MORE THOUGHTS ON LINUX

I’m a Linux user. Like you, I started with Mandrake. It was an early version (5.1) and it was very rough and unpolished. I gave it up quickly. Later on, I bought Mandrake 8.1 and was re-introduced to the magic of Linux. Mandrake 8.1 could actually do stuff. It’s package manager (urpmi) actually worked and was easy to understand. Though, I have to point out that Linux packages (RPM and DEB) are a totally different paradigm compared to installing software on Windows or OSX.

A NEW LOOK AND A NEW FOCUS.

I have decided, with the help of my wife, to return to school and pursue a degree in electronics. I will be adding links here soon to resources that I find online to help prepare me for this task.  I hope to have my Extra class license before I start classes this fall.  I also hope to bone up on math, programming, and logic before then also.  Whatever resources I find, I will post here.

I WANT MY LINUX BACK

I got a really good deal on a iMac 500mhz computer for my birthday. What would normally cost $150-200 on ebay cost me $50 because the guy didn’t know what he had. I wanted a computer that I could just do my work on and know that it is stable enough to not crash everytime I turned around. My reason for leaving Linux is 2-fold. 1. Serena’s PC crashed and I gave her mine and install WinXP on it for her. 2. I like to tinker with Linux too much, and so I end up breaking it a little too often. Don’t get me wrong, Linux is a fine and stable OS, but I like to play a little too much.

APARTMENT ANTENNAS

MFJ has an antenna that is marketed towards apartment dwellers called the MFJ-1622. Barker and Williamson have a similar product called the AP-10B. Both of these products look good, but the price is mighty high. They run from $89 for the AP-10B to 99 for the MFJ-1622. The other problem is that, at least according to eham.net, the set up leaves a lot of be desired, and the performance can be lackluster. If we don’t have $100 to spend on an antenna, what are the other options? It seems to me that these antennas are made of three main components. 1. a whip 2. a loading coil and 3. a counterpoise. I am wondering if something could be made akin to a hamstick dipole. In case you are not aware, a hamstick is a whip antenna that is attached to a long loading coil that is usually used for mobile operation. The hamstick dipole is two dipoles connected with a metal plate that can be clamped to a support pole. Hamsticks have two main problems. First, they are narrowband antennas. In other words, they have to be retuned regularly to keep swr low and they require a counterpoise like a car body. The dipole configuration effectively doubles the available bandwidth and it solves the problem of the counterpoise. But this creates one more problem. Who wants a 20’ dipole in their apartment? Not to mention RF burns on family members who accidentally touch it. If you notice one thing about the advertised apartment antennas, then have a length of wire to take care of the counterpoise. Why not do the same with a single hamstick? Clamp it to a patio rail or sturdy piece of furniture, stick one end out of a window or on a patio and leave a curled up piece of insulated wire at the base for the counterpoise. One more thing, if you are in a really touchy complex and you try this, I would get some hobby paint and paint it black. Most HF activity is best at night and a black antenna would be much harder to see. Pass along any ideas that you might have. Links: MFJ-1622 http://www.mfjenterprises.com/products.php?prodid=MFJ-1622 eHam Review http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/2035 Cost $99.95 B&W AP-10B http://www.bwantennas.com/ama/ap10b.ama.htm eHam Review http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/667 Cost $89.00

LEARNING CW

Last January, I passed the General Class written test with flying colors. I also failed the CW test miserably. In June, I failed it again, and I have one month to take it one last time or else I have to retake the written class test over again. I’m not looking forward to that at all. So, I’m putting my nose to the grindstone and I will pass the test next time.

GEEK-A-THON

Last Friday and Saturday, I volunteered with an organization called the Kramden Institute to refurbish PC’s for underprivledged children in Durham, NC. Here is the website of the Geekathon, including one of my wife and me.

2 METER J-POLES

First of all, I want to say thanks to the staff of Hamblog.com for the reintroduction of their fine website.

I SEE PRETTY COLORS!

Windows Longhorn 5203 Screenshots

Here are a few free screenshots of the new Windows version that is due out next year. It will be called, “Longhorn”.

PARANOIA IS NOT EDUCATION

There’s been a lot of talk going on in the news about identity theft. I understand that this is a terrible crime that can leave a person penniless and in dire financial straits. The main culprit, of course, is the internet. The news reports are full of “Beware of this” and “Beware of that”. My beef, and this is probably something inherent in TV that I have long been immune to is that important information like this is given 30 seconds to 2 minutes on the nightly news. That is not enough time to educate anyone about the dangers of almost anything. The only thing it can do is spread fear, and that is no way to combat a problem.

WHAT LINUX NEEDS

I was thinking about this last night. Why does’t any of the main Linux distrobutions contains a Windows conversion package? It would basically make the first CD of a multi-CD installation a live CD. That live CD would contains software that would back up the user’s files in Windows. If the person has a CD Burner, they would then be given the option of burning those use files to a CDR. Then the software would continue with the installation. That way, even if the person screwed up their HDD with the partitions, then would not have lost all of their settings.