HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: gary@ke4zv.uucp (Gary Coffman)
Subject: Re: Wanted: Advice on PC Board Layout Software
Reply-To: gary@ke4zv.UUCP (Gary Coffman)
Organization: Gannett Technologies Group
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1992 14:59:15 GMT

In article <15178.2b3439c8@ohstpy.mps.ohio-state.edu> garland@ohstpy.mps.ohio-state.edu writes:
>WANTED: Opinions on software for designing printed circuit boards (to run on a
>PC). Ideally I'd like something that was not too complicated (no 500 page
>manual to wade through), but which could handle double-sided boards with
>possibly a silk screen overlay.  I've used a shareware package calle PCRoute,
>but it doesn't have enough capability for anything but the simplest designs.
>Thanks,
>
>Jim W8ZR

Well I've been using PCBoards, $99, from an outfit in Birmingham Ala. It's a
semi-auto board layout program that can handle layers and has drivers for
Epson, HP Laserjet, and HP plotters. I use SuperCad for schematic capture,
feed it's output node list through PCRoute onto a board whose components
have already been placed using PCBoards. Then I finish the routing by hand
using PCBoards. PCRoute is only about 90% successful in automatic routing.
I've also used the professional Orcad package and EE Designer, but they're
too expensive to buy for home use. There's also a drop in macro package
for AutoCad that works well, but it's above my pain threshold for home use.
It's about $500 plus AutoCad.

Gary KE4ZV
From: buchanan@bme8.utmem.EDU
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: 900 MHz is shared with all kinds of stuff
Date: 30 Dec 92 20:57:28 GMT
Organization: UCSD Usenet Gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: ucsd.edu
Originator: daemon@ucsd.edu

I accidently mixed together two products in my post about spread
spectrum LAN wireless links.  The T1 unit (actually 1/2 T1) operates on
5725-5850 MHz with 40 MHz channel spacing and 1 watt output.  They
quote 10 mile range.  It also does not require a license as it operates
under Part 15.  The 902-928 MHz unit, also spread spectrum, supports
synchronous data up to 256Kb/s, asynchronous to 38.4 kb/s or analog
voice.  According to the glossy: "A standard omni-directional antenna
allows indoor or outdoor communications up to 1000 feet.  Line of sight
links can reach up to 10 miles with an optional Yagi directional
antenna." though in another place it says "Maximum range of 30 miles." 
Presumably in Amateur service one could use an amplifier.  Power is
quoted as 28dBm.  Bandwidth is 2.5 MHz for the voice unit to 20 MHz for
the 256kbps model. They also say "User-selectable frequencies allow
multiple AirLink units to operate in the same building or share the
same line of sight path."  Sorry for the error.  The company
advertising these devices is: 
	Cylink
	310 N. Mary Avenue
	Sunnyvale, CA 94086
	408-735-5800
-------
			73 
			Jack K4FRS
			buchanan@bme1.utmem.edu
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc,sci.electronics,sci.med.physics
From: fyl@ssc.com (Phil Hughes)
Subject: Re: Hazards of a Co60/Ni63 OA2 Voltage Regulator Tube?
Organization: SSC, Inc.,  Seattle, WA
Date: Wed, 23 Dec 1992 17:17:36 GMT
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]

Paul Graham (ant-vent@precipice.chi.il.us) wrote:
: tjf@beta.lanl.gov (Tom J Farish) writes:
: 
: > Hi...Thorium-232 is an alpha-emitter with a half-life of roughly 1.4e10 years
: > 4. radiation hazard from the thorium IF YOU ATE IT OR RUBBED IT IN YOUR EYES.
: > The alpha particles from decay of the thorium cannot penetrate the epidermis
: > of your skin (or even a thin sheet of paper).  The hazard is more likely
: > to be chemical toxicity rather than radiotoxicity.

True unless you happen to be breathing.  The most likely problem being
caused by alpha emitters is lung cancer if small particles (PuO being the
most "popular" alpha emitter where this happens) being lodged in a lung.
-- 
Phil Hughes, SSC, Inc. P.O. Box 55549, Seattle, WA 98155  (206)FOR-UNIX
>>> Publishers of pocket references for UNIX, C, VI, Emacs, Ksh, MS-DOS, ... <<<
     ...!ssc!fyl or fyl@ssc.com            (206)527-3385
From: tad@ssc.com (Tad Cook)
Subject: Re: 430mhz band under th
Organization: very little
Date: Sat, 02 Jan 1993 06:19:20 GMT

In article <1992Dec30.114623.1@ttd.teradyne.com> rice@ttd.teradyne.com writes:
>
>That's not what I said. What I said was that any Ham has the right by law
>to transmit on any frequency for which he is liscensed. Period. The repeater
>operator has the right to turn off the machine. Period. 
>


Let me see if I have this straight (!).........     :)

I get my 440 MHz link set up, and get a coordinated frequency from
the local coordination council.  Everything works fine, until one
day YOU show up and start transmitting there.

And *I* have to turn off my gear??

I don't think so!



-- 
 Tad Cook     |  Phone:  206-527-4089  (home)     |   MCI Mail: 3288544   
 Seattle, WA  |  Packet: KT7H @ N7DUO.WA.USA.NA   |   3288544@mcimail.com 
              |  Internet: tad@ssc.com           or...sumax!ole!ssc!tad
From: Kirk.Smith@launchpad.unc.edu (Kirk Smith)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: Re: Help with Cable ID
Date: 21 Dec 92 17:46:58 GMT
Organization: University of North Carolina Extended Bulletin Board Service

Thanks to everyone that responded via email and by posting messages regarding
my unknown cable.

It appears it would be great for TV/VCR runs, but rather poor for amateur
use.  :-(

And now I know how to determine impeadence on my own.  I just need a
dummy load, SWR meter, etc.  More toys to add to the want list of this new
(someday) ham.

-ks

--
   The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the University of
     North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Campus Office for Information
        Technology, or the Experimental Bulletin Board Service.
           internet:  laUNChpad.unc.edu or 152.2.22.80
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
From: rice@ttd.teradyne.com
Subject: Re: 430mhz band under th
Organization: Teradyne Inc., Telecommunications Division
Date: Tue, 29 Dec 92 22:09:01 GMT

In article <8220@lib.tmc.edu>, jmaynard@oac.hsc.uth.tmc.edu (Jay Maynard) writes:
> In article <725556607.AA00000@therose.pdx.com> Larry.Lund@p12.f79.n105.z1.fidonet.org (Larry Lund) writes:
>>I know if I wanted to transmit on a particular frequency, and it was a
>>private/closed repeater that, that would not stop me. When I got my license
>>back in 87' there was nothing in the rules that I remember telling me I was
>>only allowed to tramsmit on certain frequencies between 440-450 Sorry charlie
>>I ain't buying it! 
> 
> OK, fine...I'd suggest, then, the next time you're in Houston, that you
> transmit on 448.925. That way, I can hear you interfere with conversations you
> have no intention of participating in, and I'll call the FCC myself.
> 
> Yes, you can transmit on a repeater's input; no, that doesn't give you the
> right to interfere with others.

Jay,
  That works both ways. In an area where there's extremely high frequency
congestion, If a pair of simplex stations pick a repeater input on which to
hold a simplex QSO (and the repeater's not in use at the time), any station
knowingly transmitting on the input and QRMing their QSO is equally at fault.

The only thing the rules say is that the repeater operator can turn off the
repeater to prevent the 'non members' from being repeated. The rules say
nothing about giving the repeater operator(s) EXCLUSIVE rights to the
frequencies, input or output. The spectrum is still a shared resource - it's
first come first served.

   John Rice -  K9IJ         |  "Did I say that ?" I must have, but It was    
   rice@ttd.teradyne.com     |   MY opinion only, no one else's...Especially  
   (708)-940-9000 - (work)   |   Not my Employer's.... Licensed since 1959
   (708)-438-5065 - (bbs )   |   Ex: K8YZR, KH6GHC, WB9CSP, W9MMB, WA1TXV


Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
From: whs70@dancer.cc.bellcore.com (sohl,william h)
Subject: Re: Exploding Air Bags? Locking Anti-Lock Brakes?
Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 92 17:29:17 GMT

In article <1992Dec20.140732.987@ke4zv.uucp> gary@ke4zv.UUCP (Gary Coffman) writes:
>In article <1h001hINNcpd@hp-col.col.hp.com> bobw@col.hp.com (Bob Witte) writes:
>>miles@emx.cc.utexas.edu (Miles Abernathy) writes:
>>> A really unpleasant situation would be if air bags popped or anti-lock
>>> brakes locked up when you keyed up a rig. Has anyone reported either of
>>> these phenomena?
>>
>>  I was driving a rented Ford Taurus the other day. I had my dual-band
>>  HT hooked to a 1/4 wave antenna which was plastered against the 
>>  windshield with one of those suction cup BNC mounts. I noticed that
>>  everytime I transmitted (2 Watts), the Airbag light on the dashboard
>>  came on. Nothing bad happened, but it got me thinking....
>>
>>     Bob KB0CY
>
>It's a violation of federal regulations, OSHA? BATF?, one of those, to
>transmit within 500 feet of a wired explosive charge. Since airbags are
>deployed by a wired explosive charge, lead azide, it would seem that you
>can't legally transmit on an amateur radio in an airbag equipped car.
>Gary KE4ZV

If that is totally true, then any and all mobile operation must now
be verboten because you never know if the other vehicle within 500
feet of you is equiped with an air bag.  Likewise, my property is
only 200 feet deep.  Even if I had my antenna at the very rear of
my yard I'd be withing much less than 500 feet of the road and 
could not with any assurance know that there isn't an air-bag equipped
vehicle within 500 feet of my antenna (heck, my neighbor's car in the
driveway may have an airbag).

I think there must be some clarification on this as the motor
vehicle manufacturers and/or the sellers of radio
equipment are obviously in exact opposite possitions as to
the viability, use, etc. of their respective products.

By the way, if amateur's can't transmit with 500 feet of an air-bag
equipped vehicle, neither should anyone else (eg. police, fire,
rescue, commercial mobile & base).  Then too, what about all those
broadcast antennas that are easily with 500 feet or less of some
road?

I'll hazard an assumption here that there is some type of exception
with regard to the application of the 500 foot transmit prohibition
and the type of "charge" used to deploy air-bags.  If there isn't, and a
strict reading of the rules is applicable to this situation then there's
a lot more at stack here than just ham transmissions.

Anyone with any more details out there?

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!cc!whs70
201-829-2879 Weekdays      email via Internet  whs70@cc.bellcore.com

Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
From: dmturne@ptsfa.PacBell.COM (Dave Turner)
Subject: Re: Apartment antennas?
Reply-To: dmturne@PacBell.COM (Dave Turner)
Organization: Pacific * Bell, San Ramon, CA
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 1992 17:59:23 GMT

In article <1992Dec21.121257.21506@abo.fi> MSUORANTA@FINABO.ABO.FI (Mika Suoranta Tkkk) writes:
>	$400 ??? Some "limited space" antenna for a price of a
>	yagi beam! I would rather live with a 5-band vertical or
>	a G5RV, open wire feedline and a good tuner, than put
>	my money to some bu****it. If it ain't a big antenna, it 
>	ain't working....
>

Before this consumes too much bandwidth let me add that both the
Co-Tanger $(395.00) and the Ko-Tanga (49 cents) were a joke which
Dick Smith printed in his catalog.

The antenna was nothing more than a wire coathanger which DS might have
seen used as a replacement antenna on cars whose vertical whip had been
broken off.

I suspect that they never sold any.

:-)


-- 
Dave Turner	(510) 823-2001	{att,bellcore,sun,ames,decwrl}!pacbell!dmturne
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
From: ham@wam.umd.edu (Scott Richard Rosenfeld)
Subject: W.A.S. Not-so-blues...
Organization: Workstations at Maryland, University of Maryland, College Park
Distribution: usa
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 1992 14:06:50 GMT


My thanks to Dave, KA1MRZ, for working me from Delaware through some very
rough conditions.  I also picked up WV on 40m phone (60 mile groundwave!)
thus recovering the states that I had gotten, and then lost to the WAS
50-mile rule.  Thanks to all who gave me advice.  5BWAS still to come, 
but I think that DXCC will be first.

73, tnx,

Scott NF3I
From: steve@presoft.com (Steve Kohlenberger)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: Re: Online Repeater Directory! Watch For It!
Date: Tue, 29 Dec 92 16:47:53 PST
Distribution: world
Organization: Presoft Architects

johnr@mik.uky.edu (John S. Roberts, Jr.) writes:

> I was the dude that started this thread.  Idea being that everyone thought th
> the ARRL directory wasn't as useful as it could be and therefore I considered
> scanning in what they had and then taking modifications from you.
> 
> Watch for software within the next several months which will contain all the 
> data from the ARRL and then allow you to map routes, get local listings, and 
> many other useful things!  What platform would you guys prefer (NT, windows, 
> dos)?
> 
> John
> 
> --
> -=+ John S. Roberts, Jr.       FACTS Center  McVey Hall  Room 100  +=-

My vote (if I have to choose only one) is DOS.

Second vote would be C source routines along with it so that we could
all get to the data in interesting forms.  I would like to be able to
search by Long/Lat as well as city, repeater freqs, radius in mi/km,
etc..  Might be real fun in a laptop on the road.

Steve
   
 Steve Kohlenberger, PreSoft Architects      Internet: steve@presoft.com
 Novell Professional Developer
 Specialists in NLM and Disk/Tape Driver development for NetWare 3.X/4.X
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
From: richardm@runx.oz.au (Richard Murnane)
Subject: IRTS and licensing (was Re: VK2WI Weekly News...)
Organization: RUNX Un*x Timeshare.  Sydney, Australia.
Date: Fri, 1 Jan 93 01:01:11 GMT

In article <9212310933.aa02273@ingate.microsoft.COM> a-kevinp@microsoft.COM (Kevin Purcell, Rho) writes:
>IRTS (Irish Radio Transmitter Societry is the real name for the Irish 
>IARU society. I'd laugh at the Austrialia equivalent WIA if I didn't 
>belong to a radio amateur organisation with a silly names, the ARRL or 
>is it AARL yet? And then there's the RSGB!
>
>I doubt its a fake ... one would be able to tell from the amount of EI 
>activity on that day.
Well, God strike me down if it was a word of a lie (anyway, Ted Blatts [sp?
sorry brain non-functioning - just finished 5 1/2 days of running VI150SYD :-]
will cop the first shot if it was a put-up job :-). I took it from the RSGB
newsletter of the previous week...

And it's true: IRTS is the recognised body (there is also an Irish Amateur
Radio Society - a sort of anti-IRTS I was told, though I've never had
any contact with them)
>
>More power to IRTS elbow on making it to their diamond jubilee.
Agreed. I just wish that they'd taken the trouble to spread the word
a bit more, and that I hadn't been busy with my special event station
that day. I didn't hear any on air that day, though I did hear a
couple later in the week. 14.277 MHz at about 0900 Z is the go, for all
you ex-Pats (no pun intended) out there. At least for VK.

>
>BTW what are the Irish licencing requirements and examiniation procedures?
When I did mine (1982), it was an essay style theory exam, plus optional 12wpm 
CW you wanted HF. If you did do the CW, that was the ONLY mode you could use
on HF for the first year. I know many who just forgot about Amateur Radio for 
the first year just to avoid it. (I also had to wait 13 MONTHS for my exams
results, so it was just as well I didn't do the CW! Two years without a QSO
 - how awful! :-) Don't know if the CW "probationary" period still applies.

73 de Richard VK2SKY

-- 
Richard P. Murnane                     "Making it up? Making it up? Why should
Internet: richardm@runx.oz.au          I want to make anything up? Life's bad
UUCP:     uunet!runx.oz.au!richardm    enough without inventing more of it."
Packet:   VK2SKY @ VK2RWI.NSW.AUS.OC   - Marvin the Paranoid Android
From: rambler@pnet51.orb.mn.org (Dan Meyer)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: RCI-2950 Mods Available
Date: 30 Dec 92 00:45:02 GMT
Organization: People-Net [pnet51], Minneapolis, MN.

Does anyone have any mods for the Ranger RCI-2950 
my wife recieved for Christmas? 

Thanks

-- Dan Meyer / N0KFB 
-- 

Remember: " Buffalo never Oink " Seen on a South Dakota travel brocure.
Advertisment: Try the Railway Post Office , a railfan BBS ! (612) 377-2197.
UUCP: {crash tcnet}!orbit!pnet51!rambler
INET: rambler@pnet51.orb.mn.org
From: jeffj@cbnewsm.cb.att.com (jeffrey.n.jones)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: HAPPY HOLDIDAYS TO MY FELLOW HAMS!
Date: 22 Dec 92 21:52:39 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: AT&T

I'd like to take the time to wish all my fellow hams a MERRY CHRISTMAS!
May you have gud DX and every QSL answered! 73!

Jeff

-- 
 Jeff Jones  AB6MB         |      
 jeffj@seeker.mystic.com   |     
 Infolinc BBS 415-778-5929 |
From: steve.silverwood@filebank.cts.com (Steve Silverwood)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: Novice HF Recomendations/
Date: 29 Dec 92 12:02:00 GMT
Reply-To: steve.silverwood@filebank.cts.com (Steve Silverwood)
Organization: The File Bank BBS - Fallbrook, CA  619-728-4318


 > From: saswel@unx.sas.COM (Warren E. Lewis)
 > Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
 > Subject: Novice HF Recomendations/Questions?
 > Date: 23 Dec 92 19:35:48 GMT
 > Message-ID: <199212231935.AA14842@cardamom.unx.sas.com>
 >
 > Hello!!
 >
 >   I have just become interested in Ham Radio and I am presently
 > hard at work studying for my Novice written and 5 WPM code
 > tests.
 >
 >   I also have been pondering what kind of HF rig I should start out
 > with?  I have been reading and looking in the Ham Rags (73 and CQ)
 > and the variety of equipment and models is quite perplexing.  I really
 > don't want to spend much more than $700 to set up my "Shack."  What
 > kind of rig/shack can I set up for this kind of money?  What kind of used
 > rigs are out there?  What brands and models should I stay away from?
 > Where can quality used rigs be found?  Also what features should I look
 > for in a rig?  When are the next HamFests scheduled for the Central North
 > Carolina Area?
 >
 >   Thanks   - Warren
 >

Warren: By all means consider going QRP. It's less expensive, requires
less power, and makes you work a little harder at making some of those
more exciting DX contacts, but it saves you heartache when dealing
with the neighbors' (and the XYL's) RFI problems. The equipment is
small, and therefore portable -- throw the whole station and a small
antenna into a suitcase and you're portable wherever you want to go.

Equipment is available from MFJ and Ten Tec, plus you can always put
together your own or buy one of the venerable Heathkit rigs on the
used market.

Check out the books on QRP from the ARRL and NARA, both available at
Ham Radio Outlet and other dealers. (I'm partial to HRO because I live
just a short drive from their Anaheim, CA store and bought both QRP
books there.)

//Steve//
KB6OJS
Garden Grove, CA

---
 . SM 1.06 A0070 . A closed mouth gathers no foot.
                         
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
From: gws@n8emr.cmhnet.org (Gary Sanders)
Subject: RTTY bulletin
Organization: HAM BBS, 614-895-2553 (1200/2400/v.32/pep)
Distribution: na
Date: Sat, 26 Dec 92 00:16:08 GMT


SORRY...NO RTTY BULLETIN TIL NEXT WEEK!  HERE ARE THIS WEEK'S ARRL
PROPAGATION AND DX BULLETINS.  73,  TAD KT7H
 
-- 
Gary W. Sanders gws@n8emr.cmhnet.org, 72277,1325
N8EMR @ N8JYV (ip addr) 44.70.0.1 [Ohio AMPR address coordinator]
HAM BBS 614-895-2553 (1200/2400/V.32/PEP) Voice: 614-895-2552 (eves/weekends)
From: park@umnstat.stat.umn.edu (Chongsun Park)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: Help for charging batteries for 2m HT
Date: 24 Dec 92 04:51:39 GMT
Organization: School of Statistics, University of Minnesota

Hello, netters.

I have a stupid questions about charging my NiCad battery pack(BP-13) for
my new HT Kenwood TH28A.

1) Can I charge it with a charger for different NiCad Bat(for Sony camcoder
   TR-81) which has output voltage 7.5 and 1.6A?
   (Wall charger for HT have 11.5v and 75mA output.)

2) Is it recommendable to use my camcoder charger as a DC power supply?
   (Does it shorten the life of HT or is there any harm?)

If the answer to 1) is yes, then I can use the charger for camcoder as a
rapid charger, and 2) is yes, I can use it as a nice DC power supply too.
Only thing I need to do is to make a charging base for BP-13, since
two batteries have different terminal shapes.

I will appreciate any help for a baby in electronics and also HAM radio!

Chongsun Park

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chongsun Park          H: 612-331-7022   Internet:park@stat.umn.edu
1018 27TH AVE SE #B    O: 612-625-5247            stat261@staff.tc.umn.edu
MPLS, MN55414             612-625-3121            HL1ABT HL1AWG KB0FME
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: brian@ucsd.edu (Brian Kantor)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: Re: 430 mhz band under th (now private/closed repeaters)
Date: 2 Jan 1993 05:54:40 GMT
Organization: The Avant-Garde of the Now, Ltd.
NNTP-Posting-Host: ucsd.edu

SoCal has long had a "test pair" - you have to get your machine working
on the test pair before you can get a full-on coordination.  Last time
I keyed up on the test pair in Los Angeles, I brought up five machines
simultaneously.  Lord only knows how many other repeaters there were on
the channel that DIDN'T run the same PL as I was using!

I've only keyed up one system on the test pair here in San Diego this
evening.  It seems to be carrier squelch.  There might be others with
different PLs.
	- Brian
From: a-kevinp@microsoft.COM (Kevin Purcell, Rho)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: Re: Apartment Antennas?
Date: 21 Dec 92 22:10:45 GMT
Organization: UCSD Usenet Gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: ucsd.edu
Originator: daemon@ucsd.edu

Mika Suoranta, OH1NZQ, MSUORANTA@FINABO.ABO.FI said:

If it ain't a big antenna, it ain't working....

I say:

I hope this is in jest.

A G5RV or 5 band vertical is pretty useless when you have no place to put it.

The compact (< 1/10 wave) electromagnetic loops can work very well 
(same order as a dipole at the same height, when horizontal, far better 
when used vertically) if constructed properly (with an eye to the high 
currents and voltages and potential losses).

73 de Kevin Purcell N7WIM/G8UDP (Seattle, WA)          a-kevinp@microsoft.com
Do your interests match mine? If so call me. I'd like to hear from you.
QRP, Packet, TCP/IP, Digital voice, Macintosh, Spread Spectrum, Homebrew,
Satellites, Antenna design, Propagation, VHF/UHF weak signal, Microwave, QEX

Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
From: gary@ke4zv.uucp (Gary Coffman)
Subject: Re: Switching diodes in RF paths in receivers.
Reply-To: gary@ke4zv.UUCP (Gary Coffman)
Organization: Gannett Technologies Group
Date: Thu, 24 Dec 1992 21:44:49 GMT

In article <14570572@hpnmdla.sr.hp.com> alanb@hpnmdla.sr.hp.com (Alan Bloom) writes:
>By the way, I did some crude experiments with using 1N4004 power supply 
>diodes as PIN diodes some time ago.  They are manufactured using a similar
>structure:  with the 1N4004's the intrinsic layer between the junction
>is used to increase the voltage rating, but it still functions as a
>pretty decent low-frequency PIN diode.  As a bonus, they can dissipate
>a reasonable amount of power.

How low frequency? HF? Low VHF? Can you characterise the devices for
us?

Note: I think relays are still best if switching time isn't critical,
but it's becoming critical for some modes, such as SS.

Gary

-- 
Gary Coffman KE4ZV          |    You make it,     | gatech!wa4mei!ke4zv!gary
Destructive Testing Systems |    we break it.     | uunet!rsiatl!ke4zv!gary
534 Shannon Way             |    Guaranteed!      | emory!kd4nc!ke4zv!gary      
Lawrenceville, GA 30244     |                     | ke4zv!gary@gatech.edu
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc