A particularly good starting point for this adventure is the area around the Nationalpark Vadehavet at Ho. Here, especially during low tide, you can often find invasive Pacific oysters that have spread widely in recent years.

Where to find oysters

About 20 meters out in the mudflats, especially in muddy or mixed sediment areas, oysters can often be found with a bit of patience and practice. They are typically buried 5–15 cm deep in the mud and are not always visible at first glance. Moving slowly and carefully through the mud helps you feel the hard shells under your feet.

Important safety tips

The Wadden Sea is beautiful, but it can also be dangerous if underestimated. Please pay attention to the following:

• Check the tides carefully: Only go out during safe low tide conditions and allow enough time to return.
• Never go alone: The area can be confusing, and sinking into the mud can become dangerous quickly.
• Be aware of soft ground: Some areas can cause you to sink deeply into the mud.
• Sharp shells: Oyster shells are very sharp and can easily cause cuts.

Recommended equipment

For a safe and comfortable experience, it is recommended to bring:

• Rubber boots or waders: They protect against mud and water, but should fit well.
• Old clothing: The mud is stubborn and difficult to wash out.
• Gloves: Highly recommended to protect your hands from sharp oyster shells.
• Towels: Useful for cleaning yourself after the trip.
• Oyster knife: Perfect for prying open an oyster from the top. Buy it here on Amazon. (Amazon affiliate link)

Sustainability and the oyster situation

The Pacific oysters found in this area are considered an invasive species in many parts of the Wadden Sea. They have spread rapidly and are affecting the local ecosystem. In many areas, collecting them is allowed – and in some cases even encouraged – to help control their population.

However, always take only what you plan to use and treat the natural environment with respect.

Oyster hunting in Ho Bugt is an exciting outdoor activity that combines nature exploration, adventure, and culinary reward. With proper preparation and awareness for the environment, it becomes a safe and unforgettable experience in the Wadden Sea.

Der Beitrag Oyster Hunting in Ho Bugt near Esbjerg and Blåvand – a unique experience in the Wadden Sea erschien zuerst auf Pixelfriedhof.

We apply the changes and now call up this new link.
The window should now open in dark mode.

I now recommend adjusting the light font colours once under File/Settings/Colors so that they are easier to read. I have highlighted all fonts in black.

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Not such a good idea: silicone or hot glue

A few years ago, I once tried to protect the SMA connectors of an outdoor WiFi aerial with silicone and then later with hot glue. First the silicone crumbled off, then the hot glue crumbled off after about a year. Both solutions become porous over time and then no longer sit firmly where they should. Based on my own experience, I would therefore advise against this.

Self-sealing adhesive tape is the solution

Special ” self-amalgamating” or “self-sealing adhesive tapes” are much more reliable and designed precisely for this application. These are available from various suppliers, for example “Coax-Seal” *, which is specially designed for antenna connections. This is also used in maritime applications to protect connection ports from aggressive salt water. It holds rock solid. A little tip: If you plan to undo the connection later, you can first stick a layer of normal insulating tape underneath before applying the “Coax-Sealer” tape. This makes it easier to remove the coax sealer later.

Weitere Produkte, die in die gleiche Richtung gehen, sind “Jimator Tape” * und das “3M Scotch 23 Selbtsverschweißendes Isolierband” *.

Other products that go in the same direction are “Jimator Tape” * and the “3M Scotch 23 Self-Welding Insulating Tape” *.

Der Beitrag Protect outdoor coax connections against weather and moisture erschien zuerst auf Pixelfriedhof.

There is a contest going on. What now?

I remember when I first stumbled upon a contest on 10m one saturday morning that was running in Sout America. I accidentally called a contest station that was calling CQ before and didn’t mention he’s participating in that contest by calling “CQ contest”.

So I called him, got answered, but at the end the station said „Sorry, not in the log“. As the station seemed quite busy and the connection wasn’t the best, I didn’t ask for details and was left with a lot of questions in my head. So I observed the frequency then and I noticed this station was CQing for the contest. I heard other stations giving another number to the CQing station, like „11“.

What’s that number? A region locator, or something I have to obtain somewhere else before?
And anyways, can I participate in that contest at all? Does it make sense to contact the participating stations just for fun, even if I’m not taking the contest too serious but like to get some stations in my own logbook or some QSLs on qrz.com, eqsl.cc or lotw.org? Do the other South American stations get points for a contact with me and am I of benefit for them, or am I just disturbing them?

Well, to be honest, the answers to these questions vary from contest to contest, but let me explain…

Know the contest

There is a great way to find out about any running contest: https://www.contestcalendar.com/

There you can find out about any ongoing or upcoming contests. This site will also provide you with some details like timeframe, frequencies, rules and parts of the exchange. You can also see a link to the contests detailed web pages for further information. In my case, I found the following contest online for what I heard that day on 10m: https://sa10m.com.ar/wp/rules/

Possible parts of the exchange

Each contest is different, so this is just for orientation. Some contests run a progressive serial number after each contact. In some contests it’s the CQ zone added to the 5/9 report. Some contests demand to go by year of birth or the year first licensed. On VHF/UHF contests it’s mainly the exchange of the maidenhead locator grid square because the scoring on those is often based on distance between stations. To find out, check the calendar mentioned above.

How does a contest work?

In most cases, there are two types of stations involved: The national stations and the DX stations from outside the contest region. Both can take part in a contest and both try to make as many contacts with others as possible. In many contests far away DX contacts count more than a short ranged contact to the same country.
Often special callsigns, like maritime mobile or aerospitale mobile stations qualify for extra points.

Can I contact a few stations just for fun?

When I stumbled upon that South American contest, I just wanted to get some cool contacts with South American stations in my own personal logbook and on LoTW, EQSL and QRZ.com. The chances to get a confirmation on these ways is high as most radio amateurs are logging or exporting to one or more of these platforms. But keep in mind, that the other stations are taking the contest much more serious and therefore hope to get your own confirmation not only on the portals above or via direct QSL, but also by the contest itself.

Most contests are organized by clubs and associations and depending on the contest rules, you would have to send in your contest log to these organizations as well. In terms of the individual contest, the exchange between two stations may only qualify for counting, when the exchange is confirmed by both parties. So just keep that in mind and maybe upload your contest related log to the association running the contest. In doing so, you might help the other station to gain more points and so make somebodies day a little brighter.

A few practical tips for contesting

As mentioned before, you would have to send your log to the association running that contest later. Do yourself a favour and do it with a software that will support you in entering and storing the QSO data. If you do it on paper, you would have to digitalize the log first before sending it in. That’s a pain in the ass, so get your logging software up and running before.

Der Beitrag How to contest in HAM radio erschien zuerst auf Pixelfriedhof.

I ordered a cockpit shelf from Amazon. The storage space, which is actually of no use below the center console, has always been an annoyance to me. Therefore, it was the ideal location for me to install a radio.

Since I didn’t really want to make any changes to the car itself, I decided to install it in a removable compartment. This compartment is available at a low cost on Amazon:

DIYUCAR Mittelkonsole Aufbewahrungsbox für LR Defender 90 110 2020 2021 Mittelkonsole ABS Schwarz (Mittelkonsole)*

• 【Perfekte Kompatibilität】Passt perfekt zu Land Rover Defender 90 110 2020-2024. (Bitte bestätigen Sie Ihre Auto-Version, bevor...
• Nutzen Sie den Platz voll aus: Organisieren Sie Ihr Handy, Karten, Schlüssel, Münzen und andere kleine Dinge, einfach zu erkennen und...

18,99 EUR

Amazon

There, I cut out the outlines of my radio in the bottom left corner.

Using a pipe wrench, I bent the left support bracket slightly outward so that it holds the radio in place on the left side.

On the right side, I removed the support bracket and instead attached a homemade angle bracket. This holds the radio in position on the right side by propping it up on the floor of the shelf.

In doing so, I naturally had to keep the cutouts for the microphone, connection, and the jack connection clear.

Additionally, I needed longer screws, in my case 10mm M2.5*.

The device now holds firmly in the mount, if worked on cleanly, and is easy to operate. The display of the radio is clearly visible, and all controls are accessible. Since the device is held in position solely by its own weight and the brackets, removal is easy. Therefore, if I want to remove my radio and operate it outside on a table in front of the car, it can be done in just a few seconds with a few simple steps.

Even my wife likes the installation, because now the hole in the center console finally has a purpose.

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This summer, we had an olive tree that was about 100 years old imported from Greece and planted it on our patio. You can imagine that such a tree is quite expensive and I was even more annoyed when I noticed in September that almost all branches of the olive tree were covered with a fine white felt and some pest was spreading on our tree.

Thank goodness, however, I have Greek friends who know a lot about olive trees and got a good tip on how to get rid of the beasts quickly.

How to fight mealybugs effectively and easily.

This infestation is the so-called mealybugs. In too large quantities, these become a serious problem for the tree and you should therefore fight the critters early. The good news is that the control is quite simple.

To get rid of mealybugs, we spray the white nests with spirit glass cleaner once a week.

“Spiritus? On a plant? Is he nuts?” you may ask. Yes, that’s exactly how I reacted. I also had qualms about treating the tree with it at first, because I assumed that the spirit would harm the tree or the leaves. However, my fears were unfounded, as it turned out.

After three applications over a total period of three weeks (Sundays were always Spiritus time), all the mealybug nests had disappeared and new fresh shoots and leaves even appeared in the sprayed areas.

I myself used the Spiritus glass cleaner from Frosch *. With it I sprayed a nest with about 2 squirts from the glass cleaner spray bottle. You can see directly that the material of the nests immediately contracts or dissolves.

There is one thing you should be careful of, though: When you spray the tree, it should not rain for the next 24 hours. Otherwise, the glass cleaner will be washed away and the mealybugs will stay with you.

* All links marked with an asterisk are Amazon affiliate links. We receive a percentage of purchases made through them. Nevertheless, our recommendations are honest and sincere.

Der Beitrag White cotton wool on branches: Control mealybugs in the olive tree erschien zuerst auf Pixelfriedhof.

I had never had such a problem before, but this was the first time I had filmed with higher video quality and 60p.

As a test, I tried another SD card from the same range of the same manufacturer to rule out a defect, but the problem occurred there too.

I ordered the ProGrade Digital 256 GB CFexpress Type B memory card *. This card supports write speeds of up to 1500MB/s and the problem no longer occurred at 60p.

* All links marked with an asterisk are Amazon affiliate links. We receive a percentage of purchases made through them. Nevertheless, our recommendations are honest and sincere.

Der Beitrag Nikon Z6II freezes completely during video recording erschien zuerst auf Pixelfriedhof.