Date: Tue, 15 Mar 94 19:35:11 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 #292 To: Info-Hams Info-Hams Digest Tue, 15 Mar 94 Volume 94 : Issue 292 Today's Topics: Best truck/sport util for HF/VHF? Guide to the Personal Radio Newsgroups Icom 737 CW Filter Switching Mod. ICOM IC-728 MODS? Macintosh Amateur Radio Software - January 1994 need extra class book and tape recommendation noise blankers (3 msgs) subscribe 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: 15 Mar 1994 15:00:30 GMT From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!mvb.saic.com!news.cerf.net!usc!howland.reston.ans.net!noc.near.net!jericho.mc.com!fugu!levine@network.ucsd.edu Subject: Best truck/sport util for HF/VHF? To: info-hams@ucsd.edu In article 94Mar14114117@medea.bbn.com, levin@bbn.com (Joel B Levin) writes: -->In article <1994Mar14.141940.2305@ke4zv.atl.ga.us> gary@ke4zv.atl.ga.us (Gary Coffman) writes: --> Well if it's a sport utility that you want, the Jeep Cherokee or Jeep --> Comanche pickup are hard to beat. . . . --> -->Without commenting on their suitability for radio (and I know at least -->one person who has had a large HF station in a Jeep), in this part of -->the country (Northern New England) used Jeeps have been known as cars -->to avoid due to the amount of rust they develop. This is not an issue -->in the southwest, and I doubt they use much salt on the roads in the -->Atlanta area. Your mileage (sorry) may vary. --> --> /JBL KD1ON I have used a TS440 and an ICOM 2400 dual bander in a full sized 1987 GMC Blazer with no problems of vehicle generated RFI. The output on 2m was 170w and the 440 output was 130w. No effect on the vehicle systems noticed either. Same with the 100w HF TS440. I have installed a TS50 and an ICOM 2410 dual bander in a small sized 1991 S-15 Jimmy also with no vehicle generated RFI noticed either. No vehicle systems seem affected by the 2m, 440, or HF here. My connections to the battery are via the GMC battery accessory connectors that they showed in Dayton a few years age (and every year since). Makes the connections to the side mount battery terminals very easy. --- ------------------------------------------------------------ Bob Levine KD1GG 7J1AIS VK2GYN formerly KA1JFP levine@mc.com <--Internet email Phone(508) 256-1300 x247 kd1gg@wa1phy.ma <--Packet Mail FAX(508) 256-3599 ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 15 Mar 1994 12:01:57 GMT From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!wupost!crcnis1.unl.edu!news.unomaha.edu!news@network.ucsd.edu Subject: Guide to the Personal Radio Newsgroups To: info-hams@ucsd.edu Posted-By: auto-faq 3.2.1.2 Archive-name: radio/personal-intro Revision: 1.5 12/18/93 14:15:53 Changes: new mailing lists, .packet rmgroup, and .policy updates (Note: The following is reprinted with the permission of the author.) This message describes the rec.radio.amateur.*, rec.radio.cb, rec.radio.info, and rec.radio.swap newsgroups. It is intended to serve as a guide for the new reader on what to find where. Questions and comments may be directed to the author, Jay Maynard, K5ZC, by Internet electronic mail at jmaynard@oac.hsc.uth.tmc.edu. This message was last changed on 18 September 1993 to add the mailing lists for the new rec.radio.amateur newsgroups, to note the rmgroup of rec.radio.amateur.packet, and to officially retire some (in)famous threads of discussion on rec.radio.amateur.policy. History ======= Way back when, before there was a Usenet, the Internet hosted a mailing list for hams, called (appropriately enough) INFO-HAMS. Ham radio discussions were held on the mailing list, and sent to the mailboxes of those who had signed up for it. When the Usenet software was created, and net news as we now know it was developed, a newsgroup was created for hams: net.ham-radio. The mailing list and the newsgroup were gatewayed together, eventually. As the net grew, and as packet radio came into vogue, packet discussion began to dominate other topics in the group and on the list. This resulted in the logical solution: a group was created to hold the packet discussion, and another corresponding mailing list was created as well: net.ham-radio.packet and PACKET-RADIO, respectively. These two groups served for several years, and went through Usenet's Great Renaming essentially unchanged, moving from net.ham-radio[.packet] to rec.ham-radio[.packet]. Readership and volume grew with the rest of the network. The INFO-HAMS mailing list was originally run from a US Army computer at White Sands Missile Range, SIMTEL20. There were few problems with this arrangement, but one was that the system was not supposed to be used for commercial purposes. Since one of hams' favorite pastimes is swapping gear, it was natural for hams to post messages about equipment for sale to INFO-HAMS/rec.ham-radio. This ran afoul of SIMTEL20's no-commercial-use restriction, and after some argument, a group was created specifically for messages like that: rec.ham-radio.swap. This group wasn't gatewayed to a mailing list, thus avoiding problems. While all this was happening, other folks wanted to discuss other aspects of the world of radio than the personal communications services. Those folks created the rec.radio.shortwave and rec.radio.noncomm newsgroups, and established the precedent of the rec.radio.* hierarchy, which in turn reflected Usenet's overall trend toward a hierarchical name structure. The debate between proponents of a no-code ham radio license and its opponents grew fierce and voluminous in late 1989 and 1990. Eventually, both sides grew weary of the debate, and those who had not been involved even more so. A proposal for a newsgroup dedicated to licensing issues failed. A later proposal was made for a group that would cover the many recurring legal issues discussions. During discussion of the latter proposal, it became clear that it would be desirable to fit the ham radio groups under the rec.radio.* hierarchy. A full-blown reorganization was passed by Usenet voters in January 1991, leading to the overall structure we now use. After the reorganization, more and more regular information postings began to appear, and were spread out across the various groups in rec.radio.*. Taking the successful example of the news.answers group, where informational postings from across the net are sent, the group rec.radio.info was created in December, 1992, with Mark Salyzyn, VE6MGS, initially serving as moderator. In January, 1993, many users started complaining about the volume in rec.radio.amateur.misc. This led to a discussion about a second reorganization, which sparked the creation of a mailing list by Ian Kluft, KD6EUI. This list, which was eventually joined by many of the most prolific posters to the ham radio groups, came up with a proposal to add 11 groups to the rec.radio.amateur hierarchy in April 1993. The subsequent vote, held in May and early June, approved the creation of five groups: rec.radio.amateur.digital.misc (to replace .packet), .equipment, .homebrew, .antenna, and .space. The Current Groups ================== I can hear you asking, "OK, so this is all neat history, but what does it have to do with me now?" The answer is that the history of each group has a direct bearing on what the group is used for, and what's considered appropriate where. The easy one is rec.radio.amateur.misc. It is what rec.ham-radio was renamed to during the reorganization. Any message that's not more appropriate in one of the other groups belongs here, from contesting to DX to ragchewing on VHF to information on becoming a ham. The group rec.radio.amateur.digital.misc is for discussions related to (surprise!) digital amateur radio. This doesn't have to be the common two-meter AX.25 variety of packet radio, either; some of the most knowledgeable folks in radio digital communications can be found here, and anything in the general area is welcome. The name was changed to emphasize this, and to encourage discussion not only of other text-based digital modes, such as AMTOR, RTTY, and Clover, but things like digital voice and video as well. The former group, rec.radio.amateur.packet, should be removed by September 21st, 1993. It is obsolete, and you should use .digital.misc instead (or the appropriate new mailing list, mentioned below). The group has .misc as part of the name to allow further specialization if the users wish it, such as .digital.tcp-ip. The swap group is now rec.radio.swap. This recognizes a fact that became evident shortly after the original group was formed: Hams don't just swap ham radio gear, and other folks besides hams swap ham equipment. If you have radio equipment, or test gear, or computer stuff that hams would be interested in, here's the place. Equipment wanted postings belong here too. Discussions about the equipment generally don't; if you wish to discuss a particular posting with the buyer, email is a much better way to do it, and the other groups, especially .equipment and .homebrew, are the place for public discussions. There is now a regular posting with information on how to go about buying and selling items in rec.radio.swap; please refer to it before you post there. The first reorganization added two groups to the list, one of which is rec.radio.amateur.policy. This group was created as a place for all the discussions that seem to drag on interminably about the many rules, regulations, legalities, and policies that surround amateur radio, both existing and proposed. Recent changes to the Amateur Radio Rules (FCC Part 97) have finally laid to rest the Great Usenet Pizza Autopatch Debate as well as complaints about now-preempted local scanner laws hostile to amateurs, but plenty of discussion about what a bunch of rotten no-goodniks the local frequency coordinating body is, as well as the neverending no-code debate, may still be found here. The other added group is rec.radio.cb. This is the place for all discussion about the Citizens' Band radio service. Such discussions have been very inflammatory in rec.ham-radio in the past; please do not cross-post to both rec.radio.cb and rec.radio.amateur.* unless the topic is genuinely of interest to both hams and CBers - and very few topics are. The rec.radio.info group is just what its name implies: it's the place where informational messages from across rec.radio.* may be found, regardless of where else they're posted. As of this writing, information posted to the group includes Cary Oler's daily solar progagation bulletins, ARRL bulletins, the Frequently Asked Questions files for the various groups, and radio modification instructions. This group is moderated, so you cannot post to it directly; if you try, even if your message is crossposted to one of the other groups, your message will be mailed to the moderator, who is currently Mark Salyzyn, VE6MGS. The email address for submissions to the group is rec-radio-info@ve6mgs.ampr.ab.ca. Inquires and other administrivia should be directed to rec-radio-request@ve6mgs.ampr.ab.ca. For more information about rec.radio.info, consult the introduction and posting guidelines that are regularly posted to that newsgroup. The groups rec.radio.amateur.antenna, .equipment, .homebrew, and .space are for more specialized areas of ham radio: discussions about antennas, commercially-made equipment, homebrewing, and amateur radio space operations. The .equipment group is not the place for buying or selling equipment; that's what rec.radio.swap is for. Similarly, the .space group is specifically about amateur radio in space, such as the OSCAR program and SAREX, the Shuttle Amateur Radio EXperiment; other groups cover other aspects of satellites and space. Homebrewing isn't about making your own alcoholic beverages at home (that's rec.crafts.brewing), but rather construction of radio and electronic equipment by the amateur experimenter. Except for rec.radio.swap and rec.radio.cb, all of these newsgroups are available by Internet electronic mail in digest format; send a mail message containing "help" on a line by itself to listserv@ucsd.edu for instructions on how to use the mail server. All of the groups can be posted to by electronic mail, though, by using a gateway at the University of Texas at Austin. To post a message this way, change the name of the group you wish to post to by replacing all of the '.'s with '-'s - for example, rec.radio.swap becomes rec-radio-swap - and send to that name@cs.utexas.edu (rec-radio-swap@cs.utexas.edu, for example). You may crosspost by including multiple addresses as Cc: entries (but see below). This gateway's continued availability is at the pleasure of the admins at UT-Austin, and is subject to going away at any time - and especially if forgeries and other net.abuses become a problem. You have been warned. A Few Words on Crossposting =========================== Please do not crosspost messages to two or more groups unless there is genuine interest in both groups in the topic being discussed, and when you do, please include a header line of the form "Followup-To: group.name" in your article's headers (before the first blank line). This will cause followups to your article to go to the group listed in the Followup-To: line. If you wish to have replies to go to you by email, rather than be posted, use the word "poster" instead of the name of a group. Such a line appears in the headers of this article. One of the few examples of productive cross-posting is with the rec.radio.info newsgroup. To provide a filtered presentation of information articles, while still maintaining visibility in their home newsgroups, the moderator strongly encourages cross-posting. All information articles should be submitted to the rec.radio.info moderator so that he may simultaneously cross-post your information to the appropriate newsgroups. Most newsreaders will only present the article once, and network bandwidth is conserved since only one article is propagated. If you make regular informational postings, and have made arrangements with the moderator to post directly to the group, please cross-post as appropriate. -- 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. "If my car ran OS/2, it'd be there by now" -- bumper sticker GCS d++ p+ c++ l+ m+/- s/++ g++ w++ t+ r -- 73, Paul W. Schleck, KD3FU pschleck@unomaha.edu ------------------------------ Date: 15 Mar 1994 17:51:37 GMT From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!galaxy.ucr.edu!library.ucla.edu!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!emory!swrinde!sgiblab!cs.uoregon.edu!usenet.ee.pdx.edu!fastrac.llnl.gov!cronkite.nersc.gov!Greg.Chartrand@network.ucsd. Subject: Icom 737 CW Filter Switching Mod. To: info-hams@ucsd.edu CW Filter Switching Modification for the Icom 737 The Icom 737 is a wonderful radio for CW operation, but I did not like the filtering switching options offered in normal operation of the radio when you have installed BOTH the 9 Mhz and 455 Khz optional CW filters. The default option is to use the SSB filter for CW in the CW mode, and then switch in BOTH the 9 Mhz and 455 Khz optional IF filters in the CW-N mode. This provides too broad a filter for general tuning in CW, and the CW-N mode (with the two filters in) is far too sharp for just tuning around. I felt that it would be better to allow the 455 Khz filter to be functioning full time in the CW mode, and then switch in the 9 Mhz CW filter in the CW-N mode. The following simple modification only requires a single wire to added to the radio. MODIFICATION 1) Remove the top/bottom cover of the radio as per the manual. 2) Position the radio facing you and locate the resistor R-323 which is simply labeled "323" on the PC board just to the left of the opional 455 Khz CW filter. Solder a wire to the end of R-323 which is closest to the front pannel. 3) Locate J-3 just above and to the right of the 9 Mhz filter F-13. Attach a wire to the connector or wire going to pin 7. Pin 7 is the third pin from the right. (The pins are numbered 1-9 from left to right) You may carefully tack solder a wire to the plug by removing it first. I used a solid 28 gauge wire and just pushed it into the connector without soldering. 4) Replace the top and bottom covers. I'm happy with the function of this modified switching arrangement. The CW-N function is now the mode of last resort when going after the weak ones, or when the QRM gets out of control, and tuning with just the 455 Khz filter is a better than using the SSB filter. Good luck! 73's Greg Chartrand WA9EYY ________________________________________________________________________ ___ Pin 7 of J3 _________ |ooooooooo| I ____________ I_ | F13 | | |____________| | | ____________ | | CW FILTER | | |____________| | | | | | I ------------ | _ | CW | New wire >| R-323 | | | FILTER | | - ------------ --------| ------------------------------------------------------------------------ --- FRONT ------------------------------ Date: 15 Mar 1994 12:57:20 GMT From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!galaxy.ucr.edu!library.ucla.edu!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!news.umbc.edu!eff!news.kei.com!yeshua.marcam.com!charnel!olivea!news.bu.edu!mdibella@@ Subject: ICOM IC-728 MODS? To: info-hams@ucsd.edu does anyone happen to know if there are any mods available for the IC-728?? ------------------------------ Date: 15 Mar 1994 09:18:40 -0500 From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!library.ucla.edu!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!howland.reston.ans.net!newsserver.jvnc.net!yale.edu!noc.near.net!genrad.com!genrad.com!not-for-mail@network.ucsd.edu Subject: Macintosh Amateur Radio Software - January 1994 To: info-hams@ucsd.edu Please note one important discrepancy with this list: Concerning the Hamstacks that I wrote. They are still available via ftp and various other public domain outlets. However, I can no longer send a diskette with the Hamstacks on them. Why you ask? Cuz I no longer have a Macintosh computer. SORRY. Diana -- ->Diana L. Carlson dls@genrad.com Ham: KC1SP (Sweet Pea) <- ->I'D RATHER BE FLYING! P-ASEL, INST CAP: CPT, NHWG <- ->GenRad, 300 Baker Ave MS/1, Concord, MA 01742 (508)369-4400 x2459 <- ------------------------------ Date: 15 Mar 1994 13:21:57 GMT From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!library.ucla.edu!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!news.umbc.edu!haven.umd.edu!cville-srv.wam.umd.edu!ham@network.ucsd.edu Subject: need extra class book and tape recommendation To: info-hams@ucsd.edu >I bought the ARRL book. Can't give a recommendation for tapes though, I >am trying to use Super Morse. Still haven't passed 1b or 1c yet. > Tapes, schmapes. If you have a radio, either: 1) Get on the air. Nothing boosts your speed like actually conversing in Morse code. 2) Look in QST for W1AW code practice schedule. The text is right out of QST, it's sent perfectly, and gets you used to just copying plain text. Remember, there's nothing stopping you from making TAPES of W1AW! A couple of hours of new stuff every day! -- 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: Tue, 15 Mar 1994 15:07:14 GMT From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!news.moneng.mei.com!uwm.edu!fnnews.fnal.gov!att-in!cbnewsm!hellman@network.ucsd.edu Subject: noise blankers To: info-hams@ucsd.edu > Well, as the guy who first called the Ten Tec noise blanker a decorative > knob... I'd like you all to know I happily sold my TS-440s and kept the > Corsair because the Corsair was a much, much better, functional RADIO! > > Now if THAT doesn't stir the pot... nothing will. > > 73 paul wb8zjl Without dipping into that pot, the need for a noise blanker has nothing to do with the rest of the RADIO! Occasionally, and fortunately for only short periods, external pulsed noise appears and my noise blanker is very effective. I thought you asked if they were of any use. If you never needed one, consider yourself fortunate. If yours didn't work, at least the rest of your RADIO works well. Shel Darack WA2UBK ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 15 Mar 1994 15:26:21 GMT From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!swrinde!emory!cs.utk.edu!stc06r.CTD.ORNL.GOV!fnnews.fnal.gov!att-in!cbnewsm!hellman@network.ucsd.edu Subject: noise blankers To: info-hams@ucsd.edu > > Kenwood for years has been pulling the game of adding noise to the front > end and cutting off the lowend audio response so the radio "sounds hot". > I looked all over for the "smiley" but I can't find it. Was that supposed to be a serious analysis? I prefer bass response too, and I get it from my TS 440. I use the IF shift to tailor the audio response to my preference. Try it. 73 Shel Darack ------------------------------ Date: 15 Mar 1994 15:37:08 GMT From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!news.cs.columbia.edu!mix-cs!popovich@network.ucsd.edu Subject: noise blankers To: info-hams@ucsd.edu > Without dipping into that pot, the need for a noise blanker has nothing > to do with the rest of the RADIO! Occasionally, and fortunately for > only short periods, external pulsed noise appears and my noise blanker > is very effective. I thought you asked if they were of any use. > If you never needed one, consider yourself fortunate. If yours didn't > work, at least the rest of your RADIO works well. Well, the noise blanker on the old Kenwood TS-830S is definitely a "decorative knob". No matter how much I twiddle the one our club has, it doesn't do a thing about the static crashes on 40 and 80 meters at night. Isn't that the kind of noise they're supposed to be FOR? -Steve ------------------------------ Date: 16 Mar 94 02:40:00 GMT From: news-mail-gateway@ucsd.edu Subject: subscribe To: info-hams@ucsd.edu subscribe ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 15 Mar 1994 13:16:14 GMT From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!swrinde!emory!wa4mei!ke4zv!gary@network.ucsd.edu To: info-hams@ucsd.edu References <2lor4d$krj@brahms.udel.edu>, <1994Mar11.135613.16379@ke4zv.atl.ga.us>, <1994Mar14.172552.7310@kocrsv01.delcoelect.com> Reply-To : gary@ke4zv.atl.ga.us (Gary Coffman) Subject : Re: Best cars for mobile HF/VHF?? In article <1994Mar14.172552.7310@kocrsv01.delcoelect.com> c2xjcb@kocrsv01.delcoelect.com (James Bach) writes: > >BTW: >Not to make this a big sale pitch for GM, but we do a LOT of RFI >testing on our cars to make sure that they neither corrupt nor get >corrupted by ham rigs. Stop by the GM booth at the Dayton HamVention >and we can talk some more . . . And GM deserves a big attaboy for their efforts at controlling EMI. Most GM vehicles I've owned have been very good radio platforms. And as another plug for Delco, my shop radio is a junkyard Delco that's been running and running and running for over 20 years with no problems. It sounds better than most so called HiFi systems. Now if GM could only make decent bucket seats like the old 65 Stratoline seats..... Gary 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: Tue, 15 Mar 1994 14:35:08 GMT From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!usc!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!emory!wa4mei!ke4zv!gary@network.ucsd.edu To: info-hams@ucsd.edu References , <1994Mar14.134950.1991@ke4zv.atl.ga.us>, Reply-To : gary@ke4zv.UUCP (Gary Coffman) Subject : Re: Diesel or Taurus fr HF/VHF mobile?? In article edleslie@apogee.ccs.yorku.ca (Ed Leslie) writes: >Gary Coffman (gary@ke4zv.atl.ga.us) wrote: >: systems disconnected, it still made the pseudo-ignition noise. The best >: guess we could come up with was that the plasma formed by combustion was >: somehow shock exciting something and causing it to radiate. We considered >: static discharges due to the rotating machinery, but we bonded *everything*, >: including finger stock on the crank and cam, and on the injection pump >: cam, and we put anti-static brushes on the clutch, all without making it >: go away. > >For a wild shot, could there have been a Piezo-electric (sp?) effect taking >place with the ignitors or some such thing (i.e. the shock wave from >combustion causing a piezo-electric discharge)? Good guess, but we disconnected the glow plugs as one of our first steps. 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 | | ------------------------------ End of Info-Hams Digest V94 #292 ****************************** ******************************