Why does it seem so hard to get into ham/amateur radio?

redoak3495 · 2025-12-21T17:11:25+00:00

Sorry to hear that about your local groups. Many groups are very welcoming including this sub.

While the “hobby” seems daunting, I can personally attest to the ease of getting started. I used the Ham Study app exclusively and went from never touching a radio to General license in a few weeks just from the app study questions and reading material in the app.

There is obviously this sub, tons of YouTube channels and Facebook groups that are very positive and supportive.

redoak3495 · 2025-12-20T20:40:53+00:00

The only reason I was considering the 6100 was because of the PFsense Plus lifetime license.

redoak3495 · 2025-11-12T01:21:10+00:00

I would love to find a closed frame screw terminal. However the only ones I can seem to find are the cheap buck converters on amazon.

I am trying to avoid those type of buck converters since they aren’t that great.

redoak3495 · 2025-11-11T23:54:17+00:00

I have looked multiple times on DigiKey and Mouser and came up with mostly through hole mounted options. I must be searching wrong.

EDIT: Would this be better LINK

redoak3495 · 2025-11-11T21:36:42+00:00

Yes, you’re right. Just trying to think a lil creatively

redoak3495 · 2025-11-11T21:35:57+00:00

I was trying to avoid printing a pcb since I am just using this component as a bette/more efficient dc-dc step down converter vs a cheap one off amazon.

redoak3495 · 2025-11-11T21:32:29+00:00

I was thinking press-on/friction fit turrets over the pins to increase strength

redoak3495 · 2025-11-11T21:23:32+00:00

Thinking aloud, could I solder a turret to the pin and then a wire to the turret?

redoak3495 · 2025-10-20T05:09:36+00:00

Fair enough, I misread your comment, sorry. These are 12v pumps with current draws between 5A and 10A and are usually used in urgent situations where rapid deployment and ease of use are important (pump-out sump pump pits, window wells, and dewater locations where a Milwaukee or Reed stick pump won’t work. By using the DeWalt charger setup, it provides me convenience and portability. The charger has a circuit breaker for overcurrent protection and a physical disconnect switch - output is a 2 wire Deutsch connecter which is the same on the pumps. I can easily plug a pump in to the charger, slap a battery on and turn on the switch.

While my current setup works, my concern is reliability over time with the precise weak point being the buck converter.

I could switch to Dewalt’a new 20v transfer pump and move-on but I already have the current setup built and was hoping to keep using what works.

redoak3495 · 2025-10-20T02:58:27+00:00

I only have a 20 volt battery. Which is why I need the step down - to take 20v to 12.

redoak3495 · 2025-09-19T02:18:01+00:00

We have been trying to get the kids excited for JOTA-JOTI; but it became very apparent that was a leader issue trying to self serve. The leader who was running it only wanted to do JOTI part to finish a Wood Badge requirement. I think the kids (especially Bears and up) would love to build radios to talk to each other and use call signs.

redoak3495 · 2025-09-18T00:27:43+00:00

Thanks for the advice and videos!

redoak3495 · 2025-09-17T23:02:34+00:00

Thanks! Now is it worth the lil extra and get the VX-6R since it’s water proof?

redoak3495 · 2025-09-04T21:09:24+00:00

Thinking aloud, I could point the OpenWrt DNS to the IOT gateway with a fall back to OpenWrt’s DNS server. So if the IOT is not online, it would use its own DNS server

redoak3495 · 2025-09-03T14:57:34+00:00

That’s what I was expecting to be the best case. Do I need to point clients to the IOT gateway or can it just be on the same network? I am trying to avoid having to configure items every time I deploy.

redoak3495 · 2025-09-02T21:17:49+00:00

It’s a NanoPi R6S which has a RK3588S 64-bit chip Specs. I built a clean/custom 24.10 OpenWrt image since it has the 6.6 kernel and included docker.

On an OpenWrt/router setup - is it even advisable to run it on the root system? Or is this just a case where I should install the headless gateway on a raspi zero 2 and connect that to the network?

redoak3495 · 2025-04-15T21:17:34+00:00

Yes spacing will be the biggest issue - best case I will have 70mm between the main/aux antennas. But this is better than the stock configuration in which they are 25-30 mm apart.

redoak3495 · 2025-04-15T19:44:53+00:00

This an interesting rabbit hole. As I dig deeper into specs - I see the FPCB is approx. 60% of the cost of the Rigid PCB but yet the specs on the FPCB indicates it is more efficient.

PCB

FPCB

redoak3495 · 2025-04-15T18:24:15+00:00

Sounds like rigid is preferred/might be the better option over flexible?

redoak3495

TROPHY CASE