Is this the beginning of web3.0?
Interesting to see the struggle from blogs to Twitter to social networks to perfect information overload to…. something new?
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Digital Radio Mondiale
A while ago I wrote about weird load signals I heard in the HF-spectrum. Mischa, PA1OKZ pointed me out that they probably are Digital Radio Mondiale signals. And indeed, when Mischa and I were checking the most loud signals I had encountered, it were DRM-broadcastings. So another mystery is solved. Thanks Mischa, for pointing this one out!
Solid State Drive in MacMini
After I did see this YouTube video I was convinced I had to try one of these Solid State Drives in my MacMini. Googling around I stumbled on this help page. From here it was child play. Because my Mac Mini always had TimeMachine turned on there was a backup of the disk on my TimeCapsule. Before I turned off the MacMini, I did one last speed check from the boot. I timed exactly 3 minutes from right after the Apple chime to my fully loaded desktop.
Now, the standard 2,5″ 120 GB 5400 rpm disk was out in under 10 minutes and the OCZ Vertex 2 120GB SSD was right in. Very easy job. Why an OCZ-drive? It seems like they are kind of marked leader in SSD-drives. Especially when you look at the speeds which are claimed for this disk.
Now I booted up the Mini from DVD and restore the last image from TimeMachine. That took a few hours because of my relatively slow LAN (100Mbit). But after restore I could test my new shiny SSD. With stopwatch sharp I booted the mini for the first time. After a whopping 19,2 seconds it was ready from boot. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I’ve booted and booted over again but it’s really that fast now. Every application I start is ready in a blazing fast moment. Unbelievable! I so love the *click*…*bam!*-experience when I startup a application. And it’s totally back on my little MacMini with this SSD.
Of course SSD’s are still much more expensive then the old spinning drives. But I don’t consider that as a problem. I don’t store much data locally for various reasons. So if you only use the SSD for booting your OS and applications, a 60 or 120 GB should be enough. I would recommend anyone this great drives!
Computing things
Lot’s of stuff going on here at the PA1JIM Headquarters but surprisingly little radio stuff!
Since my encounter with Andrew Madson from Open Reel Softto get Aether working with my Kenwood TS-590 (Andrew is a really nice helpful and patience guy!), I’m all in C-programming. Final goal: writing my own apps for the iFamily (Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPod). First learn to write a little C, then learning C-objective and finally get my drift in Xcode (the develop environment of Apple). ‘He’s taking the long path’ I hear you think… Yes, but I want my first app in stores by the end of this summer. Keep you guys and galls posted!
Today my new shiny iPhone4 will arrive. Then I can at least try out my own creations real time!
New hostingprovider
The last few years I could trust on the hosting expertise of one of my former colleagues. He supplied me with a nice virtual machine on one of his servers. Unfortunately he informed me he is not be able to supply me with this (free) hosting facility anymore. That is a bit of a bummer nevertheless I want to thank Thijs dearly for his excellent service the past years! Thijs, thanks mate!
So with that news I had to find me a new spot on the interwebs to host my sites. I really like Continue reading
PACC 2011 @ PI4RCG
Last weekend another edition of the Dutch PACC contest was active on the bands. Every year it is an exciting time around the second weekend of february. This year for me it extra exciting because as new contestmanager of clubstation PI4RCG. A few months ago I had the idea to build a simple multi-multi-station at our NERA club facility. Just 5 seats with a few wire antenna’s. It turn out to be much more work then I aspected. Continue reading
BARTG RTTY sprint contest
This weekend I participated in the RTTY sprint contest of the British Amateur Radio Teledata Group (BARTG). As a first timer I had to learn quickly about the integration of N1MM logger and MMTTY. When the contest started I discovered there are no default macro’s in MMTTY. So I had to write time along making QSO’s. It wasn’t the best preparation I ever did 
The TS-590S did a great job at this contest! Sometimes I heard the blowers hit in to cool down a bit, but overall I didn’t notice anything weird during the contest. Filtering is great, also with RTTY! Results? 208 Q’s and a claimed score of 56.106 points. Not bad for a RTTY rookie!
New firmware 1.02 for TS-590
As a proud owner of the brand new Kenwood TS-590 of course I now have to follow the release of new firmware for this rig. This morning I noticed there is a new one out. It addresses at least one thing I noticed: an unstable USB-data connection when I switch between N1MM logger and Ham Radio Deluxe. Sometimes I have to turn the radio off and back on to get a connection with the other program. Other fixes according to Kenwood:
1. In [SSB-DATA] mode, Speech Processor might not be disabled internally.
2. At the end of TX tune mode, carrier output returns to normal mode level after a short delay.
3. When the TS-590S is turned ON, the USB port connection may be unstable.
4. When the built-in electronic keyer is set to Mode A, CW keying may not work properly.
5. TX rise time power spike activates some linear amplifiers’ input power protections.
(The firmware Ver.1.02 revises the ALC response characteristics to reduce the power spike.)
6. When a separate RX ANT is connected, TX output power may be fed back to the RX ANT connector and might affect internal circuits.
(The firmware Ver.1.02 deactivates (opens) RX ANT relay every time the radio transmits.)
Let’s upgrade here!
AVRS
Interesting article over at G4ILO’s about Automatic Voice Relay System. A pretty old design what can connect analog tot digital via A-star to D-star. Here you can read an article of the initiator himself, WB4APR
Kenwood TS-590 finally arrived!
After two of the longest weeks of my radio-life the new Kenwood finally arrived! Let the unpacking begin… First impression: great radio! It is very much noticeable it is a complete new design. Receiving part is absolutely much much better then my good old TS-850. Because I’m living in a village (little city actually) there is a great deal of interference. The TS-850 couldn’t deal with that. The new TS-590 has a great DSP and receiving characteristics to suppress QRM! When I turned on the transceiver is was almost if I turned it on at our clubstation PI4RCG. Unbelievable quiet and very good capabilities to grab very small signals. For the first time ever I was able to listen to signals from ZL!
Also feeling tidy up because the shack is cleaned due to selling all the old stuf. Very good start of 2011 for PA1JIM!
