While I'm away

These will be some of the things I'll be playing with this Spring and Summer.



Here are a pair of Ubiquiti XR-9's. We started to experiment with these towards the fall of last year. We have a HyperLink Technologies HA910I-APC 10 Watt (+40 dBm) amplifier that could be paired with it.
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Here are some older things that we have messed with on 2.4 GHz. Ubiquiti Nanostations and Bullets and going back even a few more years the WRT54G. We have slowly been moving away from 2.4 GHz. Our experiences have been that there is to much stuff on the band, and to many trees!
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Here are some antennas. The top two are Comtelco's for 70 cm, yielding 10 dBd. I hope to be putting these to use soon! Some 900 MHz yagi's. HyperLink yagi's yielding 13 dBi, and then some stuff from 2.4 GHz.
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Here are two router stations just aching for some 400 MHz mini-pci boards to be put into them!

And on the narrow band digital front, we have already begun comparing D-Star, P25 and Mototrbo. It began a week ago after some discussion at our local radio club banquet.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdGr12Qiosc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRJXNpJmOvs

Blog Hiatus

About a year ago I eluded to discontinuing this blog.

I received some positive encouragement at the time to continue it.

That said, I feel the same way I did a year ago... (if not more disgusted with the lack of leadership)

"I really don't know if ham radio these days is worth the effort I put into it."

So I will be taking a break.

If anyone stumbles into anything interesting going on in the hobby I'd still appreciate an email bringing it to my attention.

73'
Steve, KB9MWR

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Here is an interesting speech that ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN gave at AES Superfest in Milwaukee on 4/2/2011, titled "Do Something new in Ham Radio."

Unfortunately this is the first time Superfest that I have missed in a long time. Had I know that she was going to be there, I would have attended so that I could share some of my thoughts in person.

The premise of her speech is good. In coincides with my own logic. There is some irony however.

She mentions a phenomenon that occurs with some hams where they "Narrow their perspective down on Amateur Radio so tight..."

I'm sure ARRL staff and other can see me as one of those types since I blog on certain things over and over.

The double irony is the ARRL's own perspective seems to be narrowed pretty tight to HF and ARES, and Contesting. So that is why you'll never read about anything in those areas on my blog. You'll likely only read about stuff that you won't read in QST or on the ARRL web, as I have tried to fill that void.

Kay, if you want to encourage hams to try something new, how about relaxing a few more rules?

The recent petition- wavier regarding voice and data emissions is a good start.

Internet Pioneer Paul Baran, W3KAS (SK)

http://www.arrl.org/news/internet-pioneer-paul-baran-w3kas-sk

What I'll add that he mixed his radio interest in by helping found Merticom. A pioneering wireless Internet service that existed from 1995-2003, long before "3G" and wifi..

For more technical info on the Merticom Ricochet Radios you may want to have a look here: http://www.qsl.net/n9zia/metricom/index.html