Date: Mon, 10 Jan 94 19:09:02 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 V94 #20 To: Info-Hams Info-Hams Digest Mon, 10 Jan 94 Volume 94 : Issue 20 Today's Topics: 500 pF 500V MICA Capacitors required BRAIN CANCER, LEUKEMIA FROM HAM RADIO (2 msgs) Club Station Licenses-Vanity calls Finger stock FM5CW QSL route? Friend looking for transverter Help finding: BPQAX25.EXE Mobile antenna question Morse Code program Multiple Forwards of Bulletins No longer at computone.com - please redirect mail RAMSEY KITS NOT TOO G Vanity Callsign Notice of Propsed Rulemaking (PR93-305) 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: Mon, 10 Jan 94 16:56:13 GMT From: munnari.oz.au!goanna.cs.rmit.oz.au!aggedor.rmit.EDU.AU!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!msuinfo!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!pipex!uknet!uos-ee!ee.surrey.ac.uk!M.Willis@network.ucsd.edu Subject: 500 pF 500V MICA Capacitors required To: info-hams@ucsd.edu I am trying to build the ARRL 4CX1000 144 MHz amplifier. I have all the parts except for the 500pF 500V type DM15 capacitors. They don't seem to be available in the UK. Can anyone help with a supplier for these components? Thanks 73 Mike G0MJW ------------------------------ Date: 10 Jan 94 18:26:49 GMT From: ogicse!hp-cv!hp-pcd!hpspkla!depaul@network.ucsd.edu Subject: BRAIN CANCER, LEUKEMIA FROM HAM RADIO To: info-hams@ucsd.edu Hello. If this has been discussed before, I'm sorry, I haven't seen it. The ARRL handbook mentions that we should keep the face of an amp at least 24 " from our body, etc. Rigs, power supplies, antenna tuners, and antennas are also hazardous to our health when set too close to our body. So now my amp is approx 4 feet from me, and my open wire antenna tuner is now 7 feet from me. I'm also about 2 feet from the face of the rig. I'm hoping that will do the trick to be immune from cancer... They mention that attic antennas are a no-no, and it appears mobiling douses your body with an rf field big time. There is statistically significant cancer rates above the non-electronic population. What I want to hear out there is anyone who has done, or is knowledgeable of work done in this field...Let us know. Regards, Marc ------------------------------ Date: 10 Jan 94 18:51:21 GMT From: ogicse!emory!gatech!howland.reston.ans.net!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!uxh.cso.uiuc.edu!irvine@network.ucsd.edu Subject: BRAIN CANCER, LEUKEMIA FROM HAM RADIO To: info-hams@ucsd.edu In article depaul@spk.hp.com (Marc DePaul) writes: > >The ARRL handbook mentions that we should keep the face of an amp >at least 24 " from our body, etc. Rigs, power supplies, antenna tuners, >and antennas are also hazardous to our health when set too close to our >body. It might be hazardous because of RF burns: if you stand too close to an emitting radar dish or high power antenna array you will get burns on your body. Lower power WILL heat your tissues a bit, though any claims of cancer are unsubstantiated and are probably bogus. >So now my amp is approx 4 feet from me, and my open wire antenna tuner >is now 7 feet from me. I'm also about 2 feet from the face of the rig. >I'm hoping that will do the trick to be immune from cancer... Well your tissues will probably be unheated (below the background level anyway... >They mention that attic antennas are a no-no, and it appears mobiling >douses your body with an rf field big time. It would depend on how your house is shielded. If you were to put a layr of chicken wire between your antenna and next floor down, ground it, your house should be safe. If you have a car with a metal roof, placing the antenna in the middle of it will keep the RF out of your vehicle pretty effectively. Also I think the highest mobile wattage is less than 100 watts, no? If you obey the reg that says you should communicate at the minimum wattage neccesary you will probably operate at well below that figure. Assuming that it could actually cause cancer... >There is statistically significant cancer rates above the non-electronic >population. Depends on how the data was calculated. Perhaps the HAM community is significantly older that the population at large, perhaps if there is genetic propensity to be a HAM there will also be a genetic propensity for cancer. The answer is that there is no real knowledge of this. This whole thing came about because of the 'power line' scares of the late 80's and the lady's claim that using a mototrola portable phone gave her brain cancer (despite the prevalnece of cancer deaths in her family)> There might be a corrollation, but that does not prove causation! >What I want to hear out there is anyone who has done, or is knowledgeable >of work done in this field...Let us know. I am currently studying Electromagnetics for a graduate degree. -- Brent Irvine callsign: n0rzu These personal opinions can internet: b-irvine@uiuc.edu be yours for a modest licensing aol: bearking@aol.com fee of $50.00 ------------------------------ Date: 10 Jan 94 19:08:26 GMT From: ogicse!cs.uoregon.edu!usenet.ee.pdx.edu!fastrac.llnl.gov!cronkite.nersc.gov!Greg.Chartrand@network.ucsd.edu Subject: Club Station Licenses-Vanity calls To: info-hams@ucsd.edu Does the vainty call sign proposal mean that the FCC will allow NEW club station licenses? There seems to be some ambiguity here. Greg WA9EYY ------------------------------ Date: 10 Jan 94 19:55:36 GMT From: news-mail-gateway@ucsd.edu Subject: Finger stock To: info-hams@ucsd.edu Anyone know of a source for small quantities of finger stock manufactured by a company called Instrument Specialities? Their minimum order quantity is too large, and they don't have any distributors. Thanks Mike N6MZ mikemr@microsoft.com ------------------------------ Date: 10 Jan 94 21:30:59 GMT From: ogicse!cs.uoregon.edu!news.uoregon.edu!fp2-st-affairs-11.uoregon.edu!user@network.ucsd.edu Subject: FM5CW QSL route? To: info-hams@ucsd.edu I haven't seen the QSL route for FM5CW listed anywhere! Does anyone have an idea of what it might be? Thanks, Steve ------------------------------ Date: 10 Jan 1994 15:29:08 GMT From: galaxy.ucr.edu!library.ucla.edu!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!not-for-mail@network.ucsd.edu Subject: Friend looking for transverter To: info-hams@ucsd.edu I have a friend (W1EJ) who is looking for a Microwave Modules 144 MHz transverter (or something very similar, like possibly a Sinclair). If you have one you'd like to sell or trade for something then contact him directly at: Tom Kirby W1EJ 603-635-2514 Thanks in advance.... -Dave KM3T ------------------------------ Date: 10 Jan 94 19:59:18 -0600 From: ddsw1!chigate!radiohobby!darren.leno@uunet.uu.net Subject: Help finding: BPQAX25.EXE To: info-hams@ucsd.edu To: babiyd@mala.bc.ca (DALE BABIY) >Hiya folks. Posted for a ham w/o net access: >He's looking for a file called BPQAX25.EXE. I've looked through the >net and come up with naught, so I can only assume that its some part >of an archive or something. I'm the new ham on the >block and I'd dearly >like to solve this little problem for one of the oldsters :). >Anyone give me a point in the right direction? I have BPQAX25.ZIP at Radio Hobby Online BBS, for dialup access. Modem is 708-238-1901. Full download access first call. Hope this helps. 73, Darren WD0EWJ/9 ------------------------------ Date: 10 Jan 94 23:20:52 GMT From: news-mail-gateway@ucsd.edu Subject: Mobile antenna question To: info-hams@ucsd.edu Todd KB6JXT in his reply to Michael Barts (mbarts@vt.edu) wrote: >And if his concern about drilling a hole for a proper roof mount is resale >value, remind him that he can advertise the car as "cellular-ready." ;-) Hmmm...I've seen a lot of talk about drilling a hole affecting resale value but in the years I've been on the info-hams list, I have yet to hear of a single case where someone said something like "because that hole was drilled in the car, I'm reducing my offer by $XX". Can anyone cite a case where a properly and cleanly done drill-hole antenna mount has resulted in a lower resale value? I have three permanent (drill-hole) antenna mounts in my two cars. Two are Larsen NMO mounts and one is a Hustler side-mount for my HF antenna. In probably 50,000 miles of driving including two or three salt-and-sand New England winters, there is not even a speck of rust or chipped paint anywhere near any of the mounts. On the other hand, there are quite a few scratches from the magmount I used to use on one of the cars. A proper and clean permanent drill-hole mount is easy to do and offers nothing but advantages over any other type of mount: better placement for a better ground plane, no window losses, no more door-squashed coax. BTW, Larsen makes a wonderful hole driller to make a perfect hole for their mounts. See if your local ham store or commercial radio shop will loan you theirs... 73 de Scott WO1G, the psycho car driller :-) =========== Scott Sminkey email: sasminkey@eng.xyplex.com Software Sustaining Engineering voice: 508 952-4792 Xyplex, Inc. fax: 508 952-4887 295 Foster St. (Opinions, comments, etc. are mine, Littleton, MA 01460 not Xyplex's...) ------------------------------ Date: 10 Jan 94 18:07:55 GMT From: ogicse!emory!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!darwin.sura.net!ra!usenet@network.ucsd.edu Subject: Morse Code program To: info-hams@ucsd.edu I'm looking for Morse code practice software that runs either on a NeXT computer (NeXTstep), or a DOS machine. Any suggestions on freeware or commercial software that isn't too expensive. Any programs available on ftp sites? -- David Drumheller, KA3QBQ phone: (202) 767-3524 Acoustics Division, Code 7140 fax: (202) 404-7732 Naval Research Laboratory Washington, DC 20375-5350 e-mail: drumhell@claudette.nrl.navy.mil ------------------------------ Date: 10 Jan 94 20:11:30 GMT From: news-mail-gateway@ucsd.edu Subject: Multiple Forwards of Bulletins To: info-hams@ucsd.edu First let me apologize to those of you who get both AMSAT-ANS and Amsat BBS for the duplication. Now then (flame on), As many of you may be aware, some of us out here pay REAL money each and evey time we receive something through our InterNet Gateway. This means that the repeated forwarding of AMSAT-ANS Bulletins is not only a waste of CPU time world wide, but also a waste of OUR money. I, and I'm sure many others, will appreciate "pi8daz@pa0okc.ampr.org" and "on1aeo@pa0okc.ampr.org" (and any others out there) turning off the auto-forward or other system that is generating these duplicates and dumping them back to AMSAT-ANS. I look forward to receiving only one copy of all future bulletins as I know the owners of these two adresses will fix the problem imediately. (flame off) Thank you all for your assistance in this matter. Ralph G. Sbragia, KD6FYT InterNet>KD6FYT@AMSAT.ORG CompuServe>76260,772 ------------------------------ Date: 10 Jan 94 22:29:00 GMT From: news-mail-gateway@ucsd.edu Subject: No longer at computone.com - please redirect mail To: info-hams@ucsd.edu Due to circumstances beyond my control (i.e. I was laid off), I will no longer be able to answer mail sent to this account. Please re-direct my AMSAT mail to: lkollar@nyx.cs.du.edu Thanks to the many people who helped out with my recent problem with the newsletter (not getting it), especially to John Hansen who is sending me a replacement copy. See y'all at nyx! Larry Kollar, Senior Technical Writer | email: larryk@computone.com Computone Inc, Roswell, GA | "You help your country by investing Disclaimer: I just write the manuals! | in the future, not by waving flags." Check out our World-Wide Web server, http://www.computone.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 10 Jan 1994 15:51:51 GMT From: munnari.oz.au!goanna.cs.rmit.oz.au!aggedor.rmit.EDU.AU!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!yeshua.marcam.com!news.kei.com!nic.hookup.net!news.sprintlink.net!direct!news.direct.net!kg7bk@network Subject: RAMSEY KITS NOT TOO G To: info-hams@ucsd.edu steven.rosenberg@support.com wrote: : gary@ke4zv.atl.ga.us (Gary Coffman) writes: : > I've built Heathkits and Ramsey kits. Ramsey is more fun. : : As the unproud owner of an non-working Ramsay 40m receiver, I would : rather the damn thing worked! Steven Rosenberg, KC6FYL I agree with Gary. I've built 4 of the Ramsey FM transceivers and repaired numerous others. There were missing parts which Ramsey promptly replaced. After minor modifications to correct the transmit audio problem, the squelch problem, and the Oct '93 QST modifications, these rigs perform just fine. What Ramsey needs to do is include an Applications Note with each kit. All the problems have already been solved. 73, Cecil, kg7bk@indirect.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 10 Jan 1994 13:08:11 GMT From: mvb.saic.com!unogate!news.service.uci.edu!usc!howland.reston.ans.net!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!emory!kd4nc!ke4zv!gary@network.ucsd.edu Subject: Vanity Callsign Notice of Propsed Rulemaking (PR93-305) To: info-hams@ucsd.edu In article root@jackatak.raider.net (Jack GF Hill) writes: >gdm@eieio.ualr.edu (G. Douglas Mauldin) writes: >> and my trying to get, say, K5EE, the shortest (in CW) >> callsign in the United States. > >Pardon the flame-thrower.... but seems to me, Doug, EXTRA class >callsign and all that, that you ought to know ur cw well enuf to know >"N" is shorter than "K", and so is "A"... so AE5E and NE5E and N5EE >are *ALL* shorter than K5EE or the other permutations... > >and we thought Extra Class was a safe haven from all that... ;^) >Jack, W4PPT/Mobile (75M SSB 2-letter WAS #1657 -- all from the mobile! ;^) Come on Jack, we all know that *real* ham calls start with a W or K. :-) 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: Mon, 10 Jan 1994 15:11:31 GMT From: netcomsv!netcom.com!carndt@decwrl.dec.com To: info-hams@ucsd.edu References , <9JAN199422161744@erich.triumf.ca>, Subject : Re: Phonecalls from 20,000 feet?!... I don't recall that the poster who started this thread actually said he wanted to call from an airplane. He sais he was going to Alaska, and wanted to "check on the kids", I believe, from 20'000 feet. Do you suppose perhaps he's climbing Mt. McKinley (with a peak elev. of _20,300 ft_), and was looking for pointers to getting an amateur ticket so he could cart a radio up with him? Chris KD6DSI ------------------------------ Date: 10 Jan 94 21:46:02 GMT From: ogicse!emory!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!library.ucla.edu!news.ucdavis.edu!othello.ucdavis.edu!ez006683@network.ucsd.edu To: info-hams@ucsd.edu References <940107191032.2020a259@ecsuc.ctstateu.edu>, <1994Jan8.170346.3051@n5ial.mythical.com>, <2gsahs$abt@ornews.intel.com> Subject : Re: I need a terminal program for 2 TNCs at once On a related line. What good terminal programs allow for individual windows for each stream in multiuser mode. It would also be nice to have a window to monitor other QSO's without all the extra garbage. For instance you could just use your mouse to select a transmission and then all other transmissions to or from that station would be sent to a window and preceeded only with the sending station's call. It would be nice if it also compared the current packet to the last recieved packet from the station and not display duplicate packets that I recieved but the recipient missed. While there is probably nothing out there that has the monitoring features I would like is there an easier way to manage multi-stream conversations? Thanks, Dan -- *---------------------------------------------------------------------* * Daniel D. Todd Packet: KC6UUD@WA6RDH.#nocal.ca.usa * * Internet: DDTODD@ucdavis.edu * * Snail Mail: 1750 Hanover #102 * * Davis CA 95616 * *---------------------------------------------------------------------* * I do not speak for the University of California.... * * and it sure as hell doesn't speak for me!! * *---------------------------------------------------------------------* ------------------------------ Date: 10 Jan 94 02:25:50 GMT From: ogicse!emory!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!hamblin.math.byu.edu!yvax.byu.edu!physc1.byu.edu!peterson@network.ucsd.edu To: info-hams@ucsd.edu References <2ghota$48s@panix2.panix.com>, , <2gksi7INNb6r@network.ucsd.edu>1.by Subject : Re: Repeater database? In article <2gksi7INNb6r@network.ucsd.edu>, brian@nothing.ucsd.edu (Brian Kantor) writes: > Some years ago, one of our repeaters stopped working. When we got up on > the the mountain, we found out why: > > Someone had torched the door off the building, stolen all the Motorola > and GE repeaters out of the building (demonstrating good taste, they > left the RCA repeaters alone). On their way out, just for good > measure, they cut the guy wires on the tower. When the storm hit a few > days later, 70 feet of H-frame tower blew over the side of the mountain > to the desert floor below, taking our antennas and a good portion of > our coax with it. The solar panels were smashed beyond repair. > > Want to know where our repeaters are now? NOYGDB! > - Brian I find this thief's taste to be interesting but I'm not sure that not telling anyone where your repeater is will stop this kind of activity. Someone with this kind of intent is not going to be stopped by lack of public information. If you have a 70 ft tower sitting on top of a mountain a good pair of binoculars is all that is needed to find it (and if you are really sophisticated a scanner with some type of DF antenna to get the general location). In case you haven't noticed, the backwoods areas of the west coast (and increasingly moving toward the east from CA with a real pocket up in north ID) are basically lawless. It all started with poachers, moved into large scale marijuana farms and has progressed to the point where some have begun packing guns on backpacking trips for self protection. And there is no one out there to stop them. It doesn't matter where you put this repeater if someone really wants a GE repeater - they will find it and they will get it. Don't forget - they can do this kind of thing at a downtown bank and that is far more difficult than going to the top of a mountain where they can basically do it at their leisure because even if it is alarmed it will take HOURS for anyone to get there to stop them. Just a note - from my front porch in town I can actually see the towers for a large number of the local repeaters along with one's for the Forest Service, the Sheriff's Office, U.S.West, AT&T and a large number of radio stations. It doesn't take a lot of smarts to know that at the base of each of those towers is a building full of very expensive equipment. And a few minutes at the local store and a few dollars is all I need to have a 7.5' USGS map of the area which will show me the roads to any particular site and what is located there. If I was crazy enough to want that stuff it is not a question of locating it - it is a question of how to get into the building once I get there. Bryan Peterson peterson@physc1.byu.edu ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 10 Jan 94 15:27:05 GMT From: mnemosyne.cs.du.edu!nyx10!lkollar@uunet.uu.net To: info-hams@ucsd.edu References <9401060730.ZM27881@SALCIUS2>, <1994Jan7.140535.5582@mnemosyne.cs.du.edu>, <1994Jan8.145408.11446@ke4zv.atl.ga.us> Subject : Re: Ramsey kits not too good -- what about Down East Microwave? gary@ke4zv.atl.ga.us (Gary Coffman) writes: >[Down East Microwave] >I've built their 902 MHz transverter, and their 2304 downconverter. They >work, but they aren't Heathkits. The LOs are built dead bug style, and >the docs aren't very clear at all. I needed the photos in the QST article >to figure out parts placement for the transverter. But they did work first >time, and no special test equipment was required for tuneup. Sheesh, at least Ramsey tells you where to put the parts. :-) Even if they don't give you all the parts. By "dead bug style," do you mean surface-mount parts? I can't imagine a 2304 MHz assembly working with "traditional" dead-bug construction.... > Ramsey has greatly improved >their 2 meter and 70 cm transceivers from the original models, but they >aren't bargains. Converting commercial surplus will still give you a better >radio for less money. When did the new & improved kits come out? Also, how much effort is it to make commercial surplus frequency-agile? >I'd say that if you need a reliable high performance preamp, converter, >or transverter, you're best off buying from ARR or SSB Electronics. Sounds like good advice. I'll get there some day, dangit! :-) Wishing I had a KW linear under my desk (my feet are COLD!), I am -- -- Larry Kollar, KC4WZK | I like CW, but that doesn't mean I think every ham lkollar@nyx.cs.du.edu | should have to learn it. "On the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog." ------------------------------ End of Info-Hams Digest V94 #20 ****************************** ******************************