Date: Sat, 11 Dec 93 04:30:12 PST From: Info-Hams Mailing List and Newsgroup <info-hams@ucsd.edu> Errors-To: Info-Hams-Errors@UCSD.Edu Reply-To: Info-Hams@UCSD.Edu Precedence: Bulk Subject: Info-Hams Digest V93 #1450 To: Info-Hams Info-Hams Digest Sat, 11 Dec 93 Volume 93 : Issue 1450 Today's Topics: Daily Summary of Solar Geophysical Activity for 08 December Motorola Radios Recommendations on HT's RF Ground for 2nd story shack? Scratchi, January, 1960 Yaesu FT-530 receiver problem Send Replies or notes for publication to: <Info-Hams@UCSD.Edu> Send subscription requests to: <Info-Hams-REQUEST@UCSD.Edu> Problems you can't solve otherwise to brian@ucsd.edu. Archives of past issues of the Info-Hams Digest are available (by FTP only) from UCSD.Edu in directory "mailarchives/info-hams". We trust that readers are intelligent enough to realize that all text herein consists of personal comments and does not represent the official policies or positions of any party. Your mileage may vary. So there. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 8 Dec 1993 20:51:39 MST From: pacbell.com!sgiblab!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!math.ohio-state.edu!news.cyberstore.ca!nntp.cs.ubc.ca!alberta!adec23!ve6mgs!usenet@network.ucsd.edu Subject: Daily Summary of Solar Geophysical Activity for 08 December To: info-hams@ucsd.edu /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ DAILY SUMMARY OF SOLAR GEOPHYSICAL ACTIVITY 08 DECEMBER, 1993 /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ (Based In-Part On SESC Observational Data) SOLAR AND GEOPHYSICAL ACTIVITY INDICES FOR 08 DECEMBER, 1993 ------------------------------------------------------------ !!BEGIN!! (1.0) S.T.D. Solar Geophysical Data Broadcast for DAY 342, 12/08/93 10.7 FLUX=105.1 90-AVG=097 SSN=084 BKI=5565 5331 BAI=038 BGND-XRAY=B2.1 FLU1=1.2E+06 FLU10=1.1E+04 PKI=5666 5442 PAI=051 BOU-DEV=100,100,123,079,105,025,30319,005 DEV-AVG=3857 NT SWF=00:000 XRAY-MAX= C1.8 @ 0941UT XRAY-MIN= B1.7 @ 1758UT XRAY-AVG= B3.0 NEUTN-MAX= +001% @ 0800UT NEUTN-MIN= -004% @ 1730UT NEUTN-AVG= -1.2% PCA-MAX= +0.1DB @ 1050UT PCA-MIN= -0.4DB @ 1120UT PCA-AVG= -0.0DB BOUTF-MAX=55373NT @ 0226UT BOUTF-MIN=55306NT @ 1106UT BOUTF-AVG=55337NT GOES7-MAX=P:+000NT@ 0000UT GOES7-MIN=N:+000NT@ 0000UT G7-AVG=+033,+000,+000 GOES6-MAX=P:+104NT@ 1729UT GOES6-MIN=N:-117NT@ 0732UT G6-AVG=+058,+038,-065 FLUXFCST=STD:105,100,100;SESC:105,100,100 BAI/PAI-FCST=015,010,010/023,015,010 KFCST=3345 6321 1223 5322 27DAY-AP=006,005 27DAY-KP=2322 2111 2221 2111 WARNINGS=*SWF;*GSTRM;*AURMIDWCH ALERTS=**MINSTRM !!END-DATA!! NOTE: The Effective Sunspot Number for 07 DEC 93 was 48.0. The Full Kp Indices for 07 DEC 93 are: 3- 1+ 1- 2- 5- 4- 3+ 4- SYNOPSIS OF ACTIVITY -------------------- Solar activity was low. Region 7629 (S21W13) continued to simplify, producing two C-class flares in the process. A 17 degree-long filament disappeared from S39E32 early in the day. A prominence erupted from N13E90 during the latter part of the period. Solar activity forecast: solar activity is expected to be low. The geomagnetic field varied from unsettled to major storm conditions over the past 24 hours. This disturbance is occurring during what had been a recurrent quiet interval over the past five months. It is not clear as to what transitory phenomenon caused the storming. Geophysical activity forecast: the geomagnetic field is expected to be unsettled to active over the next 24 hours, as the disturbance wanes. Strictly unsettled conditions should end the period. STD: Auroral activity was observed into the northern United States over the last 24 hours. Several reports of strong activity were received early in the UTC day, including color variations and rapid pulsations. Activity has since subsided substantially. Conditions are no longer visible over the middle latitudes. Event probabilities 09 dec-11 dec Class M 10/10/10 Class X 01/01/01 Proton 01/01/01 PCAF Green Geomagnetic activity probabilities 09 dec-11 dec A. Middle Latitudes Active 50/30/15 Minor Storm 25/15/05 Major-Severe Storm 05/05/01 B. High Latitudes Active 45/35/30 Minor Storm 35/25/10 Major-Severe Storm 10/05/05 STD: HF propagation conditions were well below-normal over the last 24 hours. Strong geomagnetic and auroral activity produced a particularly strong corresponding ionospheric disturbance over the middle, high, and polar latitude regions. MUFs were depressed by up to 40 percent for high-latitude paths. This, combined with periods of strong fading, multipathing, and auroral absorption, resulted in near-useless propagation for transauroral and many transpolar circuits. Middle latitude paths also saw periods of strong signal degradation, particularly during the local night hours. Conditions began improving fairly rapidly after 18:00 UTC and are now well on the way toward reaching near-normal levels by the end of 09 December for most regions. Australian stations have reported periods of strong continent-wide VHF communications (including TV) on frequencies approaching (and perhaps in a few cases exceeding) 100 MHz, likely attributed to persistent sporadic-E. COPIES OF JOINT USAF/NOAA SESC SOLAR GEOPHYSICAL REPORTS ======================================================== REGIONS WITH SUNSPOTS. LOCATIONS VALID AT 08/2400Z DECEMBER ----------------------------------------------------------- NMBR LOCATION LO AREA Z LL NN MAG TYPE 7627 S18W38 108 0020 CSO 04 003 BETA 7629 S21W13 083 0120 DAO 10 026 BETA 7630 S09W13 083 0120 DAO 09 025 BETA REGIONS DUE TO RETURN 09 DECEMBER TO 11 DECEMBER NMBR LAT LO 7618 N07 339 LISTING OF SOLAR ENERGETIC EVENTS FOR 08 DECEMBER, 1993 ------------------------------------------------------- BEGIN MAX END RGN LOC XRAY OP 245MHZ 10CM SWEEP NONE POSSIBLE CORONAL MASS EJECTION EVENTS FOR 08 DECEMBER, 1993 ----------------------------------------------------------- BEGIN MAX END LOCATION TYPE SIZE DUR II IV 08/A0224 B1509 S35E21 DSF 08/A0930 B2210 S38E20 DSF C1.8 18 08/ 1937 1941 2013 S10W11 LDE B8.3 36 INFERRED CORONAL HOLES. LOCATIONS VALID AT 08/2400Z --------------------------------------------------- ISOLATED HOLES AND POLAR EXTENSIONS EAST SOUTH WEST NORTH CAR TYPE POL AREA OBSN NO DATA AVAILABLE FOR ANALYSIS SUMMARY OF FLARE EVENTS FOR THE PREVIOUS UTC DAY ------------------------------------------------ Date Begin Max End Xray Op Region Locn 2695 MHz 8800 MHz 15.4 GHz ------ ---- ---- ---- ---- -- ------ ------ --------- --------- --------- 07 Dec: 0030 0050 0104 C3.8 SF 7629 S22E12 0208 0219 0229 C4.2 SF 7629 S21E12 0415 0423 0429 C1.7 SF 7629 S21E10 0618 0623 0630 C1.0 0711 0712 0732 SF 7629 S22E09 0819 0828 0832 B9.3 SF 7627 S18W11 0837 0845 0849 B9.6 1129 1206 1221 B8.0 1500 1508 1513 B4.5 1715 1722 1720 B6.2 1943 1950 1959 B5.7 2047 2052 2056 B6.2 SF 7630 S11E02 2159 2203 2210 B3.3 REGION FLARE STATISTICS FOR THE PREVIOUS UTC DAY ------------------------------------------------ C M X S 1 2 3 4 Total (%) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --- ------ Region 7627: 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 001 ( 7.7) Region 7629: 3 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 004 (30.8) Region 7630: 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 001 ( 7.7) Uncorrellated: 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 007 (53.8) Total Events: 013 optical and x-ray. EVENTS WITH SWEEPS AND/OR OPTICAL PHENOMENA FOR THE LAST UTC DAY ---------------------------------------------------------------- Date Begin Max End Xray Op Region Locn Sweeps/Optical Observations ------ ---- ---- ---- ---- -- ------ ------ --------------------------- 07 Dec: 2159 2203 2210 B3.3 III NOTES: All times are in Universal Time (UT). Characters preceding begin, max, and end times are defined as: B = Before, U = Uncertain, A = After. All times associated with x-ray flares (ex. flares which produce associated x-ray bursts) refer to the begin, max, and end times of the x-rays. Flares which are not associated with x-ray signatures use the optical observations to determine the begin, max, and end times. Acronyms used to identify sweeps and optical phenomena include: II = Type II Sweep Frequency Event III = Type III Sweep IV = Type IV Sweep V = Type V Sweep Continuum = Continuum Radio Event Loop = Loop Prominence System, Spray = Limb Spray, Surge = Bright Limb Surge, EPL = Eruptive Prominence on the Limb. ** End of Daily Report ** ------------------------------ Date: 9 Dec 93 23:57:47 GMT From: psinntp!pool!osay@uunet.uu.net Subject: Motorola Radios To: info-hams@ucsd.edu I need to know where to find good prices on Motorola radios. The fire department I belong to in going to purchase some new Hi-Lo band radios in the near future and we would like to get a good price. I know this is not a ateur radio request, but I thought someone out there would know a good distributor of Motorola products. BTW I dont know the exact model number of the radios yet. Thanks for any help. P.S. Please send E-mail to this account (This is the account of a friend but I can can use the account to get the replies) osay@sunyit.edu ------------------------------ Date: 11 Dec 93 10:03:39 GMT From: news-mail-gateway@ucsd.edu Subject: Recommendations on HT's To: info-hams@ucsd.edu I'm a brand-spanking new ham, and I'm currently radioless. I've heard or seen good things about the Standard C-168A, Icom IC-W2A, and Motorolas in general. From a (relatively biased, I might add) local ham group, I recieved the general consensus that Alinco HT's aren't worth the boxes they come in. Discussions in this forum have not changed this opinion, although some people have said that they like their Alinco's. I'm not looking for flames here, but simply reviews/recommendations for HT's. I'm a college student (no extra $ here!!!), and I'd like 5W capability. 2m/440 dualband would be nice, but maybe a dream for the $ I'm willing to spend ($200 tops for 2m only, $300 for dualband). If anyone has any suggestions/help/extra radios :-), please email me with them. If I get enough, I'll compile them and post them on the forum for other new hams like me. I'm also looking for a TNC, like a KPC-3 or PK-88. Thanks a lot. 73, Scott Gigot N9VOM segigot@students.wisc.edu Now I have my ticket, but when will the FCC send me my radio? ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 8 Dec 1993 14:41:44 GMT From: news.cerf.net!pagesat!olivea!sgigate.sgi.com!sgiblab!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!news.unomaha.edu!cwis.unomaha.edu!rerickso@network.ucsd.edu Subject: RF Ground for 2nd story shack? To: info-hams@ucsd.edu Another way I have heard to do it is to use old RG-8 type coax and run the inner connector to earth ground and a .01 ufd/1000 volt capcitor on each end of the coax going from the shield to inner connector. The shield then is floating. What you want to avoid is grounding any 1/4-wave radials to an earth ground to kill off the RF. You want only one wire or inner conductor to earth ground and at least two or three 8-foot ground rods at least 10-foot apart brazened with hard solder. If you use soft solder or a mechanical connection, in time you could have a resistance induced into your ground connection which is no good at RF and maybe DC return to earth. I would try the coax with capacitors before I would run 1/4-wave radials. I think the MFJ ground tuner might be worth having if you can afford it. 73, Ron AK0N rerickso@cwis.unomaha.edu ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 8 Dec 1993 14:20:35 GMT From: netcomsv!netcom.com!greg@decwrl.dec.com Subject: Scratchi, January, 1960 To: info-hams@ucsd.edu In article <CHp2FM.4s6@srgenprp.sr.hp.com> alanb@sr.hp.com (Alan Bloom) writes: >Faith Senie (fms@sw.stratus.com) wrote: >: I must be missing something. Could somebody please explain to me how the >: Scratchi article was racist? I certainly didn't read anything racist in it. >: Matter of fact, I rather liked the article. > >I'm not old enough to have read the "Scratchi" column in CQ when it first >came out, but I have seen plenty of back issues, so it never occurred to me >that people wouldn't realize that Scratchi was Japanese. But sure enough, >there is nothing in the posted article that would give the unitiated a clue. I think there is. The specific pidgin idiom used is one which was commonly used by Americans to mimic Japanese. The important thing to remember (and please get this): The people being offended (Japanese people, Japanese-Americans, and other Asian people) will very quickly recognize the offensive idiom. They have been sensitized to that kind of stereotype and are a deal better at realizing than all the apologists with European surnames who have posted in Scratchi's defense. >(The magazine articles included a drawing of the "author" with obviously >oriental features.) More like an 'oriental caricature.' Again, an offensive idiom because it is the way in which the white race mocked or sterotyped the Asian. >I can understand how the pidgin English might be offensive to some Asians. >It is worth mentioning, though, that I don't ever remember any other type >of racial slur in any of the Scratchi articles. In other words, Scratchi's >personality was not such as to propagate the "evil, devious" stereotype >of Japanese prevalent at the time. That was only one of the stereotypes which operated at that time. Another was the hapless, amusing little man who is always bowing and saying 'honorable.' 'Oriental people are all very polite, and the women are very good housekeepers,' to quote my Grandma. All of these stereotypes are offensive to many Asians. It's a truism that people don't like to be sterotyped, even with supposedly positive characteristics. The clearest example is the old saw about rhythm being "in the blood" of black people. It took many of us a damn long time to get through our heads that that is really offensive. Most of us have learned it, by now. This has been an interesting discussion. It makes it clear to me that there are still a number of so-called intellectuals who understand very little about the politics of prejudice. That many of these addresses seem to come from academic institutions, where there is so much opportunity to learn what it's like from the other side, is truly sad. Greg ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1993 15:05:55 GMT From: mvb.saic.com!unogate!news.service.uci.edu!usc!howland.reston.ans.net!torn!news.ccs.queensu.ca!venus!pas@network.ucsd.edu Subject: Yaesu FT-530 receiver problem To: info-hams@ucsd.edu In article <CHr58y.DCB@cbnewsj.cb.att.com>, ker@mtgzfs3.att.com (131P2[sfm]-k.e.roser(MT4084)1047MT) writes: |> Has anyone noticed a problem with their FT-530, with weak 2 meter |> signals having a clicking sound, something like automobile ignition |> noise, on the received audio? My radio exhibited this problem and so |> did my friends brand-new unit. Other friends didn't notice this problem |> on the 530s until I pointed it out to them. Apparently it's quite a |> widespread problem. The noise originates in the radio! I've held other |> 2 Meter HTs side-by-side with the 530 and the other radios also pick up |> this noise. |> |> A call to Yaesu revealed this is a known problem and they have a fix to |> eliminate the noise. Just wanted to let the net know just in case |> anyone's warranty is about to expire. |> |> My friend's radio has been repaired already by Yaesu. He reports the |> noise is now gone. My radio's on the way back from California as I type |> this. Hopefully mine is fixed too! Yes, mine does that too. It's a click with a slight chirp characteristic to it. I'd be interested in knowing what the fix is. I've heard that some manufacturer fixes reduce radio performance :-( Wasn't there a intermod fix for some brand of HT that simply reduced sensitivity? I would guess the fix in this case won't... Please post the outcome of your dealings with Yaesu; I think the community would be interested. Peter PS: Has anyone ever seen a user-written user guide to the FT530? I come across undocumented how-to's every once in a while. For example, pusing PTT when the unit is off changes the time display to reveal the seconds! Peter A. Stokes ______________________ Voice & Voice mail: (613) 545-2923 Engineering Applications Support ____________________ FAX: (613) 548-8104 Canadian Microelectronics Corporation ________________ Net: stokes@cmc.ca Kingston, Ontario, CANADA _________________________________ Radio: VE3ZXT ------------------------------ End of Info-Hams Digest V93 #1450 ****************************** ******************************