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Welcome to kv5r’s corner of the web!

What

It’s all about super-clean HTML4/5 and CSS2/3 coding, web site development, DIY audio-video projects, Amateur Microscopy, Amateur Radio, Computers, money-saving homemade projects, artisan breads, homemade soap, and sundry other things. On the menu, you’ll find links leading to…

  • My articles—see below.
  • Now on YouTube! Please see and subscribe to my channel, Waggin1. Videos include equipment reviews, DIY camera stabilizers, DIY video lighting, homemade bread and soap, and more.

How-to Articles

On Amateur Radio

Mod your 706. Build antennas and electronic projects. Study for a license. Learn about emergency communications. And more! It’s all about having more fun with ham radio. NEW! 2018 Projects covers the Icom 7100, SDR Panadapter, Audio, Ameritron AL-80B, MFJ-989D, my 80-meter Doublet, and several DIY accessories.

Amateur Microscopy (NEW for 2014)

The wonderful world of amateur microscopy. KV5R has pulled it together in one nice series of articles. Starting from the beginning, he covers microscope basics, purchasing a microscope and supplies for the home/hobby microscopy lab, then gets into the more advanced areas like slide preparation and photomicrography.

On Cameras, Video, Audio

How to post-process your audio voice tracks like a pro, for free. Batch-process the audio in your home videos. Make your cheapo mic sound like a studio mic! How to make your own homemade steadicam and shoot video like the pros! It isn’t magic—it’s all about balance and isolating your hand from your camera. Join me as I make gadgets for $30 that normally cost $800 and take the shake out of your videos. How to mount accessories to a camera or camcorder that doesn’t have threads. Reviews of a low-cost camcorder and lens accessories. How to build your own low-cost video lights. Several low-cost, DIY ideas to choose from with halogen, compact fluorescent, and LED video lighting solutions.

On Computers

How to install a solid-state drive! A 9-page in-depth tutorial on solid-state drives, cloning, and fresh Windows 7 installs. How to deep-clean your keyboard. Also, a review of the CM-Storm Quickfire tenkeyless Cherry mechanical keyboard. How to clean up XP, set up a LAN, and fix blinking tooltips. Why you should start using a standards-compliant web browser.

On Web Design and Development.

Break the mold of millions of cluttered, confusing, hyperactive, over-complicated web sites. Tongue-in-cheek articles with surprising facts, helpful tips, and curmudgeonly commentary. Learn more about web writing and typography. Discover the power of CSS. Throw out the wysiwyg and learn to hand-code. Find out why XHTML is useless.

On Homemade Bread

Jump into the fun and delicious hobby of artisan breads. See how my first-ever handmade bread turned out!

On Soap Making

Make your own soap, just the way you want it. Starting from the beginner’s perspective, it introduces the reader to the useful skill and fun hobby of soaping. Lots of photos and helpful hints.

Come on in!

I hope you’ll find something valuable, something useful here. Feel free to look around!

About

KV5R is dedicated to learning new things and sharing them with others. When he takes an interest in a new challenge, he researches it and, along the way, writes articles about it. Once a subject is mastered to a satisfactory degree, he moves on to the next challenge. This means that he writes articles from a beginner's perspective, then carries the reader through the learning process.

Current interests include:

  • Amateur Radio
  • Amateur Microscopy, microbiology, etc.
  • Web software development, web writing
  • High-definition digital video editing and audio post-processing
  • Home-built camera and video accessories
  • Producing YouTube videos (channel: waggin1)
  • Smooth jazz
  • Good ol' homemade bread and cookin'
  • Cold-process saponification (soap-making)
  • etcetera.

made with
open-source software

and kv5r
Engraved hardwood oval of a dog, sitting on a reflecting table. Made in Xara Xtreme.

All pages herein are Copyrighted. Please link — do not copy.