Tag: ham radio

POTA 3-Fer

On By The Flying DutchmanIn Campgrounds, HAM, retirement, RV Life1 Comment

Okay, 99.9% of you are scratching your heads and trying to figure out what the subject of this post means. Allow me to explain. When I was planning my retirement all I heard from friends, coworkers, and fellow church-goers was “but what are you going to do?” Well, about 10 years ago I fell into one of my hobbies, ham radio, backwards. I never really got into all that much except to chat with other hams on the way home from work in the evenings. Sitting in a dark room (known as a ham shack) talking on a radio to strangers didn’t really appeal to me. The I discovered Parks On The Air and things changed for me.

The whole point of Parks On The Air or POTA was to get ham radio operators out of their ham shacks and out into nature. See sunshine. Breathe fresh air. Touch grass. So you get a portable radio, a portable, power supply, a portable antenna, go find a valid park on the POTA website and THEN talk to strangers. Well, now that was for me! How you make your radio, power source, and antenna mobile is completely up to you.

The goal is to make 10 contacts over ham radio to other operators around the country and around the world. Once you make those 10 contacts the park is considered “activated” and you receive credit for activating that park. You are now a POTA activator. The people who contact you are POTA hunters. They are trying to get credit for contacting people in as many parks as possible. This isn’t just US, this is world wide and has breathed new life into ham radio.

I planned a camping trip this week so that I would be near a spot where I could attempt to activate 3 parks simultaneously. On Wednesday I hauled my travel trailer up to Moccasin Point Campground which would be my staging area for Thursdays attempt to activate Tuolumne Wild and Scenic River, Stanislaus National Forest, and Yosemite National Park simultaneously. The trick is you have to be within the boundaries of all three of those areas to make it count. I found a spot that I thought would work. But then I think a lot of things so… I checked with the people who run POTA. They said that they couldn’t tell me it wasn’t impossible. Huh? Sounds like a green light to me!

If you look at the area where the gray shading (Yosemite National Park) and the blue shading (Stanislaus National Forest) intersect over the south fork of the Tuolumne River, that is where I set up.

So on Thursday morning I drove up Priest’s Grade from Moccasin. I stopped off at Mountain Sage Coffee and picked up a dark chocolate orange mocha. Complete with orange rind in it. It was delicious and gave me the fuel I needed to press on the additional 35 minutes to my planned activation spot just outside the gates to Yosemite National Park. I parked in the Upper Carlon Day Use Area and got to setting up my “outdoor ham shack”. I put up the antenna about 30 feet uphill from the truck and set my laptop and radio up on the tailgate. I had planned to hike in a little bit but I was able to get my truck far enough up the trail to be within the boundaries of the 3 areas.

What a great day. The radio bands were terrible. I was only able to make any contacts on 20 meters. Normally I can do 10m, 15m, 17m, and 20m. But today the atmosphere just wasn’t having it. Still, there were no clouds, it was about 72 degrees, and I made 19 contacts; more than enough to activate the three parks. I packed up and slowly made my way back to Groveland via Hardin Flat Rd rather than Hwy 120. I decided to swing by Rainbow Pool just to relive some old memories most of which were pleasant. The one where my niece Tracey started cramping and almost drowned was not one of them. Luckily my girlfriend at the time saw her and pulled her to the edge of the creek. They charge a day use fee there. I chatted with the nice Japanese lady who was manning the toll booth (okay, it was a table with a sun shade over it). I told her I just wanted to drive through and take a picture so she didn’t charge me anything. Then made my way back down Priest’s Grade and back to the campground.

Rainbow Pool
Rainbow Pool Day Use Area

So, all in all, a wonderful day! So my answer to all those people who asked what am I going to do when I retire hasn’t changed one bit; “ANYTHING I want.”

First Truck Mod – Auxiliary Switch 6

On By The Flying DutchmanIn HAM, Ram TruckLeave a comment

My new truck came with 6 auxiliary switches that can be used to provide +12V to devices you install in the truck. This capability is primarily designed to give you greater control over accessories like lights, winches, and other aftermarket additions. I thought it would really nice to use one of these switches to power my Ham radio. Currently I just plug in the +12V adapter on the radio to turn it on, and pull the plug to turn it off. I decided to use Aux switch 6 as it was on the end and more importantly I found a YouTube video by a guy who wired up his radios on Aux 6!

So what does it take to wire up one of these switches?

Understanding Aux Switches

Before diving into the installation process, let’s take a moment to understand what auxiliary switches are and how they work. Aux switches are pre-wired and pre-programmed switches integrated into the dashboard of the RAM 3500. Using the commercial settings menu built into the truck’s in-dash display you can control the following settings in each switch:

  • Type:
    • Toggle – Switch stays on until you press it again
    • Momentary – Switch is only on while you are pressing it
  • State:
    • Default – Switch stays off until you press it, each time you start the truck
    • Memory – Switch remembers the last state it was in when you start the truck
  • Source:
    • Ignition – Switch only receives power if the truck is running
    • 12V – Switch receives power whether the truck is running or not

Preparing for Installation

Before I started installing the wiring for Aux Switch 6, it’s essential to gather the necessary tools and materials. Here’s what I used:

  1. Wiring harness kit. This was provided with the truck but not installed.
  2. Wire strippers.
  3. Electrical tape.
  4. Crimp terminals to connect the wire ends.
  5. Crimpers
  6. Multimeter (optional but recommended for testing).

Installation Steps

  1. Install Aux Switch Wires: I began by installing the two wiring harnesses into the connectors located under your dash. These are EXTREME difficult to access but with patience it can be done.
  2. Locate under-hood connectors: There are two connectors under the hood that connect to the wiring harness that just got installed under the dash. There is a different set of wires with pins already installed that are used in conjunction with the under-hood connectors. Two pins on the lower of the two connectors had to be jumpered. This routes power supplied by Aux 6 back into the dash area. I did not cut these wires, I just installed spade terminals on the ends and coiled them up and secured the coil with electrical tape.
  3. Connect Wiring Harness to Aux Switch Wires: I located the wire that ran from the jumpered pins on the connector under the hood and then connected it to the plus side of the 12V adapter I installed. I used insulated spade terminals to connect the wire ends.
  4. Test the Connection: Before proceeding further, I tested the connection to ensure everything was working correctly. I used a multimeter to verify that power was reaching the appropriate terminals.
  5. Secure Wiring Harness: Once you’ve confirmed that the connection is successful, secure the wiring harness along the existing wiring routes in your truck. Use zip ties or mounting brackets to keep the harness tidy and prevent it from interfering with other components.
  6. Test Aux Switch Functionality: I plugged the radio +12V adapter into the +12V receptacle I had bought and pressed Aux 6. Low and behold the radio lit up and made the correct noises!
  7. Finalize Installation: Since I was satisfied with the results I needed a place to install the +12V socket. I unbolted the center console and slid it back to gain access to the front. There was a perfect spot right next the USB outlets and there was nothing behind that area. I used a hole saw to cut the opening for the +12V socket and it was a perfect fit. I tightened the socket down and plugged the radio in and did another test. Worked pefectly. I bolted the center console back down and routed and secured the wiring out of sight.

Too long, didn’t read?

Installing wiring for Aux Switch 6 in my 2023 RAM 3500 truck was a relatively straightforward process that greatly enhanced the functionality and convenience of my truck by allowing me to turn the radio on and off with a simple button press. It also opened up the +12V socket I had been using for other uses. ! have 5 other switches I can use. I’m already thinking of added an LED light strip under the hood so I can use that to light up the engine compartment for working in the dark. Maybe a light bar in front and back as well. So many possibilities.