Der Beitrag Comparison of amateur radio bands by day and night and influences for band openings and overreaches erschien zuerst auf Pixelfriedhof.

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:

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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.

Der Beitrag Install radio / mobile radio transceiver in the new Defender (2020) erschien zuerst auf Pixelfriedhof.

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.

But you don’t have to be afraid. Hornets are not nearly as pushy and aggressive as wasps – otherwise I wouldn’t have dared to get so close for the photos. The big hummers are peaceful and even if they fly at your head in confusion, they simply turn away afterwards.

The hornets do not cause too much damage to the lilacs either. Although some leaves of younger shoots may turn brown, the lilac is resistant. The wounds grow over again when the hornets have gone.

A positive side effect: hornets also eat wasps, which are also attracted by the escaping lilac sap. Since the hornets moved in, we have practically no wasps on the terrace any more.

Der Beitrag Hornets gnawing in the lilac erschien zuerst auf Pixelfriedhof.

To make the installation more inconspicuous, you can camouflage your hoses with flexible cable sleeves (Amazon Affiliate Link) in the colours white, grey or black.

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Der Beitrag Cover visible garden hoses with cable sleeve in white, grey or black erschien zuerst auf Pixelfriedhof.

For three years we only oiled our teak furniture. But by autumn at the latest, the furniture had turned grey again and the wood was badly affected by moisture and weather. In spring, the big restoration started: sanding, oiling, drying. Quite an effort, the result of which only lasted a few months and never came close to the rich colours when the furniture was delivered anyway. For this reason, we decided to paint our teak furniture.

I know clear boat varnish from other woodwork projects and wooden ships. This varnish is water-resistant, largely insensitive to sunlight (or at least more insensitive than some other paints or varnishes) and provides optimum protection against moisture. After all, this varnish is used to varnish wooden boats that even spend their lives in salt water. Because of these properties, we have decided to lacquer our teak furniture with precisely this boat lacquer.

First we sanded our furniture properly. First with a coarse 40 grit sandpaper, then with a 100 grit and finally with a fine 180 grit sandpaper. We removed all the grey residue and the tables and bench are as smooth as a baby’s bottom.

Now there were already some small cracks or holes in our wood, which we sealed with Molto wood filler * in the next work step. We then sanded the dried filler again.

For the varnish, we chose the high-gloss boat varnish from Bondex *. A good tip: Bondex is not the cheapest varnish, but the quality is worth the price in our eyes. Do yourself a favour and don’t buy no-name China rubbish, then the chances are good that you will enjoy the paint for a long time. If you buy low-quality paint, you can be sure that it will weather just as quickly as the oil and will still require a lot of maintenance. I speak from experience.

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Before painting, we remove all dust from all surfaces to be painted using compressed air and a microfibre cloth. We start with the first coat of paint and apply it quite thickly with a brush. We make sure that the paint also penetrates into small recesses and crevices and that small air bubbles are neatly brushed out. Already during the lacquering process, we notice that the lacquer fully expresses the reddish, rich colouring of the wood.

After approx. 24 hours, the first coat is completely dry. Now we sand the dried, first coat of paint again by hand with a fine 180 grit sandpaper to remove small irregularities and rough spots. Again, we remove the sanding dust with compressed air and a microfibre cloth.

The second and third coat will follow in the next few days. When the third coat has been applied, a thick layer of varnish will protect our wood from dirt and moisture.

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

Der Beitrag Varnish teak garden furniture: Options and result erschien zuerst auf Pixelfriedhof.

In April 2022, we noticed that something was wrong with our dog “Truffle”. From one day to the next, he was suddenly restricted in his movements, could no longer walk and screamed in pain during certain movements. When his right hind leg showed signs of paralysis, it was about time for the operation. If paralysis remains untreated for more than 24 hours, the chances of recovery decrease with every minute that passes. Nerves can then be so badly affected that irreparable damage can occur, often leading to complete paralysis of the hind legs or even complete loss of control over urination and defecation. 

Truffle was taken to surgery on a Friday afternoon and was already out of hospital on the following Tuesday. The operation went well, but Truffle was still impaired. It was difficult for him to keep his balance, especially on his affected right hind leg. At first, the reflex to put the deliberately bent paw back up was hardly observable, the leg was numb.

In the following we describe how you can support the healing of such symptoms.

Stimulation of the nerves on the paralysed leg

Parts of the body affected by paralysis or numbness should be revitalised through massage. For example, you can comb a paralysed leg with your fingernails against the stroke.

Also very practical is the use of a brush, which is actually intended for humans: anti-tangle brushes with their soft bristles are hard enough to stimulate the dog’s body regions, but at the same time soft enough not to hurt the animal. Truffle really loves this form of massage – even without disc symptoms. We used a “Tangle-Teezer” * to stimulate the leg twice a day for about 10 minutes:

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Natural stimulation of the paws can also come from walking on slightly uneven ground. We increasingly walked on coarse gravel and grass paving stones. In a spa park nearby, there are also benches with seats made of metal mesh, he could walk over. If the dog is not yet able to walk so much, it is enough to sit the dog on these bases and stroke the paw slowly over the ground – this already stimulates the nerves and senses.

We also bought so-called sensory mats *, which are actually intended for children. These mats can be put together like a carpet from individual puzzle pieces and the dog can thus walk on soft, uneven floors with different structures. 

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These sensory mats also stimulate nerves and the musculoskeletal system. The good thing about it is that you can get rid of these children’s toys quite easily on Craigslist after the dog has recovered – or you can simply make children yourself and use them for your own offspring.

After 3 weeks of this therapy Truffle had his reflex to put up his paw back – still a little delayed, but with enormous improvements compared to the previous condition where the reflex was completely absent.

Support the regeneration of the muscles

The dog naturally loses muscle mass due to the reduced movement after the operation. Since you try to prevent the dog from climbing stairs and jumping after the operation, the animal does not have much opportunity to rebuild the muscles. Especially a dog leg that has been affected by paralysis, for example, is not used very much by the dog and the muscles shrink. Here we used a balance cushion with nubs *.

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The aim is for the dog to stand on this balance cushion with its legs in trouble and to be encouraged with a treat at the front. The wobbly cushion forces the dog to regain its balance through muscle tension.

When you see that the dog is relieving the pressure on the bad leg, you move the treat and the dog is forced to put pressure on the back leg again to follow the chew. We repeated this exercise every 2 days for about 15 minutes. 

For this exercise you can also let the dog stand with its hind legs on the balance cushion while it stands with its front legs slightly elevated on a step, a cushion hill or your thigh. In this position you can really watch how the muscles are tensed at the back.

The above exercises were recommended to us by our dog physiotherapist and are easy to do at home. Of course, these exercises are no substitute for professional treatment of your four-legged friend – but they are an absolutely useful support for the healing process. Since Truffle is now doing really well again, the success at this point definitely proves us right.

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

Der Beitrag Dog herniated disc surgery: home exercises for muscles and nerves erschien zuerst auf Pixelfriedhof.

In a previous article, we introduced you to different systems of transport boxes for car, motorhome, camping and off-road travel.

We ourselves rely on the Wolf Packs from Frontrunner for our off-road trips. But 8 black boxes that look the same are extremely impractical in everyday life. We constantly reach for the wrong box and only after opening one of the boxes do we realise that we have opened a clothes box instead of a cooking box.

To avoid this from happening and to make sure we reach for the right box, we have labelled our boxes. And we did this on all four sides, so that we don’t always have to turn the boxes around to see the labelling on just one of the sides.

So, do you just print out a small Dymo label saying “Cooking, cutlery, gas burner” four times? No, the small labels would be quite small, rigid in content and unintuitive.

Instead, we decided to print larger address labels (101mm x 54mm) with catchy symbols using our Dymo LabelWriter 550 *. Pictograms give us a quick overview of the contents of the boxes:

A pill symbol stands for medicines, a stylised dog for the accessories for our four-legged friends, a socket symbol for cables and chargers, a man and woman symbol stands for the clothing boxes and screwdrivers and spanners make the tool box recognisable.

The good thing about these thermal labels: The print is not smeared or affected by moisture and water. The labels are quite tough.

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

Der Beitrag Labelling boxes and crates for camping, motorhome, van, offroad and boat erschien zuerst auf Pixelfriedhof.