QRZ! Ham Radio 3/QRZ Ham Radio Callsign Database - Volume 3.iso/digests/infoham/931473.txt

Internet Message Format | 1994-06-04 | 24.5 KB

Date: Fri, 17 Dec 93 13:00:05 PST
From: Info-Hams Mailing List and Newsgroup <[e-mail]>
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Reply-To: [e-mail]
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Subject: Info-Hams Digest V93 #1473
To: Info-Hams


Info-Hams Digest            Fri, 17 Dec 93       Volume 93 : Issue 1473

Today's Topics:
         Bravo, Bravo +, etc. pager options and programming ?
                             HDN Releases
                        Kenwood TH78a VCO mod
                           Logging Programs
                         need comments on DJ-
             Optimum call sign for CW/contests? (3 msgs)
                             R/C Aircraft
                      Reference for xmit tubes?
                  Technician testing program needed
            Where are all the young enthusiasts? (3 msgs)
                  Where have the DX bulletins gone?

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: 14 Dec 1993 20:57:31 GMT
From: nntp.ucsb.edu!library.ucla.edu!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!howland.reston.ans.net!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!uxa.cso.uiuc.edu![e-mail]
Subject: Bravo, Bravo +, etc. pager options and programming ?
To: [e-mail]

[e-mail] (Karl Beckman) writes:

>Tell your paging company that you want a new dial-in number. Then, while
>they are programming the new number in your pager, ask them to change th
>alert beep sequence at the same time. It should be a N/C deal that way!!
>   BTW, no it isn't a simple thing to build the interface, and you need
>some very sophisticated software to access the internal micro-P. This
>software is of course copyrighted by Motorola and sold only to those who
>have a good reason to get inside the pager to adjust the many features
>and options. Theft of paging service is a federal crime!   WA8NVW

This is not true.  When you get a new-dial in number, they just change their
computer system database to reflect that your old number is inactive, and
your new number is now associated with CAP code 123456790.  Reprogramming
of your pager is not neccessary.

73, de N9KET (andrew)

>------------------------- Original Article -------------------------
>Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
>From: [e-mail] (Mike Gordon)
>Subject: Bravo, Bravo +, etc. pager options and programming ?
>Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
>Organization: Nyx, Public Access Unix at U. of Denver Math/CS dept.
>Date: Tue, 14 Dec 93 01:25:20 GMT
>Lines: 41

>   Due to a career change, I will be back to using a pager soon.  About
>four years ago, I was on a Bravo, now I see that the paging companies are
>pushing a variety of numeric pagers, including the Bravo + (or 2?), Bravo
>Express, the Freespirit (rounded looking moto pager) and those CHEAP NEC
>models.  I'd like to stay with a Motorola, (I hear nothing but problems
>about the NEC) but which one?

>   I like the time-stamp feature of the Bravo + and Express, and vibration
>mode is a must, as I'm often in noisy environments.  What other features do
>these newer units have, and how useful are they?  What options can the user
>set, and what ones can be set by the dealer?  Since I'm sure most dealers
>don't want to go through the trouble of programming options, I'm sure they
>won't tell me about all of them.

>   Also, has anyone figured out how to program a Bravo through the 3
>contacts near the battery?  (Without having to pay the paging company big
>$ to do it?) A buddy of mine want's to change the his beep sound (no, not
>his CAP code), and can't justify the $25 his paging company wants just to
>plug it in and hit a few keys on their computer.  He has a PC, and can
>make a cable / interface if it isn't too overly complicated.  Gee, could
>it just bee a 3 wire serial connection?

>   On a more serious note, last time I was on a pager, my call-in number
>used to be occupied by a "dealer". (And I don't mean a used car dealer.)
>As I worked third shift and often slept during the day, (and will be again,
>oh joy of joys) I didn't enjoy the calls at noon from his old customers.
>Does anyone have any little hints on how to avoid this?  Please don't
>suggest having my boss call me at home during my sleeping hours, because
>that would mean I'd have to plug my phone in and get woke up by tele-
>marketers.  (At least they don't call pagers!)

>   By the way, the rep from the paging company could only suggest turning
>off the pager while I slept.  Kind of defeats the purpose of having a pager
>when you're on call around the clock, and missing a call means losing a
>shift.

>Thanks in advance for any help,

>Mike Gordon  N9LOI  [e-mail]

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

Date: Wed, 15 Dec 1993 00:21:05
From: ucsnews!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!news.kei.com!news.oc.com!utacfd.uta.edu!rwsys!ocitor![e-mail]
Subject: HDN Releases
To: [e-mail]

The following files were processed Wednesday 12-15-93:


HAMPACK   [ HAM: Packet Communications programs ]
----------------------------------------------------------------------
MSYSB116.EXE ( 358531 bytes)  MSYS ver 1.16 small version (no
                              network)

----------------------------------------------------------------------
              358531 bytes in 1 file(s)


 Total of 358531 bytes in 1 file(s)

Files are available via Anonymous-FTP from ftp.fidonet.org
IP NET address 140.98.2.1

    Directories are:
         pub/fidonet/ham/hamnews  (Bulletins)
                        /hamant   (Antennas)
                        /hamsat   (Sat. prg/Amsat Bulletins)
                        /hampack  (Packet)
                        /hamelec  (Formulas)
                        /hamtrain (Training Material)
                        /hamlog   (Logging Programs)
                        /hamcomm  (APLink/JvFax/Rtty/etc)
                        /hammods  (Equip modification)
                        /hamswl   (SWBC Skeds/Frequencies)
                        /hamscan  (Scanner Frequencies)
                        /hamutil  (Operating aids/utils)
                        /hamsrc   (Source code to programs)
                        /hamdemo  (Demos of new ham software)
                        /hamnos   (TCP/IP and NOS related software)

Files may be downloaded via land-line at [phone] or [phone].
1.2 to 16.8K, 23 hours a day .

When ask for Full Name, enter:    Guest;guest   <return>

lee - wa5eha
Ham Distribution Net


 * Origin: Ham Distribution Net Coordinator / Node 1 (1:124/7009)

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

Date: 16 Dec 93 15:14:14 GMT
From: ogicse!uwm.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!girtab.usc.edu![e-mail]
Subject: Kenwood TH78a VCO mod
To: [e-mail]

Hello all,

I have a friend who is interested in modifying his Kenwood TH-78a to
receive and transmit beyond 496Mhz (on the 440 band), which is where the
radio stops when the diode mods are completed (please no replys about this
being illegal, etc.).

He is pretty certain that the VCO will need to be re-aligned and cannot
determine from the service manual how this is done.  Anyone who has completed
this mod (or attempted with, or without, success) please reply directly to me
at [e-mail].

Any help would be appreciated!  Thanks in advance!
--Daryl

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

Date: 17 Dec 93 16:33:21 GMT
From: ogicse!uwm.edu!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!uchinews!att-out!cbnewsh![e-mail]
Subject: Logging Programs
To: [e-mail]



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

Date: Tue, 14 Dec 1993 12:30:04 -0600
From: ucsnews!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!cs.utexas.edu!oakhill!val!afarm![e-mail]
Subject: need comments on DJ-
To: [e-mail]

 -=> Quoting Jerry Sy to (crosspost 1) All <=-

 JS> I am thinking of buying the Alinco DJ-560T HT now on closeout for
 JS> $300. I'd like to get comments from 560 owners and anybody else on what
jerry, i bought a dj-560t about 2 months ago....the only problem i have
with it is that it is fairly fragile.  i'm used to more rugged, public
safety radios that you can throw at people.  the audio leaves a lot to be
desired.  it has a good channel configuration, the scan features are sad
compared to a scanner but acceptable.  it works well for most of the austin
repeaters if you get the 12v battery.  a good solid radio that i would
recommend.  but, i'd like to get the dj-580.  i hear that it is better
in audio than the 560.    chris kc5dvr


... Drinking and Driving: A Killer Idea....
___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.12

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

Date: 16 Dec 1993 15:21:23 GMT
From: sdd.hp.com!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!math.ohio-state.edu!caen!destroyer!news1.oakland.edu!vela.acs.oakland.edu![e-mail]
Subject: Optimum call sign for CW/contests?
To: [e-mail]

The cool thing regarding vanity calls is that you DO NOT have to get a
three-land call!  You can buy any cool call you can afford.

Last time I looked in the server, K9DOG was still being used. <G>

I wonder who will buy  WB0OZE?  Certainly not a tea-tottaer!

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

Date: 17 Dec 93 04:03:03 GMT
From: mnemosyne.cs.du.edu!nyx10![e-mail]
Subject: Optimum call sign for CW/contests?
To: [e-mail]

In article <[e-mail]>, Alan Bloom <[e-mail]> wrote:
>For CW, pick the shortest possible call that ends with a dash (since dits
>are more likely to get lost in the noise).  Also it should not end with
>a K or anything that sounds like a prosign.  If I were still in 3-land,
>I'd go for something like NE3T or NE3A.

I'd beg to differ a bit on this one; I ran FD this year as N5TM, and I found
myself getting beaten out by folks with longer calls who were the last ones
replying to a CQ. This factor wasn't nearly so bad when I've operated with my
own call.
--
Jay Maynard, EMT-P, K5ZC, PP-ASEL | Never ascribe to malice that which can
[e-mail]      | adequately be explained by stupidity.
        "A good flame is fuel to warm the soul." -- Karl Denninger

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

Date: Thu, 16 Dec 1993 16:16:20 CET
From: sdd.hp.com!cs.utexas.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!newsserver.jvnc.net!gmd.de!dearn!esoc![e-mail]
Subject: Optimum call sign for CW/contests?
To: [e-mail]

The fastest, i.e. shortest,good callsignfor CW contesting would
certainly be N5EA.

Wolf.

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

Date: Sun, 12 Dec 93 05:25:43 EST
From: nntp.ucsb.edu!library.ucla.edu!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!howland.reston.ans.net!math.ohio-state.edu!sdd.hp.com!nigel.msen.com!ilium!sycom!p-cove![e-mail]
Subject: R/C Aircraft
To: [e-mail]

Dan Raneri     N2OQN <[e-mail]> writes:

> You ask: 'What kinda money we talkin?'
>
> Anywahere from $500.00 on up...  The B-29 mentioned above must have cost
> MANY thousands of dollars...  ($10,000 ...  $50,000 ...  etc) I don't
> know...  In order to get a bird up in the air as you would like, you must be
> looking at a pretty big ship.  Something in the 30-40-50 lb range, with all

 Not neccessarily... If he can find a small enough computer board for it,
such as a gutted out laptop with a pcmcia slot, he could get pretty
small.. The TNCs aren't all that big, and I bet he could find a small
radio... Now the weight of all that could pose a problem to where he
would have to go with a bigger plane..

> these computers and sensors and packet radio things...  That will cost
> easily into the thousands of dollars...  Propellers for airplanes like these
> cost $15.00 to $40-$80, and when you break them on landings, which WILL
> happen, probably, you get to replace...  :-(

 It will cost a hefty ammount of money, and it would be quite a gut
wrencher if he crashed it :( ...

Aaron


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

                 [e-mail] (Aaron Smith KB8PFZ)
                     System Operator of Pirate's Cove.
                      [phone], Port Huron, Mi

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

Date: 15 Dec 93 13:43:41 EST
From: ucsnews!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!news.intercon.com!psinntp![e-mail]
Subject: Reference for xmit tubes?
To: [e-mail]

In rec.radio.amateur.misc, [e-mail] (Mark Olson) writes:
>
>  Can anyone point me to a reference for transmitting tubes?
>
Mark:

The ARRL Handbook has a large table of tube data, including the
transmitting tubes you're interested in. In the 1994 edition,
see Tables 13 and 14 in Chapter 35.

73,
Joel Kleinman, N1BKE
Associate Technical Editor, ARRL HQ

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

Date: Thu, 16 Dec 1993 15:22:21 GMT
From: sdd.hp.com!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!usenet.ucs.indiana.edu!ds9.hper.indiana.edu![e-mail]
Subject: Technician testing program needed
To: [e-mail]

I'm looking a testing program (DOS, Windows, or Mac) for the Technician
exam (Elements 2 and 3A), that have the current exam question it. Can
I find any of these program on ftp?

Thanks in advance,
mike

ps: any study advice is appreciated.

--
Mike Basinger: "Not speaking for Indiana University"
[e-mail]
[e-mail] (NeXT Mail)

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

Date: 17 Dec 93 02:15:51 GMT
From: ogicse!uwm.edu!wupost!wuecl.wustl.edu!cec3![e-mail]
Subject: Where are all the young enthusiasts?
To: [e-mail]

Drew Diamond ([e-mail]) wrote:
: Is there no longer any "magic" in radio for young persons? At my radio
: club, I see the same bunch of (mostly) grey and balding heads- rare to see a
: young, enthusiastic person attend a meeting. And on the air- same bunch of
: grey beards- not many young voices.

: Let me quote a paragraph from "Most Secret War" by Prof. R.V.Jones, of
: Scientific Intelligence fame;

:  "My main hobby in my schooldays was, as with many other boys

...

:  might improve his aerial or his receiver, and give him
:  something to boast about to his friends...".

:
: Young persons now are surrounded by global TV, cellular phones, computers
: with exciting games.... Is it surprising that building radios offers little
: prospect of any real fun?

: Can we do anyhing? Should we try to do anything? Will our
: cherished hobby simply fade away and die? Clues anyone?

: 73, Kind Regards,

: Drew, VK3XU.      Telecom Australia Research Laboratories.

Grey hair vs. youth?  Well, that's just the way life deals it now, eh?
But seriously, amateur radio operators just find a hard time matching
the "excitement" that modern technology offers.  Yes--there's a lot of
excitement in new radio developments--and in fact, I personally have
found learning about ham radio/theories/etc. quite stimulating.  What
originally drew you to hamming?  Building radios?  Well, it is now
that radios are so common that a person can get one free if he looked
hard enough.  Today's youth is involved and interested in fun--
and the youth is entranced by media.  With all of technology sucking
interest from practical electric theory (which some people hate
anyway) to learning how to do stuff like navigate the internet  :)
how much surprise is there really?   3/4 of my friends look at me
and say, "huh?" when I say I'm learing morse code and studying for
the exam.  Most of us don't have any clue that the hobby even exists.
Those who get involved also find that the equipment that can pretty
much be used just for hamming is expensive--on the other hand, computers
are quite multi-functional.

Amateur radio has to be "advertized" and glamorized for the youth
to take notice--but really, how much involvement can anything really
expect in today's busy society?

--jesse
  (still a youth, not YET licensed, but working on it)

btw, even at the amateur radio club at my university,there are
perhaps 50 operators with keys to the shack--not too much for a
school with > 5000 undergrads and who-knows-how-many-more grads.
But at least the school has facilities!!!

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

Date: 17 Dec 93 05:00:51 GMT
From: brunix!doorknob![e-mail]
Subject: Where are all the young enthusiasts?
To: [e-mail]

Speaking only for myself....

I'm 20.  Is that young enough to fit in with the "young enthusiast"
that you find lacking?  Certainly it is at my home club, and even
tends to be so at my (defunct but reforming) university club, where I
am the only undergrad who attended the restructuring meeting.

So why did I pick up my ticket?  What's in it for me, especially since
I have internet at my disposal (the ultimate communications tool of
this age, IMHO)?  Well:

  (1) Emergency service.  Maybe I'm weird, but I *like* public service,
 and the concept of being useful in a bona fide emergency really
 gives me a sense of -- well, pride and worth (not to be too
 corny or anything ;)

  (2) Another place to meet interesting people.  Some of the guys (and
 gals, though they are few and far between) that I've met thru
 the hobby are *really* neat and interesting, and I love the
 interactions I have with them.  I'm fairly certain I wouldn't
 have met many of those people if I hadn't gotten into radio.

  (3) My childhood.  I remember taking electronic lessons when I was
 10 or so from an experienced ham, and watching in awe as he
 would paddle out these DX contacts and teach me how to build
 these simple receivers... that and he'd built all this
 equipment *himself*, and was using it to talk to people from
 all over the place.  (He did scare me off from the code; I
 never could get it down as fast as he was doing it.  Years later,
 however, I learned that he was operating at 30-45 wpm, and was
 giving me code examples at 20....)  It was so neat!  In fact,
 one of the most depressing things to me currently about the hobby
 is that if you took my HT and smashed it on the sidewalk, I'd
 have no *clue* about how to go about repairing it besides
 sending it to Yaesu.

  (4) Digital mode research.  I set my packet station up in our AI lab one
 day this semester.  Within a week I had email from 2 professors
 wanting to talk about different possible applications of digital
 mode.  Now, part of amateur radio is exploring and running with
 these kind of experimental ideas, right?  So, there's another draw.


The only problem for me is that I can think of counters to almost
every one of these points, especially (1) and (4).  So perhaps it's
not for everyone?  But there's a core of people who I think can
be drawn into the hobby.  I still see that spark of wonder on
the faces of sophomores at my old high school when the ham club
advisor draws out his shortwave, throws a piece of wire over a table
as an antenna, and tunes in the BBC World Service, or Radio Moscow.
DXing is still an amazing concept, digital mode has incredible
potential, and there will always be the type of person who wants
to volunteer for local events, or work with RACES or EMA, or whatever.
I personally am trying to do my part to expand the hobby (the web
page and looking into these professors' ideas), although in the end
it's doubtful that I can really make that much of a difference.

Sorry to evangelize on my soapbox.  I just wanted to speak up as one
"young ham" who will try to keep the spirit of amateur radio alive
as best he can.

  Scott  -  [e-mail]  -  n9sat

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

Date: 17 Dec 93 16:53:22 GMT
From: ogicse!emory!nntp.msstate.edu!willis1.cis.uab.edu!right.dom.uab.edu![e-mail]
Subject: Where are all the young enthusiasts?
To: [e-mail]

It seems to me that "in the old days" the bits that made up a radio
were vary simple.  For a receiver a coil, cats whisker diode, capacitor,
antenna, and headphones made a receiver.  Picked up AM.  I remember
putting together such a set in the late 1960's.  Listening to WLS was
fun then.  Who would want to listen to AM broadcast now?  Would a
ten year old want to listen a second time to young adults calling
in and whining on AM broadcast radio?  I think not.

However, there are lots of IC reciever chips that are out that can
be used for FM.  Not many parts are needed for something that could
pick up VHF.  Weather service is a reliable signal in VHF, useful too.
A few parts changes would allow reception of public service bands.
I imagine it would be pretty cool to put together a radio that could
listen in on police and fire bands.  Certain areas would have special
interests such as train bands, perhaps.

What I am getting at is that the availability of simple kits for radios
would be great.  Something with some edudcational value.  Years ago
my father bought me a subscription to some service called things of
science, or something like that.  This was great!  It had an optics
segment, built my own transit/telescope.  A photography segment.
A chemistry and physics segment, including a smaple of uranium ore
and a cloud chamber to see the ion trails produced.  But the neatest
thing was the two tube AM receiving radio.  Powered by 110V AC with
a transformer.  This series was great!

Anyway, the kits I imagine we could make now would use IC's that would
allow the construction of audio amplifiers, FM receivers, and FM
transmitters.  Putting the young pre-hams in the 49MHz band would
allow easy to build transmitters, and yagi's could be made with
metal rods standing upright in little stands which would allow
the young-ins to play with reflectors and directors that are
reasonably sized.  You could even duplicate Yagi's original paper!
Then add the VHF listening to weather band to please the parents, and
allow police scanning, which if felt to be slightly naughty, would
be a definate lure into technology.  QRP in 49MHz using CW could
also be pretty cool, with some kids in the neighborhood signalling
eachother in Morse.  (Secret codes will always be cool).  Hey, maybe
even 49MHz modem links for the computer buffs.

One perspective to take is not that ham radio needs young folks, but
that the country needs enthusiasm for science in young folks, with
an expectation that that will bring a lot of enthusiasm into ham radio.

Steve Holland

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

Date: Thu, 16 Dec 1993 03:51:14 GMT
From: newsflash.concordia.ca!nstn.ns.ca!news.ucs.mun.ca!kean.ucs.mun.ca![e-mail]
Subject: Where have the DX bulletins gone?
To: [e-mail]

In article <2en50v$[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (Roger A. Bielefeld) writes:
> I used to regularly see DX bulletins posted here and cross-posted
> to r.r.info, but haven't seen any for a few weeks.  Is this service
> gone permanently?
>
> 73, Roger AA8DV
>
I was just about to ask the same thing.  Boy do I miss these bulletins!
I'm starting to waste my dx'ing time on packet and searching the news
groups for dx bulletins.

Joe, VO1NA
--

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

Date: (null)
From: (null)
LogMaster Plus/Plus is now fully QRZ compatible. You can obtain information
by calling [phone]. A demo (without QRZ functionality - sorry) is
available on the Sensible Solutions BBS at [phone].

The demo is functional with SAM, and Buckkmaster, and will allow you to monitor
the cluster and directly QSY your radio from the spots. It will also qualify
the spot against your log book ane indicate if its a new or needed country.

LogMaster is NOT copy protected, and gives full indexing on Country,
Prefix, U.S. State, CQ Zone, ITU Zone, 5 User defineable fields,
Grid squares in addition to callsign and date. Most other loggers only
provide indexing on callsign and date.
This gives the best data retrieval performance of any commercial
logger.

Alan

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

End of Info-Hams Digest V93 #1473
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