On Apr 9, 2008, at 9:25 PM, Bruce wrote:

I think we are ready. The Houston AMSAT Net is now available as a Podcast. You can subscribe to

http://www.amsatnet.com/podcast.xml

Please let me know off the list if there are any problems. Net #734 and #735 are available. They will remain online for 4 weeks then roll off.

You can always download and listen with an MP3 player at http://www.amsatnet.com or the direct link http://www.amsatnet.com/audio.html

Thanks to Dale, WD0AKO, for doing the encoding and creating our album art.

I have submitted the link to iTunes but who knows if or when they will pick it up. And...off our website, it is commercial free.

73...bruce

--

Bruce Paige, KK5DO

Very cool Bruce! It's working great in iTunes here.

For those unfamiliar with how to add a non ITMS (iTunes Music Store) podcast to your iTunes software (on either Windows or Mac, should be the same...) ...

Go to the top of the screen to the menu. Click on Advanced. Click on "Subscribe to Podcast" in the menu. You'll get a box that says "URL:" Cut and paste Bruce's URL above -- http://www.amsatnet.com/podcast.xml -- into the box. Click OK.

You're done. You should now see the podcast in your list of subscribed Podcasts in your Library on the left side of the screen. Depending on your settings (see below) you'll either get automatic updates of the Houston AMSAT Net every time Bruce releases one to the server, or you'll have to go to the podcast in your library and click on the Update button.

Now some thoughts on settings -- these apply to any "podcatcher" type software, of which iTunes is just one of many -- but this set of instructions and comments below is focused on iTunes, since a lot of people have it and may have never used it for podcasts before...

If you normally go a long period of time without LISTENING to any of the downloaded files, iTunes tries to help the podcasters out with bandwidth by NOT downloading or checking the XML file... you can right- click on the title of the podcast and clicking "Update Podcast" if you ever get that far behind.

You can also be "nice" to Bruce's server by going into your Preferences for iTunes (iTunes Menu, Preferences) click on Podcasts... then:

Check for New Episodes: [Set to as low as you can for your podcasts you listen to -- if they publish weekly, once a week. If you track some that update Daily, Daily. Avoid "every hour" if possible.]

When new episodes are available: [Choices are Download All, Download the Most Recent One, Do nothing -- choose as appropriate, keeping in mind that if you're not going to listen to EVERY one, and/or you have no other podcasts... manual downloads are "nicer" to the server bandwidth.]

The last one is a setting for how long you want to keep your downloads and you can decide on that... it doesn't really affect the server.

Just a little "iTunes settings" intro for anyone trying it out for the first time -- so you know where to find all those nice settings.

Sitting here listening to #735 on the laptop! Cool stuff. Of course, #734 and #735 will also download (if I don't delete them after listening to them) into my iPod whenever I get around to "syncing" it with the laptop next. Yay! Something else interesting to listen to on the long commute! (Sorry ClearChannel, you can keep your boring talk show hosts... I'll be listening to the Houston AMSAT Net!)

:-)

73, -- Nate Duehr, WY0X nate@natetech.com