Day 58, 59, 60 - Harlingen, TX - TT

Wednesday (58) - Hot and humid today. Walked a bit this morning before another remote radio test. Then headed for the pool to relax before the next test. The VE (volunteer examiners) group has been getting into DMR (digital mobile radio) and we even have an informal talk group. DMR could be very confusing but one member of the group has been helping others get started.

The RD-5R radio that I’ve been using for the last couple of years has a lot of limitations. The programming software is difficult to use and some things aren’t even addressed. I ordered a new dmr handheld from Bridgecom systems that has quite a few features that are missing on the RD-5R. Lots of memory, GPS, both analog and digital APRS, digital text messages and more. According to UPS, it’s supposed to be delivered tomorrow. We'll see.

Thursday (59) - Today's high temperature was this morning at 6am. And it'll be dropping all day long. By Sunday, the low will be below freezing. I heard that there were some major accidents in northern TX due to the icy roads. I guess that's why my delivery was delayed. By the time we leave this park, the forecast is for warm temperatures.

According to the UPS app, my package is out for delivery right now which probably means late afternoon at the earliest. 

Friday (60) - The UPS package arrived around 9:15pm. I didn't think they ran that late. I unpacked the box and set up the charger as the battery is shipped only partially charged. The small device is a Bluetooth push-to-talk button with a velcro strap. It's designed to attach to something such as the steering wheel if you want to use it hands-free. The Bluetooth can be paired to headsets or even your car stereo.

This morning, I imported the Brandmeister Talkgroups (around a thousand or so) and the world-wide database of dmr users (about 180,000). The Talkgroups list will make it easier to program and the user list will display name, call sign, and location on the radio screen instead of just the 6-7 digit dmr id. The RD-5R didn't have this ability and I could never remember the call signs. Easier to just look at the display.

After the first test session, I went to the jacuzzi as it was above 40°F (barely). I only stayed for about 20 minutes as it was pretty windy. Not at all like Chena Hot Springs.

Day 57 - Nuevo Progreso

We ventured into Mexico with Galen and Cindy this morning. We were both told to avoid crossing at Brownsville so we went about twenty miles west on I-2 and parked across from Nuevo Progreso. Parking was $2/car and the pedestrian toll on the bridge was $1. None of us really had a shopping list or anything like that.

After crossing, you are inundated with people trying to get you into prescription drug stores, dentist offices, salons, and other shops. I had never seen that density of dental offices ever. 

I did stop and get a haircut. Only $6! We did have a nice lunch. I enjoyed the time with Galen and Cindy but being constantly hounded to buy things or for hand outs got old really fast. The return bridge toll was 25¢. 

Day 53, 54, 55, 56 - Harlingen, TX - TT

Friday (53) - Walked a couple of miles this morning and there were quite a few spoonbills around the small pond in the campground. Unlike the last campground, two miles was only a fraction of the streets within the RV park. 

I replaced the gas struts on the bed platform. They were about ¼" shorter than the old ones but they work fine. The last maintenance item for now is the fresh water check valve on the city water line. 

Saturday (54) - A couple of more test sessions today. It is a breezy, overcast day so nothing else was planned. Last night, we met up with Galen and Cindy and went out to dinner at Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen. We had met them last summer in Seaside, Whaler’s Rest and South Jetty campgrounds. I had the ribs and coconut shrimp. Fantastic food and excellent company. 

The maintenance task of the day was cleaning out the dryer vent hose. I suspected that it had come loose from either the dryer or outside vent. The wall panel between the closet and the washer/dryer came off easily with a handful of screws and the hose had fallen off of the dryer. Lots of lint inside of the hose so it’s a good thing that we cleaned it. 

Sunday (55) - It’s back to sunny and warm again. High temp today is 80°F with a light wind. This morning, I started waxing the RV. Kind of like painting a house. I did the front and about half of one side. I’ll continue when the sun moves to the other side of the RV. The weather stripping on the bottom of the screen door was coming loose so instead of double stick tape, I just screwed it in place. 

Later, we went to Galen and Cindy’s rig and watched the Super Bowl on their satellite TV. 

Monday (56) - Back to overcast again. Cloudy, warm, and muggy. The A/C is on even though it's only 75°F due to the 80% humidity. I walked a couple of loops around the smaller RV park side that we are in which is around 1.5 miles. Far enough with the humidity.

Two more test sessions today with a visit to the pool between sessions. 

Day 49, 50, 51, 52 - Harlingen, TX - TT

Monday (49) - A long travel day today. Maybe five miles. We moved to a different RV park here in Harlingen. It’s the same one that we stayed at for a couple of weeks last year. This time, we are here for three weeks. It’s very RV park-ish but has a couple of pools and actual activities. With food trucks.

Tuesday (50) - A nice 2.5 mile walk this morning at a wonderful 64°F and sunny. I have more tests scheduled for today though the WiFi was useless. It was pretty good last year but it seemed like the AP kept loosing its uplink. It would work fine the stop working. Their tech support was worthless. So I canceled and we will just rely on Verizon. 

There are tests scheduled for today. The first one at 11, then 12:30, 4:30, and 5:00. The testing group is pretty flexible. 

Wednesday (51) - Another nice day. High temperatures around 80°F but a little bit windy. Two more test sessions today and I participated in the first sitting outside. But there was some wind noise being picked up by Zoom. So I'm back inside for the second session. We did visit the other (larger) pool and it is surrounded on three sides so it's pretty well protected from the wind. More familiar faces here. We met with Galen and Cindy this morning. We had met them at Seaside and Whaler's Rest in Oregon last summer. Also a couple of other RVs from the last RV park. 

There is also another ham radio operator that I had initially met in Lake Texoma last April. He has an impressive screwdriver antenna on the roof with a linear actuator to raise and lower the mast. He told me that it looks more impressive than it works.

Thursday (52) - One of the morning projects was replacing the rear A/C shroud that was broken when a large branch fell on it last September. The temporary fix with a Rubbermaid plastic lid and Gorilla tape held up just fine for a few thousand miles and five months. 

The new shroud is an aftermarket brand but it seems to be much sturdier. I guess being sixteen years newer doesn’t hurt. It didn’t fit as nicely as the original but it is flexible enough to adapt and I needed to drill new mounting holes as the holes in the new cover were all about an inch off. 

Another item in my Amazon order was a programming cable for the RD-5R dmr radio. I don't know how I can lose something within the RV but I managed. There wasn't a cable listed for my particular radio but I found something that I thought would work as I needed a cable without a usb chip embedded in the cable. It works and now that I have a new one, the old cable should show up at any moment. 

More repairs tomorrow...