When getting coffee at lunch today, while running an errand to the post office, I noticed there is a new¹ Hobby Shop downtown - Sheldon’s Hobbies! In 2025! With RC² Nitro³ airplanes hanging from the ceiling for sale on consignment :) It offers kits and supplies for builders, ARFs⁴, lots of RC car items, and scale plastic models. Even includes an indoor car drifting track. I was impressed - it reminded me of Venture Hobbies in Wheeling, IL :)

#rc

I haven’t ridden the Grom since I got ABS faults¹ caused by my non-OEM final drive ratio. To resolve it, I ordered the 12oClockLabs SpeedoDRD Healer.

While the unit is well made, well priced and simple to configure with a single button and a single dual color LED - the instructions were lacking.

#motorcycles

I did an EAA thing this week. I made a small contribution to help revive EAA¹ Chapter 241 in DeKalb, IL.

I was the web master of EAA241 chapter website from 2008 to 2012. The setup was a freebie wordpress site which our chapter secretary could easily edit and add content. It worked well and I can still remember editing the banner image from various photos of our events.

#aviation #eaa

The online store where I sold the CWMouse Iambic Paddle blocked my listing this Sunday morning. They didn’t like that I was answering questions from a potential buyer and interpreted our conversation using their own messaging system as me funnelling people to a competing online store.

#cwmouse #hamradio #web

I checked the calendar - the last time I rode was at the end of October 2024 when I installed new different ratio front and rear sprockets on my Honda Grom. I only test rode it and afterwards put it on trickle charger, added fuel stabilator and the weather rolled in. The KTM (Baby) Duke 390 was treated similarly for the winter.

Fast forward to today.

#motorcycles

Since Jan 2025 when I started CWMouse, I sold enough units to print and manufacture a number of batches. The reviews are good and folks are starting to post YouTube videos mentioning it! 😁

Now I’m exploring how to reduce my time needed to assemble CWMice and making them even more price competitive.

#hamradio #cwmouse #3dprinting

Three federated social media protocols are vying for users. They are ActivityPub (Mastodon), ATproto (Bluesky) and Nostr.

Nostr is the simplest with best data ownership story, ATproto is most sophisticated and scalable, while ActivityPub is most mature, but also most complex.

I explore and think about their approaches, features and limitations from the point of view of an individual user considering sharing one’s own content.

#web

The filament spool roller on FLSUN SR 3d-printer (their base-model) is nothing more than a simple metal tray against which the spool will loudly overcome the friction and skid around.

During one cold evening I designed and printed a replacement roller using supplies I already had in my workshop.

#3dprinting #diy

• Smtp - federated¹ good old reliable email
• Http - federated¹ web content sharing
• ActivityPub - federated¹ social media (fediverse)
• AT - federated¹ social media (bsky)
• RF - federated¹ radio-waves, mostly on 40m CW
• LinkedIn - resume and carrer contacts
• Phone <redacted> - federated¹ voice and sms communications
• Signal <redacted> - strongly encrypted messaging

#info

Our family car has a roll-up trunk cover which protects its contents from prying eyes. The sliding mechanism relies on two pins, protruding from brackets in the cover, to slide forward and backward within the trunk.

Recently one of the pins broke and I replaced it with a 3d printed part.

#3dprinting #diy #cars

I’m making available my CWmouse iambic paddle for purchase.

I designed it for my own use as a lightweight, hand-held, portable paddle based on micro-switches. Use of these switches gives it a crisp action not unlike that of a mouse button or a mechanical keyboard.

I’m so happy with the final result, that I decided sell them.

For more information, high resolution pictures and to order one, visit cwmouse.com.

#hamradio #3dprinting #diy #cwmouse

I returned back to Internet’s roots, to a personal web server.

Back to the basics from the world of centralized, controlled and censored platforms.

Decision

Instead of running Mastodon, or any of alternative ActivityPub servers, I elected to stand up (again) my own personal web site. Requirements are: control, simplicity and ability to integrate with ActivityPub and other future open protocols.

#web

Family

I’m a father of two and a husband - our family is my world. We live in San Jose, CA.

#info

With Meshtastic radios emitting at most 100mW, line-of-sight frequency and the protocol being robust ONLY when mesh density and node reachability is at an IDEAL sweet spot - it wasn’t very usable beyond experimentation. In my area I couldn’t reliably exchange messages 20mi away :/ I ended up taking down my Meshtastic node and selling all equipment to another ham wishing to get a head start :)

#hamradio #cwmouse #meshtastic

I ran into Meshtastic and started playing with it. Not quite ham radio, but it is radio technology, affordable and easier to share with friends. So far I have only a single Rak Wireless device in my kitchen. Very compromised setup for 915Mhz, but surprisingly I pick up a number of nodes through repeaters on the Santa Cruz Mountains ridge. The plan is to setup a solar node above the roof line and get more direct coverage and range. I’m interested in emcomm aspects of Meshtastic and exploration of it as APRS replacement.

#hamradio #meshtastic

Mid 2023 I ran out of free time to commit to getting General and learning CW. I plateaued and lost interest :/ 2m nets didn’t bring any new info, ARRL newsline was the same reports of competitions of POTAs and of special events. FT8 chasing didn’t interest me. JS8 is really cool, but such limited bandwidth, that aside for Emcom end-of-the world scenarios, or chasing long contacts, didn’t captivate me.

#hamradio

In Dec 2022 Santa brought me Xiegu G90 and I got on the HF airwaves.

I’m learning CW hearing using lcwo.net, I’m practicing keying on Morserino-32 and single-paddle from CWmorse. For an antenna, I use QRPguys 20W EFHW with 40m element.

#hamradio #aprs

Pilot Ham. I was initially interested in APRS to replace Spot Tracker to let my family know where I am when flying. When taking my Technical exam the proctor asked if I want to try taking the General since I did well… I said no, “All I need is Technical for APRS”. Three years later I’m attending 2m nets, learning CW, exploring Packet and thinking of using Winlink over HF.

#hamradio #aprs #winlink