[DogParkList] EchoMac

[Thomas Sundstrom]

For Bob Ross and Steve Palm, and others dealing with audio issues and=20
EchoMac, let me toss in some ideas or suggestions for whatever they may=20=

be worth. I use an iMac G4/800MHz/1Gb with a 17" screen; the built-in=20
iMac microphone is OK but not satisfactory for me. I am using, for the=20=

moment, OS X 10.2.8 but will probably make the change to Jaguar in a=20
month or so.

Item 1 - Audio
-------------------

I found a wonderful microphone in the Sony ECM-ZS90. Etronics not only=20=

had the best price but they were easy to deal with, and quick on=20
delivery (I have no vested interest in the firm):=20
http://www.etronics.com/product.asp?stk_code=3Dsonecmz90

Your USB needs are probably different than mine, but Griffin Technology=20=

had the supplemental connector toys: a 4-port hub optimized for audio [=20=

http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/usbaudio_hub/ ] and an=20
interface to allow the connection of a microphone or any sound input=20
device [ http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/imic/ ]. You can=20
order directly from the company; service was quick and reliable.

The bottom line is that people who know me, and knew how I sounded when=20=

I first wrote [ http://trsc.com/bibliography.html#rc ] about Mark=20
Brown's Repeater Link in 1996, say that the audio quality is excellent.

Item 2 - Publicity
----------------------

N9YTY's EchoMac is a secret the ham radio world needs to know about:

I've been featuring it from time to time in the new Australian ham=20
radio magazine ESR [ Electronics-Science-Radio :=20
http://www.esr-mag.com/ ]  column "Baudwalking". ESR filled the void=20
left by Radio and Communications which I had written for since 1995.

I feature EchoMac on an introductory page to linking repeaters [=20
http://trsc.com/ref_repeater_linking.html ] designed to help beginners=20=

get started at the ground floor. (In my opinion too many other pages on=20=

other Web sites assume prior knowledge.)

VoIP and EchoMac is mentioned throughout our other Web site=20
http://w2xq.com, crosslinked back to trsc.com pages.

Feedback, suggestions for explanatory material, requests for help with=20=

the EchoMac software, literature, related Web pages, links -- that=20
would be helpful to N9YTY and users of EchoMac, are welcome. We'll turn=20=

the input into output for all to benefit unless you indicate something=20=

is private or confidential (and we absolutely honor same in our=20
writings going back to 1966).

73, Happy New Year...
Tom Sundstrom W2XQ
baudwalk@esr-mag.com | Echolink node #2161| StarChat IRC #swl=20
#baudwalking
Contributing Editor, Baudwalking, ESR Mag
Contributing Editor, Radio Netherlands Media Network


On Friday, January 2, 2004, at 01:18  PM, Steven Palm wrote:

>
> [ To the Dog Park list, and a few select others.... ]
>
> On Jan 2, 2004, at 11:56 AM, Ross, Robert J wrote:
>> If I leave the sound window open with the mic level off or very low -=20=

>> EchoMac sets it to 80%
>>
>> If you have it at 50% it leaves the audio level alone!!=A0 Looks like=20=

>> anything below 10% or so it resets the level to 80% or so.
>
>  I have had just a few other reports of this behavior, but as Don=20
> said, the EchoMac program code itself is not doing anything to adjust=20=

> audio levels. For all audio work, it is using the "portaudio" library,=20=

> and so if there is an issue in this code it would affect EchoMac as=20
> well.
>
>  The unfortunate part of my answer is that I have no time at present=20=

> to work on EchoMac at all. I had put it on SourceForge with the hopes=20=

> of attracting interest in expanding it/maintaining it/etc, but=20
> everybody out there is only interested in the free ride, nobody wants=20=

> to put gas into the car. Yes, I understand that not everyone knows how=20=

> to make the gas, but you'd figure that out of all the people that have=20=

> downloaded it, someone would be able to help. Some have indicated=20
> interest initially, even saying they had the knowledge, but nobody has=20=

> stepped forward. So, I'm a bit frustrated right now in that regard,=20
> and have no time to change things, so it's going to have to just sit=20=

> "as is" until something gives.
>
>  So, I hope you're able to enjoy it for now, Robert. And everyone=20
> else, this gives you some idea of where I'm at with current support=20
> issues/updates/etc.
>
> -. ----. -.-- - -.--
> Steve Palm - n9yty@n9yty.com
> -. ----. -.-- - -.--
>
>
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>
>
---
Thomas R. Sundstrom - TRS Consultants
PO Box 2275, Vincentown, NJ 08088-2275, USA
+1 609 859 2447 - fax +1 609 859 3226
trsc.com - sundstrom.org - w2xq.com - swlfest.com