By Stan Horzepa, WA1LOU
Contributing Editor

This week, Surfin’ looks to Woz’s old stomping grounds for ham radio applications.

Let me be up-front about something: I am a Mac guy. Always have been. I bought a Mac when they first came out in 1984 and I have owned Macs ever since.

Through the years, I have tried to gently evangelize the Mac for ham radio applications through my various writings. I don’t know if I have done any good, but there are more Mac ham radio applications today than yesterday and I am happy about that.

I do use Windows on almost a daily basis because Windows is the operating system of choice at my day job. And I will admit that Windows has come a long way, but after a week of wrestling with some vexing computer problems at work, I am glad I could come home to my MacBook Pro.

This leads me to talking about Mac ham radio applications in this installment of Surfin’.

Longtime Mac readers of this column are probably familiar with Mac Ham Radio because I have mentioned it in the past. If you missed those mentions, the Mac Ham Radio website is “devoted entirely to Amateur Radio operators using Macintosh.” The site is very comprehensive; if it is Mac ham-related, you will most likely find it there. The site is not Apple desktop- and laptop-centric. It also covers ham applications for Apple devices running their iOS (iPods, iPads, iTouches and iPhones).

Speaking of iOS, John Lowrey, AL3W, of Northern Softworks fame, asked me to mention their new Apple iPhone app called Ham Tool FT-817, which is a Swiss Army knife application for hams who have a Yaesu FT-817 HF/VHF/UHF portable transceiver. Northern Softworks offers a similar iPhone app, Ham Tool VX-3R for the Yaesu VX-3R 2 meter/70 cm FM handheld transceiver.

Until next time, keep on surfin’!

Editor’s note: Stan Horzepa, WA1LOU, wonders which came first: the Easter bunny or the egg? To contact Stan, send e-mail or add comments to the WA1LOU blog.