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1000 results for “tiny_bus_stop”
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https://www.alojapan.com/1310552/ive-lived-in-tokyo-for-20-years-and-this-is-my-no-1-travel-tip-for-anyone-visiting-japan/ I’ve Lived in Tokyo for 20 Years and This Is My No. 1 Travel Tip for Anyone Visiting Japan #JapanTourism #JapaneseKerria #MeijiShrine #SplitPersonality #TinyStreets #Tokyo #tourism The train station closest to my house has a split personality. Exit north and you’ve got an orderly bus lottery, tidy streets of chain stores, and the ever present Starbucks. Exit south, however, and you’re in a warren of tiny streets, many too small for cars…
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💥Announcement! Friday 22.11.2024💥
🍽 FUNDRAISING EVENT: Help us to help Gaza! 🎻
Friday, 22.11.2024 | 07:00 pm | Beba Restaurant (Gropius bau) Niederkirchnerstraße 7, 10963 Berlin
How to get there: M41 Abgeordnetenhaus | U2, S1, S2, S25, S26 Potsdamer Platz | S1, S2, S25, S26, Bus M29 Anhalter Bahnhof
📣Call: https://asanb.noblogs.org/?p=9326 - @clean_shelter_ngo
FUNDRAISING EVENT!
Dear friends,
we invite you to join us for an evening of community and compassion as Clean Shelter and Beba come together to raise funds for urgent humanitarian aid in Gaza.
Your support will help us provide essential sanitary facilities and shelter for displaced communities.
PLEASE BOOK YOUR TICKET IN ADVANCE: http://tiny.cc/helpushelpgaza
Learn more about @clean_shelter_ngo
Ticket price starts at 50 EUR (you are welcomed to donate more!)
*** All proceeds are a donation to Clean Shelter’s humanitarian aid.
Event Highlights:
- Delicious Palestinian food (buffet)
- Talk with the founders of Clean Shelter - Learn about the mission, projects, and current activities (in English), with Vivian Perkovic.
- Live Music - a short concert by Fiore Ensemble.
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Dear Friends of rivers, 🪶
Walked from Tooting to Carshalton ponds, along the Wandle river. Came across the enclosed little egret, fishing. Where were the wer-fishies? I did not see any! :ablobcatgoogly:
Things I did see. Ripening #mulberries, ripening plums, a #magickal #community #garden. That was truly wonderful. Herbs, statues, many benches and experiences to enjoy. :ablobcatbouncefast:
It was early, I caught the bus back. Lot of new road works. 🛣️
Also very pleased to see a red admiral #flutterby in my tiny home garden. 🦋Seems it is summer. As a failed vegan, had bean and organic salads for lunch. The fish fingers were not so vegan. However fish don't have fingers, so did not feel too bad :dopefish:
Be kind everyone. You know it makes sense ❤️
#garden #hike #chalk #stream #fruit #joy #butterfly -
Dear Friends of rivers, 🪶
Walked from Tooting to Carshalton ponds, along the Wandle river. Came across the enclosed little egret, fishing. Where were the wer-fishies? I did not see any! :ablobcatgoogly:
Things I did see. Ripening #mulberries, ripening plums, a #magickal #community #garden. That was truly wonderful. Herbs, statues, many benches and experiences to enjoy. :ablobcatbouncefast:
It was early, I caught the bus back. Lot of new road works. 🛣️
Also very pleased to see a red admiral #flutterby in my tiny home garden. 🦋Seems it is summer. As a failed vegan, had bean and organic salads for lunch. The fish fingers were not so vegan. However fish don't have fingers, so did not feel too bad :dopefish:
Be kind everyone. You know it makes sense ❤️
#garden #hike #chalk #stream #fruit #joy #butterfly -
Dear Friends of rivers, 🪶
Walked from Tooting to Carshalton ponds, along the Wandle river. Came across the enclosed little egret, fishing. Where were the wer-fishies? I did not see any! :ablobcatgoogly:
Things I did see. Ripening #mulberries, ripening plums, a #magickal #community #garden. That was truly wonderful. Herbs, statues, many benches and experiences to enjoy. :ablobcatbouncefast:
It was early, I caught the bus back. Lot of new road works. 🛣️
Also very pleased to see a red admiral #flutterby in my tiny home garden. 🦋Seems it is summer. As a failed vegan, had bean and organic salads for lunch. The fish fingers were not so vegan. However fish don't have fingers, so did not feel too bad :dopefish:
Be kind everyone. You know it makes sense ❤️
#garden #hike #chalk #stream #fruit #joy #butterfly -
We have a treasure on Broadway. Come check it out! Michette is wonderful. My favorites are the orange cookies, the breads (sourdough loaves!!!) and the Basque cheesecake when he bakes it extra-soft. Via T: bus 89, 90 or 101, or 12 min walking from Sullivan Square 🟠, or bike down on Broadway or take the Community Path to Cross St, then bike 3 min to Broadway. #eastsomerville #foodscene
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/08/03/lifestyle/exceptional-baguettes-michette-tiny-artisanal-east-somerville-bakery/ -
Bone #witchcraft post!
Do you feel humbled, coming across the #bones of a life that's gone by?
Life in the mountains means we have far more opportunity to see #death first-hand, to reach out and be taught by it.
Cities are too fast-paced for me- I do not have enough time to pull the pigeon from the road before the bus ravages its tiny body, nor to take the kitten that sickness claimed before the sanitary workers dispose of it like it was trash. I'm sure others who do #spiritwork thrive just fine there. Just not my style.I much prefer the forest, because here, death lingers. The song thrush will melt into the earth that fed it, and its feathers may come to be the nest bed of a fresh clutch of eggs. The old fox will go to sleep in her den and wake in a different world, the snow covering her home's entrance until it's warm enough for the critters to nourish themselves on the body she left behind. We see death, sometimes invite it in- be it #hunting or culling livestock. We honour death and the life it brings.
This beautiful lady was a life. An ewe that likely bore several lives herself, before death took her. I have a special place in my heart for sheep. My people have lived alongside them for so long that maybe it's in our blood by now. She wanted to come home with me, to sit near me and the other unseen friends I keep. How could I say no?
I brought her home, meaning to dye her #skull with coffee to help the myriad textures of her bone steal the show with more contrast, but that's another post altogether.
#deathwork crew, this one's for you.
(This is a cross-post from Instagram)
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When it comes to #Eurorack I often get very clear hindsight. This #2hp lunchbox for example, its not exactly buyer’s remorse, but in hindsight its not right for me. The screw holes don’t fit knurlies, my hands are too big to work with tiny knobs, and trying to get all the flying bus cables plugged in neatly was a nightmare. Its a fantastic little powered case, just not for me.
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When it comes to #Eurorack I often get very clear hindsight. This #2hp lunchbox for example, its not exactly buyer’s remorse, but in hindsight its not right for me. The screw holes don’t fit knurlies, my hands are too big to work with tiny knobs, and trying to get all the flying bus cables plugged in neatly was a nightmare. Its a fantastic little powered case, just not for me.
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Hiya! 👋👋Time for a proper #introduction!
I'm Mariah! I'm an #analytics #engineer on a data platform team at a #solarenergy tech company.
I'm an #optimizer and care a lot about data quality, developing #sharedlanguage around data, and driving #insights through context and analysis. I aspire to heal the environment with my handy dandy data toolbox and help drive adoption of renewable energy alternatives like #solar with data driven insights and optimization/streamlining of the industry.
I have a precious little pup that I adore (we have the same color hair he is my real son). I'm also self-converting a retired mini school bus into a tiny home on wheels, aka #skoolie, and I hope to travel in it full time one day!
Stick around to see me nerd out on #data topics, #skoolieconversion progress, DIY #offgrid solar and electrical, cute dog pics and #adhd ramblings!
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#Spotted On Market Day in Aotearoa New Zealand:
A dynamo of a small human (4?) is belting through the markets, long hair trailing behind her, pink dress flapping around her shins as she roars at the top of her voice: "IT'S CHEEEEEEESE TIME!"
A tiny human (2?) wearing a bike helmet and a no-nonsense frown is standing in the doorway of a supermarket. Very seriously directing people to where she thinks they should go.
It seems a lot of people need to be buying apples today!A tiny human (1?) is fast asleep in his pram as Mum pushes it past a candied nut stall. A big plastic dinosaur cuddled to his chest. Dinosaur Friend may not be squishy but a snuggle friend is a snuggle friend and that's that.
A man (30s?) is walking along with a tiny human (2?) on his shoulders, another clinging to his back.
The Dad Bus is laughing along as he's encouraged to: "GO FASTER DADDY!" by his intrepid passengers. Rounding a corner, making brum brum noises to riotous giggles.At a cheese truck: A small human (3?) is given a cheese toastie and promptly shoves it down the front of his shorts.
Dad, deadpan, chest shaking from holding in laughter says: "Yeah, that's not sandwich storage, mate."
Small Human wiggles a bit. "Yes it is!"(Continued Below)
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CW: fahrtle daily #43 spoilers (2026-04-02)
I just played #fahrtle daily #43!
Bourges, FR ➡️ Neuwied, DE (550 km)
⏳ Waited 39m 3s in Bourges, FR
🚌 12:32 U → 12:39 Gare SNCF
🚆 12:48 P104 → 12:59 Vierzon
🚆 13:06 P7 → 14:25 Saint-Pierre-des-Corps
🚆 14:28 TGV 5306 → 15:18 Massy-TGV
🚆 15:19 RER B → 15:47 Gare du Nord
🚆 15:51 Eurostar → 19:15 Köln Hbf
🚆 19:22 RE9 → 20:17 Windeck Au (Sieg) Bf
🚆 20:21 RB90 → 20:39 Altenkirchen (Westerw) Bf
🚌 20:53 120 → 21:23 Güllesheim Im Kirschgärtchen
🐾 Walked 1.4 km (16m 16s) to Niedersteinebach Mitte, DE
🎉 Finished in 9h 38m 11s!this one was silly, in that i completely missed the Intercités ( they exist?? ), but still made it on time to the same Eurostar that everyone else took
then, it was just a matter of intense staring at the VRM Liniennetzplan, a little cursing at the terrible timetables, and getting off the bus before everyone else, beating the anonymous first place holder by a tiny margin :3
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Seedy
Hello Friends! I missed posting yesterday because I was busy scrubbing the basement bathroom after our main sewer drain backed up Saturday. We couldn’t run water down the drains or use the bathroom all day until the plumber finally made it out at 8:30 that night. James had to wet vac the basement utility room floor and then I also had to scrub the hallway floor and spot clean the main floor where the plumber left dirty boot prints. And then I got to catch up on the laundry.
The storm was just getting started and snow was sticking to everythingTo add to all the fun, we had a winter storm blow through. James took the bus to work because of the near-blizzard wind conditions. We ended up with 5.8 inches/14.7 cm of snow, which is on the low end of what was forecast. Late yesterday afternoon when it was still lightly snowing and not yet arctic windchills, I ventured out to shovel the walkways, the path to the chicken coop and around the recycling and trash bins because today is trash day and they will skip your house if your bins are not cleared of snow.
This morning I was out before sunup shoveling the additional bit of snow that fell overnight and the snowdrifts the wind had blown across the sidewalks. Cleared a fresh path to the chicken coop and around the bins. Because there was a lot less snow than Sunday afternoon, this took not much time at all.
Now I’m sitting in a suddenly quiet house. The tile guys are here this morning working on my bathroom and the tile saw died. Kaput. So they are off buying a new one and will be back shortly to make more noise.
Last week they got two of the three sides of the shower walls done. I thought a tiny bathroom meant the work would go faster, but it turns out small spaces take longer because they have more angles and require more cutting. But today, after they get their new saw, they should be able to finish the shower wall and the floor. I don’t know if they will be able to do the grout today or whether they have to let the “mud” the tile is set into dry first. Guess I will find out.
Garden planning! I have a lot of seeds saved from last year’s garden. We really like all the tomato varieties we’ve been growing, most of the beans, cayenne peppers, garden peas, butternuts, marigolds, tulsi, and greens, but I always like to try new plants, and there are some plants that I’ve not been able to save seed from because they are biennial and I haven’t motivated myself to dig up carrots and onions and overwinter them in my basement to plant out in spring so they can flower and set seed. I’ve also not found a radish I like enough to save seeds and grow on. Maybe this will be the year carrots and onions and radish all come together?
I’ve got my new garden seed orders sorted out, but haven’t placed the orders yet in case I decide to change my mind or add something. My plan is to order them Thursday, but I’m beginning to think that leaving it open that long might be a mistake because I am not likely to remove anything from the plan, but highly likely to add. And I really don’t need to add anything else. So I’m going to declare it here and y’all can hold me to it and shame me if another seed packet or two somehow sneaks in!
Herbs:
- Cilantro. I decided I don’t like the variety I’ve been growing the last few years, so trying a new one.
- Sweet basil. I’ve been growing Genovese basil but the leaves are so small. This one has bigger leaves.
- Greek Oregano. Mostly perennial but last year’s polar vortex arctic blast killed it. I could buy a plant at the plant sale in May, but we like oregano so with seeds I can grow several plants.
- Broadleaf sage. Allegedly perennial but I have yet to get one through a winter. Instead of buying a single plant I’m going to sprout several and plant them all around the garden to increase the likelihood of winter survival.
- Elka poppy. Poppy seeds! I guess not technically an herb, but I thought it would be fun to have pretty pink poppies for the pollinators and seeds for me to use baking sourdough delights.
Peppers:
- Jalapeño. For some reason, none of the seeds I had been saving sprouted last year and I need some fresh ones.
- Poblano. James really wants peppers for stuffing, so I’m going to try growing these.
- Orange lunchbox. A small, sweet snacking pepper, also a James desire since we’ve had zero luck growing bell peppers and the one time we got any, a squirrel ate them all. Of course.
Roots:
- Early scarlet horn carrot. A pretty standard carrot and supposed to keep well.
- Dragon carrot. Purple on the outside, orange on the inside. Did you know that all carrots used to be purple? We have orange carrots because Europeans decided they were more interesting or something.
- Dakota tears yellow storage onion. I’ve not grown this variety before. It’s supposed to be very strongly flavored, thus the tears.
- Southport red globe storage onion. New to me variety with a slightly shorter season than other red varieties I’ve tried.
- Sora red round radish. Big radish that is supposedly tolerant of summer heat so I can succession plant all season.
- Spanish black radish. A spicy radish black on the outside and white on the inside. To plant at the end of July for fall harvest. I’ve not grown this variety before.
- Macomber rutabaga. I had some free rutabaga seeds from the library last year and the plants grew big and strong but I didn’t plant the seeds deep enough so just got long spindly above ground “roots” I couldn’t eat. Lesson learned and worth trying again.
Other:
- Red Kalibos cabbage. My green cabbage has been pathetic so I’m trying red. If red doesn’t do well, then I’m giving up on cabbage growing.
- Whirlygig zinnia. Birds ate all the zinnia seeds last year before I could save any so I need a refresh. I’ve never had birds eat zinnia seeds before. I will need to figure out how to protect some of the flowers next summer for seeds to plant on.
- Long pie pumpkin. Turns out the pie pumpkin I planted last year was a hybrid variety so I couldn’t save seeds. This one gets picked before it is ripe and ripens in storage. I am hoping to pull a fast one on the squirrel pirates.
- Hidasta shield pole bean. A pretty white bean with brown markings. Grown by the Hidasta people in North Dakota and good for soup and baking. I love growing beans and since I’m not growing disappointing succotash beans again, I have space to try something new.
New! New! New!
- Mother Mary’s pie melon. I’ve not had much luck growing melon in the past but this heirloom is from a woman in Minnesota and is reportedly a sweet melon good for making pie and jam. I have to try it!
- Purple Vienna kohlrabi. I’ve not grown kohlrabi before and the broccoli I tried to grow last year only produced a few small heads that almost immediately bloomed. Disappointing. I thought Kohlrabi might make a good substitute. We’ll see.
- Mexican sour gherkin, also known as cucamelon and mouse melon. Neither a cucumber nor a melon, this vining plant produces small green and white fruit that look like tiny watermelons. They supposedly taste a little like pickles, can be eaten raw or pickled and you either love them or hate them. I’m banking on loving them.
- Green striped cushaw. Also sometimes called sweet potato pumpkin. A large, sweet long-keeping green striped winter squash good for pies, squash butter, pudding, and roasting. I’m longing for the squash butter and the pudding.
There they all are. The garden is really going to be packed come summer. But then I say that every year and somehow end up with large patches of feral arugula because I didn’t have anything planted in that particular spot. Perhaps this will be the year I actually do pack the garden.
I had originally planned to also try growing fava beans after I discovered a recipe for
fava bean hot chocolate. I see the look on your face, hang with me for a second. Creamy vegan hot chocolate is a challenge. We could use coconut cream but then it tastes like coconut. We’ve used medjool dates but then it gets really sweet. Fava bean puree makes it creamy while not tasting beany.Of course I had to try it before committing to growing the beans. Sadly, my food co-op doesn’t sell fava beans, either dry or in a can. I thought to try the recipe substituting white beans instead because there are many vegan recipes that use white beans to make creamy sauces , soups, and dressings since white beans are mild and other flavors cover over the beans. We tried navy beans and it worked! I’ve been enjoying a cup of creamy hot chocolate now and then of an afternoon during my vacation time. Mmmmm.
But still, I thought I might try growing fava beans untilI I found out from the Fedco seed catalog, the only one that had fava seeds, that “In susceptible humans who have inherited a specific enzyme deficiency, within a few minutes of inhaling pollen or several hours after eating fava beans, a severe allergic reaction occurs. Most individuals have this enzyme and are not affected.”
Say what? This might explain why my food co-op doesn’t sell fava beans. I have never eaten fava beans and have no idea whether I have said enzyme deficiency, but given all my seasonal allergies and my inability to eat raw cucumbers and raw onions, I decided to not push my luck. And since navy beans are a cheap and easy substitute, well sorry fava beans.
The tile guys are back. Sawing and listening to music. Currently it’s the Violent Femmes. I haven’t heard them in ages. Blast from the past!
We’ve somehow made it to the end of 2025. What a year. Enjoy safe and happy year-end celebrations! May 2026 be filled will joy, beauty, and peace, as well as the strength and resilience to meet whatever surprises and struggles arise.
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Seedy
Hello Friends! I missed posting yesterday because I was busy scrubbing the basement bathroom after our main sewer drain backed up Saturday. We couldn’t run water down the drains or use the bathroom all day until the plumber finally made it out at 8:30 that night. James had to wet vac the basement utility room floor and then I also had to scrub the hallway floor and spot clean the main floor where the plumber left dirty boot prints. And then I got to catch up on the laundry.
The storm was just getting started and snow was sticking to everythingTo add to all the fun, we had a winter storm blow through. James took the bus to work because of the near-blizzard wind conditions. We ended up with 5.8 inches/14.7 cm of snow, which is on the low end of what was forecast. Late yesterday afternoon when it was still lightly snowing and not yet arctic windchills, I ventured out to shovel the walkways, the path to the chicken coop and around the recycling and trash bins because today is trash day and they will skip your house if your bins are not cleared of snow.
This morning I was out before sunup shoveling the additional bit of snow that fell overnight and the snowdrifts the wind had blown across the sidewalks. Cleared a fresh path to the chicken coop and around the bins. Because there was a lot less snow than Sunday afternoon, this took not much time at all.
Now I’m sitting in a suddenly quiet house. The tile guys are here this morning working on my bathroom and the tile saw died. Kaput. So they are off buying a new one and will be back shortly to make more noise.
Last week they got two of the three sides of the shower walls done. I thought a tiny bathroom meant the work would go faster, but it turns out small spaces take longer because they have more angles and require more cutting. But today, after they get their new saw, they should be able to finish the shower wall and the floor. I don’t know if they will be able to do the grout today or whether they have to let the “mud” the tile is set into dry first. Guess I will find out.
Garden planning! I have a lot of seeds saved from last year’s garden. We really like all the tomato varieties we’ve been growing, most of the beans, cayenne peppers, garden peas, butternuts, marigolds, tulsi, and greens, but I always like to try new plants, and there are some plants that I’ve not been able to save seed from because they are biennial and I haven’t motivated myself to dig up carrots and onions and overwinter them in my basement to plant out in spring so they can flower and set seed. I’ve also not found a radish I like enough to save seeds and grow on. Maybe this will be the year carrots and onions and radish all come together?
I’ve got my new garden seed orders sorted out, but haven’t placed the orders yet in case I decide to change my mind or add something. My plan is to order them Thursday, but I’m beginning to think that leaving it open that long might be a mistake because I am not likely to remove anything from the plan, but highly likely to add. And I really don’t need to add anything else. So I’m going to declare it here and y’all can hold me to it and shame me if another seed packet or two somehow sneaks in!
Herbs:
- Cilantro. I decided I don’t like the variety I’ve been growing the last few years, so trying a new one.
- Sweet basil. I’ve been growing Genovese basil but the leaves are so small. This one has bigger leaves.
- Greek Oregano. Mostly perennial but last year’s polar vortex arctic blast killed it. I could buy a plant at the plant sale in May, but we like oregano so with seeds I can grow several plants.
- Broadleaf sage. Allegedly perennial but I have yet to get one through a winter. Instead of buying a single plant I’m going to sprout several and plant them all around the garden to increase the likelihood of winter survival.
- Elka poppy. Poppy seeds! I guess not technically an herb, but I thought it would be fun to have pretty pink poppies for the pollinators and seeds for me to use baking sourdough delights.
Peppers:
- Jalapeño. For some reason, none of the seeds I had been saving sprouted last year and I need some fresh ones.
- Poblano. James really wants peppers for stuffing, so I’m going to try growing these.
- Orange lunchbox. A small, sweet snacking pepper, also a James desire since we’ve had zero luck growing bell peppers and the one time we got any, a squirrel ate them all. Of course.
Roots:
- Early scarlet horn carrot. A pretty standard carrot and supposed to keep well.
- Dragon carrot. Purple on the outside, orange on the inside. Did you know that all carrots used to be purple? We have orange carrots because Europeans decided they were more interesting or something.
- Dakota tears yellow storage onion. I’ve not grown this variety before. It’s supposed to be very strongly flavored, thus the tears.
- Southport red globe storage onion. New to me variety with a slightly shorter season than other red varieties I’ve tried.
- Sora red round radish. Big radish that is supposedly tolerant of summer heat so I can succession plant all season.
- Spanish black radish. A spicy radish black on the outside and white on the inside. To plant at the end of July for fall harvest. I’ve not grown this variety before.
- Macomber rutabaga. I had some free rutabaga seeds from the library last year and the plants grew big and strong but I didn’t plant the seeds deep enough so just got long spindly above ground “roots” I couldn’t eat. Lesson learned and worth trying again.
Other:
- Red Kalibos cabbage. My green cabbage has been pathetic so I’m trying red. If red doesn’t do well, then I’m giving up on cabbage growing.
- Whirlygig zinnia. Birds ate all the zinnia seeds last year before I could save any so I need a refresh. I’ve never had birds eat zinnia seeds before. I will need to figure out how to protect some of the flowers next summer for seeds to plant on.
- Long pie pumpkin. Turns out the pie pumpkin I planted last year was a hybrid variety so I couldn’t save seeds. This one gets picked before it is ripe and ripens in storage. I am hoping to pull a fast one on the squirrel pirates.
- Hidasta shield pole bean. A pretty white bean with brown markings. Grown by the Hidasta people in North Dakota and good for soup and baking. I love growing beans and since I’m not growing disappointing succotash beans again, I have space to try something new.
New! New! New!
- Mother Mary’s pie melon. I’ve not had much luck growing melon in the past but this heirloom is from a woman in Minnesota and is reportedly a sweet melon good for making pie and jam. I have to try it!
- Purple Vienna kohlrabi. I’ve not grown kohlrabi before and the broccoli I tried to grow last year only produced a few small heads that almost immediately bloomed. Disappointing. I thought Kohlrabi might make a good substitute. We’ll see.
- Mexican sour gherkin, also known as cucamelon and mouse melon. Neither a cucumber nor a melon, this vining plant produces small green and white fruit that look like tiny watermelons. They supposedly taste a little like pickles, can be eaten raw or pickled and you either love them or hate them. I’m banking on loving them.
- Green striped cushaw. Also sometimes called sweet potato pumpkin. A large, sweet long-keeping green striped winter squash good for pies, squash butter, pudding, and roasting. I’m longing for the squash butter and the pudding.
There they all are. The garden is really going to be packed come summer. But then I say that every year and somehow end up with large patches of feral arugula because I didn’t have anything planted in that particular spot. Perhaps this will be the year I actually do pack the garden.
I had originally planned to also try growing fava beans after I discovered a recipe for
fava bean hot chocolate. I see the look on your face, hang with me for a second. Creamy vegan hot chocolate is a challenge. We could use coconut cream but then it tastes like coconut. We’ve used medjool dates but then it gets really sweet. Fava bean puree makes it creamy while not tasting beany.Of course I had to try it before committing to growing the beans. Sadly, my food co-op doesn’t sell fava beans, either dry or in a can. I thought to try the recipe substituting white beans instead because there are many vegan recipes that use white beans to make creamy sauces , soups, and dressings since white beans are mild and other flavors cover over the beans. We tried navy beans and it worked! I’ve been enjoying a cup of creamy hot chocolate now and then of an afternoon during my vacation time. Mmmmm.
But still, I thought I might try growing fava beans untilI I found out from the Fedco seed catalog, the only one that had fava seeds, that “In susceptible humans who have inherited a specific enzyme deficiency, within a few minutes of inhaling pollen or several hours after eating fava beans, a severe allergic reaction occurs. Most individuals have this enzyme and are not affected.”
Say what? This might explain why my food co-op doesn’t sell fava beans. I have never eaten fava beans and have no idea whether I have said enzyme deficiency, but given all my seasonal allergies and my inability to eat raw cucumbers and raw onions, I decided to not push my luck. And since navy beans are a cheap and easy substitute, well sorry fava beans.
The tile guys are back. Sawing and listening to music. Currently it’s the Violent Femmes. I haven’t heard them in ages. Blast from the past!
We’ve somehow made it to the end of 2025. What a year. Enjoy safe and happy year-end celebrations! May 2026 be filled will joy, beauty, and peace, as well as the strength and resilience to meet whatever surprises and struggles arise.
-
Seedy
Hello Friends! I missed posting yesterday because I was busy scrubbing the basement bathroom after our main sewer drain backed up Saturday. We couldn’t run water down the drains or use the bathroom all day until the plumber finally made it out at 8:30 that night. James had to wet vac the basement utility room floor and then I also had to scrub the hallway floor and spot clean the main floor where the plumber left dirty boot prints. And then I got to catch up on the laundry.
The storm was just getting started and snow was sticking to everythingTo add to all the fun, we had a winter storm blow through. James took the bus to work because of the near-blizzard wind conditions. We ended up with 5.8 inches/14.7 cm of snow, which is on the low end of what was forecast. Late yesterday afternoon when it was still lightly snowing and not yet arctic windchills, I ventured out to shovel the walkways, the path to the chicken coop and around the recycling and trash bins because today is trash day and they will skip your house if your bins are not cleared of snow.
This morning I was out before sunup shoveling the additional bit of snow that fell overnight and the snowdrifts the wind had blown across the sidewalks. Cleared a fresh path to the chicken coop and around the bins. Because there was a lot less snow than Sunday afternoon, this took not much time at all.
Now I’m sitting in a suddenly quiet house. The tile guys are here this morning working on my bathroom and the tile saw died. Kaput. So they are off buying a new one and will be back shortly to make more noise.
Last week they got two of the three sides of the shower walls done. I thought a tiny bathroom meant the work would go faster, but it turns out small spaces take longer because they have more angles and require more cutting. But today, after they get their new saw, they should be able to finish the shower wall and the floor. I don’t know if they will be able to do the grout today or whether they have to let the “mud” the tile is set into dry first. Guess I will find out.
Garden planning! I have a lot of seeds saved from last year’s garden. We really like all the tomato varieties we’ve been growing, most of the beans, cayenne peppers, garden peas, butternuts, marigolds, tulsi, and greens, but I always like to try new plants, and there are some plants that I’ve not been able to save seed from because they are biennial and I haven’t motivated myself to dig up carrots and onions and overwinter them in my basement to plant out in spring so they can flower and set seed. I’ve also not found a radish I like enough to save seeds and grow on. Maybe this will be the year carrots and onions and radish all come together?
I’ve got my new garden seed orders sorted out, but haven’t placed the orders yet in case I decide to change my mind or add something. My plan is to order them Thursday, but I’m beginning to think that leaving it open that long might be a mistake because I am not likely to remove anything from the plan, but highly likely to add. And I really don’t need to add anything else. So I’m going to declare it here and y’all can hold me to it and shame me if another seed packet or two somehow sneaks in!
Herbs:
- Cilantro. I decided I don’t like the variety I’ve been growing the last few years, so trying a new one.
- Sweet basil. I’ve been growing Genovese basil but the leaves are so small. This one has bigger leaves.
- Greek Oregano. Mostly perennial but last year’s polar vortex arctic blast killed it. I could buy a plant at the plant sale in May, but we like oregano so with seeds I can grow several plants.
- Broadleaf sage. Allegedly perennial but I have yet to get one through a winter. Instead of buying a single plant I’m going to sprout several and plant them all around the garden to increase the likelihood of winter survival.
- Elka poppy. Poppy seeds! I guess not technically an herb, but I thought it would be fun to have pretty pink poppies for the pollinators and seeds for me to use baking sourdough delights.
Peppers:
- Jalapeño. For some reason, none of the seeds I had been saving sprouted last year and I need some fresh ones.
- Poblano. James really wants peppers for stuffing, so I’m going to try growing these.
- Orange lunchbox. A small, sweet snacking pepper, also a James desire since we’ve had zero luck growing bell peppers and the one time we got any, a squirrel ate them all. Of course.
Roots:
- Early scarlet horn carrot. A pretty standard carrot and supposed to keep well.
- Dragon carrot. Purple on the outside, orange on the inside. Did you know that all carrots used to be purple? We have orange carrots because Europeans decided they were more interesting or something.
- Dakota tears yellow storage onion. I’ve not grown this variety before. It’s supposed to be very strongly flavored, thus the tears.
- Southport red globe storage onion. New to me variety with a slightly shorter season than other red varieties I’ve tried.
- Sora red round radish. Big radish that is supposedly tolerant of summer heat so I can succession plant all season.
- Spanish black radish. A spicy radish black on the outside and white on the inside. To plant at the end of July for fall harvest. I’ve not grown this variety before.
- Macomber rutabaga. I had some free rutabaga seeds from the library last year and the plants grew big and strong but I didn’t plant the seeds deep enough so just got long spindly above ground “roots” I couldn’t eat. Lesson learned and worth trying again.
Other:
- Red Kalibos cabbage. My green cabbage has been pathetic so I’m trying red. If red doesn’t do well, then I’m giving up on cabbage growing.
- Whirlygig zinnia. Birds ate all the zinnia seeds last year before I could save any so I need a refresh. I’ve never had birds eat zinnia seeds before. I will need to figure out how to protect some of the flowers next summer for seeds to plant on.
- Long pie pumpkin. Turns out the pie pumpkin I planted last year was a hybrid variety so I couldn’t save seeds. This one gets picked before it is ripe and ripens in storage. I am hoping to pull a fast one on the squirrel pirates.
- Hidasta shield pole bean. A pretty white bean with brown markings. Grown by the Hidasta people in North Dakota and good for soup and baking. I love growing beans and since I’m not growing disappointing succotash beans again, I have space to try something new.
New! New! New!
- Mother Mary’s pie melon. I’ve not had much luck growing melon in the past but this heirloom is from a woman in Minnesota and is reportedly a sweet melon good for making pie and jam. I have to try it!
- Purple Vienna kohlrabi. I’ve not grown kohlrabi before and the broccoli I tried to grow last year only produced a few small heads that almost immediately bloomed. Disappointing. I thought Kohlrabi might make a good substitute. We’ll see.
- Mexican sour gherkin, also known as cucamelon and mouse melon. Neither a cucumber nor a melon, this vining plant produces small green and white fruit that look like tiny watermelons. They supposedly taste a little like pickles, can be eaten raw or pickled and you either love them or hate them. I’m banking on loving them.
- Green striped cushaw. Also sometimes called sweet potato pumpkin. A large, sweet long-keeping green striped winter squash good for pies, squash butter, pudding, and roasting. I’m longing for the squash butter and the pudding.
There they all are. The garden is really going to be packed come summer. But then I say that every year and somehow end up with large patches of feral arugula because I didn’t have anything planted in that particular spot. Perhaps this will be the year I actually do pack the garden.
I had originally planned to also try growing fava beans after I discovered a recipe for
fava bean hot chocolate. I see the look on your face, hang with me for a second. Creamy vegan hot chocolate is a challenge. We could use coconut cream but then it tastes like coconut. We’ve used medjool dates but then it gets really sweet. Fava bean puree makes it creamy while not tasting beany.Of course I had to try it before committing to growing the beans. Sadly, my food co-op doesn’t sell fava beans, either dry or in a can. I thought to try the recipe substituting white beans instead because there are many vegan recipes that use white beans to make creamy sauces , soups, and dressings since white beans are mild and other flavors cover over the beans. We tried navy beans and it worked! I’ve been enjoying a cup of creamy hot chocolate now and then of an afternoon during my vacation time. Mmmmm.
But still, I thought I might try growing fava beans untilI I found out from the Fedco seed catalog, the only one that had fava seeds, that “In susceptible humans who have inherited a specific enzyme deficiency, within a few minutes of inhaling pollen or several hours after eating fava beans, a severe allergic reaction occurs. Most individuals have this enzyme and are not affected.”
Say what? This might explain why my food co-op doesn’t sell fava beans. I have never eaten fava beans and have no idea whether I have said enzyme deficiency, but given all my seasonal allergies and my inability to eat raw cucumbers and raw onions, I decided to not push my luck. And since navy beans are a cheap and easy substitute, well sorry fava beans.
The tile guys are back. Sawing and listening to music. Currently it’s the Violent Femmes. I haven’t heard them in ages. Blast from the past!
We’ve somehow made it to the end of 2025. What a year. Enjoy safe and happy year-end celebrations! May 2026 be filled will joy, beauty, and peace, as well as the strength and resilience to meet whatever surprises and struggles arise.
-
Seedy
Hello Friends! I missed posting yesterday because I was busy scrubbing the basement bathroom after our main sewer drain backed up Saturday. We couldn’t run water down the drains or use the bathroom all day until the plumber finally made it out at 8:30 that night. James had to wet vac the basement utility room floor and then I also had to scrub the hallway floor and spot clean the main floor where the plumber left dirty boot prints. And then I got to catch up on the laundry.
The storm was just getting started and snow was sticking to everythingTo add to all the fun, we had a winter storm blow through. James took the bus to work because of the near-blizzard wind conditions. We ended up with 5.8 inches/14.7 cm of snow, which is on the low end of what was forecast. Late yesterday afternoon when it was still lightly snowing and not yet arctic windchills, I ventured out to shovel the walkways, the path to the chicken coop and around the recycling and trash bins because today is trash day and they will skip your house if your bins are not cleared of snow.
This morning I was out before sunup shoveling the additional bit of snow that fell overnight and the snowdrifts the wind had blown across the sidewalks. Cleared a fresh path to the chicken coop and around the bins. Because there was a lot less snow than Sunday afternoon, this took not much time at all.
Now I’m sitting in a suddenly quiet house. The tile guys are here this morning working on my bathroom and the tile saw died. Kaput. So they are off buying a new one and will be back shortly to make more noise.
Last week they got two of the three sides of the shower walls done. I thought a tiny bathroom meant the work would go faster, but it turns out small spaces take longer because they have more angles and require more cutting. But today, after they get their new saw, they should be able to finish the shower wall and the floor. I don’t know if they will be able to do the grout today or whether they have to let the “mud” the tile is set into dry first. Guess I will find out.
Garden planning! I have a lot of seeds saved from last year’s garden. We really like all the tomato varieties we’ve been growing, most of the beans, cayenne peppers, garden peas, butternuts, marigolds, tulsi, and greens, but I always like to try new plants, and there are some plants that I’ve not been able to save seed from because they are biennial and I haven’t motivated myself to dig up carrots and onions and overwinter them in my basement to plant out in spring so they can flower and set seed. I’ve also not found a radish I like enough to save seeds and grow on. Maybe this will be the year carrots and onions and radish all come together?
I’ve got my new garden seed orders sorted out, but haven’t placed the orders yet in case I decide to change my mind or add something. My plan is to order them Thursday, but I’m beginning to think that leaving it open that long might be a mistake because I am not likely to remove anything from the plan, but highly likely to add. And I really don’t need to add anything else. So I’m going to declare it here and y’all can hold me to it and shame me if another seed packet or two somehow sneaks in!
Herbs:
- Cilantro. I decided I don’t like the variety I’ve been growing the last few years, so trying a new one.
- Sweet basil. I’ve been growing Genovese basil but the leaves are so small. This one has bigger leaves.
- Greek Oregano. Mostly perennial but last year’s polar vortex arctic blast killed it. I could buy a plant at the plant sale in May, but we like oregano so with seeds I can grow several plants.
- Broadleaf sage. Allegedly perennial but I have yet to get one through a winter. Instead of buying a single plant I’m going to sprout several and plant them all around the garden to increase the likelihood of winter survival.
- Elka poppy. Poppy seeds! I guess not technically an herb, but I thought it would be fun to have pretty pink poppies for the pollinators and seeds for me to use baking sourdough delights.
Peppers:
- Jalapeño. For some reason, none of the seeds I had been saving sprouted last year and I need some fresh ones.
- Poblano. James really wants peppers for stuffing, so I’m going to try growing these.
- Orange lunchbox. A small, sweet snacking pepper, also a James desire since we’ve had zero luck growing bell peppers and the one time we got any, a squirrel ate them all. Of course.
Roots:
- Early scarlet horn carrot. A pretty standard carrot and supposed to keep well.
- Dragon carrot. Purple on the outside, orange on the inside. Did you know that all carrots used to be purple? We have orange carrots because Europeans decided they were more interesting or something.
- Dakota tears yellow storage onion. I’ve not grown this variety before. It’s supposed to be very strongly flavored, thus the tears.
- Southport red globe storage onion. New to me variety with a slightly shorter season than other red varieties I’ve tried.
- Sora red round radish. Big radish that is supposedly tolerant of summer heat so I can succession plant all season.
- Spanish black radish. A spicy radish black on the outside and white on the inside. To plant at the end of July for fall harvest. I’ve not grown this variety before.
- Macomber rutabaga. I had some free rutabaga seeds from the library last year and the plants grew big and strong but I didn’t plant the seeds deep enough so just got long spindly above ground “roots” I couldn’t eat. Lesson learned and worth trying again.
Other:
- Red Kalibos cabbage. My green cabbage has been pathetic so I’m trying red. If red doesn’t do well, then I’m giving up on cabbage growing.
- Whirlygig zinnia. Birds ate all the zinnia seeds last year before I could save any so I need a refresh. I’ve never had birds eat zinnia seeds before. I will need to figure out how to protect some of the flowers next summer for seeds to plant on.
- Long pie pumpkin. Turns out the pie pumpkin I planted last year was a hybrid variety so I couldn’t save seeds. This one gets picked before it is ripe and ripens in storage. I am hoping to pull a fast one on the squirrel pirates.
- Hidasta shield pole bean. A pretty white bean with brown markings. Grown by the Hidasta people in North Dakota and good for soup and baking. I love growing beans and since I’m not growing disappointing succotash beans again, I have space to try something new.
New! New! New!
- Mother Mary’s pie melon. I’ve not had much luck growing melon in the past but this heirloom is from a woman in Minnesota and is reportedly a sweet melon good for making pie and jam. I have to try it!
- Purple Vienna kohlrabi. I’ve not grown kohlrabi before and the broccoli I tried to grow last year only produced a few small heads that almost immediately bloomed. Disappointing. I thought Kohlrabi might make a good substitute. We’ll see.
- Mexican sour gherkin, also known as cucamelon and mouse melon. Neither a cucumber nor a melon, this vining plant produces small green and white fruit that look like tiny watermelons. They supposedly taste a little like pickles, can be eaten raw or pickled and you either love them or hate them. I’m banking on loving them.
- Green striped cushaw. Also sometimes called sweet potato pumpkin. A large, sweet long-keeping green striped winter squash good for pies, squash butter, pudding, and roasting. I’m longing for the squash butter and the pudding.
There they all are. The garden is really going to be packed come summer. But then I say that every year and somehow end up with large patches of feral arugula because I didn’t have anything planted in that particular spot. Perhaps this will be the year I actually do pack the garden.
I had originally planned to also try growing fava beans after I discovered a recipe for
fava bean hot chocolate. I see the look on your face, hang with me for a second. Creamy vegan hot chocolate is a challenge. We could use coconut cream but then it tastes like coconut. We’ve used medjool dates but then it gets really sweet. Fava bean puree makes it creamy while not tasting beany.Of course I had to try it before committing to growing the beans. Sadly, my food co-op doesn’t sell fava beans, either dry or in a can. I thought to try the recipe substituting white beans instead because there are many vegan recipes that use white beans to make creamy sauces , soups, and dressings since white beans are mild and other flavors cover over the beans. We tried navy beans and it worked! I’ve been enjoying a cup of creamy hot chocolate now and then of an afternoon during my vacation time. Mmmmm.
But still, I thought I might try growing fava beans untilI I found out from the Fedco seed catalog, the only one that had fava seeds, that “In susceptible humans who have inherited a specific enzyme deficiency, within a few minutes of inhaling pollen or several hours after eating fava beans, a severe allergic reaction occurs. Most individuals have this enzyme and are not affected.”
Say what? This might explain why my food co-op doesn’t sell fava beans. I have never eaten fava beans and have no idea whether I have said enzyme deficiency, but given all my seasonal allergies and my inability to eat raw cucumbers and raw onions, I decided to not push my luck. And since navy beans are a cheap and easy substitute, well sorry fava beans.
The tile guys are back. Sawing and listening to music. Currently it’s the Violent Femmes. I haven’t heard them in ages. Blast from the past!
We’ve somehow made it to the end of 2025. What a year. Enjoy safe and happy year-end celebrations! May 2026 be filled will joy, beauty, and peace, as well as the strength and resilience to meet whatever surprises and struggles arise.
-
Seedy
Hello Friends! I missed posting yesterday because I was busy scrubbing the basement bathroom after our main sewer drain backed up Saturday. We couldn’t run water down the drains or use the bathroom all day until the plumber finally made it out at 8:30 that night. James had to wet vac the basement utility room floor and then I also had to scrub the hallway floor and spot clean the main floor where the plumber left dirty boot prints. And then I got to catch up on the laundry.
The storm was just getting started and snow was sticking to everythingTo add to all the fun, we had a winter storm blow through. James took the bus to work because of the near-blizzard wind conditions. We ended up with 5.8 inches/14.7 cm of snow, which is on the low end of what was forecast. Late yesterday afternoon when it was still lightly snowing and not yet arctic windchills, I ventured out to shovel the walkways, the path to the chicken coop and around the recycling and trash bins because today is trash day and they will skip your house if your bins are not cleared of snow.
This morning I was out before sunup shoveling the additional bit of snow that fell overnight and the snowdrifts the wind had blown across the sidewalks. Cleared a fresh path to the chicken coop and around the bins. Because there was a lot less snow than Sunday afternoon, this took not much time at all.
Now I’m sitting in a suddenly quiet house. The tile guys are here this morning working on my bathroom and the tile saw died. Kaput. So they are off buying a new one and will be back shortly to make more noise.
Last week they got two of the three sides of the shower walls done. I thought a tiny bathroom meant the work would go faster, but it turns out small spaces take longer because they have more angles and require more cutting. But today, after they get their new saw, they should be able to finish the shower wall and the floor. I don’t know if they will be able to do the grout today or whether they have to let the “mud” the tile is set into dry first. Guess I will find out.
Garden planning! I have a lot of seeds saved from last year’s garden. We really like all the tomato varieties we’ve been growing, most of the beans, cayenne peppers, garden peas, butternuts, marigolds, tulsi, and greens, but I always like to try new plants, and there are some plants that I’ve not been able to save seed from because they are biennial and I haven’t motivated myself to dig up carrots and onions and overwinter them in my basement to plant out in spring so they can flower and set seed. I’ve also not found a radish I like enough to save seeds and grow on. Maybe this will be the year carrots and onions and radish all come together?
I’ve got my new garden seed orders sorted out, but haven’t placed the orders yet in case I decide to change my mind or add something. My plan is to order them Thursday, but I’m beginning to think that leaving it open that long might be a mistake because I am not likely to remove anything from the plan, but highly likely to add. And I really don’t need to add anything else. So I’m going to declare it here and y’all can hold me to it and shame me if another seed packet or two somehow sneaks in!
Herbs:
- Cilantro. I decided I don’t like the variety I’ve been growing the last few years, so trying a new one.
- Sweet basil. I’ve been growing Genovese basil but the leaves are so small. This one has bigger leaves.
- Greek Oregano. Mostly perennial but last year’s polar vortex arctic blast killed it. I could buy a plant at the plant sale in May, but we like oregano so with seeds I can grow several plants.
- Broadleaf sage. Allegedly perennial but I have yet to get one through a winter. Instead of buying a single plant I’m going to sprout several and plant them all around the garden to increase the likelihood of winter survival.
- Elka poppy. Poppy seeds! I guess not technically an herb, but I thought it would be fun to have pretty pink poppies for the pollinators and seeds for me to use baking sourdough delights.
Peppers:
- Jalapeño. For some reason, none of the seeds I had been saving sprouted last year and I need some fresh ones.
- Poblano. James really wants peppers for stuffing, so I’m going to try growing these.
- Orange lunchbox. A small, sweet snacking pepper, also a James desire since we’ve had zero luck growing bell peppers and the one time we got any, a squirrel ate them all. Of course.
Roots:
- Early scarlet horn carrot. A pretty standard carrot and supposed to keep well.
- Dragon carrot. Purple on the outside, orange on the inside. Did you know that all carrots used to be purple? We have orange carrots because Europeans decided they were more interesting or something.
- Dakota tears yellow storage onion. I’ve not grown this variety before. It’s supposed to be very strongly flavored, thus the tears.
- Southport red globe storage onion. New to me variety with a slightly shorter season than other red varieties I’ve tried.
- Sora red round radish. Big radish that is supposedly tolerant of summer heat so I can succession plant all season.
- Spanish black radish. A spicy radish black on the outside and white on the inside. To plant at the end of July for fall harvest. I’ve not grown this variety before.
- Macomber rutabaga. I had some free rutabaga seeds from the library last year and the plants grew big and strong but I didn’t plant the seeds deep enough so just got long spindly above ground “roots” I couldn’t eat. Lesson learned and worth trying again.
Other:
- Red Kalibos cabbage. My green cabbage has been pathetic so I’m trying red. If red doesn’t do well, then I’m giving up on cabbage growing.
- Whirlygig zinnia. Birds ate all the zinnia seeds last year before I could save any so I need a refresh. I’ve never had birds eat zinnia seeds before. I will need to figure out how to protect some of the flowers next summer for seeds to plant on.
- Long pie pumpkin. Turns out the pie pumpkin I planted last year was a hybrid variety so I couldn’t save seeds. This one gets picked before it is ripe and ripens in storage. I am hoping to pull a fast one on the squirrel pirates.
- Hidasta shield pole bean. A pretty white bean with brown markings. Grown by the Hidasta people in North Dakota and good for soup and baking. I love growing beans and since I’m not growing disappointing succotash beans again, I have space to try something new.
New! New! New!
- Mother Mary’s pie melon. I’ve not had much luck growing melon in the past but this heirloom is from a woman in Minnesota and is reportedly a sweet melon good for making pie and jam. I have to try it!
- Purple Vienna kohlrabi. I’ve not grown kohlrabi before and the broccoli I tried to grow last year only produced a few small heads that almost immediately bloomed. Disappointing. I thought Kohlrabi might make a good substitute. We’ll see.
- Mexican sour gherkin, also known as cucamelon and mouse melon. Neither a cucumber nor a melon, this vining plant produces small green and white fruit that look like tiny watermelons. They supposedly taste a little like pickles, can be eaten raw or pickled and you either love them or hate them. I’m banking on loving them.
- Green striped cushaw. Also sometimes called sweet potato pumpkin. A large, sweet long-keeping green striped winter squash good for pies, squash butter, pudding, and roasting. I’m longing for the squash butter and the pudding.
There they all are. The garden is really going to be packed come summer. But then I say that every year and somehow end up with large patches of feral arugula because I didn’t have anything planted in that particular spot. Perhaps this will be the year I actually do pack the garden.
I had originally planned to also try growing fava beans after I discovered a recipe for
fava bean hot chocolate. I see the look on your face, hang with me for a second. Creamy vegan hot chocolate is a challenge. We could use coconut cream but then it tastes like coconut. We’ve used medjool dates but then it gets really sweet. Fava bean puree makes it creamy while not tasting beany.Of course I had to try it before committing to growing the beans. Sadly, my food co-op doesn’t sell fava beans, either dry or in a can. I thought to try the recipe substituting white beans instead because there are many vegan recipes that use white beans to make creamy sauces , soups, and dressings since white beans are mild and other flavors cover over the beans. We tried navy beans and it worked! I’ve been enjoying a cup of creamy hot chocolate now and then of an afternoon during my vacation time. Mmmmm.
But still, I thought I might try growing fava beans untilI I found out from the Fedco seed catalog, the only one that had fava seeds, that “In susceptible humans who have inherited a specific enzyme deficiency, within a few minutes of inhaling pollen or several hours after eating fava beans, a severe allergic reaction occurs. Most individuals have this enzyme and are not affected.”
Say what? This might explain why my food co-op doesn’t sell fava beans. I have never eaten fava beans and have no idea whether I have said enzyme deficiency, but given all my seasonal allergies and my inability to eat raw cucumbers and raw onions, I decided to not push my luck. And since navy beans are a cheap and easy substitute, well sorry fava beans.
The tile guys are back. Sawing and listening to music. Currently it’s the Violent Femmes. I haven’t heard them in ages. Blast from the past!
We’ve somehow made it to the end of 2025. What a year. Enjoy safe and happy year-end celebrations! May 2026 be filled will joy, beauty, and peace, as well as the strength and resilience to meet whatever surprises and struggles arise.
-
There’s an exhibition of retro / classic home computing machines this week (Aug 21-28 2025) at Kingston University, so I had to drop in.
It was fun to see some old favourites again, and it was nice to see some youngsters engaging with the games I used to play. Turrican, Hunchback, Mario, Puzzle Bobble, Lemmings!
The Townhouse building at Kingston University has been open for several years already and I drive, walk or bus past it regularly, but never had a reason to pop in until now! It has the university library on the upper floors, and a cafe and event space on the ground floor. For the duration of this week, the Archive of Retro Computing has taken over the event space with this display.
It is nicely put together, with some machines set aside for coding, some for gaming; information about each system displayed alongside; some meta-history on topics like the British computing scene (Acorn vs Sinclair), Commodore and Amstrad, and the US elements. The back section is dedicated to vintage home gaming systems, from the 1977 Binatone Pong game, through Atari / Nintendo / Sega, up to the Super Nintendo and Jaguar.
There are also some super “deep cuts” in the collection, including the Tatung Einstein, which I don’t remember ever seeing or hearing about before…
From my personal history, the Binatone Pong game on display is I think slightly older than the simple dial paddle controllers than we had hooked up to the TV at home when I was young. No sign of the metal-clad Commodore PET that I remember tinkering with at primary school, but a range of other Commodore machines are on show, including the classic Commodore 64 (I have one of these, from a former Twitter coworker!), and several other models I’m less familar with.
My first home computer, the Acorn Electron, is right there, running Arcadians, a Space Invaders clone I must have spent hours on back in the day. My own Electron ended as a hand-modded machine featuring switchable headphone or regular speaker output. I’m still quite proud of that relatively low-tech little hardware hack from back then.
Next along in my own line would have been the Amstrad CPC (with 3″ disk drive) that my uncle had, and pointed me towards on most visits to his house. I have memories of Jet Set Willy and Manic Miner on that one. The little info card here tells the story of how Alan Sugar did a deal on the disk drives such that Hitachi ended up having to keep making them, at a loss, even though the 3″ disk format was otherwise dead in the water.
My school had a very well-equipped computer room with (I think) about 30 BBC Master and Micro computers, so I was very much an Acorn boy and learned BBC BASIC as my first proper coding language (along with a tiny bit of 6502 assembler). Later on, the school computer room was upgraded with several Acorn Archimedes. My brother had an A3000 in his bedroom… I had an Acorn Risc PC with a StrongARM processor, way faster than the x86 PCs available at the time! The BBC Master and A3000 are present and correct in the exhibition (there’s a BBC Micro as well, alongside the Electron).
We also had a Super Nintendo, which is one of the last of the home gaming consoles in the exhibition (I overheard someone say that the Playstation, our next games console as a family, was where gaming all went wrong and 3D and got boring… I can sometimes understand that point of view!).
As an aside, I had a quick go on Wolfenstein 3D on the Jaguar in the corner there, and the controller for the Jaguar was bonkers! Chunky and not very friendly to use. The graphics seemed decent, with some kind of interpolation at distance? I don’t remember ever actually playing on a Jaguar when they were current…
Pretty much all of the machines had some kind of modification, both to output graphics to the LCD monitors in use, and/or to replace disk drives with some form of USB-floppy emulation, often with a Pi or something else doing the interfacing.
A fun trip down memory lane!
https://andypiper.co.uk/2025/08/25/retro-tastic/
#Acorn #AcornElectron #Amiga #Amstrad #archimedes #bbcMaster #BBCMicro #commodore #Computing #exhibition #gaming #nintendo #retro #riscOs #RiscPC #Technology #zxSpectrum
-
There’s an exhibition of retro / classic home computing machines this week (Aug 21-28 2025) at Kingston University, so I had to drop in.
It was fun to see some old favourites again, and it was nice to see some youngsters engaging with the games I used to play. Turrican, Hunchback, Mario, Puzzle Bobble, Lemmings!
The Townhouse building at Kingston University has been open for several years already and I drive, walk or bus past it regularly, but never had a reason to pop in until now! It has the university library on the upper floors, and a cafe and event space on the ground floor. For the duration of this week, the Archive of Retro Computing has taken over the event space with this display.
It is nicely put together, with some machines set aside for coding, some for gaming; information about each system displayed alongside; some meta-history on topics like the British computing scene (Acorn vs Sinclair), Commodore and Amstrad, and the US elements. The back section is dedicated to vintage home gaming systems, from the 1977 Binatone Pong game, through Atari / Nintendo / Sega, up to the Super Nintendo and Jaguar.
There are also some super “deep cuts” in the collection, including the Tatung Einstein, which I don’t remember ever seeing or hearing about before…
From my personal history, the Binatone Pong game on display is I think slightly older than the simple dial paddle controllers than we had hooked up to the TV at home when I was young. No sign of the metal-clad Commodore PET that I remember tinkering with at primary school, but a range of other Commodore machines are on show, including the classic Commodore 64 (I have one of these, from a former Twitter coworker!), and several other models I’m less familar with.
My first home computer, the Acorn Electron, is right there, running Arcadians, a Space Invaders clone I must have spent hours on back in the day. My own Electron ended as a hand-modded machine featuring switchable headphone or regular speaker output. I’m still quite proud of that relatively low-tech little hardware hack from back then.
Next along in my own line would have been the Amstrad CPC (with 3″ disk drive) that my uncle had, and pointed me towards on most visits to his house. I have memories of Jet Set Willy and Manic Miner on that one. The little info card here tells the story of how Alan Sugar did a deal on the disk drives such that Hitachi ended up having to keep making them, at a loss, even though the 3″ disk format was otherwise dead in the water.
My school had a very well-equipped computer room with (I think) about 30 BBC Master and Micro computers, so I was very much an Acorn boy and learned BBC BASIC as my first proper coding language (along with a tiny bit of 6502 assembler). Later on, the school computer room was upgraded with several Acorn Archimedes. My brother had an A3000 in his bedroom… I had an Acorn Risc PC with a StrongARM processor, way faster than the x86 PCs available at the time! The BBC Master and A3000 are present and correct in the exhibition (there’s a BBC Micro as well, alongside the Electron).
We also had a Super Nintendo, which is one of the last of the home gaming consoles in the exhibition (I overheard someone say that the Playstation, our next games console as a family, was where gaming all went wrong and 3D and got boring… I can sometimes understand that point of view!).
As an aside, I had a quick go on Wolfenstein 3D on the Jaguar in the corner there, and the controller for the Jaguar was bonkers! Chunky and not very friendly to use. The graphics seemed decent, with some kind of interpolation at distance? I don’t remember ever actually playing on a Jaguar when they were current…
Pretty much all of the machines had some kind of modification, both to output graphics to the LCD monitors in use, and/or to replace disk drives with some form of USB-floppy emulation, often with a Pi or something else doing the interfacing.
A fun trip down memory lane!
https://andypiper.co.uk/2025/08/25/retro-tastic/
#Acorn #AcornElectron #Amiga #Amstrad #archimedes #bbcMaster #BBCMicro #commodore #Computing #exhibition #gaming #nintendo #retro #riscOs #RiscPC #Technology #zxSpectrum
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There’s an exhibition of retro / classic home computing machines this week (Aug 21-28 2025) at Kingston University, so I had to drop in.
It was fun to see some old favourites again, and it was nice to see some youngsters engaging with the games I used to play. Turrican, Hunchback, Mario, Puzzle Bobble, Lemmings!
The Townhouse building at Kingston University has been open for several years already and I drive, walk or bus past it regularly, but never had a reason to pop in until now! It has the university library on the upper floors, and a cafe and event space on the ground floor. For the duration of this week, the Archive of Retro Computing has taken over the event space with this display.
It is nicely put together, with some machines set aside for coding, some for gaming; information about each system displayed alongside; some meta-history on topics like the British computing scene (Acorn vs Sinclair), Commodore and Amstrad, and the US elements. The back section is dedicated to vintage home gaming systems, from the 1977 Binatone Pong game, through Atari / Nintendo / Sega, up to the Super Nintendo and Jaguar.
There are also some super “deep cuts” in the collection, including the Tatung Einstein, which I don’t remember ever seeing or hearing about before…
From my personal history, the Binatone Pong game on display is I think slightly older than the simple dial paddle controllers than we had hooked up to the TV at home when I was young. No sign of the metal-clad Commodore PET that I remember tinkering with at primary school, but a range of other Commodore machines are on show, including the classic Commodore 64 (I have one of these, from a former Twitter coworker!), and several other models I’m less familar with.
My first home computer, the Acorn Electron, is right there, running Arcadians, a Space Invaders clone I must have spent hours on back in the day. My own Electron ended as a hand-modded machine featuring switchable headphone or regular speaker output. I’m still quite proud of that relatively low-tech little hardware hack from back then.
Next along in my own line would have been the Amstrad CPC (with 3″ disk drive) that my uncle had, and pointed me towards on most visits to his house. I have memories of Jet Set Willy and Manic Miner on that one. The little info card here tells the story of how Alan Sugar did a deal on the disk drives such that Hitachi ended up having to keep making them, at a loss, even though the 3″ disk format was otherwise dead in the water.
My school had a very well-equipped computer room with (I think) about 30 BBC Master and Micro computers, so I was very much an Acorn boy and learned BBC BASIC as my first proper coding language (along with a tiny bit of 6502 assembler). Later on, the school computer room was upgraded with several Acorn Archimedes. My brother had an A3000 in his bedroom… I had an Acorn Risc PC with a StrongARM processor, way faster than the x86 PCs available at the time! The BBC Master and A3000 are present and correct in the exhibition (there’s a BBC Micro as well, alongside the Electron).
We also had a Super Nintendo, which is one of the last of the home gaming consoles in the exhibition (I overheard someone say that the Playstation, our next games console as a family, was where gaming all went wrong and 3D and got boring… I can sometimes understand that point of view!).
As an aside, I had a quick go on Wolfenstein 3D on the Jaguar in the corner there, and the controller for the Jaguar was bonkers! Chunky and not very friendly to use. The graphics seemed decent, with some kind of interpolation at distance? I don’t remember ever actually playing on a Jaguar when they were current…
Pretty much all of the machines had some kind of modification, both to output graphics to the LCD monitors in use, and/or to replace disk drives with some form of USB-floppy emulation, often with a Pi or something else doing the interfacing.
A fun trip down memory lane!
https://andypiper.co.uk/2025/08/25/retro-tastic/
#Acorn #AcornElectron #Amiga #Amstrad #archimedes #bbcMaster #BBCMicro #commodore #Computing #exhibition #gaming #nintendo #retro #riscOs #RiscPC #Technology #zxSpectrum
-
There’s an exhibition of retro / classic home computing machines this week (Aug 21-28 2025) at Kingston University, so I had to drop in.
It was fun to see some old favourites again, and it was nice to see some youngsters engaging with the games I used to play. Turrican, Hunchback, Mario, Puzzle Bobble, Lemmings!
The Townhouse building at Kingston University has been open for several years already and I drive, walk or bus past it regularly, but never had a reason to pop in until now! It has the university library on the upper floors, and a cafe and event space on the ground floor. For the duration of this week, the Archive of Retro Computing has taken over the event space with this display.
It is nicely put together, with some machines set aside for coding, some for gaming; information about each system displayed alongside; some meta-history on topics like the British computing scene (Acorn vs Sinclair), Commodore and Amstrad, and the US elements. The back section is dedicated to vintage home gaming systems, from the 1977 Binatone Pong game, through Atari / Nintendo / Sega, up to the Super Nintendo and Jaguar.
There are also some super “deep cuts” in the collection, including the Tatung Einstein, which I don’t remember ever seeing or hearing about before…
From my personal history, the Binatone Pong game on display is I think slightly older than the simple dial paddle controllers than we had hooked up to the TV at home when I was young. No sign of the metal-clad Commodore PET that I remember tinkering with at primary school, but a range of other Commodore machines are on show, including the classic Commodore 64 (I have one of these, from a former Twitter coworker!), and several other models I’m less familar with.
My first home computer, the Acorn Electron, is right there, running Arcadians, a Space Invaders clone I must have spent hours on back in the day. My own Electron ended as a hand-modded machine featuring switchable headphone or regular speaker output. I’m still quite proud of that relatively low-tech little hardware hack from back then.
Next along in my own line would have been the Amstrad CPC (with 3″ disk drive) that my uncle had, and pointed me towards on most visits to his house. I have memories of Jet Set Willy and Manic Miner on that one. The little info card here tells the story of how Alan Sugar did a deal on the disk drives such that Hitachi ended up having to keep making them, at a loss, even though the 3″ disk format was otherwise dead in the water.
My school had a very well-equipped computer room with (I think) about 30 BBC Master and Micro computers, so I was very much an Acorn boy and learned BBC BASIC as my first proper coding language (along with a tiny bit of 6502 assembler). Later on, the school computer room was upgraded with several Acorn Archimedes. My brother had an A3000 in his bedroom… I had an Acorn Risc PC with a StrongARM processor, way faster than the x86 PCs available at the time! The BBC Master and A3000 are present and correct in the exhibition (there’s a BBC Micro as well, alongside the Electron).
We also had a Super Nintendo, which is one of the last of the home gaming consoles in the exhibition (I overheard someone say that the Playstation, our next games console as a family, was where gaming all went wrong and 3D and got boring… I can sometimes understand that point of view!).
As an aside, I had a quick go on Wolfenstein 3D on the Jaguar in the corner there, and the controller for the Jaguar was bonkers! Chunky and not very friendly to use. The graphics seemed decent, with some kind of interpolation at distance? I don’t remember ever actually playing on a Jaguar when they were current…
Pretty much all of the machines had some kind of modification, both to output graphics to the LCD monitors in use, and/or to replace disk drives with some form of USB-floppy emulation, often with a Pi or something else doing the interfacing.
A fun trip down memory lane!
https://andypiper.co.uk/2025/08/25/retro-tastic/
#Acorn #AcornElectron #Amiga #Amstrad #archimedes #bbcMaster #BBCMicro #commodore #Computing #exhibition #gaming #nintendo #retro #riscOs #RiscPC #Technology #zxSpectrum
-
There’s an exhibition of retro / classic home computing machines this week (Aug 21-28 2025) at Kingston University, so I had to drop in.
It was fun to see some old favourites again, and it was nice to see some youngsters engaging with the games I used to play. Turrican, Hunchback, Mario, Puzzle Bobble, Lemmings!
The Townhouse building at Kingston University has been open for several years already and I drive, walk or bus past it regularly, but never had a reason to pop in until now! It has the university library on the upper floors, and a cafe and event space on the ground floor. For the duration of this week, the Archive of Retro Computing has taken over the event space with this display.
It is nicely put together, with some machines set aside for coding, some for gaming; information about each system displayed alongside; some meta-history on topics like the British computing scene (Acorn vs Sinclair), Commodore and Amstrad, and the US elements. The back section is dedicated to vintage home gaming systems, from the 1977 Binatone Pong game, through Atari / Nintendo / Sega, up to the Super Nintendo and Jaguar.
There are also some super “deep cuts” in the collection, including the Tatung Einstein, which I don’t remember ever seeing or hearing about before…
From my personal history, the Binatone Pong game on display is I think slightly older than the simple dial paddle controllers than we had hooked up to the TV at home when I was young. No sign of the metal-clad Commodore PET that I remember tinkering with at primary school, but a range of other Commodore machines are on show, including the classic Commodore 64 (I have one of these, from a former Twitter coworker!), and several other models I’m less familar with.
My first home computer, the Acorn Electron, is right there, running Arcadians, a Space Invaders clone I must have spent hours on back in the day. My own Electron ended as a hand-modded machine featuring switchable headphone or regular speaker output. I’m still quite proud of that relatively low-tech little hardware hack from back then.
Next along in my own line would have been the Amstrad CPC (with 3″ disk drive) that my uncle had, and pointed me towards on most visits to his house. I have memories of Jet Set Willy and Manic Miner on that one. The little info card here tells the story of how Alan Sugar did a deal on the disk drives such that Hitachi ended up having to keep making them, at a loss, even though the 3″ disk format was otherwise dead in the water.
My school had a very well-equipped computer room with (I think) about 30 BBC Master and Micro computers, so I was very much an Acorn boy and learned BBC BASIC as my first proper coding language (along with a tiny bit of 6502 assembler). Later on, the school computer room was upgraded with several Acorn Archimedes. My brother had an A3000 in his bedroom… I had an Acorn Risc PC with a StrongARM processor, way faster than the x86 PCs available at the time! The BBC Master and A3000 are present and correct in the exhibition (there’s a BBC Micro as well, alongside the Electron).
We also had a Super Nintendo, which is one of the last of the home gaming consoles in the exhibition (I overheard someone say that the Playstation, our next games console as a family, was where gaming all went wrong and 3D and got boring… I can sometimes understand that point of view!).
As an aside, I had a quick go on Wolfenstein 3D on the Jaguar in the corner there, and the controller for the Jaguar was bonkers! Chunky and not very friendly to use. The graphics seemed decent, with some kind of interpolation at distance? I don’t remember ever actually playing on a Jaguar when they were current…
Pretty much all of the machines had some kind of modification, both to output graphics to the LCD monitors in use, and/or to replace disk drives with some form of USB-floppy emulation, often with a Pi or something else doing the interfacing.
A fun trip down memory lane!
https://andypiper.co.uk/2025/08/25/retro-tastic/
#Acorn #AcornElectron #Amiga #Amstrad #archimedes #bbcMaster #BBCMicro #commodore #Computing #exhibition #gaming #nintendo #retro #riscOs #RiscPC #Technology #zxSpectrum
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Had a blast at last night's gig... Music and visuals worked well and I loved hearing my work on a system with proper sub bass. It translated really well. However, the big thing, and this is where it becomes interesting as an indie web enthusiast... There was hardly anyone there.
The only people who came were friends I texted and a feel bad for the guy putting on the night (who is also a friend). The feedback was great re the music/visuals but I REALLY need to sort my shit out letting people know about what I'm doing. One friend, who's pretty good at marketing, has been texting me all morning lol.
I haven't had any mainstream social media since 2019 and I don't want to go back to it... ever. The only real power any of us have against these digital vampires is to remove ourselves from their platforms but clearly, they dominate on a local level.
However, it's pretty tragic if you're trying to get people to a music event in a small town. I appreciate the shares, I love the indie web and my friends here, however it's hard for people from say the EU or wherever to make a gig. The bus service between here and Berlin is pretty poor lol.
I need to find a way to promote myself locally. I get anyway with being a recluse because I'm usually doing sound for people with management etc. who handle the promo and I've never really promoted myself.
There's defo things like getting an email list and doing more than just texting my friends, back in the day we'd go out fly posting and that was part of the fun but are there any other things people who live there digital lives on the more obscure areas of the internet AND gig to audiences still? Seems a weird thing to ask given I've been working in music so long but I'm living in my own little bubble most the time.
On the one hand, I could get an Instantgran account and play that game but it would feel like a defeat of all the work I've done to self host stuff and contribute in my tiny way to making the internet cool again.
I want to bring people to the indie web, not create revenue for Zuckerberg, he's a cunt and fuck that guy.
Indie musicians here, are you still keeping mainstream apps or are you doing something cooler to promo your work?
#Musician #IndependentMusic #IndieWeb -
Of Hijack Season 2 Review
Hijack Season 2 review
https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/becomingthemuse/episodes/Hijack-Season-2-Review-e3fuksqHijack is a thriller tv series created by George Kay and Jim Field Smith. Season 1 came out on 28 June 2023 and it was renewed for a second season which premiered on Apple TV+ on 14 January 2026.
Idris Elba returns as Sam Nelson and is once again at the centre of a hijacking crisis but the stakes have been raised.
The Good
Two words… Idris Elba, if he read the news, I would probably start watching but if I saw him in public I wouldn’t travel with him because hijackings seem to happen around him…
In Season 1, an aeroplane gets hijacked, and in Season 2, a train gets hijacked… and if you are thinking it’s more of the same, except on a train, you would be so wrong. By the time the credits roll out on the first episode, you will be looking at your tv in shock.
Idris Elba as Sam Nelson in Hijack Season 2Idris Elba is his usual charismatic self, but this time he has a dark edge and a tiny bit unravelled; obsessed with finding answers, justice and maybe a little bit of vengeance…
The show’s creators have mastered the art of cranking up the tension as each episode progresses and then drop a bombshell of plot reveal for a cliff-hanger finish and what can you do but watch the next episode.
https://twitter.com/Beatonm5/status/2024151998321295422
Hijack Season 2 has a great soundtrack that sets the atomosphere right from theme Kiss the Sky by Shawn Lee’s Ping Pong Orchestra and its haunting lyrics… Too late to save the world from dying.
https://twitter.com/Beatonm5/status/2012808355702559102
The Bad
Don’t be like me and jump straight into watching this without getting a recap of how Season 1 ended because it just plunges into things, as if you have been following what happened in the aftermath of the Kingdom Flight Hijacking…
Even after catching up, certain narrative gaps remain. Some questions never quite receive satisfying answers, leaving loose threads that feel less like deliberate mystery and more like unfinished stitching, perhaps held back for a potential third season.
Hijack Season 2 scene collageThe series is at its best in the claustrophobic atmosphere of the train, but it spends a lot of time chasing subplots which do not raise the emotional stakes or develop characters beyond simply being plot devices in a train that gets hijacked.
The Ugly
The larger the canvas becomes, the more the story demands that viewers suspend logic. And Season 2 occasionally asks for quite a lot.
Lisa Vicari as Clara Berger in Hijack Season 2Final Thoughts
So, first it was a plane, now a train… what next? A bus gets hijacked…maybe a boat???
Hijack Season 2 ambitiously expands its world but, in doing so, sacrifices some of the simplicity and razor-sharp focus that made Season 1 so gripping. It remains a tense and often entertaining watch, powered largely by Idris Elba’s commanding presence. However, it does not eclipse the brilliance of its debut season.
Have you watched Hijack… does it sound like something you would watch?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_i4-MoGALo&t
Video Review #Hijack #HijackSeason2 #IdrisElba #seriesReview #thriller #Train #TVSeries -
The ultimate rebuild of an ancient Yaesu FT-817.
I think it was a couple of years ago now I ordered a QRP Labs QMX transceiver. It quickly, but temporarily, became my favorite radio for portable field operations. I have written before about why I believe the QMX is a mighty fine piece of miniaturized technology but is less suitable for the rigors of being operated in the kind of field operating environment to which I expose my radios. My QMX is the low-band version and I also miss the opportunity to explore the higher bands when propagation conditions permit.
What’s a poor Ham to do?
I could buy another QMX, but order the high band version this time. It would be a very modest investment, but would still require ruggedizing. Another downside is the long, long wait time betwixt ordering and receiving the tiny parcel from Turkey. I could also order a QMX+ which is a fine all HF band radio, but then what to do with the QMX low band? There is another solution.
The Paranoid Android
I recall a quote from the book “The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams in which the perenially depressed robot “Marvin the Paranoid Android” moans: “The first ten million years were the worst.” When I look at the front panel of my ancient Yaesu FT-817 non-ND version it kinda has a Marvin look about it. It has spent almost a quarter of a century waiting patiently in a drawer for the day when it might be called into action again. Many radios have come and gone during that time but – even though I had planned to sell it on many occasions – I still own it and it’s day to see the sunshine again has finally come.
Where are the features?
The non-ND version of the FT-817 is a barebones rig. I needed a CW memory keyer – it doesn’t have one. Activating a POTA park sometimes requires great patience and many, many CQs. My QMX at least has that covered. I also needed an audio filter. It used to be possible to buy a Collins mechanical filter but they are no longer made. My QMX also has that feature covered, but the FT-817 requires an external audio filter.
Failure is not an option
The FT-817 does have a higher level of ruggedness than the QMX. With a few extra precautionary measures it can be protected from the ingress of sand particles during a beach activation, or unexpected spray from waves on the shores of the Great Lakes. The QMX will not tolerate wide variations in DC supply voltage; the FT-817 has that covered. The QMX uses inexpensive but fragile PA transistors (mine have not succumbed to failure – yet). Well, the FT-817 also had fragile PA transistors in its early days and mine did indeed fail during a field deployment. The FT-817’s PA board is a small module that is easily replaced with the new upgraded module – as was mine.
Assembled rebuilt FT-817 portable operations rig. The battered, field protective canvas pouch on the right contains a Talentcell LiFePO4 battery. Right hand side view of the “helper modules” showing the input jack for connecting a cable from the headphone output of the FT-817. The switch allows the K4ICY AF filter to be bypassed for a barn door wide audio bandwidth. Left hand side view of the “helper modules” showing the switch allowing selection of 2-stage or 4-stage audio frequency filtering. To the right of the switch is the AF output jack for connecting headphones. The jack on the K3NG keyer connects to the “Key” jack on the FT-817. On the back of the AF filter module is the power switch controlling the internal
9-volt battery (now replaced by a buck converter) which supplies both modules. Internal view of the keyer module and the filter module. The 9 volt battery has now been replaced with a buck converter that converts the radio’s DC supply from 12.6 volts down to 9 volts to power the helper modules.I get by with a little help from my friends
The feature shortcomings of the FT-817 have been overcome with two “helper modules” assembled inside aluminum Hammond project enclosures. The front enclosure contains a K3NG Arduino nano based CW keyer and a very simple no-thrills set of 3D printed paddles. Well who really needs to spend $300 on a fancy set of paddles for a brief POTA exchange? These paddles get the job done FB. The same cannot be said about the fist that operates them!
The front panel controls are very simple. The paddles protrude through a cutout in the Hammond enclosure.
Beside the paddles is a knob. This knob is used to operate a rotary encoder inside. Clicking the knob operates the switch built into the rotary encoder and triggers the sending of a “CQ CQ POTA de VA3KOT VA3KOT k” stored message in the Arduino keyer.
Rotating the knob adjusts the speed of the CW over a wide range. I have found this to be a very useful feature. I usually send at 20wpm and receive responses that are slower and faster than my sending speed. With this prominent control front-and-center I can quickly adjust my sending speed to suit.
I built the K4ICY audio frequency filter module around a quad op-amp DIL chip. This is a very simple circuit that provides 2 or 4 stages of filtering to narrow the bandwidth of a received signal. Each stage contains identical components whose values are selected according the operator’s desired sidetone frequency. The whole module can be bypassed if required allowing an audio bandwidth wide enough to pass a crosstown bus sideways.
Both modules are rigidly secured to each other using two aluminum rails made from scrap material. I hoard scraps of metal, plastic and other materials – you just never know when you’re gonna need ’em.
The dimensions of the two modules provide an ample flat surface on which to mount the ancient, but revered, transceiver. I purchased some “peel & stick” Gorilla brand “Slipstick” gripper pads and applied four of them to the base of the FT-817. This is a genuinely useful product I recommend to any hambrewer. The radio has been secured to the top of the helper modules with two woodland zip ties made from thin cordage. These simple cord fasteners work just as well as plastic zip ties and can be easily undone for servicing the modules.
I purchased a box load of these Hammond enclosures at an auction many years ago. They have proved very useful. In another build, using the same enclosures configured in an identical manner, I was able to construct two battery modules each containing four 18650 Lithium Ion batteries in 4S1P configuration for powering another one of my ancient QRP transceivers.
This is not the first time I have revived my FT-817, but previous rebuilds were clumsy. It is one thing to put together multiple modules on the shack bench. Clumsy, cluttered, loose modules might work in a picnic-tables-on-the-air type activation. But would it work in a situation where there are no convenient surfaces to mount the equipment; where – at any moment – we might be politely asked to vacate the area by a hungry bear looking for a space to eat his lunch? This new build is a grab-and-go package that works in small, tight spaces – even on top of a rock in the backcountry – and that’s the kind of environment where I like to operate.
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. -
The ultimate rebuild of an ancient Yaesu FT-817.
I think it was a couple of years ago now I ordered a QRP Labs QMX transceiver. It quickly, but temporarily, became my favorite radio for portable field operations. I have written before about why I believe the QMX is a mighty fine piece of miniaturized technology but is less suitable for the rigors of being operated in the kind of field operating environment to which I expose my radios. My QMX is the low-band version and I also miss the opportunity to explore the higher bands when propagation conditions permit.
What’s a poor Ham to do?
I could buy another QMX, but order the high band version this time. It would be a very modest investment, but would still require ruggedizing. Another downside is the long, long wait time betwixt ordering and receiving the tiny parcel from Turkey. I could also order a QMX+ which is a fine all HF band radio, but then what to do with the QMX low band? There is another solution.
The Paranoid Android
I recall a quote from the book “The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams in which the perenially depressed robot “Marvin the Paranoid Android” moans: “The first ten million years were the worst.” When I look at the front panel of my ancient Yaesu FT-817 non-ND version it kinda has a Marvin look about it. It has spent almost a quarter of a century waiting patiently in a drawer for the day when it might be called into action again. Many radios have come and gone during that time but – even though I had planned to sell it on many occasions – I still own it and it’s day to see the sunshine again has finally come.
Where are the features?
The non-ND version of the FT-817 is a barebones rig. I needed a CW memory keyer – it doesn’t have one. Activating a POTA park sometimes requires great patience and many, many CQs. My QMX at least has that covered. I also needed an audio filter. It used to be possible to buy a Collins mechanical filter but they are no longer made. My QMX also has that feature covered, but the FT-817 requires an external audio filter.
Failure is not an option
The FT-817 does have a higher level of ruggedness than the QMX. With a few extra precautionary measures it can be protected from the ingress of sand particles during a beach activation, or unexpected spray from waves on the shores of the Great Lakes. The QMX will not tolerate wide variations in DC supply voltage; the FT-817 has that covered. The QMX uses inexpensive but fragile PA transistors (mine have not succumbed to failure – yet). Well, the FT-817 also had fragile PA transistors in its early days and mine did indeed fail during a field deployment. The FT-817’s PA board is a small module that is easily replaced with the new upgraded module – as was mine.
Assembled rebuilt FT-817 portable operations rig. The battered, field protective canvas pouch on the right contains a Talentcell LiFePO4 battery. Right hand side view of the “helper modules” showing the input jack for connecting a cable from the headphone output of the FT-817. The switch allows the K4ICY AF filter to be bypassed for a barn door wide audio bandwidth. Left hand side view of the “helper modules” showing the switch allowing selection of 2-stage or 4-stage audio frequency filtering. To the right of the switch is the AF output jack for connecting headphones. The jack on the K3NG keyer connects to the “Key” jack on the FT-817. On the back of the AF filter module is the power switch controlling the internal
9-volt battery (now replaced by a buck converter) which supplies both modules. Internal view of the keyer module and the filter module. The 9 volt battery has now been replaced with a buck converter that converts the radio’s DC supply from 12.6 volts down to 9 volts to power the helper modules.I get by with a little help from my friends
The feature shortcomings of the FT-817 have been overcome with two “helper modules” assembled inside aluminum Hammond project enclosures. The front enclosure contains a K3NG Arduino nano based CW keyer and a very simple no-thrills set of 3D printed paddles. Well who really needs to spend $300 on a fancy set of paddles for a brief POTA exchange? These paddles get the job done FB. The same cannot be said about the fist that operates them!
The front panel controls are very simple. The paddles protrude through a cutout in the Hammond enclosure.
Beside the paddles is a knob. This knob is used to operate a rotary encoder inside. Clicking the knob operates the switch built into the rotary encoder and triggers the sending of a “CQ CQ POTA de VA3KOT VA3KOT k” stored message in the Arduino keyer.
Rotating the knob adjusts the speed of the CW over a wide range. I have found this to be a very useful feature. I usually send at 20wpm and receive responses that are slower and faster than my sending speed. With this prominent control front-and-center I can quickly adjust my sending speed to suit.
I built the K4ICY audio frequency filter module around a quad op-amp DIL chip. This is a very simple circuit that provides 2 or 4 stages of filtering to narrow the bandwidth of a received signal. Each stage contains identical components whose values are selected according the operator’s desired sidetone frequency. The whole module can be bypassed if required allowing an audio bandwidth wide enough to pass a crosstown bus sideways.
Both modules are rigidly secured to each other using two aluminum rails made from scrap material. I hoard scraps of metal, plastic and other materials – you just never know when you’re gonna need ’em.
The dimensions of the two modules provide an ample flat surface on which to mount the ancient, but revered, transceiver. I purchased some “peel & stick” Gorilla brand “Slipstick” gripper pads and applied four of them to the base of the FT-817. This is a genuinely useful product I recommend to any hambrewer. The radio has been secured to the top of the helper modules with two woodland zip ties made from thin cordage. These simple cord fasteners work just as well as plastic zip ties and can be easily undone for servicing the modules.
I purchased a box load of these Hammond enclosures at an auction many years ago. They have proved very useful. In another build, using the same enclosures configured in an identical manner, I was able to construct two battery modules each containing four 18650 Lithium Ion batteries in 4S1P configuration for powering another one of my ancient QRP transceivers.
This is not the first time I have revived my FT-817, but previous rebuilds were clumsy. It is one thing to put together multiple modules on the shack bench. Clumsy, cluttered, loose modules might work in a picnic-tables-on-the-air type activation. But would it work in a situation where there are no convenient surfaces to mount the equipment; where – at any moment – we might be politely asked to vacate the area by a hungry bear looking for a space to eat his lunch? This new build is a grab-and-go package that works in small, tight spaces – even on top of a rock in the backcountry – and that’s the kind of environment where I like to operate.
Help support HamRadioOutsidetheBox
No “tip-jar”, “buy me a coffee”, Patreon, or Amazon links here. I enjoy my hobby and I enjoy writing about it. If you would like to support this blog please follow/subscribe using the link at the bottom of my home page, or like, comment (links at the bottom of each post), repost or share links to my posts on social media. If you would like to email me directly you will find my email address on my QRZ.com page. Thank you!
The following copyright notice applies to all content on this blog.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. -
The ultimate rebuild of an ancient Yaesu FT-817.
I think it was a couple of years ago now I ordered a QRP Labs QMX transceiver. It quickly, but temporarily, became my favorite radio for portable field operations. I have written before about why I believe the QMX is a mighty fine piece of miniaturized technology but is less suitable for the rigors of being operated in the kind of field operating environment to which I expose my radios. My QMX is the low-band version and I also miss the opportunity to explore the higher bands when propagation conditions permit.
What’s a poor Ham to do?
I could buy another QMX, but order the high band version this time. It would be a very modest investment, but would still require ruggedizing. Another downside is the long, long wait time betwixt ordering and receiving the tiny parcel from Turkey. I could also order a QMX+ which is a fine all HF band radio, but then what to do with the QMX low band? There is another solution.
The Paranoid Android
I recall a quote from the book “The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams in which the perenially depressed robot “Marvin the Paranoid Android” moans: “The first ten million years were the worst.” When I look at the front panel of my ancient Yaesu FT-817 non-ND version it kinda has a Marvin look about it. It has spent almost a quarter of a century waiting patiently in a drawer for the day when it might be called into action again. Many radios have come and gone during that time but – even though I had planned to sell it on many occasions – I still own it and it’s day to see the sunshine again has finally come.
Where are the features?
The non-ND version of the FT-817 is a barebones rig. I needed a CW memory keyer – it doesn’t have one. Activating a POTA park sometimes requires great patience and many, many CQs. My QMX at least has that covered. I also needed an audio filter. It used to be possible to buy a Collins mechanical filter but they are no longer made. My QMX also has that feature covered, but the FT-817 requires an external audio filter.
Failure is not an option
The FT-817 does have a higher level of ruggedness than the QMX. With a few extra precautionary measures it can be protected from the ingress of sand particles during a beach activation, or unexpected spray from waves on the shores of the Great Lakes. The QMX will not tolerate wide variations in DC supply voltage; the FT-817 has that covered. The QMX uses inexpensive but fragile PA transistors (mine have not succumbed to failure – yet). Well, the FT-817 also had fragile PA transistors in its early days and mine did indeed fail during a field deployment. The FT-817’s PA board is a small module that is easily replaced with the new upgraded module – as was mine.
Assembled rebuilt FT-817 portable operations rig. The battered, field protective canvas pouch on the right contains a Talentcell LiFePO4 battery. Right hand side view of the “helper modules” showing the input jack for connecting a cable from the headphone output of the FT-817. The switch allows the K4ICY AF filter to be bypassed for a barn door wide audio bandwidth. Left hand side view of the “helper modules” showing the switch allowing selection of 2-stage or 4-stage audio frequency filtering. To the right of the switch is the AF output jack for connecting headphones. The jack on the K3NG keyer connects to the “Key” jack on the FT-817. On the back of the AF filter module is the power switch controlling the internal
9-volt battery (now replaced by a buck converter) which supplies both modules. Internal view of the keyer module and the filter module. The 9 volt battery has now been replaced with a buck converter that converts the radio’s DC supply from 12.6 volts down to 9 volts to power the helper modules.I get by with a little help from my friends
The feature shortcomings of the FT-817 have been overcome with two “helper modules” assembled inside aluminum Hammond project enclosures. The front enclosure contains a K3NG Arduino nano based CW keyer and a very simple no-thrills set of 3D printed paddles. Well who really needs to spend $300 on a fancy set of paddles for a brief POTA exchange? These paddles get the job done FB. The same cannot be said about the fist that operates them!
The front panel controls are very simple. The paddles protrude through a cutout in the Hammond enclosure.
Beside the paddles is a knob. This knob is used to operate a rotary encoder inside. Clicking the knob operates the switch built into the rotary encoder and triggers the sending of a “CQ CQ POTA de VA3KOT VA3KOT k” stored message in the Arduino keyer.
Rotating the knob adjusts the speed of the CW over a wide range. I have found this to be a very useful feature. I usually send at 20wpm and receive responses that are slower and faster than my sending speed. With this prominent control front-and-center I can quickly adjust my sending speed to suit.
I built the K4ICY audio frequency filter module around a quad op-amp DIL chip. This is a very simple circuit that provides 2 or 4 stages of filtering to narrow the bandwidth of a received signal. Each stage contains identical components whose values are selected according the operator’s desired sidetone frequency. The whole module can be bypassed if required allowing an audio bandwidth wide enough to pass a crosstown bus sideways.
Both modules are rigidly secured to each other using two aluminum rails made from scrap material. I hoard scraps of metal, plastic and other materials – you just never know when you’re gonna need ’em.
The dimensions of the two modules provide an ample flat surface on which to mount the ancient, but revered, transceiver. I purchased some “peel & stick” Gorilla brand “Slipstick” gripper pads and applied four of them to the base of the FT-817. This is a genuinely useful product I recommend to any hambrewer. The radio has been secured to the top of the helper modules with two woodland zip ties made from thin cordage. These simple cord fasteners work just as well as plastic zip ties and can be easily undone for servicing the modules.
I purchased a box load of these Hammond enclosures at an auction many years ago. They have proved very useful. In another build, using the same enclosures configured in an identical manner, I was able to construct two battery modules each containing four 18650 Lithium Ion batteries in 4S1P configuration for powering another one of my ancient QRP transceivers.
This is not the first time I have revived my FT-817, but previous rebuilds were clumsy. It is one thing to put together multiple modules on the shack bench. Clumsy, cluttered, loose modules might work in a picnic-tables-on-the-air type activation. But would it work in a situation where there are no convenient surfaces to mount the equipment; where – at any moment – we might be politely asked to vacate the area by a hungry bear looking for a space to eat his lunch? This new build is a grab-and-go package that works in small, tight spaces – even on top of a rock in the backcountry – and that’s the kind of environment where I like to operate.
Help support HamRadioOutsidetheBox
No “tip-jar”, “buy me a coffee”, Patreon, or Amazon links here. I enjoy my hobby and I enjoy writing about it. If you would like to support this blog please follow/subscribe using the link at the bottom of my home page, or like, comment (links at the bottom of each post), repost or share links to my posts on social media. If you would like to email me directly you will find my email address on my QRZ.com page. Thank you!
The following copyright notice applies to all content on this blog.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. -
The ultimate rebuild of an ancient Yaesu FT-817.
I think it was a couple of years ago now I ordered a QRP Labs QMX transceiver. It quickly, but temporarily, became my favorite radio for portable field operations. I have written before about why I believe the QMX is a mighty fine piece of miniaturized technology but is less suitable for the rigors of being operated in the kind of field operating environment to which I expose my radios. My QMX is the low-band version and I also miss the opportunity to explore the higher bands when propagation conditions permit.
What’s a poor Ham to do?
I could buy another QMX, but order the high band version this time. It would be a very modest investment, but would still require ruggedizing. Another downside is the long, long wait time betwixt ordering and receiving the tiny parcel from Turkey. I could also order a QMX+ which is a fine all HF band radio, but then what to do with the QMX low band? There is another solution.
The Paranoid Android
I recall a quote from the book “The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams in which the perenially depressed robot “Marvin the Paranoid Android” moans: “The first ten million years were the worst.” When I look at the front panel of my ancient Yaesu FT-817 non-ND version it kinda has a Marvin look about it. It has spent almost a quarter of a century waiting patiently in a drawer for the day when it might be called into action again. Many radios have come and gone during that time but – even though I had planned to sell it on many occasions – I still own it and it’s day to see the sunshine again has finally come.
Where are the features?
The non-ND version of the FT-817 is a barebones rig. I needed a CW memory keyer – it doesn’t have one. Activating a POTA park sometimes requires great patience and many, many CQs. My QMX at least has that covered. I also needed an audio filter. It used to be possible to buy a Collins mechanical filter but they are no longer made. My QMX also has that feature covered, but the FT-817 requires an external audio filter.
Failure is not an option
The FT-817 does have a higher level of ruggedness than the QMX. With a few extra precautionary measures it can be protected from the ingress of sand particles during a beach activation, or unexpected spray from waves on the shores of the Great Lakes. The QMX will not tolerate wide variations in DC supply voltage; the FT-817 has that covered. The QMX uses inexpensive but fragile PA transistors (mine have not succumbed to failure – yet). Well, the FT-817 also had fragile PA transistors in its early days and mine did indeed fail during a field deployment. The FT-817’s PA board is a small module that is easily replaced with the new upgraded module – as was mine.
Assembled rebuilt FT-817 portable operations rig. The battered, field protective canvas pouch on the right contains a Talentcell LiFePO4 battery. Right hand side view of the “helper modules” showing the input jack for connecting a cable from the headphone output of the FT-817. The switch allows the K4ICY AF filter to be bypassed for a barn door wide audio bandwidth. Left hand side view of the “helper modules” showing the switch allowing selection of 2-stage or 4-stage audio frequency filtering. To the right of the switch is the AF output jack for connecting headphones. The jack on the K3NG keyer connects to the “Key” jack on the FT-817. On the back of the AF filter module is the power switch controlling the internal
9-volt battery (now replaced by a buck converter) which supplies both modules. Internal view of the keyer module and the filter module. The 9 volt battery has now been replaced with a buck converter that converts the radio’s DC supply from 12.6 volts down to 9 volts to power the helper modules.I get by with a little help from my friends
The feature shortcomings of the FT-817 have been overcome with two “helper modules” assembled inside aluminum Hammond project enclosures. The front enclosure contains a K3NG Arduino nano based CW keyer and a very simple no-thrills set of 3D printed paddles. Well who really needs to spend $300 on a fancy set of paddles for a brief POTA exchange? These paddles get the job done FB. The same cannot be said about the fist that operates them!
The front panel controls are very simple. The paddles protrude through a cutout in the Hammond enclosure.
Beside the paddles is a knob. This knob is used to operate a rotary encoder inside. Clicking the knob operates the switch built into the rotary encoder and triggers the sending of a “CQ CQ POTA de VA3KOT VA3KOT k” stored message in the Arduino keyer.
Rotating the knob adjusts the speed of the CW over a wide range. I have found this to be a very useful feature. I usually send at 20wpm and receive responses that are slower and faster than my sending speed. With this prominent control front-and-center I can quickly adjust my sending speed to suit.
I built the K4ICY audio frequency filter module around a quad op-amp DIL chip. This is a very simple circuit that provides 2 or 4 stages of filtering to narrow the bandwidth of a received signal. Each stage contains identical components whose values are selected according the operator’s desired sidetone frequency. The whole module can be bypassed if required allowing an audio bandwidth wide enough to pass a crosstown bus sideways.
Both modules are rigidly secured to each other using two aluminum rails made from scrap material. I hoard scraps of metal, plastic and other materials – you just never know when you’re gonna need ’em.
The dimensions of the two modules provide an ample flat surface on which to mount the ancient, but revered, transceiver. I purchased some “peel & stick” Gorilla brand “Slipstick” gripper pads and applied four of them to the base of the FT-817. This is a genuinely useful product I recommend to any hambrewer. The radio has been secured to the top of the helper modules with two woodland zip ties made from thin cordage. These simple cord fasteners work just as well as plastic zip ties and can be easily undone for servicing the modules.
I purchased a box load of these Hammond enclosures at an auction many years ago. They have proved very useful. In another build, using the same enclosures configured in an identical manner, I was able to construct two battery modules each containing four 18650 Lithium Ion batteries in 4S1P configuration for powering another one of my ancient QRP transceivers.
This is not the first time I have revived my FT-817, but previous rebuilds were clumsy. It is one thing to put together multiple modules on the shack bench. Clumsy, cluttered, loose modules might work in a picnic-tables-on-the-air type activation. But would it work in a situation where there are no convenient surfaces to mount the equipment; where – at any moment – we might be politely asked to vacate the area by a hungry bear looking for a space to eat his lunch? This new build is a grab-and-go package that works in small, tight spaces – even on top of a rock in the backcountry – and that’s the kind of environment where I like to operate.
Help support HamRadioOutsidetheBox
No “tip-jar”, “buy me a coffee”, Patreon, or Amazon links here. I enjoy my hobby and I enjoy writing about it. If you would like to support this blog please follow/subscribe using the link at the bottom of my home page, or like, comment (links at the bottom of each post), repost or share links to my posts on social media. If you would like to email me directly you will find my email address on my QRZ.com page. Thank you!
The following copyright notice applies to all content on this blog.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. -
The ultimate rebuild of an ancient Yaesu FT-817.
I think it was a couple of years ago now I ordered a QRP Labs QMX transceiver. It quickly, but temporarily, became my favorite radio for portable field operations. I have written before about why I believe the QMX is a mighty fine piece of miniaturized technology but is less suitable for the rigors of being operated in the kind of field operating environment to which I expose my radios. My QMX is the low-band version and I also miss the opportunity to explore the higher bands when propagation conditions permit.
What’s a poor Ham to do?
I could buy another QMX, but order the high band version this time. It would be a very modest investment, but would still require ruggedizing. Another downside is the long, long wait time betwixt ordering and receiving the tiny parcel from Turkey. I could also order a QMX+ which is a fine all HF band radio, but then what to do with the QMX low band? There is another solution.
The Paranoid Android
I recall a quote from the book “The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams in which the perenially depressed robot “Marvin the Paranoid Android” moans: “The first ten million years were the worst.” When I look at the front panel of my ancient Yaesu FT-817 non-ND version it kinda has a Marvin look about it. It has spent almost a quarter of a century waiting patiently in a drawer for the day when it might be called into action again. Many radios have come and gone during that time but – even though I had planned to sell it on many occasions – I still own it and it’s day to see the sunshine again has finally come.
Where are the features?
The non-ND version of the FT-817 is a barebones rig. I needed a CW memory keyer – it doesn’t have one. Activating a POTA park sometimes requires great patience and many, many CQs. My QMX at least has that covered. I also needed an audio filter. It used to be possible to buy a Collins mechanical filter but they are no longer made. My QMX also has that feature covered, but the FT-817 requires an external audio filter.
Failure is not an option
The FT-817 does have a higher level of ruggedness than the QMX. With a few extra precautionary measures it can be protected from the ingress of sand particles during a beach activation, or unexpected spray from waves on the shores of the Great Lakes. The QMX will not tolerate wide variations in DC supply voltage; the FT-817 has that covered. The QMX uses inexpensive but fragile PA transistors (mine have not succumbed to failure – yet). Well, the FT-817 also had fragile PA transistors in its early days and mine did indeed fail during a field deployment. The FT-817’s PA board is a small module that is easily replaced with the new upgraded module – as was mine.
Assembled rebuilt FT-817 portable operations rig. The battered, field protective canvas pouch on the right contains a Talentcell LiFePO4 battery. Right hand side view of the “helper modules” showing the input jack for connecting a cable from the headphone output of the FT-817. The switch allows the K4ICY AF filter to be bypassed for a barn door wide audio bandwidth. Left hand side view of the “helper modules” showing the switch allowing selection of 2-stage or 4-stage audio frequency filtering. To the right of the switch is the AF output jack for connecting headphones. The jack on the K3NG keyer connects to the “Key” jack on the FT-817. On the back of the AF filter module is the power switch controlling the internal
9-volt battery (now replaced by a buck converter) which supplies both modules. Internal view of the keyer module and the filter module. The 9 volt battery has now been replaced with a buck converter that converts the radio’s DC supply from 12.6 volts down to 9 volts to power the helper modules.I get by with a little help from my friends
The feature shortcomings of the FT-817 have been overcome with two “helper modules” assembled inside aluminum Hammond project enclosures. The front enclosure contains a K3NG Arduino nano based CW keyer and a very simple no-thrills set of 3D printed paddles. Well who really needs to spend $300 on a fancy set of paddles for a brief POTA exchange? These paddles get the job done FB. The same cannot be said about the fist that operates them!
The front panel controls are very simple. The paddles protrude through a cutout in the Hammond enclosure.
Beside the paddles is a knob. This knob is used to operate a rotary encoder inside. Clicking the knob operates the switch built into the rotary encoder and triggers the sending of a “CQ CQ POTA de VA3KOT VA3KOT k” stored message in the Arduino keyer.
Rotating the knob adjusts the speed of the CW over a wide range. I have found this to be a very useful feature. I usually send at 20wpm and receive responses that are slower and faster than my sending speed. With this prominent control front-and-center I can quickly adjust my sending speed to suit.
I built the K4ICY audio frequency filter module around a quad op-amp DIL chip. This is a very simple circuit that provides 2 or 4 stages of filtering to narrow the bandwidth of a received signal. Each stage contains identical components whose values are selected according the operator’s desired sidetone frequency. The whole module can be bypassed if required allowing an audio bandwidth wide enough to pass a crosstown bus sideways.
Both modules are rigidly secured to each other using two aluminum rails made from scrap material. I hoard scraps of metal, plastic and other materials – you just never know when you’re gonna need ’em.
The dimensions of the two modules provide an ample flat surface on which to mount the ancient, but revered, transceiver. I purchased some “peel & stick” Gorilla brand “Slipstick” gripper pads and applied four of them to the base of the FT-817. This is a genuinely useful product I recommend to any hambrewer. The radio has been secured to the top of the helper modules with two woodland zip ties made from thin cordage. These simple cord fasteners work just as well as plastic zip ties and can be easily undone for servicing the modules.
I purchased a box load of these Hammond enclosures at an auction many years ago. They have proved very useful. In another build, using the same enclosures configured in an identical manner, I was able to construct two battery modules each containing four 18650 Lithium Ion batteries in 4S1P configuration for powering another one of my ancient QRP transceivers.
This is not the first time I have revived my FT-817, but previous rebuilds were clumsy. It is one thing to put together multiple modules on the shack bench. Clumsy, cluttered, loose modules might work in a picnic-tables-on-the-air type activation. But would it work in a situation where there are no convenient surfaces to mount the equipment; where – at any moment – we might be politely asked to vacate the area by a hungry bear looking for a space to eat his lunch? This new build is a grab-and-go package that works in small, tight spaces – even on top of a rock in the backcountry – and that’s the kind of environment where I like to operate.
Help support HamRadioOutsidetheBox
No “tip-jar”, “buy me a coffee”, Patreon, or Amazon links here. I enjoy my hobby and I enjoy writing about it. If you would like to support this blog please follow/subscribe using the link at the bottom of my home page, or like, comment (links at the bottom of each post), repost or share links to my posts on social media. If you would like to email me directly you will find my email address on my QRZ.com page. Thank you!
The following copyright notice applies to all content on this blog.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. -
Small Microcontroller Displays
I found myself wanting several small displays connected to a microcontroller, so was doing a bit of a trade-off between various options, and was starting to lose track, so this post collects some of those thoughts together.
It is not meant to be a comprehensive discussion of choosing small displays for projects, but more of a reflection on the displays I already have kicking around in my parts boxes!
Most displays tend to be categorised by the driver chip they use. And then by the bus type used for their connection. So that is how I’ve grouped them here.
A really good reference for many of the displays shown here is: https://www.lcdwiki.com/Main_Page
I2C SSD1306 OLED
This is usually my “go to” set of small displays. They are generally well supported and pretty easy to use.
I generally have two variants to choose from:
On the left is the 0.91″ 128×32 OLED SSD1306 and on the right is the 0.96″ 128×54 OLED SSD1306. Common properties of both displays:
- Monochrome – white or blue.
- I2C interface.
- Usually 5V powered, but some include level shifters to allow 3V3 logic.
- Usually includes I2C pull-ups. Might be to VCC level so be wary if using a 3V3 MCU but powering from 5V – always check the voltage level prior to connecting.
- 128×32 usually a fixed I2C address (0x3C). 128×64 usually allows selection between 0x3C and 0x3D.
- There are variants with VCC and GND swapped, and other variants with SDA and SCL swapped.
Software support:
- The “go to” library for Arduino is the Adafruit_SSD1306 library, which assumes the use of the Adafruit_GFX library too.
- But there are lots of alternative libraries too, for example u8glib.
- Well supported in Circuitpython or Micropython.
- More here: Arduino Nano Every I2C and SPI Displays.
Typical Connections:
- VCC/GND (see note below re VCC vs logic levels).
- SCL/SDA – I2C pins on the MCU.
Known “gotchas”:
- Requires a chunk of memory allocated on start-up on Arduino, which can fail if there isn’t enough dynamic memory left and make a sketch hang.
- Can’t be written to from an interrupt routine (e.g. a timer).
- Low-level I2C Wire library on Arduino is blocking.
- Can sometimes be a little slow compared to alternatives.
- Limited I2C address options, so multiple display use is limited (and also increase the memory issues).
- As already mentioned, any I2C pull-ups may be pulled up to the VCC level or might be level shifted, so it is always worth checking if planning to use with a 3V3 microcontroller.
Summary:
- Cheap, pretty easy to use, and fairly universal if you want a single, small, monochrome display for simple outputs.
Other I2C Variants
There are some variants of the SSD1306 that sometimes pops up too for slightly larger displays:
- SSD1315 – apparently can simply be treated as a SSD1306 and mostly it works ok.
- SH1106 – very similar niche to SSD1306 but requires it owns driver support.
SPI ST7735/89/96 TFT
Whereas the SSD1306 I2C is pretty ubiquitous for monochrome displays, I’ve tended to find that SPI ST77xx displays fill a similar niche for small, full colour, non-touch, TFT displays. And there are loads of variations on the theme when it comes to these displays.
The 7735 supports lower resolution, smaller displays, typically up to 170×320, with the 7789 for those of 240×240 or 240×320 and similar. There is also a ST7796 which I believe uses the same driver libraries for a higher 320×480 display.
Two 7735 Displays:
These two ST7735 displays that I have are labelled:
- TFT 0.96″ 80×160 SPI ST7735
- TFT 1.8″ 128×160 SPI ST7735
These ST7789 display I have is labelled:
- TFT 1.3″ 240×240 SPI ST7789
I also have a display that was bought as a ST7789 labelled “TFT 2.8″ 240×320 SPI” which comes with a touch screen, but I can’t get this to work.
Common properties:
- SPI interface: data (SDA/MOSI/COPI), clock (SCK/SCLK), chip select (CS), data/command (SR/DC), possibly a reset.
- Typically 65536 colours, usually encoded as 5-6-5 bit RGB patterns.
- Have to check for 3V3 or 5V operation depending on the datasheet of the driver chip and design of the module.
Software support:
- Adafruit SST77x Library supports ST7735 and ST7789, once again also requiring Adafruit_GFX.
- Arduino_GFX Library supports a whole range of displays and microcontrollers, including the ST77xx devices.
- TFT_eSPI for Raspberry Pi Pico, ESP32 and others.
- MCUFRIEND_kbv for Arduino and “MCUFRIEND” type displays. Wide range of TFT display drivers supported.
- Tiny TFT Library for ATTiny85 and Compact TFT Library for a range of MCUs by David Johnson-Davies (technoblogy)
- https://github.com/bitbank2/bb_spi_lcd. Standalone library for ST7735, ST7789 and others, with a set of pre-configured “named” displays.
- More here: Arduino and a Cheap TFT Display.
Typical Connections:
- VCC/GND
- CLK/SDA – SPI Clock and Data (Data OUT from MCU – i.e. MOSI/COPI)
- RES – Reset
- DC, RS – Data/Command Register Select
- CS – Chip Select
Known Gotchas:
- Working out if RS means reset of the data/command pin; and not mixing up SCL/SDA with I2C!
- Some might include a backlight control pin too for dimming or turning it off. With this not connected the display was a maximum brightness.
- I’ve also seen talk that many of these modules themselves run at 3V3, so whilst they may include a regulator for 5V to 3V3 for power, they don’t always include level shifting for the signal pins. It seems unclear (to me at least at the moment) if it is ok to use these with a 5V microcontroller (although I have done…).
- Some of these displays are “inverted” colour wise. The use 16-bit 5-6-5 format colours, but some are RGB, some are BGR and there might be other variants too.
- Sometimes the initialiser for the library requires a SPI_MODE setting. My ST7789 240×240 required the Adafruit ST7789 initialisation as follows:
#include <Adafruit_GFX.h>
#include <Adafruit_ST7789.h>
#include <SPI.h>
#define TFT_CS 10 // (not used)
#define TFT_RST 9
#define TFT_DC 8
Adafruit_ST7789 tft = Adafruit_ST7789(TFT_CS, TFT_DC, TFT_RST);
void setup() {
tft.init(240, 240, SPI_MODE2);
}Note, unlike the monochrome displays, these have their own pixel framebuffer so memory use is much more efficient, even when used as a full colour display.
Summary:
- Cheap, pretty easy to use once the voltage levels and the pin labelling are worked out. Well supported by a number of libraries; but does require more pins for 4-wire SPI. Might need some messing around to get the right colour definitions. Otherwise a good choice if you just want a cheap, colour display with no touch.
OLED SH1122 SPI
There are actually both I2C and SPI versions of SH1122 displays, but I’m considering the SPI version here. The display I have is a 256×64, monochrome OLED display.
Software Support:
- U8G2 library:https://github.com/olikraus/u8g2
- Use the SH1122 constructors: https://github.com/olikraus/u8g2/wiki/u8g2setupcpp#sh1122-256×64
Example:
U8G2_SH1122_256X64_1_4W_HW_SPI u8g2(U8G2_R0, /* cs=*/ 10, /* dc=*/ 9, /* reset=*/ 8);
Typical Connections:
- VCC/GND – mine states it can support either 3V or 5V power
- CLK/SDA – SPI Clock and Data (Data OUT from MCU – i.e. MOSI/COPI)
- RES – Reset
- DC, RS – Data/Command Register Select
- CS – Chip Select
The _F_ constructor requires a full frame-buffer so is unlikely to work on resource constrained devices (e.g. the Arduino Uno/Nano). The _1_ constructor provides a pageable interface which allows for the updating of the display in pages, which takes longer but allows it to be used with more devices.
There are also software SPI versions that allow the use of any GPIO pins.
Summary:
- A pretty neat board if these physical dimensions match what is required.
- There are a whole pile of example sketches in the U8G2/page_buffer directory.
ILI9341/9488 TFT
Cheap larger displays are often driven by one of the ILI9341 or ILI9488 chips. The former supports 240×320 in full (16-bit) colour whereas the 9488 tends to support larger displays of up to 320×480 in full (24-bit) colour. Both support either a parallel (at least 8, 9, 16-bit) or serial (3 or 4 wire SPI) bus interface.
I don’t have a lot of detailed information for this post yet, but instead will refer to:
The ILI9341 is well supported by the Adafruit graphic libraries, but the ILI9488 is likely to require something else, as described in the above post.
These displays are often used with touch support and will often expect to run at 3V3 logic levels.
LCD 1602 HD44780
This is another very common monochrome, but text only, display. They have a 4 or 8-bit parallel interface, but it is also quite common to use the with an I2C “backpack” based on the PCF8574 I2C IO expander. Boards can be cheaply bought with or without a backpack, and the backpacks are available separately too for retro fitting to displays without them.
They are often called “1602” displays as they are two rows of 16 characters. By using custom blocks it is possible to have some simple graphics. There are LCD2004 modules too with four rows of 20 characters.
They often come with a choice of backlight colours. White or red are particularly striking! There are some variants that come with an additional I2C controller chip built in to control the backlight and some even come with a full RGB backlight capability.
Typical Connections:
- VCC/GND
- Data – either 4 or 8 bit modes support
- E, RW, RS – enable, read/write, register select.
- Backlight V+/GND – level is often fixed using a resistor.
There are core Arduino libraries to support the most basic versions of these displays:
- LiquidCrystal
- LiquidCrystal_I2C
Typical Gotchas:
- The I2C backpacks often include pull-ups to VCC, yet many of these displays require 5V even if used with a 3V3 microcontroller. One option is to remove the pull-ups and add external pull-ups to 3V3.
- If there are only blocks on the display then the communications isn’t working properly – check SDA/SCL or the control lines.
- If there is nothing on the display or the text is obscured by blocks behind it, then the contrast is either too low or too high. I2C backpacks have a potentiometer to adjust the contrast.
- More complex versions require an additional I2C setup phase, e.g. to turn on the backlight, which isn’t supported by the standard libraries.
Summary:
- Very useful if a large, high/adjustable contrast, text-only display is required.
Others
So I don’t forget when considering the above, I also have:
- GC9A01 based 240×240 1.28″ circular SPI display like this one: https://www.waveshare.com/wiki/1.28inch_LCD_Module. Note: cheaper versions of this won’t include level shifting and will expect to run at 3V3.
- ESP32 boards with built-in displays: ESP32-C3 0.42 OLED
- ESP32 “Cheap Yellow Display” boards, details here: https://github.com/witnessmenow/ESP32-Cheap-Yellow-Display
- Range of small displays from Pimoroni, Waveshare and others for use with the Raspberry Pi Pico.
- Waveshare small HDMI displays for use with a Raspberry Pi.
I’ll add to the list for my own reference as I remember other odds and ends.
Kevin
#hd44780 #ili9341 #ili9488 #include #lcd1602 #oled #ssd1306 #st7735 #st7789 #tft