By Dave Jensen, W7DGJ

Great Rig Thermometer

Recentlly I bought a few stick-on thermometers which are readily available on Amazon and other sources. I have been using them on some of my gear as a visible warning for electronics that might be getting too warm. While most big radios or amps will have temperature indicators on their front panel (such as my linears), there are some products like antenna tuners that do not. And yet, they can be subject to the same heat issues if they are overdriven.  I like the visual confirmation when I'm on QSOs that everything is cool and comfortable -- see the photo. They are fast reacting and can save you a bundle with their visual indication that you've pushed your shack too hard.

Are Matching Speakers for Transceivers Worth the Cost?

I have an IC-7300 with a matching SP-38 speaker next to it. Do I like the way it looks next to my radio? I sure do! Does it outperform the internal speaker and give me any kind of advantage? No way. All that this nearly $200 purchase does is shoot the sound out front, instead of "up" as in the internally mounted speaker. Sure, that's an advantage for some if the IC-7300 is rack mounted. But I fail to see the $200 value here. Yes, it's built well (like all ICOM products) but it's a just another little speaker like the one in the radio, mounted in a nice matching cabinet. In this case, the external speaker option on the radio is purely a benefit to appearance. All that I got by adding this speaker to my shack was to make it look a bit cooler. Reminds me of adding racing stripes to your car, which don't make it go any faster.

I wonder, are ALL external speakers this kind of poor value? It's definitely overpriced. It should be $100 at retail, but it's twice that. It should be a better loudspeaker than the one built into the rig, and it's not. I would love to have your comments in the attached forum as to how Yaesu and other brands of radios handle their external speaker option. ICOM, I'd like to see you produce a $200 option for the IC-7300 that truly has some unique functions, perhaps noise limiting controls or the addition of a button or two and some electronics to improve the value ratio! I rate the SP-38 as an A in build quality and a C in user experience.

Ham Radio Coffee?

You might remember one of our first "Short Takes" columns here on QRZ where I mentioned my IKEA ham shack coffee cup holder. I love that thing. It keeps my coffee off the desk, as over the years I have dumped coffee all over my keyboards and paddles.  It's photographed here, next to a package of coffee that I received one day after Hamvention last month. I wasn't aware that there was a coffee produced by hams for hams, but you know what? It makes sense. My shack is driven in part by good coffee. Mornings, you'll find me in my radio room with a good cup of Java, enjoying the Activity Group or a net, or just reading the mail both on the radio or from my mailbox.

The story of Home Brew Coffee is a bit unusual. Steve (W3BIZ) is an entrepreneur in several different businesses, and he's long wanted to have a coffee company. There's just no sign of a slow-down worldwide for the consumption of the beverage. Good coffee still needs to be sought out, because there are so many marginal, stale beans being sold around the world. Steve's idea was to produce coffee in small batches so that it could be shipped in airtight packages on the day it is roasted, and you can just taste how fresh it is. It's a premium roast, which means it's a bit pricey, but I have enjoyed his Ham Shack blend now for several mornings in a row and I'm going to have a hard time switching back to Lavazza when the package is empty.

You'll catch W3BIZ (great call sign, Steve) on phone chasing POTA or DX, and working Skywarn in his Michigan county on 2M.

73 for now,

Dave

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