On May 11, 2007, at 3:57 PM, skipp025 wrote: > Oh you show off Nate... we're jealous. I'm real happy to see > the next Scom Controller arrive. I'm really impressed with the > price tag.
I think what you mean by "jealous" is that our club *might* be helping with the beta tests... that rumor is probably true, but like all beta's, there's never a guarantee that a beta will be all roses and sunshine. I never said it in my cross-posting, but since we're close (physically) to Bob and Dave, we offered up one of our sites as the "sacrificial lamb" for a beta, and let Bob and Dave know if they want it, it's theirs... totally up to them, and we're happy to help. The trick here is that, we were also careful to choose a site that's not our "core" system... if the new controller wigs out... we have a few days (along with cursing and gnashing of teeth of course) to run up there and bounce the thing! That's just how it goes with beta test... if we can "suss out" (as our Aussie friends say) any bad behavior we don't like early, it saves everyone else a little grief, so we're happy to do it... but we go in fully knowing that there can always be problems. We'll also be trustworthy and allow them time to correct any strange behavior or problems without making a big public spectacle of them -- it is a beta test after all. With their permission and review, and if time permits, I'll try to help them out by describing how it's all going, if they decide to use the site. > There will be at least 3 new Amateur Controllers heading to Market > "around Dayton time"... although many of the mfgrs won't actually > be at the Dayton Hamvention. > > 1 Ken says his new Arcom RC-210 is about ready. > 2 Bob says the new Scom 7330 Controller is about ready. > 3 Alan said their new Link multi-port is pretty much done and > ready for Dayton. Yeah, this is always the COOLEST part of the year, really -- Dayton is what pushes the hobby-based and professional businesses forward. We've been hoping, crossing our fingers, and waiting for the 7330 for a while, and both through the officially released information and because Bob and Dave are "close to home" we've heard of the pain, toil, and annoyances that pop up while developing a product -- ESPECIALLY for the Amateur market! You also forgot to mention Al Psion's "GE card cage" controller too -- it's a NEAT product for a stand-alone GE MASTR II station-based repeater. He's already put out a few different versions of firmware and has some nifty ideas for that controller up his sleeves too. Recently an e-mail I sent him lead to a very nice phone conversation about how an IRLP node might be linked into his controller, and while it'd take some effort, Al was more than willing to offer up ideas and point out things about the controller on the schematic that I hadn't noticed in passing. I can say wholeheartedly that Al is definitely another "good guy" to have building controllers in our hobby, and if I ever find enough time to finish up my personal "backyard" repeater, it'll probably have one of Al's controllers in it -- I don't need anything fancy, and of course, I'm a big MASTR II fan... just because I'm more comfortable with them than anything else... so Al's controller in a card slot will probably do "just fine" for what I'm looking to do. Hopefully, I can return his thoughtfulness and document anything I come up with that works well for hanging IRLP off the station with his controller in it. Frankly, I've been so far behind on e-mail and well, EVERYTHING lately, that I haven't had a chance to order one to "play with" in the Evil Scientist basement. Plus, spending more time in the Evil Scientist basement just reminds me that I need to move all the furniture out including the ham shack, tear out the 70's brown *nasty* carpeting, lay tile, paint the walls and ... sigh... an Evil Scientist's work is NEVER done, is it? Mow the lawn? Who has time for THAT? > No news from any of the other mfgrs other than my prompting of > Boyd to restart the B&D Enterprises 1P Controller production > line. I think you'll hear more from Al this year... but that's up to him. He expressed surprise at how fast the first orders came in for his controller, and that is always a sign of early success with such a product. From discussions with Bob, Al, and Ken -- I don't think I would EVER have the guts to start up an Amateur Radio business! Especially not a controller! Three cheers for ALL of the builders and innovators who are willing to take something they've created and put it out there for all of us to tinker and play with!!! We Hams are sometimes the harshest critics of technology, because we all take it TOO seriously -- especially considering that it's "Just a hobby" -- but that's what makes it fun. Wish I could join you all in Dayton who are going this year! I'm working on my Instrument Pilot certification again, and it's eating all my spare time, money, and brainpower -- what little I have left while also being the President of a Ham repeater association! (And to add reasons to never get anything done -- one of the locals here is working on putting the first APCO P-25 fully-digital machines on the air in our area the next few weeks, and I'm jealous and want to PLAY with that, too!) The only GREAT news from the WY0X shack this week -- at 125,000+ miles, the Jeep is FINALLY paid off. Sheesh, someone slap me with a trout if I ever purchase another new vehicle again. What a waste of money. Slap me if you see me go anywhere near a Chevy/GMC dealership and start to drool over the new Silverado pickup trucks, too. Hey, speaking of good guys... Mike WA6ILQ, one of the illustrious (or is that notorious, Mike?) webmasters for the RB site just happened to visit Colorado recently, and I got a chance to meet up with him and his friend that moved here, and have a real "repeater geek" dinner. We even dragged Dave WA1JHK along. That was fun! Too bad it was too early in the season to go spend a couple hours bouncing over rocks in a 4WD vehicle to show him our "high" site! Mike also said nice things about you Skipp, but I promised I wouldn't tell. OOPS... dang, cat's out of the bag! 73, and have fun in Dayton to those who are going! Use all that free WiFi in your hotel rooms to send us all updates to all the cool toys being released, would ya? :-) -- Nate "I've been away too long, and dang that e-mail was huge!" Duehr - WY0X
