LVB Trackers - 6 days till 2012 Dayton Hamvention

Last evening I finished 23 circuit boards.  THEY ARE READY FOR ASSEMBLY.  So all parts except for the din cables are ready for assembly.

Now I want to THANK my FAMILY who pay dearly when I build Trackers.  They put up with my absence when I spend every evening downstairs during a build.  Before Hamvention that's almost every evening for weeks.  The stress of all this work at times makes me a nasty guy.  I can erupt like a dormant volcano at any time especially during a Dayton build.  Tracker build is a high priority and it probably should not be, but.  So many thanks to my wife Sue and the dogs Rufus, Mork and Mindy.   Mork especially cause when I'm upstairs he's the dog that sits with me.  He dances around till he sees me head down the stairs then heads for Sue's chair and for the evening on top of all day she has to host both dogs.  Fortunately the 3 cats don't care as long as I pet them once in a while and clean their boxes.  So when your at Hamvention and you see a volunteer just know that they have a family that stands behind them and let them do what they do.  And sometimes that breaks up a family...  I've seen that and am so thankful the Sue understands.  She says I did this before she knew me and doesn't expect me to change.  God Bless Her!

Today, Friday, one week before Hamvention opening I will start assembling 23 trackers that will add to the 5 or 6 left from the last build.  I hope to have them done by Saturday evening so I can focus on getting myself and the household ready for my absence.  73
Friday, May 11, 2012 9:39AM edst

First interruption of the day...  Got to send parts invoices in to Martha for reimbursement.  My American Express bill is at a panic level and is due the first week of June... So I'll be processing invoices...  There's just a few so it shouldn't take too long.
Friday, May 11, 2012 9:50AM edst

Blogger has shure messed up blogger...  At least I haven't figured out how to get around as easily as I did with the old site.  WHY CANT THINGS STAY THE SAME!  YES, I'M A LITTLE STRESSED!
At 9:50 I started getting a bill for tracker parts ready to send to AMSAT and I am now finished.  WHAT A HASSLE!  2 hours wasted on paper work...   Oh well!  Hope I can settle down when I get to the bench and start building and make progress...   More complaining later!!!!!!!!!!!!
Friday, May 11, 2012 12:02PM edst

Good news... sorta.  Instead of getting back to work I was looking back at some of my blogs.  People are reading them but not making comments.  Although I'm not surprised it's still sorta depressing.  But I'm doing this for me anyway so if folks don't comment its just as well.  But the GOOD NEWS is my shoulders are doing much better.  A month ago I was cutting, stripping and crimping wires and blogging about shoulders hurting.  Well that's not happening to life is good!
Friday, May 11, 2012 12:12PM edst

Just finished crimping 8 contacts on 20 din cables.  Not a fun job but not too bad.  Discovered I over built the lcd displays that were prepped about a month ago.  So next I will prep about 5 lcd's.   Hate that job but it won't take too long.  Also in this period did lunch and had the dogs in the back yard.  While with the dogs in the back yard started thinking about stringing up a 160 meter dipole from a neighbors tree.  The neighbor is in Florida, is not communicating with us and I'm cutting his yard by default.  Fair trade?  Might also get a haircut.  Also listening to Midcars in 7258....  40 meters sucks thanks to the sun!
Friday, May 11, 2012 2:00PM edst

Six LCD modules are processed.   Not too bad.  Drill out and clean the 4 mounting holes then solder on a 16 pin header for the cable.  All the prep work for assembly is done!  Now to start assembly.  First step is unwrapping the lower half's of 23 enclosures.  Then stick on 4 feet and a grommet in the back for the din cable.  AWAY WE GO!
Friday, May 11, 2012 2:41PM edst