HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: edjcb@ariel.lerc.nasa.gov (Jeff Brown)
Subject: Continuously Loaded Dipole Construction  
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: NASA Lewis Research Center
Date:  5 Oct 1992 09:20 EST  

My desire to work 80-meters has finally overwhelmed the antenna
restrictions and space limitation I have to accept at my condominium.
I'm going to try building a continuously loaded dipole.

I thought I'd helically wrap a 10 foot piece of 1 inch PVC with about
a half wavelength (at 80m) of wire for each half of a dipole. I'll shove
each half element into a PVC tee, and feed it with about 10 feet of 300 
ohm twin lead or 450 ohm open wire to my transmatch.  I'll hang the antenna
from the ceiling of my 2nd floor unit and I should have a useable antenna
for 80-10m, no?

Should I use capacitance hats at the ends or hang some extra wire off
the ends?  Would I be better off with a single half dipole element (a horiz.
mounted vertical) with some helically wound radials perpendicular (down
the wall in my case) at the feed point?

Suggestions for improvement or an alternate design are appreciated.

Jeff Brown WB2RUZ
edjcb@scivax.lerc.nasa.gov
From: tech@aupair.cs.athabascau.ca (Richard Loken)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: Re: UHF connectors cause cancer in lab rats.
Date: 28 Sep 92 22:16:53 GMT
Article-I.D.: aupair.tech.717718613

jangus@skyld.UUCP (Jeff Angus) writes:

>No, but they get blamed for everthing else.

>        How well a UHF connector performs is related with who made it.
>If you buy a connector with the dielectric material made of cheese or
>some other plastics substitute, it ain't gonna work well at UHF.

>        If you buy a UHF connector hand made on some deserted island by
>deformed dwarfs using salvaged materials from the bronae age it ain't gonna
>work.

>        I you buy  a UHF connector made with a semi-conducting metal (zinc
>aluminum aka zamac comes to mind) with cast threads, even if it does work, it
>ain't gonna last long.

You are darn right.

Even in industry I have seen connectors where the insulating spacer melted if
the installer got over emotional with the soldering iron.  When I put in my
Larsen antenna in the car it came with a nice Amphenol PL259 which soldered
like a dream using a 60 W Weller iron on the trunk on a nice crisp fall day.

The last Radio Shack connector I bought (they are the only supplier in town)
twisted apart in my hands while I was screwing in its spouce.

--
  Richard Loken VE6BSV                             : "ISDN (acronym)
  Athabasca University, Athabasca, Alberta Canada  : Innovations 
  tech@cs.AthabascaU.CA                            : Subscribers Don't Need."
  {atha|aunro}!cs.athabascau.ca!tech               : - some sorehead or other
From: jbloom@arrl.org (Jon Bloom)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: Re: Do ARRL Read Thier Email ?
Date: 5 Oct 92 10:39:59 EDT
Organization: American Radio Relay League

In rec.radio.amateur.misc, pschleck@cwis.unomaha.edu (Paul W Schleck KD3FU) writes:
>I believe, based on discussions with Jon Bloom and Ed Hare, that the
>general situation is as follows:
>
>1.  Their E-mail situation is still in beta-test and in flux.  Lacking
>an affordable TCP/IP package (would they be prohibited from using KA9Q
>NOS? due to its licensing terms?), the mailer is homebrew, and still has
>some bugs with respect to handling RFC-822 compliant messages
>(Apparently-To: headers come to mind).

   Not exactly.  We *are* using KA9Q software. (Phil gave explicit verbal
permission.)  The problem is, the Internet connection service we have
allows us to retrieve mail only via uucp or POP, not SMTP.  We are using
POP.  But POP doesn't maintain the original "to" address, just the header
lines of the RFC-822 message.  That being the case, we have to
demultiplex the incoming mail stream based on the "To:" or
"Apparently-To:" header lines--a less than satisfactory method.
   Of course, we could drop the TCP/IP connection and dial up a uucp
connection, but it's hard to do that automatically without running
the risk of interrupting an ongoing FTP or something.  (We are
restricted to a single dial-up at any one time.)
   Now, if I had a decent 386 unix with TCP/IP support, I could do
uucp via the TCP/IP connection and solve my problem.  But I don't.
If someone more attuned to the possibilities can suggest another
alternative, I'm all ears.

>I think the ARRL's experiment with E-mail is commendable.  However,
>with respect to the dxcc mailbox, if they are going to advertise a
>service, they should make sure it can be provided (I got one or two
>E-mail replies from netters informing me it didn't work when I suggested
>they try it).

"Didn't work" in what sense?  Did mail bounce?  Or did they just not
get replies?  I can address the former problem.

>Just a small caveat letting us know its still experimental and to
>continue to use the normal channels for important stuff (the MCI Mail
>box is probably pretty stable, K1ZZ generally read that one
>himself) is probably in order to avoid hurt feelings and
>misunderstandings.

I encourage folks to try the direct method first.  It usually works.
If it doesn't, by all means use the MCI address (2155052@mcimail.com).
-------
Jon Bloom, KE3Z              |  jbloom@arrl.org
American Radio Relay League  |     Justice is being allowed to do whatever
225 Main St.                 |     I like.  Injustice is whatever prevents
Newington, CT 06111          |     my doing so. -- Samuel Johnson
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
From: richard@sfu.ca (Richard Chycoski)
Subject: Re: fiberglass masts !!!
Reply-To: richard@sfu.ca
Organization: Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C., Canada
Date: Sun, 4 Oct 1992 15:10:47 GMT

In article <Oct.3.11.36.51.1992.1943@andromeda.rutgers.edu>  
chhibber@andromeda.rutgers.edu (Grizzly.45mag) writes:
> Hi!  where can I find fiberglass masts?  I am planning to put up the MFJ $20 
> 2-meter antenna on my roof (radiator and ground plane job).  How thick of a
> mast do I need?  About how much should I pay for it?
>
I'm not familiar with this antenna, so I'll leave this question to others...

> ...
> 	Also, will regular RG-58U cable be alright in the sun, snow, wind
> etc. or should I use RG-8 or something to that effect?  Willl I have too much
> loss with the RG-8?  I will be using a 5 watt HT with or without an amp
> (100 watts max).
> 

When you're on 2 metres, I wouldn't recommend RG58 for anything except patch  
cords or short runs in the car. RG58 has a loss of approximately 6.5 dB per 100  
feet at 2 metres. Even a 50 foot run means that you've eaten half your power  
(and reduced your sensitivity by half) before you start. Also, at 100 watts,  
you are close to exceeding the power rating of RG58 on 2 metres.

Use RG213. It has half the loss, and about five times the power rating of RG58  
at two metres. It is commonly available and won't break the bank. (Some Heliax  
and hard lines have better characteristics, but are more difficult to find and  
much more expensive.) Don't buy RG8. RG213 is the designation that replaced RG8  
many years ago, and if you buy 'RG8', it can contain just about anything now,  
and have wildly varying (read 'very poor') characteristics.

- Richard Chycoski, VE7CVS
  Simon Fraser University
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc,rec.radio.swap
From: adam@kuala.nynexst.com (Adam Epstein)
Subject: Source for out of print manuals?
Originator: adam@kuala
Organization: NYNEX Science & Technology
Date: Fri, 2 Oct 92 19:04:08 GMT



  About a week ago I posted a request for pointers to a source of
Collins 75S1 and 35S1 manuals.  I remember somebody telling me a while
back that there were one or more "commercial" sources for old out of
print documentation for test equipment and ham gear.  Unfortunately, I
can't remember the details and I had hoped that somebody would respond
with the name and phone number for one of these sources.  Nobody did.
So, I am making my request more generic and trying again:

  If you know of a source for old out of print documentation for ham
gear and other related items, please let me know.

 -Thanx
  -Adam (N2DHH)

   adam@nynexst.com
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
From: feustel@netcom.com (David Feustel)
Subject: Re: Periphex NiCad HT batteries
Date: Sun, 27 Sep 92 02:29:07 GMT
Organization: DAFCO: OS/2 Software Support & Consulting

jgd@dixie.com (John De Armond) writes:

>SHIERY@FULLERTON.EDU (GLEN SHIERY) writes:

>>I bought a BP-84S 18 months ago that has failed. The tech at Periphex
>>told me that there was nothing that I could do to repair this battery
>>and that I should buy another one. He also told me that it was better
>>to quick charge these batteries them to use my slow charger. (Please
>>no debates on charging routines.)

>You didn't tell us how it failed so no further comment there.  My 
>Periphex carfone battery is working fine two years hence.  I DO 
>quickcharge it and never trickle charge.  Perhaps you should listen
>to their tech.

I was told that quickcharging W2A nicads degrades them; hence I've
been slow charging mine with the ICOM charger (15 hours for a full
charge) immediately after my radio starts beeping (indicating
incipient battery failure). Is this the best way to use this battery?
-- 
Dave Feustel N9MYI <feustel@netcom.com>
 
The current epidemic of violent crime in the U.S. arises not from drug
use, but as a consequence of government-sponsored oppression of
producers, distributors and consumers of popular drugs not produced by
(and hence threatening the market share of) the alcohol, tobacco or
pharmacutical industries (which industries, coincidentally, are the
largest contributors to the Bush Reelection Campaign and the biggest
underwriters of antidrug advertisements (which advertisements,
coincidentally, never mention tobacco or alcohol as dangerous drugs)).
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
From: Chuck Adams <chuck_adams@qmail.ssc.gov>
Subject: Re: Icom Repair turnaround?
Organization: Superconducting Super Collider Laboratory
Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1992 15:08:02 GMT

In article <1992Oct1.225532.6828@ucsu.Colorado.EDU>
weaverb@rintintin.Colorado.EDU (Brian Weaver) writes:
>I just mailed my W2A off to Washington to have the top dial repaired.
>Which ever way you turned it, it went up in frequency.
>Does anyone know how long Icom usually takes to repair a radio?
>I'm trying to decide if I should talk one of my friends into
>loaning me one.. Thanks!
>
>
>-- 
>Brian Weaver (303) 786-2619       University of Colorado at Boulder
>weaverb@rintintin.Colorado.EDU    (internet)
>KD6CFA@N0ARY.#NOCAL.CA.USA.NA     (packet radio) 
>
On 29 August, I sent off 3 IC-901A modules and a PS-35 power supply, all of
which had sustained lightning damage.  They were shipped by UPS brown, and were
received at ICOM Bellevue on 8 September.  The units were repaired and shipped
back via UPS brown and received by me on 28 September.  That means that ICOM
had the units in their possession for 9 working days.  I consider that pretty
good.  They even fixed all the units properly and at a good price.  I would
recommend you ship via UPS blue and request ICOM do the same, since more time
was expended in shipping than in the repair.
(UPS brown = 5 working days, UPS blue = 2 working days).

They routinely  state that they will try very hard to turn the equipment around
in 15 working days or less.

                      Chuck Adams,  WB5WRR   (The Chuckster)
                 Not an official document of DOE, SSCL, URA or EG&G
               Try Internet brand Tequila -  "A worm in every bottle"
             Internet:  chuck_adams@qmail.ssc.gov  (aka 143.202.130.11)
From: ws1c.UUCP%rocky.dnet@ws1c.UUCP (Andrea Preciado)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: IC-735 Scanning Abnormality
Date: 28 Sep 92 10:16:29 GMT
Article-I.D.: harvey.199209290015.AA24311
Organization: UCSD Usenet Gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: ucsd.edu

My IC-735, still under warranty, has picked up the strange habit of
starting scanning from 14.0 MHz in the vfo no matter where in the
vfo you are when you tell it to start scanning...

Anyone know if this is common in these rigs or what?  Is it something
to do with the microprocessor?

Thanks,

Andrea

WS1C

WS1C%WS1C.uucp@rocky.gte.com
or
Preciadoa@aspen.ulowell.edu
or 
this newsgroup...
From: rbono@necis.UUCP (Rich)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: Re: Operating Procedures
Date: 28 Sep 92 21:15:49 GMT
Organization: still seeking it

In article <1992Sep28.163236.15349@convex.com>, tonyp@convex.com (honey bunny) wrote:
> 
> I'm trying to find a diplomatic way of stating this, so I don't
> start a flame fest...
> 
> To the folks that are teaching the ham radio courses;
> 
> ARE OPERATING PROCEDURES BEING TAUGHT NOW-ADAYS?
>
 [ deleted some inspirational comments ]

 Tony,

   First.... honey bunny????!?!???  (sorry I couldn't resist :-) )

  I have taught either a Novice or combination Novice/Technician class for
several years.  I agree with you about operating practices, and spend a fair
amount of time trying to explain, teach, give examples and otherwise guide
the unguided about operation practices.

  I also include many phone operating practices.  Of course, I have my pet
peaves, so I sometimes concentrate on these...

   Many of the CW practices that you mentioned

   plus the use of the phrase 'call please'  (some use this instead of
   the word 'break', or other attention getting phrases.  To me 'call please'
   (we're talking about repeater operation mostly, although I have heard it
   on HF too) means that a station that is NOT currently engaged in the
   ongoing converstation (QSO for you english impared hams ;-) ) wants to
   make a short call to another station who is also NOT in the current
   converstation.  This implies that if the called station is contacted that
   they will make BRIEF plans to either stand by for move to another frequency.

   Also the term 'my personal here is' instead of saying 'my name is'

   And the method of finding a frequency to call another station, CQ or
    any other use:

     1st .... Listen for a clear frequency

     2nd ..... Listen again for a clear frequency

     3rd .... Listen again for the stations (including weak signals) that
            you probably missed the first time.

     4th ... Ask if the frequency is in use and then go to step 1

     5th ... repeat step 4.

     ok... now make your call.


   This sounds like a long list, but I recently had a student personaly
   thank me for this type of instruction.... and he wondered why others
   did not offer this type of curtesy on the air.  (I know what he means). :-(

 I basically stress that people should FIRST: Be curteous!!!, and second
 use PLAIN ENGLISH (except on CW where Q-codes are helpful).


  Does this answer your question?

    Rich
 
-- 
 /**************************************************************************\
 * Rich Bono                     IMRICH         UUCP:rbono@necis.ma.nec.com * 
 * (508) 635-6300                 NM1D          AMPR: nm1d@nm1d.nh.usa.noam * 
 \**************************************************************************/
From: JMG%TNTECH.BITNET@cunyvm.cuny.edu (Jeff M. Gold)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: Gap Vertical
Date: 29 Sep 92 16:32:47 GMT
Organization: UCSD Usenet Gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: ucsd.edu


Hi,

I have owned the older Gap VI for about a year now, and my
friend has owned one for a number of years.  I was at a
hamfest looking for a Beam and came across the Gap booth.
Spent a bunch of time there and ran into a lot of very happy
owners.

When I first started using the Gap-checked it out and the
SWR on all bands met or exceeded the published figures. I
have some different types of wire antennas up.  In the first
few months of testing I noticed on a number of ocassions
that my Zepp outperformed the Gap by about 2 S units. I got
to upset, I even wrote Gap a letter. I have my Gap mounted
in the front yard between, but not real close to some trees
(which means it could be doing a lot better).

Well they did answer right back.  About this time in my
story my 8 year old started to get licensed. I have a
Kenwood 820S and between the rig needing tuning and the wire
antennas needing to be tuned..no way he was going to do it
all.  Everytime he played with one of the newer rigs, he
loved it (just like a computer, or Nintendo). So I worked a
couple of extra jobs and finally found a used Yaesu 757GX at
a ham fest.

Between the Gap and the Yaesu, he can just turn on the rig
and start working.  This ended up in my using the Yaesu and
the Gap a lot.  I have worked contests, 1000s of QSOs, RTTY
and AMTOR.

Depends on the conditions. On 20 meters sometimes it will
perform as good as a beam, sometimes even better. Found out
the antenna works great on 12 and 30 and 17 meter cw.. on 17
meter SSB I think there is a mod I can do. The newer models
of the Gap will do the WARC bands.  I don't use 80 meters
much, so I would probably get the 40-10 version of the
antenna if I redid it.

Summary:  it works great, you don't have to use a tuner, by
far the BEST ANTENNA FOR THE MONEY.  I am looking into Quads
right now.. but the GAP will stay.  The Gap is much quieter
than other verticals and much less expensive.


73s de Cookeville, TN
Jeff, AC4HF
From: owens@acsu.buffalo.edu (Bill Owens)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: Yaesu FT-415 tech tip
Date: 28 Sep 92 17:18:33 GMT
Organization: UB

Just a quick note about an experience my father (N2RJB) went through
with his brand new Yaesu FT-415. When he ordered it, it was supposed to
have Rx 130-174 and Tx 140-150, but it arrived only able to cover
144-148.  After much fiddling and looking in the manual, he called the
reseller's tech support and found out that his radio should have
arrived with the wider range but must have been set up incorrectly at
the factory.

The procedure to get the wider frequency range is simply to turn the
radio on while holding the up and down arrow keys.  This is a rather
important bit of information, since the tech also said that resetting
the CPU (press and hold MR and VFO while turning the radio on) also
sets the frequency range back to 144-148! No idea why Yaesu didn't
include it in the manual...

Bill N2RKL

Bill Owens                                              owens@acsu.buffalo.edu
108 Computing Center                              uunet!acsu.buffalo.edu!owens
Buffalo, NY 12460                                                 716/645-3511
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
From: tlc20700@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Thomas L. Carney)
Subject: Re: HF Weather FAX and PC's
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1992 23:22:27 GMT
Keywords: fax pc

paul@n3eop.pgh.pa.us (paul) writes:

>noah@acsu.buffalo.edu (Philip D. Noah) writes:

>> I have a 386/40 with VGA and all the goodies incl a FAX-Modem. I also have
>> a few HF radios a Halicrafter SX-43 and R-44, and a Realistic DX-440.
>> What I want to do is use the 440 to pick up faxs. I was wondering what i'd
>> have to do. from what i assume it should be a matter of a cable from the
>> speaker jack to the fax-modem..set the fax modem for 1200 baud and bingo.
>> of course it can't be that simple (and cheap) can it ?

>Nope; they are different beasts.

>The FAX card uses digital signals; the WEFAX like you hear on 8080 KHz is 
>analog.  I've seen a simple kit that uses a chip, a transistor, and the 
>game port on the PC.  Kit with software was selling for around $25; that 
>was several years ago, and I forget who was selling them.

I'm using JVFAX50 at the present time with a cheap decoder.  The software is
fine, but I need to upgrade the decoder.  It doesn't decode the hoz sync very
well.  It's freeware from wuarchive.wustl.edu.

73,
Tom
wb9rxj@uiuc.edu
From: milewski@oregon.uoregon.edu (Steve Milewski)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: 80 meter DX
Date: 30 Sep 92 15:27:10 GMT
Organization: University of Oregon

Never having a good DX antenna for 80 meters (only a ground mounted vertical
so far) I'm working on getting at least some sort of a wire antenna up about
60 - 70 feet.

I'm considering ordering the Superloop from RadioWorks. It seems to fit
short term plans at this time.

My main question is this...

What would be the best orientation for the antenna? Broadside East and
West OR North and South. I'd like to maximize the amount of DX countries
I can work in an attempt for 5BDXCC. Not knowing the propogation paths
most prevalent on 80 meters, I'd appreciate any experienced suggestions!

Thanks,
Steve
milewski@oregon.uoregon.edu
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
From: mju@mudos.ann-arbor.mi.us (Marc Unangst)
Subject: Re: The Truth about UHF Connectors
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1992 03:51:42 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: The Programmer's Pit Stop, Ann Arbor MI

In article <1992Sep28.145126.8292@newsgate.sps.mot.com> rapw20@email.sps.mot.com writes:
>etc. In one place I worked where we had literally thousands of these
>connectors the failure rate dropped dramatically when we went to the
>twist-on variety, esp once we found a stripper that prepared the cable
>(RG-62) in one motion. Of course, in these applications the impedance

Unfortunately, twist-on and crimp-on BNC connectors are not as
mechanically strong as the solder-on type.  Yes, solder-on connectors
require more time and care when attaching to the cable.  But I think
it's worth it when you wind up with a connector so strongly attached
that the cable breaks before cable<->connector junction does.

-- 
Marc Unangst                | "There are two ways to solve this problem:
mju@mudos.ann-arbor.mi.us   | the hard way, and the easy way.  Let's start
                            | with the hard way."
                            |   - W. Scheider, from a Physics lecture
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
From: bart@netcom.com (Harry Bartholomew)
Subject: Re: callsign
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1992 07:51:16 GMT

telnet to electra.cs.buffalo.edu 2000

-- 
"Partly it may be due to a phenomenon known since the very dawn of spaceflight
in connection with certain pharmaceutical drugs. They induced adverse
psychological effects, including radical changes of mood and personality.
However the fact that they were prescribed by a physician militated
against the patient's chance of deducing that they were the proximate cause
of his suffering; indeed, he would be more inclined to ask for further drugs
to counteract the first, and since the whole process was extremely profitable
for all concerned save the ultimate consumer, they would be provided.
				John Brunner in "A Maze of Stars"
From: Jim.Harvey@mailbox.bison.mb.ca (Jim Harvey)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: Re: Wanted: EPROM eraser (or kit)
Date: 25 Sep 92 07:06:27 GMT

Organization: Michigan Information eXchange


I made a fine eraser with a small flourescent fixture (from a phone booth, 
don't ask) and a special florescent bulb.  You have to get a "Germicidal" bulb 
such as is sometimes used in barbor shops to irradiate their tools.  These 
have no coating, look like a clear glass tube and glow with a light blue 
discharge that hurts your eyes.  The "Black Light" ultraviolet bulbs are 
filtered to eliminate all the short wave lengths and WON'T WORK.  My 
germicidal bulb cleans off an EPROM in less than two minutes.

Jim Harvey   |  "Ask not for whom the bell tolls
18538 Inkster|   and you will only pay 
Redford, Mi. |   station to station rates"
48240            jh25s56@sycom.mi.org
Jim Harvey

 * Origin: The Electronic Mailbox (1:348/7.0)
From: LEY@UWSTOUT.EDU (James P. Ley)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: RACES Bulletins
Date: 6 Oct 1992 12:52:26 -0700
Organization: UCSD Usenet Gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: ucsd.edu

I haven't seen any RACES Bulletins recently. I hope the get posted again since
my copy gets forwarded to about 5 other people.

		Jim
		LEY@UWSTOUT.EDU