[ale] [EXTERNAL] Re: Any ham radio operators among us? Linux in the shack?

Mon Oct 18 10:13:03 EDT 2021

I'm not one but back in army days watched guy receiving SSTV on Apple 2
clone I thought is cool.

On Mon, Oct 18, 2021, 09:55 Allen Beddingfield via Ale <ale at ale.org> wrote:

> Up until recently, that's all I've had.  I've only recently started
> getting into HF (because I've only recently had the gear to do it!).  Much
> 2M repeater activity in your area?
> We are pretty luck in my area with a repeater on a very tall tower that
> covers multiple counties - sometimes even over into east Mississippi (I'm
> near Tuscaloosa, AL).
> https://www.repeaterbook.com/repeaters/details.php?state_id=01&ID=351
> Allen B.
> --
> Allen Beddingfield
> Systems Engineer
> Office of Information Technology
> The University of Alabama
> Office 205-348-2251
> allen at ua.edu
>
>
> ________________________________________
> From: Ale <ale-bounces at ale.org> on behalf of Jerald Sheets via Ale <
> ale at ale.org>
> Sent: Monday, October 18, 2021 7:45 AM
> To: Atlanta Linux Enthusiasts
> Cc: Jerald Sheets
> Subject: [EXTERNAL] Re: [ale] Any ham radio operators among us? Linux in
> the shack?
>
> KO4JIL here.
>
> I’m much newer than the Elmer’s here. All I’ve got is an HT and a Mobile.
> Shopping for a Base + Antenna right now, but I’m having to do the whole
> “put it in the attic” thing because HoAs suck.
>
>
> Jerald Sheets
>
> > On Oct 18, 2021, at 4:45 AM, Alex Carver via Ale <ale at ale.org> wrote:
> >
> > On 2021-10-17 22:52, Ben Coleman via Ale wrote:
> >> On 10/17/2021 11:15 PM, Allen Beddingfield via Ale wrote:
> >>> I was wondering if there are any other ham radio operators on the list?
> >> There are several.
> >>> If so, I'm curious what Linux applications you make use of in the
> shack for logging, digital modes, or anything else interesting?
> >> I'll have to admit that though I used to run Linux in the shack,
> nowadays I'm heavily into contesting, and I'm running Windows, as N1MM+
> covers a lot more contests, out-of-the-box, than any Linux contest loggers
> I know of.
> >> Back when I was running Linux in the shack, I was using Xlog for daily
> logging, and tlf or yfktest for contest logging.  I was also a maintainer
> for the Alinco DX-77T section of Hamlib (Hamlib is a library for
> controlling radios, rotators, and other ham computer-controllable
> hardware.  Most Linux apps that need to interface with radios use it.
> >>> Also, problems dealing with RFI from PCs and power supplies?
> >> I'm using an Astron analog power supply, so I don't have much problems
> with RFI from the power supply.  I've mostly had to deal with RFI the other
> way, with RF in the shack affecting devices connected between the PC and
> the radio.  That's been dealt with by the selective application of cables
> with ferrite beads build in, or by the user of snap-on ferrites.
> >>> I've got a fairly new PowerSpec from Microcenter that jumps me from S3
> to S9  of noise floor on 20m when switched on
> >> Some of that may be coming from cables from the computer, which might
> be handled by snap-on or wrap-around ferrite chokes (Palomar Engineers has
> a nice kit).  Some of my issues were helped by tying my radio and computer
> hardware to a common ground bus.  Also check the cables on the monitor.
> >
> > I've got loads of both linear and switching power supplies in and around
> the desk but I spent lots of time putting chokes on everything to keep it
> clean.  I also usually spend a bit more on the supplies.  Most of my
> switchers are DIN-rail mount units or similar industrial units that have
> filters in them and don't radiate much because they're intended to be in
> close proximity to other sensitive devices like PLCs.  Nearly everything at
> my desk that used to have a 5V wall wart is now sharing one of three 5V/10A
> DIN rail units. I have an enclosure at the end of the desk with a single
> C14 inlet with integrated magnetic filter (like this
> https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/schaffner-emc-inc/FN9260B-10-06/1929075)
> and terminal blocks that I use to wire appropriate patch cords to power the
> devices.  I did the same for a couple higher voltage items (mainly 24V
> devices) and anything that was network related now runs PoE. I used to have
> over 40 wall warts and I'm now down to two because they're oddball voltages
> (one is 7.5, the other is 15).
> >
> > I also usually put in ground breaks on all the audio lines between the
> radios and computers.  Most of my radios are patched through a couple
> Behringer mixers so I can route audio to different places (headphones,
> computers, speakers, etc.) but I find that a good portion of audio problems
> almost always stems from ground loops.  I buy the ground isolators intended
> for automotive applications and patch them inline with the radios.  The
> good ones are transformer units so you get galvanic isolation on the audio
> lines as well as the ground break.
> >
> > I've got three VHF/UHF stations and one HF station and no issues from my
> operating area.  Nearly all my noise is from the neighborhood coming into
> the antenna.
> > _______________________________________________
> > Ale mailing list
> > Ale at ale.org
> > https://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
> > See JOBS, ANNOUNCE and SCHOOLS lists at
> > http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo
>
> _______________________________________________
> Ale mailing list
> Ale at ale.org
> https://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
> See JOBS, ANNOUNCE and SCHOOLS lists at
> http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo
> _______________________________________________
> Ale mailing list
> Ale at ale.org
> https://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
> See JOBS, ANNOUNCE and SCHOOLS lists at
> http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://mail.ale.org/pipermail/ale/attachments/20211018/07429485/attachment.htm>