I'm the builder/owner of an Elecraft K2 (sn 27xx) and it's a fantastic radio. It's also a REALLY intimidating first electronics kit and rather expensive.
Price: UKP 55 for a full kit. Simplicity: Originally designed to be built by hams in India. No surface-mount parts, not many transformers to build. Features: LCD frequency display, a few big knobs, VOICE comms instead of Morse Code.
The manual is a little light on explaining the theory of operation, but quite solid build instructions.
I'm getting the urge to order one for myself now. Why don't I own this already? Sheesh.
Having said that, the 'safety-critical software' community in the US still loves Ada. I've given presentations to a couple of these groups and the first question they ask is typically "Why aren't you using Ada?" They ask this question several more times, and the only answer they really want to hear is, "You're right, we'll re-write all xxxK lines of verified code in Ada and re-test it for free. Thanks for suggesting that."
"If Negroponte is able to mass produce this thing at a true $100 cost it will be revolutionary.
I wonder, however, why he only plans to offer this device to the developing world (...)?"
There are two reasons the manufacturing cost is so low:
1- They'll be shipped to the receiving country as parts. 10 million motherboards, 10 million displays, etc. and assembled in-place using local labor. So the assembly costs are not only low -- they're providing jobs in the country of use. Which instantly supplies a labor pool to upgrade / repair the units.
2- The component suppliers are subsidizing the cost of the parts with profits made from developed countries. One condition of this arrangement is that the $100 laptops cannot be sold here and undercut the profits.
As much as I think it'd be cool to buy one for $300, the best way to help is to buy a shiny Opteron.
As I was falling asleep, I realized my mistake on the wavelength --> frequency mapping. I was going to post a correction, but realized that you (or someone else) would do it for me before I could log back on.
One thing that often gets missed in this discussion is that amateur (ham) radio is also degraded by ADSL.
Two prime frequency bands: 75/80 meters in the 1.8-2.0 Mhz range, and 40 meters in the 3.5-4.0 Mhz range. In both cases, the amateur radio operator is often trying to receive a signal from a 100 watt (typical) transmitter in a foreign country. The ADSL 'white noise' overpowers the signal.
Amateur radio shares many traits with open source software. Cooperation and sharing of information are respected qualities in an operator. A non-trivial number of hams still build their own equipment or modify the design to improve performance.
I think ADSL is pretty cool, and wish both of my hobbies could co-exist.
>I personally like the Sword of Shannara by Terry >Brooks (I'm still pissed at how he sold out to >George Lucas).
"Hi, I have no original ideas, so I think I'll re-write the Lord of the Rings. It would be even better if I do it really obviously, so that the reader can find every parallel between the two."
"Galdalf was probably a heavy-drinker. I'll rename him Alcoholics Anonymous (Allanon). Allanon will visit some country bumpkins in the more remote part of the landscape. He'll tell them that they are special and are the only ones who can defeat the Powerful Evil Creature Who Lives Behind a Mountain Range and Has Evil Orcs^W Minions. They will travel a lot. Allanon disappears, only to return later in the story after undergoing a mystical transformation. ..."
"Wow, the morons were so desperate for Tolkien-esque stories that they actually bought the last one. I'll do a search-and-replace on the old manuscript with different first names and rerelease it as a sequel. There's no need to change the plot in any way."
From your description, that was the AUVS (Assoc. for Unmanned Vehicle Systems) Aerial Robotics Competition from 1997 at Epcot, Orlando, FL.
My college (UCF) took third place in '97, and hasn't done much since then. We still have the airframe and it flies, but the control electronics are ripped apart right now.
Best start site for more info:
http://avdil.gtri.gatech.edu/AUVS/IARCLaunchPoint. html
Summary: The competition is much more challenging now. It's a truly hostile environment...
Cygnus, Inc. 400 Penobscot Drive Redwood City, CA 94063-4719 415-369-4300 Nasdaq National Market Common Stock
Develops and manufactures diagnostic and drug delivery systems, primarily a painless, bloodless and automatic glucose monitoring device and transdermal drug delivery systems which provide for controlled release of drugs directly into the bloodstream through intact skin.
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I'm the builder/owner of an Elecraft K2 (sn 27xx) and it's a fantastic radio.
It's also a REALLY intimidating first electronics kit and rather expensive.
I'd suggest an MKARS80 instead. http://www.radio-kits.co.uk/mkars80page.html
Price: UKP 55 for a full kit.
Simplicity: Originally designed to be built by hams in India. No surface-mount parts, not many transformers to build.
Features: LCD frequency display, a few big knobs, VOICE comms instead of Morse Code.
The manual is a little light on explaining the theory of operation, but quite solid build instructions.
I'm getting the urge to order one for myself now. Why don't I own this already? Sheesh.
Rick, KG4FER
Ada is no longer 'required' for DOD projects.
http://sw-eng.falls-church.va.us/ajpofaq.html
Having said that, the 'safety-critical software' community in the US still loves Ada. I've given presentations to a couple of these groups and the first question they ask is typically "Why aren't you using Ada?" They ask this question several more times, and the only answer they really want to hear is, "You're right, we'll re-write all xxxK lines of verified code in Ada and re-test it for free. Thanks for suggesting that."
Rick
"If Negroponte is able to mass produce this thing at a true $100 cost it will be revolutionary.
I wonder, however, why he only plans to offer this device to the developing world (...)?"
There are two reasons the manufacturing cost is so low:
1- They'll be shipped to the receiving country as parts. 10 million motherboards, 10 million displays, etc. and assembled in-place using local labor. So the assembly costs are not only low -- they're providing jobs in the country of use. Which instantly supplies a labor pool to upgrade / repair the units.
2- The component suppliers are subsidizing the cost of the parts with profits made from developed countries. One condition of this arrangement is that the $100 laptops cannot be sold here and undercut the profits.
As much as I think it'd be cool to buy one for $300, the best way to help is to buy a shiny Opteron.
Rick
Not the best link, but there are a couple of nice tutorials here.
http://rk.gsfc.nasa.gov/
As I was falling asleep, I realized my mistake on the wavelength --> frequency mapping. I was going to post a correction, but realized that you (or someone else) would do it for me before I could log back on.
You're right.
Rick 'doh' Evans
One thing that often gets missed in this discussion is that amateur (ham) radio is also degraded by ADSL.
Two prime frequency bands: 75/80 meters in the 1.8-2.0 Mhz range, and 40 meters in the 3.5-4.0 Mhz range. In both cases, the amateur radio operator is often trying to receive a signal from a 100 watt (typical) transmitter in a foreign country. The ADSL 'white noise' overpowers the signal.
Amateur radio shares many traits with open source software. Cooperation and sharing of information are respected qualities in an operator. A non-trivial number of hams still build their own equipment or modify the design to improve performance.
I think ADSL is pretty cool, and wish both of my hobbies could co-exist.
Rick Evans, KG4FER
Orlando, FL
>I personally like the Sword of Shannara by Terry
>Brooks (I'm still pissed at how he sold out to
>George Lucas).
"Hi, I have no original ideas, so I think I'll re-write the Lord of the Rings. It would be even better if I do it really obviously, so that the reader can find every parallel between the two."
"Galdalf was probably a heavy-drinker. I'll rename him Alcoholics Anonymous (Allanon). Allanon will visit some country bumpkins in the more remote part of the landscape. He'll tell them that they are special and are the only ones who can defeat the Powerful Evil Creature Who Lives Behind a Mountain Range and Has Evil Orcs^W Minions. They will travel a lot. Allanon disappears, only to return later in the story after undergoing a mystical transformation.
..."
"Wow, the morons were so desperate for Tolkien-esque stories that they actually bought the last one. I'll do a search-and-replace on the old manuscript with different first names and rerelease it as a sequel. There's no need to change the plot in any way."
Not on my list of Essential books, by far.
Rick
From your description, that was the AUVS (Assoc. for Unmanned Vehicle Systems) Aerial Robotics Competition from 1997 at Epcot, Orlando, FL.
. html
My college (UCF) took third place in '97, and hasn't done much since then. We still have the airframe and it flies, but the control electronics are ripped apart right now.
Best start site for more info:
http://avdil.gtri.gatech.edu/AUVS/IARCLaunchPoint
Summary: The competition is much more challenging now. It's a truly hostile environment...
Pictures and stuff from my uni are at:
http://www.engr.ucf.edu/clubs/auvs/
Rick 'email me w/ questions' Evans
Looks like the wrong Cygnus, Inc.
Cygnus, Inc.
400 Penobscot Drive
Redwood City, CA 94063-4719
415-369-4300
Nasdaq National Market
Common Stock
Develops and manufactures diagnostic and drug delivery systems, primarily a painless, bloodless and automatic glucose monitoring device and transdermal drug delivery systems which provide for controlled release of drugs directly into the bloodstream through intact skin.