QRZ! Ham Radio 3/QRZ Ham Radio Callsign Database - Volume 3.iso/digests/infoham/931308.txt

Internet Message Format | 1994-06-04 | 24.9 KB

Date: Thu,  4 Nov 93 03:59:19 PST
From: Info-Hams Mailing List and Newsgroup <[e-mail]>
Errors-To: [e-mail]
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Precedence: Bulk
Subject: Info-Hams Digest V93 #1308
To: Info-Hams


Info-Hams Digest            Thu,  4 Nov 93       Volume 93 : Issue 1308

Today's Topics:
             ** wanted ** Miller 2002 loopstick or equiv.
                       characteristic impedance
                      EMI/RFI from Hidden Fence
             How to monitor police digital communications
                        Inverting LCD Displays
                Mobile Transceiver Installation Guide?
                    Observations on Kenwood TH-78
                    Questions about Yaesu FT-411E
                           TS 430 as mobile
      WARNING: Potential Geomagnetic Storm Warning - 04 November
          Was 'Vanity' Call Signs, now paying for call signs
                         We've lost him, Jim!

Send Replies or notes for publication to: <[e-mail]>
Send subscription requests to: <[e-mail]>
Problems you can't solve otherwise to [e-mail].

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: 3 Nov 93 22:54:21 GMT
From: concert!samba.oit.unc.edu![e-mail]
Subject: ** wanted ** Miller 2002 loopstick or equiv.
To: [e-mail]

I am looking for several of these for a crystal radio project for a class.
Please email   Happy Thanksgiving to the net.....73 de ab4vj  ..

****************************************************************************
** Terry Murphy de AB4VJ  Hallicrafters and Keys Adopted - Inquire within **
** PO Box 61971 DurHAM,NC 27705-1971 [phone] HM [phone] Work **
** email to [e-mail]     Go Heels !!                **
** packet to ab4vj@kb4wga #dur.NC.USA     or 14.188 RTTY Sundays          **
****************************************************************************


--
   The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the University of
     North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Campus Office for Information
        Technology, or the Experimental Bulletin Board Service.
           internet:  laUNChpad.unc.edu or 152.2.22.80

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 3 Nov 1993 23:47:59 GMT
From: spool.mu.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!math.ohio-state.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!emory!kd4nc!ke4zv![e-mail]
Subject: characteristic impedance
To: [e-mail]

In article <claude.752056704@bauv106> [e-mail] (Claude Frantz) writes:
>What is the prefered method to measure the characteristic impedance
>of a coax line ?

The preferred method is with a network analyzer, but few of us have
them. Here are a couple of methods that work.

Measure the SWR of the line with the far end unterminated. This will
let you calculate line loss. This'll work even if your meter is of a
different characteristic impedance since infinity to 1 is still infinity
to 1 no matter what small difference there may be in the 1. Now terminate
the line in a known impedance. Measure the SWR and calculate what the line
impedance should be to give that reading. Now correct that for the difference,
if any, caused by your meter's impedance. That's your cable impedance.

If you're measuring at a relatively low frequency, there's another way.
Just terminate the line with a variable carbon resistor, feed a wee bit
of power up the line, and "dip" the SWR reading with the pot. The pot's
value will be the line's characteristic impedance regardless of the
meter impedance.

Gary
--
Gary Coffman KE4ZV          |"If 10% is good enough | gatech!wa4mei!ke4zv!gary
Destructive Testing Systems | for Jesus, it's good  | uunet!rsiatl!ke4zv!gary
534 Shannon Way             | enough for Uncle Sam."| emory!kd4nc!ke4zv!gary
Lawrenceville, GA 30244     | -Ray Stevens          |

------------------------------

Date: 2 Nov 93 16:03:40 EST
From: psinntp![e-mail]
Subject: EMI/RFI from Hidden Fence
To: [e-mail]

In rec.radio.amateur.misc, [e-mail] (Faith Senie) writes:

>Thread history about Invisible Fence and squooshed dog deleted.

>> Now, I *HOPE* that the receivers on the collar are very, very immune to
>> front-end overload, etc. Either blocking or falsing could have serious
>> results, indeed. This seems like something that would be worth a few
>> tests.

>I suspect that the collar receivers are NOT terribly immune to front-end
>overload. When my folks got themselves a new dog a few years ago, they had
>one of those invisible fences installed at the house.  Duke was lying on
>the floor under the TV set one evening, wearing his receiver collar, when
>Dad turned on the TV. Poor dog went ballistic.  Apparently either the TV
>was overloading his collar, or else the magnetic field around the TV was
>inducing currents in the collar, and he was getting zorched.  Ever since
>then, my folks have only put the collar on him when he goes outside, so
>that nothing in the house would hurt him like that again.

Hello, Faith,

Well, there is probably a strong 15.75 kHz em field around most TVs,
the frequency of the horizontal sweep. The horizontal sweep waveforms
are rich in harmonics (appearing as a rough buzz every 15 kHz even
in HF bands). The Hidden Fence receiver is approximately 32 kHz, so
it is real close. Either the 15 kHz fundamental, or harmonics, are
activating the collar.

This is much like the feeling I get when I am wearing my tie at work --
I wonder if . . .

73 from your friend at ARRL HQ, Ed

-----
Ed Hare, KA1CV                  [e-mail]
American Radio Relay League
225 Main St.
Newington, CT  06111            If you tie a strip of colored cloth to
[phone] - voice          part of your body, the tribe acts
ARRL Laboratory Supervisor      differently!
RFI, xmtr and rcvr testing
-----

------------------------------

Date: 4 Nov 93 02:16:42 GMT
From: ogicse!uwm.edu!news.moneng.mei.com!howland.reston.ans.net!agate!iat.holonet.net![e-mail]
Subject: How to monitor police digital communications
To: [e-mail]

[e-mail] (Daniel D. Todd) writes:
: Hello All,
:  Well I'm not corrupt, gay, a no-coder or even cruel to animals but I am interested in monitoring
: digital public safety transmissions and digital SCA transmissions. What are tehe transmission schemes?  I am
: now building the the 741 decoder and have some software for it.  Is there police or sca decoder doftware
: available out there?  cuold I decode any of this stuff w/my TNC-2? If you are afraid of disseminating this on
: the whole net feel free to e-mail it to me.  If you are really paranoid you can even send for a copy of my
: public key!
:
: cheers and 73
: Dan

Well I don't Know...If you are not c, g, n-c, or cta why do you want to
decode mdts?

Start by finding a signal. If you are at Davis try 453.725 on Mount Vaca.
Get yourself a 4800 baud modem for your tnc. Then put the bits in the
proper order ;) Most mdt s are just like amateur packet...only the bit
order is changed.

Good luck in the contest

--
Bob Wilkins n6fri             voice 440.250+ 100pl san francisco bay area
[e-mail]             packet n6fri @ n6eeg.#nocal.ca.usa.na


------------------------------

Date: 4 Nov 93 07:43:13 GMT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Inverting LCD Displays
To: [e-mail]

[e-mail]
wrote:

>The Visar has an LCD channel display mounted on top at a 45-degree angle,
>so it is visible from above (if the radio is in your shirt pocket) or from
>the front (if you have it in your hand). Of course, that means that the
>display must be upside down from one or the other position.

>The neat feature is an invert button. Press it and the characters in the
>display electronically invert! No need to read upside-down numbers!

Just wanted to add, that the Visar is not the first radio that can
invert the LCD display. The Motorola MT-1000 (99 channel version)
is also able to invert it's display. The way this is done is the user
holds down the 'up' and 'down' buttons together while turning on the
radio.
Another neat feature about the radio was it's "MAN DOWN" option.
The option transmitted an 'alert' code/tone when the radio is layed
horizontally for more than x amount of time. It has a defeatable
switch. Great for law enforcement agencies who hang out in bad
neighborhoods - less practical for Amateur Radio.
Some other great Motorola radio features that I'd like to see incorporated
into ham radio equipment are:
- Minimum Volume settings. Motorola radios by default are not be set to
  zero volume. This can be changed on newer models but the reason they
  do this is so a call can not be missed by accidentally turning down th
  volume.
- 'Reverse-burst' PL. When 2 motorola radios talk to eachother in the PL
  encode/decode mode, they totally elliminate any squelch-tail noise
  bursts.
- Some beepers include a mechanical vibrator - great for extremely noisy
  environments or at times when silence is perfered. This can just as
  well be built into an HT.
- Anti-theft features:
  Motorola HT's lose their programmed DES/DVP encryption codes
  when the battery is removed for x amount of time. On SABER models,
  the user can program a PASSWORD that is required each time the
  radio is turned on.  Similar features can be built into ham equipment
  that renders it useless until a code is entered. (feature sould be
  user selectable) Similarly, (I don't know if this exists yet) if a radio
  is stolen, a secret code can be transmited that would cause the radio
  to go into transmit mode continuously or on a selected duty cycle.
  (providing of course that the radio is on). DF equipment can then be
  used for the 'seek and destroy' mission.

I haven't seen the "Visar" yet. Someone said it's the smallest Motorola
HT ever. Does anyone remember the HT-100  ? (it was about the size of
a small pack of cigarettes and put out 100 mW) From the days
of the legendary HT-220.

73,
Rich
WB2JBS

-----------------
Disclaimer: My employer is not responsible for my opinions

------------------------------

Date: 2 Nov 1993 14:17:39 -0500
From: dog.ee.lbl.gov!overload.lbl.gov!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!sdd.hp.com!hpscit.sc.hp.com!hpuerca.atl.hp.com!hpuerca![e-mail]
Subject: Mobile Transceiver Installation Guide?
To: [e-mail]

In <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Paul Lutt) writes:

>I just purchased a 1994 Ford Ranger pickup and I want to transfer my
>2-meter mobile rig to it.  Does anyone know if Ford has any literature
>available recommending how to install two-way radio equipment?

<stuff deleted to save net.bandwidth>

If it's literature you need, your owners guide that came with the
Ranger has about all you'll find in print from Ford on the subject.
It is oriented toward "that other type of radio", but basically
says do not use too much power. At least mine did. And the dealer
couldn't help find any better info "officially". Unofficially, the
service manager assured me that with proper installation I shouldn't
have any problems hf or vhf/uhf. In either case, he wouldn't refuse
to service the truck just because I put a radio in it.

I have details on what I ended up doing. It conforms to "proper
installation" and good practices as applied specifically to the
Ford Ranger pickup. And (since mine is a '92, I guess I've got a
pretty good track record with it :-) No failures to date!

Cheers & 73 Ed Humphries N5RCK
Hewlett-Packard NARC Atlanta GA
[e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: 4 Nov 93 02:41:36 GMT
From: orca.es.com!cnn.sim.es.com![e-mail]
Subject: Observations on Kenwood TH-78
To: [e-mail]

In <[e-mail]> [e-mail] writes:

> I decided to "test-drive" a friend's 78 one day, and was truly
> dissappointed. On top of the disgustingly poor intermod rejection,
> the battery life was nil, even though it was a fresh battery that
> had been fully charged the day before. I think it died on me within
> about 4 hours, and I wasn't talking all that much.


I agree with your front end intermod observations, however, in my area
its not much of a problem. What is unusual is the poor battery performance.
I find it hard to run mine down! I have the 1100 ma extended battery pack
and it never seems to go down. I have owned several HT's and the TH-78
has the best battery life of anything I've owned.

My only complaint with the thing is I can't remember how to do all the
features unless I have a manual with me.

Fred Orrell
WB5NOE

------------------------------

Date: 4 Nov 93 01:18:45 GMT
From: ogicse!flop.ENGR.ORST.EDU!mundania.CS.ORST.EDU![e-mail]
Subject: Questions about Yaesu FT-411E
To: [e-mail]

The best way to hook the FT-411E up to power is to get the cigarette lighter
adapter and then make a connection to a power supply of 3 amps or so.
The 'E' model has an enhanced processor that works a little better is all..

Darrek Kay
[e-mail]
[phone]

------------------------------

Date: 4 Nov 93 02:46:58 GMT
From: ogicse!uwm.edu!news.moneng.mei.com!howland.reston.ans.net!noc.near.net!news.delphi.com![e-mail]
Subject: TS 430 as mobile
To: [e-mail]

Clark - I must have 5000 miles (mobile) on my old TS-430. No problems
with it yet!
You need a good HF mobile antenna, with a good ground to the car. The rig
will reduce it's output if the SWR is too high. I've had no failures
with the final. The noise blanker works well against ignition noise,
but some cars (including my escort) put out a lot of RFI from the
electronic fuel pump, which requires a dealer installed fix (to the
fuel pump, not the TS-430). I've not needed an external speaker. I
don't use the mounting bracket - the rig rides on the seat next to me.
Have fun.
Walt W3FG

------------------------------

Date: 4 Nov 93 06:53:49 GMT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: WARNING: Potential Geomagnetic Storm Warning - 04 November
To: [e-mail]

                /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

                     POTENTIAL GEOMAGNETIC STORM WARNING

                        ISSUED: 06:30 UT, 04 NOVEMBER

                /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\


    HIGH RISK PERIOD:  04 - 06 November (UT days)
MODERATE RISK PERIOD:  04 - 07 November

POTENTIAL LOW-MIDDLE LATITUDE STORM INTENSITY:  MAJOR
      POTENTIAL HIGH LATITUDE STORM INTENSITY:  MAJOR - SEVERE

      POTENTIAL DURATION OF GEOMAGNETIC STORM:  48 TO 72 HOURS

POTENTIAL PEAK LOW-MIDDLE LATITUDE K-INDEX VALUES:  7
      POTENTIAL PEAK HIGH LATITUDE K-INDEX VALUES:  8

  EXPECTED DOMINATING LOW-MIDDLE LATITUDE K-INDEX:  6
        EXPECTED DOMINATING HIGH LATITUDE K-INDEX:  6

   POTENTIAL FOR LOW LATITUDE HF DEGRADATION:  MODERATE
        POTENTIAL SEVERITY OF HF DEGRADATION:  MINOR
          EXPECTED HF PROPAGATION CONDITIONS:  GOOD - FAIR

POTENTIAL FOR MIDDLE LATITUDE HF DEGRADATION:  HIGH
        POTENTIAL SEVERITY OF HF DEGRADATION:  MAJOR
          EXPECTED HF PROPAGATION CONDITIONS:  FAIR - OCCASIONALLY VERY POOR

  POTENTIAL FOR HIGH LATITUDE HF DEGRADATION:  HIGH
        POTENTIAL SEVERITY OF HF DEGRADATION:  MAJOR
          EXPECTED HF PROPAGATION CONDITIONS:  VERY POOR TO USELESS

POTENTIAL RISK FOR GEOSYNCHRONOUS MAGNETOPAUSE CROSSINGS:  40% PROBABLE

SUSPECTED SOURCE OF OBSERVED/EXPECTED ACTIVITY:
     Recent CME and/or a well-placed, recurrent coronal hole.  Minor to
     major storming already being observed.


---------------------------------       ---------------------------------
EST. POTENTIAL GEOMAGNETIC IMPACT       EST. POTENTIAL IONOSPHERIC IMPACT
---------------------------------       ---------------------------------
       SEVERE STORM : 25 %                 LOW LATITUDES : MINOR
        MAJOR STORM : 35 %              MIDDLE LATITUDES : MAJOR
        MINOR STORM : 30 %                HIGH LATITUDES : MAJOR
     ACTIVE OR LESS : 10 %               POLAR LATITUDES : MAJOR
---------------------------------       ---------------------------------
 PROBABLE SI ASSOCIATION : 10 %          ESTIMATED GLOBAL IMPACT: MAJOR

ESTIMATED FORECAST PEAK PLANETARY 24-HOUR A-INDEX DURING STORM: 50


**  End of Warning  **

------------------------------

Date: 3 Nov 93 22:38:43 GMT
From: ogicse!uwm.edu!msuinfo!netnews.upenn.edu!mipg.upenn.edu![e-mail]
Subject: Was 'Vanity' Call Signs, now paying for call signs
To: [e-mail]

>The only valid objection to paying for licensing services from the FCC
>that I've heard is that young people will be discouraged by one more
>financial barrier to getting and keeping a license.

I disagree that this is a valid objection.

Let us take a real world example of the same problem.  Currently in the US
there is a "controversy" concerning the raising of of grazing fees for
cattle on federal land.  The fees charged by the federal government is FAR
less than what private owners charge.  In defense of the lower fees, the
cattlemen organizations claim that this would devastate the small-time
cattlemen.  In reality, however, the vast majority of the grazing licenses
are held by organizations such as Metropolitan Life.

Similarly, hams are saying that higher fees would deter young people from
becoming hams.  I believe that we should pay what it costs to process the
application- no more, no less (TANSTAAFL).  Why are the complaints against
higher fees self serving?   I am sure that most children who become hams
have parents (generally fathers) who are hams; they are not paying the fees
themselves.  Furthermore, if the child can not afford the few dollars (someone
in this newsgroup quoted $15), what makes ANYONE think he can afford to purchase
a radio to get on the air?  Even the cheapest homebrew QRP rig costs more
than that. (Assuming that the kid does not have a well stocked junk box at
home.  Those that do probably have a ham for a parent.)

--
411 Blockley Hall      |                    Conway Yee, N2JWQ
418 Service Drive      | [e-mail]
Philadelphia, PA 19104 |
[phone]         | "Specialization is for insects."  -- Lazarus Long

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 4 Nov 1993 02:42:20 GMT
From: spool.mu.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!emory!kd4nc!ke4zv![e-mail]
Subject: We've lost him, Jim!
To: [e-mail]

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Michael Sattler) writes:
>I've heard it said that it's possible to hear MIR, the Space Shuttle,
>OSCAR, etc. with an HT and position-plotting software, tables, etc.
>
>Is it possible (or likely or routine) to speak with orbitals via a
>5-watt HT and a rubber duck or mobile antenna (like a Diamond
>3-5 db gain model)?

It's possible, but it's neither likely nor routine. Mobile stations
running about 100 watts seem to do quite well, and of course home
stations with steerable beams do well. You can certainly hear Shuttle
and MIR with a HT, even on the rubber ducky, but you have to remember
that they can hear stations over a radius of hundreds of miles. Your
little 5 watts gets lost in the pileup. If you're in an area with
little competition, somewhere in the Pacific would be good, then
your chance of getting through with a HT would be greatly enhanced.

Gary
--
Gary Coffman KE4ZV          |"If 10% is good enough | gatech!wa4mei!ke4zv!gary
Destructive Testing Systems | for Jesus, it's good  | uunet!rsiatl!ke4zv!gary
534 Shannon Way             | enough for Uncle Sam."| emory!kd4nc!ke4zv!gary
Lawrenceville, GA 30244     | -Ray Stevens          |

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 2 Nov 1993 18:07:52 GMT
From: csus.edu!netcom.com![e-mail]
To: [e-mail]

References <[e-mail]>, <[e-mail]>, <2b60u1$[e-mail]>
Subject : Re: EMI/RFI from Hidden Fence

In article <2b60u1$[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Faith Senie) writes:
>In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (Greg Bullough) writes:
>>
>>
>> Now, I *HOPE* that the receivers on the collar are very, very immune to
>> front-end overload, etc. Either blocking or falsing could have serious
>> results, indeed. This seems like something that would be worth a few
>> tests.
>>
>> Greg
>>
>
>I suspect that the collar receivers are NOT terribly immune to front-end overload.
>When my folks got themselves a new dog a few years ago, they had one of those
>invisible fences installed at the house.  Duke was lying on the floor under the
>TV set one evening, wearing his receiver collar, when Dad turned on the TV.
>Poor dog went ballistic.  Apparently either the TV was overloading his collar,
>or else the magnetic field around the TV was inducing currents in the collar,
>and he was getting zorched.  Ever since then, my folks have only put the collar
>on him when he goes outside, so that nothing in the house would hurt him like
>that again.
>
>I'm trying to remember if Duke was outside with his collar on when Dan was
>working K2BSA/1 from our truck.  I suspect he'd have to be fairly close
>to the transmitter to get zapped, but you never can tell.
>
>Gives new meaning to the term 'hot dog'...  :-)
>

Sounds like fodder for an ARRL Lab test, followed by an article in
QST, as well as working with the manufacturer (if cooperative) or
the FCC type-acceptance folks (if manufacturer not cooperative) to
get any and all of these devices fixed so that our transmissions
don't result in harm to critters. This seems like potentially
a far more serious and explosive situation than fouling up "Jeopardy."

Greg

------------------------------

Date: 4 Nov 93 02:41:08 GMT
From: ogicse!uwm.edu!spool.mu.edu!agate!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!odin![e-mail]
To: [e-mail]

References <[e-mail]>, <2ajofp$[e-mail]>, <[e-mail]>
Subject : Re: BAUD VS BAUDS

In article <[e-mail]>, Bill Coleman <[e-mail]> wrote:
>Oh, and there's no such thing as "bauds." Like sheep, the plural requires no
>"s" suffix.

As a friend recently pointed out to me, saying "1200 bauds" is very much
like saying "1200 Hertzes".  Both units have identical singular and
plural forms -- it's not right to add an "s" to either.

       Stephen

--
Stephen Trier  KB8PWA       "[I]t's time to put your power supply under the
Work: [e-mail]     cardboard pyramid in the fridge with the oranges
Home: [e-mail]        and razor blades under it."
                                               - [e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 2 Nov 1993 21:42:33 GMT
From: munnari.oz.au!spool.mu.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!library.ucla.edu!news.ucdavis.edu!othello.ucdavis.edu![e-mail]
To: [e-mail]

References <[e-mail]>, <[e-mail]>, <[e-mail]>davis
Subject : Re: How to monitor police digital communications

Hello All,
 Well I'm not corrupt, gay, a no-coder or even cruel to animals but I am interested in monitoring
digital public safety transmissions and digital SCA transmissions. What are tehe transmission schemes?  I am
now building the the 741 decoder and have some software for it.  Is there police or sca decoder doftware
available out there?  cuold I decode any of this stuff w/my TNC-2? If you are afraid of disseminating this on
the whole net feel free to e-mail it to me.  If you are really paranoid you can even send for a copy of my
public key!

cheers and 73
Dan

 --
*---------------------------------------------------------------------*
* Daniel D. Todd      Packet: KC6UUD@WA6RDH.#nocal.ca.usa             *
*                   Internet: [e-mail]                      *
*                 Snail Mail: 1750 Hanover #102                       *
*                             Davis CA 95616                          *
*---------------------------------------------------------------------*
*       I do not speak for the University of California....           *
*       and it sure as hell doesn't speak for me!!                    *
*---------------------------------------------------------------------*


------------------------------

End of Info-Hams Digest V93 #1308
******************************
******************************