QRZ! Ham Radio 3/QRZ Ham Radio Callsign Database - Volume 3.iso/digests/infoham/931285.txt

Internet Message Format | 1994-06-04 | 27KB

Date: Fri, 29 Oct 93 17:59:55 PDT
From: Info-Hams Mailing List and Newsgroup <[e-mail]>
Errors-To: [e-mail]
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Precedence: Bulk
Subject: Info-Hams Digest V93 #1285
To: Info-Hams


Info-Hams Digest            Fri, 29 Oct 93       Volume 93 : Issue 1285

Today's Topics:
                            BAUD VS BAUDS
                 Bird watt-meters can't be exported?
                  Is the band dead -- or nobody on?
                             Packet radio
                    Problems with Kenwood TM-742A
                     Rebuild NiCd battery for HT
                      Schematic for Icom IC-701
                  SuperCharger Alkaline charger RVW
                       Unauthorized equipment?
                    VSWR Conversion chart (2 msgs)
                  What logging program for CQ WW DX?

Send Replies or notes for publication to: <[e-mail]>
Send subscription requests to: <[e-mail]>
Problems you can't solve otherwise to [e-mail].

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 Oct 93 12:32:34 GMT
From: news.service.uci.edu!paris.ics.uci.edu!csulb.edu!library.ucla.edu!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!news.umbc.edu!haven.umd.edu!cs.umd.edu!dtix.dt.navy.mil!oasys![e-mail]
Subject: BAUD VS BAUDS
To: [e-mail]

Well, someone can follow up on this comment, but when I got started
in digital, back in the 6502 era, BPS represented the number of actual
BITS being transmitted, including start and stop bits, and BAUD represented
only the number of DATA bits being transmitted.  Therefore, a word format
of 8 data bits plus one start and one stop bit (10 bit total) being
sent at 100 BPS would actually have a BAUD rate of only 80.

Of course, this is assuming standard RS-232, etc.

Any comments, corrections on this?  Let's hear from the group.

Of course, definitions change with time.  Lotsa years ago, electrical
current flowed from positive to negative.  Then, in the vacuum tube
era, current was redefined as the flow of electrons on a conductor,
and this "reversed" the flow of current to go from negative to positive.
Then, along came transistors, and current was redefined as the flow
of "holes" in a conductor (or semiconductor) - so current now flowed
from positive to negative once again.

And finally: today, with the massive budget cuts in the electronics industry,
the flow of current has almost stopped altogether!!!


73.
Ken Stuart, W3VVN
[e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 28 Oct 1993 22:25:54 GMT
From: spool.mu.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!math.ohio-state.edu!cyber2.cyberstore.ca!nntp.cs.ubc.ca!unixg.ubc.ca!acs.ucalgary.ca!cpsc.ucalgary.ca!ajfcal!lhaven.UUmh.Ab.Ca!combdyn!@sdd.hp.com
Subject: Bird watt-meters can't be exported?
To: [e-mail]

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Dave Horsfall) writes:
>So, what's with the "Not available for export" notation across the
>photo of the Bird meter in the Barry ads?  Too delicate?  Upsets
>someone's monopoly?  Munitions?  Classified equipment?
>
I often wondered about that.....

I've seen Bird wattmeters around here....infact there's a whole bunch available
under surplus sales from the local phone company.

--
 --EMAIL-----------------------------PHONE-----------FAX------------
 | WORK: [e-mail]      | [phone] | [phone] | CallSign
 | HOME: [e-mail] | [phone] | [phone] |  VE6LKC
 -------------------------------------------------------------------
  disclamer = (working_for && !representing) + (Combustion Dynamics Ltd.);

------------------------------

Date: 29 Oct 1993 11:53:20 -0700
From: sdd.hp.com!swrinde!emory!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!howland.reston.ans.net!spool.mu.edu!olivea!apple.com!apple.com![e-mail]
Subject: Is the band dead -- or nobody on?
To: [e-mail]

[e-mail] (Rajiv Dewan) writes:

>In article <[e-mail]>, Pete Rossi wrote:
>>I was talking to a friend about how dead the bands seemed lately - 10 meters
>>especially, yet we both noted the following:
>>
>>Why is it that the band can be open to a specific area of the world yet you
>>only hear a very few stations from that area??
>>
>>For example, the other night I was tuning around 15 meters about 9 PM local
>>time (0100Z) and it sounded pretty dead .. but then I heard this one "PY"
>>station.  He has a reasonable signal but nothing else was on the band.
>>It is hard to believe that in the whole continent of South America this
>>was the only station on.  I could not hear the W station he was working.

>Propagation is one of the most fascinating aspects of HF Dxing.
>The PY signal propagation is probably a case of low lattitude propagation
>This is somewhat common.  It may occur for a variety of reasons.


Dead bands?  Just wait until 0000 UTC October 30.

I predict the phone bands would come alive at that time, although
not with intelligent QSOs :-).

Hint: see page 88 of the September 1993 CQ Magazine.

73,

Kok "5903" Chen, AA6TY   [e-mail]
Apple Computer, Inc.

------------------------------

Date: 30 Oct 93 00:43:38 GMT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Packet radio
To: [e-mail]

Could you please help me out.  I found your name in a packet-radio data
base and I'm trying to find out more about this world.  Am I right that
packet-radio means access to the internet by connecting a computer up to a
ham radio which communicates with a satelite which is somehow connected to
the internet?

The reason I ask is because my brother has a computer and a ham radio and
is an engineer working in third world development in Zaire, Africa.
Communications are horrible there and this would be one incredible miracle
if something like this could be established.  If I'm on the right track,
how does a person get started?

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.


----------
"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep
  to gain what he cannot lose."  -- Jim Elliot
----------

Larry Fountain
University of Illinois College of Medicine -- Rockford
Network Administrator, Department of Medicine
[phone]

------------------------------

Date: 29 Oct 93 22:12:16 GMT
From: telesoft![e-mail]
Subject: Problems with Kenwood TM-742A
To: [e-mail]

In <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Jason White) writes:
> I purchased a Kenwood TM-742A a couple weeks ago.  I have noticed some
>quirks with the unit and would like to hear from other 742A owners about their
>experiences with this rig.

The first 742A I received from HRO had problems with setting CTCSS tones,
I would set a 114 PL in the VFO but then when stored to memory it would
change to 67 Hz.  I have the TSU-7 installed and no third band (yet).
HRO replaced that radio, they had to go thru 7 radios in their stock on
hand to find one where the PL's worked properly and there was another
customer in the store with a 742 with the same problem.

> ==> Initially, I had the 6M band unit installed as the third band.  After the
>first 3 hours of use, I went into DTSS mode on the 440 band.  The unit froze
>up and appeared to turn itself off.
...
>finally got into a mode where it would turn on (show "-on-" on the display)
>and then turn back off rather than display the three bands.

My 742A got into this mode after I tried to turn on the S-meter squelch mode.
HRO swapped it for another unit and it works, but I'm afraid to try S-meter
squelch again right now (The radio is being heavily used for RACES Fire
Emergency ops right now).  So I'm on my third 742 in 10 days.  I'm not
real impressed by Kenwood quality control at the moment.

> ==> I have noticed that the
>unit will beep and stop scanning on the 2M side, seemingly at random.

I haven't seen this happen.

>Anyone know of a mod to speed up the
>scan rate?  2 ch/sec is too darn slow!

For a radio with 100 channels per band, the scan rate is ridiculously slow.

I've redirected followups to r.r.a.equipment only.
--GaryM
--
Gary Morris KK6YB             Internet: [e-mail]
San Diego, CA USA             Phone:    [phone] x128 (work)

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 29 Oct 1993 17:18:22 GMT
From: sdd.hp.com!math.ohio-state.edu!cyber2.cyberstore.ca!nntp.cs.ubc.ca!newsserver.sfu.ca!sfu.ca![e-mail]
Subject: Rebuild NiCd battery for HT
To: [e-mail]

Hi:

Does any one has experience to rebuild the NiCd battery pack for
hand held radio.  I would like to make one.  Can someone tell me
where they can buy good NiCd battery cells and what kind of epoxy
to seal the battery pack.  Also, any special things you want to
remind me, please do so.

Thanks

Dominic
VE7VOC

------------------------------

Date: 29 Oct 93 22:12:44 GMT
From: ogicse!uwm.edu!psuvax1!news.cc.swarthmore.edu!mac01.palmer.swarthmore.edu![e-mail]
Subject: Schematic for Icom IC-701
To: [e-mail]

    Does any one out there have a schematic diagram for an Icom IC-701 HF
transciever?  Ours is broken, and we seem to have no documentation for it,
but we think that we can fix it with a schematic.  Any help would be
greatly appreciated, and this is for a good cause, the Swarthmore College
Amateur Radio Club.  If you can help me, or are intimately familiar with
this rig, PLEASE contact me.  Thanks.

                                  Isaac Trefz
                                   NJ3C

Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, Pa.  19081
[phone]
[e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 27 Oct 93 16:27:19 PDT
From: news.kpc.com!amd!netcomsv!micromed![e-mail]
Subject: SuperCharger Alkaline charger RVW
To: [e-mail]

Review of the SUPER CHARGER Alkaline battery re-charger

You may have seen the info-mercial on TV staring Dick Clarke, which
advertises a product called Super Charger, by Buddy L.  It claims
that this charger will recharge ordinary, alkaline batteries, such
as Eveready, Duracell etc.  The product is not related to Rayovac's
new rechargeable alkaline system.

I ordered the portable model 8001 in early July, and it arrived in
late October.  I have heard much debate over whether alkaline
chemistry can be recharged, and I was very skeptical about this
product.  It cost around $40.

Construction:
The device is made in China.  It appears to be fairly well made.  It
has a switch on the side to select either Alkaline or NiCad charging.
I opened the unit up and found a 28-pin custom IC, that bears the
name of Buddy L.  There are some other common passive components and
4 transistors.  There are 4 LEDs on the unit to tell you when each
battery is finished charging  ON = charging,  SLOW BLINK = done
FAST BLINK = battery can't be recharged

The charging scheme seems to be constant current at 14 mA.  No AC
component was observed on the DC output.


HOW DOES IT WORK?
TEST #1
My first test was to take some slightly used AA Energizer batteries
with a starting no-load voltage of 1.4v.  I put these in a 2-cell
flashlight and ran it for 1 hour.  The resting no-load voltage was
now 1.23v.  I put them in the charger and charged them up.  One of
cells stoped charging after 30 minutes, while the other took over
an hour.  The final no-load voltage of the 2 "recharged" cells was
1.27v for one of the cells and 1.33v for the other.  Recharging the
cells a second time did not raise the voltage any.  In fact, it
caused one of the cells to drop in voltage.  The manual says that
1 hour in a flashlight is a pretty heavy drain, but the batteries
could last "0 to 2 times longer".  So maybe my test was too tough
for the charger.  I think the increased voltage after the charge may
be no more than the natural recovery process of the batteries.

TEST #2
I took 2 AA Energizer Alkaline batteries with an initial voltage of
1.59 v. each, and placed them in my Sony portable CD player.  The
manual states that the batteries should last 5-8 times as long if
I recharge them after each 1 hour of use.   After 1 hour in the CD
player they each measured 1.39v.  I also put another set of batteries
in the CD player and ran them for 1 hour.  This second set is my
control set.  Instead of recharging the control set, I just let them
recover on their own, for the same time as the other cells took to
recharge.  I repeated this process until the batteries were dead.

(all batteries were from same mfg. lot)

                              (recharge)        (self-recovery)
                           Super Charger set    Control Set
Fresh Batteries . . . . . . . .  1.59 v.        1.59 v.
After 1 Hr. in CD player. . . .  1.39 v.        1.37 v.
Recharge/self-recovery (55 min)  1.44 v.        1.43 v.
Second hour in CD player. . . .  1.30 v.        1.30 v.
Recharge/self-recovery (200min)  1.44 v.        1.40 v.
Third hour in CD player . . . .  1.27 v.        1.25 v.
Recharge/self-recovery.(20 min)  1.33 v.        1.33 v.
Fourth hour in CD player. . . .  1.26 v.        1.26 v.
Recharge/self-recovery.(120min)  1.35 v.        1.34 v.
Fifth hour in CD player . . . .  1.21 v.        1.18 v.
Recharge/self-recovery.(125min)  1.33 v.        1.31 v.
Sixth hour in CD player . . . .   25 min (died)  14 min (died)
Recharge/self-recovery.(120min)  1.30 v.        1.29 v.
last run in CD player . . . . .    8 min (died)   6 min (died)

THE BOTTOM LINE
Send it back! As you can see, the charger made no real difference in
how long the batteries lasted.  Alkaline batteries normally go up in
voltage slightly when they are taken out of use (load removed).  It
seems that this Super Charger does nothing that the batteries won't
do by themselves.  Battery operated devices are normally used for
portable applications.  If you follow the manual, you would need to
remove the batteries every few hours (or every 15 minutes for some
devices) and recharge them!  The inconveniance of this makes using
the Super Charger a real waste of time (not to mention trying to
keep track of how long you run each battery operated device).  I did
not test this for Nicads.  $40 for a NiCad charger is a bit steep.


Please distribute to expose this fraud

Brett Miller N7OLQ @ N6LDL.#NOCAL.CA.USA.NA
[e-mail]

--
[e-mail] (brett miller)

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 28 Oct 1993 15:23:01 GMT
From: spsgate!mogate!newsgate![e-mail]
Subject: Unauthorized equipment?
To: [e-mail]

The Newsline article that was recently posted mentions a new FCC fines
structure including one for "using unauthorized equipment" ($5000...yow!). Just
what constitutes "unauthorized equipment" on the ham bands? I was under the
impression that a ham could use about anything that met the regulations for
spectral purity, etc.

It also mentioned $17,500 for "being the source of malicious interference to
another ham". And those fines are just for first offenses, they can be more. I
hope they sock it to the idiot who's jamming nets on the local 2M repeater.

73...    Mark   AA7TA

------------------------------

Date: 29 Oct 93 23:13:02 GMT
From: ogicse!hp-cv!hp-pcd!hpcvsnz![e-mail]
Subject: VSWR Conversion chart
To: [e-mail]

Alan Bloom ([e-mail]) wrote:

: For the convenience of the Internet community, I have compiled the
: following conversion chart from SWR to VSWR:

Al, could you translate that to a formula for those of us who are
graphically impaired?

;-)
Tom

------------------------------

Date: 29 Oct 93 10:14:17 GMT
From: ogicse!uwm.edu!spool.mu.edu!agate!apple.com!apple.com![e-mail]
Subject: VSWR Conversion chart
To: [e-mail]

[e-mail] (Tom Bruhns) writes:

>Alan Bloom ([e-mail]) wrote:

>: For the convenience of the Internet community, I have compiled the
>: following conversion chart from SWR to VSWR:

>Al, could you translate that to a formula for those of us who are
>graphically impaired?


By inspection of Al's graph, the equation is obviously:

 VSWR = log( 10**( SWR ) ),
and
 SWR = exp( ln( VSWR ) ).

There is a very deep philosophical meaning on why both the function
and its inverse are monotonic in nature.

The proof is trivial, but the margins of my telnet window are too
narrow for me to pass the proof along.


73,

Kok Chen, AA6TY    [e-mail]
Apple Computer, Inc.

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 28 Oct 93 04:10:45 GMT
From: sequent!muncher.sequent.com![e-mail]
Subject: What logging program for CQ WW DX?
To: [e-mail]

OK, so we now have a 40 meter beam up at my friends place
and we want to spend a little time on the CQ WW DX contest
this weekend.

I have a laptop (small, running DOS) and would like a logging
program for CQWW.  This laptop was previously owned by another
ham and was used on the last two field days for logging.  It ran
a program designed for field day.  It has farily limited memory and
storage so I think I'm after a fairly simple program.

I would like to have someone recommend a logging progam for CQWW.
Ideal would be something I could find on the QRX or 1992 Hamcall
CD ROMS as I have access to those.  We are just doing this for fun
and on 40 meters only, the logging software does not have to be
the greatest in the world, just something easier than paper dupe
sheets is desired.

73, Dale.

  [e-mail]         OR      uunet!sequent!dale
  Dale Mosby   503-578-9842  N7PEX  // Sequent Computer Systems, Inc.
  15450 SW Koll Parkway             // Beaverton, Or.  97006-6063

--
  [e-mail]         OR      uunet!sequent!dale
  Dale Mosby   503-578-9842  N7PEX  // Sequent Computer Systems, Inc.
  15450 SW Koll Parkway             // Beaverton, Or.  97006-6063

------------------------------

Date: 29 Oct 93 07:09:16 GMT
From: ogicse!uwm.edu!math.ohio-state.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!agate!kos4mac9.berkeley.edu![e-mail]
To: [e-mail]

References <2ap28h$[e-mail]>, <[e-mail]>, <[e-mail]>
Subject : Re: Homonauseated (Was: Newsline #842)

> Tim Ikeda ([e-mail]) wrote:
> : Genetics isn't so simple most of the time.  Any single gene can have
> : multiple roles and effects on an organism's "fitness."  Besides,
> : there's not likely to be any single gene that affects a particular
> : set of behaviors.  Most likely, it's a combination of factors.

[e-mail] (Perry Scott) wrote:
> I am in violent agreement here.  Like the discovery of Cold Fusion, I
> choose to let Science take its course.  I have yet to see research done
> aimed at rebutting the claim that homosexuality is genetically
> predetermined.  In the current Politically Correct environment faced by
> researchers looking for funding, I am dubious that it will happen.

The data is being evaluated very critically. Research in either direction
is really not subject to PC funding control.  If anything, those studies
attempting to link particular human behaviors with genetics are at a
historical disadvantage.  The idea of a genetic basis for a behavior
is strongly tainted by the stench of past abuse by the eugenics movements
of the early 1900's. I've heard the gay community is split about whether
a genetic component for "gayness" is a good thing or not.  It's a double-
egded sword for them.  The trouble is that the press (as a whole, but
with a few exceptions), couldn't cover this research properly if their
lives depended on it.  They're also terribly poor about retractions and
explanations.  The "discovery" the alcoholism was genetic has since
gone down in flames but you probably didn't hear a peep about it in the
mainstream press.  My guess is that there are many behaviors for which
a person's genetics predisposes them for having.  However, I think
that in most cases (particularly for behaviors like homosexuality or
QSR'ing), the correlation will be very weak and the connections will
often be tenuous.

The geneticist David Suzuki touched briefly on this subject in his
recent PBS series "The Secret of Life".  Richard C. Lewontin (also a
respected geneticist) wrote a chapter which was critical about this
research in his book "Biology as Ideology: The Doctrine of DNA"
(Harper-Perennial: 1992? -- A good book and short enough to read
in the bookstore if you're feeling cheap).


> In any study of genetic aspect of homosexuality, some apparent anomolies
> need to be explained.  The most obvious is that homosexuals as a group
> are less likely to pass their genes to the next generation.  Since the
> population appears(?)  stable over time, there must be some other
> benefit that balances the reproductive disadvantage.  The question then
> becomes "what are these advantages?"  They must indeed be powerful, such
> as in the case of sickle-cell vs malaria.

The sickle-cell trait has very negative effects. It wouldn't be around
if it didn't provide such a strong positive protection in areas rife
with malaria.  Homosexuality may not have such strong negative effects
on reproduction, particularly if societal pressures for marriage and
reproduction are stronger.  The presence of a less-than-optimal effect
doesn't necessarily target a gene for elimination.  Besides, there's
nowhere near enough information on this subject to know for sure.

> I patiently await the answers.  Until then, using genetics as some sort
> of "justification" (as if it were needed) is on shaky ground.

Yes, the jury is still out.

Regards,
Tim Ikeda
[e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: 29 Oct 93 21:28:15 GMT
From: ogicse!uwm.edu!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!sdd.hp.com!spool.mu.edu!news.nd.edu![e-mail]
To: [e-mail]

References <[e-mail]>, <[e-mail]>, <[e-mail]>
Subject : Re: Homonauseated (Was: Newsline #842)

In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (Joe L. Reda) wrote:
>
> Just what I like to see . . being lumped in with violent criminals,
> drug pushers, rapists, etc.  What century are you from?  Talk about
> empty arguments . . I've heard that one before: "We love the sinner but
> we hate the sin!".  Here's a consciousness-raiser for you: with the
> exception of homosexuality, all of the above behaviors are learned or
> chosen.  No one *chooses* to be gay.  Ever heard of genetics?

It must be nice to be omniscient. I had the distinct impression that
possible genetic predispositions to violence were under investigation, but
you state categorically that all such behaviors are learned or chosen,
while "no one" chooses to be gay. Do you really mean to suggest such a
striking disparity between the gene pools of the ancient Greeks
(practically all men bisexual), modern Europeans (gay and bisexual behavior
considered the exception but tolerated to various degrees), and Polynesians
(gay behavior normative for many tribes during adolescence but proscribed
among adults)? This sort of observation would lead me to think that
homosexuality (including the various definitions of the term), like the
widely differing versions of heterosexuality around the world, is a
cultural phenomenon, at least to a considerable degree (have you read
Halperin's 100 Years of Homosexuality?). But what do I know, I'm not
omniscient.
>
> The most ludicrous definition of 'minority' I've ever seen.  Are you
> so behind the times that you think you can spot a homosexual just by
> looking at one?  Gays generally don't want special hiring provisions,
> just protection from losing a job because of bigotry!

It is chiefly from my gay friends that I hear the assertion that they can
"spot one from a mile away"!
>
> The REAL truth is that most folks who live in the twentieth century are
> not disgusted by the behavior of gays.  They're getting more and more
> disgusted with intolerant behavior and discrimination of any form!
>
Well, there you go with this omniscience thing again. Who exactly are you
talking about? People in Thailand? Saudi Arabia? China? Did it ever occur
to you that assertions about "most people in the twentieth century" are
bound to sound a little sweeping?

> So it's "flaunting" to want the same rights --no more or less-- than
> everyone else?  Give me a break.  Yeah, this topic doesn't belong here.
> It doesn't belong anywhere.

Well, just to make this relevant to the topic, allow me to restate my
earlier conviction that LARC should be respected as an amateur radio
organization, provided that they follow the same rules as everyone else.
But I don't think that shrill and hysterical posts from EITHER side do much
to shed light on the issues.

We shouldn't have to be talking about it
> because it shouldn't matter what people who mind their own business do
> with their lives as long as they harm none.  But there's always those
> who think they know how everybody should live.  Pardon my sounding bitter;
> I'm a little tired of 30+ years of dealing with bigoted crap.

You're welcome to be as bitter as you want to be; I just wondered whether
you realized that your pretensions of knowing everything about the subject
were merely bound to egg the other side on. I don't think it is a
constructive stance.
>
> >Okay, lets all go over to .policy and continue the code debate
> >and discuss antenna restrictions.
>
> Joe L. Reda    | Separation of Church and State -- not just a good idea,
> [e-mail] | IT'S THE LAW!!

Just for the record, the separation of church and state is not the law, but
a recent interpretation of the law. The constitution merely prohibits the
federal government from recognizing any particular denomination as the
official religion of the United States. The states were still able to have
state churches under the constitution, and several actually did, for
several decades into the nineteenth century.

Charles Hohenstein
N9SQE

------------------------------

End of Info-Hams Digest V93 #1285
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