| Date | User | Challenge | Status | Toot summary & link |
|---|
| 2025-01-03 21:44:42 | n8dmt@mastodon.radio | 1 | Success! | Quick (5 minute) response to Ham Challenge 2024 using QSL card generator at https://www.radioqth.net/qslcards. My apologies to those who put a lot of time and effort into generating a QSL card for this challenge. HC01S #hamchallenge @hamchallenge |
| 2025-01-06 20:53:40 | n8dmt@mastodon.radio | 2 | Progress update... | HC02 NCDXF beacons are few to be heard here. VE8AT on 18.110 yesterday at 1500, 100W only and 4U1UN today on 14.100 at 1924 and 1927 (100W only). RX is IC-705 with indoor CHA F-Loop3 magnetic loop. #hamchallenge @hamchallenge #hfnoiseishigh |
| 2025-01-28 22:26:05 | n8dmt@mastodon.radio | 5 | Success! | Updated my https://qsl.net/n8dmt website to latest information with free Publii CMS/static-website software. Unfortunately, do not have accounts/profiles on QRZ, QTH, or other sites. #hamchallenge HC05S |
| 2025-02-08 23:03:45 | n8dmt@mastodon.radio | 6 | Success! | HC06SFirst RTTY contact in many many years. Used built-in RTTY functions on the IC-705 with indoor magnetic loop antenna.~2150 UTC, WN7M 28.08537 received 599 366, sent 599 001 001Fun with #HamRadio #HamChallenge |
| 2025-03-03 15:18:19 | n8dmt@mastodon.radio | 9 | Progress update... | HC09 #HamChallengeHave been struggling with this one for a few weeks now. The IC-705 with indoor magnetic loop is just not working well enough to succeed…Trying another approach: If the QRP ham station won’t reach out far enough to work distant stations, how about putting together a 10 meter repeater here and having a QSO with another radio amateur — all within this household? Created a quick diagram — will give it a try and see if it works!#HamRadio #10MeterFM |
| 2025-03-03 15:33:20 | n8dmt@mastodon.radio | 9 | Progress update... | HC09 #HamChallengeThe diagram certainly was “quick”. ERROR!!! Will actually move the HF portion of the repeater up 1 MHz to 29.52 RX and 29.62 TX. Drawing updated and ready to some lunchtime fun. :radio_tower::radio_base: |
| 2025-03-03 16:14:25 | n8dmt@mastodon.radio | 9 | Progress update... | @VE7WYC Trying to work a 10M FM repeater for Ham Challenge 2025 HC09. I can work strong DX stations with the 705 and indoor magnetic loop antenna on FT-8 & CW, but have been listening for weeks on 10M FM (repeaters / simplex) and barely hear even a very weak station here. “Moving the repeater” much closer (to other side of my office) will make it much easier to have a 10M FM repeater QSO. Have built most of the blocks for this system previously. Should not be too hard… #HamRadio |
| 2025-03-09 15:37:13 | n8dmt@mastodon.radio | 12 | Success! | #HamChallenge2025 HC12S Make a contact on an unusual antenna. How far can two Yaesu VX8-DR HT’s communicate on L1 (20 mW) transmit power with dummy load antennas? Turns out the answer is about 12 feet on UHF. Was surprised that the shielding was that good…SuccessfulTwo-Way QSO (N8DMT & N8DKK)446.050 MHzL1 (0.02 W, 20mW)Distance ~10 feetSquelch Level 0 (open squelch)Antenna: SMA to BNC-F Adapter with DIY BNC-M dummy load#HamRadio #DummyLoadComms |
| 2025-03-11 00:35:00 | n8dmt@mastodon.radio | 10 | Progress update... | #HamChallenge HC10 Tried to receive LILAC Sat 437.2 downlink at ~1800 local using HT with 14” flexi-whip with tiger-tail dangling counterpoise. Was a 12 deg max pass. Had a second radio on RX with open squelch. Believe heard very weak voices in the received noise. No calls or even discernible words. Will try again soon. #HamRadio #HamSats |
| 2025-03-11 01:54:09 | n8dmt@mastodon.radio | 10 | Progress update... | HC10Receive Signal Level = “Ghosts Talking in the Noise”#HamRadio #HamSats |
| 2025-03-12 14:26:10 | n8dmt@mastodon.radio | 10 | Success! | #HamChallenge HC10S. Setup Yaesu VX8-DR to monitor APRS on 145.825 with plan to listen to evening ISS pass (and possibly second pass later in evening). Didn’t hear anyone on first pass (puzzled at this), but left radio monitoring sitting on a table inside to see what second pass might yield. This morning found 8 stations in the heard log. Used Diamond SRH940 multi band antenna with DIY tiger-tail counterpoise wire. Will continue monitoring as time permits. More fun ahead. 73 |
| 2025-03-14 15:20:48 | n8dmt@mastodon.radio | 9 | Success! | @hamchallengeHC09S #HamChallenge #HamRadio Completed build of the local 10m repeater for this challenge. Had the GNU Radio Pluto SDR TX/RX, frequency converter, ant coupler all connected & tested with TinySA-Ultra Sig Gen. Sig Gen out 29.52, 1KHz FM mod signal (repeater in) into coupler test port, creating a 29.62, 1KHz FM mod repeater out signal for reception/display on the IC-705. Last step was to unhook Sig Gen and use IC-705 & IC-7000 for a local QSO with N8DKK. Challenge complete! |
| 2025-03-14 15:29:49 | n8dmt@mastodon.radio | 21 | Success! | #HamChallenge #HamRadio HC21SUsed GNU Radio to build a local 10m repeater (all mode) which was used to complete a local 10 meter FM repeater contact as part of ham challenge week nine. Using Pluto SDR as the RF front end for this system. System allowed ICOM IC-705 & IC-7000 FM radios to communicate via the 100 KHz repeater-split. |
| 2025-03-17 15:55:40 | n8dmt@mastodon.radio | 50 | Success! | #HamChallenge HC50S Receive an APRS message or beacon.Still working to get some replacement radios configured for APRS. Received and decoded an APRS message on a AT-D578UVIII Plus radio. APRS message sent from family member’s Yaesu VX-8DR with external GPS speaker microphone. #HamRadio #APRS |
| 2025-03-17 15:58:41 | n8dmt@mastodon.radio | 35 | Success! | Tried out iPad SDR-Control HF-FAX mode on the IC-705 with the indoor magnetic loop antenna. Found a station on 12.786 MHz (NMC from Point Reyes USA) and was able to decode a partial map showing WX Southeast of Mexico. There is a trick to make this work (Mode = USB, dial frequency is set 1.9 KHz lower than station frequency).#HamChallenge HC35S Receive a weather fax transmission on HF. @hamchallenge |
| 2025-03-17 20:34:10 | n8dmt@mastodon.radio | 33 | Success! | #HamChallenge HC33S Build an antenna and make a contact with it. Built a 2m halo horizontally polarized loop antenna to try to make local 2m SSB contacts. Referred to KP4MD’s QSL webpage on halo antennas. Used #14 solid wire and a SO-239 connector. Tuned match point with NanoVNA-H4 to get close then tweaked wire-ends spacing to be even better. This is not an outside antenna in current form. Completed a quick FM test QSO with W9ELG in Elgin, IL. #HamRadio |
| 2025-03-17 23:39:29 | n8dmt@mastodon.radio | 35 | Progress update... | @kr1st WOW! (I’m going to have to take a serious look at my antennas…) Congrats on showing how these WX maps should look — given good receiver and antenna. HC35 #HamRadio |
| 2025-03-18 20:14:57 | n8dmt@mastodon.radio | 45 | Success! | #HamChallenge HC45S Completed repair of Yaesu CD-41 drop in charger base that had a failed Q2 FET within (green light on always). Have had this occur on another CD-41 and replaced Q2 successfully following video guide from Jim AG6IF. A quick repair (took longer to get-out/put-away tools than the actual Q2 SOT-23 part replacement solder operation. It’s working again… Added Do Not Touch labels to both of my bases to remind users not to put fingers on the charging contacts. |
| 2025-03-19 15:57:18 | n8dmt@mastodon.radio | 16 | Success! | Been having fun with #HamChallenge2025 https://hamchallenge.org/HC16S Make a contact with a xOTA station. Ran across AB9CA on 20m CW. Heard CQ POTA so gave him a quick call on 14.053 MHz. Was not sending park info, so checked POTA app and found him listed at US-1095. Conditions fair but completed contact. 2017 UTC, 3/18/25. ~17 WPM CW. @hamchallenge |
| 2025-03-19 16:22:21 | n8dmt@mastodon.radio | 19 | Progress update... | @VE7WYC Would not be too hard to build “one” of those using PCV pipe with #12 copper (THNN house) wiring inside. Use radials instead of ground screen. Might be fun to simulate in the upcoming HC19 #HamChallenge “simulate an antenna” activity. #HamRadio |
| 2025-03-19 16:26:21 | n8dmt@mastodon.radio | 19 | Progress update... | @VE7WYC Would not be too hard to build “one” of those using PCV pipe with #12 copper (house) wiring inside. Use radials instead of ground screen. Might be fun to simulate in the upcoming HC19 #HamChallenge “simulate an antenna” activity. #HamRadio |
| 2025-03-19 16:32:22 | n8dmt@mastodon.radio | 19 | Progress update... | @VE7WYC Would not be too hard to build “one” of those using PVC pipe with #12 copper (house) wiring inside. Use radials instead of ground screen. Might be fun to simulate in the upcoming HC19 #HamChallenge “simulate an antenna” activity. #HamRadio (edited) |
| 2025-03-27 13:59:26 | n8dmt@mastodon.radio | 19 | Progress update... | For those interested in antenna modeling/simulations and/or working #HamChallenge HC19 @hamchallenge, but concerned about the complexity of these activities, I would like to share the easiest-to-use (free) program I’ve found so far: AN-SOF. Have SW loaded on my ham Win11 machine and ready to explore capabilities/limitations of this package.Here’s a 20m dipole example walk-through that gives good insight into this SW:https://antennasimulator.com/index.php/knowledge-base/complete-workflow-modeling |
| 2025-03-29 15:41:59 | n8dmt@mastodon.radio | 13 | Success! | Completed an unusual location QSO with John K9WIC on morning of March 14. Was up on the fifth floor of a senior independent living facility and looking out the south side window onto the golf course below. Repeater was a-bit north of this location — suspecting backscatter/reflections helped to complete this 2m contact.HC13S #HamChallenge #HamRadio(Repost with added inclusions for the ham challenge report/boost.) |
| 2025-03-31 18:01:15 | n8dmt@mastodon.radio | 22 | Success! | HC22S #HamChallenge: Simulate an electric circuit. Used free LT-Spice to model a ~35W P-P RF power amplifier. Included a simple output graph showing dB gain of the circuit. Other possible simulations include input return loss, output match, time domain waveforms, harmonic distortion vs. drive level, and much more. Lots of fun to learn and experiment with this circuit simulation tool.#HamRadio #RFDesign #Simulation |
| 2025-03-31 18:36:19 | n8dmt@mastodon.radio | 22 | Progress update... | @quantensalat HC22Yes, it’s a trade between output stage designs (lots of ways to implement output bias for M1 & M2). It’s a fun circuit simulation and supports RF learning in many ways! Thanks & 73 |
| 2025-04-06 16:15:53 | n8dmt@mastodon.radio | 19 | Progress update... | HC19 Had a chance to try out free AN-SOF antenna simulation SW while modeling a vertical over ground plane and a free-space dipole. Both models worked out well and confirmed 1) SW works as advertised, and 2) have not forgotten everything learned in the past about antenna modeling. Plan is to put together a write-up/posting on my QSL.net/n8dmt web page after copying over screen captures from my Win11 ham computer. SW is reasonably easy to use (with a little guidance). #HamRadio |
| 2025-04-06 21:51:28 | n8dmt@mastodon.radio | 19 | Success! | HC19S Put together a quick post on how to create a simple 10m half wave dipole antenna simulation in AN-SOF (free trial SW) on my Win11 ham PC. https://qsl.net/n8dmt/an-sof-simulation-of-a-10m-free-space-dipole/index.htmlWill work on a 1/4 wave vertical over ground plane simulation next. 73#HamRadio |
| 2025-04-08 22:15:25 | n8dmt@mastodon.radio | 34 | Success! | HC34S Match an Impedance. Successfully matched 36 Ohms to 50 Ohms at 7 MHz. Created a quick posting with the two solutions over at https://qsl.net/n8dmt/ham-challenge-hc34-match-an-impedance/index.html (Did not want to be spoiler to those who would work this challenge in the future. But walk-through solutions are there for check-use as helpful.) #HamChallenge #HamRadio |
| 2025-04-24 15:37:58 | n8dmt@mastodon.radio | 17 | Success! | HC17S What VHF/UHF repeater is closest to your location (and how did you determine this)?Using RepeaterBook App on iPad with GPS enabled yielded my location in the title bar, then searched for closest repeaters of any type to meet this challenge.Closest repeater at 5.3 Miles NE of me is N9IVM FM / Algonquin, IL on 444.025 MHz, +5.0 MHz, 103.5 Hz PL. Repeater is very strong here at my QTH. Have made several local QSO’s on this machine.#HamRadio #HamChallenge |
| 2025-05-08 19:42:30 | n8dmt@mastodon.radio | 18 | Success! | HC18S Make a contact in digital voice mode. Completed a digital voice QSO on 8-May-2025 with Jim, WB8HMD on DMR digital via the K9VI Crystal Lake, IL repeater. Used TriStateDMR Talk Group 4649 (network) and TG 8 (local RF, TS1 CC04).#HamChallenge #HamRadio #DMR #TriStateDMR |
| 2025-05-08 19:57:32 | n8dmt@mastodon.radio | 28 | Progress update... | Looking over the listing shows HC28 to be of interest (working 6m ES-skip is always fun). Issue is that my indoor mag loop does not cover 6m (only up to 10m).Need to set a mental reminder to review this challenge again after setting up a temp OUTDOOR antenna over 2024 ARRL Field Day weekend. Typically try to work a station or two on each of the allowed bands (40m and up) as part of that activity. Worked a few CW and FT-8 stations last year on 6m…#HamRadio #HamChallenge |
| 2025-05-14 22:22:30 | n8dmt@mastodon.radio | 36 | Success! | #HamChallenge HC36S Operate your station from battery power for a day. GoalZero Escape150 powered my IC-705 station for the day. Not a lot of transmitting (busy with other things), but battery still more than half-full after 10 hours. Will use solar panels to recharge pack later (or tomorrow). This is a smaller/older lead acid system that travels well and no-worries if damaged or dies (again). Mod adding power poles was a good decision. Enables portable fun! #HamRadio |
| 2025-05-25 17:13:26 | n8dmt@mastodon.radio | 46 | Success! | HC46S Write a useful computer program. Created SW interface to read a Mini-Circuits ZX47-55 RF Detector using an Digilent AD3 interface module. Used free LabVIEW Community Edition for programming environment. SW provides a nice stable readout of the detector in dBm. Simple calibration values yield pretty-close output level & temp display. This will be a nice addition to the home lab (once the detector module is mounted onto an AD3 interface board). #HamRadio #RFTest #Digilent |
| 2025-06-18 03:13:15 | n8dmt@mastodon.radio | 47 | Success! | @kr1st Very nice! Based on your project, I propose “build an accessory for your station” as a candidate for HC47S Submit an idea for Ham Challenge 2026. #HamChallenge #HamRadio |