Author Archives: Dan

January 25, 2009
08:57
by: Dan

A year ago today…

A year ago today (January 25th, 200, I released the first beta version of D-RATS.  It was version 0.1.1 and was posted for early testing with my local ARES group.  I had been working on the code for about a … Continue reading →

Posted in Radio

December 19, 2008
07:39
by: Dan

Outpost on Linux with WINE

I recently decided to play around with packet radio while I had some time off of work for the holidays.  I just wanted something to get my feet wet with, not knowing if it would be something I really wanted … Continue reading →

Posted in Radio

December 16, 2008
09:57
by: Dan

Router hits two years

Today, the Linux machine serving as the router for my home network rolled over the two-year mark for uptime.  That means it has been powered up, booted, and routing my internal network to the rest of the world for 730 … Continue reading →

Posted in Linux

November 22, 2008
16:21
by: Dan

Programming an RP4000V under Wine

Today, I hooked up the recently-acquired UHF duplexer from TX/RX Systems to our UHF D-STAR repeater.  I needed to program the machine to the new frequencies to match the duplexer and decided to try running the programming tool under Wine … Continue reading →

Posted in Radio

November 16, 2008
17:55
by: Dan

D-RATS hits 1000 changesets!

Even though I was looking for the counter to roll over 1000 changesets back at about 850, I completely missed the event and kept on going.  On November 4th, 2008 (which also happens to be Election Day in the US), … Continue reading →

Posted in Codemonkeying

October 17, 2008
19:33
by: Dan

Driving a 4-Bit LCD with an Arduino

I received my Arduino Diecimilia today.  Man, what a cool little device.  I ordered it last weekend with the intent of using it to learn about programming microcontrollers, in hopes of making some neat toys.  One of the first things … Continue reading →

Posted in Hardware

October 9, 2008
16:56
by: Dan

The death of a legend

On Tuesday, I lost a good friend.  Not only was he hard-working, but also extremely dependable in the face of adversity.  He had been with me longer than any of my other friends; some had come and gone, but this … Continue reading →

Posted in Hardware

September 22, 2008
14:09
by: Dan

D-RATS in Italian!

D-RATS has really become quite a bit more popular than I originally anticipated.  A good indication of that is the fact that I just got my first translation request.  I figure that it’s a pretty strong indicator that you’ve created … Continue reading →

Posted in Radio Tagged

September 8, 2008
12:21
by: Dan

Wash. Co. ARES on the news!

Yesterday evening, the PIO for our local ARES group called me and asked about availability for the next couple hours.  It turns out that a KATU news crew was looking for some footage of how hams can offer assistance to … Continue reading →

Posted in Radio

August 31, 2008
18:11
by: Dan

A PVC sheath for a portable GP-3

At the recent Hillsboro Air Show , I operated a portable station from First Aid Tent 2 out on the airfield.  Although it was completely overkill, we used a Comet GP-3 mounted about ten feet up.  We used a couple … Continue reading →

Posted in Radio