Workbench Roundtable Summary – June 2, 2025
Net Control: Mike, W3MOW
Repeater: 146.985 MHz W3GMS

The Monday Night Workbench on 146.985 was hosted by W3MOW and saw a healthy round of participation from local and remote stations alike. After a round of check-ins, general comments took center stage, followed by a couple of well-explored technical questions.

🔧 General Discussion Highlights:

• W1RC shared his success in getting his AllStar node working reliably and mentioned the “Node Remote” app he’s exploring. Several stations offered help and noted his signal was markedly improved.
• WA3VEE gave detailed field day updates: antennas were checked, equipment like the FT-857 was evaluated, and collaboration with the Pottstown club was discussed. He’ll be handling 40m at Field Day.
• NA3CW reported progress on Joe's tower project and discussed his experience with the Yaesu FT-710, highlighting its complexity compared to older rigs.
• WA3KFT noted a new Field Day site for the Marple Newtown club and planned rig tests, also sharing tips for PL-259 connector work.
• KC3OOK has almost completed his shack and is now planning its layout and equipment arrangement.
• KD3AIS (Tim) mentioned on-air testing and his struggles with 10 meters, which led into one of the evening's technical questions.
• K3FHA and N3CRE offered brief updates, with Charlie bringing a question about shortwave receivers.
• KC3SQI (Wayne) talked about his new tunable antenna and recent truck repairs.

❓ Technical Questions & Group Support:

1. Shortwave Receiver Recommendations (N3CRE)

Charlie asked about good options for beginner-friendly shortwave listening equipment. The discussion covered:

• RTL-SDR v4 dongle (recommended by Dylan K3DZM) for wideband reception via PC.
• Consideration of computer literacy — Chuck (NA3CW) pointed out if the user isn’t computer-savvy, a standalone receiver may be better.
• Eton and Tecsun branded radios were suggested by WA3VEE.
• Antenna considerations: John (K3FHA) emphasized the importance of a long wire antenna even with good receivers.
• Web SDRs like K3FEF’s were suggested for trying shortwave listening before investing.

2. Getting Started with FT8 on 10 Meters (KD3AIS)

Tim’s interest in FT8 as a way to access weak-signal contacts led to a deep discussion:

• KC3SQI recommended a guide on W3GMSRepeater.com by Harvey, which simplifies FT8 setup.
• W3MOW shared his own experience using FT8 with the FT-991A and pointed Tim toward JS8Call and other digital modes.
• WA3VEE offered context about poor band conditions due to a recent solar storm, recommending tools like spaceweather.com and hamclock for tracking propagation.
• There was also discussion about interpreting the solar data panel on QRZ and a rundown on how time of day and frequency choice affects HF performance.

📝 Final Notes:

• The group closed with comments about propagation resources, SDRs, and practical radio setups.
• One last late check-in (KC3YTD) was logged.
• The net wrapped up with thanks to all participating stations and a reminder to join the Thursday night roundtable hosted by KC3C.