https://zs6gjm.org.za/Mainly a blog about Amateur Radio & Tech Related Rumblings 2025-10-16T23:30:07+02:00 Gabriel Marais https://zs6gjm.org.za/ Jekyll © 2025 Gabriel Marais /assets/img/favicons/favicon.ico /assets/img/favicons/favicon-96x96.png 2025-10-14T10:40:00+02:00 2025-10-14T10:40:00+02:00 https://zs6gjm.org.za/posts/RTTY/ Gabriel Marais

It’s been a few years since I’ve explored older digital modes on HF. I remember the days of PSK31 and I wanted to experiment with digital modes again. I have set-up my laptop running FLDigi for RTTY using my ICOM-7300 transceiver. Browsing through the bands I could not find any RTTY signals and so I will be reaching out to groups to see if there are any interested parties that would want to ma...

2025-10-08T20:00:00+02:00 2025-10-08T20:00:00+02:00 https://zs6gjm.org.za/posts/SARL-Early-Morning-Coffee-QSO-Party/ Gabriel Marais

A Great Start to the Day… The Early Morning Coffee QSO Party is designed to spark interest and activity on the 80 m and 40 m bands in the early hours of the day. It’s a simple and fun phone-only contest, where the goal is to make contact with as many early risers as possible. A unique twist is that scoring works on a sliding scale based on the age of the operator you work—adding an extra layer...

2025-10-03T20:00:00+02:00 2025-10-03T20:00:00+02:00 https://zs6gjm.org.za/posts/Building-My-First-ESP32-WLED-Strip-Project/ Gabriel Marais

I’ve recently started experimenting with ESP32 devices, and for my very first project, I decided to set up a 5-meter LED strip controlled by an ESP32 running the WLED software. I had a bit of help along the way—my colleague Dwayne has been working with WLED and LED strips for quite some time, and I also picked up some useful tips from YouTube tutorials. Setting up the ESP32 with WLED was str...

2025-09-19T20:00:00+02:00 2025-09-19T20:00:00+02:00 https://zs6gjm.org.za/posts/SARL-Field-Day-6-7-September-2025/ Gabriel Marais

I was at the West Rand Amateur Radio flea market when I bumped into Pierre, ZS6PJH. We chatted for a bit, and he told me about the plans for the upcoming SARL National Field Day competition, which was scheduled for the 6th and 7th of September. The team was preparing to set up a field station, and without hesitation, I expressed my interest in joining them. Pierre told me they’d be heading out ...

2025-09-13T20:00:00+02:00 2025-09-13T20:00:00+02:00 https://zs6gjm.org.za/posts/The-Africa-FT4-DX-Contest/ Gabriel Marais

The goal of this competition is to encourage digital DX activity across Africa, with a particular focus on the FT4 digital mode, which could also contribute toward earning the SARL All Africa Award. The DX Contest is open to all licensed radio amateurs in Africa, as well as those in the Indian Ocean and Atlantic Islands near the African coastline. While the competition aims to boost digital ac...