Drop-Proof Antenna Analyzer
While working on antennas some people have a bad experience with the antena analyzer dropping from the tower etc. An useful solution would be to attach some kind of lanyard (cord, line) and then have the loop end over your head. That way, if this unit were to slip out of a pocket it would just hang at the end of the lanyard. I was also afraid of dropping the unit, or putting strain on the antenna connector of my SARK-110. Here is the solution.
TNX, TKS, THX or THNX?
A common modern and very stupid practice is to use THX or THNX abbreviations as an expression of thanks. These two „new form“ abbreviations came from internet but our new radio brethren transferred them onto radio waves. It is unchangeable sign that the user of such junky abbreviations is a NO-CODER. A thinking skilled ham can easily compare the sound of TNX and THX (or even worse THNX) on CW, unskilled “wannabe” ham radio newbie not. There is no apology regardless of the fact that these creatures can be seen almost exclusively on the cluster, in discussions and on the keyboard “macromodes”. So, please note that TNX or TKS are ham radio abbreviations, having their distinctive meaning and sound on the CW mode. THX or THNX are internet abbreviations, hardly acceptable among hams. Note also that there is nothing bad if you use TNX or TKS in internet discussions, emails etc.
Facebook Says OK to Ham Calls As Alternate Name
Officially licensed amateur radio operators may now use their call sign as their alternate name, or nickname, on their individual Facebook profiles. This thanks to Richard Bobbitt, NW7OR, who recently organized a petition drive on the social media site in the hope of achieving this goal.
It turned out that Jeff Ferland, KB1PNB, who works at the Facebook Headquarters in Menlo Park, California found the petition on an amateur radio Facebook Group to which he belongs. After doing a bit of research Ferland wrote the necessary code, then got it reviewed and approved.
To add your call Bobitt says to go to go to “Settings”, then click on “Edit Your Name.” In the middle of the page you will see the words “Alternate Name.” That’s where you can add your callsign.
Bobbitt says that the petition was originally the idea of Richard Allcorn, KW7PTL, without whom, this may not have happened so easily and quickly. Over 1000 hams on Facebook signed the petition within the first week or so after it was posted on the various Facebook ham radio pages.
(NW7OR)
Pietro Marino, IT9ZGY, Silent Key
The beacon of genuine and top level HAM activity in Sicily, Pietro Marino IT9ZGY, became Silent Key today, at age of 80. He was a superb example of HAM spirit and a great elmer for a lot of us. Licenced since 1952, over the years Pietro held prominent positions within ARI, on both regional and national levels. He was an enthusiastic contester and DXer, with 390/340 (Mixed), 377/338 (Phone) and 352/339 (CW) Entities confirmed, and a lifelong passion for the Top Band.
Fake FTDI chips
It was only a matter of time before fake FTDI RS232-USB adapter chips began to appear.
http://zeptobars.ru/en/read/FTDI-FT232RL-real-vs-fake-supereal
This fascinating page shows how some anonymous Chinese company has created a fake FT232RL chip using a mask-programmable microcontroller, and printed it with the "FTDI" name and logo.
Like Prolific (the real Prolific company, that is) FTDI have updated their drivers to detect these fakes... but that also means that anyone who has bought a fake chip will have a non-working adapter.
The message is always the same: fakes are hard to spot, so buy only from reliable distributors.
FYI, the real FTDI company is a family-owned firm right here in Scotland's 'Silicon Glen'.
73 from Ian GM3SEK
EUCW Snakes and Ladders
About Snakes and Ladders
Warning Key Entities Not To Use Windows 8
August 21st, 2013 - LEAKED: German Government Warns Key Entities Not To Use Windows 8 – Links The NSA
Wolf Richter - "A Special Surveillance Chip"
According to leaked internal documents from the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) that Die Zeit obtained, IT experts figured out that Windows 8, the touch-screen enabled, super-duper, but sales-challenged Microsoft operating system is outright dangerous for data security. It allows Microsoft to control the computer remotely through a built-in backdoor. Keys to that backdoor are likely accessible to the NSA – and in an unintended ironic twist, perhaps even to the Chinese.
The backdoor is called “Trusted Computing,” developed and promoted by the Trusted Computing Group, founded a decade ago by the all-American tech companies AMD, Cisco, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, and Wave Systems. Its core element is a chip, the Trusted Platform Module (TPM), and an operating system designed for it, such as Windows 8. Trusted Computing Group has developed the specifications of how the chip and operating systems work together.
More...
QSL Bureau - a big shame?
[DXNL 1821 - February 27th, 2013]: Changes in the USKA QSL bureau:
QSL cards for non-members of the Swiss IARU society USKA will no longer be returned with a "Not Member" stamp, but silently discarded, to save work and money.
What a shame! This is known problem for many years: the QSL Bureau is roughly abused by a national Ham Radio Society (mostly IARU member) to force hams in the country to join. On the other hand, the Ham radio society officers whining about declining ham-spirit and operating skils. Isn't something rotten there with the IARU and ham radio generally? Why a QSL Bureau can't serve at non-profit basis for an acceptably small fee to ALL HAMS IN THE COUNTRY, regardless of membership?
A particular ham may have a half dozen of reasons to NOT be A MEMBER of the local Ham Radio Society but such ham is excluded from the common QSL exchange. This is an usual practice in many countries for years.
Anyway, my QSL card is MY PROPERTY until delivery to the recipient. I pay for a QSL card (printing, labels, my postal or QSL Bureau expenses etc.) in good belief that it will be delivered to the recipient. The Ham Radio Society decides to silently discard my property without informing me about my waste money.
How much QSL cards discarded do I need to initiate a lawsuit to get a compensation? Where should I get a proof that they actually made such nasty act?
WE NEED A CHANGE!