Still going to look for an outdoor ferrite-rod, tune-able, RX-only antenna. I've seen a couple impressive homebrew ones.
This house seems to be sheathed in metal or something. Indoor antennas don't perform as well as they should. WiFi punching through to outside is rough (which is why I have a mesh access point on the roof mast).
Anyway, for now, I dug out a loaded vertical experiment pile-o-wires from the shed, and connected it to ANT3 port on the #FTdx3000
Although I prefer #Linux for many things, I do bump into a problem that makes it feel like MS DOS ca. 1987 sometimes.
Reboot, & my USB (both tty & audio) devices may re-shuffle.
Everything was working. #DireWolf #RigBlaster #WSJTX #WinKeyer #FTdx3000
Without changing any USB cables in any way, reboot, & Direwolf cannot start because the TTY port isn't there anymore.
Now starting documenting a new habit. Unplug all USB but one if I'm going to reboot, then plug in specific order. This is dumb.
On a related note, my APRS iGate USED to be run on a #RaspberryPi but is now on a #MacMini with Xubuntu.
I can do even more #HamRadio things when I have a single computer with THREE USB connections:
#FTdx3000
#RigBlasterAdvantage (dual-bander)
#Behringer desktop mixer
e.g. I can stop the APRS iGate & instead spin up 2m crossband to HF, controlled by my iPhone.
A #HamRadio #Programming question.
My #FTdx3000 is able to remember which antenna to use for each band. But when #WSJTxImproved changes band (via #flrig) it overrides this & stays on one antenna port. It band-hops 24x7.
Is it possible to write a companion app that watches what band it's on, & switch the antenna port?
160m & 60m Ant 2.
All others 80m thru 6m Ant 1.
Interesting #HamRadio problem:
The #FTdx3000 is able to operate 2-antenna split. VFO A RX on ANT1 while VFO B TX on ANT2.
But with everything set for this, when WSJT-X transmits, it temporarily forces VFO B to ANT1.
I like that WSJT adjusts the TX freq to keep the tone in the sweet spot, but must I lose that in order to split antennas? It would seem so.
On the advice of Kevin KB9RLW, I finally bought a #NanoVNA & just used it to tweak 20m & 17m on my #DXCommander
Also, with the #VersaTuner I'm able to load up the gutter (& downspout) on 160m & 60m, the 2 HF bands the #FTdx3000 covers that the vertical doesn't.
Of course, if I run 60m >15W, the furnace relays make clunking noises. Fair enough. Relatively #QRP is better than nothing.
As typical, detritus from fixing this ‘n that accumulated on the bench over the year, & I had no room to put the #VersaTuner, or even use the #MorsePaddles
Tidied up. Mac Linux moved atop #FTdx3000 so cords can be coiled short.
And after all that? Can’t hear any current #CW #POTA stations. Just my #HamRadio luck… as typical.
So, funny turn of #HamRadio events. My #DXCommander has a bad tune on 40m, but I haven't tried to fix it 'cuz about 1/3 of the time, the rig's tuner can deal, & 15m (same element) is perfect, & 15's been HOT for DX.
Just got #SeeSii #NanoVNA yesterday, & checked the downspout I'd used for RX & got 2:1 on 40m. Inverted L.
Now to find if #FTdx3000 is able to remember that 40m is Ant 2.
...this #FreeDATA app that is unable to see the USB Audio Codec choice for TX (only sees it for the input).
So again, reboot the box.
Then start FreeDATA.
Then go into Modem configuration to tell it the audio input/output ports, where "USB Audio Codec" appears for both.
Before rebooting, I even tried un-plugging and re-plugging the USB cable from the back of the #FTdx3000 - that did not make it re-appear.
So, I really like FreeDATA, but don't like the reboot-required BS.
Quite the discussion going on about some guy with an #FTdx3000 #HamRadio transceiver that, after he's been TX on SSB for a while, starts to get a hum in his TX audio.
People on the email list (groups.io forum) suggesting things to check.
I'm tempted to suggest "Maybe it's you. Maybe YOU start to hum after you've been talking too long."
Kelvin n0mql EN35ld