VA7AEJ ...- .- --... .- . .---

Molly & Nesja practice their cones course.

2012-01-29T11:25:00.000-08:00

Molly and her Norwegian Fjord mare Nesja did a lot of riding and practicing in 2011. This was some video taken in the fall to show off all her hard work. She's 7 years old when this was taken.

Molly Camping at Nakusp Hot Springs 2011

2012-01-29T11:22:00.000-08:00

Molly took most of this footage from our camping trip to Nakusp Hot Springs last summer (2011). She loves camping and her crazy level of energy is obvious throughout the shaky footage.

Enjoy

Dad on TV at the BC Senior Games 2011

2012-01-29T11:12:00.000-08:00

Both my parents are horse people and long time breeders, competitors, trainers, judges, evaluators, and owners of Norwegian Fjord horses.

This past summer they competed in the senior games for the first time and dad got his mug on TV as part of the events coverage.

I've been ripping together video from last year this weekend on my new copy of Vegas Pro 11 from Sony software. This is the first of a couple videos that I've uploaded to my YouTube account in the last 24 hours.

An Antenna and Tuner. The HF Rig is Complete.

2012-01-29T11:03:00.000-08:00

With the addition of the Kenwood radio and power supply the quest for an antenna and tuner sent me on another adventure of research, talking to elmers, and of course the Internet.

After 2 or 3 attempts I finally won an eBay auction for a MFJ-948 antenna tuner. I had been bidding on actual Kenwood tuners hoping to match my radio but bidders were paying outragous amounts for 20 year old gear and frankly I don't have that kind of budget right now. This MFJ unit is an older manual tuner and the price was right. My understanding from research is that the older units with the beige/cream colored face (like this one), are better built and more sturdy than the newer ones? Time will tell on that theory.

With the advice of Gary VA7EIY I went looking at G5RV and Windom antennas since my criteria were it needed to be inexpensive, as multi-band as possible, and quick to setup in the dead of winter when all I really had was frozen ground and trees with nice bare branches.

The standard G5RV is 102' long and I have just the perfect spot to string it up. It needs to be up only 30+' in the air and operates on 10m - 80m with a tuner. Looking online everywhere I settled on the W8AMZ G5RV, it was a little more money than the others but the quality of the materials and construction seemed leaps and bounds better than most other ones I looked at. The difference in price was only $15-$20 so that seemed like it was really worth it.

All told I'm into a full HF rig consisting of a Kenwood 300watt transceiver, 30amp power supply, antenna tuner, G5RV antenna, and RG8 coax feedline for $400.00. Not bad.

I'm saving most of my cash for a winter holiday so this is the quick step that will get me on the air and come spring when the vacation is over, the ground is thawed, and the bank account is topped back up I'll invest in a better, newer HF rig and this one can be my backup or field day equipment.

My First HF Radio

2012-01-16T09:34:00.000-08:00

It's not a surprise that after a month of research and a previous blog post dedicated to my thoughts regarding purchasing my first rig, that I would ignore everything and purchase something on an impulse.

To be fair, I did so some research for a few days, read some reviews online, and consulted with a couple of "elmers" before my impulse purchase, but it was a deal worth pursuing.

I'm currently a member of two local ham clubs, one is in my immediate area, and the other is north from my home about an hours drive away. The club to the north is the one who hosted the license class that I took this fall and while it's a bit of a drive, these are the guys who taught me and helped me get my license, they are also the club that included a years club membership as part of the course.

It came up in the club that an older (30 yrs roughly) HF transceiver (Kenwood TS-120) and power supply (Kenwood AT-30) were coming up for silent auction at the next club meeting. Due to the age of the gear there wasn't a tone of interest, so I had a chance to get my first radio for a few hundred dollars. Everything worked and if you have to start learning and operating, you might as well start somewhere. I'm researching antenna's and antenna tuners now and hopefully I'll be on the HF bands within the next month.

VA7AEJ joins Echolink

2012-01-15T14:04:00.001-08:00

Welcome to EchoLink! Your callsign (VA7AEJ) was recently validated. Your EchoLink Node Number is 663980.

And it's with that email confirmation that I joined another part of the ham radio universe. I downloaded the software for Windows 64bit and the app for Android. Within minutes I was connecting to nodes and conferences and listening to QSO's. I didn't have a headset and mic connected to my PC yet so I just listened, but the best conversation I heard was a conference from Ireland where two Irish gentlemen were chatting with an American trucker while he was driving down the road. This is just so cool, I'm sitting at my computer in Canada, listening to two guys from Ireland talking on their radios with a third guy in the US driving down the highway operating on his mobile rig. It was just this seamless combination of amateur radio, VHF repeaters, VOIP, software, and the Internet.

As the validation email said "welcome to EchoLink".

Ham Nation Episode 30: DIY Magic of Amateur Radio

2012-01-06T07:24:00.000-08:00

Hosts: Bob Heil (K9EID), Gordon West (WB6NOA), and George Thomas (W5JDX)

New AARL video called DIY Magic of Amateur Radio is premiered
DIY hams
Noise limiting
D-STAR contest winners
How to properly solder a PL-259 connector
Chat Q&A
and more.

Guest: Cheryl Lasek (K9BIK)

Download or subscribe to this show at http://twit.tv/hn.

We invite you to read, add to, and amend our show notes at wiki.twit.tv.

Thanks to Joe Walsh who wrote and plays the Ham Nation theme.

Thanks to Cachefly for the bandwidth for this show.

Amateur Radio Newsline #1795

2012-01-06T07:16:00.000-08:00

AMATEUR RADIO NEWSLINE(tm) REPORT #1795

Released January 6, 2012

IS AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW

This Weeks Newscast Anchored By Jim Damron, N8TMW

IN THIS WEEKS EDITION

HAM RADIO IN SPACE: ARISSAT-1 MISSION COMES TO A CLOSE

THE BPL FIGHT: IBEC CLOSES DOWN BPL OPERATIONS DUE TO FINANCIAL LOSSES

RESTRUCTURING: ARRL SEEKING INPUT ON A 60 METER BANDPLAN

TIME TRAVEL: SAMOA AND TOKELAU JUMP INTERNATIONAL DATELINE

DX SPECIAL: NCDXF CONTRIBUTES $15000 TO HK0NA OPERATION

RESCUE RADIO: FEMA PLANS MORE AND LONGER EAS TESTS

PUBLIC SERVICE: OPERATORS NEEDED FOR CANADIAN SKI MARATHON

HAMVENTION 2012: AWARDS NOMINATIONS DEADLINE IS JANUARY 15

And much more...

Get the latest ARNewsline episode by subscribing to the podcast rss feed.
To listen to the Podcast now provided by Kevin Trotman, N5PRE, you need iTunes, iPodder, or iPodderX. Connect using Podcast software (not your web browser) click on this link:

http://n5pre.squarespace.com/arnewsline/

10 Things Your IT Guy Wants You to Know

2012-01-06T07:08:00.000-08:00

10 Things Your IT Guy Wants You to Know

by Jeremy L. Gaddis on May 31, 2009

1. If you come to me to ask technical questions, please don’t argue when you don’t like my answer. If you think you know more about what you’re asking than I do, then why even ask? On that same note, if I am arguing with you, it’s because I’m certain that I am correct; otherwise I’d just tell you “I don’t know” or perhaps point you somewhere that you could look it up. We don’t argue just for the sake of arguing.

2. When you start a conversation by insulting yourself (e.g. “I’m such an idiot”), you will not make me laugh or feel sorry for you; all you will succeed in doing is reminding me that yes, you are, indeed, an idiot, and that I’m going to hate having to talk to you. Trust me, you don’t want to start out this way.

3. We’re okay with you making mistakes; fixing them is part of our job. We are NOT, however, okay with you lying to us about a mistake that you made. It just makes it that much harder to resolve and thus makes our job more difficult. Be honest and we’ll get the problem fixed and both of us can continue on with our business. Lying to us and, therefore, costing us twice as much of our time will not win you any brownie points with IT.

4. There is no magic “Fix it” button. Everything takes some amount of work to fix, and not everything is worth fixing or — gasp! — even possible to fix. If I tell you that you’re going to have to re-do a document that you accidentally deleted two months ago, please don’t get mad at ME. I’m not ignoring your problem and it’s not that I don’t like you, we just can’t always fix everything.

5. Not everything you ask us to do is “urgent”. In fact, by marking things as “urgent” every time, you’ll almost certainly ensure that we treat none of it as a priority.

6. You are not the only one who needs help, and you usually don’t have the most urgent issue. Give us some time to get to your problem; it will get fixed.

7. E-mailing us several times about the same issue is not only unnecessary, it’s highly annoying as well. We record issues in a database so that we don’t lose track of them (remember how we ask that you create a ticket? That’s why.) We will typically respond as soon as we have a useful update to make. If your problem is urgent, please do let us know (but see number five).

8. Yes, we prefer e-mail over phone calls. It has nothing to do with being friendly or anti-social, it’s about efficiency. It is much faster and easier for us to list out a set of questions that we need answers to than it is for us to call and ask you them one by one. You can find the answers at your leisure and, while we’re waiting, we can work on other problems.

9. We may, at times, seem blunt and rude. It’s not that we mean to, we just don’t have the time to sugar coat things for you. We assume that we are both adults and can handle the reality of a problem. If you did something wrong, don’t be surprised when we tell you. We don’t care that it was a mistake because, honestly, it makes no difference to us. Please don’t take it personal, we just don’t want it to happen again.

10. Finally, yes, I can read your e-mail, yes, I can see what web pages you look at while you’re at work, yes, I can access every file on your work computer, and yes, I can tell if you are chatting with people on instant messenger (and can read what you’re typing, as well). But no, we don’t do it. It’s highly unethical and, perhaps more importantly, you really aren’t that interesting. Unless I am instructed to specifically monitor or investigate your actions, I don’t do it. There really are much more interesting things on the Internet than you.

I hope this didn’t come off the wrong way because, even as much as us IT guys refer to “users” as “lusers”, we do like (most of) you. Just like you, we’re here to do a job and we try to do it the best that we can. It’s easiest to do that if we all work together, stop pointing fingers, and give other people the space that we would like to get as well. If we can do that more often than not, things will go well and work out for all of us.

P.S. IT guys are easily bribed with food and/or beer (personally, I prefer the latter). That’s a sure way to get your problems moved to the top of the list. *grin*

Shopping For Your First HF Rig

2012-01-05T20:46:00.000-08:00

As a new amateur radio operator (and like many others) I ran out and bought a handheld (ht) first. This was an easy first purchase and getting going on 2m and/or 70cm is the quick fix that many like to engage in.

A new ham operators first real decision though is purchasing your first HF rig. This can be a daunting task considering the vast amount of choices on the market today.

All these questions seem to roll around in my head;

Should I buy new gear or used?
Should I buy a base station or portable or mobile rig?
And in my case since I'm a uber-geek... should I buy solid state, or software defined?

I've read a LOT of forums and talked to many people and every one has differing opinions on all of these subjects, here's some of the responses that I've found insiteful.

New operators should buy new gear whenever possible. At least at the very beginning. It takes experience to purchase and operate ham radio equipment and without that experience how do you know if used equipment is any good, or if it's working properly, or even how to interconnect all the pieces correctly. Your ham radio license course and exam focused a lot on what you shouldn't or can't do on the air waves. How do you know that your used equipment isn't generating spurious emissions?
Your first rig should be an "All Band" base station rig for the most flexibility and overall experience. All band radios would be HF, VHF, and UHF typically. While this type of radio might not have the highest specifications related to performance or features, it's a great starting point and it can be affordable. As well once you upgrade to something better it's still very useful to you even if you just use it for VHF or UHF.
Some suggest an "All Band Portable" rig like the Icom IC-7000, or Yaesu FT-897D. As seen below these radios are HF, VHF, and UHF, and they are also very compact for mobile and portable use. With options like snap on battery packs, snap on power supplies, and bolt on antenna tuners, these are perfect for a small home base station, but they are also something you can toss in a backpack. Mobile mounts are available for installation in a vehicle as well. Priced from $1000 - $1300 bucks they're very affordable to start with, and extremely flexible once you upgrade to something larger. What could start as a home base station for you, can later be a very handy camping portable or vehicle mounted radio.

Icom IC-7000 ($1300) All band portable radio

Yaesu FT-897D ($1000) All band portable radio

Buy what's available from an Elmer, that comes with some training. This was a suggestion that I read that came with the following explanation. New or used, big or small, if you have a local club member, or friend, or family member (someone you can trust) who's willing to sell you an HF rig at a reasonable price and is willing to help you set it up, and better yet willing to sit with you and help you on it's operation this can be worth it's weight in gold. Obviously there is a lot of "if's" and "maybe's" in this suggestion but I see the point. I personally have a family friend with an all band transceiver, with a matching power supply and a matching antenna tuner willing to sell it all for $1000. I've looked online and this is a good deal and he might get $300 bucks more if he broke up the set and sold it all online or in a swap, but he's willing to sell it to me at a bit of a discount and in a nice "ready to go" bundle. On top of that, he's willing to be my "Elmer" and come and help me set it all up, mentor me on it's operation, and be there as an ongoing person I can call or email with questions. This could work out very well for you "if" everything works out as promised. In my case it wasn't exactly the rig I thought I was looking for, it's a bit older than I thought I might want, and it's a pretty complex rig, my learning curve might be more than I intended to undertake. But it's an incredible tempting offer.

Yaesu FT-847 (circa 1998 - 2005) HF, VHF/UHF and satellite.

Normally, and for most people, I would assume that one of the four options above would be a great HF starting point for any new ham, but I didn't mention that I'm also a hardcore geek. I'm a Systems Administrator by profession and I've been working with computers for 20+ years. The moment I started researching amateur radio equipment I stumbled on software defined radios as an alternative to the traditional solid state style of radio I was smitten with the possibilities.

A software-defined radio system, or SDR, is a radio communication system where components that have been typically implemented in solid state or tube based transceiver (e.g. mixers, filters, amplifiers, modulators/demodulators, detectors, etc.) are instead implemented by means of software on a personal computer or embedded computing devices. While the concept of SDR is not new, the rapidly evolving capabilities of digital electronics are seeing a boom in SDR technology.

A modern SDR system (like those from FlexRadio Systems) consists of a high-end personal computer or laptop connected via USB or Fire-wire to a Flex Radio "black box" type of transceiver. The key connections on any radio transceiver like microphone, antenna, DC power, morse key, etc are still present on the "black box" but what missing when you see one (see below) is the miriad of dials, buttons, switches, and displays found on a traditional amateur radio.


Flex-1500 (entry level $650) USB connected SDR

Flex-3000 (mid level $1500) Firewire connected SDR

All the buttons, switches, and display of the radio interface are generated in software running on your computer. Pair up your SDR radio with a modern fast computer and a big widescreen LCD monitor and your ham shack looks like the flight controls at NASA.

Sample screenshot of the Flex SDR software. This is point and click control for your radio

In a SDR system significant amounts of signal processing are handed over to the CPU of your computer, rather than being done in special-purpose hardware built into the radio. This keeps the electronics in the radio compact and dedicated to the essential features of a transmitter and receiver.

SDR technology gives you a radio which can receive and transmit widely different radio protocols based solely on the software used.
Upgrading your SDR software can improve the operation of the radio extending it's lifetime and effectiveness with emerging technologies.
Upgrading your software also add's new features and filters to your radio (most of the time for free).
Customize the look and feel (and even the position of buttons etc) by changing to different "skins" for your SDR software.

9min video of a Flex SDR in operation

There are some downsides to any new ham operator starting off with a SDR type radio.

First off how many people in your local club are going to able to help you operate an SDR system when you have little or no knowledge yourself? In a smaller club chances are the average age of an Elmer might be retirement. These men and women are a wealth of information at your disposal, but your bringing a 2013 electric sports car to a retro muscle car mechanic. Many hams are smart computer owners and operators, but you'd be smart to make sure that some support exists locally before biting off more than you can chew.
Essential skills. Operating an SDR system provides lots of automatic and behind the scenes assistance in the software for tuning in that elusive signal. If you had the do the same work on a traditional rig you would be expected to know a bit more, and understand more about it's physical operation. Operating a traditional radio is like learning the ropes, maybe it's something you need to do to earn your respect and critical knowledge within the ham community. After a year or two, then maybe SDR would be a next step for someone geeky enough to venture ahead.
Performance. I read reviews from amateur radio enthusiasts buying software defined radios and complaining about delay and lag, and overall performance from the system. When you purchase an SDR your computer is an essential part of the system, you can't attach it to a netbook, or sub $500 laptop, or 3 year old PC and expect it to rock your world. You should invest in a rock solid and lighting fast new (or almost new) PC to pair up with your SDR. The majority of the SDR processing is done by the computer, that means when operating the radio the computer should be dedicated to that task alone, with no shortcuts like running other apps or downloading of the internet in the background.

As I mentioned before I'm an uber geek. SDR does not intimidate me, and I have a new quad core 64bit Win7 system ready to dedicate to the job, but I still worry about the actual operation and about learning the right way carve out a signal and apply filters etc.

Let's face it though, I also like the idea of a radio with tons of tactile buttons and the big dials.

What did I purchase for my first rig? Well you'll have to wait and see. I haven't been able to decide, frankly I'm overwhelmed with the choices. Right now I'm saving for a holiday and that's my financial priority. In a few months it will be an entirely different story, it will be spring and I'll be eager to climb on the roof and put up antennas, or install a tower, or shoot some wire into the nearby tree's. I'll be ready for HF and then it's the time to decide what my first rig will be.

50 Rules for Dads of Daughters {by Michael Mitchell}

2012-01-05T10:02:00.000-08:00

I want to pay credit where it's due. I found this list on the web at the following link http://www.fromdatestodiapers.com/50-rules-for-dads-of-daughters. It appears to be the creation of Michael Mitchell and it sounds like it was a repost of the original list found somewhere on Michael's own site http://lifetoheryears.com. Either way it's a great list and I wanted to have a copy for myself so I'm reposting it here.

1. Love her mom. Treat her mother with respect, honor, and a big heaping spoonful of public displays of affection. When she grows up, the odds are good she’ll fall in love with and marry someone who treats her much like you treated her mother. Good or bad, that’s just the way it is. I’d prefer good.

2. Always be there. Quality time doesn’t happen without quantity time. Hang out together for no other reason than just to be in each other’s presence. Be genuinely interested in the things that interest her. She needs her dad to be involved in her life at every stage. Don’t just sit idly by while she add years to her… add life to her years.

3. Save the day. She’ll grow up looking for a hero. It might as well be you. She’ll need you to come through for her over and over again throughout her life. Rise to the occasion. Red cape and blue tights optional.

4. Savor every moment you have together. Today she’s crawling around the house in diapers, tomorrow you’re handing her the keys to the car, and before you know it, you’re walking her down the aisle. Some day soon, hanging out with her old man won’t be the bees knees anymore. Life happens pretty fast. You better cherish it while you can.

5. Pray for her. Regularly. Passionately. Continually.

6. Buy her a glove and teach her to throw a baseball. Make her proud to throw like a girl… a girl with a wicked slider.

7. She will fight with her mother. Choose sides wisely.

8. Go ahead. Buy her those pearls.

9. Of course you look silly playing peek-a-boo. You should play anyway.

10. Enjoy the wonder of bath time.

11. There will come a day when she asks for a puppy. Don’t over think it. At least one time in her life, just say, “Yes.”

12. It’s never too early to start teaching her about money. She will still probably suck you dry as a teenager… and on her wedding day.

13. Make pancakes in the shape of her age for breakfast on her birthday. In a pinch, donuts with pink sprinkles and a candle will suffice.

14. Buy her a pair of Chucks as soon as she starts walking. She won’t always want to wear matching shoes with her old man.

15. Dance with her. Start when she’s a little girl or even when she’s a baby. Don’t wait ‘til her wedding day.

16. Take her fishing. She will probably squirm more than the worm on your hook. That’s OK.

17. Learn to say no. She may pitch a fit today, but someday you’ll both be glad you stuck to your guns.

18. Tell her she’s beautiful. Say it over and over again. Someday an animated movie or “beauty” magazine will try to convince her otherwise.

19. Teach her to change a flat. A tire without air need not be a major panic inducing event in her life. She’ll still call you crying the first time it happens.

20. Take her camping. Immerse her in the great outdoors. Watch her eyes fill with wonder the first time she sees the beauty of wide open spaces. Leave the iPod at home.

21. Let her hold the wheel. She will always remember when daddy let her drive.

22. She’s as smart as any boy. Make sure she knows that.

23. When she learns to give kisses, she will want to plant them all over your face. Encourage this practice.

24. Knowing how to eat sunflower seeds correctly will not help her get into a good college. Teach her anyway.

25. Letting her ride on your shoulders is pure magic. Do it now while you have a strong back and she’s still tiny.

26. It is in her nature to make music. It’s up to you to introduce her to the joy of socks on a wooden floor.

27. If there’s a splash park near your home, take her there often. She will be drawn to the water like a duck to a puddle.

28. She will eagerly await your return home from work in the evenings. Don’t be late.

29. If her mom enrolls her in swim lessons, make sure you get in the pool too. Don’t be intimidated if there are no other dads there. It’s their loss.

30. Never miss her birthday. In ten years she won’t remember the present you gave her. She will remember if you weren’t there.

31. Teach her to roller skate. Watch her confidence soar.

32. Let her roll around in the grass. It’s good for her soul. It’s not bad for yours either.

33. Take her swimsuit shopping. Don’t be afraid to veto some of her choices, but resist the urge to buy her full-body beach pajamas.

34. Somewhere between the time she turns three and her sixth birthday, the odds are good that she will ask you to marry her. Let her down gently.

35. She’ll probably want to crawl in bed with you after a nightmare. This is a good thing.

36. Few things in life are more comforting to a crying little girl than her father’s hand. Never forget this.

37. Introduce her to the swings at your local park. She’ll squeal for you to push her higher and faster. Her definition of “higher and faster” is probably not the same as yours. Keep that in mind.

38. When she’s a bit older, your definition of higher and faster will be a lot closer to hers. When that day comes, go ahead… give it all you’ve got.

39. Holding her upside down by the legs while she giggles and screams uncontrollably is great for your biceps. WARNING: She has no concept of muscle fatigue.

40. She might ask you to buy her a pony on her birthday. Unless you live on a farm, do not buy her a pony on her birthday. It’s OK to rent one though.

41. Take it easy on the presents for her birthday and Christmas. Instead, give her the gift of experiences you can share together.

42. Let her know she can always come home. No matter what.

43. Remember, just like a butterfly, she too will spread her wings and fly some day. Enjoy her caterpillar years.

44. Write her a handwritten letter every year on her birthday. Give them to her when she goes off to college, becomes a mother herself, or when you think she needs them most.

45. Learn to trust her. Gradually give her more freedom as she gets older. She will rise to the expectations you set for her.

46. When in doubt, trust your heart. She already does.

47. When your teenage daughter is upset, learning when to engage and when to back off will add years to YOUR life. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

48. Ice cream covers over a multitude of sins. Know her favorite flavor.

49. This day is coming soon. There’s nothing you can do to be ready for it. The sooner you accept this fact, the easier it will be.

50. Today she’s walking down the driveway to get on the school bus. Tomorrow she’s going off to college. Don’t blink.

Are You New To 2m?

2012-01-03T07:38:00.000-08:00

Are you a new ham radio operator like me?

I've been talking to a few people and the same analogy keeps coming up.

"Taking your first ham radio course and license exam is like going to college to learn to drive. You learn a lot about cars, you learn about engines, and electronics, you learn about physics and the science of motion, etc. At the end you take a long scary exam. You pass and someone gives you your license and you get into your first car and have no idea how to drive it?"

The point being made is that in an amateur radio course you learn lots about antenna theory, electronics, amps and receivers, propagation, etc. But very little time is spent telling you HOW to operate a ham radio, how to do something as simple as key the mic and talk.

Here is a new YouTube video from Tyler, N7TFP, showing us how to make our first contact using a local 2 meter VHF repeater.

I've watched a couple of Ryan's videos before, he does a fantastic job.

Another holiday nears completion

2012-01-02T16:58:00.001-08:00

It's been a fast holiday. With almost two weeks off, it went by so quickly. Tonight is the last evening before going back to work. Best wishes and happy new year to everyone we hosted or visited with over the holidays.

Amateur Radio Newsline #1794

2011-12-30T14:26:00.000-08:00

Download or Stream the mp3 version

This Weeks News and Information...

*A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012 TO ALL*

AMATEUR RADIO NEWSLINE(tm) REPORT 1794

Released December 30, 2011

(Note: This is an extended newscast running 35 minutes and containing 3 breaks)

This Weeks Newscast Anchored By Jim Davis, W2JKD

IN THIS WEEKS EDITION

RESCUE RADIO: HAMS CALLED OUT AS NORTH SEA STORM HITS NORWAY
RESCUE RADIO: TROPICAL STORM HITS THE PHILIPPINES
RESCUE RADIO: CHANGING TIMES - ARMY MARS PHASING OUT WINLINK
AUSTRALIA SAYS OK ON CODEC 2 INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
DONATIONS AND COORDINATION ASSISTANCE NEEDED TO HELP REBUILD RAST STATION DEVASTATED BY FLOODING
ANRITSU DONATES USED HT’S TO NORCAL BSA
SKN ON OSCAR 2012 DEDICATED TO W1JSM
KIDS DAY OPERATING EVENT: JAN. 8 2012
YAESU MUSEN NAME TO BE REACTIVATED JAN. 1
HAM HAPPENINGS: ICOM ANNOUNCES D-STAR QSO PARTY WINNERS
THE DIY MAGIC OF AMATEUR RADIO ON HAM NATION JAN 3
And much more...

Building a Ham Shack - First Purchases

2011-12-28T10:01:00.000-08:00

I'm new to amatuer radio and I've had my license and callsign for less than a week. Like many people new to the hobby I started with a handheld. In my case I knew about some of the features I wanted in a HT but I still wasn't convinced which features I wanted in the $300 - $500 handheld radios on the market.

To make it simple on myself I decided to start very simple and inexpensive so I purchased a Wouxun KG-816 2m radio while I was taking the Amateur Basic license course. I'm a very hands on person and learn very quickly by playing with equipment or technology. Having a simple handheld with a USB programming cable and software I was able to program the unit and do a lot of listening on the local repeaters while I was taking the course. NOTE - I didn't have a license yet so I only listened, I had another licensed ham double check my programming and do any radio checks for me.

After a wrote and passed the license test I had already learned a lot from this hundred buck radio and upgraded to the latest Wouxun KG-UV6D which had just been released (dual-band 2m/70cm handheld, with speaker mic & USB cable). Staying with the same brand I kept it cheap again and now I had one dualband radio as my primary, and the original single band radio for something I could keep at work for listening to repeater activity during the day or toss into a vehicle or camper as a backup.

Purchasing two HT's so close together wasn't my original intention, but as I had originally predicted I learned a lot from the first unit and already had a shopping list of features I knew I wanted or needed in the second unit so the decision to purchase was easy. NOTE - What I've spent on both these radios is less than the starting point of many of the popular branded radios.

I'm using the KG-UV6D as my primary radio now and over the last few days since my callsign was assigned I've had a few QSO's with local club members on the 2m repeaters. So far the guys have been great and friendly, and I hope my operating protocol has been up to spec as I haven't heard any complaints :)

I have taken some advice and ordered two dual band mag mount antennas for my HT. I'm planning to mount one on my vehicle until I can get a proper mobile rig installed in there, and I'm going to try attaching the other to the exterior of my house so I can use the HT in my office with better reception. Currently without an exterior antenna I have to sit close by the repeater facing window for clear communications. I'm also getting a hum noise from my PC speakers when I key the handheld to close to it, getting the antenna outside should address that as well.

Within a year I predict I'll have an Icom, Yaesu, or Kenwood hand held that will include APRS and a few other cool features I'm still discovering. For now I'm enjoying playing with the Wouzun's and don't regret trying them out.

Next post - Shopping for my first HF rig. New or used, portable or base, solid state or software defined?

A New Year, A New Hobby

2011-12-28T09:22:00.000-08:00

Over the Christmas holidays I had conversations with friends and family about my excitement for ham radio. On a couple of occasions people would say things like "I can do that with my cell phone" when referring to different things that you can do with ham radio. This video explains some of the aspects of how amateur radio goes beyond traditional wireless communication.

"The DIY Magic of Amateur Radio," is an 8-minute video that follows some of the innovative, imaginative and fun ways "hams" use radio technology in new and creative ways. The presentation is directed toward the DIY (do it yourself) movement, which is inspiring a new generation of creators, hackers and innovators. The message should be helpful for existing members to shape the ways they understand and talk about ham radio.

It's Official - Christmas Came Early - I have a Callsign (VA7AEJ)

2011-12-22T08:23:00.000-08:00

From: Aaren Jensen
Sent: Wednesday, December 21, 2011 11:23 AM
To: Spectrum, Amateur, OS_NOD
Subject: My Christmas Gift from Industry Canada

Dear Santa

This fall I drove a long distance two nights a weeks to take a Amateur Radio Basic course with the club in Salmon Arm BC. My local club decided not to run a class this year and Salmon Arm was generous enough to welcome me into theirs, even though it was already underway. I spent more time in the car driving to and from each class, then I did in the classroom but it was all worth it.

I drove and I studied, I studied and I drove, and my wife and daughter missed me terribly for those two months.

On Tuesday Dec 13th I passed my exam with honors and since then I've eagerly awaited for my callsign to appear in your database. I'm starting to feel that I might be developing a mental disorder, like an obsessive compulsive behavior?

Each day since is like this...

awake and login to the database and search for my name and callsign.
drive to work and login to the database and search for my name and callsign.
look for free moments throughout the day and login to the database and search for my name and callsign.
drive home and login to the database and search for my name and callsign.
stop by my computer just before bed and login to the database and search for my name and callsign.

On Monday you had a problem with your database and it was offline for most of the day. Santa, honestly I thought I broke it! I was waiting for a phone call asking me to stop checking the database!

Santa, today is my last day at work, I start my Christmas holidays tomorrow, and all I want for Christmas is my Amateur Radio Callsign.

I know Santa you are very busy this time of year and you have many many elves taking their holidays as well, I'm not asking to be put on top of the pile or get any type of preferential treatment.

I just needed to express my Christmas wish.

Merry Christmas :)

--
Aaren Jensen
Lumby B.C. Canada

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On Wed, Dec 21, 2011 at 8:57 AM
Spectrum.Amateur@ic.gc.ca wrote:

Hello Aaren,

Your application will be processed this week. We have a back-log of applications and the service standard is 3 weeks for processing these applications. Accredited examiners can also submit exam results directly online and a call sign can be selected immediately and is then immediately assigned.

Regards,
Amateur Radio Service Centre | Centre de service pour la radio amateur
Spectrum Management Operations Branch |
Direction générale des opérations de la gestion du spectre
Industry Canada | Industrie Canada
P.O. Box 9654 Station T, Ottawa ON K1G 6K9
C.P. 9654 Succursale T ,Ottawa ON K1G 6K9
Telephone | Téléphone 1-888-780-3333
Facsimile | Télécopieur 613-991-5575
spectrum.amateur@ic.gc.ca
Government of Canada | Gouvernement du Canada

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Aaren Jensen
Sent: Wednesday, December 21, 2011 12:29 PM
To: Spectrum, Amateur, OS_NOD
Subject: Re: My Christmas Gift from Industry Canada

Thanks Santa

Merry Christmas!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------On Thur, Dec 22, 2011 at 6:41 AM
Spectrum.Amateur@ic.gc.ca wrote:

Hello Aaren,

This is to let you know that Christmas has come early this year. Happy holidays, enjoy.

From Santa

P.S. Don't forgot the milk and cookies!

Amateur Radio Service Centre | Centre de service pour la radio amateur
Spectrum Management Operations Branch |
Direction générale des opérations de la gestion du spectre
Industry Canada | Industrie Canada
P.O. Box 9654 Station T, Ottawa ON K1G 6K9
C.P. 9654 Succursale T ,Ottawa ON K1G 6K9
Telephone | Téléphone 1-888-780-3333
Facsimile | Télécopieur 613-991-5575
spectrum.amateur@ic.gc.ca
Government of Canada | Gouvernement du Canada

Ham Radio Graduation

2011-12-21T13:09:00.000-08:00

It was the perfect scenario for my personality...

I've been taking my Amateur Radio Basic course for two months and the test was scheduled for a Thursday night. The examiner had offered to come into the Tuesday night class and we would do a "test" test and then review it. This was meant to be the final review class before we wrote the final test.

I studied like a maniac on the weekend before and used the practice software to take a "test" test many many many times. When I wandered into the Tuesday night review class I was ready to write the real test, but I was also calm as I knew we weren't writing the real test. The examiner opended the class by saying something magical...

"Well since the practice test I was planning on giving you this evening is a legitimate copy of the test and since some of you seem ready to write the real test how about (if you want) we can treat this as a proper test and let you write it if your ready"

Some people were not ready and decided to write the real test on the Thursday as originally planned. I was one of the people who was ready and did.

For my personality this was a perfect situation, no time to psych myself out and worry. Within 5 minutes of being told I could write the exam now, I was actually writing the exam.

35 minutes later I had a 89% score and had passed the license exam with honors. This was my goal all along so I was very pleased.

In Canada there are only 3 licenses for ham radio operators

Basic - Pass with 70% or higher and you have rights on VHF and UHF up to 250 watts. This is a mandatory license everyone must pass first.
Basic with honors - Pass the same exam with 80% or higher and you unlock HF frequencies as well.
Morse - Add this license to your Basic by passing a separate exam with 5 words per minute (or higher) morse code and your licensed for CW, plus you unlock the HF frequencies if you didn't already have them as a result of a Basic with Honors.
Advanced - Add this license to your Basic by passing a separate exam. By passing you will be allowed a 1000 watt amplifier limit (an increase from 250 watt for Basic), you will be allowed to build your own gear, and setup equipment for clubs (i.e. repeaters, etc), plus you unlock the HF frequencies if you didn't already have them as a result of a Basic with Honors.

This is a simplistic explanation and there are more details of each class that you learn or can lookup if your thinking of getting your amateur radio license in Canada.

Merry Christmas!

Amateur Radio Update

2011-10-28T10:44:00.000-07:00

Well another class under my belt and about 5-6 more hours of reading over the last few days. Last night's class dealt with more electronics theory. My understanding and absorption factor felt much higher than the first class so I'm slightly more confident today.

I found a 3.5 hour series of audio podcasts for the entry level US amateur radio licence course and I've listened to that while commuting over the last few days as well. While the rules and regs vary slightly, the rest of the material was pretty good.

I've also started studying the question bank for the final test, it's 1000 questions and answers published by Industry Canada. The 100 question final exam is randomly generated from this bank of 1000 so it's a great study tool if you have a good memory.

I hoping Sam (VE7SDV) will get her handy talkie programmed for the Silver Star repeater so we can test the range and effectiveness from my place out in Lumby. It will be helpful in deciding if my first radio is a dual or triband HT (above) or an all-band portable (below)?

Ham Radio Classes Begin

2011-10-26T09:55:00.000-07:00

My grandfather got me into Ham Radio as a kid. For a few years in grades six and seven I had a radio and listened to HF bands without a license or a microphone. Listening to amateur and shortwave bands is legal, but if you want to talk on the airwaves you need a license.

Fast forward to over 30 years later and I'm finally starting the classes to get my first amateur radio license. The "Basic" qualification in Canada is the starting point. I'm taking an 8-9 week course with the Salmon Arm amateur radio club and it's going to be a bit of an effort with the long commute two nights per week, I'll be spending more time driving back and forth then in a class, but I'm really excited and feel it's well worth the time invested.

The Basic license is issued if you pass the final test with 70% or higher. The Basic with Honors license comes with a grade higher than 80%. Passing with Honors is important because it comes with the right to broadcast on a bunch of additional HF frequencies.

Wish me luck! I'll hopefully have more updates as the classes progress.

The best Netflix app for your gaming console

2011-05-23T12:31:00.001-07:00

I told many friends and co-workers that the Playstaion 3 Netflix app was superior to the Xbox and Wii apps, but times have changed.

Over the last few months the Microsoft team has continued to improve their app, while Sony has broken theirs with failed improvement attempts.

This past three days i've had nothing but problems with the PS3 Netflix app, failing to connect, failing to load movies, etc. At the same time I can switch over to the Xbox 360 and get exactly what I want in seconds.

With the addition of Kinect voice control to the Xbox app I also find it very handy to just use voice commands to control Netflix with simple commands like "netflix pause", "netflix play", and "netflix stop".

Until next time...

In Memory of Finnegan Jensen - 1998 to 2011

2011-03-04T15:54:00.000-08:00

The Munchkin is a cat breed created by a naturally occurring genetic mutation that results in cats with abnormally short legs. However, the shortness of their legs does not seem to interfere with their running and leaping abilities. The gene responsible has been compared to the one that give Welsh Corgis, Basset Hounds and Dachshunds their short stature; however, Munchkins do not suffer from the many spinal problems that are typically associated with those canine breeds as cats' spines are physically different from dogs'. The spine of a Munchkin cat is usually indistinguishable from that of other cats.

Finnegan was a great little Munchkin.

During the first few years of his life he lived indoors with our other cat and a 'gaggle' of dogs. When he was about three years of age we moved into town and soon after my wife discovered her allergy to cats. Finnegan was forced to move outdoors and he adapted well to this change in lifestyle.

For the next ten years he was often seen walking around the lawn and occasionally venturing into the yards of the closest neighbors. He was always close-by and never strayed far from home. He used the deck off of our kitchen as his home base and was often found there lounging on the deck furniture and eating from his dish. In the winters he lived in a box on the deck lined with blankets and sealed from the wind with a front flap door that allowed him to come and go at will.

Over the years Finnegan was picked on by other cats and other animals in the area. He often suffered from cuts and scratches, but he seemed to always hold his own and never suffered too badly.

Sometime in the last week or two Finnegan was attacked badly and suffered two large bite wounds on either side of the back of his neck. We treated the wounds and kept an eye on him but it became apparent that other internal damage had occurred likely from a violent shaking during the neck bite.

A few evenings ago he decided he had experienced enough discomfort and he started to howl at 3 in the morning. I brought him inside, cleaned his wounds, gave him a bath, removed some matted fur and set him up with a kennel, litter box, fresh blankets, food, and water. Soon afterward he passed away while we were at work.

I miss you little buddy.

Kelly's last photo of "Fin".

Spartacus - An End to the Beginning

2011-02-27T08:30:00.001-08:00

Fans of the first season of Spartacus on the Starz network know that they couldn't continue filming the second season as the star was ill and getting treatment for cancer. Due to the instant success though of the first season they wanted to do something to keep the interest going and profit from their new found fame.

I was pleased when they announced they would create a prequel season. A season full of new episodes set in the months or years prior to the arrival of Spartacus. This idea was really creative, they could proceed without the star who was ill, and they could use all the other primary actors (many of whom who's characters died throughout the first season) all over again.

Well Spartacus - Gods of the Arena, has just ended it's six episode run Friday night and I am pleased. Pleased with the stories, the acting, the new characters, the visual effects, everything except one... the amount of episodes.

What is with the six episode series? If you hooked a computer to the brains of the viewing audience I'm sure you would discover that six episodes leaves us all with a small amount of satisfaction, but a larger amount of regret. Simply put, I want more!

The Walking Dead did the same thing, just as I was really settling into the story and the character development you end it. Bang... door closed and some press release stating that the next new episodes will air sometime in 12-18 months!

I watch a lot of TV from the UK and short run series of 6-8 episodes are more common there, but they come back much sooner as well, you don't have to wait over a year for your show to come back on the air, maybe it's only a break of 3-6 months and another series is back with another six-pack of episodes.

Anyhow, if this is all I can complain about I guess they did a great job once again.

The Great Drobo Update of 2011

2011-02-27T08:12:00.000-08:00

Drobo (an abbreviation of Data Robot) is a family of DAS, SAN, and NAS appliances made by Data Robotics. Drobo devices can house up to four, five or eight 3.5" Serial ATA hard disk drives and connect with a computer or network via USB 2.0, FireWire 800, eSATA, or Gigabit Ethernet. Drobo devices are primarily designed to allow installation and removal of hard disk drives without requiring manual data migration, and also for increasing storage capacity of the unit without downtime. (description thanks to Wikipedia)

If you follow me on Twitter (@aaren) you will probably know from the last week that I have been upgrading my 1st generation 4-drive Drobo from four 1TB drives to four 2TB drives. The wonderful thing about Drobo is that you can do this without loosing any data already on the device and you also retain full access to the device during the upgrade. This means you can access or stream your files on the Drobo, while the Drobo is updating itself.

About six days ago I ejected the first of the 1TB drives and replaced it with a new 2TB drive. The Drobo went into upgrade mode and the amber and green lights flashed for 48 hours.

Swapping in the second new 2TB drive launched another upgrade mode of flashing lights that lasted about 40 more hours.

Snapping in the third and the fourth new 2TB drives each started an upgrade mode and flashing lights event that lasted about 6 hours for each.

Sometime last night the drives completed the upgrade and the Drobo prompted me to create a new partition with the new space. I completed this step and now I have three drive letters (X, Y, and Z) and each one contains up to 2TB of space. I'm not sure of I want three separate partitions on the Drobo so I'm deciding right now, while drinking coffee and writing this post, if I should backup the data on the Drobo and start fresh with a single big approx 6TB partition?

I'll let you know...

Auto Draft

2011-01-06T01:59:00.000-08:00

The case of the lost domain

2010-12-21T11:11:00.000-08:00

So I own the domain 24bloom.com and for years it's where I hosted my own web page and then eventually this blog. A few weeks ago I typed 24bloom.com into my browser and got an error that the site didn't exist?

After some searching around I discovered that the registrar for my domain SearchBC.com has gone out of business, my domain was then magically transferred to somebody called JetHost.ca, they then magically went out of business or something and then my domain ended up with TUCOWS?

After some emailing and confusion I finally tracked down the registrar of lost domains, they created an account that I could login into and once again control some ownership of my domain. Since I didn't want this happening again I found another (much larger and reliable) Canadian registrar WebNames.ca and moved my domain business to them.

Today is the first day in months where 24bloom.com is back online and linking to this blog.

There is a Santa Claus !!!

A Christmas Letter

2010-12-21T10:54:00.001-08:00

How does one find the time in their busy pre-Christmas schedule to stop and write a Christmas letter. I like what Corinna Little did this year with her web based slide show, I thought about some kind of online video? But then I got distracted by work or peoples computer problems and POOF, here it is, Dec 21st and I've done nothing.

Sorry :(

DropBox

2010-09-13T13:08:00.000-07:00

The magic link! The link below will take you to DropBox. Using this magic link will allow you to get 2GB of free online backup and sync space with one of the coolest web apps on the market. Use my referral link and you'll get an additional 250MB of free space for free (full disclosure, I get more as well since I referred you).

Dropbox Features

File Sync

Dropbox allows you to sync your files online and across your computers automatically.

2GB of online storage for free, with up to 100GB available to paying customers.
Sync files of any size or type.
Sync Windows, Mac and Linux computers.
Automatically syncs when new files or changes are detected.
Work on files in your Dropbox even if you're offline. Your changes sync once your computer has an Internet connection again.
Dropbox transfers will correctly resume where they left off if the connection drops.
Efficient sync - only the pieces of a file that changed (not the whole file) are synced. This saves you time.
Doesn't hog your Internet connection. You can manually set bandwidth limits.

Sharing files is simple and can be done with only a few clicks.

Shared folders allow several people to collaborate on a set of files.
You can see other people's changes instantly.
A "Public" folder that lets you link directly to files in your Dropbox.
Control who is able to access shared folders (including ability to kick people out and remove the shared files from their computers).
Automatically create shareable online photo galleries from folders of photos in your Dropbox.

Online Backup

Dropbox backs up your files online without you having to think about it.

Automatic backup of your files.
Undelete files and folders.
Restore previous versions of your files.
30 days of undo history, with unlimited undo available as a paid option.

Web Access

A copy of your files are stored on Dropbox's secure servers. This lets you access them from any computer or mobile device.

Manipulate files as you would on your desktop - add, edit, delete, rename etc.
Search your entire Dropbox for files.
A "Recent Events" feed that shows you a summary of activity in your Dropbox.
Create shared folders and invite people to them.
Recover previous versions of any file or undelete deleted files.
View photo galleries created automatically from photos in your Dropbox.

Security & Privacy

Dropbox takes the security and privacy of your files very seriously.

Shared folders are viewable only by people you invite.
All transmission of file data and metadata occurs over an encrypted channel (SSL).
All files stored on Dropbox servers are encrypted (AES-256) and are inaccessible without your account password.
Dropbox website and client software have been hardened against attacks from hackers.
Dropbox employees are not able to view any user's files.
Online access to your files requires your username and password.
Public files are only viewable by people who have a link to the file(s). Public folders are not browsable or searchable.

Mobile Device Access

The free Dropbox application for iPhone, iPad, and Android lets you:

Access your Dropbox on the go.
View files from within the application.
Download files for offline viewing.
Take photos and videos and sync them to your Dropbox.
Share links to files in your Dropbox.
Export your files to other applications.
Sync downloaded files so they're up-to-date.

A mobile web version of the website is also available for owners of Blackberry phones and other Internet-capable mobile devices.

https://www.dropbox.com/referrals/NTE5MzA5ODQ5

Take a minute, watch the video, I hope you'll like it as much as i do.

------------

The Undead Walk The Earth

2010-09-03T08:05:00.000-07:00

Thanks Rolling Stone Magazine for making True Blood even sexier than it already was. Wow, as we near the final episodes of this season the show has really ramped it up for the fans. It's weirder, scarier, sexier, and better than ever before.

Now, I have to wait till Halloween for the premier of The Walking Dead on AMC. If your not a fan The Walking Dead is a fantastic comic book series from Robert Kirkman. It follows the lives of a bunch of survivors of the zombie apocalypse. The main character Rick is a small-town sheriff who is injured in the line of duty and wakes up in the hospital a few weeks later to discover an entirely different world, everyone is gone, the dead walk the streets, and his wife and son are missing?

It's been a very popular comic series for about 7 years now and when AMC picked it up for a TV series fans like me went wild! The Walking Dead is extremely well written and it's much more of a character driven story than a zombie gore fest, although the zombies keep the adrenaline pumping. Watch this first look trailer for a sneak peak of AMC's next big series!

A Working Weekend

2010-09-03T07:42:00.001-07:00

It's the start of the labour day long weekend and the term "labour" is appropriate this year. I've been working on some large projects at work and the final blitz is scheduled for this weekend as the other employees at tekmar leave the building for three days. Now I get the opportunity to turn off some major services like email and migrate services from the old servers onto new ones. Come Monday or Tuesday everything should be up and running again, and a few more older servers will be retired.

Do I mind missing the long weekend? Yes, and no... Yes every break at home is good and appreciated, but the planning for this migration has been a long time coming, and I'm really looking forward to getting it completed.

A new look

2010-09-02T10:23:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Google and Blogger for updating some design and styles for the blog. I spent some time and changed the look and feel of everything.

AJ's daily Twitter updates.

2010-07-15T18:02:00.001-07:00

07:43 I just got a Trouble Ticket and the employee submitted their name as "Ya It's Me". This is not how I wanted to start the day.