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03 March 1990 PDF

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
889 views92 pages

03 March 1990 PDF

Uploaded by

Bruno Melandri
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Number 1 on yo ur Feed back card
A youngster with a growing interest working on 73 MagaZine with you if
would be distressed by his first look at things work out. A summer with 73
LETTERS 73, Equipm en t co st ing multi-thou-
sands, TV , microwave , satellites,
would certainly expand my horizons
even furthe r.
strange terms like "packet"-I think Also , l have been thinking about how
From the Hemsneck I can represent 730n the West Coast I
he would be as overwhelmed as I was.
How about a column lor the tyro ham, bel ieve that one of the keys to success-
Any Philosophers nothing which commands my interest. to-be? l ist the ham bands, the W'NV ful representation will be keeping 73
What inducement is there for me to
on the Air? pursu e learni ng M orse code? By
schedule, the license classes. InClude
some build-your-own equipment, how-
informed about the ham radio activities
occuring inthe area. ' also feel that as a
I can 't say how much I enjoyed your changing the oulmoded ucense philos- to operate articles, even some theory. member 01the future generation of am-
" Never Say Die" editorial in the De- ophy,let tho se who wiSh to use code , Above all , include supplie rs for basic ateur radio, I can help playa key roll in
cember issue. I'm one 01 those mem- use it. Let those who would add a touch components. the promotion of our hobby to others
bers in an old lart radio club and you of new blood to the ham sector obtain Anyhow, I' m sure I'll buy more is- my age, especially through the schools
sure identified us in a hurry. access to the system without learning sues of 73. Maybe my perspective on and involvement in community events .
I'm signing your pledge into my log the code. You are turning your backs hi-tech ama teur radio will change , As a local official of the ARRL,' paruo-
as of today. I've been a ham for about on the profession als who could easil y Thomas L. Francis pate in a forum of ham radio ideas with
15 years and my greatest disappoint- pass a test and be brilliant operators. Leonard TX ot he r ARRL and A RE S officials,
ment is that I can't seem \0 get the Why are t here so man y di fferen t sharing these ideas for the promotion
average guy to talk about anything but grades of licenses? • thought discrim i- and en hancement of amateur radio
his rigs and the weather . In fact , I don', nation went out with busing. In comput-
get on much lately since it is so boring. er communications, I can talk 10 the From the and public service operations. These
ideas, while they are for the most part
Sure wish there was a philosopher's
net. I'd start it myself, but I don', know
bricklayer and the PH ,D. The most
modest user is able to access the most
Pacific Northwest originated in the Northwest, are ideas
I was shoc ked when I walked into the that could appty to the entire country. I
anything about philosophy. exalted sections 01 the network . We ollice of South Albany High School the see this as the final key to successful
Ken Hoffer W82U MQ are not licensed nor rest ric t ed by other day-as part of a new program, representation of both amateur radio
Holly NJ status, These systems are also under they were looking for amateur radio op- and 73 Magazine,
the FCC rule, yet we have very few erators and people with electronics ex- Jason Conolly N71ME
problems with abuse.
Forbidden Topics While trying to attain in formation on
perience to help in the school! I'm still
working on getting both myself and our
Albany OR
In addition 10 banishing from the en- amateur radio, I've run into nothing but local ARC involved in the project. What Jason ... Well, we certainly have plen-
waves all c o mme nts con cerning high emotions sheltering a very anti -
weather and rig. I would include the a way to promote both education AND ty for you to do if you can make ill
quated hobby. I' ve attended a ham ra- amateur radio! How about drumming up an article
following topics: dio club meeting, and tal ked to the Also, in the Pacific Northwest, the on the packet-operated telescope ?
1. tnformation on what you 've just women in attend ance. I found many of PNW (packet network) is changing its That'd make a great piece. Nol only
eaten , you 're about to eat , or will eat in them were licensed, but that they had structure from a bi-layer (144 MHz for would it be interesting, but it would
the near future ; no interest in using their right due to users, 220 MHz lor backbone) system help our case with the FCC to have that
2. Details concerning medical prob- the reasons presented above. I talked
lems. either past , present or futu re, in- to a mo re efficient and reliable " stag- in print. And it might even gel some
to a scholarly f riend who has a receiver gered" system. Nodes are split into other groups to come up with other
volving yourself , spouse, relative , and has listened to ham discussions groups of three or fou r, with the group good packet applications, .. Wayne
friend. or the family dog; over the years. and he claims he finds
3. Any references to, or chron icling backbone on 220 or 440 MHz. The
nothing on the bands to command h is staggered groups are then linked with
of , you r incredibly tr ivial, mundane, interest to the point where he would one total network bac kbone (connect-
and totally boring dai ly activities, which
are of absolutely no interest to any oth-
pursue a license.
Unda LA Dush
ing the group to the entire PNW net- The Basics, Again
er living human being; work) instead of the original rnree or • look forward to rea ding you r
Lundhurst OH 44124 four. magazine each month, You r editorials ,
4 , And, while mobile, any eval uation
of current driving conditions , identifica- Many BBS stations are upgrading to for the most part, are right on . The Oc-
tion of locat ion andlor direction of trav- include conferencing systems so pack- tober issue especially hit home . lawn
el, or description in any form whatsoev- 73 Doesn 't eteers can talk without muu-cormects. an electronics shop and deal with not
A ham in the Salem, OR area (SALE M only ham operators , but other " techni-
er of your tatest shopping adventure.
Craig Dible KB6LAK
WastePaper node), has installed a BBS system thaI cians" every day. When you say only
Just a short note 10 say how I am stores and retransmits messages by 2% are qualified, you are absolutely
Marina del Rey CA pleased with 73 Magazine. What • like voice ove r a voice repeater to a retrie v- right! Most hams I know are not even
are technical, how-to, build-it-you rself ing station. The receiv ing station sim- technically qualified to install a PL-259
articles. I like 73 because it doesn't
Buy it waste paper on con tests. Not everyone
ply " dials in " a touch-tone sequence
with his handheld, and his messages
connector on a piece of coa xial cable;
some of them don't even know the dil-
Sight Unseen? is into con testing. I am into build ing
and e xp erimenting , especially in
are "read" to him overthe air. Perhaps terencee between UHF, BNC, and N
I am being encouraged to write you, someone will eventually expand it to con nectors. They are not stupid peo-
as I'm told you'd be interested in my microwave. Your magazine gives me allow voice messages to be forwarded ple, just uneducated.
non ham observations. I am a Systems vast information and ideas! Just what a to packet . . . It's tima to get back tcthe BASICS 01
Operator with The Cleveland Free-Net, magazine (a good one , at least) should In Veronia, Oregon , a radio astrono- what the hobby is about so that these
heading the Literary Special Interest accomplish. Keep up the good work. my group is constructing a 24" tele- people know what is going on. Perhaps
Group. This compu ter open access Also, I enjoy Mr. Green's editorials. scope that will be remotely controlled a series of short articles (which I would
communication system is free to its six I agree with most of them. especially by packet. A user will send times and gladly write) about simple electronics
thousand plus registered users. the one damn ing CQ's attack on the coordinates for a photo to the sight via theory pertaining to amateur radio are
How is one to seam what ham rad io AR RL. packet, and a local computer will can, in order. I believe that most construc-
has to offer if they are unable to access Floyd Cureton KB71N M trot the telescope, take the requested tion articles in the magazines today are
it without a license? I've spoke n to sev- Winslow AZ. photo with a digital ceo camera, and ignored largely because the readers
eral people who are high ranking li- send the user a packet-encoded video have no conce pt of how to begin! No-
cense holders. They tell me ther e are picture in 16 levels of gray scale, as body ever told them the dillerence be-
areas which Offer cultural exchanges, Overwhelmed well as further magn ification (at about tween Capacitors, resistors, inductors,
yet without complex equipment, I am • recently pic ked up a cop y of your the 14th m agnitude) and enhance- and soon.
unable even to listen. It seems to me I July 73, the lirst amateur publication ment. Various manufacturers have do- So how about doing the beginning
am expected to buy something sight I've read since the early '50s, I was an nated equipment, and UCLA students hams and the cic-nmers alike a favor
unseen. active exp erimenter and near-ham have helped write the software to run by leaving out one article on packet
Only in the last six months have I back then. I've since retired trom engi- the system. radio or fang Ie-bob ragtail antennas
become acquainted with amateur ra- neering, and I lind my interest in Old I've been try ing to work out my sum- and replacing it with something basic
dlc.I've spent many hours listening to hobbies-radio and photography- mer schedule for 1990. I am still inter- to chew on?
on-the-air conversations on the exorbi- growing , The July za cverwnetms me. ested in the poss ibility of spending Bob Minton NU7l
tant equipment of a friend. I've heard This is not the ham radio I remember! several mont hs in New Hampshire Boise 10 63705

2 73 Ama leur Radio . M arch ,1 990


MARCH 1990
THETEAM AMATEUR Issue #354
PUBUSHINGSTAFF
Wayne Green W2NSO/l
JIl'n MomssettKGMHfl
RADIO
EDITORIAL STAFF
Wayne Green W2NSOI1
JimMorrissen K6 MH/l
Hope Currier TABLE OF CONTENTS
Linda Reneau KAl UKM
Joyce Sawtel le
Mike Nugent WB8GlQ FEATURES REVIEWS DEPARTMENTS
Arnie Jotlnson N1BAC
David Cowhig WA1LBP 10 GiveaLihtoYourARC 32 Uniden HR·2600 58 Above and Beyond
Mike Bryce WB8VGE SACAR- BaUoon Carrying A beauty of a mobile rig! .. . WA 1R 72 Ad Indell
Amateur RadiO ZS6AKV 38 Elenco M1900 Digital Multimeter 85 Ask Kaboom
BdI Brown WBaELK "ATV
MdIael Geier KB1UM 11 OSCARs in the Classroom Advanced features you can afford.
62 Barter 'n' Buy
JimGrayW1XU/7 Young students learn about space . . . . ........... . . . ... WB9RRT 30 Circuits
Chuck HotIghlon WB6IGP and amateur rad io N81WJ 88 deK6MH
Dr. MarcleaveyWA3AJR 19 Jamboree Radio 46 Dealer Directory
WBSA, K2BSA : Ham Scouts hillhe BOOK REVIEW 54 OX
Bnan I.Jl¥l WB6AON
Be bands WB4 BNU 17 Feedback Indell
Andy MacAllister W"SZIB 44 Heil Ham Radio Handbook 50 Ham Help
20 Time Division Multiplex
Joe Moe8 KIOV Abounding in good ideas. 17 Ham Profiles
Bill PasternakWA61TF More mcre-wit h-jessinq . . . W4TAl 9 Hamsats
.. . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . N4RVE
A ~iss Thompson W7XU
28 Service Survey 52 Homing In
Bob WinnWSKNE Get good service for ailing rig s. 72 Index: 3/90
. . . . . .. , WB6N OA 2 Letter•
ADVERTISING STAFF 40 Phase 1II Hamsat Signal 4 Never Say Die
Ed VerDin 70 New Products
Reporting
JimBa~KA1TGA 56 Packet Talk
What does "59" mean? . W3l0Y 88 Propagation
Lsa Nerrea
68 QRP
Donna DiRusso 7 QRX
l -wJ.-525--4201 HOME-BREW 61 RTTYloop
1-600-225-5063 12 Extending the Range of the 73 731ntematlonal
50 Special Events
PRODucnON 51AFF Ramsey HR-4 86 Uncle Wayne'.
Wiliam HeydoIph ... for less lhan $4 NaKDD Boo«shelf
Alice SCofteid 14 The UNI-8 Porta-Power Adapter
SusanAllen Power from a variety of sources. FEED8AO'; .••
Linda Drew ........ .... . . . ... . . . ... W3AW FEEDBACK!
Viki Van veien If < lile being lht'rt'-
25 Ground Rules of RF Bu ild ing
righl ht'rc in nil' offi<'es!
Ruth Benedict Valuable guidelines for PC board How? Jusl LiI!;e .,hanLilge
Dale Williams RF ci rcuitry WB4EH$ of our FEEDBACK card
Peri Adams 36 The Secret 01 the Accessory on page 17. You 'lIlklt~
a feed back nllmbe. at
DanCroleau Plug. the bellinninl of eadl
CIRCULATION STAFF Xcvr to PA-getting the right drive a n idcand oolum n . We "d

-""
like y<JU !<""IC ..hal you
level. W6YUY WEBERSA T and five other Hamsats are read .. !hal _ con prilll
Janel Lafountaine 48 The Dual-Band "J " Antenna now in orbit and on the air! 101\aI1ype> of lhinp)'Oll

Tosubscnbe:1-800-289-0388 Outstanding mobile or base stalion lil e bal . And !hen we


..,11 dq ont f ecdl»ck
antenna for 146 and 220 MHz. Cover by Alice Scofield
8US1NESSSTAFF card. ........tl for .
. .. . . ............ .... .. W6YUY Photo courtesy anerespece. inc. frtt sub!.cnpl>OrllO 7J _
TimPe/key
JerryBeRerose
1-603-525-4201/FAX 4423 Manuscript. Con tnbuboos in lhe Iofm 01 manuscripts WIth drawiflg$ and/or pho{ographa are welcome
and wi ll bot con sidered for possible publ,cation. We can assume 00 responsibility Iof Iosa or damage to
Editorial Offices any material. Please enclose a stamped. seu-aodressed enva lope w;th each submission Paymenl lor the
WGECenter use of any unllOliciled material will be made upon publication. A Pfemium will be pa id for accepted erncres
Editorial Office. that have been submitted electronically rccrncuse-ve ppn 70310.775 or MCt Mail " WGEPUS " or GEnie
Forest Road,Hancock NH 03449 war ceoe- address " MAG73" ) or on disk as an ISM-<:ompati ble ASCII tile. You can also contact us at the 73 eSS at
603-5254201 Hancock NH 03449 (603) 525·4438 . 300 or 1200 baud, 8 data bits, no parily. one slop bit. All conlributions sho uld be dir ecled
phone: 603 ·52 5-4201 tctne 73 ed'torial offices, " How 10 Write'or 13" guidelines are available upon request. US citizens must
Subscription Services include their SOCial security number with submitted manuscripts.
'-800-289-OJ8Il
ColoradolForeign Subscribers 13 Am.'"ur RM1Io (ISSN 0889-5309) is published monlhly WOE Publishing. Inc ., WOE cersee.
Forest Road . Hancock . New Hampsh",,03«9, Entire conten" 1990 byWGE PublIShing. Inc . Noparl
caJl l ~7-9330 Advertislng Office. of lhis pu bliclltl(ll'l may be re produced WIthout written parmis.sion Irom the publisher. For Subscription
WO E Centar Services write 13 Amateur RMlio . PO eox 58866. Bouldar. CO 80322-8866. or call l.3Ol).289-0388. In
Wayne Green Enterprises is adivision Hancock NH 034(9 CO caN1·303 4 47-9330. The s.ubscnploon nile is: one year $24 ,97 ; twoyeal'$$3997. Add,lionaI postage
oIlnlematlOl'lal Data Group. phone: 8QO.22S-5083 IorCanadl is $7.00 and Iorolher Ioreogn countries . $19.00 lIUrlace and $37 .00 a,rmatl peryear. Alloreign
~nls: The fifsllXlPY 01 an article ordef's must bot aoc:ompanHld by payTfXtM is US lund$ S«.ond class po$l"9" pal(! 8'
Hancock. New
Hampsh.. e and at additional mai lIng ofIlCllS , Canadaan secood class mail regi stra bOn number 9566.
$3.00 (each additional copy-Sl .50), Microf,Im Ed,toon-lJniver$ity Microlilm. Ann Arbor. MI 48106. Poslmaster. send address changes to 13
Wnte to 13 Amateur Radio t.lagaMe . Amar_ Radio. PO eox 58866. Boulder, CO 80322-8866.
WGE ceme. Forest Road, Hancock, Cin::ulation Offieflc
WO ECenler COntract: No! all viruses are bad , When your linger s touch \1l's page. the unique DNA 01your own strain
NH03449. Hancoc k NH 03449 0' me amateur radio virus may easily combine with the Iatenl AA virus in the pages of this magazine to
phone : 603-525-4201 produce a new strain which could do a 101 01good if you pass this magazine around and infect a rew others.

73 Amateur Radio • March, 1990 3


Number 2 on you r Feedback card
your newsletter will be packed
with interesting local news . This
could lead to mo re interesting
meetings, with show and ten ses-
sions on home cons tr uction,
SSTV, RTTY, packet and soon.
Don't forget to make a big deal
out of the club Novice and Gener-
al classes. An interesting news-
NEVER SA Y DIE letter will help bring youngsters
to your meetings and classes . If
Wayne Green W2 NSDIl you cover what your club mem-
bers are doing, you'll start com-
municating the fun of amateur ra-
dio and you' ll grab ne wcomer
interest.
The newsletter, if spread
Desktop Publishi ng profit, which isn't bad. Of course a I get hundreds of club newslet- around, will help build your club
Revisited hundred thousand a year doesn't ters every month. Some are very membership .. . and wi ll get us
The Macintosh publishing sys- go very far these days, so perhaps nice looking, some are awful. Dis- more hams. See that some copies
tem is so good (and getting better) it isn't worth thinking abo ut. If appointingly few are interesting to get on the bulletin boards in your
that r expect it to eventually re- you're near a big city you could read. One of the secrets of suc- local high schools. Get your
place the $500 ,000 Bedford com- generate ten times as much rev- cessful publishing is to be inter- nearest Radio Shack to give ' em
posing system we're using to do enue, which almost starts to get esting. It' s the same sec ret as away. You might even get your
73 Magazine. When you consider interesting. Think of it like a pub- talking on the air ... you have to Radio Shack to adve rtise and at
that the Bedford has been the lishing franchise. be interesti ng. least cover the cost of these free
most advanced of professional If you're interested enough in l et's see, you 've done a piece copies.
composing systems for the last making money to start a sma ll on the last meeting and one on the Have a couple of club members
five years , that's saying a lot! And business and actually work hard next. What else can you write? Put check out the CB and HF chan-
here it is be ing replaced by a lor it. .. and you can get your on your investigative reporter hat nels for new blood. The newsletter
relatively inexpensive home com- hands on the $10,000 it takes to and grab you r mi ke. Unless your cou ld wean them from CBing into
puter. get it started . . . ask me for further club has alienated every active lo- hamming . .. perhaps even before
So what does this mean to you? details. cal ham, you probably have at they learn to talk like Southern
That depends on how much drive How come I' m not just giving least one member who's into OX- truck drivers.
you have. For about half the price t his mi llion-dollar idea away? ing . Okay, what new OX has he Get copies to your local Boy
of a good mininvan you can now Well, down through the years I've worked lately? Print some of his Scouts. The Boy Scouts need 'em
buy a complete publish ing sys- done just that several times. The best QS L cards .. . reduced in badly. I mentioned a few months
tem. I mentioned some ways to result has been a lot of hearty pats size, of course. ago that a lack of interest in ham-
make money with it in my recen t on the back at hamrests and Jet- Six meters is going absolutely ming has caused the Scouts to
editorial. If you 've ever consid- ters from readers thanking me berserk these days. It' s a band drop the ham merit badge.
ered setting up a small home part- profusely for putting them onto a with excitement almost every day. When your club president man-
time business, this is one to con- new business which is making Interview your six meter experts ages to corral an i nte rest ing
sider. them rich . Wh ile I enjoy hearing and get some of their passion into speaker be sure to write it up in the
I'll tell you what. If you'll put me these success stories, they don't your newsletter. newsleller. Most c lubs which
down for 5% of your profits, I'll tell warm my heart quite as much as You certainly have plenty of have invited me to talk have set-
you about a completely new pub- some added revenue streams packeteers . Get an article fro m tled for a simple newsletter men-
liShing business I've though t of. would. Oh , I won't waste the mo n- 'em on how easy it is to get on tion that I'll be talking. I can't think
It 's brand new , as far as J know. ey ... 1' 11 spend it starting new packet. . . exactly ho w to make of on e club newsleller editor
And It's desperately needed. It's businesses and giving employ- their first contact ... and why who's written or called asking for a
just that no one has thought of it ment to more people ... as I al- they're having so much fun with it. oro and what I would be talking
before. To be fair , it probably ways have. Talk with 10m Novice packeteers. about. I' ll bet you do the same to
wouldn't be a part-time business Talk with packet DXers. Talk with your speakers, thus cutting your
in most parts of the country. Rev- Now, How To 2m packet ops . Then write. meeting attendance. This helps to
enues should run a minimum of Build Your Ham Club The re must be at least one re- discourage members from bother-
$500,000 a year and the start-up Once you've bought a Mac pub- maining club member who is ing to renew their membership.
cost of the business would proba- lishing system you can get some bui lding stuff ... even if it's Heath If you don't have club members
bly be under $10,000. It could excellent practice using it to put or Ramsey kits. Get pictures and a to tap for news of specific ham
even be half that, if you have ou t your ham club newsletter. This story. interests, then look for some non-
someone nearby with a good laser is a smart start , even if you plan to Set up your active club mem- members and get them to give you
printer you can use . You should build a business with it. It takes bers to give you monthly activity news . It might even get them inter-
be able to clear at least a 20% time to learn how to use a comput- reports on 6m, DXing in general, ested in the club.
er ... even a Macintosh. 75m DXing, 10m action, SSTV, H ave you any artists in the
l et' s say you 've volunteered to RTTY , packet, OSCAR, traffic net club? Cartoonists? Get 'em 10
do your ham club news let- activity, emergency nets, special hetp illustrate the newsletter. It' s
ter ... now what? What are you interest net news, visi ting OX easy to scan artwork into the Mac.
going to put into it? How can you hams, 2m repeater action, other Wouldn't you be interested to
use it to help build club member- VHFfUHF news, Field Day plans, know what your local hams are

0_. Ship and meeting attendance?


How can you use it to generate
contests, certificate hunting, etc.
You 've got all sorts of news
working via OSCAR? Who they 've
worked 01 interest on packet?
more hams i n your area? To sources right there in your area if I suggested a couple 01 months
attract mo re youngsters to our you take the time to look . . . and ago that it was almost time to
hobby? ask. Once you get 'em started, Continued on p. 76

4 73 Amateur Radio • March , 1990


Number 3 on your Feedb. ek c.rd

RX. • • ED ITED B Y JIM BAIL KA 1TGA

cides with another major amateur radio gath- encased in an epoxy, silicon-coated shell. In-

Hams Win Sil OSCARs ering .. . the 1990 ARRL National Convention
in Kansas City, Missouri (June 8-9).
formation is sent via telemetry to a receiving
coil in the user's T-shi rt, which in turn is wired
S ix ne w amateur s a te llit e s we re One of the prime objectives of both mis- to a computer.
launched on schedule Monday morning , sions is school participation . The ARR L and Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory
January 21 (0 1:36 UTC) following a one-day NASA will provide teaching aids to interested in Laurel, Marytand , has developed the unit,
de lay because 01 bad weather at Kourou. schools. In add ition, a Teleconference Radio funded by NASA, with input from physicians,
French Gu iana. AMSAT·NA President, Doug Net to feed most ama teur repeater stations in military personnel, and other interested re-
Loughmiller KOSI said tha i the successful the United States is also planned. The re- searchers. Russel Eberh art, program man-
launch is a land mark for the Amateur Space peaters will pe rmit easy access to schools and ager for the proj ect, indicated that his team is
Program because in this one mission , more the you ngste rs attending them. With the help working on an ambulatory receiver the size of
OSCAR s were put into orbi t than in the of amateur radi o clubs and members with a calculator that can record for a day, then
previous uneen years combined. Dr. Junior hand-he ld equ ipme nt, students will be invited download the data to a com puter for analysis.
de Castro PY2BJQ saw his dream of easily to sha re directl y in the flights.
accessibl e educational amateur radio come
true when OSCAR 17-DOVE (Digi tal Orbit - Oregon Amaleur Pelilions
ing Voice Encoder) deployed ... Even primary
school students will be able to transmit and
FCC Nel Mess FCC lor New Radio
rec eive with a simple HT (and tracking pro-
gram) and experience firsthand worldwide
A sm all group of hams who run HF nets
and bulletin stat ions have been asked by
Service-and Wins!
th e FCC t o work up a plan to preven t future The FCC ' s Chris t m as gift t o Kenneth
communications th rough space technology .
compla ints in re gard t o p hone patching , Seymour KA70 SM could turn out to be nef it
New OSCAR s up:
bullet ins and o n-air code practice , If no thousands o r even millions 01 others. Last
OSCAR 14 (UoSAT D}-U niv. Surrey, Eng-
workabre solution comes about, au of you may January the Beaverton, Oregon, ham-an RF
land-Packet , downlink 435.070 MHz.
see a part of your operating priviledges with- and IC de sign engineer-petitioned the FCC
OSCAR 15 (UoSAT E}-Univ . Surrey, Eng-
drawn, and new restrictions placed on the am- lor an emergency radio service for the out-
land-CCO camera, experiments. downlink
ateur service . doors. Originally suggested for placement at
435.120 MHz .
The combined warning and request for help 70 MHz , the FCC has now proposed placing
OSCAR 16 (Packsat)-AMSAT-N A- Pack-
comes in a second letter from FCC Special PELTS (Personal Emergency Locator Trans-
et, downlink s 437.0251437.050/24 01,1 MHz
Services Division Chief, Robert McNamara. It mitter service) at 220-222 MHz, returning to
(sideband beacon).
was mailed to the managers 01 nine nets and the general public some of the spectrum real-
OSCAR 17 (OO VE}-BRA MSAT-Educa-
bulletin ope rations. Included in the list are the located from amateur usage in Docket 87·1 4.
t iona I vo ice , packet , downlinks 145 .825/
ARR L, the Inte rnat ional Mission Rad io Asso- The system will be confined to channels that
240 1.2 (sideband beacon).
ciation and six others. The leiter asks that the are only 5 kHz wide, as are all other systems at
OSCAR 18 (WE BE RSAT)-Weber State
nine form a cooperative and work up a plan to 220-222 .
COllege-CCO camer a, packet , downlinks
avoi d future conflicts between amateurs and The PELTS radio will be a sho rt-dis fance,
437.075/437.100.
future complaints to the Co mmission. At stake 3W port able with voice and hom ing capability,
OSCAR 19 (LU SAT)-AMSAT Argentina-
cou ld be all CW practice nets, pho ne patching for use by backpackers, skiers, mountain
CW beacon (437 .125), packet beacon down-
and all on-air bulletins operations. climbe rs and others who need the sec urity of
links 437.1 50.
McNamara says that his staff has ev aluated radio communications while in wilderness ar-
AMSAT-NA is requesting hams to refrain
over forty responses to his first letter on these eas. Base sta tions-to be licensed to rescue
from upl ink ing to any of the birds for the time
issues. The text 01 the new leiter leaves no teams , ski lilt operators and state and local
being , whil e ground stations program them for
doubt that the Commission will take punitive governments-will be permitted up to 100
future operations. In the meanwhile, grab a
measures against the entire amateur commu- wens. No fee would be charged base sta tion
tracker and see how easy it is to experience
nity if more incidents like last year's fight over ope rators lor a license. No repealers will be
the Space Age for yourself ... TODAY.
the use of 14.313 MHz take place. The FCC encwec.
c hief notes that the FCC really does not have The FCC cited several cases of skiers and
the money to solve squabbles between hams. cli mbe rs who died in adverse weather condi-
SAREX 1990 If they recur, everyone will suffer. tion s when rescuers could not locate them.
" Such fatal accidents have increased the
Space Shuttle Columbia is scheduled lor One suggested solution would requ ire all
phone patch activity to be conducted around awareness among ind ividuals, participating
a ten day mission (ST8-35), to be launched
the top tn tc 15 kHz on the 20 meter band and in outdoor act ivit ies in remote areas, of their
in the eve ning 01 April 26, 1990. Dr. Ron
solely on the Net frequency. inability to summon ass istance if and when it
Parise WA4SIR , a Paytoad Specialist, ha s
is needed, " the FCC said. The FCC empha-
bee n cleared by NASA to operate voice and
sized that PELTS is intended only to provide
packet during this flight . By coincidence, the
commencement of WA4SIA 's operation coin- New Way 10 "Pass" Your the communications capability need ed, and
added that it is up to th e governmental
cides with the 1990 Dayton Hamvention and
consideration is being given to linki ng these
Radio Elam and private entities to provide the watch and
response systems necessary to make the
two major ham radio event s. Clinical triat s are being performed on an
service work.
Thi s is followed by STS-37. Space Shuttle Ingest ible capsule used to m onitor the hu-
Atlanti s is scheduled for a five day mission to m an body internally for tempe ratu re, heart
be launched on June 4, 1990. Marine Corps
Lt . Col. Ken Cameron KB5AWP, the pilot,
rare. acidity, electrical conductivity, and pres-
sure. The :!4 wlong capsule contai ns a teleme-
TNX 10 ORX Contributors
has been authorized to operate voice , packet , try system, NiCd battery, crystal temperature Thanks t o : A.R.N.S. Bulletin, W5 YI Report,
slow-scan amateur television and last-scan sensor, lour electronic components with ce- The DX Bulletin, Watts New, Westrsdio and
amateur television . Ironically, this flight coin- ram ic substrate, and a communications coil Ooug Loughmiller KOSI.
73Amsteur Radio • March,1990 7
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HAMSATS
Amateur Radio Via Satellite

Andy MacA llister WASZIB MHz and the downlink was on


147 14 Knightsway Drive two meters, making this the first
Houston TX 77083 crossband ha-n-in-space opera-
tion. The recording system was
Hams In Space left on during times when DD6CF,
It's been over six years since DG2KM o r PE l LFO we re not
the first ham-in-space activity by available . The unattended
Owen Garriott W5LFL from the on-board equipment heard 766
Space Shuttle Columbia. Using a ham call s and re corded t hem
mod ified Motorola MX-3oo tw o on tape .
meter FM tra nscei ver , Owe n Since the 1985 D~Sl opera-
logged over 350 two-way contacts tion, the Soviets have dom inated
and was heard by at least 10,000 orbital ham activity. From the MIR
individu als in 23 countries . Total space station , Musa U2MIR and
opera ting time was about four and others have provided many excel-
one-half hours. lent contacts lor earth-bound am-
In the next twenty-three months, ateurs. More activity is anticipated
two more successful amateur ra- from MIR in 1990. The joint Hun-
dio activit ies went into orbit . The garian-Soviet 10 watt, two meter Photo A. Astronaut Ron Parise WA4SIR and Roy Neal K6DUE at a
first was called SAREX, for Shut- rig wit h ex te rnal q uar ter-wav e $ AREX /I planning meeting at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.
tle Amat eur Radio Experiment . whip provides an excellent signal
On the fir st flight of the Chal- which can be received with HTs, land, Ohio , may see less t han ten offset. Several frequen cies are
lenger, Tony England WflORE mobile rigs and home systems. degrees at the closest approach available, with 144.95 MHz the
used a Motorola MX-340 trans- during the best encounter. mosl likely. All part icipants should
ceive r with a w indow -mounted SAREX II Hams in several countries mUSI av o id transm itting on 145.55
loop antenna like that used by More American ham-in-space cooperate if Ron is to ccmmum- MHz. Ron will NOT listen there.
W5lFL. The goals of th is mission act ion is on the way . Ron Parise cate with U.S. schools. Foreign Actual uplink freque nc ies and
were t o sha re the spac efligh t WA4SIR is slated for a trip to stati on s capable of contacti ng orbital data will be announced
experience with the largest com- space around midyear on ST$-35 . the shunle during North American via the AMSAT Nets and packet
mun ity possible , to encourage This mission was originally sched- daylight hours will provide radio BBSs. (Uninformed hams operat-
youth's interest in science , tech- uled for late Apri l, but some delay and phone links to the schools . ing simplex caused incred ibly bad
nology and amateur radio, and to is likely. II NASA budget con- AMSAT will organize the packet interference during W5lFL's and
demonstra te the possibilities of stra ints do not inte rf ere, Ken and voice network s. Bill Tynan W00RE's mrsstcne.j
earth-to-space SSTV (Slow-scan Cameron KB5AWP will follow a W3XO, AMSAT V.P. for Manned For STS-37 Ken KB5AWP is
TV). This operation was quite a lew months later on STS-37. Each Space Programs. is the AMSAT hopi ng for a camcorder instead of
success. astronaut will carry a diffe rent ver- point-of-contact for the effort. only a regular TV camera to go
Tony's goal was to attract young sion of the SAREX II configuration Only simple equipment will be with the SSTV equipment. This
people to his activities in space. into orb il. Four variations are pos- needed to make direct co ntact would allow pictures to be taken
Students at many schools were sible , rang ing from two meter FM w ith t he C o lumbia and the from various places in the shuttle
able to speak directly with an as- voice only to a combination of WA4S1 Rpacket system. Standard lor later transm ission to hams on
tronaut in orbit. Approx imate ly voice, packet , SSTV and FSTV FM 1200 baud packet operat ion earth . The packet radio portion of
6 ,000 st udents participated in (fast-scan TV). Ron will be tak ing will be used. Ron's TNC (terminal the system will be similar to that
some way with the SAREX pro- packet radio but will also operate node controller) is a mod ified used for ST5-35 . Voic e act ivity
gram. voice whe n possible. Ken's activi- Heathk it HK-21 using SA REX will be only during times when Ken
When no one was available to ty may incl ude everyt hing , but software which allows for a " Field- is not on duty , asleep or otherwise
operate the SSTV equ ipment , the with uplink-only capabilities for Day-type " connect and acknowl- occupied. The FSTV uplink activi-
tran sm itte r a nd the ROBOT the FSTV operation . edgment, with little else. We hope ties will be limited .
l 200C scan converter were set to The primary STS-35 SA REX that there will also be some time This port ion of th e SAREX II
automatically send picture s from mission goal is to provide maxi- available lor Ron to try general program is only lor preliminary ex-
the shuttle. Thus , many passes mum opportuni ty fo r real-ti me voice contacts . perimentation. A small group of
which otherwise would have been communication between Ron and The incorporation 01 unattend- hams will be allowed to transmit
silent had two meter signals from school classrooms. Due to the or- ed packet operation maintains all wideband TV signal s from Earth
the spacecraft. The system bea- biter's launch config uration, d i- of the best feature s of previous to space, pending FCC approval.
con identified with Tony 's call , rect earth-to-space contacts dur- missions . Messages can be sent ST5-37 is scheduled for a day-
W00RE, in CW o ing school hours in the US will be automatically from the shuttle to t ime lau nch which will provide
W ith in a f e w m on th s o f impossible. ST5-35 is scheduled nsreners. and participants can call signi ficantly eas ier lin kups with
WflORE 's mi ss io n , th e Chal- for a night launch into a low orbit and connect with the onboard sys- schools.
lenger carried the West German with an inclination which will allow tem . Their caltsigns will be held in As with all shuttle missions, the
SPACELAB . On that flight three only those in the southern part 01 memory for later aSl request s in Goddard Spacell ight Center Will
ham s , two German and o n e the US easy acce ss, and then only add ition to the instant acknowl- carry live audio on HF frequen-
Dutch, made many contacts using at night. edgment created by the packet ci es . The pr imary frequency is
specially mod ified Bosch com- While ground station antenna connection . 14.295 MHz with 3.860, 7.185.
mercial transceivers with an ex- elevat ion s in Houston , Texas , The primary downlink frequen- 2 1.395 and 28 .650 MHz al so
ternally mounted whip antenna. may approach 70 to 80 degrees cy will be 145.55 MHz but , unlike available for possible rebroad-
The uplink frequency was on 437 for a good pass, those in Cleve- MIR voice operations, the uplink is casts 01 live and taped announce-
Continued on page 78
73 Amateur Radio • March, 1990 9
,
Number 5 on your Feedback card

Give a Lift to Your ARC


BACAR-Balloon Carrying Amateur Radio
by Hans van de Gro enendaal ZS6AKV
lone lime or another, every club needs
A an injection of something new-not j ust
to keep alive, but to grow.
C oke Special
Our fir st m ission involved a simple 2 meter
Some years ago , a few d isgruntled commit- beacon of which the carrier was FM modulat-
tee members of local amateur radio groups in ed wit h a tone . The frequency of the tone
Johannesburg mel at a hotel to discuss that indicated the height above sea level. We
vel)' issue- how do we stimulate our mem- achieved this using a simple thermistor mea-
bers? After many beers , someone suggested, suring the outs ide temperature. Reasonably
"Let's build our ow n satellite!" He hadn 't accurate " upper air tem perature versus
quite completed his sentence when ge neral height graphs" are available from the local
laughter poured cold water on the idea. How- weather office . Th is was very much like OS -
ever, one of the group sa id. " Hold it. . . it 's CAR 1.
not such an absurd idea-let's fly satellite T he ci rcuitry, powered by a few dry cells,
equipment on a ba lloon." Project BACAR was simple . The entire package was encapsu-
was born! lated in a plast ic coke bottle and filled with a
low density foam.
O bjed ives
Our goals, even after some seven years, Get Everyone Involved!
are: to encourage experimentation with radio O ne ofthe objectives of BACAR is to stim-
equipment, electronics, test equipme nt, and ulate interest, so we invo lve as many people Photo A. Dave Woodhall ZS6BNT with
systems in a space-like environment; and to as possible. We employ several teams: the BACAR One-the "Coke Special. "
provide a wide range of amateur radio related launch team, whic h is responsible for the
activity for as many radio amateurs as possi- balloons, the gas, and the entire launch pro- 07hOO, the balloon was filled with hydrogen
ble. This includes design, develop ment , co n- cedure; the control ce nter team , whic h pro- (caution-usc hel ium, if possible). The
struction, and testing; satellite tracking ; map- vides communication and VHF to UHF links control center asked the local Air Traffic
ping; direction findi ng; telemetry encoding for the recovery team ; a broadcast team, Control for permission to launch. The count-
and dec odi ng; and FUN! which comments on the lau nch, creating a down began, and at precisely 07h l l BACAR
treme ndous inte rest among the older ama- One lifted gracefully into the blue skies over
Getti n~ Started teurs who stay at home and listen ; a mappi ng Johan nesburg. The beacon worked perfectly.
Our first activity was a direction-fi ndi ng team, to co llate all the bearing info rmation Soon , bearing reports were coming in from
afternoon . Each part icipant was as ked to re- received from home stations; and a recovery over a wide area, and the mapping team plot -
port to the control center with the longitude team, which is responsible for OFing the ted the position ofBACAR One.
and lat itude of thei r home station, and then to package afte r the balloon has burst and the At arou nd II hOO, the control team reported
give the bearings of three repeate rs in the equipme nt is parachuting back to the ground. that BACAR One was losing height- the bal-
area . Us ing detailed maps, the co ntrol ce nter loo n had burst and BACAR commenced its
plotted the information and reported back to BACAROne
slow glide back to the ground .
the pa rticipant wit h the accu racy of his beam Mission O ne was greeted with great excite- The OFing teams went into action , and
head ing . Many had to cli mb their towers to ment (so we re the other 24 to date) . At 06hOO after many hou rs, they finally found BACAR
realign their 2 meter beams . local time, all teams were in position . By on a farm some 100 km from Johannesburg.

End less O pportunities


Spread over 25 missions , we have flown all
types of equipment, includ ing parrot (a voice
store-and-forwa rd repeater) , a Mode A
trans ponder, a Mode B transponder, and
packet radio.
Mission 26 , launched May 13, 1989, in-
cluded a beacon on 1602 kHz to enable stu-
dents to track BACAR on ordinary, MW
radios. Unfortunately, it developed a prob-
os
lem after launch.
Mission 27 , launched in the fall of 1989,
includes a 6-2m transponder, telemetry mon-
itors for gamma rays, rate of climb, UV radi-
ation-and, of course , a med ium wave bea-
con. Wi th this, we wi ll reach the ult imate
goal of BACAR: to rec ru it young people into
amateur radio in a fun way! III

I H.N. van de Groenendaal ZS'6AKV, Presi-


PhowB. BACAR One Control Center with, left to right: ZS6AKV, ZS6AOGand mapping team, dent, Southern Africa AMSAT, PO Box
ZS6BFS and ZS6CAG. 13273. Northmead, South Africa.
10 73 Amateur Radio • March, 1990
Number 6 on your FMdNek card

OSCARs in the Classroom


Unique way to teach youngsters about space and amateur radio.
by Richard C. Ensign N81WJ

W hen stude nts at all grade levels are


as ked today what part of the curricu-
lum offe red by sc hools interests them most .
2 . Measu re the speed of radio waves as they
tra vel tens of thousands of miles out and back
from a Phase III OSCAR .
any sc hool getti ng started in th is area and
want to hear from any schools that arc already
" on the bird . "
astronomy and space sc ience are high on their 3. Explore the frequ ency shift of an OS-
lists. As director of a pub lic school planetari- CAR 's beacon due to the Doppler Effect. The nOVE
um for the past 20 years. I ha ve seen thou- 4 . Measure the effect of atmosp heric refrac- With AMSAT's MicroSats just launched in
sa nds of stude nts thrill to the sight of the night tion on uplink and downlink signals from an January , a new ed ucational aspect of amateur
sky and to the spacecraft, such as Voyager OSCAR as it goes below the horizon . radio is being bo rn. AMSAT Brazi l (BRAM-
and Vi king, that ha ve probed through the 5. Monitor data on micrometeorites from the SAT) has commissioned one of the M icroSats
blac kness o f space to the planets of our Solar new Webersat . and dedicated it for educationa l use . Starting
System. Stude nts often ask me how these mid -February . the DOVE (Digital Orbiting
spacecraft get where they are going, and how Voice Encoder) MicroSat will transmit 2 me-
the information they gathe r is se nt back to " An easy way for a school to ter FM digital voice signals on 145.825. in-
.....airing scientists o n Earth . They also want to cluding telemetry and special purpose voice
kno w ho w communication sate llites w ork, become involved is through transmissions . The first major use to which
and ho w some of those "birds" can j ust hang DOVE will be put is to circle the world.
there in the sky . an amateur with a satellite spea king messages of peace written and spo-
As an educator who is also a ham. I ca n station gatewaying to ken by school children.
bring to stude nts a ready resource pool of Schools around the globe were invited to
OSCAR satellites through .....hich they can a local repeater. rr panicipate . In support of DOVE educational
gain immediate ha nds-on e xperience in space activities. I invited all radio amateurs to en-
sc ience and technology . At any time in the courage thei r local schools to become in-
school day there is at least one OSCAR abo ve As well as hands-on OSCAR acuvines, volved in this creative writing exercise . Chil-
the hori zon which we ca n ca ll our own for a educators can use resource s from organiza- dren from the ages of 8 to 18 submitted
fe w minutes. Turning o n our classroom sta- tions such as AMSAT and the ARRL to: messages as a school project. Then, each
tion .....c can: I . Give students an up-t o-date feel for the schoo l selected the top 20 messages and had
1. Track the satellite as it passes ove r us via nature of ham radio via the ARRL videotape the childre n record them for d igitizat lon and
computer or graphical aids and plot its real " The New World of Amateur Radio." tran smissio n to the satellite . Me ssage s not in
time path ove r the Earth on a world map or 2. Watch a videotape of the A MSAT launch English arc followed by an English tran sla-
Earth orbit plotting map. from French Guinea and get a feel for the tion . During its ten minutes or so above the
2. Assign teams of students to follow the bird comple xity of a multiple satellite launch. horizon on each pass, DOVE will alternate
with the station ante nna rotor system. 3. Decode RTIY satellite bulletin s and message and telemetry cycles. Messages will
3. Monitor the heartbeat of an OSCAR telemetry directly from AMSATOSCAR 13. be updated periodically . Children monito ring
th rough its beacon telemet ry (C W. RTIY . 4 . Give students orb ital information on satel- DOVE in its polar orbit will get a global
ASCII or voice). lites they can watch passin g overhead in the perspective of peace as seen through the eyes
4. Make contact via OSCAR 10 o r 13 with ni ght sky, like Ru s sian a nd American of child ren from many lands.
another ham nearly halfway round the world manned missions and a giam Japanese mirror To invo lve your local school in th is project.
and get acquainted with someone from aneth- ball in o rb it. write for the " P roj ect DOVE Educator
er cu lture. We can also monitor others' ca ll- Letter" to :
signs on the satellite to see the overall patte rn Getting Schools Involv ed
DOVE Newsletter
of commu nications coverage. As Science Education Advisor for AM -
c/o Dou g Loughmiller
5. Gateway or go direct via OSCAR satellite SAT-NA . I am currently compiling lists of
620 Fairway Drive
to a distant U .S . school , allowing an inter- schools with amateur radio satel lite stations
Paris. TX 75460
change bet w ec n students. with the idea of establishing regular commu-
6 . Mon itor the progress of a polar expedition nications between sc hools via AMSAT OS- The AMSAT Educational News is avail-
via an OSCA R di gitalker (ta lking compute r). CAR 10/13 . An easy way for a school to able by subsc ription. A to-issue yea rly sub
7. Listen to a Soviet cosmona ut talking to become involved is through an amateur with is $5 US. $7 Canada. $10 Overseas, from
other hams as he passes overhead in the M ir a satell ite station gatewaying to a local re- AM SAT. P .O . Box 27, Washington , D .C .
space station and make our o.....n att empt to peater. Then, all the schoo l need s is a ham 20044 .
contact him . with an HT to become invol ved in sate llite T he future of amateur radio lies in the
communications. Schools with estab lished hands of today' s youth. Through ham radio
Adv anced Actl vtttes cl ubs can use som e of the equipment al ready experie nces with sate llites, our youngsters
Marc ad vanced stude nts can: on hand to aid in building their satellite sta- can gain a better understanding of the scie nce
1. Investigate the spin period o f an OSCAR tion . The edu cation departments in ma ny and technology needed to explore space, and
satellite by monitoring and plotting its sig na l states often have grants avai lable to aid in of how that tech nology can be used in an
strength on a chan recorder or by ana lyz ing purch asing innovative classroom aid s like ex citing hobby that will tru ly bring the world
its telemetry. OSCAR sat ell ite stations. I'm happy to help into their classrooms. EEl
13 Amareur Radio • March ,l990 11
Number 1 on your Feedb&ek CfIrd

Extending the Range of the


RamseyHR-4
Go further on your 40 meter receiver for less than $4.
by Mike Gray N8KDD

bought an HR-4 40 meter receiver kit


I intending the project to be a lea rning ex-
perience for my nine-year-old son. After get-
ting it together, we discovered that it covered
on ly a small portion of the 40m band . I found
- '9Vo c
c:;:=J Q.QQ'
'00
that it was able to tune on ly 64 kHz in the
' N 4oo ~
available 300 kHz, without adjusting the slug
in transformer T2. Addition ally, the maxi-
mum frequency tunable with T2's slug
screwed all the way down was 7.256 MH z.
This arti cle tells you how to ex tend the re-
ceive coverage of the HR-4 to the whole 40m
band.
- Figure J. The original HR-4 tuning circuit.

Varactor Tuning The HR~4 40m receiver.


We wanted a method of tu ning the whole
band , wi thout adjusting the slug in T2
and without losing much resolution (see Fig- Results of the
,gvOC
g Q.OO'

ure I). parallel-Diode Experiment TU NE


," >0,

Tuning is accomplished by adjusting the


reactance of a diode , as a function of reve rse Switch Coverage MH, Doh' 1N4004 • I"
bias voltage. The d iode supplied with the kit
was a IN4002. The diode being the easiest
High 7,200 7.312 .112 0",
diode
'Y' . '!'
4U ,"oots ..er IN4QQ '
and least expensive component to rep lace, I Medium 7.101 7.265 .164 two
decided to experime nt with differen t types of diodes Figure 2. The HR-4 tuning circuit modified
d iodes fro m my junk drawe r. I did n't really Low 6,800 7.231 .431 three for greater coverage.
want to buy a diode designed for th is purpose diodes
if another would work as well. Amateur 40 meter band, 7.0-7.3 MHz
Solution
Diode Lower Upper Delta Table 2. In add ition to drilling a hole beneath co il
1N4002 7.192 7.256 0.064 MHz T2, I modified the kit further . adding a few
1N4004 7.095 7.210 0.1 15 MHz plc of tu rns for the oscillator to reach 7.3 more diodes and a switch (see Figure 2). I
1N4742 6.780 6.993 0.2 13 MHz MH z , and I could get the same resu lts by chose a 1N4004 because it has nearly double
1N4744 7.006 7.161 0 .155 MHz lifting T2 from the boa rd slightly before so l- the coverage of the l N4002, and I had a
dering . whole package of them. If J weren 't so lazy or
Table J. Replaci ng the varactor diode inc reased cheap, I would use IN4002 diodes for better
coverage, and adj usting the tuning slug in T2 resolution and less overlap in each band seg-
Experime ntation allo wed tuning the upper end of the ba nd. I ment. 1 might also add more diodes in pa rallel
The first thing I did was insert several d if- still could not tune the entire band without in order to liste n in well below the amateur
ferent diodes (one at a time), and measu re the adj usting T2 . Slug adjustment is not possible band.
high and low frequency without adj usting the when the receiver is hou sed in a case, and it's The kit is easy to asse mble, and the circuit
slug in n . not easy out of the case. board sufficie ntly large to accommodate oth-
From these res ults, shown in Table I, Experimentin g further, I found that 2 er co mpo nents. It' s a rewarding project, and
I chose to replace the I N4002 diode with diodes in parallel reduce the oscillator fre- provides an ideal platform for experimenta-
a IN4004 and listen aw hile . Although the quency and extend the coverage (see Table tion and ed ucat ion in rad io principles.
tuning range was nearly doubled by replacing 2). Because the oscillator was already tuned The HR-4 receiver is available from
the diode, and select ivity (resolutio n) d id for the uppe r end of the band, the selec tio n of Ramse y E lect r on ics 2575 Baird Rd. ,
not seem to be a problem , it st ill would additional diodes makes a lot of sense . And Penfield NY 14526. The kit is reasonably
not tunc the en tire band , nor wou ld it reach it's easy to do with a toggle switch mou nted priced at $24. 95, and the optional enclos ure
7 .300 M Hz. on the front panel. My son plans to use this is $ 12.95. m
I had to drill a hole in the circuit board in radio in a sc ience proj ect , so we glued the
order to screw the tuni ng slug in T2 down a sw itch to the circuit board , rather than mount Mike Gray N8KDD may be contacted at 465
few more turns. The slug needed only a cou- everything in an enclos ure. W. Map le Rd. , Milford MJ 48042.
12 73AmateurRadio . March, 1990
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CIRCLE 1 7 1 ON REAO ER SERVICE CARD
,
Number8 on your Feedback card

The UNI-8
Porta-Power Adapter
Taps power from a variety of sources.
by J. Robert Witmer W3RW

H ave you ever been in the middle of a


QSO and had your F M portable battery
go, and you wit hou t a spare? Ever think about
short tran sients , Capacitors C2 and C 3 pre-
vent spurious operation of the regulator .
The over-voltage protection section, con-
the need 10 provide power for you r FM sisting of 02 , QI , R I and R2 , was taken from
portable for an exte nded time , from a variety an earlier power adapter article by Raymond
of locations, and possibly during a public Charland , "From Cigar Lig h te r to 9.6
service activity where you may not have ac- Volts, " in the April 1981 issue of QST. Two
cess to a charger for your NiCds? other references you may wish to look up arc
The typical solution is to gel a special pow- Peter O 'Dell's "The Perfect 10," in the
er adapter for the cigarette lighter ofyour car, March 1984 issue of QST, and Motorola's
or for 120 volts AC. T his approach is reason- " Voltage Regu lator Handbook," published
able , provided you're near a cigare tte lighter in 1976.
or a 120 volt AC outlet. But what if you' re This section protects the FM portable in
not? ca se U2, which has internal short circuit and
That's where thc UNI-8 comes in. It con- Inside the UNI-8. The box has to be big over-temperature protection, fai ls. If U2 pre-
verts power not only fro m the above sources, enough/or the electrolytic capacitor. sents the full nonregulated voltage at the FM
but also from AClDe wall adapte rs designed portable, the latter may not su rvive the expe-
for different applications. In addition, you pre se nted at the + a nd - termi nals. nence .
don't have to worry about the pola rity of your Followi ng the b ridge rectifier is the ma in If the voltage exceeds 11.5 volts, the triac
source, or whether it is AC or DC. The UNI- filte r capacitor. C I . This capacitor deter- (QI ) conducts, essentially shorting the o ut-
8 can handle t he m both! mines whether half-wa ve AC inputs can pow- put. This in tum causes FI or F2 , or both, to
I have used the following power sources er the UNI-8. T he half-wave inputs normally open , shutting dow n the input supp ly.
with the UNI-8: the AC wall adapte rs fo r the have 60 Hz ri pple components fro m ha rd to D2 determines the trip voltage. If 11.5
Bearcat 580XLT scanner (l3.8V DC at 700 smooth. T he UN I-8 will work better with a volts exceed the safe operating vol tage for
rnA) a nd the Bcarcat BC-2oo scanner (14V hig h value of capacitance, Though nothing your FM portable, choose a zene r with a
DC at 480 rnA); the Radi o Shack A rcher AC can totally compensate fo r a low input half- lower zener voltage.
wall adapter (RS 273- 1652A, 12 V DC at 500 wave AC voltage, a la rge capacitance will
rnA) ; DC powe r cord for the Dynascan Mod- help. T he 7808 provides additional filter ing, Watch You r Output Polar ity
el R D-311O dua l band microwave receiver; the amount depending on the ripple frequen - The inpu t connector for the UN I-8 is a
and the ICO M C P-I power cord fo r the the cy of the rectified AC -60 dB of ripple rejec- fema le coaxial ty pe , Radio Shack 274- 1565 ,
IC -xAT and IC -OxAT series HTs . tion is typical at 120 Hz. The higher the designed to accept the mating connectors of
freque ncy, t he higher t he r ipple rejection. most common power adapte rs .
Internal Iretails U2 is the he art of the UN I-8. An 8-volt I mou nted the components for my UNI-8 in
See the schematic. Both sides of the inpu t output was chosen fo r this adapter because of a plastic box with a metal cover, Rad io Shack
power lines are fused by FI and F2, pre ve nt- the need to provide operation from a variety 270-231. Be su re to obtain a box big enough
ing the possible bypassing of a fused power of power sources . 8 volts seems to be within to contain the electrolytic capacitor you plan
line , Dependi ng o n the grounding scheme o f the range of mo st F M portables for operation to use fo r CI. The holde rs for F I and F2
the vehicle you are in, and the ground po larity at a reasonable level oftransmitter power (see (Radio Shack 270-739 or equivalent) and U 1
of you r FM portable , a bypass of the fused T able I ). Also, the regu lator needs approxi- were mounted in the bottom of the box . 11 is
line could occur through the ante nna coax mately 3 vo lts of "headroom " to regu late mounted to the side of the box . All other
line shield grou nd . properly. Diode D 1 protects U2 from ou tput components, except CI , which fits inside the
W ith the full-wave bridge rcctifl - box , are mounted on the metal cover
cr. UI, the UNI-8 can operate from Table 1. which provides heat sinking for U2 .
AC and DC inputs, Intern al rect ifie r HT Power out Operating Voltage Capacitors C2 and C3 should he
diodes to the + and - o utput termi- ICOM IC-2AT 1-2W 7- 11 VDC mounted as close as possible to U2 .
nals of the bridge steer t he DC Yaesu FT-727 1/~W, 5W 6-15VDC P repa re an output power cord
inputs , regardless of the input po- Yaesu FT-411 lh W , 5W 5.5-15V DC with a suitable mating connector to
larity. AC inputs a re rectified and Kenwood TH-215A 5W 7.2-16V DC connect your FM portable to UNI-
the unfilte red DC o ut put is also B's output. Be sure to double-check
14 73 AmafeurRadio . March,1990
co " ESI S U~ CE5 ARE , ~ O~ .. S
to the input of the UNI-8. The over-voltage
" " e " 'O ~ E
"[" TIF' ER
"'
"taoa
~ · 'OO O protection triac , QI, is rated at 400 volts. If

= 'eo
you accidentally a pply more tha n 35 volts a nd
INP u T

-: •
0-
• ce
<~~F
" '" 0 ""
• "
2 5~ F
0

.,"
:(t).. T<

"" -_ "
~

'C " R
Pu
U2 blows, Q 1 should protect your FM
portable.

"" '" '" "'


Schematic ofthe UN/-8 power convener. "The UNI-B
can convert power for
Table 2. Parts for the UNI-B
CI 4700 IlF, 35V electrolytic cap. RS 272-1 022 '
your FM portable from
C2 22 IlF,35Vcap. RS272- 1014 various sources. "
C3 15 1lF, 25Vtantalurn cap. or same as C2
AI 1kO 10% 1/. W res ,
A2 Two 100 1W resistors, in parallel RS271-151A
Ul Bridge Rectifier, l00V l.4A RS276-1152 If you r adapter cannot supp ly adequate
U2 7808, 3-terminal BV fixed regula tor JDA " po wer for no rmal transmit operation, try the
01 400 V, 6·A Triac AS 271).1000 low-power position. A " hum " on you r s ig-
01 Silicon diode, l A 200 PIV 1N4003 or AS 276-11 02 nal usua lly indicates inadequate filtering or
02 11.S·V 1-W Zener diode c urre nt ca pac ity. If that fail s. try usi ng the
Fl , F2 1.S·A fuse RS270· 1274 ada pter for supplementing you r receive o per-
Jl Coaxial power jack RS274-1565 ation. You could also try c harging your NiCd
pack .
" AS: Aadio Shack: JDR: JDA Microdevices, 110 Knowles Dr., Los Gatos CA 95030 Th is adapter gives you potential power for
you r FM portable from many power sources.
It 's easy enough to experiment! Construction
the polarity of th is connection . All the protec- FM portable from various sources. Ideally ,
cost is low enough fo r you to build two. Keep
tive circuitry in the UN I-8 ca n't protect your you need a supply wit h a minimu m output
a spare UNI-8 in the tru nk of yo ur ca r for
FM portable if you get the output po larity voltage of approximately 12 vons, at a c ur-
emergencies! lin
wrong! re nt level that will meet the de mands of the
ope ratio n in te nded . The maxim um inpu t
Make a Spare, Too voltage rating of the 7808 is 35 volts , so I Bob Wilmer W3RW, 146 Forest Trail Drive,
The UNI-8 ca n convert power for you r wouldn't advise applyi ng more than 25 vo lts Lansdale PA 19446.

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CtRCLE 37 3 0,. READER SERVICE CARD
'5
INTRODUCING
NEW ATV SYSTEM
dd a new dimension to your amateur rad io com-
• A munications with AEA's Amateur Te levision
(ATV) sys tem. If yo u hold at least a technician-
class license, you can tran sm it and receive live or taped
• audio and video Fast-Scan T V (FST V) information that
rivals broadcast quality. No w you can share more than
conversation over the air with this new mode of "per-
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. U 's Easy a nd I nex pen-
s ive. If you have a video
camera or camcorder and a
"\ - , .
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- standard T V set. you may al-
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• • • incl udes a transceiver and an-
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to the transce iver, an d you 're
on the air LIVE with one
watt P. E.P.! Your T V set will
monitor your transmitted and received pictures. If yo u
want to broadcast with more power, AEA also offers a 50
watt mast-mou nted linear amplifie r with power supply.
T h e FSTV-4 30A Tra nsceiver features a low-n o ise
UHF GaAsFET preamp with a typical noise figure of less
than 1.5dB and a crystal-con trolled or variable tuning
down co nverter. Output is ava ilable on channel 3 or 4
fo r s igna l reception A ND monitoring tran smi ssions.
Two frequencies can be selected from the front panel for

• transmission (one crystal is included). The AEA design
is a lso optim ized for superior video and audio quality
wi thout sync buzz even with weak sig nals. The
FST V-4 30A is the on ly tran sceiver you need to wo rk
AT V and it also allows you to use the same TV set 10
monitor your transmi tte d and received pictures.
The LA -430/50 A m p lifier with P ower S u p p ly
gives a boost 10 your AT V sign al. It includes a SOW
P.E.P. mast-mounted Linear Amplifier (pa tent pen d ing)
covering 420 to 450 MHz and a GaA sFET preamp
whic h utilize the ante nna feedli ne for DC power. The
mast- moum el iminates the line loss bet ween the
amplifier/preamplifie r and the antenna to improve both
tra nsmission and reception. and is the eq uivalent of a
WOW amplifier in the shack with a 3d B line loss. The
am plifie r is housed in a weather-resistant alodized
alum inum case . The MPS-lOO po wer supply also
provides a 13.6 va ll output for the FSTV-430A .
T he 4 3 0 -16 A nten na is a high-
What is the advantage (lfVestigial Sideband (VS8)?
perform ance, computer-optimized
AEA's FSTV-430A Vestigial Sideband operation drastically yag i specifically de signed for ATV
reduces adjacent-channel interference. VSB requires operation . It features broadband
much less bandwidth than existing double -sideband
designs: it's the standard method of modulation required frequency coverage from 420 to
by the FCC for all U.S . broadcast T V stations. Similar in 440 MH z, 14.3dB gain, a -ring
principle 10 SSB , VS B puts all of the audio energy and sealed connectors, 28 degree
most of the video in ONE sideband instead of two. Using E plane and 32 degree H plane
about half the spec trum space of competitive units. the beam widths and 16 elements on
FSTV-430A is the ONLY ATV uni t that conserves a IO-foot boom .
spectrum space by using VSB. Even with AEA's
LA-430/50 amplifier, one side band is reduced more than S e e AEA's FSTV System at
30d8. VSB presents an obvious advantage to the your local authorized AEA deal er.
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2006 -196t h St. SW/ P.O. Box 2160 Lynnwoo d, WA 9B036 206-775-7373 AEA Brings You
Prices and specifications subject to change without notice Of obliga tion. A Better Experience.
Dealer inquiries invited. Copyright 1989.
CIRCLE 65 ON READER SERVICE CARD
my career choice ." organization dedicated to the pro-
Chris ca n often be hea rd on the duction of amateur rad io program-
" CO All Schools" net on Tues- ming. At 38, Hap is also a serious
days and Thursdays on 28.303 songwriter whose songs will be
There are no "average" hams! MHz al 1730 UTe which operates featured in a forthcoming album
out 01 his scrocr, (Submined by by Melissa Manchester.
Carol Perry WB2MGP.) Incidentally , Hap' s Dad was a
practicing arch itect and a writer.
KC9RP Hap Holly And as fantast ic as it sounds, both
Hap Holly KC9RP, born Alan- Hap' s mother and father were al-
son Perry Holty, a professional so blind . (SUbmi tted by Angelo
mu sician and graduate of Pnn- Potvere KA9CSO.)
cipia College, earned his
ham license at the age of
14. He studied music under
th e leg end ary accordion
virtuoso, Leon Sash. When
he was a cam p counselor
in the Colorado Rock ies,
Hap mel his wif e-to-b e ,
Stepahnie KA9WKD . Al -
though he has been blind
Photo A. Chris Mignemi KB2/GF says he 's met some of the most
since the age of 7, he has
influential people in his life through amateur radio.
climbed five mountains in
Co lorado, including the
Al l he " CO All of my nte," says Chris. 14,435-foot MI. Elbert. Can
Schools" Net In additiOn to being on 220 and you imagine him rapelling?
Chris Mignemi KB21GF is 13 10 meters. Chris is interested Well, he's done it. He ha s
years old. He' s in the 8th grade at in model bUIlding and in music. also rafted on white water
Intermedi ate SChool n in Staten " I want to fly planes in the Navy rapids.
Island. New York. He received his when I grow up," he says. " Ham Hap is the former presi-
Novice license when he was 12 rad io wa s responsible lor get- dent of the Bear Repeater,
years ol d and i n C arol Perry ting me interested in radio com- and the Executive Director Photo B. Hap Holly KC9RP, blind from
W82MGP's class. mun ication s and lor help ing of the RAIN Foundation, a the age of 7, enjoys music and adventure
" It was the most exciting day me meet people who influenced not-tor-profit educational as well as hamming.

FEEDBACK

In our continuing effort to present the best in ama-


teur rad io features and columns , we recogn ize the 1 leiters 19 Dealer Directory
need to go directly to the source-you, the reader. 2 Never Say Die 20 Packet Talk
Articles and columns are ass igned feedback 30RX 21 Special Events
numbers, wh ich appear on each article/column and 4 Hamsats 22 Ham Help
SBACAR 23 Homing In
are also listed here. These numbers correspond to
6 OSCARs in the Classroom 24 OX
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7 Extending the HR-4 25 Above & Beyond
the card, please check the box wh ich honestly 8 UNI-8 Adapter 26ATTY loop
represents your op inion of each article or column. 9 Ham Profiles 27 Barter 'n' Buy
Do we really read the feedback ca rds? You bet! 10 Jamboree Radio 28ATV
The results are tabulated each month, and the edi- 11 Time Division Multiplex 290RP
tors take a good , hard look at what you do and don 't 12 Ground Rules of RF Building 30 New Products
like. To show our appreciation , we draw one feed- 13 Service Survey 31 Ad Index 3190
back card eac h month and award the luc ky winner a 14 Review: Uniden HR-2600 32 Keyword Index 3190
free one-year subscription (or exten sion) to 73. 15 The secret of t he Accessory 33 73 1nternalional
Plug 34 de K6MH
To save on postage, why not fill out the Product
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low price of 25 cents!

73 Amateur Radio • March, 1990 17


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Jamboree Radio /
,
WBSA, K2BSA: Ham Scouts
,&
/ It'
,; ,,
Broadcast Legally ,,

by Kevi n Scott WB4 BNU

he Boy Scouts of America go all OUI


T every four years with a National Jam -
boree. A I Bowl ing Green. Virginia. the latest
Jamboree attracted 35 ,<XXl $cOUIS from the
USA and 30 + countries. Adult leaders, staff. Tuning
and da ily visitors swelled the attendance to was done with a field-
ove r IOO./JOO! stre ngth meter . Power was too
Each year amateur radio K2BSA plays a low to read on ou r SWR meter. The
role in the Jamboree . with a lively crew that antenna first tried was a three-wire v ert ical
sha res the excitement of ham rad io . unipole . I'd hoped its higher impedance ,
Thi s year the Jamboree had a historical compared to a loaded ground-mounted vert i-
fi rst . Broadcast Radio Station WBSA signed cal, would result in a mo re efficient radiator.
on and broadcast through the entire Jam- I never found out . I could n't find the match
borcc. With an experi mental license granted poi nt and ran out of time . The signal strength
by the FCC . the BSA Nat ional Council oper- was so poor the design was abandoned for
ated on 530 & 1610 kHz A M and 9 1.7 MHz something easier to tu ne. Outer legs of the
FM. 530 AM broadcast Jamboree and park- unipole were tied together to make a vertical
ing information on a looped cassette while with a capacitive hat, which we fed 10 a link-
1610 AM and 91.7 FM were simulcasts-, coupled matchi ng network . Perfo rmance was
with live music. interviews.news. DJs and better tha n the unipole but far from ideal.
special programs. Li v e remote broadcasts ...ia Finally a tapped coil was tried with excelle nt
2-way radio at key locations rea lly caught the results. Wound on scrap 2 x 2 using electric You Can, Too!
Scouts attention, especially when there were fence wire , it was 3' long with 100 wide- Thi s project can be done on a smaller scale
prize gi veaways. Schedule changes, news spaced turns . It d id n' t have ind uc ta nce in your community. Non-licensed broadcast-
flashe s. impo rta nt last-minute announce- enough for a match , so a coil of 40 turns was ing on the AM band is legal using a 100 mW
ments could all be broadcast quickly . wound and added to the end , o f which only 25 input power transmitter into a 10 foot long
The FM station was easy to put on the air. turns were needed for a match . At only 5 anten na. Typi cal ra nge is 200 to 300 feel.
We had ample trees from which to hang a watts, I got a few RF burns on my hand Buried or " Ieaky" coax is another approach .
g round plane ante nna. A ntenna height was during the tuneup so I knew we were radiat- The FCC has maximum field stre ngth speci-
around 45 feet. With 10 watts , its range was ing something. fications for both.
5-6 miles. The fun part: Plan ning and bu ild- For the 530 station. the idea of erecting a Typical applications? Tra v elers Informa-
ing the A M stations. with low power (5 mast was abandoned because il was such a tion Se rvice (TIS) for civic events. church
watts) we had to cover a j-mile radius with pain to erect the one for 1610. services , hamfests. Parking information. de-
signal enough for small portable radios. E v - Since trees were plentiful, we look ad v an- scriptions of evems for curious people driv-
ery ounce of power was needed. Ham Q RP rage ofa tall one to erect a wire ante nna with a ing by. " Live" broadcasti ng. Yard sale? Put
know-how came in handy . capecitive hat. What I learned from the 1610 a transmitter and antenna out by the street.
The FCC rules the length of the antenna antenna. I copied for 530 kHz. It took 2 Y01.1'11 get a kick ou t of the comments. It may
system may be no longe r than 49 feet : anten- Scouts o...er an hour and several hundred feet get people to stop who would have dri ven on.
na, transmission line , and connection to the of wire later to co me up with another coil also Legal QRP AM can be an opportunity for
g rou nd system- with a maxi mu m fi e ld wound on a scrap 2 x 2 . Thi s time we used Amateu r Radio to provide the skills needed to
strength spec we could not exceed . Licensed insulated 20 gau ge wire , closed spaced with a set up a public service project in your com-
for 10 watts, we had 5 watt transmitters. coil o...er two feet long! E...en that wasn't munity and make it work!
To radiate as much o f th is as we could, we enough. Forty addition al turns were added to I want to tha nk the crew of WBSA who
laid out a radial system that would be the en...y the end of the coi l wh ich pro...ed to be enough helped construct the station, and Panaxis Pro-
o f most hams. Nearly 2 miles ofelectric fence for a good match. duct ion s for helping with the transmitter
wire was used to make 2 radial systems with I thought the tapped coil would be o ne of plans and parts.
120 fourty-fou r foot length w ires in eac h. least efficient oflhe antenna designs. but effi- Wait til next Jamboree . WBSA·TV??? III
Se v eral radials from each antenna o v e rlapped cient or 001, it more than did the job and was
to increase the effective ground plane und er easy to tune. Field tests by car and by bicycle
proved that we pro...ided a good signal even in Kevin Scott WB4BNU has bun a IuIm sjnc~ M lOW
each antenna.
/5 _l·t'ars old. Ht' nas a BSEEfrom /h~ Unil"l'rsiryo{
The mast used for 1610 kHz was forty the most remote localions of the camp. The
feet o f thin-wall fence pipe. Being flimsy , audio quality was quite good. Range for a
Florida. He prrsrntly wow for a tM'{)-M"Q.... nwbilt'
radio monufocturer in Raleigh. North Carolina, as
it was a pain to erect. Ham/Boy Scout in- listenable signal on 1610 was around 3 miles a Test SYSlt'nlS Engineer. WB4BN U is also an ac-
ge nuity : throw a rope o ...er the branch of a and initial tests on 530 kHz yielded 5 miles . A ti.'t' memb,., of /he Boy Scouts of Amt'riCQ and the
nea rby tree and using it as a cra ne to hoi st the good soaki ng ra in helped the signal due to Order ofthe A rrow. Contact him at /502 N. White
mast , guy it in place . increased ground ccnducti... ity. The 5JO sig- St.. Wake F(lre.~1 Ne 27587.
73AmBteurRadio • March, 1990 19
4

Number 11 o n YOIJr FHdbK k C8rd

Time Division Multiplex


A bandspace-economic mode for possible use in ham radio.
by Bill Tipton W4TAL

W ith increased crowding on many of


the ir bands, ham s ha ve been loo king
for ways to make spect rum usc more effi-
VOICE SIGNAL
cient. One approach is to make signals more
narrow band . For voice modes, single side-
band (3 kHz wide ) accomplished this by re- DIAGRAM I
duc ing the requi red bandwidth by half over
AM (6 kHz wide) . Another approach is fo r
signals 10 share a channel. Packet radio does
this with much success-such systems moni-
tor a channel and wait until it is clear before
transmitting . SAMPLE X
Inlro To TD~I
Th is article presents the reader with the
basics of TOM technology. It describes the
TOM process, how it's used , the characteris-
tics of the TOM dig ital carrier. and the ad- VOICE SAMPLES
vantages and disadvantages of T DM. DIAGRAM 2
T ime Division Mu ltiplex (T O M) repre-
se nts the la te st e ffort s to eco nom ize on
ba ndspace . Like packet , TOM is a method of
d igital commu nications that allow s a numbe r
of voice or data channels to use the same path
or ci rcuit. Two main differences, however ,
ex ist between packet and TDM . First, since
TD M is sy nchro nous- Ihal is, il depends on a
precise timing cleme nt- much more efficient
SAMPLE X
time-sharing ca n ex ist on a freque ncy . Sec-
ond, T OM takes analog voice channels and
converts them to d igital , whe reas packet
tak es d igital input from a keyboa rd or pro-
gram, and converts it 10 analog tones for
tra nsmission.
DIAGRAM 3
So far, TOM is used mainly in the tele-
phone d igital carrier network . TOM is also
6 781
used in satellite communications by mea ns of I I
a technique called Time Division Multiple 5,
Access (TDMA). 81
Some Telephone Basics
Figure J. The roM proc~ss. The first diagram shows thr voiu signal. The second diagram
The telephone in most homes or offices is shows the approximated image of the voice signal, composed of sampling pulses. The third
an analog instru ment . It' s connected to the diagram shows a given sample pulse being awarded a binary value.
telephone network throu gh a two-wire line to
the tele phone company's local o ffice . Th is ca n be d igitally combined. Th at is, the vo ice rel iably at the receiving end of the connec-
wire connection or telephone circuit is de- signal is convened from an analog to a digital tion. Sampling is just the process of taking a
signed to handle vo ice or data freq ue ncies in form be fore entering the circuit . Digitized " s napshot , " at a given frequency, of an
the range of 0--4000 Hz {the hu man voice signals ca n be ea sily stored and very quickly analog signal, and assigning that snapshot a
ty pica lly ra nges between 500 -3000 Hz). retrieved to feed into a circuit in small dis- value. Based on the Nyquist sampling theory ,
That is the bandwidth of the ci rcuit. This two- crete units, when there is space for them . if sampling is done at a rate twice the band-
wire cabling is usually called twisted pair . This way, a numbe r of sig nals' 'time share " a width of the voice channel , the intellige nce in
Each telepho ne c ircuit is a single path for single commun icatio ns path . the vo ice sig nal is preserved. By sampling the
one voice channel. At sho n to med ium di s- To pe rform th is time-sha ring feat, eac h voice circuit 8000 times a second (2 x the
tances of ci rcuit connection (between cities, voice cha nnel has to be sampled ofte n enough bandw idth of the tel ephone circuit) the TDM
two central telephone offices, etc .), channels so that the voice intelligence is reprod uced process begins.
20 73AmateurRadio . March,1990
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CIRCLE 12a 0/IrI REA DER SERVICE CARD
SAMPLE X

CHANNEL I CHANNEL 2
! ... ----CHANNELS 3 THROUGH 24-- - - - - - .... CHANNEL 24
8 BITS /CHANNEL

'"-'"
I I 2 3 4 5 6 7 8'
I I
I I
I I
125msec
193 BITS
I FRAME
Figure 2. Schematic representation ofa TDM fra me. The /93rd bit is a synch roniuuion bit.

tern has a base of 2. the re are 2 1 or 256 "cha nnel bank. " II pe rforms the sampling.
One Line Fur 24 Voice Si ~ nals possible va lues . analog-to-d igita l co nversion . qu antization,
See Figure I . Each vo ice c ha nnel (tele- In practice . the left-most bit of this number e ncod ing. and mulliplexing process, to pro-
phone ci rcuit) to be mu ltiple xed is sampled (the Most Sign ificant Bit. or MSB) represents du ce a 05-1 digital carrier for transmission .
(Diagram I) and a pulse amplitude modulated the polarity of the pulse . This leaves 2 7 or 128 To receive . it reverses this process.
waveform is produced (Diagram 2). Fo r sim- values possible . The assignme nt of approxi- The 193rd bit within the frame pro vides
plicity of explanat ion , a sine wave represent- mate values to each pu lse is called "quantize- a recurring bit pattern which allows syn-
ing the vo ice channel infonna tio n is sho wn. tion." Q uantization is the process by which chronization of the T OM carrier. With this.
Each of the va riable amplitude pu lses in the ra nge of values possible for a pulse wave- the conversion device is able 10 determine
Figure 1 represe nts a sample of the voice fonn are subdivided into a finite range of the sta n of the frame . W ithout some method
cha nnel info nnation . Each sample re presents values. one o f whic h can be used to represent o f identify ing the sta rt of the frame, it' s
so me quantity . either positive o r negative . the value of that waveform. Eve n Ihough impossi ble 10 retri eve information from the
based on us position in the waveform. The qua ntization approximates pu lse values , frame in prope r seq uence . o r even identify
value of each pulse can be approximated by these approximations are close cnough to the indiv idual cha nnels . In add ilio n. th is bit
an 8-bil binary number. Since Ihe binary sys· true values to preserve the voice information . pattern (at some time during its liming
Once quantized, the value of the pulse is sequence) provides info rmation as to when
e ncoded into an 8-bi l data word. the voice c ha nne l co ntains info rma tio n
The 8·bit digital samples o f each voice about the co ndition o f tbar circuit. The con-
cha nnel are produced at a rate of 8000 times a d uion of the c ircuit re fers to its status-

1"OIJ~::~~1
COl"
sold\)~!
f ot

144 - 4 50 MHz
5S 79.95
second ( the sa mpli ng rate). Therefore, each
voice channel becomes a 64 ,000 bits pe r sec -
ond (8000 x 8) digital sig nal.
on-hoo k. off-hook. and rin ging .

Advantages and Disadvantages of TOM

MAGNET MOUNT Next . a numbe r of these vo ice cha nnel s are The use of digital techniques in communi-
114 W.... Anlennl placed togethe r (multiple xed) into a single cations has grown since the late ' 60s . Mi -

144.450 MHz communications pat h. In the process. timing croprocessors and d igital integ rated circuits
TRUNK LIP MOUNT a nd synchro nization e nsure that each voice have made the convers ion economical. effi-
With AlmO¥l bll l /4 WI ..- Anttnnl channel is Ide ntifiable. This multiplexing of cicnt. a nd simpler. TOM is part of that
EId1 ~ted """ 12 ~. d I'Kj seu
<:oar an:ll CfOOI
the voice channels into a single communica- process. In the future . we can expect the
d EtlC (II' ~~ClMicD lS1l Wu " - ~
~ ~ rrnm<"9dli1'1 n:1l.OIll
, tions path creates a T OM d igital carrie r. telephone ha nd sel itself to do the digital

~
1-800-634-46 22 co nvers ion for the telephone network . For

J.- 1-708-790-9894
(In_)
CliMfI'lJfOt\.CS _ ..... l/ S A
The Digital Carr ier Network
The telephone digital carrier netwo rk in the
now . however , the primary d isadvantage
o f us ing d igital processes such as TOM is

--- COIfTB.CO NlUST1llES He


P,O. 801 Yl429, ScIlurtug. I. iDlY

CIRCLE 15 OI'l IlUlI>[R SlJtVICII: CI.A'O


1
,--'-1
,
US is called the TJ digital ca rrier system . AI
its lowest level is the DS-I (d igital signa l - I)
carrier. The 0 5-1 co nsists of 24 digitized
voice channels multiplexed into a 1.544
the COSI o f interconnect ing it to the a nalog
portions of the telephone network .

Soo n 10 Amateur Radio?


Megabits pe r second digital ca rrier. Each of Integrated circuits are available that encode
the 24 voice channels is time seq uenced (# I 8·bil dig ital voice o r data into 0 5·1 bit
th rough #24), a nd one bit is added for timi ng stream. and decode OS- I . All these ICs work
a nd synchronization 10 produce o ne " frame " at the digita l level and requi re highl y accurate

~' b ... """'". Coclll'Ol ....." ' PO<.I>


_on,
Tk ~J1 9.'iS _·Tnf<'JQR\'s."w P.>wft$olppl' t • .,.~"".
r<p<_' <oI!Il< .... ""'I>J ,I>< <I<d. '" ."'" roo... "'
\laI>.'"
ctI.I.,.: pr..""",",.,...
Ih .R
of data . The frame of data contai ns 193 bits
« 24 x 8) + I I. Since the re are 8000 sa mples.
1.544 MHz doc ks for timing . Main users of
TOM are large telephone and satellite com-
".':J ~" ......f .."' ....",1>I<J. QR\:r."", lIlt. E.a...", .. po-.l. the carrie r bit rate is 1.544 .000 bits pe r sec- munication networks . where large economy -
.'.H'~s.t-II· 101.11 An e,zna sWest ond (8000 fra mes x 193). This structure is
(801 )373.8425 B..,~ !ffll\ ': p,.,.", UT 'WJ.< of-scale ex ists. The prices of digital compo-
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24 73 Amateur Radio • March, 1990
Number 12 o n 'four Fft'db3ek card

Ground Rules of RF Building


Valuable guidelines for printed circuit board design for RF circuitry.
by Bob Lombardi WB4EHS

N ewcomers to buildi ng RF circuitry al-


ways seem a little scared by tales o f
seemi ng black magic, such as when you fix a
etched onto a PC boa rd . the electrical length
of a r conductor is even longe r, since the
velocity o f lig ht in the boa rd material is lower
most easily seen in a parallel plate structure.
Ceramic and electrolyt ic d ielectric ca pacitors
are specifi ca lly designed to increase the
ho rrible oscillation by repositioning a wire or than the speed of light in a vacuum , and the amou nt o f capacitance in a given volume , bu t
component. When I first got involved with electrical length of a wire depe nds on the you'll find some capacitance wherever two
RF engineering , I heard some of the old speed of light in the medium . To connect two conductors come near each other.
hands at HF say that you could get away with poi nts at 3 G Hz, some form of transmission A cap with long lead s will appear to have
almost anything unde r 30 MH z . Some time line is requ ired , such as coax . Remember to inductance in series with it. thereby forming a
later. I remember overhea ring some techni- think in terms ofwavelength when you consid- series LC circuit. For the typicalleads found
cians say you could get away with anyth ing er whether something is long or nm . on small ce ramic or silve r mica capacitors. I
below 500 MHz . figure arou nd 28 nH pe r inch o f lead (about
When I got my fir st 2 G Hz assign ment. I Walch Out Cor Str ay Reactances the same for #22 wi re) . Thi s means thai a
was to ld that I could get away with almost Indu ctance is the pro perty o f any ci rcuit O .01 ~F cap with two leads I f16~ long will
anything below 3 G Hz . About that time , I that causes en ergy 10 be stored in a magnetic appea r to be ser ie s- reso na nt at a round
saw one of the technicians ca rve a bandpass field ; it is most eas ily seen in pieces o f wire . 27 MH z . Beyond that point , the capacitor
filter for 10 GHz out of dou ble-sided Teflon? Coiling the wi re increases the amount of in- behaves as an inducto r.
PC boa rd . When I ex pressed amazement, he ducta nce in a gi ven volume , and makes the You should be aware of this if you want to
sa id (you guessed it) you can get away with component more compact. Likewise . ca paci- use o ne to cou ple o r bypass higher frequ ency
almost anythi ng below 14 G Hz. tance is the property o f ci rcuits that cause signa ls . The induct ive reactance goes up with
energy to be stored in an electric field; it is increasing frequency . and the pa rt tha t you
Ho,," C a n You Gel Awa,· wilh II? wanted to be a short circuit is now a larger
Obviously that expression meant some- reactance . The way around this is to use
thing differe nt to each person using it. The • smaller values , or 10 reduce lead length by
H F guys wou ld include . for example , ru n- surface mou nting the cap.
ning fai rly high-level signals on hook-up Although this gives you almost zero lead
wi re , or usin g a half-inch lead to a bypass length. the inductance o f the cap has not go ne
cap . To the m icrowave guru. it means not to zero. The physical size of the cap-the actual
having to etch a new ve rs ion o f his filter every area o f its plates- contributes inductance . All
ti me he wants to change a parameter. The capacitors di splay this effect, and getti ng
microwave guy would never consider using a around it is an impo rtan t part of millimeter
ca pacito r with leads . The HF e xpe rt may not wave (higher than microwave) design .
even recogn ize the microwave filter when he CI ~CU<T ·"~IC"1. " C COU PI. CO
.. .. ~LIF' C ~ By the way. remembe r that r wi re at
sees it. 3 GH z? Another reason it presents problems
What dete rm ines when you ca n get away is that it. too, represents abou t 30 nH pe r
with a given technique? W hat causes you to inch . You probably ha ve seen that the ind uc-
have trouble? Here are some proven RF pro- tive reactance of a coil goes up with increas-
totyping tech niques used around the world ing frequency . The lead mentioned above
every day that can help you build projects at offers 5650 reactance at 3 G Hz. which is
any frequency you want. probably much too high for your use .
Li ke wise . a n R F choke (or any coil)
. ·int . Look at Length ha s ca paci ta nce between it s turns . a nd
The first thing that gets you in trouble is the th is looks like a para llel cap that gives a very
electr ical size of the pa rt or the length of the real reso nan t freque ncy . Unfortunate ly, I
co nnectio n. The di stingui shing feature of ca n't gi ve you a handy value 10 calc ulate
UHF and microwave circuitry is that the , with , like above. Coil manu facturers gener-
compo nents become a sig nificant portion of a ally prov ide the resonant frequencies for their
wavelength long. My ru le of thumb fo r "sig- coi ls. Parallel resonance is more likely to be
nificam " is anythin g longer than 1110 of a 0- acce ptable in an RF choke. since it increases
wavelength . Some people say 1120 0fa wave- the resistance to the RF you ' re trying to
length. choke off. You don't want it in coils used in
This explains why a r piece of #20 wi re is transfo rmers or filters. thou gh , because the
a perfectly good lead at 30 MH z . but is abso- effective inductance of the coil increases
lute hell at 3 G Hz . At 30 MH z ( 10 meters), sharply as you approach the resonant fre-
11 10 wave is I meter(39 .37W) and 2" is very liOOO u oou' . 1i'tOU"1l rvr "'....u( quency . Limit coils in filte rs to I f lOor 1/5 of
, ....' IS"· ' S'G"u
sho rt . Thi s lead is only 11200 of a wave- their resonant freq ue ncy . Beyond resonance ,
length . At 3 G Hz , however, 1/ 10 wave is Figu re J. (a) Typical AC coupled amplifier the shunting capacitor passes more and more
0 .393r . A 2 lead at this freque ncy is com-
8
circuit, (b) Poor layout. Notice the long sig nal , while the inductor start s ge tting big-
parati vely ve ry long. over II:z wavelength! g round leads. (c) Layout with lOIS ofground. ger again . The result is decidedly not an RF
To compound thi ngs , whe n the wire is Ground is everywhere exceptfo r signal leads. choke.
73 Amareur Radio • March , 1990 25
As nasty as these effects are , they are rela- O nly one caution applies: At higher fre- tantalums) and a small ceramic cap in parallel
tively well known. They've probably been que ncies, you may use microst ripli ne, or at the device body for bypassing .
accounted for in the design of the project coplanar waveguide , techniq ues . Don 't
you' re bui lding . crowd ground up against microstrip lines; Dead-Buggtng It
leave a gap equal to at least one-and-a-half You may have guessed from what has bee n
T he Most Com mon "Gotc ha" times the thick ness o f the board . The said here so far that I'm a big fan of PC boards
What gets all of us, soo ner or later? Im- impedance of coplanar waveguide is set by for building. Not true. For one-time projects ,
proper ground ing. Simply put , you just can ' t critical spaci ng of ground and the conducting or for most work under 200 MHz, I do n't
run all of your grounds on a single wire that ce nter trace . If you're building something ge nerally make PC boards.
branches out to all of your components. with this, don't fool with line widths and What I usually do is called " dead-bug-
Thou gh th is is often done on perfboard , it spaci ng to ground . gi ng" or " dead- roachi ng. " These colorful
o nly works on the simplest audio circuits . This well-grounded boa rd should then be names comes from the fact that ICs are ge ner-
You ca n't leave a gro und strip around the mounted in a metal enclosure with its ground all y laid on their backs onto a solid sheet of
outside of your PC board and attach to it via solidly connected to the chassis ground. If ground plane, typ ically a piece of unetched
etched traces. Both of these arc common mis- you 're using AC power, I believe in the elec- PC board material , with the ir leads sticking
takes for the simple reason that each repre- tr ical code requirement that the line ground straight up into the air. They really do resem-
sents a lot of inducti ve reactance before you (the green wire) should connect to the chas- ble dead bugs. All co nnections are made di-
get to ground. That inductance can make the sis. Some writers say th is is bad for lightning rectly to the pins using the leads of the co m-
g r o u n d c o n nec t io ns rath er hi gh in protection, and advise you not to co nnect to ponents being soldered in.
impedance , and the RF will seek a lower the AC ground. Follow their ad vise at your If necessary, large-value (over lOOk) resis-
impedance path , usually where you don't own risk.' The com mercial gear you buy will tors ca n suppo rt low impedance points, such
want it. have this connected . as at op amp outputs . C ircu its built this way
What you want is the mos t ground that you Finally, if you use the proj ect in your sta- arc very easy to modify . and arc usually qu ite
can get. Use do uble-sided material (single- tion , you will pro bably want to connect it to compact. If you keep the signal paths close to
sided is harder to find , anyway) and keep as the station's earth ground , although this is the ground plane, under a quarte r inch , the
much of one-side solid copper as you can marg inally useful fo r c ircu its operating circuits ge nerally perfo rm well. Place the
manage . Mount the components on this side, above HF . components like a well thought out schematic
and relieve around the lead s with a drill bit or 2. Keep Outputs A way From Inpurs. Opti- would show them, then progress from input
counte rsink where you don't want a ground mal RF layout is in stra ight lines, with input to output, left to right.
connection. There ' s no such thing as too as far away from output as you can get it. The How well does this work? Any method
much ground ! higher the gain ofthe circuit, or the higher the used as widely in industry as this must work
To briefly usc a reduction to absurdity ar- " Q " of the circu it, the more this applies . If well, and indeed it docs. In fact, we often
gumcnt: If the entire hoard was one massive an output has to be ncar an input, keep as encounter problems in goi ng from the fi rst
ground plane with no lands etched in it , there muc h ground as possible betwee n the m. (This dead-b ug prototypes to a PC board because
would be no osc illations, no stray coupling is why the IF sections in radios are set up in the board does n't have as good a ground
(such as a filter' s input showing up on its strips .) plane. I have run tests compa ring etched and
output), and no crosstalk (such as when dig i- 3. Use the Smallest-Sired Components You dead-bug versio ns nfthe same ci rcuit, and the
tal d oc ks running next to sensitive amplifiers Can Manage. This reduces stray reactance in dead-bug version will equal or out-perform
cause sharp transient s on the analog signal). the circuits, and makes the design more rea l- the etched version every time.
Of course, there would be no circuit either. izable . Another method is making a PC board,
The point is that as soon as you start breaking 4 . Make Connections Sho rt and Direct. using a craft knife, such as X-Acto™, to cut
the ground plane s apart to put in the circuitry , I do n't care if it's prettier to have neatly laced aro und land s you want to re mai n on the
you co mpro mise you r grounds . Leave as w ire bundles, and the ci rcu it ce rta inly board, and then removing the undes ired cop-
much there as you can. Don 't be in a hurry doesn't . Short leads helps pre vent stray in- per, either by heating up a corne r and peeli ng
10 etc h away copper that you thi nk you ductance from causing trouble, and helps it off with needle-nosed pliers, or by using a
don't need. el im inate the need for coax runs . This espe- hand -held gri nder (Drernel. or Weller , etc.) .
Every time I've ever see n a circuit where it cially applies to the inve rting inputs of op I have frequently used this method to build
wa s sus pected that there was 10 0 much amps and to high impeda nce circuits. Keep microstripline ci rcuits and filters; it works
ground , what was needed was more ground , these lines short. quite well. A former co-worker refe rred to
and bette r connections between grounds. (A 5. Put Ground Between Lines That Run these as my scratch -and-sniff filters . Be ca re-
fr iend with over 25 years as an RF engineer Alongside Each Other. Especia lly if they run ful ; wear safety glasses and keep you r other
says he saw one case many years ago in which for any appreciable length . Thi s is the best hand clear . The tips of the blades can and
the grounds needed to be separated.) cure for crosstalk. do snap off, and the blade ca n and will
In professional circles, it is widely ac- 6 . Beware of Coupling Between Circuits. slip . I value my eyes and finge rs, and I bet
knowledged that the layout and packaging of A lot of ground will rea lly help this, but it you do, too.
an RF circ uit has as much, if not more , influ- can st ill ha p pen , espec ially w it h u n- Last , various universal prototyping PC
ence on its fina l performance as the actua l shielded coils. Shield them, even though this boards are available. They have their merits,
ci rcuit itself. reduces the "Q" of the coils, or usc to roids. but most arc not suitable for use above a few
All of this leads to what I'll somewhat (If you absolutely can't affo rd to lower the hundred kHz . I' m not a fan or user of any of
immode stly call: coil "Q, " it may help to reposition them them.
so that their long dimensions are perpen- So there you have it- a set of handy ground
Uncle Hoh's Handy Rules for RF 8uilding dicular.) Shields made of thin sheet metal rules to build RF prototypes which should
Follow these rule and you 'll have fewe r are an industry standard method of pre- help you get sta rted up th rough at least
problem s with your RF projects. venting th is. a couple of GHl. If you receive specific
I. Groundliness is Next to Godliness. The 7 . Bypass the Heck Out ofEverything. Ev- construction details with a project, follow
more g round you 've got, the better off you ery IC should have at least one cap from each them. If you do n't, or if you're trying your
arc. One side of your PC board should be power supply pin to ground . The value de- hand at desig ning you r own , then follow
solid copper, with signal traces there a last pends on the pan, the freq uency of operation these. While I can't guarantee that nothing
resort . Thi s is you r ground plane . You should in the c ircu it, and those around it . Start you eve r build th is way will ever oscillate,
have ground every where you can fit it. Con- around 0. 1 or O.O I IJF for HF operation . these pointers can help you a great deal in
nect top and bottom grounds freque ntly with Some parts, like monolithic voltage regula- determining if it' s the des ign or the construc-
short piec es of wire in drilled through-holes. tors, should have an electro lytic (including tion that's the trouble. DI
26 73 Amateur Radio • March, 1990
* Large Stocks Hand-helds Regular SALE
* Fast Service IC·02ATlHigh Power 409003491\
* Top Trades IC·04AT 440 (ClftH ~1) 449.00 369' \
IC-2SA 2m HT ." 419.00 3 6 9~\
otAES· IC-2SAT 2m HTITTP 439.00 389l \
IC-3SAT 220 HTIITP 449.00 399'\
Accessories for IC-765, 781. 725 - CALL lor Prices IC-4SAT 440 HTIITP 449.00 399'\
HF Equipment Regular SALE VHF/U HF bases Regular SALE
IC-765 Xcv r/ps/keyer/auto toner...... 3149,00 2699 IC-2GAT 2m HTITTP 429.00 379"
IC-275A 25w 2m fMlSSB/CW w/ps 1299 00 1099 IC-4GAT 440MHz, TTP 449.00 389'1
IC-275H 100w 2m fMlSSB/CW 1399.00 1199 $pse;ql . .
IC-375A 25w 220 ~M/ SS B ... (Clmoul) 1399.00 799'\ IC-32AT 2m/440 HT 629.00 549"
IC-475A 25w440 fMlSSB/ CW w/ ps 1399.00 11 99
IC-475H !OOw 440 fMlSSB/CW 1599.00 1369 IC-12AT 1.2GHz FM HTmp... (CIotmf) 473.00349'1
tC·575A 25w 6/l0m xcvr/ps (Sf/"i"J 1399.00 1129 IC-12GAT lw 1.2GHz HTlbatl/cgrlITP 529.00 469'\
IC·575H 25w IOOw 6/l0m xcv r.... .... 169900 1469
Aircraft band handhelds Regular SALE
VHF/UHF 112G Hz mobiles Regular SALE A-2 5W PEP syn th. aircraft HT.. " 525.00 479' \
IC-28A 25w2m FM, TTP mic (Clfmul) 469.00 379" A-20 Sjnth. aircraft HT w/VOR 625.00549'\
IC-28H 45w2m FM, TIP mic .. (S~/qD 499.00 389' \
HM-14 Extra TTP microphone. .... ... 59.00 Acces sones lor all exce pt micros Regular
UJ.28 Digitalcode squelch.... ... .... 39.50 BP-7 425mah/ 112V Nicad Pak . use BC-35 7900
UT-29 Tone squelch decoder. ... ... .. 39,50 BP-8 BOOmah/84V Nicad Pa k. use BC·35 ... 79.00
HM-16 Spea ker /microphone... ...... 3400 BC-35 Drop in desk cha rger for all batteries 79.00
lC-02AT Leather case lor Dlxmodels w/BP-7/8 54.50
Accessories for IC and IC-O series Regular
BP-2 425mahl7.2V Nicad Pak· use BC35.. " 49.00
IC-751A 9·band xcvr/.l ·30 MHz tcvr 1699.00 1469 Bp·3 Extra Std. 250 ma h/84V Nicad Pak .... 3950
PS·35 Internal power supply 219.00 199\\ BP-5 425ma h/lO,BV Nicad Pak - use BC35 65.00
H-63A 250 Hz CW nlter (lsi IF) .. 59,00 DC· I DC opera tion pak lor standard models 24.50
H·52A 500 Hz CW filter (2nd IF) 115,00 109 ' 1 LC·2AT leather case ($pteiff) 49,95
H-53A 250 Hz CW filter (2nd IF) 115.00 109' \ HM-9 Spea ker microphone 47,00
IC-228A 25w 2m FMITTP rmc ~Pte~f) 509.00 379'\
H-70 2,8 kHz wide SSB fi lter........ 59.00 IC-228H 45w2m FMIITP scan ($puill) 539.00 429' \ For other HT Accessories not listed please CALL
RC·I O External frequency controller 4900 IC-448A 25w 440 fMIITP rruc . 599.0051 9'\ Receivers Regular SALE
UT·40 Pocket beep function .. 4500 R·7IA 100kHz to 30MHz receiver $999.00 869"
IC-900A Transceiver controller .. 639,00 499" RC-ll Infrared remote controller 70,99
FL-32A 500 Hz CW filter.............. 6900
* Ch_ Spetigl. . .
IC-900A Transceiver controller with UX-29H
FL-63A 250 Hz CW filter (1st IF). .... 59,00
Fl-44A SSB fi ller (2nd IF) 17800 159'\
EX-257 fMum!.. ......... ... ... ... .... 49,00
2m125W and UX·39A 220125Wband units, EX·310 VOice s ~ n th e slze r . . . . . . . .. . .. . 59,00
Package Price • $899" CR·64 High stability oscillator x1al 79.00
SP·3 External speaker 65,00
UX·19A 10m, lOw band unit... 299,00 269'\ CK·70 (EX-299) 12v DC option ." ... 12.99
IC·735 HF nanscever/sw rcwmc 1149.00 999\\ UX·29A zm 25w band unit .... 299,00 269 ' > MB-12 Mobile mount.. ....."."..... 25,99
PS·55 External power su p pl ~ 219 00 199'\ UX-29H zm. 45wband unn.; 34900 319"
AT-150 Auto. an te nna tuner (SpttiqD 44500 369'\ UX-39A 220MHI. 251'1 unit ($puill) 349.00 299"
FL·32A 500 Hz CW filter ... 6900 UX-59A 6m, lOw band umt , 349.00 319"
EX-243 Electromc keyer unit 6450 UX-129A L2GHz luw band un il. 549.00 499"
UT-30 Tone encoder 1850 IC-901 Fiber Optic 2m/440 xcv r 1199.00 1049
IC·725 Ultra compact Hf ~cv r/SW Icvr 949.00 829'\ IC-12ooA lOw, 1.2GHz FM... (ClftHul) 699.00 599'\
IC·726 lO·band xcvr/6 m/.5·30MHz n 129900 1129 IC-2500A 35w. 440/1.2GHz FMmobile 999.00 869'\
Accessories Regular SALE IC-32 lOA 25w, 2m/ 440 fMITTP 739,00 639' \
IC·2KL Hf solid state amp w/ ps 1999,00 1699 IC-2400A 451'1 2m/35w440 FMlTTP 899,00 789' \
IC·4Kl Hf IKW out s/ s amp w(ps 6995.00 5995 AH ·32 2m/440 Dual Band mobile ant 39,00
EX-627 HFauto. ant. selector (sf/"i"J 31500 269'\ AHB·32 Iruns.lip moun!...... ...... .. 35,00
PS·1 5 20Aexternal power sup pl ~ ...... 17500 159' \ larsen PO·K Roo! moun!.... ...... ... 23.00
PS-30 Systems pIs w/cord 6,pln plug 34900319'\ larsen PO·TLM Trun k-lip moun!..... 2470
MB Mo bile mount. 735175IAI761A.. .. 25,99 larsen PO-MM Magnetic moun t 28.75
SP-3 Externa lspeaker 65,00 Rp· 1510 2m251'1 repeater " 1849.00 1649
SP-7 Smail external speaker 51.99
CR-64 High stab, ret xtal; 75!A. etc 79 00

ffiu.. you,
PP-! Speaker/patch 17900 164'\
SM-6 Desk microphone. ................. 4795 Top Trades! • We'll take you r
SM-8 Desk mic . two cables, Scan 8900 Clean Late Model gear in trade
AT-lOO llJOW Bband auta ant. tune r 445,00 389'\
AT·500 SOOW s-band au to, ant tuner... 589,00 519'\ towards New ICOM Equipment.
AH-2 Bband tuner w/mount & whip .... 758,00 689'\
CREDIT or Call for our QUale Today!
Write
AH-2A Antenna tuner system, only........ 55900 499 ' \
GC-5 World clock (Sf/"iqD 91.95 69' \ CARD *
AES. 0... 32 rem in Am.leUi R.dio
Number 13 on your Feedback c:.rd

Service Survey
Tips on getting good service for ailing rigs.
by Gordon West WB6 NOA

hat are YO U going to do when learn exactly what you need to do to get you r U nan imous Tip #2 : THE FACTORY

W yoo r rig goes up in smoke? Will


you fix it yourself? Will you take it
back to the dea ler where you bought it and get
unit fixed properly. how to esti mate the
time it will take to get it back to you, and
how to approximate the cost of the repair
NEEDS DETAILS . If you plan to se nd you r
set back to the factory for repair, include
precise details of what you find wrong with
it fixed while you wait? Or will you se nd it work. your unit: What did you observe that makes
back to the factory and hope that you might you th ink the unit is not working correctly?
get your set back within a few months? The Overall " Musts" Too many times the factory ' s repair sta ff
This month you will receive the combined receive equipment sent back with a note
How to Get Help input from all the service managers on how saying only: " Please fix ." Without more
This se rv ice survey will be published in you can help yoorself get better se rv ice. details, the factory may overloo k a problem
each issue of73 through July 1990. It will be Kenwood. Yaesu . ICOM , and Ten-Tee all unique to your set. Please u se the 73
an eye-opener o n how you can get your agree that there is plenty that you can do Magazine SERVICE REPA IR FORM to
equipment repaired without frustration. and to up you r odds in gemng yoo r set back adequately desc ribe the details of your panic-
hopefully without a long wa it. I will feature quickly , and repaired properly , wit h a mini- ular service problem. All of the Service Man-
comme nts from ham s who have expe rienced mum of ru nning around or frustration on you r agers that I surveyed ag reed that this would
good service. and bad serv ice. from both the part . be a good form to fill out and tape to any
factory and se rv icing deale rs . This may help Una nimous Tip #1 : Is your problem an equipment returned to the factory.
you decide where to send your set to get it operational error? Let you r factory-autho- Unanimous Tip #3: Many returned sets are
fixed. rized dealer take a quick chec k of the rig to damaged in shipment to the service factory . If
Here 's the line-up for our monthly serv ice make su re that the problem isn't something you" can't pack age your rig properly , the n
survey : simple. or something that ca n be quickly re- take it to a nearby package shipping center
March (this issue): How To Get Better Service paired on the test be nch in the back o f the and let them pack it up in foam for you. All
April: Kenwood Service Survey shop. If there is no dealer near you , find a Service Managers ag reed that lot s of the
May: ICOM Service Survey ham with the same type of equipment. The equipment sent back to the factory was poo rly
June: Ten-Tee Service Survey two of you should verify together that there packaged .
Jul y: Yaesu Service Survey really is a technical problem. Kenwood Corporation wi ll be the focus
of our se r v i c e
I have vis ited survey fo r next
each factory per- month . We will
so nally, and docu- take a n in side
mented th e time l o o k at the ir
in vol ved in get- factory se r vice
ting a particul ar counters and see
type of tra nsceiv- what it takes to
er fixed . I will in- get a rig quickly
clude photographs repai red a nd
o f th eir service shipped back to
ce nte r . a nd th e the ham waiting
tec hn ic ia ns that for it. We'll look
fix you r sets . I'll at c o m m e nts -
include the names so m e po sitiv e ,
and numbers o f some negative-
ke y se rvice ad - from hams about
mi n ist rat or s i n the Kenwood re-
case you wa nt to pair cycle . Final-
go " to the top" to ly, you'll find out
re solve a serv ice who the key per-
problem . sonnel are in case
Ea eh m onth you need to call
we 'll take a close the factory for a
look at each com- status report on
pa ny 's se rvice a Kenwood fix at
record , You will Photo A. Th ~ Waiting Room. the factory , III
28 73AmateurRadio . March,1990
AMATEUR RADIO EQUIPMENT REPAIR REQUEST
Name Call Siqn _

Address City, State, Zip _

Daytime Phone Number Evening or Weekend Phone Number _

Model of Equ ipment Returned for Repair _

Serial Number Purchased When? _

From Which Dealer? _

Was this purchased new by you? D Yes D Na Is Warranty repair expected? D Yes o No O Unsure

The problem is: (Please print) _

Is this the only problem? D Yes D Na D Unsure

An y other problems? _

Has someone tried to repair thi s problem? D Yes D Na

If yes , give details. _

THE RF CONNECTION .... A MI GA c or-rrrrrcrctcrr-e T"


" SPECIAU$T IN RF CONNECTORS AND COAX"
P_ No.
PL7!i91US4
83·1sp·105O
UHf
Ofl,cription
"'* !'tiel. . . USA..-
.....
• to
C~ CHIPS-PARTS-UPGRADES C~
~ 11215 .. tol~ $109';
HUGE SHORTWAVE
CATALOG
1'1.-259 PhoonoIoc. A" "" he" ,,'
" U$t5 t:l62lD( '-S£) P' ~
~ Communications Receivers
-,
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Pl-2591ST
UGH!'>
"1.·259 Teflon..... 'lJIheoiOl
Ut1f ~ Solve< Teflon. lISA
Ilecl.cer lor RG-S8
1.75
".
20
MOO $10ll5
$IOr.;
')6.1 "0I,.l..lj
1$7'G<01
P' ~
511.!l!i Japan Radio, Kenwood,
lGI16 R«t.attor RG-59& MI~ 8 20 ~ $1~r.; I Jo.OSuIlr/lOOol $]1.95 lcom and Yaesu.
10_ es-e. 213_ 21 4, DeIt4l ~, $1:N50
UG-2100
'" 'IE.,.........TT[II_ )0- Portable Receivers

--
UG-21MJ IO"-RG-a, 213. 21 " 110'\&5 '00 _1!1~ $ 76'15
991M'110 ~_p", lor9913. 9086.811" """'-'S~_10'"
:IV < ~ 100 $1050 Grundig. Sangean, Magnavox,
UG-210l9913
htsUG-2100 & UG-118ItJ~,
,, _ ,... RG-a ..lh991]PJn ,,,
'50
1!:!'""'
000
'~M
~"
....m
$10500 Sony and Panasonic.
UG-1 16l9913
UG- 146AJ\J
" Male lor RG8 ..tIl 9913 p",
"_1050-23 9. TellcnU$A
S,7S
.00
11£1'UlUU
OIY-" $2395 1
o\!.lllJ'{;ltOOE_S1
A '10 1 ~l'" l/P(;IlAD[ $109 50
>- Antennas & Headphones
"'."'"" THIS LIST REPRESENTS ONLY A
.. Female 10 P\.·2S9, Teflon USA '.00 ~ Tuners, Preamps and Filters
FRACTION OF OUR HUGE INVENTORY "
Commodore Diagnostician II
s-."",...,...,.onIlEP'~ &
t'>"'....--_"'lI!_IC~on
001'<'<1Ilol(
.. $ 6 (REF, AIO I'61
95
>- VHF·UHF Receivers
>- Radioteretype Equipment
THE R.F. CONNECTION COU~COfI'IPUl"'on<ll5-41or....
>- Facsimile Equipment
213 North Frederick Ave. #11 ~=:;:l=.~::~~=':~~ "":."~
Gaithersburg, MD 20877
""'_, I0- ,~,ooo "(>I~GI<OSTIOA"S" """ _ 'de ~ >- Books & Accessories
lO<1tas'",!"" INIgo ~., ",..ct> U--eom"..l.. S/'IOQI>Oo' "'gal"'" "
1'.",... $6,9~ "'OpaoO " "'. U S
(301) 840-5477 (JUSTOOT ...IGA-tllAaOlOSTICWlIOOIlLlT $ 10.9 51
PRICES DO NOT INCLUDE SHIPP ING Ttm Send for our FREE catalog. Send Universal Radio
PRICES SUBJECT TO CHANGE $11D 128 0 Aida Drive Dept. 73
GRAPEVINE
VISA , MASTERCARD, ADD 4%
UPSC,O,D, ADD $3,00 PER ORDEA GROUP 3 5 CHARLOTTE DRIVE IJiii' Rey noldsbu rg, OH 43068
Inc . WESLEY HILLS . '1.'1' . 10917
CIR(;U 1 15 ON READER SERII ICE CA RD r.-.Jl91"'3S"-6696 9U ·3 5..•....... 800·292-7445 CIRCLE 103 ON ItEA DER SERVICE CAitO
De ale. P ric es anilabl_ ,
PrlCe5 sUb}ect 10 cha",_ , 'W
'
I....
] OUR 9TH
Y£MI !,
CIRCU 390 OfrIItEADf:J1 SERVICE CARD 73 Amateur Radio • March, 1990 29
Does th e problem begin immediately, or a few hours after warm- up?

Does the problem occur continuously, or is it intermitt ent?

If interm ittent, what conditions aggravate the problem? (Heat, vibration, low voltage, etc .)

What type of anten na are you runn ing o n this set?

What is the SWR? _

Date you have returned the equipment for repair. _

What accessories are you return ing with th is repair? (Do not include any accessories unless you feel they
m ight be part of the repair problem.)

Any other information that mi ght desc ribe th e problem with your set?

m
Number 38on your Feedback arel
martund APC types . You must This filt er goes between the bench equipment I can see 37 dB
C,RCU,TS have some measuring equipment
to tell what you are doing .
transceiver and the antenna . Of
course, if the CB guy is running
atieast.
Set the cut-ott frequency well
Great Ideas From Our Readers tf you want to lOOk at the nomi- three kW , sterner measures may above the second harmonic of the
nal design values, see fitter 194 on be required. offendi ng sIgnal. C2 is extremely
Ch icken Bandit Filter page 2-4 8 in t he 19 87 ARRL The theoreticat reject ion is in critical. Feed a transmuted signal
Recently , one of my two meter Handbook, I recalcu lated these excess of 40 d B. I can't measure through an SWR meter, through
tnenos was bothered by a nearby values, listed in the figure caption. accu rately that high, but wilh my the tnter. to a dummy lOad corre-
CB operator with illegal power spond ing to the antenn a you plan
and manners to match. I argued Figure 1. C1 and C3 to use (SOO) and tune C2 tor low-
that it is better to filter than to are approximately 47 " )( est SWR, Tha t should also be
fight. pF (75 pF % meshed); maximum output to the load. I
The Handbook gives approxi-
male design values, so I buill a
s-erern ent Chebyshev high-pass
C2 is approximalely 24
pF (50 pF !-7 meshed).
All three cap s are
r can't measure any insertion loss.
II you tune to the middle 01 the
band you plan to use, th is is a
fill er with adjustable capacitors to Hammarlund APC Iypes. L 1 and L2 are 3lurns of #16 ~ r ate.. !-7 ~ long. set-and-forget item .
tune il for optimum performance. All this is built in a 2 " x 2 !-7 ~ x 5 " metal box, wirh coax jacks ar eirher end
Past experience told me this is 01- and the coils mounted al 90 degrees to each other (one grounded 10 w m . Bru ce Came ron WA4 UZM
ten c ritical; use low to lerance the side and the omer to the bottom) 10 avoid unwanted inductive 324 S. Aiverh ills Dr.
caps. The caps I used are Ham- coupling. Temple Terrace FL 336 17 DI
30 73 Amateur Radio • March , 1990
INTRODUCING OUR NEW GaAs FET
COMPUTER-CONTROLLED PREAMPS
at a fraction of the cost
REP-200 REPEATER II you prefer a plain-vanilla or kit
repeater, you c ouldn't find a
of comparable units!
If you always thought a computer-controlled better va lue than our original
repeater had to be expensive, LOOK AGAIN ! You REP-100 REPEATER LNG-(*)
cou ld easily spend th is much just for a cont ro ller. 5a'ne line rf rnodllles lIS RE P·200 W
with COR-4 COntroller. Can add ONLV $59
_O<M_...
As always, Hamlronlcs strIv es to g ive superb performance al autopalch, dim! decoder. CTCSS. either
modest cosl! In this c ase, a premrum repeater with versatile now or later. Kit only $675, w /1 $975,
computer control, autopatch, a nd many dIm! control features at
fess than many charge for a bare-bones repeater!
We don't skimp on rf modules, either! Check the features on ACCESSORIES
R144 Receiver, l or Instance. GaAs FET front-end, helical COR·3 REPEATER CONTROLLER krt ,
Fa atures adjustable lail & time-<lU1
resonators, sharp crystal filters, hysteresis squelch. lime<s, soec-state relay , courl esy beep,
We completely re-thought the whole Idea of what a repeater and local speaker amplifl8r. . $49

~
should be, to give the best features at the lowest c o st.
CWIO k~ . Diode programmed My lime
in ee tieId, adjusI3bIe tone, speed, and
LNW-(*)
ONLY $1295 ! Iimer. to go with COR ·3 _. $59 MINIATURE
GaA. FET
PREAMP
ONLV $24 .. $39 _ _
• GaAs FET Praamp snwar 10 lNG,
e xcept designed lor lo¥I co,t , 'rl'I<'n
slzi. ()rVy- 5I8'W x 1·5/ln. x 3/4"1--1.
Easly mooots in many r1ldios.

-LNS-(*)
NEW COR... krt. Complete COA and •~ ....ng 1MgOI: :5-35, 35-55. 55-90,
cwro III on one board for easy COl'\- 110- 120. 120-1 50, 150-200; 200-210, or ~
• Available lor the 10M. eM. 2 M, Z20MHl. 44OMHz, 902MHl ham bands.
FCC tyfH a ccepted models also available for vhf end uhf commercial bands. stfUClion. CMOS logic lor low power
• Rugg.d ex ciler and PA, de1:igned tor continuous duty. COOSlJIl1PIion.
Many new l eatures. --=-:-;;:---;-;-:-
• Power output 15- 18W (25W option) on 2M or hi-band; 15W on 22OMHz; l OW on EPROM programmed; specify cal l .. $99
uhl or 902MHz.
o Accessory eec-on PA's avajlable wrth power level. up to 100W.
o Flv. cou rt es y beep typ e., inclUding a pleasant rnutn-tone sequence.
I~
'. ,II,
.'
IN-LINE PREAMP
• AUTOPATCH . either open or eland access, toll-call re etrtct, auto-otscconect .
• Rav ers . A utop aleh . two lype.: auto-answer or ring tone on the air.
ONLY $79ikll, $99 wl ••d.'I"I~
• GaAs FET Preamp wrth features sin'lliar
o CTMF CONTROL: oyer 4$ functions can be controlled by touch-tone. Separate
NEW TC·3 SUBAUCIBLE TON E 10 LNG series, eKCepl automatically
40digrt control code for eactI funetion. plus elrtra 4·dlgll o wner p as'WOfd ,
DECODER/ENCODER k ij Adjustable . w hc he. out 01 Iintl during transmit.
• Owner c:a n Inh ibit autopatetl or repeater, enable either open- or cosec.eecese
tor repealer or autopatc:h. and enable 101 cab. reverM paletl. kerc:tu1k filler, for aTrf tone. [)es' I;J llld e.pee lany lor Use with base or mot:lile transceivers I,4J
re peat e-r" with remota control 10 25W. TOW(!( fI'lOI..rIlinQ bfacl<ets indo
W 1llIrm. aux rcvr, and 0!hIIf opliCllts. incUding two 8Udary elllernal cWa.Wts. o~ ....ng 1MgOI: 120-ITS. 200-2.00. or
· Tht cwid message. dlml eorrrnand codes. and CMfler-spec;ified deI<UI pa-ame- aetivateldeactiVale provisions $24
.ao-~ Alftz.
lars tor C(ll" and cwid timers and tones are bl.med into lilt eprom at the factory. TD-2 TOUCH-TONE CECODER.CON .
• Cw speed and tone, COU1esy beep and tail tmer1;. and COI.a1esy beep Iypll can TROlt.ER lui Ful 18 dgits. with toI-eaI
' II be cNnged at any l ime by owner-password-protected dtrnI corrmin:is. restrictor. programmable. Can tum 5 HELICAL RESONATOR
• Many built-in d~g OO$t1c & tesbr'lg lu ..ctious using IIIOOPO OC : 5: )f. fullGtialS onIofI. Of_lor seleaive cal-
o Color COded Ied·s lnd iCil1a .Iatus 01 III major fullCt1OllS. .-.g. too! _ _ __..__•.•. 579 PREAMPS
Preamps with 3 or 4 SlICtion heicaI
,ecei_.
• w .Id..::l p artition, for eltOltr. pa. and controIef. P'EM nuts for covers.
resoI"I3Iors red uce intlrmod " cross·
o 3-1/2 inch alurnirun rack panel, fnshed., eggshllII while and blade
band interference " cribc:alllfJf*Wions.
• Auxiliary r tcaive-r Input tor indeper1denI control or cro. . llnklng repeat...., MODEL HRA-(") , $49 vhf, $94 .....,
~ .... .....,. _ , -.wo-.o, '-....,...,.,.,.10 - . R_ol c"'~ ~tuiI ~ 0Speciff ....ng 1MgOI: 141. 150. 150- / 62,
181· 174, 113-233. 420-4~ 450-410.

AP-3 AUTOPATCH k ~ . Use with above


for repeater autClpatch. Reverse patch
FM EXCITERS : kits & phooe line remote control are SId . $79
$99. wit $169. ZW lXlflIin. AP -2 SIMPLEX AUTOPATCH Tnwlg
lJOl.lS duty. TCXO & xtaI Board kit. Use with above lor simplex
0Yttl opliClllS available , operalJOn using a tr.lSOlIi...- $39 RECEIVING
FCC type ac:cepled lor
com 1 uht & hi bMds.
o TAS1 for 10M, 6M, 2M.
CONVERTERS
Low noise convetI9I"$ 10 r eceive vhf and
150-t74,22OMHz. uhf ba nd. on a 10M receiver. Choice
• TA451 1or lklt. 01 kit with cast:l & BNG jKI<s, Itt with pdl
• TA 901 for 902-928MHz. onty, or ",,/I .... in a case , Ott.- models
O.SW out (Nil...,. $169l IIVIIiIabIe for ott- iry"out '.1Q8S
& atv
• VHF • UHF AMPUFIERS. Request ca talog fOl' complete bstings.
For 1m. $$b. atv. 0u!Ilut VHF Input rllnge. .....11 ; 136-138.
from 1fN/lo 10C1N. $averal models, kits SIarU1g at $79, 144-1 46, 145- t 47, 146-t48, 220-222-
MQ-202 FSK DATA MODULATOR krt 222·224; k ij less case $39. k ij w/case
FM RECEIVERS : krts $ 139, wit $189, R\..o1 u p 10 1200 baud digrtal signals $59, wit in case $89
• R144/R220 FM RECEI VERS lor 2M.
th rough any rrn transmitter with full UHF Input rsngee ava il : 432·434 ,
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CIRCLE 51 ON RUDER SERVICE CARD


Number 14 on your Feedback card

73 Review Marc Stem by WAIR

Uniden HR-2600 Uniden Corp. of America


4700 Amon Carter Blvd .
Ft. Worth TX 7615 5
(817) 858-3300
A beauty of a mobile rig! Price Class: $490

e have an amazing hobby. Now, however, the RIT is defeat-


W Every new contact is as ex-
citing as the first , no matter how
able-you can use the VFO to tune
critically, and then use the AIT to
long ago that was. Take 10 meters, fine-tune after you've homed in.
for instance. Just the other day 10 You can really zero beat signals
was open as I cruised along a road now. However, the display still re-
near my house . As I tuned around mains the same: there's no indica-
on my 10-meter rig I heard Cyprus, tion 01 received frequency change.
Malta, and Ireland. Not being one to
let an opportunity go, I called each «Channelized operation: When the
stat ion, and what do you know! HR-2510 debuted, it was immedi-
They came back to me: Cyprus on ately apparent that it came from a
the first call , Ireland on the first call, world of channelized operation .
and Malta on the third . The amazing Frankly , it was little more than an
thing is that it was all done with 25 11 meter rig with a lew changes.
watts from Uniden's modest power Granted , they were necessary
level transceiver, the HR-2600, into cnanqes-cerr . FM, CW and the
a base-loaded, mag-mounted mo- like-but basically, the HR-2510
bile antenna (Wilson's 1000). was still a converted CB rig.
The HR-2600 looks the same as
The Uniden HR-2600. Because the heart of the circuitry
it s predecessor , the HR-2510. was originally a CB radio, it is easy
About the only way you can tell Table 1. Uniden 's Changes to see why the orientation of the
them apart is the HR·2510 label on HR-2510 HR·2600 Change
HR-2510 is toward 10 kHz channel
the older model and the RPT setting spacing . CB is limited to 40 chan-
1. Transmit beep No transmit beep Beep gone
on the front panel of the HR-2600. nels on 11 meters with an arbitrary
2. Public address
That's it. 10 kHz spacing. Thus, when you
(PAl function No PA function PA eliminated
What are the improvements on tune the HR-2510 with either the
3. Con slant RIT Ril contrOl/switch AIT can be disabled
the 2510 ? Read on to find out! buttons of the up/down, standard
4. Channelized No channelized 10 kHz channels mike or with the up/down keys on
Major Changes operalion; operation gone: continuous tune
the front of the rig , you find it tunes
10 kHz Channels
Table 1 shows what has been through 50 channels that are evenly
5. No repeater splits Repeater splits RPT button added
added to or eliminated from the spaced every 10 kHz. The VFO dial is
HR·2510 to make the HR-2600. 6. No CTCSS lones CTCSStones ClCSS tones added the only control that will tune in any
Let' s look at each change briefly . way other than 10 kHz steps .
placed the 2510, and again, unless you left The lack of continuous tuning with either the
«Transmit beep: When the HR-2510 was first the All centered, you never really knew push-buttons on the front of the rig, or on the
introduced it initiated a telltale annoying where you were. There was also no indica- mike, made using the HR-2510 less than easy,
transmit beep whenever the beep bulton was tion that the arr was engaged at all times. especially for mobile operation. The HR-2600
pushed. I guess it was Uniden'a wayo/trying Several modifications were published to get fixes this problem by allowing continuous tun-
to indicate an "over" signal for phone ops. around this problem, and Uniden respo nded. ing with either the mike push-buttons or the
This feature has been replaced on the 2600 The addition of the RITON/OFF switch. in place up/down buttons on the front of the rig. Agai n,
by the repeater offset function . of the PA switch , is an excellent change. The this feature was sought alter by HR-2510
frequency display remains the same when the users , as fixes for it were published soon after
-Pubnc address: When the HR-251 0 debuted, PH is engaged, but you must physically en- the older rig was introduced.
it had a public address capability. I guess you gage the AIT control before it is activated. Note, by the way, that Uniden still slices the
can tell its heritage, as mosl ll -meter rigs Think about what this seemingly small 10 meter band into four band segments:
have that functi on , too (why, I can only change means . How many times do you think 28.000-28.499, 28.500-28 .999, 29.000-
guess) . On the HR-2600, the PA function has the owner of an older HR-251 0 went to answer 24.999, and 29.500-29.699. I can't fathom the
been eliminated in favor of a real nrr switch. a co. only to find that th e AIT had left reasoning behind th is breakdown , except that
the receive 2 kHz off the transmit frequency? the band segments do coincide with the
«sur c ont ro l switch: When the HR ·2510 Situations like this can be frustrating, espe- Novice-Tech segment (28.000-28.499), inter-
debuted it was equipped with a continuously- cially if you're not "quick on the tune," so to national SSB window (28.500-28.999), satel-
tuned Receiver Incremental Tuning (Rtl) cir- speak. And, with 3 kHz bandwidth, it could lite links and AM (29.000-29.499), and the
cuit. The only problem was that unless you become more than a little annoying on CW FM/repeater window (29.500-29.699).
left it centered all the time , you couldn't really where most rigs use an 800 Hz or so offset.
tell what the receive frequency was . There You could easily tune right through a CW sig- - Repeater splits: When the HR-2510 was in-
was also no indication of just how far away nal and you never really could zero beat it troduced, it was loudly applauded lor its stan-
from your operating frequency the AIT had easily. dard FM, but more than one writer/observer
32 73 Amateur Radio _ March, 1990
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ClJlClf 10 ON RUDER SERVICE CARD


easy to do! I just fol - One feature I like is the SPAN control. With
Table 2. HR-2600 Specifications lowed the clearly writ- a flic k of the push-button , you ca n cha nge
ten instruct ions in the the tuning rate from 10 kHz to 1 kHz- 1oo Hz.
Gener.' man ual an d flipped a This rate takes effect on the VFO . You can
Frequency Range Band A28.0000-28.4999 MHz cou ple of DIP switches. easily asy up 5 by pushing the SPAN button
Band B28.5000-28.9999 MHz so that the small line that appears is under
Suddenly, where I used
Band C29,00Cl0-29,4999 MHz to be limited to listening the 100kHz place on the frequency readout.
Band 0295000-29.6999 MHz passively to t he re- After that it just takes nve clicks of the " up"
Frequency Stability :!: 300 Hz Nominal
peater,l could access it button.
(@25·C. 5 m,nules after powoer on) and use it. The CTCSS
Microphone 5000 Dynamic:, PIT, UP~ bYnons tones made a BIG im- Documentation
Speaker 80.5 Wans mu. provement. The documen tati on has drastically im-
Operallng Modes CWoUSB. LSB. AM. FM Essentially , the rest proved. The manufacturer is actually begin-
Display Backlit LCD of the 25 watt rig has ning to understand that our market is dilferent
Display Items Freq , Band. Repealer Mode, Meter, remained unchanged . from the general consumer market, and they
MeIer Mode. TX. VFO Span It is still a mu ltimode rig have included sc hem atics . True, they are
Size 1.32·W x 10.35-0 x 2.44"H that puts out 25 watt s small, and in some cases you need a magnifi·
Weight 4 pounds. 3 ounces on CW and 25 walls er to trace a line or signal, but it's a start.
PEP on SSB. Whe n you Another feature has rem ained the same but
Tranamitter run AM or FM, the out- is still welcome; the large, finned heat sink. II
Output Power CW,25waIlS put is 10 walls nominal . loo ks like it co uld handle more than 25 walls,
USBILSB 25 walls PEP but I' m happy with the output. Whe n 10' s
AMIFM 10 watts nominal The Good , ccen. thet's all you need .
Spurious Harmonie Emissions - SO dB nominal. all modes the B ad , and t he Ugly I'm also pleased with untcen'e realization
Carrier Suppression - 55 dB nominal, USBIlSB II you look closely at that the "President" series (the other name
Unwanted Sideband Suppression - 45 ee nominal, USBlLSB th e specs (Table 2), for the 251012600) was too easily mod ified by
Power ConSlJmption AMIFM 3 amps nominal you'll see that the HR- the "freebanders" that operate on 10.5 me-
USBlL5B 0.8 amps (no modutation) 2600 is a very capable ters, and by other operators who wanted to
CW 5 amps (key doWn) operate on 11 .5 meters, where the series
rig. The worst case of
Power ConsIJmption sensitivity is 0. 5 IJV, could also tune. To cope with the problem,
lmu,mum modulalion) AWFM 3 amps nominal, USBIlSB Uniden has potted up the areas you need to
which i s within the
5 amps nominal realm of other rigs of adjust, and has put warn ing signs all over the
MICrophone Input 1 mV nominallor 50% AM modulation
this type and , in fact , interior. There's also a warning in the manual
CW Key VoltagelCurrent 8 VOC. 10 rnA
within the realm of just that makes it clear that Uniden will tum over
about every rig on the the name of any person modifying the " Presi-
Receiver market. With 0.25 IJV dent" to operate outside its authorized band.
sensitivity lor 10dB AM 0.5 uV nominal The warning, a large insert in the documenta-
sensitivity on CW and
SIN CW/USBlLSB 025 uV nominal SSB, th e HR-2600 is tion , easily falls out on the table as you un-
RF Image Rejection Ralio65 dB nominal
just about as sensitive pack, and it's a color you can't miss.
Power Consumption 500 rnA nominal Two features that have remained the same ,
as any rig I own, al-
Squelched Power Consumplion. which I really don 't care for, are the accessory
t hough ligures in th e
Ma~imum Audio l 000 mA nominal
0 .15 range are a lso plug and the power j ack. Uniden uses a 9-pin
co m m o n i n the HF MOlexnt·styte co nnector for such functions as
also noted the lack 01 repeater offsets . To world. Still , we 're talki ng about orders of mag- CW, external speaker, and inte rnal speaker.
operate on repeaters, if they weren't tone nitude in price and selectivity. Th e method of hookup is about as kludgey
acce ssed to begin with, meant that you had That 's right, selectivity. Th e more sensi tive as anything I've ever experienced. For exam-
to transm it on the input frequency, then tum a rig gets, the more selective it has to become, ple , imagi ne hooki ng up your CW key with a
the VFO diat unt il you were on the repea ter's and the HR-2600 can 't seem to cope with sev· Molex-style connector with two wires just sort
receive freque ncy. Or you could set the SPAN erar signals in the tuning passband . It tries to of droopi ng into the connector. Aesthetics
control-the control wh ich tells the HR·25101 hear all of them at once and it begins to ring a aside (it looks tacky), it doesn't make sense.
2600 series the tun ing rate (100 Hz , 1 kHz or little. However, when I put my Autek audio Why the manufacturer didn't include minia-
10 kHz }-and then hit the " up" button on the filler in front of the speaker, t he problem ture jacks for the CW key and external speak.
mike or front panel 10 times. Either way, it cleared up and I was easily able to pick out er (or phones; it really doesn't matter) is be-
was awkward . The HR·2600 fixes that with signals. yond me. There are just too many little pieces
bu ilt-in repeater sp lits. Using the forme r Overall , I was qu ite pleased with the of wire hanging off a single, plastic connector.
beep button location, Uniden has implement· HR·2600. I received aud io reports that were It really isn 't convenient to use, especially
ed standard 100kHz splits for repeater work, un iformly good , and signal reports that posi- when you consider that it locks into place and
making the HR-2600 a pleasure to use on tively astounded me (worst case 5 and 4, you have 10 literally pry it apart 10 change back
repeaters. wh ich isn't bad for a 25 walt rig and a wildly to the " standard" configuration which fea-
swaying 6O-inch Whip). As I noted , the addition tures the internal speaker jumpered to work .
- CTCSS Tones: When the HR-2510 was intro- of the repeater spli ts, CTCSS , and a switch to The power connector seems like a least-cost
duced it lacked CTeSS tones, a leature disable the RIT, were also godsends. They option , and would be improved by a better.
many repeater operators have implemented . add ed g rea tly t o my enjoy m e n t o f t he more secu re con nector.
Given the crowded sta te of 10 meter repeater HR-2600 . Still, the last lwo poi nts are minor, especial-
pai rs and the fact that at th is stage of I sti ll haven't fig ured out the exact function ly if you intend to use the HR-2600 mainly for
the sunspot cycle communications is world- of the MIKE GAIN co ntrol because it narrows mobile phone use. In thi s role it shines bright-
wide, repeater operators have opted to use the audio bandpass and attenuates outgoing ly. I like it and it has joined my stable of mobi le
CTCSS tones to help keep their repeaters audio. Instead of MIKE GAIN, I think it sho uld rigs. F.IJ
qu iet . read " MIKE A"EN." Uniden wou ld be well-ad-
A 10 meter repeater near my home uses vised to think about adding a highllow power Marc Stem N1BLH is a frequent contributor to
CTeSS , and implementing this option opened switch, or a speech processor switch , in its 73 Magazine. Contact him at 555 Worcester
up a new world of operating for me . And it was place. Rd., Framingham MA 01701.
34 73AmaleurRadio - March,1990
SMALLEST Full
Duplex Interconnect
Available
Only 5.75 W x 1.5 H x 7.75 D

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• Toll Restrict
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• Tone or Pulse Dialing
• Call Limit Timer
• Mobile Activity Timer
• Ring-Out (Reverse Patch)

CIRCLE 100 ON READER SERVICE CA RD

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CIRCLE 72 ON READER SERVICE C ARD
73 AmateurRadio • March. 1990 35
Number 15 on your FHdback card

The Secret of
t h e Accessory Plug
Transceiver to power amplifier-getting the proper drive level.
by Robert E. Bloom W6 YUY

M a ny hams a re st ill plagued with the


d ilemma of obtaining a proper drive 1":ro,,.•
~ TU. ~
,,-
5 '. OCO~
5T EE . "' ~
~f "" " y( COO<TIlOl.
'oIOlT""( TO .....
.. ~ 0'< T•• ~ s( E M. One of the pin co nnec tio ns (#6 for the
TS-830 ) goes to the ALe co nt rol circuit. Its
- '0
~,
. ~,

pu rpose is to suppress excessive drive to the


level out of thei r transceive r to the ir power •
ampl ifier. am plifier in the form of a negati ve feedback ,
Some top-of-the-line t ran sceivers , such as an inverse vol tage whic h limits the d rive
the Kenwood TS-940, provide an adjustable
le vel control fo r thi s purpose , but most do
'"
Negative voltage applied to Pin ocontrots the
power to the amplifier . It become s active
when the transce ive r sees e xcessive VSWR
not. Un its like the Kenwood TS-830, for e x- transceiver 's power output. when looking into the amplifier . Drive power
am ple , have adjustments for tu ne-up and CW is thu s limited to protect the transceiver's
o nly. When the mode switch is set for SSB. The Secret Revealed output transi stors from burnout.
you have the full 100 watts . So what does one do? You set the dri v e Of course, if you ha ve the manufacturer' s
Some hams d rop the level, using a high le v e l with the a ud io ga in control, a poor mat ing amplifier. then the p ro per interfaci ng
power anenuatcr bet ween the transceiver and method at best as you lose a ll control of mike circuitry' is bu ilt in, a nd you d o not have a
the amplifier, thu s d issipatin g the e xcessive sensitivity to background no ise . The real so- problem . If you happen to be using a n ampli-
power in the fonn o f heal. Besides being a lution has always been just out of reach be- fier not made for the transceiver manufactur-
very poor solution, it is difficult to locate the cause no one has revea led the sec re t. er, cha nces are that the A LC c irc uit is not
necessary noninductivc res isto rs, to sa y no th- T he secret lie s withi n the pow er amplifier compatible, and you do nor usc the ALC pin
ing abo ut cost. accessory plug on the back of your transceiver. on the t ra nsceiver's accessory plug . A nd we
are back to square o ne. The secret is di v ulged
by the proper application o f a ma nuall y con-
tro lled Ievel o f negati ve voltage to the ALC
"CUARAIITEED TO OUTPERFORM" Pi n #6 . T his will allow you to set up a ny
THE ..... OR YOUR MONEY BACK! powe r le ve l output yo u wish from yo u r
transceiver.
TEN You will need a bias box . The pans re-
METER
ID
me ' Hilm 10' t en meter i1ntenN is de SlQ~ aM ma nufactured bVAmertcan
1M

Ant enN,makers of the world fa mous IC40Aflten na With a power t1andll fliJ
HAM
ANTENNA
qu ired a re a 10k to 25k ohm pote ntiomete r
( t u-tum variety recomme nded for ease o f
level setting). an SPST switch, a connecto r. a
cacacw of 1SOl)watts and a bilnd w idth of 1.5 mnz between 21 SWR poi ntS c u rre nt stee ring diode , and a 9V battery (need
tne ' HAM 10- Is m e cereecr com pli ment t o i111 SIIlQle -ban d tell meter rIQS_ not be "ene rg ized" ty pe). The steering diode
The Stainless steel base of tne ' HAM 10' is Supplied w ltn an
adjustabl e trunk li p m ount. AlSO avaname IS an opt io nal al1aptable p re ve nts battery drain in c ase you forget to
neaw duty maanamount. turn the switch o ff.
I.CLUSln ....-uRIS: T he circuit in the figure should be sel f-
G) HANDLESUPT01500WAI 151 explanatory . The value o f negative voltage
® METALPLAS CONSTRUCTION. applied to Pi n 6 control s the transceiver's

.... "
CUT-AWAY
THE HAM '10
@ 50" RO'lirION OF BASE.
@ STAlNLESS STEEL W HIP AND BASE.
@ MOUNTSANYWHERE ON ANYVEHICLE I
power output. Ofcourse , the higher the nega-
tive voltage , the lo we r the powe r le v el.
You can mo nitor the output power le v eI
@ FUUYA$$EIIBLED WlTH 18 ' of RG-58 COAX. with the transce ive r multiple purpose meter .
(!) COMPUTER DESICNED ISOLATION CHAMBER. Ifthe unit does not have a power le vel indica-
For A Free srocnure, Call: tor, it would be niee to insert a Bird model 43
o r other unit between the transceiver and the
1-800-323-5608 amplifier.
IN IL 1 800-942-8175 Is someone saying, " How come I neve r
....(Or wrlt eJAME RICAN ANTENNA 1500 EXECUTlVE DR_ELCIN ,tL 60123
sa w thi s before?" III
CIRCLE 92 o~ REAPER SERVICE CARD
Bob Bloom W6 YUY can be reached at 8622
Rubio AI 'f' . , Sepulveda CA 9 1343.
36 73 Amateur Radio • March, 1990
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-SCP12 12 VDC @ O.3 A M AX. OUT. Very low in " while noise ."
. SeI . ~B @ ± 6.5 KHz .•13OdB @ ± 30KHz. (8 Pole
_ S C P 5 12 12 voc e lA & 5VDC@ O.4 Aout. - Spurious - 75dB. Harmonics - 60 dB,
Crystal + 4 Pole Ceramic Fltrs.
- With .0005% precision grade )(lat.
• ' S Meter', Discrim inator & Deviat ion Mtr. Outputs' ( l . I A t01a1malt. out.)
-BA-30 30 Wt. Amp board & Heat link, 3 sec. L.P
- Exc . audio Quality! Fast squelch l w1OJlOO5% Cry&-
filler & rei . pwr . sensor.
taI. I "Super Sharp " 'F Fltr. also 8IftJiI.)
-SA75 75 Wt. unit also evelleble
• N.,,130 KHz 8 . W.IF Filter
to' High S pHd Pttelc.t.
SCT110 Transmitter Assembly
Complete Receiver Assemblies -SCT110 mounted In shiflld«1 hou~rt(1
. Rcvr. Board mounted in sh ielded housing, - Same as lIS8don SCA 1000 &2000X
- Completely assembled & tesled, wlF.T. caps, - Completely assmbld. wfF.T. caps, 50239 conn .
S0239conn. - 10, 30 , or 75 WI . unit.
- As used in th e SCA 1000. Reedy 10 drop into your Plug·ln
system ! Coding Card seT 4108 UHF Transmitter Bd. or Assy.
- UHF g cvr. Assy. Now Available w/Super Sharp FL· - Similar to SCT110, 10 WIs. nom .
4 Heli cal Resonators . G rea tly reduces 1M & " oul of
band " interference!
TTC300 TOUCH TONE CONTROLLER _Inc ludes " on bOllrd" p r oporti ona l Xtal
Osc.fOven c i rc uitry for very high stability!
_High performance, Super versatile design. To con- -BA-4040W. U HF AMP. BD. & HEAT SINK
lrol any ONJOFF Function et a remote site via DTMF
RadioUnk.
FL-4H -uses new high quality Xlal Conlrolled Decoder IC ,
wfhigh immUnity to lalSing
- Oecodes all 16 digits
- 3 0N10FF Functions per Main Card. Easilyellp8nd-
able 10 any no. ol l unctions wlExpansion Cards.
-Codes qu iCkly fl8ld programmable via plug-in c0o-
ing Cards. ManyuniqiJ8 3-digit codes available. No!
basically 1-digil as with competitive units.
_Latched or pulsed outputs. SCAP Aulopalch Board
_Transistor Switch outputs can directly trigger solid - Provid es all basic autopatch lunctiOns
state circuitry or relays, etc . lor any type 01 control _Secure 3Digit Access: 1 Aux On-Ofllunction , Aud io
Receiver Front-End Preselectors tcncuon. AGC : Buill";n timers: etc. Beautiful AUdio!
-t cw Power Consumption CMOS Technology. - Oil inhibit bd. also available
-FL-6: 6HI Q Aesonal ONl w ith L o-Nol se Transl ator 5VDC Input. Gold·plated co nnectors.
Amp (2M or 220 MHz) -Write/call l or details and a data sheet
-FL-4H : 4HI a Hell n l Resonalor. & L o-Nolse Tr .
Amp . In .hielded hOUl in g . (42G-470 MHz) RPCM Board
-Provide. tremendoUI rejection o f " ou t-of. - Used wfSCAP board to provide " Reverse Patch "
~nd" Ilgnals wfout the u~a l loss l Can etten be and Land-Line Control of Repeater
used instead of large expensive cavity fill8f'S. -I ncludes land-line " answering" Circuitry
- Extremely helpful at s.tee w ith many nearby trans-

miners to " filler-out" these out-of-band signals.
SCP30 HEAVY DUTY 30 AMP Lightning Arrester For Autopatch
- Gas Discharge Tube shu nts phone line surges to
RACK MT. POWER SUPPLY g~""
- 13.8 vpc out. 1151230 i n . SOI60 Hz .
Call or Write for • 3OA@ 70% duty. 25A @ 100% duty.
- Handles up to 40.000 Ampsl
-rte Best deVice available to protect Autopatch
Data Sheets - MaSSIVe 30 lb. Transformer & Heal Sinks. equipmenllrom lightning damage.

CIRCLE 51 ON READER Sf RVICE CARD


••••••••••••• •• • • • • • • • • • •
•• •••
Number 16 on your Feedbeck car d

•• ••
••
••
e aeJ1i3
••
•• 73 Review by Larry R. Antonuk WB9RRT
: Kenwood. lcom & Yaesu Equipment & most : Elenco Electronics, Inc.
• Amateur Radio Products! teem authonzec •
• dealer'
• 5!T:m'I

: Qrji'iiiiiiedAlignmenl Service Installation of

:
Elenco 616 South Wheeling Road
Wheeling Il 60090
Tel. (312) 541 -3800
• IRCI & Fox Tango Crystal Filters • Price Class: $45.
• Enhancement KHs
: Tuning Upg raders

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• Bank Controllers
• We service what we Sell.
~
SEE usAT
THE I !l'Jl DmO~
MAMVEMTION
:

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M1900
.~

Digital
"

• 8 & 10 Pole lntemational Radio & Fox •


• Tango Crystal Filters lor lcom. Kenwood. & •
• Yaesu: F. Tango Fi llers also for Drake. -

.'
: Collins & Health
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Newsletters. just $1100 annually, Years of
Back Issues. Back Issue Index - $400,
User's Supplements

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Multimeter
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DIGITAL VIDEO STABILIZER
REMOVES All VIDEO COPY PROTECTION £Ienco 's Digital Multimeter. A handy multitester probe.

buttons are right where your fingers expect


I t was bound to happen . In this age of high
tech watches , LCD speedom eters, and
pagers-in-a-pen , it was only a matter of time
them to be. The OH MS function has an audible
alarm for co ntinu ity te st ing . Hard-to-qat-at
until some of that new technology filtered places are a cinch to reach , especially with the
Wh ila wat ch ing , antal FEATURES down to the lowly electronics technician. The three-inch probe tip extension .
movias, you w;11 notica an- most common high tech test toot lately is the Measurement ranges are suitable for most
• Easy to use and a sna p to
noying p a , lodlc colo' digital multimeter probe. general ham use-200 mV to 500 V DC, 2 V to
In.lall
d ar~e ning, color shift, un-
• Th. be.1 and moSI &Ke~­ The Elenco Electro nics M1900 probe is an 500 V AC, and 200 to 20 MO.
wanled lines, flash ing 0 '
jagg.d edgel_ThislscauM d
Ing vid.o Slablllza, in IhtI excellen t example of thi s new technology .
m~. Based on a custom-oesic neo so-pro LSI chip, Minor Drawback s
by I h. copy protaclion lam-
. State-ol -I he -Art Mic ro - the unit packs a variety of features in a hand- The unit will withstand a 700 V peak pulse in
ming sign als . mbaclded In
thtl vi<ao tape, such as Mac- chip Tachnology
held package. The LSI c hip means a low over- either voltage mode, which means you won' t
revision copy prolaclio n. .100% automatic
all parts count , which equals high stability and be t roubleshooting your kilowatt linear power
THE DIGiTAL V1 DEO STABI- . Wo rkl on all VCRlI & TV.
. Simila , un its .old aln- reliab ility . supply. Another minor drawback is the lack of
LIZER CO M PLETEL Y
Eli MINATES ALL COPY wIl.,.
lor S99
PROTECTIONS AND JAM- . Ug hl ...Ighl & com ..-ct
M I N G SIG NALS AN D . U••>! a stand ard 9 Vo~
BRINGS YOU CRYSTAL I:\(Ih ary ~asls 1 · 2 YtlaO'S ); " . .. it was only a matter of time until some
ClEAR PICTURES. t>ana'Y not Included

WARNING .• Ai, Fasl Shi ppin g of that new technology filtered down to the
ocrre, V1DEO Shipping A.ailabl.
THE
STABIUZER IS INTENDED . U N C O NO ITION A l 30 lowly electronics technician. "
day s mon ey b ac~
FOR PRIVATE HOME use
gua,anla.
ONLY. IT IS NOT INTENDED
• 1 y...' warranty a current measurement mode. While this may
TO rx>PY RENTAL MOVIES Advanced Features, Easy Access
OR COPYRIGHTED VIDEO Special be a prob lem for some narc -cere experi-
Until recently , featu res such as auto rang- menters, most beginners won't find this too
TA PE S T HA T
CONSTITUTE rx>PYRIGHT
MAY
$49" ea ing and auto polarity, LCD display with various much of an obstacle.
INFRINGEMENT. ( $4 p & h) function annunciators, overrange indicators, The Elenco Electronics M1900 Digital Multi·
and a data-hold function, were found only on meter provides functio ns unheard of a few
ToOrder: Visa, MIC, COD M·F: 9-6
high-priced units. The low-priced M1900 has years ago, at a very reasonable cost. Whether
1·800-445·9285 or 516-568-9850 all these . as a spare meter in the bottom of the toolbox
SCO Elect ronics Inc. Dept. CV9
Using the M 1900 gets easier with each or an experimenter's primary instrument. the
581 W.M. rrlck Ad Valle y Sll aam NY 11580
reading . The unit fils the hand well. and all the M1 900 is a solid test equipment value. II]
CIRCLE 382 ON READER SERVICE CA RD

38 73AmateurRadio . March ,1990


Ameritron gives you a f ull heavy duty power supply.
kilowatt output of peak env elope power for A husky 22 pound power transformer using
on ly $995 - from a whisper quiet linear a high silicone ..tee l core. compute r grade
Ihaf l' perfect for yo ur operating desk beca use filte r capaci tors totaling 26 ufd . heavy du ty
it mec.ures just 8 \4 ~ H x 14 "' 0 x 14 1,6 " W . bleeders and ten 3 am p. I(XXl V powe r
You could spend over twice the money for rectifiers give a stiff 2700 \'0115 fully loaded.
a legal power limit amplifier twice the size Some competing high priced am plifiers us-
-- and all you'll get is an add it ional 1/3 S . ing """0 3-500Zs roll " gi ve you much more
unit -- a di fference you won' t eve r notice. power output than the AL-80A . Wh y?
You also gel 850 walls ou tput on CW and Because their lig htwe ight power supplies
even 500 watts on RTTY . can't deliver enough high voltage for the tubes.
Step-Sta rt Inrush Protection'v
When you first turn on your amplifier, a
massive inrush curre nt fl ows
You r house lights fl icker as you hear a
loud "thump" from your amplifier. This
terrible inrush curre nt stresses all your power
supply components to their limits. Your cold
tube filame nt suffers abusive thermal shod.
Event ually, this massive inrush current
will damage- your amplifier.
The AL-80A special Step-Start Inrush

Ameritron gives you . . .


a full Kilowatt from a quiet
desktop linear . . . for $995
Two Year
Warranty. Twice
the protection or
our nearest
com petitor
So ot her kilowatt
amplifier on the
ma rket comes with a
2 year warranty . In
the unlikely event that
there are defects in
mater ials or workman-
ship. we' H fi x it free
for 2 years fro m the
dale of purcha se.
The 3-5002 is
covered by the tube
ma nufacturer' s
warranty.
Protection nl stops damaging mru sh current. Commlttment 10 Ser vice
HJ sta rting you r AL-80A th rough a 10 Even afte r the 2 yea r warrant y period.
ohm current limiting resistor. then short ing Ameritron Customer Se rvice Technicians are
the resistor with a re lay. the AL-SOA give!'> available to help you keep you r AL-80A
you a sta n up sequence that is easy on you r performing fl awlessly -- no mailer how long
tube and power supply components. you have it. Just call 419-53 1-3024 .
Do n't consider a linear amplifier without Call your dealer tOO3)'
this crit ical protection.
Rust through QRM with a full kilowatt
Multi-Voltag:e Primary prot ects from the Ameritro n AL-80A -- right out of
your amplifier and gives the bo x. Call your favorite dealer for your
best price and o rder today!
you peak performance
Too high a line voltage stresses co mpon- Lightning Fast QSK Switch
ents and causes them 10 wear ou t and fail. The optional Ameritron PI N-5 QS K switch
Too lo w line voltage causes a " so ft -tube" gives you lightning fast T /R switching for
effect -- low output and signal d istortion. full CW break-in. AMTOR. Packet and
The Multi-Voltage Prima ry in the AL-SOA other QS K modes for only $ 189 .50 .
transformer lets you compensate for too hig h It lets you switch the legal lim it in
o r too low line voltage . microseconds into 2 : I VSWR loads with
less than 0 .5 dB receive attenuation.
W ith the AL-SOA you get the longest
component life and pea k operating effic iency Fact011 installation is ava ilable.
-- regardless of your line vo ltage.
Before you buy an amplifier make sure it
_ A IMII;RiTROIlll':'
has a multi-voltage primary. .. . th e linear amplifier company
2375 Dorr sr., Suite F • Toledo, OH 43607
Dual Illuminated Meters SGlt s: (601) 323-97 15 · FAX: «on 323-655 1
T wo large meters give you a com plete TullllicGl: (41 9) 53 1-3024 ' "'AX: (4 19) ~3 1 -0042
Made In U.S.A CI 19X9
CIRCLE 3 14 ON RE"'DER SERV ICE C"' RD
Num ber 17 on your Fe&db8ck card

Phase III Hamsat


Signal Reporting
Do y ou really know what "5 9" means?

by Ed Clegg W3 LOY

Element Best case Worst case mea ningful signal level quantify-
I have always fou nd faul t with
the s ignal stre ngth repo rts that
we hams e xchange . On the HF
Transmitter Pwr.
Antenna Gain
+ 33 dBm
+ 6 dBi
+ 33 dBm
- 2 dBi
ing tec hnique for Phase III (and
probably othe r) satellites.
ba nds we tend to be at the mercy Path Attenuation - 146 dB - H OdB
of someone who decided that a A Long J our ney From (h e Bird
Revr Ante nna Gain + 13 dB + 13 dB
25, 50. o r 100 microvolt signal What are the factors that deter-
was the correct input to be de- Rec eiv er Input - 94 d Bm - 126 dBm mine the stre ngth of the satel lite 's
fined as S9 on his product. Then signals at any given receiver' s in-
many of us ha ve suffe red under Table J. Range ofbeacon. signal strengths to be expected at a typical put? How many variables influ-
the misconception thai eac h pro- AO-/3 Modt' B station. ence it? Let's take a look at the
gressive step betwee n SI a nd S9 s ignificant elements. To elimi-
represents a 6 d B Increme nt. It j ust ain't so. propagation conditions exi sting bet.....ee n it- nate the uplink variabl es, suppose we attempt
Svmcte r defl ect ion is normall y deri ved selfandoorQTH . to predict the strength of the beacon s ignal for
from the receiver' s AGC system, and most 2. We .....ill observe that no ne of the down- possible use as a benchmark .
c urrent HF model s delay AGC unt il s ignals link s ignals e ve r a pproac h the maximum I . Beaco n transmitter po.....er output.
o f I mic ro volt or more occur. Consequently . strength o f signals that we typically e ncou n- 2. Satelli te do.....nlink antenna gain.
the S-meter scale between S I and S9 may ter from HF, VHF , o r UHF Earth-based 3. Slant range from satellite to the receiv-
e ncom pass a sig nal range as s mall as 28 dB sources (or even the stre ngth of s ignals from ing QTH .
instead of the 48 dB spa n req uired to satisfy low o rbiting birds, for that matte r). 4 . Atmosphe ric , ionospheric, and obstruc-
the 6 dB per S-unit c riteria . An ave rage of4.5 3. When we tra nsmit o n the appropriate tion losses .
dB per unit is typical a nd no ne of the ones I uplink freque ncy we can receive our own 5 . Effective gain of the receivin g a nten na.
have had the opportunity to evaluate maintain re peated sig nal as translated by the satellite's 6 . Attenuation in the fccdli ne.
linea rity below S9. The res ult is that all S9s transponde r and delayed by the fin ite propa - We should establish minimu m and maxi -
are not eq ual and a nything either side of S9 is gat ion time of the round-trip distance be - mu m values to see w hat range of beacon
a myth . Witness the freque nt occurrence of: s ignal strengths will be e xpe rienced . Let 's do
" You' re 5 by 9 plu s 20 here. OM . Would you some a rithmetic. Let's put some numbers in-
please repeat your handle. QTH . and my to the six items tabulated above . To s implify
report ; " I rest my case! " . . . as in any matters. let's use OSCAR l3 ' s (AD-I3 )
Now that we ha ve an e xciting new mode of communication Mode B Ge ne ral Beacon as a n e xample s ince
commu nicat ion via Phase III satellites with here w e have an established range of verified
thei r own unique c haracteristics and o perat- channel, it is really variables.
ing featu res. shou ldn' t we re-examine our The beacon component of the tran smitted
s ignal re poning system? I propose that we Signal to Noise po.....er is a nominal 2 Walts. This is a level o f
sta n now and create some new standa rds for 3 dBw . AQ-13 switches between two inde-
s ignal report excha nges in our OSCAR acti v-
Ratio (SNR) that pendent Mode B downlink antennas depend-
ities, standards that have meaningful quanti- interests the user. " ing o n the satellite's orbital distance from
tative values. Let's look at some of the a vail - Earth or Mean Anomaly . The beam antenna
able options . pro vides a gain of approximately 6 dBi c
whi le the omni-antenna has a gain of - 2
Phase III Signa l Cha racteristics tween our QTH a nd the bird. (The first time dBic . ERP is therefore 9 dBw and I dBw for
Th ree s ignifica nt factors d iffe renti ate our you hear your return sig nal from space will the bea m and omni cases respectively .
Phasc III satellite signal c haracte ristics from be at least as memorable as was you r very The largest numerical compo nent in our
those we are accustomed to in o ur te rrestrial firs t Earth bound QSO .) s ignal bud get is the pat h loss attributable to
o peratio n. If we nave a station suitably equipped to the di stance bet ween the satellite and ou r
I . Wh en ever we are wit hin the usa ble enjoy Phase III " bird- watching " .....c wi ll Earth location . This is also the most variable
footprint of the satellite. we can mo nitor a have a lo.....-no ise receiving sys tem indudi ng co mponent with a range of as muc h as 24 dB
continuous s ignal from its beacon tra nsmit- a preamplifier and a circularly polarized be twee n an apogee at our horizon and a
ter. This signal not only adv ise s us via beam ante nna with azimuth a nd elevation po- pe rigee directly overhead . In the latter case. a
telemetry as to the state of the satellite' s sition co ntrol. range o f about 2500 km , the free space atten -
health and welfare, but it also pro vides us Let 's see if we can 't use these s ignal c har- uat ion will be approximately 146 dB. The
wit h a yardstick for e valuating the current ac teristics and statio n featu res to create a othe r extreme. with a range of about 40,000
40 73 Amaleuf Radio • March ,1990
THEY'LL THINK THEY 'RE
JUST HAVING FUN WHY IS THIS TOUGH OLD BIRD STILL
THE INDUSTRY STANDARD WATTMETER?

YOU'LL KNOW Simp le . No one's accuracy. It even


THEY'RE LEARNING been able to improve has built-in remote-
Carole Perry 's (Dayton 1987 Ham o f The 'fe¥) o n t he basi c Bir d reading capability, can
" lnlroductlon To Amateur RadIO " pacl(age allows Mode l 43 T H R ULI ~E . be used for RF signal sam-
children o f all ilbIhtoes to ecoe... e scccess. directional wattmeter since pling and its Q C (Quick
Ready-to-teach package cont3Ins : Teacher's its inception - not even us. Chango) co nnectors are inter-
Manual WIth 26 lesson plans. Code wectce Rugged, reliable and accurate, changeable in the fi eld without
Oscillator lor Morse Code practice , scececcce it's a lso extremely versatile and a ffecting calibrat ion . There 's a
eooccesseue which follows lesson plans. $99 .95
easy to use . With Bird precision model that reads A~t peak power
- FREE V,dOO Tape Showing Classroom Use plug-in e le me n ts , it too, the new 43P ... o r
C!Any motivat ed tea cher can teach t he program . measures forward and you can retrofit your
C!Ham Rad io program is used as a motiva tional tool
reflected CW power who else but trusty ~1()(1('14 3 for it in
(0 teach sk,lls on otner sceiect eeees.

Bii\B
0 24 hoor Hotline is available for help and from lOOmW to 10,OOOW, about 15 minutes. Co n-
questions. 0.45 to 2 ~100 ~lHz, wi th tact us or your Bird dis-
e H'ih mot,vatlOOCII ecuvmes, ± 5 % of full-s cale tributor for-details.
I .
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reprOdUClbles IflCluded.
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30300 Aufora Rd.. CleYeland. Ohio 44139 . 2161248·1 200 . nx: 7116898 BIrd Elec UO . FAX 216/248-5426
Western Sales 0I1lce: Ojai. CA 8051646-7255

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CIRCLE 2 41 Oft READER Sf:RVICE CARD

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let your PC do the wo rk . Plug a fi le save /se nd. binary file tra nsfe r,
PC Packet Adapter into any ex- pri nt, scroll, rev iew and more.
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you'll still be able to use the PC for
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CI~Ui 239 ON J1(AOU S£RVlCf CAIID


km , the path loss increases to approximately channel, it is really Signal to Noise Ratio oriented . It could be another reference leve l
170 dB. Fortu nately . some of this va riat ion is (SNR) that interests the user. So, how do for comparative signal strength reports .
offset because the ever-wise planners of our these signa ls stack up against our noise The othe r noises we must co ntend with are
Phase III satellites programmed the selection sources? esse ntially unique to the environme nt of oo r
between rne gain and the omni-antennas to We have seve ral types and sources of noise QTH . Atmospheric noises are not normally
mi nimize this effect. That is, the beam anten- ex isting in ou r receivi ng syste m: of great consequence on 2 meters except. du r-
na is activated at limes when range and path I . The internally gene rated noise of ou r ing local electrical storms when most of us
loss are greatest. Ideally , at these times the receiving system. are reluctant to have oor precious GaAsFET
bird's orie ntation is such that the beam is 2. Sky and Eanh thermal noise with in the am plifier on line anyway. Local man-made
di rected at eanh. Conversely , whe n heig ht is effective aperture of our recei ving ante nna . noise certainly can be a problem . lIS elimina-
less than abou t 5000 km . the antenna gain is 3. The noise floor of the satellite 's recei v- tion (or reduction to inconsequential levels)
reduced by about 8 dB and the pointing angle ing system as translated to its downlink. requires legwork , political savvy , and techni-
is poorer (but less critical) because the ca l tale nts and facilities. I have never
omni-antenna is activated.' foond a persistent local noise source that I
In addi tion 10 the free space attenuation, couldn't finally cure. In some instances it
the downlink sig nal also will experie nce " . .. all 595 are not equal." could be questioned whethe r the same ef-
losses attributable to the vagaries of the fort extended elsewhere might not have
ionosphere and the atmosphere . AI 146 bee n of more value. Whatever its level
M Hz, these remain fairly co nstant ex cept 4 . Atmospheri c noise in the environs of ou r may be, it does not repre sent a facto r that
du ring unu sual periods and probably rarely system. should enter into the strength report that we
exceed 2 .5 dB. Let' s add 2 dB to our free 5 . Manmade noise of local origin. gi ve to our QSO mate. It can, o f course, have
space loss to account for this . These five no ise contr ibuto rs won 't go a significant bearing on the readability report
Items 5 and 6 in our tabulation of transmis- away. The only one over which we ha ve we may give him. BUI the intent of this article
sion variables are those unique to our individ- much control is our receiver noise.s The re- is to deal with eval uating signal strength. We
ual stations. In actuality , they have a less ceiver's noise figure will also be the compo- can leave the readability element for a later
variable ra nge than some of the ones we just nent that can be expected to remain essential- presentation .
examined . That is, nearly all Mode B enth usi- ly constant from day to day . And it's also the How shall we implement metering for a
asts end up with a circularly polarized bea m one that we ca n observe independently of all suitable signal measuring scheme? I have de-
with between 10 and 16 dBic gai n and be- others since the others disappea r when we vised seve ral rather simple techniques for
tween 0 .5 to 3 dB of feedline loss. Let me disconnect ou r antenna and replace it with a perfonning the task. more or less 10 my satis-
hasten 10 add that these few dB of difference 500 resistor. Perhaps this is ou r logical faction .
are not to be considered insig nificant : The choice for S-zero? One "keep it simple " approach I have used
operator with the 16 dB antenna and the 0 .5 In the nearly ideal case we might have a merely monitors receiver out pu t with a sim-
d B feedlin e loss will be much more satisfied receiver with a noise figure of I dB includi ng ple audio voltmeter.
with his operatio n than his 9 or 10 d B inferior feedli ne loss (which di rectl y adds to the NF). First I disable the receiver's AGC, an 0b-
neighbor. If ya ca n' t hear 'em ya can't work For our SSB operat ions, we are apt to be vious require ment if my audio OUIJM.It am-
'em! And freq uently that 9 or 10 d B makes using about a 2600 Hz receiver bandwidth . plitude is to remain a linear function of input
the differe nce. For the pu rpose at hand let' s These two constants, I dB NF and 2600 Hz, sig nal amplitude . More correctly, I reduce
take a 13 dB ga in to rep rese nt the net antenna represent an equivalent noise power of about the receive r' s RF Gain until the largest
pe rformance including feedline losses, if - 146 dBm re fere nced to the input of our expected signal strength doe s not exceed
any . receiver. Compare th is value with the - 100 the receiver' s AGC threshold . Most present
Let ' s appl y the above values to establish to - 126 dBm beacon signallevel we calcu- day receivers cause their S-meters to go up
the range of beacon signal strength we might lated earlier. If there were no other noise to scale as the RF Gain is redu ced. With about
e xpect at our receiver input . contend with we would never have less than a 18 dB of gain in my GaAsFET preamp and
I . The transmitter output is stated to be 2 20 dB SNR condition with a walloping 46 dB abou t 14 dB of gain in my 146-28 MHz
Watts or 33 d Bm. SNR at times . co nvene r, I find that redu cing the RF Gain
2 . The anten na gains are 6 d Bi and - 2 dBi An ante nna tempe rature of between 250 0 K contro l on my Kenwood TS-120 until the
on bearing. and 1000 0 K attributable to sky noise can be Scmeter is somewhat above S9 results in a
3. Our path loss will be between 146 d B and expected at 146 MHz for the size antenna we condition that no signals ever activate the
170dB. are to be using . As before , Dr. Boltzman has AGC , as ev ide nced by funhe r increases in
4 . We will attem pt to ma intain other trans- provided us with the tool to convert this tem- the S-meter readin g.
mission losses to about 2 dB. pe ratu re into an equivalent noise power of I had a small packaged LM-38O audio am-
5 . Our ground station receivi ng ante nna betwee n - 140.5 and - 136.5 dBm into our plifier available with a gain control at its input
will have gain of 13 dBi. (Sec Table .) receiver. We established earlier that our I dB and an I I : I voltage step-up transforme r ( Ra-
Our received signal will be the algebraic NF receiver with 2600 Hz bandwidth had an dio Shack #273-1380) drivi ng a Triplett 630
sum of these values . Table 1 displays the equivalent input noise level of about - 146 YOM across its output. With the YOM in the
individual components and the best/worst dBm. Thi s indicates that the sky noise will AC volts mode and the input connected
case results . As we can see, signal extremes bring ou r effective noise level up by 5.5 to across the receive r's output , I have a simple ,
of -94 and - 126dBm are theo retically pos- 9 .5 dB above the receiver's own noise level. convenient to calibrate, relative dB meter.
sible. AO -I3 's antenna selecting prog ram No ise should still be comfo rtably below the I set the receiver' s AF gai n at a com fonable
and ot her factors can reduce the maximum - 126 dBm worse case beacon sig nal. listening level on the beacon or any typical
expected signal by 8 or more dB so we can The third noise component, the noise out- sig nal. Since I have currently elected 10 use
expect a probable ra nge of beacon signal put of AD-1 3's receiving system translated to my receiver' s noise floor as my bas ic (S-ze-
strengths of - 126 to - 100 dBm at a typical the dow nlink frequency , is never of sign ifi- ro) refere nce level, I replace the antenna into
Phase III, Mode B installation . (In a 500 cance in defining our ab ility to mon itor the my converter with a 500 re sistor. I then
system these represent signal levels betwee n beacon, but it can become a limiting factor in adju st the gain control on the LM ·380 input
0 . 11 and 2.24 microvolrs.) our ab ility to copy signals that are vel)' weak so that I have a - 10 dB read ing on the most
These arc certainly not BIG signals when at the satellite's input. Unde r good condi- sensitive range of the YOM . A virtu e of the
thought of in HF band terms. But, keep in tions, this noi se level may be a significant Triplell630 for this funct ion is that there is a
mind that we are liste ning in a VHF band pan of the inc reased noise that one observes 10 dB scale change when go ing from the most
where noise is substantially lower than on the when the satellite transponder is activated sens itive to the next most sensitive range .
HF bands . And, as in any communication and the ground station antennas are properly Thi s, combined with a 2 1 dB scale range
42 73 AmateurRadio . March , 1990
above the - 10 d B refe rence provides me
with an act ive 31 dB readily usable meteri ng
range . This is more than adequate to cover
the range of signals I experience duri ng an
AQ-13orbit.
Using this configuration of hardware I am
abl e to evaluate my signal and all others re-
ceived against anyone of the several refer-
ences. That is. I have direct reading in deci-
bels of any signal over the noise inherent in DAN KBeXC - lOUIS KAIlI PN
my receiver. By observation and simple RON NIlKMA - DEN tSE Yl M....UNEY X-Yl
arithmetic I am able to establish the relative
strength o fthe composite received noise from 1-80 -~26-2891~~
all sources and 10 some extent determine the HAMMARLUND
noise floor o f the satellite's transverted re- Shortwave Manual!
ceiver by positio ning my anten nas at and Build 12 d ifferent hOI short-
away from the bird . wave recei ve r~ from this 1937
construction manual. Pho tos,
The most useful functi on . of course. is the d iagrams. text ! W all-h>-wall
ability 10 make realistic measure ments of re- how to! Only $4. 9 5
ceived signals in term s of decibels above a
repeatable standard.
FT·76 7GXGen . Cv cens MU CH MORE!
FT-757 GllII Gen , C CaliS Other great book s on gening h igh pow er from auto
I find the ballistics ofthe T riplett meier and FT-7000 15m_ 160m CaliS
alternators, run three phase motors o n single phase,
FT-2 12R Ca li S
several others that I have tried (includi ng an FT·712RH CaMS h igh voltage projects, pe rpetual motion, t esta's
old reliable Simpson 260) 10 be quite satisfac- FT.2OOR AI Call S lo sr invcntions, magn ets, unu sua l e ll'et rical instru-
FT-23 IS ments, lighning bolt generators. and muc h more!
tory . I occasionally connect a 'scope across
FT· 7 Cali S
the audio signal whe n the nature of the signal FT~ro Cd S Experimental Science
indicates an unusual peak-to-ave rage ratio. I FT·141Ge al S Inc red,ble two yolume set from
FRG IS t 906. Build CillTl('l"as. phonograph.
have also done some work with rectifying the FHG 9600 UHF Call S hydrau lIC ram, Geissler tube, mi-
audio output giving the opportunity to arrive FT 690 RIH Cal S croscope. ba lteries. 1enS('S. much .
at different integrating time constants. Some FT 1'90 RIH Cal S much more. dasYc:: bow-to re fer-
FT 4100 Dual Band cal S
ence. Over 1000 pages- Two
further work in thi s direction will be done in FT41 12 Melet HT Cal S
FT1I11«O HT 4 10 00 Cal S
vo lume Sl."I only $34 .9 5!
the future .
A more soph isticated version of the above
co nfiguration has rece ntly been breadboard-
ed . It differs principally in taking a fixed level
(t ~ IICOMI O ffiCIAL 1934
Sho rtwave Manual
Build simple but powerfu l short·
wave rad ios from p lans in th is
of audio from the receiver and. by using IWO 19 34 bandbook . Includes new chapler 9>owing
sepa rate LM-380 packaged amplifiers . hav - ho w 10 use Iransistors to rep lace tubes ! Heav ily il-
ing completely independent control o f listen- lustrated paperback! Excelle nt! Only S14 .95
ing and metering channels. (A commercial MANY OTHERS:
version of th is implementation is bei ng con- cans 5ta lic Electricity $5.95, Elec trica l Oesrgos S11 .50.
Ca liS
sidered by one of the established ham ma nu- Call S EXpl'rimental Physics $2].95 , Storage Batteries
factu rers.) Call $ $8 .95, Power rnvener Technology $4,00. Alma ·
a il S lure Winding & Motor Repair S16.95, 50 Perpetua l
I have installed a SPDT coaxial re lay in my Motion Mecha nisms S3.75, more! See Catalog!
Cali S
receiving ante nna system . Its function is to cens
pe rmit me to inslantaneously switch from the . . .~ CaliS
antenna to a 500 resistive input to verify
calibration. lis second function is to let me
"
C....
CaliS
Cali S
sleep better during electrical storms since the Cali S ORDER FROM
relay reverts to the re sistive input mode when c.>'
c.>, THIS AD TODAY!
I power down the station . This. hopefully.
will give my GaAsFET preamplifier a fight -
c.>,
C~ ,
Check. MO. Viw,
Me. Handl ing: 75t
firs! book. 25t e~h
ing chance to make it through the co ming ~, tional. Money'
summe r.
All of the above was not intended to define ~AUNCO ba ck guar..ntee .

what any one of the readers might want to do O R WRITE FOR


NEW A CATALOG!
in the way of configuring their station. How-
ever. I hope this ankle might sti r up some
AlINCO PRICING W ril ~ for your cop y of
All Mod els Reduc ed lind!.lty' s un usw l Eleclrical
thinking on the pa n of OSCAR use rs regard - Ikloks c atillog and see fOf
ing establishing a meaningful signal stre ngth DR·nOT 2M MobIle
OR·5 10 T OIB M8l 2m/7Oec:
519 ,00
71900
Cd'
c.>, you rself what you're been
missing! Send $1 .00 (US &
reponing standard . I would cenainly a ppre- DA·5ro OualBand Mable 759 00 CalS Ca nada) or $3.00 forei gn air-
ciate hearing opi nions from all who ag ree or OJ·I00T 3W -2m HT
140--1 50 MHz AMPLIFIERS
"' 00 CaNS
mail. W ately!
imfTl('di e 'll send youfCa
Write talog
today! Ig~;::::::j§~~ I
disag ree with my philosop hy.
In the meantime. I' ll be seeing you on AO-
13. I' ll give you a repo rt in decibels above a
reference when we next QSO! IIJ
ElH-23OG All Mode 30w
ElH-23OD P ,&-a mp 30w
ElH ·260 0 Pfe ·amp 50w
" 00
113 00
115 00
CaliS
caas
CaliS ----------
L1ndsay's Electrical Books
I PO Box 12-W85, Bradley IL 60 91 5 I
1-800-426-2891 I 0 Send the books mar ked and a free catalog! I
References
1. 08T, Nov. '88, p. 72. See Table 1 and text.
METRO: (612) 754-1200 I U Send just a cata log! SI .OO enclosed.; I
2. Increasing the size of the antenna may re-
PIONEER VILLAGE I Nam~ I
duce the Earth thermal noise component but
12581 Central Avenue NE I Addf'l'M I
not significantly except in Ihe case of a very
large array.
Blaine, MN 55434
MN 1-800-328-8322, Ext 176
I City
... _--------_ ... St _Z1p _ •

ClIIlCl.E 332 0l'oI READE R SERVICE CARO


73Amateur Radio • March. 1990 43

Number 18 on your FHdb. ck card

73 Book Review by Steven K. Roberts N4RVE

Heil Ham Radio


tf fl lICOMI
IC·7S1 New Pelu• • HF Rig
IC ·76~ G.... Cvg Xcv,
IC·73~ Go<! C"II XCI/I
Li• •
$5995
3,.,.95
JUN '.
CallI
CaU
CaU
Handbook
lC·751"'Geon C"II)(cvf
lC-R7000 :lS- 1JOO 101Hz Rev<
""
""
n O'
CaU
Cd.
A rich source of clever ideas.
_."
!CoAl, ... lOIHHt·3Q MHtRcv< ~ Cd'
1C226AJH Fl,l _ 25w 1.~ ~ Cd'
1C-l?8NHFM _~~ Cd'
1C2GAT 1m 7w HI m" Cd'
lC900 5< . 6and . . . - ~ Cd'
c.3SAT22QMHz ~,

IC-2SllTlM
IC-Os ...r
m
~,
Cd'
""
"" ,
,
.e- FM _
1C-4GAT _
2Sor
6w HI
sos
~,,,
"" ,
"" ,
IC-3IA 2Sor FM Xcvr ees "",
"",
1C32""2rTv7Ocm H1

SPECIAL
"''' SALE
Heil Ham Radin Handbook
le-lZAT 1.2 GHz HT $34U5 by Bob Heil K9EID
Melco Publishing
IC·2AT 2m NT $241.95
POBox 26
Marissa IL 62257

KENWOOD Price , $10 plus $1 SIH

Ts-t5OSD l , l _ .399 95 CalIS


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A commonly lamented trend among hams
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opc-ration and a poor unde rs tandmg of the lInderl)'·
,

r5-19OA2m--7Ocm 1 2GHl 1999 95 CallI


ing technology. I'V( heard people arguing over
rs.7 11....... _a..2Sor 1059 95 Call ,
TR·7$,ANlMo<lo_25.0 66995 CalI S lhe air about Wl\att lIDC: it IS in UTe, asking how 10 \
TH_2'SAlmHTHas . .... J99 95 Cal' read resistor color codes. and wondering 'I.- hy an
TH_25AT S- Pockel H1 "'EW 369 95 Call'
n.l-101AZrnrroc;m_ 5':19 95 Cal S antenna docsn' t seem 10 work even though the
SWR is low.
But there are, and always will be, a hurd-core S1to1PlE E~PlANAnONS
MARCH SPECIAL cadre of tcc hnoid , I; reanve , tinkering ham s-c-thos e
TM231A Mobile SOw FM CALL$$ whose shacks are overfl owing with home-brew
TM731 2m17OCm FM, Mobile CALL ss proj ects, who wouldn't even co nside r buying a
TS440 SlAT Gen Cvg Xcvr CALL ss dipole antenna kn, and whoso: fingers know the
bum of a hot soldering iron a t midnight when
SUCC(SS is so close Ihal thoughts of bed are
absurd.

FT·TlI7GXGen C"IIXcvr
FT·7$7GX IGen CvukCvf
~oo
',.,00 "".
"".
:'Oew Ideas
F1..7OOO 15m- ' 6OI'Il AI,l P »~oo
"", K9EID is nne ofrhese. You may know Bob as tbe
FT ~ 1 ;?RH NEW 2m as-
FT·"lRH 1'lkm:\.5_
FT ·29Ofl .... _ ~
'''00
""00 "".
"".
brains behind Heil Sound. a source of exceuem
audio gear for halTb and professional recording
tl\al apply to vanocs aspects of l\amming.
The book's informal, pracncal approach is any-
61000 Cd.
FT.z3 MT l,4,,., HI ~, 00 C•• , arnsts, 10 meier F ~ conversion kits, and various thlOg bUI polished. Indeed , it' s rife with mis-
FT·736A. .... _
FT ~10 2mf7Ocm H1
eces cc
57600
"",
C•• ,
other devices. spellings and othe r editorial glitches, but somehow
Bob's book, Hf'iI Ham Radio Handbook , i, not thai makes you want 10 put on some old clothes and
quite what its name implies. It's not a carefully go build something, This is one orihose books that
SPECIAL organized refe rence nook li ke the annual ARRL will end up looking creased and dirty. its pages
FT·2311 R 1.2 GHz Mobile·10M $359.95 tome. But iI 's one o f the richest resource, of clever folded and scribbled from marathon project ses-
ideas I' ve seen in a long lime, 165 loosely orga- , ions. As il should be.
nized pages Ihat cover subjects ranging from ram-
pant liddism to re mot e base design . The cha pters :'Ool h i n~ U '>e Q uite Like II
on antennas are especially useful. pre-ennng all There's no pleasure in ham radio qurte like build-
sons or interesting variations Ihat never qene make ing something from scratch and pulllOg it to use.
it imo lhe mainstream reference books. Tbe H~;J Ham Radio Handbool.:. is a good demysu-
fying beginners guide as well as I hand) reference
u s,-Read in~ 10 design ideas that workbench veterans may never
Throughout, Heil espouses one of Itle basic have considered.
3919 Sepulveda Blvd. tenets of amateur radio: roll your own! He shows Euber way, it's a worthwhile addition to your
Culver City , CA 90230 how simple il is to Ihrow together logic probes, shack libra ry . . . es pec ially If you like Iast ,
213·390·8003 tuners, yagis, filters, I; hassi" and so on, lopping it unclut tered answe rs to yo ur etec rromc q ues-
CIRCLE 272 O N REA OER S ER VICE CA RO all off with a chapter of 37 quickie circuit design, lions. fJI
44 73AmaleurRadio . March , 1990
GILFER- SAY YOU SAW IT IN 73
first in Shortwave
** ANDGETA $5 REBATE
(ASK HAMTRONICS FOR DETAILS) **
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with call sign, country, details co vering ae ro ICOM IC-2 SAT
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CIRCLE 90 ON READER SERVICE CARO

73 Amateur Radio - March, 1990 45


N umber 19 on your Feedback c ard
ccsncrett. Husllar, ICOM. Kenwood. KLM . PENNSYLVANIA
Lar5en. MFJ, Mirage. Vibroplex; books. rc-
rreveee

DlEALlElR DrrlRlECTOlRY
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CALIFORNIA leur gear in the Intermoonta in West and the
tleSI prb!s, Over 9 ,000 ham relaled gear in ARRL Public a l ions, and much more .
San Diego HAMTRONICS, INC. , 4033 Brownavllie
slock, Call us for " all" you' ham needs tooa y.
Hard to find parts , surplus electro-nics, stan- NEW YORK Road , Trevoae PA 190U ; (215) 357- "00.
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got it' M-F 9-5:30 Sa1. 9-5. GATEWAY ELEC- dealer fealu r in g ICO M ~La rsen - A EA­
TRONICS , 9222 Chesapeake Drive , Sall KANSAS Haml ronics-ASlron. New and used gear. B
Dleg o CA 9212 3; (6 19) 279-6802. Wellingtoll am to 5:30. Sal. and Sun. by appointmen1.
We have n! ASTRON. BUITER NUT , EN· VHF COMMUNICATIONS , 280 Tlllany
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COLORAOO more Inlormahon,
RAOIO SHACK . TEN·TEC. VALOR ANTEN- In Dallas since 1960. We leature Kenwood.
Dallver NAS & more. Small town service wil h d is- ICOM, v eeeu. AEA, Bulternul, Rohn , ama-
Manhallan
Hafd to find parts. surplus eleclro-nics, stan· coont pfices . DAN DYS, 120 N. WaahlngtOll , leuf publications. and a lutl line 01 acces-
Manhal1an's large st and only ham and bua~
dard line items, Hams, hobbyisls . industriai Welllngl on , KS. 671 52, (316) 326_631 4. sories. Factory aut horlzed Kanwood 5ervicll
ness Radio Siore . Fealuring MOTOROLA .
p,ofessionals-Ifom nUls & bolls to laser ceeie Reade' Service 263 for more informa- Centll(, ELECTRONI C CENTER , INC. , 2809
ICO M. KENWOOD. YAESU , AEA, SONY.
d iodes",Eleclronics lly speaking . Galeway 's tion. ROi l Av e. , Oal1n TX 75201; (2 14) 969_
BIRD. TEN-TEC. elc. Fun stock of fadios and
got il! M·F 9·5'30 Sat 9·5. GATEW AY ELEC_ 1936.
accessones. Repair lab on premises. Open 7
TRONICS , 5115 N. Federal Blvd . 13 2·B,
days M-F. ~:3O pm ; Sat & Sun, 1(}..-5 pm. Hotlsloll
Denver CO 8022 1, (303) 4 58_5444 . MISSOURI we ship wofl dwide. BARRY ELECTRONICS, Hard 10 find pa rts, surplus electronics. stan-
St. Loul a 512 Broadway, New York NY 10012; (212) dard line Items. Hams. hobbyists. industrial
925-7000. FAX (212) 92 5-7001 . professionals-from nuls & bol ls to laser
DELAWARE Hafd 10 find parts. sUfplus eleClronics , stan·
dard line items . Hams, hobbyists. induSfrial diodes .. ,Elacl ,onicafly speaking. Galeway's
New Castle pfolessionals-from nuts & bolts to laser gOI it! M _F 9 ~S:30 Sal. 9-5, GATEW AY
Factofy authofized dealel! Yaesu. ICOM. diodes",Elacl,onically speaking , Gateway'S OHIO ELECTRONICS, 989 0 Wealperk Drive ,
Ten.T ac. KOK, Kenwood. AEA. Kanl ,on ics, 901 it' M _F 9-5:30 Sal 9 ~5 GATEWAY Houslon TX 77083; (713) 978-8575.
Columbua
Santee . Fun fine of accessories. No sales lax ELECTRONI CS, 8123 Page Blvd. , SI. Loula
Cenl ,al Oh"'·. full~lne aulhorlzed dealer lor Soulhweal Houalon
In Delawa,e, One mlie off 1·95, DELAWARE MO 63130; (314) 427_6116.
Kenwood, ICOM, Yaesu, Ten·Tec , Info-Tech, Fun line 01 Equipment and Accessor ies,
AMATEUIl SUPPLY , 71 Meadow Road ,
Japan Rad io. AEA. Cusherafl. Husllef, and in-house service leaturlng reOM and YAESU,
"ew C"lIe DE 1972 0; (302) 328 _7728.
Butternut. New and used equip"",nl On dis· New equipmenl on display and operationai'
NEW HAMPSHIRE play and operational in OOr 4000 sq,tt, SIOfe (713)879-7764 ; FAX (713) 879-9341. MIS-
Do", Large SWL department, too, UNIVERSAL SION CO MMUNICATIONS, 11 903 Aliel-
IDAHO AMATEUR RADIO , 1280 Aide Drive , Clodlna, sene 500, Hou alon TX 77 082.
Serving 100 ham communily with new and
Pr....lon used equipmenl. We stock and service most Reyllotdeburll (Columboa) OH 43068; (614) Cllcla Reada-r Sarvlce 380 lor more Inlonn...
Ross WB7BYZ has Ihe largest stcce 01 ama· major fines : AEA. Aslron. B&W, Bencoo" 866-4267. l ion.

DEALERS : Your company name and message can contain up to 50 words for as little as $420 yearly (prepaid), or $210 lor six months (prepaid). No mention 01
mail-order business please. Directory text and payment must reach us 60 days in advance 01 publication . For example, advertising for the April '89 Issue must
be in our hands by February 1st. Mail t o 73 Amateur Radio , Box 278 , Forest Road, Hancock, NH 03449.

~ OW receive or liT's, or wire a separa te com puter via RS·2 32


~ leave messages
with o the r lo cal h am s
using the 16K Bull eti n
cable in to you r mobttc
or bast" VH F or UHF
rig. Connect you r
and you're ready to c all
a rest-growing number
of packe t hams.
KENWOOD
Board featured on the The HK-2J Pocket
smalles t TN C availa ble- Packet requires only a
the H eath~ HK-21
Pocket Packer.
The 8BS opera tes
stngte 12 VDC @40mA
power SOUTce or as
lillie: as 29 mA from an
o
under your call w ith
simp le com mands
like Send or Write a
message , Kill a message
optional HKA-21·1,
internally mounted 4.8
volt, 120 mAh, NICAD
battery.
tCOM
and read the File TIle Heath~ UK·
messages curre ntly on 21 Pocket Packet-
the syste m. And the
HK-21 Pocket Packe t is
$219 • 95 "."<0<
pri<'e)
n~l

To order, call
fully lNC·2 compatib le.
1·800·253·0570
Hookup is easy,
Plug in supp lied c ables
1-800-231-3057
instantly to most For information on
Heath's comp le te 713-520-7300
line of amateu r radio
products call
1-800-44-HEATH
520-0550
for your FREE
lleathkit ~ catalog.

Best to start with.


[u]ffi[]J~~rnrn 0

Best to stay with. Electronics Supply


A ~ubl;idlar}" uf Zel1' Heath Company FAMILY OWNED SiNCE 1956 ~
Electronics Corporah n, 3621FANNIN \;:''':~
~
4'1989, Heath Cornpaey Benton Harbor, M149022
HOUSTON, TEXAS 77004
46 73 Amateur Radio • March, 1990 CIRCLE 25 ON READER SERVICE CARD
"Thanks for the new country (Taiwan)!
Your Heath gear sounds great!"
K3YGu, Maryland
Huge pileups, big city QRN, no spare squelch, 20 dB attenuator, computer Heath
parts, and a long way to anywhere. interface, and a clean, "operator offers yo u more.
You probably couldn't lind a better preferred" front panellayout. In addition to the 5B-I400, Heath
test of the new 58·1400 All-Mode TIle transsminer's PA i s cooled by a offers a full line of pre-assembled or
Transceiver than Heath's expedition quiet, thermostatically controlled build-it-yourself amateur radio
to Taipei in the gepublfc of China. internal fan and L... enclosed in Its own equipment to completely outfit your
wben workmg DX, you need diecast aluminum heat-sink chamber, ham shack or upgrade your system.
sensitivtry (0 dig for the weak ones, which a11(M'S for full power operation ¥ou can aL"'O prepare for your next
but still need dynamic range so the in C'X~ SSB, FM and RlTY, AMlUR, exam {Novice, Technician, General,
guy down the block doesnt clobber s.~'T\: and Packet.
Advanced or Extra class) with Heath
yOll in the middle (J( a QSO. Sure, the
study courses.
58·1400 worked the 59 + 30 signals, Finally, as a Heath-equipped ham,
but out of the pileups it also worked you can get answers to your technical
a number of stateside stations question.... from ouc tech consultants,
running 5 watts or less! And that's "'00 are licensed ham operators.on
not bad for" a short path de...ranee the Heath Tech Assistance line.
of 7600 miles! For" more Information on the
58·1400 58-1400 or Heath's complete line of
amateur radio equipment, call for
A p roven transceiver. a FREE catalog:
Tbe technology that worked the )-800-44-IIEAllI
world can work for you, too, in your (1-800-444-3284)
own ham shack.Tbe 5B-1400 ts a
fully assembled all -band, all -mode Best to start with.
(FM optional), continuous duty,
lOO-watt transceiver; It Incorporates
Best to stay with.
an impressive general coverage
receiver with dual VFOs for split
Heath Company
operation and 20 memoncs to Benton Harbor, Michigan 49022
store your favorite frequencies. TIle SIH4(K) offer on ly """il"ble direo;:' from Ik ath_

unit includes standard ssn filter Ci 1<)<)U, H e at h CA'mpany_


A suhsidiary of
p lus a narrowband 500 liz CW filter Rull Data Systems, lno;:_
and wide-band AM filter. It also
features clarifier (RlT), front panel
AGe, noise blanker, all mode
Number 36 o n your Feedback ce rd

The Dual-Band "J" Antenna


A superior performance mobile or
base station antenna for 146 and 220 MHz.
by Robert E. Bloom W6YUY

e have several excellent dua l-band d iameter ratio. thus reducing the dimensions
W transcei vers . We need good dual -
band antennas to complement them . The
• - ~
a bit. The most significant length reduction is
caused by the loadingeffect ofthe top antenna
dual-band " J" described here is a natural fo r acting upon the lower frequency unit . The
mobile operation , or fo r base station commu- additions of both C & L arc determined by the
nications as well.
:1 oe>5 '01&
I material's bulk dimensions. The basic formu-
I designed this antenna to conserve space ~. 'lI liS ' las remain the same but variations in material
65e "H.
on the roofoflhe Los Angeles ARES commu- U 3 :54 "H.
sizes make determining " K " somewhat in-
nication command center mobile van, which volved. I will work around this in the tuning
is presently being developed with the cooper-
ation of both the Los Angeles City Fire and , procedure .
The coaxial feedline for the 220 MHz an-
Police Departments . "" tenna section is fed up through the inside of a

._-
• ,"lOt.,.. 11- diameter main tubing section. An ap-
Background on the " J" Ante nna I
(& ...."TOll
..u ( • proximately ~ - diameter hole is drilled into
Why the " J" antenna? Because it is one " 65' the tubing where the coax exits to connect to
o f the most sui table for nondirectional -, ~ 2 12'

• the feed point of its matching section .

m• , ~
<L.4"P
commu nications. To this we can add: superi- The lower frequency 2 meter cable is run
o r low angle of radiation, increased gain over externally . Any tubing extending below the
a dipole or g round plan e. larger signal so
• stO'£ " -of! . 0 · 2 meter section is not a part of the radiating
'·..·.uLl
capture area . and possibly the only des ign ,, - '2- 00&
&LV... ...,.. section but becomes the mast post. This can
8114 001 l.-I TU3I.N"
with an inherent full current c irculating sys- ,0..,....1.£
,
, be of any convenient length consistent with
tem . The dual " J" antenna design covers ,
,

." your height and mounting requirements.
,
the two most widely used mobile frequencies:
the 144 and 220 MHz (2 meter and 11/:1 meter)
bands. ,
PISTOl< HPl!:
TUN'"''
C&P4C ,rOO'
"p' "u

~:J 0


: .,r 0,
"
I
HOS ~ Cl.&_

,
The quarter-wave matching sections are of
11.1 - aluminum tubing. These lengths can be
determined by a conventional formula. with
The basic "J" antenna , a design which the app lied shortening " K " cons tant of

!~~o
dates back to the mid-1930s, retains charuc- wavelength to diameter ratio. This article
teri stics that some present-day antennas arc 'au C&8l( will furnish all dimensions fo r the basic out-
<ON N FcrO ~ "'" THF
still reaching for : a takeoff of the Zcp or l ", n E~ T ~ &!'I S "" SSK> N put frequencies of 146.58 MHz and 223.34
L' NE
Zeppelin of that same period. Its quarter- MHz, which are the domi nant frequencies
wave matching section provides the intrinsic used in our ARES communication van. Fnr
feedline current return circuit. The return
."
lE'tG.'H
any selection of frequencies which differ
circuit can be compared to the radials of from these, apply the simple fonnu la:
the ground plane and even more closely to
toe>o·len,th dlll~ ~ Ori~illlll dime~ ,OriI,lIlII frtqueTq
the ladder feed of the Zep. Only the Zcp
~f~
feedline design left the drawing board prema-
turely. ~ ~-~ .....-an. 0' The change in length will be quite small.
• ~ . &L U.:~~ .
The grou nd plane antenna is ofte n installed The bar stock used to support the quarter-
as though the ground radials are n<~ really wave sections is approximately J liz - wide x
important. The length and the number of
ground rad ials not only make up the return
Figure J. The-dual-band " J " antenna. *- thick. This can be almost anything you
choose, consistent with rigidity. The holes in
circuit but aI M) determ ine the 37-ohm feed- allow extended long-range OX communica- the flat portion for mounting the elements and
line impedance of the device . fortunately, tions by allowing the signal to arrive at the bulkhead coax connector were drilled using
many metal automobile rooftops are large ionization layer at an angle that will reflect ,.- and liz - end mills or spot face tools . I used
enough 10 accommodate the higher frequen- the signal back to Earth rather than being 6/32 - screws as set screws to hold the ele-
cies' units. My thoughts on gutter-mount captured and absorbed by the layer. The %II ments in place and allow for adjustment. I
types of co mme rcial antennas can be ex- wavelength of the " J" provides a signal cap- recommend either two or three screws, what-
pressed as: " Shame on the manufacturer of ture area three times that of the ground plane ever is convenient for each slide element. The
the device." And, pray tell, where is the and increases its gain by about 1.2 dB. That' s 8 pF and 15 pF capacity values for the 220
current return circuit of the quarte r-wave almost 3 dB over the so-called reference MHz and 146 MHz frequencies respectively
dipole design? dipole. are maximum values and will require adjust-
The " J" antenna has an inherent low angle ing for minimum stand ing wave ratio.
of radiation , unrestricted by the influence of The Specs Although a unity SWR can be achieved, it
the return circuit of grou nd or the ground See Figure I . The radiating sections of the is not an absolute. For mobile operation the
rad ials. This low angle of radiation produces
an extended ground-wave range. In addition,
antenna are *
wavelength long. The large
diamete r tubing causes a significant ( K ) con-
transmission line length will have a very low
attenuation and virtually all the signal will be
with proper atmospheric conditions. it will stant factor as related to the wavelength-to- radiated. Cooui"urd onp, 84
48 73AmafeurRadio . March,199O
z
o
~
«
f-
------ -- _--
--------.
_..
o April 27, 28, 29, 1990
Early Reservation Informa t io n
• General Chairman. Ed Hillman. N8ALN • Asst. General Chairman, Dave Grubb. KCBCF
• Giant 3 d ay flea mar ket . Exh i b i t s 1990 Deadlines
• License exams· Free b us service Award NominaUons: March 15
• CW proficiency t es t • Door p r izes License Exams: March 26
Advance RegistrBUon and banq uet:
Flea market tickets and grand banquet tickets are USA · Aprlt 4 Canada - March 31
lim ited, Place your reservations early. please. flea Market Space:
Spaces will be allocated by the Hamvention
Flea Mar k et Tic kets com m ittee from all o rders received prior to I"ebruaryj
A maximum of :5 spaces per person (n o n-trans ferab le). I. Express Mall NOT necessaryl Notification of
Tickets (valid all 3 days) wIll b e so ld IN ADYANCE space assignment w ill be maIled by March 15. 1990 .
ONLY. No spaces sold at gate. Vendors MUST order Checks will not be d eposited until after the
registration ticket when ordering flea market spaces. selection process ls com plete .
Special Awards Infunnatlon
Nominations are requested for 'Radio Amateur of General tnrormauon. (513) 433-7720
the Year.' 'Speclal Achievem ent" and "Technical or. Box 2205. Dayton. 0 11 4540 I
Achievem ent ' awards. COntact: Namvention Awards Lodging Information, (5 I 3) 223-26 12
Chairman. Box 964. Dayton. ON 4540 1. (No Reservations By Phone)
Flea Market Information, (5 t3) 845-3683
Ucense Exams
Novice thru Extra exams scheduled satu rday and Lodging
Sunday by appointmen t only. Send FCC fo rm 610 Please wrtte to lodging. Dayton "am~nUon. Chamber
(Aug. 198 5 or later) - with requested elem ents shown Plaza. 5th &' PlaIn Streets, Dayton. 0" 451102 or refer to our
at top of form, copy of present license and check for 1989 Hamvention program for lodging infonnation
prevailing ARRL rates (payable to ARRL/YEC) to , which includ es a listing of hotel/ motels located In
Exam Registration. 8830 Wind bluff Point. Dayton. the areas surrounding Dayton .
0 11 45458
t1AM V ~NTI O N is spon so re d by the Da}1.on Amateur Radio Associati on Inc .
------------------------------------------
Advance Kegisbation I'ann nOWManr
Admission @ $ 10.00 ' $ , - -....
Dayton Namventlon 19 90 (Valid all 3 days)
Reservation Deadline - USA·Apt1l 4 . canada-March 3 1
Grand Banquet @ $22.00" $ ' - --l
Flea Market Reservation Deadline: February 1
Women's Luncheon
Endos e check or money order for amount Indicated (Saturday) @ $8.00 $'---.<
and send a self addressed stamped (# 10) envelope. (Sunday) @ $8.00 $ ' - --l
Flea Market $25/1 space
Please Type or Print your Name and Address crearty, (Max. 3 spaces) $50/2 adjacent
Admission ticket must $150/3 adjacent $,- - -c!
be ordered with flea m ark et tickets Total $' - - --l
• $12.00 at door •• $2 4.00 at door. If available
Name _
Make che cks
Address _ payable to - Dayton "AJllvumOI'l
Mail to - Dayton ttamvention
City State _ _ Zip _ Box 2205
3 Dayton. 011 4MO I
Listings are free of charge as space permits. Please send us your
Special Event two months in advance of the issue you want it to
appear in. For example, if you want it to appear in the June issue, we
should receive it by March 31. Provide a clear, concise summaryo(
the essential details about your Special Event.
Ham Doings Around the World
MARCH 3 19 90 C1RCU:VILLE OH Teays ARC ia having a MARCH l ' 1990 02191 . Tables cost $12 al door , Malle cllec~S
hamlest al P.cka",ay Co Faitgfounds. Doors MAUMEE OH The Toledo UobIIe RlOdoo A5- payable ' 0 South SlIore Amaleur RadIo ClIJb
CAVE CITY 1(1' The ' 4t h annual Glasgow
S ...apIMl !MIl 1M hotld .t ,he ea""
City Con- open 8 ...10'1 .... PM Admission 53 advance . $4 IOCialion Hamlest "',. be al the Lucas County Free parl<ing Rain Ot sh'''''
Call Hal. (6m
al doot. TabI8sS5a<1varoce .$8aldoor, Hand- 335-5777 evemngs
wntlOtl Cent".. . by the M ammolh Cave AAC Rc>c.....t>on e.tlla< Itom 8 "'1.4- 5 PM . Advance
000:A open at 8 AM OInt.al,..... and conlIn- ,cap ac cess ' ble . F'ee pa,~. n!l Ta l~· i n : lOdmission 13 50, door $4. Tar~-in '.7 ,27 fI)-
UIIS untd.-yone QOH home . AdInlloSlOfl .. 147 ,78/ ,18, Contact IArryMatTiflNBEPY. 126 tr, ....2 85 fill' ContaCl Ron IfAott;s W88Z1M.
~ TabIit5 $.<1 N_ o.aIet'$ _ HAM PfuMnI St . C.r:levill9 OH 43 1 13, (6 14J4 74- 28 14 1 GJe". oodR6.. ~OH43S5 I . SPECIAL EVENT
6582 Please SASE . (4 19) 666 8063
lIeamarl<IIl VEe. ..... Talk onl46W~ STATIONS
Conlacl N4HCO. 1379 WhdN C,..., Road.
~KY42I.1 MARCH 17. 1990 WEST HARTFORD CT The InsurlI/'ICe City MARCH 2.... 1990
Repeater Club InC ...-iI hold ~I annual Com-
...L EXANDRIA VA The Fulax ComPuler pu!1f and Amaleur Radoo Flea U arll ltl li the GRANDl$LANDNE ThaGrand lsland AAC
F....·go IS be"'lI sponsored by the Thomas Amencan ScIloolIor the Deaf. Doors QP8I'l 9 ...-iI operale ARS WOCUO 10 celebrate the
BROWNS VilLE n: S lartesl lntetnatoonal ~ Hogh School lot Sc!ence and Tech- AM - 2PM Admossion $2. Tables $15 . UsuaIy annual fetum 01 tile Sand Hils Cr _ to _
'90'" be hekl at Il'oe JKOb &own """'d'1Of>. "'*'9Y PTSA in conjunction wI1tl the Cap<lal Plalte R'ver Refuge, trom OOOOZ 1.41< 2_
""'" . An ... coo.cM.o".d. ondoor lIN .... rI<M . PC U_ G,OIJP, If the Thomas Jelle<$On saki out eo pIe_ ~te< .-ny. T"~'"
2400Z Mal 4 . C!pefalion oriII be sse. CWo
prov;ded. lIS '"" fon.Imf; and an MCO<1ed
st>cppn;) tnp 10 Me..eo IoIlhe lId_ T........
H'\III School lrom 9 AM _5 PM Call
e-.... CaproI PC u-rGroup, (3tHJ ~
M." 146 28/.88 . ConI&d C/lur:II Motes K IDFS, 22
WoOOsdeUnf. ~CT06062 PKT. AMTOR. and RTTY in .. lower. portoons
01 Gena<al and Nova~. For oenJflCal• •
' .7,391' 99 (EnghsIll. 1461(1' 70 ( ~) '303. Ot .IofOttOfl Rau, Thomas J.fferson send OSl., " and SASE 10 ARS woctIO. PO
Con!act J amft C P _ KSEHY. StM1nI PTSA. ( 703) 754·9859. Box 642. Gr4lld Island /liE 68802.

......
'''_I~ · SIO. 22 'O S n ~.HM·
",..", .....RSHALL ..I Thlt Soulhltrn M oc ll'll"' n
ARS and ~ Hogh Pholo E1ltcttonocs
EUlABE THT OWN II Y TIIa LoncoIn Tru
AAC _ I\Old ... 11 th annual Hamlesl If !he
Pnlcherd CQmrnufIo(y e-... Free I *'''ng
Ad..n " os $4 advance, 15 at !hedoor. V~ MILWAUKEEWl The WestAliaRAC.op-
MARCH. 1990
Club ... sponsonng """' 29lll annual Md»-
NORTHAMPTON ..... Atna,..., Radoo and gan Crossroads Hamlesl ill the ~ Hogh
do< spaces SS eld!. (Incl udeS 1 table, I
cI\aJr ) VEC • • ama T......, on 1 ~ 52 and
erat'"'ll '" Wosconsin OSO Party lrom l aool
M;m;h 10-01002 Match II . CW and phone
llledroncs llutI\atloel sponIOI'ed by me 1M School from 8 "'M-3 PM 5el-up at 6 AM 1~.381 98 FOt acNlI/'ICe fft9fVlfoonsllOC ~1II$ All staloons may be "",",ad <:I<Q per mode on
Tom ARA ... be held at the Smoth Voca-" Advant41 t il:~1!tS (SASE) $2, 13 at the door. each band. Mobiles may be "",",ad <:I<Q per
Hnd checl< DI' UO and an SASE 10 C/lur:II
H ogh School . H.lnclO(aCI Vee" , tioI . Doofs Ta/;IIlt rese<vlfoons $ ?S per ft. (mon. .. ft l
openat9 AM T..... ..non 146~. 223 82 tpl.., Retse<ved unt. 8 "'M . Table rental IS nol a
SlT_ AA4ZD , PO Box 342. v.... GnMI KY mode pel' counry Il\af lhay operate from. No
40 175 (S02J35 I. 1715 ,epeal""' . Freq uencies : CW 3550. 3725.
and 146 52 simple_ T8bles $10 8dYance, 1.c~ ltI 10 the IIlImtest TaI~-in on 14666 Ot 7050.7125, 14050. 21 150 , P!'Ione' 3890,
$ 12'" door. AdmlUOOn 12. I,lI'Ider 12 tree 146 52 Sltnd SASE 10 S MARS. POBox 934, 7290. 14290. 28400, ComaCl WisconsIn OSO
Conlaet N ' CDFI .w.twI Y.... Ii L~ 1",. UPPER SAOOU RIV ER NJ The Chest......
Ba tl!lt C,"" III 490 16 Ot call Wr.I Chanlty PIIfty, Wesl A.hI RAe, PO Box 1072. 1oNw_

-
Rodge RC is I POOl$Ol_'\I a Ham Rad oo Flea
'1'C6 , w"sl1le'/d.wA OIOSS, oruA (41'j 562-
1027.
NBBOM' (6 16J 979-3433
Uarlcel at lila EduCaltOn 8Idg 01 the 5ad<l1e ~"" WI 53201 lot conte$! , ...... and -rr
RMII' Ralomlad Ctlurcll. Tabin are $ 10 /of
MARCH 11 _18 . '990 the hf'St. SS/of . ach 1dd'11OtI&I Ta,lgaung SS
yOftI( PA The TtIIfd ,.,..".,.. YOtk SprIng-
Iest (Ham & Comput&lj ...~I be hekl a t INt CHARLOTTE NC The Mec~lenb."g "'RS IS $ 1 donatoon Conlact JM;.. MHghe< W 2fHD CHA RLESTON WV KE80J ",II operate a
00Ye. FiretWl T-...o Iloots Indoor tabIH Free sporISOtlng the Cl'Iarlolfe Harnlesl and Cam- (2OIJ 768 8360 special ev&nIS sl atoon 10 commetnOfate the
tailgatIng 1 _ laDIes $10 Reg<st'aloon $( puter/a" If the Charlolf. Convenlion Cltnter ?Slh bo<thday oIlhe U""ad Slates Naval ~
U.... icensed spouse loI>d U~f 121," VEe Saturday from 9-5 and Sunday from 9-2 , All M ARCH 2S. 1990 serve . Iioufli "'ill be 080I}-1600 bolh da ys
,.am, . Ge ner. 1 adm,ulOl'l 8 AM T al~ " n on malOr manu lactu,e,s and de ale, s ", ill be Freque nc ,es : 3,8 75 . 7, 250 . 1. 250 , and
MA DISON OH The T...elfth annual La.e
146 31/91 and '41 931.33 Call (3D! ) 2:/9. rhlt'. , VEC exa mS, T>c~els are 15 in advanc•. Nov>ce portion 01 10 merefS. FOt a cert"lCale
County Haml esl "" II be held ,1,1 the Mad,son
3878 orw,," - YOfII Sp""'l/fes" POBox 3 16, S7 at the door, S", aples t tables are $12 in send OSL and S"'SE 10 Ene Knapp KEBOJ,
H'IIh School by the Lake County "'RA. Open
NewFfHdom PA 77349-«116 advance only, Ch,Id'en under 121r_ Tal. ~n 9 17GIen Way, So CharleSlon WV253Q9
lrom 8 ... 1.4- 3 PM . All 'ndoorl 6 It . tables are
on W48F6I, on 146,341146,94 Wrrte to Char. $5. 8 It , tables a,e $8 50 VE e. ams, Admis-
ROSTRA VER TOWN SHIP PA The T",o /orre Hamlest. PO eox 2211 36, Charlr.iII8 NC sion $4 at door, 53 ," advanc. , Tal~· ,n on M"'RCH 17_18. 1990
Rive fli "'RC at McKee spofl ill hosl,ng "~S I 8th 28222· Jf 36 or call (704 ) 536-7373 for litloal 14721/81. 222.90122• .50 . Conlact LCARA PISCATAWAY NJ Tha P lscala",ay ARC
annual S",ap and SIlap at lhe Rosl ravar Vol· and lable 'nfo. (704) 568--761 r lor dealer and H.m fe6l, 5 777 Fa" wood CI" MenlOf-<N>-La..e
manulaclu f8f info "'ill operale the" annual spec ial eve" t com·
u nteer Fira Halilrom 8 "'1.4 - 3 PM "'dm iss"," OH 44060 (2 16)25 7·2036 mefllOfet ing the Voice 01 "'me' ica Relay Sla·
is $ 1, Contac t Mr , Ji m LundbBrQ KC3 HJ , tion, WBOU, "'hicll operatad during WW II in
(4 72) 672-<J9 15 , OirectiOtls ""II be availab'" FT WALTON SEACH FL The Playg round GRA YSLAKE IL The Libertyv,l le and Mun- the Bound Broo~ section 01 Pisc ala",ay
on lhe WA3PBD rape atar, 146,13/13 ARC ""II hold tile 20th "'nnual North Florkla deleon ARS (L... MARSj will be hold'ng us an· Membe rs of PARC "" II ope,ate under Ihe"
Ham/S",apfast at tha Shrine Fairg.ounds , nual LAMARSFEST 1990 at tho La.e Cou nfy o",n callsigns sign in g IVOA from OOOOZ
M ARCH 10 , 1990 DOOf$ open at 8 AM cotn days, Free Par~ ,ng Fairg round s Irom 8 AM Sol·up I, om 8 "'M , March 17-2400Z March 18, Fraquenc,e"
ABSECON NJ Tha Shore PoinlS ARC "'ill Un l,mited RV par~ing "'il h 30 spaces ""th lu ll IndOOf alec t,onoc and rad' O s",aplesl, cern- CW: Novice port,ons of Ihe bands. PhOne;
hold its 8th annual Spronglas t at lhe Holy Spir, hoo kups, $ 10 a day , Ta l ~· in on tha club mereial a.h,bitof$, F,... par1< ing, Adm ission Lower Ihird of the Gene,al po rtion on 75, 4C.
,t High School beg,nn,ng at 9 AM. set·up 7 148, 191,79 repealer. Adm ission $3 in ee- il $3 advan ce. $4 althe dOOf, S"'apfesl table s 20. 15 meters and tile Novica portio" at the 10
AM. R_rve haated indoo , &8 11, ng space , vanc e, $4 a' the doo, . Tabtes are $10 10' on e $7 , commerc'al tabl 8'll $20 by resarvaloon mete, band , For certmceie send , 10 or for
Eleclr>c~y hm"ed, Outdoor la llgat,ng sp.ace day. $15 to( both days. Contacl Playground only. T al~',n on 147631 ,03 Wau~~an 'pit unlolded a 9 .12 SASE "" ' h yom OSL 10
a.a,'able the day at ttla I'Iam18'llt. ~ather per· ARC, PO Box 873. Fl. Walton Bea ch FL and U8,52 s,mple . , W role "'ith SAS E to PARC, An", KB2UV, PO Box 1233. PilIeal·
mitt,ng , sellers $5 persp.ace; buyerS$3 , Talk·
in on 146.3651,965 and 146 ,52 so mple' W rote
10 SPARC. POBox 742, Abs«On NJ0820 1.
"''' LAMARS, PO Box 75 1, Libertyville IL 60048.
or call Bob 0.:.. NY9E ( 708) 362-9634 alter
awayMJ08854

M"'RCH 11 . 1990
HAMILTON BERMUDA Tile 32nd annual
Be rmuda "'mal eur Rad io Contest ", 01 1 be
spooso<ad by tile Rad io Soc iefy at Bermuda
""
TRENT ON NJ The 081&",a ,e Valley Rad oo
MARCH 20 _21 , 27 _28, 1990
AC_DCICLARA CONTE ST ...1I lic.n sed
men and women Ihroughou t tile world a' .
INDIANAPOLIS IN The Ind,ana Hamt8'll!. Thlt mulhpliefS ... e VP9 slatiOtls ......ICII may Asaoc,ation ",otl sporlSOf Hamcomp '90, l lIe"
invited 10 part 'Cipall. , CW POrt,on 1700Z
SPOOllOfad by the Morgan County Repealer no", b" ",or~ed On bolh CW an d p hone 181h annual FIe.a Ma'~e1 at amaleur rlOdoo and
Maret'l 2O-05OOZ Marcil 28 . PIICH"oa portiOtl
Assoc .. ""a be held 'ndoon at the Ind.ana provldmg l l1ey a.e more I han 1 IIoor _ rt computer equipment. at tile Ne..- J.rs8y Na· 11002 M a,cll 27-0500Z Ma' ch 28 , Freque ...
Slate Fa,rg, ouncs Pav.bon BU~d.ng Open at Be,muda Novices are ,estnctad to CW on 3 5. loona' Guard 1121h FIO-Id "'rt,llery Armory ,
7.21 and 28 MHZ Each Novice IS ""Orth a
cies, Phone-28488 , 2 1.300,1"1 20. 7.070
8 "'1.4 , Adm,ssion : $8 al door 8 ft table $10 ',om 8 AM _2 PM . Doo,s open at 6 PM
CW,-21,035, 14035. 7.035. 3 690 SendlOgl
each . No spaoa ... ~hout a lable R8'$llrve t. mUll iplie' at 2 FOt roles send 2 IRC ' s 10 ' or vendofa FrN and "atld.cap parl"" g 10 Ne t Ma nager. J earme Go<don VE2JZ. 5
fofe Feb , 23rd Soltup It Maret'l 10 Free parl<. Bermur.18 Conresl. RadI(J Soclefy 01 Bermu- WlIeelc:halt accesS-ibie T al~·i" on 146,071
Wood CI'l'SCf!"f, Beaconsfreld. 0uMJec H9W
II'IQ VEC e.ams Tal~ ~n on"5 2S FOftesef' da. PO 80.0 HM 275. Hamllfon Berm uda HM 67 Com aci I1AMCOMP '90. C/O KB2ZY,
IC5 Canada Ot e.rt,/IclIre Cus\Odl.... Doane
vatoons and ",tormaloon Hnd SASE 10 """" AX, FOt answef1l 10 spec ,l >c quesloons call R D. I , 80x 25 9. SrocXlon NJ 06S59 (SASE
Ems', R R ' I, AIap/eIlflI Dr . e.g Bru D 'Ot.
~ KC9YA. 3142 Ma"''' PUItY. Bloom- 51_ 0u"~8fIgy VP9/M. (809) 2fJ2~754 on please j Adml$$Kll'lll 53ona<1vance. $4 al lhe
..-IIJctI rhem IS _ an o1tlSVflttltl9 macIww Nr.Na ScotIo1 BOC I BOCanada
In(/tOfIIN47403 (812J'l39 U'6 doD< Indoor sell"'\! spaces ar. $10 ("'alf
..a. FAX machine, FAX 8Cf",. l6d bypre-u- 5PKlt1 Ot $7, outdoOf spaces are 56 Se/Iers
S T£RU..co ROCK f AUS IL The St_~ "'\I' 5 .nd lhe" • (slar) .lter I!Ie call 0$ .... ptOVIda _ o..-n tablas
RoeI< Fa-. ARS 30Ih AntIual Hamlest .... De ._ad CL EVELA ND OH Membe .. 01 Westpa'~
t>eId II the SI9fhng Hogh School Foeldnouse BRAINTREE MA The South Shore AAC 01 Rad oops ...-iI celebrate Nov>ce enhancement
l rom 7:30 "'1.4 , 5eI U(lSlturday lrom6-9 PM " 1Dl..AND TX The U odlatld"'RC ...-iI hold as e.a"'. '.. MA ...-iI I\Old ~s .......... ondoot lIe a from 000 1 UTe MarCh 21 un" 2400 UTC
Todllll$ 53 ..,...ance. $4 II the doot T. . . . SS. annual 51 Patr>c ~s Day S",apresl l rom 10 markel atlNt V<lung Club Itom 11 "'M~ PM Maleh 24 Freq uentlltS· 28 300--28 500 USB
incIud'"'ll elactt'IClly BfnjI \'OUf o..-n cord AM _5 PM Salurday. and from 8 AM-2'30 PM Adrnossoon $1 5eI-up al' ''' U 8 II ~ FOt cerI,hcat• ..-0<1< 5 WestparI< mamoeq
TaI~'" on 140.251 140 85 W9UE P -.peal... $I.>nday at I lia M odland County Exlllllol Build- avdable lo< $ 10 (1fICIudM I It.. lOdmiaS-lon Send OSL log and 9 .1 2 SASE 10 WSVAI C/O
ComaCls....PrfflI<s. 5 ~ F .ARS. "'II P<e-<egtstratoon is 15 , 56 at tlla door per tablot) only 'I paod ,n ad varoce be lOte Glenn W..... ms. 5 13 K oorlO Rd . Bay Vii-
PO Box 52 1, ~ IL 610111 Ot uII (815) Tables lfa $8. Comact Mtt1IatJdARC. POBox ......eh 23 by aenOing peymenllO HM ..Jonn Yge OH 441 40, Ollie< a ardS ava,labie
"'-"" 4401. lIdand rx 7!J 704 WS I.ABJof. 48 $MWIf1 Rd . /II W~MA Send SASE lot losl and rules

Nu m ber 22 on your. FM<I'-tk ca rd


,,~. x 111 _ d , . . You"", _ "*",,. ~ . and I don 'l _ a _ t I C lot Wanled' SchematocJoperatOt'1 m.-IU&l tor

HAM HELP
Your Bulletin Board
8_
~. _ /owef-uu \ffi
AI!lnpmt~~-I
_ _ IIlI'lI ..... 1 t1f ~
r. b',
t1f ....
_If
liJ(IrIg' II E..... III $j'SCJI1O ~ 13 BBS. ( 120 _ .
'* "" ptTty. I .., /lIl.1603I ~ 1M
I;4tl /ll
tN_7
troubleshool ,ng Can you help IIIlt lJltI a
COPY (II lhe .che<natlC and pa<ts Iost7 I'd
be tnOf. Illan ...~ I, ng to compensale you
Eugene G T.-IltId . E . DnoIJon, USSRang..-
CV·EO, FPO San Franc..,;oCA 9fS633.27S0.
lalayette HA-460 W. pey costs SIephen
8rnlsI<a. 27W_ 51.. w asr. ".... , NJ 078lJ2

I'm Iool<ong lot a f'rogratTlflWf'S Tool KIllo<


H . ... l e fl · P a c ~ a r d HP·lI 0 Po rl a b le ( o r
11In- ,.oub-,ourClXJlllt_, POf1able Plus). sudl as the one HP caIIa: '"HP
"'*'OS Iw on 454 19C " · AJso any $OflVf.... tor 11'10I ...ntaga

r.,.
WI .., ".." III ~ , . " .... Want..,. ClJlIl'<al"'ll ma....... lot lhe K....
.sp«»1 , . . . . . To _ _ pb _ _ I own a Royo;e "II . Model 639 and I ",as wood m ·26OQA W. pay COll i Fr.... Ilf.. lap lop. po-ele,ably amateur radlo apploca·
III ...... _ 10<' a.ango .. """"" ~ rn- t1f " 'CUdenng II .. woull'l have tile same sche- K82tFO , 831 8arthcIdr St . Bronx N Y toons . Chuck Waite WA3JWF, PO Box 555,
pmt your ~ '*-'Jr. ~ lil«*f, on . U mat IC al the 855 Uy rig is OUI 01 com· 1()0167 Oa/IasPA 186IUJ555

50 73 Amateur Radio • March, 1990


BUDDY, CAN YOUSPARE A DIME?
That's right ... only JOe on each dollar-
Field Day Antenn.
Inst.1I4tion
AXM w ants your b usiness and is wi lling System
to cut our profit to 10 % "to get it.
Choose from these name brands: .-- 529.95

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more methodi cal. Time is of the where inside the triangle formed
essence , but you must be abso- by the three station locations. The
lutely sure of your equipment and ± 20 accuracy figure mean s that
its indications. You mu st take the t riangulation will yield an area
Radio Direction Finding note s and gath er eviden ce good of uncertai nty nearly 250 squ are
enough to sta nd up to close FCC miles in size.
Joe Moell PE K"OV lately demanding a larger FCC ap- scrutiny. I! you are serious about fixed-
PO Box 250B prop riation for monitoring and en- site HF RDF , you must build an
Fullerton CA 92633 forci ng ham radio. Beams Aren 't Enough antenna with sharp directional in-
Is the average taxpayer (your Put away any ideas of doing pin- dication s, and put it on a rapid ly
HF Jamming next door neighbor, for ex ample) point DFing from fixed stations rotat ing mount. An Adcock is the
How do you react when inte rfer- willing to she ll out more to Uncle with typical OX-band antenna sys- antenna of choice, because it has
ence spoils your net or aso on Sam some FCC can fight amateur tem s. Even military installation s sharp null s and works equally welt
the DX bands? Do you turn on radio aRM? with giant RDF arrays can have with ground wave and high angle
your Band Basher 2000 linear am- I! you asked any of them (FCC, significant inaccuracy. If the CRM skip signals.
plifier and give the bloke a piece of congressman, neighbor), t hey is coming in via long skip, there is But you wil l still have a few de-
yo ur mind? Do you have your wou ld probably say, " Why can't no guarantee that it' s coming from grees of error. If the target is 60
autodialer prog rammed with the you hams solve your own prob- the di rection of your best beam miles away, each degree 01 error
phone nu mbers of all the FCC lems? You 're supposed to be sel!- heading. causes the line of bearing to miss
mo nitoring stations? po licing! " Propagation anomalies regular- the target by one mile.
Do any of these reactions do ly cause signals to deviate from
any good? It' s Up To Us the shortest great circle path. The You Gatta Go Mobile
Of course, interference takes So the ball is right back in our best you can hope for in long dis- Unless one of t he m em bers
many forms. Inadvertent interfer- ow n cou rt . Inst ead of endless tance RDF is to gel bearing s from lives next door to the jammer, a
ence caused by operator error or wailing, we need to get busy and enough widely separated stations team consisting of fixed stations
sudden changes in propagation start dealing with our interference to be able to triangulate down to ca nno t posit ively identify him .
usuall y end quickly and amicably. problems, not by on -the-air fist - an area of reasonable size. Th en Eventually, someone is going to
But what abo ut continued disrup- fig hts, but with rad io direction you must get stations in that area have to go mobile to track down
tive jamming with carriers , music, finding (RDF) . The FCC has to listen for the signal via ground the bad guy' s exact location and
or obscenities? That's malicious agreed to help us he lp ourselves wave. document the case . The more mo-
interference, a clear violation of by creatin g the Amateur Auxiliary, Don't even thin k about trying to biles there are in the field, the
the FCC rules. It' s unpleasant at an organization of volunteer moni- use simple antennas for ROF, sooner it will happen.
any time, but when it occurs dur- tors , administered by the ARRL. even on ground wave signals. A For quick response to HF jam-
ing emergency nets, it tarnishes Trai ned Auxiliary members can Bullerfly quad-bander at 30 feet is ming proble ms, we need fixed sta-
our public im age and could cost use RDF to gather evidence the simply not directional enough for tions first to find the general area
lives. FCC can use in prosecuting se- even a good guess. Even the best of the problem source. If they can
The first thing most name do vere cases of malicio us interfer- OX antenna systems are none too narrow the search area down to a
when jamming occurs is cry out ence. More importantly , this orga- good. A large trt-ceno beam , suc h limited area, mobiles will have lit-
for FCC help. That worked forty niz ation has t he ca pab ili ty of as the TH-7, has a horizontal 3 dB tle trouble closing in and finishing
years ago. We called it the Kilo- solving many interference prob- beamwidth of ± 35 degrees, and the job.
cycle Kop era. Back then, FCC lems ham-to-ham, witho ut FCC in- you won't get that unless it's a Mobiles don't need pinpoint ac-
m o nit o ri ng stations patien tly tervention, for laster resolution. wavel ength or more up in the air. curacy in their ROF indications,
scanned the spectrum , looking lor limited FCC resource s ca n be In simple terms, that means that becau se they simply "home in"
rule violations in all services, in- saved for only the most severe as you turn your beam, the signal on the signal, following the line of
cluding amateur radio, and issu- cases. will be within a half s -unn of peak bearing to the target. Minor sys-
ing those dreaded " pink tickets." The Amat eur A uxi liary is in value for 70 degrees of rotation as tem or site erro rs are no problem
varying stages of imp lementation you sweep around . Can you read as long as you keep moving along.
No More Kilocycle Kops arou nd t he coun try. In som e the S-meter on an SSB signal well If you have your HF transceiver in
Not so today. Budget cuts have places, it already has sta nding enough to discern the exact peak the family ca r, you are already
decim at ed t he FCC field staff . ag reemen ts wit h FCC offices. under these conditio ns? Remem- halfway to t he goal of becoming
Those remaining must deal first Contact your ARRL Section Man- ber the jammer may not be the a mobile HF T-hunter. All you
wil h in terference problems in ager to find out the stat us in your only signal that is showing on the need is an antenna and an RF at-
highe r priority radio services , area , and learn how you can help. meter. tenuator.
such as White House communica- Don't just complain, get involved ! Add to this the fact that big rota- Fortunately, on the HF bands a
tions, search and rescue, fire and tors take a minute or so to turn all sim ple ROF loop is very effective
police. Field engineers must co n- Inanimate Interference the way around. Their readout ac- for closing in. Next month I'll show
duct inspections in the broadcast One important step in movin g curacy is far from perfect. So it's you all the details of how to make
and maritime services before Ihey from being part of the prob lem to almost impossible to find the pre- one in an evening or two with just
can consider the needs of hams . It being part of the solution is devel- cise signal peak direction on short a few simple parts. This multi-
seems as if every service has a oping your own transmitter hunt- duration signals using a typical band antenna has two selectable
higher enforcement priority than ing capability. ThaI's what this ham yagi or quad , especi ally if pattern s to solve the typical loop
amateur radio . column is all about-helping you f ading and ot her sig na ls are bidirectionality problem. It is light,
Hams constantly castigate the with the nuts and bolts of RDF. present. sturdy, and easy to mount. You
FCC for its apparent paralysis, but You will find RDF techniques use- It's a good assumpti on that typi- can use it either on the car or on
the current FCC budget simply ful whether you want to find the cal real-world RDF accuracy us- foot.
does not allow any more attention location of a jammer or a noisy ing tower-mounted beams, ham If hams across th e country
to our bands. Who cut the budget? power line. receivers, and careful technique added simp le antennas like this
Congress, of course. So don't bel - Hunting down malicious a RM is ± 20 degrees. Let's further pre- one 10 their mobile setups , imag-
lyache about the FCC, wri te to on the HF bands is not the same sume that we have three such sta- ine the progress we cou ld make in
your congressman. I'll bet he will as going out on a competitive fox- tions, equa lly space d 40 mil es ident ifying an d deterring mali-
telt you that there haven 't been hunt on the local 2 meter repeater. apart , attempting 10 triangulate a cious a RM on the DX bands. Will
any letters com ing to his office Your technique must be much ground wave signal source some- you help? III

52 73 Amateur Radio • March, 1990


WOW!
SO MANY FEATURES!
Time Scan - Resume Scan a fte r a 5

DJ-160T seco nd pa use o n a busy frequenc y

• DSQ (DTI\IF Squelch) Function


DJ-460T 3 Types of paging Fuc ntion. G ro up
Paging. Private Paging in a group o r
Engineered with the most advanced elec- Pri vate Pa gi ng to a speci fic person
Ironic technology, the new DJ-160T and (This Func tion is co m patible with
DJ.460T, VIIF and UHF FM hand-held o ther manufac ture rs units) The DTMF
transcelverfrom Alincoa re nowa vail- decode Function a nd o ptional tone
a ble. S ta nda r d feature s includ e sq uelch ( DJ· 16O) wi ll give you
simple operation, easj 10 read l eI>, additiona l fle xibility in yo ur
., method s uf frequen cy selection. co m m unica tio n needs
SW wh en operated on 12\' DC, and
Encode: 38 Prog ra m ma ble Sub-
a uniqu e UT\. F Decod e/displ ay fea-
Aud ible Tones, D ispl ayed in Hz.
tures.
Priori I)' Function : YFO Prio rity,
• Ultra Com pact Bod)': Memo ry Pri ority o r Call Pri o rity
5-1 /2 "(11 ) x 2· J/2 "(W ) \ 1-1 /4"(0 )
• Simullaneous Scanning and Priority
• Power Output Operation with Several Variations
DJ-1 60 T 3 Wa n"
DJ-460T 2.5 Wa lls • Dual Watch: The un it wi ll sca n
with standa rd 700mA H Bauery between Ca ll Frequency and Y FO
req uency. or C all Freq uency and
• Extended Frequency Coverage Memory Frequency. pausing 3 seco nds
DJ -loOT on e ac h freq uency alternate ly
144.0 M hz - 147.995 M hz (TXl
Aulo Power Off Function
1:n.O Mh z - 173.995 Mh z (RX)
This fu nction will turn the power o ff
DJ -4hOT au to mat ic a lly afte r 30 minutes of
440.0Mh l. · 450.01\.1hl (TX ) non - use
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CIRCLE 6 7 Ofrt AEAOU SlAVICE ColAO


Number 24 o n your Fe«ItJ.c:k e.rd
of the following aSling rules . a Sl cards. It is possible to obtain

Ox a Sling
DATE AND TIME . Always note
these envelopes in two sizes, one
sli ghtly large r th an the ot her,
so that it is no t ne ce ssary 10
Hams Around the World the time in UTC. Never use local fold the enclosed envelope . Eu-
time. Use a readable date , such rop ean aSl-sized e nvelo pes
Bob Winn WSKNE have just worked . The best source as Feb . 12, 1989 Of 12 Feb. 89. Do (11cm K 16cm) are available from
c!o ORZ DX is the station itself. Other excer- not use a date like 2-12-89 lor a OX aSl Assoc iates, 434 Blair
PO Box 832205 lent sou rces of accurate a Sl in- February 12 aso , be cause in Road, Vienna VA 22180.
Richardson. TX 75083 for mation include OX bulletins, some countries the day is listed ENCLOSURES should be ar-
such as ORZ OX, INSIDE OX, lirst, rathe r than the month . In this ranged in such a way that they are
aSLing: THE OX BULLETIN, and OX nels. example the est, manager may easily accessible by the aSl man-
Facts, Tips, Fantasy . . . The three publications specializ- think your aso was on December ager . IRCs or green stamps
Traditionally, the OSL ha s been ing in aSling information, which 2, 1989. Also , be sure to use a should be hidden from prying
consid ered the final courtesy 01a I'm most familiar, are THE W6GO/ UTC date , not the local date . eyes, but not from the manager. It
050, but is this grand statement K6HHO OSL MANAGER LIST, oat, CARD . Your ost, card is probably wise not to put the
still true today? Yes. in mo st situa- PO Box 700, Rio linda CA 95673- should have the log information green stamp or IRCs inside the
tions it is, BUT it is now accepted 0700 ; t he DXER 'S QSL MAN- and YOUR CAllSIGN o n th e enclosed en velope whe re t hey
procedure to help a OX station, AGER DIREC TORY, Fred Smith same side. This format provides might be overloo ked . Just be sure
OSl manager or eXpedition by WB 4KC l , 27 Pri ncess Gill ian the aSl manager with everything they're not visible if the envelope
paying the return postage whe n Street, Fredericksburg VA 22405; requ ired to lill out your card, accu- is held up to a light.
OSLing direct. If you don 't provide and THE MOST COMPLETE QSL rately and quickly. $ome DXers put a piece of car-
a seu-aocressec-eoveioce (SAE) MANA GERS LIST EVER PRINT- ENVELOPES. When osu-c bon paper inside the envelope to
plus some means o f pa ying lor re- ED, l ars E. Bohm SM5CAK , store direct, always enclose a self- hide the contents. lithe enclosed
turn postage, expect to receive Ang esby , S-59 196 Motala. Swe- addressed envelope (SAE) plus SAE envelope is folded, insert it
vou r card via the bureau . .. if den. some means of prepaying the into the outside env elope with the
there is one. postage , or a sen-addressed- fold at the bottom 10 prevent it
The manner in whi ch you pre- Care and Feeding stamped envelope (SASE), other- from being cut in half by a letter
pay the return postage is really up ot aSl Managers wise your card will be returned via opener . Wh en sending aSls to
10 you, but it's acceptable. within What i s the c orrect way 10 the bureau . Always use an envel- humid location s, it's ollen advis-
reason, lor the OX opera tor to sug- handle a direct OSl? There is ope sufficiently large to contain able to place a piece of waxed
gesl l hat you send lACs or a green no absolutely co rrect wa y, be- the OX aSl card. II you don't, paper betwee n the gummed flap
stamp (one US dollar). Reme m- cause eac h aSl manager or the aSl manager will have to fold and the body of the envelope.
ber. so me countries do not accept OX operator has his or her own his card to fit in the furn ished DON'T DELAY. OX operators
l ACs and there are count ri es way of handling inco ming cards. envelope . The standard letl er- and a Sl managers ollen change
where foreign currency is illegal . It Some managers prefer one a Sl sized env elope used in the US addresses, and over a long period
is acceptable lor a OX operator or per envelope , while others, like (3~ · x 6112- ) may not be large of time logs can be lost. o st, as
D Xped ition to solicit con t ri bu- th ose who ha ve co mputerized enough, but a business-sized en- soon as possible.
tions, but a contribu tion can never their lOgs, ollen prefer everything ve lope ("0) is usually appro- YOUR OWN esc BUREAU. Be
be a requ irement. in one envelope to reduce nan- priate . sure that you have envelopes at
Possibly th e most im portant dling time. You can ensure near- Many OXers use European- or your own aSl bureau.
item to consroer is the correct aSl perfect response to your aSl Japanese-sized envelopes, which Good luck and may your aSl
route for the rare stati on that you requests if you follow all or most are large eno ugh to handle larger return rate be 1000101DJ

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73 Amateur Radio • March, 1990 55
ately recognized HDLC flag se- The text appeared to contain
qu ences at the beginning and end the following (up to where Scotty
of the packet. Bob realized that he began to talk again, making fur-
did not have sufficient computer ther decoding impossible): > Qt
Latest in Digital Hamm ing time to do the entire decoding job, takes 4 program . This did not look
so he used a plotter to graphically quite right, so he examined the
Brian Lloyd WB6RON (pots R96 and RB1) and to set the display the data. The nine pages second byte again and noticed
124 Churchill Avenue AFSK generator (R165 and R167) of ha rd-copy waveform plots, rep- that if he changed one particularly
Palo Alto CA 94301 ro those tones also. rese nting about 1.2 seconds 01 sick-looki ng bit the data then
You will get a couple dB extra data at 300 ba uds, were then read: > It takes 4 program.
Eat ' n Build noise from the wider- than-BOO fil- turned over to Phil Karn KA9Q for The readab le portion of the
I have moved from the Wash- ters. but it should not affect things complete demodulation. Using packet was finally decoded. It was
ington, DC, area to Silicon Valley. much. pencil, paper, ASCII chart, and a part of a aso between Bill Harnq-
Wow, is it ever a big change! This Thank you , John, for the infor- copy of the AX.25 protocol specifi- ill WA8ZCN and N6AEZ . Bob
place is computer-hacker heaven. mation. calion, Phil got 10 work. McGwier con tacted Bill and he
There is even a chain 01 grocery Phil's first job was to recover agrees that it was probably him
stores, called " Fry' s," that caters To Packet Where No Man the clock so that he could tell since he was very active on pack-
to the computer hacker. You can Has Packeted Before where each bit began. This he did et around the time that Star Trek V
bUy your groceries AND all the Some time ago a group of pack- using t he same method as the was being filmed.
parts you need to build your com- eteers were together . H a ro ld WA4DSY 56K bps modem; that is, This brings up an interesting is-
puter at the same store. Only in Price NK6K told Bob McGwier he marked olf sampling points sue: Whal is the legality 01record-
California (hi, hi). N4HY that while watching the mo- where the waveform stope went ing transmissions off the air, and
vie Star Trek Vhe noticed a sound, rapidly through zero, at the center then using them as part of a movie
Doing 800 Hz Shift reminding him of HF packet , duro 01 a mark-space-mark or a space- that may itself be broadcast at a
w Ith th e PK·232 ing the scene where Scotty is try- mark-space sequence. From this later time? The FCC regulations
Last month I talked about the ing to beam Checkov and Uhura he extrapolated where the other say that you may not intercept a
prospect of using the V.23 modem back from the Enterprise. Bob , bits would appear in the data transmission and then retransmit
standard to replace the common never one to shirk from a chal- stream. At this point Phil "sliced" it for profit . I would love to hear the
but inefficient Bell 202 modems lenge, decided that he would at- the data into individual bits and lawyers and government bureau-
that we currently use . I con tacted tempt to decode the data to find performed the NAZI decoding. cratic types argue that one .
the folks at AEA to ask them how out if it was indeed a packet signal . Phil now had the raw bits that rep-
to do this with the PK-232 , John Bob is a specialist in digital sig- resented most of the packet. Sta ndard izing the
Gates N7BTI, Manager, Commer- nal processing. At his work he has The packet was very noisy and Radi o/TNC Interface
cial Products, respo nded: access to a crav-a super comput- had numerous bit errors. Knowing In the 73 packet issue, I wrote
Dear Brian, er, so he wrote a digital FSK filter how things were done helped Phil an article about standardizing the
A lot easier way to get BOO Hz is and demodulator program to run to make educated guesses. For radiolTNC interface. I received
to leave the receive filters in the on the Cray. He then took a copy instance , each byte of an AX.25 a leite r from Miles Abernathy
232 as is (1000 Hz wide. centered 01 the sound track of the movie address field, except the tast one, N5KOB telling me that he could
on 1700)but to pull the discrimina- and digitized the part in question. always has the last bit of the byte not get the desired 300 mV from
tor points in to 1300 and 2100 On the first pass Bob immedi- set to zero . Also, addresses al- his MFJ-1270. His l NC peaked
ways contain an amateur callsign out at 81 mV into 500 ohms.
in upper case letters. These items I looked at the schematic lor the
helped Phil determine when he 1270 to see if there was a way to
might have made a mistake in de- get more output. There are two
FOX TAN GO CO RP. coding. Phil even used the call- resistors, R56 (5.6k ohm) and R57
book to determine if a callsign was (560 ohm), that make up an output
valid and if the operator was au- voltage divider that reduces the
Fo x Tango Corp. ha s been forma lly purchased by thorized to transmit packet (Gen- signal from the 2206 by a factor 01
Ma rgaret and Robert Poborcn cc, v ice Presid ent an d eral class ticket or higher). 10. A simple solution is to swap
President of IR CI. Mnrgnrct I'ohorcnee, K!l4LRD, is The packet was clearly an HF these two resistors so that almost
Presid en t and Chief Executive Officer and R obert packet. The control field was an I the full output of the 2206 modula-
I'o ho r encc, N RRT is Vice Presid ent of Fox Ta ngo
frame with N(S) = 1, N(A) = 1, and tor is available at the output of the
Corp.
P/F =O. The protocol lD was hex- lNC. Then readjust R76to get the
adecimal FO, indicating tha t desired output level.
Marg a re t n nd R obert Po ho rc nc c we re f ortun at e to
the packet contained text and Well , that 's it for this month. 73
ha v e been able 10 purch ase t he F ox Ta n go Corp.
fro m the former stoc k hol de rs . not a networking protocol. and good packeting. m
T he past President, M i lt Lowcn s, N4ML and V i ce
Pr csidc nt/Sccrc tury Id a Lo wc ns. arc now off icia lly
r etir ed .

All correspondence and info rmatio n regardi ng F ox kr.loo, W..... oi•


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Several companies have mod- ules. One of them is the M-57762
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VHF/UHF construction projects With 2 watts of drive, you get 20 amplifiers, and you have a VHF work at the desired frequency .
and other applications. Many dif- watts output at this frequency receiver. Both Avantek and Mini See the Table for the pinouts of
ferent types of circuits can be from this pre-adjusted , no-tune Circuit Labs have MMIC amplifi- some standard mixer modules.
made using modules. Mixers, am- module! All you see is a little block ers covering from DC to 2 GHz, Frequently encountered mixer
plifiers and many other circuit of plastic and heat sink material with a flat frequency response and circuits are made by Relcom, Mini
types are available from manufac- tied to a rew external components. gain of 10- 25 dB. This kind of in- C ircuit Labs, and Anzac. Out-
turers of RF and IF signal process- Many other types of modular ventiveness is all you need with wardly they resemble a small, her-
ing equipment, simplifying your amplifiers, covering a wide fre- pre-packaged circuits . Just sup- metically sealed relay with four or
construction project. quency spectrum, are made for ply the DC operating voltage, and eight pins for connections (see
the cable TV industry for line input/output coupling or filtering Figure 2). The Mini Circuit Labs'
Overvie w of Amplifiers amplifiers . Typical are TRW 's between stages. It 's kind of like SRA-1 mixer, good to 500 MHz, is
Basically, amplifiers are quite CA4 101 , CA48 15. and CA2870 making a tossed salad-roll in the easy to obtai n and fami liar to most
simple when you use a MMIC series of wide bandwidth linear components, and season lightly. hams. It requires + 7 dB of local
modular amplifier. The design of amplifiers. Motorola has a similar Building with surplus MMIC or oscillator injection. Sensitivity on
fami ty of modular amplifi- CATV amplifiers can be fun and the RF input is less than a few
ers with a normal frequen- easy. Look forthem on surplus PC microvolts .
-.
.- , , , , ,
cy response of 40-400
M Hz, with some rated to
1000 MHz . There are many
boards in t he junk or scrap piles at
your surplus outlet: watch for
good parts to build with.
Making a test mixer is as simple
as connec ting the appropriate
pins to a coaxial connector for RF,
I
0 4 00'
'" '"
, • •
different types of amplifi-
ers, depending on CATV
Next month we'll start some
projec ts using several of these
IF, and LO. (RF =Antenna, IF =dF
amplifier, and LO= Local oscilla-

.- '" '" '"


I
5 R. ·5Bl co.-, TYP~S
applications. I tried several
of them for amateur appli-
cations, and they work
MMIC and CATV devices for both
receivers and simple gain blocks,
with several applications using
tor). I built a 450 MHz test receiver
by co nnecting a mixer to two dif-
ferent signal generators. 1 used
well. amplifier modules. This month, one generator lor the signal test
These CATV modular let's start with mixer modules and source, and the other for the local
' - 0 4 80 ' amplifiers provide stable built upon them to form a com- oscillator injection .
! gain of 18 to 34 dB, with plete circuit. My ICOM IC-02 2 meter H T
I , , •
maximum power of 100 to served as the IF amplifier in the

~"
0 '..0'
400 mW . It's expensive to Mi xer Modules test, with 300 MHz injection on the
, use these modular amps Mixer modules, available from LO port and the IC..Q2 on the IF
for transmitting converters many sources, are easy to use port of the mixer. I measured 2.5
Figure 1. Dimensions and pinouts of for 50 . 144, 220 and 450 in circuits. Once a mixer is mV sensitivity at 450 MHz using
common mixer modules. MHz. The output power is constructed, you can adapt it to the second signal generator for
not rock-crushing , but it's almost any other circuit to form test evaluation on the RF port.
MM1Cs is advancing rapidly , respectable enough to drive a sin- a functional amateur band co n-
changing existing circuitry by re- gle transistor stage, if desired. verter. Mi xer Const ruct ion
moving discrete components and The devices from surplus that I Use the mixer you have on You can solder coaxial connec-
replacing them with a fully inte- tested had been discarded due to han d, since most types are inter- tors directly to the pins of the mix-
grated and contained amplifier or poor performancefbandwidth changeable. Verify the specifica- er module. You might want to
modular circuit. Early MMIC am- gains, but they worked fine in a tions, making sure your mixer will make a small PC board to provide
plifiers were limited to low power single frequency amateur band
devices, such as pre-amplifiers. gain block. See Figure 4 for an Parts Suppliers
Now modular devices are avail- example of a TRW CA-41 01 pow- Mini Circuits Labs Anzac Electronics
able for the low and final power er module. PO BOX 350166 2525N. First St.
stages o f a transmitter . These The CATV gain blocks require Brooklyn NY 11235-0003 Waltham MA 02154
devices can provide up to several about - 5 dB drive, just about (718) 934-4500 (617) 891-6220
watts of power from low frequen- what a good mixer will have on its Avantek NEC California Eastern Labs
cies to over 2 G Hz. ou tput. Now if th e wheels are wcoocreee Plaza Ste. 1BO 6033 W. Century Blvd., Ste 840,
grinding , that means you can take 101 W. Renner Road Los Angeles CA 90045
Gain Blocks f or the old H F SSB transceiver (re- Richardson TX 75080 (213)645-0985
Ama teur VH F/ UHF Band s duced power output), feed it into a {214)373-3870
Commercial gain blocks are simple mixer (pre-packaged) , and RF Parts Co, SHF Microwave Parts Co.
available for almost any frequen- use a hybrid module amplifier to 1320 Grand Ave. 7102 W. 500
cy and power outpu t, pre-pack- construct a low power VHF trans- San Marcos CA 92069 S. La Porte IN 46350
aged with power options and RF mitter. (619) 744-0728
connectors , but they 're expen- Toss in two MMIC broadband (SASE lor Flyer on surplus cavity parts)(73 Advertiser)
sive, unless you buy them sur- amplifiers for the RF and IF pre-
58 73 Amateur Radio • March, 1990
either Avantek or Mini Circuits " T h a n k s for wrl1 lng the mr-
Mixers in Their Labs. All of these rugged newer crowave articles in 73 .. .. He 's
Simplest Form modules and MMI C ampli fiers changed his opinion of th6 worth
This mixer, what I call can survive some harsh handling, 0110 GHz operatiOn . He says the
a toy project. uses your within lim itatiOns. telephone company ha s deacti -
2 me ter HT to copy pub- vated one of its sites between
lic servic e broadca sts Comments and Mailbox Cleveland and Col um bus, a nd
on 157 MHz . Ali you Henry Armstrong wrote that he part of the site is available. He 's
need is a battery and had not received a reply from me . I IooklOg lor other ama teurs In the
11-MHz oscillator. This do make errors, and sure did on area who could help With 10 GHz
" toy" works, but don't Henry' s account . I pu lled his letter related ac tivities Co nt act Mark
expect too much. The from the file and replied at once . I Anders AG8N, 326 Township Rd.
osci llator provides the usually reply in less than a week, 1080. Polk OH 44866.
diffe rence fr eq ue ncy exce pt during contests, holidays , Ron N0CIH wnte s. " Recently
with your 2m HT, and or when I' m on vacation. so il you got two sonen unus and I would
the produc t mix (11 have not received yours, let me like to get on 10 GHZ. Your ani-
MHz plus 147 MHz) is know. cres in 73 magazine k i nd of
the 158 MHZ public ser- Mike N2JAfJA1ANE and Yohji pu shed m e towards that band
vice band. KB2DSElJA1OBF are busy bring- Hope to see mo re Ideas In the
ing 10 GHz Gunn (So lfan type) magazin e." Rich ard KA9 DUZ re-
The Most Dreaded transceivers to Japan. Glad 10 see pons he is bu sy constructing the
Figure 2. Typical moter connections. Mixers the activity inc rease. The biggest IF amplifier tor his 10 GHz system.
These mixers , with difficulty for them was locat ing He has rece ived several Scltan
poor connections to a Solfan-type cavrnes. I had a lew type intrusion alarms to use in thiS
m et al rain gutter or some time ago, but have since run project.
spout, prod uce TVI or ou t, so I sent them a design of a That's it for the mal l. I'm looking
othe r interfe rence. Cor- cavity for 10 GH z using a hom e- forward to going ill depth on the
rosi on form s a mixer brew varactcr (to be covered in a MMIC am plifiers. bot h ccmmer-
at the poor joints and fut ure article). I also let him know era! and surplus CATV types. next
o the r attached metal that devices sim ilar to the Sollan month. As always. I'll be gla d to
• • • { ....' TE 'alOE
D· SU"'TT . ' U ..... r .. D100fS serves as an an tenna. unit are available from SHF Parts answer your questions . Please
Two high power trans- Co. in indiana . enclose an SASE for a prompt
Figure 3. Schematic for basic mixer. mitters, coupling in the Mark AG8N from Ohio writes, reply. liD
rain gutter and mixing
together. can re-radiate
r -- - - - - - - - - -
,.,".,,,,,.!
. D· . oo ... . . 80
..DIY
0 ~' 0'
.. • O ~-
enough power to cause
interference to a nearby

receiver.
( Inspecti on of either
,.- t ra nsm itte r w ill s ho w
• them to be clean. but PC Study Aid for the
the interference will be Amateur Rad io Exams
cured only wh en one
transmitte r is shut down
or the rain gutter con-
Stud, loc you. No.1N 1i<ftJ... or up~ ..d. 10 • h l ~h .. <I... t""
"'y".y, ..IIh l""h'ldu a lly 1II 11orfll iiludylo~ Ih." a ly..,.
JtlUr "..Ior "", _ . nd 000«'0' ''" 1.... h.... you n iI. ----.,--
. "" ..-....... ..
~. "·,~!!l~~iIoJ~
:.;--,
........ , ", ~

nections are bonded to- Program Features. __.. --...- _a..... _. .


' ...... rr .... t ..... o...-
.......... ... """ .
~, ...
I""V>oo ,,1_

. -
"'---...........
--.._. ...-...
gether to break the mix-

..-.....
• RLIn> on IBM Pt rwnal Compuu:n and romp;dit>les
.....
--_1_. "-'
er act ion . .. ilb min"...m 2S6K RAM and C"'l'hics clpab.hly_ "_Q50r ...
Figure 4 . TRW CA TV amplifier module. We had a difficu lt in- • COlUIIlO .·r",~ quesaion pool for ea:h I;""n...
..
--'--.,_ . -
good isolation for the mixer ports . terference problem we f inally cta... Sto.. N...;.,., and Technician pool> Irt
I . .,labolt now! '.11;",
Just keep connecting leads shOrt. traced to a municipal water tower.
• Work " 'ilb the.~ pool. selected I~I.> . or
~ -''''
,....
.. . . . . . . . . _ _ 0... ...

Compared to hybrid ci rcuits co m- We had to have the entire support- lulo,...11I; ..Iect"", of ~iom In your ......... arus . ... ~".o"
posed of d iscrete components , ing structure joints welded toaetn- --'-"'- .. oi,,,,-,,,' ...... oti;;;
• 1rl<1lJdc:. fu ll W:~
g",phics•• ~planaIion> on _......
the mixe r module is easy to build. er to make good co nnections. appropriate que" ""'" and a pop up clk ul,ol"'. 11E<wy,... oi....... "" _..
_.... I<4,'M" ..·
With modular construct ion, about
·- """- .1 ,·. .
-' -,
· Log. mulliple iiludy ....ion. and allow. rt"""ing
all you need are a lew bypass ca- Other Modular Circuits al a laler lime , Ret urn, 10 ",. it .... rni, ..d que ,Ii"'" _
""_1 ..•.....·'_oi..",
' .....,
pacitors. Don't assume that the circuit if de.i ",d. .... .... '""
po "" ' ' ' ' "" , urJi ~ t '"'''
In Figure 3, I have shown the
connections (pinouts) of several
Ih at you see on a PC board is a
mixe r. Th ere are wh ole families of •
• C",ale, ralldoml y generated or , u,tom 1" 1' and
ana lF '" re.' ull. dlo.... ing a",as for add ili'l/,al "udy.
• Prim. ""lido'" ...·ritt. n teslSa"d an,"e", .. ilh
--
_ h."..,.
...,. I,.." """ .". ".~,..""
""''''''''''''
l>..,
,
" ... 8

J•.
..
'
mixer circuits with a typical sche- frequency mixers. RF transform- Ep>oo/I IlM compatible p, inlC "'.
matic 01 how they are connected ers, frequ ency doublers, switch- . e.... , .,.l
internall y. Most devices follow this es, coupler s, attenua to rs and ..- _ . ... _ ••_ _ ...--.. ,'-"'< . c t.

pallern; only the pin connectiOns modulator s contained in small . .._


_
......
----- . - _-..t:....
1o> ;I _ _
_ u ... .. "'-,.-
_ .. _
QSOT\T(IIL
_- - "' " bcC"""T
\l....,..,~95.C
", _~~ \l'l.9 '
\ ,.l ll.odo<
may differ. hermetically sealed. 8- and 4-pin
C~" or . . ... """..... ~.
The TFM -2 mixer has 4 pins: IF. packages that operate without ac- QSO Soft ware ~"" .~ ' '''r.
RF. LO, and ground. All the nor- justment . You have to use a cata- 208 Partridge Way -:P2 f) )!JiJ per Class
---
mal grounded pins (as in an 8-pin log to teilthem apart. Kennett Square, PA 19348
215-347-21 09
• ''''_ oM"-
mixer) are tied together internalty . Cost is not prohibitivt;; . even if
J , /1 '0..0 oM 1.1 __
Models may differ in the type of purchased new . For instance, the
CIRCLE us O~ RUOER SERVICE CARO
tran sformer and diodes type s for cost of an SRA-l mixer is less than
power dissipation and operati ng $20 . The low power MMIC ampun-
frequ ency . ers are less than $2 each from
73 Amateur Radio • March , 1990 59
. . . . . . . . PRESENTING ...... .. ..
CABLE TV
R MODe ALP HANUMERIC 5X7 DOT , SIG NAL STRENGTH
DESCRAMBLERS
.......... STARRING . . . . . . . .
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seece cw. RTTY. ASCI I JERROLD, HAMUN, OAK
"'NO O Tl<U fA...c>us MA.NUfACT UllERlo
• ....n """"""'" .....' ...1.1
• l<Nll'n "'V......ouv.u I'OI(U '" u I

POWERI
-::::0-
_
DISPLAY
INTENSITY
CONTROLS
• OIIOlRS~""'D 'OIOIlIITlXK"""'" lO HOI.Ol'\
POll P"IE CATA.LOG OfO'-y t-aoo-J4S-a917
POll AU '_OItM"'TIOfW ' -818-71 6-591 4
VOLUME - -

$199.~
CON"''''-
BATTE RYCHAAG E LED $l = j . .0 • .......cJu<fG Sf 50

MICRODEC'" converts MORSE, Rny, &ASCII to ALPHANUMERIC CHARACTERS CIJtClE t 78 Ofol READER HRI/ICE C41ltl
" ' Lightwe ight , rugged construction makes the MICRODEC the perfect accessory for your
portable receiver. (Measures 5.08 " x 5.24 ' x 1.5 ")
•• ' Operates with 9 VDC adapter or any mobile power source from 9-24 VOC. Up 10 8 hours
operation on Optional rechargable NiCad batteries (12 hour battery pak available).
• • ' With the A5-232 output to the serial port of your computer and usi ng standard communi-
calion software the MICRODEC will display the decoded information on you r terminal.
" ' The built in oscillator and your keyer makes the MICRODEC the perfect lea rning tool for
morse code. The quality of your sending will be seen directly on the gree n 8 segment LE D
display . (Red or yellow also available.} LOOK N O FURTHER DEN ·TRONICS IS
YOUR AUTH OR IZED DEALE R FO R •••
Comes standard wit h the RS-232 , Key Oscillator and 9 VOC adapter. AEA KANTRONICS MFJ
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60 73 Amateur Radio • March, 1990


TNCs. Now, if that isn't a broad home use. This is the more stri n-
stateme nt, I don 't know what is! gent certification with reg ard to
To expand this a tad , I was test- spurious emissions. Second, be
ing a TN C here at W A3AJA a sure all cables and leads entering
Amateur Radio Teletype while back. While the particular or exiti ng the com puter are shield-
unit came with a "dedicated" pro- ed. Finally, if all else fails, punt.
Marc I. Leavey, M.D. , WA3AJR A good number of the indivi du- gram, designed for an IBM-PC Move the ball, the co mputer, to
6JennyLane als requ esfing this sim ple, three- compatible, and wh ile that pro- another location. See if a shift in
Baltimore MD 2 1208 buck prog ram already had a com- gram was very nice, it was not the cabl e runs, eq uipment organi-
mercial, made-for-XYZ -b ran d only way 10 comm unicate with the zation, or AC plugs helps. Don't
BCNU Later TNC terminal program that either device. I located a shareware pro- give up.
I am going to ask those 01 you seemed "lacking" or was " awk- gram for the PC on Com puServe, Jack also indicated that earlier
who are salivating at the though t ward to use. " A common assu mp- designed for this parti cular TN C, this year he switched to an Amiga
of " BCNU Part Two" this mon th to tion made by these users was that which also worked nice ly. Addi- compute r, and now feels much the
just cool it for thirty days, and let each different bra nd of TNC would tionally, I was able to control, and neophyte himself. He relates the
some users of other-than -PC com- function only with that brand's co- use, the TN C with the PC running impression that, unlike en try level
pute rs and systems have a ordinated terminal program. He a modem co mm unication p ro- C-64 users, hams using Amiga
c hance, OK? This pa use that re- notes that in a good many cases, gram , with a CoCo running a com- computers seem a bit more versed
f reshes was prompted by two such programs were poorly writ- munication program, and with an on the intricacies of this mode .
things: a comment by a ham I met ten , at best. Additionally, many of old-fashioned dumb terminal. So,
recently, to the effect that I tended the hams entering ATTY were concerns about a particular com- Popular TNC Programs
to igno re some groups to t he ex- new to these modes , having just puter, or a particular prog ram , I want to than k Jack for his gen-
clusion of othe rs for severa l transferred from the prima digital may just be overstating the case. erosity . Alon g with the prog ram
months whi le developing a topic; mode, CW o I have said before, and I will say disk, he sent a six-page printout of
and a letter from one of our more how to get started with THIRD-
RTTY-o-active readers. TERM , including ideas of how to
On the former prompt. by the " ... choose your computer for what use a terminal program for many
way, I was assu red that I do not diffe rent f un ct io ns arou nd t he
neglect any particular group in my it can do as a computer, not whether ham station, and TNC tips and
disregard . I seem to be an equal
opportunity abuser. It's just that
or not it can talk to your radio." hints. I guess he might still be re-
ceptive to inquiries, at 791 106
two months in a row devoted to Ave., Naples FL 33963.
IBM-PC compatib le topics might Many of the questions he field- it again now, choose you r comput- As a little tag to all of this, Jack
make some of you feel that you're ed were similar to those I receive er for what it can do as a comput- lists available and popu lar termi-
being left out in the col d. for this column. Typical ones in- er, not whether or not it can talk to nal programs hams are using with
As to the tatter prompt, I re- clude: " Is direct FSK output better your radio. Using your computer th eir TNCs. We have covere d
ceived a letter from Jack Skubick than audio inp ut into SSB for AT- only as a terminal for RTTYor AM- som e of this in the reader survey,
K8JS in Na ples, Florida. Saga- TY?" and " What can be done TOA or pac ket is a foolish wa ste of the results of which were detailed
cious readers may recall that last about those damned 'birdies and money. If that is all you need, look in th at same Novem ber iss ue .
November I mentioned the diffi- buzzes' the computer emits on 10 around for the cheapest solution However, the list Jack pro poses,
cu lties Commodore C-64 use rs through 20 meters?" By the way, possible. I shudder to thin k of with a little aug mentation from
were having with many of the new- Jac k adds t hat this is a particular someone getting hoodwinked into me, includes :
er multi-mode terminal units, an d prob lem with the C-64! buying a 386-20 to run Any!
C-64 :
general dissatisfaction with the THIRDTER M (Sha reware)
terminal program they might be ASCII is the Standard CW and FSK
VIPTEAM & VIPXL (Commerc ial)
using. Jack offered a public do- In short, computerized ATTY is Did I hear " direct FSK " ? So rry,
main pro gra m cal led THIR D- C-128:
an easy, somewhat glitzy way to but few rigs I know reall y run direct
TERM, and was willing to send the enter a new mode. Unfo rtunately, FSK. On the other hand, if you put ULTAATERM (Shareware)
program to any user who sent him it may be too easy, too fast, for a clean audio ton e into modern Amiga :
a pa ltry $3. some . Wh ile I know we ha v e SSB transmitters, you get a clean ACCESS! (Shareware)
touched some of these poi nts be- signal out. A single ton e, made JR-Comm (Sha reware)
THIRDTERM Response fore, the nu mbe r of questions a nd b ro ken , yiel ds CW o Two ONLINE! (Commercial)
Jack writes that he received a from readers of this col umn indi- tones, alternated at different fre- CoCo:
huge respo nse to this note, with cates a need for delving into these que ncies, yields FSK. If that is not RTT Y 1-1
some 120 disks going out by the topics once again . clear, and you cannot find old is- Mickeyterm
middle of December. He relates Let's see if we can clear up a sues of RTT Y Loop where this RTT Y.BIN
taking an "informal tally" 01 the few points here, today. To begin was co vered, write me, and I'll
Apple:
contents of the letters that accom- wit h, the output from about any cove r it in detail again. Th e po int is
Supe r-RATT
panied those requests. Several computer or terminal is normally that most of us have no choice but
"standard" ASCI I. To the total to use aud io gen erat ion of FSK on PC Compatible:
things began to emerge as he
read them, and Jack wonders if neophyte, ASC II is the acronym an SSB transmitter. I don't thin k Bitcomm
t he requests come from a repre- for American Standard Code for t here a re 10 0 m a ny S B- 40 1s Procom m
sentative sample of C-64 users; Information Interc hange. All the around, for which I addresse d this Qmodem
He noted that most of the hams fett ers. numbers , and assorted problem some years ago . As always, yo u r comments,
requesting the program seemed characters are encoded in seven thoughts, and suggestions on all
to be rank neoph ytes with regards binary bits. Since the output really SonIc Distractions of this are welcome. Please feel
to computers. For many of the m, does not depend on the generat- Now, about those birdies and free to send them to me by mail at
using the C-M on Any may well ing device, abo ut any com pu ter bleeps . Yuck! I agree that many th e ad dress at th e top of th is
have been their firs t exposure to runn ing any no rmal terminal pro- computers are notori ous for pro- column, or via CompuServe (ppn
compu ters. Jack postulated this gram sho uld be able to communi - ducing these distract ions . First, 75036,2501 ) or Delphi (username
created the set-up for a far greater cate, at least on a basic level, with be sure that the computer you are MAR C W A 3 A JA ) . A nd nex t
problem-oversell. any of t he ASC II compa tible using is FCC certified Class B, for month , BC NU . . . Part Two! 11II
73 Amateur Radio • March ,1 990 61
Number 27 on y()l,lf Feedback card
$50 PA CKE T DIGIC OM :>6 4 - so1twa re CATIONS, Dept . B390, Roule8 Box 18, lake
based PACKET for the Commodore 64, sea- Pleasant NY 12108 . (516) 548 -5515 .
ware Os public domain and requires a modem eneees
BARTER 'N' BUY for the G-64 which is provided by OU' kit.
Board pllJQS di rectly into cassella port or re-
mote mounted via cable. boIh connectors in·
LOW COST HAM GEAR. SASE for tree list.
WA4DSO, 3037 Aud,ey Dr" Gastonia NC
eluded, power dertved lram oomputer . Uses 28Cl54 . BN6890
7910 chip-noalignmenl required, Switch al·
Turn your old ham and computer gear into cesn now , Su re, you can wait for a lows HF orVHF operation. O<de' Kil '154 lor SURPLUS CATALOG. 72 P89BS $2. Sur.
namteette try and dump it. but you know you'll g et a far more re alistic price if you have $49.95 or Assembly '154 tor $79.95. oolh pius, PO Box 276. AlburgVT 05440. BNB691
ilout wh ere 100,000 active ham polent ial buyers can see it Ihan the lew hundred local include FREE DiSK. Add $2,50 sIh , A & A
hams who come by a flea market table. Cheek your attic, garage, cell a r and closet Engineering, 2521 W. LaPalma. tK, Aneheim WANTED: Aillypes of Electron TUbes. Call
shelves and gat cash for your ham and computer gaar before it's too old to sen. You CA 92801 . (714) 952-21 14. MC or VISA ac- ton tree 1 (BOO) 421- 9397 or 1 {6121 429-
know you're nol going to use if again, so why reeve it for your wid ow 10throw out? Th at cepted BNB732 93g7. C & N Electronics, Harold Bromstedt,
sM f isn't getling any younger! 6104 Egg Lake Road, Hugo MN 55038,
HAM TRADER YELLOW SHEETS. In our BNB900
The 73 Flea Market , Barter 'n' Buy, costs you peanuts (almosf)-eomes to 35c a
28th year. Buy, SW3jl, Sell ham redio gear.
word for ind ivid ual (noncommercial) ads anod $1 .00 a word for commercial ads. Oon'l
Published twice e month. Ads quic kly eecu- 10 MTR FM HYGAIN CB BOARD wilh in--
p lan on telling a long stOfY, USlI abbreviations, cram it in. But be Mnest. There are
late, no long wait for rescue. Send buseess snocnc ns $9,95, FM DET KIT $7.00 . 40
plenty Of hams WM love to fix I hings, 80 if it doesn't work , say so.
size SASE for sample oopy. '15 /or one year Channel Switch $5.00, Crystal $5.00. SQI
Make your list , count the words, IrlCluding your call, add ress e oo phone number. (24iasues), P.O,B 2057, Glen Ellyn IL60I38- VOL Pots $2.OOIpair. All for $24 85 plus $2.00
Include a Check or your credit card number and expiration . If you're pl acing a 2057 or P,O.B, 15142, Seallie WA 98115, S/H' MORNING DISTRIBUTORS, PO BOX
commercial ad, rncruoe an additional phone number, separate from your ad, BNB741 717. HIALEAH FL330 11, (305) 884---&l86 .
Th is is a monthly magazine, not II daily newspaper, 80 ligure a couple momha BNB902
before the action starts; then be prepared. If you gat too ma ny ca lla, yo u pric ed it low. sn $S SUPER SAVINGS $nn Electronic
If you don' t get manyclllls, too high . parts, components, suppli&ll, and computer DIGITAL AUT OMATI C DI SPLAY S. Be
So get busy. Blow the dust off, cheek everything cut, mak e sure il sfiU wo rks righl acces!<Ori&ll . Send $1.00 tor a one-yea' su(>. specmc. 45<: S,A.S.E. GRAND SYSTEMS,
and maybe you can help make a ham newcomer or retired ok! timer happywil h I hat scription to our catalogs and their supple- De,,1. A, PO Bo. 3377, Blaine WA 98230.
rig you're not using now. Oryou might get busy on your computer and pUI togather a menls. Get On Our mailin9 list. (214) 343- BNB908
list of small gellr/parts to send to those interested? 1770. BCD ELECTRO, Dept. 73, PO Box
Sand your ads afld payment 10 the Barter 'n' Buy, Donna DiRusso, Fore st Roa d, 450207, Garland rx 75045. WE ALSO BUY HAM·SOFT_Public Domain Softwa re For
SURPLUS. BNB749
Hancock NH 03449 and 98t sel for the phone ca/Is. Amateur Radio, Hund reds of titles, lowest
prices, salis/action guaranleedl iBM, C-6<l,
HAM RADIO REPAIR all makes. models. E.· MAC, VGA Graphics, more, Calalog $1,00
aSL, TO ORDER. Variety of styles. colors. $22.95 , TELEPHONE / PAGER" COMMER. perienced, reliaMe service. Robert Hall Elec- refunded lirst order, HAM·SOFT, PO Bo.
card stcce W48PD QSls. PO Drawer Ox . CIAL PACKS -FREE CATALOG, Add $3 tron ics , Box 280363, San Franci sco CA 2525, Morgan City LA 70381 . BNB909
Cordova SC 29039 BNB260 Shipping/order , PA+ 6% , V1SA_MIC + $.2. S4128-0383. (408) 729-6200. BNB751
CUNARD , RD . 6 Bo. 104, Bed lord PA
HAM SOFTWARE IBM/Compatibles 10disks
THE OX'ERS MAGAZINE Up-to-date, inlor· 15522, (81 4}623-7000. BNB628 WANTED; Ham Equipment and other proper-
$26,95, MCNISAJOiscover. N5ABV EAPeOI
malive, inleresting. Compiled and ecnec by ly . ThEl RadiO Club of Junior High SChool 22
7. PO Box 14, K~l er TX 78241U1014, (817)
Gus Browning W4BPO. OXCC Honor Roll NYC, Inc., is a nonprolit organizatiorl, grant·
ROSS' $$1$ USED M..ch SPECIALS : KEN· 498- 4242, Order Only 1 (BOO) 869- 7208,
Cen ificate 2-4, Send for free sam p~ and ed 501(C)(3) slatus by the IRS, incorporated
WOOD TS ·930SIWAT $ \ 399 9 0. BC·l0 BNB911
sUbse'iption intormahon today. PO Drawer wilh Ihe goal of using the theme of ham radio
$35.90, TR·84oo $219.90. TH--45AT $249,90,
OX, Cordova SC 29039. BNB26 1 10 further and enhance the education of
so -teo $49 .90, TR-3500 $ 189. 90. MS·l ELECTRON TUBES: Alltypes& sizes, T'ans'
young people nahonw'de, Your property oo-
$28.95, ICOM tC·900 $379,90, SM·2 $32,50, milling. Receiving . Microwave . .. Large in·
AZDEN SERVICE by lormer factory techni· nation or tinancial support would be g reatly
IC·SM5 $29,90, IC·PS2O $159.90, YAESU ventory same day shippin9 . Ask about our
R
cian, FaBl turna round , PCS·300 NiCad s appreciated and acknowledged with a rec<lfp!
FT-902DMIWCWFL 569990, NC-15 $59.90, 3-5OOZ special. Daily Electron ics, PO Box
$36.95. Soulhern Technologies Amal eur Ra· fOf your tBlC deductible contribution. II's eas-
FRB·l $12.90, FRA-77oo $39,90, FT·730RI 5029, Compton CA 90224, (BOO) 346--S667.
dKl, Inc, 10715 SW 190 St 119, Miami FL ier, taster, and usually more profrlable to ec-
YM·55 $229.90, NC--8A $65.90, ROBOT 400 BNB913
33157,(3051238-3327, BNB262 nate than to sell, Most impoflanl , your help--
$289.90, MIRAG E B·l08 $99.90, B·l 016
ing , Jo1n us on the " Classroom Net" 7.236 at
$199.90, 0 ·24 $139,90 , LOOKI NG FOR WANTED: ICOM IC·22U's . . Clift W8WBK,
aSL CARDS" LOOk good wll h top quality 1200 UTC and 21 ,395. 1330 UTC, daily . Wr~e
SOMETHING NOT LISTED? ? CALL OR 2242 Cerrillos Rd.. tl77. Santa Fe NM 87501 .
printing, Choose standard desi9ns Or /uily cs at PO Bo. 1052. New YQfk NY 10002.
WRITE. WE HAVE OVER 220 USED ITEMS 505-473-2918. 8NB915
customized cards. Beller cards mean mOre Round the cloc k Hotline: (516) 674--4072
in stock, MENTION AD. PRICES CASH. FOB
retu rns to you Free broc hure, sampl es. BNB762
PRESTON, HOURS TUESDAY - FRIDAY HAM·SWL-SCANNER BOOKS, Catalog $1,
Stamps 3jlpreciated. Chester a SLs, Dept A, 9:00 TO 6:00, 9:00-2:00 P,M. MONDAYS,
INDIVIDUAL PHOTOFACT FOLDERS. 110 n are. PO Box 493/S, Lake Geneva WI 53147,
3tO Comm erci al, Em poria KS 66801. CLOSED SATURDAY & SUNDAY . ROSS
BNB434 10 11400, $4.00, '1401 up. $6.00 . Sam's BNB916
DI STRIBUTING COMPANY . 76 SOUTH
books, $7.00. Postpaid, Allen Loeb . 414
STATE, PRESTON 10 83.263. {2081 852_ CO MMODO RE 64 H AM PR OGRAM S-
SUPERFAST MORSE CODE SUPEREASY , Chestnut Lane , East Meadow NY 11554
0830, BNB654 8 disk sides over 200 Ham prog'ams $16.95,
Subli minal cassette $10. LEARN MORSE BNB766
CODE IN 1 HOUR Amazing new supereasy 25~ stamp gets unusual so1tware cotalog 01

technique $10, BOl h $17. Moneyback guar· WRITT EN EXAMS SUPEREASY. Memory HAM LO G COMPUTER PROGRAM Full Ullillieo, Games, Adult and British DiSks.
amaa. Free catalog: SASE. Bahr, DepI 73-6, aids from psychologist/en9lneer cut study' featu res. 18 modules . Auto·togs, 7·band Heme-Spun Software, Bo. l064·BB, Estero
I \ 96 Citrus. Palmbay FL 3.2905. BNB531 time 50%. Novice, Tech , Gen: $7 each . Ad· WAS/OXCC. App~, IBM. CP/M, KAYPRO, FL33928, BNB917
vanced, Exira: $12each . Moneyback guaran- TANDY. CR8 $24.95. 7J.KA1AWH . PB 2015.
SB·2201221 OWNERS: 17 detailed mods tee, Bahr, Dept 73-6, 1196 Citrus, Palmbay Peabody MA 01960. BNB775 100 csi. CARDS $9 t Shipping included.
which include 160-6 meie r operalion. QSK, FL32905 , BNB691 Free samples, Shall Printlnq, K09KW, PO
+ enhanced p,s, 50% rebate for new modS LAMBDA AMATEUR RADIO CLUB Interna· Box SOA. Rockton IL61072, BNB921
submitted' 9 pages of 3-500Z tech into. $11 ROSS' $$$$ NEW March SPECIALS: KEN- lional amateur radio club lor gay and lesbian
poslpaid.-In fo. SASE. BOB KOZLAREK WOOD TS440SIWAT $1169,90, TM·253OA hams. On·air ekece. monthly newsletter, and EASY PCB, using our popula r transte'
WA2SQQ. 69 Memorial Place, Elmwood Park $409 .90 . TS·950SD $3719,90, TM·231A annual gathe'ing at Dayton. PO Bo. 246 10, sheets! Ine.pensive . FREE details. PCBs,
NJ 07407 BNB5Bl $35 9. 9 0. SM ·230 $ 8 4 9 ,9 9, TS ·811A Philadelphia PA 19130 BNB81 2 Dep t. H I , Box 13534, Kanata, OntariO,
$ 10 34.90. TS ·7 11A $639 90, T M·701A Canada K2K lX6. BNB923
YAGI Builders. Tube Traps. Tubing , Clamps $479.90, TR-8400 $369.99. ICOM IC·901 D OSSAT SATELLITE TRACKING PRO-
and Universal Plate for Boom to Mast or EIe· $1019.90, IC·735 $96990 , IC.oInH $979.90, GRAM $39.95. IBM-Peslcompatitl4es, g raph- Blrnllible Radi o Club will hold their Annual
ments, SASE for list. USA call llOO-989-- IC· 471A $709 .90, IC-751A $1449.90 , c . ics and tabular output, realtime and pnl<l;c. Ham/est Salurday March 10, 1990 at The Oak
3794 trom 1- 2 PM EST, Brown Engineering 228H $419.50, 1G-38A&HM·14 $3.28,99, IC- t io n modes , rotor controlle r sUPP01l , Ridge School SandWich, Mass. Take Route 6
Inc .. 5501 SW 25 1h Court, Ho llyw oo d 37A $329,99, YAESU FT·757GXII $S49.90, geosyrlChronous (Phase IV) t,ac king, Sate~ Easlto €xii 2 (RTE 130) lurn Righl lo1low RTE
FL33023 BNB824 FT·736R $f549 ,90, FT·41 I $309,90, FT· iil e Soltwa,e. PO Bo. 37. Redmond WA 130 2 1/2 miles South 10 QuakElr Meeting.
209RH $276.99, FT·470 $424.90, HEATHKIT 98073 (206}868-104/.!. BN6335 house Road. Setup 8:00 AM sellers 10,00 AM
BATTERY PACK REBUILDING: Don't pitch SB-l000 5679.90, HN-31A $21 .90, H0-1234 buyetS, Tables $8,00 in advance $10,00 at
it-ma il it- for F AS T~PR OFES S IO N A L Ser· $27,90, HO-I250 $11 9.90, H0-1416 $22,90, FIELD TELEPHONES wanted, Working or door. Amaleur Exams will be given. Con tacl
vice' Salislaction guaranleed! ICOM: BP2I HWS·24HT $44990 , AEA PK ·232MBX not. Randy POB 546, Randle WA 98377. Don WA1AIC 508-778-5673 or Henry 508-
BP3 $19.95 , BP5 $25.95, BP7/BP8/BP70 $304,90, PK-88 $119 .90, MM·3 $159,90, (2(6) 497-7233, BNB865 255-2816. SNS924
$32 95. KENWOOD' PB21 $15,95. PB21H ROBOT BOOH $299,99, 800cH $579,99, ALL
$21.95, PB25I25HI26 $.24.95. YAESU FNB9 L TO. (LIMITED TIME OFFER) LOOKING MACINTOSH SOFTWARE: Send for info on SLEP SPECIALS MIU TARY USM-207 FRE·
$19,95 , FNB10 $23,95, FNB414A $36.95, FOR SOMETHING NOT LISTED?? CALL OR e.c~ing ham radio programs, ZCo Corpora· aUENCY COUNTER LATE MODEL SOUD
Ten·Tec $24,96, " U·DD-IT INSERTS" ICOM: WRITE. Over 9004 ham-related items in stock tion, PO Box 3720, Nashua NH 03061 . (603) STATE, 0-500 KHZ EIGHT DIGIT REAQ-.
BP3 $16 .95, BP5 $22.95. BP7/8 $27.50, tor Immediata shipment. MentKln ee. Pricae 888-7200. FAX {603) 888-8452 BNB674 OUT. HIGH STAB ILITY CRYSTA L OVEN
KENWD: PB21 $12.95. PB24125126 $19.95. cash. F.O.B. PRESTON , HOURS TUES· OSCILLATOR, SIZE 19"Wx 5 "H. 17"0 . LAB
TEMP O: st-ts/se nes $22. 95 , YA ESU : DAY-FRIDAY 9:00 TO 6:00, 9:00-2:00 P.M, DISCOUNT BOOKS, SCANNERS, ANTEN. QUALITY/TEST ED , HAV E QUANTITY
FNB4I4A $3.2 .95. FNBIO $18.95, AlDEN : MONDAYS CLOSED SATURDAY & SUN· NAS: We have radKl books and frequer.::y $185.00, ADO SHIPPI NG WRITE/PHONE
300 $19. 95, " NEW PACKS" iCOM' PB5 DAY. ROSS DISTRIBUTING COMPANY , 76 books by TAB, SAM's. ARRL , CRB, Me· BILL SLEP, 704-524_7519, SLEP ELEC·
$4395, BP8S $58 95, YAESU: FNB2 $19.95, SOUTH STATE. PRESTON 1083263 (206) GRAW HILL and others, many at discount TRONICS COMPANY , HIGHWA Y 441 ,
FNBIOSIF NB12 $44.95. SANTEC ' 142/1200 852-0830. BNB709 prices, FREE catalog. DOYLE COMMUNI· orro NC 28763 BNB925

62 73 Amaleur Radio • March, 1990


SRC·10
REPEATER/LINK
CONTROLLER Budget QSL Cards
$38/1000 " '100.""", us
Thought voo couldn', , "ord fUlly IJood OSLs' These ta.ds
Will elli nge VOUI mind! HIgh QUI IIty RA IS ED pR INTED OSl
CARDS CaR be ,n your hands for 0I'I1y 41: EACH! Bea utJ1ul
Glo ssy Ink on Ivory. BIu. , G,.y or Vellow 6llb. Vellum Bnstol.
We pnm in blue Ink in the torm' t shOWl'l. "you don't wlnl the
state olltline. we n n ..move It. ,nd enlarge the ca lbign (0
DT..Frnumv bl lance OU! tile c.rd NO EXT RA CHARGE for ARRl , ncwA.
~ "• • g.nt 10'.. AM SA T logos or additIOnal w ord Ing ,t we have the room.
Au.llialy lMItpuk Orde r w ith confidence; men cards are the best value in Ham
boy to lnlertKe
R' dio tod ayl You, sll,sllClIOn is gu a' snteed ! Questions , boul
T_"CMOS, 22"", @12.
Alarm ~ Input
reo.pon. . _ our other cards o. to discuss . custom aSl.r, handled on Network QSL Cards
Low _ OUf Rag-Chew hne (318) «3·7261, M asterC. r d er VISA ord ers P.O. Bolt 13200, Alexandrta, LA 71315
DNIIed . pplic*,km "",n.. . 1
P'og.. m "",blor COS peg,"__ only cej TOLL FREE ' ·800-256-2104 FAX: (318) 445-9940
R_ .I.. & Hnk COlI "-'y Ion...
S'n' ''..I.... IInk f , _ . bu . c.p.tMlIt, CIRCLE 44 ON REAOER SERVICE CARD

$149.00 AU;:.f:lu
CREATIVE CONTROL PRODUCTS
J' .5 Bun'.., A_
G._ June"on. CO .''\00
(JOJ) . 3-1- " 05

CIRCLE 306 0P0I RUOU SERVICE CARO Digital Storage SCopes Y·21 2
vtml'~ $435
iIl .....c~ ·~ '"' SI60
~~
Slw
$2349.00 V·1D6D

- "" . _ -- - .
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lilt 11595 $1 .359
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CIII'CLE ISO ON READER S ERVICE CARD
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$25.00
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1125 ... ... " $175

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... TfllJNlNG COURSE

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CIRCLE 8 7 ON RUDE" S E" VICE CA"O CIRCLE 3 56 ON "UDER SEItY1C£ CARD

73 Amateur Radio • March. 1990 63


Number 28 on your Feedblock c.rd

ATV
Ham Television
Bill Brown WBBEL K er on the spacecraft at a rete 1000
Elktronics times slower tha n the original digi-
12536 T.R. 77 tization . Then send this aud io sig-
Findlay OH 45840 nal ou t via the na rrowband FM
voice channel on 437.075 MHz
ATV Satellite (a lorm of SSTV not directly us-
Of the AM $AT mt c ro s ar s able by a regu lar SSTV convert-
launc hed in J an uary, WEBER - er). This transmission takes only
SAT is of particu lar mterest to the seven seconds per picture, and
ATV community. Built by st udents
at Weber State College in Ogde n ,
you ca n set it up to send just one
im age duri ng Ihe pass , o r to
,
Utah , in the Center for Aerospace provide a continuous acqui siti on
Technology (CAST), one of its and relay 01 the ATV uplink.
main goats is 10 transm it stilt- The Fasl Video download will Photo A. W8DMR demonstrates his 2-foot dish for the 13cm ATV band.
frame images of the Earth and be the most interesting mode for
Moon to ground station s, using it s the ATV uplink user, as you ca n and to perform some lilterin g and be programmed to snatch an im-
cnboard Canon 610 Color CGO quickly see whethe r yo ur sign al is ma niputat ion 01 the image. Oth er age , send it down in seven sec-
Television Camera. This ought to making it up to the bird . You need programs written by Bob Arg ile onds, and then repeatlhe cycle. In
provide us w ith so me spectacular o nly an audio tape recorder to and Chris Williams will su pport this mode a prearranged sebec-
space views . In add ition, an ATV store the images you receive. Thi s the com pression and decompres- ute won't be necessary, and it
receiver on 1265 MHz is part of can then be played back thrOlJgh sion 01 the video data and allow should allow many stations 10 re-
the package! an inexpensive audio A to 0 con- extraction of AGB color images lay through the satell ite . To rel ay
Ground control stalions ca n set verter lor storage and display on from the digitized image. These just one station's pict ure to the
this satellite up to either send yoo r com puter. At the time of this progra ms should be available other sid e of the workI , the control
back the digitized camera image, writing no interfaces are available from AM SAT during the Dayton station will have to program the
o r switch 10 the ATV receiv er and lor real-time disptay of the l ast Hamvention in April, Of write to satellite to digitize and hold the
digitize any ATV signals uplinked video downlink, however I imag- AM SAT, PO Bo x 27, Washington , one frame lor as many passes as
10 it. In essence. th is wi ll g ive us a ine It won't be long before a hard- O,C .20C44. desired . The beauty 01 this satel-
slore-and- forward ATV repeater ware interface is available to do lite is that it is totally program-
with the capa bility 0 1 relaying pic- this. ATV Uplink mable in man y different configu-
tures to any part of the world , Necessa ry equipment: FM re- Initially, uplin k att empts will be rations.
ceiver on 437.075 MHz, Turn stile schedu led with the satellite co m- What will it lake to uplink? The
Two Types 01 Image Downlink or J-Pole antenna , aud io recorder mand center at Weber Stale or by satellite will be about 31 0 miles
1) Pack.et Image Data: One digi- and an IBM PC or compatible. At control stations around the world. away at closest approach during
tized frame of video is stored from W eber State, programmers are This is necessary in Ihe Packet an overhead pa ss. It'll be over
either the Color Camera or the writing software to decode both Data downlink mode, as the eater- 1500 miles distant on the horizon .
ATV receiver. Each picture takes video transmission modes using lite must be commanded to take Since the ATV re ceive sys tem
about 166K bytes of memory and an IBM PC supporti ng various up 10 24 freeze-frame images at consists of a dipole, it's goi ng to
about 20 m inutes to send back via graphics cards (EGA, VGA and a prearranged tim e. We won't take a 101 of power to uplink a de-
1200 baud packet , using the stan- possi bl y CGA). Dr . Robert Su m- know il anything mad e it to the cent picture 10 the bird. You r best
dard microsat PSK data format. mers ha s written a program to satelli te for several min utes. chance is to watt lor a high eleva-
The image data is stored in your pri nl out a high-resolution Image Ho wev er , i n th e Fa st Vi deo tion pass and hit it with all you've
ho me computer and d ispla yed on a standard dot m atrix printer downlink memcc. the satelli te can got into an Az-EI sreeraore array.
with a program whiCh should soon Use a large , high contrast censqn
be ava ilable from AMSAT. (blac k leiters on w hit e back-
Since 20 minutes will normally ground or vice versa) .
be longer than one pass over your
OTH, yOlJ may have to receive two Predictions and Actualities
passes 10 see the whOle picture. Path loss calculations lor 1265
The software in your compute r will MHz have been made which ind i-
pick up only the data it needs to fill cate that to achieve a somewhat
in the holes on the second pa ss. In snowy P310 P4 pictu re with some
this mode, lust one freez e frame color will req uire a 100 watt tra ns-
image will be sent back during mitte r into a 22 dad gain antenna
several orbits . system (4 stacked yagis or a 4-loot
Necessary Equipment: You will dish). 18 watts into the same 22
need a 70Cm SSB receiver and a dBd ga in antenna will give us a
medium gain antenna with Az-EI snowy P2 at best , and sync bars at
mounting, a PSK modem (avail- the maximum range. II you have
able from TAPA or PAC.cOMM), an 18 wall transmiller and just on e
a packet TN C, and an IBM or co m- yagi (approx. 16-1 8 dBd). you still
patible PC. mi ght get a d iscerni ble pictu re
2) Fast Video Download : To (P1) into the satellite at closest ap-
produce an audio signal repr e-
senting the digitized image, clock
• proach .
Tests at We ber State have
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64 73 Ama teur Radio . March, 1990
LOGWRITE" OSCAR MODE-J FILTERS
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about how to achieve a stable 2 to recorded on this band for ATV was
6 watt 23cm ATV transmitter us- between W5VDS in Texas and
ing a P.C. 80 mW test generator WA4GRK in Florida (941 miles)!
co mbi ned with a commercially At these higher frequencies. we
available M-57762 or SC-1043 can experiment with FM ATV with-
power brick . out interference to other modes.

The Higher Bands Defrost and Broil


ATVactivi ty is picking up in the Many Arvers are using con-
bands above 70cm. OSCAR satel- verted TVRO satellite receivers
lite users will find it fairly easy to to view t h es e signals . Dave
join in the fun on both the 70Cm Pacholok KA9BY I demonstrated
and aacm bands, as they probably at the Dayton hamtest that you
have good antennas and low-loss can even use microwave oven s to
feed lines already in place. Those send high power ATV on the 2300
with the ICOM or Yaesu 1200 MHz MHz band ("defrost" for local
satellite rigs will find that it only contacts , and " broil" l or that
takes a plug-in ATV module. rare DX).
The 900 MHz and 1200 MHz This suggests the possibility of
ATV band s provide a way of es- using cheap MDS converter box-
caping the c rowded 70Cm band es for receive . You can find MDS
and enjoying interference-free converters, along with small dish-
video (although some FAA and es , at many hamfests. It you want
coastal radar produce some inter- to experiment, an MDS receiver
ference). Even though the path kit is available from K & S Elec-
loss is higher on these bands, th is tronics, PO Box 34522, Phoen ix
usually ca n be made up with AZ 85067. Ernie WB6BAP has
higher-gain antennas. Coax loss used a 10 GHz Gunnplexer sys-
becomes one of the main limit- tem to establish a link each year at
ing factors at these frequencies; the Rose Parade with excellent re-
therefore mounting preamps or sults, and he's even video-modu-
receive converters at the antenna lated a laser beam .
produces the best results. The 900 and 1200 MHz bands
Many 70cm ATV repeaters should become more popular as
have an output (or input) in the activity increases. Over the next
900 MHz or 1200 MHz bands. This few years, ATV from the shuttle,
gives you the advantage of being as well as the space station, will
able to see your sig nal come back probably use the 1200 MHz band
Photo C. Dra wing of WEBERSAT by Dick Jansson WB4FAB, AMSAT-
NA. Nate camera lens on the side of the top module. through the repeater. No longer because of its international ap-
do you need to guess how well peal.
(about P1 ) can produce a fair pic- we are working with Weber State you're making it into the system. Each Tuesday night at 8 pm
ture, partic ularly after performing to collect a list of potential uplink With one station t ransmitting on on 3.871 MHz, theATV NET gives
some image processing on the stations. 439.25 MHz , and the other o n updates on the WEBERSAT
data with your ground computer. It 9 10.25 or 1265 MHz , full duplex experiment. Als o check local
looks like it would take a 100 watt Equipment Sources ATV is possible. packet BBSs and the AM$AT nets
transmitter to a 27 dB antenna (7 Getting sta rted on 1265 MHz DX is possible on the 1200 MHz for the WEBERSAT o pe rat ing
foot dish) to produce a virtually ATV is not as difficult as it used to band. One of the longest contacts schedule. •
snow-t-ee picture. be. Ready-made 1 watl ATV trans-
Don 't give up if you have just mitters, as well as antennas, are
one yagi. Comparing predicted re- available from P.C. Electronics,
ception to actual reports from t he 2522 Paxson In ., Arcadia CA
last few ATV balloon fligh ts over 91006·8537. Antennas are also
the Midwest sh owed between avai lable from Downeast Mi ·
5- 10 dB improvement ove r calcu- crowave, Box 23 10. A.R .#'1 , Troy
lation s. This may have something ME 04987; Spectrum Internation-
• Repeater Control • Autopa tch • intencem CW 10
to do with the way the eye inte- al, PO Box 1084, Concord MA • Remote BasefTape
• Co mplete RX-TX·Phone Line Interface
grates noise to enhance the pic- 01742; and Wyman Research , w/Freq. Programm ing
ture. Alth ough the satellite's com- R.A.#'1 , Box 95, Waldron IN 46182 • Intelligent CW ID · Auxiliary uurput - Easy • ranoeeos - DTMF
puter won't see the picture in the (they also carry a line-up of FM to interface - Remote Base/tape- Reverse Decoder with Muting
Paten - Tailbeeps · 12 V AC/OC Operation • Auxiliary Output
same man ner as our eyes, it 's ATV transceivers for the 900 and
• DTMF Decoder with Muting ' Telemetry • Programmable COS
poss ible the uplink will work bet ter 1200 MHz bands) . • Detailed Application
than calcu lated. A single yagi sta- Getting a fair amount of power Response tcnes - Programmable COS Manual with
tion may do much better than ex- is becoming easier with amplifiers Potantres - Detaile d Application Manual schematics
pected. II's certainly worth a try! avai lab le from Downeas t Mi- with sch emancs - gO-Day Warranty • Telemetry Response
Those with 1265 MHz transmit crowave. One of these Downeast Tones
Wired & Tested w/manual .. .. $239.95
capability who would like to ar- uni ts fed into a high-powered tube • 90,Day Warranty
Oist rit>utlld by
range an uplink schedule should amplifier from Hi-Spec (PO Box $129.95
contact Robert Twiggs, Director, 387, Jupiter Fl33468) should get
CAST , Weber State College ,
School of Technology, Ogden UT
84408-1805. You could also con-
you above 100 watts. If you wish to
roll your own exciter, see the
method described in the Oct. '89
[&]
tact me at the above address, as and Jan . '90 issues of ATVQ

73 Amateur Radio • March , 1990 67


Numt.r 29 on your fe.edbactc card

Low Power Operation


Mike Bryce WBBVGE reasonable value.A 330 ohm res is-
2225 Mayflower NW tor in the cathode return provides
Massillon OH 44646 the 6AC5 with protective bias.
A standard V. ~ jack is provided
Real Rad ios for keying both cathodes simulta-
Glow in the Dark? neously. You can also include a
With the warm er weather of 100 mA meter in the ca thode of
spring, the hamfests beg in to ap- the tubes, to measure the total
pear. II's a good time to start re- amount of current bei ng drawn .
stocking the junk box from a long This also makes tun ing up the
winter of construction projects. A transmitter easier.
good source has been , and con- Shunt-feed is used in the ampli-
ti nues to be, old CB radios . But fier so the B plus voltage is not
even in the '90s , we can't live by exposed on the tank coil. Remem-
transistors alone. ber , of course, that in operation Photo A . Note the 6AQS in the cenler of the box, and the 6C4 to the righ t.
In the May 1987 QRP column, I even thi s small transmitter can
d id a small, one-tube transm itter yield a nice RF burn.
called the 616 Special. That one Because the miniature tubes re-
project generated a tre mendous quire a very small footprint, you
amount of mail and even a few can easily build this transmitter in
more columns just for mod ifica- a small utility box. Radio Shack
tions of the basic transmitter. If has a very good selection of small
you would like a rep rint of the orig- boxes.
ina l article, write to 73 Magazine. The tank circuit is tuned with an
I hoped to have some good info air padder capacitor. Of course,
on converting ICOM radi os for you don't have to use a padder
true CRP operatio n, but I didn't capacitor . You can use a capaci-
receive it in time for this column. tor with a standard V.· shaft, but
Maybe ne xt month. In the mean- you really don't have to do much
time, dig out the solder gun and try adjustment to bring the transmit-
your hand at this transmitter . Real ter to resona nce. In fact, because
PhOto B. Here's the whOle thing. This one has the 3553, so it has the
radios glow in the dark. of the untuned Pierce oscillator heat sink on it. The crystal switch doesn 't co me with the kits. A better
If the 616 Special had but one circuit and just one tuning control,
band switch is now provided.
thi ng wrong with the basic design, this little rig is capable of chang-
it would be that it used only one ing fr equency and bands very hardest to co me by. Don't give up by touching a charged cap, do
tube. The 616 was both oscillator promptly. the ship quite yel! You can use you?
and powe r amplifier. While there Power requi rements fo r t he two 12 volt transformers connect- A good supply of wire terminal
is nothing wrong with the circuit, it transmiller are very diet-like . The ed back to back . This will give you strips will help in getting the rig up
could be tuned up in suc h a way filam ent s require 0.6 amp at 6.3 120 volts AC. Adding a voltage and runn ing. You can also use
as to cause the CW tone to chirp volts and about 300 volts for the doubler will deliver the requ ired any number of methods of con-
or do other nasty thi ngs. Realty plate 01 the 6AQ5 . You shOuld be 300 volts or so. necting the antenna to the rig . A
only one way around this prob- able to get about 5 wall s out of the A good source of the h igh good method would be phOne lip
lem-a separate oscillator. rig with 300 vol ts on the plate. vol tage capaci tors for the power jacks, banana post jacks, or even
Don't get power hungry and try for supply are photo flash capacito rs. an So-229.
A New Transmi«er more power by applying a higher AUElectronics has a good supply The link lor the antenna is a
This time around, we'll use two plate voltage to the 6ACS. It just of them al a lair price . You 'll need bit different. You could redesign
different types of tubes. A 6C4 is won't take it; atleast, not lor very to add capaci tors in series and the circuit and install a PI type
used in a Pierce oscillato r driving long, then parallel some to get the re- output tuning circuit. The original
a 6AQ5 as an amplifier or doubler. qui red capacitance. Nothing real circuit requires a National AR16-
In place of the RF choke usually Constructing the Power Sypply critical, but use the most you can 40E , a part Radio Shack no longer
fou nd in the plate ci rcui t of a Bu ilding the transmitter is a bit get your hands on . Also, don't stocks! Unless you have a very,
Pierce oscillator, a 1ookohm resist- different from what most of us forget to add bleeder resistors very big and deep junk box, you'll
or works satisfactorily. This also young guys are used to. The pow- across your capacitors . You don't be out of luck on this one. How-
keeps the plate vol tage down to a er supply components will be the want to get knocked on your butt ever, you can make your own . II
you have a grid dipper, so much
O~ the better.
)


,•• '<: -
,., ____ 4
.',. L "', j,. Wind 30 turn s of 124 wire
around an old con term or pill bot-
tle. Set the 100 pF capacitor to
about halfway. Find the frequency
." "" T "' E·~T of resonance using the grid dip
o. meter. If you can't get a dip while
", 0.00
moving th e lu n ing capacitor
through its range, remove some
••
~ turns and try aga in. Remember,
BO meters will requ ire more induc-
Figure. A 6C4 is used in a Pierce oscillator driving a BAQS as an amplifier or doubler. Continued on PBgfI 78
68 73A mateurRadio . March,1990
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recta ngula r form on eGA, EGA, or can I'IOW also optimize yagis across a
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A one-chip direct digital synthesizer (D DS) ensures high CIN and meters. one meter gives a constant
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The suggested list price lor the transceiver is $2 ,199 . The
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Pricing starts at al $90 (limited-time lull impedartce matchirtg over the ores ent ettcn 01 a proper amateur
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70 73 Amateur Radio • March ,1990


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73 Amateur Radio • Ma rc h ,1 990 71
Number 31 o n your Feedback card

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R.S.# page R.S.# page R.S.# page R.S. # page
355 Ace Communications 69 365 Buckmaster Publishing 79 ' - Heath Co. . . .. ..... 46. 47 - ProcommlDigitrex 71
1 Advanced Computer - Butternut Electronics . 24 269 Hustler, Inc. 51 145 QSO Software . 59
Control . . . .. . . . . . 71 356 C & S Sales, lnc. . . . 63 389 ICOM America CV2' 31 Radio Amateur Callbook .. 71
65 Advanced Electronic • CBCity 51 100 Interconnect Specialist 35 6 Radiotel . 75
Applications 16" 186 Coaxial Dynamics , . 35 - International Radio _ 38 150 Radio Works . 63
126 Aero Data Systems . . . . 82 343 Commpute Corporation . 65 42 lso tron . . . . ... . 45 34 Ramsey Electronics 66 '
88 Aerospace Consulting . . . . . 65 99 Communication 272 Jun's Electronics . . 44 14 Renaissance
3aB AlE Corporation .... . 83 Concepts, Inc 83 92 K-40 . . . . . . . . . .. .... 36 Development . 79
6 7 Al inco Electronics _.. ..••.. 53" 10 Communications • Kenwood U.S.A. 254 Ross Distributing 79
194 All Electronics Specialist. Inc . 33 ' Corporation . , ,.. . 5,6,CV4' 115 RF Connection 29
Corporation 51 15 Comtelco 22 2 LEB Enterprises . _ _. 77 171 RFEnterprises 13
• Amateur Electronics 12 Connect Systems . . .. 1 • lindsay Publicat ions 43 332 Satellite Cily 43'
Supply 27' - Control Products .. . . . . . 15 25 Madison Electronic 382 SCO Electronics . , 38
314 Ameritron . . . 39 306 Creative Control Products .. 63 Supply , 46, 69 387 SOC. Inc. 55
4 Amidon Associates _ 83 - D& S Sales .. . 77 - Maggiore Electronics Lab ... 65 244 Software Systems 83
107 Antennas West 79 147 DataCom Internat ional 79 381 Marting Franchise 250 Software Systems 75
303 Antennas West 77 - Dayton Hamvention 49 Corporation , 64 23 Somerset ElectroniCs . 60
236 An tennas West . . . . . . . . . . 22 • Delaware Amateur 101 Maxcom, Inc , SO - - Sony Corporation of
5 Antennas West . . 24 Supply , .. 63 241 MediaM entors 41' America , . , 81
90 Antennas West 45 391 Den-Tronics . 63 44 Metro Printing . . 63 51 Spectrum
304 Antenna sWest 51 239 Digital Radio Systems Inc . . 41 86 MFJ Enterprises . . 8 Communications 37
89 Antennas West 56 114 E. H. Yost. .. . 55 348 Micro Computer 183 Spectrum International 65
302 Antennas West 69 - Electronic Engineering 77 Concepts _. 67 87 TCE Labs . . . . . . 63
271 Antique Radio Classified rr 126 Electronics Book Club ... . 21 295 Micro Control Specialities ... 57 103 Universal Amateur Radio . . 29
- Associated Radio . 75 - Engineering Consulting . 55 187 Mission Communications & 79 Vanguard Labs 65
16 Astron Corporation 18 75 Fair Radio Sales ... . 63 Consulting 79 - VHF Communications .. , .. 75
243 AXM.lnc. . . . . . . , 51 373 Gap Antenna Products 15 - Multifax , . ,. _ 69 191 W & W Associates 57
- Azimuth Communications .. 75 46 Gauthier's Covers Plus ... . 24 - Nemal Electronics 45 105 WilBurt Company . . . . . . 77
53 Barker & Williamson 55 392 GGTE _.. 83' - Oklahoma Comm Center .. 84 • Yaesu Electron ics
41 Barry Electronics 98 Giller Shortwave . 45 - Omar Electronics , 22 Corporation . , CV3
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42 Bilal Company _. 45 72 Glen Martin Engineering _ 35 • P.C. Electronics 81,82· the National Industry Advisory com-
176 Bird Electronics 390 Grapevine Group .. . 29 178 Pacific Cable mittee (NIAC).
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7 Buckmaster Publishing ... . 69' - Hamtronics . 45 68 Periphex . . . . . . . . . . . 79 -rneee advertisers prefer to be con-
170 Buckmaster Publishing . . 71' 57 Ha mt ronic s. Inc. 31 66 Pipo Communications ..... 83 tacted directly.

Number32 on your Feedback card

KEYWORD INDEX
1N4002 12 d rive level 36 N 8KDD, M ike Gray 12 V.23 modem 56
1N4004 12 Elenco Electro nics, Inc 38 packet interlace 56 W 1X U .JimGray 88
1N4742 """ 12 El encoM1900 38 PC Electronics 67 W 3l0Y, Ed Clegg 40
1N4744 , . . ", , 12 Flavorig , , ., , 85 Phase III 40 W3RW, J . R obe rt Wi tmer 14
6L6 Special 68 frequency stabi lity 85 power supp ly adapte r 14 W5KNE, Bob W inn 54
800 Hz split .. ,."., 56 g rounding 26 p ropagation 88 W6YUY , Robert E. Bloom . 36,-48
AEA PK-232 56 H eil Ham Radio H a ndbook 44 QSLi ng tips 54 WA1R.M arcSte rn 32
All Electro nic s 68 Hi-Spec 67 R amsey Elect ron ic s 12 WA3AJR, M arc L Leavey . M .D . 61
Amateur A ux ilia ry 52 image downlin k. uplink 64 Ram sey HR-4 40m m od 12 W A4 U Z M , Wm. Bruce
amateur rad io education 11 Ireland , 73 RDFing 52 Cam eron 30
AMSAT Ed ucatio nal N ews 11 jammers 52 RF Parts Co 58 W A5ZIB. And y MacAll iste r 9
antenna, " J " dual-band 48 Japan 73 S AR EX Il . ... . . . . .. 7 .9 WB4BNU . Kev in Scott 19
Anzac Electron ic s . " 58 K0 0 V . Joe M oell , , . , .. ,. 52 satellite ope ration . 7,9, 11,40, 64 W B4EHS , Bob Lombardi 25
ASCII ,, 61 K & S Elect ro nics 67 service repa ir form 29-30 WB6IGP. C.L. Houghton 58
Australi a 73 KB 2I G F, Chris M igne m i 17 SHF M icrowave Parts Co 58 W B6NOA, Gordon West 28
Avantek 58 KC9RP, Hap Ho lly , 17 s -mete r reports 40 W B6RQN, Brian Lloyd 56
BACAR ", 10 MFJ-1270 56 Spectrum Inte rn atio nal 67 WB8ELK, B ill Brown 64
b alloon amateur radio 10 microwave . . . . 58-59,67 S wed e n _. . 73, 76 WB8VGE . M ike Bryce _ 68
Boy Scouts amateur radio 19 M in i Circ uits l ab s , . . , , .. . 58 Swi tzerland 73 WB9R RT, Larry R. Antonuk .. 38
chic ken bandit fil ler 30 m ixers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 58-59 THIRDT ERM 61 W D80YG, D wayne Kincai d .. 78
circui t construction 25-26 mobi le ooeraucn. . 14. 32 , 48 , 52 TN C soft ware . .. . 61 W EBER SAT 64
communication, meaningful , . 88 mod ular co nstruction 58 transmitters, QRP 78 Weber State College 67
Cyprus 74 m ulti meter 38 UNI-B port able po wer 14 Wyma n Rese arch 67
DO VE N ewslett er 11 N4RVE, Steve n K . Roberts 44 Uniden Corp. of Americ a 32 Z S6AK V . Han s van de
Downeast M ic rowave " 67 N 8IWJ, Ric ha rd C . Ens ig n 11 Unid e n HR -2600 32 Groenendaal 10
72 73 Amateur Radio - M a rch, 1990
Number 33 on YOIJr Feedback e.rd
Korea (KARL), and 1 from the dio reports from the earthquake
USA. zone could be heard on 14275 and
73,NTERNATIONAL The champ i ons were Mr . 14280 kHz. Locally, 145.150 MHz
Tadash i Makino (JS1KAU) of OT carried a lot of activity ."
edited by G.G.G. c l a s s , Mr . Shui ch i Ogura Switzerland From the Interna-
(JH4EIY) of OM class , Miss Zhang tional Telecommunication Union
station was on the air by teat ime Vi Bin (CRSA) of YL class, and Mr, (ITU) Press Releases:
Notes from FN42 on Tuesday, just an hour behind Qing Zhu (CRSA) of JN class. Dr. Pekka rerjenne. of Finland,
Sad news! Bryan Hastings schedule. [Can 't miss teatime! -
30th Anniversary took office 1 November 1989 as
NSta, a 73 editor, has left (De- Arnie]
the new Secretary-General of the
cember 15) after quite some time HF conditions were excellent It is thirty years since J apan
ITU. Dr. Tarjanne replaces Mr. R.
with the magazine. I am sorry to for the week. There was some dif- Amateur Radio League (JARL)
E. Butrer who will return to Mel-
see him leave . He has been very ficulty in maintaining contact with started as an authorized public
borne, Australia after serving the
supportive and helpful to me the VHF operators on the other corporation under the jurisdiction
ITU for the last 21 years, as Secre-
during my transition from ham to side , due to the large numbers of of the Ministry of Posts and
amateur writer (and I really do stateside stations who wanted to lary-General since 1983.
Te lecommun ications back in
From 1977 until his election as
mean amateur). work EI. It was nearty as bad as 1959 (JARL was orig inally estab-
But we all have to make some the ARRL contest . lished in 1926). JARL held a cele- head of the ITU, Dr. Tarjanne was
moves to fulfill our visions, and it Unfortunately no signals were Drrector-Generat of Finnish Posts
bration ceremony and a banquet
mayj ust be that time for Bryan. 73 heard from across the Atlant ic on and Telecommunications, Fin-
to commemorate the occasion on
land 's largest empl oyer with
and Godspeed, Bryan.-Arnie 2 metres. and there were no re- December " 1989 at Hotel Okura
N1BAC ports of EI7M 's signal be ing 44 ,000 employees.
at Toranomon in Tokyo .
heard. While the transatlantic bar- [Congratulations from the ham
Roundup rier was not broken, the group was community at 73 Magazine! ]
Ireland From the Irish Radio pleased wi t h the eltort and Sweden From Radio Sweden :
Tr a n sm i tt e r s Society (IRTS) learned much for the next at- The newsletter reported on the
Newsletter: tempt . San Francisco earthquake, listing
Fo llo w i ng t he ir success in Japan From The JARL News : the television and commercial ra-
achieving the first moonbounce 270 people from all over the coun- dio stations that went off the air, AUSTRALIA
OSO out 01 Elan 2 metres in try participated in the '89 Fox-teer- and those that were able to stay
November 1987, the Easl Cork ing National Competition which on the air. Some station antenna Ken Gatt VK3AJU
Group realised that their setup, was held on November 5, 1989 at towers crashed and other sta- 38A Lansdowne Road
consisting of four home-brew a park in the suburbs of Tokyo, tions' output s were reduced in SI. KikJa, Vic. 3183
' 2 B C X yag is , was not gOOd under the sponsorship of JARL. power, Australia
enough to sustain regular moon. This competition gathered an It also reported that " As usual,
bounce QSOs. They decided to International flavor with 12 part iCi- rad io amateurs provided erner- WIAAWARD
build a new station so they could pants Irom Ch ina (CRSA), 11 from gency communications. Ham ra- From the vantage point of the
compere in the ARAL moon- WIA Federal Awards Manager,
bounce contest. the WIA 80lh Anniversary Award
Nothing really came together got off to a flying start with the
Calendar for March OX-but not so goo d with t he
until the summer of 1989, when
the group heard that a Dutch ex- 1-Heroes Day, Paraguay; SI. David's, Wales; Independence Day, locals.
pedition was comi ng to the south South Korea On November 21 I posted ele-
of Ireland to attempt a 2 metre 2-Peasants Day, Burma ven certificates, all to North Amer-
trans-Auantrc OSO. After some 3-lndependence Day, Morocco; Alexander Graham Bell, 1847; ican stations, but nary a one to a
heated meetings, they decided to National Unity Day, Sudan VK .
attempt build it before the Dutch 6-lndependence Day, Ghana: International Woman 's Day. USSR Mind you , the VKs have to make
arrived. D-Day was July 4, 1989. a-National Day, Syria , Libya 80 OSOS to win the award (with
Work on the portable mast, the '-Decoration Day, Liberia some concessions for using the
biggest job in the project, was un- 10-Labor Day, South Korea; National Day, Tibet ; Hou. Hindu WARC bands), while the OX need
derway the next day . ll-Magha Puja , Buddhist Purim; Jewish Pourim only work eight.
The eight antennas are Met 19 12-Commonweahh Day, Great Britain , Swaziland, Tag: National Anyway , NO.1 certificate went
element NBS yagis with 14.2 dB Day,Gabon to Michael Pagan N2GBH, who
gain each , and the transmission 13-National Day, Grenada qualified at 1240 UCT on Novem-
line is solid jacket coax with relay 14-Albert Einstein, 1879 ber 4, two minutes ahead of How-
switching at both ends. A mast- 15-Ernest Samuel Beoku-Betts . 1895 ard Hatch AB4DU who had to be
head preamp is used wit h a sepa- 16-Eiichi Shibusawa, 1840 content with Certificate NO. 2 en-
rate receive line. The amplifier 17-SI. Patrick's Day,lreland, USA: Mirambo, 1840 dorsed " first for North Carolina."
was built from a Bill Orr W6SAI la-Mothering Day, Great Britain Anolher few minutes back was
design , and used a 3CX15001 19-5I. Joseph'S Day, Spain ,ltaly, Malta Walter Stewart KM4RX, No, 3,
8877 bottle . Despite the last 20-lndependence Day, Tunisia and first in Florida . Low-number
minute finish , it performed very zt-cvemer Equinox Day, Japan; Johann Sebastian Bach, 1685: No certificates with state firsts have
well on site . Ruz, Iran, Iraq. Bahai also gone to Louis Vogel KC3VE
The weeks leading up to the 23-Pakistan Day, Pakistan; Kanzo ucramcre . 1861 (Maryland) , C . Ed w a rd Fox
event were hectic . Transportation 2S-lndependence Day, Greece; Bela Bartok, 1881 W8NDP (Ohio), Esther Watkins
of all the gear was a nightmare 26-lndependence Day, Bangladesh AB4PB (Alabama), and F red
[I won 't go into all the deta ils- 27-Armed Forces Day, Burma; Gudi Padua, Hindu Tandy WA5TUAl5 (Mississippi).
Arniel · 2a-British Evacuation Day. Libya; Beginning 01 the Month of Fast- Bruce Balla VE200 received
On D-Day the 2 metre array had ing , Ramadan certificate No.6, the first to go to
to be buill from scratch on site. 29-Vouth Day, Taiwan Canada.
The ae rials were assembled , 31-Nalional Day, Malta The award is ope n from Nov. "
phasing harnesses cut, and the 1989 to Dec. 31 , 1990.
73 Ama teur Radio • March,1 990 73
other arrangements. on tropo with Ralph 4XlIF, ex-
All bei ng well , the Devil Net changing information about the
might have some Stateside ac- spo radic -E p ropaga tion . T he
VVIRELESS INSTITUTE complices in 1990 and nets on 28
andlor 21 MHz. We'll keep you
largest openings were on the 7th
and 9th of June, and on the 12th
OF AUSTRALIA posted if the plans work out. and 13th, of very small duration-
xu,h Annivcr..al] Award That's all for the moment, so about 10 minutes. Ralph also said
back to painting the inside of the mat he worked OE3XUA for the
191t1 ·199U
new shack, Manpower fo r th is first time.
()n ,\b "' h I I , l')W, wi"'k" CXfl"'rL"",nLcrs "" "'" "'~c,locT and othe r necessary renovations
" I th,· Il<~d Au'tr"l i", 'ydney, on a 'rtfit offflen,hh'p "nd around home has been augment- Visiting Hams
" m,rmm [>Urp<'"'' 'n,c", "'Ill W "' l<,unLlc' f,,,t h,' pr, ~ct1",n ed by one hired Boy Scout. He's a Cyprus, being a holiday island,
• nd .<lv. n<'C m'em nft he;, P\J "''', . l'h<: world', ol<.lc" ,.<.Ii" good worker. [Are you also mak- has many ham visitors who come
",nc1y ,,hc W;rd t",,,l ll,,i(wt" ol'Au"r-.lia ,w.'lh ",r""nd,oJ ,
ing him into a ham, Ken ?] mainly from Europe and operate
Late spring, with sum mer to 15B4 eit her wi th handhelds on
come. Too early to plan for the VHF or HF from club stations and
field day contest in the fall , but not shacks of local hams.
t oo ea rly to d r eam about it. In Limassol we had G4VOF,
Cheers, 73, Ken VK3AJU. G0ADU, G0HUB, G0MBM, and
DJ flMAF. Many ot her visiting
• hams were in Nicosia, Larnaca,
Paphos, Protaras and Ayia Napa.
I would like to remind readers
that temporary 15B4 licenses are
issued to hams from EEC coun-
CYPRUS tries and the USA, if they write to
the "Chief Communications Offi-
Aris Kaponides 5B4JE cer, Ministry 01 Communications
ThI_ ;., 10 ("'nlfy th.t ~AM)fI . ~ P.D. Box 1723 and Works , Nicosia, CYPRUS. "
h ~_ ' ulmuut"d ,,"i, b e" ")' t"v;<.It" rKt" nr h~v;n~ w mmuni· Limassot, Cyprus The leiter should state the dates
", ICoJ wilh 1he "'4'" " oJ fl\J mho.' r of WIA"'" m IK'" i " ii' >!l~ h of arrival and departure, the place
y",r,
Sporadic-E on VHF of residence, equipment (type,
Speci. , E" Jo co ~~~"" F in t . totion '"
L o~or "obov'. <0 q o al lfy. Du rin g last J une there were model , ser. no.) , mentioning that it
some excellent sporadic-E open- will be re-exported. Visiting ama-
ings on VHF. These openings teurs should also enclose a photo-
were observed on 7, 9, 12, and 13 copy of their licence. Also notify
June , La u re n c e 5B 4SA has the Cyprus Amateur Radio Soci-
Photo A. WIA 80th Anniversary Award. Supplied by Ken Gott, VK3AJU,
Federal Awards Manager and 73 Hambassador, worked Italian, Yugoslavian and ety by sending copies of the leiter
Hungari an stations, and I (Aris and licence that they have sent to
5B4JE) had a aso wit h YU8DM :he licencing authority,
Tasmanian Devil Award around these problems, w it h on the 13th of June . During this To the best of my knowledge
One of the most popular VK shared net control , relays, and period, I had many VHF contacts the temporary licences are issued
awards is the Tasmanian Devil,
named for a marsupial carnivore
(Sarcop tulus harrisl]. It is about 28
inches long in body, with a 12·inch
tail. It got its name from a scream-
ing (some say snarling) cry . It
hunts by night-birds, lizards,
smaller mammals and poultry , if
available.
The Tasmanian Devil Award ,
run by the VK7 Division of the WIA
has been avai lable for many
years, and several hundred certifi-
cates have been issued. Its week-
ly net on the 3.5 MHz band never
fails to materialize, and it's qener- 3, IlPO.'~'M'" ... ~."OPDII• • '
ally a well-run operation. pu •.,.,..",. ••• )
(Ma~~"A'

< ~""'. "~ "' • • " . pu."",""".'''"


Net controller Bob VK7NBF p a lJl . ' ~'ox 1I1"4>".'~. <,p• • up• .
• • ~ ""' ...,II .' UM4>P~ ~
now wants to spread the Devn's tl... ," ....
wings. to slightly mix a metaphor, " ,,, w' l>xc
and give the OX a chance to get
f~


'"p. "'\O~(
0_.
the award. This will involve opera-
tions on 28 or 21 MHz, or both
(Bob doesn't have 14 MHz privi-
leges) which immediately raises
skip problems-meaning that Bob,
as net controller, won't be able to
hear his fellow VK7s, even though
the DX is hearing them and him . Photo B. Prefix 9 Award from the West Siberia OX Club, sent by Gennady UA9MA , 73 Hemoesseaor. This is
We all know that there are ways the last of the series of six awards.
74 73AmateurRadio . March, 1990
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73 A mateur Radio • March , 1990 75
free 01 charge, but applica tions SM nx-ers ' Meeting
Never Say Die Licensing disaster ... the worst
Q>nfinuea!rom p. 4
shou ld be made well in advance . L a k e We ttern OX -Group , catastrophe in the history of ama-
SK6WW, organizes the Swedish make an effort to make ham con- teur radio ... which resulted from
Activity
Dx-ers' get-together in OCtober tacts more interesting. You can their shortsightedness and greed
About a dozen hams are active
each year. Th is lime the small help with your newsletter by coor- 25 years ago. Oh , some bubble-
on the HF bands and two or three
town of Karlsborg (not to be mixed d inating special interest groups heads have been wringing their
are also active on the new WARC
up with the Danish beer Carls- on your local repeater. Tuesdays hands about the license fees in
bands, mostly on 18 MHz. On the
berg) hosted the meeti ng, and at 7 p.m. we talk UFOs. Thursdays print in anguish ... which the y do,
packet side , the lop operator and
Ken SM6CTQ, togeth er with other at 9 p.m . we talk travel. Fridays at no matter what happens or almost
godlather 01 packet in Cyprus is
local hams, arranged for equip- 6:30 we talk music and records. II happens. The Chicken Little reac-
cosue 5B4TX, who runs also a
ment ex hi bi ti o ns, sli de shows your club is within radio distance tion . Phooey .
BB S Diqipeater VHFtHF wilh the
from OX-pedition s, contest «ever of me, you'll get me! Now why on earth would I think
ca ll 5B4TX-6 and is QRV almost
demonstrations, pile-up contes ts. What else? Photography? Moo- tha t a $30 license fee for a ham
24 hours on 21 .1 0 7 MHz and
and demo 01OX-clu ster on packet e! airplanes? Scouting? Macrn- ticket is a good Ihing? Why would I
144 .675 MHz. He ha s a direct
radio. toshes? Books? Diving ? Have you dare to claim thai scotching this
li nk wit h J im 4X 1RU , Pre ben
Among the one hundred partici- asked your fellow club members fee is anot her big nail in our ham
OZ 1FYW, and Gabriele IK4BLV.
pants, two welt-known OX-ped i- what their interests are? casket?
to ners were there te lting about My wile Sherry bought a Mac Yes, I know all about the lee
the ir plans. Erik, SM0AGD has and is having a ball with it, as I've going into the general lund and
since returned from his success- mentioned . She puts out a special not to the FCC. Well, not directly,
ful Alrican Dx-pecnon to Equato- interest Mensa newsletter, does 01 course . Congress has too many
rial Guinea 3C 1AG. Sao Tome all t he artwork for her hew- to- constituen ts wit h large pocket-
S9 AGD , and Annobon 3C0G D. dance video packages, her news books who need FCC favors for
SWEDEN
Erik traveled from 3C1 10 S9 via releases, and so on. She's even them to let the FCC get any money
Rune Wa nde SM0COP Madrid and Lisbon , wh ich was got a portable Mac so she can that Congress doesn't get f irst
Frejavagen 10 quicker and more convenient than keep right on workin g when we're and then dole out. Money is pow-
S-155OD Ny kvarn via mainland Africa . To 3C0 he on trips . er. This is nOI a new concept, it's
Sweden went with friends from S9 by boat. Jim Mc rrtssett K6MH/1 has his one which we're seeing played
Er ik ha s deve lo ped a n ew own Mac. Rob Burr, a diving bud - out daily in congress.
Worhd Sweden on 50 MHz yet? method of hand ling those huge dy 01 mine, uses his Mac to pub- Well, those $30 lees are mon-
tl not, chances are better now! pile-ups . He has modified his IC- lish Fisheye View magazine . He ey ... rig ht? And lour hund red
Since March 1989. 25 Swedish 735 so that he easily can scan the also sens a CD-ROM with a whop- thousand 01 those are a few mil-
hams have had the perm ission to me mories on receive and auto- ping pile of Mac softwa re on it, in lion dollars. Money . You know,
use SO.O to 51.0 MHz on a trial matically switch back to VFO on case you get a ROM drive. that stuH that tans. Oh, it isn' t
basis. Due to TV transmitte rs on trans mit. By scan ning the specific W hen you 're no t using your much compared to the deficit, the
Channel 3 (55 MHz) certain re- fr eque nc ie s he r eg ula r ly an- Mac lor publishing and making milit ary budget or gu aranteed
st ric tio ns we re p ut on the l i- nounces, he can work ma ny more your million, it's not bad lor ham- bum S & L bank loans, but irs still
censees. The Ettecnve Radiated stations than otherw ise possible ming too. It'll even run a wicked money and it still talks. And isn 't
Power (ERP) was set at levels 3, in the very jammed pile-ups. This ounenn board for you. that what we' ve been complaining
10 or 50 watt s . depe nding on method is espec ially good on SSB Let' s see, I've explained how about so much recently ... not be-
where the stations were located , b ut works also on CW o Be ing you can help make your club ing heard?
and tran smi ssion was not allowed alone on a DX-pedition like this is grow ... how yo u can help get We've been raising a big stink
during TV hours. tough, but thanks to no equipment yo un g st ers i nt o a ma t e u r ra - because UPS money talked loud-
So tar . the outcome has been fa ilure and very tittle sleep, he dio, .. and tha t if you have an en- er than ours. Ours? What ours? II
positive, although the best condi- worked 15,800 o s o s. 6,500 from trepre neurial oent. but don't have we had any leadershi p we'd be
tions. of course, occurred during 3C 1. 3,500 from S9, and 5.800 the ideas, I have some available. raising hell over lOSing most cnne
TV hours when no transmission Irom 3C0 . OSL to his caUbook ad- 'Nuff of thai . 902 MHz band . Yes, I know we're
was allowed. Seventy-live percent dress. not using it, so who cares ... well,
of the licensees had been active in License Fees no t only aren 't we using it, it
Mats SM7PKK is on his second
the first six months. Pacmc Tour. He is pla nning to On e of the ham publications seems doubtful if we'll ever get
The trial period has been ex- stay there abo ut hall a year . Being took a swipe at me .. . boy , is that much use frcm it now . I notice this
tended to December 3 1, 1990. a tall , at -vear-cio blond Swede. news! The charge was that I stood has all happened with no hyste-
The n um ber 01 licensees has he certainly draws atl ention out by idly while Congress was trying na . . no complaints. 1 sk.
been increased to 100 and trans- there! All er last year's trip, Mats to put amateur radio out of busi- Look, even though the FCC has
mission is now allowed also dur- worked double shill in order 10 li- ness by charging lor ham tickets. us doing our own license examtn-
ing TV hours . The power limits , nance his next trip. He was very Why didn't I get on the first plane inq. they sun have some expenses
however, rema in the same. Eli- determi ne d on tr aveli ng again and zip down to D.C. and put my lor us. Someone has to pay John-
gible for 50 MHz are those having with his radio as only companion. finge r in the dike? ny Johnston's salary and over-
class A or clas s T licen ses (T = You may have al ready wor ked I'm gUitly . . . with an exptana- he ad . Between Ihat , the ARRL
Tec hnical , no Morse co de re- him from several rare spots like ten. That' s an explanation, not a suing them over things and our
q uired). 5W 1, ZK 1, ZK3. KH8, and 302.01 rationalization, by the way. I didn'l e n d less dema n ds for r u l e
mount a Wayne Green congres- changes, we're costing 'em far
sional ottenslve for one damned more than a crummy S30 apiece .
HAMVENTION good reason ... 1 think the pro- By the way. that's $30 for a ten-
Ham of the Year posed license l ee would have year license . That comes to a pid-
II you want to nom inate an amateur lor this award , please include been one 01 the best things Con- dling S3 a year. Now, if your ham
things such as name, call, ma rital status, harmonics, years licensed. gress could have done for us. I ticket isn 't worth S3 a year, you 're
awards, civic accomplishments , service record , type of work , club honestly believe the ARRL pan- not using it.
attifiaticns, speci al interests (ham and other) , and your reasons lor
nominating this amateur. icked and reacted to this without As a registered Washington lob-
both ering to think through the re- byist lor ove r 25 years . I do Ily
Send to Dave Grubb, Asst. Chairman , Dayton Hamvention, PO Box
sults ct thetr actions . One or two of down to D.C. when I think it's go-
964, Dayton OH 45401 .
us still remember their Incentive ing to help. On e 01the reasons we
76 73 Amateur Radio . March , 1990
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QRP Continued trom page 68 QRVon 18 meters and tells me he are doing our own licenses now is gency communications, so we
tance than 40 meters. The link it- has no trouble hearing 5 watt sta- my visits with the commissioners. should be paid by the government
self is only 3 turns of insulated tions from the states, especially I helped get the strangling re- forthis. We're not doing this emer-
hookup wire wound over the tank the fantastic chaps and the excel- peater regulations repealed . I've gency work to be good citizens,
windings. You can use asmalilink lent chats, other than the 59 and lound my visits to Washington , we're doing it to pay for our use of
connected to a low voltage bulb as 73 you get on the other bands , both to Congress and the FCC, 10 several billion dollars worth of
a tune-up aid. Tune for the bright- Aajendra supplied the photo- be well received because I always ham bands. They owe us those
est glow. You'll have to play with graphs. come with proposals on how they bands and have no right to take
the number of turns to find reso- can save money instead of plans them away. We're already paying
QRP Transm itter Circ uit
nance. for my taking some back ... which for them, so charging us a fee is
fromWDBO YG unfair, What hogwash.
Again, you can build this trans- almost all other visitors have.
mitter during a rainstorm on a Returning to the year 1990 , For a measly $3 a year license Fortunately I don't feel very
Sunday afternoon, so don't be put Dwayne Kincaid W080YG sent fee we'd have one heck of a card strongly about this, so I won't try to
off something as simple as this , me some photographs of a small to play with Congress when we stir up anyone about it. I'm posi-
Why, you might even learn a thing QRP transmitter he put together actually do need help. This might tively not going to pillory the ARA L
or two about tubes! for a Novice class. Dwayne re- also shake out some of the dead- over this one. No, I have another
Rajendra Kumar VU2ZAP sent ports excellent results from the above-the-shoulders hams when one for that. Heh, heh. No, if you
me the circuit for this project. guys and gals completing the pro- it comes to renewal time and want to help sink our hobby, you
Rajendra reports excellent results ject. I don't have room here to make us all a whole lot more just go right ahead and insist on
with the 5 walls into a dipole. The show the circuit, but if you would aware of how few active hams we getting the FCC to do everything
original circuit came from W1 HYF like a copy, write to Dwayne at really have today, .. and how pa- for us for free. You go right on
from 1948. An oldie but goodie , as SR 1, Box 2C, 5 1. Leonard MD thetically few new hams we're at- griping to them about the rotten
they say on the radio, Rajendra is 20685. I can tell you the circuit is tracting . It would put our hand in service they're giving . l et 'em
simple and quite easy to repro- Ihe fire and wake up some old know how angry you are over the
duce, even for those who never hams who tune in a pileup on 20m lousy operating, jamming and
plugged in a soldering iron belore. and think every ham band must be bad language on our bands and
Of course, it is crystal-con- crowded. how they damned well ought to
trolled. There are four places on No, our $30 won't solve the do something about it because
the board for crystals. You select deficit, but it will make life easier we're too busy to do it ourselves,
which one you want with a switch . for the FCC because they'll be even though we told them we're
Simple, basic, and to the point. able to point out to Congress that a self-policing " serv ic e. " Ex-
Besides, what have you or your their expenses on our behalf are plain tha i that was just a little
club done to encourage new hams being reimbursed, so let's not be ... ahem . .. exaggeration.
Photo C. Close-up of a one-watt into our hobby? Dwayne is making so fast to take all those UHF I wasn't going to bring all this
transmitter board being stuffed, to the right moves, New hams and bands away. muck up, but someone else got
give you a good idea of the size. QAP, what could be better? III Wilt a $30 fee keep a youngster out the rake and banged me with
out of the hobby? I know that it's it. I thought I' d better explain why
stupid to even bring up such a good old Doc Green didn't rush 10
Hamsats COnfinuedfrompage9
ridiculous idea, but I've actually Washington in t he middle of a
seen this dumb thing in print. congressional recess and make a
We're talking the price of a dinner stink. I prefer to keep my dealings
now. We're talking the cost of a with the FCC (and Congress) in a
f a m i ly of t hree going to the positive vein and not waste any
movies, .. complete with the usu- 10Us on fights.
al barrel of buttered popcorn and If we come up with positive
55-gallon drum of Coke. Give me plans for helping amateur radio
a break! Hamming isn't a hobby grow and for making it provide
which is going to get kids out of more value to our country in ex-
the ghettos, it's a middle class change for the use of tens of bil-
hobby and $30 isn't a problem for lions of dollars in frequencies,
'em. we'll gel almost anything we want.
Let me put that into perspective But when we don't talk with the
for you. Moslofyou are my age, so commissioners except to fight
$30 today is about like $1.50 when them ... and then take them to
we were young. Three quarts of court when we don't like what
ice cream. Ten ice cream sun- they've done .. .thet seems like
daes, the big ones. Well, Eisen- an incredibly dumb way to treat
hower said the government would the hand that's feeding you.
take our dollars in Social Security It was in order to counter this
t axes and pay us back in dol- historic ARRL approach, that I
tarettes. He wasn't lying ... that formed the National Industry Advi-
time. sory Committee . It's supported
Pho to B. Astronaut Ken Cameron KA5AWP (foreground) and others at So I hose who are preening (very feebly) by the ham industry.
the SAREX II planning meeting. aroun d, taking credit for defeating Bush has finally appointed the last
the license fees are, in my mind, new Commissioner, so perhaps
ments. Items to listen for include station procedures, activity traitors. 1 think they've pulled a we'll have a full set we can talk
payload descriptions, astronaut schedules and other newsworthy shortsighted grandstanding stunt with (advise) by spring.
profiles, Keplenan orbital data, it ems. The WA3NAN transmis- which could haunt us for years,
shuttle rise and set times and, for sons will be around the clock be- They deserve a pie in the face, not Typical Ham Club?
STS-35 and 37, SAREX-specific ginning one hour prior to launch a medal. As best I can, I get around and
information. The SAREX data will and continuing through shuttle Yes, I know, many hams leel address ham clubs and hamfests.
take in operating frequencies, op- landing . OJ that, gee, we're providing emer- On one weekend I zipped down to
78 73 Amateur Radio • March , 1990
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73 Amateur Radio • March, 1990 79
JANUARY 4, 1983 Texas on a Saturday mo rning, you've got Alzheimer's or some-
*****" ........ *** ........ ******* * * * starting out from home around thing.
A CURE WAS FOUND 6 a.m . to catch a 9 a.rn . flight . I got Every time a new technology
to the hamfest by 1 p.m., spoke opens up, with it comes all kinds
FOR THESE DISEASES : from 2- 4 p.m.. visi ted wit h the of opportunities 10 start small bust-
exhibitors for an hour, rested up nesses supplying hardware, soft-
1. RI!FLI!CTI!D POWER-ITCH and hit the banquet at 6. One of ware, information products and
the better banquets, by the way . services-entrepreneurial oppor-
2. KNOB-ITUS Then an hour talk as the banquet tu nities lor people of any age . Just
speaker. look at the number of new ham
3. QRII-DI!AFNI!SS In these talks I tried to put the firms making packet gear today!
last 30 yea rs of ham history in pe r- Or take the compact disc, which
4. BUTTON-PHOBIA
spective. Naturally some ques- has revolutionized the music and
S. SWITCH-CANKI!R ~ tions about the code came up. I
was pleased to find about 95% of
audio businesses. Hundreds of
small entrepreneurial firms with
6. SUPI!R TUNI!R-BLUI!S my audience open to actually con- in teresting new products have
sider the subject and amused by sprung up all around the country.
7. CROSS NI!EDLI!-I!YI!S the two wizened old timers who New speakers , amplifiers , all

THE CURE IS: * ..


- weren't.
A few days later I was address-
ing a ham club near Boston. The
kinds of cables, connectors ... it's
end less . Now, with the cost of pro-
ducing compact discs dirt cheap,
first thing I noticed was that I was we're seeing hundreds of new
one of the you ngest hams there. I record labels producing special-

MA COM can't imagine a young ham stay-


ing at their meeting for more than
two minutes. As I looked out over
ized music . Ent repreneurs are
having a heyday, just as they did
whe n the mic rocomputer came
this room full of kvetching an- along 15 years ago , generating
® tiques, it came to me how they thousands of new millionaires.

* QNE SHOT GUARANTEED TO LAST


AT LEAST FIVE YEARSI
typified the code itself.
Most of the hams I run into on
the air these days are retired. Sad-
Electronics is a key to the fu-
tu re, if you use it. The human mind
has an unlimited capacity fo r
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *******
MAX COM. INC. BOX !S02 , FT . LAUD. , FL . 3 3 3 0 2
ly, few of them seem to be doing learn ing , b ut like most other
anything useful in thei r retire- things, if you don ' t use it you 'll
308-523-63S9 lose it. The more you learn, the
• 'U<C{I"'" '.."..... ,,_......... ,. ow"",, b, ........ ["'''0''''''_'''. ment . Hamm ing , golf, puttering
THE BOTTOM LH~E I "MAXCOM WORKS" around. What a waste, it seems to better your mind will work. When
CIRCLE 101 ON RUDER SERVICE CAR O me , of a lifetime of experience. is the last time you truly exercised
Think of all the hard won skills your mind?
wh ich are be ing thrown away . It's dep ressing to me when I ask
HIGH PERFORMANCE What a loss to the world, our coun-
try , our communities-even their
for a show of hands at my talks.
How ma ny of you are into DXing?
PRESELECTOR-PREAMP families.
As hams we have the key right
In a room with perhaps 300 hams
I'll see two or t hree hands go up.
The solution to most interference, fntermod. and desense
there in our hands .. . and I don ' t How many of you have over 300
problems in repeater systems.
mean a Morse key. The key is countries confirmed? No hands.
* 40 to 1000 Mhz tuned to your frequen cy
• 5 large helical resonators
tech nology, with all its promise . How many of you have been on a
. Very high rejection The key to the power to change DXpedition? No hands at all. How
-t.ow noise-high ove rload resistance the world. How sad to see the key many have done anything on a
*8 db gain-ultimate rejectio n >80 db to knowledge-to prog ress- to microwave ba nd - someth i ng
. GaAs fet option (above 200 M hz) success-hanging from a call let- above 500 MHz? No hands. How
-cast aluminum enclosu re
ter keyring, its real use lon g for· many of you have made any con-
Typical rejection: .N. BNC, and 80239 connector options
gotten . tacts via Oscar? No hands. How
±600Khz @ 145 Mhz: 28db
±1.6 Mhz@220Mhz:4Odb(44dbGaAs) ±20 Mhz@800 Mhz : 65db Electronics is the real power be- many are on pa cket? Several
± 5 Mhz @ 450 Mhz: 50db (6Odb GaAs) ± 20 Mhz@950 Mhz:70db hind t he Japanese success story, hands. That 's better. How about
t he engine driving thei r who le Rny? Nothing. Now I'm getting
country. As hams, presumably we sullen , furtive looks. Okay, let' s
have the ability to learn , but some- talk code now. How many here
-uc to B EPROM programmed messages t hing's gone wrong. We don't believe we should maintain the
· Adjustable audio. speed & interval timer NEW seem to have the interest. What code requirem ent for a ham li-
. " ID OVBr voice inhibit" Model happened? cense? Lotsa hands. Okay, how
- t ow power option 10-28 many of you can copy code at 35
I' d love to run a series of techn i-
- Modulardesign
- Message selection via binary input- cal articles in 73 to help make to- wpm? One hand. How many of
TIL levels day's communications techno lo- you have made a hand key con-
- Size: 2.7 x 2,6 x 0.7" gy more easily understood. But tact in the last month? One hand .
The 10-2B provides required station identification without troublesome the reader feedback tells me that Well, how about contests? How
diode programming. The "10 over voice inhibit" circuitry allows for cour- 73 is already too complicated at many here have won a contest for
teous operation by not allowing an 10 until the next squelch closing. times. Too techn ical! That's pretty your section? One hand. Hmmm ,
10-2B Wired/Tested $99.95 10-2B-LP Low Power $109.95 depressi ng , co nsidering how not so good . How many have had
lightweight the 73 technical arti - an article published in a ham
CiLB ElECTRONKS,INC. cles have been.
I keep running into the " Oh, l' m
magazine? No hands . How many
have buill something in the last
151 Commerce Pkwy" Buflal8, NY 14224
7J,P·675·6740 9 to 4 , . " too old to learn anymore" syn- year? Two hands. Heathkits.
drome. That's ridic ulous, unless Now, please tell me, with that
CIRCLE 17 ON REAOER SERVICE CARD
80 73 Amateur Radio • March, 1990
frenzy of activity by today 's hams, If I come to a hamfest in yo ur
how on earth are we going to inter- area to talk, I wa nt to be address-
est youngsters in our hobby? Kids ing a ham rally, not a wake, so
let' s start doing some ham work. I
SURVIVES 100,000 FT. FALL
want action. I'm not even seeing
KPA5 1 WATT ATV XMTR ON 434 MHZ WORKED
talk, much less action . W hat's want to see the hands go shooting PERFECTLY IN WBBELK LIVE CAMERA BALLOON
happened to us? What do I have to up when I ask if you' re on packet THROUGH 100 ,000 FT AND BACK TO CONTINUE
do to get a spark of excitement or RTTY. I want to see the 10 G Hz RUNNING EVEN AFTER FREE FALL IMPACT IN THE
into you r hobby? How can I get rig s you 've bui ll. T h e darned MOJAVE DESERT! VIDEO SEEN FOR 300 MILES.
you to give OSCAR a try? Get you things are small, inexpensive and
to even give packet radio a try? a ball to use . I want to see yo ur OX
Get you off your duff and onto a Dynasty Award certificates . Show
Caribbean island for a OXpedi- me you r 100 country OSL collec-
ucnertev Get you to put up a new tion for BOm. Show me your cards
beam and rea lly talk with 100 fo r 160 m . Show m e you r 6m
countries? How about getting set states. The bands are co ming to
up to win a contest? Or setting up life and we 're heading into the KPA5·E board $169
a work bench, getting some test best sun spot cycle in history. So Shouldn'1 your ATV transmitter be as reliable? W eather
eq uipment and building some let's forget Monday nig ht foot ball you want to put one in a ba lloon, RiC model, Robot , use
kits? There are plenty of interest- and those Sunday ball games . as portable ATV xmtr, or get one in our ready to go
ing things to build from Heath , You'll do better to get some sleep TX70-1 for the shack, with P.C. Electronics you see the
Ramsey and so on . And I've got a so you can work OX all night. Or best! Companion receiving downconverter board TVC -
bunch more coming up in 73. The start a business so you can afford 2G $49, or ready to go in a c abinet - TVC-4G $89.
food is there on the table and most to go on some nxceomcns-ccen
hams are starving to death. afford to bUy a new rig - that new TX70·1 TVC·4G
If you got even slightly irritated tower and nice big beam-can X MT R RECV
over the loss of 40% of our 220 even afford a ho use where yo u
$259 CONY.
band, can I get you interested in can put up an tennas.
doing some thing wh ich might I'm living on a southern New $89
THE ATV TWINS
help stave off further such losses? Ham p sh ire hillt op. The nearest Hams , Call or Write for our latest cat alog of ATV gear !
We have the potential to do just neighbor is over a half mile away. Transmitters sol d only toTech or higher licensed ama teurs
about anything we really want to. I've got ducks , geese, chickens, varified in lalest Callbaok or copy of new licen se. 5/89
The power is there, waiting to be turkeys, cats, and dogs runni ng
used, and we're refusing to bother around the place. The local ski
(818) 447·4565 m·f 8arn-5:30pm pst. Visa, MasterCard

to reach for the switch . area is righ t out my window . My P.C. ELECTRONICS Tom (W60RG)
Untif we com e to life- until we skis are by the door, ready when 2522 Pa x son In Arcadia CA 91006 Maryann (WB6YSS)
get excited about technology and the snow conditions are right.
demand to learn-until we get How come, when I'm not yet re-
busy bringing amateur radio out of
the ' 50s and int o the '90s-until
tired, I'm keeping up with technol-
ogy ... in radio, in computers, in
500,000 Radio Amateur
we take the power amateur radio audio? In addition to 19 current Call Signs at Your Fingertips
has to attract youngsters and get publications, I' ve got a bunc h
them into high tech careers, giv- more I want to start . . .as soon as
Introducing Buckmaster's From Here
HamCall on CD-ROM
ing our country the abi lity to again I'm ab le to find the right people to
Over 500,OOOcall signs in the U.S.
compete in technology with Japan help me wi th them. I know a dozen and possessions are available,
and Europe, we 're going to keep new magazines which are desper- searchable by call sign, name,
going downhill. ately needed. There are some fas- address,city, state, Zip code or
So, when I talk with you on 20m, cinating new mail order business- license class. Using CD-ROMoptical
disc technology and your micro-
talk to me abou t what you 've built es which should go gangbusters . computer, you have instantaneous
recently. When I see you at ham- There are so m any businesses access to the Buckmaster HamCall
fests and c on vent ion s tell me which can be started for peanuts data base. To Here
about t he OX you 've actually and get into the million-d ollar
$499.95 per Package
talked wi th . Tell me about how range quickly that I just ca n't un-
derstand how so many hams ca n
plus Shipping (Q uantltles Limited)
many countries you 've managed
on 80m; how many via OSCAR. work for years building e xpertise HamCall on CD-ROMis a packaga
and skills-and then j ust stop, that includes lhe CD·ROM data disc,
Tell me you 've been on 10 G Hz aSony CDU-6100 external CD-ROM
and have been having a ball. turning into veri table vegetables . drive with interlace card lor IBM
Show me your contest award cer- What a waste of a m ind. Or, asour PC/AT type computers,' aOO MS-DOS
tificates. beloved VP said, " W hat a waste it CD-ROMextensions softwa re.
is to lose one's mind, or not to Publishers Data Service
Instantly!
When I run into you on your lo-
have a min d .. . how true thati s." I Corporation's newOueslar" retrieval software package is also supplied.
cal repeater, talk to me about your
This retrieval system enables the user to search the CD-ROMdata quickly
interests. Are you into cosmolo- couldn't possibly fail to disagree and efficiently.
gy? You'll find me fascinated. wit h him less!
H ow abou t fibre optics? Color Please tell me, what would it Order by calling (·81111: 282·5628
SSTV? High data throughput with take to get you on pac ket? Pre-
narrow-band techniques? Talk to suming that you have a rig for 13UCKMASTER
me about U FO detection and I'll some band, yo u'll need a comput- "Whitehall" ate. 3, Box 56
tell you why you're going to fail. er, a converter and a spi rit of ad- ,. Mineral, Virgi nia 23117
703: 894-sm
How about solar flare detection? ven ture ... the courage to actual-
$ •
Sun spots? Have you got a tele- Iytry something new and perhaps,
'Requiras 64{j ~ RAM. hard dis~ drive and
scope so you can check out sun at least for a while, make a fool of MS·OOS3.1 or later version.
spots?COMB is almost giving 'em you rself while yo u're learning.
away! Do you need more articles on it?
73 A mateur Radio • March ,1 990 81
, $ 3 ~R DISK IOORMQRE
Over 90% of you haven't tried
packet yet. What's it take? Let me
know so I can do it.
If you're a packeteer, make it
mountain tops or DXpeditioning
from Mbanbane or Meseru. And
yes, I've done those too. I've been
there ... the water's line . . , come
HAM SOFTWARE
PUBLI C DOMAIN AND SHAREWARE FOR COMPUTERS
your business to get around 10 ev-
ery club you can reach and show
on in.
When I visited 51. Pierre on a
those old fog ies how easy it weekend OXpeditionette in 1988 I
""""'"_._---
--
. "" ----- - "" . . ....
._---,
.... , - - - ... __. ..- -- - --
--- ... -._-
-,
is .. . and how much fun they've
been missing. Keep il real simple.
had so much fun that I convinced
myself that there really must be

..---- - ..-
" """'" _ _...... _ _ R _J e-,,"
_M _
__ _ ,_ _

,,._-
some way to get other hams to go
. . ......
~- ., If you've never been into OXing,
" "'. , . n'< _ ..... , _ _
" U·"'" up there and share the feeling. It's

- ,,---,----
~_ . ,-­ contests, packet, ATTY, SSTV,

....
• -- _._,_. .._"'"....,.. -
.......
--~ ... _""'
~

--"""- --,
. ..........
"''''._
, - ---, - "- "'=-::;-'--
---'
,
- --
''''' '"....''''''' , ~ .-, -­
"m ' - -' UHF, home construction or other- easy to get to, ridiculously inex-
pensive, and the world of amateur

--
wise developing your ham hori-
_ ~

",,--- ---""'. .- - . .
. _.........
"
_---
- --~

_- ......-
-
._ .. e--'...- . .
-~-

..... ---
_.-..- ....
'" ... ,
zons, perhaps it's time to sit down
and do some serious thinking. Get
radio is your oyster. You're OX!
There are very few hams who

... -_..........
•~ , "
"""' . .. ..-0_.. '''''. _ "'_ out some paper and explain to couldn't take the time and afford

__.. _-
~,,--- -
" ,. - ~ - yourself why, with a feast avail- to go to St. Pierre and be OX. Yet ,
." ,
_ _--
- ~,

."
."""
...---
",,--
" ~-

"
-.___..
RTTY!f AX/CW!SSTV

" ,,,
_000.
.... .. --
-",~- ",
_
.... _-".. ...-.- . -
._.
.,., .....
-
...,.. ._-"'
_--
."

_... _-........
'" ,
ELECTRONICS
.... able to you, you're going th rough
life eating well-done hamburgers
and fries?
when I wrote about it in 73 and
asked if anyone was interested, I
didn't get a single letter.

"""""" -_.__ .. _"'_.


'"
NETWORKING
--..
-,........ <;w._
~_.

--~ .-- ..".""'-".. _.- ...


"
Yes, I know you can get by with
a 2m rig and endless, meaning-
I had visions of sending a nice
litt le permanent ham station up
••

. . ... -----
."..
-_..
"" •,"".. -,,'U_M_"",'"
,.."." '"" - '. ''''' -- ~ '''' - ''. ''' less chatter over your local re- there and setting it up in the hotel
.-
- ,~ .-

..- _-----""
....n,<"_ ..._ . peaters. ThaI's about all a Tech so hams could fly up and see what
.,
...
...
"" ~, _
Il!!!l! _---- .. ' ....-. _
"'
- ....-. _ ,..-
ticket has to offer those with no
sense of adventure ... those dead
it's like to work several thousand
eager OXers in a few days . I even
."
"""""
-- ""'~._ ..,,'c, _._
' .... - '. . . . . . . DQO- of soul. And yes, Generals can
spend their declining years josh-
found a local ham who vclun-
teered to help keep the station in
ing friends on a 75m net. I've done top shape. Alas, no takers. Not
those too, but that hasn't stopped one American ham wilh enough
me from enjoying the excitement gumption to make even that easy
amateur radio has to offer . .. the trip.
adventure. If I could get you moving I'd love
Getting on ATTY does take to set up stations in a lot of inter-
gumption. It means changing esting and accessible places so
your rou tine . . . getting out of you could va cation, ham and

• your rut. It' ll also keep your heart


pacer busy because you'll find
a whole different breed of ham
perhaps get in some great div-
ing ... unless that's too exciting
for you.
SMILE! YOU'RE ON TV t here ... others with adventure in Write to me. Tell me what is

~ On~
their souls. You'll find people who holding you back. Why can't I get
are in terest ing and differ- you to St. Pierre? Why can't I get
$329 ent .. . people who have had the you on OSCAR? Why aren't you
guls to explore. on packet yet? Why haven 't I
Designed and A couple generations ago the worked you from 9M6 or 9M8 . ..
built in the USA
adventurous had new parts of the or even 9N 1? You've worked me
Value + Quality
world to explore. My mother met from those spots ... and YA, YK,
from over 25years
Osa Johnson on her honeymoon JY and so on. What's it take? Is
in ATV.. W60RG
in northern Vermont. .. 1 think it there something I can do in 73
With our all in one box TC70-1 7Qcm ATV Trans- was about 1920. Osa, who was which will get you off dead center?
ceiver you can easily transmit and receive live action 16, had just married Martin John- Or am I eventually going to see
color and sound video just like broadcast TV. Use son, the explorer. I watched some you listed in Silent Keys as your
any home TV camera or VCR by plugging the com- old Osa and Martin movies on TV major contribution to amateur ra-
t he other evening as they went dio?
posite video and audio into the front VHS 10 pin or places no white people had been Can I get you to try one new
rear phono jacks. Add 70cm antenna, coax, 13.8Vdc before. ham adventure? Can I get you to
and TV set and you are on the air...it's that easy! There are still some marvelous take a youngster under your wing
places to visit in the world, but and get him (or even her) en-
TC70-1 has> 1 watt p.e.p. with one xtal on 439.25, 434.0
you'll find Hyatt hotels or Holiday thused enough to get a license?
or426.25 MHz. runs on 12-14 Vdc@.SA, and hot GaAsfet Inns there now. They're fun to visit If not, get out some paper and
downconverter tunes whole 420-450 MHz band down to anyway. But no more fun than ex- tell me why. I guarantee I'll read
ch3. Shielded cabinet only 7x7x2.5~. Transmitters sold ploring the new worlds amateur it. I may not have time 10 answer
only to licensed amateurs, for legal purposes, verified in the radio has out there for you . I've . . . and if I print your leiter I'll with-
latest Callbook or with copy of license sent with order. bee n to many exotic places hold your name and call if you
around the world . . . and I've done prefer.
Call or write now for our complete ATV catalog
about everything there is to do in If you're one of the few who can
including downconverters, transceivers, linear amateur radio, so I can promise hold up a hand when I ask about
amps, and antennas for the 70, 33 , & 23cm bands. you that we have adventure wait- ham adventurers, how about com-
(616) 447-4565 m-f 8am-5:30pm psI. Visa, MC, COO ing for you .. . excitemen t. municating your excitement to
There's nothing wrong with your fellow club members? Get
P.C. ELECTRONICS mixing hamming and exploring. 'em involved. Invite 'em over to
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You can do it on 10 GHz from your shack and show 'em how
82 73AmateurRadio. March,1990
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play an integral part in the future of rad io an d To enter your OSL, mail " in an envelope to 73, WGE Center, Forest Road,
telecommunications, with a comprehensive Hancock NH03449 Ann: OS L olthe Month. Winners receive aone-yearSIJbsctip-
training and suppo rt program from the tiOn (or e _tet"lsion) to 73 Entries not in envelopes cannot be accepted.

professionals who know the industry. Find out muc h fun you 're having. Show you aren't going to lind parts.
more about your opportunity to own a Marting ~ 'e m how easy it is once you get So bUy kits . l e t entrepreneurs
franchise. Call or wr ite today. s tarted . find the parts and bundle them for
Heck, when I got started with you.
HARTING FRANCHISE
NBFM I ha d 10 build my own gear. By the wa y, I'll be at Dayton
CORPORATION
S04 South Egbert Street I s till have a couple of myoid again this year, and I'll be out for
P.O. Bo x 279, Mo nona , lowa 52159 ATTY panels a round . Th e y' re t he Minneapolis convention . I
319-539-2670 mo nste rs compared to tocay's wa nt to hear some adventure sto-
stuu. 19 " x 24 " panels packed ries from you-of business, ham.
with tu bes . I even had to make my mi ng, getti ng newcomers . I also
own tuned chokes fo r the fillers . want to hear thai you've s topped
Othe r tha n kits , yes it's very smoking, given up beer and ha ve
d ifficuU 10 build ham gear these slimmed down. With so few new
days . It's t he parts . Now th at hams to subscribe to 73, 1need a ll
vi rtually no pa rts a re made in you old timers to live lo ng, he a lthy

~
America a nd most o f the part s live s . Now, where 'd I put those
Oklahoma's hou ses have blown awa y. unles s darned s ki boots?

~~ First EXCLUSIVE you go to a ha mfest flea marke t Y'an write ... y'hear? Ell

~o'S Amateur Radio Dealership Dual-Band


O ",lillu, <I from p. 4101
field a nd note the read ing . To uch
up fo r minimum re flected ind ica-

~ -TEN-TEC -ICOM Tuninl.: Procedure


For tu ning you'll need a lo w
tion . If not near uni ty , move the
support ba r in ei the r di rection to
-BENCHER -HUSTLER le vel signal so urce of approxi-
reduee the readings. Mow the
q uarte r-wavele ngth section in ci-
-NCG/COMET ruatcl y fi ve watts, such as a Bird tbcr di rectio n to fu rther redu ce
wall me te r with an appropriate the indication. Conclude the ad-
-KANTRONICS full-scale plu g-in c le ment o r oth- justment by tuning the capacitor.
-B&W -HElL e r SWR indicati ng inst rume nt ,
Set up the antenna 10 the d ime n-
Repeat the above procedure on
the lower frequency unit. If you
-TELEX/HY·GAIN sions given . If your material is of tunc the lowe r freq uency firsl it
the same d iameter, the o nly ad- won't be nec es sary to repeat
Surplus and salvage electronic parts j ustme nts would he for the capac- the procedure o n the highe r fre-
• Used eq uipment > ity sellmgs . quency .
First . mou nt the anten na in I used glass piston capacitors to
" The So uthwest 's Low Overhead Dealer " place because there will be capac- rune OUI any i nductive reactance .
ities from Ihe vehicle itself. If you Afte r the unit had been tuned . I
1-800-70K-HAMS do n', mount it, then clamp it to a sealed the ends with plumber's
wooden ladder located at least 10 white silico ne sealant . An alter-
(800-765-4267) feel from any surrou nd ing struc- native to thi s is 10 measure the
(405) 478-2866 tu res . Start with the higher fre-
FAX (405) 478-4202 EJ quency element Uhe upper u nit).
resultant capacity of the luning
capacitor and substitute fixed val -
W ith the SWR bridge in place. ue capacitors.
feed the appropriate sig nal. Note
• t he incident or forward power
I would be most interested in
hea ring from you if you put to-
level. Reve rse the wattmeter ele- gether this duo-bander. I respond
9500 C EDAR LAKE AVE SUITE IOQ
ment or switch position for a re - to all leiters that include an
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73114 fleeted power indication : adjust SASE , III
the capacitor for a minimum re-
fleeted energy ind icatio n . Conlan RoIHrr E. 8 1_ K'6YVY at 8612
Mo ve you rself OUI of the RF Rubio A.I -enu.., Sepvlveda CA. 9 /343.
84 73AmateurRadio . March. 1990
crystal reference to determine great deal eas ier to achieve than
whether or not it (the veO) is on 10 Hz!
fr e qu e nc y . If not, its tun ing
voltage is altered until it i s . Look Ma , No Hands
The Tech Answer Man Sounds simple, right? The greatest adva nlage of a
It is, except for one problem. PLL over an analog VFO is stabili-
How do you compare the VCO ty, but is the loop really stable?
and the c rystet when they are Over the long term, it's as stable
Michael Geier KB FUM quenctes is not much different not on the s am e frequ enc y ? as th e refe renc e c ry st al from
POBox64766 from a good old analog VFO . It Obviously, if the y were, then you which it's all derived . In the short
S . Burlington VT 05406 typically has a coil-capacitor (LC) could just use the cryst al and term, thOugh, it may be another
tank circuit for tuning. The differ- forgel about the VCO altogetherl story. Aemember I mentioned that
ence is that the capacitor is a var- In fact , t he VCO must co ver a the VCO frequency is constantly
Pll. veo and Other Dirty actor d iode, instead of a variable whole range of freque ncies, so bei ng compared to the reference,
Words tuning cap with a knob. The diode th at you ca n tune aro und th e and any errors a re c o rrect ed
Be fore we get into this month ' s is a special type wh ich acts like a band. through changes in the DC tuning
topic , let me thank all who have va riable cap . Its cap acitance The solution is a programmable voltage applied to the VCO. Well,
written regarding Flavo rig (see c ha nges dependi ng upon t he frequency divider which can alter there are always some errors and
the November 1989 issue of 73). amou nt of DC voltage applied to it. the VCO frequen cy to match the always some changes in that DC
The response has been enthusi- Thus, the oscillator's frequency crystal ref erence and permit the voltage .
astic and most rewarding. A few of ca n be con tro lle d from another two to be compared. Let' s say the In othe r words, the VCO is AL-
you have asked me for layout dia- circuit. desired VCO fr equenc y is 5.0 WAYS wandering arou nd a littl e
grams for the transmitter board . That other circuit is, of course, MHz . The crystal frequency is 1 bit. It is possi ble to ma ke the erro r
I'd be glad to oblige if I could, but the digital part , with the micropro- MHz . If we divide the veo 5 times, correct ion very fast , but it can
the sim ple truth is tha t I laid it out cessor and its associated compo- th en we can compare it to the overshoot and cause instability if
as I went along, and it has no par- nents. It con trols the oscillator so crystal. If we then adjust the tun- pushed too far. So, some amount
t icular organization . The layout that the radio will operate on the ing voltage until the two exactly of wobbling must be tole rated .
isn't cri tical at these freq uencies, frequency srcwn on the display, matcn. the VCO will be at exactly Th is wobbling is call ed phase
so feel free to experiment. A con- which is atso generated by the 5 MHz. noi se . It amounts to a rand om
struction project like this isn't a kit, same micro. When you " tune" the And this scheme works. 11 is lim- FMing of the VCO, and causes
so just do it your own way and see rig , whether by knob or keypad , iled, rcwever. by the fact that we various problems. from hissy TX
what happens! WhO knows, yours you are really just entering data cannot divide by fractional num- and AX to reception of signats cut-
may be better than mine. In fact, into the micro. 11 then interprets bers. If we want 5.3 MHz, for in- side the normal receiver band·
one fellow has written saying he your input and sets the display stance, we have no way to divide width.
has a design for a simple side- and the synthesizer frequency to by 5.3 to do the co mparison. So a Red uct ion of phase noise has
band filter for the rig . I'll let you match. simple synthesizer of th is kind be en a major goa l si nc e sy n-
know more as soon as I find out could not tune in increments of thesizers were int roduced , and
myself. Let 's Gel Loopy less than 1 MHz, which is (not co- today's rigs are better than thOse
One thing that appa rently So , the micro genera tes a incidentally) the reference crystal of just two or three years ago. Of
wasn't clear from the photos is voltage which controls the v ce, frequency. So how, then, does an course, eve n analog VFOs have
that the rig does not fit into the and the rig is on frequency, right? HF rig tune in 10Hz increments? some pha se noise, as no cscme-
original case. Only the front was Sorry, it's not that simple. Send· With a 10 Hz crystal?? lor is perfect. But they are sti ll
used ; the sides are extended bac k ing a DC vo ltage t o the VCO q uieter than sy nt hesize rs, a l-
a ways with perfboard, and the should , in theory, set it on the Go Up, Young Man though lhe digital stuff is catching
back is new, too. If you want to, desi red fr equen cy , but it ju st Of course not. There is no suc h up.
you can build the rig into any pro- doesn 't work . Real-world influ- thing . The needed resolution can Next month, we'll discu ss the
ject box and discard the rad io cab- ences , especially te mper at ure, be obtained in various way s, one troubleshooti ng of synthesizers .
inet altogether. ca use th e exact frequ en cy of of which is to do everything at a But right now, let 's look at a tetter
the VCO to be somewhat unpre- very high frequency, and then di- that is especially appropriat e to
A Piece 01 the' 'Roc k " d ictable. Right now, 7 volts might vide the results. The required our current topic:
If you've got a walkie or HF rig set it to 5.3 MHz, but later it may f requenc ies ca n get rath er ex-
less than five years old, it's almost drift (like any oscillato r) to 5. 4 treme (and the reduct ion of the Dear Kaboom,
certainly " synthesized." It has a MHz . There goes th e sta bility, tuning step is accompanied by a My K e nwood TS -440SIAT
digital display, and frequency drift wh ich was supposed to be the corresponding reduction in over- makes a " popping " sound eve/}'
is close to nonexistent. Perhaps it poi nt in the first placer all freq uency range), so ctner 10 kHz when there is an AM carri-
has memories, multiple VFOs , The only way to ensure the sta- schemes involving mult iple loops er on frequency. Ken wood says it
and/or some of the other mod ern bility of any variable system , and mixers have evolved and are is normal, but I've asked around,
belts and whistles. But just what is whether electronic, biological, or used Quite successfully in today's and some rigs have the problem
a frequency synthesizer? What otherwise, is to compare its per- rigs . and others don 't. Can you help?
does it do and how does it do it? formance to a stable reference. In some designs, one loop's Signed,
How is it different from an analog Your body maintains a position output can serve as the reference Pappin '
VFO? And what can you do when reference in your inner ears, in the frequency for another loop, gen-
it won't work? form of organs containing a fluid erating higher resol ution because Dear Poppin '
The basic purpose of a frequen- which is held down by gravity. As of t he many possible co mbma- Funny you shOuld ask. Actually,
cy synthesizer is to generate oscil- you move, the fluid shifts , telling tions of me loops ' division ratios. I' ve d iscussed this problem be-
lator frequenc ies which are as your brain where you are. Dam- In othe rs , ind epend ent loop s fore, but it bears repeating. Your
stable as if they were c rystal con- age those organs, and you cou ld are used to generate the coarse rig , like most newer ones, has had
trolled , but without the single- not stand u p . Si mi la rly, you r and fin e freq uen cy steps, with its PLL loop filters " tightened up,"
freq uency limitation inheren t with watch keeps li me only because it t he ir o u tp uts mi xed t ogethe r or made faste r, to hel p redu ce
crystals . In other word s , rock has a crystal reference with which tater on. In any event , virtually all ph ase noise in the synthesizer.
stable bu t not roc k bound! Fur- to define the second. Change the synthesizers used for HF involve The result is a quieter, cleaner-
t he r, t he " t un ing " s ho u ld be ref erenc e speed and the time- multiple loops, usually driven by sounding receiver, but also some
co mplete ly repeatable, permit- keeping accuracy will go off the (and therefore referenced to) one overshoot (mo mentary instability)
ting functions like scannin g and deep end. master crystal oscillator. at certain frequency poi nts, such
memory. The whole esse nce of frequen- VHF synthesizers are actu ally as 10 kHz. That's what causes the
We think of synthesizers as be- cy synthesis is con tained in what much simpler than those used for pop. The older rigs which don't
ing digital , but in reality they are is known as a phase-loc ked loop HF , beca use the required resolu- pop also have more phase noise.
part digital and part analog. The (PLL). It's a fancy term for feed- ti on is much less . Two met er You gain some, you lose some. By
actual voltage controlled cscma- back. The VCO frequency is fed walkies, for instance, need a mini- the way, my '940 does it too, and it
tor (VCO) that generates the fre- back and compared to a fixed mum step of 5 kHz , which is a annoys me also. DI
73 Ama leur Radio • March,1 990 85
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, i"",,1. $14,95 ",ke'i ll~ , C,. ,,,u,,j,,,o "'''''f""e' pwf"»iunal> "'ill "",cr n.,~
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11JI'0'l0 • 1990 Int ernatio nal
f ;Jilrd by f'mJ J, O,unaaa
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O, RI1I • World Pr e ss
h", INo,,· P,.,I I I II M O ~ C O ~lU ~ S I 9 . ~5
ARll" · Ope rat ing An ARRL License "'.nusl AFl0477 • Lo.... Band OXlng S e rv icea Frequenc ies
Amateur R8dlo S'alion Ilc~in ni "g " 'i,h lim, i" ' lor World H"w ,,, 10'."'" ,he "hallc"!",, of ,h. (RTTV)
'UMOl! • Map Library by Radi" .4 "'''''''' Col/ho"'l Inc. dllforen, fOfm, of 160. W.• r>J 40
1i", lud", I p"·f,, M, p ,,111le W",ld 4 ·<'01" , 010", ! g"
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duro" SI.OO "'''0' fUT ,he Tochnoei,n lh",ugh ,ng " " ,cg=. $111.00 RlUiiolek,ype ""w, ",,'mlt""'g-
I W,,,ld All" 4 '"01,,, 211 p'fc, S12.lMI A Rn~~ • FirSI Sleps in Em , cr.,,; you will fLf>.! (>.I" i"g AFl2030 . Vour Gate ....ay 10 e""" I"" .11i"I"",,,,,j,,,,-onlon,,,,.
R.dlo b" fJ.-J u fllk'ua .. WI f'8 c""h .>am c1cme"t , ' nap' There PltCkel Radio 2nd Edition ro,'"...", tc'minal onl1•. pi",
Sc,i", of QST ,n id n . B" I< ,'s pla- a' e "'-,<'''W e 'c," «pl.".' i,,", of Fi lled wi'h in'""".,i"n fo' .lIa""- th".... e'lcn, I•• frc4uonC) Ii" ,

ARRL BOOKS ,,'


AR220 ) . Anl"nna AR 16'70' ARRl 1990
ei,,,,, I" . "d h" w ..
n" i"", of "ireai, " ""ponen,,: &e
comp""'·"" a, <e rnhlcd ,n", p1"O"'i-

mak up y"u r radiofea, , $5,lIll


ARI14 71 • Trsnsml sslon
mC"'"
,~ ",,'e,i,1 ",,'ered .I""g with
F("C ~UC' lJon 1"",1, ,nd an,"'o,
kc),s
ARB75 • Technlc lsn Clsss
License Msnual $6.00
'Cll" , Tells c"l)thtng y"" need ,,,
know a",,"' 'hi' pop" 'ar
-~ how '0 go' ".nod.•q",f'
ll'I<n' r""need • • nd ",,,,e, ~1 1 . 00
'"
Co.e" M World P' e" Service'
h,oad".sr ing Engli' h. ·'Thc
'"
Ori~i,,"1 P,e" B,~,k." 1<41"'80<·
Sll. 5ll
A R 2ol~6 • FCC Rule Book
Impedance "'''ching H.ndbook (6711> ed .J Line Trsnsformers AR2.l8.J • Gener.l Cl....
(8th ed) IOD090 • 1990 Nort h
by Wi/l rrd ,"'. ( ....ro n ("on"i n, ""cr 111Xl (>.I~c,.r>J Mer by IJr. J,"1 .\n"el Lic"nse Manual $6.00
11(XI " bb . fL ~ " re ,. "~ ch.rt, . 0",,,,, 'ype, of ,,· ind l n ~ . , c"", ",• . ru, New !'.dil i"n " .In"," SO'll; American Callbook
A~> .....·"<l , ,,,,,,,,u,,, a nlco,",&, i~n AROIM • Advanced Class
,, \ter. The ,,,,,,, i. 1"hOp'OfS in tl-.: lj ,,, ,,,,or 500,(..) Ii,~nsed 'adi"
cn~,,,,,,,,. tochnici.n" M,,,., ,">n\_ Addod ", Ihi, edl""" a,,, ""w .n· tOf i.I,. f,action·.I ·",i" winding', License Manual S5.00
fm "' "I' Iho boo• • re " "",jor "f' ,,,,,,'c,,,, in , 1I o""n"ios " f Nonh
prel-.:n,i.c ",.,k " ',," en "" "' ;"1' 'e" n. pmj",·" i nd udi ,,~ 'h "" high· offlole"""'. muhiw,nding,r>J ""i· ,>. R2.l91 • Extr. Class
g,uJc o>er the p",Yi"", "<ljt<m,. A Ame,i"• . Gi,·c, ,.11. , ""me•.•nd
SmtIh e""-,,, in ,oh' ;n~ i"'p''''a",''' pe, for m, ,,,'cY' gi, 10' 144. no.
al '" n,f",mc" , "" I" n, . Ii 'ni" , lon,
SI5.IMI ,nd 4.\2 MH, de,igned t>y Slo"e .. hif h imped, ,,,,, lewl, .nd
lic"nse Manual ".00 n",,, fo' .'cr)' ""tl," fadio .rna, .old,e.., inf"'ma'ion . Slll.OO
""",' hin¥ p",hk n".
Po"' Ii' hcn. KI FO S23.00
"'Sf AR1 14 ltl · V.gl Antenna leu, 59,00
"'R!472 • Tun" in th" Wo<ld

..
"'lULpmc n' U lI.OO OSE03 • f irsl Book of
o-aalgll AR2171 • Hintsand Kinks
wilh Ham Radio Kit (811'1 edt ",RIWl2 · Solid Slate ARO ''14 • Anlenna /I"m R",lio puhli,hcd " ""ie" <>I' Find ,he an,wOf to Irn., "icky I" ,lb. Mod "rn Elect ronics Fu n
B" nd ~" "" E"I",m, E.,i"r I" rc.d . Design Compendium Vol. 1 Proje cts
,nidc' on Y . ~j . m"c,i.1 lem. lde,s fur ,,· " in~ " p yOOf fOOl
,... -e.J '0' 1 ,'0"0" ,II< ~uc,' I"n S..IiJ Sl"/~ /)f"'i~n i. ,·h,,,, ' lull "f Malc r;a l, >orueals. q",d"
1" ~, 1s u" N,wic" ""m, gi'cn ,,,, ""
g'~'<l. 1lU",' ,nI,lIma' i,",-c, ". ", I I<~'P'. ¥ a~ ... "'d""nd , I,e .n'on-
from ,he"" .'tl<l., lllU' i' p'e",n'ed
he'" was poli'l;OO and« p.ndc d bl'
I'", oo~f1fona h le a<>J efflci.n' "1"',.
S5.00 !-" " king for
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• ..,
", h" 'e flln .
N,wemhef I. 19 ~9.r>J I,'er, Code· &"gn, and 11>.'" ,ppli,·.,io",. a",1 ""' . rn.1"n, . Smi' h Chan " A"'en- a"""
f)r, law",n, SI5.00 ,oc,ea"" )'...., tech" i"al e'peni"".
''' ''''hin~ ,nd code-p''''''io" ,'a, · dc,," ' ip< ion' "f m,,,, """, " ,,, ,"',,- "a p"la,,,., I,,n . and othe' inl<;''''I- AR2'(IJ • Salellil" Anthology .nd ""'e moocy _,11 " ,Ile ",me
",,'c' ,neh,,"d ,n the I. " SI9.UI1 'cr,. p"w'c , ' " ppli. , .
""" '0 " ing ",hje"" SIll.OO AR207.J • Novlc. Antenna TI-.: 1.,«, i" fonn" i,m 0" OSCA R, lime' Thi, u" lqu" corl,pendi"m.
AR24(,4 • Tu ne in Ihe World ~ lJIprocnt S12.00 Nol"book "'htoUfh 13a' w.lla"ltc RS>a'el · chod -full of projo."·h. will ,""w
AR254S • Anlenna
8<" ,*, only $14 .00 N" , I<" will I. arn. ""''''g '-"-110' h<os. Info, m"i<mon ,he "sc of dig- )'0" how. 519,5G
AR21J65 • ARRl Antenn. Compendium Vol.2
AR2197 · 0 al. Book thing •. how .n,cn,,", op." a,o.,nd i,.1 mode•. "ading. amcnna..
,. Book
" pape" eo..e"n~ '·c rtie, I,. .m, gow Tn, tl-.:" drOd;>e""" RUIlA K. ","e" ,,"'ump" le, .
V,lu.hk .idlO ,he Ill' LIe"g " c"g" I1RRL 11"" n",, /j , ~>i< ropre· yagi•. quad•. "," ltlh.nd ,nd b""d-
neer. lo<·n"i"',n. , .d io a"'a' cu' . ",n" ,be be" and m",' hifhl}' 1O· 'y ,t<m,. an'c"". "' leeti"n.
f" , .I>.1l1- .nd 1""g-<l'>I.",.., com· more' S5.00 '"" mC6l • Com modore 64
Tro ubleshooling"
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",unleati"n, ".00 ARCJOol6 ' S. tellile RepairGuid"
'ah lo> . d o,!> . •nd th"'" h''''l-to· Experlmenlers Handbook
" " mcn'a l" ".n.",i"i"n I,no,. AR00l 88 · W1fB·sAnl.nna AROol37 • ARRl Repul"r
b.. No!Hn (". B", a ~ .,
"'Ill.ml>er fo,m" I.,. 512.lMl Undc , one "",er i, ",·hal ,he Am.-
"".i ~n . '00 ""n"'",'li"n " r w're Notebook Thi' bonk will g" ide y'" 'tel' hy
Directory 1989-1990
ARAJ4I • Interle...,nce S18,00 lOll ' RaoJi" Opefalor """', 10 k"" '" 'I'P ,hroogh III< """pl..i'ie,
H.ndbook
,n,~ n".s

W" " 00 fmm an RFI ,k",h·.' peT' ARIOxt. . ARRL Ope,aling


Gct ' he
"''''
by fJ.-J"K DrMaw WI 1"8
perf" rm. """ oot of
Th" ,'<lition i' 14'l' laffe' and in" in urLler to communic.te ' h",ugh
" Iude, "w, 475 be",'o"", oo>,,"ng
SIO.OO
"" king , Imple f" p" " yo",
'" "'
" M', '" "
OSCAR s'''clli'o'. C"",,,x'<lore 64 ~ t9.SO
Manual
unub"",i ," ""'" . ""',,nas,rIIl "C'· I,"'!uo""i.:, ,~
' pec·'i><. HI> .. perio",·o In ,"lYing lieal> . Ru ild SWR Glk y ....·11 ,Is" fi nd ,wcr n . .JOO AR !~ ~8 • Sp.ce Alm.nac
inlerle",,," probi.m" ~ 1 2. 00 Thc I1 NRL Op<",' i~~ "",,,,,,,,i
" h,ldgc'
""'·'od wnh i" I",m., I"" "n h" w I" A ROJ4~ ' QRP Notebook
'""" """ SlI.01l regul., , e pe. , ~ r Ii.ling' .rIIl o>-or b.. Anlho~.. N. ("uni' K3KXK 05C1~ • C64/12B Progrsms
AR2 871 • WlfB'sHelplor 2200 difipeate" . S5.00 b"""'dinary book. C.prufOS lhe lor Amateur Ra dio "
makc 11-.: be" u'" of )'" U' "a,i"n. by fJ.-J~ K f)dfa ", 1"11"8 b,..l h' . ..." g recen' ncw, fro m

,.
Ne.... H.ms Elect ronics by Jt>"'ph ("aN
iocr"d,ng: mtof/aci"g h,"ne com,
hy lJ<l"f Dr,lIn", WI 1"8 pu<Or>. OSCAR. VHF-t: HF. mIl- P",,,,n" "un,,,"cli,,n p,ojoot, for Ak208l • Complele OX '"r '1""-'0. locludos .boo,
40 p;.80, "" n, • Ioetronics hobby ist . pro ·
GU Ld<, ,~ """'""mm,,, 'h",ugh ,he QRp <>per.tor. from a ,implo I 2nd Ed. by Bt>h I.t><lr, W llli:.W A"",,,,ur Rad io "'lOlht"" Find al- g'am",.,. e"g l"",,, , and 'oehn;"ia"
' c, "ng SI5 .00
w. lt el)'''al-e''Tl'mlkd " , n, mille'
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"'''. of now opera' mg Yoo' lll.a,n ""'" ,n hun' Il X.nd mo" ,n)" hing yoo m'gh' wan' I" will cnJ", , ~ ,.., k-<>, leIl'''<l ,~
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Spir.l
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$2.5ll >o8 n"
~.

55.00
Itow 'n oh,. in ha,d ' l o - ~ <l Q" ~ oow alw.",' man', I' ip t" the
ca,d. S12.00 %tlpag"" $IO. OO
Sf''', g'.'"' for '''''<OU' 'lUiio arlll dC<" ·
tro"i,·. In ,hi.",.,., S14.5l1
a "a,i"n ar>J ge' on ,110 ai" $10,00
O'EOO • Solid-State Pro jecta lOA343 • All About Cu bical I};\M '" • GG TE Mo .... Tulor ~E.'il • One Evening 03 504 • The Hldden Signals
Yo u Can Bu ild Quad Anlenn. . Floppy disk for IBM PC, XT . AT. Electronlca Proj lH:la on Satelllie TV
by RuOOif F. Orof! b1 Willia", OTT W6.'iA f! .nd compalihle•. Lear n the Inter · b1 C"hi" R . Grof"M by Thom" , P. Harrington
~f"1/,tl. II'haI~n 51,"", Co,.."n W1LX ,",lIonal Morse code or improve Rid "...i S. Go.<. and 1h>b Coop" Jr.
HO"e yoo sea",hed for chaHenging The "Cl.ssic" on Qo<ld "".ign. ~OlIt capabilities , One di.keue will 16 projects thaI can be a,sembled in Ne... bo,,1; shows and <eli, how to
in..:..ali'e projecl' . imaginali'ely theory. con'troction . operalion. take you from beg intler through e, - a simple home worhhop.• volrage la ne in Ihc many lht.. ",nd, ufTelo _
designed and . killfully debuggod 10 Ncw feed and n..tch,ng 'y'tems . 'ra cI."
in e",~ seif-paced le.son•. deleetor. solid·,rale 'elephone bell, phot>,o. Data. Tolex. Tolelype. Fa<:-
S1imu lale y,...r owo creali,. think· New data $'I.SO St.ndard 0. F.rn''''Orlh mode. • ""n, istor . udiu amplifier. and 13 ,io,,1<: S.g"al, on It..... t of !he TV
ing"' If ><l. thl, booI; ... ... ... rilleo for Code .peed. from I 10 o""r 100 OIhers, This is an e.. ~ 10 ander - S.lelli", •. co _." equipment.
yoo' $10.50 lOA344 • The Rad io Am ateu r ...ord. per mi""le. $19.50 stand, enjoyable gaide 10 compl<l- h<>ol.up;>, whele to tuoo. O nly I>:"ok
An la n na Handbook ing ba.ic electroni.. projcclS- OITIlI • Trans mitte r cover log ,he"" "',,:"-~ .ignal. on the
03 R02 · R"YToda ~ b1 lHllia", OtT 1t'6 .'iA f! 051:94 • Cr. .h Coo .... In Hu nti ng : Rsdlo Direction
by Duw Ingram J(4TWJ wilh j U5l 000 e_e ning·. work. satellite,. plu,.11 ,uheame r>, 234
Electron ica Te chnology
I The ne... and only up-lo-date RT-
: TY boo k in .",tenee. Co'e" .11
S1"tufCo .."n W2LX
... . gi be.m theory. con "ruclion . byu",. £. F""u/}r.
opc ,alioa. Wire bcam" SWR Wi, h a pr o _e a fo rm.1 of pr o· OKW87. Wealher S alellile
"." Find ing Simplified
byJo..ph IJ. M",U Ii.uV and
T1IomllS ,\ '. Cum, WIMVT,T,
p.o~c. . '19.SO

f.,:e" of RlTY-RlTY and Ho me


ca"es . MalC hi ng sySlcms . A g ram med io, tro« ion, Ihi. book Handbook 336 pagcs. l48 ilia... $11.50
Compurer>-""'M compreheo,i'e · ·must" for serious OXe". $11.50 tellCbes yoo lbe basics of eleelricit~
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i1la",,"od, A masl fur RlTY fan, . D ",. T. ggan has wrillen thi. boo", by f:<irl Jo<ob Waru .
lOA346 • S imple. Low-eoal e..y-IO-understand f..hioo.$2 I .50
112 page, ,58.50 10 ,r""" l>olh c. periencod . mateor Le.rn lhe hd,ics of ol<:<:lIr",i". A
Wire Ante nna s tor Rad io 0 10033 • Ta lk To The World: "'le illte onlhu, i.., and the ncw_ com prel>en,i,e. well illa'trated
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by Jim Grubb' AYf:I SIIUUf C" ,," n Wl /. X "nd Morro" Key.,. NJMK of intere... enco mpa..ing . Ieerroo· 0'S I9 ' S hortws.e Rad iO
11>0 page. of useful inf<llmalion on All Ncw! Lo"',o,l. mulll-blInd .a - Pro. Kk, infunna,ion and praclica l
"'. me terology, . nd a"'onau- L1stanlng wllh Ihe Experts
seleeling . Commodore computer tenna, ; ine, pen.i'e be.m, . " In· 'Ip> un ul>Iaining a """ice license.
lics, $ 16.'15 by (;"71 L IJen"
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;heer panic "ni_e"al
,,' .ilualions, You"e come
mo"
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whe n ~o a r nn' Yo a'lI woo dc r
Card /I Expiration Dale

hi. far. so don ' l go' cooo shy w', lhe ..am"""
i. sending so IL 73 Magazine 03449 •
..
_ _ _ ,_

------
Mall
_ ; _ Attn.
_Unc le Wayn
__ __ e ,_
F ore
_s _
t R o_
ad_
, H a_
nc _
oc k_
. NH
_ __
~, 'Iowly~
PROPAGATioN"'F" db"k"~
Number 34 on your Feedbeck card

• • .deK6MH
Jim Gray WI XU
The 3 Cons couldn't do that? What can we do Jim Gray W 1XU fora ys into t he OX j ungle, and
I'm thinking of 3 " can" words , and that we haven't tried? How many 2 10 Chateau Circle watch t he d aily chart for expected
how they relate to ham rad io: Con- hams get together to share poems, Payson AZ 85541 conditions. VVVl/V at 14 minutes
text, Contest, and Content or dreams, or things they might be past each hou r w ill also give you a
First, Context. What is the Context writing, read ing. building , thinking The Best and the Worst summary of past, prese nt, and fu -
of amateur radio? I think you could about? How many of us can get be- Wh ile t h e mon th o f Ma rch ture e xpected condi tions . If the
say it is to see if we can communi- yond "What will they think?" and in-
marks th e vernal e qui nox, and forecast disturbances vary from
cate across a distance. And we've to what WE think? ... right there, on
probably th e best OX conditions of th e predicted days by a day or so ,
shown, to the amazement of all, that the air, live, unrehearsed. I'm not
the enti re year, it is also likely 10 be don 't be surprised, because fo re-
we can do it in ways and on frequen- talking about opinions. I' m talking
the most troubled month in term s casting in th ese times is mo re an
cies earlier thought impossible. about doing our very best thinking
In exploring this context , we have out loud, first crack out 01 the box, no o f geoph ysic al up s et s . A s w e art than a science, and Old Sol
tried competition. Discovering we holds barred, right there on the ra- close in on the maximum su nspot loves his little surprises. III
could get through on high frequency dio. Can we? num ber-po ssibly late th is
bands, we engaged in contests Funny. Thinking of Context , Con- year- and the greatest so-
EASTERN UNITED STATES TO:
to see who could do it better and test, and Content. I guess you could lar activity in many years,
00 02 04 06 os 10 12 ,. ' 6 ' e 20 ",.
faster. say that Context is the function of the chanc es are greatest
ALASKA
' "'
10 _ zo zo zo __ , ~ ~ ,

Then we got into repeaters . Con- AAAL. They have been around since for the best o f con ditions ARGENTINA ' ~"I zo 40 40 _ _ ' 0 - - ' ~ , ~ .
tests increased activity temporarily. the beginning of ham rad io. CQ? and the worst of co nditions. AUSTRAliA ~I , 20 20 20 20 00 " 1 zo - - - .
,~ 1 1 1 1 , ~ , ~ ' 0 ' 0 '0 zo ,
But repeaters made clear channel Heavy into Contestmanship , 73? A Yo u can e x pec t th e ECAliALZONENGLAND 40 140 _ _ ' 5' O ' ~ ' S 20
FM available to all the HTs in town rallying place for hams concern ed gre atest disturbances in HAwAH ' s 20 20 ~, 1 20 20 ~"
ZO 20 IS __ - -
and 10 autos all over, 24 hours a day. with the Content of amateur commu- the earth's magnetic field, INOlA
JAPAN 10 _ 20 20 ZO _ _ ' ~"I,

2m FM became one of the hottest nications. I hesitate to call this con- wit h possible sto rm level s MExICO , .. I S ISI OIO' 0 20 IO
things in ham radio . tentsmanship. on ma ny days, during the PH' ~-' PP' NES 'S _ ZO ZO _ _ ZO ''1. 10 - - 'S
Which brings us to the third can: " Content" is part of th e word PUERT R
first and last full weeks of SOUTH A~RICA ,1 40 20 20.. - -IS -I S '0 '0 ' 20 '0
- ' 0 ' 0 15 ' 5
Content. Now that we have set the " contentment." Apropo. If asos
the month. Yo u can also S~.!l 40' 2OZO _ - - ''1, ''1, - 20
context, c ommunication across a have content, one tends to feel con-
ex pect associ ated weather WEST COAST
distance, and honed our abilities tented , Discontent? That too-occa-
p he no mena an d ot he r
thru contests, what are we to do now sional feeling of burnout after a cou-
geophysical effects around ALASKA
that we have clear channels? Well, ple of hours on the air indulging in
the worl d. ARGENTINA .. ZO _ 10 - - '
"" -
we could always get on and say the ham equivalent of cocktail con- A T R ~~ ' A '"I, ' S _ 20 '" 40 _ , s'· '0
"urn-err" a couple of times, and go versation. Best OX in Years C2~NA.b ZONE "I '~ I I __ " '110 10 '0
ENGLANO '0' j ' ' S·'S ·2020
back to HF and contests, getting our
HAWAII ,~ '5 10 ZO ZO " I 40 ZO _ ' 0 '0 10
satis fact ion out of th is atavist ic Amateurity On the brighte r side, you , ~" , ~ , _ . i~ , S· _
INO",
c an co unt on 6 met ers be-
struggle 10 " get through." In the December 1989 731 men-
. ' -
- -"1,
JAPAN ~ I, ,

ing op en m uch of every MEXICO °1 " I _ "I ~I ' 0 ' 0 10


You don't hear many contests on tioned the word amateurity, the im-
repeaters, do you? Because there , pulse of wen-nuecreteo, mature hu- day, ten meters being open
PHllIl'f'lNES - - - >dj', >dj', - -
PUERTORKXJ "I "I _ ' 'I ' 0' ' 0 ' 0 '0
the contest is over. We've won. Now mans to do what they do for its own until long after dark, and so SOUTH AFRICA _ _ ,~ '5 " 1 20
uSS R _ I ~" " "' 5" 20 20
we can ask ourselves, why did we value, rather than being controlled forth down the spectrum .
want to com municate in the f irst by a ring in the nose called " re- S pri ng b ri ngs t hu nder- WESTERN UNITED STATES TO:
place? Because the point is , we ward ," "punishment, " or " compen- storms in some parts of the ~ " I< ~I< ,~ 20 20 20
have arrived. With repeaters we can sation ." I got a letter from O. J. cou ntry, and snow in oth- ARGE NTINA "
'0 ' 0
communicate, loud and clear, all Lougheed N5JXU at High Desert A USTR A ~-' A ' O ~', ' 5'

over the place . So what was it we Research Farm, Abiquiu, New Mexi-
ers, w ith consequen t atmo- CANAL ZONE ' 0 '5 "1 "
' 0 ' 0 ' 0 10
spheric static. However, in '5 '~ ' ~ 2O
wanted to say? Just: " Hello, where co, whose efforts are toward sustain- spi te of th e problem s oc-
ENGLAND
HAwAII "" Is ' 0
are you, what' s your name , what's it able agriculture and people-to-peo- INDIA " Is"
curring fo r at least 14 o f the
like there , what are you using to talk p le c o mm u ni c at ion worldwide.
31 days you will no dou bt
JAPAN
MEXKXJ ' 0 ,S 'v • "
' 0 ' 0 '0 '0 "
on?" Included was a great story from the PHILIPPINES '0 ' 0 20 I S '
consi der this month to be
Here we are now with the first magazine Home Power #5 , titled PUERTO RICO '0 ,~ " I 'O 'O ,D, O
th e best fo r OX you've seen SOUTH AFRICA '0 'S , S
stages of a technology that will trans- "So what can ONE person do, any- "" "
- _. ..-
U S.S,R eo ' 20 ZO 20
in th e last ten years . Enjoy! , ,
mit accurately almost any amount of
content. What do we want to do with
it? We're not supposed to broad-
way?" It' s about a lady in her 70s, a
retired English teache r living on a
sailboat in Santa Cruz , CA.
Use th e band-nme-coun-
try chart fo r pla nning your
_.
,

....
EAST COAST
,~_ _ ...... ··o·,_
..,,---
""- ~ , ~ "
_~
... '''"." ... ',.,..,...
.~ "".,, - , --
~~
", _..-., "' _ _'"
-- -~
G·· _ ""~_

cast, although we can talk to a net- Mary Duffield teaches ham radio
work of other hams or even call aST and social responsibility to young MARCH 1990
ne wm
to all radio amateurs (I don 't think the
League has a corner on that). We are
people along with sailing and energy
self-sufficiency . One exam p le:
'"" "" 1 '"" 2
ffi'

3 '"
not supposed to tra nsmit music , Mary's ham kids set up an interna- F F F·P
though some hams are already talk- tiona l teleconference via ham radio
ing about exchanging digital signals to investigate water quality , Stu - 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
that could translate as music. We dents of Junior HS age or less in US, P P P P P P P-F
can send pictures, moving or still. SCotland, West Germany, Canada,
We are not supposed to do anything Denmark, and Japa n participated. 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
commercial. OK . So what can we Water test kits were sent out to all F-G G G G G G G
do? Education ? Town meetings on participan ts, who agreed to cooper-
the air? Special interest groups? ate in cleaning up the worst one, a
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Have any hams visited the halls of school in upstate New York whose G-F F F F F-G G G-F
Congress and aST'd the workings
of government or their observations
water was badly contaminated with
lead and PCBs .. . and it got done,
25 26 27 28 29 30 31
on it to fellow hams? You though t we by citizens too young to vote. DJ F-P P P P P P P

88 73 Amateur Reaio » March , 1990


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plus two 8-second "CQ Co nte st" me ssages on
Performance. Yours a nd yo ur rad io's. T hey go hand tra nsm it.
in hand . To be a tru ly world-class competitor,
you've got to have a tr uly world-class rig . And it's - Automatic Antenna Tuner built -in with fas t ac-
tion a nd 39 memories for qu ick band changes.
here, now. T he versatile new FT- IOOO from Yaesu.
- QRM Rejection Systems, including a variety of
The FT-lOOO wil l blow away yo ur co mpetition with
a spectacula r combinat io n of power and operating cascaded f Iter selections, width control, IF shi ft .
IF notch filter, all- mode sq uelch, d ua l-mode noise
fl exibi lit y with such feat ures and options as:
blanker a nd a CW aud io peaking fi lter.
- Direct Digital Synthesis (DDS), two ten-bit
DDS plus three eight-bit DD S for fast lock-up ti me Additional Features: 108dB dynamic range - front
and lower synthesize r noise than other traditional panel RX an tenna selector - bui lt-in electronic keyer
PLL sys tems. module - ste reo d ual receive - f lywheel effect o n
main and sub VFO tuni ng dials - twin frequency
- High RF Power Output , continuous adj ustable displays - CW spot.
output from 20 to a fu ll 200 watts.
A product of three years of intensive research and
-Dual Receive utilizing two tuning knobs for easy design. Thi s HF r ig will a llow you to achieve a
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band dual receive.
See the exc iting new FT· 1000 at your Yaesu de aler
- Digital Voice Storage (DVS-2) o ption provide s today. It's the best of the best.

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Performance without compromise.

© 1989 Yaesu USA, 17210 Edwards Road Cerrito s. CA 9070 1 (800)999-2070

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