Wes AFØAJ

This account is primarily focused on my amateur radio activities, but I have myriad other interests, and occasionally post non-ham-radio-related content.

Public Key

npub17hy82av3qnn094s5fr3e79adzx8nlkqqdltr9t4dl7jmpklg0mfs00lh2q

NIP-05 Address

AF0AJ@mastodon-radio.mostr.pub

Profile Code

nprofile1qqs0tjr4wkgsfehj6c2y3culz7k3rrelmqqxl43j46kllfdsm058a5cpzemhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumn0wd68ytnzv9hxgwyvz38

Publishing to

relay.nostr.band

Author Public Key

npub17hy82av3qnn094s5fr3e79adzx8nlkqqdltr9t4dl7jmpklg0mfs00lh2q

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Last Notes

2025-04-18 22:54:25

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@nprofile…20qw 12m, and he's still here at the moment. H44MS.

2025-04-18 22:52:14

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@nprofile…20qw And I just snagged Solomon Islands for the first time... 🎉

2025-04-18 22:41:22

RF is weird. Working #FT8 on 10m and 12m. I've seen only one single domestic station active, but working fine DX.
Got a -11db report from Chile, nearly 11,000km away, and a -7db report from Australia, nearly 15,000km away.
I'm warming-up to this DX Commander...
#hamradio
https://mastodon.radio/system/media_attachments/files/114/361/367/341/889/083/original/db7a959688a04fc5.png

2025-04-15 20:23:58

With my new DX Commander up, and not too far from the back deck, I figured it was essential (I’m right, yes?) to be able to easily switch from the shack feed, to a coax cable from my go bag, so I can operate outside this summer.
Voila! Weatherproof box and a coax switch so I can keep the antenna connections silicone-weatherproofed. I’ll be able to set-up in a couple of minutes. 👍🏼
Is my house a POTA site? 🤣
#hamradio
https://mastodon.radio/system/media_attachments/files/114/343/835/723/693/315/original/5c2c2785c7628a9a.jpeg
https://mastodon.radio/system/media_attachments/files/114/343/835/757/352/720/original/23b9d70562254cd3.jpeg

2025-04-09 23:42:37

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@nprofile…20qw Reminds me a bit of 6m when conditions are better... It can seem dead, but then you hang out or trying calling CQ, and end-up discovering an opening to somewhere unexpected!
Anyway, what I'm seeing this afternoon here explains why I was having so much trouble earlier today with my POTA activation. I'm now pleased I managed to bag the 17 contacts that I did, honestly.

2025-04-09 23:29:47

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@nprofile…20qw I saw that you were spotted in Australia; nice work given the crummy band conditions!
I got a spot in Hawaii and Australia on 10m as well, but only managed to work the former.
Funny how it all works, eh?

2025-04-07 20:58:17

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@nprofile…20qw No, I’ve not seen it with mine honestly… May have missed it and now can’t find it… Which interface are you using again?

2025-04-07 20:45:48

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@nprofile…20qw Probably. My MacBook is Intel.
Oh well... Just a thought. I'm at a total loss.

2025-04-07 19:50:14

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@nprofile…20qw You might be mindful of which hardware port you’re plugging it into. When I was using it regularly with my MacBook, if I plugged it into the same one of the four USB-C ports, it didn’t change. Plug into a different one, it did. YMMV.

2025-04-07 18:02:21

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@nprofile…20qw Great idea... Got the big Yeti with us. 👍

2025-04-07 17:51:37

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@nprofile…20qw Yesterday, we had the legendary Arthur Bryant's, and it was good. But comparative newcomer Joe's? Absolutely melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Pretty sure we're gonna drag our feet on the way out of town tomorrow and stop again! 😂

2025-04-07 17:46:51

Had a nice #POTA activation at US-9188 this morning, then headed to the nearby award-winning Joe’s for some outstanding Kansas City BBQ afterward. Holy cow it was good — although I had the pulled pork, so… holy pork?
#hamradio
https://mastodon.radio/system/media_attachments/files/114/297/922/941/869/832/original/14562ea12f4e59b8.jpeg

2025-04-06 01:34:12

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@nprofile…20qw @nprofile…3w4e TBH, I didn’t know I could set-up alerts for this. Thanks for the tip!

2025-04-05 10:18:01

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@nprofile…20qw @nprofile…3w4e 🤣 I’ve taken to searching the spots page for them, and seeing who I can hear, which is how I snagged OK finally. I’ll get them… eventually. Provided they’re not operating the gear you described! 🤪

2025-04-05 10:18:01

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2025-04-03 21:48:43

Thanks @nprofile…20qw for the terrific QSL card that appeared when I checked the PO Box this morning! I really love the design, front and back, and based on your photos-of-the-day here on Masto, the front is... very "you" really! 😉
I've enjoyed exchanging QSL cards with some of you fine peeps here, and hope to do a lot more.
Maybe one of these days, I'll have the opportunity to meet some of y'all in-person too! One never knows...
#hamradio #qslcard
https://mastodon.radio/system/media_attachments/files/114/276/216/631/416/120/original/117334c8322b8c38.jpeg

2025-04-03 12:05:27

I was pleased to check-off Oklahoma this week (on CW, no less), but my #POTA bingo card for US states is now down to places I've struggled to log under any circumstances... my signals just don't really land in New England particularly well. (No idea what's up with Montana.) Will be interesting to see how this plays out in the months ahead...
#hamradio
https://mastodon.radio/system/media_attachments/files/114/273/932/505/086/333/original/3820266916a63043.png

2025-03-17 23:58:59

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@nprofile…20qw Wait, did you mean like, "24.915796" or are they more messed-up than that?
If it's just that, I think it's that if WSJT-X is doing the reporting, it includes the passband offset. If it's weirder, then no idea.

2025-03-17 23:55:01

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@nprofile…20qw Something to look forward to! And of course, you'll get one in return... Or more immediately, if your QRZ info is correct.

2025-03-17 23:47:57

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@nprofile…20qw 😂 I was JUST going to click to post something similar, and you beat me to it!
And sorry I missed your earlier attempt... I was multitasking, getting some data off old hard drives, and didn't even see that you were calling until it was too late.

2025-03-14 10:42:49

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@nprofile…20qw @nprofile…y8t3 Or easier still is just don’t click the Cancel button despite how logical it is to do so at that point. Click OK, then close the resulting config dialog popup.
That dialog shows exceptionally poor UX design. Not that the rest of the software is somehow a model of good UX practice to begin with.

2025-03-03 23:08:16

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@nprofile…nm89 @nprofile…20qw The cool kids? Suddenly the source of my cluelessness comes into focus...

2025-03-03 22:10:10

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@nprofile…20qw Thanks. I need to read up a heck of a lot more on this type of stuff. I’m basically clueless.

2025-03-03 21:37:30

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@nprofile…20qw I clearly need the investigate the stack-o'-pis concept. They're starting to pile-up over here.
As for your APRS iGate, congrats. (Now I just need to understand what that actually means.) 😂

2025-02-21 21:36:14

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@nprofile…20qw Losing critters is the worst. 🙁 It’s been years since I’ve had a pet… I still miss ‘em all, and it’s still too hard to entertain going through it again.

2025-02-21 21:09:15

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@nprofile…20qw I so want to go visit a good friend of mine in the English midlands. Take my radio stuff, a large format film camera... Do lots of radio and take lots of pictures. But I'm afraid I'll never want to come back.
Maybe I'd get lucky and they wouldn't let me back in? 🤔

2025-02-21 20:54:25

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@nprofile…20qw 😂

2025-02-07 17:36:49

Looks like someone figured-out how to do Docker containers. Score!
In other news, all you #hamradio Masto peeps are a bad influence. In a few short months, I've embraced FOSS, put Linux on two Macs, am migrating from Microsoft 365 to LibreOffice + NextCloud, learned Python and am working on programming a word game, and now I'm screwing around with Docker and even more FOSS (Wavelog and Damselfly).
Y'all are the best. And to think it all started with blog posts from @nprofile…a06j and @nprofile…fq78 ...
https://mastodon.radio/system/media_attachments/files/113/963/811/106/950/457/original/81ec666f5daa288c.png

2025-01-22 01:02:56

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@nprofile…20qw Oh, and it also has a MagSafe V1 connector built into it, so it's basically a docking station in disguise too. 😜

2025-01-22 00:32:10

Pulled out this old 27” Apple Thunderbolt Display and plugged my “new” 2012 Linux Mint MacBook into it. Took some finagling to get it to work, but it does rather nicely. 2560x1440 seems huge compared to the laptop’s built-in 1280x800 display… 🤣
https://mastodon.radio/system/media_attachments/files/113/869/185/613/655/734/original/4cc27c3df12a8ec6.jpeg

2025-01-19 20:28:35

OK, the Linux Mint test, initial install, and upgrade to 22.1 took < 30 minutes (I was using a 22.0 USB boot key).
It SCREAMS. Boot-to-login takes 17 seconds from a fully powered-off state. Login-to-home-screen is <5 seconds.
This old mid-2012 MBP has a 1TB SSD, an old 2.9 GHz Core i7, and 16 Gig of RAM, and it runs like it's late for a date or something.
#linux #linuxmint #macbook
https://mastodon.radio/system/media_attachments/files/113/856/898/022/484/754/original/fac2768fe29a51f7.jpg

2025-01-10 15:06:37

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@nprofile…68r5 I couldn't help but notice the fitting color of the ambient light... 😉

2025-01-09 21:20:05

I’m certain that one of you fine peeps needs to supercharge your desktop with this Pentium chip I just found buried in a box. 👍🏼 Amiright?! #vintagecomputing #vintagetech
https://mastodon.radio/system/media_attachments/files/113/800/465/063/970/821/original/fd686ba5bba14983.jpeg

2025-01-09 14:14:30

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@nprofile…68r5 I'm assuming that you might already be familiar with the QRP Labs line... If not, definitely check them out. Building a QMX+ was a lot of fun; using it, even more so.

2025-01-07 22:28:34

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@nprofile…20qw 🎉 Suh-WEEET! Congrats!

2025-01-06 21:09:01

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@nprofile…20qw Congrats!

2024-12-31 21:36:04

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@nprofile…20qw @nprofile…3sx3 It was here too. Isn’t that the Russian radar thing someone mentioned here a few weeks ago?

2024-12-16 03:06:20

Wrote-up a blog post about my new IC-7300, with some initial impressions. TL;DR... I love the radio, but I did have a rough start, thanks to a pretty rookie mistake combined with too many other variables.
https://querybang.com/2024/12/icom-ic-7300-initial-thoughts/
#hamradio

2024-12-01 13:05:45

Time for a #filmphotography post that resonates with my current #telephony geekitude...
This is a Western Electric (Bell System) Princess phone that sits in my home office. As was standard with them, it has an incandescent dial light, powered by an original WE transformer and isolating modular Y-adapter. It's now connected to an ATA instead of a landline, but it's still doing its thing, all these decades later.
Shot w/ Linhof Master Technika on Ilford FP4+ 4x5 sheet film, 7 minute exposure.
https://mastodon.radio/system/media_attachments/files/113/577/707/682/868/333/original/b84b002abc6379d5.jpg

2024-11-29 23:52:17

Well, one of the two temp sensors in my little Samlex SEC 1223 power supply is borked, and I'm not in the mood to remove the transformer it's wrapped inside of in order to extract it, identify its manufacturer and part number, and try and source a new one.
On my last visit, Dad gave me this Astron boat anchor. Is 50 amps enough juice for my IC-7000? 🙄
https://mastodon.radio/system/media_attachments/files/113/568/923/929/909/991/original/468d4f5d7bd74b33.jpeg

2024-11-27 14:44:36

My belief that the 20 gauge wire of my #hamradio OCF dipole antenna was inconspicuous is now being tested in today’s weather. I should at least see if I can flick off some of the accumulated ice and snow.
Also wish that I’d deployed the bungee cord ends concept that (I think) @nprofile…20qw suggested…
https://mastodon.radio/system/media_attachments/files/113/555/448/382/446/960/original/22117a0dd7c58806.jpeg

2024-11-27 00:40:50

I wonder what people are thinking sometimes.
My neighbor got up on the roof today to hang Christmas lights, and proceeded to attach the wires directly to the asphalt shingle roof with a staple gun.
Mmm-kay.

2024-11-24 10:40:41

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@nprofile…36ju @nprofile…xu2n @nprofile…ysde Guess I'm gonna go read-up on Wellbrook loops as well. I think I might have found a purpose for my SDR.

2024-11-22 15:09:23

Time for a film photo. I shot this back in 2019 near La Jara, Colorado, in the extreme southern part of the state, not far from the Great Sand Dunes. Shot with a Pentax 645 using the renowned (but now discontinued) Fujifilm Velvia 50 color reversal film.
#photooftheday #filmphotography
https://mastodon.radio/system/media_attachments/files/113/527/231/751/847/078/original/7e786dc2ae62604e.jpg

2024-11-04 20:46:55

With all due respect, today's FCC "enforcement advisory" feels rather like a reminder to bank robbers that a failure to use a turn signal when driving a getaway car is against the law.
Pretty sure someone committing a felony doesn't give a flip whether using a #hamradio or GMRS HT is against FCC rules, but you know, thanks for letting us know?
https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-reminder-amateur-personal-radio-users

2024-11-03 22:27:14

Haven't been hamming today, so how about a #filmphotography image? This is a shot of the Spanish Peaks, located in southern Colorado. This was taken in May 2023.
I shot this with one of my favorite cameras, a Linhof Master Technika large format view camera. (The second image is of the camera and me.)
Lens is a Fujinon-T 400mm, and it's shot on Ilford Delta 100 4x5 sheet film.
https://mastodon.radio/system/media_attachments/files/113/421/366/714/626/159/original/c286abd37c7a8783.jpg
https://mastodon.radio/system/media_attachments/files/113/421/368/944/143/082/original/3f1c8b8075ba2103.jpeg

2024-10-08 12:03:31

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@npub1v53…7k8g @npub1yzh…cr6s Duly bookmarked... They look absolutely lovely, and was not familiar with them.
My logic with the 3D-printed paddle kit was to just get SOMETHING without spending a ton of money, make sure I want to do CW portable, and then invest in something better.
Honestly, that's been my approach with most stuff since getting back into ham radio... Minimize cost to try something, prove value (and need), then upgrade.

2024-10-07 17:10:01

Dan @npub1yzh…cr6s suggested I write-up something on the #hamradio iambic paddle kit I bought yesterday. Now that they're assembled, I assembled some thoughts to go with them.
TL;DR: I'm pretty satisfied with the end result. https://querybang.com/2024/10/review-km4cft-iambic-paddle-kit-v2/

2024-10-05 20:23:31

Inspired by @npub1k80…8rd5, I set-up the #qrp radio on the back deck this afternoon, and looped my wire antenna around an upper deck railing post. Wine rather than coffee this time of day, but an RA1 station was the first that responded to my CQ on 10m. Wild PSK Reporter plot… #hamradio is still magical after all these years.
https://mastodon.radio/system/media_attachments/files/113/256/665/608/164/420/original/4625cdc4f27a3999.jpeg
https://mastodon.radio/system/media_attachments/files/113/256/665/573/541/813/original/524860dda635df75.jpeg
https://mastodon.radio/system/media_attachments/files/113/256/678/377/952/926/original/a8bef0a2b5485efe.jpeg

2024-10-03 11:34:29

Here's a photo I took earlier this year that's representative of what I hope to do with #pota activations: Combine it with my love of #filmphotography.
This is the guard tower at the Amache National Historic Site. Formerly the Granada Relocation Center, it's one of the sites where Japanese Americans were unjustly incarcerated during World War II. Shot with a Hasselblad 503CW on Ilford HP5+ film.
I hope to get back out there at some point — this time, with #hamradio gear.
https://mastodon.radio/system/media_attachments/files/113/243/273/513/238/419/original/894fba08b89f613c.jpg