Preparing the computer control of the radio
This evening, I welcomed back the prodigal. Not son, or daughter; a laptop. One of the small flock of compusheep that keep our family safely IMed and FBed and all the other things that are as necessary as fresh water.
My old laptop, actually, back from a stint as a student model. But even a student tires of slow response and small screen size, so he dug into the piggy bank and bought something a little more upscale. I noticed the lonely brown lump on a desktop, and after several pointed requests, he moved his electronic pebbles to the new path. My spare machine is now ready for a new role.
I’m in the midst of a radio station renewal. Not quite ready to get on the air (the power supply is BO), but soon… This time around, I’ll be using CAT, the acronym signifying computer control of a transceiver. I’m a firm believer in open source, and so HRD will be the software of choice.
The machine is ready, and I have a second screen reserved. Only time will tell if I’m a successful migrant to the waterfall.
OK, a lot of jargon. Not my fault; there’s been a revolution in certain aspects of amateur radio. Digital modes are more popular than ever (I was an early, if timid adopter of packet radio). The receivers are better than ever, the number of controls leave me bewildered, and I’m going to have steep learning curve this winter.
My take on things; I like learning new stuff, and ham radio has provided lots of fare over the last thirty-odd years.
