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<DIV><FONT face=Tahoma size=5><STRONG>When all else fails - Amateur Radio, the
original open-source project.</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<P><FONT face=Tahoma>This month's <STRONG>Linux Journal</STRONG> focuses on
amateur radio. In an article titled <EM>'When all else fails - Amateur Radio,
the original open-source project', </EM><STRONG>David A. Lane, KG4GIY
</STRONG>looks at the relationship between amateur radio and Linux.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Tahoma><STRONG><EM>'When all else fails'</EM></STRONG> —in 2003,
the American Radio Relay League used this as the motto for Field Day, the
annual demonstration of its capabilities to the public. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Tahoma>It rapidly became the touch phrase for the Amateur Radio
Emergency Service - probably the most public of all aspects of Amateur Radio and
the operators that are usually first to respond in an emergency.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Tahoma>To me, it also is the quintessential definition of open
source. When something is missing in commercial system, we look to open source
for the solution. A better operating system? A better management platform? How
about a better ERP system? Open source has become the answer. But, what about a
better communications system? When we think open source, our mind naturally
turns to software, usually *NIX-based, running on Linux. What most people tend
not to think about is the open-source nature of Amateur Radio. While operators
most often are seen working in emergency situations, many of the modern
conveniences we have today—cell phones, satellites, wireless devices—were
developed and tested by radio amateurs.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Tahoma>What’s Amateur Radio? Have you heard of ham radio? It’s the
same thing. Although some revel in the term, get a group of operators together,
and you will find more stories for the origins of the term ham radio than
operators. But, because the Federal Communications Commission calls us Amateurs
Radio operators, we should call ourselves that too. Of course, this is not
amateur in the rookie sense of the term, but in the non-pecuniary sense. Many
consider us communication professionals.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Tahoma>Amateur Radio has been around almost since Marconi invented
the thing—hmm, was Marconi a ham? Feel free to discuss that among yourselves.
Early on, Marconi’s invention was put to the test, and ever since, when disaster
strikes, Amateur Radio operators have been some of the first to respond,
providing communications support when there is little or no communications
infrastructure. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Tahoma>Before we can talk about it, however, we need some basic
language, and like most technologies, Amateur Radio has a language all its own.
This month, Dan Smith gets us started by explaining some of the shorthand we
use.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Tahoma>Suppose I want to send data from one point to another
without a wire between them? Shawn just passed me an 802.11a/b/g/n device, and
we are off to the races, right? But, what if there is no network to plug it in
to? </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Tahoma>Gary Robinson shows us how to pass data without an
802.11a/b/g/n device using your PC, Fldigi and an Amateur Radio transceiver.
This is one of the ways that FEMA and other aid agencies send supply lists, like
how many cell towers need to be brought into an area during the early stages of
an emergency when the only ones passing messages are the Amateurs.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Tahoma>Got a GPS? How about 30,000 runners, more than half of whom
will not make it to the end of the marathon, whether it is the Seattle, Boston,
New York or Marine Corps Marathons? </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Tahoma>Using Xastir, an open-source version of APRS, a GPS and a
rig, you can tell where the straggler bus is to pick up the runners who do not
finish. <BR><BR>You will find Amateur Radio operators at each of these marathons
providing communications support. <BR><BR>Curt Mills, Steve Stroh and Laura
Mills take us through setting up and configuring Xastir so you can use it at
your next event.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Tahoma>You can read the full article at: </FONT><A
href="http://www.linuxjournal.com/ham" target=_blank><FONT
face=Tahoma>http://www.linuxjournal.com/ham</FONT></A><FONT face=Tahoma>
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