HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: whs70@dancer.uucp (24411-sohl)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: Re: Boycott Icom (fwd)
Date: 14 Apr 92 20:45:59 GMT
Reply-To: whs70@dancer.UUCP ()
Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ

In article <32920083@hpspdla.spd.HP.COM> jpotts@hpspdla.spd.HP.COM (John Potts) writes:
>I agree with the previous posting.  We are lucky that Icom 
>supports it this long.  Most companies support a product
>for only 5yrs after it has been obsoleted, a very few
>support it after that.  Some don't even support things
>that long.  Considering the tax they have to pay on 
>inventory (that includes new products plus parts
>to build and support them plus inventory for parts of
>obsoleted products for support), companies try to keep
>inventories low.  Try buying parts for a computer more 
>than a few yrs old.  Of course if someone wants to sell
>me some of thier 10 yr old equipment at a good price I
>wont complain.

I don't agree, A few quick points,

If ICOM is the only vendor NOT supporting their ham equipment
for extended time frames, then they deserve whatever negative
reaction the ham community may choose to respond with.  From
the many other postings, it seems the other manufacturers (Yaseu, etc.)
do, in fact, maintain a repair capability well beyond that of
ICOM.

Any tax a manufacturer must pay is a part of the repair costs.
If avoiding the tax means no repair facility after "n" years,
then ICOM must be prepared to deal with a possible loss of
sales, etc.  It is ICOM's decision.

The old computer analogy only goes so far.  The really old units
are so technologically behind today's equipment, few folks want
to repair them anyway.  Case in point, my son has a bad Commodore
64 floppy drive.  It'll cost more to fix than I can buy a used
one for....plus, we use an IBM clone anyway.

As for the more contemporary computers, there's no end to the
supply of aftermarket motherboards, chip upgrades, etc.  From
what I can see, the IBM XT will be serviceable and upgradeable
for many years.

Bottom line here, remember, is that much of this equipment is
not the low end (under $200) variety.  I'd be really ticked
if I bought a $1000 radio and couldn't get it fixed after
only 10 years had passed.

Another aspect is that ICOM could easily hand off any stock
of the needed proprietary chips, ICs, etc to some outside
repair service so the ICOM equipment could still be maintained.
That is done by other industry players in many fields.

Standard Disclaimer- Any opinions, etc. are mine and NOT my employer's.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bill Sohl (K2UNK) BELLCORE (Bell Communications Research, Inc.)
Morristown, NJ             email via UUCP      bcr!dancer!whs70
201-829-2879 Weekdays      email via Internet  whs70@dancer.cc.bellcore.com
From: hayward@gargoyle.uchicago.edu (Peter B. Hayward)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: Re: Waiting time to get licence
Date: 7 Apr 92 13:10:29 GMT
Reply-To: hayward@gargoyle.uchicago.edu (Peter B. Hayward)
Organization: Somewhere between the Stillwater and Penobscot Rivers

In article <29E14F61.26746@ics.uci.edu> lng@ics.uci.edu (Lester Ng) writes:
:In article <1992Apr5.113957.24134@runx.oz.au> richardm@runx.oz.au (Richard Murnane) writes:

:>Happily, here in VK, you wait only 2-3 weeks...
:
:Well, in the U.S. the waiting period for a Ham liecense is around 5 to 6
:weeks.  I got kinda impatient waiting, so I called the FCC office in PA and
:they were happy to tell me what my call sign was as well as when it was put
:into the mail.


It is probably best to remind people of how the FCC processes applications lest
many start calling the local or Gettysburg ofices expecting the same service
as Lester received. 

At last report, there were only two clerks handling the input of data for
ham licenses. Until the paperwork is entered by them into the computer,
it i, to the FCC, as if the paperwork didn't exist. It only knows about
an application when it is entered into the system.

And this is done on a weekly cycle:

Wednesday to Tuesday, the forms are input.
Tuesday night the licenses are processed.

Thursday the licenses are mailed out. Here in New England we see the
licenses on Saturday. In the midwest it was following Tuesday. 

So, one can call the FCC on the Thursday that licenses are mailed to
learn of the call assigned on the Tuesday run. However, that is the
earliest that you can call in a given week.

The Gettsyburg number is

Yes, it stinks. Let's hope the ARRL gets the nod to stream line 
this.

Peter
WX9T


Peter B. Hayward     University of Maine       WX9T
From: FLEM%athena@leia.polaroid.COM (Skip Flem, NT1G 565TS-7 PTN 221-4291)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: Durability
Date: 8 Apr 1992 06:50:25 -0700
Organization: UCSD Usenet Gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: ucsd.edu

>That's why Volvo has a hard time selling cars these days... 
  Didn't 60 Minutes award a special article to Volvo about their 'hype'
and running 'misleading' ads about the integrity of their cars? Yeah, just 
about 18 months ago. Something about reinforcing the passenger compartment 
with oak 'cuz the steel reinforcing was collapsing. 8 x 8's. Torching the 
B-Pillars on the other vehicles. And running this ad on national TV. Yeah.
That's the ticket.
de Skip, NT1G
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
From: template@NeXTwork.Rose-Hulman.Edu (Template Account)
Subject: Modifications on that Neat Toaster
Reply-To: template@NeXTwork.Rose-Hulman.Edu (Template Account)
Organization: Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1992 03:13:28 GMT

I am looking for modifications on a ___________________(insert your  
favorite rig here).

I have seen the above line SO MUCH on this group lately!  I wonder if  
anyone could post the address of the famous BOOKS that are mentioned every  
once in a while for modification question answers. Are you refering to  
books about modifications published by the manufacturers or by  
third-parties?

Help...I am dazed and confused. And I have a headache...Anyone got a mod  
for that?????


Michael Brown, brownmd@nextwork.rose-hulman.edu
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
N9OPG
From: ssohn@kaerigw.kaeri.re.KR (Surgwon Sohn)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: I got QSL from ZP0Y
Date: 7 Apr 92 01:10:53 GMT
Article-I.D.: kaerigw.9204070108.AA01604
Organization: UCSD Usenet Gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: ucsd.edu

Hi, many people seems to want ZP0Y QSL. I worked ZP0Y on WPX contest
in 1990 and got QSL via BURO. The manager is ZP5JCY. After '90
I have seen ZP5JCY as a manager of ZP0Y many times in a some DX
newsletters.
-Surgwon,HL3ANF@HL3ADI.KOR.AS
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
From: kludge@grissom.larc.nasa.gov ( Scott Dorsey)
Subject: Re: Dayton Hamvention map coordinates wanted
Keywords: Lat, long
Organization: NASA Langley Research Center And Storm Door Company
Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1992 15:38:01 GMT

In article <1992Apr17.130200.28940@ke4zv.uucp> gary@ke4zv.UUCP (Gary Coffman) writes:
>Considering the current thread on Sci.military about backyard cruise
>missiles using cheap consumer Loran and GPS guidance, and considering
>the recent post here from the guy who seriously thought nuking Dayton
>would be a good idea, I'd be slow to give out these super secret numbers.
>Of course he could look at a gas station map.

With all the radiation from those R-390 meters, I doubt a little nuclear
bomb would make much of a difference.  Might help the parking situation,
though.
--scott
    (Who bought some equipment at Dayton last year that looks like it 
     already has been nuked.)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
From: hayward@gargoyle.uchicago.edu (Peter B. Hayward)
Subject: Re: How many green stamps with some QSLs?
Reply-To: hayward@gargoyle.uchicago.edu (Peter B. Hayward)
Organization: Somewhere between the Stillwater and Penobscot Rivers
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 1992 13:36:22 GMT

In article <1992Apr9.162905.1214@linus.mitre.org> wtr@mitre.org (Bill Ralston) writes:

:I've heard that $1 or $2 is sufficient.  I've generally sent IRC's because 
:I felt I was being arrogant to assume that the DX station had any use for 
:US currency (I don't know what I would do if I received a British pound 
:note with a QSL card!).  Unfortunately, IRCs are not accepted by all 
:countries, and are a pretty bad deal


I think you will find that the American dollar is a universal
currency. It is certainly true that a British pound would be of little
value to an American (or a Japanese) ham, but nearly all foreign
countries have underground markets in dollars.

As you note, the IRC is no great deal; the dollar is for most foreign
hams.

Peter
WX9T

Peter B. Hayward     University of Maine       WX9T
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
From: schuster@panix.com (Michael Schuster)
Subject: Re: How to store NiCd batteries?
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1992 18:16:20 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: PANIX - Public Access Unix Systems of NY

In article <18229@oasys.dt.navy.mil> kstuart@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Kenneth Stuart) writes:
>
>Bert, about the only thing that you can do, other than giving the batteries
>an hour or two of charge once every few weeks, is to fully charge the
>batteries, remove them from the H/T, and place 'em in the freezer section
>of your refrigerator.  This will slow down the self-discharge rate of
>the cells.  The self-discharge won't be completely stopped, since the
>potassium hydroxide electrolyte won't freeze at the temperature of the
>average freezer.

I'd always been told that you should not freeze batteries because the
expansion of the electrolyte will break internal seals, if not crack the
battery case itself. I always refrigerate my unused batteries, but
is it really safe to freeze them?

-- 
_______________________________Mike Schuster________________________________
NY Public Access UNIX: schuster@panix.com        | 70346.1745@CompuServe.COM
The Portal (R) System: schuster@cup.portal.com   | MCI Mail,GEnie: MSCHUSTER
From: CSMSCST@mvs.oac.ucla.edu (CSMSCST)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: Re: Aves Island
Date: 10 Apr 92 07:57:40 PDT

>The latest ARRL DX Bulletin gives a new qsl route for Aves Island
>
>>QSL ROUTE CHANGE.  QSL YX0AI, Aves Island, via Mr. Pablo Alonso, PO
>>Box 68353, Caracas, Venezuela, 1062-A.  Mark the lower left hand
>>corner of the envelope with either S for SSB, or C for CW.
>
>If I sent a card (and Green Stamp) to the old route do I have to
>send one to the new route??  Does anyone have any more info??
>
>        73 -- marty -- nr3z               skitch@nadc.navy.mil

The reason for the new address is that the Aves Is. group reports
that mail to the old address is arriving minus green stamps - ie,
opened/removed.  The new address may work better (until someone
notices the volume of mail and gets curious).  Their original
posting says *DO NOT INCLUDE ANY MENTION OF QSL OR RADIO* on
the envelope, just the S/C.

  -- 73 de Chris Thomas, AA6SQ (ex-WA6HTJ) (CSMSCST@MVS.OAC.UCLA.EDU)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
From: robinson@porter.geo.brown.edu ("Terry" D. Robinson)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: YASEU FT-470 Modification
Date: 9 Apr 1992 15:20:47 GMT
Organization: Brown University, Providence RI 02912
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: stout.geo.brown.edu
Summary: Did anyone modify this radio for 220Mhz
Keywords: YASEU, FT470, MOD, yaseu, ft470, modification


Has anyone performed WB3FLD's modification to the Yaseu FT470...
in particular I have a ham buddy who's interested in the UHF mod
to xmit on 220-240Mhz.  I was wondering if this is really possible,
and/or if anyone has tried it.  I understand that the UHF VCO will
have to be re-tuned down to the frequency, but is this mod at all
feasible.

Regards, N1LLV ("Terry")
=============================================================================
=  Darrin E. Robinson (DER31) =    Hamnet     N1LLV  146.700-, 146.880-     =
=  VAX/VMS and Sun Manager    =    Internet   robinson@porter.geo.brown.edu =
=  Brown University           =               robinson@pggipl.geo.brown.edu =
=  Providence, R.I. 02912     =    SPAN(et)   PGGIPL::ROBINSON (Node 7132)  =
=  AT&Tnet: (401) 863-1062    =    Nasamail   derobinson@nasamail.nasa.gov  =
=============================================================================
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
From: chuck@eng.umd.edu (Chuck Harris - WA3UQV)
Subject: Re: How to store NiCd batteries?
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 92 19:20:07 GMT
Organization: University of Maryland, Department of Electrical Engineering

In article <9204151233.AA25931@unirsvl.RSVL.UNISYS.COM> bert@unirsvl.RSVL.UNISYS.COM writes:
>
>I have an old IC-2AT which I use VERY infrequently, but when I need to use it
>I want it to work. I just took it out of 'storage' and found that both 
>battery packs were dead and wouldn't hold a charge anymore. I've replaced 
>the inards of the packs.
>What's the best way to store the batteries so that they'll at least be 
>rechargeable when I need the rig?

Nicads need to be used frequently, never allowed to overcharge, and never
allowed to discharge to the point of reversing a cell.  The packs should be
made up of carefully matched cells.  This will give the longest battery pack
life because all cells will run out of charge at the same time.

If you only use your radio infrequently, your best bet would be to
get the 6 AA cell battery pack, and use alkylines in it.  The alkylines have
about 10x the A-H capacity of a nicad, and also have an extremely long shelf-
life.

Chuck Harris - WA3UQV
chuck@eng.umd.edu
From: parnass@cbnewse.cb.att.com (Bob Parnass, AJ9S)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: Re: Ever break the ferrite slug?
Summary: drill out the broken coil slug
Date: 8 Apr 92 18:39:54 GMT
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Naperville, IL

In article <9204081044.aa02400@Paris.ics.uci.edu>,
turner@safety.ICS.UCI.EDU (Clark Savage Turner WA3JPG) writes:

> More TS 520 fun.  I have a cracked ferrite slug inside the tuning coil
> of the mix coil unit.  It won't turn and hasn't really "broken", fallen
> inside or come out or anything....



I once was asked to fix a CB radio after 2 repair shops
gave up, and I traced the problem to a broken slug.

Using an electric drill I "broke" the slug until it crumbled
completely, being careful not to damage the coil.  Then I took
a few slugs from coils in junked TVs and scanners and tried them
until I found one which worked.  Simple way to make $45 :-)

Radio Shack used to sell a coil assortment but I don't see
it in recent catalogs.
-- 
==============================================================================
Bob Parnass, AJ9S - AT&T Bell Laboratories - att!ihlpm!parnass - (708)979-5414
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
From: johng.all_proj@ecs.comm.mot.com (John)
Subject: Re: On the cost of commercial radio eqpt.
Organization: Motorola, Inc. LMPS
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1992 23:25:42 GMT

In article <72626@netnews.upenn.edu> yee@mipgsun.mipg.upenn.edu (Conway Yee) writes:
>
>It has been pointed out via email that I had forgotten to include the
>cost of advertising and type acceptance.  This would tend to increase
>the cost of commercial HT's.  First of all, both ham and commercial
>grades of HT's have to be advertised.  Presumably, then, the
>advertising costs would be similar (yes, I know, big assumption but
>remember, commercial HT's are marketted to a smaller more homogeneous
>community like entire cities or entire police departments.  Ham
>advertising must reach individual end-users.  This factor would tend
>to reduce the relative cost of commercial HT advertising).  Is the
>cost of type acceptance really that high?  I thought the manufacturer
>takes a typical example of their equipment to an independent testing
>agency for testing.  This can't be all that expensive can it?
>
>As a side query, I realize that equipment modified by hams do not need
>to undergo type acceptance but is that true of commercial
>manufacturers of ham equipment?  If commercial manufacturers of ham
>equipment must go through type acceptance then the costs of type
>acceptance for a commercial HT and a ham HT should be identical.
>
One major cost that you forgot to mention is the very high cost of 
research and development.  Commercial manufacturers have developed such
things as trunking, cellular, mobile data systems, digital land mobile
systems, etc, etc.

The cost of making mobiles and portables is just one small part of the 
overall picture. A large state or government customer is looking 
for a SYSTEM which would might include base stations, consoles, mobile
data terminals, mobiles, portables, encryption, unit ID/emergency, 
portable repeaters, audio accessories, voting comparators, microwave 
equipment, installation, maintainance contract, field engineering
studies, trunking central controllers, simulcast equipment, automatic
vehicle location equipment, control and telemetery eqpt., etc. etc. 

Notice how few Japanese manufacturers provide large systems?  There is
a big difference between a company that makes a portable, makes a mobile
and sticks two mobiles together to make a base or repeater and a SYSTEM
supplier.  


-- 
John Gilbert  KA4JMC                           
Secure and Advanced Conventional Sys Div   
Motorola Inc, Land Mobile Products Sector                                                
Schaumburg, Illinois johng@ecs.comm.mot.com                       
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
From: hawkins@bnr.ca (John Hawkins P730)
Subject: "When are the bands open" question
Organization: Bell Northern Research, Research Triangle Park,NC
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1992 20:51:25 GMT


I'm a newcommer but I couldn't find anything about this in the FAQ file:

QST's column "When are the bands open" refers to the April 1983 QST
as a source for more-detailed information on how to read the provided
charts.  Can anybody tell me where to find a copy of these details?
Any kind soul out there who would mail me a photocopy?

Thanks for the help
-- 
*John Hawkins --- Bell Northern Research,   Research Triangle Park,  NC  USA*
*MaBell: (919)9918579	email:jhawkins@bnr.ca	USnail:35 Davis Drive RTP,NC*
* My opinions are just that... mine. BNR and I don't always agree...        *
*-*-*-*-*-**-*-*-*-*-**-*-*-*-*-**-*-*-*-*-**-*-*-*-*-**-*-*-*-*-**-*-*-*-*-*
From: linvillm@gordon-emh1.army.mil (Linville Melvin H)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: Wanted: Info on Path Analysis//Propagation Analysis
Date: 8 Apr 92 15:39:30 GMT
Article-I.D.: ucsd.9204081538.AA27107
Organization: UCSD Usenet Gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: ucsd.edu

->From: seas.gwu.edu!biby@uunet.uu.net
->Subject: WANTED: Info on Path Analysis // Propagation Analysis
->VHF/UFH
->To: info-hams@ucsd.edu

->QUESTION: What model is most widely used to determint coverage
->at 144 & 440? Stright line-of-sight? Longly-Rice? TIRM?

The army's Network Assessment Model (NAM) uses TIREM (Terrain
Integrated Rough Earth Model for the non-modeling types) for
propogation modeling of VHF and UHF LOS tactical radio equipment.
I worked with this model for about a year and a half (until last
years RIF) and it is pretty slick. Runs on a Silicon Graphics
4D/25 machine. I think TIREM is the widely accepted propogation
model for LOS FM.

----------------------------------------------------------------
Mel Linville                |  linvillm@gordon-emh1.army.mil
WB4ZIT                      |
----------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
From: chuck@eng.umd.edu (Chuck Harris - WA3UQV)
Subject: Re: Boycott Icom (fwd)
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 92 19:08:05 GMT
Organization: University of Maryland, Department of Electrical Engineering

In article <kuokd0INN2ld@west.west.sun.com> flloyd@L1-A.West.Sun.COM (Fred Lloyd [Phoenix SE]) writes:
>
>The real solution to this problem is for the manufacturers to stop
>using custom IC's and instead use off-the-shelf components.  At least
>there would be some hope of getting replacement parts in the future,
>even if out of an old toaster oven :-).  But, alas, it is still too
>expensive to use a separate CPU and EPROM when a mask programmed...

I beg to differ!  An EPROM of the size that exists in mask programmed
parts costs about $1.50 in quantity.  The MOST that the addition of
an EPROM could cost them is about $15 in the price of the radio.

That's a 10x markup!  You would think they could live with that.  I would
guess that the real reason for using custom CPU's with mask roms is to
keep the other Japanese companies from stealing the radio's firmware.

As I understood the program I saw on PBS's NOVA last night, the Japanese
culture and laws allow you to steal your competitor's designs so long as you
lie about it, and say you didn't do it. (the explaination was that if your
competitor has a capability (idea) that you don't have, it would be rude of
him not to share it with you.  Therefore you must help your competitor not to
be rude?)

Chuck Harris - WA3UQV
From: clemon@lemsys.UUCP (Craig Lemon VE3XCL)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: Details on FT-470 intermod mod
Date: 10 Apr 92 11:01:42 GMT
Organization: Private UUCP "Twig" Node


        I have heard about a factory mod to the FT-470 to fix it's intermod
problems.  Do the new FT-470's come with this mod already done or does
_everyone_ who purchases a 470 have to send it away if they want the mod? 
Is this mod free?  Also, does this mod just make the 470 equal to other HTs
or exceptional by comparison?

--
 Craig Lemon VE3XCL - Kitchener, Ontario. Amiga B2000  OS 2.04  UUCPv1.15D.
 +1 519 741 0297    +1 519 578 7817              | Silly people!  We all
 clemon@lemsys.UUCP clemon%lemsys@xenitec.on.ca  | know that the Universe
 IP/Packet: ve3xcl@ve3xcl.ampr.org [44.135.84.51]| revolves around UUNET!
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
From: mebly@eng.umd.edu (Mark E. Bailey)
Subject: Re: ICOM: Another view
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 92 16:26:30 GMT
Organization: College of Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park

In article <sf0ehINNknc@grapevine.EBay.Sun.COM> dlp@zule.EBay.Sun.COM (Dan Pritchett) writes:
>In article <1992Apr14.153817.15152@infoac.rmi.de>, rmohr@infoac.rmi.de (Rupert Mohr ) writes:
>|> It has been about 7 years ago, when I wanted to go for AMTOR with
>|> my IC 720. It did not work because of the long switching times. I
>|> called ICOM Duesseldorf and asked for support. The radio was abt 
>|> 7 years old. I had been told then, that they did no longer support 
>|> it and I should buy a new radio, which would be able to make amtor
>|> by default ...  
>|> 
>|> 
>
>I have a Yaesu FT301D that I ordered the CW and AM filters for this
>year, directly from Yaesu. They also stock the optional crystals that
>were available. I'm positive that this radio is more than 10 years
>old, and would guess that it is approaching 20 rapidly if it hasn't
>already passed that milestone as well. I am now beginning to wonder
>if I shouldn't sell my one piece of ICOM equipment and buy the Alinco
>I've been mumbling about lately.:-)
>

Well, I'm buying a new HF rig this week :-).  And, I'm NOT buying an ICOM.
Based on what I've seen here, I'll probably NEVER buy an ICOM.
-- 
Mark Bailey     KD4D          Motto:  Life's too short to drink cheap beer.
mebly@eng.umd.edu             Disclaimer:  I didn't really say this.
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc,rec.radio.amateur.packet