Helene in NC After One Year

I did a short post with a few pictures, but fortunately it was a near miss for us.  The real story is over at the QRPer blog, with a 'one year after' recap that includes links to all of Thomas's previous posts the storm's aftermath in western North Carolina.  Lots of washed out roads and smashed trees, yes, but also a lot of geeky goodness about using ham radio and running an impromptu solar-powered internet access point for the neighbors.  Good stuff, go read!  (And thank your lucky stars.)

An Almost Perfect Minimalist Under-Saddle Bag

The Lezyne Road Caddy under-saddle bag is perfectly sized for carrying a few keys (not the whole bundle!), a little cash, maybe a credit card, an ID, and not a lot else.  Internally it has a divider for a tiny upper pocket, which holds my door keys and gives a tad more security.  The main bag holds...  just named the items.  It's not a lot, but that's not what this pack is about.  It attaches with velcro to the saddle rails, and is so small that it doesn't need to have a loop around the seat post.  This is just right for daily rides on the gravel bike, especially when I'm wearing a jersey that doesn't have pockets.

The only kick I have with it is that the single zipper pull is a pain to work.  It has to go all the way around to almost the forward side of the pack, so the pull has to be threaded back through the velcro attachment straps.  Look at the picture and you can see where the pull ends up.  Awkward.  A double-pull arrangement meeting at the back would make this pack much easier to use.

Almost perfect.  Close enough.  $25 down at your LBS.

SSTV - Pretty Much There

I've been working with getting fldigi (for digital text) and Black Cat SSTV (for slow-scan TV) working on my desktop Mac, and things are about there now.  Below is a test transmission of the image from the previous blog post along with the original image.  Quality is poor, but that's only because of the crappy S/N ratio: I'm transmitting 2.5w from my QRP radio into a dummy load on my desktop machine, and listening to the leakage on my main HF set-up.  Not much power is getting through all that, but it's enough to confirm that things are working.  Possibly more importantly, it's not enough power to fry my main HF rig's input circuits.  That is a consideration when intercontinental-range radios are being used in adjacent rooms.

Anyway, here's a transmitted test image:

you may need to squint

and the original:

SSTV has been a long-term goal (see two posts from 2017: Getting There and Working Out the Fiddly Parts), and other than becoming proficient with the user interface, I'm pretty much there now.  It is handy though to have an FT-817nd and a dummy load on the desk while figuring out all the bells and whistles at my leisure – and not bothering anyone else while fumbling around.

Straggler - One Month Review & Commentary

One month along with the new Surly Straggler and I'm still digging it.  The initial comments (with picture!) from last month still hold.  The further comments I can make are:

• pro: I really like the 1x11 SRAM Apex drivetrain.  And everything else.  Almost.
• con: It's been a little bit of a struggle to keep the disc brakes in alignment, between the comfy-but-flexy steel frame, pain-in-the-ass horizontal rear drop-out, and quick-release axles.  I've finally got it dialed, but this bike could really benefit from having thru-axle dropouts and hubs.

So here, a month after getting mine, Surly updates the bike for the first time in its 10 year run, and what does the new version have?

Thru-axles.

It now comes in two component levels, which are a $300 and an $800 price jump up from mine.  The older version is still available, but if you're looking, go with the new.  The thru-axles alone are worth the price jump, though there are some other nice upgrades and improvements to the geometry as well.

Anyway, here's a review at Singletracks online magazine, here's the new Straggler page (with links to the two versions from there), and a link to the old (*sigh*) Straggler page.

Thru-axles.  Straggler shoulda had 'em years ago.  But I will get by.

More 70's than Jimmy Carter on a Moped

My copy of 1973's Buckingham Nicks arrived today, and after two listens through it's pretty good and about what I expected.  That is to say, it is very much in the mode of the eponymous 1975 Fleetwood Mac album, but more country-ish guitar driven and of course missing all the touches the rest of Fleetwood Mac brought to that album.  Fans will immediately recognize the one song that was later re-recorded by the full band, and there are a number of guitar moves that were recognizably recycled later on as well.  The whole feel though is that of an early-mid 70's artifact.  For example, Without A Leg To Stand On has a real Cat Stevens vibe.

Here, have a real review by a real reviewer at Louder Sound.

Hey, if you like it you like it, and I like it.  After years of hearing snips and scraps of the album on various nooks of the internet, it's great to have the entire thing in hand.

Not Really Fall Yet

Even though today's the fall equinox, it's not really feeling like fall just yet.  Nor is the extended forecast all that promising:

Eh, we'll see.  In the meantime, preparations for fall fun continue:

• new gravel bike, pretty well tuned in now – check
• hiking clothes coated in permethrin and air-dried – check
• next up: getting radios dialed in for trail fun; more on this as events unfold – in progress

Onward, and back to work.

Coffeeneuring for 2025?

Starts October 11th.  This fall is not quite so crazy as '22, '23, or '24 (so far) so this might actually happen here this year.  Or not.  Details at Chasing Mailboxes.  More, and commentary on the matter later.