HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: gary@ke4zv.uucp (Gary Coffman)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: Re: Tinkering vs. engineering (was Re: QST Content Revisited)
Date: 13 Aug 92 03:36:23 GMT
Reply-To: gary@ke4zv.UUCP (Gary Coffman)
Organization: Gannett Technologies Group

In article <7098@lib.tmc.edu> jmaynard@oac.hsc.uth.tmc.edu (Jay Maynard) writes:
>
>Unfortunately, engineering has its own set of problems: one more-or-less-local
>ham has a reputation for engineering circuits all out of reasonable
>proportion. The example that comes to mind is a fan controller with 42 parts,
>four of them ICs. Now really - isn't that a bit much?

Have you looked at the cooling fan Sony uses on the BVW-75? It uses 3 ICs
including a *microprocessor* and 6 FETs for a constant speed brushless fan. 
Is that overkill, maybe, maybe not. It does seem to last better and produce 
less hash.

>The best designs are equally artistic and scientific.

There *is* an esthetic to design. I tend to like designs that are
*elegant* in that they do a lot with a little. On the other hand,
there are times when I prefer the nuclear engineering approach of
"I believe in the lever, I believe in the inclined plane, the
wheel I'm not so sure about." Conservative brute force designs have 
a certain appeal.

There's an old adage that to the man with a hammer everything looks
like a nail. We see this trend a lot today. Circuits that would be
simple to do in analog are translated into digital and a microprocessor
thrown at them. That's how we wind up with radios with horrible phase
noise and Nintendo games on their digital display. There's a certain
elegance to a HT200 that's missing from today's digital scanners that
try to masquerade as *radios*.

On the other hand, DPLL and DSP designs offer things that are impractical
to achieve in analog technology. There's a tradeoff between hardware/
software that can become a slippery slope of despair for the harried
designer whose toolbox has only limited techniques to offer.

Gary KE4ZV
Xref: sparky rec.radio.amateur.misc:14224 rec.radio.amateur.policy:1521
From: vail@tegra.COM (Johnathan Vail)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc,rec.radio.amateur.policy
Subject: Re: Cellular Frequencies
Date: 21 Aug 92 16:35:16 GMT
Followup-To: rec.radio.amateur.policy
Distribution: na
Organization: Tegra, Inc., Billerica, MA
In-reply-to: jab0684@usl.edu's message of 21 Aug 92 06:36:07 GMT


In article <1992Aug21.063607.17093@usl.edu> jab0684@usl.edu (Boudreaux Jean A) writes:

   Well, my sister the attorney as well as a recent issue of Popular 
   Communications assures me that it is currently legal to listen
   to cellular phone frequencies.  She says that the Supreme Court
   has consistetly upheld the right of people to listen to anything
   that they can receive. 

No, as I understand it there is a law that makes it illegal to listen
to cellular and several other "services".  I don't know if it has
ever been challenged in the Supreme Court or even applied to scanner
listeners.   It is still a law and can be applied any time they want
causing a lot of grief even if it is overturned by the S.C.

      P. Comm. also mentions proposed legal changes 
   which would limit the ability of police to tape cellular communications
   .  This would give them the same status as landline phones
   in terms of getting permission to 'tap' them and use them as evidence, but
   only as far as police are concerned.

If it is illegal for people to listen as it is for a normal wire-tap
then the laws should reflect this.

jv
From: jfw@ksr.com (John F. Woods)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: Re: QST, in my opinion...
Date: 21 Aug 92 11:50:03 EDT

gary@ke4zv.uucp (Gary Coffman) writes:
>And, relevant to
>QST, throw out the ad pages and do another comparative count. Different
>story huh?

Hey, don't do that!  I like the ads.  I even with the 1992 Handbook had
ads, just like my 1963 Handbook...   :-)

(More editorial material *would* be nice, of course.  I guess I'll just
have to try to find something that I know enough about to write up and
submit... :-)

John, WB7EEL
From: kstuart@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Kenneth Stuart)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: ICOM IC2-GAT QUESTION
Date: 13 Aug 92 11:11:55 GMT
Reply-To: kstuart@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Kenneth Stuart)
Distribution: na
Organization: Carderock Division, NSWC, Bethesda, MD

Has any owner of an ICOM IC2-GAT out there performed an adjustment for
deviation level of the DTMF tone generator?  It seems that mine is just
a teeeeny bit too low for my favorite repeater to grab.  Normal speech
deviation is fine, so all I have to do is tweak the gain pot on the
TT board.

However, the owner's manual for the rig gives no info as to where the
pot is located, how to get to it, etc.

Before I spent lotsa bux at the local candy store for a maintenance
manual, I'd like to see if any of you can give me the info I need.

Thanks in advance.

73.   Ken Stuart, W3VVN
From: jeffj@seeker.mystic.com (Jeff Jones)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: QSL manager for FO5BIF?
Date: 16 Aug 92 04:47:39 GMT
Organization: Mystic Software Pittsburg, Ca

I worked this call FO5BIF at 0420 UTC on 08/16/92. I was wondering 
if I got his call right and who his QSL manager is. He was screaming
on CW and said he was on a Larou Island I think. Did anyone else work
this call or have any information? 73 and thanks!

Jeff

-- 
 Jeff Jones  AB6MB         | Prediction is very difficult, 
 UUCP   uunet!seeker!jeffj | especially about the future.
 Infolinc BBS 510-778-5929 |          Storm Petersen
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
From: chuck@eng.umd.edu (Chuck Harris - WA3UQV)
Subject: Re: ARRL Antenna Book (was: QST Content Revisited)
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 92 15:54:29 GMT
Organization: University of Maryland, Department of Electrical Engineering

In article <rwa.713655224@aupair.cs.athabascau.ca> rwa@aupair.cs.athabascau.ca (Ross Alexander) writes:
>jangus@skyld.UUCP (Jeff Angus) writes:
>
>>Time to join the fray.
>
>>What happened to the Orange covers?
>>The antenna book could use some help too if it didn't act like the be all to
>>end all is a monstrous array at 100 feet or a 20 acre rhombic.

The "Antenna book" is really pretty good.  I would like it better if instead
of just showing you pictures of the various types of antennas, it would
actually show you how to design them.  As examples, look up a caged dipole,
or a trap dipole using wound rg-58 coaxial cable traps.  They have pictures,
they tell you how great they work, but no information is presented on designing
one (or building one for that matter).

Chuck Harris - WA3UQV		|"Give a man an antenna design, and he will
chuck@eng.umd.edu		| will build that antenna...Show him how to
				| design the antenna...and he will build many."
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
From: wvanhorn@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (William E Van Horne)
Subject: Zig-Zag Antenna - CAUTION!
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Sun, 16 Aug 1992 11:34:37 GMT


There have been several postings over the last few weeks about the
"Zig-Zag Antenna" featured in an article in RF DESIGN, March issue, and
in follow-up articles by Bill Orr, W6SAI, in CQ magazine.  Be very
careful before investing a lot of time and effort on this antenna
design!

The antenna was invented by Feigenbaum and assigned to the U.S. Army.
The same Feigenbaum was the author of the RF DESIGN article.

The claims for the antenna made it seem very attractive for ham use,
so I modeled it using Brian Beezley's MNC software (version of MINNINEC).
I initially used the design data from the RF DESIGN article.  My results
were so bad that I thought there must have been some errors in the
article, so I got a copy of the original patent.  It is very specific
in the parameters of the "preferred embodiment", so there could not be
any mistakes.

When I modeled it again, the results of the analysis were equally bad.
Far from being "broadband", its input impedance ranges all over the lot
from bad to ridiculous as the frequency is changed.  The main radiation
lobes vary from forward to backward to broadside to straight up on the
different bands!  The "antenna efficiency" ratings range from poor to
almost zero on the hf ham bands.

I am no antenna expert and freely confess that I may have been mistaken
in my modeling, so I corresponded with Bill Orr and sent him my results.
He may or may not see fit to publish more information in his CQ column.
I have no more interest in the antenna and can only warn others to be
careful!

73, Van - W8UOF
wvanhorn@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu
From: reisert@mast.enet.dec.com ("Jim Reisert, AD1C  21-Aug-1992 1551")
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: ARRL DX Bulletin #43 - August 21, 1992
Date: 21 Aug 92 19:49:45 GMT
X-Received: by usenet.pa.dec.com; id AA17917; Fri, 21 Aug 92 12:49:46 -0700
X-Received: by enet-gw.pa.dec.com; id AA20556; Fri, 21 Aug 92 12:49:45 -0700
X-Received: from mast.enet; by decwrl.enet; Fri, 21 Aug 92 12:49:45 PDT
X-To: rec.radio.amateur.misc.usenet
X-Apparently-To: rec.radio.amateur.misc.usenet


 
ZCZC AE06
QST de W1AW  
DX Bulletin 43  ARLD043
From ARRL Headquarters  
Newington CT  August 21, 1992
To all radio amateurs   
 
SB DX ARL ARLD043
ARLD043 DX news
 
Thanks to Steve, W9NUF, and the Northern Illinois DX Association for
the following DX information.
 
BANGLADESH.  S21A has been heard on 14200 kHz as well as 21335 kHz
with net operation.  QSL via W4FRU.
 
ANGOLA.  Standa, OK1FGC, has been very active as D2FGC.  Most of his
activity is on SSB, however he has been worked on CW on 14015 kHz
and the WARC bands.  Check 14199, 14256 and 21253 kHz for SSB.  QSL
via the 1992 Callbook address of OK1AJN.
 
D2EL has been worked on 40 meters with 7180/7061 split operation.
 
ZIMBABWE.  You may run into Z2 activity from mid-August through
September.  Check between 14190 and 14250 kHz for the medical
missionary team of N7SPQ, KB7DRI and W4PJS.  The objective of the
trip is to bring much-needed medical skills to a remote fishing
village on Lake Kariba, a reservoir on the Zambezi River in
northwest Zimbabwe.  After completion of the trip, obtain QSL
information from Graham Hicks, W4PJS, 900 Main Avenue, La Grande, OR
97850.
 
INDIAN OCEAN.  FR5ZU states that he will be operating from Europa,
Glorioso and Juan de Nova sometime in September.
 
BENIN.  Sigi, DJ4IJ, will return to Cotonou for a month-long stay
starting around the end of December.  He will be signing TY1IJ.
 
MOZAMBIQUE.  C9RJJ was worked on 21034 kHz about 1800z and on 14035
kHz at 0320z.  QSLs go via W8GIO.
 
SRI LANKA.  4S7WP has been quite active around 14010 kHz between
1700 and 1900z this past week.
 
TONGA.  QSLS for the A35NP operation go via DK6NP.
 
AMERICAN SAMOA.  Andy, G4ZVJ, is signing KH8/G4ZVJ through September
9 from Tutuila Island.  Operations are mainly on CW with some
RTTY/AMTOR.  QSL via G4ZVJ.
 
ALASKA.  K5MK/KL7 from Plover Island, a proposed new one for the
IOTA Islands list, is active on CW.  He can usually be found at
about 20 kHz up from the bottom of the bands.  QSLs go to his
Callbook address.
 
DJIBOUTI.  J28FO QSLs go via Box 2417. Djibouti.
 
MAURITIUS.  Jacky, 3B8CF, has been very active around 7005 kHz
around 0230z.
NNNN
From: rwa@aupair.cs.athabascau.ca (Ross Alexander)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: Re: QST Content Revisited
Date: 12 Aug 92 21:33:44 GMT

jangus@skyld.UUCP (Jeff Angus) writes:

>Time to join the fray.

>What happened to the Orange covers?
>The antenna book could use some help too if it didn't act like the be all to
>end all is a monstrous array at 100 feet or a 20 acre rhombic.

But the be-all to end-all IS a 20 acre rhombic.  Kicks the bejuzus out of
anything else, and is inherently broadbanded in it's terminated version
(resonant rhombics are a different matter).  All you need is 4 poles,
wire, a termination, and something to feed it.  None of the nastinesses
you get with yagis, though the rhombic has a few nastinesses of it's own
(they're awkward to rotate :).

I'm waiting for the antenna book to have a good discussion of Webenwullers :).

regards,
Ross VE6PDQ, who dreams of rhombics and is using sterba curtains in the meantime
--
Ross Alexander  rwa@cs.athabascau.ca  (403) 675 6311  ve6pdq@ve6mgs.ampr.org
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
From: tedwards@src.umd.edu (Thomas Grant Edwards)
Subject: Re: ORBITING FM REPEATER?
Organization: Systems Research Center, Maryversity of Uniland, College Park
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1992 20:43:30 GMT

In article <920816141602.848@NSULA.EDU> RON@NSULA.EDU (Ron Wright - NSU Computer Center) writes:
>AO-21 does carry an FM repeater mode and it is currently operational.
>It works extremely well.  All users work in a round table like fashion
>just as most do on the local FM repeaters.

Yeah, AO-21 is in a polar orbit (is it sun-synchronous?  I'll have to 
look at ephemeris for the next week or so and double check).

The footprint of the sat is about the entireity of the U.S., and passes
tend to be longer than LEO sats like MIR.  (We're talking 20 minutes).

But AO-21 is already approaching user-saturation.  Please be very
kind and nice when using it, and don't be a hog.  Remember, it'll be
back the next day.

-Thomas
 de N3HAU member W3EAX University of Maryland Amateur Radio Assoc.
From: wayne@hpfcso.FC.HP.COM (Wayne Covington)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: For something fairly ancient...
Date: 14 Aug 92 23:50:55 GMT
Article-I.D.: hpfcso.103360109
Organization: Hewlett-Packard, Fort Collins, CO, USA

Recent items on old/obscure vacuum tubes reminded me of something...  How
many of the old-timers amongst us remember what a 0Z4 is, what equipment
it was typically found in, and how it worked?  No fair looking it up until
you've thoroughly searched your memory!

Wayne
KD0EA
From: charles@greyrock.mso.colostate.edu (Charles H. Hemstreet IV)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: HT in the car???
Date: 16 Aug 92 14:18:55 GMT
Distribution: rec
Organization: Colorado State University


I am interested in making my HT more useable in my car.  I have
thought about buying an antenna and then hooking it the antenna
connector on the HT.  I have 12v from the car to give me at least 5w.
What I was wondering is how I can boost the power to say 25w.  I've
thought about making a power amp but all the schematics I have found
seem to use tubes which doesn't seem to be very practical for a car.
Does anyone have schematics or suggestions for a non-tube amp for the
car?

Thanks,

Charles

--
!===========================================================================!
! Charles H. Hemstreet IV   ! internet:  charles@greyrock.MSO.ColoState.Edu !
! Colorado State University ! NeXTMail: nmhemstr@greyrock.MSO.ColoState.Edu !
! N0TQJ (145.115)             Computer Consultant                           !
!===========================================================================!
From: miles@mindlink.bc.CA (Ya'akov Miles)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: Numeric address of HAM.NJIT.EDU
Date: 19 Aug 92 05:52:49 GMT
Organization: UCSD Usenet Gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: ucsd.edu

The numeric address of HAM.NJIT.EDU is 128.235.1.10
--

Ya'akov Miles,
VE7-ALQ,
<miles@mindlink.bc.ca>
From: mwiz@mpd.tandem.com (Marc Wiz)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: Re: Antenna drilling
Keywords: antenna
Date: 13 Aug 92 16:44:17 GMT
Organization: Do you really want to know?

In article <1992Aug12.135829@IASTATE.EDU> bryanw@IASTATE.EDU (Bryan J Welch) writes:
>I have a chance to get a Motorola 2 meter antenna from a guy in town for $10.
>It sounds okay to me, but I'm just checking for opinions...
>
>Also, I'm going to give in and drill a hole in the roof of my car.  I've been
>told so far to do take these measures:  use a sharp bit, wax the area heavily,
>and use RV silicon to seal the mounting.  Any other things I need to watch
>out for?

I would try and find a ham in town who has a hole saw for drilling holes
for the Motorola mount.  Barring that you could go to a two-way radio shop
and see if they'll do it for you.

I purchased my hole saw from HRO about a year ago.  It's one of those tools
that you don't use very often but when you do you're very glad you have it.

Marc WA6HBR
-- 
Marc Wiz			Yes that really is my last name.
MaBell:				(512)244-8780
Internet:			mwiz@mpd.tandem.com
The views expressed are my own.  Mine all mine!
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
From: gws@n8emr.cmhnet.org (Gary Sanders)
Subject: ID on multichannel links
Organization: HAM BBS, 614-895-2553 (1200/2400/v.32/pep)
Date: Sat, 22 Aug 92 21:20:42 GMT


What is required as far as ID goes on a multichannel transmitter?
I was looking at some commerical microwave units that
will send ~300 voice channels over a single RF path. I assume
thats a T1 data path(56kb * 300). How would you ID that on 
the ham bands to make it legal? MCW on an empty channel? 

The reason for asking.. I was looking at picking up a couple of 
these units to pass some data around town. They will drop into 
the ham bands but can I make them legal.. 

-- 
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: mwilson@crash.cts.com (Marc Wilson)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: Re: AEA-FAX
Date: 19 Aug 92 07:44:15 GMT
Article-I.D.: crash.mwilson.714210255

In <61FPPB1w165w@bluemoon.rn.com> gerry@bluemoon.rn.com (Gerard M. Foley) writes:

>gerry@bluemoon.rn.com (Gerard M. Foley) writes:

>>    My little gadget, the one that looks like a gender changer
>> with a cable out the side, quit working after a thunderstorm.
>> When I opened it up, I found it to be a pc board holding
>> five resistors, four capacitors, four diodes and one Motorola
>> LM358N dual op-amp.  I replaced the op-amp with a Radio Shack
>> Cat.No.276-038, price $0.99, and the AEA-FAX seems to work ok
>> again.
>>    My guess is that the device works by interrogating RTS and
>> timing the response on DSR.  I think it gets its power by making
>> DTR(line 20) positive, which I think is high.  If any software
>> experts can think of a way of programming the computer to do
>> the control and interpretation of the signals, I would be 
>> pleased to hear ideas.
>> 
>>  This is from
>>      gerry@bluemoon.rn.com
>> who doesn't have his (or her) own obnoxious signature yet

>  Further thought makes me doubt my first guess about the
>way it works.  It is certainly controlled from RTS and
>responds to DSR.

> This is from
>     gerry@bluemoon.rn.com
>who doesn't have his (or her) own obnoxious signature yet

     It doesn't do anything of the kind.  The interface provides plus
and munus voltage on RTS and DTR.  The output of the op-amp is on DSR.

     There's no way to turn the thing off from the computer, nor is
there any need.  As long as you have the computer turned on, the
op-amp is running.  All the AEA software does is program the voltages
off when it exits.

     We drew a schematic for the thing.  If I can figure out what I
did with it, I'll post it.

					-- Marc
From: jfw@ksr.com (John F. Woods)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: Re: QST, in my opinion...
Date: 17 Aug 92 11:12:48 EDT

William=E.=Newkirk%Pubs%GenAv.Mlb@ns14.cca.CR.rockwell.COM writes:
>If anything, I would 
>think they could cut some sort of deal with Radio Shack (maybe).

That sounds like a good idea, but I wonder if Radio Shack would go for it:
hams (and potential) probably don't make up enough of their business to take
valuable floor space away from dog-shaped telephones for a magazine rack.

>CQ and 73 are stocked at the book stores and news stands.  With the single 
>exception of Bookstop, CQ and 73 will either be behind the video magazines 
>(typically Waldenbooks) or on the top shelf next to the Hustlers (B. Dalton) 
>in their anti-peek packages and the other "adult" magazines.  Bookstop has 
>the communications mags about in the middle of their magazine racks.  Again, 
>the magazine racks are visually "noisy" so it's tough to have a design that 
>commands attention.

Maybe QST could put scantily clad female hams on the front cover.  That would
probably attract a lot of attention...  :-)  (Please, no discussions on what
a bad idea it would be for most male hams to appear scantily clad on the
cover... :-)
From: George_Lin@mindlink.bc.ca (George Lin)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: Re: Cellular Frequencies
Date: 20 Aug 92 01:05:12 GMT
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada
Distribution: world

> Gary Coffman writes:
> 
> Org.  : Gannett Technologies Group
> 
> The ECPA(1) makes it a crime to listen to cellular phone transmissions. It's
> legal to tune to cellular *frequencies*, but you can't listen to cellular
> *transmissions*. This subtle distinction allows service people to tune
> to cellular frequencies looking for spurious products in the transmitters
> they are servicing.
> (1) ECPA, Electronic Communications Privacy Act
> 
> Gary KE4ZV


Laws must be different in Canada.
Not too long ago, a cabinet minister (Bud Smith) was caught in a scandal
because another politician had recorded his cellular phone conversation using a
scanner.

--

 -------------------------------------------
| George Lin                  | 145.270 MHz |
| George_Lin@mindlink.bc.ca   |   VE7FKU    |
 -------------------------------------------
From: dlp@zule.Eng.Sun.COM (Dan Pritchett - SunSoft Engineer)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: Detachable Head Radios (Summary)
Keywords: 2 meters,mobile radios,detachable,remote
Date: 14 Aug 92 19:43:04 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems Inc., Mountain View, CA, USA
NNTP-Posting-Host: zule

Okay, first off I will ignore the respondent that thought I was referring
to radios that required the operator to remove their head.:-)

Overwhelmingly, the radio of choice among those that responded was the
Kenwood pair, the 741 and 732. Alinco came in second with one vote for
the ICOM 901, and no responses for the Yaesu. This of course is a highly
unscientific poll, but then so are most polls done by the media.:-)
It is interesting to note however that Kenwood wasn't originally on
my list, but won the tally as a write in. Seems to be a good year for
write in candidates, now lets hope Kenwood doesn't pull the model before
I get to buy it.:-) (Note this was a joke and in no way is intended to
state support for any presidental candidates and certainly is not intended
to start a thread on the viability of the candidates.:-) )

I also receive a couple of responses about using the radio in an Acura,
both of them being positive. A trip to HRO also boosted my confidence
that if I keep the main unit in the trunk and keep the RF back there
as well that I should have no problems. It is mainly when you run
the coax within a few inches of the engine control unit that you
introduce the possibility of trouble.

Thanks to all that responded.

Dan Pritchett               | ARPA/Internet: dlp@zule.Eng.Sun.COM
SunSoft Desktop Prod. Tools | GEnie: D.PRITCHET3
                            | Packet: KM6PR@N0ARY.#NOCAL.CA.USA.NA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
I may make you feel, but I can't make you think.
                 Ian Anderson
                   (from Thick as a Brick)