6mo maintenance day. Rotated tires + had them re-balanced. Old school oil change every 3k miles, but I save time with an oil extractor pump. Using FRAM Ultra Synthetic filters rated for 20k miles I change the filter every 3rd oil change. Between frequent oil changes and Idemitsu GF6 synth I hope to make 200k+ :) Washed exterior, detailed, vacuumed, washed interior upholstery, conditioned plastics & leather. Even splurged on a new car smell air freshener :)

#diy #cars #miata #mechanic #masto2hugo

Watched this video and snapped one of these “hangar scanners” :) #pilot #aviation #flying #avgeek #pilotlife #hamradio https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcFilSVrQ2A

#aviation #hamradio #masto2hugo

Another weekend #diy project - 20-30% power increase on #Honda #Grom . These are made for affordable, reliable, daily transportation - which means lots of power is “left on the table”. I already have high flow exhaust, so remaining easy power upgrades were: intake, camshaft and ECU retune. Went with Chimera short ram intake, Decha Performance HR camshaft and DHM ECU stage2 retune. Now the motor keeps pulling hard above 7k whereas before it ran out of breath.

#diy #motorcycles #mechanic #masto2hugo

#ATGATT - All The Gear All The Time is a good way to increase #motorcycle safety. I wear full length gear, including chest and rib armor, along with full height adventure boots. Using the gear should be painless, convenient and quick. In my case the pain was old freestanding always wanting to tip coat hanger. Then I had a wall mounted replacement, but it was crowded. Today I grabbed some 2x4, wall anchors and hooks and solved it for real!

#diy #motorcycles #cars #masto2hugo

Morserino-32 production is ending due to parts unavailability. This is a fully self contained, battery powered #cw trainer, keyer and decoder with wifi and lora connectivity. Even includes capacitive paddles!! I’m using it daily to pick up and practice my cw for few minutes at a time. I’m looking forward to building it’s successor kit :)

#hamradio #cw #masto2hugo

No more excuses, I’m starting my #qrplabs #qcx mini build tonight :) The remaining excuse WAS that my new #40m #efhw element and transformer were not tuned. I finally purchased a #nanovna -h and got below 1.2 VSWR in the center of #CW band :) Also used my efhw #3dp insulator to allow quick returning (design similar to tent guy lines lock). Out of curiosity I checked this ant on 10m but it was ~3. It will be easier to make a 10m than go for linked setup.

#3dprinting #hamradio #cw #masto2hugo

#Honda #Grom seat is quite uncomfortable and this weekend I fixed it. I used an aftermarket high-grip skin and a 2.5cm thick gel pad. I also re-profiled the seat to round out an annoying ridge between front&back. I was hoping for a straight across shape (motocross style) but didn’t have foam + hotwire to build it up. It looks 8/10, high grip, and comfort got a big upgrade. Not bad for a first attempt.

#diy #motorcycles #mechanic #masto2hugo

“everyone will be a millionaire!!” #inflation #deficit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KV488-rQ30s

#politics #masto2hugo

Today #diy replaced another switch + #repaired the shell with baking soda and super glue. Next time I’ll use Japanese Omron switches :) #Logitech #trackman #marble is my pointing device for last 20 years. Introduced with PS/2 in 2002, later revised for USB + 4-buttons and discontinued in ~2022. On amazon a new-old-stock from Logitech sells for $209!!! On ebay new one sells for $150 and used for $45. I have three units. My daily driver already had 2 switches replaced and another 1 switch.

#diy #masto2hugo

I miss my plane and youtube fed me this #cessna #c140 walk around #video - it is a really nice looking example. I also do like how fabric wings fly :) #pilot #aviation #flying #avgeek #pilotlife https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=125mpy8ZCKY

#cessna140 #aviation #video #masto2hugo

I like the concept of capacitive paddles, but the #morserino -32 execution is somewhat lacking as the PCB paddles wiggle their way out of their slots during operation. The remedy is simple, a small 3d printed block to slide between case and between paddles to align, stabilize and prevent shifting. It feels so precise when sending #cw with this improved setup - you feel touching the paddle, zero movement and it responds.

#hamradio #morserino32 #cw #masto2hugo

Looks like Trent Palmer is selling his #Freedomfox . I don’t know about that - $230k is a bit steep, but the market will sort it out. I’m expecting a sponsorship from FreedomCarbonCrafters or alike :) Neat airplane, but the super lightweight 4s and lightweight 5/7s seem to fly better. Even Trent’s videos were more fun to watch when he was flying lighter souped-up 912 vs the heavy + nose-heavy 915. I hope his new plane is a fun side-up-grade!! :)

#aviation #masto2hugo

As I’m learning #CW I continue to experiment with #SDR receive and change my setup to improve usability. I’m using 40m #EFHW on a 26ft fishing pole as a inverted-V mast. While receive-only for now, I used my 25W EFHW transformer (from before selling G90) but find it bulky. I bought and build KM4CFT’s 5W efhw transformer and configured it with bullet connectors and creative use of paracord and zip-ties for anchoring the antenna wire. I also built 8-winder to avoid tangles and quick setup.

#hamradio #cw #masto2hugo

Discussion on landing fees program in FLorida. Europe is a fan and their GA is barely scraping by. US has system of aviation FAA fund from fuel sales with local governments providing and charging for hangars, tie downs and fuel sales revenue along with taxes from business on airport related to aviation. It works and promotes aviation. Now local governments are trying to tax on services and infrastructure already paid for. https://forum.avweb.com/t/florida-airports-lining-up-to-impose-new-fees/25534

#aviation #masto2hugo

Got a fancy #cwmorse .us machined aluminum #cw key. Dual paddle, ball bearings, magnetic tension and base, and fully adjustable. Very precise and a big upgrade from the 3d printed #cwmorse unit. I started with their single 3dp paddle and added stronger springs but it didn’t feel consistent. This one DOES! Some downsides: loud contact clicks, need to hold horizontal due to heavy arms, can’t touch tension adjustment screw when operating. Rating it 8 while #3dp was 4.

#3dprinting #diy #hamradio #cw #masto2hugo

I’ve used #pytype for >year now and recently ran into latest release on 3.11 not being able to handle a simple signature of a function returning a closure. Finally I looked into what other type checkers are popular today and discovered #mypy . With –strict it did a great job. Go #dropbox ! I guess this happens when a big tech company fires their py team ( #pytype ).

#devel #masto2hugo

good laugh! #programming #linux #code #10x #developer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKAue9DiHc0

#devel #linux #masto2hugo

I bought #honda #grom for 3 reasons: - a) as customize and mod project (cheap) - b) get comfortable working on engine internals (cheap) - c) learn to wheelie (cheap and non-intimidating) I’ve been shopping for stunt bars (see c) and finally decided on #AngryStuntz unit - reasonably priced, beefy, should work with most tail tidys. Install was quick, but I needed to trim the tidy to make it all fit under the bars + drilled out from metric to imp.

#diy #motorcycles #mechanic #masto2hugo

The replacement “premium” gasket for clutch-side engine cover arrived. 3x the price of #Honda cork-n-paper but worth it!! Strong fiber base + nice silicone bead. I laid the bike down, kept oil in, didn’t make a mess, gasket wasn’t sliding during installation and I was done in 20min. Previously, I had the #Grom on a stand and considered laying it down too hacky. But! that way is superior - better lighting, no mess, gasket doesn’t slide…

#diy #motorcycles #mechanic #masto2hugo

I’m learning #cw with #morserino32 + a sideswiper for simplicity. Now that I’m pretty good at sending at 18wpm (my letter spacing stretches as I get fatigued) I’m thinking of getting a dual paddle and I am exploring different keyer modes. Ran across this awesome video highlighting #ultimatic vs #iambic A and B. For somebody who only used a #sideswiper , I’m sold + #morserino supports it! Q. aside from HF radios keyer support, any downsides? #hamradio #amateurradio https://youtu.be/Hn4j2nfdKNE youtu.be/Hn4j2nfdKNE

#morserino32 #hamradio #cw #masto2hugo

Another weekend project, this time Honda Grom. Todo: remove oil spinner, install high flow oil pump with rear pickup, install 60% over clutch springs and billet lift plate with six bolts, and a Kitaco clutch cover with cartridge oil filter. This will make oil changes a 5min job, will flow 30% more oil for better cooling and no oil starvation when front wheel is off the ground!! Clutch upgrade fixes OEM’s slippage. Spinner removal saves 2.5lb!!

#diy #motorcycles #mechanic #masto2hugo

“Amphibian Story” by William Wynne - on #homebuilding , #aviation , #Oshkosh and life :) #flying #avgeek #pilot #pilotlife https://flycorvair.net/2016/08/28/amphibian-story/amp/

#aviation #masto2hugo

I had an itch to do some retro computing 😀 My roots are Atari800, then some #286 and finally my own #486. With popularity of #retrocomputing , highish prices, space requirements and need to recap old hw, I looked for emulation. #Dosbox was ok, #dosbox -x was better, but still paravirtualizes OS and IO, and had compatibility issues. Finally tried #86box 4.2! I went with late 286-20 with 4MiB, VGA and SB2.0, but modern FreeDos 1.3. Here is a little demo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9RO-RDrUFw

#computers #video #masto2hugo

Done with #KTM #Babyduke 390 \o/ Installed aftermarket airbox cover filter under the seat. Doubles intake filtered surface area for moar power & sound! Previous owner damaged threads of fairing nut plates by trying to use non-metric bolts. Chased threads with a M6 tap, epoxied cracked catches and replaced one broken catch with a hardwood block + a wood screw!! :) Finally quickened the throttle via Powertronics: 80% twist gives 100% power! whoa!

#diy #motorcycles #mechanic #masto2hugo

#oshkosh #osh2024 #oshkosh2024 experiences a fatal accident on the first day of the fly in. :( #aviation #pilot #flying #flyin #avgeek #pilotlife https://www.thenorthwestern.com/story/news/local/oshkosh/airventure/2024/07/22/2-die-in-plane-crash-in-field-south-of-eaa-airventure-oshkosh-grounds/74501785007/

#aviation #flyin #masto2hugo

With bike on stand and waiting for parts, I couldn’t resist finding something to do. The rear lamp was crooked, so took tail apart & found alignment studs cracked - ordered new lamp. Then upgraded mirrors, ordered intake mod which adds filtered air-path from under the seat and backed up the PowerTronics. Old 112-link chain was stretched a WHOLE link - it NEEDED replacing -> bling orange EK. Waiting for more parts :) No 10mm wrenches were lost 😆

#diy #motorcycles #mechanic #masto2hugo

Drivetrain service on #KTM “Baby-Duke” 390 after I measured the chain stretch and it was out of spec. Installed new rear spools, removed the old chain, old front and rear sprockets, removed 4mm of grime in the front sprocket housing, cleaned the chain guides and serviced the air filter. Now I must wait for new parts. I already changed the oil, bled the brakes and flushed with new brake fluid in the spring. 10k miles on this motorcycle so far!!

#diy #motorcycles #mechanic #masto2hugo

I setup my RTL-SDR-v3 for HF on #Linux using #SDR ++. Used a 40m EFHW badly strung 5ft off the ground around the garden in #NVIS configuration. I was able to pick up CW from CA, NV, AZ and CA<->TX SSB. Also FT8 and JS8. Problem: on the #CW end of the band, I’m picking up an AM station which I assume is coming in via IF. Do I need real ground? or better common mode choke? Please advise. Having sold my bulky G90, I will use SDR, learn CW and get QCX once I can “hear” :)

#linux #hamradio #cw #masto2hugo

This is what happens when hobbies spill over - #motorcycles #cars :) The overhaul included new wheels, new dual ignition, new spark plugs, new injectors, new heat shields, new wiring and new instrumentation, along with a good cleaning. This is our ~7 year old #grill with a solid frame, but with rusted out hot side. I replaced $80 worth of parts and now it should last another 7 years :) No waste and it took less time than assembling a new grill.

#diy #mechanic #masto2hugo

4th of July #epic2k24 ride organized by #BASM . Around 100 bikes attended - mostly #sumos , but there was everything from Groms to Harleys and Super Sports. Everyone was safe, tourists in #SF had an additional attraction and at the end we all had delish #tacos . Including ride to and from, I made 165 miles.

#motorcycles #masto2hugo

Selling my #hamradio #Xiegu #G90 with #digirig , cables, USB gps, metal tuning knob, feedline and a nice padded case for mobile work. New ones go for $445, this is as-new but USED, and I’ll let it go for $350 everything pictured included. Nothing wrong with it, I just lost interest in the hobby. Made JS8 contacts as far as east coast 🙂 CW with Hawaii, SSB as far as mid-west!! (all on 10m). For local pickup I’m in 95125, otherwise you pay shipping. Price negotiable.

#hamradio #masto2hugo

More #i3 #i3wm tweaking! I finally understand the tree representation and each container being able to have its own layout (ie. nesting!) Hint: adding: bindsym $mod+d layout default and making use of move bindings to move windows within nested tree is awesome - see screenshot. Next I installed autotiling and set it up to be easily enable/disable-able on demand (vs per workspace). So much power and no visual distractions :)

#linux #masto2hugo

#python and #haskell - made me chuckle :) https://youtu.be/8PLOWRIu8gI?si=TI1xKQvO04elWudJ

#devel #masto2hugo

I’ve been on #X11 for past 28+ years, but used different WMs over time: #twm , #fvwm95 , #e16 , #gnome , #compiz , #xmonad and #awesomewm . I’m migrating to #Wayland and need a wm which would ease the move. Requirements are: tiling, no window decorations, keyboard driven and config driven. I rediscovered #i3 == #sway which check all my boxes and use common config. After some tweaking, I got it working well with my keybindings and usage patterns. https://i3wm.org/ i3wm.org/ & https://swaywm.org/ swaywm.org/

#linux #masto2hugo

62mi/100km sunday ride. Made a big loop through local mountain roads (Hwy 9 to Skyline Blvd) to Alice’s which is a popular weekend meeting spot for gear heads. Lots of bikes (from dual sports, to harleys to supersports) and cars (porsches, bmws, lamborghinis, supras, miatas and everything in-between). Had some coffee to warm up while checking out a cool Fiata and an old Alfa Romeo along with various bikes.

#motorcycles #masto2hugo

Cool packet radio demonstration with circa 1980s hardware :) Packet was before my time, I was on dial-up BBSes, but this was just a few years after Packet already declined. I have some books from the era describing the protocols and showing the basics. It was neat seeing it “live” :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCtkN3Moclo

#hamradio #video #masto2hugo

Flight to Grass Valley, CA for an Armed Forces Day last weekend. There were food trucks, lots of great airplanes, flour bombing and spot landing demonstrations. I toured a C-47 which flew from Paso Robles, CA and gawked at all airplanes :)

#aviation #c140 #flyin #masto2hugo

National Champtionship Air Races (formerly Reno Races) found a new home in New Mexico! https://airrace.org/news/national-championship-air-races-take-off-for-roswell-nm-in-2025/

#aviation #masto2hugo

On Fri I sneaked out of VIP TFR and flew to New Cuyama, CA (L88) #flyin . Enjoyed fancy group dinner at Cuyama Buckhorn (excellent food) while Blue Sky Center hosted on-airport camping and movie night (“Only Angles Have Wings”). Next day I flew via Cajon Pass into Riverside, CA Flabob Airport (RIR) to Low&Slow flyin. Camped and ate well. On Sun marine layer lingered until 11 and short five hours later I was home. Fun was over, back to work.

#aviation #c140 #flyin #masto2hugo