[Leaplist] Fwd: Port Saint Lucie Amateur Radio Association

[John Simpson]

On 2009-03-01, at 0909, patrick wrote:
>
> I volunteer, as I have my truck, and have been there to Port St.  
> Lucie, as my Brother and Sister-in-law live in their Port St. Lucie  
> home, which I have visited a few times.

i can't do the driving (i doubt my car would survive the trip) but if  
you want to go down, i'm willing to take the ride.


> I would be able to bring a couple computer systems, in the 300 MHz  
> to 1900MHz range that can demonstrate loading times for Linux  
> LiveCDs, and  the FOSS most advantageous to HAMs, with some help  
> from any other HAM in LEAP-CF who knows more about HAM programs in  
> Linux.

i can bring the machine i had at the hamcation, as well as my radio...  
the radio and hookup wires are all still in the pelican box (which is  
where they live when i'm not actually using them) and the computer is  
on the shelf in my closet, untouched since i packed it up at the end  
of hamcation.


> Hopefully, fldigi could be demonstrated, although perhaps most of  
> the Port St. Lucie folks saw it running at Orlando Hamcation 2009,  
> so other ideas and demos might be best.
>
> I can drive down in my Ford F-150 pick-up, or, ride with someone  
> else, splitting expenses...
>
> A neat thing might be to demo Open Source apps. for:
>
> -  Antenna design for Long wire, Yagi, Cubical Quad, and Vertical   
> monopole  designs.

i haven't done much with antenna design software, that's more your  
"thing" than mine.


> -  Ham Logging and print out of blank or completed forms (Open  
> Office templates?)

even better... phil, what was the logging software we used that one  
year at field day, where the computers found each other on the network  
and kept each others' logs up to date automatically?


> -  QSL card design in Open Office, GIMP... (Any templates?)

i'm not aware of any, but i'm sure it can't be that hard to make some  
up... i remember making custom business cards at one time by printing  
them on 120-pound card stock with a laser printer. the tricky parts  
were:

- laying out the page with blocks of the correct size. i don't  
remember the exact dimensions, but i remember i was able to print 12  
cards on each sheet of paper.

- cutting them to size after printing, which means using a straight- 
edge paper cutter and making sure it was lined up correctly.

- dealing with the fact that laser printer toner does eventually flake  
off of business cards, especially when carried around in your pocket.  
(i never did figure that part out.)


> -  Circuit design software

again, no experience.


> -  Balun and Unun design for impedance matching

not sure what this has to do with linux per se...


> I am compiling a listing, towards an objective of making a CDrom, of  
> Open Source design applications and programs for HAMs, and, in my  
> search, may find an Open Source compilation, and anyone can chime in  
> here!

you could also use the puppy CD that phil made for the hamcation, and  
add a bunch of these programs to it. i *think* i still have a "ham  
linux" CD from last year, i remember it had a lot more programs on it-  
that might be a good list to start from, or the last version of harv's  
disc... just make sure we have current versions of each program, and  
that at least one of us knows how to use each one.

something else to add to the list... xastir, for doing APRS.

here's another idea- why not master your own "ham linux" CD, not just  
for this one meeting, but also as a regular online thing? "harv"  
hasn't updated his disc in years, so there's certainly room for  
somebody else to step up to the plate, especially if you're going to  
keep on top of updates and so forth.

if you want to do this, i'll donate the web hosting and set up a  
mailing list where you and your users can talk about support and  
suggestions.


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| John M. Simpson    ---   KG4ZOW   ---    Programmer At Large |
| http://www.jms1.net/                         <jms1 at jms1.net> |
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| http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1656880303867390173 |
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