Random Wire 162: Ramblings, Lenovo ThinkCentre M625q, easy HamClock on your ASL node, and the Short Stack of links
December 26, 2025 — It's the day after Christmas! What a year! Here is hoping that 2026 treats everyone better.
Home life is settling into a routine and that is good because it will allow me to plan ahead for projects, including radio projects.
This Christmas week issue is light on content. I must confess that it was hard to do much with radio this week as I dealt with many other issues, but I did manage to get a little bit of radio time in.
In the amateur radio space, I particularly appreciate regular nets. Locally, there is a group of hams who visit with each other every morning while I make my early morning coffee run. Sometimes I can get a word in, but most of the time, the conversation is full and very interesting. It’s a great group of hams who are active on two different repeaters: W7NEE and NM7E. Wonderful folks.
Almost local is the daily 9 am net with the Puget Sound Repeater Group on AllStar node 2462. However, even though I’m almost in RF range of the PSRG repeaters, I find I listen just as often to the far more distant W6EK “Coffee Break” net each morning on AllStar node 51018 (see the W6EK net schedule).
On WIRES-X, there is always something happening on the Kansas City Wide network and with Colorado Digital Multiprotocol network. These resources are worth your time and both feature very knowledgeable, helpful hams.
EtherHam posts
Ramblings: Christmas week
Several smaller topics are captured in Ramblings, including:
READ MORE: Ramblings: Christmas week
Still life left in the Lenovo ThinkCentre M625q tiny PC
It was probably a mistake to buy this M625q tiny PC from an eBay seller, but the deal was very attractive and I wanted to learn more about this particular platform. It came with Windows 11 Pro installed but I replaced that OS with Linux Mint Debian Edition which operates much more smoothly than Windows.
This is an interesting, older tiny PC. It is fanless with a huge heatsink to keep the 2-core AMD CPU cool. Unlike more modern tiny PCs, it has DB9 serial ports and only one memory bank.
Does it work? Yes. Is it appropriate for Windows 11 Pro? No. It may become an AllStar node.
READ MORE (with pictures): Still life left in the Lenovo ThinkCentre M625q tiny PC
Easy HamClock on your ASL node
If you might be interested in installing your own HamClock but spare Raspberry Pi single board computers are in limited supply, you can easily install HamClock on your AllStarLink node with a script.
I did this using the GitHub script, installing HamClock on my ASL node 588412 which runs on a Raspberry Pi 4B computer with 8 Gb of RAM onboard:
A link to the easy-to-use script is available at the READ MORE link.
READ MORE (with pictures): Easy HamClock on your ASL node
Opinion: Can we trust what AI tells us?
This probably says all you need to decide whether to click the READ MORE link:
I’m not opposed to progress. As a boomer, the idea of using science and technology to solve problems is embedded in my psyche. Nevertheless, AI causes me concern because I don’t feel I can trust AI, at least not yet.
READ MORE: Opinion: Can we trust what AI tells us?
Only on the Random Wire
Used PCs might be a way around high RAM prices…for a short time
If you’ve been subscribing for at least a few months, you know I frequently roll the dice on pre-owned computers from eBay sellers. And it can be quite a gamble. I’ve received computers advertised as Windows 11 Pro that really had Win 11 Home or Win 10 Pro. As noted in my Still Life Left piece on EtherHam, a computer advertised as having Win 11 Pro had an unactivated license that Microsoft declined to recognize.
I’ve purchased computers that looked great in the listing photos but were in much rougher shape when received. A few machines advertised as refurbished looked like they had never been opened, with interiors filled with hair and dust. Or the screen had a scratch or the keyboard was, well, greasy. Occasionally I’ll get a computer that smells, but this is much less common than it used to be.
I’ve received machines with misstated memory or storage capacity. Occasionally, a machine is shown with original equipment accessories but what the box actually contains is not OEM.
One expensive computer just didn’t work (although I was able to resurrect it with a few hours of work). One computer appears to be bricked two weeks after plugging it in.
Many of these purchases were “returns not accepted.” Even for those where the seller accepts returns, it can be expensive to ship a computer back to a seller on the other side of the continent.
All this may cause you to wonder: is it worth trying to save some money by buying a used computer? Despite my experiences, I think the answer is yes. The window of opportunity to acquire good quality PCs with extra RAM at a bargain price is getting short, though, because of rising RAM prices.
I’m a fan of tiny PCs but key here is sticking with name brands like Lenovo and Dell. I try to get the best processor I can, with the most RAM and storage, in a case that is cosmetically good. Some good deals are available now for PCs with i5 CPUs in Lenovo ThinkCentre and Dell tiny PCs. Finding a deal with an i7 chip is a bit tougher, and the i9-equipped machines remain too costly to risk buying used or even “open box.”
I’m just now starting to see eBay listings increase in price when additional RAM is installed. Of course, more RAM always means a higher purchase price (and especially with Apple computers) but now the differentials are becoming more evident with increased amounts of RAM.
I think this presents a current opportunity to get some solid computers with 16, 32, or more gigabytes of RAM, at reasonable prices, but this won’t last. RAM prices are escalating rapidly (just search the internet for “ram prices going up” and you’ll see what I mean). If you are interested in a name brand pre-owned computer, this is the moment to make an acquisition. Great deals are evaporating fast.
Pro tip: search for what you want and select “newly listed” for the most recent additions. Sometimes great deals show up this way.
Linux steam locomotive
Although presented for Ubuntu, I found that I could install sl on my Debian system. Here it is, running on one of my AllStar nodes in the terminal:
This particular node is not a high-powered device. It runs on a Dell 3040 micro PC with an older CPU and limited memory. But it runs. Yes, it’s silly. No, I don’t care. Sometimes the little things make the moment more enjoyable. The best part is the next time I’m rushing and fumble finger the ls command, I might just see the train instead!
Short stack
Apple
Google
This has been a long time coming! Google is finally letting users change their Gmail address
Raspberry Pi
Tailscale vs WireGuard on Raspberry Pi: Which VPN Should You Use? “WireGuard is a traditional VPN server, whereas Tailscale is a mesh-style VPN solution. With WireGuard, the user has full control and can customize every aspect of the server. Tailscale, on the other hand, is a managed solution where configurations are set for the user.”
Storage
Synology’s BeeStation is still the easiest Google Photos replacement. “The BeeStation is a network-attached storage (NAS) device, effectively a 4TB hard drive that connects to your internet router. You can upload files, photos, and videos to the BeeStation from your smartphone, PC, or tablet, regardless of whether you're inside or outside of your home. Of course, you can also retrieve these files at any time, or share them with others via private links.” However, it is more than a photo storage space. With 4 Tb of capacity and easy-to-use software, it makes a viable option for simple storage or backup of home computers. If you don’t need a full-blown NAS box, a BeeStation might serve you well. See prices on Amazon (affiliate link) at this URL: https://amzn.to/3MOBOBQ
IT security
And in the realm of “it sounds ridiculous but I can see how this might actually work,” take a look at Cloudflare uses wall of lava lamps to protect everyone on the internet from getting hacked
Find more short stack-worthy items by browsing the EtherHam mega feed at: https://etherham.com/feeds/
As we tie a ribbon around calendar year 2025, my wish is that you have a wonderful 2026 in all ways.
73,
Relatable. Your insight about home life settling into a routine for project planning realy resonated. It's so true how a solid structure frees up mental space. As a teacher, I definitely appreciate that.