QRPacificon / Norcal QRP / HFPack Dinner
Although the Norcal QRPacificon 2009 page doesn't say the location, there is a dinner tonight according to James KA5DVS:

Location is the Hometown Buffet in Milpitas: 212 Ranch Dr Milpitas, CA 95035 This is just across 237 from the hotel. There is a reserved area for Norcal QRP starting at 5:30PM and the HFPack folks are most welcome to join us.

(previously reported)

- posted by Leigh @ 22:24 z 0 comments

 
Difference Engine 1

A copy of the portion of Babbage's first Difference Engine that was built. This one is under glass, and was made by IBM in the 1970's.
- posted by Leigh @ 00:59 z 0 comments

 
Babbage's Difference Engine

Babbage's 2nd Difference Engine, built in London in modern times and on display at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View. You can see them operate this one daily.
- posted by Leigh @ 00:58 z 0 comments

 
Europe Beam Pattern

Today in celebration of sunspots I pointed my beam at 30 degrees (Europe) and left fldigi and PSK Reporter running. When I got home I saw signals throughout Europe and Asia and the US, but a particularly strong line through Europe. Sure enough the line is at 30 degrees. I know the SteppIR pattern isn't that tight, but what a coincidence!

- posted by Leigh @ 04:36 z 2 comments

 
QRPacificon October 9/10 2009 in Milpitas
Pacificon is likely not to be with us next month, but the Norcal QRP is having an activity in Milpitas, and HFPack group will also be participating. The event will take a recess for the ASVARO Flea Market on the Saturday 10th in the morning and resume in the afternoon. For more information, read below or visit

http://norcalqrp.org/pacificon09.htm

-------- Original Message --------

Subject:	[QRP-L] QRPacificon 2009 additional details
Date:	Tue, 1 Sep 2009 15:44:36 -0700 (GMT-07:00)
From:	James Bennett

QRPacificon 2009 will be held October 9 and 10th this year in Milpitas at the Crowne Plaza Hotel:

Crowne Plaza Hotel
SAN JOSE-SILICON VALLEY
777 BELLEW
MILPITAS, CA 95035
Hotel Front Desk: 1-408-3219500  | Hotel Fax: 1-408-3219599
http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/cp/1/en/hotel/sfomp

The hotel is located in Milpitas just a short distance from the San Jose Airport has a complimentary airport shuttle.
Free parking for guests and attendees of QRPacificon 2009.

Hotel booking link for QRPacificon 2009 rate of $65 per night :

https://resweb.passkey.com/Resweb.do?mode=welcome_ei_new&eventID=1457326

 If you do not wish to book online, please call 888-233-9527 to make reservations and ask
for the Norcal QRPacificon 2009 rate of $65

QRPacificon 2009 Events schedule
Silicon Valley surplus store tour Friday afternoon

No host dinner Friday evening at 5:30 (location to be announced)

Meet and greet in the hotel ballroom along with vendors and swapmeet  ~7-11PM

Saturday morning is the De Anza College Electronics Fleamarket:   http://www.electronicsfleamarket.com/
Folks often arrive with flashlights before daylight to get the best bargans.  The location in Cupertino is about a 20 minute drive from the hotel.

We will start presentations at 10:30 and will have a great lineup of speakers. Presentations will run through the day

Lunch will be 12:30 to 2PM with presentations following until 5PM

Saturday evening is dinner on your own 5-7PM

At 7 we will regroup in the ballroom for an auction.  Due to time constraints, we will limit it to one item per
seller.  So bring something surplus to you that needs a new home.

We will also have door prizes and lots of fun so come out and join us for QRPacificon 2009.

Doug, James and the Norcal QRP Club

- posted by Leigh @ 04:07 z 0 comments

 
USB 5V Car power adapter converted to APP

I got a 5V USB power adapter for my car, but it broke and fell apart. I retrieved most of the parts, but the tip was lost. So I took it apart, and found broken wires and bad solder joints. I replaced the tip with an Anderson PowerPole connector.
Read more about my USB car adapter converted to Anderson PowerPole.
- posted by Leigh @ 21:44 z 0 comments

 
HP5216A Frequency Counter

At the ASVARO Electronics Flea Market I bought an HP-5216A frequency counter. It needed a new power cord, and some other TLC.
Read my HP5216A Frequency Counter Saga.
- posted by Leigh @ 19:35 z 0 comments

 
Arduino - High Sierra Sidekick Antenna Controller

I'm building an Arduino-based High Sierra Sidekick antenna controller.
See current status.
- posted by Leigh @ 02:48 z 0 comments

 
Jackson Harbor Press LF receiver

I built a Jackson Harbor Press LF receiver kit and had some fun with NDBs, DGPS, WWVB, and other assorted LF noises. Read More.
- posted by Leigh @ 22:36 z 0 comments

 
12,877 new hams in the last year
K3UD reports on QRZ.com that the totoal number of US amateur radio operators increased by nearly 13,000 from June 15, 2008 to June 16, 2009. javascript:void(0)
- posted by Leigh @ 05:58 z 0 comments

 
SP2FAP/FF (World Flora-Faura Greendays)
I heard SP2FAP calling CQ as SP2FAP/FF on 14.040. The suffix seems to be related to "World Flora-Fauna GreenDays" and since SP2FAP was sending "SPF-025" I think that means he's in Park Krajobrazowy Wysoczyzny Elbląskiej which seems to be quite a pretty picture. I was running 5W to the SteppIR from my K3. OM was 599 with some flutter, but had no trouble hearing me when I timed the pile-up right, and I got a 599 and a FB QRP, as I said I was QRP after he answered. (There wasn't much of a pile-up and it seemed like a fun event.)

Labels: DX

- posted by Leigh @ 05:47 z 0 comments

 
EMU-0202 now works at 96KHz on Linux

I bought my EMU-0202 at the beginning of 2009, but it only worked at 44.1KHz. Now we've got it working at up to 96Khz in Linux, with an Alsa change forthcoming.

Here's the story: Shortly thereafter Creative released Mac USB drivers and I spent some time looking at the source and saw there were two ways to set the sampling rate: a "direct" method and a "clock" method. The "Extension Unit" code confused me, and I never got around to mapping between the Mac USB and the Linux USB stacks.

But just recently "mellowman" described a patch to get 48Khz sampling working. Over at UbuntuForums "v.stiff" reported success, and I then figured out the quirk to extend it to the full range. CannibalZerg either took my patch or figured it out alone, and we've all tested it and it works!

So I have got the EMU-0202 working at up to 96KHz on Linux. Others report the 192Khz sampling working on the EMU-0404, but the 0202 says you have to disable the input monitor before doing that, and it's not clear to me that that's working yet.

Why's this useful? Well, it lets me use my Quisk K3 LPPan package to see 96Khz of the band instead of 44KHz, a major improvement.

- posted by Leigh @ 05:22 z 0 comments