Date: Sun, 19 Dec 93 07:31:31 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 #1479
To: Info-Hams
Info-Hams Digest Sun, 19 Dec 93 Volume 93 : Issue 1479
Today's Topics:
AEA question
Best low-cost WEFAX SW/HW
Daily Summary of Solar Geophysical Activity for 15 December
Kraco SSB CB Information Please
Logging Software
Mail to ARRL HQ
Ni-Cd questions
Reference for xmit tubes?
US calls
Where are all the young enthusiasts? (2 msgs)
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: 18 Dec 93 05:17:34 GMT
From: news2.uunet.ca!iceonline!icebox!janc@uunet.uu.net
Subject: AEA question
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
>Well this is certainly news to me.. I just sent them back some of their software
>I was testing for an article. They have recently sent out new catalogues
>and have come out with many new products.. and even remember hearing
>that they had bought out another company.
>
>might want to check your source again
>
>Jeff M. Gold, AC4HF
Jeff, thanks for the response - as I had mentioned, I found the very notion of
AEA's disappearance to be ludicrous, but I had to check it out. Thanks a ton.
Jan Chojnacki
73 de VE7FJC
------------------------------
Date: 17 Dec 93 09:58:13 -0700
From: mel.dit.csiro.au!its.csiro.au!dmssyd.syd.dms.CSIRO.AU!dmsperth.per.dms.CSIRO.AU!uniwa!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!yeshua.marcam.com!news.kei.com!eff!usenet.ins.cwru.edu@munnari.oz.au
Subject: Best low-cost WEFAX SW/HW
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
In article <2eki2g$1p5@gdls.com>, turini@gdls.com (Bill Turini) writes:
> I'd like to explore Weather FAX at a reasonable cost. I noticed several commercial packages around $100 or so (AEA, SSC, etc) and one shareware with a homebrew interface.
>
> Does anyone have any recommendations as to the best way to go. I would like to keep the cost less than $150, as that's all my dog has saved up for my Christmas present :-)
>
> Thanks
>
> Bill
I have been using a PC HF Facsimile system for a couple of years sold by
"Sofware Systems Consulting, John E Hoot". It is under $100. Comprised of a
small demod unit mounted in a DB 25 plug. It's self powered so it will plug
into anything. It uses a serial port and is compatible with all monitor
arrangements up to VGA. Charts and Satellite photos can be black/white, or
various color enhancements. Setup was "zero". Plug it into the radio (I had
a "Record (line level)" jack on my Yaesu which was ahead of the volume control
so I can monitor and capture at the same time. It has a setup "oscilloscope"
mode that makes it very easy to tune. It also has an auto mode which can be
set to capture any number of images at any programmed time.
Contact Software Systems Consulting
amateur Radio Group
150 Avenida Cabrillo, Suite C
San Clemente, CA. 92672
They have a BBS from 8 to 11 pm at (619) 259-5554
Comes with an excellent 60 page bound manual and 70 + pages of charts, details,
etc...
--
____________ ____________ ____ _____
/_____ ____/ / _______ / / \ ,' /
/ / / / / / / /\ \ ,' ,'/ /
/ / / / / / / / \ \,' ,' / /
/ / / / / / / / \ ,' / /
/ / / /______/ / / / \,' / /
/__/ /___________/ /__/ /_/
_____________________________________________________
/____________________________________________________/
Proud owner of a dog, cat, bird, old Tractor and a British
Car "If Lucas Electric made guns wars wouldn't start"
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 15 Dec 1993 21:43:49 MST
From: library.ucla.edu!agate!spool.mu.edu!uwm.edu!math.ohio-state.edu!cyber2.cyberstore.ca!nntp.cs.ubc.ca!unixg.ubc.ca!kakwa.ucs.ualberta.ca!alberta!nebulus!ve6mgs!usenet@network.ucsd.edu
Subject: Daily Summary of Solar Geophysical Activity for 15 December
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
DAILY SUMMARY OF SOLAR GEOPHYSICAL ACTIVITY
15 DECEMBER, 1993
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
(Based In-Part On SESC Observational Data)
SOLAR AND GEOPHYSICAL ACTIVITY INDICES FOR 15 DECEMBER, 1993
------------------------------------------------------------
!!BEGIN!! (1.0) S.T.D. Solar Geophysical Data Broadcast for DAY 349, 12/15/93
10.7 FLUX=085.4 90-AVG=098 SSN=023 BKI=1222 3221 BAI=007
BGND-XRAY=B1.1 FLU1=5.3E+05 FLU10=1.3E+04 PKI=2233 3221 PAI=009
BOU-DEV=007,012,016,015,027,012,013,006 DEV-AVG=013 NT SWF=00:000
XRAY-MAX= B6.5 @ 0702UT XRAY-MIN= A6.5 @ 2303UT XRAY-AVG= B1.9
NEUTN-MAX= +003% @ 2300UT NEUTN-MIN= -001% @ 1710UT NEUTN-AVG= +0.7%
PCA-MAX= +0.1DB @ 1225UT PCA-MIN= -0.2DB @ 1440UT PCA-AVG= -0.0DB
BOUTF-MAX=55355NT @ 2359UT BOUTF-MIN=55337NT @ 1909UT BOUTF-AVG=55346NT
GOES7-MAX=P:+000NT@ 0000UT GOES7-MIN=N:+000NT@ 0000UT G7-AVG=+057,+000,+000
GOES6-MAX=P:+131NT@ 1812UT GOES6-MIN=N:-118NT@ 0739UT G6-AVG=+084,+020,-032
FLUXFCST=STD:085,085,085;SESC:085,085,085 BAI/PAI-FCST=020,015,010/025,015,010
KFCST=4445 5444 2224 5220 27DAY-AP=018,020 27DAY-KP=2111 4543 3622 3433
WARNINGS=
ALERTS=**MAGSI:10NT@2042UTC
!!END-DATA!!
NOTE: The Effective Sunspot Number for 14 DEC 93 is not available.
The Full Kp Indices for 14 DEC 93 are: 1+ 2- 1- 1+ 2- 2- 1o 1-
SYNOPSIS OF ACTIVITY
--------------------
Solar activity was very low. All of the regions on the
disk were quiet and stable. A 16 degree filament near S02W41
disappeared sometime between 14/2329-15/1214Z. The eruption was
also visible in solar x-ray imagery.
Solar activity forecast: solar activity is expected to be
very low.
The geomagnetic field has been at mostly quiet levels
for the past 24 hours. A weak impulse was observed around
2047Z.
Geophysical activity forecast: the geomagnetic field is
expected to be active for the next 24 hours as a result of
coronal hole effects. Conditions should subside to mostly
unsettled leves for the second and third days.
Event probabilities 16 dec-18 dec
Class M 01/01/01
Class X 01/01/01
Proton 01/01/01
PCAF Green
Geomagnetic activity probabilities 16 dec-18 dec
A. Middle Latitudes
Active 35/30/15
Minor Storm 25/20/05
Major-Severe Storm 10/05/01
B. High Latitudes
Active 30/25/15
Minor Storm 35/25/05
Major-Severe Storm 15/10/01
Normal HF propagation conditions continued over the low
and middle latitude paths, while slightly below-normal
conditions persisted over the high and polar latitude paths
(mostly over the night sectors). Propagation over the high and
polar latitudes is expected to become more strongly degraded
over the next 24 to 48 hours due to effects from the
above-noted coronal hole disturbance. Middle latitudes may also
see minor signal degradation on night-sector paths. Conditions
should begin improving slowly by about 17 or 18 December.
COPIES OF JOINT USAF/NOAA SESC SOLAR GEOPHYSICAL REPORTS
========================================================
REGIONS WITH SUNSPOTS. LOCATIONS VALID AT 15/2400Z DECEMBER
-----------------------------------------------------------
NMBR LOCATION LO AREA Z LL NN MAG TYPE
7634 S11W94 072 0000 AXX 00 001 ALPHA
7635 N02E63 275 0060 HSX 02 002 ALPHA
7632 N05W08 346 PLAGE
7636 N14E02 336 PLAGE
REGIONS DUE TO RETURN 16 DECEMBER TO 18 DECEMBER
NMBR LAT LO
7628 S21 233
LISTING OF SOLAR ENERGETIC EVENTS FOR 15 DECEMBER, 1993
-------------------------------------------------------
BEGIN MAX END RGN LOC XRAY OP 245MHZ 10CM SWEEP
NONE
POSSIBLE CORONAL MASS EJECTION EVENTS FOR 15 DECEMBER, 1993
-----------------------------------------------------------
BEGIN MAX END LOCATION TYPE SIZE DUR II IV
15/A0805 B2208 S10W28 DSF
INFERRED CORONAL HOLES. LOCATIONS VALID AT 15/2400Z
---------------------------------------------------
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
------ ---- ---- ---- ---- -- ------ ------ --------- --------- ---------
14 Dec: 0934 0938 0941 B5.0
1057 1102 1106 C1.2
1204 1210 1214 C2.1
1527 1536 1542 B7.2
1916 1921 1930 B3.4
REGION FLARE STATISTICS FOR THE PREVIOUS UTC DAY
------------------------------------------------
C M X S 1 2 3 4 Total (%)
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --- ------
Uncorrellated: 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 005 (100.0)
Total Events: 005 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
------ ---- ---- ---- ---- -- ------ ------ ---------------------------
NO EVENTS OBSERVED.
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: 16 Dec 1993 17:33:08 -0800
From: ucsnews!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!gatech!udel!news.sprintlink.net!news.world.net!cyberspace.com!cyberspace.com!not-for-mail@network.ucsd.edu
Subject: Kraco SSB CB Information Please
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
I have a Kraco 23-channel single sideband base station CB, model KB-2355.
The manufacture date is June, 1976. The radio works fine, and I just put
an Antron 99 with it, so it works that much better. However, meters tell
me that, while the match is 1:1 across the frequency spectrum, it's not
putting out the full 4 watts AM and 12 PEP sideband. Could someone tell me
how to peak this radio up so I can get maximum output on it? If possible,
please supply information on peaking tx power, tx modulation and rx sens-
itivity. Any information on how to get this radio to perform to optimum
capacity would be appreciated. Please respond in mail rather than posting.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
John Russell Woodman (jrw@cyberspace.com) / "Wishing like a mountain and think-
sjade/holomuck@collatz.mcrcim.mcgill.edu / ing like the sea, how it is to feel
Sjade@HoloMUCK and Sjade@Incarnations / absolutely free, the simplest thing,
holomuck@collatz.mcrcim.mcgill.edu / so hard to achieve." -Poi Dog Pondering
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------
Date: 18 Dec 93 05:02:37 GMT
From: sdd.hp.com!hpscit.sc.hp.com!cupnews0.cup.hp.com!news1.boi.hp.com!hp-pcd!hp-cv!ogicse!cs.uoregon.edu!sgiblab!swrinde!emory!nntp.msstate.edu!Ra.MsState.Edu!cll4@network.ucsd.edu
Subject: Logging Software
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
Steve Silverwood [CA] (76703.3035@CompuServe.COM) wrote:
: >I use HyperLog myself and am pretty happy with it. You'll also want to get a
Is HyperLog available at any FTP sites?
Thanks,
Craig
--
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Craig Lindsey - KC5AUG | My politics are simple: Always go right. If
Internet: cll4@ra.msstate.edu| you go left, you can never go right, and if
cll4@pcmail.cc.msstate.edu| you go right, you never go wrong. -Grizzard
Bitnet: cll4@msstate.bitnet|
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 16 DEC 93 20:16:25 EST
From: ucsnews!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!sgiblab!uhog.mit.edu!xn.ll.mit.edu!noc.near.net!news.delphi.com!usenet@network.ucsd.edu
Subject: Mail to ARRL HQ
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
chance that this bbs will be on the internet anytime soon? Would appreciate
any information. Thank You. Joe Keenan
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 15 Dec 1993 22:03:56 GMT
From: nntp.ucsb.edu!library.ucla.edu!agate!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!news.ysu.edu!malgudi.oar.net!utnetw.utoledo.edu!uoft02.utoledo.edu!klee2@network.ucsd.edu
Subject: Ni-Cd questions
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
Hi:
Need some input on rechargeables,
1. Should I store them Ni-Cd charged or drained?
2. Should I discharge them after a period of storage and then
recharge them to full ? If they needed to be stored charged.
Thanks
klee
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 15 Dec 1993 21:18:42 GMT
From: netcomsv!netcom.com!btoback@decwrl.dec.com
Subject: Reference for xmit tubes?
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
In article <CHzFzA.Hw3@cdsmail.cdc.com> molson@bml4380.cpg.cdc.com (Mark Olson) writes:
>Now I need information about the 4X and 4CX series
>of xmit tubes: 4X150 series, 4CX250 and 4CX350 series,
>and I cannot find anything but cursory information
>about these.
Eimac _used_ to have an excellent information package for amateur radio
applications of their tubes, including data sheets, application notes,
amplifier designs, and whole projects. I don't know if they still have it
but if so, it'll be worthwhile contacting them. Their toll-free number
is (800) 423-4622.
BTW, I got my package from them fifteen years ago. I just dropped in when
I was driving up the Bayshore Freeway and saw the building (somewhat to
my wife's annoyance, since we were on our honeymoon). I told them
what I was after, and they were VERY friendly -- got all the literature,
an engineering contact, and a short tour for good measure.
I'm still planning to do a conduction-cooled 2kw amplifier, just as soon
as I find the time :-).
-- Bruce Toback
------------------------------
Date: 17 Dec 93 16:35:37 GMT
From: hp-cv!ogicse!cs.uoregon.edu!sgiblab!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!geraldo.cc.utexas.edu!emx.cc.utexas.edu!not-for-mail@hplabs.hp.com
Subject: US calls
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
kchen@apple.com (Kok Chen) wonders:
>sds@cs.brown.edu (Scott Swanson) writes:
>>I remember it being broken into 4 groups:
>>
>>Class A: 1x2 and 2x1 (eg, W1AA or WA1A)
>>Class B: 2x2 (eg, WA1AA)
>>Class C: 1x3 (eg, W1AAA)
>>Class D: 2x3 (eg, WA1AAA)
>>
>>Novices get class Ds, Techs and Generals get class Cs, Advanced get
>>class Bs, and Extras get class As -- IF available for that area.
>Hey, Derek, they keep leaving us 2x2 out! Are you sure we have
>legitimate U.S. Group A calls? :-)
Not sure, we are just furriners anyway, old chap, what? I sure
have seen a lot of misleading information posted about the US call
sign allocations, but it doesn't matter really, you can't tell who
lives where or what class anyone is, most of the time.
A lot of non-US stations don't even know that US hams do not have
voice privileges between 14100-14150 etc. It's nice and quiet down
there, relatively speaking. Only person I ever worked in that band
was ET3A in Ethiopia, who was on 14025, listening up, and farther up
and farther up as time went on. I think he ended up listening on 10m.
Derek "British Texan" Wills AA5BT,
Department of Astronomy, University of Texas,
Austin TX 78712. (512-471-1392)
oo7@astro.as.utexas.edu
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 16 Dec 1993 23:10:46 GMT
From: ucsnews!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!math.ohio-state.edu!uwm.edu!msuinfo!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!bruce.cs.monash.edu.au!trlluna!titan!pcies4.trl.OZ.AU!drew@network.ucsd.edu
Subject: Where are all the young enthusiasts?
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
Is there no longer any "magic" in radio for young persons? At my radio
club, I see the same bunch of (mostly) grey and balding heads- rare to see a
young, enthusiastic person attend a meeting. And on the air- same bunch of
grey beards- not many young voices.
Let me quote a paragraph from "Most Secret War" by Prof. R.V.Jones, of
Scientific Intelligence fame;
"My main hobby in my schooldays was, as with many other boys
of my generation, the making of radio receiving sets. There
has never been anything comparable in any other period of
history to the impact of radio on the ordinary individual in
the 1920's. It was the product of some of the most
imaginative developments that have ever occurred in
physics, and was as near magic as anyone could
conceive, in that with a few mainly home-made
components, simply connected together one could
conjure speech and music out of the air. The
construction of radio receivers was just within the
competence of the average man, and could thus write
himself a passport to countries he could never hope
to visit. And he could always make modifications that
might improve his aerial or his receiver, and give him
something to boast about to his friends...".
Young persons now are surrounded by global TV, cellular phones, computers
with exciting games.... Is it surprising that building radios offers little
prospect of any real fun?
Can we do anyhing? Should we try to do anything? Will our
cherished hobby simply fade away and die? Clues anyone?
73, Kind Regards,
Drew, VK3XU. Telecom Australia Research Laboratories.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1993 03:53:02 GMT
From: library.ucla.edu!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!usenet.ucs.indiana.edu!nickel.ucs.indiana.edu!dbasinge@network.ucsd.edu
Subject: Where are all the young enthusiasts?
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
It seems (especially on the net) the ham is a older man's hobby. A lot
of hams have a reputation of sitting around at club meetings talking
about the set-up they have at home. The local meeting I did goto was a
talk about one of the members antenna systems he had 15 years ago. It
was somewhat interesting, but I don't see that exciting to many young
people to join.
The main reasons the ham may be losing popularity with young people is
1. The excitement of talking to people from different areas and
foreign countries can now be done via a home computer (much many
households have anyways).
2. More people live in cities now. What is worse, more people live in
apartments. Not many people can set-up fancy rigs with huge antennas
in an apartment building (I have asked :-). This limits people to the
hand-held jobbies, that most newbies will get from Radio Shack (so
that is only 2-Meter band and 440MHz I think).
Things that will help is when you can buy a multi-band hand-held radio
for a fairly good price. And maybe when packet-radio and SSTV catch on
more ham will re-gain popularity.
Now a disclaimer. I a newbie myself. I still studying for a tech
license next month. I plan to get a 2-Meter hand-held and just use
local repeater. I'm really more interested in short-wave radio, which
seems to offer more to people that are stuck in apartments like me.
Since I'm a newbie, I probably have NO IDEA what I'm talking about,
I'm just making observations. Please take it as such.
mike
--
D. Michael Basinger: Not speaking for Indiana University
dbasinge@nickel.ucs.indiana.edu
dbasinge@arapahoe.ucs.indiana.edu (NeXT Mail)
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1993 18:38:38 -0700
From: orca.es.com!cnn.sim.es.com!msanders.sim.es.com!user@uunet.uu.net
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
References <gregCI2vzn.3Hs@netcom.com>, <2eoare$6ru@slinky.cs.nyu.edu>, <gregCI4rp8.7q3@netcom.com>nders
Subject : Re: R/C Aircraft
In article <gregCI4rp8.7q3@netcom.com>, greg@netcom.com (Greg Bullough)
wrote:
> In article <2eoare$6ru@slinky.cs.nyu.edu> jackson@longlast.cs.nyu.edu (Steven Jackson) writes:
> >
> (( snip ))
>
> Bear in mind, when you think about flying it anywhere, that you have
> a liability problem. You can't fly R/C, and be insured, except at an
> AMA sanctioned field. That means no coverage of news events. Your
> altitude is also limited by FAA regs, so you can't foul up air
> traffic. By the way, people have been sued for millions after their
> airplane whacked someone, so this is not trivial matter.
>
AMA INSURES ALL ITS MEMBERS ANYWHERE AS LONG AS YOU ARE FLYING WITHIN THEIR
SAFETY PARAMETERS. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE AT AN AMA FIELD
ALTITUDE LIMITS ARE ONLY STATED WITHIN 5 MILES OF AN AIRPORT\\
I HAVE NOT HEARD OF A MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR SUIT FOR A MODEL AIRCRAFT
INCIDENT/ACCIDENT
BUT YOU DO HAVE TO BE CAREFUL AND REASONABLE
Milt
AMA 8400
=========================================================================
Opinions, thoughts, &cetera are my own (when I can remember them).
"He flies the sky KB7MSF
Like an Eagle in the eye UTAH
of a hurricane that's abandoned."
America
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1993 18:01:29 -0700
From: orca.es.com!cnn.sim.es.com!msanders.sim.es.com!user@uunet.uu.net
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
References <kHXFec2w165w@p-cove.UUCP>, <gregCI2vzn.3Hs@netcom.com>, <2eoare$6ru@slinky.cs.nyu.edu>s.com
Subject : Re: R/C Aircraft
In article <2eoare$6ru@slinky.cs.nyu.edu>, jackson@longlast.cs.nyu.edu
(Steven Jackson) wrote:
> [snip]
>
>
>
> Even if the video doesn't work at first, anyone can make up a timer and
> tape a wire to an automatic camera and take beautiful shots from the sky.
>
> I was also mainly interested in some type of computer mode transmissions
> to get around the 1 watt maximum PEP for r/c transmitters. If the computer
> could drive the flight control systems only for high-altitude maneuvering,
> then 2m carries a 1500 watt maximum PEP, right? Of course, we won't get
> silly and punch it up there, but it's good to know I could be pretty sure
> that even if I can't see the craft, it's still taking commands.
>
> That's where the ssb tv interests come in. I have heard in private email
> that someone that someone knew has installed a small camera in the nose
> of his model plane so he could fly it by looking at a monitor in his
> van. With cameras becoming ever smaller, I could tuck one in the "cockpit"
> of the helicopter of the size I was imagining.
>
> I've also heard about my size questions. I certainly didn't picture anything
> as big as what I've heard about. I pictured a helicopter about four to five
> feet long and two feet high. Perhaps a stronger engine than a chainsaw would
> be needed to get it off the ground. With a craft that big, I picture a baby
> AT motherboard up against one of the outside walls unless the bottom is wide
> enough to hold the board flat.
>
>
>
> Please, all your input is terrific. Does this sound fun to anyone yet??
>
> --
Steven:
When I was in grad school at AFIT (Air Force Institute of Technology),
Wright-Patterson AFB, Don Lowe, current president of the Academy of Model
Aeronautics (AMA) was experimenting with ground guided aircraft through a
TV camera in the plane. It has been done by more than a few people, and
successfully. TV cameras and transmitters are small, light, battery
powered, and don't require too high an output. In fact my thesis project
was designed to carry a TV camera, but we did the aerodynamics and model
design, and the TV was to be the next group's project.
The helicopter problems are vibration, payload, and model orientation. I
have read articles in the model magazines describing still cameras, movie
cameras, and thoughts about tv cameras in helicopters. There have been
problems with vibration. The fixed wing aircraft in the wingspan area of
10-12 feet, are stable, can isolate vibration, are easy to fly, and can
carry a good payload. Keep after your dreams and you can do it one day. A
ham license and a transmitter on the ATV (?) frequencies can take care of
that stuff.
You have to keep the aircraft within visual range, even with a TV camera
because your field of view is too narrow (both vertical and horizontal) to
maintain adequate navigational references to find your way back to your
takeoff site. The typical RC transmitter puts less than 750 mw into the
PEP, yet works well out to 1.5 miles, which is well beyond visual range for
a normal model aircraft. Perhaps one of the 49 Mhz licenseless
frequencies, maybe just boosted a bit would provide telemetry to you. I
can't say that I know the output limit on those fequencies, so don't take
my word for it.
In one of the model magazines, Radio Control Modeler Magazine, there is an
advertisement for a group wanting folks to join, for air to ground
electronics.
Write to: Dave Ewen, P.O. Box 16629, Wichita, KS 67216. He also gives a
BBS: CCINK at (203) 871-1988. I am taking this from my August 1990
issue, and my more current magazines are at home, so this may be out of
date, but give it a try. They are using/interested in navigation,
telemetry, and control systems for radio control RPV electronics. This
should give you some neat contact for your projects.
Have fun,
Milt
=========================================================================
Opinions, thoughts, &cetera are my own (when I can remember them).
"He flies the sky KB7MSF
Like an Eagle in the eye UTAH
of a hurricane that's abandoned."
America
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End of Info-Hams Digest V93 #1479
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