Pi Day 2024

Wishing you a happy Pi Day!!

Pi Day comes from 3.14 aka March 14th.

https://www.piday.org/

Also March 14th is Einstein’s birthday.

73

Steve
K9ZW

Adding a Turing RK1 to the Turing Pi

The K9ZW Turing Pi Cluster computer is getting an upgrade, and the upgrade features Neural Processing Unit (NPU) capabilities.

 

Turing RK1 Single-Board-Computer NPU

I’ve been puttering with a homelab Pi cluster – see: https://k9zw.wordpress.com/?s=turing

The Turing Pi folks were developing their own SBC (Single Board Computer) featuring advanced Neural Processing (for a SBC) capabilities, and when a pre-order opportunity came up I ordered one:

https://turingpi.com/product/turing-rk1/?attribute_ram=16+GB

About those capabilities:

The Turing RK1, equipped with a Neural Processing Unit (NPU), is a powerful tool for accelerating neural network computations

The Turing RK1 Compute Module is powered by Rockchip RK3588 SoC. This chip utilizes an 8nm LP process and boasts an 8-core (Cortex-A76x4+ Cortex-A55x4) 64-bit CPU, capable of speeds up to 2.4 GHz.

Incorporating an ARM Mali-G610MP4 quad-core GPU and a dedicated AI accelerator NPU, the Turing RK1 can deliver an impressive 6 TOPS [Tera Operations Per Second] 0f computational power. It accommodates up to 32 GB of memory and supports 8K video encoding, as well as various video input and output formats. With its compatibility with multiple operating systems, the Turing RK1 is a versatile solution for applications such as ARM PCs, edge computing, cloud servers, and intelligent NVRs.

Now honestly I am rather uncertain if the K9ZW Turing Pi Cluster will even be doing neural network computations (yet), but if it doesn’t have the capabilities to explore it certainly will never be doing anything in that area.

The Turing RK1 is a plug-n-play physical replacement for one of the RPi-CM4s, though to exploit the NPU capabilities the software and OS need to be altered. Any combination of RPis, Turing Rk1 or Jetson SBC computers can be used in the Turning Pi v2 cluster.  As best I can tell one can get even more TOPS from the Nvidia Jetson, though outside of development units availability is difficult.  Maybe down the road?

I just was notified that my RK1 has shipped from overseas, so sometime soon it will be NPU show time!

73

Steve
K9ZW

Family Hamshack Hotline Testing – All Good

About a week ago I distributed to my ham licensed sons their own Hamshack Hotline handsets – https://k9zw.wordpress.com/2023/10/23/more-hamshack-hotline-distribution/

Last night we had a chance to test most of the handsets, as two of my three sons & I used a “conference bridge” to have a nice chat.

One of the Family Handsets Booting Up (First Light!)

Again I want to acknowledge that I had major help from Dale N6JSX, who did the actual handset provisioning/configuration once I had done the actual Hamshack Hotline applications.  He added the super nice thermal tape labels, which makes for a really nice looking setup.  N6JSX and I tried each handset out, so they are truly ready to go.  What I hadn’t known is that he also programed softkey speed dial numbers into each handset.  Very slick!

Now my family had a leg up on implementing Hamshack Hotline as all of us have our ham radio licenses, and I had the help of one of ham radio cousins for the configuration.

Hamshack Hotline is a very nice ham “perk” for sure!

73

Steve
K9ZW

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NOTE:  You can read all about Hamshack Hotline at https://hamshackhotline.com/ and my prior Hamshack Hotline posts https://k9zw.wordpress.com/2022/04/26/hamshack-hotline-voip-for-hams/, https://k9zw.wordpress.com/2022/10/03/double-hamshack-hotline/ and https://k9zw.wordpress.com/2023/10/23/more-hamshack-hotline-distribution/

More Hamshack Hotline Distribution

Hamshack Hotline is an awesome “perk” made operational by a group of hams, for hams.

You can read all about it at https://hamshackhotline.com/ and my prior Hamshack Hotline posts https://k9zw.wordpress.com/2022/04/26/hamshack-hotline-voip-for-hams/ and https://k9zw.wordpress.com/2022/10/03/double-hamshack-hotline/

What I haven’t written about is how often I use my Hamshack Hotline setup.

Okay I have to admit that often it is calling “7006” to listen to Art Bell’s “Coast to Coast” being streamed.  And I tend to call family that are also hams to “chew the rag” or talk about station building efforts.

I’d wanted to give more family that also are hams their own Hamshack Hotline setups.  Actually the process started over a year ago, when I arranged for their Hamshack Hotline Number assignments and bough enough used handsets and power supplies off of eBay.

Technically these have been ready to gift onwards since the first of the year, but all of my 2023 adventures got in the way of finishing the loose ends and distributing them gear.

Here is the batch readied and being distributed

I had major help from Dale N6JSX, who did the actual handset provisioning/configuration once I had done the applications.  He added the super nice thermal tape labels, which makes for a really nice looking setup.  N6JSX and I tried each handset out, so they are truly ready to go.

Distributed this weekend it will be a week or so until we can coordinate putting them to the test.

A nice ham “perk” for sure!

73

Steve
K9ZW

Turing Pi – Lights On

Been working remote a couple days, being a bit under the weather. Over my working from home lunch hour, I finished assembly of the TuringPi Cluster.

Some pictures:

all assembled on the bench, will get an enclosure when they are ready

All parts in place! Yeah!!

Lots more —

Dayton/Xenia Hamvention 2022 – New Memories or Just an Old Memory?

It is less than two weeks to the Dayton/Xenia Hamvention 2022 event.

So far I have spoken to only a couple of hams that are planning to attend this 2022 event, from the group who I’ve either done part of past Hamventions with or would get together with them at Hamvention.

The numbers from my area going to Dayton/Xenia seem significantly down – maybe 25% of the usual group is going.  Haven’t heard of any of the younger area hams going at all.

Here are some of the reasons I have heard:

• CCP-19 Virus (aka Covid-19) remains a biggie.
• Costs of fuel and everything else.
• Low Awareness of Anything New
• Uncertainty – here less than two weeks prior the isn’t a definitive health statement making one uncertain if even the organizers harbor concerns with gathering up so many hams
• The combined Greene County/Ohio State Sales tax burden (said to be 8.75%?!)
• Same deals being offered on the internet as are available if you attend.
• So many items being out of stock, so if you want to buy you are placing an order rather than walking out with the cutting edge XYZ-123 unit then and there
• Many of the Dayton era attendees are simply “old” and not travel-able
• Lower numbers of DXpeditions and missed years means less war stories to be be told at Hamvention
• Hams having missed previous events are struggling to reclaim their “Dayton Time Window” from among other family plans and pressures that took over.
• Reduced event Promotion – many hams said they didn’t get the mailings and emails that strategically used to appear to puff up the event and banquets.
• Alternatives (Hamcation being somewhere warm in Winter was mentioned by snow country hams)
• Less exhibitors (see https://www.make-it.ca/hamvention2022-indoor/)

I am not going, but really not for any one single reason.

Rather in my personal take the ROI (Return on Investment) for attending Hamvention is all about people – the other hams I know and can meet there. Since so many are giving Hamvention 2022 a miss as I’m not eager to drive and attend alone.

73

Steve
K9ZW