Posts from — January 2008

Bermuda flag on top, with Canada and United States flags below. From the VP9/K9JY contest DXpedition.

Scot, K9JY

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One of the great things about contesting software, such as WriteLog, is the ability to have multiple computers on a network so that logging information is shared. This can be done in a multi-operating environment or simply on a single operator position where another PC is connected so that others can check up on progress without interrupting the operator.

All of that, of course, is getting your networking system to work with properly sharing files. And, quite frankly, it can be a real pain in the you-know-what to get things working right.

Even myself, on my home network with three computers attached, where I’m supposed to know how all things work, I’ve had networking issues that just haven’t been able to resolve. Simple things on the surface — like I can transfer files between my desktop computer to my laptop, but not my laptop to my desktop. Where I get random “you aren’t authorized, dummy, to do this — what were you thinking?” messages.

And I paid good money for the privilege of being told I’m worthless by my PC…

So rather than spending hundreds of dollars for some computer geek to come out and look at my network, I did the expedient thing and ordered some software that claims to solve your networking issues once and for all.

And it did.

Network Magic, from Pure Networks, is a program that uses wizards to update each of your PC’s, Printers, and Router to seamlessly allow for networking and sharing files between your PC’s.

The process is simple: download the software (free version and trial for seven days will give you a good taste of how it works) and follow the wizards to install the setup on your first PC.

Then install the software on each of your PC’s and finish the wizard.

Finally, designate the folders on your PC that you want to share with other PC’s on the network (like your /ham folder for WriteLog users).

The program even offers a snapshot of how the network is connected. Here’s a screen shot from my home setup:

This software makes networking and sharing files simple and easy — something needed when networking contesting software.

Scot, K9JY

Washington State’s very own Salmon run results are posted for all to see.

Enjoy your contesting weekend.

Scot, K9JY

There has been a fair amount of discussion around how to grow and improve ham radio as a hobby. Most of the discussion — and much of the same discussion on other life interests — is negative; sometimes more than negative.

You should do this or not include that are the simpler arguments. But a lot of people, without doing anything positive to move things forward, think it is their lot in life (not just in ham radio) to point out why things won’t work.

K0NR posted on his blog a great response to this type of approach on progress from WB4APR. It’s direct, of course, but if you sit back and think about the words being said and what the effect is of people who are not moving things forward on those trying, it makes a lot of sense.

My father, an attorney back when it was an honorable profession, said something like this on the subject: I might win or I might lose the case, but at least I’m out in the arena and not a spectator.

Being a person who gets things done is being in the right place in this hobby.

Scot, K9JY

Many hams have taken to podcasts and video to help tell the ham radio story. But Amateur Logic TV focuses entirely on video on it’s site.

The really great news is that each of the videos, in the half hour range for each one, is well done — certainly better than anything I could do.

The latest videos you can download: Ameritron Amplifier Factory Tour, MFJ Factory Tour, and Building the Softrock Software Defined Radio.

For those of you who haven’t tried doing video, let me tell you it’s a ton of work, especially for the length of the shows that Amateur Logic TV is doing.

There’s more of course. Real people talking to real people who provide us our stuff for a great hobby. Check them out.

Scot, K9JY