I am working on preparing to take part in Parks on the Air (POTA)
and Summits on the Air (SOTA) this year.
I am going to use the Xiegu G90 as the transceiver and will put together a portable kit around it.
First thing will be getting the G90 into a protective case for mobile use.
I have purchased a case and fitting kit, more to follow on this.
Sadly no contact made, but I now have a couple of Yagi Antennas to use going forward.
On Saturday, 20 September 2025, at approximately 11 am BST, the RSGB will be launching a high-altitude balloon carrying a relay.
The flight will last around two hours, and the balloon will reach a height of 90,000 feet, approximately 27.5 km.
The challenge is to build your tracker and try to contact the relay, which will pass call details to the ground.
The recommended approach is to use the LoRa Wireless Tracker ESP32-S3FN8+SX1262+UC6580 development board.
All that’s left is to get the highest gain Yagi you can and see if you can make contact.
I have the board, so I just need to build the image and test. At least I have a few weeks to prepare.
I am now officially retired. It’s a bit strange not having a clock to watch, commuting, etc.
My first Monday in retirement is forecast to be unseasonably stormy, a good time to stay home.
I have a few projects that I can spend time on, such as the CW Morse Code Decoder DIY Kit, CW Trainer, and the Morse Code Decoder I bought on Amazon. Learning Morse code (CW) is not a high priority, but I feel that I am not a valid amateur radio operator unless I can read and send using Morse code.
The first month of semi-retirement has come and gone. It has been an unusually warm and dry spell, so gardening is going well. Veg is growing, and flowers are in full bloom. The front garden is a building site as I have gone for a complete strip-out and replant. Prep time for this is going to be extensive, but it will be completed for next Spring, all going well.
I have also achieved my Amateur Radio license, and I am working on setting up a High Frequency Antenna and a separate VHF/UHF antenna. Planning rules make this a bit challenging, as does the limited garden size.
I am already running out of available time, but enjoying every minute.
