Microsoft Windows 25 Years

Microsoft Windows turned 25 on November 20th. It has been a good and bad history. It has been a good thing for computers but I have had some "issues" with some of the practises of late that I have already Blog about. Windows has also helped move Ham radio forward with digital communications. So checkout this brief history of Microsoft Windows.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/history

The Flight of BLT-26

These guys did a great job at planning and deploying a balloon "to the Edge of Space". This is a very interesting website detailing what they did. The best part of it is that they included a WRT54GL for HSMM testing. They launched the balloon August 21, 2010. Check it out!


http://www.w5acm.net/b26.html

RADIO-EMAIL PSCM MPG RELEASE NOTICE

This is looking good for Digital Traffic. I have started reading this notice and find it is going in the same direction as we are in Kentucky.

"The Area Staff Chairs of the NTS have approved updates to the ARRL PSCM Appendix B, Methods and Practices Guidelines, Chapter 6, NTSD and Radio-email. These revisions provide for a structure and guidance on how the ARRL Field Organization may use Radio-email to provide nation-wide messaging in the modern email format via Amateur Radio with near real-time delivery anywhere in the country, 24/7. It also provides for integration of the ARES®, NTS and NTSD efforts nation-wide.

The new Radio-email system uses the Winlink 2000 network, infrastructure independent local automatic email service modules, plus station-to-station, radio-all-the-way transport services provided by the NTS/D to support all Sections. The Winlink 2000 network also provides us with a firewall and white list protected interface with the public internet for handling welfare and agency messaging with internet addressees. New types of message formats are included, and guidance on handling ICS-213 and other similar message formats is included."

Please go to the site and read more.

http://wx4j.com/MPG6_NTSD_RADIOEMAIL.htm

Travis County TX ARES Uses HSMM in Their SET

Travis County TX ARES Uses HSMM Mesh in Their SET on November 6, 2010. I like to see this happening in the world of HSMM. I would like to see more of this. Great job to Travis County TX ARES. Here is a write up about it at their site click here.


http://tcares.org/

Linux Software Update

I have been looking at several distros for Linux and I am starting to like what I see. Linux Mint is a nice looking OS as is Xandros. I also looked at Freebsd. These all looked ok but I chose to install Ubuntu 10.10. It was very easy to install and setup. I like the new OS so far but am still playing and tweaking it. I know that in April when they upgrade to Ubuntu 11.04 it will have Unity as the default desktop interface. I have no problem with that as long as it still meets my needs. This has been and will continue to be an interesting project.




http://www.linuxmint.com/
http://www.xandros.com/products/desktop/
http://www.freebsd.org/
http://www.ubuntu.com/

Overo Series Computer-on-Module

This is an interesting item little computer from Gumstix. Could this be a future HSMM computer? Could it have other uses for a mobile system for APRS? Check it out.





http://www.gumstix.com/

Microsoft Windows XP-- The Down Side

I have been a Microsoft Windows fan since Windows 3.0 came out. I say this as a precursor to why I am looking at another Operating system now. I got hit with what is called the "MS gotcha", I changed my motherboard in my Compaq computer and now my software licence is voided. Why is this you ask, because the software is OEM and tied to the Bios of the original motherboard. I have never run into this problem before so it has been an interesting adventure. There seems to be something inherently wrong with this software issue. I have right now about two viable choices, buy Windows7 or go with a Linux version. I am going to look at the Linux route at this point because I do like the open source and the lower costs involved. I will review some distros and go with the one that I like. It will need to be easy to use and somewhat Windows like because the wife also uses this one. I am not to worried about running Windows software so this should not be a problem. So here I go on a great adventure!

NBEMS/FLDIGI Sound Card Calibration

Make sure your sound card is calibrated for your FLDIGI software using CheckSR.exe. Olivia and MT63 will really benefit with this calibration. CheckSR.exe comes free with MixW software. To get the software without MixW and some good instructions, go to the Western PA Amateur Radio EmComm Digi Net Website Click Here. These guys did a good job with their website with NBEMS and FLdigi.



http://mixw.net/

http://www.pa-sitrep.com/NBEMS/fldigi_calibration.htm

HSMM and the Future

I would have to agree with KB9MWR about the state of  HSMM and the Microwave bands. See here: http://kb9mwr.blogspot.com/2010/10/interesting-article-bounty.html We need to band together and promote these under used bands and modes. I think we need to build the systems and set them up and show how it works. Most Hams are very happy doing what the like, APRS, DX, Ragchew, PSK-31. If we show them new things it can light a spark for the new band or mode. We really need to get out there and promote our cause. Here is a picture of  HSMM at our Henderson Emergency Services Awareness Day that was held October 2, 2010. This display started many conversations and may lead into some other people getting involved with the project.

USBlink by G4ILO

I have been playing around with building a USB interface using a cheap USB soundcard. It looks like Julian G4ILO has beat me to it. He has built a very nice interface. It also uses Skip Teller's KH6TY Vox circuit. The only thing I would do different would be to add some isolation transformers. Check out his build here:

http://www.g4ilo.com/usblink.html