A couple of final things for the end of the year

So with 2018 drawing to a close, and a new year literally hours away now, I finish up with a couple of things.

First of all, I found a very experimental Android app that allows an Android device, including network radios, to connect to D-STAR, called Peanut, unfortunately it has proven very difficult for me to register on D-STAR as there appears to be no means to do so in the UK without having to use a specific repeater, could be a blessing in disguise considering the danger posed by Chance Callahan KD0MXN on D-STAR, however there has not been anything heard from him in a while even though he reappeared on IRC and his Snoonet server ban had expired, and in the world of Amateur radio it is all about experimentation so why not run this app on the Radio-Tone RT3 and see how it fairs, I'll follow it up in the new year when things return to some normality.

Secondly you'll also remember I came very close to destroying my President Grant II in the summer, but did not do so thanks to a diode, now I know it transmits into a dummy load (and my meter claims it puts out the 4 watts legal power) however I haven't put it on an antenna to test it properly until now, the large antenna on my car roof that I want to use for 10-meters has not been retuned as yet to work on both bands, the radio receives fine, despite the amount of QRM in towns, and while the bands were quiet after my return from work I ran a couple of transmission tests on AM, FM, and SSB, the radio reports on its internal SWR meter that the antenna is an almost perfect match (can never be truly perfect),  and reports that full power output is taking place, to test SSB I had to whistle, I chose channel 19 EU for this as I knew if I used channel 19 UK for the FM tests the muppets would cuss me out as they think 19 is their channel only (they should read Ofcom document Of 364, in particular the paragraph on page 9 that includes the words "channel 19 for mobile use"), the only way to know for certain that transmission is taking place is get reports from a receiving station, though I have a plan up my sleeve for that one.

So for my radio plans for 2019? I have a video in the can for that one already and will get that one on YouTube tomorrow as soon as I am able to considering I have work commitments and am on the rota for a closing shift at the pizza shop I work at this evening, though it will be up on my twitter and this blog, and during which I will find out as to why the last video came out 4:3 despite being filmed in 16:9, I filmed the New Year video on Christmas Eve as I've not had a lot of time to fit video filming in the hectic schedule over the last couple of weeks.

So tonight I will be monitoring GB3IR, the network radio (notably channel 00), CB channel 19 UK as part of the Grant II's ongoing tests though I don't hold out hope to hear anything civilised there, and I am debating on including the Jumbospot in the car tonight on the power bank so I can monitor the hubnet at the same time as GB3IR as I can monitor hubnet over DMR, however with me working I may not be able to respond to any calls, though I could be finished before midnight.

Time to wrap this up, and have a happy new year to you all

73 de 2E0EIJ/26CT730 for the last time in 2018