Well, January has pretty much come and gone. I sure hope the rest of the year sticks around a bit longer. Now that it’s 2010, though, Linux in the HAM Shack has a lot of things planned for the future: contests, interviews with fascinating and influential people, trips to live events throughout the year and, as always, scintillating content about Linux and ham shacks.

As of Episode #029, we have achieved more than 50,000 downloads. Episode #029 also turned out to be one of our most popular. When Richard and I started this endeavor back in October 2008 we didn’t really know what to expect out of the podcast, but I think it’s safe to say that whatever expectations we may have had, we’re certainly reaching or exceeding them. I only hope that we only have more room to go up from here. Thank you to everyone who listens to, participates in, or otherwise helps out with the podcast–especially Bill, KA9WKA, our beloved Show Notes compiler, and everyone who has made a donation to the program. We are only about $100 in donations away from our booth at the 2010 Dayton Hamvention and we hope that we’ll be able to set up there and say hello to all of our fans, old, new and undiscovered, when it finally rolls around.

But for now, we wish you a speedy download and an enjoyable listen.

73 de Russ and Richard

 

 Episode #030 (MP3) [86:27m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
 Episode #030 (OGG) [86:27m]: Download

Linux in the HAM Shack has arrived in 2010! It’s hard to believe that 2009 is over already. We’ve have so much fun putting together the podcast for everyone, the time has literally flown by. Soon it will be time for the snow to melt, the world to turn green once again, and for LHS to travel to Dayton, OH for the 2010 Hamvention in May. We’re so ready we can almost taste it.

In this episode, we had the honor of interviewing two prominent figures from Linux Journal magazine. David Lane, KG4GIY, is the magazine’s eminent blogger and ham radio advocate. He is a large part of the reason the January 2010 issue of LJ is all about amateur radio. Shawn Powers is the magazine’s associate editor, which gives him the dubious honor of being a guest on our show. He’s the go-to guy when the editor, publisher and just about everyone else needs something done. We have to say we were greatly honored to have the LJ folks join us, and we sure hope we haven’t scared them off so they’ll come back and talk with us in the future.

Hope everyone is having a fantastic 2010 so far, and thanks for downloading LHS in the new year. And if you have a couple of dollars leftover from holiday binging, please drop us a donation as the deadline for acquiring a booth in Dayton is coming up fast. And remember, we appreciate our listeners, each and every one. Thank you!

73 de Russ and Richard

 

 Episode #029 (MP3) [108:35m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
 Episode #029 (OGG) [108:35m]: Download

We’ve reached the end of the decade. 2009 is just about over and 2010 is just about to swoop in and overwhelm us all. It’s been a fantastic year here at Linux in the HAM Shack, and we’d like to thank all of our listeners and sponsors who make the show possible. Without you, we would literally be nothing.

Hopefully everyone has enjoyed their holidays, spent time with families, given and received all of the gifts you’ve hope to give or receive. Warmest wishes from our homes to yours during this time of friendship and togetherness, and please accept our gift of a new podcast to take you through the rest of this special time and into the upcoming new year. May it be more prosperous and fulfilling than the ones that have come before.

73 and Happy Holidays,

Russ (K5TUX) and Richard (KB5JBV)

 

 Episode #028 (MP3) [78:51m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
 Episode #028 (OGG) [78:51m]: Download

It occurs to me that having an episode discussing evil empires during a celebration- and holiday-filled time of year might be a bit ironic but that’s just how things turned out.

Thank you to everyone who has so generously donated to the podcast so that we might have a presence at the upcoming Dayton Hamvention in May, 2010. It was an idea spawned at Ohio Linux Fest in September, 2009 and we’ve come a long way since then. Every contribution helps and we hope you’ll continue to support Linux in the HAM Shack in the future. We also hope to provide timely and essential information to amateur radio enthusiasts and computer users for a long time to come.

From our world to yours, have a Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Joyous Saturnalia, or just a good ol’ time–whatever your “thing” might be. We hope you enjoy our latest installment of the podcast, and please: Keep spreading the word. Every month our audience grows, and we predict world takeover by 2014. Well, maybe not, but we are talking about evil empires after all…

73 de Russ, K5TUX

 

 Episode #027 (MP3) [85:06m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
 Episode #027 (OGG) [85:06m]: Download

It’s the holiday season, and our gift to our listeners is a brand new podcast. During my time at Ohio Linux Fest back in September, several of the participants who visited the Linux in the HAM Shack booth provided topic ideas for the program. I recently dug those topics up and Richard and I will be tackling them over the next few episodes. In Episode #026, the topic we decide to visit is shortwave listening, including hardware and Open Source software for that very purpose. SWL is a way for non-hams to approach the hobby without encountering mic fright, and a way for existing hams and non-hams alike to explore the world of radio frequency communication, whether it be foreign broadcasts, pirate radio, amateur radio or time beacons. With several manufacturers of equipment still in business, SWL is by no means a lost art, and may be an interesting extension to the amateur radio hobby for those who don’t currently participate in it.

Several thank yous go out to those who donated to the Dayton Hamvention 2010 fund. With my upcoming matching contributions we’ll be about halfway to our goal. Please keep those donations coming, even after we’ve met our goal, so we can continue to improve our equipment, our hosting and our program. As always, thank you for downloading Linux in the HAM Shack. Please send us your feedback and questions, and please tell everyone you know about us–through word of mouth, blogging, social networking, whatever it takes. Our listenership continues to grow, and we hope that trend continues for years to come.

73 de Russ, K5TUX

 

 Episode #026 (MP3) [71:33m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
 Episode #026 (OGG) [71:33m]: Download