AmateurRadio.com

Something that’s been puzzling me for the last couple of years, particularly on the digital modes, is the number of people who address me by name before I’ve told them. These are not stations I’ve worked before – KComm will alert me to those. But increasingly often when I reply to a station they will come right back with “Good afternoon, Julian.” I’ve even had people end JT65A contacts with “TU JULIAN 73”, despite the fact that the operator’s name is not part of the exchange.

I’m not egotistical enough to think that half of hamdom know my name because of my blog. I’ve had people address me as “Mr Julian Moss” which I think is a bit formal for the amateur bands. But it makes me suspect that some database is involved.

It would shake my faith in the parsimony of hams to think that 50% – because that’s about how often it happens nowadays – have stumped up for a subscription to QRZ. But if they haven’t, where do they get the information from? Is there a free callsign lookup database I haven’t heard of? And if there is, doesn’t the fact that you can access a station’s details at the click of a button render somewhat pointless the rest of the QSO?

Introduction:

• Promo: Listen to the Linux Basement Podcast.
• Happy Birthday, Richard!
• Yes, folks, it’s episode 100 of Linux in the Ham Shack. We’re now eligible for syndication!

Topics:

• In celebration of our 100th episode, several of our listeners in the chat room call in and participate in a roundtable discussion. Participants include Harrison (VE2HKW), Brian (K5BPC), and Jon (KT4KB). Unfortunately, noise on Jon’s connection prevented him from staying on the line.
• We received voice messages from listeners Michelle, Joy, Rich (KD0RG), Doug (N6LMX), Nick, Jon, “Major J”, and Harrison (VE2HKW).
• Feedback from Matt (KD8SZG), who asks which would be a better choice for a new HF user: a used IC-7000 or new FT-857D. The consensus is to choose the new FT-857D.
• Jon, KT4KB, asks how Russ and Richard met.
• Richard makes a shocking announcement!
• We have a short discussion of FreeDV vs. D-STAR, followed by a brief discussion of various Linux distributions.
• Richard makes a few final comments.

Contact Info:

• Contact Richard at [email protected], Russ at [email protected], or both at the same time at [email protected].
• 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:

• Gun Slinger by Daniel Worth.

Last night, I received an e-mail from Bob W3BBO about an item he saw in The County Hunter News.  The article was written by Bob Voss N4CD, and it concerned a book written 100 years ago, entitled  “Bert Wilson, Wireless Operator“.  The book has been made available through Project Gutenberg.

Splinter Transceiver from BreadboardRadio.com

Kit building appears to be on the rise again.  With so many people talking about it lately I attempted to research sources for kits, only to find out that there wasn’t a single-source for Ham Radio kit suppliers.

I decided to put together a good list of sources for kits that are currently available.  Many of these are for QRP operation, but a few are full-featured professional transceivers (Elecraft, DZ).  On the beginners side there are a few sources that stand out:  Hendricks has a great assortment of kits, including some SSB QRP equipment.  QRPme offers the inexpensive, easy-to-build tuna-can products, and I would like to make special mention of the Four State QRP Group NS-40 which has the coils etched right into the PC board!  What a great idea!  I’ve covered trasmitters, transceivers, and some receivers here.  Some accessories are mentioned in the source descriptions.

Revised 2/18/2013  Changes in Hendricks, YouKits, Tony Parks. Added CR KITS, and BreadBoard Radio.

Revised 2/20/2013 Added K5BCQ & K5JHF Kits

Revised 2/26/2013 Added Kit Radio Company, GQRP Club, Kenneke Comm., Walford Electronics, Kanga UK, QRP Project, Kits by EA3GCY, and OZ QRP

Enjoy, and feel free to add any corrections, or additions in the comments.  The list can always be found at RadioKitGuide.com–Neil W2NDG

-Hendricks QRP Kits http://www.qrpkits.com/

• BitX20A/17A SSB Transceiver.  The BitX20A and BitX17A are complete SSB kits with board, all parts, digital display and custom powder coated and punched case that is based on the BitX20 that was designed by Ashlan Farhan.  Output is Read the rest of this post

I switched on the radio this afternoon, started up KComm, and the first station that printed up on the screen was EG7DCA, a special call to mark Andalucia Day. A rapid exchange of signal reports and he was in the logbook.

Andalucia Day, as this link will tell you, is the anniversary of a referendum held in 1980 in which people voted for the southern province of Spain, Andalucia, to become an autonomous region. This year that anniversary falls on 26 February, today.

I love Andalucia. The name immediately conjures up for me a vista of whitewashed villages nestling among rugged mountains, memories of walks on mountain paths and lazy days enjoying a glass or three of local wine in a tapas bar.

I often used to dream of living in an Andalucian village. I could happily have become one of the many British expats out there. But dreams don’t always turn out how you imagine. The endless sunshine seems irresistible but summers can be unbearably hot and as one gets older you start to need things like healthcare, which is good, free and English-speaking in Britain. In view of what has happened to me in the last two years it’s probably a good thing I didn’t become an expat!

Still, I can’t look at a picture like this without feeling nostalgic!

Canillas de Albaida, Andalucia

“What have you done to my play set?”  This gym made a convenient place to string wires, etc.  Two poles in the photo form part of the EWE RX antenna here at K8GU that was hastily erected before the NA Sprint CW.  One of the poles is ty-wrapped to the play set.  Doing my best to keep it klassy and impress the neighbors.

And, we’re up in the air!  The M2 9M2SSB is a little bit out of alignment due to the hex getting tangled in one of the antennas that it was due to replace.  I have already realigned that.  So far, the antenna seems to have useful front-to-back.  Gain is hard to tell since I took down all of the antennas it was to replace.  But, it does seem to work.  I’m suffering from high SWR (above 3) on both 21 and 50 MHz.  G3TXQ warns of interaction between 18 MHz and 50 MHz.  Do not yet know the cause, but I’m looking into it.

Although the antenna is relatively easy to handle, I don’t plan to make a habit of taking it down for work.  Speaking of taking down, the 40m dipole whose center insulator is just visible behind the reflector of the 2-meter beam will be replaced by an as-of-yet-secret antenna.