QSL cards

M0RVB

Got a surprise through the door today, 12 QSL cards to my 2E callsign, various dates from February 2020 up to November 2020. Almost all want return cards, absolutely no problem and all part of the fun. I am not a big QSL'er other than eQSL but I always send when asked. Actually, I always planned to sort of back peddle on QSLing until I got the M0... now all I need is a decent design rather than the generic one I had on the M6 and 2E.

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M0RVB

Testcards

I've been meaning to set up something to generate a testcard via composite video for a while and, as is typical of me the ideal solution was sitting there in a BATC magazine on my bookshelf. CQ-TV No 270 has the details of one such setup using a Raspberry Pi Zero. I don't have one of those and Pi systems are hard to come by these days but surprisingly I had a 3B not doing anything. Software downloaded, 4-way jack to RCA plugged in and connected to a TV and, nothing. Well, a buzz. Checked the cable, all ok. Checked what the Pi wants... ...why does the Pi have to have the connections different from what appears to be a standard hi-fi 4-way to RCA lead? Or, rather, why does the hi-fi 4-way lead I have have to have different connections? Grumble. Ok. I wanted to test this seeing I had it all sitting in one of the bedrooms attached to a TV. Stripping down a 4-way jack lead that I never needed and which was far too short to be of use I made a lead. It would last probably half a second in normal use but worked sufficiently…

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