KA7O - Tate
From Carc-wiki
I'm the "Club Geek", known as the "Dungeon Master". The Dungeon is the name of my shack. A very small place in all of things.
I work as a 'Rent-a-geek' for an IT services company. Geek is an honorable title in my book. Respect the Geeks. For the geek shall compile the earth <g>.
This site runs on a server I have setup at my QTH, right next to my APRS server/station at aprsdcsp.ka7o.net. Yea, in "The Dungeon". (note to self: get some pics of 'The Dungeon')
Petra, my dog - a Norwegian Elk Hound cross (mutant?) - is always here staying warm from all the EM radiation. She keeps me company when I've driven off all my friends and family by talking too much about APRS and/or Linux, again.
Yea - I'm a wee bit enthusiastic about the co-mingling of PCs and RF gear. It's the future! Get on the bus or watch it go by.
My own web site is currently going through a major transformation. You can find it at ka7o.net. The old site content is still there - just burried a bit at http://ka7o.net/old-site - soon as I convert it all to the new format, the old content will 'go away'.
I call myself a 'Penguin Farmer'. Tux - a penguin - is the official Linux mascot. I'm a Linux user and enthusiast. Mostly due to it's open source nature, free cost (usually), flexibility and amazing reconfigurability. FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) must stand up to rather intense and constant peer review. If you release a shoddy FOSS product - you'll hear about it - and so will everyone else. Your reputation stands or falls on what you produce. Not the fact that you shove your product into almost every PC sold. Personal pride and striving for excellence ensure that most (not all!) FOSS is of a very high quality. Better yet, if it isn't up to your standards - you have access to the source code, you can change it, improve it or just learn about it at your whim. Or write your own. The same tools that allow you to run 'big' products also allow you to produce your own. FOSS is yet another arena where the 'self policing' model shines, just as in ham radio.
Maybe it's also cuz - like many hams - I'm also a penny pinch'n skin flint and refuse to pay for something when I can get it for free. Like a reliable, stable operating systems and useful applications that do what I want - without falling victim to the latest virus/worm/spyware de jur.
In fact, ham radio and FOSS have so many similar philosophies and goals - I'm shocked at the lack of FOSS take up in the ham community. The two seem a natural marriage to me. Techno hobby and techno excellence that only allows both to progress further together than either could alone.
APRS, Amateur Packet Reporting System, is what brought me to Linux - and to my current paying job actually. I wasn't too happy with the idea of paying money for an APRS Windows client that seemed mostly broken - out of the box. So I opted for a freebie APRS client called Xastir that was, and is, under much more rapid, aggressive and detailed development. I later figured out that Xastir, on Linux, is also a MUCH more capable and useful APRS client. There's so much Xastir can do, I had to learn networking to try 'em all! Thats what got me my current job. Xastir can and does run on Windows too. If you want. But if you're going to go through the hassle to get a *nix app running on Windows - just setup a *nix box. It's easier, faster and way cooler in the long run. Plus, you'll now have the flexibility of doing things with either way. Ain't choice great!!
I ride a Touring Motorcycle known as a 2002 BMW K-1200LT. No, it's not a Harley and yes, BMW makes motorcycles. Very nice motorcycles. I'm looking for a name for my bike. She's my daily commuter and work transport when I'm not hauling lots of heavy stuff all over town or when the roads are slick. Then my transport is the 'Digi-Ram'. An '88 Dodge Ramcharger with hair. You'll see the Digi Ram or the LT around town or can follow me via ARPS and findu.com Digi Ram, LT, JavAPRS on my web server or better yet, your own APRS client. Feel free to point it to aprsdcsp.ka7o.net for the full APRS-IS data stream.
Hey You! You've got better things to do than read this, right??? Goood! Go do them! Build that antenna, that downconverter, improve your station ground - pay the bills. Something! Git! GO! C'yas!
In the mean time, if you can catch me on the air (usually 2m, W7VNJ repeater at 145.235) cool. If not, find me via the CARC Discussion Board.
73 de KA7O, Tate
