LHS Episode #103: Indoorsman Meets Outdoorsman

pete-300x300Thanks for tuning into Episode #103 of Linux in the Ham Shack. With this episode we welcome in our quasi-permanent replacement for the on-hiatus Richard. Pete, VE2XPL, hails from somewhere near Montreal in Quebec, Canada, and you can read more about him on the About Us page on this very site. In this information-filled installment, Pete and Russ discuss the FCC and other licensing bodies getting interested (perhaps too interested) in VoIP technology. They also talk about several software packages related to running ham radio loggers and an Echolink client under Linux. And then they trudge through a super, super, super, super, super long e-mail from Brad. Thanks, Brad! Keep listening, folks, you're not going to believe what the next few episodes have in store.

73 de The LHS Guys

Show Notes #102

Episode #102 Audio (Listen Now):

  • [audio:https://bsmarchive.info/lhs/mp3/lhs102.mp3]

Introduction:

  • Rob from the MintCast podcast is on the show tonight filling in for the nomadic and enigmatic Richard.

Announcements:

  • The 2013 Dayton Hamvention is coming up May 17-19 in Dayton, Ohio. We are still in need of donations. Please keep 'em coming.
  • The Wouff Hong Podcast, member of the Black Sparrow Media Network, have released their first episode. If you don't subscribe to the BSM aggregate feed, you can find them at the link above. Good episode, and they mention LHS.
  • Rob and Russ use BeyondPod on Android as a podcast manager.
  • Roy, KK4ATD, will be in Atlanta at RARSfest as an ambassador for LHS. If you're anywhere near Raleigh, NC on Saturday, March 30, 2013, stop by and say hello. [LHS will NOT be present at RARSfest this year. Sorry for any confusion. -Ed]
  • The sponsored ads in the right column of the LHS web site actually make us a not insignificant amount of money when you click on them. If you want to help us out without donating your own money, please click on an ad when you visit our site. We get money in our donation box, and you don't lighten your own pockets. Thank you!

Topics:

  • Visit KE8P's blog. One of the articles documents using a Raspberry Pi as a temperature monitor.
  • KK4ATD has developed Hamux, a 64-bit, CentOS-based Linux distribution with ham radio applications. This is a "live" CD image, so you can boot it from CD and try it before installing. At 698MB, it just barely fits on a CD.
  • Our hosts embark on a brief digression about Douglas Adams.
  • Slow Scan TV (SSTV)SSTV is a method of sending still images using radio frequencies on the HF bands. FSTV (fast-scan TV), which is typically done on VHF and UHF frequencies at distances up to a couple hundred miles, is similar to broadcast TV.In order to operate SSTV, you'll need a radio (and a license to transmit), a computer, a sound card interface to connect them to each other, and software. For Linux, we have QSSTV. The current version is 7.1.7, released on January 4, 2012. It is compatible with the Ham Radio Control Libraries (hamlib) for controlling the radio.Russ gives a brief overview of the various configuration options and interface of QSSTV.
  • Rob is not a ham, but has considered obtaining his license. Unfortunately, he lives in an area with deed restrictions that prohibit outside antennas. What are his options? There are several resources on the web for ham operation with antenna restrictions. Some of these are:

    Though in Rob's case, with aluminum foil-lined roof tiles, attic antennas are not likely to work very well.

    Other possibilities: using EchoLink, IRLP, operating mobile or portable. Perhaps tossing up a temporary wire antenna in the back yard, operate, then take it down.

    Rob and Russ discuss the various options, potential for TVI, and VEC testing opportunities.

Feedback:

  • David, KE0AZ, writes to say he's sorry to see Richard to go, but will continue to listen.
  • Frank, K4FMH, would like to see more technical content in future episodes.
  • W. Lynn writes to say that the Belton HamExpo will be April 20, 2013 in Belton, TX.
  • Gary, KE2YK, will miss Richard, too. He also appreciates the mention of Linux Mint 14 as it reminded him to give it a try.
  • Pete, VE2XPL and the host of the wAVEgUIDES podcast, sends his congratulations on 100 episodes and best wishes for Richard.
  • Gary, KE2YK, also sent comments about episode 101, including a link to his review of the Raspberry Pi.
  • Brian, WB4ES, sends his thanks for Richard's introduction to JT-75 screencast. (Available to subscribers.)
  • There are more comments on LHS Facebook Page.

Contact Info:

  • Contact Russ at k5tux@lhspodcast.info or info@lhspodcast.info.
  • Listen to the live stream every other Tuesday at 8:00pm Central time. Check the LHS web site for dates.
  • Leave us a voice mail at 1-909-LHS-SHOW (1-909-547-7469), or record an introduction to the podcast.
  • Sign up for the LHS mailing list.
  • LHS merchandise is available at the Merch link on Web site. Check out the Badgerwear or buy one of the other LHS-branded items at PrintFection.com/lhs or Cafe Press. Thanks!
  • Thanks to Dave from Gamma Leonis for the theme music.

Music:

  • "Insanity" by Mad Mav from the album Black Sheep, courtesy of Jamendo.
  • "Strike the End" by Convergence from the album Points of View, courtesy of Jamendo.

Show Notes #098

Introduction:

  • A Futile Exercise in Focus, or perhaps a feudal exercise. Stay tuned and find out.

Announcements:

  • Listen to us live Tuesday evenings (in the USA), or subscribe and receive access to the unedited recording and other things. Visit the website for details.
  • We're in dangerous proximity to episode 100, so send in comments, suggestions, voice mail, Facebook, Google+, or carrier pigeons.
  • All you podcasters out there, join the Black Sparrow Media network.
  • The 2013 Dayton Hamvention will be May 17-19, 2013. Russ is hoping to have the LHS booth again, but we need your help. Please donate if you can. Every little bit helps.
  • Kevin O'Brien, Publicity Director for the Ohio LinuxFest, tells us that they have set up a brief survey to gather ideas for the 2013 Ohio LinuxFest. Visit https://ohiolinux.org/ to find the survey.
  • Northeast Linux Fest will be March 16th and 17th, 2013, at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Topics:

  • Russ' Raspberry Pi adventures continue. His Echolink node 54711 is now up and running on a Raspbian-based Raspberry Pi with svxlink and Qtel. Russ had to insert "dwc_otg.fiq_fix_enable=0" into the /boot/cmdline.txt file in order to fix a problem with the onboard Ethernet card locking up. Since then, all has been well.
  • Amateur Radio Pi is a forum with the tagline: The interactions between amateur radio and the Raspberry Pi.
  • The Society for the Preservation of Amateur Radio (SPAR) will conduct a Winter Field Day, beginning 1700Z on January 26, 2013 and ending at 1700Z January 27th.
  • HamSphere is a software Amateur Radio simulator that allows licensed radio amateurs and unlicensed enthusiasts to communicate with one another using a virtual transciever over the Internet. It was designed by Kelly Lindman, a radio amateur with callsign 5B4AIT. The software runs under Windows, Mac or Linux. There's also a Wikipedia page for more information.
  • RepeaterBook is an Android application for locating amateur radio repeaters. There are lots of options, including repeater types and modes (D-Star, etc). It also supports the BlueCAT Yaesu FT-857/FT-817 interface that allows you to tap a repeater entry in RepeaterBook on the phone and it will set your radio frequency.

Feedback:

  • Comment via the Web site from Leif, KC8RWR, with another attempt at explaining hard and soft links, which we were discussing in episode 95. Thanks, Leif.
  • Leif also commented about difficulties hearing a mobile radio without a speaker in the head unit.
  • A very strange voice mail from the Radio Gangsta, aka Rich, KD0RG, from the LowSWR podcast.
  • E-mail from gasgasmike, asks if it would be possible to use short wave radio to provide wireless Internet service. Our hosts discuss the practical difficulties with such a scheme. (Note: the use of the amateur portions of the radio spectrum for commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the FCC.)
  • Jeff, KC2QZO, sends his appreciation of our discussion of Codec2 in episode 85.
  • Russ mentions that there is another low-bitrate codec is being developed: The Opus Interactive Audio Codec.

Contact Info:

  • Contact Richard at kb5jbv@gmail.com, Russ at k5tux@lhspodcast.info, or both at the same time at info@lhspodcast.info.
  • Listen to the live stream every other Tuesday at 8:00pm Central time. Check the LHS web site for dates.
  • Leave us a voice mail at 1-909-LHS-SHOW (1-909-547-7469), or record an introduction to the podcast.
  • Sign up for the LHS mailing list.
  • Sign up for the MAGNetcon mailing list.
  • LHS merchandise is available at the Merch link on Web site. Check out the Badgerwear or buy one of the other LHS-branded items at PrintFection.com/lhs or Cafe Press. Thanks!
  • Thanks to Dave from Gamma Leonis for the theme music.

Music:

  • None this episode.

LHS Episode #098: Feudal Exercise

rackSometimes you feel like a nut. Sometimes you don't. Luckily, Richard's miraculous recovery from the Creeping Death outweighed Russ's totally miserable Ides of January, resulting in a listenable episode with a bunch of content--mostly thanks to elcaset, a listener of the show, via IRC. There's also a bit about svxlink using a Raspberry Pi (yes, it is possible and completely functional) and lots of information about upcoming events. We'd like to thank everyone you who submitted feedback, including The Radio Gangsta, who we also hope will get some much-needed psychological attention soon.

If you think about it, make sure to download the Black Sparrow Media app for your iPhone, iPad or Android device. And please tell your friends about the show. Have them sign up for the mailing list, episodes via RSS, the Google+ community and all the other ways they can keep up with what's going on in LHS Land.

73 de The LHS Guys