Linux in the Ham Shack

Introduction:

Apologies for the tardiness of the show notes for Episode 99. I spent a few days in warmer climes, neglecting my duties. -Bill, KA9WKA

Welcome to episode 99 of Linux in the Ham Shack.

Announcements:

Linuxfest Northwest has announced their Call for Papers, Sponsors and Exhibitors. The show will be at Bellingham Technical College in Bellingham, Washington on April 27th and 28th, 2013. Visit their website for more information.

Donations for LHS to be at the 2013 Dayton Hamvention are already rolling in. Thank you to everyone who has contributed so far. Please send anything you can. Even a dollar helps out. Donate here!

The Wouff-Hong Podcast has been announced. It will star Tracy Holz, N5UNX and Joel McLaughlin, W3RAZ. Joel is also a co-host of the long-running Linux Link Tech Show podcast. Tracy has been a guest on many podcasts and also did his own show, Working in the Open, a couple of years ago. The show will be ham radio focused, with topics ranging from operating practice to folklore to hardware. Tracy is currently co-hosting The Techie Geek podcast with Russ Wenner.

Things to do:

Sign up for the LHS mailing list.

Become a subscriber for $2/month or $20/year. That donation does count towards the Dayton Hamvention fund.

Record a little memento for the 100th episode. Tell us you like us, or hate us, or whatever. Just let us hear from you. Leave your voice message at +1-909-547-7469. (By the time these notes are published, the 100th episode has already been recorded. However, feel free to leave a message, anyway!)

Check out the Events and Ambassadors pages on the LHS site. If you can help us out by being at an event for us, please let us know. We provide the booth setup and a free T-shirt or ball cap. You provide a presence and a demo computer. Everyone has a good time.

Join the LHS IRC channel. We are at #lhspodcast on Freenode (irc.freenode.net), and there’s almost always someone to chat with. Plus you can participate in the live show that way.

Listen to the live show every other Tuesday night at 8:00pm Central. You get to hear all the stuff we cut out of the podcast release. Plus, if you’re in the IRC, your experience is twice as fun. The URL to listen is https://stream.blacksparrowmedia.net:8008/lhslive.

Join the Linux in the Ham Shack Google+ Community.

Follow LHS on Google+, Identi.ca and Facebook. Also, follow BSM_Network and LHSPodcast on Twitter.

Topics:

FreeDV is a GUI application for Windows and Linux (MacOS and BSD are in testing) that allows any SSB radio to be used for low bit rate digital voice. It appears to be using Codec 2!

Hamux 6 is a CentOS-based repository with ham radio software. It is compatible with the Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux (EPEL) project. It works with CentOS 5 and 6, and i386 and x86_64 versions are now available. It’s not a distro, but repackaged RPMs for RHEL and CentOS. It does require EPEL (Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux).

Fedora 18 has finally been released, and Russ shares his experience with this much anticipated, and often delayed, release. Russ provides a brief and not very favorable, review.

Richard suggests trying SliTaz GNU/Linux.

Feedback:

Leif, KC8RWR (in reference to our discussion of using short wave radio for Internet connectivity in Episode 98), offers his thoughts.

Dave, M0DCM, also chimes in with some comments about high-speed Internet over HF.

Contact Info:

Contact Richard at [email protected], Russ at [email protected], or both at the same time at [email protected].

Listen to the live stream every other Tuesday at 8:00pm Central time. Check the LHS web site for dates.

Leave us a voice mail at 1-909-LHS-SHOW (1-909-547-7469), or record an introduction to the podcast.

Sign up for the LHS mailing list.

Sign up for the MAGNetcon mailing list.

LHS merchandise is available at the Merch link on Web site. Check out the Badgerwear or buy one of the other LHS-branded items at PrintFection.com/lhs or Cafe Press. Thanks!

Thanks to Dave from Gamma Leonis for the theme music.

Music:

“Drinkin’ Problem” by Freeky Clean & Dickey F from the album South of Pearly Gates, courtesy of Jamendo.

“Writing on the Wall” by Freeky Clean & Dickey F from the album Double Feature, courtesy of Jamendo.

Introduction:

Announcements:

Listen to us live Tuesday evenings (in the USA), or subscribe and receive access to the unedited recording and other things. Visit the website for details.

We’re in dangerous proximity to episode 100, so send in comments, suggestions, voice mail, Facebook, Google+, or carrier pigeons.

All you podcasters out there, join the Black Sparrow Media network.

The 2013 Dayton Hamvention will be May 17-19, 2013. Russ is hoping to have the LHS booth again, but we need your help. Please donate if you can. Every little bit helps.

Kevin O’Brien, Publicity Director for the Ohio LinuxFest, tells us that they have set up a brief survey to gather ideas for the 2013 Ohio LinuxFest. Visit https://ohiolinux.org/ to find the survey.

Northeast Linux Fest will be March 16th and 17th, 2013, at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Topics:

Russ’ Raspberry Pi adventures continue. His Echolink node 54711 is now up and running on a Raspbian-based Raspberry Pi with svxlink and Qtel. Russ had to insert “dwc_otg.fiq_fix_enable=0” into the /boot/cmdline.txt file in order to fix a problem with the onboard Ethernet card locking up. Since then, all has been well.

Amateur Radio Pi is a forum with the tagline: The interactions between amateur radio and the Raspberry Pi.

The Society for the Preservation of Amateur Radio (SPAR) will conduct a Winter Field Day, beginning 1700Z on January 26, 2013 and ending at 1700Z January 27th.

HamSphere is a software Amateur Radio simulator that allows licensed radio amateurs and unlicensed enthusiasts to communicate with one another using a virtual transciever over the Internet. It was designed by Kelly Lindman, a radio amateur with callsign 5B4AIT. The software runs under Windows, Mac or Linux. There’s also a Wikipedia page for more information.

RepeaterBook is an Android application for locating amateur radio repeaters. There are lots of options, including repeater types and modes (D-Star, etc). It also supports the BlueCAT Yaesu FT-857/FT-817 interface that allows you to tap a repeater entry in RepeaterBook on the phone and it will set your radio frequency.

Feedback:

Comment via the Web site from Leif, KC8RWR, with another attempt at explaining hard and soft links, which we were discussing in episode 95. Thanks, Leif.

Leif also commented about difficulties hearing a mobile radio without a speaker in the head unit.

A very strange voice mail from the Radio Gangsta, aka Rich, KD0RG, from the LowSWR podcast.

E-mail from gasgasmike, asks if it would be possible to use short wave radio to provide wireless Internet service. Our hosts discuss the practical difficulties with such a scheme. (Note: the use of the amateur portions of the radio spectrum for commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the FCC.)

Jeff, KC2QZO, sends his appreciation of our discussion of Codec2 in episode 85.

Russ mentions that there is another low-bitrate codec is being developed: The Opus Interactive Audio Codec.

Contact Info:

Contact Richard at [email protected], Russ at [email protected], or both at the same time at [email protected].

Listen to the live stream every other Tuesday at 8:00pm Central time. Check the LHS web site for dates.

Leave us a voice mail at 1-909-LHS-SHOW (1-909-547-7469), or record an introduction to the podcast.

Sign up for the LHS mailing list.

Sign up for the MAGNetcon mailing list.

LHS merchandise is available at the Merch link on Web site. Check out the Badgerwear or buy one of the other LHS-branded items at PrintFection.com/lhs or Cafe Press. Thanks!

Thanks to Dave from Gamma Leonis for the theme music.

Music:

Introduction:

Announcements:

LHS now accepts micropayment donations via Flattr. It’s been successful for the Linux Outlaws guys, so we’re giving it a try here.

We now have a countdown timer on the Web site that shows the time remaining until the next live recording. Of course, now that we’re recording on Wednesdays, we’ve decided to move back to Tuesdays. That will happen in January. Keep an eye on the web site for the dates. (Tuesday, January 8, 2013, as of this moment.)

We also have a Google Community for Linux in the Ham Shack. It’s a great method for leaving feedback, show suggestions, questions, hate mail or anything else.

The Dayton Hamvention 2013 will be coming up soon, so we’ve added the donation thermometer to the website. Please make a donation and help send LHS to Dayton again in 2013.

Sign up for the LHS mailing list, too.

Gnorman has a bio on the LHS About Us page.

Topics:

Raspberry Pi in the Ham Shack

Russ has been working on getting an Echolink node running on his Raspberry Pi.

He’s chosen Raspbian as the operating system, which is based on Debian Wheezy.

Installation consists of downloading the iso, using dd to copy it to a secure digital card (SD flash memory card), booting the Raspberry Pi with the SD card, and following the prompts to install.

VK2MEV has posted instructions for configuring a Raspberry Pi as an Echolink node.

So far, Russ has Raspbian installed, as well as svxlink and qtel, but has not yet connected it to the usb sound card or attached it to his Rascal GLX interface to control the radio. Another option would be to use the Pi’s GPIO bus to control the radio instead of a digital mode interface.

VK2MEV also has a page describing WSPR on a Raspberry Pi. (Another page is VK2MEV’s blog on WSPRnet.)

Ted, WA0EIR, says he thinks some folks have his PSK31LX program running on a Raspberry Pi.

Russ mentions that there is a Slackware build for the Raspberry Pi.

Feedback:

Cory, KD0QEA, asks if there are any “hangout” radio frequencies for LHS hosts and listeners. Well, Cory, there are none due to lack of time for the hosts to get on the radio. However, perhaps our listeners would like to establish an LHS net. Email your suggestions for bands, frequencies and times and we’ll announce them on the podcast. When Russ gets his Echolink node/Raspberry Pi running, he’ll be there more often. The node number will be 54711 (LHS11 on the telephone pad).

Doug, N6LMX, left a voice mail about the Raspberry Pi. He has one and wonders which ham radio apps can be used on the Pi. He’s also using Raspbian as the operating system. Doug will be attempting to create a media center with his, as well as ham radio applications. Russ suggests running the Pi headless and using ssh from a smartphone or tablet to access it. That would avoid having to carry a monitor and keyboard around with the Pi. It’s likely that most of the popular Linux ham applications, such as fldigi, would work fine with the Pi, though you may need to compile them yourself. As for the media server idea, the Pi may not be quite powerful enough. Raspbmc is based on XBMC, and might be the best option. Ted, WA0EIR, has several Linux ham radio applications that should work quite well on the Pi. Richard also wonders if there are folks running APRS on the Pi, and there’s at least one. Thanks for the voice mail, Doug. We appreciate it.

Dave, M0DCM, has been catching up on the show, and responds to episodes 95 and 96. He uses 75-ohm coax as a feedline with a 1:1 balun to horizontal and vertical dipoles, and is able to bypass his tuner on 21 and 24MHz. He goes on to describe his Linux and radio activities. Thanks, Dave.

Thanks to everyone who sent happy birthday messages to Russ.

Gorkon, aka Joel, says there may have been a problem with the ogg version of episode 96. Russ will take care of it if he finds the problem.

Mike, from Sugarland, TX, has been trying to use N3FJP’s Amateur Contact Log (ACLog) program for logging, presumably under WINE, but it crashes and he wonders if anyone else has had any experience with this. If any of our listeners have tried ACLog under Linux, let us know, or respond on the Google+ LHS community. Russ suggests forcing WINE into 16-bit compatibility mode.

Contact Info:

Contact Richard at [email protected], Russ at [email protected], or both at the same time at [email protected].

Listen to the live stream every other Tuesday at 8:00pm Central time. Check the LHS web site for dates.

Leave us a voice mail at 1-909-LHS-SHOW (1-909-547-7469), or record an introduction to the podcast.

Sign up for the LHS mailing list.

Sign up for the MAGNetcon mailing list.

LHS merchandise is available at the Merch link on Web site. Check out the Badgerwear or buy one of the other LHS-branded items at PrintFection.com/lhs or Cafe Press. Thanks!

Thanks to Dave from Gamma Leonis for the theme music.

Music:

Introduction:

Announcements:

The Black Sparrow Media mobile app is again hosted thanks to listener donations. Visit the BSM website to download the app and enjoy all of the BSM affiliated shows.

CafeNinja and the Tin Foil Hat Show have joined the Black Sparrow Media network.

If you’d like to participate in the chat room, point your IRC client at the irc.freenode.net server, and join the #lhspodcast channel.

You can listen to the live show by pointing your media player (VLC, Totem, or whatever) to https://stream.blacksparrow.net:8008/lhslive.

Our live recording night will be moving to Wednesday evenings (CST) beginning with Episode 97, scheduled for December 12th, 2012.

Welcome Gnorman to the LHS staff.

Topics:

TLF Contest Logger.

We’ve mentioned TLF in episodes 12, 65 and 70.

TLF is a console-mode general purpose CW and voice keyer, logging and contest program for Linux.

Our hosts compare this to YFKTest.

If you have used TLF, send us your experience with the program.

Our hosts then embark on several digressions about Gnorman, Lua, and other podcasters.

Feedback:

Torsten, DL1THM, sends an email describing his use of a Raspberry Pi as an APRS digi using aprx software and as a D-Star repeater using a DV-RPTR board. Thanks, Torsten.

Greg responded to episode 94 about uses for the Raspberry Pi, including a media PC with Raspbmc and perhaps as a weather station. Thanks, Greg.

Russ and Richard also talk about D-Star stuff, and D-RATS. (D-RATS has been mentioned in LHS episodes 17, 32, 56, 71 and 90.)

Comment from the Web site from Leif, KC8RWR, in response to episode 91 where Russ rants about the lack of speakers in the head units of mobile radios. Thanks, Leif.

Fred, DH5FS, sent a suggestion to consider TLF as a Linux contest logger. Thanks, Fred. Your email inspired tonight’s topic.

Bill, KJ4KNI, on Facebook expressed his appreciation for help getting Linux Mint 13 with the MATE desktop running on his main computer. He also provides several reasons a ham might wish to use RG6 (75 ohm coax) in radio applications. Thanks, Bill.

Contact Info:

Contact Richard at [email protected], Russ at [email protected], or both at the same time at [email protected].

Listen to the live stream every other Tuesday at 8:00pm Central time. Check the LHS web site for dates.

Leave us a voice mail at 1-909-LHS-SHOW (1-909-547-7469), or record an introduction to the podcast.

Sign up for the LHS mailing list.

Sign up for the MAGNetcon mailing list.

LHS merchandise is available at the Merch link on Web site. Check out the Badgerwear or buy one of the other LHS-branded items at PrintFection.com/lhs or Cafe Press. Thanks!

Thanks to Dave from Gamma Leonis for the theme music.

Music:

“Crooked Smile Girl” by Heather Pierson, from her album Make It Mine.

“Agnostic” by Daniel Bautista from the album 15, courtesy of Jamendo.

Introduction:

Welcome to episode 95 of Linux in the Ham Shack. Episode 100 looms on the horizon, and we’d like to do something a little special. Call in to the LHS voice mail line at +1-909-LHS-SHOW (1-909-547-7469), or send an email, and share your thoughts about the show.

LHS recommends this LOL Cat image.

Announcements:

Kevin O’Brien, Publicity Director of the Ohio LinuxFest, is looking for someone to step up and take on the role of Volunteer Coordinator. If anyone is interested please reply to [email protected].

We now digress into a ramble about censorship.

On page 45 of the December 2012 issue of QST has an article on vertical vs. horizontal antennas, a topic we discussed in episode 91. In the same issue, on page 52, there is also an article about the NorthWest Digital Radio UDR56K, a topic we discussed in episode 90. Are we seeing a pattern here?

Also in that issue is a description of several FCC Proposed Rule Changes, and our hosts discuss each of them:

Reduction of license expiration grace period from 2 years to 6 months.

Reduction of vanity call waiting period from 2 years to 6 months.

Reduction of the number of Volunteer Examiners at test sessions from 3 to 2.

Possible allowance of “remote testing” facilities using video and audio over a network that allows for proper administration of tests.

Allow single-slot TDMA transmissions.

The 2012 Fort Wayne Hamfest is this weekend, November 17-18, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. This is also the ARRL Convention for Indiana. This launches Richard into reminiscing about the presentation of The Last Voice from Kuwait.

Topics:

Symbolic (or soft) Links vs. Hard Links

Russ and Richard offer a discussion of the difference between soft, or symbolic, links and hard links in Linux.

A symbolic link is a pointer to another file name. Symbolic links can be created with the ln -s command:

Symbolic links can point to files on other volumes or file systems.

Hard links, on the other hand, are pointers to the data of another file, just like a directory entry is a pointer to the first block of data for the file. Hard links are also created with the ln command, but without the -s switch.

Hard links can only be used on the same file system.

A symbolic link is equivalent to a Windows shortcut, a pointer to the name of another file. A hard link is a reference to the data (first inode) of another file, and thus must be created on the same file system.

When the original file with associated hard links is deleted, the data remains until all of the hard links are also deleted. Deleting the original file with associated soft links will delete the file and the data, but the soft links will remain, now orphaned.

More information about links is available here.

Feedback:

Listener Dave left a comment on the web site expressing his appreciation for the show, and also became a subscriber. Thanks, Dave!

Jeremy, KD5HQN, also commented on the web site, claiming he’s actually learning something from the shows! He also corrected Richard about the proper location of Orthanc. Thanks, Jeremy.

Bill, KJ4KNI, asked, via Richard’s Facebook page, for suggestions about the best Linux distribution for a beginner. (Linux Mint 13 is a good choice.) He also wonders why a ham might use 75-ohm RG6 coax as an antenna feedline. Our hosts discuss the possibilities.

Contact Info:

Contact Richard at [email protected], Russ at [email protected], or both at the same time at [email protected].

Listen to the live stream every other Tuesday at 8:00pm Central time. Check the LHS web site for dates.

Leave us a voice mail at 1-909-LHS-SHOW (1-909-547-7469), or record an introduction to the podcast.

Sign up for the LHS mailing list.

Sign up for the MAGNetcon mailing list.

LHS merchandise is available at the Merch link on Web site. Check out the Badgerwear or buy one of the other LHS-branded items at PrintFection.com/lhs or Cafe Press. Thanks!

Thanks to Dave from Gamma Leonis for the theme music.

Music:

“Easier As Us” by Michael McEachern, courtesy of Jamendo.

“Wicked” by Fresh Body Shop, from their album Bring Me Down, courtesy of Jamendo.