Mark Foster

I am currently employed by Stanford University at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory as Manager of Networking and Network Architect.

Our focus at SLAC is developing and implementing a robust high performance network that enables a large variety of scientific discoveries.


I was previously employed by Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) at NASA Ames as a Network Architect.
Now rather dated, but see what kind of interesting things we have done on the NREN Project and other activities at NASA Ames

Amateur Radio

In April 2006, I got my Amateur Radio license (KI6DHU). I've been getting involved in ARES/RACES activites, to be able to be a responder in emergency and disaster situations. I'm an active member of the Ames Amateur Radio Club , the Palo Alto Amateur Radio Association , as well as the American Radio Relay League . I also participate in the weekly SPECS net and SVECS net.

In May 2008, I built an OpenTracker OT+ and hitched it to a spare HT, so I could use APRS to monitor temperatures in a storage container that has no climate control. Part of the product of this project is this page with graphs and the timestamped data (thank you aprsworld!).

In the Spring of 2009, I started getting a bit more involved in Moonbounce (Earth-Moon-Earth). I adapted a design for a Rectangular Waveguide Septum Transformer, and built a small number of them, to use on a repurposed (old, large) TV satellite receive dish. We've had some success, but this stuff is a lot harder than the signals that stay closer to the ground! See my page on construction of a 23cm feed for EME.

I've decided that crimp on connectors are easier and superior to use vs. solder on connectors - at least in the situations that I encounter. Here are some of the resources I use:

  • instruction:
    http://www.eham.net/articles/19257
    http://www.lnl.com/howto/termination/uhfc.htm
    http://www.bcdxc.org/pl259_crimp_on_connectors.htm
  • tools & connectors:
    http://www.l-com.com/producttype.aspx?Type=Tools
    Make sure the stripping and crimping tools are for the type(s) of cables and connectors you plan to use. Some kits don't include strippers that work for LMR 400 or Belden 9913. Hint: search for L-com's HT-KIT-01.
  • connectors:
    http://www.rfparts.com/connectors.html
    Don't scrimp on connectors; buy ether Amphenol or buy house brand from a (very) trusted supplier. There are a lot of knock offs and cheap parts out there, especially at various flea markets and auction/liquidators.
    Pay attention to the finish material on the connector if you plan to do any soldering in addition to the crimping (I usually don't, but sometimes I *will* solder the center pin depending on how I feel about the fit of the particular pin on the particular cable). For that, I use a portable butane soldering tool such as the Solder-It SolderPro 150. http://www.solder-it.com
  • coax:
    http://www.theantennafarm.com
    Not all coax is created equally. LMR400 and Belden 9913F7 are my personal preference. LMR400 is a bit more finicky for stripping and connector install than either 9913 or 9913F7. Early versions of 9913 got a bad rep, but the latest types are fine, in my experience.

    I constructed a portable antenna mount, inspired by the information provided in the article W2IK's telescoping JPole Antenna . Note: the preceding link appears to have expired, without a decent replacement. Just do a search on "W2IK telescoping jpole", and you should find references to at least some older pdf files. This gets my JPole about 17' off the ground, and can be quickly deployed in a variety of locations. It's not quite as portable as I'd like (collapsed, the pole is still a little over 5' long, and the base I'm using is a 30 lb. patio umbrella stand ). Eventually, I'm hopeful to have a setup that I can do a similar thing as a "bike mobile" responder, without towing a trailer behind my bike (!). It's a balance between light weight/portability, operational robustness, and cost.

    Other hobby projects

    Wiring for a near-oem CD player in my 1991 Miata (March 2004).
    A home raid system for digital video (August 2004).

    Some previous NREN projects

    (this list is rather old, but still reflects some of the type of work that we do).

    Other useful links

    	Mark Foster
	NASA Ames Research Center
	NASA Research and Engineering Network / SAIC
	MS 233-17
	Moffett Field, CA  94035-1000
	650-604-1809
    fosterm -at- sonic *dot* net