follow that qar!

[acidfree:173 align=left] WB4APR posted to AMSAT-BB news about APRS-XO , an Activity written by KG4GJY that provides an APRS (Automatic Position Reporting System) implementation on the OLPC laptop . I got the owner of our XO to agree to install it and we managed very easily. Sending took some passcode research, but once that was done N1AIA appeared on findu.com . It's a start, but I'd rather use RF than the Internet for future position reports.

What's Margie Boulé got to say about letterboxing in the December 2 Oregonian ? To hear or read about the hobby of letterboxing might make it seem odd, or pathetic. Yes, she's got a point there. But she goes on to compare the experience to "the excitement pirates must have felt following a treasure map."

SV1BSX on Antenna Circular Polarization .

The WA5VJB pair has been wonderful for a year, but taking a step to an Arrow II 146/437-10BP satellite antenna, sans duplexer, would enhance enjoyment and, quite likely, signals received via the birds. EDIT: Ordered, arrived, and mostly assembled. New feedlines will be necessary. Thanks, KT. WB1AAT summarized Arrow versus Elk on the AMSAT-BB... ELK + cheaper all around + can be easily set up for permanent use + easier to aim due to wider beam width. Log periodic are like this. + smaller and very fast setup/teardown + one connector for dual band. - no handle for handheld use. You have to make one, but it's extremely easy to do. And no threads for tripod. - inconvenient if using 2 rigs. Must buy a separate duplexer. ARROW + copies a few degrees (just a few) lower than the Elk at my QTH + convenient built in handle and built in threads for tripod - narrower beam width - have to "aim" better. - not easily set up for permanent use. No simple mount and y

I've claimed 198 QSOs for my most serious SS effort since 2001. As the lines in the log filled, my attention increasingly went to the checks. So many from the 50s through the 70s and almost none from the present decade. My soapbox for the event simply says I'd plot the curve. I don't have a plotting program and can't bother right now with trying to figure out if OO Calc will let me draw a bell curve, but a couple of key statistics are these: Number of Years Since First Licensed mean ±SD = 40.38 ±12.58 Just a single check from the 21st century. That's about one-half of one percent. On the other end of the spectrum, it was very nice to work W4KFC, licensed 75 years in 2008 and 5-time CW Sweepstakes winner.

[acidfree:271]The AMSAT SSTV gallery holds images sent by Richard Garriott from the International Space Station and copied by earthbound hams. My receptions were few and not especially impressive . I failed to make a voice contact in perhaps 45 minutes of calling with QRP and a 3-element beam.

Based on selections heard, or simply rumor, these are artists or collections I would like to get to know -- or know better -- in no particular order. A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory Various Artists - Classic Appalachian Blues Dizzy Gillespie - on Verve Miike Snow - Downtown Various Artists - What is Hip? Remix Volume 1 Tnx X **** Voltaire Brothers - I Sing the Booty Electric Choral - Mountains Tnx MT **** The Asteroids Galaxy Tour - Fruit Tnx MT Various Artists - War Child Heroes Rokia Traore, Tchamantche Ntjrosie, Atouba Jeremy J? On K? Ran Dass? Trentemoller - The Last Resort Murcof - Cosmos Tnx X North Sea Radio Orchestra (see below) Various Artists - A Treasury of Tall Tales ( here ) Fridge - Happiness Anjulie - Ep Tnx X ** Martin Simpson & Wu Man - Music for the Motherless Child Tony Bennett - Crazy Rhythm Pine Top's Boogie Woogie The Sound of Jazz: Complete Edition (2005) (DVD) Charlie Haden - Rambling Boy Tnx X *** Mike Auldridge

Wouldn't it be great to be able to support the Summit County Democratic Party next Friday? Just not possible, I'm afraid.

I have watched Obama and McCain repeat themselves ad nauseum . They stay on message, churning out the same arguments, phrases, and misrepresentations of each other, regardless of the questions posed. One more chance next Wednesday to talk to those of us who have registered the message and want more depth, substance, and inspiration.

B-52s research prompted Progrography (a bad name, he knows), at the outset a compelling collection of reviews with progressive rock at its core. Plenty here to guide the listener.

A- assists as Jackson recites the Pledge, which he has copyrighted... Pledge to the Planet I pledge allegiance to the web of life of which we're each a strand and to our planet earth on which we stand one ecosystem under the sun interdependent with diversity and respect for all.

Copied these 15 calls (and 2 partials) on an AO-51 mid-continent pass starting about 0040Z and readable for about 12 minutes: N3TL, N5AFV, N5UXT, WB4?WQ, WQ1E, KD8ILL, WB5CKJ, W7JPI, W4TEJ, N5ZNL, KE5UBJ, VE7VW, VE3DRT, KC0TOH (not hearing), W5KUB, ??9L, and KB8OE. I didn't transmit till it was nearly too late, then called Leo after his question to Allen, "Are you still in the footprint?", went unanswered. I was shocked to sound so solid into the bird and easily completed a QSO on a nearly empty frequency. When we finished I heard Ron in BC rapidly turning to fuzz, did a quick click on the mic that seemed to have no effect, then grabbed the clipboard and ran inside to escape the mosquitoes.

When SuitSat-1 was transmitting in orbit, I tried listening two or three times and the best I could do was a brief quieting. I plan for better success with the successor. I was unprepared the first time around. Thanks to N6GHz, I've got pointers to some resources that will help me understand and enjoy SuitSat-2...  EE Times: "Extreme design: SuitSat pushes engineers' limits" (June 26, 2008 TechOnline)  TearDown TV video  AJ3U  All those links are dead now. But hey, I was successful ! And years later, this is alive: Decommissioned {Last checked January 22, 2021}

At this writing, 50 Euros = 77.83 U.S. Dollars. That's the minimum donation to reserve a 10x10px space on the website for the promised successor to AO-10, AO-13, and AO-40: AMSAT-DL's P3E Satellite . I even went so far as to create a little box for display. I'm just not sure I'm ready. After all, AMSAT-NA would also welcome my help, which seems a bit more natural. But international is the way of the amateur satellite world, so I'm open to join in for "GL & 73, Scott N1AIA" I like that space diagonal to the e in battery.

How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

Six months ago I missed the wind forecast and ended up atop Mount A in terrible hawk-watching conditions. I found a picnic table, did some editing, and went to check some detail on the Axim. It behaved poorly. And it kept on troubling me long after I brought it home. A little web research and I determined my digitizer was toast. After several false starts and an international shipping fiasco, I finally took delivery of a replacement digitizer last week. Today, over the course of a couple of hours, I managed a successful surgery and xot_axim is back to its old self with a new front end. Thanks for background, ideas, and guidance from... Aximsite Axim Users PdaParts EDIT 20080507: This recipient is currently unable to receive money. Hard to repay my touchscreen source with this kind of message coming out of PayPal.

Beckett Limited Kudos to seacoastonline.com for keeping this page available. Tree-mendous By Christine Gillette, A local entrepreneur is marketing a new gift item with an Arbor Day twist. It's the first product by Beckett Limited Editions of Portsmouth, which was launched this year by Brent Beckett, who gave up the corporate world to combine his love of nature with a sound business idea.

Tnx to N5VHO on amsat-bb for a ready reference... ISS packet is currently active on 145.825 simplex. You can check to see if packet is active by looking at the reports on any of the following websites: http://www.ariss.net http://www.issfanclub.com http://oscar.dcarr.org/index.php If packet is off, your chances are low (but you never know) of hearing voice on 145.80 unless it is a scheduled school contact during your pass.

Just screwed one of these to the satellite yagi boom. Now I'll need another for the 'scope. Bogen/Manfrotto 1/4 Mounting Plate UPDATE: Tnx Mom. Works like a charm.

[acidfree:195 align=right]When I read the intended operating scheme of the Ducie Island DXpeditioners , I was disheartened. With my HF station restricted mainly to the Elecraft K1 , working a 25 kHz split is essentially impossible. Then it occurred to me: My new Grundig G5 would be my second radio. All that remained was to learn if it, with just a built-in telescoping antenna, would hear the South Pacific station well enough. It did. Ten days into the VP6DX operation I entered the radio room shortly after dawn, tuned to the low end of 40 meters, and found the operator calling CQ with intermittent answers. I placed the K1 up 25 as requested and within three calls heard my full and correct callsign coming back. Several hours later, I had a similar experience on 15, bracketing their 150,000th QSO with my 2. { Reaction at 25 Feb 2008 04:46 AM }

See the post...

My Political Compass . The Gandhi connection is in the analysis here . Economic Left/Right: -4.75 Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -2.62

This guy is lined up for a big advantage from pledged Maine delegates. Cool. Our town's delegates to the state convention were split 9-9, with Clinton getting a handful more votes than Obama. We had 171 voters. The Daily Kos referenced this boston.com article explaining how Maine's five types of delegates are apportioned. It's a bit confusing.

It's her XO, but I was the first to share a Chat in the Neighborhood. She caught me demonstrating poor posture.

Time for an update on our OLPC G1G1 purchase . Though we ordered on day 2, we weren't even close to getting the XO for Christmas. No problem. We weren't counting on it. The box arrived on January 3 and the exploration soon began. The true explorer is A, not me. It is she who should direct the process and I who should facilitate it at her request. A test of her enthusiasm and my patience. So far, so good. We're taking our time. I've little interest in presenting a rundown here, but for guidance I have been frequenting... OLPC wiki OLPC News OLPC News Forums

Wow. Making of a triode. Amazing work by F2FO! Fabrication d'une lampe triode Uploaded by F2FO