QRZ! Ham Radio 5/QRZ Ham Radio Callsign Database - Volume 5.iso/digests/infoham/940751.txt

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Date: Wed,  6 Jul 94 09:06:05 PDT
From: Info-Hams Mailing List and Newsgroup <[e-mail]>
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Subject: Info-Hams Digest V94 #751
To: Info-Hams


Info-Hams Digest            Wed,  6 Jul 94       Volume 94 : Issue  751

Today's Topics:
            Amateur calls on auto license plates? (3 msgs)
                   Buying in the Far East (4 msgs)
            Copying CW, and why it's friendlier than phone
                  Does CW as a pre-req REALLY Work?
                  Equipment on board the Mir station
                    Help with No Scratch mag mount
                                IC229H
                      Info-Hams Digest V94 #743
               New York State's new ham license plates
                        temperature conversion

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Archives of past issues of the Info-Hams Digest are available
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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: 6 Jul 94 13:34:11 GMT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Amateur calls on auto license plates?
To: [e-mail]

>I see a lot of vehicles with ham calls on their plates, but I am wary of
>doing this for fear that the specialized plates are a billboard to
>thieves that there might be expensive radio equipment in the vehicle.
>Any comments pro or con?  Thanks!     ---Dan, N9XDK

the radio antennas are a giveaway as well.

there are so many different plates in use today in florida, that the amateur
plate (in standard colors with standard background) doesn't appear all that
different from the normal alphabet soup plate.

of course, a standard big chevy or ford with minimum trim and a couple of
antennas on it screams "cop car!" so you could be more thief-resistant that
way.

i don't suspect the standard thief would think a call plate to be anything
different than a vanity plate. keeping other clues hidden might be a better
approach (remote mounted radios, take the radio with you, disguise antennas,
etc.)

bill wb9ivr

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

Date: 6 Jul 1994 13:33:14 GMT
From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!math.ohio-state.edu!news.acns.nwu.edu![e-mail]
Subject: Amateur calls on auto license plates?
To: [e-mail]

Fred Lloyd [Phoenix SE] writes
In article <2vbdpk$[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Dan
Hughes) writes:
>
>I see a lot of vehicles with ham calls on their plates, but I am wary of
>doing this for fear that the specialized plates are a billboard to
>thieves that there might be expensive radio equipment in the vehicle.
>
>Any comments pro or con?  Thanks!     ---Dan, N9XDK


I guess I'm the exception!  I decided to change my plates to Ham plates
when I purchased my last car.  I had 2m and 10m rigs mounted (rather
ridgedly) under the dash.  My girlfriend at the time (now my wife)
lived in a neiborhood of Chicago that boardered a rather gang ridden
region (as most of the city is).  One night as you might predict by now,
theives broke into my car and basically made a big mess of things.  The
only thing they were able to steal was the 2m rig.  Left behind was the
10m and the Car Stereo, both badly damaged.  It wasn't such a big job to
repair the radio's but rather puzzling why the idiots would break into a
car and not have enough brains to remove 2 screws that held the entire
10m and 2m radio's.  Idiots like that I assume would not have any concept
what they were stealing or what it was worth.  Additionally it looked like
they became frustrated trying to steal the car radio and just decided to
trash the radio's if they couldn't remove them.

I suggest if you might want to poll the demographics of those who respond
to your request.  It might help you to know what kind of car they drive
(certain cars statistically draw more attention), what kinds of
neighborhoods they primarily park in, do they park outside on public
streets????   I'm sure there are other questions that need to be asked.

Overall, since that single incedent I haven't had a problem, however
I rarely go into questionable neighborhoods (we have moved) and I have
installed a car alarm as well as having my window's tinted slightly, all
to reduce my car's susseptibility to theives.


david...... N9HAM

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

Date: 6 Jul 94 10:17:17 EST
From: agate!howland.reston.ans.net!math.ohio-state.edu!magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu!cis.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!ohstpy.mps.ohio-state.edu!miavx1!miavx3.mid.muohio.edu!@ihnp4.ucsd.edu
Subject: Amateur calls on auto license plates?
To: [e-mail]

In article <2vbdpk$[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (Dan Hughes) writes:
> I see a lot of vehicles with ham calls on their plates, but I am wary of
> doing this for fear that the specialized plates are a billboard to
> thieves that there might be expensive radio equipment in the vehicle.
>
> Any comments pro or con?  Thanks!     ---Dan, N9XDK
> --

Such may be true .... but .... can one forever hide everything for fear
of undesirables seeing it?

Considering the extensive number of "ham plates" in this country, I'd
draw the conclusion that "not to worry".

Yup, I've had 'em since 1959.

    73 >< Carl
      K8NHE


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

Date: Wed, 6 Jul 1994 12:57:42 GMT
From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!cs.utexas.edu!geraldo.cc.utexas.edu!portal.austin.ibm.com!awdprime.austin.ibm.com![e-mail]
Subject: Buying in the Far East
To: [e-mail]

--
=====================================
*  Tom Adams  [e-mail] *
*  512-838-3815  FAX [phone]   *
=====================================

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

Date: Wed, 6 Jul 1994 13:27:04 GMT
From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!geraldo.cc.utexas.edu!portal.austin.ibm.com!awdprime.austin.ibm.com![e-mail]
Subject: Buying in the Far East
To: [e-mail]

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] () writes:
>
>--
>=====================================
>*  Tom Adams  [e-mail] *
>*  512-838-3815  FAX [phone]   *
>=====================================
 The text was meant to be, "Are there any bargins left in Singapore or Tokyo.
I may get to go there next month.  Thanks, Tom


--
=====================================
*  Tom Adams  [e-mail] *
*  512-838-3815  FAX [phone]   *
=====================================

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

Date: Wed, 6 Jul 1994 13:29:03 GMT
From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!geraldo.cc.utexas.edu!portal.austin.ibm.com!awdprime.austin.ibm.com![e-mail]
Subject: Buying in the Far East
To: [e-mail]

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] () writes:
>
>--
>=====================================
>*  Tom Adams  [e-mail] *
>*  512-838-3815  FAX [phone]   *
>=====================================
The text was supposed to read, Are there any bargins left in Singapore or
Tokyo? I may get to go there next month. Thanks ,Tom


--
=====================================
*  Tom Adams  [e-mail] *
*  512-838-3815  FAX [phone]   *
=====================================

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

Date: Wed, 6 Jul 1994 13:37:10 GMT
From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!usc!cs.utexas.edu!geraldo.cc.utexas.edu!portal.austin.ibm.com!awdprime.austin.ibm.com![e-mail]
Subject: Buying in the Far East
To: [e-mail]

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] () writes:
>
>--
>=====================================
>*  Tom Adams  [e-mail] *
>*  512-838-3815  FAX [phone]   *
>=====================================
The text was supposed to be, "Are there any bargins left in Tokyo or Singapore    in the way of 2meter or hp transceivers? I may go there next month. Thanks, Tom


--
=====================================
*  Tom Adams  [e-mail] *
*  512-838-3815  FAX [phone]   *
=====================================

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

Date: 6 Jul 1994 15:41:45 GMT
From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!agate!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!eff!news.umbc.edu!haven.umd.edu!cville-srv.wam.umd.edu![e-mail]
Subject: Copying CW, and why it's friendlier than phone
To: [e-mail]

First of all, let me say that when I got my Novice back in 1984, I had
no radio, and essentially forgot the code until 1986, when I got an
HF rig and put up an antenna in the attic.  I started on 40 CW, and
worked a few hundred before being confident enough to take the 20 wpm
exam (yup, skipped right over 13).  This took three months of working
from 8 p.m. to midnight.  And when I did the exam, I listened in my
head, and wrote down what I deemed important - passed w/100%!

The problem is that people don't think of Morse as a language, they
think of it as a cipher.  And in actuality, it's some of both.  For
instance, I was told when learning French that you know the language
when you no longer have to translate from English to French, speak
your words, and then translate what you've heard back from French to
English to understand.

But Morse isn't really a language, per se.  But it IS a way of communi-
cating ideas.  For instance, what is "HIHI," or the "Shave and a hair-
cut" thing?  You don't have to translate to English for either of those.
The same with "QTH," "QSB," or "QRM," or "73."  When you hear "73"
zip across the airwaves, do you actually decode "7" and then "3,"
"OH, 73!  That's what that was!"  I don't think so.  "73" is "73."

Eventually, if you keep up with it, you start hearing suffixes (-ier,
-est, -ing) and small words like "and, but, the, on, it, is..."  Then
come bigger words (not conglomerations of letters, but words) like
"there, then, where, went, radio, amateur...).  For instance, when
you read this screen, do you read

E  V E  N  T  U  A  L  L  Y  EVENTUALLY   I  F  IF   Y  O  U  YOU
K  E  E  P  KEEP   U  P  UP....

No, you don't if you can read English well.  I recently found that
upon listening to W1AW code practice, 35 was OK, 30 was solid, 25 was
still solid, but 20 and down I COULD NOT COPY IN MY HEAD!  They were TOO
slow to remember what had been said at the beginning of each word,
so I would forget by the end of the word!

Apparently I'm not the only one to have this happen to them.  Ever
talk to someone who talks REALLY slow, and forget the beginning of
the sentence by the end?

_______________________________________________________________________
Code requires a great deal of effort compared to phone, for most people.
It's held in high regard as an ART form by many.  Besides, how long
would it take to say

  "Get off this net frequency now, you stupid moron, it's here every day"

In phone it's about 3-5 seconds.  CW, maybe 30 seconds (just tried
both).  Being rude just ain't worth the time - besides, with 300 Hz
bandwidth, you can always be notched out...

--
73,                            _________   _________  The
                            \ /  Long   Original
Scott Rosenfeld  Amateur Radio NF3I  Burtonsville, MD     |   Live    $5.00
  WAC-CW/SSB  WAS  DXCC - 125 QSLed on dipoles __________| Dipoles! Antenna!

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

Date: 6 Jul 1994 14:57:36 GMT
From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!usc!howland.reston.ans.net!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!newsfeed.ksu.ksu.edu!moe.ksu.ksu.edu!wizard.uark.edu!comp![e-mail]
Subject: Does CW as a pre-req REALLY Work?
To: [e-mail]

[e-mail] (Andy Domonkos) writes:

<stuff deleted>

>    No radio amateur can say that CW is a really effective filter anymore.
>It's pathetic that the tests don't REALLY STRESS 'GOOD' operating practices.
>Make the test technically challenging, and make sure the individual knows
>his operating procedures. CW should be a mode of operation. I'm still

<stuff deleted>

My $0.02 worth:

1)  There is no "test" of CW skill.  A virtual CW QSO is played.  The
candidate scribbles down as much as he can.  S/he is then given a 10
question, multiple choice exam.  Get 7/10 and you get a CSCE.  I know,
'cause that's how I got my 13 wpm.  (I had perfect copy for the 5 wpm,
BTW, and could legitimately copy ~9-10 wpm when I took el 1B).  Hardly
random groups of 5 characters ...

2)  There are, evidently, a lot of MDs that are willing to sign the
Physician's Certification for el 1C.  This observation is based on the
fact that there are a *lot* of folks who seem to go from Tech to Extra in
a matter of weeks.  We call 'em instant Extras.  Maybe, maybe not.  Maybe
it's the lack of a real CW test.

3)  The Advanced and Extra writtens are the only ones that test any serious
technical knowledge.  They are also full of stuff about repeater control
operation and satellite operation, privileges that hams receive at the
entry-level.

Suggestions:

1) A "secret" question pool.  The FAA analogy used to justify the PD ham
radio question pool ignores the fact that there is no ham radio "ground
school".

2) Simplify the license structure.  How about:

+ Novice/Novice w/HF - an entry level with an HF option like Tech/Tech+
but without repeater control-op and just a subset of the thousands of MHz
that the entry-level ham gets now and slivers of the HF bands.

+ General - like the current Advanced but with all frequencies (and
repeater control-op).  Kinda like the pre-"incentive"-license General.

+ Examiner - which would be the same as "General" but could examine new
hams.

That would make 3 or 4 classes depending how you view the HF option on the
Novice.  Better than the current *six* and, IMHO, more logically organized.

3) Re-organize the question pools to include knowledge pertinent to the
license class sought (instead of leaving satellite stuff until Extra, a
privilege currently granted at the entry level).

Flame-proof suit on ...

73, (just one 73)

Peter Laws <[e-mail]>  |"Let's make sure history never forgets the
n5uwy@ka5bml.#nwar.ar.usa.noam    | name ... Enterprise"   ST:TNG - 1987-1994

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

Date: Wed, 6 Jul 1994 14:17:38 EST
From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!swrinde!howland.reston.ans.net!EU.net!Germany.EU.net!news.dfn.de!news.dfn.de!rrz.uni-koeln.de!RRZ.Uni-Koeln.DE!nntp.gmd.de!dearn!esoc![e-mail]
Subject: Equipment on board the Mir station
To: [e-mail]

On 03.10.94 starts the EUROMIR-94 mission.  During thirty days, an
astronaut of ESA (European Space Agency) will work in the Mir station.

I have unluckily being just nominated as backup, and the prime will be
Ulf Merbold.

We have been having lessons on radio-amateur practiceand will soon be
part of your group, probably with codes ending in MIR.

The equipment on board the MIR station, and specially the adaptor
for packet communications, looks really "amateur".  I would be very
grateful if somebody could answer these questions:

Can one purchase commertial high-performance equipment for this
purpose?  If so, where to look for them?

Can one use standard modems with the right software?

What Internet-like address one has to use to communicate with a
radio amateur through the packet link?

I would be willing to request from ESA the purchase of anything that would
improve computer communications with Mir for our mission and the future
ones.

Please answer, and be so kind to do it directly to my Internet-like
address...my computer link in Star City is not so fast as to allow me
to read Netnews every day.

My address is : [e-mail]

Is the 73 a "Best regards?"

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

Date: Tue,  5 Jul 94 08:49:00 -0400
From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!gatech!concert!hearst.acc.Virginia.EDU!pplace![e-mail]
Subject: Help with No Scratch mag mount
To: [e-mail]

-> then there are those of us that use <clang!> parking <clang!> garages
-> <clang!> on <clang!> a <clang!> regular <clang!> basis.
->


HAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHA, you must use the same garage I do.
HAHAHAHHHA, <clang!>


N0RDQ

Pat






-> --- eric
-> --
-> HOME: [e-mail]  HAM  ka1eec
-> WORK: [e-mail]   617.386.4687
-> source of the public's fear of the unknown since 1956

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

Date: Tue, 05 Jul 94 19:46:52 -0700 (PDT)
From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!agate!deep.rsoft.bc.ca!mindlink.bc.ca![e-mail]
Subject: IC229H
To: [e-mail]

Hi Warren,

It's possible for what you say to be true, but then why bother to have a
lithium batter in there if you're gonna keep on drawing current even when
shut off...  I don't think it would make sense to do that...  But at this
point I might give it a try.  I'll post anything that happens.

[e-mail]
or
[e-mail]

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

Date: 6 Jul 94 12:52:59 GMT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Info-Hams Digest V94 #743
To: [e-mail]

> Date: Mon, 4 Jul 94 22:44:26 -0500
> From: news.delphi.com![e-mail]
> Subject: New-style NY ham plates?
> To: [e-mail]
>
> I read somewhere a few months ago that New York was about to introduce new,
> "distinctive", ham call license plates.  Has anyone heard when this is going
> to happen?  Will current ham-plate holders be notified automatically?
>
> John Kent - AA2DY
> Hopewell Junction, NY
>
John,
I ordered the new plates a few months ago and just checked with DMV last
week on the status.  They are still waiting for official approval for the
new design and are not issuing new plates. The person I talked to did not when
the approval would be.  If you want to order the new plates here is what I did:
sent a letter requesting the new ham plates along with a photo copy
of my ham license, a photo copy of my car's registration, and $18.00 to

                    Ellen Catalano, Supervisor
                    Special Registration Section
                    NYS Department of Motor Vehicles
                    Empire State Plaza
                    Albany, NY 12228

If you want to call the phone number is 518 474 6841.

For those who already have the old design, these new plates are NOT OPTIONAL.
When the new plates are ready, present holders will be sent notices indicationg
the availability and what to do to obtain them.  Then the plates will be mailed
upon receipt of the necessary items.

I got my information from "The Intermod" (Rochester Radion Repeater Association's
monthly newsletter and the Special Registration Section of the DMV.

Good Luck

Tom Jennings, kv2x

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

Date: 6 Jul 94 13:05:07 GMT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: New York State's new ham license plates
To: [e-mail]

> Date: Mon, 4 Jul 94 22:44:26 -0500
> From: news.delphi.com![e-mail]
> Subject: New-style NY ham plates?
> To: [e-mail]
>
> I read somewhere a few months ago that New York was about to introduce new,
> "distinctive", ham call license plates.  Has anyone heard when this is going
> to happen?  Will current ham-plate holders be notified automatically?
>
> John Kent - AA2DY
> Hopewell Junction, NY
>
John,
I ordered the new plates a few months ago and just checked with DMV last
week on the status.  They are still waiting for official approval for the
new design and are not issuing new plates. The person I talked to did not when
the approval would be.  If you want to order the new plates here is what I did:
sent a letter requesting the new ham plates along with a photo copy
of my ham license, a photo copy of my car's registration, and $18.00 to

                    Ellen Catalano, Supervisor
                    Special Registration Section
                    NYS Department of Motor Vehicles
                    Empire State Plaza
                    Albany, NY 12228

If you want to call the phone number is 518 474 6841.

For those who already have the old design, these new plates are NOT OPTIONAL.
When the new plates are ready, present holders will be sent notices indicationg
the availability and what to do to obtain them.  Then the plates will be mailed
upon receipt of the necessary items.

I got my information from "The Intermod" (Rochester Radion Repeater Association's
monthly newsletter and the Special Registration Section of the DMV.

Good Luck

Tom Jennings, kv2x


--
-------------------------------------------------------------
                               |
Thomas J. Jennings             | Tel: [phone]
Development Engineer           | Fax: [phone]
                               |
ABB Process Automation         |
Post Office Box 22685          |
Rochester, New York 14692-2685 |
                               |
-------------------------------------------------------------
Internet: [e-mail]
-------------------------------------------------------------

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

Date: 6 Jul 94 13:23:12 GMT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: temperature conversion
To: [e-mail]

>Now if the USA would only get with the program and go metric.

yeah, but we need to do away with the rules that say if you have a road sign
for 55 MPH that you will be allowed to round up or round down to the nearest 5
kph boundary instead of having to post signs that read 88 kph.  (fallout from
the 1970's national speed limit laws, i was told).

it will never catch on as long as we have to do limts 88 and not 85 or 90.

and i recall the same rules apply to other speed limits as well so you have to
drive at "complex" speed limits in mind rather than round numbers.

the other big conversion time would have been during the initial run up of gas
prices when gas stations went to liter measurement in order to get a set of
units that would work for $1/gal pricing on computers not able to process such
large sums.  Just would have had to say "no price limits on gas sold by the
liter" and the industry would have changed in a heartbeat.

as it is, everyone has electronic pumps now that can probably handle pricing
in the hundreds of dollars/gallon pricing range so we'll never have that
chance again...

bill wb9ivr

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

Date: 6 Jul 1994 10:28:12 GMT
From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!swrinde!howland.reston.ans.net!math.ohio-state.edu!magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu!csn!news.sinet.slb.com!news.San-Jose.ate.slb.com![e-mail]
To: [e-mail]

References <2v4851$[e-mail]>, <[e-mail]>, <[e-mail]>-sta
Subject : Re: ZIA NET FREQ's

JJ Martin ([e-mail]) wrote:
: In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail]
: (Bill Lindberg) writes:

: > Robert E. O'Connell ([e-mail]) wrote:
: > : Would someone please post or send me a list of the freq's from West Texas
: > : to Tucson, Pheonix and points north.
: >
: > All i know is the one in Albuquerque, it's 145.29, -.6 with a 100 Htz tone
: > (I think).  I would also like to see a list posted If anyone would care to
[...]
: Although I am living in Massachusetts right now (and wishing I could hit the
: ZIA from here...hi hi) I lived in Alamogordo, NM for three years and left
: a year ago. Retired from the Air Force don't ya know.... :)

: Anyhoo, El Paso's entrance into the link was on 145.33.  No tone required.
: From Alamogordo you could hit Caballo Peak or Benson Ridge.  Their freqs are
: 145.10 and 145.23 respectively.  162.2 Hz tone if I recall correctly.
: Tell everyone I say hi when you get onto the ZIA.  Thanks.

Unluckily, I'm about 750 miles from my map at the moment, but I can fill
in a couple:  Two repeaters in the system, White Tanks Mountains (just west
of Phoenix, and covers into CA) and Green's Peak (in AZ, near the NM border
about 60 miles south of I-40) are both on 146.70 with an offset of -600 KHz.
All repeaters permenantly in the system except El Paso require 162.2 CTCSS
(often referred to as "PL", but that's a Motorola Trademark).

                                                  73,
                                                 Clark
--
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are mine and not those of Schlumberger
because they are NOT covered by the patent agreement!

Phone: [phone]                Internet: [e-mail]
Packet: [e-mail]        RF: KI7TU
Snail: Clark Jones, Schlumberger Technologies, 7855 S. River Pkwy #116, Tempe,
       AZ  85284-1825

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

End of Info-Hams Digest V94 #751
******************************