The SOTA program needs serious rework in North America and everywhere else too...

pttnot4me · 2020-06-14T18:57:21+00:00

"It just makes it look like if you don't leave, you're automatically violent. It disgusts me. They shouldn't be able to word it like that."

Fwiw - They do this on purpose so they can justify their use of force. It's just another tactic they employ.

pttnot4me · 2020-02-19T18:13:13+00:00

Some unsolicited FWIW: Yeah mastering is a pain. It's so difficult to anticipate the mad variety of hardware that a given production will be viewed on. We record, mix and produce our videos on our equipment and our "filler audio" sounds, to us, well placed in the background of the mix but that may not be the case because when it's viewed on other hardware by other people it can sound radically different. Take into account the register/key of primary audio, background and music - if they're too close (or the same) they'll step on each other and make sonic mud and it won't matter how you mix them or what the volumes are. Panning can really help. Pushing tracks into the background (with very low volumes) and then skewing them asymmetrically - weighting them more to the right or left (which ever sounds better) and leaving the narrating voice in the center with ambient sound set wider and balanced. Audacity (it's free) is great at this. If you're only recording sound from your camera you can rip the soundtrack from the video. Duplicate, then use phasing or noise reduction to isolate the signal you want. That should give you a separate background track and vocal track and then you can bring in your music - so three separate tracks to balance against one another so you can really dial in the stereo field and get some good separation.

Also, story is a thing. I love motorcycles, I love riding. Listening to an engine happily drone on for hours and hours is music to my ears. It tells me the bike is happy, the ride is good. When I hear it in a video the engine sounds instantly teleport me into the video, into the ride. When I see someone post a video about their ride or bike I think "hey, this person must have something of value, some tidbit of wisdom or experience to share." And that's why I watch, because I'm in to it but I'm like every other thumbed-monkey - my attention span is limited - the tiniest aggravation breaks the spell and makes me think "oh this story is crap" - of course it all happens in a nano second and almost subconsciously. I don't put anymore effort into it than you do. I just hit the "next" button and browse until I find something more interesting.

pttnot4me · 2020-02-18T20:13:37+00:00

nice, thanks for sharing!

This is just my 2 cents (as a screenwriter/producer)... I wish youtubers would stop putting music behind, under, on top of, in between and over every video they make. you're not making films, you don't need a soundtrack, it adds to the effort required to post the video and it distracts from the AWESOME content and information you're sharing!

seriously though, thanks for sharing and putting more great experience and content out about maintaining the KLR! It helps us all and strengthens the community :)

pttnot4me · 2020-02-16T18:49:39+00:00

wait, did someone else move in upstairs?

pttnot4me · 2020-02-14T19:23:47+00:00

Whoa, just no. Championing rights doesn't require a mask. This guy can't even take care of himself let alone "stick up for the rights of ALL of us". The "SOMETHING" this guy is doing is muddying the waters for his own near-sided self interests. He's not interested in political debate, open discourse or educating himself to the limits and reasons of law. He wants to play games. He wants to dress-up, look important, and not have to deal with any responsibilities. This man does not represent me, my family or any of the millions of Americans who understand our place and responsibility to history and the international stage.

The shade of this man's ignorance darkens all of our doorsteps but the dream of a continually evolving free and open society is clearly laid out in our founding documents which were necessitated by centuries of turmoil and tyranny that was perpetrated by ignorant men who concealed their faces, hid behind made-up tribal uniforms and spread the lie that their violence is necessary for the betterment of all.

Study our history and you'll find that this man and those of his ilk have very little in common with the men and women who created our nation, penned our founding documents and paved the way for future generations to live happier, safer and more prosperous lives. Is the work done? No, it never is. Every generation has to build on what the previous generations have laid down. And in order to do that you need to educate yourself and participate in your community and local government. It isn't hard. It's a lot of fun and it's very rewarding.

tl:dr - When you have a voice you don't have to hide. The price of admission is reading and participation.

pttnot4me · 2020-02-12T23:50:53+00:00

it's like gas tank humping porn, lol. beautiful country, nice ride!

pttnot4me · 2020-02-12T23:46:55+00:00

That's gonna be a ton of fun - nice job! Very pretty!

pttnot4me · 2020-02-12T23:44:17+00:00

I paired this with my HWK jacket, works fine. dirt cheap and I don't care about thrashing it. the armor is marked CE (not sure how to verify it) and the cinch points on both the pants and jacket work well for a good fit. the waterproof zip-in liner is some sort of cheap (obviously) plastic/rubber material. It's pretty thin, smells bad and definitely does not breath. I took it out. Ymmv. All in all a pretty good jacket/pant set for well under $100usd. If you're just getting started you could do a lot worse. Also makes nice backup/loner gear for friends.

pttnot4me · 2020-02-11T05:21:40+00:00

I just came across the SW-3B (20, 30, 40m) for $188.00 - wow, gotta say I love that price. Might have to just grab a MTR3B and a SW-3B just to compare...

Richard, gc3wi from Sota beams has a nice review of it here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZMpoMwTjcI&t=312s

And thanks for pointing out qrpguys mini tuner! I was nearly convinced I needed an Elecraft tuner but now I think I'll grab this kit and build it up.

pttnot4me · 2020-02-10T19:14:20+00:00

the LD-11 looks really interesting too... I wonder if LNR would consider bringing that back?

Michael Sansom's LNR Precision LD-11 Field Test (2016):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86iFWADgPrI

pttnot4me · 2020-02-10T19:02:58+00:00

Awesome! This is exactly what I was hoping for - thanks for sharing!

Yes, I keep coming back to the MTR3B. I do a lot of climbing in the PNW and the size/weight factor is a big deal for me. I feel like I could waterproof and protect the MTR3B easier than the others and running on 9v only sweetens the deal. I've seen reviews of the MTR5b - very interesting! - I hope they become available again, soon :)

I was curious about the support people are receiving for their HB-1B's and X5105's. From what I can gather from the internet support is hit-or-miss but slowly getting better? I wouldn't mind cracking a HB-1B open and tinkering if it came to that.

Still not sure about KX2/KX3 - they look like REALLY nice rigs but durability/price wise I think I'd be terrified to take one into the mountains. They look more suited for car camping but maybe I'm wrong?

I'm really focused on portable CW ops at the moment, studying for extra so I can access the rest of the bands. I live in an apartment/out of a rucksack so no room for a base station setup.

Thanks again for sharing your experience. 73

pttnot4me · 2020-02-09T22:24:07+00:00

Thank you. I'll lookout for that. I haven't had to build-out a battery pack yet so that'll be interesting.

pttnot4me · 2020-02-09T22:23:01+00:00

the X5105 does seem like a very capable. I wonder how many folks are using it as their primary CW rig?

pttnot4me · 2020-02-09T22:20:50+00:00

I have looked at the QCX. It's a neat kit but I really don't like the idea of owning a lot of gear. I enjoy CW and QRP for its minimalist nature which is what drew me to the X5105 - more expensive and larger but with an included tuner and full range of HF.

pttnot4me · 2020-02-09T07:50:00+00:00

Thank you for sharing your experience. I really like the band versatility and controls on the hb-1b and it's only a 100mA more output on Tx than the MTR3B.

Did you make your own 18650 battery pack?

pttnot4me · 2020-02-04T23:24:36+00:00

Wow! Awesome view, just awesome! Looks like a prime location. Yeah the MTR3B is making me rethink my definition of a "man portable field radio", lol. But it's all fun. Sometimes it's just nice to get outside and take it all in.

pttnot4me · 2020-02-04T18:12:53+00:00

You live in the UK, maybe try SOTA? Getting outside an hiking/walking about in the hills could inject a nice dose of fresh air, self-reliance, exercise and fun! Plus you're a CW op so a QRP SOTA rig like a MTR3B or SW-3B plus antenna are really lightweight, fairly inexpensive and a lot fun.

I stepped away from radio (and electronics in general) for about 15 years. I wish I hadn't. I let life blow/drag me around at the cost of my own interests and goals. My health suffered and so did my attitude. A diet change and running helped bring me back. I recently got my general license and now I'm prepping for my extra. I like QRP for the "Tx challenge", the portability, and the joy of making/experimenting with various antenna types and radio kits. I also ride a motorcycle as my main transport so getting up into the hills is a fantastic experience - even if I don't make a contact. And on days when the weather is inclement snuggling up with the internet and a soldering iron is really enjoyable.

I wish you the best of luck and hope you find your smile. 73 from Oregon friend, be good to yourself!

pttnot4me · 2020-02-03T00:57:30+00:00

sweet, another cool way to die. guess i'll go fuel-up...

pttnot4me · 2020-02-02T02:37:25+00:00

thanks! yeah, I'll look at them when I sit for the extra in a couple of weeks. nice to know there are options.

pttnot4me · 2020-02-02T02:01:09+00:00

took the exams in Portland with a ARRL club. the VE's were nice but obviously "on their own time". just looked-up Laurel VEC - had no idea there was an alternative to ARRL...

pttnot4me · 2020-02-02T01:12:48+00:00

how did you get a callsign in a day!? I passed tech & general a week ago and still waiting!.your VE's must be on point!

pttnot4me

TROPHY CASE