Hello and welcome to the 568th installment of Linux in the Ham Shack. In this short topics episode, the hosts discuss the IP400 Project, HamSCI and new weather station activities, the disappearance of Tech licensees, OpenDeck, LogicalArdour and much more. Thanks for listening and have a great week.

73 de The LHS Crew

The new extended hours were a nice addition to the contest, and for me, it's a very relaxing event. At VE9KK, this was a CW event, and I kept my speed in the 22-26 wpm range. It was not a very busy event, and I checked in now and then on Saturday and Sunday. One nice surprise was that on Saturday evening on 40m, I had a call from 4Z4DX from Israel.

In this episode, we join Martin Butler M1MRB, Dan Romanchik KB6NU, Caryn Eve Murray KD2GUT, Edmund Spicer M0MNG, and Ed Durrant DD5LP to discuss the latest Amateur / Ham Radio news. Colin Butler (M6BOY) rounds up the news in brief and the episode's feature is Did you Know - Q and A

We would like to thank Sean Borgerson (KK7OVF) and our monthly and annual subscription donors for keeping the podcast advert free. To donate, please visit - http://www.icqpodcast.com/donate

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• Ham Radio Ireland, The Digital Magazine, Is Back
• Girls Missed the Bus - Helped by Hams
• DMR Radios Open Up The World To Students in India
• RSGB is the Official British Science Week partner
• Ham Radio Event for European Capital of Culture 2025
• HB9RG Trophy Celebrates First Amateur Radio Contact via Satellite

I never thought I’d be able to learn how to use a CW bug, but I did it. My XYL got me a Begali Intrepid for Christmas. I have been practicing with it for a few weeks and I finally got the gumption to attempt a contact. This evening I worked the SKCC station K3Y/4 operated by AB4PP in NC. I used a homebrew crystal-controlled transmitter (pictured on the left) putting out about 3 watts and a 40 meter regen receiver (right). I also have a homebrew SWR meter (upper left). The transmitter features a meter showing relative output power and the receiver which is varactor tuned has a frequency-indicating meter on the lower left. One of these days I’m going to put a frequency scale on the meter face. All the receiver controls are close together as you’re always adjusting everything on a regen and wished you had four hands to do it. Spotting of the transmit frequency is done with a blue push switch on the back part of the transmitter board which activates just the oscillator at a very low voltage as to not overload the regen receiver. The transmitter mutes the receiver front end on transmit and also injects sidetone into the receiver audio amp via the purple and blue wires. The entire setup is built with discrete components and is powered with a 12 volt lead acid battery on the upper left.

I think my code sounded pretty good, but undoubtedly I held a few dahs too long in all the excitement. This is radio fun, folks.

This weekend is the annual Winter Field Day event, and I have only started participating in it within the last few years. I am one of those who participate from my nice warm shack and not the wintery outdoors. I have worked outside all my life and feel I have had my fair share of the winter wonderland. This year, Winter Field Day has some major changes. 

1. The event was previously 24 hours long but has now been updated to 30 hours, from 1600 UTC to 21:29 UTC. 

2.  Your location does not have to remain in the same place throughout the contest. If you are set up at a certain location you can now pack up and move to another location. For some winter means snow and very cold weather. Let's say conditions change (or whatever the reason) you now can pack up and change location. 

3. In the past, there were objectives that could help your score, such as operating 100% on alternate power. The new change is that these objectives are now multipliers. Also, check the Winter Field website, as some new objectives have been added. 

I hope to make contact at this weekend's event with some of my readers.