Date: Wed, 22 Dec 93 14:35:38 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 V93 #1498 To: Info-Hams Info-Hams Digest Wed, 22 Dec 93 Volume 93 : Issue 1498 Today's Topics: ?Phonetic alphabet for numbers? ARLB116 Pick your call sign Designations for microwave bands? Morse Code blues Need info on building IF-232 for Knwd TS-850S (2 msgs) Need List of Active Satellites! Portable Repeater Help R/C Aircraft wanted: morse tutor for apple II Where have the DX bulletins gone? Yonkers Hamfest? 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: 22 Dec 93 18:57:32 GMT From: news-mail-gateway@ucsd.edu Subject: ?Phonetic alphabet for numbers? To: info-hams@ucsd.edu I suspect that what I'm looking for doesn't exist, but is there some way to represent numbers phonetically? I have never thought of myself as having a strange accent of speech problem, but I have a hard time getting other stations to understand the number in my call, in particular when I say "3" about 50 % of the time it is interpreted as "2", which is strange since the two numbers don't sound similar to me. I can give the letters phonetically, but the only way I have been able to represent the number is to count it off, ie I say "3 like 1...2.....3... . It is not too bad during normal qso's, but during contests or in a pileup, when the other station, I will say "negative...correction on the call, it is *.."3"..***" the other station will come back and say "qsl *.."2"..***", and then say goodby and qrz for another station, leaving me with an incomplete contact. It is very frustrating. I know some would say that this is a good reason to use CW, but I'm not that desperate (or good at code) yet, although I guess I could just say "number is dit dit dit da da". Any suggestions? ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 15 Dec 1993 14:09:42 GMT From: brunix!maxcy2.maxcy.brown.edu!md@uunet.uu.net Subject: ARLB116 Pick your call sign To: info-hams@ucsd.edu In article <$arlb116.1993@ampr.org>, marcbg@netcom.com (MB Grant) writes: |> The FCC today proposed that amateurs be able to choose their own |> call signs, once a new automated processing system is in place at |> the Commission's Private Radio Bureau. I would think that the FCC should be more concerned with reducing the lag time it takes to process amateur radio licenses in general (something that would benefit all amateurs) rather than something silly like "vanity callsigns" (something that will only benefit the few vain enough to want a call with their initials). MD -- -- Michael P. Deignan -- Population Studies & Training Center -- Brown University, Box 1916, Providence, RI 02912 -- (401) 863-7284 ------------------------------ Date: 22 Dec 93 18:38:22 GMT From: news-mail-gateway@ucsd.edu Subject: Designations for microwave bands? To: info-hams@ucsd.edu >: I've looked everywhere but in the right place, and I can't find a list of >: the alphabetic designations for microwave bands and the frequencies they >: represent (e.g., Ku-band, C-band, etc.). > >: Can anyone tell me where I can find such a list? I've been able to get > >Sams' "Reference Data for Engineers" has such a list in the seventh edition >on pg 1-4. For example, X band is 5.20GHz to 10.90GHz, K band is >10.9 to 36 (with Ku at 17.25). A footnote says C band includes Sz through >Xy, or 3.90 to 6.20GHz. > >------------------------------ Another response: > >Various publications have such lists, but be wary that there is not always >agreement on which letter should be used. Some are pretty standard, like >X-band (amateur 10GHz band, actually means something like 8.2 to 12.4GHz), >and K-band (amateur 24GHz, actually means 18.0 to 26.5GHz). But for some >bands, several letters have been used. Hewlett-Packard seemed to have their >own set of letters which deviated (from normal UK usage) in places. > >I think there is a table in the RSGB Microwave Handbook Vol 2 which, if I >remember correctly, was supposed to include these different letter usages, >plus the waveguide sizes. A HP catalog will mention some under the Microwave >Test Accessories, but nowadays the letters only tend to be used for higher >bands, eg 8GHz up. > >I'll try and dig out a table, I think I even have an ASCII tabular version >with all the waveguide sizes etc. It would be nice to see such an ascii tabular version posted. I have seen many seemingly conflicting notations for the microwave bands, but have never run into a definative table. I have one old Microwave Eng. Handbook that has the following: BAND FREQ RANGE (GHz) J .3 - .5 L 1.0 - 1.88 S 2.3 - 4.1 C 3.6 - 6.4 XB 6 - 10.7 KU 11 - 19 K 26 - 28 Q 33 - 50 I have other books, however, that place certain frequencies in different bands than these. For example, one book put 1.7 MHz in the S band, another has the L band going from 0.5 - 1.7 GHz. Also many of the bands overlap, (particularly several that I left out). In other words, the definitions of these bands seems a bit random. It would be nice to see a more definative definition, if one exists. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 21 Dec 1993 17:05:03 -0700 From: orca.es.com!cnn.sim.es.com!msanders.sim.es.com!user@uunet.uu.net Subject: Morse Code blues To: info-hams@ucsd.edu In article <2f7ujfINNdsr@nighthawk.ksu.ksu.edu>, cbr600@nighthawk.ksu.ksu.edu (Jeremy Utley) wrote: > > Hello all. Just had my first bad experience as a Tech plus licensee. Went up > to KSUARC's club shack to see if 10M was open...it wasn't (or if it was, noone > was listening), so I decided to practice a little bit of code live. Dropped down > to 15 meters, threw out the following: > > CQ CQ CQ DE N0YAX N0YAX N0YAX QRS K > > I put the QRS in there so hams would know I had trouble copying code, and would > send slower. I did that about 3 times, and this guy comes back at about 18 wpm > all I could catch was N0YAX DE and from there lost it totally. I kept on trying ....some deleted.... > > 73's everyone. > Jeremy: Please hang in there. I have been doing CW for four months and haven't run into one of these jerks yet. There are probably 20 guys out there who will slow down to your speed for every one who gets carried away. If he really wanted to communicate with you, he would have slowed down. He wanted to jerk your chain. The best way to keep that from happening is ignore him. Just continue to send out a CW as if he weren't there. That is something that will get him. He will probably spend the next 20 minutes checking his amp, antenna connections, etc. to see why he wasn't getting out . Keep your humor and party on, Dude! Milt -- ========================================================================= Opinions, thoughts, &cetera are my own (when I can remember them). "He flies the sky KB7MSF Like an Eagle in the eye UTAH of a hurricane that's abandoned." America ------------------------------ Date: 15 Dec 1993 13:52:11 GMT From: news.acns.nwu.edu!math.ohio-state.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!hal!rab@network.ucsd.edu Subject: Need info on building IF-232 for Knwd TS-850S To: info-hams@ucsd.edu My dad has a Kenwood TS-850S and is now interested in controlling the rig from his new PC. Does anyone have any information that would help him build the necessary interface? Kenwood sells an IF-232 interface for close to $200 that he'd like to avoid buying, if possible. Any help appreciated! 73, Roger AA8DV -- Roger Bielefeld Dept of Epidemiology and Biostatistics Assistant Professor Case Western Reserve University rab@hal.cwru.edu Cleveland, Ohio USA ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 21 Dec 1993 07:22:48 GMT From: library.ucla.edu!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!howland.reston.ans.net!usc.edu!nic.csu.net!csun.edu!VFOAO0IX%VAX.CSUN.EDU@network.ucsd.edu Subject: Need info on building IF-232 for Knwd TS-850S To: info-hams@ucsd.edu In article <2en4qb$nuc@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu>, rab@hal.cwru.edu (Roger A. Bielefeld) writes: >My dad has a Kenwood TS-850S and is now interested in controlling >the rig from his new PC. Does anyone have any information that >would help him build the necessary interface? Kenwood sells an >IF-232 interface for close to $200 that he'd like to avoid buying, >if possible. Any help appreciated! > >73, Roger AA8DV > >-- >Roger Bielefeld Dept of Epidemiology and Biostatistics >Assistant Professor Case Western Reserve University >rab@hal.cwru.edu Cleveland, Ohio USA I think that there was a good article and examples in the February, 1993 issue of QST Hope this helps. 73's. Saul WA6VEN ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Dec 1993 16:42:05 GMT From: library.ucla.edu!agate!spool.mu.edu!news.clark.edu!netnews.nwnet.net!ns1.nodak.edu!plains!jewalker@network.ucsd.edu Subject: Need List of Active Satellites! To: info-hams@ucsd.edu ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 20 Dec 1993 14:54:01 -0700 From: orca.es.com!cnn.sim.es.com!msanders.sim.es.com!user@uunet.uu.net Subject: Portable Repeater Help To: info-hams@ucsd.edu In article <1993Dec20.203908.1024@newsgate.sps.mot.com>, Rick Aldom wrote: ....... We allowed > our imagination to run some and thought having a portable repeater might > be over some use........... > Thanks > Rick Aldom > ayka60@email.sps.mot.com Don't know if I am off base or not, but with all the frequency coordination required in many, many populated areas for multiple repeaters, would not a "PORTABLE REPEATER" create lots of havoc and interference in built-up areas? Hope you plan to use this in a very large desert. Some repeaters have very long ranges: our .62 repeater covers well over 100 miles north, west, and south on 50 watts. Please take note to coordinate and use the minimum power required. Don't know if I misunderstood, but felt I needed to comment. Milt -- ========================================================================= Opinions, thoughts, &cetera are my own (when I can remember them). "He flies the sky KB7MSF Like an Eagle in the eye UTAH of a hurricane that's abandoned." America ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 15 Dec 1993 13:26:11 GMT From: netcomsv!netcom.com!greg@decwrl.dec.com Subject: R/C Aircraft To: info-hams@ucsd.edu In article wolfman@p-cove.UUCP (Aaron Smith) writes: > > Not neccessarily... If he can find a small enough computer board for it, >such as a gutted out laptop with a pcmcia slot, he could get pretty >small.. The TNCs aren't all that big, and I bet he could find a small >radio... Now the weight of all that could pose a problem to where he >would have to go with a bigger plane.. But the gutted laptop probably wouldn't tolerate the vibration inherent in the aircraft. There should be as little behind the telemetry as possible, and it ought to be sent down in as raw a form as possible, and processed by a machine on the ground. In fact, why use packet at all? Why not send out a continuous telemetry stream on one frequency/band and listen constantly on another frequency for commands (i.e. full duplex)? Then you don't have to deal with packet switching, collisions at critical moments, T/R switching or anything like that. Targeting packet for telemetry is sort of backwards engineering. Figure out what you want to do, and do it the best way, instead of forcing a solution into the problem. Greg ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Dec 1993 16:53:34 GMT From: library.ucla.edu!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!howland.reston.ans.net!news.cac.psu.edu!ems.psu.edu!aaron!jmr@network.ucsd.edu Subject: wanted: morse tutor for apple II To: info-hams@ucsd.edu Does anyone know of a morse tutor program for the apple II computers? Thanks - Joe, AF2J -- Joe Reinhardt, jmr@ruth.ece.psu.edu Department of Electrical Engineering The Pennsylvania State University ------------------------------ Date: 15 Dec 1993 13:55:42 GMT From: news.acns.nwu.edu!math.ohio-state.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!hal!rab@network.ucsd.edu Subject: Where have the DX bulletins gone? To: info-hams@ucsd.edu I used to regularly see DX bulletins posted here and cross-posted to r.r.info, but haven't seen any for a few weeks. Is this service gone permanently? 73, Roger AA8DV -- Roger Bielefeld Dept of Epidemiology and Biostatistics Assistant Professor Case Western Reserve University rab@hal.cwru.edu Cleveland, Ohio USA ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 20 Dec 93 17:11:47 EST From: vnet.IBM.COM@uunet.uu.net Subject: Yonkers Hamfest? To: info-hams@ucsd.edu I thought I heard that there is to be a hamfest in Yonkers in January, but I don't see it listed in ARRL's HAMFEST-USA file. Can someone tell me if there is such a hamfest, and if so, when and where? Thx. 73, Evan Jennings ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Dec 1993 15:54:57 GMT From: library.ucla.edu!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!usenet.ucs.indiana.edu!ds9.hper.indiana.edu!user@network.ucsd.edu To: info-hams@ucsd.edu References , , Subject : Re: Where are all the young enthusiasts? In article , wjturner@iastate.edu (William J Turner) wrote: > They have been driven off by the non-stop bickering (other words fit fine here > :-) and the effort to make no-coders be second-class (or lower) citizens. > They have quit going to meetings and checking into the nets because they have > found it isn't worth listening to all the crap that is dished out to them for > whatever reason. I'm currently studying on and off again for a tech no-code license in my free time. I have had a couple local hams make me feel unwelcome to the hobby since I'm not learning CW yet. I don't want to argue about learning CW. I understand why hams like CW. It low bandwidth and ability to send through distortion make it a very useful radio tool. It is also a part of the ham tradition. But then again, I know tons of computer experts that never learned to program. Why should Hams be limited on what they can achieve, because they don't want to learn CW. I would love to see the possibility of a General no-code class. I do plan to start learn CW, if I enjoy the hobby (and if there is alot on short-wave DXing). But, as of now I only plan to use 2m hand-held for my amateur use, after I get my ticket (can't set up much more in my apartment building) mike -- Mike Basinger: "Not speaking for Indiana University" dbasinge@nickel.ucs.indiana.edu dbasinge@arapahoe.ucs.indiana.edu (NeXT Mail) ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 21 Dec 1993 17:00:39 -0700 From: orca.es.com!cnn.sim.es.com!msanders.sim.es.com!user@uunet.uu.net To: info-hams@ucsd.edu References , , <2f7u19$gg@crchh941.bnr.ca> Subject : Re: Where are all the young enthusiasts? In article <2f7u19$gg@crchh941.bnr.ca>, kharker@bnr.ca (Kenneth E. Harker) wrote: > > Oh great. Another worthwhile thread ruined by this insidious code/no-code > debate. Sorry guys, but this is another one going into my kill file... > > _ken/n1pvb > "I do not speak for BNR" Ken: This is not intended to be a debate. We just want to show that there are young hams out there and here, and that they are jumping in with both feet to communicate. It's a thrill to me to talk or communicate with the young guys. They often sound more professional than OF's. They want to belong, they want to learn, so lets bring them along, just as many of us were "brought along". I don't want to debate either. Different strokes for different folks - go the way you want, or that sounds best for you. Just stay between the lines when you color . Milt -- ========================================================================= Opinions, thoughts, &cetera are my own (when I can remember them). "He flies the sky KB7MSF Like an Eagle in the eye UTAH of a hurricane that's abandoned." America ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 15 Dec 1993 14:02:43 GMT From: netcomsv!netcom.com!greg@decwrl.dec.com To: info-hams@ucsd.edu References <8508.2d0b1eb3@hayes.com>, , <8515.2d0dd593@hayes.com>ecwrl Subject : Re: Scratchi, January, 1960 In article <8515.2d0dd593@hayes.com> bcoleman@hayes.com (Bill Coleman) writes: > >OK, let me clarify this a bit. Please answer a few simple questions. Have you done your homework this time, 'counselor?' >Do you mind if Myron posts old Scratchi articles? Please refer to my first posting on the subject. No, I don't 'mind.' >Are you in fact encouraging Myron to post Scratchi articles? I am neither encouraging nor discouraging him. I would suggest that he temper his posting of material which some people regard as racist with some contextual information. If he chooses to follow that suggestion it's his choice. If he chooses to follow that suggestion it's his choice. If he chooses to follow that suggestion it's his choice. If he chooses to follow that suggestion it's his choice. Now, Bill, go back and re-read that last paragraph three or four times, and perhaps you will understand it and remember it for at least the duration of the thread. I'm sorry but there are some words with more than five letters, but I can't bring myself to lower the text to below second grade level in the hope that you will read it before continuing to tilt at windmills. >Would you prefer Myron (or anyone else) never post another Scratchi article >again? It's a mixed bag. The meta-discussion has demonstrated a good deal about the current American psyche that's worth noting. I would hope that he would follow my suggestion. (Remember the suggestion. Read it again, now Billy. Now what was the suggestion?) >Once you can determine exactly what your position is, Greg, then we can >debate rationally. From your previous posts, it was pretty clear to me that >you were sending Myron the internet equivalent of a neighborly "Cease and >Desist" order. Again, if you read, rather than making it up as you go along, perhaps you won't get your knickers in such a twist. I have determined my position, stated it, re-stated it, hashed it, ad nauseum. If you don't like the fact that I refuse to engage you in debate of something that I didn't say, tough shit. Go join a debate team if you want to play 'lets pretend.' >> If you continue to claim that I said this, you demonstrate that you >> are either illiterate, or a liar. > >Tsk, tsk. Greg. I don't see that I have given you any reason to degenerate >to the name-calling level. I won't be following you there. Bill, either you are deliberately mis-representing my position, again and again, or you are unable to read the materials to which I've referred you, again and again. Those who mis-represent are liars, and those who can't read are illiterate. >I think it is important for all people to think of others as equals. Think >of your fellow man as just another person. This "PC" emphasis sensitises us >to the DIFFERENCES in people. So, instead of thinking of your fellow man as >"Joe" you think of him as being "black", "asian", "Muslum", "Jew", >"Christian", "Fat", "Skinny", "Homosexual", "Heterosexual", "Asexual", >"male", "female", "native", "foriegner", etc, etc. > >When instead, you should think of him as just "Joe." Where you make the mistake is that you have to continue to respect what is [insert all those descriptions] about "Joe." And if "Joe" has been kicked for being one of those things, you might even consider not using it for comic relief. Otherwise, you're going to wonder why "Joe" doesn't like you very much. >> And we thought Archie Bunker was imaginary. > >What a creative bit of ad homenim argument. Trying to equivocate my good name >with that of the fictious bigot Archie Bunker. Ok, Greg, try to find just ONE >quote in any of my postings that shows me being a bigot. Well, let's see. You took what I said, and made up your mind that it was the standard "PC" line, and that it must be that I was therefore trying to drive Myron away, even though that was in your mind. That, Bill, is a form of bigotry. We don't even NEED to talk about racism to demonstrate that you are a bigot. So, if you want a quote, let's use that 'cease and desist' line, where you have attributed to me a position that is entirely concocted from your pre-conceived notions and prejudices. You have compounded that bigotry by continuing to engage me on that basis when you have been told, time after time, that 'no that is not my position. If you would please read my position, we can discuss it.' But no, you've lumped me into certain categories in your mind, and decided that you know what you know, and proceed on on that basis regardless. That's bigotry. Whether your fundamentally bigoted approach extends to your view of racial issues, I'm not in a position to estimate. Geez, Bill, you even did an Archie-ism with the use of 'equivocate' above. He was famous for his malapropisms. The only thing you forgot to do was to tell me that 'convoluted logic' is the 'kind of thinking that made this country great.' Greg ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Dec 1993 00:56:21 GMT From: netcomsv!netcom.com!fmitch@decwrl.dec.com To: info-hams@ucsd.edu References <93350.161620WKOEHLER@ESOC.BITNET>, , <2f6d5t$cvj@ub.d.umn.edu> Subject : Re: Optimum call sign for CW/contests? Jeremy Remer (jremer@ub.d.umn.edu) wrote: : >>The fastest, i.e. shortest,good callsignfor CW contesting would : >>certainly be N5EA. : > : >No. The best callsign for CW contesting would be KZ1O. i like symetrical (sp?) calls... calls with... os rk bv an ... or, semi-symetrical, like mine... wa4osr -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- fmitch@netcom.com Felton "Mitch" Mitchell, WA4OSR in Mobile, Alabama USA 205-342-7259 home, 205-476-4100 work, 205-476-0465 FAX co-sysop for W4IAX bbs running fbb ... sysop for WA4OSR DXCluster in Mobile.. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------ End of Info-Hams Digest V93 #1498 ****************************** ******************************