Date: Wed, 29 Dec 93 14:28:54 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 #1521 To: Info-Hams Info-Hams Digest Wed, 29 Dec 93 Volume 93 : Issue 1521 Today's Topics: cw waivers (2 msgs) Disability Waivers for CW scam (3 msgs) FTP site for JESTER SSTV software, any & where? Maxton and Newwell Repeater database? RFI into telephones (2 msgs) UK scanner listeners arrested; called (2 msgs) who sells good HT battery replacements? 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: 29 Dec 93 20:46:51 GMT From: att-out!cbnewsj!k2ph@rutgers.rutgers.edu Subject: cw waivers To: info-hams@ucsd.edu ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 29 Dec 1993 21:04:43 GMT From: swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!newsrelay.iastate.edu!news.iastate.edu!wjturner@network.ucsd.edu Subject: cw waivers To: info-hams@ucsd.edu In article k2ph@cbnewsj.cb.att.com (The QRPer) writes: >From article <1993Dec29.171134.20931@ke4zv.atl.ga.us>, by gary@ke4zv.atl.ga.us (Gary Coffman): >> In article k2ph@cbnewsj.cb.att.com (The QRPer) writes: >>>CW is still alive among contesters BECAUSE IT'S FUN! >> Oh, I'll concede that some people have outre senses of whats fun. Why >> there are people who consider it fun to lie on a bed of nails, or >> flagellate themselves with birch wands, or stick hot needles in their >> flesh, or operate manual Morse. I don't fall into that group of masochists >> who find Chinese water torture a pleasant passtime. >Nor do I. Nor anyone else I know who operates CW. > >I fail to understand how anybody could equate operating CW with >lying in a bed of nails. Unless they've been smoking the Christmas >wreath. Some day you must explain this to me, Gary. Do you really >think that people torture themselves just to get awards? Smoking the Christmas wreath? THAT's what was missing this year! No wreath to smoke. >Incredible. >Wise up, Gary. Hundreds of thousands of amateurs throughout the >world think CW is fun. They are not being tortured. I know I am one of them. So are all the other hams in my family. (Three generations and growing...) Using voice is too much like talking to someone on the telephone. CW is much different, and that makes it more enjoyable for me. [By the same toke, I feel code-exams are outdated. They should be replaced by something more meaningful...] -- Will Turner, N0RDV --------------------------------------------- wjturner@iastate.edu | "Are you going to have any professionalism, | twp77@isuvax.iastate.edu | or am I going to have to beat it into you?" | TURNERW@vaxld.ameslab.gov --------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: 29 Dec 1993 14:10:32 -0600 From: usc!howland.reston.ans.net!cs.utexas.edu!not-for-mail@network.ucsd.edu Subject: Disability Waivers for CW scam To: info-hams@ucsd.edu I have a question concerning the newest type of license "scam." Our VE group just had a guy come through with a disability waiver which was signed by his doctor indicating that his blindness prevented him from copying CW. After reviewing the VE rules concerning this, I had to accept the waiver and pass it along to the National VEC and the FCC. I trust they review these carefully. What makes this incident so interesting is the fact that at the same VE session, another blind man came in without a waiver and passed a 13 WPM code test with flying colors. The question to the net is how can blindness prevent a person from copying CW? Is blindness a handicap which should be on the list of acceptable disabilities for a CW waiver? Currently, the acceptable list is those severe handicaps defined by congress (I don't recall the detailed reference, but remember reading it in my VE rules manual). Are we as amateurs leaving ourselves open for scams where anyone with a doctors signature can weasel out of a code test? Let's re-think this! Leonard Popyack WF2V popyackl@wf2v.erp.rl.af.mil ------------------------------ Date: 29 Dec 1993 14:26:39 -0600 From: usc!howland.reston.ans.net!cs.utexas.edu!bga.com!bga.com!nobody@network.ucsd.edu Subject: Disability Waivers for CW scam To: info-hams@ucsd.edu I mailed the following to the original poster, and thought that I'd share it with the 'net at large. Hopefully someone else will find use in it... To: popyackl@erplab.erp.rl.af.mil Subject: Re: Disability Waivers for CW scam Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc In-Reply-To: <344.popyackl@erplab.erp.rl.af.mil_popmail/pc_3.2.2> Organization: Real/Time Communications - Bob Gustwick and Associates Cc: Bcc: The answer to both questions is a very loud and emphatic NO!!!! I am a blind ham and have been for the past 6 (count 'em) years. I've enjoyed cw the whole time, and can copy it in my head at upwards of 25 wpm (30-35 on a really good day). I passed my 20 wpm when I was 14, 3 months after I passed my novice class license. If you ever run into this loser again, tell him he is full of shit for me, will ya? I just absolutely cannot _stand_ people who will do anything for a free ride--including selling themselves short. He needs a clue. If he gets the waiver, I will be mightily displeased (like that has anything to do with it). At any rate, blindness has absolutely *no* bearing on one's cw copying ability. If he's not skilled enough to either copy cw on a laptop computer, typewriter, braille writer, slate and stylus, or, for that matter, orally, sham on him--but it's his blindness skills, and likely his attitude about blindness, that's keeping him from that 13- or 20 wpm test, *not* his blindness. 73, from disgruntled bug user :) -- Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV | God is love. Riff-Raff #4 | Love is blind. Internet: davros@bga.com | Buddy is blind. davros@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu | Buddy is God. -- Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV | God is love. Riff-Raff #4 | Love is blind. Internet: davros@bga.com | Buddy is blind. davros@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu | Buddy is God. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 29 Dec 1993 20:55:51 GMT From: library.ucla.edu!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!newsrelay.iastate.edu!news.iastate.edu!wjturner@network.ucsd.edu Subject: Disability Waivers for CW scam To: info-hams@ucsd.edu In article <344.popyackl@erplab.erp.rl.af.mil_POPMail/PC_3.2.2> popyackl@erplab.erp.rl.af.mil (Leonard J Popyack, Jr.) writes: >Currently, the acceptable list is those severe handicaps defined by congress >(I don't recall the detailed reference, but remember reading it in my VE rules manual). > >Are we as amateurs leaving ourselves open for scams where anyone with a doctors >signature can weasel out of a code test? Let's re-think this! That's all they need? A "severe handicap"? Anybody seen anyone with a CW waiver because they are paralyzed from the waist down? Maybe I should be the first and use it for my 20wpm... -- Will Turner, N0RDV --------------------------------------------- wjturner@iastate.edu | "Are you going to have any professionalism, | twp77@isuvax.iastate.edu | or am I going to have to beat it into you?" | TURNERW@vaxld.ameslab.gov --------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: 29 Dec 93 21:43:15 GMT From: news.tek.com!gvgpsa.gvg.tek.com!gold.gvg.tek.com!gvgadg!randyh@uunet.uu.net Subject: FTP site for JESTER SSTV software, any & where? To: info-hams@ucsd.edu Is there a FTP site that has the JESTER software for the SSTV project in Jan QST? Randy WA2AGE ------------------------------ Date: 29 Dec 1993 20:56:38 GMT From: library.ucla.edu!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!cs.utexas.edu!geraldo.cc.utexas.edu!astro.as.utexas.edu!oo7@network.ucsd.edu Subject: Maxton and Newwell To: info-hams@ucsd.edu kchen@apple.com (Kok Chen) wonders: >clh6w@faraday.clas.Virginia.EDU (Carole L. Hamilton) writes: >>In article , >>William J Turner wrote: >>> >>>Maxwell's equations?!! Why even start *that* far advanced? >>>Start with Newton's three laws and go from there!! >>> >>>(Yes, you can derive Maxwell from Newton (and a few others, too). It just >>>takes a while. :-) >>> >>You don't need Newton's equations to derive Maxwell's equations. >>Maxwell's are much more fundamental!! > >Ummmm, ahhhh.... > >Eh? Has someone finally solved the Unified Field Theory problem >while I was asleep? Yes! See, Newton says that everything continues in a straight line unless acted on by a force. This explains why radio waves travel in a straight line, see? - it's only when you apply a force to them with the transmitter that they change direction and curve around the earth's surface. This curving motion is called the "curl" in Maxwell's equations. And if you hear a slight "thump" whenever you key your transmitter, that's Newton's Third Law - action and reaction. When you push the radio waves out of the transmitter, the transmitter actually gets pushed back a little bit. This is why the most powerful transmitters are actually bolted to the floor, to prevent their migrating across the room after repeated transmissions. I'm surprised you didn't know all this, what with your being an Extra class ham and all that, Derek "Isaac" Wills (AA5BT, G3NMX) Department of Astronomy, University of Texas, Austin TX 78712. (512-471-1392) oo7@astro.as.utexas.edu ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 29 Dec 1993 17:44:37 GMT From: galaxy.ucr.edu!library.ucla.edu!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!emory!kd4nc!ke4zv!gary@network.ucsd.edu Subject: Repeater database? To: info-hams@ucsd.edu In article mkb@cs.cmu.edu writes: > >Anybody with $7 can buy a copy of the ARRL repeater directory. >Presumably groups that don't want their repeater publically known >don't list it in the directory. ARRL makes a couple of bucks on each >sale (okay, they aren't an individual, so lets say the money goes back >to the good of hamdom). :-) >Suppose I write a geographical database with a really whizzy graphical >front end, searching and planning capabilities, made to run on a >laptop or PDA. It includes the ARRL repeater directory database. Just >what I want while travelling, and maybe others as well... For every >copy of this program I sell, I license one copy of the repeater >database by sending ARRL four bucks or whatever they think is fair. I >could sell yearly updates in sync with the ARRL directory (always >licensing each copy with the ARRL). > >Of course, someone could pirate a copy of the program, or steal the >database for their own program without licensing it from the ARRL. But >those would be criminal acts. Maybe my program could encrypt the data >to prevent casual lifting of the database. The ARRL doesn't own the database, you can't copyright tabular data, only it's presentation format. That was settled years ago in a case regarding phone books. If anyone owns the data, it's the coordinating bodies, and they protect it by keeping it confidential. Most release parts of their database to the ARRL, though there have been recent fights about that. >The only money I'd be making would be from the program itself - the >ARRL would make the same amount as if it had sold a paper copy of the >directory. > >Would any groups object to this? Would it require constitutional >amendments and not happen in my lifetime? It sounds good to me, but I >don't understand the arguments in the first place. The problem is with the coordinating bodies. Their database is their bread and butter. It's what allows them to do their jobs. They don't want to see others profit from their work. Secondarily, the database contains more than frequency pair assignments. It also contains link and control frequencies and codes. Many repeater owners want to keep that information confidential to help prevent their machines being hacked. Others want to keep the exact geographic location of their machines confidential in order to reduce vandalism of the site. Me, I'll tell you exactly where my machine is, and wish you luck at getting to it. I'll tell you it's input and output frequencies, it's CTCSS access tone, it's HAAT, and it's ERP, but I won't release the control codes, or the control link frequency voluntarily. I expect the coordinating body to keep that information confidential. Gary -- Gary Coffman KE4ZV | You make it, | gatech!wa4mei!ke4zv!gary Destructive Testing Systems | we break it. | uunet!rsiatl!ke4zv!gary 534 Shannon Way | Guaranteed! | emory!kd4nc!ke4zv!gary Lawrenceville, GA 30244 | | ------------------------------ Date: 29 Dec 93 13:33:17 CST From: timbuk.cray.com!hemlock.cray.com!cherry10!dadams@uunet.uu.net Subject: RFI into telephones To: info-hams@ucsd.edu In article 7sZaFc3w165w@stat.com, david@stat.com (David Dodell) writes: |I have a G5RV type antenna in my attic which is only a few feet in |places from my telephone wiring. This causes RFI into my telephone |system. | |Any suggestions on minimizing this? | |David wb7tpy | |--- |Editor, HICNet Medical Newsletter |Internet: david@stat.com FAX: +1 (602) 451-6135 |Bitnet : ATW1H@ASUACAD Move the phone? Ok, Move the antenna? --- Sourdough and Ham AA0PV --David C. Adams internet: dadams@cray.com Statistician uunet: uunet!cray!dadams Cray Research Inc. packet: kg0io@tcman.#msp.mn.usa.noam "Who hath believed our report?" (Isaiah 53:1.) ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 29 Dec 1993 14:11:44 GMT From: netcomsv!netcomsv!bongo!julian@decwrl.dec.com Subject: RFI into telephones To: info-hams@ucsd.edu In article <7sZaFc3w165w@stat.com> david@stat.com (David Dodell) writes: >I have a G5RV type antenna in my attic which is only a few feet in >places from my telephone wiring. This causes RFI into my telephone >system. > >Any suggestions on minimizing this? There are many ways to handle this problem. Not all will work. It depends on several factors. You say "Telephone System". Do you mean you have a large PBX that is getting rfi? Or do you have a couple of cheap phones sent to you for renewing your subscription to Time magazine? Often the RFI can be whipped by treating the phone sets. The standard Bell type 500 (rotary) and 2500 (touchtone) phones are relatively immune to RFI. Should they be picking up RFI, they can often be cured by placing 250 Volt 100nF or 10nF capacitors between Tip and Ring. Tip and Ring is the name for the two wires that carry the phone signal. In most residential installations, the wire carrying the signal around the house is prone to interference if it is not twisted. If the wire is Red & Green with Black & Yellow, it is not twisted. This wire is called "quad". It should be replaced with "twisted pair". Twisted pair is more immune to QRM. There are special filters sold for telephones. The guy that makes them advertises in QST. But most WRM problems can be fixed with. 1. decent phones - throw out the nasty junk. 2. decent wire - put twisted pair in everywhere. There are some documents that may help in fixing telephone RFI. They are Bulletin FO-10 from the FCC and Bell System Practice (BSP) Section 500-150-100 (JAn 1974). There may be later documents, but this si what I have. I have ascii copies of these docs and will mail them to anyone who wants them, along with a dreary artice I wrote for Popular Communications magazine on the subject. Now, if you do have problems with a large PBX, it may require more work, but can usually be beaten. -- Julian Macassey, N6ARE julian@bongo.tele.com Voice: (310) 659-3366 Paper Mail: Apt 225, 975 Hancock Ave, West Hollywood, California 90069-4074 ------------------------------ Date: 29 Dec 93 13:11:33 CST From: timbuk.cray.com!hemlock.cray.com!cherry10!dadams@uunet.uu.net Subject: UK scanner listeners arrested; called To: info-hams@ucsd.edu In article 281293150945@msanders.sim.es.com, msanders@sim.es.com (Milt Sanders) writes: snip, snip... |This might be a good test |here in the US to see who might be attracted by such an announcement Well I have recently heard news accounts where federal agents sent announcements in the mail to the last known addresses of a list of criminals saying, "Congradulations, you are the lucky winner in our drawing..." A whole swarm of these guys showed up, produced ID, and were immediately handcuffed. There is something in all this that really bothers me about a system that would allow it's police force, those we hire to enforce laws dealing with honesty, to lie, to commit fraud, to do what ever beyond the law, in order to catch criminals, or even to pursuade people to commit a crime so that they can be arrested. --- Sourdough and Ham AA0PV --David C. Adams internet: dadams@cray.com Statistician uunet: uunet!cray!dadams Cray Research Inc. packet: kg0io@tcman.#msp.mn.usa.noam "Who hath believed our report?" (Isaiah 53:1.) ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 29 Dec 93 20:11:05 GMT From: mnemosyne.cs.du.edu!nyx10!jmaynard@uunet.uu.net Subject: UK scanner listeners arrested; called To: info-hams@ucsd.edu In article <1993Dec29.131133.17917@hemlock.cray.com>, David Adams wrote: >There is something in all this that really bothers me about a system that >would allow it's police force, those we hire to enforce laws dealing with >honesty, to lie, to commit fraud, to do what ever beyond the law, in order >to catch criminals, I don't have a problem with luring a fugitive in with whatever means, fair or foul, they can come up with. Otherwise, we simply allow someone to evade capture. > or even to pursuade people to commit a crime so that >they can be arrested. This is entrapment, and I have real problems with that. >Sourdough and Ham AA0PV > Cray Research Inc. packet: kg0io@tcman.#msp.mn.usa.noam Congratulations on the new call...now, shouldn't you reprogram your TNC? :-) -- Jay Maynard, EMT-P, K5ZC, PP-ASEL | Never ascribe to malice that which can jmaynard@oac.hsc.uth.tmc.edu | adequately be explained by stupidity. "A good flame is fuel to warm the soul." -- Karl Denninger ------------------------------ Date: 29 Dec 1993 13:28:29 -0800 From: sdd.hp.com!saimiri.primate.wisc.edu!caen!uwm.edu!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!math.ohio-state.edu!cyber2.cyberstore.ca!nwnexus!tedt@network.ucsd.edu Subject: who sells good HT battery replacements? To: info-hams@ucsd.edu holland@gasmac.dom.uab.edu (Steve Holland) writes: >MY HT power pack no longer will hold a charge over a reasonable time >and I am planning on replacing it. What mail order venders makes >reliable battery packs that offer good value? I am looking for >something that will fit an ALINCO DJ500T HT. >Steve Holland Steve - Periphex has what seems to be an on-going sale of battery packs for Alinco ($40.00 for 7.2 v @1500 mah, rechargeable nickel cadmium battery). Their # is 800-634-8132. 73's Ted, KB7ZQQ ------------------------------ Date: 29 Dec 1993 20:13:20 GMT From: galaxy.ucr.edu!library.ucla.edu!agate!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!nigel.msen.com!caen!crl.dec.com!crl.dec.com!nntpd.lkg.dec.com!wile.lkg.dec.com!heinzl@network.ucsd.edu To: info-hams@ucsd.edu References <1993Dec22.060722.7669@kd4nc.uucp>, <2fpklm$npg@news.acns.nwu.edu>, <63482@ogicse.ogi.edu>.l Reply-To : heinzl@wile.lkg.dec.com (Carl G Heinzl) Subject : Re: Where are all the young enthusiasts? I've heard several stories about younger hams not being recognized as piers by older hams. I must say that my experience was quite different. As a young ham (13 yrs old) back in '73 in Pittsburgh, I was quite readily accepted into the two clubs that I joined in the Pittsburgh area, the Pittsburgh ATA - amateur transmitter association, and the South Hills Brass Pounders and Modulators. Not once did someone brush me aside because of my age. The ATA wasn't a very active club but we had some interesting speakers at the monthly meeting at the Buhl Planetarium. I was active enough in this club that at the age of 14 I became one of the club directors! The SHBP&M was a great club to work field day with at South Park (I'll never forget my experiences there), something that no young ham should be without! -Carl- WA3UEN President - Very Versatile Business Computer Company of New England ------------------------------ Date: (null) From: (null) Nor do I. Nor anyone else I know who operates CW. I fail to understand how anybody could equate operating CW with lying in a bed of nails. Unless they've been smoking the Christmas wreath. Some day you must explain this to me, Gary. Do you really think that people torture themselves just to get awards? Incredible. Wise up, Gary. Hundreds of thousands of amateurs throughout the world think CW is fun. They are not being tortured. Sheesh. Gary, we all really appreciate you sharing your technical expertise with us. However, you really do need to understand that, when it comes to operational matters, your perceptions are way out there. Oh yes, you do understand that DXing and contesting are two very different things, right? Your original post seemed somewhat confused about that. 73, Bob K2PH -- ---------------------------------------------------- Bob Schreibmaier K2PH | UUCP: ...!att!mtdcr!bob AT&T Bell Laboratories | Internet: bob@mtdcr.att.com Middletown, N.J. 07748 | ICBM: 40o21'N, 74o8'W ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 29 Dec 1993 21:06:31 GMT From: usc!howland.reston.ans.net!spool.mu.edu!uwm.edu!fnnews.fnal.gov!att-in!cbnewsm!jeffj@network.ucsd.edu To: info-hams@ucsd.edu References <1993Dec27.150035.10400@ke4zv.atl.ga.us>, , <1993Dec29.171134.20931@ke4zv.atl.ga.us>p Subject : Re: cw waivers In article <1993Dec29.171134.20931@ke4zv.atl.ga.us> gary@ke4zv.atl.ga.us (Gary Coffman) writes: > >Oh, I'll concede that some people have outre senses of whats fun. Why >there are people who consider it fun to lie on a bed of nails, or >flagellate themselves with birch wands, or stick hot needles in their >flesh, or operate manual Morse. I don't fall into that group of masochists >who find Chinese water torture a pleasant passtime. Subtle as always Gary. 8-) >Someone using manual Morse is like someone who prefers 300 baud modems >when 9600 baud units are cheap and available. I frankly don't understand >the affinity for slow torture. Why not use drums and smoke signals if >you're trying to recreate the past? Kind of hard to hold a conversation at 5 wpm... 8-) Jeff -- Jeff Jones AB6MB | Vote out those who voted for the North American jeffj@seeker.mystic.com | Free Trade Agreement! Infolinc BBS 510-778-5929 | ------------------------------ End of Info-Hams Digest V93 #1521 ****************************** ******************************