Emphatically undecided
My recent decision to add AIS and ADS-B capabilities took an interesting turn this month. I had figured on dedicating a Raspberry Pi to the tasks, but a little nudge from a friend pointed out that the industry likes to involve volunteers; I asked, and I received.
A pair of receiving stations are now in place, and the really fun part is that I also now have a pair of high quality antennas. Much better than homebrew, and much better that what I could afford to buy. The UHF antenna went up last week, and this evening I did the final assembly on the VHF version, which came in a mailing tube and required about 30 seconds worth of screwing the elements into the main unit. Nothing stressful. I’ll have to try and get the whole thing out of the basement and high in the air, eventually.
Got a chance to respond to a phone survey this evening, which checks on the “pulse” of Island voters. I am, emphatically, undecided.
Tried the stationary trainer this afternoon, and the decision to abandon our old fan-based units when we moved was a wise choice. The new magnetic technology is quieter, and the frame that supports my bicycle is actually solid. No need to do anything more than sit there and sweat. That’s a good thing, because my occasions to exercise have dropped now that everything I need is either in the house or a short car ride away. Mustn’t let this whole retirement thing take control.
