NPR did a segment on Ham Radio yesterday… its a quick listen at 4mins long…
Only a few years ago, blogs listed ham radio alongside 35 mm film and VHS tape as technologies slated to disappear.
They were wrong.
Nearly 700,000 Americans have ham radio licenses — up 60 percent from 1981, a generation ago. And the number is growing.
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Lets bring back handsome!
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My ham-radio side found this article fascinating…
In this short paper I will attempt to take a practical approach to demonstrate the problems associated with non constant impedance RF connectors. Of particular interest is the now inappropriately named UHF type connector, known more commonly as the PL-259 (Male) and SO-239 (Female). The results gained here are primarily aimed at supplying fellow radio amateurs with information that is not readily available. Characterisation will take place at frequencies around 146 MHz and the at UHF frequency of 438 MHz, where in actual fact this type of connector is not recommended for use.
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UPDATE: Yes, it was a april fool’s joke… thanks to those who figured it out and didn’t ruin the fun 😀
Now from China – lock pick kits made from foil!
Apparently it’s been around for fifteen years but using foil impressions to pick locks is new to us. This is similar to using bump keys but it works on locks that are supposedly much more secure. This method uses a heavy gauge aluminum foil to grab and hold the pins in the correct place for the lock to be turned. The foil is folded over and slits are cut where each pin will fall. It is then inserted into a lock on a tool shaped like a key blank. Jiggle the tool for a bit and the cylinder will turn. This just reminds us that we’re much more dependent on the good will of our fellow citizens to not steal our stuff, rather than the deterrent that a lock provides.
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