Author: Russ Woodman

LHS Show Notes #035

Posted on by Russ Woodman

Contributors:

  • Steve posted a message at the Resonant Frequency forums and asked about the early episodes not being available on iTunes. That was a "feature", but Richard "fixed" it. Going forward, once we hit 50 episodes, older ones will drop off the feed to iTunes, so you'll need to go to the web site to get them.
  • Chris, ZL2CCO, posted a link to the LHS site on his blog. Thanks, Chris!
  • Via snail mail we received a donation and feedback from Tom, NC0O. He's been enjoying the podcast and sent a donation to support the Dayton expedition. Thanks, Tom!
  • Walter, KV6M, writes to clear up a mistake from Episode 31. We incorrectly attributed the penultimate donation to the Dayton fund to Walter, WN3LIF, but it was, in fact, from Walter, KV6M. Sorry, Walter, we've corrected the show notes, and thank you for the donation, and correction. We're sorry for the confusion.
  • Doug, N6LMX, sends his greetings and wonders what happened to a message he sent some time ago and was never mentioned, so he sent it again. (Richard had been holding it for the other show.) Doug wonders which Linux distribution Richard chose for his old Dell Latitude laptop. Richard chose Crunchbang Linux Lite. Also mentioned, the Midori browser.
  • Larry, W0AY, writes to express his appreciation for Episode 31. He would like to see Richard get a mute switch for his microphone. Thanks, Larry, and we're currently soliciting donations for a noise gate for Richard.
  • LHS got a mention in an anonymous comment in the Linux Journal forums.
  • Chris, K3DC, mentions LHS in a presentation he prepared, perhaps for a club meeting.
  • Another LHS mention in an IRC log posted to pastebin.
  • Jim, N2ENN, writes to offer some information about microphones in response to Bill's microphone rant in Episode 31, and discusses Linux drivers. Thanks for the information, Jim. We'll talk more about this in a later episode.
  • Glynne, KD5VQD, offers his wallet-sized reference card for the phonetic alphabet. Thanks, Glynne. Russ will post it in the Articles section of the Linux in the Ham Shack web site.
  • Klaatu mentions in his blog that he enjoyed the song "Flash in a Bottle" by Dead Heart Bloom in Episode 30.
  • Others have commented that they enjoyed the song "Don't Go" by Tenpenny Joke that was featured in Episode 31.

Announcements:

  • Southeast Linuxfest v2.0 is set for June 12-13 at the Marriott at Renaissance Park hotel in Spartanburg, SC! Russ is planning on being there, as is Klaatu.
  • Texas Linux Fest will be Saturday, April 10, 2010 at the Monarch Events Center, Austin, Texas
  • Logo Contest: The Linux in the Ham Shack logo needs an update, and we'd like a new logo before the 2010 Dayton Hamvention. Please submit your original logo, preferably in .tiff or .svg format, or in a very large .jpg, to Russ and/or Richard. Deadline is March 31, 2010. If selected, you will win $100!
  • Program Intro Contest: Record your Linux in the Ham Shack introduction and send it along. Record it on your computer and send the sound file, or call 888-455-0305, or 417-429-4069, and record your intro via the phone. All entries will eventually be used, but one winner will be chosen at random and will receive $25. Recordings made via the phone numbers will have two chances to win.
  • Send your submissions for either contest to Russ k5tux@blacksparrowmedia.com or Richard kb5jbv@blacksparrowmedia.com.
  • We've been having problems with our hosting service. It's likely that the Black Sparrow Media sites will be moving sometime in the next few months. Check the web site for details as they develop.
  • Look for Linux in the Ham Shack at the 2010 Dayton Hamvention. We'll be in the North Hall, booth #265 (NH0265).
  • Our new donation goal is to raise sufficient money to purchase a noise gate for Richard. Every little bit helps, so please click on the Donate link and send along a dollar or two.

Links and Notes:

Music:

  • "Bessie's Secret" by Heifervescent from the album "Murder in the Garden."
  • "Breathing on Another Planet" by No, Really from the album "Rust."

LHS Episode #035: Soylent Green is Bad Apples

Posted on by Russ Woodman

Last week in the Linux in the HAM Shack chat room, we had a lot of participation from our listeners. It was so great to see everyone there. We hope that in the future, more people will get a chance to check out the live show. Check back here on the web site for the schedule of live recordings.

This episode of Linux in the Ham Shack is jam-packed with content. We have a special guest from around the Interwebs that you will likely know if you listen to other podcasts about Linux. The show did run a bit longer than usual, but there is just so much in it I couldn't begin to tell you everything you're going to hear. I do hope that you'll stick around for the entire episode because there are some goodies near the end that you will not want to miss out on, including how you can win significant cold, hard cash.

Thanks to our special guest, our live participants and to everyone who listens to the show. PLEASE, tell everyone you know about us, and that we're not just for amateur radio enthusiasts. Technofiles, geeks, Linux and FOSS addicts and just about everyone will gain something from the podcast. Oh, and due to a couple of technical problems, the audio quality in this episode is poor in a few places. I did the best I could. Next time it'll be better. Have a great week!

73 de Russ and Richard

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

LHS Show Notes #034

Posted on by Russ Woodman

Welcome back, Richard!

Contributors:

  • Linux in the Ham Shack showed up on Podcast Sniper.
  • Chris, ZL2CCO, mentions LHS on his blog. Thanks, Chris!
  • Doug, N6LMX, is listening to Episode 31 and recommends the Griffin SmartTalk Headphone Adapter for the iPod Touch. It adds a microphone to your headphones. He bought his at Fry's. (You can also find it at Amazon for a little less money. Click through our Amazon store and support the Black Sparrow Media podcast empire! -Ed.)

Announcements:

  • Texas Linux Fest is Saturday, April 10, 2010 at the Monarch Events Center, Austin, Texas.
  • Southeast Linux Fest is June 12-13, 2010 at the Marriott at Renaissance Park hotel in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
  • We met our fund-raising goal for attending Dayton Hamvention 2010! The next goal is to raise enough money for a noise gate for Richard.
  • Richard expresses his appreciation for everyone's patience and support during the past few weeks.

Links and Notes:

  • Amateur radio satellite operation.
  • Doppler shift
  • Footprint
  • Linear transponder: a broadbanded repeater that operates over a range of frequencies.
  • Satellite tracking: there are programs that will help you find when and where a satellite will appear over your location. This page lists several, including some that run on Linux.
  • You will very likely need an antenna with gain, and probably a means of moving the antenna to match the trajectory of the satellite as it passes by.
  • SAREX (Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment) has been superceded by ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station).
  • Equipment considerations. A VHF/UHF radio with sideband capability is often required, as is a cross-polarized antenna with gain.
  • More info can be found at the AMSAT site including Keplerian Elements and other tracking tools.
  • The ARRL publishes several books on satellite operation.

Music: