10 August 2026

 Check-ins: K0WLY (Carl), K07BUX (Jody, Eagle Mountain), KN0JI (Noji), KK7RW (Wade), AJ7KY (Kyle), KM7CSR (Mike), N7BEB (Bruce), KC7XC (Stan) checked in.

Bench Reports:

• Carl (K0WLY): Built and 3D-printed a SolidWorks-designed case for his CW Keyer (CWK), though his SolidWorks Maker subscription lapsed mid-project and he had to renew it ($50/year). Also updated the CW Keyer firmware so it can load and play back files at adjustable speed for practice, and is working on adding over-the-air/cable firmware updates so users don't have to compile and flash manually. Separately, diagnosed and is repairing a failed receive channel on his mobile radio, discovering the board has unpopulated protection component footprints the manufacturer left off.
  
  
  
• Jody (K07BUX): Testing a new 29.5-foot vertical antenna — wire run through the center of a Jackite 10m mast, suspended with a 3D-printed top block, fed with a 9:1 unun and four 18-foot counterpoises. Reported good results in the first 24 hours, including an FT8 contact into Lithuania despite otherwise poor band conditions.
• N7BEB (Bruce): No major builds, but has a QMX+ kit and started inventorying parts/winding toroids in preparation; may attend a planned group kit-build session (Carl is targeting September or October).

Ideation / Main Discussion — Signal Direction-Finding:
KN0JI raised an idea for building affordable hardware/software to triangulate interference, stuck mics, or problem transmissions, citing two recent real-world incidents in Salt Lake County — a group using ham frequencies as improvised walkie-talkies for hours, and a station stuck on cross-band repeat — that took hours or days to track down. He wants a low-cost (under ~$100) solution accessible to average operators. The group discussed several approaches:

• KrakenRF/KrakenSDR — purpose-built RF direction-finding hardware (~$750/node), considered too pricey for the goal.
• Doppler direction-finding nodes — cheaper, needs at least 3 coordinated nodes; can network nodes over IP to auto-triangulate a source, accurate to within feet using phase/timing differences.
• Classic maritime radio direction finders (RDF) — a member with boating experience described using pre-GPS RDF units with three coordinated stations for triangulation; noted used units show up on eBay/Facebook Marketplace for roughly $25–$100.
• DIY loop antenna with a NanoVNA — a small tuned loop with a trimmer capacitor gives a directional null useful for tracking signals from multiple locations.
• Time-of-flight/TDOA multi-antenna systems — a member described using this method professionally (locating buses in a bus yard), noting it requires three antennas and fast enough microcontrollers to measure timing differences.
• Distributed/crowdsourced network — KC7XC suggested fixed LoRa/Meshtastic-style nodes around the valley each carrying an RDF/Doppler sensor. Carl said he's already been exploring a low-cost, crowdsourced solution (aiming for ~$5–10 per participant, using existing radios plus a dongle) and hinted at revealing more details in a future net.

Magic Smoke Award: No damage/failures reported, though Carl shared a near-miss: low-temperature desoldering solder wire he'd ordered arrived from Amazon melted into a blob (likely from heat in transit) and had to be reordered.

Closing: Net closed at 7:41 PM local time. Carl reminded everyone to send write-ups, links, or photos to k0wly.ham@gmail.com for the blog (uvarcmakernet.blogspot.com) and pointed people to the UVARC Slack's MakerNet channel for ongoing discussion.

Audio Recording of this week's UVARC Maker Net

Transcript of this week's UVARC Maker Net Transcript is auto generated by Audacity and formatted via Claude AI.

03 August 2026

 

03 August 2026  Maker Net  Summary

Title: UVARC Maker Net Recap

Net Host: NV9N

Net Open Time: 19:00 Local Time

Website / Resources: uvarcmakernet.blogspot.com | UVARC Slack (#MakerNet) 

Check-ins: NV9N (Andrew), KM7ATW (Jacksong), KC7XE (Stanley), K7SJC (Sherman), KN0JI (Noji), AJ7KY (Kyle), AD7VW (Daniel), KM7BLA (Spencer), KB7UMV (Gary) all checked in over the course of the net.

Bench Reports:

• KM7ATW - Prank device. IR sensor. Funny sounds when he sat down.
• KC7XE - QRP radio kit. New firware. Tracking down bugs. MAGIC SMOKE AWARD WINNER 
• K7SJC - Jeff. Helped son move. Gifted samsung tv. Last year demonstrated hamclock on a rpi to display all the time. 
• KN0JI - This Thursday night. Monthly club meeting. State section HOA initiative. CC&Rs. Government could encroach on your ability to put up antennas. ARRL fighting that. This will let us know what is happening in UTAH. The speaker is ill, hopefully well.  Noji is working on 160 meter antenna.  4-5 kits to give away to the makers. 40m board, qrp pixie cw, not populated, 2 meter offset attenuator for fox hunt (partly built), a tuner kit. Son that is a ham that would like to join a maker net but not interested in checking in. Wants ideas on what to make software for.
• KM7BLA - Magic Smoke Runner up (Funny story): Sale on kits on Amazon. Cheap packtenna knock off. $35 sale. Built it about a month ago. Used it camping and it worked great. Used it for the 10 and 6 meter nets. Tried on the 6 meter net in a vertical configuration. For the life of me I couldn't get it to tune. Kept trying things, checked connections, made. Turns out you have to connect the antenna to the radio to get them to work . 
• KB7UMV - new end fed 80m wire

Magic Smoke Award:  KC7XE - End fed half wave antenna, pulling it out of a tree. Pulling it out of the tree but it got snagged. Pulled and pulled, At some point the wire broke loose 26ga. The wire broke near the far end. The force on the wire had stretched it 3 feet longer (40m  resonant - 20m half wave). It was no longer resonant on the frequency, it was closer to 60 meters resonant.

Net Closed:  19:43 Local Time

No audio recording was made, so there is also no transcript of this week's net.

27 July 2026

27 July 2026  Maker Net  Summary

Title: UVARC Maker Net Recap

Net Host: K0WLY

Net Open Time: 19:00 Local Time

Website / Resources: uvarcmakernet.blogspot.com | UVARC Slack (#MakerNet) 

Check-ins: NV9N (Andrew), N7RW, KK7RRW (Wade, Lehi), N7BEB (Bruce, Salt Lake City), KM7BLA (Spencer, Salt Lake City), KM7CSJ (Colin), K7SJC (Sherman), KM7GQN (Doug), K0WLY (Carl), KM0JI (Norm), KB0YD (Boyd, Highland), and KI7SJC (Jeff, Orem) all checked in over the course of the net.

Bench Reports:

• Carl (K0WLY): Light week — mostly out of town, ordered some parts, and accidentally fried the data lines on a USB-A port by jamming a USB-C plug into it.
• Andrew (NV9N): Modified a Yaesu FT3D handheld and an FTM-300 mobile rig with MARS-cap mods to open up out-of-band transmit (GMRS/FRS). Has been running two Creality printers (an Ender 5 Pro and newer Ender 3) non-stop making Gridfinity storage boxes for his bench. Also wrote a "POTA Hunter" program that watches WSJT-X's frequency and cross-references the POTA app to flag hunted stations automatically.
• Wade (KK7RRW): Reprogrammed all radios to a new frequency set and raved about switching everything over to Anderson Powerpole connectors, including a distribution block on the bench and a 3D-printed USB Powerpole adapter used while camping.

Group Discussion / Ideation (See transcript link below for full details):

• Interest in getting together for a group kit-build (a "QRP-Labs"-style kit, transcribed as "gearback"), possibly starting first part of August, with a Slack coordinator organizing it; Carl may run a second round in September/October.
• A member shared experience building a WSPR (multi-band "whisper") transmitter kit from an April QST article — programmable to hop 80–10m — and discussed propagation results.
• Discussion of using the Orem Library Maker Lab (which has Bambu 3D printers) as a possible meeting space for builds; confirmed meeting rooms can be reserved there.
• A running list of favorite 3D-printed ham radio accessories: dog-bone antenna insulators, pulleys for raising dipoles/masts, truck cup-holder radio head mounts, mic holders, PVC "Yagi" cross connectors (printed in ASA carbon-fiber composite), a paracord line winder shaped like a "K" instead of an "X," camera-pole antenna mast adapters, NanoVNA terminator holders with a wrist strap (see pic below), an RG8X cable winder, and a rope-launching "rope guide tool" / slingshot-style "wrist rocket" for getting lines into trees.

Magic Smoke Award: No submissions this week.

Closing: Net closed at 7:41 PM local time. Carl reminded participants to send write-ups, links, or photos to k0wly.ham@gmail.com for the blog (uvarcmakernet.blogspot.com) and to join the UVARC Slack's MakerNet channel.

Audio Recording of this week's UVARC Maker Net

Transcript of this week's UVARC Maker Net Transcript is auto generated by Audacity and formatted via Claude AI.

21 July 2026

 

21 July 2026  Maker Net  Summary

Title: UVARC Maker Net Recap: CW Keyer Updates, QMX Group Build & SMD Desoldering Tips

Net Host: K0WLY

Check-ins / Participants: Carl (K0WLY), Wade (KK7RRW), Stan (KC7XC), Andrew (NV9N), Doug (KM7GNN)

Net Close Time: 19:41 Local Time

Website / Resources: uvarcmakernet.blogspot.com | UVARC Slack (#MakerNet)

🛠️ Bench Reports & Project Updates

• K0WLY (Code Keyer Sidetone Fix): K0WLI resolved a minor bug in his CW Keyer practice unit. The receiving side now plays audio tones properly during head-copy practice. Extra PCB boards from the recent fair are available; ordering with the promo code UvarkMakerNet on his website www.cowlacious.com provides parts at cost.  EDITORS NOTE: This probably won't be up on the site for about a week.

• NV9N (Andrew): Constructed an "ugly antenna" during a meeting and successfully recalibrated his 3D printers to eliminate rough top-layer print issues. Andrew noted that his son loved using the CW paddles at the fair and wants to build a set next.

📻 QMX Rig Group Build Announcement

• 10% Group Discount: Stan (KC7XC) noted that ordering 10 or more QMX kits from QRP Labs qualifies for a 10% group discount.

• Signup Sheet: K0WLY is setting up an online signup spreadsheet on Slack and the blog. A group build night is planned for August or September.

• Location Scouting: K0WLY reaches out to explore potential maker space access at the Orem Public Library.

🔬 Technical Discussion: SMD Desoldering & MARS Mod

• The Challenge: Andrew (NV9N) shared his difficulty removing a tiny resistor for a MARS mod on his Yaesu FT3D HT using standard irons/tweezers.

• Best Practices & Tips:

  • Hot Tweezers vs. Hot Air: Hot tweezers heat both pads simultaneously for instant removal. Small-nozzle hot air rework stations work well when moved in small circles over the component to prevent trace/pad lifting.

  • Resource Recommendation: Check out Mr. SolderFix on YouTube for excellent surface-mount (SMD) soldering and rework tutorials.

🧰 Workbench Test Equipment Roundtable

• Variable Power Supply: KC7XC (Stan) highlighted a clean, current/voltage-regulated bench power supply as his most essential non-multimeter piece of gear.

• Antenna Analyzers / Vector Network Analyzers (VNAs):

• The net discussed the popular NanoVNA-H4 (~$60) for sweeping SWR, measuring coax lengths, and tuning portable/HF antennas (such as the JPC-12 vertical).

• Dedicated units like RigExpert were noted as more streamlined and purpose-built for field tuning.

Audio Recording of this week's UVARC Maker Net

Transcript of this week's UVARC Maker Net Transcript is auto generated by Audacity and formatted via Google Gemini.

13 July 2026

 

Net Opening & Purpose

• Net Control: Carl (K0WLY) opened the directed net from his home in Saratoga Springs.

• Purpose: To bridge traditional ham radio homebrewing with modern maker culture, acting as a community incubator for creating, hacking, and building custom gear.

• Structure: The net consists of four designated segments: Check-ins, the Bench Report, Crowd Sourcing, and the Magic Smoke Award.

Roll Call & Check-Ins

Carl called for stations to provide their call sign, name, location, and whether they had a bench report. The following operators checked in:

• Wade (KK7RRW) – Lehi. (Initial traffic check: No traffic).

• Andrew (NV9N) – Eagle Mountain. (Initial traffic check: No bench report or traffic).

• Noji (KN0JI) – Orem. (Initial traffic check: Confirmed he had big traffic to share).

• Stan (KC7XE) – Pleasant Grove. Stan noted this was his very first time checking into this specific net. He stated he loves building kits, experimenting with gear, and was there to listen, learn, and eventually share his own projects.

Upcoming Event Traffic: Annual Ham Radio Fair

Noji shared the official details for the club's major upcoming summer making event:

• Logistics: The Annual Ham Radio Fair takes place this coming Thursday night at 6:00 PM at Pheasant Brook Park in Lindon.

• Station Setups: The park will feature interactive demonstrations including setups for digital modes, solar-powered operation, single-sideband (SSB), and multiple antenna variations. The new club Ham Net will also be originating live from the park location.

• The Ugly Antenna Contest: The event includes the night of the "ugly antenna contest," where the winner receives a grand prize. Andrew (NV9N) asked if there was a required frequency range for the entries. Noji clarified that antennas can be designed for any legal amateur radio frequency, but the builder must prove it successfully operates over a distance of at least one block. This rule deliberately rules out ultra-low-power micro-QRP tricks (like pushing 1 milliwatt from just a foot away).

• Maker Net Booth/Presence: Carl asked if it would be better for Maker Net participants to set up individually or group together. Noji loved the idea of "corralling" everyone against a single wall or area to showcase their homebrew widgets and gadgets collectively. He noted the only potential issue is that large entries for the ugly antenna contest might become too unwieldy to fit into a tight maker area, so they will play it by ear and leave the layout choice up to individual preference.

The Bench Report

• Carl (K0WLY):

  • Code Keyer Fix: Carl spent time troubleshooting a spacing bug between two code keyers where text ran together on a single line without breaks. He successfully changed the configurations so that the keyer automatically inserts a standard word space when a pause of 7 to 9 dits is detected.

  • Antenna Reel: He fully assembled the 3D-printed parts for an end-fed antenna reel mentioned the previous week. However, it is missing the connector component that the antenna hooks up to. He needs to order that part before bringing the finished reel to the fair.

  • Fair Giveaways: He is 3D printing a bulk supply of PL-239 and PO-259 connector covers and caps to place in a dish on his table for fair attendees to take for free.

Crowd Sourcing & Group Projects: QMX Radios

Carl brought up a Slack channel proposal from Kyle (AJ7KY) regarding a potential group build activity for "QRX" (QMX) radios.

• Andrew (NV9N) researched the radios and noted they are compact, $100 to $150 HF radio kits. He noted that Kyle likely wants a highly portable setup to use for his regular mountain-climbing Summits on the Air (SOTA) activities.

• Stan (KC7XE) stepped in to offer his extensive experience, noting he has built a couple of QMX radios, is highly active on the QRP Labs Groups.io support site, and would gladly help anchor the group build.

• Build Complexity & Technical Insights: Stan explicitly warned the net that the QMX is not an easy kit and classifies it as an advanced build due to its small, tight layout. Carl mentioned hearing a podcast stating that experienced electronics builders often have more trouble with these kits because they assume they know what they are doing and skip steps, whereas beginners closely follow every instruction.

• Kit Options: Stan explained that all surface-mount (SMT) parts come pre-installed on the boards, meaning builders only solder the through-hole components and wind several custom toroid coils. He highly recommended the group look into the QMX+ (QMX Plus) variant, noting it has a slightly larger circuit board, supports more bands, and is physically easier to construct while using the exact same circuitry. Stan also noted that extra items like custom 3D-printed microphones, external tuners, or tiny keys are often homebrewed to complement the small radios.

Technical Discussion: Mobile Log entries

Wade (KK7RRW) introduced a technical dilemma he worked on regarding an optimal solution for logging amateur radio contacts while driving mobile.

• Wade's Scripting Project: Wade prefers logging directly into QRZ.com, but its standard interface is completely unoptimized for mobile phone screens when stopped briefly at traffic lights or parking lots. To solve this, Wade (an iPhone user) is programming a custom script using JavaScript and CSS via an iOS app that loads external files to completely strip away and reformat the QRZ webpage layout. It targets rapid data entry by optimizing buttons specifically for 2-meter and 70-centimeter mobile operations.

• The API Dilemma: Noji suggested using QRZ’s XML interface and automated APIs to build a standalone custom logging program. Wade responded that while QRZ has a full API, accessing it requires a paid QRZ subscription. Wade expressed frustration at needing to pay a subscription fee just to utilize an external API when QRZ already provides a free, built-in logger that simply lacks small-screen formatting.

• Voice Recognition & Python Workarounds: Stan suggested that mobile logging is the perfect use-case for a dedicated voice-recognition application that parses keywords and frequencies directly into a form. Carl shared a trick he recently discovered using Android Auto, where he used a console voice command to ask Gemini to search a call sign. Gemini pulled up the operator's data, read it aloud, and permanently saved the lookup transaction into his Google account history. Carl also admitted that he pays for the QRZ subscription exclusively to run a custom local Python script and proxy host that automatically pulls names and tracks check-in data live without losing connection during the weekly Maker Net.

• Abandoned Experiments: Wade shared a previous mobile logging attempt he abandoned: he programmed a quick button on his speaker microphone to record audio directly to his radio's memory card (and later his phone), intending to have an AI engine parse the audio logs later to extract QSO details. The system failed because normal conversational radio traffic routinely omits vital log data like exact frequencies or transmitting power levels. To make it work, Wade had to awkwardly say things like "Nice to talk to you on 146.78 as I'm transmitting with five megahertz" so the AI could catch it, which made outside operators wonder what he was doing.

Net Closing & Magic Smoke Award

• Magic Smoke Award: Carl called for any submissions for the weekly award, which honors project builds that physically failed or suffered damage during the week. No failures were reported by the check-ins.

• Late Check-ins: Carl called for any final late check-ins, but none were heard.

• Net Adjournment: Carl closed the session, thanking the participants for keeping the spirit of homebrewing alive. He reminded everyone to send project write-ups, links, or photos to k0wli.ham@gmail.com to be featured on the companion blog located at uvarkmakernet.blogspot.com. He also directed members to the UVARC Slack workspace's dedicated maker section. The net officially closed at 7:33 PM local time, returning the repeater to normal amateur use.

Transcript of the net

Audio of the net

UVARC Slack channel invitation