The Hacker-Knacker-Maker Revolution gathers steam...

I got a bit of mail from Great Britain about the use of the word "knackers" in yesterday's post. I vaguely remembered that this word has anatomical connotations in the UK. But it just worked so well. I needed something that would rhyme with Marx's "Workers." And "Knackers" is kind of close to "Hackers." And we all have "The Knack." So, I made use of some artistic license. Apologies to our British cousins. I'm already on linguistic thin ice with them because of my use of the American pronunciation of solder. (The Brits pronounce the L -- to their ears, the American pronunciation conjures up an activity far removed from soldering.)

Anyway, the Hack-Knack-Make revolution continues. This morning I learned that the New York and Philadelphia Hacker-spaces will be featured on NPR's Weekend Edition this Sunday. (I'm jealous -- I want SolderSmoke to somehow get onto NPR. One listener suggested a letter-writing campaign...)

The poster shown above is for a documentary that is being done on all of this. Check it out: http://www.electromagnate.com/

KNACKERS OF THE WORLD UNITE! You have nothing to lose but your warranties!

The folks over at ifixit.com have come up with a Self-Repair Manifesto that readers of this blog will find inspirational. I like the line about "Repair injects soul and makes things unique!" Indeed. As of yesterday they were giving away free posters (real posters, not e-posters) in exchange for a Tweet (I got mine, and intend to put it up here in the SolderSmoke Shack.)

I find that a successful repair is almost as gratifying as a scratch-built homebrew project, especially if the problem was difficult to diagnose.

So, ifixit comrades: The SolderSmoke collective is with you! Up the Revolution!

Armstrong Memorial Transmissions

Here is the site for the Howard Armstrong 75th Anniversary of FM Transmissions:

http://www.wa2xmn.ar88.net/

Be sure to follow the links on that page to the Phasitron Transmitter page. Very nice workmanship.

Today only! 20% off Veterans Day sale on "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics"

Lulu is at it again. Just use the coupon code VETSDAY and get 20.10% off on your purchase of
"SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics"

"She built her own oscilloscope at age 14." Homebrew Hero: Tatjana Van Vark

AJ8T sent me the link to the web site of this, our latest Homebrew Hero. I don't think she is a ham, but Tatjana definitely has The Knack. Check out that workmanship. The range of the projects is also quite astounding. It is so impressive that I really found myself questioning whether this could be for real. But it is.

When you look at the Enigma-like coding machine, note the cryptological challenge at the bottom. Tatjana won't release the tech details of this project until someone cracks the encrypted Haiku! Go for it!

http://www.craftsmanshipmuseum.com/vanvark.htm

SolderSmoke Podcast #127

SolderSmoke #127 has been released! Get it here:

http://www.soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke127.mp3

Topics covered:
Linux Ubuntu and Audio Quality.
Karmic Koala makes you EVEN YOUNGER
Reverse Culture shock, Woodpeckers, and the Washington METRO system
The smell of an old HT-37
75 meter AM
DaVinci Code QRSS rig on the air
Cul-de-sac astronomy with TWO telescopes
READING: SPRATS, Hot Iron, Sky Buddies, Wired
Jeri Ellsworth's homebrew transistors
Tatjana Van Vark's homebrew Enigma-like machine
MAILBAG
Antenna work and hamfests on the horizon

Homebrew Transistors!

None of those store-bought parts for Jeri Ellsworth! Once again she makes us all look like a bunch of pathetic appliance operators. I like the "harvesting of Germanium" from a 1N34. And I found very interesting her comment about "early hobbyists" cracking open 1N34's and turning them into transistors by adding phosphor-bronze collectors.

This all makes me want to fire up my Fool's Gold crystal radio. WFAX is right down the road...

BTW: I'm very pleased to report that Jeri is currently reading "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics." I hope she likes it. She definitely has "The Knack."

SolderSmoke Podcast 127 is almost ready.

Back on the air with QRSS QRPp

I dusted off the old G0UPL QRSS QRPP FSK 30 meter transmitter (built and last used in Italy) and hooked it up to about 50 feet of AC line cord stretched low across the new Northern Virginia backyard. I hooked it up to my Kempton Park power supply (thanks for the chip Tony!) and fired up my freq counter (also from Kempton Park -- remember the chip I soldered in backwards?) I put a field strength meter next to the wire and tuned my L network for max smoke. Hey, and it worked! My signal is the wavy shark fin-looking thing. I think the wave results from a temp drop in the shack that happened when I opened the door. Just to confirm it was me, I turned the transmitter off for a few minutes. You can see me disappear from W1BW's screen.

Its good to be once again emitting EM waves!

Happy Halloween! 20% off SolderSmoke

I hope to have a new podcast out soon, perhaps a Halloween edition. Lulu is offering 20% off on SolderSmoke -- The Book. Just use the coupon code: TRICK305

Linux makes you younger! "Aha! moments"

Listeners seem to like the audio quality of SolderSmoke episode #126. I was surprised by this because I didn't do any of the post-recording processing that I'd done in earlier episodes. I didn't even have the foam "Popping P Protector" on the mic. And the equalizer that Brent sent hasn't been put in service yet. The improved audio may simply be the result of broader bandwidth -- I didn't use the Audacity equalizer to drop off the lows and highs. Perhaps that explains why the file was over 40 MB instead of the normal 20 MB. Several listeners said that I sounded 10 years younger in 126 -- it must be a Linux thing.

Chris KJ4GUU posted a nice comment about my book "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" (which he calls SSGAWE):

"I have started reading I have started reading SSGAWE again. Whenever I have a question about a project I can usually find help in your book, its becoming more of a cherished reference guide that has produced more Ah-ha! moments than any other book I own. Thanks again!"

Thanks Chris -- those "Ah-ha! moments" were what I was hoping to produce.

For more info on the book, go here:
http://soldersmoke.com/book.htm

RSS, Time Signal, Miners...

I was very pleased to send SolderSmoke 126 out yesterday. There are some bugs to be worked out. The audio -- as always -- could use some improvement. (Any comments on how the audio in 126 compares with the 120-125?)

I tried to update the RSS feed this morning -- please let me know if it works properly.

Several listeners have already identified the time Spanish language time signal I've been hearing on 75 meters: HD2IOA in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

Great to see the Chilean miners coming up out of the mine this morning!

SolderSmoke IS BACK: #126

October 11, 2010
SolderSmoke returns!
Shack #7:  The New Shack
Drake 2-B inhaling RF
Listening to 75 AM and SSB: WA1HLR, KM1A
Time signal on 3820 +/-?
Repairing DaVinci Code QRSS rig
UK test gear works fine on this side of pond!
Computer woes: First Linux SolderSmoke
Astronomy from inside the Beltway
Winter SPRAT: Great info, philosophy, inspiration
Charging up solar cells
Inbound Boatanchors:  DX-40, DX-60, HQ-100, HA-600(A), HT-37
MAILBAG
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