[CTSARA] Digital Bootcamp This Saturday (March 30) in Stamford

[Jon Perelstein]

I want to remind everyone that SARA is going to host a Soundcard Digital
Mode Bootcamp on Saturday, March 30, 9am to noonish at the Stamford
Government Center, 6th floor Safety Training Room

The bootcamp will include

1.  A brief intro to what soundcard digital modes are - and what they aren't

2.  A brief radio-to-radio demonstration of a few of the major digital
modes such as PSK-31 and Olivia

3.  A hands-on opportunity to try your hand at sending and receiving

4.  Hands-on, let's do it for real, installation and configuration of
software* on YOUR computer** (yes, you have to bring your computer with you
if you want us to set up the software on your computer).  We'll set up your
computer for either a Signalink USB or a RIGblaster PlugNPlay, depending on
which one you want to use.

Basically, we'll hook your computer up to the Signalink or RIGblaster,
install the software, and get it working with one of the radios we will
have for the demo.   If you want to bring your rig, we'll have a power
supply with Anderson Power Poles, but you'll have to bring your own
Signalink or RIGblaster because the connectors to the radios vary between
vendors and between models within vendors.

We'll be on HF transmitting into dummy loads.  Since you will be supervised
by amateur extras and/or general class license holders, you will be able to
transmit.

We are expecting that you'll bring a laptop, netbook, or other portable
computer (with a USB port as noted above).  If you want to bring your
desktop/tower, we will not have computer monitors or keyboards so you'll
have to rent a U-Haul and bring it all yourself.

If you're not sure what your computer needs, or whether or not your rig
will connect up to a digital interface, contact me and we'll figure it out
together.

*  FLDIGI, which is free software that does pretty much all of the digital
soundcard modes

**  We have experience on Windows machines and we expect to have someone
there who is experienced with Linux and Mac.  The software and the
interfaces work on Windows (XP, Vista, 7), Mac OSX, and Linux machines.
 Regardless of what operating system you use, you will need a reasonably
current computer (pretty much any laptop sold in the last eight years
should be sufficient).  If you're going to use a RIGblaster, your computer
must have a working soundcard.  Your computer must have a USB port and if
you're using a RIGblaster, it also needs mic in/headphones out jacks (or
line in/line out).  The software does not run on tablets, it doesn't run on
smart phones, and it doesn't run on Chromebooks under the Chrome operating
system.  We don't yet have experience on Win 8 but it is our understanding
that it will work on Win 8.  It's not worth trying to get it working on
versions of Windows older than XP.

We will provide bagels and coffee.

Please RSVP to me.

73s
Jon, WB2RYV