Deputy Associate Chancellor of Academic Technology of the Committee on Strategic Dining Affairs

A follow-up to my post yesterday about spending... university title generator. I think I should apply for Deputy Dean of the Committee on Athletic Technology.

@iowahawkblog Don't know if you saw this https://t.co/6CyJRGkxlE Suggests a salary, too!

— HAL 10000 (@Hal_RTFLC) May 21, 2016

Where the Money Goes

I met a friend in DC a few years back. He worked for the Bureau of Land Management and was apologetically telling me his title as it was something like this:

Why is #CollegeTuitionSoHigh? Ask the Office of the Assistant Deputy Associate Vice Provost for Providing Information About Tuition Hikes

— David Burge (@iowahawkblog) May 21, 2016

Wouxun KG-UV8E: Tri-band HT

BuyTwoWayRadios has the Wouxun KG-UV8E tri-band HT:

"The KG-UV8E is based on the very popular Wouxun KG-UV8D, the dual band portable handheld radio best known for its large color display, cross band repeat capability and true simultaneous two band reception, all at a very low price point. At the moment of its introduction in 2014, the KG-UV8D was an instant hit, and it is still the handheld of choice among many hams today.

However, the 2 meter and 70cm bands are becoming crowded, and many hams are moving to the 1.25 meter band for some breathing room. The problem? There aren't a lot of 1.25 meter radios out there, and the ones that are available tend to swap the beloved 2 meter band for it. This means amateurs had to choose between a dual bander with either 1.25m VHF and UHF, or 2m VHF and UHF. If you used a handheld for both, you either had to carry two dual band radios, or give up a VHF band altogether.

The solution? Wouxun created a portable handheld that includes all three. It's the KG-UV8E, and it's available now from Buy Two Way Radios!"

In short:

"The Wouxun KG-UV8E has all the same features of the KG-UV8D along with the feature upgrades of theKG-UV8D Plus. In fact, for all intents and purposes, it is a UV8D Plus, with the addition of one extra band for full transmit and receive on 1.25 meters from 222Mhz to 225Mhz."

You can pick one up for $139.99.

Full spec sheet is here (PDF).

Hytera RD965 - Tactical DMR Repeater Project

Hytera RD965 - Tactical DMR Repeater Project:

In testing UHF DMR in simplex mode, I found on typical terrain or on road convoys, the DMR radios gave us approx 2-3x the distance and had many fewer coverage holes in a given set of terrain. Another anecdote, from the basement of my house in Fort Collins, I can hit the Boulder area DMR-MARC repeater, using a HT, in DMR mode. This is pretty amazing considering the distance and stuff in the way. On analog UHF, I am lucky to hit the local Fort Collins (Horsetooth) repeater from the exact same position.

Only problem, the DMR repeaters Kent deals with are fixed position enterprise-level units, and the "manpack" repeaters he builds are typically built around ultra low power VHF/UHF. So I did a bunch of research online and found the Hytera RD965 repeater. It's small, a little larger than an old Hayes Courier HST modem. The downside compared to the other manpack repeaters was going to be its power requirements. I said that I didn't mind if we needed to have more batteries or solar panels, so we just went ahead with the project.

The idea is that we ID the best mountain-top position for the repeater to give maximal coverage of the event area, drive/hike it up there, and then leave it there for about to two weeks, until we're done with the site. The repeater is to run autonomously during that time.

Click the link for the full details (including pics) of the solution.

Hamvention Exhibit Hall in Pictures

Pictures here.

Israel’s New Terminator Bot: The DOGO

It will be back:


Via SaysUncle

USB Rechargeable Screwdriver with Live Circuit Detector

Kind of cool - a USB rechargeable screw driver with live circuit detector for $22.

• Patented Circuit Sensor Non-Contact Live-Wire Detector for outlets, switches, cords and fixtures
• Safely detects current from up to 1 inch away; communicates with sound and red light
• 2 LED worklights for illumination in low-light situations
• Integrated, rechargeable Lithium battery and USB charging port for convenient charging
• 9-piece screwdriver bit kit and magnetic bit holder

Elecraft KX2: Order Online

You can order the Elecraft KX2 (and options) on-line here. If you are feeling generous, buy two and send one to Cale. #KX2forCale

DV4Mobile: VA3XPR Hands On

VA3XPR:

"To recap, the radio will operate on the 2m (144 – 148 MHz), 1.25m (222 – 225 MHz) and 70cm (430 – 450 MHz) bands and will initially supporting DMR, D-STAR and C4FM (System Fusion) digital voice modes when it is released in Q4 2016. With subsequent software updates 2017, the radio will also support P25, dPMR, NXDN and NEXEDGE. Since the radio is essentially a Software Defined Radio (SDR), it can easily be programmed to support any new digital voice modes that hams might want to use."

And:

"So now for the big question – what will such an awesome radio cost? At the time of this article, the Wireless Holding team was reluctant to provide pricing information, as they had not finalized pricing details. So users will have to stay tuned for these details in late 2016. It is important to note that Wireless Holdings expects that an optional feature to be made available at the time of launch that would enable the radio to also operate on the HF bands, thereby making the radio compact SDR choice for anyone looking to use HF in their vehicle." 

Ham Radio 360: Dayton Hamvention Day 1 and 2

I'm behind, but you can catch on Cale and friends big adventure at Dayton with their Day 1 and Day 2 podcasts.

As a reminder, a list of all the Ham Radio 360 podcasts can be found here.