Nothing like a simple fix to a problem you've been banging your head against for months to humble you...
As a bit of background, one of the APRS systems I manage for the KL7AA club is an HF APRS igate, running robust packet (RPR) on 30m at 10.1473 USB. Its not my favorite mode, given its closed-source nature, but I will grudgingly admit it performs well. Having a free software modem version available helps make it more accessible, but that's a rant for another post.
This system has been down for most of the winter, and given the harsh winter storms we've had, I believed the issue to be with either the feedline or the antenna, and began to troubleshoot. Another club member happened to be close by, and we began discussing the issue. It was at this point they asked 'is this cable supposed to be plugged in?'
It was the interface cable from the modem to the radio.
All winter this cable had been unplugged, making me chase my tail for months trying to troubleshoot it. Plug it back in, and the packets immediately started to flow again.
Putting my silly moments out there helps keep me humble.
KL1V
