I finally got around to taking my FCC Amateur Radio Technician license exam tonight. Since I chose to do this for the Independant Study at school so I could continue working I have until December 16th to do it. So what better time then now to get it out of the way. It went well and I passed. I don’t know what my exact score was (35 question multiple choice) but passing is all that matters. I can’t transmit until my license shows up in the FCC’s Universal Licensing System. I was told it generally takes about a week or two.
Well I haven’t posted in over a month. This is just a super quick summary.
I did get a set-top antenna for my TV and can get all of the local broadcast HD channels (except channel 2/CBS, I can’t even pull in the SD broadcast).
My TV decided to go south a couple of weeks ago. I was watching it and the picture and sound went out. I tried to turn it back on and the unit would just click. The tube never fired up. I called Samsung and a local repair guy came to the house with a new logic board 3 days later (on a Sunday afternoon!). I found it to be intermittent. I tried unlugging it and plugging it back in and got pic/sound for less then 15 seconds. It started doing its thing. Well the guy came out Sunday afternoon with a new logic board. Replacing that didn’t fix it so he said it was the tube. He took it with him and I got it back that following Saturday (6 days). Working good so far.
I’m also checking out new webhosting. My current provider is awesome, but kind of expensive for what I get for the money. But they have incredible uptime and ultra quick service turnaround. I signed up with Bluehost (7.95/mo) and Dreamhost (80% off first month, and full second year. 104$ for 2 years, then its 7.95/mo). I have 30 days to cancel Bluehost and 97 days to cancel Dreamhost. I need to get this done and decided on before 11/1. That’s when my current host rebills, and Bluehost’s full return ends 11/4.
That’s about all of the big stuff for now.
I was at school this morning and got a missed call. Work was calling. Now I know they weren’t calling to ask me to come in since I’m unavailable. I figured I had “won” the raffle for the display TVs. I checked my voicemail and was right.
This was a promotion management decided to do for the employees. The entire electronics department is transitioning to new product. Usually it’s an aisle or two, maybe just one side of an aisle. The TV wall was completely redone with new offerings last Wednesday.
At the time I put in my ticket with my choice the TV I wanted from the list was down from $699.99 to $594.99 (15% clearance).
The deal was 50% off the current clearance price and the 10% employee discount.
I was hesitant since it was still around 290$, money I shouldn’t spend. But still cheap.
After class I headed up to the store to see my TV and found out they hit the next markdown and were now 50% off! I definately was getting it now.
Since I wasn’t working I had until noon Wednesday to pick it up. I came back around 9:30pm with my brother in law to make use of the minivan.
I got this Samsung 26″ Widescreen HDTV for next to nothing.
Normal price was $699.99, it was on 50% off clearance for $349.99. I then for the 50% off for being a floor model bringing it down to $174.99, kick in the 10% and I was down to $157.50. Throw in local tax and I was out the door for $169.70. The TV is incredible and in mint condition. You’d never know it was a floor model.
Now I just need to get an antenna for the HDTV air broadcasts. I never thought I’d get a widescreen TV, let alone a HDTV, for quite some time.
Opera announced today they are eliminating the ads and licensing fees for their browser. This is certainly good news and puts it in a position to better compete with Firefox and Internet Explorer.
Opera is celebrating their 10th anniversary. (you probbaly heard of them). I used it on and off over the years and after switching to Firefox have found myself switching to Opera full time for a couple months now. Version 8 is their best yet.
You can get a FREE registratioin code good for all releases of Opera 8 (normally $39) by going to here. This offer is good until midnight CET (GMT +1) on Wednesday 31st of August 2005.
After Power Supplies this morning I asked Mr. Boehle about the Independent Study paperwork. I was eager to get it done so I could drop Math. I was advised to wait until the paperwork was in so payroll or whoever it is doesn’t see me at 4 hours and call the department secretary to tell her I can’t work.
It took a whole of 5 mins and it will take a couple days to process. I imagine by Thursday it’ll be setup. After the paperwork I promptly found the nearest computer and dropped Math.
Today I had the one-on-one meeting with the instructor for my online Pre-Calc class. Well before going I went over the syllabus and homework assignments. Not good. Seriously this person assigned WAY too much. Both of my EET instructors agreed. I’m talking: page 15: 1-105 odd, page 17: 1-85 odd, page 21: 1-95 odd. And this continued for the rest of the book. And the homework HAS to be turned in before you can take the exams. Both of the other math classes I had had no manditory homework. Oh, and then I can’t forget the 6 quizzes and 6 exams and 1 final exam.
Holy cow. When I took trig this summer there was 2 tests and 1 final. No manditory homework, no quizzes.
So the cake was topped when she asked me if I had a TI-83. I told her I had the TI-89. She said with a tone of question “oh, the TI-89?”. I replied again yes. She then says I won’t be able to use the TI-89 because it can do so much. Then she went on a little more and said she does’nt want me to buy a new calculator for the course so I can use my TI-89 but she will make a note that I’m using it so she can appropriately bias me, yes she said i could use it but would have to show ALL work. Every last step, no skipping anything. (I assumed this to mean even things you can do in your head w/o a calculator).
Needless to say I walked out convinced I was dropping it. Both of my EET instructors advised me to file a formal complaint with the Math Department over the TI-89 bias and insane amount of homework.
So now I went from 3 classes to 1.
And this brings more fun ot the table. To maintain my student worker position I need to be taking 6 credit hours. I’m down to 4. I found out that to make up those 2 hours I can do an independant study. I’m not using it to make up a class but just do a project. I chose to get my Amateur Radio license under it. I’ve been wanting to do it anyway and am basically ready to take the test now. If I take it tomorrow, pass, then my IS is completed! I just need to fill out the paperwork for the class Monday and drop Math no later then Aug 31 for the refund date.
I just upgraded to WordPress 1.5.2, another painless upgrade.
I can’t beleive summer is over and I return to school on this Tuesday (Aug 23). Taking summer classes (1 online and 1 in-class) and starting work at school (in addition to my other full time job) left me with virtually no free time.
I also received some “bad” news for the fall term. I came by this past Thursday after leaving my other job and ran into the instructor aftert he JUST left me a voicemail. Due to low enrollment one of my EET classes, Advanced Electrical Circuits, was cancelled. It will be offered Spring 2006 however. I thought this would set me back an entire semester but that’s not the case.
I found out that I don’t need another general education class because I took an extra math class that counts and I’m done with my EET electives, (but I will be taking 2 more regardless).
So Fall 2005 I’ll be taking Pre-Calculus online, and EET Power Supplies (in class).
When Spring 2006 rolls around all I need to graduate is Advanced Solid State and Advanced Electrical Circuits. But I’m going to extend to the Summer becuase there is a electronic Communication Systems class I want that’s being offered in the Spring. And the other, Wireless Communications, is being offered in the Summer.
I’ll assume the Wireless class will be offered in the Summer 1 session (right after the spring term. May 15 to Jun2 22) so I should graduate 10 months from now.
I’m still trying to get Gnome playing nice with the TV-Out on my Nvidia MX440 in the MythTV box. I decided to try Fedora on the box and follow Jarod’s Fedora Myth(TV)ology How-To and realized I don’t like Fedora, not even to just use for the Myth box. My friend that has Myth working has the exact same computer (we picked them up at Fry’s on the cheap, 180$ for a sempron 2200) so he’s just going to make an image of the hard drive. Then I just have to change the video drivers to nvidia (he has an ATI card) and hopefully everything will start working. I really wanna get that dual-tuner box up and running.
