Very public discussion on the memory latency aspects of common computer RAM being exploited by regular folk (not spooks) to access the most private parts of a laptop has broken out in a number of mainstream web sources.
Article & Links at:
http://randomhold.wordpress.com/2008/02/22/computer-memory-exploit-explained/
73
Steve
For some time my iCal has had an Amateur Radio contest calendar link that went dry some months ago.
For various reasons I hadn’t really gotten around to bottoming out what had gone on with the now dead link.
Somehow I had missed numerous web-announcements that for various reasons:
Anthony VA7IRL has transferred his on-line contest calendar to Google Calendars where it can be maintained by more than one person for the benefit of all.
The calendar is at http://tinyurl.com/yud4rx and an iCal version is at http://tinyurl.com/26xktz
The calendar is VERY useful, specially if you want to look ahead for planning.
73
Steve
Comments to my December 6th article on UK D-Star (see: https://k9zw.wordpress.com/2007/12/06/d-star-fact-or-fantasy/ ) took me to task for over estimating the Icom promotional campaign’s impact in the UK, and spurred a bit of research.
Not only is Icom running a promotional campaign for the UK Amateur Radio media & community, it is dramatically discounting (nearly one half off USA Street prices) prebuilt D-Star Repeaters for the UK Market.
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/february2008/dstar_repeater_offer.htm
A quick consult wit the AES street price list indicates the advantage Icom’s deal is offering. The basic configuration would have a USA price in the $3500 range, where Icom UK is offering it for an even UKP 1000 (a bit over $2000 at current exchange).
Would seem that Icom UK is “buying” the UK market, with the long term advantage that once in place it is unlikely that these repeaters would be replaced with another technology for many years.
Interesting market strategy.
73
Steve
With a shack being fairly complex – often the “system” might include a computer with its parts, a transceiver, an amp, meters, an antenna tuner, switches, lightening protection and then the antenna (oh yes – and parallel systems like grounding, power, audio in, audio out, rotor, and interfaces) – it becomes harder & harder with increasing complexity to troubleshoot a ham shack if things go wrong.
There are two diagnostic techniques that seem to have some advantage in trouble shooting a complex shack:
When you Isolate, you attempt to simplify the system to attempt to identify the failure. This could mean turning off everything possible to run the most basic station, adding the components back in until the error reappears.
Or it could mean bypassing parts of the system. Often if an amplified system (QRO) is acting up the first check is to turn off, or even bypass the amp. Usually when power is turned down to QRP levels you gear is fairly safe while testing. Even 100 watts is too much, wind it down to low levels and see if the fault can be isolated.
Substitution of known good equipment can be useful as well. Example if your transceiver is suddenly not putting out much power on a single band, substituting your back up transceiver can quickly test if the problem is the transceiver or not – perhaps it is something else like am Amp fault or output meter problem?
In both Isolation and Substitution care should be given to not damage other gear. If the SWR is way high and has caused the finals in your transceiver to “fold back” there is not point in swapping transceivers. Why risk your backup gear by running it into a known fault?
Good luck & 73
Steve
Just about zero Amateur Radio content, unless you count reading the latest issues of QST, Nuts & Volts, World Radio and CQ magazines while in various airports, and the postings to “With Varying Frequency” minimalized by a wonky satellite internet link, but we escaped the snow.A week on the Holland American Line’s Westerdam doing the East Caribbean – Grand Turk, Tortola, St Maarten, and their private Half Moon Cay Bahamas.
Fantastic weather, ship, people and Islands.
Took no radio gear and never did connect with the correct Holland American Line people to get a solid answer on operating from the ship if I had.
Was nice to swim, see, talk & relax.
Highly recommended!
Back to snow snow snow and everything from freezing rain to sub-zero temperatures.
Should mention the ride back – we left the ship at 84F (23c) and arrived to a windy -10F (-23c). Had to steady myself from getting back on a southbound plane.
Been back a week and somehow snowshoeing just isn’t quite the same…………
73
Steve
Let me outline the scenario:
I bid on eBay for a TDR (a piece of expensive electronics test gear) from a seller with excellent ratings and recent successfully transactions.
I win and arrange to pay via eBay’s PayPal service, which I have funded by a MasterCard.
The Payment goes through.
Then….. nothing. No TDR, no further communication from the seller… simply nothing.
So I track down the seller to find that the phone number is dead and that the “real” address of the seller is different than the eBay/PayPal addresses.
I file an eBay and a PayPal complaint and request either the product (yeah, not likely) or a full refund.
To shorten the story, after much gyration and after PayPal and eBay enforced waiting periods, I get a small “chump change” refund, less a $35 PayPal recovery fee, to my PayPal account.
And PayPal refuses to provide me enough information to privately pursue the crook, claiming privacy reasons.
So no TDR and over $400 lost on what I’ve since learned was a lucky partial fund recovery.
And both eBay and and PayPal will not provide a pinch of information.
Unique experience of bad luck?
Hardly.
The eBay/PayPal team is solidly NOT on a Buyer’s Team. In many ways they have defined a system that creates a situation where they are accomplices to fraud.
Peeved and ready to just move along, I never think of filing a claim with MasterCard or in Wisconsin Small Claims court. Yet I would have likely succeeded in obtaining the information I needed and a judgement. Perfecting that judgement, unless payable by eBay, PayPal or MasterCard would be unlikely, but at least I would have broken their wall of silence.
Check out the PayPal horror websites – http://paypalsucks.com/ is a good start.
Strange as it might seem almost all the buyer protection I should have had funding the purchase by MasterCard was withered by having used PayPal as an intermediary.
Even their highly touted “Buyer’s Protection” is limited to the funds they recover, less a healthy fee.
Did I mention that my PayPal account was froze while they investigated the fraudulent seller?
Click on the Cartoon for a Full Sized version
After all this I really wonder if PayPal and eBay are worth the bother?
I maintain both PayPal and eBay accounts, but have largely stopped using them after this experience.
Buyer beware.
73
Steve
With Varying Frequency - Amateur Radio Ponderings 
