An Armed Society is a Polite Society

And it works both ways... Another Benefit of Concealed Carry.

Via Say Uncle

Missing in Action

If I am missing in action over the next week, it is because I am in Westeros dancing with dragons.*

* Or maybe I am running. Or watching Harry Potter. Or at work.

Power Cord Splitter

Like I need one more thing in my laptop bag, but for those of you fighting for power* at an airport or a coffee shop, this power cord splitter could come in real handy.

* Electrical, not world domination type.

Via KK Cool Tools

Word of the Day: Wirearchy

Wirearchy is

"a dynamic two-way flow of power and authority based on information, knowledge, trust and credibility, enabled by interconnected people and technology."

Basically, the internet along with the wave of social apps is disrupting the old hierarchical command and control structures.

McMinn County Amateur Radio Club Hamfest (Athens, TN)

The McMinn County Amateur Radio Club (MCARC) will host its annual hamfest in Athens on Saturday, July 16 at Athens Regional Park. The hamfest is from 7:00 am to noon and is free if you aren't selling.

PSK31 (and Ham Apps for Droid)

For a while now, I've been thinking about playing around with the digital modes - specifically PSK31. Unfortunately, the Small Wonder Labs PSK31 kits have been discontinued:

"The PSK-series transceiver is discontinued effective immediately. There will be a successor- schedule is uncertain."

So that option is out for now. I came across several ham apps for the Droid phone by Wolphi LLC that included DroidPSK - PSK31 in addtion to others like a Morse code trainer, DX beacon, DX cluster, etc. I thought "Great! I can play with that." - until I saw that DroidPSK app was $5. I'm pretty cheap when it comes to nickel and dime stuff that I may not use very long.

That led me to another search that turned up K7AGE's "Introduction to PSK31 - Receiving." He makes it look really easy to start recieving - even without any special equipment. All you need is the DigiPan software, your computer, and your radio.



He also posted a video with some sample PSK31 signals, so you can test the DigiPan install without even needing a radio. As usual, hams come up with cheap ways to do ham stuff.

I still may shell out $100 bucks to get a SignaLink USB, so I can Tx. (I know, I know... I won't spend $5 on the app, but will spend $100 on the hardware. Does not compute. Does not compute.)

VALOUR-IT

My grandfather was in the Navy. That's as close as I got to military service. Sometimes I wonder if we wouldn't be better off if you had to serve (may be even fight bugs) before being allowed to vote. I appreciate what those in the military have done and continue to do to serve our country.

I'm a geek. I love computers and can't image life with out the internet, e-mail, etc. I am amazed by the breadth and depth of options to communicate with family and friends. The information available now is almost limitless. I wouldn't want anyone or anything to take that away from me.

Put those things together and you can see why I can support a charity like Project Valour-IT that uses donations to get specialized laptops to wounded warriors.

Project Valour-IT helps provide voice-controlled/adaptive laptop computers and other technology to support Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines recovering from hand wounds and other severe injuries. Items supplied include:

-Voice-controlled Laptops - Operated by speaking into a microphone or using other adaptive technologies, they allow the wounded to maintain connections with the rest of the world during recovery.
-Wii Video Game Systems - Whole-body game systems increase motivation and speed recovery when used under the guidance of physical therapists in therapy sessions (donated only to medical facilities).
-Personal GPS - Handheld GPS devices build self-confidence and independence by compensating for short-term memory loss and organizational challenges related to severe TBI and severe PTSD

Consider giving if this resonates with you.

Via BlackFive

Software One for the Valentine One Radar Detector

I was looking at the KG-UV Commander software again for the previous post about CHIRP and I noticed KC8UNJ's link to his Software One application for the Valentine One Radar Detector. I don't even have a radar detector, but I still think that's pretty slick. If I were a programmer, I think I would have to learn how to work with serial communications - that stuff is everywhere. I would be all powerful if I could talk to machines through the serial port and do database selects, inserts, deletes, and updates on the back-end!

Universal Radio Programming Software - CHIRP

Instead of having a program to update the UV-3R and a program (or two!) to update the KG-UVD1P, how about a "one size fits most" application for programming radios. CHIRP will update, as of this writing, three Alinco, seventeen Icom, one Jetstream, seven Kenwood, nine Yaesu, and three Wouxun models. It will not do everything the radio specific software will do, but will update the basic memories for your favorite frequencies. You will still need the appropriate cable for your radio.

RunKeeper

I've been using the free version of RunKeeper for my Android phone. It uses the phone's GPS to track your progress during runs, rides, etc. It will announce your distance, time, and pace. You can adjust the frequency of the announcements. I like lots of feedback, so I get updates every quarter mile and every five minutes. It automatically uploads your data to the web where you can view it on the web page. Below is a sample of one of my activities. You can also connect with other RunKeeper users and share your activities and view theirs.

It is pretty slick for a free app. (There is a premium "Elite" version for $20/year.) Being able to easily track my runs and see what others are doing has really been a great motivator. RunKeeper gets a thumbs up from me.