Google Ruined Google Reader!

My Google Reader was just updated to the 'new and improved' version. (31 OCT 11) (and I hope it is only a Halloween prank)

It sucks.

I normally don't complain about free stuff, I use Gmail, and Google Calendar, but I only use the data, not the website access...so I don't care they also changed those UIs.

But GR has replaced the old Google page as my default web page displayed. And the old interface was simple to move around, and see what was read/unread, and the articles were well placed. I didn't have a complaint- from my Desktop with 22" screens, to Laptop with 13" screen, to 9" netbook, to Nook...the UI was just fine.

But now they had to 'improve' it.

If they do not change it back, or at least make it look similar to the old version, I will have to use something else for my reader...and probably Mozilla Thunderbird.

...think about all the lost Ad revenue Google, if everyone switches to another reader...

Linksys WRT54G firmware fun.

At work I use the famous blue and black WRT 54G. It (is not mine nor my choice) has done fine, but lately started dropping the WiFi.

I got admin access and looked at the firmware...it was original to the Ver2 (linksys now has V8) . So I went to the Linksys site...which is now a Cisco site...went to support/firmware/Ver2. They list 4.21.4 as the current firmware, so I downloaded it, and updated the WRT54G with it.

Obviously, since I am posting here, the update didn't go well. It ended with the power light continuously flashing. No combination of holding reset button, cycling power etc. would fix it.

So off to the internets...luckily my Android phone has 4G and the PdaNet sofware, so I had my laptop up on the internets within a minute or so.

I had to browse a ton of websites, but this one was best.

I had my laptop with the ethernet port set to 192.168.1.2 and the speed 10half. I then started a ping on 192.168.1.1 with the command window "ping -t 192.168.1.1" and left it pinging away.(with no response)

Like I said, I had done the reset button and power cycling a few times...so now it was time to crack open the case and tempt fate.

I pulled the power from the linksys, put a ballpoint pen between pins 15 and 16 (as shown in link) and put power plug back in (while watching the ping running)...after a few seconds I started getting a response.

I left the ping running and ran the TFTP.EXE software, with 192.168.1.1 as the address, admin as the password, and that downloaded 4.21.4 firmware again...90% through the update it crashed again.

So obviously that firmware is defective...so now what, you can't find older firmware on the Cisco site...back to the internets...eventually I found some posts complaining about the 4.21.4 firmware, and recommending the 4.21.1 firmware...with a link to a cisco page (sorry you will have to find it yourself...I already closed those web pages)

I went back through the ballpoint pen shorting pins 15-16 ping test again...ran TFTP again, but this time chose the 4.21.1 firmware...it went all the way through and said success, and the lights on the router were normal...from then it was as it should be.

So moral of story is...don't use firmware 4.21.4 on your Ver2 WRT54G...

Kenwood TH-D7A, D7AG, Garmin Foretrex 201-APRS

A while back I mentioned using a Garmin Foretrex 201 for doing APRS with my TH-D7A radio.

I listed this website etc.

I finally got around to building the patch cord. I got a 'scanner to phone' set of patch cords from radio shack for $6...I thought this would require the minimum of hassle.

It came with 4 cords, the one I used was the 2.5 to 3.5 mini stereo cord. Now both the Garmin and the Kenwood use a 2.5, so I picked up an adapter...that way, if I need to, I can put the GPS on an extension cord for better satellite reception.

I had to modify the cord (as described in the link) by swapping the TX/RX signals. This amounts to slitting the cable down the middle for an inch or so, carefully pulling out the Red and Brown wires, cutting them, then solder the red to brown and vise versa.

So I did all that, hooked it up to my D7A and nothing...I rechecked the solder job...played with all the settings, but still nothing on the D7A (it should chirp with the new GPS info, and on "My Position" it should show the correct lat/long)

Well...I decided to test it on my D7AG just to see if is a radio issue.

Immediately worked on the D7AG...

So I searched the internets, and found out that my D7A was an older firmware model (SN 008000xx) , and only can read GPS coord to the hundreds. The newer firmware (SN 010 and newer) can take coord to the thousands.

So some GPS devices are compatible, some are not...the Foretrex 201 is not...so I can only use it with the D7AG, not a total loss, since the "G" model has much more advanced APRS commands.


I will be using this setup in a chase vehicle for a famous bike race in August. I picked up a 'pistol case' to put all my radio accessories in for portable use. This GPS is the last item.