Amateur Radio Not Dead Yet

I spent most of the last four days in Dayton, Ohio, helping staff a booth at the Hamvention 2015.  This annual event attracts some 10,000 amateur radio operators, or “hams,” as they are called, from around the world.  Held at the Hara Arena, the convention took up almost every square inch of the indoor space and most of the adjacent parking lot.  My participation was part of a STEM outreach initiative being piloted by the National Voice of America Museum.

While as a kid I was interested in amateur radio and I have done my share of listening to broadcasts from around the world on my short wave radio, I never did take the test to become a Ham.  In fact in recent years I questioned why anyone would be interested in the hobby which enables you to talk to people around the block or around the world.  After all I have a perfectly good iPhone which enables me to do just that without the hassle of all that geeky ham gear.

Two things helped to change my mind during my time at Hamvention. First was the educational aspect of ham radio. As we strive to get kids interested in science and engineering study we first have to get them excited.  What better way than to begin with radio.  For a few bucks a kid can build a radio and begin to understand the fascinating technology behind it.  In our presentation to middle school kids we end our demonstration about electricity, magnetism and radio with two simple questions.  We ask if any of them has a mobile phone.  Even in the early grades many have one and all the kids certainly know about them.  The second question is, how many radios are built into that mobile phone. 

The answers vary widely but very few have any idea that the technology that allows them to text their friend, send a picture to their favorite aunt or find their way home with a gps, is using much the same technology found in the lowly radio on the kitchen counter.  In reality most smart phones have between 7 and 12 different radios built in. (the subject of a column to come)

The second realization that changed my mind is related to the mobile phone.  Our current mobile technology is wonderful when it works.  The fact is that for it to work requires countless devices and circuits.  Even a simple phone call across town will route your conversation in such a way that it will pass hundreds of points of potential failure.  Most of the time all works flawlessly, but in the time of storms or other disasters we have already seen that it can fail.  The simple point to point amateur radio communication is something we just might want to keep around.  The time is certain to come when we will need it.

Energy Vampires

Energy Vampires

I recently read an article about how most homes and businesses waste electricity every day.  The reporter was referring to the plethora of gadgets and devices that have become necessities in our digital age.  The article did a good job of identifying many devices that are energy vampires, but was short on advice to curtail this wasteful situation.  I had to chuckle as one of the few suggestions was to unplug your alarm clock.  I hardly consider using an electric clock an indication of being a spendthrift or energy waster.   There are several things you can do in order to cut down on hidden energy use and still be on time for work each day.

Take a cursory look around your house.  I bet you can find a dozen or more small power supplies plugged into outlets.  The cell phone or iPod charger, the telephone answering machine, the wireless telephone hand set, the electric screw drive charger and stove timer, all consume small amounts of electricity.  When you add them up and figure that most other houses on your street, in your town and in your state all have many of the same appliances, the amount of electricity being used is significant.

It is not practical to turn off some of these devices since doing so may cause memory loss and the need to re-program them.  For those of you without teenagers this can take hours.   In other cases, just unplugging chargers when not in use is a good start.

You can plug all the chargers into a power strip and when not using them you can turn the strip off.   If you are a bit forgetful, the power strip can be connected to a timer.  However, even the timer will use power but not as much as several chargers.

Here are a few other tips:

-         If you are going away for three or more days, turn off your hot water heater.

-         Put motion sensors on lights in hallways, garages etc.

-         Use only the amount of light you need for the task at hand.

-         Open those windows and use a fan instead of A/C.

-         And of course the obvious, use CFLs or LED lamps wherever possible.

The bottom line is that energy conservation is a cumulative thing.  If everyone does a few things, the impact can be significant.

Not your standard AA Battery

Say what you want about the almost clairvoyant faculties of Steve Jobs, I think that in many ways Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla Motors, is every bit of Jobs’ equal and he seems to come without all the baggage of the late Apple icon.    Musk is a Canadian American entrepenuer, engineer and inventor.  He is the current CEO and CTO of SpaceX.  CEO of Tesla Motors, and Chairman of SolarCity.  He is founder of Solar City and cofounder of PayPal.  Not a bad resume for a 43 year old.

Last week, Musk announced a new product from Tesla.  Building on the research and design work done for the all-electric car, Tesla has announced a battery that, when coupled with another energy source like wind or solar, can enable the average US household to someday go off the grid.

Dubbed the “Powerwall”, the battery has a depth of only about 7 inches and can be mounted on a garage wall or another surface, indoors or outside. It's roughly 4 feet high and 3 feet wide.  The Powerwall's price ranges from $3,000 for a 7 kilowatt-hour model and $3,500 for the 10 kWh version.  Even with a hefty installation cost, these prices are still far lower than the $20,000 estimate that some analysts had predicted.

For sure this is only the first of many products that will come to market as the industry tries to find ways to more efficiently generate and distribute electricity.  Today’s electricity grid is a complex marvel but is ageing.  Also, transmitting electricity over long distances is costly and inefficient.  As much as 15% of the energy is lost from the time it is generated until the time it gets to your home.  Placing the energy source close to the end user has always been the Holy Grail for large consumers of power. 

This won’t be the last we hear from Mr. Musk who has pioneered products and services thinking out of the box.  For example, in the development of the Tesla automobile he was granted several patents relating to batteries.  He announced last year that he would freely share the technology with any other competing firm in an effort to jump start the battery industry.

Batteries are not the only possible in-house energy source.  Some scientist and engineers are working on fuel cell technology.  A fuel cell about the size of a refrigerator and operating on hydrogen could someday power your entire house.  I bet Musk is already looking into it. 

Comcast and Time Warner Split. Why Care?

The big news last week in the tech world was the demise of the proposed merger of Comcast and Time Warner Cable. These two media behemoths were planning to get hitched and the resulting union would have formed a company that would serve about one half of all cable and internet subscribers in the US.

When this marriage was announced last year, pundits and regulators alike weighed in on the awesome benefits or dire consumer peril (pick one) that would ensue. Ultimately the dangers of allowing one company to control such a large and important part of our economy doomed the deal. Rather than fight government regulators, the two companies decided to walk away.

The issues surrounding the planned merger will remain long after this ill-fated Wall Street union is forgotten. Coming to grips with these issues will be imperative if we are to improve infrastructures to support our digital economy.

Media companies, like Comcast and Time Warner are trying to figure out you, the consumer. Once quite predictable, the way you consume media and pay for media is changing faster than most any company has been able to adapt. While the majority of TV viewers still subscribe to traditional cable, that number continues to decrease. Companies like Comcast and Time Warner have been struggling to decide if they want to be in the programming business or the delivery business. The merger, if allowed, would have enabled them to be in both.

When the merger was first announced it came at an inopportune time. The FCC and media companies were debating net neutrality. The decision by the FCC was to treat internet service providers (ISPs) like phone companies, requiring them to provide equal access (and speed) to all using their networks.  So owning the programming and the network was less important.

It has been reported that already other smaller media companies have approached Time Warner as a partner and possible merger candidate. At a time when there is so much uncertainty in consumer habits and technology advancement, size does matter. Large vertically integrated media companies can afford to take chances and experiment.

In the meantime, sit back and get ready for even more changes in the media landscape.  Whether these changes will benefit the consumer remains to be seen.

New Technology, Old Programs

When broadcast TV transitioned from analog to digital, the new technology provided each broadcast TV station with significantly more capacity.  With digital broadcasting came the ability for TV stations with a single channel to transmit more than one program at the same time.  If you are an over-the-air TV viewer you know that your favorite local TV stations have multicast channels.  So if you are watching Channel 9 you also have the option of watching 9.2 and 9.3. Most of the local stations have one or more of these multicast channels.  In fact Channel 14, one of the local PBS stations, offers 5 distinct digital programs on a channel that during the analog period could broadcast only one.

When first launched, local TV stations looked forward to this expansion.  In the blink of the eye they went from having 24 hours of broadcast time per day to 48, 72 or more hours.  And along with these expanded hours would come increased advertising revenue.  Over the last decade that this expanded capacity has been available, it is interesting to note that stations are still trying to figure out what to do with it as the advertising bonanza has not materialized.

People are creatures of habit and getting large numbers to find and sample the programming has been a challenge.  Good programming is expensive; purchasing high priced shows for small audiences didn’t make sense.

Some stations tried offering special services like Channel 9’s continuous local weather loop.  With smartphones and tablets providing more current information it was no wonder that the audience was miniscule and the service has been cancelled.

So, that advertising bonanza has turned into Bonanza or Daniel Boone or Perry Mason or any one of many programs from TV days past.  MeTV, a multicast channel of WLWT Channel 5 carries round the clock reruns from the last century. Recently, Channel 9 launched Laff TV and Escape TV.  I watched a few of the shows on Laff and didn’t do all that much laughing. The Escape Channel is not much better as series such as Resurrection from the 1980s or Presumed Innocent from the 1990s, unlike some fine wine, have not gotten better with age.

You Can Have the Power You Need Most Anywhere

Recently I’ve noticed several advertisements for inexpensive DC to AC Inverters.  An inverter takes power from some direct current source, usually a battery, and converts it to alternating current.  Most connect to your car battery using the dashboard “Power Port” (nee, cigarette lighter) and output 110 volt, 60 cycle, AC power.  This is what we call house current, as most all lighting and small appliances used around the house are designed to work with this current.

Inverters are not new.  They have been available for many years. Earlier models have been bulky, expensive and somewhat inefficient.  The new solid state inverters are small, very efficient and very reasonably priced.  Having one at home or in your car can come in very handy.

When traveling you can power a laptop or small TV for the back seat passengers.  Many of the new small inverters also have one or more USB ports that can be used to operate or charge a tablet or smartphone.  Many new cars have USB ports factory installed, but for those of us with older cars, this is a way to add a very handy feature.

At home, combining a small inverter with a few LED lamps can provide illumination when a storm leaves you in the dark.  Because LED lamps draw so little current, a single inverter can power several lights for hours without draining your car battery.  On camping trips a few small extension cords and a few LED lamps connected to an inverter can provide all the illumination you need even in the middle of the forest. 

You can get an inverter on line and at many big box stores and auto centers.  I got mine at Costco and paid about $20 for a 150 watt model.   You can purchase inverters with much higher capacity.  Models rated at 1500 watts or more can supply enough electricity to power electric tools when on a job site without electric service.  A word of caution: the higher the wattage output the more power it requires from the battery and, as such, the battery will drain more rapidly.

Determining what unit to buy is done with simple arithmetic.  Total up the wattage required for all the devices that will be plugged in at the same time.  Light bulbs, computer power supplies and small appliances will have the wattage required printed on a label.  For devices that have an electric motor, the starting wattage, which is greater than the operating wattage, is the number to use.

Having one of these small inverters can be a real convenience the next time the power goes out.

   

Lifesaving Stuff for Cyclists

Well, it looks like the long cold winter weather is finally coming to an end and with the warmer temperatures for many will come a return to cycling.  There is nothing like being out on a smooth country road on a sunny day on a bike.  Unfortunately, all journeys on two wheels don’t always end on a positive note.  No new digital device can assure that you won’t get into an accident but there are some that can help prevent one and a very special device that can help you if you should get in trouble.

For any cyclist, an investment in a good set of lights for the front and back of the bicycle is a must.  Even if you never ride at night, good lights can save your life.  I use my lights on the sunniest of days.  One key to safe riding is being seen by motorists.  Because a bike is small and many drivers are not used to seeing one on the road, they often look right through you.  A strobing white LED headlight can be seen even on the brightest day.  The same holds true for a bright red LED tail light.  A car approaching from the rear can’t miss the red blinking light. 

The good news is that LED technology has made very bright lights affordable and, since they consume very little power, they are easy to maintain.  I have a tail lamp that can stay bright for more than one month of frequent riding on the power of two AAA batteries.

You can get light kits starting at about $25 at most big box stores and, of course, on line and at local bike shops.

Another somewhat pricey device is aimed at serious riders who frequently ride alone, either on trails or the open road.  The ICEdot Crash Sensor is a small Bluetooth connected device that is affixed to your helmet.  It is very light and about the size of a half dollar coin.  The device detects motion changes and changes in forces and impacts.  In other words, if the helmet hits the ground it is activated.  

The device connects to an app on your smartphone and once triggered begins an audible countdown.  If you do not stop the countdown your phone will connect with a predetermined person giving them the coordinates of your location.  So if you are indeed incapacitated, the ICEdot calls for help.  It is priced at about $125.   More information is available on the web at www.icedot.org.

I can’t write an article about biking without encouraging all to always ride with a helmet.  In biking circles we have a saying.  There are two types of riders: the first group always wear helmets, the other group are organ donors.