WD6AWP RSS Feed

Seal Beach Cam Skewing

tim@wd6awp.org — 2008-01-23T11:48:51-08:00

Weather (wind and temp) added to Web Cams

tim@wd6awp.org — 2008-01-13T14:58:15-08:00

I've added wind and temperature to the cam pages. Seal Beach weather is coming from a station located in the town homes where Rob used to live. Sunset Beach weather is coming from my garage for the time being.

The data automatically updates every 5 minutes. No refresh necessary. Weather updates continue to occur even after the cam times out.

You can click on the Weather Underground links on each page to see more data.

Both pages have little programs running in them which collect their data from the Weather Ground web site. The beauty of using Weather Underground is that almost any off the shelf weather station software can send its data to it. I just put the ID in my program and it shows up on the cam page. That makes it easy to switch to a station at the Vivian's if we want to, or add more sites.

I'm still testing everything at this point but its looking good. Let me know if you see any problems.

New Webcam in Seal Beach

tim@wd6awp.org — 2007-09-05T05:52:03-07:00

Learn more about your Mac

tim@wd6awp.org — 2007-09-05T05:31:52-07:00

Sunset Beach WebCam

tim@wd6awp.org — 2007-08-01T06:42:03-07:00

The Sunset Beach Web/surf cam is now password protected. If you'd like to signup for a subscription please email sunsetbeachcam@gmail.com. It's $60/per year.

We're going to install a second webcam in Seal Beach. Access to the new cam will be included with your subscription. Watch this space for further details.

Later,
Tim

I have an iPhone

tim@wd6awp.org — 2007-07-02T08:03:34-07:00

But it was worth it. Hanging with my Apple brethren was very enjoyable. The 13 hours went quickly.

The store opened at 6pm and by 6:20 I was back to my car with iPhone in hand. Unlike other phones they don't activate it in the store, which is part of the reason you're in and out of the store so fast. You activate it yourself through iTunes. The iTunes activation went very smooth. BUT my phone wouldn't place calls. It could receive calls but not make calls. I called at&t who said all iPhone support is with Apple. So I called Apple and was on hold for 15 mins or so... this is about 9:30pm Friday night. Just before I got through to Apple tech support, I tried to place a call again and it worked! It's been fine ever since. Guess it just took the at&t network a while to completely move the number over from my old phone. From what I hear other people have had worse activation issues.

My first impression when seeing and using the real thing for the first time is that it's smaller than I expected. Second impression is that is definitely has the Apple look and feel. It has no hard edges... feels great in your hand. Of course it looks very much like a Mac as it runs the Mac OS. It has that beautiful look, the elegance I expected.

There are so many things the iPhone can do that calling it a phone is a huge understatement. It's more like a palm-top computer. It's almost a laptop replacement... lots of computer power in my pocket... pretty neat!

I keep thinking I'd like the screen to be bigger when on the Web. It's not going to become my main web browser that's for sure. The keyboard seems small too. But they say you get used to it after a week or so.

Overall I'm totally happy with it. I expect to become even more fond of it as I use it more.

My Own iPhone... picture

tim@wd6awp.org — 2007-06-27T18:55:07-07:00

Webcam Tip - Click to center

tim@wd6awp.org — 2007-06-22T20:43:27-07:00

Try it. Click anywhere in the video frame on the web cam display and the camera will move to that position. Nice, eh?

Maui Open Ocean Speed Record

tim@wd6awp.org — 2007-06-22T14:04:21-07:00

From: list@mauiwindsurfing.org
Subject: PRESS RELEASE: Anders Bringdal at 39.6 knots Breaks Maui Open Ocean Speed Record
Date: June 22, 2007 1:43:35 PM PDT
To: tim.sawyer@mac.com
Reply-To: info@mauiwindsurfing.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 22, 2007

Anders Bringdal at 39.6 knots Breaks Maui Open Ocean Speed Record

Maui, HI -- The second speed session of the Maui GPS V-Max Speed Challenge
Series took place Thursday June 21 off of Sprecklesville beach. The N.E. trade
winds built steadily through the day peaking at around 35 knots. This wind
direction allowed the speed crew to explore the potential of sprec's lower
reef. Anders Bringdal set off with a mission, posting 39.3kts within a few runs
with a 6.4 M sail in around 30 kts of wind. Switching to a 5.4M as the wind
picked up, he then hit 39.6 kts on his first run for a new Maui open ocean
speed record. Anders, "I switched down a couple of sail sizes to get rid of
some drag which worked but it was extreme jumping 1 to 2 ft waves at full
speed."

Indeed there was glassy water to be found over the extremely shallow reef but
with small waves crossing randomly in all directions, these were not
conditions for the faint of heart. Alex Aguera sailed all day consistantly in
the 38 kt range with a best of 38.5 for 2nd place. Alex, "I hit a turtle or the
reef and it sheared my fin in half and did so many jumps at full speed it was
nuts." Jaques was 3rd at 38.0 kts but his day was done all too soon. After a
massive crash on the lower reef, he put his foot down on a sea urchin getting
around 50 spines in his foot, talking after being released from hospital he
said, "I'm totally bummed I'll be out for 2 - 3 weeks". We all wish him a
speedy recovery. 4th was challenge organizer Erik Beale at 37.4 "All of us
over 37kts 10 sec average were hitting over 40 kts peak speed, I don't know how
I made it through some of those sections at that speed."

In the am wave class and first wave board rider in to the 30 kt range was
Matthew Kovar at 30.6 kts and First in the am women Stephanie Mischler at 21.9
kts. Patrick Bergeron, a wave sailor from Canada said, "This was my best speed
on a Revo 4.4 and Hardcore Wave XS 66 litres. Doesn't look fast when you hear
all the 40+ records, but felt scary fast in the conditions!!" Normally a
competitor in the ALoha Classic and writer for Windsport Magazine, a group of
sailors from Hookipa heard about the speed sessions going on and wanted to give
it a go. "It all felt like that sequence in an old Pryde video from the late
'80's (Fast Forward!?) where Laird Hamilton speeds through wave peaks until one
just comes at him. This makes you want to tune a few things and give it another
run ...for me, gotta break that 30!..... A 4.2 Hucker would probably have done
it, but only have a 3.7 at the moment and it wasn't quite strong enough ...only
a matter of time, will try again tomorrow as they said they'd probably be
back".

RESULTS:
1 Anders Bringdal SUE 39.6 kts Pro Speed
2 Alex Aguera USA 38.5 kts Pro Speed
3 Jaques Pauvert FRA 38.0 kts Am Speed
4 Erik Beale GBR 37.4kts Pro Speed
5 Elon Wong SIN 35.2 kts Am Slalom
6 Matt Daniels USA 33.6 kts Am Slalom
7 Marc Lefebvre USA 31.0 kts Am Slalom
8 Matthew Kovar USA 30.6 kts Am Wave
9 Patrick Bergeron CAN 29.7 kts Am Wave
10 Derek Vana USA 29.3 kts Am Wave
11 Derick Touchitti 29.3 kts Am Wave
12 Will Brown 28.7 kts Am Wave
13 Marl Winslow 27.7 kts Am Wave
14 Henry Spencer USA 26.1 kts Am Wave
15 Dane Dingerson USA 26.0 kts Am Wave
16 Mark Damon 25.8 kts Am Wave
17 Martin Mishlel CH 25.2 kts Am Wave
18 Koichi Shiatori JAP 25.0 kts Am Wave
19 Philippe Anders CH 24.2 kts Am Wave
20 Robert Kluijtmans NL 23.8 kts Am Wave
21 Nicolas Stritt CH 23.3 kts Am Wave
22 Richard Lloyd GBR 22.5 kts Am Wave
23 Stephanie Mischler CH 21.9 kts AM-women Wave
24 Twila Folden CAN 21.6 kts AM-women Wave
25 Lydie Baudry FRA 17.9 kts aM-women Wave

OVERVIEW:
The Maui GPS V-Max Speed Challenge Series, is a new speed series organized by
two time world speed record holder, Erik Beale. This Speed Challenge Series
differs from the Navman Speed Series in that this series is ALL about TOP
SPEED, your V-Max. This series is also not tied down to any one location, but
to a number of locations, depending on the conditions. The Maui GPS V-Max team
is going to be scouting for the best speed sailing location on Maui in an
effort to break the 40kt barrier set by the previous speed series.

The location of the speed sessions are not pre-planned but are announced with
24-hour notice, and there is a SPEED HOTLINE that you call to find out WHEN and
WHERE it is happening (808-283-3588). The spees sessions will last from noon
time till 6pm to give people a chance to get off work and make it down to the
beach to put in some speed times.

"The goal is to break 40 knots open ocean, so we are looking for the fastest 10
second stretch of water off of Maui. We will be using gps set to 10 sec
interval as in the Navman series last year." says Beale. Sailors who are
expected to participate include the fastest from the last two years of the
Navman series : Anders Bringdal, Erik Beale, Alex Aguera, Jaques Pauvert and
Robby Naish. There are no set heats or anything, people can do as many runs as
they want and stay as long or as little as they like.

For the latest news and results, visit our website at: http://www.mauispeed.com/

__
MAUI WINDSURFING ASSOCIATION MAILING LIST
To be removed from this mailing lis, please send an email to
list@mauiwindsurfing.org with the subject UNSUBSCRIBE. Must be sent from the
account where this email was sent to. Any questions, please email us at:
info@mauiwindsurfing.org.

Apple iPhone Parody

tim@wd6awp.org — 2007-06-20T08:24:33-07:00

iPhone Specs Released Today

tim@wd6awp.org — 2007-06-18T14:44:13-07:00

Apple Phone Show

tim@wd6awp.org — 2007-06-16T17:21:10-07:00

This is shaping up to be a good podcast about all things iPhone. Give it a listen.

License Renewal

tim@wd6awp.org — 2007-06-16T14:23:17-07:00

W5YI charges a small fee to renew your ham ticket for you but they take the pain out of the FCC's process. And the money helps support our hobby.
https://www.w5yi.org/ssl/ama_renew_form.php

Vitural Prosumer Reality

tim@wd6awp.org — 2007-06-16T14:05:03-07:00

Interesting uTube video. Not exactly my idea of what the future will be like. I certainly disagree with the opening premiss which of course casts doubt, at least for me, on the whole concept. See what you think...

Are you ready for Field Day? Are you ready for Field Day?

tim@wd6awp.org — 2007-06-15T20:11:16-07:00

Dan Henderson, N1ND, ARRL Regulatory Information Specialist and Field Day Coordinator, reminds all Field Day participants that now is the time to make those final preparations. "Now is the time to make sure you have sent out the letters inviting the local officials, such as town council members, served agencies representatives, to attend your event. You should also be firming up your media contacts."

If you need additional information, please refer to your Field Day packet. This includes rules, forms and various FAQs; it can be downloaded from www.arrl.org/contests/forms. Those groups still needing handouts and exhibit kits for their information tables should not wait any longer -- orders for supplies need to be at ARRL HQ by Monday, June 18 to allow for shipping prior to Field Day. Contact Leona Adams at 860-594-0341. The cost is $6.50 for ARRL members and $9.50 for non-members.

Whale Watch

tim@wd6awp.org — 2007-06-14T06:35:54-07:00

Looks like the beach crews are taking care of a deceased whale. Point the camera at the "Purchases" preset.

My Other Weather Sites

tim@wd6awp.org — 2007-06-13T19:56:04-07:00

My Weather data can be found on a few other places on the internet. Here's a partial list:

APRS
Weather Underground
National Weather Service - San Diego Mesonet.

Normally I keep a couple of these on the footer of each weather page. But my new web software is working quite right.

More iPhone stuff

tim@wd6awp.org — 2007-06-13T05:29:21-07:00

At WWDC, the Apple World Wide Developers Conference, on Monday Steve Jobs said the iPhone will go on sale at 6pm on the 29th.

And this email came yesterday.

iPhone arrives on June 29. iPhone features an amazing mobile phone, is the best iPod we've ever created, and puts the Internet in your pocket with desktop-class email, web browsing, searching, and maps. And iPhone makes it all easy to use with its revolutionary multi-touch user interface. iPhone syncs with your PC or Mac just like an iPod, so organizing your content now will help you start calling, texting, emailing, surfing, listening, and watching even faster when you get your iPhone. Here are a few suggestions to help you get ready:

Making a call with iPhone is as simple as tapping a name. You won't need to re-enter all your contacts because iPhone syncs with the address book you already use on your computer—Address Book or Entourage on a Mac, or Outlook or Outlook Express on a PC. If you keep your contacts on the web using Yahoo! Address Book, iPhone can sync with them, too. To get ready for iPhone, organize your contacts in one of these applications and make sure they're up to date with the latest phone numbers and email addresses. If you don't have contacts on your computer, don't worry. You can still enter them directly into iPhone.

Using its built-in calendar, iPhone lets you check your appointments with the flick of a finger. iPhone uses iTunes to sync with the calendar application you already use on your computer—iCal or Entourage on the Mac, or Outlook on a PC—just like it does with your contacts. If you don't already use one of these applications to manage your appointments, now is a great time to start, so you'll be ready to sync when your iPhone arrives. If you choose not to use a calendar program, that's OK. You'll be able to enter appointments directly into the iPhone calendar.

iPhone is the first phone to come with a desktop-class email application. So now your phone can display rich HTML email with graphics and photos alongside the text. iPhone will even fetch your latest email every time you open the application and automatically retrieve your email on a set schedule, just like a computer does. iPhone works with the most popular email systems—including Yahoo! Mail, Gmail, AOL, and .Mac Mail. If you're not already using one of these services, now would be a great time to get an account. iTunes will make email setup on iPhone a breeze by automatically syncing the settings from email accounts stored in Mail on a Mac or Outlook on a PC. Don't worry if you're not on one of these email services; iPhone also works with almost any industry-standard POP3 and IMAP email system.

iPhone has a 2-megapixel camera and a gorgeous 3.5-inch display, so it's a great way to enjoy and show off your digital photos. iPhone uses iTunes to sync your photos from iPhoto on a Mac or Adobe Photoshop Elements, Adobe Photoshop Album, or any picture folder on a PC. You can carry thousands of photos on iPhone, but you can start by creating an album or two with 50 to 100 of your favorite photos, so that when you first sync your iPhone, you'll be ready to quickly show off some of your best shots.

download it and start a music and video library. That way, when you sync your iPhone with iTunes, you'll be able to take your favorite music, as well as a few of your TV shows and movies, with you wherever you go.

iPhone is the best iPod ever. Its beautiful, 3.5-inch widescreen display allows you to easily enjoy the music, TV shows, and movies you have in your iTunes library. If you already use iTunes, you can start getting ready for iPhone by creating a playlist of a few hundred of your favorite songs. If you don't have iTunes, now is a good time to

iTunes, select the iTunes Store, and click the Sign In button in the upper right corner of iTunes. Sign in and you're ready to go.

To set up your iPhone, you'll need an account with Apple's iTunes Store. If you already have an iTunes account, make sure you know your account name and password. If you don't have an account, you should set one up now to save time later. To set up an account, launch

You're Invited to Ham Radio Field Day

tim@wd6awp.org — 2007-06-11T06:41:13-07:00

Every year on the last full weekend in June, hams in the United States have what they call Field Day. We set up our radio equipment in the field under simulated emergency conditions. We operate "off the grid" with power from solar, wind, generators. One year our local group used "exercise bike" power... an auto alternator and battery driven by a stationary bike.

It's a contest too. The Amateur Radio Relay League organizes the event. Radio clubs all across the US compete to see who can contact the most stations.

Another important part of Field Day is to tell the public about Ham Radio. If you like to see what it's about please come join us. We'll be right on the beach a the end of Goldenwest Street in Huntington Beach. Parking is free and so is the food.

June Gloom

tim@wd6awp.org — 2007-06-10T06:52:22-07:00

During May and June in Southern California the outer waters up-well and cool due to strong NW winds. Marine stratus, or fog is formed when warmer land air meets the cooler ocean water. The NW winds also cause a costal eddy which circulates the marine stratus onshore and well inland. In July the NW winds stop, the outer waters warm, the eddy stops and the June gloom goes away.

About 50% of our days in May and June are gloomy. We complain about the June gloom but at least we don't live in San Francisco. They have fog all summer long because the costal waters up-well all summer.

Brightest Star in the West

tim@wd6awp.org — 2007-06-09T21:48:38-07:00

When we don't have our costal stratus (aka marine layer... june gloom) Venus has been very bright in the evening sky. Of course I didn't know it was Venus until I did a google search for "brightest star in the west". Now I know.

iPhone arrives on June 29th

tim@wd6awp.org — 2007-06-09T12:14:07-07:00

Are you excited about the Apple iPhone? Are you going to get one? They will be available on July 29. We're learning more details as the delivery date approaches. Macrumors put out some interesting tidbits yesterday.

Webcam Installed in Sunset Beach

tim@wd6awp.org — 2007-06-09T07:00:57-07:00

For surfing, standup paddle boarding, windsurfing, kiting, or whatever water sports you're into this webcam will let you see the action on the water and on the beach as it's happening. This is a pan/tilt/zoom camera that you steer to see what you want to see when you want to see it. Have a look here.

PAVE PAWS may shutdown UHF Repeaters

tim@wd6awp.org — 2007-06-09T06:05:08-07:00

==> ARRL, DoD, FCC TRY TO COME TO TERMS WITH PAVE PAWS

The ARRL has sent out more than 100 letters to repeater owners/trustees
who have repeaters affected by the "Pave Paws" radars (PPR). Citing an
increasing number of interference complaints, the US Air Force has asked
the FCC to order dozens of repeater systems to either mitigate
interference to the Pave Paws radars or shut down. The ARRL is working
with the US Department of Defense (DoD) to develop a plan to mitigate
alleged interference from 70 cm ham radio repeaters to this military
radar system on both coasts.

The situation affects 15 repeaters within less than 100 miles of Otis
Air Force Base on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and more than 100 repeaters
within some 140 miles of Beale Air Force Base near Sacramento,
California.

ARRL Regulatory Information Specialist Dan Henderson, N1ND, stresses
that the Defense Department acknowledges Amateur Radio's value in
disasters and emergencies and is being extremely cooperative -- and a
wholesale shutdown of US 70 cm Amateur Radio activity is not on the
table.

The Amateur Radio Service is a secondary user in the 420-450 MHz band,
both by the Table of Frequency Allocations and the FCC Part 97
regulations. As such, Amateur Radio licensees, jointly and individually,
bear the responsibility of mitigating or eliminating any harmful
interference to the primary user, which in this case is the Government
Radiolocation Service that includes the DoD Pave Paws systems.

The letters sent to affected repeater owners/trustees give them an
up-to-date briefing on the ongoing negotiations with the US Air Force,
as well as outlines the DoD's plan. The DoD has indicated a willingness
to try a mitigation proposal, but they have also indicated their need is
for these issues to be resolved sooner rather than later. With that
expediency in mind, the proposed mitigation strategy is as follows:

* All repeaters on the DoD list in the affected areas will immediately
reduce power to 5 W transmitter power output (TPO). Each repeater
licensee/trustee should contact Henderson to confirm this once this has
been done for their system. Confirmation of this being done is needed
from each repeater owner by Friday, June 15, 2007.

* The ARRL will provide the Longley-Rice calculations for each repeater
to the DoD by June 15, 2007. The DoD will provide engineering data to
the ARRL and FCC by June 15, 2007. These studies will be reviewed by the
DoD, the ARRL Lab and the FCC to determine the amount of mitigation
necessary for each repeater. Based on this review by the DoD, additional
mitigation proposals for individual repeaters (including further power
reductions, lowering of antenna heights, use of more directive antennas
and other possible mitigation techniques) will be provided by the ARRL
as needed to individual repeater owners. If there is a disagreement on
the conclusions, a conference call will be held to resolve any
outstanding issues.

* All interference must be resolved no later than August 1, 2007.

* Beginning in August 2007 (and continuing on a periodic basis), the DoD
will have a follow-up engineers study at each PPR site to ensure
corrective actions have been taken and the interference and to ensure
that successful mitigation continues.

According to the DoD, the in-band interference from Amateur Radio fixed
FM voice repeaters has increased to an unacceptable level. Pave Paws
radars are used for national security functions, including early
detection of water-launched missiles. They are critical to our national
defense and are in use 24 hours per day, seven days per week.

The goal of the ARRL has been to develop and implement a plan that would
mitigate the interference, and at the same time to permit the repeaters
to continue operation and to operate on as liberal a basis as possible.
To do so, the League has offered to work closely with the two involved
repeater coordinating groups, as well as the individual repeater owners,
sharing information and dealing with this issue on a coordinated basis
with all stakeholders.

The League has also been in contact with representatives of the FCC.
They have the ultimate responsibility for enforcing any mitigation plan,
up to and including ordering specific repeaters to shut down operations.
The FCC is aware of the complex nature of this problem and the
mitigation strategy being proposed by the DoD.

Since Amateur Radio operators are secondary users on the band, the ARRL
has few options, and all options involve cooperation with the DoD. It is
hoped the Longley-Rice calculations from the ARRL and the DoD's
engineering studies will provide enough data to allow as many of the
repeaters in the affected areas as possible to remain on the air at
reasonable power levels.

It is entirely probable that even with extreme mitigation techniques,
some repeaters in close proximity to the PPR sites may have to be shut
down permanently. If that happens, official notice would come from the
FCC. It is also possible that some repeaters might be required to
operate permanently at a lower power level in the areas near these Air
Force bases. In those cases, the League will be in contact with the
individual repeater owners with that information and the FCC will be
notified.

Henderson requests that all repeater owners/trustees affected by this
issue immediately implement the 5 W TPO for your repeater/s; please
contact his office by June 15 indicating if you have implemented the
power reduction. This will allow the ARRL to have voluntary compliance
on hand that can be used to show the cooperation of the amateur
community.

Henderson stresses that it is to each repeater's long-term advantage to
implement the power reduction as soon as possible. The DoD indicated
they will be collecting engineering data during June. This presents the
opportunity to assess a repeater's actual impact at the lower power
level and a more honest determination of its continued potential for
harmful interference to the PPR sites. If any repeaters are running at
higher power levels, then the determinations can only be based on
assumptions rather than on actual data.