QRZ! Ham Radio 5/QRZ Ham Radio Callsign Database - Volume 5.iso/digests/infoham/940819.txt

Internet Message Format | 1994-11-13 | 24.5 KB

Date: Wed, 20 Jul 94 16:38:55 PDT
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Subject: Info-Hams Digest V94 #819
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Info-Hams Digest            Wed, 20 Jul 94       Volume 94 : Issue  819

Today's Topics:
                         31 Weeks to Upgrade
                   Connecticut QSO Party 30-31 July
                     Elmers, please read (2 msgs)
             FCC Delays now at 17 weeks!  PLEASE READ!!!
                          License arrived...
                NASA 25th Moon Landing Special Station
               QST Article on NiCd ZAPPING, 2/80 p.35!
                         QST on News Stands?
                     Reviving old NiCads (2 msgs)
                           TrakSat Problem
                          VE8 HF/VHF beacon
       WEFAX from PYE TELECOMMUNICATIONS PT AM 10DYV Receiver?

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Problems you can't solve otherwise to [e-mail].

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: 20 Jul 94 22:21:07 GMT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: 31 Weeks to Upgrade
To: [e-mail]

I passed the exams for Extra on December 11, 1993 (Yes, that's 1993) and
finally received the upgrade on July 14, 1994.  That's one half of a year
plus 5 weeks. 7 months or 32 weeks. Glad to see that the new licensees are
getting their initial ticket a little sooner than that now and that perhaps
improvement is on the way.

73 de KJ5MX
NASA
Johnson Space Center

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

Date: 20 Jul 1994 12:54:50 GMT
From: spool.mu.edu!agate!soda.berkeley.edu![e-mail]
Subject: Connecticut QSO Party 30-31 July
To: [e-mail]

The Candlewood Amateur Radio Association (CARA) will sponsor the
1994 Connecticut QSO party, to be held 30 JUL 2000 to 31 JUL 0400
UTC and 31 JUL 1200-2000 UTC.  Bands will be 160, 80, 40, 20, 15,
10, 6 & 2m.  Stations may be worked once per mode on each band.
CARA will operate W1AW (the ARRL station Hiram Maxim memorial
station) on Sunday, 31 JUL. As well the club station, W1QI, will
operate throughout the contest.

Plaques will be awarded to first place CT stations for several
categories.  Certificates will be awarded first place stations in
other states, as well as second and third place in all states.

To all those who participate, good luck.  To those that don't, if
you hear a station calling CQ Connecticut QSO Party, by all
means, pick up the mike and reply!

For an operating package, contact Frank, N8WXQ, (address
in Callbook).

73 DE N1QNK
Jim
shipment of dont kill the president
nitroglycerin larry wall
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------------------------------

Date: Wed, 20 Jul 1994 03:55:25 GMT
From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!swrinde!howland.reston.ans.net!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!eff!news.kei.com!uhog.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu.![e-mail]
Subject: Elmers, please read
To: [e-mail]

>  I heard (but didn't answer) a number of CQ's where the 'CQ' sounded
>  like N N M A, and the callsign absolutely couldn't be parsed.

Hey Greg, no big deal.  Those novices are just trying to emulate the
fist of old farts sending with bugs  :)

While you're at it, ask the Elmers to check *their* sending.  I was
listening in the Extra portion of 40M the other day, and I got stuck
listening to this guy sending CQ.  I think it was the same instinct
that makes you slow down and look at accidents...

This guy(?) was sending your standard "samba CQ" (daaaaah dit daaaaaah
dit daaaah daaaah dit daaaaaaaah -- swing your hips as you read it).
Then he got to his call.  daaaaaaah dit daah.  That was at about 20
WPM.  Then the number.  Four dits at 50 WPM, a pause, and then a 10
WPM dah.  Etcetera.


Bad fists can be found anywhere from the Novice band to the TCC (the
alleged creme-de-la-creme of traffic handlers.)  The problem isn't the
technology.  The problem isn't the intelligence of the operators.
It's their egos.  Telling a ham you can't understand what he or she is
sending a sure way to insult them, same as saying "Hey, you're ugly!"

How come there's no Q-signal, like QFS, for "Your fist sucks/Does my
fist suck?"  I bet I'm not alone in having blamed QRN, QRM & QSB for
being unable to copy what people are sending.  Too bad there's no easy
way to get the message across...  Maybe OOs send notices to people
with illegible fists?

With these newfangled digital signal processing systems, it should be
easy to print out a report on someone's fist

  Your fist--
    nominal speed:          10
    variance in dit length  0%   | what you'd expect if someone's using
    variance in dah length  0%   | a keyer--straight key or bug would differ
    variance in letter
        spacing            20%
    variance in word
        spacing            40%


And then you could give a graphical depiction of what the code looks
like:    _________________  _______  ____________   (a lopsided K)


--Shawn

(10 years and counting, not one Morse sending error.  But then I may
get back on HF soon...)

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

Date: 20 Jul 94 10:38:02 -0500
From: europa.eng.gtefsd.com!ulowell!woods.uml.edu![e-mail]
Subject: Elmers, please read
To: [e-mail]

In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail]
(Shawn O'Donnell) writes:

Quoting Greg...
>>  I heard (but didn't answer) a number of CQ's where the 'CQ' sounded
>>  like N N M A, and the callsign absolutely couldn't be parsed.

Shawn says...
> Hey Greg, no big deal.  Those novices are just trying to emulate the
> fist of old farts sending with bugs  :)

Not so oh wise one.  Many folks coming into amateur radio today are not trying
to emulate anyone.  They have minds of their own and the whole world is a
Burger King.  They want it THEIR way.  They don't need Elmers anymore...Elmers
are all old farts.   What do they know?  They're all pro-code, keep it that
way forever conservatives.

Any so called "old farts" you are hearing, nowadays, are those who managed to
squeak by on the code exam and pass the Extra written after 72 tries of taking
every exam the VE teams (team hopping) have available.  And this is all during
one two week period! [Not my experience...I'm a VE and a young Old Fart]

> While you're at it, ask the Elmers to check *their* sending.  I was
> listening in the Extra portion of 40M the other day, and I got stuck
> listening to this guy sending CQ.  I think it was the same instinct
> that makes you slow down and look at accidents...

Same folks...

[snip, snip]

> Bad fists can be found anywhere from the Novice band to the TCC (the
> alleged creme-de-la-creme of traffic handlers.)  The problem isn't the
> technology.  The problem isn't the intelligence of the operators.
> It's their egos.  Telling a ham you can't understand what he or she is
> sending a sure way to insult them, same as saying "Hey, you're ugly!"

I like it better when someone tells me I'm fat.  THEN, I tell them they're ugly
and that I can lose weight.  (Shades of Sir Winston).
But what you are saying is true.  Again, their world is one big Burger King.
Everyone wants it their way.  There's no such thing as constructive criticism
anymore.  The pilot lights to everyone's flame throwers are always lit too.
Especially on the information superhighway.

> How come there's no Q-signal, like QFS, for "Your fist sucks/Does my
> fist suck?"

ROTFLMAO!!!  I love this one Shawn!!!  This is great!  Can I use it in my next
cw QSO?...  QFS, QRK MINUS 1 73 SK DE WK1V   (Electronic keyer used here)

[Back in me Novice days cw ops used to ask me what kind of keyer I was using
 whilst I was using a straight key]   ask AA4GZ; when he was KQ5I he was always
 asking.  Now I am ashamed to say that after 12 years of using an electronic
 keyer....My straight key sending sucks.   I can almost make it sound as if I
 was using a bug, it's readable but too many errors.....Yuk!

> I bet I'm not alone in having blamed QRN, QRM & QSB for being unable to copy
> what people are sending.

No you're not alone Shawn.  Why just the other day....

> Too bad there's no easy way to get the message across...  Maybe OOs send
> notices to people with illegible fists?

[Vewy, vewy tactfuwee mind you. Hehehehe hehehehe]......Elmer

But good idea.

Hope to BCNU back on HF.     (QFS.....ROTFL)   &D

73 de WK1V
-jim-

---------------------------------------------------
ROTFLMAO = Rolling on the floor laughing my ass off
{For those still learning}

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

Date: Mon, 18 Jul 1994 21:50:57 GMT
From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!usc!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!news.ess.harris.com!jabba.ess.harris.com!mlb.semi.harris.com!controls.ccd.harris.com![e-mail]
Subject: FCC Delays now at 17 weeks!  PLEASE READ!!!
To: [e-mail]

Joe Salemi ([e-mail]) wrote:
:
: Well, recent reports on Compuserve have shown that folks who took their
: tests in mid-April are starting to receive their licenses.  That's
: about 12 weeks, give or take, so maybe the logjam is finally breaking.

Robert D. Novak ([e-mail]) wrote:
:
: I teach a monthly no-code license class and my March class just got their
: licenses.  The wait: 14 weeks 3 days.

I passed the Extra on April 16, received my license today (July 18). That
works out to about 13 weeks 2 days. Interesting was the fact that it was
dated July 9th. I guess the extra delay was due to the printer malfunction
mentioned in another thread.

73, Bruce AD4TG


--
Bruce Lifter
Harris Corporation                                                MS: R5-202
Controls Division                              email: [e-mail]

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

Date: 20 Jul 94 21:06:00 GMT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: License arrived...
To: [e-mail]

Another trivial data point:

     My girlfriend's license arrived in the mail yesterday (19-Jul-94)
after 15 weeks 4 days.

     Callsign is KC7DPQ for those trying to predict thier own callsign...

Anecdote:

     When I first became interested in amateur radio (1968) the average
turnaround time was 4 to 6 weeks.  Then the 55 mile-per-hour speed limit was
jammed down the country's throat, CB became the most effective and popular
way to circumvent enforcement of the 55 mph limit, Part 95 license applications
swamped the FCC forcing them to get multiple P. O. Boxes (some dedicated to
individual services) and the wait slogged down to (GASP!) 9 weeks which is the
to-the-day time period I "endured" waiting for my license.  Now we have
a 65 mph speed limit, no more multiple P. O. Boxes to force the Post Office to
do the sorting for the FCC, and a 17 week waiting period.  It's typical that
a function of the government is not the least bit predictable from just the
data.

    And George Bush isn't responsible for screwing the FCC up any more than
any other administration.  LIBERAL and CONSERVATIVE administrations alike have
slit the throat of the FCC in a manner not unlike killing the controllers of
the messengers because of the messages.

Reid,
WB7CJO

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

Date: 20 Jul 1994 11:38:07 -0400
From: newstf01.cr1.aol.com!search01.news.aol.com![e-mail]
Subject: NASA 25th Moon Landing Special Station
To: [e-mail]

In article <30jdiv$[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (George
Guillory) writes:

>Can anyone please send the me freqs for the JSC station participating in
>the 25th Anniv. Moon Landing?

I worked W5RRR (Johnson Space Center in Houston) Tuesday evening on 14238.

Danny Goodman AE9F/6

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

Date: 20 Jul 1994 13:21:16 GMT
From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!swrinde!howland.reston.ans.net!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!news.umbc.edu!haven.umd.edu!cville-srv.wam.umd.edu![e-mail]
Subject: QST Article on NiCd ZAPPING, 2/80 p.35!
To: [e-mail]

Someone was asking about zapping NiCds.

Don't ask me why, but I was flipping through Feb. '80 QST and happened
to see an article about NiCd zapping - thought I'd read what they thought
in 1980.

So now I see someone's looking for info...

Very strange.  OOOOoooooooooohhhhhhhhh...

Scott NF3I  Low voltage and high current to zap a Nicad,

I can send or fax copy of article if you need.

--
73,                            _________   _________  The
                            \ /  Long   Original
Scott Rosenfeld  Amateur Radio NF3I  Burtonsville, MD     |   Live    $5.00
  WAC-CW/SSB  WAS  DXCC - 130 QSLed on dipoles __________| Dipoles! Antenna!

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

Date: 20 Jul 1994 15:29:11 GMT
From: news.larc.nasa.gov!eos1.larc.nasa.gov![e-mail]
Subject: QST on News Stands?
To: [e-mail]

  A magazine store in Norfolk has the new newstand edition of
QST now.  It has somewhat more text on the cover in a large
font, supposedly a more commercial look.  However, this store
has stocked QST for many years, when it wasn't being distributed
to mainstream newstands.
  I haven't yet seen it in the racks of any other stores
with magazine selections, like Waldenbooks.  I, too, wonder
if it will manage to compete with CQ and 73 as far as newstand
sales are concerned.

Richard Eckman  KO4MR
NASA Langley
[e-mail]

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

Date: 20 Jul 94 07:24:24 GMT
From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!usc!howland.reston.ans.net!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!newsrelay.iastate.edu!news.iastate.edu!tremplo.gis.iastate.edu![e-mail]
Subject: Reviving old NiCads
To: [e-mail]

[e-mail] (David Cripps) writes:
>I remember in the dim and distant past, an article explaining how to revive
>"dead" NiCads (Not just ones with a poor memory)

>I think it was something along the lines of applying an overvoltage!

For a NiCd battery that shows a terminal voltage of 0V and acts like a
dead short, there only one thing that I know to do to 'restore' the
battery.  Take a larger size fully charged NiCd cell (do this a cell at
a time) and connect it in parallel with the damaged cell for a second.
Repeat this until the cell 'breaks loose'.  If it recovers, charge it
nicely and cross your fingers.  This will resotre it to use, but the
capacity will be decreased and the (already high) self discharge rate
will increase.

>Anyone else know the trick or do I threw my old NiCads away and start again.

Given what I've said above, I say, junk the darn things and get new cells.
Donate the cells to a younger/poorer ham that wants to give it a try.
(How do you think I learned to do this? ;)  At $1.20 each for generic
600mA cells and ~$2.00 for 850mA cells, what's the point of messing
with dead cells only to be able to restore them to poor condition? Forget
it, ditch the old cells (dispose of them properly) and get new ones.

Buy them in groups, discharge them in the same groups, charge them in
the same groups, etc.  Never break up a group.  If you C/10 charge,
expect 1000 cycles is you discharge to .9V/cell.  If you C/1 charge,
expect 300+ cycles.

Best of luck.

Cheers,
David
--
___________________________________________________________________________
[e-mail] | "Death before dishonor" | "Better dead than greek" |
David Willmore  | "Ever noticed how much they look like orchids? Lovely!" |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Date: 20 Jul 1994 10:25:12 -0400
From: news1.digex.net!digex.net![e-mail]
Subject: Reviving old NiCads
To: [e-mail]

In article <[e-mail]>, David Cripps wrote:
> I remember in the dim and distant past, an article explaining how to revive
> "dead" NiCads (Not just ones with a poor memory)
>
> I think it was something along the lines of applying an overvoltage!
>
> Anyone else know the trick or do I threw my old NiCads away and start again.
>
> Dave
In Hints and Kinks by the ARRL a few years ago, an article by a British
ham described how to revive a Nicad by adding distilled water. He drilled
a small hole thru the center of the anode. He inserted a syringe needle thru
the whole thru the rubber pressure seal and added about 3 ml of distilled
water to a AA size nicad. The rubber pressure seal supposedly closes enough
to prevent a leak. The battery is allowed to sit overnite while the water
disperses into the battery. He then recharged it to near full capacity.

I tried this myself and surprisingly, it works. You don't get the full
rating you had before but I got about another year of good use for my
HT nicads. They were 5 years old and wouldn't hold a charge. The author
of the article stated the batteries dry out and adding real electrolyte
would be better but said the distilled water was good enough. I haven't
done it since, I like a rotating my nicads every 3 years now for
reliability.

Andy N3LCW

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

Date: 20 Jul 1994 08:54:34 GMT
From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!library.ucla.edu!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!news.umbc.edu!eff!neoucom.edu!news.ysu.edu!yfn.ysu.edu![e-mail]
Subject: TrakSat Problem
To: [e-mail]

I am having the following problem with the TrakSat program I am trying out.
I am unable to get it to accept updated Kelps.
I am getting me Kelps from the Internet and I edit out any Headers
and junk, make sure its in ASCII text, and give it thecorrect
file name of tle.txt.  I think I am doing it correctly.
Any suggestions that could help?
I want to get the program 100% before I decide to register it.
Thanks
Tim Wright  KD4OVM
[e-mail]

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

Date: 20 Jul 1994 08:32:45 GMT
From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!swrinde!pipex!lyra.csx.cam.ac.uk!doc.ic.ac.uk!uknet!keele!potter![e-mail]
Subject: VE8 HF/VHF beacon
To: [e-mail]

The expedition beacon on Ellesmere Island, VE8RAF, is now
operating to a schedule of 1 day on 10metres followed by
two days on 6 metres.  So on 20 July it will be on 10 and
on 21 and 22 on 6; 23 on 10 and 24/25 on 6 and so on until
approximately 5 August when the expedition ends.

The beacon frequencies are 28192.5 and 50018.  Cycle is a long
series of dots with ID approximately every 3 minutes.  If you
hear either beacon at any time please let me know by direct
e-mail.

The expedition is active daily, mainly on 20m cw under the same
callsign.  It also has a 50MHz transceiver.

Martin G3USF

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

Date: 18 Jul 94 03:40:50 GMT
From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!news.umbc.edu!hookup!reptiles.org!geac!herboid!cattnts!ncrcan!coutts![e-mail]
Subject: WEFAX from PYE TELECOMMUNICATIONS PT AM 10DYV Receiver?
To: [e-mail]

The issue: Can this receiver work at 137+ Mhz?

I have a PYE aircraft AM transceiver, that was modified to be a RX
only unit (which is fine), using the two crystal sockets for two different
receive frequencies, since the TX crystal is no longer needed.

The current crystals cause the receiver to receive 123.2 and 122.8 Mhz
at the moment. I want to receive the NOAA satellite WEFAX signals on
137.5 and 137.62 Mhz using this old receiver. The crystals currently
in there are in the:

    (123.2 - 10.7) / 3 = 37.5 Mhz neighbourhood (this is verified).

The 137.5 Mhz freq requires a 42.26666 Mhz crystal.

The receiver details:

PYE TELECOMMUNICATIONS Model PT AM 10DYV
Serial 1944D, input 12 Volts, and has 4 tubes, of which none are
required for receiving (receiver works with switch on standby, without
lighting the tube filaments).

It seems a bit of a stretch to go from a 37.5 Mhz crystal to 42.266 Mhz,
but there is a series connected inductor that is tunable (at least in
the current rendition of its wiring -- I don't have a schematic, so I
don't know if this is original or not).

I'm not sure how fussy the front end in this radio is... I doubt
any serious problem there. Again with no schematic, and without having
done much tracing from the antenna yet, its my opionion that there is
not much "tuned circuit" to discriminate 137 Mhz from 120 Mhz.

Anybody familiar (or not) with this radio, or someone with access to its
schematic wish to comment on this?  I'll have to get crystal(s) made
to try this, which is the reason for this post. Should I invest/waste
my money on crystals for this end?

Of course, I'm assuming that NOAA signals are AM audio signals. However,
if this should turn out to be FM instead-- no big deal. I can build a
demod circuit after the IF section. Email preferred, thanks.

--------------------
Warren W. Gay VE3WWG        John Coutts Library Services Limited
[e-mail]            Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
(or [e-mail], [e-mail])

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

Date: Wed, 20 Jul 1994 12:10:28 GMT
From: psinntp!darkstar![e-mail]
To: [e-mail]

References <[e-mail]>, <[e-mail]>, <[e-mail]>«
Subject : Re: Is there an ATV newsgroup?

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (J.D. Cronin) writes:
>In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (William Vaughn) writes:
>>>Mont Pierce ([e-mail]) wrote:
>>>: In <[e-mail]>, James D. Cronin <[e-mail]> wrote:
>>>: >How about it guys?  We got rec.radio.amateur.everything-else...
>>>: >How about an ATV newsgroup?  Any interest?
>>>: >73...Jim  N2VNO
>>>: Definitely interested!!  In the mean time, are there any atv mailing
>>>: lists?
>>>: tnx & 73
>>>: km6wt
>>>Me, too ... great idea.
>>>|David R. Tucker         KG2S        8P9CL            [e-mail]|
>>Sounds good to me too.
>>William Vaughn    [e-mail] "Just plain Bill."
>
>Sounds like interest to me.  Ed, [e-mail] sorta volunteered to
>get an ATV mail list going.  How 'bout it, Ed.
>
>73...Jim  N2VNO

Hi Jim, what I said was that I'd do it if 10 people in the world
cared ...  So far only three people have written to say they'd like
one. While I'm personally disappointed at the yawning enthusiasm for
ATV, I will create the list anyway. I don't think it will take much
of my time to administer :-( Sometime next week I will post info
on subscribing and take steps to advertise the list.

 - Ed. (ATV: Amateur Radio's loneliest mode ...)

--
 -------------------------------------------------------------------
  Ed Taychert   | Disclaimer:  I pay for the machine, I pay for the
  [e-mail] | connection, surely I'll pay for writing this too.

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

Date: 20 Jul 1994 13:46:03 GMT
From: newsgate.watson.ibm.com!watnews.watson.ibm.com![e-mail]
To: [e-mail]

References <30bqcb$[e-mail]>, <30hec6$[e-mail]>, <30i5cl$[e-mail]>
Reply-To : [e-mail]
Subject : Re: *finally it arrived* (but why no plus?)

|> the idea..)  I thought I saw someone saying that the new licenses are
|> already coming out with "Tech Plus", maybe I was wrong. But if it hasn't
|> already started, it's soon to come...

I know one person who has gotten a licence which says "Tech Plus", about
a month back. I have asked the VEC to send in my 610 for the 5wpm test,
(since I just got the no-code tech at the first test), I will know
in about 14 weeks whether they are going to issue me a new "tech plus"
licence.

--
--vinod
email: [e-mail]

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

End of Info-Hams Digest V94 #819
******************************