[clue-tech] Linux HAMs?

[Nate Duehr]

Ed wrote:
> Me too. A crazy TCP/IP over Ax.25 guy, that is. I discovered Linux 
> around '93, and then when I found out that there was going to be a 
> "Linux for Hams" distro based on Debian, started down the road to 
> fanaticism. Back in the day, I had a tnc a dual band ht, and my 486 
> Linux box serving web pages over Ax.25 at something like 2400 baud I 
> think. When I bought a dedicated data radio I got it up to 9600 baud. 
> Whoo hoo!


I learned all about the TCP 3-way handshake watching it over a 1200 bps 
(AMPR) half-duplex link (because it was soooooo slow, you could read the 
traces "live" on the screen) back in those days.  Back when Ethernet 
packet sniffers were $15,000... but every AX.25/AMPR/IP setup was 
running one of the "NOS" varieties of software with built in IP 
sniffing.  Was cool back then.

My latest time-sink is D-STAR...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D-STAR

http://www.dstarusers.org - Shows activity, world-wide

http://www.coloradodstar.org  - The locals

Some stuff written for it is in Java and cross-platform.  Other stuff is 
Windows only.  No Mac-only yet, that I've seen from both open and 
closed-source developers.  One nice python app using GTK for the 
windowing, I think.

The manufacturer (Icom) specifies CentOS for the "Gateway" computer, and 
doesn't even mention that it's derived from RHEL or that you could 
support RH by buying it... all the way down to CentOS 5.1 screenshots in 
the (horrible) installation document from Japan.

The Icom-sponsored radio programming software from a company called RT 
Systems, is Windows-only.


> Some serious kernel and hardware hacking.


Hardware here, no kernel...


> I sold all my ham gear a couple years ago, except for the Heathkit stuff 
> I built way back before there was such a thing as Linux. I always tell 
> myself I'll get back into it again when the kids are a bit older and I 
> have a bit more time.


That's a bummer.  I've contemplated that "option" a lot lately, but I 
think I'll keep at least one rig at home and in the vehicle.


> Maybe I'll build up another huge HF station up on a mountain top in 
> Alaska and control it remotely via some ridiculous satellite link setup 
> down here in America.


I keep hearing that Ham Radio Deluxe and Skype mixed together with some 
interfacing of the sound card in the PC to the mic/speaker outputs of 
the rig, makes for a "just fine" way to remotely control just about any 
station, as long as the rig is supported by HRD.

Could also use something like Windows Remote Desktop (it passes audio 
from the remote machine while you're controlling it, a very neat trick) 
and avoid the Skype part, I suppose.


> 73 de NL7FU

I bet you used to get some (unwanted?) attention on CW with that 
callsign ending in "FU"!

:-)

Nate WY0X