Date: Mon, 24 Jan 94 23:12:54 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 #72 To: Info-Hams Info-Hams Digest Mon, 24 Jan 94 Volume 94 : Issue 72 Today's Topics: Anyone know of a callsign server? Callsign Servers CW filters and DSP-9 Daily Summary of Solar Geophysical Activity for 23 January DSP Audio Filters FFTMORSE source available nearby broadcast antennas Need MASTR II Conversion Instr. Non-amateur users of Morse code RAMSEY FX TRANSCEIVER ThickLAN Ethernet What could this mean? Yellowstone Park Served by Repeater? (2 msgs) 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: Wed, 19 Jan 1994 19:16:59 GMT From: mvb.saic.com!unogate!news.service.uci.edu!usc!cs.utexas.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!noc.near.net!gateway-gw!newshost!wpns@network.ucsd.edu Subject: Anyone know of a callsign server? To: info-hams@ucsd.edu apollyon@crash.cts.com (Shannon O. Sullivan) writes: > telnet callsign.cs.buffalo.edu port 2000 Someone also mentioned port 3000, and 'callsign' used to be 'marvin', but none of the above work any more. Did the internet callbook go away, move somewhere else, or is our net connection broken? All I get is 'unknown host' errors. -- Willie Smith wpns@pictel.com N1JBJ@amsat.org Some people you don't have to satirize, you just quote em - Tom Paxton ------------------------------ Date: 24 Jan 1994 10:06:26 -0500 From: usc!howland.reston.ans.net!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu!mail-news-gateway@network.ucsd.edu Subject: Callsign Servers To: info-hams@ucsd.edu The recently mentioned alternatives to the Buffalo callsign server are of no particular use. mudgate.imsa.edu 2000 just connects you thru to Buffalo, so why make two hops. plan9.njit.edu 2000 has been shut down and users are directed to Buffalo. It appears that the server in Buffalo is really the only one there is. Bob ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 24 Jan 1994 21:01:46 GMT From: news.ucr.edu!library.ucla.edu!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!howland.reston.ans.net!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!col.hp.com!srgenprp!alanb@network.ucsd.edu Subject: CW filters and DSP-9 To: info-hams@ucsd.edu Kein{nen Paul (k23690@lehtori.cc.tut.fi) wrote: : Clark Savage Turner (turner@safety.ics.uci.edu) wrote: : > Most IF filters don't have much ring, though some, many audio filters : > (except DSP I understand) can ring pretty badly. : What should the audio filter frequency (and phase response) look like : to avoid ringing. A high-Q single stage bandpass sounds horrible, but : how does a filter with flat passband (eg. Butterworth or elliptic) : sound like or is it really required to use Bessel-response in order : to get rid of the hollow sound produced by noise peaks. Another name for ringing is "pulse response" since CW dots and dashes are really pulses of RF. The filter shape with best pulse response for a given bandwidth is, I believe, Gaussian. This is closely approximated by a series of cascaded single-resonator filters, all tuned to the same frequency. Examples of a "resonator" would be an LC tuned circuit, a quartz crystal, or a tuned cavity. You get a better shape factor by using more resonators. (Shape factor is the ratio of the high-attenuation bandwidth [e.g. 30 dB] to the low-attenuation bandwidth [e.g. 3 dB].) For example, a single resonator with a 100-Hz bandwidth would have about the same bandwidth (and pulse response) as a cascade of three 200-Hz filters, but the shape factor would be much better with the three resonators (in this case, 32:1 for one resonator, 3:1 for three resonators.) Butterworth and Chebyshev filters have flatter passbands and better shape factors, but at the expense of poorer pulse response (ringing). AL N1AL ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 23 Jan 1994 21:47:20 MST From: sdd.hp.com!saimiri.primate.wisc.edu!caen!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!math.ohio-state.edu!cyber2.cyberstore.ca!nntp.cs.ubc.ca!alberta!ve6mgs!usenet@network.ucsd.edu Subject: Daily Summary of Solar Geophysical Activity for 23 January To: info-hams@ucsd.edu /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ DAILY SUMMARY OF SOLAR GEOPHYSICAL ACT 23 JANUARY, 1994 /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ (Based In-Part On SESC Observational Data) SOLAR AND GEOPHYSICAL ACT ----------------------------------------------------------- !!BEGIN!! (1.0) S.T.D. Solar Geophysical Data Broadcast for DAY 023, 01/23/94 10.7 FLUX=118.3 90-AVG=103 SSN=105 BKI=2111 0102 BAI=003 BGND-XRAY=B2.5 FLU1=6.0E+05 FLU10=9.5E+03 PKI=2212 2122 PAI=005 BOU-DEV=011,008,008,007,003,008,002,010 DEV-AVG=007 NT SWF=00:000 XRAY-MAX= C2.9 @ 1303UT XRAY-MIN= B2.2 @ 0307UT XRAY-AVG= B3.4 NEUTN-MAX= +001% @ 2140UT NEUTN-MIN= -003% @ 0610UT NEUTN-AVG= -0.2% PCA-MAX= +0.1DB @ 0755UT PCA-MIN= -0.3DB @ 1530UT PCA-AVG= +0.0DB BOUTF-MAX=55349NT @ 1502UT BOUTF-MIN=55324NT @ 1906UT BOUTF-AVG=55339NT GOES7-MAX=P:+000NT@ 0000UT GOES7-MIN=N:+000NT@ 0000UT G7-AVG=+073,+000,+000 GOES6-MAX=P:+132NT@ 1657UT GOES6-MIN=N:-051NT@ 0721UT G6-AVG=+097,+029,-027 FLUXFCST=STD:110,110,105;SESC:110,110,105 BAI/PAI-FCST=005,005,020/010,010,018 KFCST=1111 2111 1111 2111 27DAY-AP=005,003 27DAY-KP=1121 2211 0100 1122 WARNINGS=*SWF ALERTS= !!END-DATA!! NOTE: The Effective Sunspot Number for 22 JAN 94 was 50.0. The Full Kp Indices for 22 JAN 94 are: 3+ 2- 1+ 2- 2- 1+ 2- 2o SYNOPSIS OF ACT -------------------- Solar activity was low for the past 24 hours. Region 7654 (N09W21) produced one C-class flare and maintained its general complexity in white light and H-alpha. New Region 7660 (S08E71) rotated over the east limb as bright plage that may contain small spots. Surging was reported on the east limb near N08 and S01 that may be signaling the return of regions that were active last rotation. STD: Region 7654 has been reclassified as having a delta configuration. Solar activity forecast: solar activity is expected to be low. Isolated C-class flares are possible from Region 7654. The geomagnetic field has been at quiet levels for the past 24 hours. Geophysical activity forecast: the geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet for the next two days, becoming active by the end of the forecast period in response to disturbed solar wind associated with a filament disappearance on 21 Jan and a positive polarity, cross-equatorial coronal hole near solar disk center today. Event probabilities 24 jan-26 jan Class M 05/05/05 Class X 01/01/01 Proton 01/01/01 PCAF Green Geomagnetic activity probabilities 24 jan-26 jan A. Middle Latitudes Active 05/05/30 Minor Storm 01/05/20 Major-Severe Storm 01/01/05 B. High Latitudes Active 05/05/35 Minor Storm 01/05/25 Major-Severe Storm 01/01/05 HF propagation conditions were normal over all regions. Good propagation is expected to persist over the next 48 hours, through 25 January inclusive. High and polar latitude paths may see minor signal degradation return on 26 January in response to the above-mentioned filament and coronal hole related disturbances. COPIES OF JOINT USAF/NOAA SESC SOLAR GEOPHYSICAL REPORTS ======================================================== REGIONS WIT ---------------------------------------------------------- NMBR LOCATION LO AREA Z LL NN MAG TYPE 7652 N05W36 220 0110 HSX 02 001 ALPHA 7654 N10W22 206 0560 DKI 08 023 BET 7657 N13W50 234 0060 DAO 08 009 BET 7658 N12E02 182 0030 CRO 04 007 BET 7659 S14E36 148 0010 BXO 07 004 BET 7660 S08E70 114 0000 AXX 00 001 ALPHA REGIONS DUE TO RET NMBR LAT 7645 N13 085 7646 S09 087 7649 S19 079 LISTING OF SOLAR ENERGETIC EVENTS FOR 23 JANUARY, 1994 ------------------------------------------------------ BEGIN MAX END RGN LOC XRAY OP 245MHZ 10CM SWEEP 1544 1544 1545 170 1822 1824 1824 180 POSSIBLE CORONAL MASS EJECTION EVENTS FOR 23 JANUARY, 1994 ---------------------------------------------------------- BEGIN MAX END LOCATION TYPE SIZE DUR II IV NO EVENTS OBSERVED INFERRED CORONAL HOLES. LOCATIONS VALID AT 23/2400Z --------------------------------------------------- ISOLATED HOLES AND POLAR EXT EAST SOUTH WEST NORTH CAR TYPE POL AREA OBSN NO DAT SUMMARY OF FLARE EVENTS FOR THE PREVIOUS UTC DAY ------------------------------------------------ Date Begin Max End Xray Op Region Locn 2695 MHz 8800 MHz 15.4 GHz ------ ---- ---- ---- ---- -- ------ ------ --------- --------- --------- 22 Jan: 0102 0109 0114 C1.6 SF 7654 N10W00 0411 0414 0420 SF 7657 N11W26 0619 0622 0625 B3.5 1911 1919 1926 B6.2 SF 7654 N08W10 REGION FLARE STATISTICS FOR THE PREVIOUS UTC DAY ------------------------------------------------ C M X S 1 2 3 4 Total (%) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --- ------ Region 7654: 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 002 (50.0) Region 7657: 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 001 (25.0) Uncorrellated: 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 001 (25.0) Total Events: 004 optical and x-ray. EVENTS WIT ---------------------------------------------------------------- Date Begin Max End Xray Op Region Locn Sweeps/Optical Observations ------ ---- ---- ---- ---- -- ------ ------ --------------------------- 22 Jan: 0102 0109 0114 C1.6 SF 7654 N10W00 III 1911 1919 1926 B6.2 SF 7654 N08W10 III NOTES: All times are in Universal Time (UT). Characters preceding begin, max, and end times are defined as: B = Before, U = Uncertain, A = After. All times associated with x-ray flares (ex. flares which produce associated x-ray bursts) refer to the begin, max, and end times of the x-rays. Flares which are not associated with x-ray signatures use the optical observations to determine the begin, max, and end times. Acronyms used to identify sweeps and optical phenomena include: II = Type II Sweep Frequency Event III = Type III Sweep IV = Type IV Sweep V = Type V Sweep Continuum = Continuum Radio Event Loop = Loop Prominence System, Spray = Limb Spray, Surge = Bright Limb Surge, EPL = Eruptive Prominence on the Limb. ** End of Daily Report ** ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 20 Jan 1994 14:26:38 GMT From: convex!convex!cowart@uunet.uu.net Subject: DSP Audio Filters To: info-hams@ucsd.edu hamilton@BIX.com (hamilton on BIX) writes: >Yesterday, I spent a good part of the day at the HRO store in Salem, NH >and came away rather impressed with the "digital" audio filtering in the >Yaesu FT-990. Never mind that the 990's filtering isn't really digital -- >it was, nonetheless, impressively effective at cleaning out all the junk >in a CW signal so that all remained was a nice, clean tone. >That's got me thinking that perhaps one of the genuine DSP-based filters >like the Timewave DSP-59 might be even more amazing. The ads claim the >ability to filter out white (uncorrelated) noise + do tight bandpass >filtering. I'd love to hear comments from anyone who's got one or >from others who've actually listened to the effects. (Unfortunately, >HRO did not have one there on display for me to try yesterday.) Are >they worth the money? At $169 for the basic DSP-9 or $299 for the DSP-59, >we're talking the kind of money that could buy one or two xtal filters... >this is apples and oranges, but just so I get a feel for their relative >effectiveness, which offers more bang for the buck, do you think? I have an FT-990. I also have the Timewave DSP-59. If you liked what the SCAF filters in the 990 did, the DSP-59 will knock your socks off. On CW it can can go down to 50Hz bandpass, all you hear is the tone with virtually no ringing!! But it really shines on SSB with its 2 noise reduction and heterodyne elimination algorithms. Try one some time, you'll be amazed!! I have had the DSP-59 for about 8 months, and now I can't do without it! 73, Mike ------------------------------ Date: 20 Jan 1994 00:24:58 -0500 From: mvb.saic.com!unogate!news.service.uci.edu!usc!howland.reston.ans.net!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!news.ans.net!inca.gate.net!not-for-mail@network.ucsd.edu Subject: FFTMORSE source available To: info-hams@ucsd.edu I want to make available the source code for my changes to FFTMORSE. I have not had the time to fix up the source for distribution, and don't plan on having it in the near future, so it will be distributed "as is". Where is the best ftp site to upload it? -- -><- Rocco Caputo (troc@inca.gate.net) has left the building. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 24 Jan 1994 21:09:51 GMT From: news.ucr.edu!library.ucla.edu!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!howland.reston.ans.net!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!sdd.hp.com!col.hp.com!srgenprp!alanb@network.ucsd.edu Subject: nearby broadcast antennas To: info-hams@ucsd.edu tmrdpsrs@engvms.unl.edu (tmrdpsrs@engvms.unl.edu) wrote: : I am considering a move from my current QTH to a new apartment. However, the : apartment I'm considering is located immediately next to three transmitting : towers. All three are commercial broadcast stations, one FM (102.7 MHz), one : TV (Channel 10) and one AM (1240 kHz). I am currently active on 2 m, 440 MHz, : and am very active on HF for shortwave listening and will soon be working : the HF ham bands. Yup, you likely will have some problems. You will need a high-pass filter between your HF antenna(s) and transceiver. Assuming you don't want to operate the 160 meter band (1.8 MHz), it shouldn't be hard to design a filter that cuts off 1240 kHz and passes above 3.5 MHz. Check out any recent edition of the ARRL Handbook for cookbook filter design tables. Even with the high-pass filter, you probably will have trouble with harmonics from the AM station. 3 x 1240 = 3720 kHz, which will probably wipe out the top of the 80 meter novice band. For your shortwave listening, you will probably hear a distorted version of the AM station every 1240 kHz throughout the HF spectrum. For 2 meters and 440 MHz, you probably want bandpass filters. I bet someone makes these ready-made -- check out the ads in the ham magazines. Otherwise, it shouldn't be too hard to build a strip-line filter from designs in the VHF Manual or the RF Interference handbook. AL N1AL ------------------------------ Date: 25 Jan 1994 01:16:30 GMT From: agate!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!nigel.msen.com!seanp@network.ucsd.edu Subject: Need MASTR II Conversion Instr. To: info-hams@ucsd.edu Could someone please mail me the ascii version of the instructions to convert a GE MASTR II mobile to repeater use? I was able to find the Micor instructions, but I have just run into a boatload of MASTR II's and I can't find the mod anywhere. I'll post it if need be. Thanks.. Sean ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 20 Jan 1994 14:46:26 GMT From: news.crd.ge.com!islandgirl!gaus@uunet.uu.net Subject: Non-amateur users of Morse code To: info-hams@ucsd.edu Hello all, Can anyone tell me what people, organizations, institutions, or others use Morse code other than amateur radio operators? I know that merchant ships still use it to send messages. Who else throughout the world still uses Morse code for commercial purposes? Thanks in advance for your help. 73, Rick Gaus WA3INC ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 23 Jan 94 14:38:15 -0800 From: netcomsv!netcomsv!lavc!steven.rosenberg@decwrl.dec.com Subject: RAMSEY FX TRANSCEIVER To: info-hams@ucsd.edu lyndon@unbc.edu (Lyndon Nerenberg) writes: > Exactly. I picked up a pair of Ramsey's (2m, 440) to run on packet. Why? > For one, it seemed silly to buy an all-singing all-dancing 400 memory PL > rig just to wire down onto one frequency for packet. The Ramsey kit is > easily interfaced to a packet modem. > > As for price, the Ramsey kit is marginally less expensive than a comparable > single band radio WITH THE SAME FEATURES. I defy you to find a commercially > manufactured 2m (or 440) rig, with as few features as the Ramsey, to compare > the price to. When you do, *then* we'll argue about the relative expense of > the Ramsey kit. I'm curious, Lyndon, what kind of test equipment did you use to check out the radios after you assembled them? How did the assembly go? steven.rosenberg@support.com KC6FYL ------------------------------ Date: 20 Jan 1994 08:42:28 -0600 From: mvb.saic.com!unogate!news.service.uci.edu!usc!cs.utexas.edu!not-for-mail@network.ucsd.edu Subject: ThickLAN Ethernet To: info-hams@ucsd.edu I think I've seen the answer to this question posted a few moons ago, so please forgive me. I've run across some Thick-LAN Ethernet coax. I think it is 50-ohm, but I wonder if anyone has any other details on impedance, loss, etc. It is the orange jacketed cable and is a little less than 1/2 inch dia. Thanks in advance! -Brian Smithson, N8WRL smithson@acm.org -or- brian@wsi.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 20 Jan 1994 15:01:48 GMT From: spsgate!mogate!newsgate!news@uunet.uu.net Subject: What could this mean? To: info-hams@ucsd.edu In article jfh@netcom.com (Jack Hamilton) writes: > The following paragraph appeared in an article in today's San Francisco > Chronicle about what local companies are doing to help prepare for the next > earthquake: > > Finally, in an attempt to encourage the use of amateur (Ham) radios, > which are used by many relief agencies during an emergency, Pacific > Bell has reduced the cost of operating a Ham radio to the basic > service rate of $8.35 a month. Ham radios are licensed through the > phone company. > > I called PacBel to ask about this. They didn't have any idea. They > realize that they don't license amateur radios, and they also don't rent > any kind of amateur equipment. I thought they might be referring to a > special rate for phone patches, but they denied knowing anything about that > either. > > Any ideas? Do other phone companies do anything to encourage amateur > radio? > ... It most likely means that whoever wrote it had no idea what he/she was talking about. Typical. Could it be a special rate for cellular service? Don't some cellular providers offer low 'lifeline' rates for people who only use the cell phone for emergency calls? Cell phones are the only 'radios' I know of that are licensed thru the phone company. But then, maybe *I* don't know what I'm talking about. 73... Mark AA7TA ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 24 Jan 1994 22:45:42 GMT From: newshub.nosc.mil!news!monkfish!gold@network.ucsd.edu Subject: Yellowstone Park Served by Repeater? To: info-hams@ucsd.edu Miles Abernathy (miles@mbs.telesys.utexas.edu) wrote: : Is Yellowstone served by one or more repeaters? Does any repeater offer : coverage of much, most or all of the park? : Thank you. : = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = : _ Miles Abernathy, N5KOB = : | |__ miles@mbs.telesys.utexas.edu = : _| | POB 7580, Austin TX 78713 = : \ * / University of Texas @ Austin = : \/ tel. (512) 471-6521 U.S.A. = : = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = The last time I was in Yellowstone (7 years ago), there was no repeater operating in the park. I did contact a person on a fire tower on 146.52. In fact, I used 146.52 simplex most of the time I was in the park. You might try that frequency when you get there. Harry Gold KF6SA ------------------------------ Date: 24 Jan 1994 00:59:59 GMT From: ucsnews!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!cs.utexas.edu!geraldo.cc.utexas.edu!slip-2-64.ots.utexas.edu!user@network.ucsd.edu Subject: Yellowstone Park Served by Repeater? To: info-hams@ucsd.edu Is Yellowstone served by one or more repeaters? Does any repeater offer coverage of much, most or all of the park? Thank you. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = _ Miles Abernathy, N5KOB = | |__ miles@mbs.telesys.utexas.edu = _| | POB 7580, Austin TX 78713 = \ * / University of Texas @ Austin = \/ tel. (512) 471-6521 U.S.A. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = ------------------------------ Date: 21 Jan 94 12:54:45 GMT From: news.sprintlink.net!news.dorsai.org!news.dorsai.org!not-for-mail@uunet.uu.net To: info-hams@ucsd.edu References <2hfek9$a5@orion.cc.andrews.edu>, , <1994Jan18.201820.13828@ringer.cs.utsa.edu> Subject : Re: Global Alert For All: Jesus is Coming Soon In article <1994Jan18.201820.13828@ringer.cs.utsa.edu>, M Blake Schreckenba wrote: > I remember reading somewhere that the Lost Ark of the Covenant was really an > extraterrestrial sub-space transceiver, left behind by the same beings that > gave some of their construction and architecture expertise to the Egyptians, > Mayans, etc. I remember seeing somewhere, (Nova?), that if you tried to build the Ark of the Covenant from it's description in the Bible, you would wind up with a storage battery. Could you immagine some one who couldn't understand the concept of energy getting an electric shock. To him it would have been the power of God. According to legend, there was a light on top of the great pyramid that burned for 600 years. Egyptologist found a small room with copper troughs in it that were lined with lead, and two wires that lead up to, where? When you think about it, a wet cell is a simple idea. It is conceiveable that some high priest of a once acient religion discoverd electricity and the knowledge was kept as a secret. < ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> < "Big Steve" Coletti > < Shortwave Listener, Broadcaster, Computer Consultant > < and all around nice guy > < Internet: bigsteve@dorsai.dorsai.org ==== S.COLETTI2@genie.geis.com > < UUCP: Steve_Cole@islenet.com ==== steveny@lopez.marquette.mi.us > < Fidonet: 1:278/712 US Mail: P.O. Box 396, New York, NY 10002 > < Voice: +1 212 995-2637 > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ------------------------------ End of Info-Hams Digest V94 #72 ******************************