Showing posts with label first. Show all posts
Showing posts with label first. Show all posts
Tuesday, 6 December 2016
SDR radio first forays
It was happy SDR day. I had squandered $18.00 of joint marital funds and had waited days for my digital equivalent of Ralphie's Little Orphan Annie's secret decoder ring to arrive. I was hoping the message wasn't going end up being something like "Drink Ovaltine." It was the best investment I have made in a long time, although I don't think Katie is as enthused at the cacophony of dronings, squawks, squeaks, beeps and hissing sounds continuously emanating from my office. The paltry funds have let me peer deeply into the mysterious world of radio frequencies which I haven't done since I built a crystal radio as a kid. What fun, but does it really work?
I've learned a lot in a very short period, but not enough yet. The little device works very well, especially given the relatively minimal price point. There are however some realities to contend with.
So far I have played with two free software packages. The SDR Sharp, and the Chrome desktop radio app.
The SDR Sharp software epitomises what good open source code should be. It's accessible to normal mortals. By that I mean it's easy to download and install. Even a marine electronics installer can do it. Glitches are minor, and in my case I was responsible for most of them. Overall the software is very stable, and here is the only issue I have found.
The program is a CPU hog. My first attempts at listening to anything was a disaster. Audio was jerky and the program was running at a snails pace.
It didn't take long to figure out what was going on, especially when the my auxiliary CPU cooling fan kicked in. A quick look at my PC's task manager CPU usage history showed the processor was running at 100 percent and couldn't keep up. I had several other applications open and the needs of the many were causing everything to grind nearly to a halt. Shutting down all other application helped things a lot.
Even when the SDR Sharp software was running by itself, there were some things yet to contend with. The waterfall display (the sonar "A Scope" looking stuff at the bottom of the display) if turned up to higher speeds was also swallowing a lot of CPU capacity. Turning it off completely improved the performance. I don't have the world fastest computer, nor the slowest. There is a lot of very impressive software doing a huge amount of number crunching to produce these excellent results.
Objects in the picture are smaller in real life. That's my summary of the included antenna. The good news is it works somewhat, and is adequate enough to show you the art of the possible.
The little antenna I have is wanting. To paraphrase a line from Peter Benchley's book, "I'm gonna need a bigger antenna." In addition some form of a connector adapter will be needed.
My dongle uses a male MCX plug. It's a little guy when compared to the shown standard VHF radio antenna connector. My solution was to buy an adapter cable online that has the tiny MCX connector to plug into the dongle, and a standard coax TV F style female connector on the other end. I can easily adapt the coax fitting to any of a larger selection of adapters available locally.
My dongle uses a male MCX plug. It's a little guy when compared to the shown standard VHF radio antenna connector. My solution was to buy an adapter cable online that has the tiny MCX connector to plug into the dongle, and a standard coax TV F style female connector on the other end. I can easily adapt the coax fitting to any of a larger selection of adapters available locally.
The thing I need first is a better antenna, and I'm going to try a couple of inexpensive options. First is a Collinear Coax AIS antenna. It should cost less than $5.00 to build. This should suffice to do a AIS reception demonstration project. I'm reasonably close to the ICW, and the price is right. I'll also acquire a longer telescoping antenna to play with.
The other piece of free software I've played with is the Google Chrome radio receiver app. It has some pluses and minuses. The big issue is when the software glitches, and it does from time to time, I have to reboot my PC to reactivate it. Annoying to say the least. It seems like it can't relocate the dongle once it loses it without re-starting the PC.
It does have presets for weather broadcasts and a free tuning mode. But unlike the SDR Sharp software it doesn't have the spectrum analyser that visually shows you where the stronger frequencies are. I will use it some more before I pass any judgment.
What's next is to build an antenna that will do a good job of receiving AIS signals, download and another SRD software (HDSDR) package to evaluate. Then the AISMON module to decode AIS signals is next. In theory it should be possible to keep something close to a $20.00 budget, recieve AIS signals, and display them. We will see.
It does have presets for weather broadcasts and a free tuning mode. But unlike the SDR Sharp software it doesn't have the spectrum analyser that visually shows you where the stronger frequencies are. I will use it some more before I pass any judgment.
What's next is to build an antenna that will do a good job of receiving AIS signals, download and another SRD software (HDSDR) package to evaluate. Then the AISMON module to decode AIS signals is next. In theory it should be possible to keep something close to a $20.00 budget, recieve AIS signals, and display them. We will see.
Thursday, 20 December 2012
The First Goose Nests of Spring
Mike and I portage down and across the city to Lake Union on day of changing weather. There is some wind from the south, there are clouds that open for sun and then close up. It rains, it stops raining and rains again, but on the first leg, it rains on our backs. We head north, round the point and head south down into the bottom of Portage Bay. Then we head north and then east through the crossing under place, into the the south lagoon, and we pause for a few minutes and get out of the canoe so that I can show mike the distinct beaver trail that I found.
It leads from the water over dry ground and back into a thin canal that leads into the short, dense and tangled forest that the workings of beaver tend to create. We continue east to the big beaver lodge where two geese are just beginning to construct a nest. We talk and decide to circle the bay. Coots are hiding near shore in the wind. A second goose nest is just now being built on the west beaver lodge and nearby, we find an eagle in the birch tree of #2 island, with many coots all to near for their own good. It is a stiff paddle back into the wind to return. Such days are so full of life.
Friday, 28 September 2012
Our first driveway
 |
| Driving across the Smoky Mountains |
 |
| "Where in the world is Odin the Winnebago? The Unicoi, TN WalMart--in the mountains and that's fog/mist!" |
 |
| Grocery shopping |
One of the errands that require the most planning on a boat is grocery shopping. Find an anchorage with a store. Load up backpacks and grocery list (ha, ha. Wish list!). Dinghy into the dock. Walk to store. Repack into backpacks. Walk back. Load into dinghy. Load into boat. Unpack in cockpit. Put away, careful to only open fridge the minimum amount of time. Sailboat friends, you many want to look away for the next part: There are advantages and disadvantages to taking your house to the grocery store. Advantage? The pic above--only unload once! Disadvantage? Even though we parked in the back of the parking lot, people were attracted to us like flies. They parked all around us. One woman parked so close (less than a foot from the driver's side window) that I had to get out and tell her we wanted to leave soon. She said, "I'm meeting my daughter in an RV and you're not her!" Ha, ha, ha! Yes, I'm sure we all look alike to non-RVers.
 |
| Our first driveway! |
Luckily, The Colonel's brother has had big trucks in here before, so he knew to tell us to back down their dead end road, then into their driveway. Try something new everyday!
 |
| Link: http://www.lowes.com/pd/AeonAir-8-000-BTU-200-sq-ft-115-Volt-Portable-Air-Conditioner/50343006 |
When the Winnebago a/c was acting up (in 95F heat), we bought a portable a/c unit. Similar to our window unit for the boat, it doesn't take much to cool such a small space. I hated spending the extra money, but we've found it helps supplement our manufacturer installed a/c to cool Odin down quicker after a long drive on a hot day. Even better, it can be plugged into a regular household outlet (Odin's a/c requires 30 amp minimum, preferably 50). While staying in our family's driveway, we needed to keep the coach cool for Princess Kitty. We ran an extension cord with an adaptor from their front porch and watched the amp draw. The portable a/c pulls less than 8 amps on a 20 amp plug with a few lights on. If we turn on the a/c fan to help recirculate then we show 12 amps. (A box fan is also another option). We're careful to only run one high draw item at a time--turn a/c off for Nutribullet, electric tea kettle or microwave so we don't blow our family's breaker). The portable a/c fits snugly under our dining table and the exhaust hose goes out the side window (the newer ones don't require a water drain). This will keep the coach 5-10 degrees cooler than the outside temp, which may not be enough for some, but it's comfortable for us and Princess Amelia.
 |
| Handy to have a 30-amp to 20-amp adapter or a 3-plug extension cord. |
We also use the 1/4" silver insulation (comes in rolls at the hardware store) against as many windows as practical. Awnings out (we're lucky to have extra awnings over both bedroom windows & the entry door). Shades down as practical.
Could you run portable a/c on solar? Maybe!
 |
| After days of tinkering, the moment when we get the main TV hooked to the laptop so we can watch Netflix & The Tour de France. Priceless! (Stay tuned for our setup) |
 |
| Parked in a family members driveway for free! OK, not totally free. Helping with new siding. #brothers #powertools |
 |
| The moment Princess Amelia discovered the screen door... |
 |
| Day 1 of preventive maintenance: engine wash & lube (access under our bed. House smells like engine lubricant). |
 |
| Day 2: climbed up on roof for further inspection & to measure our actual height. The air suspension was down but we had the levelers extended. 11'9" at head exhaust fan cover so we'll call that an even 12 ft (manufacturer's brochure 12'1"?!). Today: Wash & wax. I'm hiding! |
 |
 |
 |
| Absolutely, gorgeous! |
 |
Friday, 27 July 2012
The First Scaup
The day has broken from the heavy rains and by the time that I start my portage, the clouds have dissolved leaving it sunny and calm.
I put in on what I increasingly think of as the "dead lake", Lake Union, and I move towards and along the shorelines that I rarely visit. Choked with marinas and houseboat moorage, there is no space left here for wildlife. But, in these calm conditions the canoe slides along with no effort needed to maintain a straight course. It is pure and enjoyable paddling on flat water under a warm sun.
I end up halfway through the Government Canal before turning back to the east. There is one single female scaup in the canal, a place where they often are found in winter. This is my first sighting of the fall. I haul a shopping cart from the water, eat a sandwich, and continue. It is steady paddling today, the paddling of a long tour with few breaks, a measured pace, and no hurry. Miles get clicked off on long trips through steadiness and rhythm.
Otherwise, there is not much to be said on a beautiful day like today.
Thursday, 10 November 2011
Our first haul out Puerto del Rey
 |
| Puerto del Rey marina and haul-out facility. |
Departing Green Beach, Vieques for Puerto del Rey in Fajardo, we are off anchor by 8:00 am with the genoa unfurled & one engine at idle and a 15 kts quartering tailwind. Once we clear the shoal, we turn northbound and are on a beam reach. However, there are big waves on the beam (more confused waves) and it's (another) rough ride until we turn westbound for the marina, just past Isla Pineros (Beautiful. Tentative stop that we are passing up for the marina. Next time.) We have the marina in sight with two sailboats heading out. This places looks fun!
 |
| Passing Isla Pineros |
It's been two months since we've been in a marina and Puerto del Rey is one of the bigger marinas we've been to. We call on the radio to get our slip assignment (916, on the powerboat side but also near the lift). The boats are HUGE and the fairways look narrow as we try to determine which side of dock 9 we need to be on. The dock hands flag us down and I look back at The Captain, awaiting any last minute instructions. With two dock hands waiting on either side, I decided to throw the stern lines first and walk both lines to midship. With two casual tosses and a gentle kiss, we're on. The dock master welcomes us with, "It's regatta weekend. Lot's of food, drink and MUSIC!"
 |
| What to do first? Showers? Restaurant? Nope. Air conditioning! It will be in the 90's for the next two days. |
 |
| "Is it on?!" |
 |
| Officially out of canned beets. "Here's your dinner, honey!" |
Stats: Total time 2:40, avg speed 5.0 kts, total mileage 13.5 nm. Motor sail with genoa and 1-engine 50%.
TOTAL MILEAGE SINCE DEPARTING ANNAPOLIS, MD: 3205.9 NM
TOTAL MILEAGE SINCE DEPARTING FLORIDA: approx 1300 NM
TOTAL MILEAGE SINCE DEPARTING ANNAPOLIS, MD: 3205.9 NM
TOTAL MILEAGE SINCE DEPARTING FLORIDA: approx 1300 NM
 |
| Warranty Taylor Made fenders |
 |
| On the right, the new hatch covers |
 |
| Our last stop of the season has beautiful sunrises! |
 |
| Winterizing the dinghy outboard for hurricane season--you know what I mean! |
 |
| All that food organization means lots of bins to clean |
Now we're in that awkward in-between phase. We're at the marina, but we don't haul out until next Wed. We've consumed a lot of the provisions that I so carefully stockpiled as we went (may regret that in Nov!) and the water tank ran dry as we hit the dock. It's a long walk to the bathroom, so we're still using the head. I need to start cleaning the interior of the boat: pack remaining provisions into plastic tubs, clean & wipe everything down with vinegar/tea tree oil (to prevent mold), wash everything that I can fit in the washer/dryer (sheets, towels, cushion covers), then pack it all into plastic bags. But we live in a very small space...The Captain is only outside in the mornings, before the heat builds. When we moved onto the boat, it was April--things were spread across the salon, the cat was confined to our berth and it spilled out into the cockpit and onto the dock. Not really an option now.
(A special thank you to Summertime Rolls for suggesting to leave extra provisions in the laundry room. I was wildly popular with the cleaning staff, even though I had to explain lentils and coconut milk.)
And of course, the food of Puerto del Rey:
 |
| Fried fish sandwich and Arroz con Pollo. They don't look exciting but they're yummy! |
 |
| Mofongo: fried plaintains, smashed and cooked in garlic. YUMMO! |
 |
| Even the guava and avocado were FIRE! |
Laundry day. It was $3 to wash and $3 to dry but you have to buy a $5 debit card that you "load up". I used a $5 bill to get the card then only had a $20. Somehow I spent $25 on laundry!
Through the Women Who Sail FaceBook group, we met up with s/v Outta Control for drinks. It turns out they've hauled out for the last 6 years and also have an RV back home. Lots of great advice!
 |
| Bimini before |
 |
| Bimini off |
 |
| Starting to pack |
 |
| "I sense change. I'm not happy." |
Anyone who lives with a cat, knows it best to leave them in the dark about future activities that may affect their nap schedule. When we sold our house, we waited until she went to sleep on our bed, then closed the door to pack/garage sale/clean. She was fine until we moved out the mattress...Today the cleaning has gotten serious & Amelia is onto us. After watching Daddy scrub down the salon, she jumped up onto the table, looked at me, and dumped over her water glass. Pretty sure she did that on purpose. So that's how this is gonna go...
 |
| Yeah, Mama's not talking to you either! |
 |
 |
| Dec 2014. Edgewater, MD. |
 |
| Genoa off the roller furler |
The sails are finally coming off. It's been too windy the last few days and then, where to put them! They're HUGE!
The strength of wind in a sail is amazing. You can feel it when you take a sheet off the winch while underway, but the last time we did this, I was almost lifted off my feet while standing on the trampoline:
"Here hold onto this, while I go furl it in..."
"Um, honey?!?!"
This morning was uneventful.
 |
| A friends boat just down the way in the yard. |
 |
| s/v Outta Control |
Veterans at hauling out, our friends on s/v Outta Control allow me to shadow them while they haul out (inside 24 hours people!). I want to vomit as it swings in the slings over the concrete, and it isn't even my boat! I learn a few tricks including marking the sling placement in masking tape. I grab The Captain and we walk back over for a quick consult with the lift operator on where we will be located (back fence near water & electricity!), well procedures (stern into the slings for us), and how we would like it blocked (took over pictures and a copy from our Owner's Manual for him to keep). We advise him we wwill be at the fuel dock pumping out just prior to our slot and he says they'll watch for us and wave us over. Feeling comfortable with the procedures for tomorrow.
(Pilot friends, zoom in on the logo on their stern. Can you guess what he did for a living?)
Side note: Maybe we have these in Missouri, but the boats in the background are in the "Dry Stack" also called a "boat hotel". The marina has 1000 wet slips and 400 dry stack spaces! There are 2 separate full-time lifts splashing and restacking these little power boats. It's crazy!
Oh, and "No one may live or sleep on vessel in dry stack area."
 |
| Owner's Manual diagram. |
 |
| The Captain's smashed toe in the middle of boat prep. Sigh... |
 |
| AND the main sail is off. He is one naked sail boat. Naked, naked, naked. Note to self. Order more ball bearing before returning to boat :-( |
 |
| One more sunrise from the boat. Laundry, defrost fridge, rental car, fuel dock, haul out! |
Haul out day. I'm in the laundry room by 6:30 am but the washer's aren't working. No sweat. I'll come back. Back to start the fridge defrost. 8:00 am. Walk up to get the rental car. Can't find the rental car company that is supposed to be on the property. Call (pet peeve--once I make the reservation, I should get the phone number to the location that HAS my CAR, not an 800 number) and discover they've moved to the ferry dock. They come to pick us up. By 9:15, we're on the road to the hardware store. (I'm driving. I haven't driven since June 2015. At one point I think I'm speeding but I'm only doing 40 mph. Never got it above 45!). Buy tarp for the bottom clean. Back to the marina by 10:30 am. Washer is fixed so laundry is started. Lunch. Back to put clothes in dryer. Clothes don't get dry but I don't have enough on the debit card for another dry--and The Captain wants to be off the dock by 12:45pm. Walk away from laundry for the second time. Pull boat to the other side of double-wide slip to counteract wind. Depart the slip for the fuel dock. Despite scheduling the day before, the staff is late getting back from lunch. The Captain eases in and I lasso a cleat. Score! Stern swings in & we're tied off. They tell us to do the pump-out ourselves :-( Sit and wait for a few minutes and ease off at 1:15 for our 1:30 pm. The crew truck pulls up to the lift and Bennie and his crew pile out, so we spin around and back into the well. "We were waiting for you guys!" Four lines are quickly tied off. One fender moved that will be in the way of a strap. I'm ordered off to report to Shanaz in the office to sign our paperwork. I sign my life away and she radios back to the lift that we are cleared to go. When I get back, Odin is out of the water and reported to weigh 12,000 lbs. "Don't look at me! We ate most of the canned goods..."
 |
| Come back from the office to this. Gonna vomit. |
 |
| Odin coming over the cement...Nauseous |
 |
| The crew under Odin |
Bennie and the ground crew all crawl under Odin and begin securing straps and using a rubber mallet to look for the cross beams. They discuss the number of jack stands and the crew member on the left departs to get the stands then meets us at our spot.
 |
| Down through the dry stack |
 |
| Across the bridge |
 |
| Into the yard {sniff, sniff} |
 |
| ALL the way to the back..."Don't worry, Odin. It will be like summer camp." F@$%, where's the rum?! Dang it! On the boat. |
 |
| We're in the VERY back corner so they had to take down a fence to get the lift in! |
 |
| "We're in a tight spot, Harry." |
 |
| They're expanding the yard. |
 |
| Tarp laid down. Reuben & The Captain discussing power wash and sanding. |
1.5 hours in, and Bennie is still not satisfied that Odin is level. Craig hops up and hands down Amelia (which brings work to a halt while the crew says hello to Princess). I bolt to the car to meet our AirBnB landlord. By the time I return the lift is gone and The Captain is inside watching TV with the a/c on. (Now you can call us weenies). "I didn't want to disturb those guys while they're power washing..."
Security stops by to ask if our outboard will stay on the rail. "It's locked. I can take it in but I'd rather not." No, I just need to add it to my inventory. We keep track. WOW!
 |
| Keels sitting on blocks (Note the tubing rolled up in the tarp. They wet vac up what they power wash off. Interesting.) Zoom in to see what those barnacles do to your bottom paint. Yes, ours was shot, but you can see the dots where they were! |
 |
| 4 jack stands under the bridge deck. 2 under the bows and 2 under the sterns. |
 |
| Hurricane straps |
 |
| View off the bow (note the 10ft high fence with razor wire!) |
 |
| View off our stern |
 |
| The barnacles on the rudder I couldn't reach |
 |
| Another catamaran advantage over our monohull friends. We can climb up the swim ladder to get on the boat! |
 |
| "Sorry, Odin Jr." Now we know why the davit lines are so long! We were able to lower it all the way to the ground while on the stands. |
 |
| Dinghy with cover & tarp then secured to the jack stands ("kayakie") |
 |
| We're done. We're walking away. One dirty glass will go back to the RV as my "boat" souvenir. |
"No wild parties while we're gone, Odin. Por favor no mold, no pests, no hurricanes. Adios!"
Stats: I don't keep a detailed budget like some other bloggers, but we keep track of the biggies. Here's what this haul out and trip home cost.
6 days at the dock (can be shortened or cheaper marina): $1.65x6 days = $59.40/day + 11.5% tax = $397.38
Electric at the dock (air conditioner) $15
Haul out & blocking (includes splash in Nov) $475
Tarp for power wash (EPA) $110 (we only needed 1/2 that. Gave remainder to Reuben as a tip)
Power wash & wet sand (Reuben) $621 (yard doesn't allow owners to sand)
Hurricane Straps $25/piece x $4 = $100
Sand off boot stripe & prime white stripe (one-time relocation of water line & boot stripe) $580
Rental car $35/day x 2 + $60 drop off San Juan Airport = $130
Hotel/AirBnB 2 nights at $89 + fees = $239
One-way airline to Miami $175 x 2 = $350
Forgive us retired folks for the BYOB happy hour when we come to visit!
Forgive us retired folks for the BYOB happy hour when we come to visit!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
