Date: Wed, 2 Mar 94 19:39:11 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 V94 #227
To: Info-Hams
Info-Hams Digest Wed, 2 Mar 94 Volume 94 : Issue 227
Today's Topics:
5 by 5...
A transmission line loss question
BY hams imprisoned by PRC
Copying High-Speed CW: Print or Script?
CQ - magazine.
Hamblaster Update
IMPORTANT - June VHF QSO Party
JARGON
Jerk on 20 mtrs
NACEC - DISASTER VOLUNTEER Info.
Radio 20m Travel Radio
Suggestions for HF mobile?
Super Morse 4.10 is out!
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: Tue, 1 Mar 1994 21:48:54 GMT
From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!library.ucla.edu!csulb.edu!csus.edu!netcom.com!debmoore@network.ucsd.edu
Subject: 5 by 5...
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
Jeffrey D. Angus (jangus@skyld.grendel.com) wrote:
: In article <gregg.68.000DC24B@plains.nodak.edu> gregg@plains.nodak.edu writes:
: > Where did the phrase, "I read you five by five." come from and what does
: > it mean. I know it means good copy, but what specifically does it mean?
: > Does it come from the early days of radar, of ham radio, of military
: > aviation or what?
: It comes from the RST signal reporting system. (I'll let others flame
: each other as to its orginations.) The scales being R for readibility
: S for signal strength and T for tone. (We're speaking morse wireless
: here.) R is from 1 (not readable) to 5 (perfectably readable). S is
: from 1 (I can't hear it) to 9 (It's really loud) and T for for tone
: with 1 (rough AC buzz) to 9 (pure note).
: Of course, with the advent of phone (am and ssb) operation they dropped
: the tone report. And as most DXers will tell you, "You're 59 LA" doesn't
: have any bearing on received signal, but instead means, "I want a QSL
: card."
As a radio operator in the USMC in the early sixties, we used a scale of
1 - 5 for Signal Strength, hence 5x5. The military 2 1/2 ton truck was
known as a 6x6, so the "saltier" operators would say "I hear you like
a truck".
73's___Bob
--
=============================================================================
Bob Shilling Berkeley, CA debmoore@netcom.com
KK6QQ rcshilling@lbl.gov
DoD# 1195
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 1 Mar 1994 17:52:23 GMT
From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!sdd.hp.com!col.hp.com!news.dtc.hp.com!hplextra!hpcss01!markb@network.ucsd.edu
Subject: A transmission line loss question
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
Cut the cable to the shortest length. That will reduce the loss the most.
There is no reason to have the transmission line any particular length.
THis is an old wives tale.
Read the ARRL book Refelections if you are curious, or learn how
to use a SMITH chart.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 2 Mar 1994 03:01:54 GMT
From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!sdd.hp.com!portal!becker@network.ucsd.edu
Subject: BY hams imprisoned by PRC
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
I found this on the DX reflector, and post it here.
>
> MORE ON THE VOA STORY ABOUT "BY" OPS. Fred, K3ZO, who has just recently
> returned from Thailand where he operated as HS0ZAR, had doubts about the
> Voice of America (VOA) report that all BY hams have been rounded up and
> sent to labor camps. Fred stated he heard and worked plenty of BAs, BYs
> and BZs while in Thailand, so he decided to investigated the Voice of
> America broadcast and found the following information:
>
> Here is the exact VOA text, which was based on a news item that was on
> the REUTERS news wire on February 16th: "Police in China have cracked
> down on the country's largest group of amateur radio operators, and
> have sent three of the group's leaders to labor camps.
>
> The "Official China Business Times Today" (Wed. Fed. 16th) Identified
> the group as "Radio-Air-Salon", based in Henan Province (BY6). It said
> police have caught 61 members of the group -- which had effectively
> taken over some 27 radio channels.
>
> The report said Radio-Air-Salon members often interrupted regular
> broadcasts with their own conversations and illegally listened in on
> restricted frequencies. It said the use of technical equipment to
> create chaos in the airwaves is a new type of illegal activity.......
>
> Fred comments he has tried to work as many different Chinese stations
> as possible while he was in Thailand, but he never heard BY6. The ARRL
> reports that their information shows only one licensed amateur radio
> station in PRC, club station BY6SRA, licensed to the Shanxi Branch of
> the China Radio Sports Association (CRSA). CRSA is the IARU member
> society for China. Fred points out that the VOA broadcast only mentions
> that three members of one club were sent to "re-education camps", this
> is a far cry from "ALL BY's". This is a prime example of how RUMORS can
> spread like wildfires and blow things out of proportion Also, the press
> has often referred to all manners of radio hobbyists as "AMATEUR RADIO
> OPERATORS." The group of hobbyists mentioned in the broadcast may be
> engaging in SWL and CB type activities rather than actual amateur
> operations. Fred states such activities are widespread in Asia and has
> experienced pirate "CB" operations on the 40 meter band while operating
> from HS-land. So in summary, amateur radio is alive and well in PRC.
> Reports of activity this week by BY1QH on both 40 and 80 meters is
> proof. Also, Martti, OH2BH, was in Beijing recently and visited the
> operators and station of BY1PK. Martti stated things were just fine
> and no one is rounded up in the labor camps. As matter of fact, foreign
> operators may be licensed in PRC soon. (TNX to K3ZO, N8II and OH2BH)
> ----------------------------
> Tedd Mirgliotta KB8NW
> InterNet: kb8nw@barf80.nshore.org
> Basic Amateur Radio Frequency BBS (BARF-80) +1 216/237-8208
> "Totally devoted to Amateur Radio" - 24 Hrs a day 8/N/1 14.4k-300 baud
>
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 1 Mar 1994 18:01:43 GMT
From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!news.cac.psu.edu!news.pop.psu.edu!ra!usenet@network.ucsd.edu
Subject: Copying High-Speed CW: Print or Script?
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
In article <CLwrFv.M1o@odin.corp.sgi.com> adams@chuck.dallas.sgi.com
(Charles Adams) writes:
>
> 1. Many complain about their penmanship. Looks like to me you can kill
> two birds with one stone. Get a book on penmanship (they still
> write those don't they?). Find the best style to copy and work on
> penmanship at the same time.
>
> 2. Start with cursive, don't DON'T print.
>
> 3. Practice not dotting i's and j's and don't cross the t's.
> This will come in handy later at higher speeds.
>
> [the rest deleted]
Good advice. I started to use cursive at about 10 wpm because I knew
that as I approached higher speeds, printing would become a `bottleneck.'
I have very neat penmanship (I spent a few years in Catholic school),
but it really goes to hell at my current limit of 20 wpm+. This kind of
bothers me, as I have always taken pride in my penmanship.
But here's a curious thing... now *cursive* is becoming a bottleneck,
and the main reason is the lower case letter `m.' I can't write it fast
enough. (Three humps in a row!) I can follow along at 20 wpm fairly
well, but when I hit the letter `m,' I often stumble and miss the rest of
the word. What to do? Suggestions.
And another question about Morse code... Has anyone taken any of the
Morse code tests for a FCC radiotelegraph license? If so, what method of
copying do the examiners allow? Is it strictly by hand (pencil and
paper), or can you use a keyboard? For the second class license you must
be able to copy plain English at 25 wpm, which is kind of fast for pencil
and paper. (Well, too fast for me at least.)
-Dave
--
David Drumheller, KA3QBQ phone: (202) 767-3524
Acoustics Division, Code 7140 fax: (202) 404-7732
Naval Research Laboratory
Washington, DC 20375-5350 e-mail: drumhell@claudette.nrl.navy.mil
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 01 Mar 1994 23:07:54 EST
From: murky.apple.com!mumbo.apple.com!Joe_Behar%magic-bbs.corp.apple.com@decwrl.dec.com
Subject: CQ - magazine.
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
The addres is
CQ Communications, Inc.
76 North Broadway
Hicksville, NY 11801-2953 USA
Joe
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 1 Mar 1994 14:38:29 GMT
From: amiserv!vpnet!tellab5!jwa@uunet.uu.net
Subject: Hamblaster Update
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
2-15-94
I hope that this will clear up a few questions about
the Hamblaster.
Disclaimer
This IS NOT an ad. The Hamblaster is not a product
that's being sold to amateurs or any other group.
It's a 3 year effort by myself and Will Torgrim N9PEA.
We have been doing this as a hobby, hopefully, to
improve Amateur radio.
Finely, the development cost thousands of dollars
and we haven't earned a single penny for our efforts.
We have considered the possibility of making the PC boards
available and a "hard to get parts kit" but there is a
support issue that needs to be resolved.
The Hamblaster is not a software package. It requires a
special sound card that uses a Texas Instruments TMS320C25
DSP to run filters or audio demodulators. It can interface
to a TNC via a TTL digital port and replace the TNC's poor
filtering.
It's not compatible with other sound cards but it can
co-exist with them. I use my Soundblaster Pro and Hamblaster
together. I can, for example, run a filter on the the Hamblaster,
connect it's output the Soundblaster and record a CW signal using
the SB software under the Windows environment.
New Developements
1) Adaptive (LMS) filter
We now have an operational adaptive filter. It converges
on and filters out continuous tones. Last night I was
copying SB on 40 meters and I transmitted an interfering
signal using a Kenwood TS440 and a dummy load. The
heterodyne was so strong that it was almost impossible to
copy the QSO. I connected the receiver's headphone output
to the Hamblaster and loaded the LMS filter. I then turned
off the computer.
The heterodyne was completely removed ad I was able copy
voice clearly with no interference. The was some background
but it wasn't objectionable.
There will be some controls added to the LMS filter that will
allow you to adjust the delay, filter taps and noise floor. I'll
keep you posted!
---
Jack Albert WA9FVP Fellow Radio Hacker
Tele (708) 378-6201
Tellabs Operations, Inc. FAX (708) 378-6721
1000 Remington Blvd. jwa@tellabs.com
Bolingbrook, IL 60440
------------------------------
Date: 2 Mar 94 15:26:30 GMT
From: news-mail-gateway@ucsd.edu
Subject: IMPORTANT - June VHF QSO Party
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
WARNING: The date for the annual ARRL June VHF QSO party is changed for 1994!
Yes, that is correct. For what seems like forever, the ARRL June VHF QSO
Party has been on the second weekend of June each year. This year, the ARRL
has scheduled it for the *first* weekend in June. Yes, the ARRL moved the
single largest annual VHF/UHF operating event in the world from its traditional
date. Had you already planned for the second weekend? Am I the first one to
bring this date change to your attention? Are you saying "Oh no!" as you
realize that you'd blocked out the second weekend of June as usual, and cannot
or might not be able to rearrange things for the first weekend of June this
year? What happened? What can you do?
First, here is what happened. The ARRL scheduled their National Convention in
Arlington, Texas, for the VHF contest's traditional second weekend in June.
It took me a while to discover when the ARRL did this: it was the January 1992
annual meeting of the Board of Directors, reported in March 1992 QST. (My eyes
are still recovering from poring over the tiny type used for printing ARRL
meeting minutes.) I never saw a mention of the date change anywhere else in
QST until I decided to look through the 1994 ARRL calendar from January 1994
QST.
What can you do about it? I wrote to Dave Sumner K1ZZ, Executive Vice President
of the ARRL. I told him just what the date change means to the club I'm in, the
Wellesley (Mass.) Amateur Radio Society. We've already lost three key members
of our team, including the organizer of the event (me), due to schedule
conflicts with the first weekend in June. All three had set aside the second
weekend in June as usual. A date one just one week earlier makes for a very
real risk of snow on New England mountaintops, which might put us at risk for
getting access to the privately-owned mountaintop in FN33 that we've used for
years. I don't think the Wellesley club is alone in being seriously affected by
this date change, and I told Mr. Sumner this. I explained my astonishment that
the ARRL would allow the June VHF QSO Party, a very significant operating event,
to be moved from its traditional date. I shared my puzzlement at why the ARRL
would move the biggest VHF contest in a time they are actively encouraging more
and more VHF/UHF activity. I wondered aloud if the ARRL would ever have moved
Field Day! Finally, I asked Mr. Sumner to MOVE THE 1994 CONTEST BACK TO THE
SECOND WEEKEND IN JUNE!
If you have problems with the date change for the June VHF QSO Party, if you
think that the dates of major ham radio events shouldn't be tampered with, or
if you just plain don't like this, then now is the time to take action. Fire
up your computer, your pen and paper, or your typewriter, and write a short
note on the back of your QSL card or a long letter explaining what you think
and ask for the 1994 date to be put back to the second weekend in June. Mail
it to Dave Sumner at ARRL at 225 Main Street, Newington, CT 06111-1494, or fax
it to ARRL at 203 665-7531. Send a copy of your note to your division director
and your section manager and ask for their support. We CAN make a difference!
The ARRL Board of Directors has the power to undo what they've done. We have
to show them that it's important to do just that!
73,
Scott WO1G
==============
Scott Sminkey email: sasminkey@eng.xyplex.com
Software Sustaining Engineering voice: 508 952-4792
Xyplex, Inc. fax: 508 952-4887
295 Foster St. (Opinions, comments, etc. are mine,
Littleton, MA 01460 not Xyplex's...)
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 01 Mar 1994 14:56:34 -0500
From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!agate!dog.ee.lbl.gov!hellgate.utah.edu!cc.usu.edu!sy_j.pgh.wec.com!user@network.ucsd.edu
Subject: JARGON
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
In article <199402282109.NAA17392@ucsd.edu>,
William=E.=Newkirk%Pubs%GenAv.Mlb@ns14.cca.CR.rockwell.COM wrote:
> >use...it's XYL and it stands for ex young lady....(which I take great
> >offense to as a deragatory remark (I am not an "XYL" because I am only 22
> >years old! :-) ) The term is used to refer to one's wife...(because most
>
is there a list of jargon and their meanings used by hams on 2m/440,
terms like
destinated
very good
fine business
73s
Jerry N3RKD
------------------------------
Date: 1 Mar 1994 17:07:58 GMT
From: swrinde!gatech!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!news.umbc.edu!eff!news.kei.com!yeshua.marcam.com!charnel!olivea!koriel!lll-winken.llnl.gov!fastrac.llnl.gov!osi-east2.es.net!cronkite.@@ihnp4.ucsd.edu
Subject: Jerk on 20 mtrs
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
-----------------
Greg Chartrand _/_/ _/_/ _/_/ _/_/
_/ _/ _/ _/ _/
_/ _/_/_/ _/_/_/ _/_/_/ _/ _/_/_/
_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/
_/_/_/ _/ _/ _/_/_/ _/_/_/
------------------------------
Date: 1 Mar 94 07:26:19
From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!swrinde!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!ncar!csn!news.usafa.af.mil!usafa2!jcmiller@network.ucsd.edu
Subject: NACEC - DISASTER VOLUNTEER Info.
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
In article <1994Feb28.120042.22852@walter.cray.com> rps@cray.com (Russell P. Starksen) writes:
===================== cut here =======================
INTERNET.TST
FEBRUARY 14, 1994
ATTN: DISASTER VOLUNTEERS & MILITARY FAMILIES!!!
Our group is looking for volunteers to help expand our project
nationwide! I have heard many things about Internet and have
posted this message to see if there is anyone on the system that
wants to help.. Please take a few minutes and read this bulletin.
If you would like more information or wish to help, get in touch
with me. I hope you find these 3 pages of information of interest.
Mr. Edward E. Addy
President, NACEC
W H A T I S N A C E C ?
NACEC is an acronym for "The North American Center for Emergency
Communications". NACEC is not a radio club. It is a hybrid non-
profit humanitarian organization. It was started under the name
"Global Voices Project" on July 9th of 1992 and incorporated in
Minnesota on January 8th 1993 for the purpose of improving the
efficiency of other non-profit humanitarian organizations during
their disaster aid and relief operations, throughout North America.
NACEC also provides health and welfare communications assistance
between members of the U.S. Armed Forces serving overseas and their
families here at home.
The projects name was changed to The North American Center for
Emergency Communications, (NACEC) by unanimous vote of The Board of
Directors in August of 1993 to more closely reflect the projects
mission and purpose.
W H Y W A S N A C E C F O R M E D ?
NACEC's mission is to provide communications support to aid
disaster victims and Military Families. NACEC was formed for one
basic purpose "To reduce deaths and the amount of human suffering,
through the development and implementation of an organization which
can rapidly provide emergency communications.
(much deleted)
This is very interesting. Sounds like a mirror image of MARS, ARES, RACES,
and NTS rolled into one. I wonder what functions those organizations fail
to fulfill that this new organization seeks to do.
I also find it curious that Mr. Addy makes no mention of a callsign.
73 from sunny (truly!) Colorado Springs,
Jeff
--
Jeff Miller, NH6ZW/N0, AFA1HE/5 (for now) (ex WD6CQV, AFA8JM, AFA1DO)
USAFAnet Manager and General Troubleshooter [jcmiller@gems.usafa.af.mil] or
HQ USAF/DFYC, USAF Academy, CO 80840 [millerjc%dfyc@dfmail.usafa.af.mil]
55: It's not a good idea, it's just the law. E-mail for NMA info.
------------------------------
Date: 1 Mar 94 17:59:21 GMT
From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!library.ucla.edu!psgrain!news.tek.com!gvgpsa.gvg.tek.com!gold.gvg.tek.com!gvgadg.gvg.tek.com!groverc@network.ucsd.edu
Subject: Radio 20m Travel Radio
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
I came across the advertisment for the RadioKit 20 meter "Travel Radio"
and would like to hear fromanyone who had the experience of either
building or operating same.
Grover
WT6P
------------------------------
Date: 1 Mar 1994 15:11:38 GMT
From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!math.ohio-state.edu!news.acns.nwu.edu!casbah.acns.nwu.edu!rdewan@network.ucsd.edu
Subject: Suggestions for HF mobile?
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
In article <762473724snz@g8sjp.demon.co.uk>,
Iain Philipps <ip@g8sjp.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>Folks,
>
>While I have now been fiddling around with radios of one sort or
>another for over 20 years, I have yet to try working mobile (and
>this means actually 'on the move') from a car. I have a rig which
>I can use - and IC 726, and reckon that 100W should be fun.
>
>What I'm looking for are suggestions as to which bands would be
>more appropriate to maintain reliable communication between my
>car and a fixed station at between 200 and 1000 miles range during
>this coming summer (in Europe).
I use a Kenwood TS50 in the car while driving. I highly recommend
the 30m band. At least here in US, the band is open all day and
it is easy to strike up a qso without too much trouble. For a while
I owned a whip with an auto tuner that could tune the whip to
any segment of 10m-80m bands. I found that I spent most of my time
on the 30m band. So I sold that antenna setup and decided on tuner-less
operation.
>I notice that the local store has a nice selection of single-band
>centre (oops center) loaded whip antennae, and I wouldn't mind
>buying one or two of those, if appropriate. I'm planning to mount
>whatever antenna on directly on the (fairly large and elevated)
>roof of my car.
>
>Ideas?
I do not know of the kind available in UK, but Hustler is a popular
band in US. Some one had reported results of a field strength study
of mobile antennas and they found that a brand called `Texas Bug Catcher'
by GLA Systems out performed others by quite a margin. I am currently
using a loaned copy of the bugcatcher by another company. I am quite
pleased with it.
BTW, the version I have now is a small one and so it only goes down to
20m. :( Look for me on 20m at about 1430z and 2330Z.
Rajiv dit l dit
aa9ch l
r-dewan@nwu.edu ******************** =
* rajiv aa9ch/m * =
* r-dewan @nwu.edu * l
* iambic cmos super2 * l
********* kwd ts50 tx bugcatcher * l
* *l
* *** *** *H
* * * * * *H
base* *kenwd850*vert*80mloop* *kent**
*** ***
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 1 Mar 1994 18:22:00 GMT
From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!library.ucla.edu!csulb.edu!csus.edu!netcom.com!wy1z@network.ucsd.edu
Subject: Super Morse 4.10 is out!
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
You can grab a copy via anonymous FTP on World:
ftp ftp.std.com:/pub/hamradio/pc/theory-and-morse
Scott
--
===============================================================================
| Scott Ehrlich Internet: wy1z@neu.edu BITNET: wy1z@NUHUB |
| Amateur Radio: wy1z AX.25: wy1z@k1ugm.ma.usa.na |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Maintainer of the Boston Amateur Radio Club hamradio FTP area on |
| the World - ftp.std.com pub/hamradio |
===============================================================================
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 2 Mar 1994 04:37:48 GMT
From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!gatech!wa4mei.ping.com!ke4zv!gary@network.ucsd.edu
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
References <2kjnai$1if8@st6000.sct.edu>, <1994Feb28.172658.10610@kocrsv01.delcoelect.com>, <2kvt4j$37b@bigfoot.wustl.edu>
Reply-To : gary@ke4zv.atl.ga.us (Gary Coffman)
Subject : Re: Getting Coax Seal OFF?
In article <2kvt4j$37b@bigfoot.wustl.edu> jlw3@cec3.wustl.edu (Jesse L Wei) writes:
>This *really* digresses from radio, but most solvents kill anything
>(including people) pretty well--kills grass, animals, plants, people. . .
Yeah, great stuff. Don't tell the tree-huggers, they'll try to get them
banned. :-(
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 | |
------------------------------
End of Info-Hams Digest V94 #227
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