Date: Mon, 17 Jan 94 22:32:07 PST From: Info-Hams Mailing List and Newsgroup Errors-To: Info-Hams-Errors@UCSD.Edu Reply-To: Info-Hams@UCSD.Edu Precedence: Bulk Subject: Info-Hams Digest V94 #50 To: Info-Hams Info-Hams Digest Mon, 17 Jan 94 Volume 94 : Issue 50 Today's Topics: 73: Solar battery charger article request cancer from ham radio Commercial handheld modification? Dipole Antenna DIPOLES FED BY LADDER LINE - Q FM broadcast (Technical aspects) HDN Releases Programs Ramsey FX Transceivers Requesting Yaesu FT-530 info RTTY - is it like TTY for the deaf (2 msgs) WWV Seems to Have a Problem. 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 Info-Hams Digest are available (by FTP only) from UCSD.Edu in directory "mailarchives/info-hams". 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: Sun, 16 Jan 1994 13:49:13 GMT From: elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!swrinde!gatech!wa4mei.ping.com!kd4nc!ke4zv!gary@ames.arpa Subject: 73: Solar battery charger article request To: info-hams@ucsd.edu In article <2h9m39$8u6@senator-bedfellow.MIT.EDU> jchang@mit.edu (John Chang) writes: > >Does anyone know where to get solar panels inexpensively? Real Goods >(800-762-7325) sells a 10-watt Solarex panel for $149 + shipping, >which seems high to me. Well of course, everything Real Goods sells is two to three times higher than you can get it elsewhere. It's that "green" label don't you know. Try Northern Hydraulics, they have a 40 watt panel they sell for $99 with charge controller. Gary -- Gary Coffman KE4ZV | You make it, | gatech!wa4mei!ke4zv!gary Destructive Testing Systems | we break it. | uunet!rsiatl!ke4zv!gary 534 Shannon Way | Guaranteed! | emory!kd4nc!ke4zv!gary Lawrenceville, GA 30244 | | ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Jan 1994 23:40:17 GMT From: mulvey!rich@uunet.uu.net Subject: cancer from ham radio To: info-hams@ucsd.edu taaron@netcom.com (taaron@netcom.com) wrote: : Tell me, if ham radio causes cancer, why is it that all the ham radio : club meetings are filled with old people with few health problems other : than normal ones for their age? Then how come it seems like all we hear in our QSO's is RST, rig, and the other op's Ailment Of The Week? :-) - Rich -- Rich Mulvey Amateur Radio: N2VDS Rochester, NY rich@mulvey.com "Full power on half a watt." ------------------------------ Date: 17 Jan 94 20:37:55 GMT From: ukma!darwin.sura.net!opusc!not-for-mail@rutgers.rutgers.edu Subject: Commercial handheld modification? To: info-hams@ucsd.edu At hamfests I see guys selling used commercial handhelds made by Motorola and other manufacturers. These guys always tell me that these radios can be modified for amateur frequencies, but so far have been unable to supply any useful information on how to accomplish this. Prices seem to be reasonable, and it looks like a cheap way to have a dedicated packet radio. Has anyone done this? Thanks David, AD4HM ------------------------------ Date: 17 Jan 94 20:45:10 GMT From: sdd.hp.com!col.hp.com!srgenprp!alanb@hplabs.hp.com Subject: Dipole Antenna To: info-hams@ucsd.edu Bruce Pea (pea@wri.com) wrote: : I want to hang an inverted V dipole cut for 160m. Apex will : be approximately 60' and the ends will be about 20' rfom the : ground. An average height of 40 feet is awfully low for the 160 meter band. If there were any way to get it higher (at least the center high-current part), you would do much better. : My question is, can I use twinlead to feed this with and run : it through a balanced antenna matcher and be able to work : 160m through 10m with half way decent performance?? If the tuner will match it (that is, give you 1:1 SWR at the tuner input), then that should work fine. Some have posted that a non-resonant length is better since that results in lower impedance. However, after you run through a few feet of twinlead/ladder line, the impedance will no longer be so high anyway, so I don't think it's much of a consideration. AL N1AL ------------------------------ Date: 17 Jan 94 20:32:51 GMT From: sdd.hp.com!col.hp.com!srgenprp!alanb@hplabs.hp.com Subject: DIPOLES FED BY LADDER LINE - Q To: info-hams@ucsd.edu John E. Taylor III (rohvm1.mah48d@rohmhaas.com) wrote: : In article , alanb@sr.hp.com (Alan Bloom) : wrote, in part: : > On the higher bands, the main difference with the 260-foot antenna would be : > the radiation pattern. On 80 meters, the pattern would be a cloverleaf : > (maximums at approx. 45-degree angle from the wire) ... : Don't forget that, to see the bidirectional pattern of a half-wave antenna, : or the cloverleaf pattern of a pair of half-wave antennas fed at the : center, you've got to be a _significant_ fraction of a wavelength above the : ground. ... That's true of radiation off the ends. It's easy to see why: At high radiation angles (which is what you get with a low antenna), the outgoing wave is not leaving in-line with the wire, but at an angle. The radiation is only zero directly end-on to the wire. However, if there is a null perpendicular to the wire (for example a two- wavelength centerfed antenna), then the null is not affected by takeoff angle. For a null that appears in a direction intermediate between perpendicular and end-line, the null doesn't disappear at high takeoff angles, but it does change direction. By the way, I erred in saying that a full-wave centerfed has a null perpendicular to the wire. That's true for an END-FED full wave, but not for a center-fed. AL N1AL ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 16 Jan 1994 13:46:34 GMT From: agate!howland.reston.ans.net!gatech!wa4mei.ping.com!kd4nc!ke4zv!gary@ames.arpa Subject: FM broadcast (Technical aspects) To: info-hams@ucsd.edu In article <1994Jan15.203503.1@ntuvax.ntu.ac.sg> asirene@ntuvax.ntu.ac.sg writes: >chris andersen (akcs.marz@vpnet.chi.il.us) wrote: >: Is it possible for a person with ham or modified ham set up to broadcast >: on the 88-108 Mhz area??? > > Funny how a technical question gets so many legal answers. The answer >to chris's question is of course, a yes. Well the answer is "yes" in about the same sense that you can convert a clapped out 82 Chevy into a new one, IE jack up the radiator cap and replace everything under it, then replace the cap. You'd have to: 1) redesign the modulator to do 75 kHz deviation. 2) redesign the PLL synthesizer to cover the new range. 3) rebuild the driver and PA output networks. Now if you wanted two way capability as well, you'd also have to rebuild the IF with a 200 kHz filter and redesign the demodulator for wideband operation. Other than that, you might be able to salvage the case. There, I didn't even mention that it'd be illegal as hell once. Gary -- Gary Coffman KE4ZV | You make it, | gatech!wa4mei!ke4zv!gary Destructive Testing Systems | we break it. | uunet!rsiatl!ke4zv!gary 534 Shannon Way | Guaranteed! | emory!kd4nc!ke4zv!gary Lawrenceville, GA 30244 | | ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 15 Jan 1994 00:48:08 From: elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!convex!seas.smu.edu!utacfd.uta.edu!rwsys!ocitor!FredGate@ames.arpa Subject: HDN Releases To: info-hams@ucsd.edu The following files were processed Saturday 01-15-94: HAMLOG [ HAM: Amateur radio logging programs ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- LOGIT10.ZIP ( 172120 bytes) General purpose logging program for the casual ham operator ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 172120 bytes in 1 file(s) Total of 172120 bytes in 1 file(s) Files are available via Anonymous-FTP from ftp.fidonet.org IP NET address 140.98.2.1 Directories are: pub/fidonet/ham/hamnews (Bulletins) /hamant (Antennas) /hamsat (Sat. prg/Amsat Bulletins) /hampack (Packet) /hamelec (Formulas) /hamtrain (Training Material) /hamlog (Logging Programs) /hamcomm (APLink/JvFax/Rtty/etc) /hammods (Equip modification) /hamswl (SWBC Skeds/Frequencies) /hamscan (Scanner Frequencies) /hamutil (Operating aids/utils) /hamsrc (Source code to programs) /hamdemo (Demos of new ham software) /hamnos (TCP/IP and NOS related software) Files may be downloaded via land-line at (214) 226-1181 or (214) 226-1182. 1.2 to 16.8K, 23 hours a day . When ask for Full Name, enter: Guest;guest lee - wa5eha Ham Distribution Net * Origin: Ham Distribution Net Coordinator / Node 1 (1:124/7009) ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 16 Jan 94 13:02:14 GMT From: haven.umd.edu!darwin.sura.net!math.ohio-state.edu!wupost!waikato!comp.vuw.ac.nz!gcs.co.nz!amigans!doc@ames.arpa Subject: Programs To: info-hams@ucsd.edu Sethe 16/01/94 Radio Programs for Amiga.. Could anyone help me as Im interested in working a Packet Station but can not find a TNC Program, Im running a Amiga A600. I would be very much appreciated if anyone could help, Also Im interested in any other programs to do with ham radio. Email to doc@amigans.gen.nz dLdoc Thanks in advance De ZL1MY... ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 16 Jan 1994 17:19:29 GMT From: mulvey!rich@uunet.uu.net Subject: Ramsey FX Transceivers To: info-hams@ucsd.edu Cecil Moore (kg7bk@indirect.com) wrote: ( deleted ) : Ramsey is an American manufacturer without the resources of an ICOM. The FX : transceivers perform well once the few bugs are fixed and I, personally, have : had no bad experiences with Ramsey outside of a few missing parts which they : promptly supplied without charge. My eyesight is so bad and those parts so : small that I couldn't even swear they were missing... they might still be : in my carpet. : How 'bout we stop bashing Ramsey and help them solve whatever problems we : might have because of them? If you can improve on their products without : appreciably increasing the cost, send them your improvements. They have : including some of my previous suggestions. That's all well and fine, but do you honestly believe that consumers have an obligation to do the product engineering that the manufacturer should have done in the first place? Let's be serious - when I purchase equipment, be it assembled or a kit, I have a reasonable expectation that it will perform substantially as advertised when assembled correctly, and, for that matter, will operate in a legal manner. Quite frankly, Ramsey kits do NOT meet those specifications. Just look at the magazine reviews. Look at the comments on this an other groups from people who have spent long hours working on their kits, only to have them splatter and emit harmonics all over the band. When you purchase pots and pans for your kitchen stove, do you expect to have to anneal them yourself? When you purchase a bicycle, do you think that it's reasonable to have to re-cut the gears because they weren't designed correctly? Why should we do the same for Ramsey, when there are many, many other kit distributers out there who do it so much better, and so much cheaper? Personally, I got an astounding deal with the Norcal 40 QRP xcvr kit that I assembled a few months ago. High performance, easy assembly, looks great on a spectrum analyzer, and good support from the distributer. And it cost me exactly $5.00 more than I would have paid for the crappy Ramsey transmitter/receiver pair. If they can clean up their act, and PROVE to their customers that they are a good deal, fine, more power to them. Personally, though, I've never found that spending good money after bad was a particularly intelligent thing to do. - Rich -- Rich Mulvey Amateur Radio: N2VDS Rochester, NY rich@mulvey.com "Full power on half a watt." ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 17 Jan 1994 15:13:31 GMT From: news.cerf.net!pagesat.net!olivea!spool.mu.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!torn!news.ccs.queensu.ca!venus!pas@network.ucsd.edu Subject: Requesting Yaesu FT-530 info To: info-hams@ucsd.edu In article , wy1z@netcom.com (Scott Ehrlich) writes: |> In article DCFLEEK@freh-01ms.adpc.purdue.EDU (Dan Fleek) writes: |> > |> >I am looking at dual-band HT's and like the features and feel of |> >the Yaesu FT-530. Could someone send me info and their comments on |> >the 800MHZ receive mods? I have searched the net for this, but can't |> >find it. |> >Thanks, |> >Dan Fleek Hi Dan, Mod details (as I read on this group once) are appended to this message. I got the dealer to do the mod so I would not kill the warranty. He did it for $10 - well worth the "insurance". I don't like cracking open a brand new $500 radio and poking at it with a 30watt soldering iron :-) Other than extended Tx and Rx (including the mod appended and the "hold up and down arrow keys on power up" trick), the only other two somewhat undocumented FT-530 tricks I know are: 1. holding squelch-open key above PTT with radio off shows minutes and seconds on display 2. ability to store AM mode in any of the 38 channels and I read once that you can tx in AM mode in the airband although I've never tried it. The radio has so many features and functions that I haven't had a need for additional mods. I can get the radio doing some pretty wild stuff like simulataneously scanning 30-odd channels (some with CTCSS decode) on the 144 side while searching cell-phone frequencies on the 440 side. Fun! 73, Peter Peter A. Stokes ______________________ Voice & Voice mail: (613) 545-2923 Engineering Applications Support ____________________ FAX: (613) 548-8104 Canadian Microelectronics Corporation ________________ Net: stokes@cmc.ca Kingston, Ontario, CANADA _________________________________ Radio: VE3ZXT Article: 35946 of rec.radio.amateur.misc From: johns@hp-ptp.ptp.hp.com (John Schubert) Date: Tue, 15 Jun 1993 22:13:57 GMT Subject: Re: FT-530 HT coverage expansion mods needed Message-ID: <19130028@hp-ptp.ptp.hp.com> Organization: HP Pacific Technology Park - Sunnyvale, Ca. Path: venus!news.ccs.queensu.ca!torn!utnut!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!sdd.hp.com!apollo.hp.com!cupnews0.cup.hp.com!hpscit.sc.hp.com!hplextra!hpcc05!hp-ptp!johns Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc References: <1v2qrr$q8j@techbook.techbook.com> Lines: 51 YAESU FT-530 (from Yaesu Service Dept.) Expanded Receive 110-180, 300-500 MHz[, 800-950 MHz ] [ Transmit 140-150, 430-450 MHz ] o Remove Antenna and Battery. o Remove four screws on bottom holding battery track. o Remove the four (black) screws holding rear case. o Slowly... open the front cover from tranceiver and lay both halves on table. o Note positioning of white paper insulator in right half of radio and lift out (don't throw away) o Carefully locate Jumper Pad 13 and remove solder. o Carefully locate Jumper Pad 15 and remove solder or 0 Ohm chip resistor. o Re-install white paper insulator, make sure ground tab slides through the paper insulator. o Close radio back up (Careful not to pinch the ribbon cable near lithium battery when closing halves). o Re-install the four (black) screws holding rear case. o Re-install the four (small silver) screws on bottom holding battery track to radio body. o Attach Antenna and Battery. o Turn off Radio.... Press and hold both arrow keys while turning on the Radio. o Modification Complete. ------------------------ | | | | | | | | | --- | | | | | | --- / | --- / | | | / 2 (|) (|) 1 | --- / 4 (|) (|) 3 | / <--- Jumpers are here 6 (|) (|) 5 | o / 8 (|) (|) 7 ----------------- Blowup ---> 10 (|) (|) 9 12 (|) (|) 11 14 (|) (|) 13 16 (|) (|) 15 - Depending on the version you have it may look more like this: ... 12 (|) (|) 11 (|) 13 16 (|) (|) 15 NOTE: Items in []'s are not mentioned by Yaesu... ------------------------------ Date: 17 Jan 94 20:54:02 GMT From: sdd.hp.com!col.hp.com!srgenprp!alanb@hplabs.hp.com Subject: RTTY - is it like TTY for the deaf To: info-hams@ucsd.edu Steven H. Eckwielen (she3328@ritvax.isc.rit.edu) wrote: : I have a question I'd like to see if any of you can answer. : Is RTTY then same type of communication used with the TTY? : The TTY being a Telecommunications Terminal for the Deaf/Hearing Impared. : They use this to hook up to the phone and call friends, etc. The answer is basically, yes. The difference being that, for Amateur use, you have to take the TTY (Teletype) input and output and convert them to radio frequencies to get RTTY (Radio Teletype). Actually, most hams no longer have Teletype machines, but use converter boxes hooked to their personal computers, but the principle is the same. AL N1AL ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 16 Jan 1994 08:13:05 GMT From: rit!isc-newsserver!ritvax.isc.rit.edu!SHE3328@cs.rochester.edu Subject: RTTY - is it like TTY for the deaf To: info-hams@ucsd.edu I have a question I'd like to see if any of you can answer. Is RTTY then same type of communication used with the TTY? The TTY being a Telecommunications Terminal for the Deaf/Hearing Impared. They use this to hook up to the phone and call friends, etc. I've been looking in the ARRL Handbook 1993, but am unclear as if they are the same. It only states the use for CW...etc... If anyone has more information on the TTY (deaf/hearing impared device) please E-mail me a reply.... Any help would be greatly appreciated... Thanks Steven Eckwielen ___ _ _ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ | __| | | __|__ |__ |_ | _ | Bitnet : she3328@ritvax ,-- | | _| |_ ||_ |/ /| _ | Internet : she3328@ritvax.isc.rit.edu |___|_|_|___|___|___|___|___| ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 17 Jan 1994 22:18:22 GMT From: dog.ee.lbl.gov!agate!iat.holonet.net!bwilkins@network.ucsd.edu Subject: WWV Seems to Have a Problem. To: info-hams@ucsd.edu Charles.R.Hohenstein.1@nd.edu (Charles R. Hohenstein) writes: : In article <940106.03343.ARMOND@delphi.com>, ARMOND@delphi.com wrote: : > : > Those WWV people are not very friendly. I called them up to be helpful. : > They were having two problems! On the $5 dollar Timex I have that I got at a : > yard sale, I see that WWV is about 5 seconds slow. I also have an S-38 : > receiver that I payed $20 for at a swapmeet. And, on that receiver it shows : > that WWV is about 10 kc off most of the time, that is when they are not : > drifting : > a! : : Yes, I know what you mean. With that "ticking" audio distortion problem, : the frequency and time inaccuracies, and the repetitive, bureaucratic style : of their voice transmissions (about all I've ever heard is the time--never : a single traffic report or ski forecast), one would almost think that this : outfit is part of the government. This is what happens to all stations that reach Number One on the charts. Would you beleive WWV has more receivers tuned to it than any other radio station. Even with their TOP SIXTY format they do take time out to give propagation forcasts once an hour. Bob -- Bob Wilkins n6fri voice 440.250+ 100pl san francisco bay area bwilkins@cave.org packet n6fri @ n6eeg.#nocal.ca.usa.na ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 17 Jan 1994 17:28:48 GMT From: pa.dec.com!nntpd.lkg.dec.com!peavax.mlo.dec.com!usenet@decwrl.dec.com To: info-hams@ucsd.edu References <1994Jan12.160032.1@kean.ucs.mun.ca>, , <2h9g9j$dkh@apple.com>c.c Reply-To : reisert@mlo.dec.com Subject : Re: QSL help pse I saw this weekend that IRCs are NO GOOD in Haiti - use $$. 73 - Jim AD1C -- Jim Reisert AD1C Internet: reisert@mlo.dec.com Digital Equipment Corp. UUCP: ...decwrl!mlo.dec.com!reisert 146 Main Street - MLO3-6/C9 Voice: 508-493-5747 Maynard, MA 01754 FAX: 508-493-0395 ------------------------------ Date: 13 Jan 1994 16:58:39 GMT From: agate!howland.reston.ans.net!spool.mu.edu!news.nd.edu!mac19@ames.arpa To: info-hams@ucsd.edu References , <1994Jan5.215327.11173@osuunx.ucc.okstate.edu>, <940106.03343.ARMOND@delphi.com> Subject : Re: WWV Seems to Have a Problem. In article <940106.03343.ARMOND@delphi.com>, ARMOND@delphi.com wrote: > > Those WWV people are not very friendly. I called them up to be helpful. > They were having two problems! On the $5 dollar Timex I have that I got at a > yard sale, I see that WWV is about 5 seconds slow. I also have an S-38 > receiver that I payed $20 for at a swapmeet. And, on that receiver it shows > that WWV is about 10 kc off most of the time, that is when they are not > drifting > a! Yes, I know what you mean. With that "ticking" audio distortion problem, the frequency and time inaccuracies, and the repetitive, bureaucratic style of their voice transmissions (about all I've ever heard is the time--never a single traffic report or ski forecast), one would almost think that this outfit is part of the government. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 16 Jan 1994 09:29:26 GMT From: netcomsv!netcom.com!tcj@decwrl.dec.com To: info-hams@ucsd.edu References , <2h1qb5$p55@news.tamu.edu>, <1994Jan14.013543.4093@unet.net.com> Subject : Re: Morse Code program Regarding a morse code program for Sun workstations, Richard Furuta (furuta@cs.tamu.edu) writes: > Has anyone managed to eliminate the residual clicks that are > generated along with the characters Alan Larson (larson@loren.net.com) replies: > I complained to Sun about it, and they claimed it was a hardware > problem. Their answer was to use Solaris 2.x, which had a > work-around in the software. I asked why they couldn't release a > patch for SunOS for that, but they never answered. I left Sun recently after a six year stint, and I can assure you that Sun would rather you didn't ask such embarrassing questions. In a nutshell, BSD (aka SunOS 4.x, aka Solaris 1.x) is effectively dead, and SVR4 (aka Solaris 2.x, aka SunOS 5.x) is the future. Unless you are a very large customer that generates a *lot* of revenue, it is unlikely that your bug reports against SunOS 4.x will receive much attention. Todd, KB6JXT ------------------------------ End of Info-Hams Digest V94 #50 ******************************