UMTravels

Here’s todays tip — Vote Smart  provides a non-partisan review of all the candidates and issues in your area. Just type in your 9 digit zip code (look for the number on any bill) and up comes links to all the state and national offices, and state referrendums. Some of the candidates don’t fill out the questioaires, so there are also links to their voiting records.

And if you like their work, you can volunteer at their ranch/office in Montana on the Continental Divide. Board is free (though with less privacy than you’d like) and food is $45 per week and they’d like a two week commitment. They really need member volunteers during fall, winter, and spring when the student interns of the summer aren’t around.

Now I’ll get off my soap box.

And on the home front:
New Hi-Gain Antenna arrived and is installed. Initial tests are AMAZING. Normally, my laptop (Averatec 3700 Series) gets one bar in the main room at my place. The wireless sending unit is in the other room, which is beyond a 6″ thick concrete wall. Plugged in the HField antenna after running the software, and unpointed (not aligned with the unit) it was getting two bars, and after I pointed it toward the signal, getting four bars (out of five). That’s a home run for me. As good as the digital cell signal booster I have in Bob the Bus. Something like$109 unless you are a student with an .edu address, then it’s $89. Great thing is that since it’s USB you could use it for your desktop! I’ll have more test results tomorrow after I run tests in the city apartment where we use random neighbors connections.