The NW7US Beacon

This is a demonstration that I created of the digital mode,...

Mon, 14 May 2012 03:32:05 -0600

This is a demonstration that I created of the digital mode, “JT65A”, which is designed for use on the shortwave (High Frequency, or HF) amateur radio bands. JT65A is a “contact” protocol rather than a conversational protocol. This video shows me making a single contact on shortwave.

Please visit the following website for complete details on the protocol and how to use the mode:

http://NW7US.us/jt65a.html

Watch it now: an hour-long exploration of our Sun — you...

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 11:43:04 -0600

Watch it now: an hour-long exploration of our Sun — you know, that star that I am so passionate about.

The Sun contains 99.9 percent of all the matter in our solar system. It sheds hot plasma at nearly a million miles per hour. The temperature at its core is a staggering 27 million degrees Fahrenheit. It convulses, it blazes, it sings. You know it as the Sun.

Scientists know it as one of the most amazing physics laboratories in the universe. Now, with the help of new spacecraft and Earth-based telescopes, scientists are seeing the Sun as they never have before and even recreating what happens at its very center in labs here on Earth. Their work will help us understand aspects of the Sun that have puzzled scientists for decades. But more critically, it may help us predict and track solar storms that have the power to zap our power grid, shut down telecommunications, and ground global air travel for days, weeks, or even longer. Such storms have happened before—but never in the modern era of satellite communication. “Secrets of the Sun” by NOVA PBS reveals a bright new dawn in our understanding of our nearest star—one that might help keep our planet from going dark.

Please visit: http://SunSpotWatch.com

If you really like it, please purchase the DVD so you can have your own HD copy. Here’s the purchase link: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/space/secrets-sun.html

(I don’t make any money off of this. I just support PBS).

Happy Birthday, Samuel F.B. Morse! We have a birthday...

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 08:00:00 -0600

Happy Birthday, Samuel F.B. Morse!

We have a birthday anniversary, today! Samuel Finley Breese Morse (April 27, 1791 – April 2, 1872) was an American contributor to the invention of a single-wire telegraph system based on European telegraphs, co-inventor of the Morse code, and an accomplished painter. Samuel F. B. Morse was born in Charlestown, Massachusetts, the first child of the pastor Jedidiah Morse (1761–1826)—who was also a geographer—and Elizabeth Ann Finley Breese (1766–1828).

Samuel was a student at Yale College. During his time there, he became interested in both painting and electricity (the new area of science that was just emerging on the scene). After Morse graduated in 1810, he concentrated on painting. He become a well-known portrait artist.

In 1825, the city of New York commissioned Morse for $1,000 to paint a portrait of Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, in Washington. While Morse was painting, a horse messenger delivered a letter from his father that read one line, “Your dear wife is convalescent.” Morse immediately left Washington for his home at New Haven, leaving the portrait of Lafayette unfinished. By the time he arrived, his wife had already been buried. Heartbroken in the knowledge that for days he was unaware of his wife’s failing health and her lonely death, he moved on from painting to pursue a means of rapid long distance communication.

On the sea voyage home in 1832, Morse encountered Charles Thomas Jackson of Boston, a man who was well schooled in electromagnetism. Witnessing various experiments with Jackson’s electromagnet, Morse developed the concept of a single-wire telegraph, and The Gallery of the Louvre was set aside. The original Morse telegraph, submitted with his patent application, is part of the collections of the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian Institution. In time the Morse code would become the primary language of telegraphy in the world, and is still the standard for rhythmic transmission of data.

Samuel Morse received a patent for the telegraph in 1847. The “International Morse Code” is now in use by various services, including amateur radio (Ham radio).

More information on Mr. Morse is at the Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Morse

thefluffingtonpost: Drugstore.com Issues Apology After Sending...

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 12:20:11 -0600

thefluffingtonpost:

Drugstore.com Issues Apology After Sending Cats Instead of Medicine

Internet pharmacy and household goods retailer Drugstore.com has issued a formal apology after reportedly sending at least three customers boxed cats instead of the medicines that had been ordered. ”We sincerely regret our error,” read the statement from the company, “and we plan to offer the affected customers full refunds, as well as gift certificates equal to the purchase amount.”

There is no truth to the rumor, however, that the kitties had been mistakenly sent to cat dander allergy sufferers ordering Claritin.

Via cseeman.

glowbugs: Popular Radio and TELEVISION, April issue, 1928

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 12:06:47 -0600

glowbugs:

Popular Radio and TELEVISION, April issue, 1928

glowbugs: Glow Must Glow On! - Eimac 304TH / VT-254 tube

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 07:14:43 -0600

glowbugs:

Glow Must Glow On! - Eimac 304TH / VT-254 tube

This is an excellent video that shows the Doppler influence on...

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 01:27:10 -0600

This is an excellent video that shows the Doppler influence on radio propagation via the ionosphere… very informative!

Imagine running your QRP (low-power) amateur radio...

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 01:24:43 -0600

Imagine running your QRP (low-power) amateur radio transceiver, powered by this cool technology! This rocks!

glowbugs: Grandpa Listening In on the Wireless, painting by...

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 06:21:53 -0600

glowbugs:

Grandpa Listening In on the Wireless, painting by Norman Rockwell, 1920

glowbugs: Radio Listener, photo by Russian Constructivist...

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 06:21:10 -0600

glowbugs:

Radio Listener, photo by Russian Constructivist Alexander Rodchenko, 1929

glowbugs: Omnigraph Morse Code Practice Device, since...

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 06:20:32 -0600

glowbugs:

Omnigraph Morse Code Practice Device, since 1903

(Omnigraph at UV201.com)

thedailypuffer: The Vintages Project is a recent initiative...

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 05:34:58 -0600

thedailypuffer:

The Vintages Project is a recent initiative entirely dedicated to the preservation of Pipe and Tobacco history. Launched by Neill Archer Roan, the author of the prestigious website A Passion for Pipes, its first contribution comes from the honorable Jon Guss in the form of an astoundingly accurate dating guide for Sobranie of London tobacco tins. Albeit the specificity of this document, in itself a fragment of a wider research still being conducted, it does provide a unique insight regarding the legacy of that once great tobacco company founded in London, during the year of 1879.

I believe it would be no exaggeration to say that this project and its noble ambitions, alongside the very first fruit it gracefully yielded, represent the single greatest breakthrough witnessed in the field of pipe tobacco studies in a long time. In Mr. Guss’ excellent document I found a keenness for rigor and method that is not only rare, as it is laudable in itself. At this point in time, the history of pipe tobacco can no longer be written in broad and imprecise terms; rather, it demands an approach that contemplates its many intricacies to their slightest detail.

The way forth is always uncovered by those who are willing to go to the necessary lengths in order to retrieve information that has never before been examined or suitably treated. Such a display of passion and dedication gives me renewed hope, together with the assurance that this research is now entrusted the best possible hands. I therefore invite all my visitors to read this most valuable publication.

Visit the Vintages Project homepage.

theimages: One Thousand Suns, Michal Dziekan

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 18:03:49 -0700

theimages:

One Thousand Suns, Michal Dziekan

Oy! This just sets off my CDO (oh, I mean, OCD)! Whew.

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 03:20:15 -0700

Oy! This just sets off my CDO (oh, I mean, OCD)! Whew.

The new music video from OK Go, made in partnership with...

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 01:34:21 -0700

The new music video from OK Go, made in partnership with Chevrolet. OK Go set up over 1000 instruments over two miles of desert outside Los Angeles. A Chevy Sonic was outfitted with retractable pneumatic arms designed to play the instruments, and the band recorded this version of Needing/Getting, singing as they played the instrument array with the car. The video took 4 months of preparation and 4 days of shooting and recording. There are no ringers or stand-ins; Damian took stunt driving lessons. Each piano had the lowest octaves tuned to the same note so that they’d play the right note no matter where they were struck. For more information and behind-the-scenes footage, see http://www.LetsDoThis.com and http://www.okgo.net.

Director: Brian L. Perkins & Damian Kulash, Jr.
Director of Photography: Yon Thomas
Editor: Doug Walker
Producer: Luke Ricci

djevojka: Assol Sas- Kazakh legends

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 23:18:46 -0700

djevojka:

Assol Sas- Kazakh legends

I’m in awe of this amazingly cool painting. kim-am-i: The...

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:41:56 -0700

I’m in awe of this amazingly cool painting.

kim-am-i:

The first in a series of 12 paintings I hope to complete by February, in time for my solo art show at a local museum, AND to apply for graduate schools for the fall of 2012.

I went through an artistic depression a few weeks ago. Nothing I did worked. I painted myself into a rut. And then I started to break out everything in my arsenal: ink pen, watercolour, pastels, acrylics. And viola. Spell broken.

This is called The Dreaming Place. I think it’s a good start to what will hopefully become a trend of works.

15in x 22in at 140lb watercolour paper.

P.S
You may recognise the composition as similar to my Sketchbook Project 2012 composition. That was a study for this one.

On 23 January 2012, a magnitude M8.7 (M9-class) X-ray flare...

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:48:38 -0700

On 23 January 2012, a magnitude M8.7 (M9-class) X-ray flare erupted in NOAA Active Sunspot Region (AR) 1402. The long-duration flare peaked at 0359 UTC. This flare triggered a proton event, resulting in an S3 (Strong) Radiation (Proton) Storm and a Polar Cap Absorption (PCA) event over the polar regions.

This PCA event caused a complete radio blackout over high-latitude and polar regions. This results in any trans-polar radio paths to become as dead as a rock.

This solar proton radiation storm is the strongest since September, 2005, which was during the last solar sunspot cycle, Solar Cycle 23. An S3-level radiation storm causes airlines to divert air traffic away from the polar regions. This level of a storm could also cause satellite issues, with GPS and communications being affected. Additionally, those living and working in polar regions must take precautions not to be exposed to this radiation.

At the end of the video, you will see the Coronal Mass Ejection that was released by this flare. This is a fast-moving CME and it is expected to arrive at Earth on January 24, 2012, triggering a G1 to G3 level geomagnetic storm.

X-ray flares are huge explosive releases of energy, including X-ray and light energy. This light and X-ray energy reaches Earth at the speed of light—eight minutes later. When it reaches Earth, it causes the ionosphere to become highly energized, so much so that the D-region (the lowest region) absorbs shortwave, and medium wave, frequencies, blocking them from going any further (and being refracted or propagated long distances around the world).

Credit: NASA SDO / AIA / LASCO / STEREO

Big Dog to Little Dog: “They say that SOPA will end our...

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 07:56:43 -0700

Big Dog to Little Dog:

“They say that SOPA will end our ability to watching Kitty Videos!”

True Visionaries of the Future, in 1922 For what it is worth,...

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 21:41:38 -0700

True Visionaries of the Future, in 1922

For what it is worth, there were moments of incredible vision and clarity in the magazine staff of “Radio News”. Here is an example. On the cover of the January 1922 edition, this picture predicts a time in the future when radio will become the “Street Organ of the Future.” Remember the Boom Box craze of the 1980s? And, now, as we have all our personal devices? This was truly visionary, back in 1922.