½ûÂþÌìÌÃ

    I wanted a toy to play with.
I wanted a bigger screen than my phones, but smaller than my big tablets, and cheap enough not to care if it got pinched from a hotel room.
I went for the Samsung Tab A9. I use it for watching content - also transferring a film form my hard drive and watching it on the tab. It gets used to listen to BBC Radio 4 every morning.

    -@Fred

Update

This was a great buy

I still use it for Radio 4 and other entertainment, but the addition of a small, thin, Bluetooth keyboard and a very nice little BT mouse has made it into a very capable office tool.

It's especially handy for reading PDF files and things like news sites.

The screen is perfect, especially when you use the 'eye comfort shield' option in the quick menu.

It's small and light enough to carry with ease, and powerful enough to do quite a lot of office tasks using Google's office apps.

Definitely a good buy

I found an Asus Chromebook tablet in a shop a few months ago.

I didn't really need another device but temptation banged on my brain with a wet carrot until I bought one.

Talk about a seriously handy piece of kit - and more so when I use it with a portable second monitor.

The whole setup fits into a very small bag, but I have a fully portable twin screen productivity tool I can use anywhere.

It has all the advantages of a Chromebook, but the portability of an Android tablet.

I'm very pleased with the buy.

Fred,

What would you recommend to replace my six year old iPad that just died?

Thanks.

Alan

    Fred,
What would you recommend to replace my six year old iPad that just died?

Thanks.

Alan
   

    -@alan279

People tend to buy cars to suit their needs. They don't buy a minibus to pull chicks, nor do the buy a sports car for a family runabout.

When it comes to tech, they buy whatever the advertising says they should. My wife just informed me she intends to buy an ipad to run her Microsoft office suite on. That's clearly silly and, me being subtle, communicated that opinion.

She's talking to me again this morning

Examine your needs, then buy what fits them.

I really like Google's sheets, docs, and slides, so I buy Android tablets and Chromebooks.

Because my office Internet is rubbish, I deliver my presentations locally stored on an S21. That means I must have a Windows PC. I bought it to suit portability and my need for simple apps - PowerPoint and Chrome - Why would I need a massive processor and shiploads of RAM? It's wasted money.

The answer to your question is decide what you're going to use it for, then see what fits your needs.

New toy time.

This time it's a 14.5 inch monitor for my setup at work.

I usually use two screens, but I often need three. This new one will be screen 2, with a 10 inch unit as screen 3.

The picture is crystal clear and it can be fed from USB C or HDMI.

This is a pure productivity tool.

Microsoft is silly.

I  keep a hotmail account just to sign in to Microsoft stuff I still can't get rid of, and as a junk email when I have  to sign up to pages that demand I do so before I  can read their content.

I rarely to never check it as it's just a dumping ground, but I get loads of requests for one time verification as hackers try to get in.

I decided to log in as my skype is under that account - I can't because it's been locked  out due to too many requests.

I look forward to the day Microsoft go bust.

Samsung's top end phones have something called DeX (Desktop experience). It always worked on their tablets but it was lacking in a big way on their phones.

The idea is, you plug your phone into a screen or TV, get a bluetooth keyboard and mouse, and you have a computer.

I have started using my phone again, and it's improved by a million miles.

I can operate in desktop mode as if I'm using a PC or Chromebook - It's great.

This is going to be my holiday setup. I dislike leaving computing power in a hotel room, even if it has a safe, so I will just take my favourite bluetooth keyboard and mouse along with a super-thin portable screen.

@Fred

My Galaxy A55 5G is in that case obviously NOT a "top end phone".

Must admit it sounds like a very good idea though. Wonder how much that would set me back?

@Fred
My Galaxy A55 5G is in that case obviously NOT a "top end phone".
Must admit it sounds like a very good idea though. Wonder how much that would set me back? - @El_Jost

Only the S series has DeX.

I use it more and more as the phone is always on so I just have to plug in one USB C and I'm on.

DeX is very much like a computer as you can open a number of wi down at once and resize as you wish.

As an example, when using my transmitters, I can have qrz.com in one window, and a spreadsheet with my log in another.

@Fred

As an example, when using my transmitters, I can have qrz.com in one window, and a spreadsheet with my log in another.

Do you have a callsign on QRZ? Indonesian orari? Can you do 40m HF? Sorry to temporarily switch topics.

@FredAs an example, when using my transmitters, I can have qrz.com in one window, and a spreadsheet with my log in another.Do you have a callsign on QRZ? Indonesian orari? Can you do 40m HF? Sorry to temporarily switch topics. - @danfinn

It's electronic toys, thus very much on topic.

I have a UK A class and an Indonesian YD. I also have a RAPI callsign but I don't use it much.

I operate on 2 and 70 as well as 10 and 40. However, my aerial for 40 is terrible. I'm looking for options as the wire dipole I use at the moment is mounted far too low and is doglegged. I can get all over Indonesia and have heard India on 40, but only in excellent conditions. In normal or flat conditions, I can hardly get out of Jakarta.

@FredAs an example, when using my transmitters, I can have qrz.com in one window, and a spreadsheet with my log in another.Do you have a callsign on QRZ? Indonesian orari? Can you do 40m HF? Sorry to temporarily switch topics. - @danfinn
It's electronic toys, thus very much on topic.
I have a UK A class and an Indonesian YD. I also have a RAPI callsign but I don't use it much.
I operate on 2 and 70 as well as 10 and 40. However, my aerial for 40 is terrible. I'm looking for options as the wire dipole I use at the moment is mounted far too low and is doglegged. I can get all over Indonesia and have heard India on 40, but only in excellent conditions. In normal or flat conditions, I can hardly get out of Jakarta. - @Fred

Got it. Here I have a USA extra class and Philippines DU extra class. Here we hear Indonesia YB on 40m when conditions are right and sometimes they check in as guests on the daily Philippines AM and PM PARA nets on 7095 KHz. I am mostly SSB and CW HF. For VHF we have a local club and repeater that I support. I  convinced NTC to give me  2 station licenses for one individual amateur license, one in Siquijor and one in Negros Oriental. My antennas are both multi band wire G5RV which I find sufficient in the Phils. With it I can contact USA west coast on 40m at night on 100 watts.

My big problem is that I live in an estate that is populated with garden less  boxes instead of houses and HAO style rules.

I used a very nice mobile antenna for 2/70 on a 2m tall pole that nobody has objected to - That covers a surprisingly nice radius and is easily good enough for me.

I mounted a 1/2 wave dipole for 10 that's hidden on the back in a way nobody can see - That works very nicely, even on QRP.

My problem is 40. I can't get the height I would like and the house area is too small. The thing's feed point is far too low and its legs are 90 degrees to each other. Add that one leg has to drop down and fix to the balcony, and it's pretty useless.

I bought a bottom loaded with a telescopic whip. It's a POTA SOTA type thing I ziptied to my balcony and, even in that position, it's easily as good as the dipole. However, the telescopic isn't going to survive winds so an alternative whip would be required for roof mounting. I tried wires on fishing rods but they weren't even close to as good as the supplied whip.

I will try a HWEF. It will be bent all over the place, but it might work.

@Fred

I think if you are just going for 40 and even 20 meters you do not need a low radiation angle. The near vertical radiation from a lower-to-the-ground, bent wire EFHW would be fine just for single hop contacts in Indonesia, Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia etc.. I think your bent EFHW idea might work quite well. In the USA, I had strict HOA rules but my attic was large enough to contain a full size G5RV that was bent in a spiral pattern at 90 degree angles and it worked fine. The roof was wood with asphalt tiles and transparent to HF.  I even ran 1KW at times and it worked on all bands. As far as 1KW was concerned, I did the RF safety study and I was OK at 40 meters. At 10m it violated RF safety but 10m does not work well for G5RV anyway so I didn't use it.  In Negros Oriental and Siquijor I hear many Indonesian groups on the lower part of 40m at night plus dx-ing to US and Canada usually around 7135-7155 at night. On Saturday nights I sometimes check into a USA-Philippine net on 7178.

I think you might well be right. I have a 49:1 unun and enough wire to put it together. If I start at the balcony, work up to the VHF aerial pole, then over to the back where the pole for the 10 dipole is, that will get me most of the way. The best option for the rest might be going vertical on one of those fishing rods.

I have a few eggs kicking around so insulation from the poles is moot.

The counterpoise is easy.

Hi my husband is ***and is listed on ** he suggests where space is an issue to try Moonraker MD7400 slider mobile or portable HF whip for 40m -6m. There is a youtube on Watersstanton channel, look for ''slider'', it seems to do what you need.

Good luck

Hi my husband is ...... and is listed on qrz.com he suggests where space is an issue to try Moonraker MD7400 slider mobile or portable HF whip for 40m -6m. There is a youtube on Watersstanton channel, look for ''slider'', it seems to do what you need.Good luck - @M Hun

That looks like a very well-built aerial but I'm unsure about it's performance considering it's only 2 + meters long.

I have a mobile whip that is pretuned on all the HF bands. It's very slightly shorter and isn't that great.

I'm going to start with the HWEF and take it from there.

I will get some free time at work next week so I will take my 818 and a selection of aerials up to the roof.

Added. I forgot to comment on the channel.

The chap is very clearly well informed, but he's a bit slow in getting the information out so I get bored.

Gemini now refers to me as, Your highness.

I have no idea how .uch use it will be, if any, but it's been good for a flash of childish humour.