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1979-12-31
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Today's Topics:
Burkina Faso
How to charge my new battery pack
Modifiying radios for out of band operation (was Re: ARRL) (long)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 7 Dec 89 06:02:22 GMT
From: cs.utexas.edu!ut-emx!oo7@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu (Your Tax Dollars At Work)
Subject: Burkina Faso
Message-ID: <22028@ut-emx.UUCP>
gd@milkfs.itstd.sri.com.UUCP (Greg DesBrisay AA6BO) asks:
>>Where is Burkina Faso. Loyd and Iris Colvin are supposed to be active
>>from there as XT2KG. Is it the new name of a country or is it an
>>island or reef somewhere?
It's in Africa, and it used to be called Upper Volta (was there ever a
Lower Volta?). It's one of the poorest countries in the world, and very
few of the natives have kilowatts and beams, so make the most of visits
by those from richer parts of the world. DK7PE was there in 8/89 as XT2CW.
You have to admit that ham radio is good for learning geography - perhaps
the FCC exams should include some! (no offence to the poster intended).
Derek Wills (AA5BT, G3NMX)
Department of Astronomy, University of Texas,
Austin TX 78712. (512-471-1392)
oo7@astro.as.utexas.edu
------------------------------
Date: 7 Dec 89 06:29:58 GMT
From: unsvax!arrakis.nevada.edu!storkus@uunet.uu.net (Mike Storke (N7MSD))
Subject: How to charge my new battery pack
Message-ID: <1102@unsvax.NEVADA.EDU>
I just bought me today an Icom CM-12 battery pack. It is one of those things
where you insert your own batteries (I want to say alkaline battery holder, but
that is NOT what I'm going to do with it). With 10 1.5V alkalines, it has 15V
available, and just the same 12.5V when used with 1.25V NiCd's. Now my
question (actually, now that I think of it, 2):
1. I am going to use it with NiCd's (hey, it's cheaper than a BP-7-about $20-
$30 cheaper!!). It would be REAL NICE if I could charge the batteries WHILE
THEY ARE STILL IN THE PACK. It has no recharge terminals of any kind. Any
ideas on how I can hook something up on the top? And assuming I do, how
much voltage and current (I have a 13.8V power supply that can generate up
to 12 amps. What kind of regulation do I need?
2. (I just thought of this from an earlier problem) I wouldn't have bought this
if I didn't need it. Coming back from Thanksgiving, the hook that held my
old battery to the radio (on the battery, the little catch of metal) came
off the battery when I banged it against my dad. It slipped off if bumped
in the direction it slid off with any force. Yet, I (STUPID ME!!!!) chose
to leave the battery attached to the radio. Sometime between coming off
the plane and getting out of the taxi at my dorm, that battery came off
the radio (I had it on my belt on it's belt clip; I have no case for it,
but I'm working on that; it's been beaten around long enough, and it's
showing). None of the lost+founds have been able to find it. So, today,
got this. Problem: The hook metal on the battery won't come up high enough
for the hook on the radio to catch, meaning THIS BATTERY WILL FALL OFF THE
RADIO JUST LIKE THE LAST ONE!! I'm not willing to do that again.
Question: How can I raise the hook on the battery? Can I solder to it, and
leave some sort of bead, or do I have to modify the radio's hook. My radio
is no longer made anymore (it's a Santec (ENCOMM) ST-20T), and I discovered-
long ago, much to my suprise-that Icom batteries fit it perfectly-except now
I found out the hook won't catch. Any mechanical ideas out there?
3. I'm still waiting to see if anyone has any mods for that ST-20T or the Rat
Shack's 10M HTX-100 xcvr. If you do, please contact me!
4. (Last one, I PROMISE): On the auto overvoltage problem solutions, how well
will a rat shack SCR and a 15V, 1A zener on the trigger? Will it trigger
too often with that low a trigger voltage? And to keep the SCR from
blowing up, how about one of those rat shack's circuit breakers? I'm asking
about all rat shack stuff because I can get it easy and I want to maybe do
these mods during the holidays. The breaker I have trips to shorts in a
fraction of a second (I needed it because the barrel plug I use for the
handheld in the truck kept shorting out to the chassis; blew too many fuses;
this blows fast enough to keep the fuses happy!).
Thanks in advance to any info you can give me. Note this change in my sig file
below. This will only be this long until I come back. PROMISE! So PLEASE
don't flame me! Thanks, and 73's,
*******************************************************************************
*Mike P. Storke, N7MSD INET Address: storkus@arrakis.nevada.edu *
*SnailMail Address: P.O. Box 6 Minden, NV 89423 "I WANT MY C!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"*
*Packet Address: N7MSD@WA6RDH "Pascal: The Handcuff of the programmer. :-{ *
*DISCLAIMERS??? Why, when "I think what I say and I say what I think!"-From a*
*NOTICE: Due to Christmas Vacation here at UNLV, I will*character in Freddy's *
*unable to answer anything directed to me from the INET*Nightmares, episode: *
*from the night of December 14th to mid January.SORRY! *"Silence is Golden" *
*This has got to be the most compact sig file in history*A Wholesome TV show *
*******************************************************************************
------------------------------
Date: 7 Dec 89 07:16:17 GMT
From: uci-ics!turner@cs.ucla.edu (Clark Turner)
Subject: Modifiying radios for out of band operation (was Re: ARRL) (long)
Message-ID: <257E0E43.23569@paris.ics.uci.edu>
In article <1188@necis.UUCP> rbono@necis.UUCP (Rich Bono) writes:
>In article <24896@ubvax.UB.Com>, hardwick@ubvax.UB.Com (Bob Hardwick) writes:
>>
>> I got the following off of a packet BBS the other day
>> and thought the net might like to comment.
>>
> [deleted headers]
>
>> Several messages are circulating concerning how-to, or want-to, modify
>> VHF or UHF amateur gear for out of band operation. Why anyone would be
>> so blatant as to tell someone how, or request to violate the law is
...............
>> Mike N6KZB @ N6KZB Orange Section ARRL ASM.
>> Telecommunications Engineer II, RCOFD.
>>
>> If this is what the ARRL is doing with our dues money then
>> the ARRL has just lost a member.
>
>I am VERY worried about this type of thing.... Yes there are many valid
>MARS/CAP reasons to modify Amateur radios for out of band transmit operation,
>and I hope that all that do this have a MARS/CAP license and are ACTIVE in
>the respective service.
>
>But, MOST people these days think NOTHING of modifying a radio to transmit
>out of the HAM bands... MOST do not know that it is illegal to do so for
>use in the commercial bands... and don't realize that radios must be
>type accepted for use in a particular service. MOST are modifying their
>radios 'JUST IN CASE'.... Just in case of WHAT????
>
Rich:
I see your point...I worry about some hams who may not be responsible too,
it is a good instinct and you are to be commended for it. However, I cannot
imagine where you gather the facts you state about "MOST" hams and why they
modify their radios. I know at least 20 hams who have modified their rigs
to some extent and each and every one of them did it for the EXTRA RECEIVE
capability...and no other reason of which I am aware. If your claim is
indeed true, I am with you in my concern. It has just been my experience
that what you claim is not true. These hams had no choice to elect "recieve"
or "transmit" extensions, the mod accomplished both by design of the mfr.
>Some argue that the ham version of many radios are the same as the commercial
>versions, so that it is ok to modify for transmit... Technically this may
>be so, but LEGALLY it is NOT. Type accepted does not mean that if a
>radio has the same specs or has better specs than a type-accepted unit, then
>the non-type accepted radio is ok to use.
>
Point well taken. I find that many hams are not aware of this, but I similarly
have found only one (of the many I know and talk to) who suggested such a use
for his radio. To take this one step further, just to know that your own radio
is capable (and knowing the mod) of certain extended frequencies may just save
a life at some point. I live here in S. CaL. and we may see the "big one"
some day. I am sure glad I know about several easy mods to my radio which may
allow its use for police/redcross, etc. in case of REAL EMERGENCY and
disaster. So knowledge of such mods may be a real bonus someday.
>Why worry about this???? I am worried because I see it as a technological (SP?)
>advancement (synthisized (SP?) radios with wide band coverage) that will get
>legislated away from us when some yo-yo (probably not a licensed Amateur) gets
>a hold of one of these radios, and starts playing with the local police, fire,
>or ambulance services (yes, one of your modified radios COULD get stolen).
>
>I can see the headlines now, "Ham radio equipment is used to disrupt
>police/fire/ambulance (choose one) communications and 5 lives were lost".
I don't see this point as a serious one, for the simple reason that police
radios (and fire, etc.) are stolen every day and the problem is manageable.
I do believe you see a valid problem that should be noted, and no one wants
to interfere with public service radios....but I can't see this as a major
contribution to the problem (we should just outlaw guns because they can
be stolen and easily converted to illegal uses?)
>I sometimes wonder where this urge to modify radios to transmit in an area
>that we are not allowed comes from. Is it because we have many converts from
This is NOT the POINT, sir. Like I have found (unless you can convince me
otherwise), the mods are basically to RECEIVE outside the ham frequencies
and the radios DO NOT ALLOW for mods for just extended receive in the desired
range.....
>So it is up to us licensed operators... If we continue to thoughtlessly (SP?)
>modify Amateur gear so that it can transmit on bands where we have no
>business transmitting, and that it is illegal to do so with modified amateur
>gear, EVEN IF THE USER HAS A COMMERCIAL LICENSE, because that gear is not
>type accepted for the particular service, then we should be prepared to pay
>the price when we get our hands slapped.
Absolutely true, but since your premises are quite flawed, I believe that
such consequences are not going to flow from the widespread mods of gear.
>Why can't we be responsible enough to show that we CAN be technological
>leaders (SSB, PACKET, ...) and still show that we will not abuse the
>technology that we help to create???
KI believe that this is what the vast majority of hams already do, and do
not need "big brother" helping us out on. Most of us are intelligent
and caring enough to already know and act accordingly.
>start a non-emotional discussion pointing out the facts that I am NOT
>aware of... Yes, I have been wrong, many times in the past.
Hopefully I have put a few thoughts out for you?
>I also understand that my spelling is bad, luckily I didn't have to pass
>a spelling exam to get my Amateur license :-).
Far be it for ME to criticize you for such a thing! I just use a spell
checker (my wife says I cheat!)
>
> Flame suit on,
>.........
Nice touch.
73
----------
Clark S. Turner "When the going gets weird,
WA3JPG the weird turn pro."
turner@ics.uci.edu -Hunter Thompson
----------
------------------------------
End of INFO-HAMS Digest V89 Issue #985
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