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Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Excellent AT&T Video on SWR

Ken, KG6PO, sent us this gem:

http://techchannel.att.com/play-video.cfm/2011/3/7/AT&T-Archives-Similarities-of-Wave-Behavior

I really like the way Dr. Shive brings together mechanical and electrical phenomena. You get the sense that he had "The Knack" -- note the twinkle in his eye when he explains a particularly intriguing point.

Warning: I think the AT&T archive of which this is part will become another enormous (but worthwhile) time sink for many of us. Thanks Ken. Thanks Dr. Shive.

Monday, May 30, 2011

European Very Large Telescope Video (Warning: It May Make you Cry)


The guys who run Slashdot are not known to be very sentimental, but they warned that this video may bring viewers to tears. They were right. This one is really magnificent. Makes me want to ditch the diplo gig and move to the Atacama desert. Sit back, put this on full screen mode, turn up the speakers a bit, and prepare to be amazed.

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Please Help Get SolderSmoke into RadioShack Stores


Several listeners sent me the link to a new campaign by the RadioShack stores. They apparently want to get back into supplying parts for the electronics DIY community. Great! I always liked the oft-maligned stores. I missed them when overseas, and was always saddened to see them drifting away from the world of our kind of radio shack. But it appears that the 'shack might be coming back! RadioShack has asked customers to leave comments on their blog page listing the three items that they would like to see added to the RadioShack inventory.

I would really appreciate it if you guys would go to that page and tell them that you think it would be a good idea for them to sell the book "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" in their stores. You can point them to the link http://soldersmoke.com/book.htm

Some things you might mention in your comments on the RadioShack blog:

-- One of the reasons I wrote the book was because I wanted to try to help perpetuate the old, friendly, cooperative ham radio spirit: The culture of the Elmer and all that. The shared junk box. The willingness to help someone with a project or a technical problem. This book might help foster the kind of sense of community that would help everyone (including RadioShack!)


-- The book was in part inspired by the RadioShack publications of the great Forrest Mims. Like Mim's books, SolderSmoke has lots of hand-drawn diagrams.

-- The book actually contains (already!) a very favorable comment about the important role played in DIY by the RadioShack stores.

-- While it is mostly about ham radio, it was written to appeal to the broader electronics DIY community, and contains wide variety of projects including astronomy, kite aerial photography and rocketry.

-- The author -- Bill Meara -- would be willing to work something out with them (!)

So, gentlemen: Please get typing! Don't tell them I sent you ;-) Let's make this seem like a spontaneous outpouring of popular support.

Here is the blog location for RadioShack:
http://blog.radioshack.com/post/2011/05/19/RadioShack-And-The-DIY-Community-You-Talked-Were-Listening.aspx

or http://blog.radioshack.com/post.aspx?id=f7239c83-8fd3-47e4-9fb9-395f57b56bb7

If you are so inclined you could also tweet them your input @Radio Shack


And you could put your comments on their Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/RadioShack

Thanks a lot!

Friday, May 27, 2011

Inspirational Amateur Astrophotography

Wes, W7ZOI, passed this to me. This is a really inspirational project, with a very beautiful result. I recommend you read this newspaper article:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2015040399_nightsky12.html

Then go play with the images here:
http://skysurvey.org/

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Struggling Brother

OM Jason, NT7S, has been experiencing the kinds of workbench trials and tribulations faced by anyone who tries to create something new. But I think the radio gods are looking favorably on his efforts -- a recent QSO with W7ZOI is a very good omen:

http://www.nt7s.com/blog/

Hang in there Jason! I'm sure the QRP community is looking forward to the availability of the rigs you are developing.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Regen Joke

This story from the Netherlands sort of supports my theory about regens all being POSSESSED:

Hi Bill,
... About regens. A couple of years ago we were on a field day.
I put up a zepp antenna for 80 meters, so 40 m wire and 20 m ladderline.
We had a barbecue on Saturday night and on of the visitors brought his
regen, build on a breadboard with nails. I never heard of those but he
wanted to demonstrate and asked if he could use my antenna. I agreed
obviously so he and a lot of others came crowding my caravan.
But he did not succeed to get any intelligible sound out of the thing,
after 30 minutes he was about to give up, then I suggested to swap the
wires of the ladderline, my argument was that it sounded like the wrong
sideband, and this might solve the problem. :-)
He stood there, thought for a while, and swapped the cords of the
ladderline. After playing around with it for 10 or 20 seconds all of a
sudden a clear voice came out of the machine. He was stunned, but I and
two other more experienced hams fled to the tent with drinks to laugh our
heads of. :-)
It was good fun though.

73
Adrian

Monday, May 23, 2011

Parks, Tektronix, and Beaverton


Hey Bill:

I was listening to the old SS #130 last night (catching up) and heard
you talking about that 6CW4 converter you have. I'm not familiar with Parks
Electronics, but the 6CW4 nuvistor was used in the preamplifiers of many
Tektronix oscilloscopes. I have a hunch that "Parks Electronics" was the
side-job for some Tektronix engineers...possibly ones that are in our fine
homebrew community, although I'd have expected them to raise their hands by now.
I wonder if "Parks Electronics" is in any way related to "Parks Metals", which
is a full-service metal fab shop here in Beaverton...among other things, they
make the metal chassis and cabinets for DCPWR.com, one of the many ham-run
businesses that offers PowerPole parts and accessories.

There's a new "Tektronix Museum" in Beaverton, staffed by volunteers. It's in
its fledgling state. I've not visited yet, but plan to. Some of the inventory
comes from Stan Griffiths W7NI, who is one half of "Bill and Stan's Tektronix
Resource website". One of the many amazing things Stan did in his lifetime in
high tech was to run a very successful service organization...and along the way,
amassed a most impressive collection of Tektronix instruments. His "garage" was
featured in an Oregon Public Television special on the history of Tektronix.
Much more of a museum than a garage, with quite a fascinating curator, as well.

An email went around about a year ago listing all known Tektronix hams - past
and present - there were literally thousands of hams on that list, many are
today in the top ranks not only of homebrewing, but of high tech business
worldwide.

Anyway, you might be able to learn the genealogy of that converter by contacting
the guys at the Tektronix Museum. Their website isn't fully fleshed out yet but
does have contact info, and most are hams.

www.vintagetek.org

If there's a legit Tek connection, they might want to put that converter in the
museum, too.

73 and keep the Solder Smoking

Dave W8NF
Hillsboro, OR


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