QRP-L and the Global Warming Hoax

JohnLeave a comment
qrp-l_logo

I am susbcribed to the QRP-L mail list. The discussions on the list are usual QRP variety with a sometimes off topic post or two.  The last couple of days, an interesting flair-up of off topic posts about “Earth Hour” and “Earth Day”.  It has been an interesting topic to follow.  Today, Dave, N0IT sent a great post that about sums up the whole deal.

Message: 23
Date: Sat, 28 Mar 2009 14:53:09 -0500
From: “sjolin” <sjolin@swbell.net>
Subject: Re: [QRP-L] Earthday
To: “edward kacura” <ekacura@yahoo.com>,    <QRP-L@mailman.qth.net>

I attended the first Earthday Celebration at Northwestern University in 1970. What a joke! For all the hyperbole about the world coming to an end for this reason and that, non of the calamities the alarmists preached about almost forty years ago ever occurred. Oh yeah, that same year Time Magazine ran a cover story about the new ice age and global cooling. Couldn’t sell that so they switched around and tried global warming.

If there was no money in this for the alarmists, for the scientists “investigating” it, the alternative energy companies that are economically untenable without government subsidies, the governments that drool over the tax revenue from cap & trade, and foremost money for the UN and third world politicians who hope to benefit from “our guilt”, there would be no talk of global warming. Money and control are what is behind climate change paranoia. Enjoy being duped, go right ahead and send your money to the UN. Leave ours alone.

Whenever a little greenie college kid comes to my door to tell me how bad things are today, I laugh in their face. When I was a kid you couldn’t breath when driving near Gary Indiana even with the windows up and the vents closed. And as far as water is concerned, Cleveland I believe had a river that caught fire because of all the pollution.

Tell me with a straight face that we are destroying our environment and I will laugh in your face. If you folks destroy our economy and democracy with your pseudo religion, then your kids and grandkids will be the big losers.

—– Original Message —–
From: “edward kacura” <ekacura@yahoo.com>
To: <QRP-L@mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Saturday, March 28, 2009 11:53 AM
Subject: [QRP-L] Earthday

> > Too bad so many of you supposed intelligent people think global warming
> > and earthday is a joke.Well folks,the jokes on you,go ahead and waste more
> > time and resources ignoring the climate change,and what could be done to
> > help!You are condemning your children and their children for years to
> > come,this has nothing to do with politics or Al Gore.You poor folks have
> > my sympathy,lets hope you open your eyes and minds before it’s too
> > late!Have a nice Earthday,and long live QRP!72/73 de Ed N7EDK.

A Dead Gnat

John2 Comments

A week or so ago, I posted a note about the Gnat 1 single transistor QRP transceiver.  I was excited about building this little project.  I gathered up the parts and warmed up the soldering iron.

The project went together easily.  After all, there are only about a dozen parts or so, what could go wrong?  Oh, what a loaded question that was.

I decided to construct the 80 Meter model.  I live about 20 miles out of Helena, MT, and if I was successful in getting this little rig working, I wanted to see if  a fellow Ham in Helena could detect my signal.  After completion, I attached the power, and antenna.  I hooked up the oscilloscope and frequency meter, and powered the rig up.

I was immediately gratified with a signal when I shorted the “key” line.  It looked like I was getting out between 200 and 400 milliwatts, depending on the power supply voltage.  This is where the fun ended.

I was never able to detect any sort of audio out of the little rig.  I followed the tuneup procedure in the instructions to the tee.  The instructions were easy to follow and the results were exactly as written, but through all of the test procedures, I was “NEVER” able to detect any audio.  After several days, I think I am done with it.  Unless something else pops into my mind, I will cut my losses on this one and continue on to the next project that is begging for my attention.

My dead bug Gnat 1. No audio was ever detected.
My dead bug Gnat 1. No audio was ever detected. Click to see a closer view of the dead Gnat 1.

The Gnat 1

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The Gnat One
N7ZWY's prototype of the Gnat 1. About two square inches.

Here is a little project I am excited to build.  The Gnat 1 by Chris Trask – N7ZWY.  It is a ONE transistor CW TRANSCEIVER.  I’ve seen other one transistor transceivers that employ a multi-pole switch or relay to toggle the transistor between the transmitter and receiver, but this one is unique in that it employees neither of those schemes.  The key itself switches it from receive to transmit.  This should be fun.  If I am successful (or not), I will post about the fun time I have with it.

I just received some crystals in the mail today, so my attempt at this little project will be for the 80 meter band.  Check this little project out and warm up your soldering iron and give it a try. It will be FUN!

Here is a six page pdf of the project from N7ZWY: http://www.home.earthlink.net/%7Echristrask/Gnat%2040.pdf

Ham Shack Windfall

John5 Comments

Our local radio club, Capital City Amateur Radio Club, (http://w7tck.org) was donated a bunch of equipment. We decided to have a silent auction for it for the club members. The idea was to allow members to obtain some equipment inexpensively rather than try to make a bunch of money off of it. Here is my windfall.  WOW! What Fun!

Click to see a slide show of my new equipment.

Click a picture to see a larger view, or click HERE for a slide show of my new “Junque”.

My favorite acquisition was this beautiful Heathkit SB-230 Amplifier.  When I built my shack several years ago, I plumbed into it 220 Volts for that day that I may have an amp.  It is about 1 KW input (probably about 600 Watts output), but that is very sufficient for me, since I operate in the QRP range much of the time.  This will be fun too though!  Look HERE to see my Ham Shack equipment; and you will see that I like Heath gear.

Heathkit SB-230

The photo below shows an old Heathkit Impedance Bridge.  At first, I was hoping it would be an instrument I could use to measure impedance of RF circuits, but it is usable at audio frequencies.  Non the less, it is a beautiful instrument with a wooden case and will sit up on my shelf with my other vintage items.

Heathkit Impedance Bridge IB-1B

The photo below is of a James Millen model 90662-A Grid-Dip Meter.  It is in perfect shape and is a very beautiful piece of test equipment.  I have a much older Heath grid-dip meter that I have been using that I will be glad to put up on the antique shelf, and put this beauty to use.  It is really a nice piece of test gear and a welcomed addition to the Ham Shack.

James Millen Grid Dip Meter 90662-A

The picture below is of a Heathkit Tube Tester model IT-17.  I have wanted a tube tester for many years, and passed up an opportunity to acquire one a couple of years ago and have been beating my self up over it ever since.  Since I have vacuum tube equipment, this will come in handy at that time in the future when it will be needed.  Tube testers are becoming increasingly rare and I am glad to add this one to my test equipment collection.

Heathkit IT-17 Tube Tester

The picture here, is of a Step Attenuator.  I have been thinking about either building, or purchasing one of these for a while now.  Of all the pieces of test gear I purchased in this sale, this is probably the most practical.  I am eager to put it to use while I learn and build transmitter and receiver circuits.  This is going to be a good piece of gear to have.

Step Attenuator

The following picture is a Wilcom Reference Level Test Set model T 105B.  I believe it was used with phone systems.  I purchased this gem for the case.  It is a very nice case that has nice rubber feet, handles on the instrument face, buckles to keep the lid closed, and a rubber seal to help keep the elements out.  It would make a very nice case for a piece of portable radio equipment that might be made some day for it.  It looks like it will be a good source of some nice parts also.

Wilcom Test Set T 105B

Here is another piece of Heathkit gear.  It is a model IM-5228 VTVM (Vacuum Tube Volt Meter).  I really purchasedit for the meter movement and for parts.  I might, however, keep it together as I do not have a good analog meter.  I fired it up and it works, so I might keep it around for those times an analog meter will do better than a digital one.  It will make a nice addition to my test gear collection.

Heathkit IM-5228 VTVM

There was a few odds and ends that the club was trying to just get rid of.  I just couldn’t let this one go to the dump, so I acquired it.   I’m sure I will be able to use some parts of some sort from this box of goodies.

Junk Box

The Agreeable Cat – by Anne Loucks

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I find this post by Anne Loucks as hilarious.  Are you sick of those stupid agreements that you are forced to accept every time you install some bit of software?  Take back control, and have your CAT agree to the EULA, not you!

John

The Agreeable Cat

by Anne Loucks

How often have you been presented with unplesant click-through license agreements like this one from the Adobe website:

downloading

It is disturbingly common for people to click right on through such barriers without even looking at the agreement. I totally understand this attitude. Reading the EULA is generally a waste of time. “Blah blah blah… bequeathment of firstborn… Blah Blah Blah… eternal soul…“ and so on.

Of course, I have created a wonderful solution to this problem. My cat, Simba, agrees instead of me. As he is not a legal entity, I don’t really know how kitty’s agreements would stand up in court, but I like to think he would be responsible for any breaches of contract, assuming the agreement is even enforceable. After all, he is not even of legal age, at least in human years.

front back

First, we must create a way for Simba to push the button. I created a cardboard platform with a long thin protrusion for pressing the spacebar, which is sufficient to activate most onscreen buttons after you TAB to place the focus on them.

Setup shot

Next, I carefully place it over the keyboard of my computer.

Luring the cat

Finally, I lure Simba over the cardboard platform with the promise of petting.

Success!!!

Success!! He presses the button of his own free will. Admittedly, he was coerced and rewarded, but really, nobody forced my cat to step on the button and become party to a software license agreement. At the very least, we know he was not under duress.

downloading

The download begins and I have personally agreed to nothing.

This same strategy could be used with small dogs, children (preferably the neighbors’), or even a carefully crafted button presser that moves up and down as the wind sways a tree outside your window. Mother nature is responsible for the license agreement! I swear!

Who knows how well this might hold up in court, and who cares? EULAs are something of a joke to begin with, as they have no physical signature. Still, if you are worried about legal safety, maybe your cat will be as agreeable as mine.

To Anyone who does something similar on their own, I would love to post your photos here. Send them to me at anne.loucks@ohesso.com.

Also, Boing Boing and Slashdot have picked up this essay, if you want to see what other folks have to say about it.

Learn CW Online

JohnLeave a comment

I love CW (That is: Morse Code).  On the Ham Radio bands, I operate almost exclusively CW.  It is fun and rewarding.  It is a challenge.  It is an easy way to get those DX contacts in the middle of the lowest part of the sun spot cycle.

There seems to be a resergence of interest in CW.  Eliminating CW as a requirement to get a Ham Radio license hasn’t done much to bolster our numbers.  CW is not the reason that our hobby has declining numbers.

Enter LCWO.net .  LCWO.net  is a web site I just discovered that will help you learn, or improve your CW skills.  LCWO stands for “Learn CW Online”.   I fiddled around  a bit on the site and found it very interesting; and it will even track your progress.  Give LCWO.net a try, it just might be the ticket to help you learn, or improve your CW.

CW is FUN!

John – K7JM

Supreme Technocrat

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Supreme Technocrat's Crown Katie

Katie got a part in her school drama class play as the “Supreme Technocrat”. As part of her costume, she has to have a crown appropriate to the title. Being a life long nerd, I decided she needed something more than the standard crown, she needed a Technocrat’s crown. We rounded up a bunch of old Integrated Circuits and made a grand crown for the purpose. Katie will make a “Fine” Supreme Technocrat.

Create USB Boot Thumb Drive With Ubuntu Live CD – Revisited

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I used the method, previously described, to make a bootable USB Ubuntu thumb drive for a co-worker. The process failed for his particular thumb drive, saying “Missing Operating System” when he tried to boot with the USB thumb drive.  After some research on the subject, it seems that a lot of thumb drives have this problem with Ubuntu.  I found the solution at http://ubuntuliving.blogspot.com/2008/11/missing-operating-system-step-by-step.html .  Dominique’s step by step “How To” worked perfectly for me.  If you have problems with your Ubuntu USB boot thumb drive, give this “How To” a try and you might be pleasantly surprised.

John

Create USB Boot Thumb Drive With Ubuntu Live CD

JohnLeave a comment

The computers in my Radio Shack and home run on Ubuntu Linux. A great way to share this good experience with others is through the Ubuntu Live CD.  The downside of the Live CD, however, is that no changes are saved.  To get a more lifelike experience in the Ubuntu demo, a bootable Ubuntu system can be loaded onto a USB thumb drive.  With this method, any changes will be kept on the thumb drive.

With the USB bootable thumb drive, it also means that you can carry your operating system with you with all the files you like to use.  There certainly is a performance issue compared with a regular hard drive instalation, but having your e-mail, internet, audio/visual programs, ham radio programs, etc. with you all the time, available to use on any computer that can boot by USB, is an awesome thing.

Here are some detailed instructions to make a bootable USB thumb drive from the Ubuntu 8.10 live CD.

Download PDF of this page.

download

get_adobe_reader

  • Insert Live Ubuntu CD and allow it to boot up completely

  • Insert Thumb Drive into a USB port and wait for system to recognize it

  • Click “System” on the TOP menu of the Desktop

Click "System"

  • Select  “Administration” under the “System” menu.

Administration

  • Click “Create a USB startup disk” under “Administration”

Click "Create a USB startup disk"

  • The “Make USB Startup Disk” program should start

  • CD info for the Live CD should appear at the top

Make USB Startup Disk

  • USB information should appear in the middle. If the USB thumb drive is not inserted, you can do it now and the information should appear.

USB Information Field

  • Make sure “Store in reserve extra space” is selected.

  • Move slider to the right to allocated additional memory on the thumb drive for the Ubuntu system. If you want a bit unused (eg. ½ GB) for other files, do not go all the way to the right. Note – This “unused” portion, or any files on the unused portion of the thumb drive WILL NOT be accessible when Ubuntu is booted from the thumb drive.

Storage Options

  • Click “Make Startup Disk”

Do it!

  • The system will begin to copy the Ubuntu Operating system to the thumb drive.

Progress Bar

  • It may take some time for the process to complete. When it is done, close the program and unmount the USB thumb drive by right clicking on the disk icon on the Desktop, and click “Unmount Volume”

  • This completes the installation of Ubuntu onto the thumb drive. Reboot the computer with the thumb drive in place and enjoy Ubuntu.

ARRLWeb: ARRL NEWS: Classic Exchange — A Vintage Radio Contest

JohnLeave a comment

The following is portion of a news entry from the ARRL. Click the link and read the whole post;  and if you have some vintage gear, fire it up and get ready for this fun sounding contest.  I am hoping that I will be able to participate in the fun.  Will you join me?
John – K7JM

Click the picture of my Vintage Heathkit gear and take a tour of my Ham Radio Shack.
Click the picture of my Vintage Heathkit gear and take a tour of my Ham Radio Shack.

Classic Exchange — A Vintage Radio Contest

By Mario Dianora, N2AK
dianoramd@verizon.net

ARRL – January 09, 2009

Warm-up those filaments for the Classic Exchange contest, January 25/26 and February 15/16.

Do you have any old equipment from the bygone days of radio? Are you a homebrewer who likes to make nifty low power (QRP) radios or replicas of old rigs? Well the good news is that you can put those pieces on the air in an operating event that will make you feel like you are in another era. That event is called Classic Exchange (CX) and it is held twice a year. The purpose of CX as described in their newsletter is to “Encourage restoration, operation and enjoyment of older commercial and homebrew ham gear.” Some years ago, I heard stations on 40 meter CW calling “CQ CX.” After some research, I discovered that this was a contest for vintage and homebrew gear. It sounded like a great way to get some use from the old rigs I had in my basement. Since then, I have rediscovered the magic of radio and await the next CX event for more of it.

via ARRLWeb: ARRL NEWS: Classic Exchange — A Vintage Radio Contest.