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Dave Sumner – K1ZZ: A life of service to Amateur Radio
It’s eventually every radio amateur’s dream, to visit the World Headquarters of the American Radio Relay League. I found myself among the towers, beams and dipoles in Newington to congratulate Michigan State University alumnus, Dave Sumner, K1ZZ, who has served the League for nearly 4 decades. On April 19, he will retire as CEO. But…
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Remembering Tim Shy
Hear an audio version of this message.Our good friend and colleague Tim Shy has died after a courageous battle with brain cancer. Nobody knows for sure where it came from. There was no genetic history in his family. But we know from personal experience that the monster is often indiscriminate in choosing its prey. The only…
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The Plus
If you want to be thankful for what you have, immerse yourself in an culture where it doesn’t exist.That’s what is at the front of my mind as a decompress from 12 days in Cuba. I am thankful for clean tap water, hot water, soap, elevators, milk, beef, Decent roads (yes even Michigan’s most woeful…
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What to do when you encounter bad behavior on the bands
Amateur radio attracts a huge cadre of enthusiasts. And with licensing at an all time high, it’s inevitable that you’ll run into an occasional knucklehead. My own initial encounter with one of these unique individuals came early in my ham career. I was struggling through my first contest experience and was clearly not following the information…
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The Raspberry Pi Zero and D-STAR
For those without a D-STAR repeater in the neighborhood, the Raspberry Pi is a highly serviceable solution. With a number of SD Card images available and the ease of interface to the ubiquitous DVAP Dongle, talking digital is a breeze.Now comes the Raspberry Pi Zero, a $5.00 iteration that’s smaller and faster than it’s larger…
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Coping with a Meltdown
Few things are more singular than being on the receiving end of a meltdown. We learn to take them in stride when children are involved. We take a deep breath and ride it out when our soul mates “flip a nut”. But what do you do when it happens to your boss?For three years, I…