New Tech Demographics

W0LTM/K0NR did a survey of new technicians to capture some demographics. To sum up, almost 90% of the new techs are 30+ and they got their license because zombies. Or, something like that.

Radio Tube USB Drive

We love these handmade glowing radio-tube USB drives https://t.co/NqvNCaqkHA pic.twitter.com/1nuAebAfdQ

— Boing Boing (@BoingBoing) October 27, 2015

Via K0NR

Secret Marathon

If you don't tell anyone, it's just a long run.



And I forgot to mention I did Ragnar this last weekend. Two hundred-ish miles as a team over about a 30 hour period. No sleep. Spending lots of time in a van. And my first leg was up a mountain. Good times.

Random Windows 10 Hint

If you want an application to show up in the Start Menu's Most Used list... don't pin it to the Start Menu as a tile. I like the Most Used for things like Excel, so you can then access pinned documents from it.

Experience

Dilbert on "Experience."

Mine vs. Yours

K0NR:

"We need to get the religion out of ham radio. No, I am not talking about the HF nets that support missionaries or similar activities. (Those people might actually be doing something good for the world.) I am talking about the religious debates concerning new technology…this technology is better than that technology."

 "What other religious debates are out there? Android versus iOS, Open Source Software versus Commercial Software, My favorite rig versus Your favorite rig, … what else?"

A few come to mind...

.45 vs. 9mm (or whatever)
Glock vs 1911 (or whatever)
AK-47 vs. AR-15
SEC vs. Other Football Conference
Coke vs. Pepsi
Ford vs. Chevy
Beans vs. No Beans in Chili
Manhattan vs. New England Clam Chowder

Halloween Costume

The scariest part of this is the idea of a sexy ham costume.

Baofeng UV-5R: Extreme Testing

More via /r/amateurradio:

Spurious Emissions

Over at /r/amateurradio...

"Apparently the ARRL set up a Spectrum analyzer at Dayton the last few years and offered to test attendee HT's for spurious emissions." 

"At Dayton this year, only 25% of the Baofengs that were tested, complied with Part 97. 21% of Baofengs were borderline, and 54% of Baofengs were non compliant. 86% of Wauxon's were compliant and 14% of Wauxon's were not compliant. Yaesu, Icom, Kenwood, and Connect Systems: 100% were compliant with the Part 97 standards. 

The ARRL concluded that many of the radios that did not comply, would cause harmful interference with other radio services. 

The article is on page 74 & 75 of the November QST."

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.

Cheaper Tech Except...

The trend is for tech to get cheaper over time... with the exception of your cable bill.

I've been thinking about cutting the cable cord and going a la carte - $40 gets me lots of channels including ESPN(s), SEC Network, and HBO.  I should probably pick up an ARRIS SURFboard SB6183 DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem and quit renting, too.