As I have mentioned in the podcast and in blog posts, I have a lot of trouble picturing HOW 20 meter photons somehow fly off my antenna. I understand how EM WAVES are generated. But there doesn't seem to be any corresponding explanation for how the photons are generated.
This video looks at a related question: How BIG are the photons of visible light? I am not sure this is all correct (and neither, apparently, is the creator of this video) but it is very interesting.
Thanks Lex: Your message reminded me of a comment sent to me on the YouTube channel. The commenter seemed to criticize my use of a digital oscilloscope. Well, the criticism came to me via the internet, computers, and Starlink, so, yes, there are great advantages to using new technology! 73 from HI7 Bill N2CQR
Hello Bill and Pete,
On hackaday there is a post with the question : Are Hackers the future of amateur radio?
Although the term "hackers" is only seen by the masses as a term for someone who gains unauthorized access to computer systems (it even appears in the dictionary that way), IMHO it is much broader. I always explain it as someone who is interested in technology and uses techniques to use things in a different way than what they where intended or to add new functionality to existing things. But also inventing new things, whether or not to satisfy his curiosity, or to learn new things in order to expand his knowledge or be able to make new things.
With this in mind let us go back to the question: "Are hackers the future for amateur radio?"
I think that from the beginning of amateur radio, the OMs were a kind of "hackers" who satisfied their curiosity and tried things out by making things themselves. And I think it will certainly remain that way. The fact that we have started using more computer technology / digital things in our hobby is nothing but progress. You take technology as you can or want to use it. Think about the analog VFO from Bill and the Si5351 VFO from Pete, or petrol cars and electronics cars. Both have the same goal, just different tech. Or for example you can tighten a screw by hand, but you can also use a cordless drill. Do you have less technical skills? No, I don't think so, you are just more efficient, digital technology and computer technology have added efficiency to our hobby. And if other invent new things that we can use, who are we not to use those techniques to be more efficient our self or make new things?
Dan, KB6NU's put some nice HamRadio Hacking examples in his presentation (https://www.kb6nu.com/there-is-hope-for-amateur-radio/) like the SBITX (Full SDR with Raspberry PI), creating new firmware for Chinese ports, etc. We could even return to the question discussed earlier on soldersmoke: Are radio hams 'makers'.
And yes, the availability of off-the-shelf transmitters/receivers allows OMs, who are not so technically skilled or don't want to spend the time on it, to practice facets of our wonderful and broad hobby. So you don't have to be a "hacker" to enjoy our hobby. And to all the (self-styled) soldering iron moral knights who criticize these OMs, take a look around your shack, you probably didn't (or even can) make everything yourself and once you have bought things. It could be that boatanchor, your brass morse key or your first rig. And have you ever thought about you soldering iron, multi meter, magnifier lamp, wire cutters etc. . . Ok I'm just teasing now, but you all get the point.
Most of all, aside from the question if hackers are the future of amateur radio, lets enjoy our great hobby and when you like to melt some solder . . . Just do it.
Our friend Lex astutely focused on the date of the release of our report about legal prosecution by the City of San Francisco. The truth is that we made almost all of this up. We did put a sticker on a lamp post at Haight and Ashbury. Dave AA7EE did visit the site and report that the sticker had been removed. But all the rest was made up. We did catch several people in this annual April 1 joke. Unfortunately, not everyone who was taken in was outraged by the city's supposed action. In fact, we got one e-mail SUPPORTING the prosecution. This fellow said, essentially, that we were getting what we deserved, that we should take this as a life lesson, and stop with the sticker-vandalism. He was serious. Jeez. APRIL FOOL! We will talk more about this in the next podcast.
I know the podcast has been delayed by a lot, but I am still getting things set up here in HI7 land. I hope we will soon be podcasting with particpation from California (N6QW), Northern Virginia (KK4DAS), and the Dominican Republic (HI7/N2CQR).
Happily, my Dominican ham radio license came through -- I will be HI7/N2CQR for the next year. At some point I hope to take the Dominican exam and get a real Dominican call.
Lex has been our main point of contact in Europe on sticker distribution (aka VANDALISM!). Lex writes:
Hello all,
Shocked to hear about the "Legal action against Soldersmoke" in podcast :
some official is trying to make a career and he will be very busy because there are a lot of stickers in San Fransisco to remove.
somebody did remove the sticker because they are highly collectable and somebody at soldersmoke HQ saw a opportunity to made one of the best april fools jokes in soldersmoke history pulling the listeners (and readers) leg.
somebody use photoshop and made one of the best april fools jokes in soldersmoke history pulling the listeners (and readers) leg.
Looking at the release date of the soldersmoke podcast 251, IMHO #3 is the most possible with #2 as a good second. When #1 is the real reason, that sucks big time :-( (so I'm hoping for the april fools joke outcome)
Let's continue and get on topic to this e-mails subject.
My XYL and I are just back from a holiday to Berlin and aside of the architecture, visiting a large number of museums and historical exhibitions, there was one place on my personal list I wanted to visit : the "Teufelsberg".
* The "Teufelsberg" (Devil's Mountain) is a artificial mountain build with rumble of the ruins of Berlin on top of the “Wehrtechnische Fakultät”, covert soil and plated full with trees. In the early 70's the location became one of the most important locations for the United States’ National Security Agency (NSA) outside the United States. The facility monitors Soviet and Eastern Bloc communications and gathers important information on the activities of Warsaw Pact countries. 1992 the side got intrest of creative minds and started to get covert by street art.
Not only the historical part of the site, but also because the XYL and I love street art, we took a day visit it. Aside from the nice walk to it, the excellent view and the great pieces of street art, when you are at a site where street art is present all over the place and even is encouraged (and legal) and you "accidently" just happen to have a few soldersmoke stickers in you bag, you just have to use them. So as of this moment, Soldersmoke is present a the formal National Security Agency (NSA) spy station in Berlin.
I added a few images as a attachment to this e-mail including one to show the great view over Berlin when you on the top deck (only showing one placement, the other 2 are hidden in plane site).
In short : when you can apricate street art and visit Berlin, a visit to the "Teufelsberg" is almost a must. IBEW bonus : there are a few soldersmoke stickers hidden on the top dek for you to find ;-)