Harris Falcon III Clone

Some folks are giving him grief about the money he spent, but I think it's interesting to see what's out there.

Ham Radio Deluxe Follow-Up

Wow - this is crazy: reddit mega thread re: HRD blacklisting.

Connect Systems CS580 Review

Don at VA3XPR.net reviews the CS580:

"Overall, we are very happy with the Connect Systems CS580 and believe that it is a great value priced DMR radio that is likely to please most users, making it a winner within the ham radio community."

Click the link for all the details.

Ham Radio Deluxe on Slashdot.org

For all the wrong reasons...

Gandalf_the_Beardy quotes a report from The Register:The Register reports on the story of Jim Giercyk, an amateur radio enthusiast who had his copy of the popular Ham Radio Deluxe (HRD) software revoked after posting a negative review. Other radio hams have followed up with us regarding claims that this was not an isolated incident and others may have had their license keys blacklisted for being publicly critical of the company. And just to be clear: by blackballing keys, installed copies of the software stop working. Giercyk, a professional musician in South Carolina, U.S., says that after his dealings with HRD Software (which has since reinstated his software key) and the statement made by the developer's co-owner Dr Michael Carper, he takes issue with claims made by the company. Giercyk, aka N2SUB, told us on Tuesday: "The issue is not the refusal of service, the issue is that HRD disabled my software, and then offered to enable it in exchange for the removal of an online review of their product. It's extortion, not refusal of service." Giercyk also said that since he went public about his blacklisting last week, he has received messages from other users who have stories of their software keys being revoked by HRD without their knowledge for speaking up about having a bad support experience. A number of other readers pointed out a collection of bad reviews posted on hobbyist site eHam by customers who had their license keys blacklisted. HRD told us some of those users could have written their assessments after requesting a refund and deactivating their software, thus their licenses will appear revoked. Meanwhile, Reddit threads and follow-up discussions to Giercyk's catalyst forum post reveal similar stories of keys being revoked after critical comments about Ham Radio Deluxe have appeared online. Other sources allege some amateur radio forums have in the past deleted posts critical of HRD.

WB4GBI Repeater Traffic during Gatlinburg Wildfires

No surprise to hams - cell phone service was greatly limited during the disaster.

SharkRF OpensPOT Review

John reviews the SharkRF OpenSPOT:

"Hotspots were not developed to replace repeaters, but rather to supplement them. In areas where there is No repeater, a hotspot allows the user to connect directly to a digital network via the internet. In areas of Heavy repeater use, a hotspot allows the user to access the network without competing for an available time slot.  If your local repeater gives you access to a network such as DMR-MARC, an openSPOT can give access to networks such as Brandmeister. You will now have access to the best of both worlds."

Surecom KT-8900D: Unboxing

Also, via Nate.

Baofeng Tech: UV-5X3 Giveaway

Baofeng Tech is giving away a UV-5X3 via their Facebook page (like + share/comment).

Surecom KT-8900D: Mobile

Via Nate... thanks for the tip!

Surecom KT-8900D 136-174/220-260/350-390/400-480 Mini Color Screen Mobile Radio for $97.00.

• 1 x SURECOM KT-8900D 136-174/220-260/350-390/400-480 MINI COLOR SCREEN MOBILE RADIO
• 1 x Microphone
• 1 x Car Power Cable
• 1 x Fuse
• 1 x Mounting bracket
• 1 x Screw
• 1 x User"s Manual

General specification

Fequency Range	VHF:  136-174MHz  /  220-260MHz  UHF:  350-390MHz /   400-480MHz
Number of channels	200
Channel spacing	25KHz、  20K、12.5
Phase lock step step	2.5KHz、5KHz、6.25 KHz、10 KHz、12.5 KHz、15 KHz、25 KHz
Working voltage	13.8V DC±15%
Squelch  way	CTCSS、DCS、5Tone、2Tone、DTMF
Frequency stability	±2.5ppm
Operat temperature	-20+60℃
Dimension	98(W)*43(H)*126(D)mm
Weight	448g

Receive（ETSI EN 300 086 Standarddized.Test）

	Wide Band	Narrow  Band
Sensitivity	≤0.25μν	≤0.35μν
Channel Cholce	≥70db	≥60db
Intermodulation	≥65db	≥60db
Spurious Rejection	≥70db	≥70db
Audio Response	+1~~3db（0.3~3KHz）	+1~~3db（0.3~2.55KHz）
Signal to noise radio	≥45db	≥40db
Audio Distortion	≤5%
Audio output power	≥2W@10%

Transmit（ETSI EN 300 086 Standarddized.Test）

	Wide Band	Narrow  Band
Output Power	25W/20W（VHF/UHF）
Modulation Mode	16KΦF3E	11KΦF3E
Channel Power	≥70db	≥60db
Signal to noise radio	≥40db	≥36db
Parasitic Harmonic	≥60db	≥60db
Audio Response	+1~~3db（0.3~3KHz）	+1~~3db（0.3~2.55KHz）
Audio Distortion	≤5%

The Map of Physics

Adding to to my general knowledge pool today...


Sheldon wouldn't like concluding with philosophy.

Via openculture.com