Ξ April 26th, 2007 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Geek |
Well, my newest laptop doesn’t have a DB9 serial connector and I have some older peripherals that do, like my Magellan Meridian GPS. I also have a need to connect to various network appliances and Cisco devices through their serial connection. So, I found a converter that works. The USB 2.0 To DB9M Dongle Serial Pc/mac Compat. RS232 is available for under US$20 at Amazon.com or TigerDirect. It is plug and play and for me is working with both Windows XP SP2 and Suse Linux. I didn’t link to the converter on purpose, but you can just search for the converter name on Google.
Ξ April 16th, 2007 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Geek |
I came across an ad in networkworld on the Ortronics/Legrand Wi-Jack™ Duo. It has a lot of features, besides putting a tri-band (802.11b,g,a) wireless access point and wired Ethernet connectivity into a wall box (imagine a network wall box with one of these). Supposedly to be unveiled at Interop Las Vegas, it appears that the cat is out of the bag a little early. Very interesting.
Ξ April 16th, 2007 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Geek |
Written by Jay McGuerty, the Network Field Survival Guide is a pocket-sized book that is a great resource for any network engineer/administrator. And at only $14.95 it’s a bargain. Give up a couple overpriced coffees and/or brews and do yourself a favor and buy something that is going to stay with you.
Ξ April 12th, 2007 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Brew |
American Craft Brew Week this year is May 14-20, 2007. Locate a brewery near you and try some of the different beer styles. If your in the Great Lakes State, or just interested, check out the Michigan Beer Guide or read the book “Michigan Breweries” by Paul Ruschmann and Maryanne Nasiatka, which is published by Stackpole Books.
MetaGeek, LLC makes a low cost Wi-Fi spectrum analyzer called the Wi-Spy. It comes in handy when troubleshooting interference problems in the 802.11 b/g/n frequency range. Sure is doesn’t have all of the features of the BumbleBee Wi-Fi Spectrum Analyzer at US$2500, and it won’t be a 802.11 wireless technicians only tool, but instead a low cost (US$200) addition to their wireless toolset. For me it has been useful for detecting microwave oven and wireless telephone interference on several wireless networks that I have troubleshooted. I also picked one up when they were still going for US$99. 
the blog gets a new look. also moved over some content from my old blogger blog before removing it forever.
I’ve found that using a PDA while geocaching to be the way to go with this hobby. I didn’t take long to figure out that printing information for every cache site was going to be a real hassle. Over time, I have developed a paperless geocaching solution using a PDA and a Bluetooth enabled GPS . Currently, I use a Dell Axim x50v and a combination of software.
CacheMate™ is a database for tracking GPS cache hunts. You can store information about caches or benchmarks, decode hints, and transfer data to and from other software and devices. Where Cachmate is a database, Vito Navigator II provides additional GPS navigation features. Streets and Trips provides the maps when driving between caches. And the GPSgate software allows multiple programs on the PDA to share a GPS signal at the same time, plus it has many more features. Microsoft has a press release on the software and GPS, which is a Pharos GPS. I paired this GPS with a Pharos GPS Bluetooth dock which provides a GPS signal to the PDA without the wires.
An added bonus with the Dell Axim x50v is the built-in Wi-Fi capabililty. This allows me to download maps, like google maps for mobile devices, and other information from the internet if there is a free wireless hotspot in the area. This has come in very handy with difficult to find caches that have hints or when you are looking for a close parking spot.
Now some of the more tech savvy people will recognize that these devices need power, especially the PDA when using wireless such as bluetooth or Wi-Fi. I carry an extra battery for the PDA and have a car charger/power cable for both the PDA and bluetooth dock.
I also own my first GPS that I purchased when I started geocaching, a Magellan Meridian Gold GPS receiver, and it still works great. It is a rugged model with good battery life that was discontinued in December 2005 by Magellan and is now considered a legacy product. It works great in both cold (used at -10F) and wet (dropped in a stream) conditions, plus the two AA batteries can be replaced in the field. I would buy another one, but this receiver just keeps going.
A PDA can add to the geocaching experience by allowing a person to download and have access to the cache details while on the hunt. And with software like CacheMate you will be able to keep track of the cache finds and log your notes right away on the PDA. Whether it’s a Palm or Pocket PC, you can find older PDA’s on ebay for a low cost. I still have a Palm Visor Platinum running CacheMate, which was my first paperless geocaching PDA, and works great for geocaching because the two AA batteries can be replaced in the field. In the end, all you really need to geocache is a GPS and access to the geocaching web site for the cache information, but a PDA is one part of a paperless solution.
More information on paperless geocaching can be found by googling for paperless geocaching.
