Date: Thu, 22 Sep 94 04:30:26 PDT From: Ham-Equip Mailing List and Newsgroup Errors-To: Ham-Equip-Errors@UCSD.Edu Reply-To: Ham-Equip@UCSD.Edu Precedence: Bulk Subject: Ham-Equip Digest V94 #340 To: Ham-Equip Ham-Equip Digest Thu, 22 Sep 94 Volume 94 : Issue 340 Today's Topics: .........HELP.......... E-Mail Access to Manufacturers? Fair radio sales adress wanted. Fast charging FT530 batteries? FT-530? FT-900 anyone? (2 msgs) How is Ramsey 6m unit? Info on IC-W2A Question about Yaesu FT-530... Range of 2 meter HT Vox headset Wanted: Kenwood TH-28 Mods Yaesu FT-290R Mk II data sheet Yaesu FT-530 repair ( good news ) Send Replies or notes for publication to: Send subscription requests to: Problems you can't solve otherwise to brian@ucsd.edu. Archives of past issues of the Ham-Equip Digest are available (by FTP only) from UCSD.Edu in directory "mailarchives/ham-equip". We trust that readers are intelligent enough to realize that all text herein consists of personal comments and does not represent the official policies or positions of any party. Your mileage may vary. So there. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 21 Sep 1994 10:37:56 GMT From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!dog.ee.lbl.gov!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!prairienet.org!folson@network.ucsd.edu Subject: .........HELP.......... To: ham-equip@ucsd.edu Can anyone tell me for sure what Off-On switch to use on my control-box its a Ham-II made by Cornell-Dubilier Electronics Div Can I purchase it at my local Radio Shack store.??? Please Help. -- ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 21 Sep 1994 15:25:05 GMT From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!dog.ee.lbl.gov!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!math.ohio-state.edu!usc!nic-nac.CSU.net!charnel.ecst.csuchico.edu!csusac!csus.edu!netcom.com!pineapp@network.ucsd.edu Subject: E-Mail Access to Manufacturers? To: ham-equip@ucsd.edu JOHN MXL (johnmxl@aol.com) wrote: : I am looking for E-Mail addresses for Amateur Equipment Manufacturers. : Alinco used to be accessible via *P*, but I am not sure if they are still : there. Icom supposedly has an E-Mail address, but I have not been able to : find it. : If you know of addresses for these or any other OEMs, please leave them : here, or send me private E-Mail. : Thanks. : John (johnmxl@aol.com) : KD6MXL@KM6PX.#NOCAL.CA.USA.NOAM Here it is. AEA: 76702.1013@compuserve.com -- .----------------------------------------------+--------------------------. | INTERNET: pineapp@netcom.com (DC436) | Daniel Curry WB6STW | | AMPRNET : dan@wb6stw.ampr.org [44.4.20.144] | E-:-) Ham Radio Operator | | AX.25 : wb6stw@n0ary.#NOCAL.CA.USA.NA | Redwood City, CA USA | | | DoD # 1450 | '----------------------------------------------+--------------------------' ------------------------------ Date: 21 Sep 1994 13:01:02 GMT From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!dog.ee.lbl.gov!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!noc.near.net!bigboote.WPI.EDU!banach.WPI.EDU!kedz@network.ucsd.edu Subject: Fair radio sales adress wanted. To: ham-equip@ucsd.edu I am looking for the adress for Fair Radio Sales. I think its in Ohio. (if you forgot this is a military electronics surpluss place.) I would also be interested in any other surplus electronics places you man know of. THANX! John Wu3C please reply via e-mail. ------------------------------ Date: 21 Sep 94 15:46:04 GMT From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!dog.ee.lbl.gov!overload.lbl.gov!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!usc!nic-nac.CSU.net!charnel.ecst.csuchico.edu!olivea!inews.intel.com!fmwu23!kreifels@network.ucsd.edu Subject: Fast charging FT530 batteries? To: ham-equip@ucsd.edu Does anyone know some of the technical details of the Yaesu 1-hr fast charger for FT530 battery packs? I'm a new ham, with a new radio, but I also have some experience with RC Cars, and have a peak-voltage detecting fast charger which I use with 7.2v 1300-1700mah nicad packs. I'm wondering if I can rig an adapter to use this on my Yaesu standard battery pack, and what problems I might encounter. I'd also need inputs as to the charging current to use for the 600mah battery. I'm guessing that probably a 600-800ma current is about right to match the "1-hr" charge time. Finally, the charger has a linear and a pulse mode, and I'm not sure which is more appropriate for the type of nicads in the Yaesu pack. Charger documentation says use linear for "SCE" type, and pulsed for "SCR" and "SCRC" types. Any help here? Any help here would be appreciated. Jerry Kreifels KE6MFJ Jerry_A_Kreifels@ccm.fm.intel.com ------------------------------ Date: 21 Sep 94 14:30:19 EDT From: psinntp!main03!landisj@uunet.uu.net Subject: FT-530? To: ham-equip@ucsd.edu In article , slc@execpc.com (Stephen Castner) writes: > How can I destroy a YAHOO FT-530...I am thinking of taking a bat to the > housing , but that would be too easy. Is there anything internal I could > FUBAR up. I have a KENWOOD (TH-78A) VS YAHOO (FT-530) war going on. > Isn't the KENWOOD better. If you say no, don't even say it...because you > sould dir a slow death by being put in DOOM. > my $500,000,000,000,000. > /s > This is your brain... Oh, and what IS your call steve? -- Joe Landis - Systems and Network Manager - North American Drager - Telford, PA landisj@drager.com - Ax25: AA3GN@WA3TSW.#EPA.PA.USA.NOAM - ampr: [44.80.8.153] Counting the days til deer season! Politically correct sig not available. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 21 Sep 94 07:32:05 PDT From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!news.sprintlink.net!news.onramp.net!usenet@network.ucsd.edu Subject: FT-900 anyone? To: ham-equip@ucsd.edu Dave Bushong (dbushong@wang.com) wrote: : I just got a Yaesu FT-900. Does anyone else have one? Any : opinions, comments, etc.? : Dave, KZ1O uhhh... Dave, I may be wrong, but YOU own the radio, you're supposed to tell *US* all about it. Watsay OM? 73 =paul= wb8zjl I have one. Not bad after I fixed a bias problem in the noise blanker(I refuse to send a radio back to its maker...we're supposed to be able to fix stuff) Only negative now are teh birdies you get from the radio above about 20 mhz when on the remote cable. -GC ------------------------------ Date: 20 Sep 1994 00:43:01 GMT From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!newshub.sdsu.edu!nic-nac.CSU.net!usc!howland.reston.ans.net!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!ulowell!vtc.tacom.army.mil!news1.oakland.edu!vela.acs.oakland.edu!prvalko@network.ucsd.edu Subject: FT-900 anyone? To: ham-equip@ucsd.edu Dave Bushong (dbushong@wang.com) wrote: : I just got a Yaesu FT-900. Does anyone else have one? Any : opinions, comments, etc.? : Dave, KZ1O uhhh... Dave, I may be wrong, but YOU own the radio, you're supposed to tell *US* all about it. Watsay OM? 73 =paul= wb8zjl ------------------------------ Date: 15 Sep 94 12:43:11 CST From: news.cerf.net!rosebud.sdsc.edu!nic-nac.CSU.net!charnel.ecst.csuchico.edu!yeshua.marcam.com!news.kei.com!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!news.msfc.nasa.gov!news.larc.nasa.gov!saimiri@ihnp4.ucsd.edu Subject: How is Ramsey 6m unit? To: ham-equip@ucsd.edu Hello. I am considering 6m equipment and it looks as if my best bet is a Ramsey kit considering availablity and price. However, a couple years ago I had some bad experiences with the original 2m Ramsey. These included a too-sharp squelching, low output power, and an incredible sensitivity to supply hum. That was the original 2m a couple years back. Now I know that the 2m design was changed and am willing to consider Ramsey VHF transcievers again. I would like to know if anyone has any experience with the Ramsey 6m kit. Specifically does it have the same faults as the old 2m design? Anything else you think I should know. Post or e-mail is fine. Yes, I know it's FM only, but I don't need all-mode. Thanks for your time/net.bandwidth. /-------------------------\ | Neubauer@UWPLATT.EDU | | Paul Neubauer N9IOG | \-------------------------/ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 21 Sep 94 07:26:36 From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!dog.ee.lbl.gov!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!cs.utexas.edu!convex!news.duke.edu!concert!mms!kn4aq.gary@network.ucsd.edu Subject: Info on IC-W2A To: ham-equip@ucsd.edu Ne> I am in the process of purchasing a IC-W2A and would like to Ne> hear from people who have own this radio in the past or now. Ne> The questions I would like to see are: Do you like this radio? Hi, John. I've had a W2A for about 3 years now. I like mine a lot, although it had to go back to Icom several times during warranty for minor annoyances, and once out-of-warranty for what turned out to be a broken BNC connector (dropped, landed on antenna, got noisy). Ne> What have been some of the strenghts? Small size (though there are smaller), most of the really useful functions and a few useless ones, fair number of memories (30/band). Not the worst on the market for intermod. Good 800 MHz reception. Ne> weaknesses? Small speaker, so no "room-filling" sound. Sealed battery, so hard to replace just cells. Hard to find power connector (available only from Icom). VHF volume/squelch knobs hard to turn because they're crammed up agains the antenna. Can't turn any controls with slippery fingers. Easy to accidently push some front panel buttons (I keep turning on the "priority" feature). Does not receive two freqs in same band (a new feature on the newer radios -- this one's getting "old"). Low mic gain -- gotta talk right up to it, and not be mush-mouth. Also, in this area we have two TV stations exactly 26 MHz apart, and the radio has a 26 MHz IF on UHF. I heard TV sync buzz everywhere outside the ham bands. Icom modified the radio to keep the narrower ham-band UHF front-end filter in line even when the radio was tuned outside the band. I lost some 300 and 500 MHz coverage (not too sensitive there anyway). Still good sensitivity up to 470 MHz, and no buzz. Ne> What freqs. Ne> can you receive? what is the quality of the receive? sensitivity? 118-180 MHz, 430-470 MHz, 800-900 Mhz with decent sensitivity. It actually tunes almost continuously from 118 to 1000 MHz, but in most of the other areas it's pretty deaf (even without the UHF receive mod). Prone to intermod, especially with an external antenna in high RF areas, but no worse than others. Small speaker. Ne> etc. what mods are available for this radio (which are not located Ne> in ftp.cs.buffalo.edu) Besides that UHF receive mod (which you may not need, but which does actually improve UHF commercial-band sensitivity a bit), the only one I know if is adding a couple of "three-terminal diodes" to the motherboard. These are surface-mount devices, but the board is not that hard to reach, if you're competent in surface-mount soldering. This lets you transmit from 118 to about 170 MHz and 420-470 MHz. 73, Gary KN4AQ, Raleigh NC ___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.12 ------------------------------ Date: 21 Sep 1994 18:55:46 -0400 From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!dog.ee.lbl.gov!news.cs.utah.edu!cs.utexas.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!torn!mcshub!informer1.cis.McMaster.CA!muss.cis.McMaster.CA!not-for-mail@network.ucsd.edu Subject: Question about Yaesu FT-530... To: ham-equip@ucsd.edu Hello, I've got a quick question about the FT-530 HT. The question is this: Would it be "bad" to tune to a frequency quite near to the transmitter, or is the front end able to handle this reasonably well? If it would be "bad", then how "bad" would it be? Any responses would be appreciated. Thank you. VA3 JJJ A.k.a. Jay Stavnitzky ------------------------------ Date: 16 Sep 1994 15:51:44 -0400 From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!sdd.hp.com!hp-pcd!hp-cv!reuter.cse.ogi.edu!psgrain!ee.und.ac.za!quagga.ru.ac.za!howland.reston.ans.net!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!gulfaero.com!not-for-mail@network.ucsd.edu Subject: Range of 2 meter HT To: ham-equip@ucsd.edu ignacy@misz.animal.uiuc.edu (Ignacy Misztal) writes: > From mountaintops the range of a 2m repeater with a 1/2 wave could be > 70 miles. Perhaps no more than 1-5 miles with a rubber duck otherwise. The biggest limitation suffered by HTs is not power or even rubber ducks but rather the fact they are operated 5.5 ft above your feet (ie, ground level.) Under _normal_ conditions (no ducting, etc) an HT, or any other VHF/UHF radio, is limited in range by line-of-sight path within the antenna radiation pattern. The power level or type of antenna becomes a lower order effect given a clear line-of-sight. Again under normal atmospheric conditions, the maximum distance over which you can hit a VHF/UHF receiver without intervenning obstacles is approximately sqrt(2*Hf1)+sqrt(2*Hf2) statute miles, where Hf1 & Hf2 are the height in feet of the two antennas. I have had an airborne QSO at a distance of 205 miles with full quieting using a "stock" Standard 528 and antenna putting out just under 3 watts on 70cm. There was nothing magic about it; I simply had the necessary altitude. The Space Shuttle SAREX doesn't need, or use, any more power when operating from batteries. 73, John ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 21 Sep 94 07:26:37 From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!dog.ee.lbl.gov!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!cs.utexas.edu!convex!news.duke.edu!concert!mms!kn4aq.gary@network.ucsd.edu Subject: Vox headset To: ham-equip@ucsd.edu Ne> Hello all, this is a question to all of you who have Vox headsets for Ne> your 2meter HT's. I own a (what else) HTX-202 from Radio Shackand I Ne> was wondering if I could connect a headset to it. Having only 1 ear Ne> piece would be the optimum. Does any one know which brands will work? Ne> If so where can I get them and how much $$? Ne> Thanks in advance. Jason N1RWY Icom accessories work with the 202. Select the Icom stuff designed for the 2AT. They have a headset with single ear"bud" type earphone. The cost about $60, and are not very sturdy, but they work well. I have one for my Icom W2A. I find the VOX not very useful, cuz I don't always want what I say transmitted, but in some special circumstances it could be useful. 73, Gary KN4AQ, Raleigh NC ___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.12 ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 19 Sep 1994 17:41:21 GMT From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!newshub.sdsu.edu!nic-nac.CSU.net!usc!howland.reston.ans.net!math.ohio-state.edu!magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu!csn!news.usafa.af.mil!cadetmail.usafa.af.mil!EMILEYMS%CS09@network. Subject: Wanted: Kenwood TH-28 Mods To: ham-equip@ucsd.edu If anyone has any mods for the Kenwood TH-28, please post them. Please specify what they do and how to actually do it. Thanks. C4C Emiley ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 21 Sep 1994 20:41:49 GMT From: newsgate.melpar.esys.com!melpar!phb@uunet.uu.net Subject: Yaesu FT-290R Mk II data sheet To: ham-equip@ucsd.edu Does anyone know if one of those slick, full-color data brocures exists for the Yaesu FT-290R Mk II? (it would probably include all 3 of the rigs - 6, 2, and 432). If it exists, does anyone know where I can obtain one? The local ham store doesn't have any (doesn't have the radios, either.....). Please e-mail to pbock@melpar.esys.com TNX ES 73, Paul, K4MSG ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 21 Sep 1994 00:54:53 GMT From: microsoft!hexnut!frede@uunet.uu.net Subject: Yaesu FT-530 repair ( good news ) To: ham-equip@ucsd.edu Yaesu has the best service of any of the "big three". I have sent my FT-530 back for the factory modifications and my FL-7000 linear back for repairs. In all cases, they covered everything under warranty and always gave me professional and helpful advice. I am an "all Yaesu" station now simply because of their superb customer service. Fredric Einstein KB7UUC ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 19 Sep 1994 19:20:17 GMT From: murky.apple.com!gallant.apple.com!kip-99.apple.com!user@decwrl.dec.com To: ham-equip@ucsd.edu References <355gk0$1hk@tadpole.fc.hp.com>, <35ca6a$nkj@snoopy.jh.org>, <35ktj6$90e@kelly.teleport.com>ur Subject : Re: Helical Filters (was: Info needed on RF Concepts 2m/440 Amp) In article <35ktj6$90e@kelly.teleport.com>, genew@teleport.com (Gene Wolford) wrote: > Steve Steinberg (ss@JH.Org) wrote: > : paulc@fc.hp.com (Paul Christofanelli) writes: > > : >Steve Steinberg (ss@JH.Org) wrote: > : >: o I read somewhere that due to intermod on HTs you shouldn't use > : >: preamps, is this true? > > : >I'm not sure where you live, but unless it's pretty uncrowded, an FT530 > : >with a vertical rooftop antenna is going to suffer lots of intermod, > : >spurious response, etc. A preamp is only going to make it worse. > : >Bag the preamp on the amp and get a helical filter to use with the > : >rooftop antenna (or keep the preamp and still get a filter). Note > : >that the 530 is certainly no worse than either ICOM or Kenwood late > : >model dual-band HT's. > > I run a FT530 as base / mobile/ ht and I have had some intermod problems in > a couple of big city downtown areas. Don't have much at home although there > is a pager tower about 4 blocks away. I bought a Ramsey 2m amp which comes > with a preamp,(and directions about disabling it). I disabled it. It made my > S meter meaningless, (full scale always), and caused a load of intermod > problems. I'll bet a higher quality preamp would function better. > > : Can anyone give me a source of 2m & 440 filter? DigiKey carries Toko helical filters. They have a couple of pretty narrow ones in the 2 meter band. You'll want to turn the preamp back on- they cost you 8dB insertion loss. The trick is splicing the filter into the preamp so you don't try transmitting through them. Digikey is at 800-344-4539. Toko 272MT-1006A 145 MHz center, 2.8 MHz bw, 25 dB down 6MHz off center. $28 Toko 5HT-44020AS-440 440 MHz center, 14MHz bw, 25 dB down 50 MHz off center, $20 DigiKey will happily sell you a Toko catalog for about $10, but I'd look for a local rep first and see if you can get one for free. The DigiKey catalog is free, and they're pretty reliable. -- 73- Bob Martin N6MZV * rtm@newton.apple.com Apple Computer, Inc * ------------------------------ Date: 21 Sep 1994 07:47:01 -0400 From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!news.intercon.com!news1.digex.net!access2!jeffp@network.ucsd.edu To: ham-equip@ucsd.edu References , <35ncal$gei@xmission.xmission.com>, s2 Subject : Re: Radio Shack HTX-202: Good Buy davidm@iglou.com (David Michael Moore) writes: >In article <35ncal$gei@xmission.xmission.com>, >odwill@xmission.com (O. D. Williams) wrote: >>> Generally speaking, RipOff Shack doesn't care much for quality. The last >>> HT they made had a plastic case (bad news if you drop it) and such poor Key there is "they made". The HTX-202 is sourced from ICOM. >Well, I didn't get the extended warrenty, but I've had mine for about a year >and a half now, so I'm sure that what ever warrenty I did have is long gone. >My 202 is still chugging right along, and thats after atleast 4 drops from >my workbench on to a concrete floor (a drop of about 3 and a half feet). >David KD4RMW >davidm@iglou.com If the quality is anything like the other ICOM I own (U-16) Then I expect very few major problems. My U-16 has dropped from 5+' numerous times and still works fine. JeffP ------------------------------ End of Ham-Equip Digest V94 #340 ******************************