Monday, February 24, 2025

PD1LAB on QRZ (with Logbook)

FYI:  PD1LAB has also a QRZ page : https://www.qrz.com/db/PD1LAB

with logbook:

Friday, February 21, 2025

Mailbag 2024 backlog

 As i was playing with my Yaesu FT710 and some other items i received, and also was busy with some other things i did not give much attention to my blog. So a backlog of items for my mailbag blog grew rapidly. Yes i still did get some items on AliExpress (and also at some other stores). For some items i wanted to create a special blogpost, however here are already some photos of some AliExpress items from end 2024 / begin 2025.

Probes
Some flatcable
Another DVI-D cable
USB and 12V plug
I used them on cables from and to my FT710 radio. I already ordered and received another set so i now have some spare.  
Switch with protection cap
To create another hotspot using a Raspberry Pi. I did not yet use it
Coax 
Protectors for PL259 coax connectors
Small car antenna for the 2 meter and 70 cm ham radio band.
PL259 coax connector

Adapter to use bits in my drill
Cheap bag for a porto
Kenwood type plug.

Some plastic rings

Special cable ties. I found these special tie wraps that can be easy opened and reused again.
Special cable ties. These tie wraps can be screwed on something.

Tuesday, October 29, 2024

Mailbag October 2024 special mailbag item

Today a special mailbag post about a product that i received today (oct2024) :

It was delivered by a company i heard of just a few days ago when i received an email containing
"We are glad to inform you that VANGUARD LOGISTICA has entrusted us, Nacex Internacional, with the delivery of your parcel."
The package was send as a gift yo me from Spain. For some year i am a happy customer of  "Openbank" a bank based in Spain where you can a have bank account that not only gives an interesting savings account interest rate, you also don't need to pay a monthly fee for your account.
With the debit card you can pay in most countries worldwide or withdraw cash from an ATM (on the internet you can indicate in what counties the card will work). And sometimes you can also win prizes (e.g. by using your bank card [ https://www.openbank.nl/acties ] ). A disadvantage of this bank account is that using iDeal is not (yet) possible and money transfer with a dutch bank normally takes around a half (work) day.
Several days ago i was contacted by the Openbank that i had won a free Sony WH-1000XM5 headset .
At first i did not believe that hat bank had contacted me  so i contacted them using the contact information i had from the bank to verify the message. And yes it was true, i was one of the (if i remember well 27) winners that had won this expensive headset.
And today i received my  WH-1000XM5  ( For more info about this headset see e.g. https://tweakers.net/pricewatch/1815448/sony-wh-1000xm5-zwart.html )
Here some more photos:


Monday, October 7, 2024

Mailbag September 2024 -Part2- DVI video connection for the FT710

This Mailbag September 2024 part-2- blogpost is a combination of a mailbag video and info about the FT710 video output. (Yes i know i published this 7th of October, i have little backlog in my mailbag postings.)
The Yaesu FT710 has a small touchscreen. One of the nice features of the FT710 is that also a monitor can be connected using DVI-D cable to display this screen. There are also report from FT710 users that use an DVI-D to other video format cable. However this is not recommended by Yaesu as it can damage the FT710 (Also a mouse can be connected via USB)
I already use a monitor (via HDMI and a HDMI switch) for my laptop a Raspberry PI and other devices that also has an (unused) DVI-D input.
In a local shop i found a DIV cable for 2.50 euros/ So i did buy it.
However... This was not the right DVI cable.
The four pins next to the horizontal pin should not be there .........  
DVI-D cable from china (AliExpress)
This is the correct DVI-D connection (AliExpress cable above)
For my FT710 a cheap  simple computer USB mouse (less than 2 Euro at the Action in The Netherlands).
And the result...
I can (also) display the Yaesu FT710 screen on my monitor screen.
Using the Monitor input selector switch (on my monitor) and a small HDMI switch i can select between different devices that can be shown on the monitor:

Monitor Input SelectorHDMI switchDevice selected
VGA-(currently) nothing connected
DVI-Yaesu FT710
 HDMIInput 1Laptop
 HDMIInput 2Raspberry Pi

When the laptop is not selected i can still see the screen of my laptop itself that i normally use as my secondary screen (when on my desk connected to the monitor). The screen of the Yaesu FT710 is always visible on the Yaesu FT710 device itself and big on my monitor screen when selected.
(For the mouse on the Yaesu FT710 i use a separate second mouse.)

Monday, September 30, 2024

Mailbag September 2024 -Part1- Yaesu FT710

Almost end of September. Time for my September mailbag posts, that will be divided in several parts. (and some will come in October) This is Part1 about the Yaesu FT710 Radio - Tranceiver.

FT710 AESS Tranceiver
Only the packaging will be shown in this blogpost. 
For those who want to see the device itself, there are many pictures and YouTube videos on the internet. 
I expect i will make other blogpost whowing more of this device.

Some additional items for the Yaesu FT710

The power supply that i did buy for the Yaesu FT710

Antenna switch. Not really needed to use this device. However i liked it very much as this switch allows to select between multiple antenna's and multiple tranceivers. (Also a dummy load , VNA or (SDR)radios can be easy selected when connected. 

A monitor ( With DVI-D connector) can also be connected to the Yaesu FT710 . I already had a monitor with this input. More about this in the next mailbag blogpost.


Thursday, August 29, 2024

Mailbag August 2024

August 2024 has not finished yet and i am still expecting some items!
However i already want to publish this mailbag post.
This time the items came from Amazon, (not from Aliexpress )

Book
SDR
Software Defined Radio


Book
radiotoday guide to the
 Yaesu FT710

s

s
Screenprotectors
for a
Yaesu FT710 radio

Wednesday, July 31, 2024

Testing Outdoor 2 meter Antenna

This is a 2 meter antenna i have temporary mounted outside for testing purposes. It is connected to long thin coax cable. With the coax-cable i can reach the vna connected to my computer. So i included it in the series of quick antenna tests.

See below the result:


Tuesday, July 30, 2024

Testing RH770 Antenna

 Also from AliExpress i got this RH770 Antenna


The length is adjustable so it is possible to do some tuning.


I did test it on full length.