Date: Sun, 9 Oct 94 12:51:59 PDT From: Info-Hams Mailing List and Newsgroup Errors-To: Info-Hams-Errors@UCSD.Edu Reply-To: Info-Hams@UCSD.Edu Precedence: List Subject: Info-Hams Digest V94 #1108 To: Info-Hams Info-Hams Digest Sun, 9 Oct 94 Volume 94 : Issue 1108 Today's Topics: (none) (2 msgs) Amateur Radio Newsline #895 07 Oct 94 CABLE TV LEAKAGE DX Stamp Service? Expose - Wouff-Hong FM subcarrier How far with QRP SSB.... Isoloop vs R5/7 Radio Shack Violation subscribe rec.radio.amateur.misc (2 msgs) 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: 9 Oct 94 11:01:33 GMT From: masikane@freenet.HUt.FI (mauri sikanen) Subject: (none) SUBSCRIBE INFO-HAMS MAURI SIKANEN OH4RH ------------------------------ Date: 9 Oct 94 18:56:07 GMT From: garyk9gs@solaria.sol.NET (Gary T. Schwartz) Subject: (none) subscribe ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 09 Oct 1994 10:32:58 -0400 From: bigsteve@dorsai.dorsai.org (Steve_Coletti) Subject: Amateur Radio Newsline #895 07 Oct 94 The electronic publication of the Amateur Radio Newsline is distributed with the permission of Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, President and Editor of Newsline. The text version is edited from the original scripts and transcribed from the audio reports by Dale Cary, WD0AKO, and is first published in The Radio & Electronics Round Table on the Genie Online System. If you have any comment, suggestion, or news item you would like to submit, send them via E-Mail to 3241437@mcimail.com or B.PASTERNAK@genie.geis.com. You can contact Newsline at +1 805-296-7180. It is a combination answering and FAX machine, if you have a FAX to send, wait for the voice prompt and press your fax-send button. All other information and disclaimers are in the text header below. - - - - - NEWSLINE RADIO - CBBS EDITION #895 - POSTED 10/07/94 (***************************************************************) (* *) (* * * ***** * * **** * ***** * * ***** *) (* ** * * * * * * * ** * * *) (* * * * *** * ** * *** * * * * * *** *) (* * ** * * ** * * * * * ** * *) (* * * ***** * * **** ***** ***** * * ***** *) (* *) (* **** * **** ***** *** *) (* * * * * * * * * * *) (* **** ***** * * * * * *) (* * * * * * * * * * *) (* * * * * **** ***** *** *) (* *) (***************************************************************) The following is late news about Amateur Radio for Radio Amateurs as prepared from NEWSLINE RADIO scripts by the staff of the AMATEUR RADIO NEWSLINE, INC. -- formerly the WESTLINK RADIO NETWORK. For current information updates, please call Audio Version of Newsline ========================= Los Angeles............................ (213) 462-0008 Los Angeles (Instant Update Line)...... (805) 296-2407 Seattle................................ (206) 368-3969 Seattle................................ (206) 281-8455 Tacoma................................. (206) 927-7373 Louisville............................. (502) 894-8559 Dayton................................. (513) 275-9991 Chicago................................ (708) 289-0423 New York City.......................... (718) 353-2801 Melbourne, FL.......................... (407) 259-4479 Electronic Hardcopy Version of Newsline ======================================= GEnie (RTC Bulletin Board)............. m345;1 GEnie (File Library)................... m345;3 Dallas Remote Imaging BBS (DRIG)....... (214) 492-7573 In bulletin number 36 The Midwest Connection BBS............. (701) 239-2440 In bulletin number 6 of the ham radio conference Delphi................................. In the ham radio conference Internet............................... In the rec.radio.info newsgroup FTP: oak.oakland.edu, archive: pub/hamradio/docs/newsline Fidonet, RIME, Intellec, I-Link........ In the Ham Radio conferences on those networks CompuServe/HamNet...................... Coming Soon! America Online/Ham Radio Club.......... Software Exchange/Ham Radio General Files For questions or comments about the text version, contact me at D.CARY@GENIE.GEIS.COM on the Internet. For the latest breaking info call the Instant Update Line listed above. To provide information please call (805) 296-7180. This line answers automatically and will accept up to 30 minutes of material. Check with your local amateur radio club to see if NEWSLINE can be heard weekly on the air in your area. Articles may be reproduced if printed in their entirety and credit is given to AMATEUR RADIO NEWSLINE as being the source. For further information about the AMATEUR RADIO NEWSLINE, please write to us with an SASE at P.O. Box 463, Pasadena, CA 91102. Thank You NEWSLINE (**************************************************************** Some of the hams of NEWSLINE RADIO... WA6ITF WB6MQV WB6FDF K6DUE W6RCL N6AHU N6AWE N6TCQ K6PGX N6PNY KU8R N8DTN W9JUV KC9RP K9XI KB5KCH KC5UD KC0HF G8AUU WD0AKO DJ0QN and many others in the United States and around the globe!!! (**************************************************************** [895] (* * * * C L O S E D C I R C U I T A D V I S O R Y * * * * (* * (* The following advisory is not necessarily for trans- * (* mission over amateur radio. This is just a reminder that * (* the address for the Newsline Support Fund is Newsline, in * (* care of Randy Hammock, KC6HUR, Post Office Box 463, Pasadena * (* California 91102. Again, and as always, we thank you. That * (* ends the closed circuit with Newsline report number 895 for * (* release on Friday, October 7, 1994 to follow. * (* * (* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The following is a QST More information comes to light on the penalty phase of the California license fraud probe, the ARRL files on the upcoming World Radio Communications Conferences and a famous sports figure versus Marconi? All this and more on Newsline report number 895 coming your way right now! (***** CAL VE BUST More information on the California license testing fraud case comes light and more hams may soon face punishment. As reported last week, three hams have had their licenses suspended pending revocation. Fifty one others have been downgraded in the wake of discoveries of alleged cheating in the all-volunteer testing program. This first wave of enforcement deals with exams conducted at test sessions in the southern half of the state. These tests were coordinated by the ARRL VEC. A subsequent investigation by the commission in cooperation with several VEC's led the FCC to declare that irregularities on exam papers indicated provable fraud had been committed by as many as ninety candidates statewide over a two year period. Next up look for the grand finale with hard-line action against the more serious offenders. This includes those with multiple upgrades and most important, the Volunteer Examiners who are alleged to have cooked up this licenses for sale scheme. The FCC itself is limited as to what direct action it can take against those it believes committed licensing fraud. The agency can assess fines, it can issue show cause orders suspending or revoking the licenses of those involved, or both. But most important, it can also refer the matter to the Department of Justice and request criminal prosecution against the most egregious offenders in the case. Don't be surprised if more license revocations and downgrades are announced. (***** TECH TICKETS If you hold a Technician class ham license issued prior to March 16, 1991 then you are automatically a Technician Plus licensee. The only problem is that the FCC's computer may not have taken note of this since June. The FCC now admits that in some instances since last June the 8th, it has processed a license renewals and modification for some Technician Plus licensees and has mistakenly issued them entry level no-code Technician tickets. Tech Plus licensees who sent in a renewal or modification after June 8th can immediately tell if they have an incorrect license simply by looking at it. If it was issued after that date it will be marked Technician Plus. If it isn't, then you are going to have to contact the FCC and get it corrected. Here's how. You start by writing a letter to the FCC. Explain the situation. Include information on your current license status and its effective date. If you have your license at hand, make a photocopy and include it with your letter. Then mail everything to the FCC's license processing facility at 1270 Fairfield Road, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania 17325-7245. Or, if you have access to a facsimile machine you can fax the material to area code (717) 337-1541. And then be patient. The commission says that it will take from four to six weeks to verify your claim and to have a corrected license mailed out. But there is some good news with all this. The FCC says that you can continue to exercise your Technician Plus privileges until your corrected license arrives. (***** LEAGUE REPLIES TO WRC-95 PREPARATORY COMMENTS The ARRL has commented on an FCC Notice of Inquiry in preparation for the next International Telecommunication Union World Radio Conference, scheduled for November 1995. In its filing on Docket 94-31, the ARRL urges that any consideration of realignment of the 7 MHz band be held in abeyance until the World Radiocommunications Conference scheduled for 2001. This, to give fixed and mobile services time to relocate to higher frequencies. The ARRL had earlier suggested that the issue be considered in 1999 but has now moved that back two years. In the matter of the 2300 MHz band, the League notes that the 1994 Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act carries a rider that protects amateurs. The league says this means that an international allocation for the Mobile Satellite Service at 2300 to 2310 or 2390 to 2420 MHz should not be considered. Finally, the League again argues for a future agenda item in the form of an International Amateur Radio Permit. They say that such an automatic reciprocal permit is already available among the countries of the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations and the International Amateur Radio Union has been promoting such an agreement among its members in ITU Region 2. (***** NEW ITU RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR The International Telecommunications Union, the ITU has elected Robert W. Jones, VE3CTM, to replace retiring Richard C. Kirby, W0LCT, as Director of its Radiocommunication Bureau. The announcement was made at the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference in Kyoto, Japan, on September 30th. Jones is from of Ottawa and is currently the Director General of Canada's Radio Regulatory Branch which regulates amateur and other radio services. His work with the ITU began in 1975 in preparation for the 1977 and 1979 World Administrative Radio Conferences. From 1981 to 1983 he was director of a project to automate ITU frequency records. He has since served and headed Canadian delegations to numerous ITU conferences and working groups. VE3CTM holds Master of Applied Science and Master of Business Administration degrees, and attributes his professional interest in radiocommunication to having become a licensed radio amateur as a teenager back in 1959. (***** MARCONI vs JORDAN Two well known names you probably never expected to hear together are Guglielmo Marconi, recognized as the father of radio telegraphy and sports superstar Michael Jordan. Would you believe both men are in the middle of a dispute? It's true and it has to do with baseball. If you ever wind up just a few blocks east of Birmingham's downtown business district, you may pass by a small city park named in honor of Guglielmo Marconi. Marconi Park is only about a block in size it contains a baseball field inner-city children and others use. The park was named after Marconi because he once visited Birmingham. Another visitor has been bringing plenty of notoriety to the city, and much more recently. Michael Jordan spent the summer here, playing minor league baseball with the Birmingham Barons. Now, the Barons want to name the park in honor of James Jordan, Michael Jordan's deceased father. The Barons promise to renovate the field if the new name is approved, but the idea is striking out with community activists. They say Michael Jordan did not do enough work to help the community while he was playing baseball in Birmingham. The Barons say Jordan received so many requests to participate in various projects that granting them all was impossible. While Marconi spent time in Birmingham, name change opponents say James Jordan had no ties to the city at all. One community leader sez turning Marconi Park into James Jordan Park would mean nothing to the inner-city youth. As we go to air, the controversy over the park continues. (***** HPM CELEBRATION A SUCCESS Definitely not controversial is word that the recent 10-day Hiram Percy Maxim 125th Birthday Memorial Celebration appears to have been an overwhelming success. Despite incredibly bad HF propagation the ARRL reports that pileups on /125 stations were heavy on both voice and CW. Perhaps most surprising was that few people asked what /125 meant. The highest contact total reported so far is 5125. During a special operation the first weekend, a number of ARRL Headquarters staff members and visitors cranked out about 3,000 contacts from W1AW/125. (***** BOGUS BULLETINS Remember our story last week about an election held at ARRL Headquarters where the staff voted down a union? Well the story was accurate, but it was also ten years old. It seems that there is some prankster out there in radio land who is re-issuing decade old ARRL Official Bulletins with new dates and new bulletin ID's. And, whomever is providing this service is picking and choosing his topics very wisely. This to make it seem that the story is timely and apropos. We have learned that these re-issued bulletins are showing up on packet radio, on private bulletin boards and even some of the major public data services. That's where we got bit. And once they enter the Internet they travel very quickly, worldwide. The bottom line on this? If you come across an ARRL Official bulletin that you think you have read before, it not deja vous. You may have read it before, a decade ago. (***** SET - 94 Amateur Radio's 1994 Simulated Emergency Test, or SET is slated for next weekend, October 15 and 16. Set is an ARRL sponsored operating event designed to let hams practice emergency message handling under near to life field conditions. For more information or if you want to take part, please contact the ARRL Field Services department at league headquarters. Or you can call your ARRL Director or local Section Manager. Their names can be found on page 8 of any issue of QST Magazine. (***** REPEATER WAIT From across the Atlantic comes word that several new repeaters are coming on the air in the United Kingdom. That is, they will eventually be on the air. The Radio Society of Great Britain reports that the latest batch of repeater applications have been forwarded to the United Kingdom's Radiocommunications Agency for processing. Included are three new Packet Radio repeaters, a 24 cm ATV repeater a two meter repeater and a change of frequency for another 24 cm ATV system. That's the good part. Now heres the bad. The RSGB says that it anticipates the minimum time for clearance of the UHF repeaters will be at least six months or longer. And you thought waiting for one of the United States volunteer frequency coordinators was bad. How lucky we are. (***** SHACK EXPANSION Tandy Radio Shack is planning a substantial expansion of its retail outlets. According to Wall Street Business News reports, the company expects to open 500 new stores by the end of the century. That will give Radio Shack a total of seven-thousand franchised and company-owned stores. It's also planning to open 24 new Computer City outlets in 1995. Not in the press release but widely rumored is a major expansion in Radio Shack's highly successful line of ham radio gear early next year. (***** DX In DX, word that WD8E, will be in Taiwan the last part of October. As usual, this is a business trip and time for ham radio will be limited but he will sign BV/WD8E whenever time permits. QSL to his callbook address or via the bureau. All cards from his last two Taiwan operations have already been answered. (***** ARMY EVENT Paul Wipperman, K1MTM, and a group of his friends in the North Atlantic Radio Club are currently operating a special events station near Boston to commemorate the work of the United States Army and the Signal Corps during World War 2. Whipperman says that some of the gear being used makes the operation unique. "Much of the equipment that is here was used during World War II to protect the Atlantic coast line here. It is somewhat of a unique station. We probably believe it is the only one of its type in North America. Paul Wipperman, K1MTM. You can find K1MTM on all of the high frequency band with special emphasis for operating on 7255 KHz upper sideband on weekends. QSL this special commemorative operation with an SASE to K1MTM in care of the North Atlantic Radio Club at Post Office Box 81, Elmwood, Massachusetts, 02337. (***** And for this week, that's all from the Amateur Radio Newsline. You can write to us at: AMATEUR RADIO NEWSLINE Post Office Box 463 Pasadena, California 91102 (* * * Newsline Copyright 1994 all rights are reserved. * * * -- ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 9 Oct 1994 13:54:46 GMT From: jjmartin@world.std.com (James J Martin) Subject: CABLE TV LEAKAGE Darren Leno (Darren.Leno@f747.n115.z1.nwugate.fidonet.org) wrote: : I had a problem with bad cable leakage all over the 2 meter band. : I wrote a letter to the FCC describing the interference, listing the : frequencies, and inquiring as to whether or it not it might be from the : local Cable TV company. [snip] : One simple letter to the FCC from a friendly ham sent a major cable company : scrambling to clean up its act. (he he he.) This is probably what I should have done when I was in Alamogordo, New Mexico. I called the cable company after driving all over town with my two meter handheld tuned to 145.52 and received signals all over town each time I passed a distribution point. All this with the antenna removed from the HT. I got the "How do you know it exceeds... blah blah blah..." I told him to bring his spectrum analyzer out to my house and he'd see what I was talking about. It's where I started before I went all over town. "Okay, we'll be over on Monday." WRONG! Never came. I moved a few weeks later to a house about 3/4 of a mile up the street and never followed up after that. Wish I had. So much for 20/40 hindsight. One comment on illegal splices...a good friend had all kinds of signals he was receiving in the 2 meter ham band...about two miles from where I first lived there. He sniffed out the problem and found someone had done the old twist the center conductors together and same with the shield up in the attic and taped it with electrician's tape. Yup, leaky, leaky. Solved his problem when he suggested to the guy that he get the correct tools and use connectors to splice the cable or he'd be hearing from the cable company. Just me $.02 worth. 73 de WK1V / Jim Lowell, Massachusetts ------------------------------ Date: 9 Oct 1994 14:27:56 GMT From: gbrown@unlinfo.unl.edu (gregory brown) Subject: DX Stamp Service? Bruce Tindall (tindall@mercury.interpath.net) wrote: : Can someone please give me the address of the DX Stamp Service : or some other similar service in the U.S.A. that can sell me current : mint postage stamps for foreign countries (especially Japan and China) : for use in lieu of IRC's? Thanks. : 73 de N4JIU : -- : P. O. Box 447, Morrisville NC 27560 USA. One is: William J. Plum 12 Glenn Road Flemington, NJ 08822 Write for a price list of available country's postage. Gregory Brown WB0RTK ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 8 Oct 1994 13:54:57 GMT From: glsmith@koess1.delcoelect.com Subject: Expose - Wouff-Hong In article <1994Oct4.143619.31809@arrl.org> ehare@arrl.org (Ed Hare (KA1CV)) writes: >Kenneth Grimm (grimm@alison.sbc.edu) wrote: > >: Sworn to secrecy, as I recall, the best that I can do is suggest that you >: simply observe the physical shape of the Wouff-Hong and let your wildest >: imagination conjure up possible ways in which this awful device might be >: used to..... Ohhhh, it's just too awful to think about! Figure it out >: yourself. > >Well, I must confess that over the years the exact method of its application >has become lost to us. Many visitors have offered suggestions: using it as a >club, cracking of the knuckles between the two halves and, well, a few >suggestions a bit more colorful. > (stuff deleted).... > >-- >Ed Hare, KA1CV, ARRL Laboratory, 225 Main, Newington, CT 06111 >203-666-1541 ehare@arrl.org Perhaps this would be a good time to ask (plead, beg, grovel, etc.) for someone at ARRL HQ to post a picture of the the real Wouff-Hong. It would probably make a great wallpaper for my windows background. How about it ARRL? disclaimer: i have no idea what i'm doing....(can't you tell?) my employer is not responsible for my being here. WA9SLU GL650 Silverwing ------------------------------ Date: 9 Oct 1994 11:54:18 -0400 From: tysona@mcmail.cis.mcmaster.ca (Albert Tyson) Subject: FM subcarrier How can a normal FM radio be used to receive subcarrier FM? ------------------------------ Date: 9 Oct 94 15:15:13 EST From: white_hae@ccsua.ctstateu.edu Subject: How far with QRP SSB.... For QRP operation, I run a TenTec Argonaut 509, which puts out 5W CW or 2W SSB. For 20M ops, I use a 20M dipole or if mobile, a 20M hamstick. The power source is a 7 amp-hour gel-cell. I really dig QRP SSB operation, and though it is very susceptible to QRM, SSB QSOs can be had quite easily. This summer I made 2-watt SSB contacts with OM3THR (Slovak Rep.) receiving a 56; ON6KZ (Belgium) 55; CT3GU (Madeira Is., Portugal) 43; and KL7AM in Kodiak, Alaska (51), among quite a few others. Stateside, I've worked WI, MI, FL, IL, SD, SC, ND, KY, TN, OR, AR, CO, UT, OH, GA, AL, NY and more....all since July 1. QRP is an extraordinary operating experience. Throw the rig, a wire antenna, and a gel cell in a backpack and you have a worldwide-capable station that can be deployed in minutes from virtually anywhere. And now that I have the capability to recharge my gel-cells via a couple of small solar panels, extended, multiday operation is now possible from a remote site (or the far corner of the backyard :). Anyway, I thought I would throw my $0.02 in....and if anyone is interested in QRP SSB skeds, drop me a note. 72 es gud DX Harry/N1QVE Harry White * N1QVE * white_hae@csusys.ctstateu.edu * white@sleepy.ctstateu.edu Packet: n1qve@w1nrg.ct.usa.na ------------------------------ Date: 9 Oct 94 12:54:57 GMT From: rpmccoy@BIX.com (rpmccoy on BIX) Subject: Isoloop vs R5/7 georgec@onramp.net (George Csahanin) writes: >I have an Isoloop and a loop I built before the isoloop was a twinkle in their eye. >The loop is a very good antenna for the space consumed. Works fine. The only >problem with the AEA and MFJ units are power handling. Much over 200 >watts and they both vapor-lock. A 1-kw version would be real neat. My homebrew 40-20 >loop will take a kw. George: How about sharing some details on your kw loop. I built the loop shown in May, 1994 QST. What capacitor did you use ? other details ? Power handling is a definite problem. I had to use a pretty large split stator cap to get to 100 watts. Thanks. 73s, Dick, N4UN rpmccoy@bix.com ------------------------------ Date: 9 Oct 1994 16:03:10 GMT From: ad779@detroit.freenet.org (John Hughes) Subject: Radio Shack Violation Since you seem to know the 202 well, llet me ask you a question: I'm getting a erg an error 2 message, which is supposed to mean that something is wrong with the PLL. Its still under 30 days. Should I exchange it or put it in for service? My inclinat[ inclination is the former, but i don't want to over react. Thanks. ------------------------------ Date: 9 Oct 94 15:12:02 GMT From: MrEinstein@aol.COM Subject: subscribe rec.radio.amateur.misc subscribe rec.radio.amateur.misc Richard McRae ------------------------------ Date: 9 Oct 1994 16:28:01 GMT From: georgec@onramp.net (George Csahanin) Subject: subscribe rec.radio.amateur.misc In article <9410091112.tn186918@aol.com>, MrEinstein@aol.COM says: > >subscribe rec.radio.amateur.misc Richard McRae > Imagine if Compuserve had a "worm hole" into internet... And coming from Mr. Einstein yet! -G ------------------------------ Date: 9 Oct 1994 16:26:00 GMT From: georgec@onramp.net (George Csahanin) References<36vbb2$159@mudraker.mtholyoke.edu> <376elr$1lq@news.onramp.net>, Subject: Re: Isoloop vs R5/7 I >How about sharing some details on your kw loop. I built >the loop shown in May, 1994 QST. What capacitor did you >use ? other details ? > >Power handling is a definite problem. I had to use a >pretty large split stator cap to get to 100 watts. Dick- I love talking about this antenna. It was just amazing! It is from the June '86 QST. I bought the W5QJR book (he authored the article) and also bought the capacitor from him. It is a mongo air-spaced cap. Effective spacing is 1/2" for the plates and the capacity is 50-150 pf. I don't know if he is still making this capoacitor. Mine fell over when I was moving and the ceramic ends smashed. It was a good trooper. i glued it back together. Also, my stepping motor controller chip went south. So the loop is currently not in service, but I did buy an isoloop. Nice try, needs a bigger cap. -George WB2DYB/5 ------------------------------ End of Info-Hams Digest V94 #1108 ******************************