LHS Episode #124: Dog Boarding

beaglebone-in-handHello, folks! A couple weeks late and a dollar or two short, we're back! In this delectable episode of Linux in the Ham Shack, your intrepid hosts discuss a variety of topics from antenna safety to Linux conventions to getting your name on an asteroid. For our main discussion, we tackle a couple updates to Linux distributions, including one specifically for amateur radio use. Then we plow on through a heaping helping of feedback. Thanks for tuning in, and be sure to tell all your friends about us. Also, hope to see you all at Dayton this year! Rewards for those who pledged to our fund are coming soon. Stay tuned.

73 de The LHS Guys

LHS Show Notes #028

Contributors:

  • Russ recommends the movie Carnival of Souls.
  • Wish Russ a Happy Birthday on December 5th!
  • Jos invites everyone to attend Camp KDE 2010 in San Diego, CA on January 15-22, 2010.

Announcements:

  • Donations from Paul KC9QYB, Joel, and Walter. Thank you! (And congratulations to Paul on getting his Technicians license!)
  • A Google alert says the LHS website showed up in linuxzine.com, probably because of our sponsorship of Linux Mint.
  • You can leave feedback via our toll-free telephone line at 888-455-0305.

Links and Notes:

  • Richard talks about using an old Dell Latitude laptop for mobile operations. After many trials and tribulations and resetting the BIOS, he managed to install Xubuntu, and has D-RATS installed.
  • Russ installed Ubuntu 9.10 on a machine. He tried 64-bit Linux Mint 7, but it failed.
  • Richard wanted to run DSL or Puppy on the Latitude. DSL booted, but he couldn't get the network card to work.
  • From the chatroom, N3JIM asks what virtualization software Russ is using. Currently, VMWare Server 2.02, but it doesn't play nice with newer kernels. So, Russ is planning on moving to Sun's VirtualBox.
  • Matt points out that Ubuntu will remove Gimp from the default installation beginning with Ubuntu 10.04.
  • Short Wave Listening, a topic suggested to Russ at Ohio Linux Fest.
  • Receivers: Ten-Tec RX-320D, a PC-controlled, shortwave receiver. Ten-Tec supplies Windows software, but there is a Linux program, too.
  • An article describing the receiver and it's application.
  • Other radios are available from Yaesu, Icom, Kenwood, and C. Crane.
  • Russ talks about the Radio Shack DX-440 shortwave receiver he used (aka Sangean 803A).
  • Digital Radio Mondiale
  • Time Synchronization Stations - you can syncrhonize your PC clock to a national standard: WWV, CHU.
  • Software: MultiMode 5.9.2 (for Mac OSX), fldigi, Radio Explorer.
  • Things to hear: Numbers stations, Letter stations.
  • Antennas: very similar to what you would need for a transceiver. Random wires and tuned dipoles, will work, too. Look for a receiver that has an external antenna jack.
  • Where to listen: Amateur radio bands, international broadcast bands.
  • QSO Radio Show can be heard Tuesdays from 05:00PM to 07:00PM ET, 2100 to 2300 UTC at 7415KHz (WBCQ radio).
  • Coast to Coast AM
  • Check Amazon for antennas, receivers, and SWL-related books. (Remember to use our Amazon link for your purchases.)
  • Passport to World Band Radio (Also available at Amazon).
  • KO4RB asks if we've had any specific experience with an active antenna for shortwave listening.

Music:

LHS Episode #028: The Art of Listening

rx320d_rearIt's the holiday season, and our gift to our listeners is a brand new podcast. During my time at Ohio Linux Fest back in September, several of the participants who visited the Linux in the HAM Shack booth provided topic ideas for the program. I recently dug those topics up and Richard and I will be tackling them over the next few episodes. In Episode #026, the topic we decide to visit is shortwave listening, including hardware and Open Source software for that very purpose. SWL is a way for non-hams to approach the hobby without encountering mic fright, and a way for existing hams and non-hams alike to explore the world of radio frequency communication, whether it be foreign broadcasts, pirate radio, amateur radio or time beacons. With several manufacturers of equipment still in business, SWL is by no means a lost art, and may be an interesting extension to the amateur radio hobby for those who don't currently participate in it.

Several thank yous go out to those who donated to the Dayton Hamvention 2010 fund. With my upcoming matching contributions we'll be about halfway to our goal. Please keep those donations coming, even after we've met our goal, so we can continue to improve our equipment, our hosting and our program. As always, thank you for downloading Linux in the HAM Shack. Please send us your feedback and questions, and please tell everyone you know about us--through word of mouth, blogging, social networking, whatever it takes. Our listenership continues to grow, and we hope that trend continues for years to come.

73 de Russ, K5TUX