Ted Kingston Inc.

07/29/2026

Hams around the world are confirming the ARISS cross-band voice repeater is back up following yesterday's Soyuz departure.

There was not an ETA for return of the Service Module Packet (APRS) radio, so let us know if you hear it. Also, no confirmation yet of HamTV status.

07/29/2026

MAINFRAME HISTORY
If you worked in a mainframe data center in the 1960s, 1970s, or 1980s, you probably remember the sound — the 1403 high-speed line printer hammered away hour after hour, producing payroll reports, invoices, inventory listings, financial statements, utility bills, and mountains of green-bar paper.

It rarely stopped.

Operators constantly changed paper, replaced ribbons or print bands, tore apart reports, and stacked thousands of pages for distribution the next morning.

To many mainframers, that rhythmic sound wasn’t noise — it was the sound of business getting done.

07/21/2026

MAINFRAME HISTORY
Why has COBOL refused to die?

Every few years someone predicts the death of COBOL. They’ve been making that prediction for decades. Yet COBOL continues to run many of the world’s largest banks, insurance companies, government agencies, and retailers.

Why?

Because it was designed to process business data accurately, reliably, and efficiently.

Over millions of hours of production use, COBOL applications have been refined, tested, audited, and enhanced. Many represent decades of accumulated business rules that simply can’t be replaced quickly—or inexpensively.

The question isn’t, “Why is COBOL still here?” A better question is, “Why replace software that continues to do exactly what it was designed to do?”

Modern hardware has become dramatically faster. Today’s IBM Z systems execute those same business applications with incredible performance, while preserving the stability organizations depend on.

After more than 65 years, COBOL remains one of the greatest success stories in the history of software.

07/18/2026

Collins 75A-4 Communications Receiver

07/18/2026

Collins with the first transmitter he built for sale. Built in the basement of his Cedar Rapids, Iowa, home, it launched what would become Collins Radio.

07/18/2026

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station

07/14/2026

07/05/2026

Ready to Actually Use That Raspberry Pi?
Here’s Your Complete Guide

06/27/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1N1Q8h8uyv/

⚠️ EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS NOTICE: Please keep 40 meters clear around 7135 kHz⚠️

Following Wednesday's fatal earthquake in Venezuela, parts of the capital are experiencing total power outages. Local radio amateurs are actively operating their emergency national network on battery and shortwave (HF) power.

The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Region 2 and coordinators across neighboring countries are currently on standby to assist. If you are operating in the Americas or anywhere else globally, please protect 7135 kHz so critical emergency traffic can get through seamlessly.

Let's do our part to keep the airwaves clear for our fellow hams.
🔗 Read the full update from ARRL News: tinyurl.com/yee8n6p9

06/20/2026

🇦🇶 BBC Antarctica Broadcast.

The annual BBC Antarctic Midwinter broadcast is scheduled for Sunday, June 21, between 21:30 and 22:00 UT. Listeners should monitor frequencies 5975 kHz via UAE, 9460 kHz from the UK, 9510 kHz via Ascension, and 12070 kHz via Woofferton. These frequencies were recently tested on June 14.



via Glenn Hauser, wor2352.