QRZ! Ham Radio 5/QRZ Ham Radio Callsign Database - Volume 5.iso/digests/infoham/940488.txt

Internet Message Format | 1994-11-13 | 25.6 KB

Date: Wed,  4 May 94 21:09:05 PDT
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 V94 #488
To: Info-Hams


Info-Hams Digest            Wed,  4 May 94       Volume 94 : Issue  488

Today's Topics:
                         1994 Field Day info
               Amateur Radio and Civil Rights (3 msgs)
                     Batteries for Kenwood TH-78A
                 FT-11/41R PL Tone Problem: Followup
                    Gun Owners ... never mind.d.7
                             HDN Releases
                     Help with Standard C150 Mod?
                  Jeremiah O'Brien and Lane Victory
        KD2BD's Orbital Prediction Software Available Via FTP
                    New FCC amateur radio licenses
                  New HAMS.. need license date info
                    Six Meter Opening on Saturday
                   Vertical Antenna Recommendations
                      Working AO-21 with TH-78A

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: 4 May 94 17:23:48 GMT
From: agate!msuinfo!news.mtu.edu!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!newsxfer.itd.umich.edu!nntp.cs.ubc.ca!unixg.ubc.ca!quartz.ucs.ualberta.ca!kakwa.ucs.ualberta.ca!gov.nt.ca![e-mail]
Subject: 1994 Field Day info
To: [e-mail]

Where can I get info on the rules for Field Day this year?
I tried the usual ftp sites and the best I could come up with
was 1992.  Is this info usually posted prior to the event?
Do you need to have the official forms to enter?
Please reply direct or to the group,
Thanks,
John

=============================================================
John Boudreau VE8EV     INTERNET: [e-mail]
Inuvik, NWT, CANADA       PACKET: VE8EV@KL7GNG.#NAK.AK.USA.NA
=============================================================

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

Date: 4 May 94 19:21:29 GMT
From: dog.ee.lbl.gov!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!cs.utexas.edu!lgc.com![e-mail]
Subject: Amateur Radio and Civil Rights
To: [e-mail]

>Recently there was a post on rec.radio.amateur.misc about gun control
>which spawned a whole slew of posts supporting the concept.  While my
>views on gun control are fairly well known in some newsgroups, this
>post isn't about this.  It is about the threat to amateur radio.  It
>is very easy to take gun control arguments and apply them equally well
>to ham radio.  In fact, some of the attacks I mention below have
>already been tried.  Some of these attacks are blatently false but are
>seen in the media nonetheless.  Remember, gun control arguments are
>also based upon twisting the facts.

[future arguments against amateur radio deleted]

Yes, you have made some good points on possible future attacks on
amateur radio.  Note that amateur radio is more like social security
than like gun rights.  It is a socialistic allocation of confiscated
property.  Its justification is for people to fiddle around with new
technology at the government's expense and provide an alternative emergency
communications network.  Just like a park which can be used by FEMA to put
up tents or play in, Amateur radio uses the radio waves.  It has one-up on
FEMA because it is private individuals who are responsible for maintaining
their equipment which they can volunteer or allow to be coopted in the event
of an emergency.

Repeatedly, Amateur Radio has proven itself to be an effective means to
provide volunteer help in emergencies.  Even if the radio waves were one
day to be regarded as property and not allocated loot as they are today,
there would be a role for reserving a portions of the electromagnetic
spectrum for this purpose for the same reason that the government needs
military bases to defend its citizens.

As for the FCC rules on Amateur radio, because it is more like social security
where you sign agreements putting yourself under the auspices of the
Federal government, it is most emphatically unlike gun issues in the current
political climate.  When you sign your license application and pass your
test, you are promising to obey the laws as applicable to amateur radio.
You are submitting yourself to a series of regulations that prescribe and
proscribe your behavior which include some potentially Draconian penalties.
One difference from social security though is that you're not tricked into
joining it out of ignorance.  Amateur radio licensees got into the service
with both eyes open, putting it head and shoulders above most government
activities that restrict human life.

--
Chris Walker
[e-mail]

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

Date: 4 May 94 23:15:58 GMT
From: dog.ee.lbl.gov!ihnp4.ucsd.edu!usc!usc![e-mail]
Subject: Amateur Radio and Civil Rights
To: [e-mail]

[e-mail] (Conway Yee) writes:

[Intro deleted]

>1) Nobody _needs_ amateur radio so we should feel free to ban it.

>2) With the advent of cellular phones, amateur radio is outdated.

>3) The only purpose for ham radio is by criminals who scan the
>   airwaves to keep track of police broadcasts.

>4) Amateur radio emits radio waves which have been shown to cause
>   cancer so we should prohibit amateur radio as a public safety
>   concern.

>5) Amateur radio antennas are liable to fall and injure someone.

>6) Use CCR's to limit antennas.  They are ugly and ruin the view for
>   all neighbors.

7) I don't use amateur radio, I don't like amateur radio, therfore you
   shouldn't be allowed to use amateur radio.

8) Amateur radio is not centralized, and we know that all things benefit
   from (mandatory) centralization

9) Amateur radio might be used to spread news the State might like to
   keep quiet, or to coordinate active opposition to the State.

10) People who use amateur radio won't support the government when it
    wants to build big, centralized communications nets to fill the same
    niche.  People who depend on gov't comm nets, on the other hand, will
    never complain about the budget or power of FEMA, the FCC, etc.


You'll never see anyone admit to these motives openly, but they will exist
soon if they don't already.  Prohibition movements have the same form
whether one is trying to ban alcohol, or guns, or amateur radios.

I give amateur radio another 15-20 years if current trends continue.  The
same for private aircraft.  Private automobiles will probably last 30-40
years, but no longer.  The future will not be pretty, unless we change
course soon.

It disheartens me to hear that the consensus among amateur radio types is
that gun control is a good thing.  It may come to the point where we need
them to coordinate our opposition to the State, and they need us to guard
their stations.

"We must all hang together, or we will assuredly hang seperately"
            - Benjamin Franklin  (?)

--
*John Schilling                    * "You can have Peace,           *
*Member:AIAA,NRA,ACLU,SAS,LP       * or you can have Freedom.           *
*University of Southern California * Don't ever count on having both   *
*Aerospace Engineering Department  * at the same time."                *
*[e-mail]            *          - Robert A. Heinlein     *
*(213)-740-5311 or 747-2527        * Finger for PGP public key         *

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

Date: 4 May 94 23:30:42 GMT
From: dog.ee.lbl.gov!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!cs.utexas.edu!lgc.com![e-mail]
Subject: Amateur Radio and Civil Rights
To: [e-mail]

[e-mail] (John Schilling):

>It disheartens me to hear that the consensus among amateur radio types is
>that gun control is a good thing.  It may come to the point where we need
>them to coordinate our opposition to the State, and they need us to guard
>their stations.

Amateur radio is a highly regulated communications medium, unlike internet.
Radio operators are getting a favor from the federal government that is in
their personal interest to maintain.  The feds frequently treat them well
too because they need amateur radio operators, even today.  The typical
individual who sticks with the licensing requirements of amateur radio,
especially the advanced licenses, tends to be quite loyal to the central
government operating out of Rome, er Washington.  It makes a big difference
when there someone is getting a major favor from the government when it
comes to judging other activites thereof.


--
Chris Walker
[e-mail]

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

Date: 4 May 1994 07:51:40 GMT
From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!dog.ee.lbl.gov!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!EU.net!Germany.EU.net!Munich.Germany.EU.net!thoth.mch.sni.de!news.sni.de!nanette!norton![e-mail]
Subject: Batteries for Kenwood TH-78A
To: [e-mail]

In <2psn0m$[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Marc Richard Wollemborg) writes:

>I finally decided on buying a Kenwood TH-78A and am now considering which
>batteries to get with it.  There are actually a couple mail order places
>which will ship the radio with a battery besides the standard PB-13.  This
>is how the three main Kenwood batteries compare:
>    PB-13 Standard    7.2V  700A  2.5W on High Power (approx. 4.5 hrs.)
>    PB-17 High-Power 12.0V  700A  5.0W on High Power (approx. 3.0 hrs.)
>    PB-18 Long-Life   7.2V 1100A  2.5W on High Power (approx. 7.0 hrs.)

The 7.2V/700mA came with the radio when i got my TH-78E.
It's small and fits completely inside the rig.  I mainly use it when i
carry the 78 around.  Good for listening but don't talk too much.

The 12V/700mA doesn't make sense to me.  It's too large and at 12V the
current goes up to more than 2A, which is too much for 700mA cells.
It's easy to kill a cell by reverse charge and the pack is sealed so you
can't replace individual cells.  You get a bit more power out but if the
other side can't hear you at 2.5W it probably can't hear you at 5W.  Get
a better antenna instead.

IMHO the 7.2V/1100mA is the best choice.  I can chat all night long and
then it won't go down all in a sudden.  The charge circuit inside the 78
will only supply about 60 mA of charge current so it takes some time to
recharge, but then you won't overload the little wall cube and won't
do any harm to the pack even if you leave it on for a week.

>There is also the BT-8 battery case which takes 6 AA batteries; what kind of
>output (in watts) does this provide for and how long will it last?

With 6 Duracell alkaline you get 6*1.5V -> 9V.  Output power maybe abt
3.5W.  I think those cell have a capacity off abt 1700mA.  With 6 NiCd
cells you get 6*1.2V -> 7.2V.  The sticker on the BT-8 says: don't use
NiCd.  Of course i ignored that and got me 850mA cells.  The only problem
was that the cells were not charged inside the rig.  I was too lazy to
pull them out for charging and modified the BT-8 at bit.

>Additionaly, how about batteries that fit the Kenwood but are made by other
>manufacturers?  I'm specifically looking for a "long-life, high-power"
>battery.  Any suggestions/recommendations out there?  Thanks very much.

Don't know any.  Get a BT-8 and make your own pack.  Then you can use
any type of cells you want and also can access individual cells.  I plan
to get a set of those new NiMH cells that claim a capacity of 1200mA.

>-Marc Wollemborg
> <[e-mail]>

73 Django
DL5YEC

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

Date: 4 May 94 19:49:29 GMT
From: dog.ee.lbl.gov!agate!kabuki.EECS.Berkeley.EDU![e-mail]
Subject: FT-11/41R PL Tone Problem: Followup
To: [e-mail]

Disclaimer:  The following is for informational purposes only.
Use at your own risk, and any liability from using this information
is yours.

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

History:  Those that saw my earlier post are aware that the Yaesu
FT11/41R radios have a problem with the PL tone generation.  If
used without the optional FTS-26 tone board, the PL tones are
slightly off in frequency, being too high.

Solution:  Yaesu has recognized this as a problem, as has issued
a service bulletin TB9420 to deal with this problem.  The fix
involves changing the value of one of the loading capacitors used
with the microprocessor crystal.  The principle being that lowering
the clock frequency will lower the PL tone.

Yaesu's bulletin directs changing C2018 (33 pF chip cap loading
the output of the inverter on the CPU) to 39 pF.

Warning:  Those of you contemplating this should be made aware that
the chip cap less than 1/2 the size of the COG size chip caps -- I
would not attempt this without a microscope and a FINE tip.

Changing the capacitance to 39 pF did indeed lower the PL tone,
but was insufficient to fix the problem.  Only after adding another
7pF (total 46 pF) did the PL done fall within range of a local
repeater.

It may be that this particular situation was bad luck (i.e. high
crystal, low caps, low reed on the repeater).

Yaesu has started using the larger capacitor beginning with
lot 13 (11R) and lot 12 (41R).

If you have a problem with PL tones, and opt to return your unit,
you may want to insist that they check the value of the PL after
the mod -- they may have to put an even larger capacitor in there
(e.g. 47 pF)

I am happy to report, however, that the above mod has fixed
the PL problem for me, and the local repeater now likes the 41R.
Other than this minor (albeit frustrating) glitch, the 41R
is a neat unit.  VERY small -- less than 1/2 the size of the 530,
and performs well for its size.  The standard 4.8 V pack is
compact, but keeps the power output to 800 mW on high and 200 mW
on low, which may be a problem for those hard of hearing repeaters.
Speaker audio is improved over the 530.  Your mileage may vary.

Related Item:

The extended RX/TX mod for the 41R is identical to that for the 11R.

-Ken

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

Date: 4 May 94 19:45:59 GMT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Gun Owners ... never mind.d.7
To: [e-mail]

I fired off a nastygram to the Gun Owner author and cc.'d his postmaster.  The
postmaster responded thanking me and indicating he had already "had a word"
with the originator and that it had been a mistake which will not be repeated.

--


Stephen P. Baker                                phone:  [phone]
Lecturer in Biostatistics                               [phone] fax
Department of Academic Computing                        [phone] home
University of Massachusetts Medical School    e-mail: [e-mail]
55 Lake Avenue North                                  -.- -.. .---- .--. ..-.
Worcester, MA 01655

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

Date: 30 Apr 94 19:14:11 GMT
From: agate!howland.reston.ans.net!cs.utexas.edu!convex!seas.smu.edu!rwsys!ocitor![e-mail]
Subject: HDN Releases
To: [e-mail]

The following files were processed Saturday 4-30-94:


HAMNEWS   [ HAM: Bulletins and Newsletters ]
----------------------------------------------------------------------
HOD004.ZIP   (  47882 bytes)  Ham on Disk magazine #4

----------------------------------------------------------------------
               47882 bytes in 1 file(s)


HAMSAT    [ HAM: Satellite tracking and finding programs ]
----------------------------------------------------------------------
SOP9415.ZIP  ( 543327 bytes)  STS Orbit Plus satelite tracker ver
                              9415

----------------------------------------------------------------------
              543327 bytes in 1 file(s)


 Total of 591209 bytes in 2 file(s)

Files are available via Anonymous-FTP from ftp.fidonet.org
IP NET address 140.98.2.1 for seven days. They are mirrored
to ftp.halcyon.com and are available for 60-90 days.

    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 - ab5sm
Ham Distribution Net


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

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

Date: Tue, 3 May 1994 09:35:18 GMT
From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!usc!howland.reston.ans.net!EU.net!sunic!psinntp!psinntp!hk.super.net!uxmail!dma039.ust.hk![e-mail]
Subject: Help with Standard C150 Mod?
To: [e-mail]

I would like to ask the modification of Standard C150. I want to extend the
Rx coverage. If anyone know please tell me. Thanks..

73
Ernest.



Email address : [e-mail]

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

Date: Wed, 4 May 1994 04:57:20 GMT
From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!library.ucla.edu!csulb.edu!csus.edu!netcom.com!netcom4![e-mail]
Subject: Jeremiah O'Brien and Lane Victory
To: [e-mail]

3 May 1600  J.O. Pos 1110.0N 07751.00W crs 053 spd 010 Bound for Mona
Pass, Puerto Rico
There was no fuel available in Cristobal, Panama

The Lane Victory turned back to Long Beach with contaminated boilers.

This comes from packet radio.
doug

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

Date: Tue, 3 May 1994 12:49:05 GMT
From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!agate!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!eff!news.kei.com!hookup!news2.sprintlink.net!news.sprintlink.net!sashimi.wwa.com!gagme.wwa.com!n5ial![e-mail]
Subject: KD2BD's Orbital Prediction Software Available Via FTP
To: [e-mail]

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail]
(John Magliacane) writes:

>I just uploaded by satellite orbital prediction software to pilot.njin.net.
>It's called "predict.zip" and is located under the /pub/SpaceNews/software
>subdirectory.

Is there any particular type of computer / operating system combination
this needs to run?  Is it in binary or source format?  If source, what
language does it use (or do we just assume it's in C?), and does it use
any special libraries (e.g., curses, X11 libs, etc.)?

I've been looking for a good X-based satellite tracking program to run
here under Linux (a freeware, Posix-based UNIX)---is this program what
I've been looking for?

Later,
   --jim

--
73 DE N5IAL (/4)                           < Running Linux *1.00*! >
      [e-mail]                 ICBM: 30.23N 86.32W
  ||  [e-mail]          Packet:  N5IAL@W4ZBB (Ft. Walton Beach, FL)
E-mail me for information about KAMterm (host mode for Kantronics TNCs).

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

Date: 4 May 94 23:02:56 GMT
From: yale.edu!noc.near.net!news.delphi.com![e-mail]
Subject: New FCC amateur radio licenses
To: [e-mail]

>I was last issued a license in 1990 that was printed with an
>impact printer, and it's a little hard to read.  It appears that the new
>licenses are laser printed.

>   Question: Can I ask the FCC for the new license?  I'd like to get the
>part you can frame.  (Somehow I feel the answer is going to be `no.')

Dave-- why not just try it?  If it doesn't work, "lose" your existing one
and get a new one.

  Ted Trost
  Internet: [e-mail]  Delphi: TEDTROST  CompuServe: 71175,1043
  Amateur radio station N1RDQ    "I like beer.  On occasion I will even
  drink a beer to celebrate a major event such as the fall of communism
  or the fact that our refrigerator is still working." --Dave Barry

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

Date: 4 May 94 20:29:25 GMT
From: agate!msuinfo!news.mtu.edu!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!isr0410![e-mail]
Subject: New HAMS.. need license date info
To: [e-mail]

I have two friends in radio district nine waiting for their licenses.  I
know the FCC is reporting 10-12 weeks from receipt, so please don't send
me mail telling me that ;)

For those of who you have received new licenses in the past week, or
upgrades for that matter, please mail me with date information --
when you took your test, effective date of your license, and when
you received it.

Also, if you received a new class C callsign (1x3) in district 9, please
pass your callsign along.

Thanks much!

73, de N9KET
Andrew

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

Date: 3 May 1994 21:37:50 -0700
From: nntp.crl.com!crl.crl.com![e-mail]
Subject: Six Meter Opening on Saturday
To: [e-mail]

Galen Watts ([e-mail]) wrote:
: In article <2q65f5$[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Greg Young) writes:
: >I flipped on my old Mastr Pro about 8:00 PM EDT and a few minutes
: >later it began to burp as some weak signals broke the squelch on
: >52.525.  Within ten minutes traffic was getting heavy and after about
: >an hour the radio settled into a screech and roar pattern as everyone
: >tried to talk at once.  This lasted for about half an hour before I
: >finally started hearing one side of two or three conversations at a
: >time.  Once I even heard both sides of a QSO.
: >The band finally died about midnight and has been dead ever since when
: >I was listening.  The sporadic E season has arrived.

: Try around 50.125 USB.  It's been open off and on for a couple weeks now.
: I worked Florida from Colorado, and I've heard Ore and Wash occasionally.
: galen, KF0YJ, DN70

Worked last weekend on six:

New York, New Jersey, Ontario, Ottowa, Ohio, Michigan

Mostly on usb around 50.125.  You just have to keep the radio on and
keep listening.  Some of these were worked as late as midnight.

Six meter Spoadic-E is great fun!

Smitty, NA5K

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

Date: 5 May 94 00:02:50 GMT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Vertical Antenna Recommendations
To: [e-mail]

I have a Cushcraft R5 vertical that works like a champ!  I run barefoot
(100W) and have been able to work virtually anyone I hear, through pileups
and all.  It's very durable and has made it through a number of windstorms
here in Atlanta.

            73,
                   John - WK8A

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

Date: 4 May 94 23:43:29 GMT
From: sdd.hp.com!hpscit.sc.hp.com!icon![e-mail]
Subject: Working AO-21 with TH-78A
To: [e-mail]

John Boudreau ([e-mail]) wrote:
:
: doesn't have enough kick to get through.  I picked up a 70cm amp kit
: from Communications Concepts.  Less than $200, you just add connectors and
: a heat sink and away you go.  It is rated for 18W in 100W out at 28VDC but
: I drive it with the 10 watts from the 767 and use the 767's internal 24VDC
: power and get about 60 watts output.  Even into a ground plane or discone
: antenna that works OK for AO-21.  You just have to wait until the BIG GUNS
: take a breath and slip your call in.  If you add a high gain antenna
: (I'm using a 10 turn helix) you can work AO-21 anytime its above the
: horizon.

Yeah, Amps for both 2m and 70cm are awaiting budget approval...  Thanks for
the suggestion re using the 767's power supply.  That will help.

: If you're in a hurry to make some FM satellite contacts, try AO-27
: (145.85up/436.800down +/- 13kHz doppler).  Ten watts to a ground plane
: is plenty for this one, although it is only scheduled on weekends and
: then only when the solar panels are illuminated by the sun.
:

Well, that's what I thought too, but so far, no luck.  On the 2m side I have
a borrowed 30 watt amp, and a 5 element beam (vertically polarized).  Looks
like I should keep trying.  I have heard the downlink, but it has been very
intermittant, even on weekends.

: *NOTE TO ALL AO-27 USERS*
:
: If you don't hear your own downlink right away, tune between 436.875 and
: 436.915 and *LISTEN* for activity.  Also, you might require a filter on

Uh, did you mean 436.785 - 436.815, or is there another downlink freq?

: your receiver to cancel to 3rd harmonic from the 2m uplink.

Oooh, good point.  I've mounted my antennae 90 degrees from each other
(polarization, not direction :-) to minimize this, but it's still something
to consider.

: Many an AO-27 pass is unusable because of strong stations that cannot
: hear the satellite crooning "Heeelllooo" for the duration of the pass.
:
: 73
: CU on the birds...
: John
: VE8EV
:

Thanks,

Greg  KD6KGW

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

End of Info-Hams Digest V94 #488
******************************