[linrad] Re: MAP65 progress

["John Harrison, NI1B" <nei.mv.com; jmh6@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Alex and all,

   You ask about Linux....  I 'converted' to 100% linux many years ago
now. The basic advantage I see is that once I get something working it
stays working. 

   With windows each new version meant I had to learn lots of stuff all
over again. With Linux most commands are the same from version to version.

   Of far more importance is that I have yet to have a non-hardware
related crash in which I lost major stuff. When one hard drive gets flaky,
I mount it on another Linux machine and copy all the stuff to it and keep
going :). I spend MUCH less time spent fighting the operating system. 

   I almost forgot to mention, there are NO linux viruses of any
consequence. When I do on-line shopping I boot a linux version from a live
CD. Then there is not even a remote chance that my computer can get
hacked and cause me any problem.

   DSL (DamnSmallLinux.org) usually just works with older wireless cards. 
If you are within open 802.11 WIFI range, you just boot DSL and you are on
the web. If one live linux doesn't work, you just download another and try
it. No $$, just a few CDs. 

   I use several versions.

   My preferred version is Knoppix 5.0.1 DVD. I buy a new 100-200GB hard
drive and put various versions of Linux on it and one huge 'user'
partition. I put almost all of my stuff in the user partition. In that way
I can 'mount' my stuff in whatever version of linux I happen to find
useful at the time.

  A typical hard drive layout is:

  hda1 - DSL 0.8.3 or Knoppix 3.6 - used mostly to recover and get and
keep things up and running. - DSL needs 300-500MB and knoppix 3.6 3.5-4
GB. 
  hda2 - HUGE user partition - ext2 - 1/2 of hard drive
  hda3 - swap - about twice the size of main memory
  hda4 - extended

various linux OSs such as
  hda5 - Ubuntu 7.04 - 4-5GB
  hda6 - Knoppix 3.6 - 3.5-5GB - I frequently put two copies of the same
OS. If I have trouble I can just switch and figure out whatever problem
later.
  hda7 - Knoppix 5.0.1-DVD 17-20GB - This version is HUGE, but it is ALL
there and it just works :))). PCB layout, Schematic, etc.
  hda8 - DSL latest version - 1GB
  hda9 - another DSL or two
  hda10 - another interesting linux version
  ...
  hda14 - One of my hard drives has 14 partitions on it!!!

  I tend to prefer Debian based linux versions.

  Lots of fun !!!!

  All the above said, it took be about a year before I noticed that I just
wasn't even turning on Windows anymore. Which lead me to dump Microsoft
almost totally. I do use DOS on an occasional machine, but it is networked
into my Linux computers. So far, I have been too lazy to convert to
FreeDOS.

  I have not bought a new computer for some time. I wait 'til someone puts
a "old" computer out in the trash or gives one to me. I install Linux in
it and I have a new computer that works fine. I network it with my others
and once I power it up, I talk to it VIA the network. 

  One recent gift computer has not even had the cover opened. I just put a
DSL CD in the drive, plugged in the network and it just worked. 

  XLinrad works great talking to a 2nd Xwindows display box.

  I run Xlinrad on a 1GHZ pentium and talk to it using X windows from a
box running DSL. In that way I can easily change resolutions. I just
change DSL to match whatever screen resolution I wish, ssh into the remote
linrad box and start xlinrad.

  My computer cluster at work has a whole bunch of different computer. All
networked together with 10base2 (50 ohm coax). Works great!! 

  I have probably gone on long enough. I hope you enjoy learning linux as
much as I have :)).

  I think linrad is GREAT. I use it on HF all the time.

  warm regards,
  john, ni1b



On Tue, 25 Sep 2007, hb9dri@xxxxxxxxxx wrote:

> 
> Hi Joe, Leif and all
> 
> Well not to much happens regarding our progress testing MAP65, in 
> HB9Q we finish the  feeder installation on our 15m dish but until now 
> I can not put the WSE converters to work, main problem is to control 
> the LO on the WSE, simple doesn't work. But our main problem was 
> time, i just back from a complicate knee surgery and I'm recovery now 
> at home. HB9Q is 100 km far way from my QTH means i need to wait some 
> weeks and back to work on the WSE converters.
> 
> I did some test in my network and I find the configuration very 
> simple but until know I have no chance to test over the Air, I try to 
> use MAP65 on HF (14.076 Mhz) at home I have not EME antennas but 
> MAP65 is fix on JT65B and on HF mode is JT65A, maybe some can Joe fix 
> on the next versions to test the decoding
> 
> Based on the extra time I have now at home I start to build a "poor 
> man WSE converters", for sure the core will be linrad and the use of 
> some softrock lite v6.2 receptors to produce 4 audio channels (having 
> adaptative polarization is my goal). I'm close to finish the front 
> end part, 2 receptors down from 144 Mhz to 14 Mhz using for both 
> receptors a 130 Mhz LO (same amplitud and phase) and a +17dbm mixer, 
> the second part are 2 softrock receptors with a diplexer in front 
> plus a 14 Mhz IF amplifier, both softrock receptors share the same 
> LO.
> 
> I'm not desing nothing special, I decide to try that on the KISS 
> way (keep it simple and stupid), I use some mmic amplifiers like 
> GALI74, ERA5 and MAR6, 3 pole helical filters on the Front end part 
> and a good desing for the LO (thank's leif for the ideas in your 
> homepage) to have very low phase noise, the final part will be the 
> DELTA44 and Linrad
> 
> For Linrad I want to see if I have any advantage to run Linrad 
> under linux, if some body give me good arguments maybe I try my first 
> Linux setup, please dont tell me one is better than the other one, 
> I'm not interested in how good or bad is one or the other OS, I only 
> want to know advantge when i run LINRAD under LINUX otherwise I will 
> keep the Windows version.
> 
> For this "poor man WSE converter" I dont expect equal or better 
> performance than the orginal WSE converters, dont worry Leif your WSE 
> converters are the really State of the Art,  I only want to build 
> that for pure experimentation, i know the softrock receptors are 
> simple but also are mediocre to bad in IP3 and intermodulation 
> products, if everything go and run maybe I decide to produce 
> something better on the back end part instead of the softrock, is 
> better to have Adaptative polarization even with this mediocre system 
> than nothing.
> 
> I will share my progress on my homepage (as soon I finish the 
> webpages) but please this project is not for somebody who cares until 
> the las DB fraction, IP3 levels or high performance, is more related 
> with a system can work with less money but off course with less 
> quality, its a compromise,  I want to see how bad can be the numbers. 
> For this project the only instruments I have is a Spectrum analyzer 
> up to 1.5GHZ ( no tracking generator), a 30 Mhz osciloscope and a 
> Fluke RF probe. Maybe a serious evaluation need to be done by some 
> body with more experience and instruments than me.
> 
> Ideas and recomendations are welcome
> 
> Best regard to all
> 
> 
> Alex Artieda
> HB9DRI
> 
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