Once again, thanks for all the great feedback on the July issue (and prior issues) of The Logger's Bark, the newsletter & magazine of W7DK, The Radio Club of Tacoma! You can read about the club at www.W7DK.org and if you're ever in Tacoma, WA on a Saturday, the club holds open house every Saturday from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM and all are welcome. Full details at the link. In this month's August The Logger's Bark magazine: How to run a Flex Radio on Linux A look back at the Drake 2B receiver A souped-up high performance HW-7 transceiver - with videos Q-Codes explained for new hams The Microsoft / Adobe PDF "divorce" and its impact on The Bark All about the Moxon Beam antenna Homebrew review: Exceptional homebrew CW transmitter by Nick K7MO Overview of the W7DK Museum (W7OS) acquisition of an astounding Heathkit Warrior amp WA7BJR article on his DXpedition to St. Kitts & Nevis Islands Youth on the Air: National youth group Camp Quest with W7DK for Bunny Hunts with kids! EmComm: How to set up Winlink on several popular radios The New Hot Thing: FlexRadio 8400M transceiver Dave Jensen's @W7DGJ GEAR Column!: Meshtastic devices explained Plus lots of other fun stuff with features, articles, photos, tips, and blurbs all about amateur radio. And NO ADS! Download The Logger's Bark HERE: https://static.qrz.com/w7dk/August2024-QRZ.pdf IMPORTANT: Be sure to actually download it to read - in Preview mode, the external links won't work! Dave W7UUU Editor/Publisher [Errata: Page 19 lower left picture: Misplaced caption misidentified member: Should be listed as Tom W7TJL, Not as Bob Page 65 FlexRadio model is 8400M not 8500M]
The new edition shows ways of hamradio, maybe not ugly, but for many not reachable. High costs and a suitable place on the own estate, which needs a size of an acre for not to bother the neighborhood. For people who are intrested in the hobby, these facts force often a decision for to keep away. Big antennas, mast heights of 80 ft., Flexradio and so on. This is not the reality for the most. But to have a try with Linux is a really good advice. Have a try with Mint Virginia, its stable. And dont forget GQRX, DSDCC, Audacious and more, in extension to the words of Ellen AI7FP.
Cornelius, we are very blessed as a club to have such equipment, antennas and tower. I have seen some very nice rigs of hams around the world. We are on about 7500 square feet. We have been here since the 1950's and the tower was added in the 1960's. Our neighbors of the 1950-1960 are no longer here and our new neighbors have accepted us. I understand your point, my antenna is in the attic a dipole at about 25 feet. Not to glamorous but effective. I thought that Ellen's article was excellent and very informative. I use linux also, I will be looking into all the setting that she outlined. Many of our club radios have been donations from families of silent keys.
So go write an article showing how you do more with less. I lived in apartment for 13 years of my adult life. I managed to get on the air. I bought stuff at the MIT Flea. And no, I was not rich. In that super constrained environment I invented fractal antennas. You can easily get OTA with used gear for less than $300 USD. In fact, many OM's LEND equipment to others in Clubs. I ran the QRO Club for several years and those amps are still out at DX locations, universities, and so on. Remote...know anyone that will help you try that? IOW often, but not always, the constraint is one's perception of oneself. Th e 'outside' looks far more sympathetically to those on the way up than those who are callously ostentatious.
Its nothing against your club, members or its history. Please dont show it with no comment. Ok the Loggers Bark is a club magazine, but now there is a worldwide access to it. When its an internal thing, nobody will talk about. And on social media it can put the hobby into the wrong light. Dont get my words wrong, but its heavy stuff you work with.
I don't see that at all. The 'hobby' is not in the wrong light. The only one objecting seems to be you. If I am driving an old beat up Honda CRV that doesn't mean I HAVE to be envious or jealous of someone with a new Corvette or a Tesla Y. Maybe that's worth aspiring to....maybe the individuals worked hard for years and this is their reward: a station they are proud of, one they define to their liking and meets their Part 97 objectives.
in Europe and close to big town it's not easy have lot of real estate and for sure quite expensive. Neighbors are not always HAM-friendly, although mine didn't know I was OM till I told them the thin wire they didn't notice till now was actually an antenna. Since then some more were set up in the air and are quite visible. So far so good but for a tower... let's forget it for now. Maybe when on retirement will a buy piece of land in country side to be able to put one. But we are quite lucky in France to not have HOA headache and anything lower than 12m (40 ft) may be set without any administrative permits (apart keeping still good relations with neighborhood ) . Hopefully in clubstation we have a small tower and a classic tribander so there is a chance to enjoy DX much easier.
It was nice reading about the W7DK field day, glad you had such good luck and it sounds like you had very good preparation! 73
I do remote as well via USA holding also callsign AG7JQ.... but for not obvious reasons remote is still at least officially not authorized in France or rather our regulator does not allow to connect your station to the public network (aka Internet...) although VPN exists and may ensure security of the access for example. In USA you have at least that benefit.
Interesting perspectives... Just know that I don't put this magazine out there to "flaunt our club's stuff". In fact, it IS our club's newsletter primarily - so it's only natural to write about stuff the club and its members own. The fact it has articles with wider appeal doesn't stop it being a "club newsletter" I like to read Yachting magazines but can't afford a yacht... same with being an aviation buff - I can't possibly afford an airplane. I also can't afford a mansion but I still like to watch movies with people like Tom Cruise who owns a dozen mansions. It's all just for enjoyment of the readers / viewers - if you're not enjoying it, maybe you're not reading it with the right frame of mind Who knows.... maybe I'll have a "Ham Radio on the Cheap" column in the September issue... Dave W7UUU
Thanks for the clarification. Here, remote has been very successful and there are a variety of free and paid paths to remote operation. One hopes this will be come possible globally. 73 Chip W1YW
Speaking of "Yachting." I would love to of had a custom Beneteau but had my DIY homebuilt, wooden baby that kept me alive in calm and gale. I liked the mag and your analogies.
