Monthly Archives: February 2011

Trebuchet for Punkin’ Chuckin’—Royce’s Piecemaker

Posted on February 28, 2011 by dave

I took the video on October 16th. This is what hams do in their spare time! Royce Seymore, AAØJD, joins with Jim Landon, KBØEMJ, and Terry Tippie, NØXMI, for a little punkin’ chuckin’ fun! (Note: the video can be viewed … Continue reading →

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Roxio Creator Pro 2011 VideoWave—you forgot the basics!

Posted on February 28, 2011 by dave

I sent this to Roxio: Folks, I just purchased and downloaded Roxio Creator 2011. Last year I purchased Roxio Creator 2010. There are some fundamental things that I’m amazed you guys still get wrong. These are really basic: 1. Autosave … Continue reading →

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ICOM 9100—New HF/VHF/UHF Radio

Posted on February 26, 2011 by dave

Icom has added the ICOM 9100 to its lineup. Physically, it looks very much like the new ICOM 7410, but has added capabilities at VHF and UHF (and with an optional extra, 1.2 GHz). The radio is clearly intended for … Continue reading →

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Kenwood’s Ham Radio HF Rig Lineup

Posted on February 21, 2011 by dave

Today’s summary is of the rather small Kenwood family of HF transceivers, a couple of which are of interest to new hams. Kenwood seems to be in the same place that Yaesu was back in the mid-1980s, with only three … Continue reading →

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Yaesu’s Ham Radio HF Rig Lineup

Posted on February 20, 2011 by dave

Yesterday I provided a summary of ICOM’s HF rigs. Today’s post is about Yaesu’s lineup. I’ll admit I’m partial to Yaesu because I’ve had two of their HF radios, an FT-201 and an FT-747 (I still have the latter—it’s my … Continue reading →

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Icom’s Ham Radio HF Rig Lineup

Posted on February 19, 2011 by dave

(Updated: 26 Feb 2011 to include ICOM 9100) I’m continuing a series of posts for hams who’ve just received their General Class license (the middle grade—see here). For new Generals, I recommend that the first antenna be a 40m dipole … Continue reading →

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Ham radio 40-meter dipole: your first antenna

Posted on February 17, 2011 by dave

Okay, as I noted before, my first antenna wasn’t a dipole. But I’ve worked with lots of new hams, and a dipole is cheap, quick, and easy to construct. But, you say, dipoles are only single-band. Yep, and I recommend … Continue reading →

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Watson wins big!

Posted on February 17, 2011 by dave

Why would I post about this? Because I work for IBM, that’s why! I’ve been to the IBM Research building shown and I’m just delighted with how it came out. Want to watch a bit? Here’s a ten minute video … Continue reading →

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Hy-gain 14-AVQ—My First Amateur Radio HF Antenna

Posted on February 16, 2011 by dave

What should I use for an HF antenna? I received this query from a friend who has recently passed his amateur radio General Class exam. My usual answer is: a homebrew dipole, but that got me to thinking. What was … Continue reading →

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Durango Silverton Train Leaves Silverton

Posted on February 2, 2011 by dave

Railfans, pay notice! Everyone loves the Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad (DSNGRR), based in Durango, Colorado. During the summer, the company runs several morning trains from Durango to Silverton, and then in the afternoon runs trains returning. This video shows a … Continue reading →

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