Random Musings on Nick Booth

tl;dr: Sometimes you get there early, sometimes you get there late - but even if you had a chance you never knew the game Music Monday for September 20th, 2026 Guess what - it’s not Monday!

tl;dr: A simple walkthrough to help figure out how to navigate paying FCC fees Before you start You need three things: An FCC Username account for CORES - an email address and password, not your FRN.

tl;dr: Amateur licenses run for 10 years, and you can file the renewal in ULS starting 90 days before your expiration date or during the two year grace period after it.

tl;dr: It’s the fist thing in the morning - what do you do?

tl;dr: Scratched a few website itches — added privacy-respecting Plausible analytics (turns out I’m not just shouting into the void), wired up Fediverse announcements via GoToSocial (follow at @blog@n1cck.us) plus a scraper that pulls replies and boosts i…

tl;dr: A trip to Salt Lake, UT Another day, some more travel.

tl;dr: A download stash for CT radio frequencies that I sometimes monitor I’ve been asked a few times for a copy of the frequencies in and around CT that I keep in my radio.

tl;dr: Experiment to map Meshtastic/MeshCore radio contacts made during flights between Boston, Dallas, Las Vegas, and Phoenix You’re reaching this page for one of 2 reasons: You browsed here through some sort of aggregated or SEO method, which is probably

tl;dr: Updating PiHole to use unbound for performant and private DNS lookups across my entire Tailnet I have been running PiHole as an adblocking DNS server for quite a few years.

tl;dr: Linux isn’t hard, it’s just a matter of having a few solid options to choose from.

tl;dr: New license issuance is as high as historical numbers, but engagement is down.

tl;dr: If you were going to build a practical typewriter in 2026, what would be your requirements, and how would you use them?

tl;dr: An intro post from the TTYpewriter Not a lot to say here - this is mostly a test post to see how well I can write and focus in a cli-only wiritng setup that I’ve affectionately dubbed my “TTYpewriterOS.”

tl;dr: The blog post explains that FCC Part 97 prohibits obscuring the meaning of communications on amateur radio bands, not encryption itself, because amateur radio is intended for RF experimentation and public service rather than private communications.

tl;dr: If you obey all the rules you miss all the fun - Katherine Hepburn Highlights Overall a slow-ish week, but on Tuesday I got to go see Shawn Mullins in concert again.

tl;dr: You see, the devil haunts a hungry man - If you don’t wanna join him, you gotta beat him A Kris Kristofferson song that I heard the other day that I feel like needs to be out there… To Beat the Devil - Kris Kristofferson Intro A couple of years bac…

tl;dr: Week notes for October 5th, 2025 A good chunk of the blogs I read regularly are filled with weeknotes, so I figured that I may as well jump on the train.

tl;dr: Updated the RSS feed format to have summary, full content, and better formatting.

tl;dr: Most FCC systems related to amateur radio are down during the current government shutdown; many VE teams will still provide exams, but applications are not able to be submitted until the FCC re-opens at a later date.

tl;dr: The ocean’s roar is music to the soul I recently had the opportunity to visit San Diego (in CA, USA) for a quick weekend.

tl;dr: I have lost all my sanity - but its OK!

tl;dr: This is a test of the notification system Test notification This is a test of the notification system.

tl;dr: I would like to know where you want to hear from this blog… Some history You may or may not know that I recently ran a very scientific poll to see if I could discern where people read my blog, hence deciding where to put my energy into a notificati…

tl;dr: I would like to know where you want to hear from this blog… I have no analytics on this site (because static site, privacy, etc), so please answer this highly scientific poll. https://polymaths.social/@alatartheblue/statuses/01JW7TDRTRG37QTBQWTDK08…

tl;dr: A reflection on the life cycle of fire — from fragile beginnings to roaring brilliance to fading embers.

tl;dr: “Where words leave off, music begins.” — Heinrich Heine The venerable Amin wrote a blog post in which he posed the question (paraphrased) “does listening to a large volume of music devalue it?”

tl;dr: A nostalgic review of Hootie & The Blowfishs Cracked Rear View, highlighting its 1995 chart-topping success, sing-along appeal, and lyrical progressiveness amidst mid-90s pop classics.

tl;dr: I encourage readers to pick a random album, listen to it fully, and share thoughts—this week featuring Ellis Pauls A Carnival of Voices, praised for its heartfelt, folk-inspired storytelling.

tl;dr: Introducing ham radio as a hobby, outlining the three levels of amateur radio licensing exams, and providing study tips, resources, and tools for exam preparation.

tl;dr: The first Music Monday explores Dave Matthews Bands Under the Table and Dreaming, revisiting its nostalgic vibes, rich instrumentals, and iconic callbacks.

tl;dr: Reflecting on 2025 goals: write regularly, reconnect with music, embrace focused learning, and prioritize progress over perfection for personal growth and effective communication.

tl;dr: “Music Monday: One Random Album, One Short Journey” invites readers to explore complete albums at random, reflecting on their impact and sharing stories tied to the listening experience.

tl;dr: I took a bunch of pictures in 2024 - here are my favorites.

tl;dr: Obtaining an amateur radio callsign involves a straightforward but structured process.

tl;dr: The various steps needed to unlock your Anyton 878 and derivatives to use the full frequency space of the internal chip.