Month: January 2009

Welcome WØTZO

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Well it’s been hard not to mention too many places, but in December at Martin Lynch during their Hog Roast event, I took 2 USA Ham Radio tests. The Technician and General exams.

I passed the Technician (31/35), but failed the General (19/35). Not surprising as I didn’t study for the General exam. Should have used our new site www.hamtests.net (although site wasn’t finished at the time).

Anyway, yesterday I was granted my vanity requested callsign.

I am now (when I visit the USA) WØTZO.

I must thank Adam, WY4N who suggested the callsign and also warned me when I mucked up the application for the vanity call.

I was for about 3 weeks KJ4ISR, but was not for me.

Hoping to use the WØTZO moniker in May as I am planning to go to Dayton.

Slingbox Pro

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slingboxproI was given some money by my Grandparents as my Uncle passed away last year, and amongst things like a new Ham Radio (see www.m0tzo.co.uk) I brought myself a Slingbox Pro. This was as my Slingbox Classic had stopped working.

Once the old Slingbox was removed and I was setting up the new one I realised I had made an error last time I moved the Slingbox. The Cable Modem and Slingbox had been moved to the same shelf. I wasn’t until I was packing up the old Slingbox I found it had the wrong power supply attached.

I checked and I had plugged the Slingbox 6v PSU into the Cable Modem, and the Cable Modem 12v PSU into the Slingbox. So for a few months I have been giving it 6v more than it needed. No wonder it was playing up. I haven’t actually tested if it will work, but offered it free to a friend who will have to test if it works.

So the New SlingBox Pro

The new box is working fine. I have also upgraded the firmware to the latest US version. Everything now seems to be working fine with one exception.

I now have a Nokia N95 8Gb phone. The Slingbox Mobile software works if I connect on the local network. I have also had friends (in Oxford and South Carolina) access the Slingbox, but I can’t use the mobile software if I use O2’s 3G service.

Shortly I will make a post on the O2 forum to see if this is a known problem (ie O2 is blocking) or my phone has a fault. I haven’t tested with my old O2 XDA Orbit phone, but not sure if this will help as it’s not a 3G phone. Guess I will have to live without day-time TV when on my lunch breaks.

Right,must get back to watching TV.

Think my Blog Needs more updates from me

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keyboardIt seems to me I am taking longer and longer in between posts on my blog, so although I rarely make New Years Resolutions, maybe I need one regarding my blogging.

Also I have changed the theme to a simpler design and added a plug-in that should be better at caching the pages on both my blogs.

The Akismet logo showing how many spam comments had been blocked has also been disabled as a friend noticed this was slowing the loading of the site as well. Akismet itself is still enabled though.

I am in the middle of a few posts, and hopefully within a week or so should have some more stuff posted here.

Usual new year post like every other blog

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Well it’s another new year, and like other blogs, and myself at the start of a new year I feel compelled to write a post with my thoughts for 2009.

So I already have some plans for the coming year.

Firstly in the next few days I should have my new USA Technician Callsign. I will then apply for a Vanity call as I know which one I want.

I am saving some money in the form of Thomas Cook vouchers so I can hopefully get to Dayton in May. Adam WY4N has offered to pay for the hotel room (and his guests help with a small monetary donation, which is cool to me). Also need to save some spending money.

In the next few days I should be getting my newly purchased Yaesu FT-817. OK, it’s only 5w, but if at the time years ago I couldn’t have afforded the FT-897 I would have got the FT-817. I guess I have always wanted one.

Now, D-Star??? I was thinking about getting a D-Star radio, but as it’s still in it’s infancy I will leave this technology for now. Maybe later in the year I might look at this again, but for now D-Star is not for me.

Finally before I go some websites I am working on or am hosting, please check em out:-

And many more!

Have a Happy new Year, and keep reading.