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K1TLN

@k1tln.com
199 followers 261 following 745 posts

Ryan (he/him) | ✶✶✶✶ | Engineer, musician, CW radioamateur Nerd things enjoyer | Krynn Teluin @ Balmung

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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 16h
My first CW contact was in January of this year, and I quietly set the goal for myself to aim for a hundred contacts in year one - no FT8, no voice, only the code. Today, I actually hit that goal. This is 114 CW contacts in 2026 (+Hawai'i). TU ES 72 DE K1TLN.
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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 03/10/2026
Repurposed some rechargeable 9 volts to use with the MTR3B and honestly I can't believe it worked as well as it did. First real spin with the capacitive trigger pads, too. Here's a contact into South Carolina from earlier this evening.
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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 29/09/2026
I wake up Not a single bean or granule of coffee is in my apartment
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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 28/09/2026
I am not immune to DAISO Gunpla display accessory propaganda. These parts are pretty slick and cost next to nothing.
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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 24/09/2026
It's alive! Variable capacitor knobs are a touch flimsy, might replace those later, but it'll get the job done. The X6100 really has no need for this, but I plan to pair it with the (tr)uSDX or my Mountain Topper since they don't have built-in ATUs.
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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 24/09/2026
👀
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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 24/09/2026
The future is now. Most of the internals are done up. Rotary switch and inductor core will get dropped in and wired up later, then it’s just wrapping up and testing. Working on this no-name instructionless kit has been a lot of fun (and frustration) for like ten bucks worth of parts. Grinding exp.
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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 23/09/2026
Bits of progress on the tuner build between things. LED and leads are on the board and the tapped inductor is fully soldered on to the rotary switch. The casing, capacitors, and BNC connectors are next up. Probably tomorrow or something.
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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 23/09/2026
No complaints about the first day of fall, other than wanting more hours in the day.
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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 21/09/2026
Tapped inductor, all wired up. Still need to clean the enamel and pre-tin the taps but mostly there. I followed corrections from Carol KP4MD to the inductor wiring schematic. Knitters, crocheters, etc. - so much (more) respect for you. Counting and turning and twisting without losing track is HARD.
A T-106-2 toroid, wound with enamel wire, tapped at various points for connecting to a rotary switch.
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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 21/09/2026
Didn't know that! Correction: Welcome (back) to (our) town
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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 21/09/2026
Little headway on (yet) another project this evening
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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 14/09/2026
My CD copy of Frame and Canvas came in today - and Polyvinyl slipped in something extra for free 👀 buying physical media has excellent perks sometimes (And yes, they did slip in an Airhead also, it’s green)
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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 14/09/2026
Chicago Indie Games Showcase was rad. Extremely cool to talk with game devs in the local scene and play some super fascinating games.
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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 12/09/2026
Late morning trail walk in the woods before setting up shop. Raced the sun to make 18 contacts before my shade was gone. #CW #QRP
A photo of a trail in the forest preserves near the Des Plaines River.An image of a map depicting Morse code communications today from K1TLN across the United States.
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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 09/09/2026
New card arrived in the inbox today #13Colonies #CW
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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 06/09/2026
1.2 SWR in the CW portion of 20, no tuning needed. Always impressed at the reach of this thing, for a collection of parts I kinda slapped and soldered together.
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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 06/09/2026
First day back at it in a couple weeks, serving beeps for breakfast. Good QRP morning in the midwest.
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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 04/09/2026
September 2026: Frame and Canvas - Braid braid.bandcamp.com (A physical copy of this in my collection was long overdue, shoutout Bandcamp Fridays)
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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 28/08/2026
Gundam 45th anniversary x Miku collab CHAR'S ZAKUGURUMI [MIKU VER.]
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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 13/08/2026
Talked too much shit, this LCD module had me fighting for my life 😩 done now though, so we continue!
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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 13/08/2026
Toroids wound and soldered down - not nearly as bad as I thought it might be. Gotta pick this back up later.
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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 07/08/2026
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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 01/08/2026
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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 01/08/2026
The Drifter arrives to support the (remaining) community goals. The star density in the space surrounding Colonia is always a sight to see #EliteDangerous
A screenshot of a fleet carrier and a Panther Clipper Mk.II in the starry space of Colonia in the video game Elite Dangerous.
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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 27/07/2026
Got my first ever QSL card in the mail. Totally different feeling from filling out my logbook, extremely rad.
QSL from special event station K2B for 13 Colonies 2026.QSL from special event station K2B to K1TLN confirming Morse code contact on the 20m band during 13 Colonies 2026.
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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 25/07/2026
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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 24/07/2026
A still of the title card from the film The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 20/07/2026
Today, I activated US-7839 successfully. 11 CW contacts across 11 different states. Ran into two married operators working voice on 6m, friendly and all good vibes. After work was done, chatted for a long while with one of the stewards about native prairie plants in Illinois and local area history.
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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 18/07/2026
Chirps and splashes and beeps. No complaints about my morning so far.
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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 17/07/2026
I used to LOVE the Dreamcast VMUs. I mean, I still do, but I used to, too.
The author holding two clear blue Dreamcast VMUs with an old LCD screen on, reading "SEGA Visual Memory Unit."
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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 15/07/2026
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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 11/07/2026
Helping a friend get set in a new place today and I’m posted up at a park nearby, working 20m CW and even a little FT8 until the truck arrives and the heavy lifting begins.
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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 10/07/2026
The view from today's EFHW deployment site. T01 ended up hovering here for a bit as I chatted with some others in the forest preserve. Payload module has been killing it; exposing the receiver wire = huge diff. Also met a 15 y/o cat named Leo that gets forest walkies twice a week, living the dream.
A view of treetops in a northern Illinois forest preserve, where the author flew a drone and temporarily deployed a thin end-fed halfwave antenna wire for radio.
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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 09/07/2026
Pretty sure I can push it farther, too - I pulled the red receiver wire out of the plastic frame for better reception. Didn't bring spare batteries and its 90*F out, so I finished testing and walked home. Quick shot of the park and the very aesthetic, if too toasty, evening, before heading back.
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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 09/07/2026
Chats during FD 2026 got me inspired to revisit the payload modules that I've been using with my drone...well, not using nearly enough - the range was limited, like 40-50 ft, so have been using mostly verticals instead. Read up, did some testing, and got it to respond and drop from 100 ft tonight.
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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 06/07/2026
Today, I made a handful of Morse code contacts, but this one's gotta be the highlight - the Radio Association of Western New York operating special event station W2D from aboard the USS Little Rock alongside "Mama Duck" - the largest rubber duck in the world!
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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 04/07/2026
First time jumping into one of these, but I tried hunting stations for the Thirteen Colonies event. The combination heatwave and thunderstorm put a wrap to my plans pretty quickly but managed to contact three colony stations on 20m CW. This was fun - will try to hunt the rest if the weather agrees.
An image of Morse code contacts today between the author and "13 Colonies" event stations.
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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 03/07/2026
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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 01/07/2026
SEGA, you have the opportunity to do something so fucking funny right now
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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 28/06/2026
This year's Field Day was a blast. We made contacts on our huge doublet; while some of our other members worked SSB, I manned the CW station outside of the canopies on 20m (and took the opportunity to test the tuned, linked elevated radials I built a few weeks back). Wiped out today, but worth it!
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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 27/06/2026
The Windy City Amateur Radio Society (WCARS) is operating from the field today for ARRL Summer Field Day at Busse Woods Nature Preserve, Grove 13. Stop by for food, fun, and field ops. We’ll be the ones with the 90ft doublet in the air!
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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 26/06/2026
Got you, totally makes sense. Here’s my node’s QR code.
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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 23/06/2026
s o o n
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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 07/06/2026
Good morning from amateur radio station K1TLN in northern Illinois, currently listening to distant beeps from an operator in Switzerland that my QRP beeps are probably not gonna reach but we’re gonna try anyway 😁
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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 02/06/2026
Deliberate language still undefeated. A new planetary exploration ship-launched fighter announced today that ISN'T an SRV - the Nomad. Cannot wait.
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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 30/05/2026
Left the Kilowatt Drifter behind near our squadron's starport and instead opted to fly the engineered Caspian to see what I could do. A little over an hour and 22000+ LY later, touching down at Jaques Station in Colonia for the first time. #EliteDangerous
A screenshot of Elite Dangerous - the K1-T21 Caspian landing in the Colonia system at Jaques Station.
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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 29/05/2026
Five states tonight across a handful of contacts. Not too shabby for an evening spin.
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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 25/05/2026
No gum allowed No seeds allowed QRP only
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K1TLN @k1tln.com · 25/05/2026
The weather was too nice to stay inside all day, so I got out for a little while this evening and made four more CW contacts, bringing me to reaching beeps into 11 states so far. Also had a short chat yesterday with a licensed op in Guérande, France using morse code over vBand's web interface.
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