Field Day 2013 June 22-23rd

Field Day 2013 is coming up. I'm not a big DX extraordinaire, but I try to stop by a local field day event make a few contacts, check out some impromptu emergency power setups, and snag some pizza.

If you have no idea what "Field Day" is go here to find out more.

If you are in the Diamond Bar area check out the W6SCE group they are usually pretty laid back and open to new people who want to check things out, and they don't have too much ham stink. 

Raspberry Pi and radio.

I have been playing around with this small Raspberry Pi "box" for a few weeks now, and it's a lot of fun. It's not so much a "get business done" machine, but a simple $35 Linux computer that can fit almost anywhere, and run simple tasks using little power.

The Raspberry Pi was introduced in February in the UK, but has taken the hacker/maker/gadget/nerd world by storm. Right now my R-Pi is running xbmc, but I want to get another one set up to run OP25, but there are literally thousands of things you can do with a Raspberry Pi.

"Raspberry Pi and Ham Radio"

raspberrypi.org

DIY tactical repeater for $100

Wiring / physical mod instructions can be found here.

Instructional video on how to downband an LPH for 144MHz

Catastrophe Network

catastrophenetwork.org

I Ran across this new blog that is aimed more towards personal family preparedness. They also publish what the call the "Standardized Amateur Radio Prepper Communications Plan".

Great all we need is someone else trying to coordinate national frequencies.

I can't stand "HAM"

I saw the below image today on FB, It's an add for a "Ham radio social network!" You know what really bothers me, the phrase "ham radio".



Historically this phrase was first used as a pejorative by professional radiotelegraph operators to describe unskilled and incompetent amateur operators but today "Ham" radio is more commonly used then "Amateur" radio. For a lot of operators the phrase is embraced, and usually fits because many times good intentioned "Hams" are unskilled and incompetent operators, and the title "Ham" even matches their physical appearance.