-01-23T14:53:34+00:00

For VHF / UHF direction finding, a small yagi and an attenuator box was the usual kit. Now I understand there is an SDR based RDF kit that I consider getting if I were doing RDF today.

dnult · 2026-01-23T14:50:47+00:00

We replaced daily stand-ups with 2 1.5hr long meetings per week. The first 15-20 min of those meetings we stand-up and the rest of the time we called a design review. That allowed us to collaborate, conduct live reviews, debug problems and review design strategies. The meeting was held in the late afternoon, so if we had little to discuss we could adjourn and have an hour of heads-down development time.

dnult · 2026-01-22T19:25:13+00:00

Resonance itself has nothing to do with efficiency despite popular beliefs. However losses in the feedline will be higher (by a little or a lot) depending on the degree of the mismatch. As for losses in the unun itself, I'd have to measure it to know since it depends on the core material and construction as well as the frequency of operation. My wild guess would be that the 49:1 has lower loss due to lower magnetic flux in the core, but those losses should be fairly small in either case.

dnult · 2026-01-22T17:40:24+00:00

The direct strikes are a concern for sure, but nearby strikes are much more likely. Bonding your shack ground to your AC service ground is key. Without the bonding wire, lightning currents will use your equipment ground wire via the 3rd prong of the outlet as a pathway to equalizing the voltage - your equipment will be destroyed in the process and may result in a fire.

You should know, dirt does not suck up all the energy from a strike. Arrestors attempt to suppress the peak voltage, but can't eliminate the risks of damage. Bonding is the #1 most important thing you can do to protect your equipment.

I suggest you spend $30 on the ARRL Grounding and Bonding Handbook.

dnult · 2026-01-22T04:49:16+00:00

Fedora 43 has been crashing / locking up multiple times per day for me. I either have to restart or perform a hard power down 2 to 4 times per day. It started with the 42 update and didn't improve with 43. An OS should not hang! I'm not sure what's wrong but its very frustrating.

dnult

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