God point about the difference between gratis (free as in beer) and free as in liberty. Also there are different types of free software licenses. The GPL, for example, is written in a way that if you include the code in your own product, the whole product must be open. The LGPL (the Library GPL or Lesser GPL), however, allows you to include the open code as a sub-section of your commercial product, with any changes you make to the open code has to be published, while you can keep your own code secret. A BSD style license only requires that you give credit - the networking stack of Microsoft Windows was open source-based for many years, for example, and the Regents of the University of California were credited for it.

Finally, software authors are free to release their code under BOTH an open source license and a commercial license. This may lead to confusing development though, and duplication of effort, which is why most commercial open source companies prefer to keep their source code open, but make money from selling support, integration, and add-on features.

Which amplifier and DSP box are you using? I didn't see it mentioned on your homepage. For the DSP part I think I'm just going to use a computer, either by tapping the IF of the 817 and using an SDR program, or just processing the audio output from the radio.

Edit: Also, as for the power consumption portable, some people use Li-ion, LiPo or LiFePo4 batteries with great sucess. For the time being I have a 7,5 Ah AGM battery - cheap but heavy, as well as extra AA alkalines as a backup.

It was you, Stan, from where I'm sitting at least.
All mouth, no ears = All amp, no antenna.
Of course a big gun QRO station with a good antenna is also going to hear the QRP stations better, and that was the point, wasn't it? Find the stations which are strong not just because of their output power, but that have antennas with good gain and a good operator. I'm sure some here have experienced having contacts via their dummy loads.

Speaking of dummy loads, I've made it into Russia and Germany with 5 watts into just a couple meters long zipline indoors, on CW. I've made only one SSB contact on that one though - for SSB, a full length antenna between the treetops has been the way to go.

Edit: Actually, strike that. I just had a 59 SSB contact in Ireland on that indoor antenna, with some QSB. He was using a high gain log periodic antenna, I think. 15 elements? So it was his high gain antenna that was the most important factor, but this location is antenna restricted. Hope to run some full size antenna this weekend.

Only if your transmission is directly related to life and safety. You can call for help if you need rescue, or you could for example broadcast an alert that a dam has broken or a tsunami is on the way. However, just letting your family know you're still alive would not qualify, I think; that's what we call welfare traffic, and while it does take precedence over regular traffic, it doesn't really let you break the rules to that extent.
What you could do, is make sure they have short-wave radios that can tune to - say - the 80 meter amateur band and which can decode SSB; in that case they could hear you call in to a local net to report that you're OK and also pass a message to them. In a non-emergency situation, you can test this by having them tune in to a ragchew net which you're participating in and test if they can hear you and the rest of the net. Short wave listening to amateur conversations is completely legitimate as long as the amateurs are carrying on a conversation with each other; it's even possible to collect QSL cards through the bureaus as a short wave listener without an amateur license.

I have an FT-817ND, but it's a less modern rig than the Elecraft KX3. The KX3 is actually a software defined radio with a hardware interface - it even decodes PSK31 on the LCD - and has advanced filtering and DSP features built in. It also has an option for built-in auto-tuner.
The 817 uses more power, and if you want the DSP and filtering you'll have to spend money on options to bring up the performance. (For example, a CW filter or a SSB filter and compressor). If you want to do SDR operation, you can actually tap the IF of the 817 by opening it up and soldering a bit, but the KX3 has a plug for SDR connection built in.

Yaesu calls the FT-817ND the "ultimate" backpacker radio, which directly translated means that it's the last one they'll ever make, but I don't think that's what they meant.

I'm pretty happy with my FT-817ND, but if I was in the market now I would wait and see if the KX3 lives up to the marketing specs.

I haven't heard any announcements, but I hope both Icom and Yaesu will do something to compete with the Elecraft KX3.

Note that the K2 battery (just like the A123 cells it's LiFePo4) comes in a version with and without a protection circuit. I think you want the one with the protection circuit, especially if you're going to connect it straight to a home-made panel through just a diode.

Looks like KB5WIA is using a charge controller though.

What KB9YNB said. If you only install one filter though, there's no soldering; refer to page 74 of the manual.

At the moment I operate exclusively QRP, but I identify only as LA9XSA or LA9XSA/P depending on if I use a permanent installation (antenna, power, etc.) non-portable, or am running from battey power and a temporary antenna portable. I don't add the /QRP unless I have to - at least that's how I do it these days.

As for LotW, once you have your main call in there, you just generate a request for your /P or /QRP callsign and sign it with the certificate for your main call. I have two separate log files for my stationary and portable operations, but if you have a more advanced database based logging program, you can keep it all in one log and only export the portable or non-portable QSOs for signing with tQSL.

The main issue here isn't wet vs. sealed. It's starting batteries vs. deep cycle batteries. Starting batteries have their lead as a sort of foam, which helps deliver high current when running a starting motor, but will easily sulfate and be destroyed if discharged too much. Deep cycle batteries have solid lead plates, which won't deliver as much current, but will survive deeper discharges.

For portable use, I would use a gel or AGM battery, but for a stationary in-home system an old style open wet cell battery might be more economical, if you have a good ventilated place for them, a good charger and top up the water occasionally. Whatever inter-plate medium you go for, get a solid plate deep cycle variant that also keeps charge reasonably well.

Experience, know-how and improvisation is definitely what makes amateurs an asset in an emergency, but some formal training and a pre-established relationship to emergency agencies or NGOs are also recommended to make use of that effectively and efficiently in an emergency. You need to know how you fit into the organized chaos.
Thank you for pointing that out. Some repeaters have emergency power, and even those that don't have that might be useful if the type of emergency is a technical one which takes out the phone and internet communications while not affecting power.

Interrupting the 911 call is obviously out of line, but up until he's established that the person is OK and the phone is working, he didn't do too poorly - providing he parked his vehicle safely (an issue that storm spotters also should watch themselves on). Wearing the vest was actually a plus - if he was a 100% moron he'd be wearing snow camo instead:
http://imgur.com/GXMOt

We get lots of snow here in Norway too, as you can guess, but here
- All drivers are required to pass first aid and CPR training to get a drivers' license.*
- All cars are required to carry reflective vests, to be worn in case of accidents or breakdowns.
- Everyone are required by law to assist people who have had an accident - if we leave people for dead without checking first, we can be jailed or fined for it. I know on your side of the pond you might risk getting sued instead if you help, thus Good Samaritan laws.
- Sometimes we even pull each other out of the ditch.

As for the non-emergency public service events, they actually provide training in running directed nets. So yes that football game or bike ride will actually help prepare hams for helping out with communications in case of a nuclear emergency, because there are so many similarities in how you operate. There will be some differences of course, so if there's a nuclear facility in the area, some of the training scenarios for emergency drills should include the effects of nuclear dispersion; most of that will be for the civil defense officials to consider, but there might be provisions made for things like radioactive shielding or remote operation of the radio station, or perhaps switching operators frequently to reduce radiation dosages.

*: This is one of the three main factors in Norway having the highest cardiac arrest survival rate in the world, despite its rugged terrain and long distances. The other two factors are the quality of hospital heart departments, and the ambulance service which has transformed from a transport service to a paramedic service.

You can find out ahead of time if there are ARES or RACES groups, and what nets would be activated in your area. Even if there are none, you could just get in touch with a radio operator outside the affected area who can relay your message via the phone or services like the Red Cross missing and welfare system.

In case of disasters where many of the local hams would be affected themselves, it's good to have established assistance between neighboring counties, so they can travel into the affected area and relieve the local operators in case of a long term outage.

Stop assuming that every emergency needing activation is The Nuclear Zombie Apocalypse and the end of the world as we know it. Amateur radio support for emergencies activates several times each year (hurricanes, wildfires, backhoes cutting cables, blackouts), for decades, and the world hasn't ended yet. After the tsunami and nuclear accident in Japan, amateurs also did their part, mostly on VHF and UHF. The main point for amateur radio support is whether auxiliary communications are needed, and the way you operate is fairly similar across various types of emergencies.

During operation the case is left open. I guess you could create vents and cable entries to operate the radio with the case closed, but then you'd lose water proofing and protection against knocks and pressure during shipping.