Uuki, OH2GVB, Kosminen Vompatti

About me:

This is me. I like Australia, HP calculators, shrimp, Linux, very hot chili, photography, Pink Floyd, icewater swimming and hearing from people who are interested in the same. I do not especially like spiders, mushrooms, Windows the operating system, optical mice, SO-239/PL-259 (UHF) connectors or dill. Here's some more information on me:

Electronics and radio stuff:

I like electronics, which also connects to some of my other hobbies such as amateur radio, astronomy and rocketry. I enjoy prototyping electronic stuff and building things for whatever purpose. I also fix stuff, ranging from consumer electronics to lab equipment. Much of my electronic test equipment has been acquired broken or malfunctioning, and fixed by myself. No way I could afford to buy a HP8562B spectrum analyzer, for example!

Station equipment at OH2GVB
My electronic test equipment
Electronic projects (Magnetometer, Butternut HF9V clone, Spectrum Analyzer repair, ...)

Astronomical stuff:

I have always been interested in astronomy, and have built myself a couple of Dobsonian telescopes. I didn't grind the optics myself, I don't believe I have the patience for that. Living in the city, I must transport the scopes to a dark site to see anything, so light weight and compact size are important. How small and light can you make a 16-inch (400 mm) scope? (Try 21 kg.) How quickly can a collapsible scope be set up for use? (Try 5 minutes.)

Hiking:

I especially love hiking in the wilderness. I've done that since I was six years old. Lately I've taken to hiking longer distances (some 400 km or so) over a longer time (say 6 weeks) alone in the wilderness of Lappland.

Why alone? Partly the freedom, partly the adventure, partly because no-one else is as crazy as me...? I don't mind company, in fact. But there is something special about being all alone in the great Wilderness, roughing it out and surviving on your own, experiencing—no, living—the grandeur of Nature and the smallness of man in comparison...

I mean look at the enormous fells, the tall trees, the wide blue sky, the endless forests, the thousands of lakes... And if you look real carefully, there in the middle is little old me, sitting comfortably at a small campfire, cooking fresh fish, with a dreamy look on my face.

Anyway, here's some stuff:

My ultralight titanium stove can burn wood, or spirits in a Trangia burner, and weighs only 100 grams
A list of stuff that I carry while hiking alone
Where I have hiked

And here's some photos:

Summer 2008: Korouoma – Posio – Riisitunturi – Ruka – Karhunkierros – Hautajärvi – Salla – Tuntsa – Tulppio
Summer 2009: Utsjoki (Cygnus) – Kaldoaivi – Vätsäri – Nellim; Hossa
Summer 2010: Kairijoki – Kemihaara – UKK – Rajajooseppi – Sarmi – Nellim – Vätsäri – Näätämö – Nuorgam

After I return from a 6-week hike, I spend the next 2 weeks daydreaming about the great memories. Then I spend the next 44 weeks daydreaming about the next one.

Other stuff:

Some other boring yet irrelevant stuff:

Tällä hetkellä minusta kyllä tuntuu, että hämähäkkejä ei saada.

Antti J. Niskanen <uuki@iki.fi>