Home-brew this SOOW amp Build a hot 2m vertical! Switching

68 Pages·2009·21.07 MB·English

JANUARY 1999
ISSUE 1460
USA $3.95
CANADA $4.95
Home-brew this SOOW amp
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Build a hot 2m vertical!
Switching power supplies
Sunspot Cycle 23
The good news : Best OX ever
1
The bad news : Satellite killer?
Get more features for your dollarwith our
SYNTHESIZED FM
LOW NOISE RECEIVER PREAMPS
REP-200 REPEATER
EXCITER & RECEIVER MODULES
LNG-( ) GAAs FET PREAMP
A microprocessor-controlled repeater with full auto We recently introduced new vhf fm
patch and many versatile dtmf remote control fea STILL ONLY $59, wiredltesled exciters and receivers which do not
tures at less than you might pay lor a bare bones • Make your friends sick with require channel crystals.
repeater or controller alone! envy ! Work stations they don't NOW... uhf modules are also available!
even know are there
Exciters and Receivers provide high quality nbfm and
o Install one at the antenna and
fgk operation. Features include:
overcome coax losses,
Dip switch frequency selection.
Availab/e for 28-30,46-56, 137-152, 152-172,210 o
o
• Exceptional modulation for voice and ctcss.
230, 400--470, and B00--960 MHz bands.
o Vel}' low noise synthesizer (or repeater service.
LNW-( ) ECONOMY PREAMP • Direct fro (or data up to 9600 baud,
• TCXO for tight frequency accuracy in wide
ONLY $24Jkit
range of environmental conditions.
• Miniature MOSFET Preamp
o kit still only $1095 • Next day shipping. No wait for crystals,
o Solder terminals allow easy
o fact0l}' assembled still only $1295
connection inside radios,
EXCITERS:
50-5-<. 10:1-114,21J.-nJ. 020-475 "'Hz. lW2·g. 5 "'Hz ,1':lMly h':l"er.)
"'Hz Available for 26-35, 36-55, 56-90, 90--120, 120--150,
... FCC IVPOatcoptod foreomme,ool oe~ ", ISO $. 4S(1 baO<l. o
Rated for continuous duty, 2-3W outpur
150-200, 200--270, and 400--500 MHz bands.
Digital Voice Recorder Option, Allows message up
T301 VHF Exciter: for various bands 139-174MHz' ,
to 20 sec. to be remotely recorded off the air, Play
216·226 MHz.
back at user request by DTMF command, or as a
o Kit I~.mt>and' ooly) ...$109 (TCXO option $40)
periodical voice id, or both. Great for making club
• Wlredltested, inel TCXO.. $189
announcements! , ,.., , ,..,..,only $100, ''t'DJ\.
1304 UHF exciter: various
REP-200C Economy a epeater. Real-voice 10, no No need to spend thousands on f~~~~\-¥1 "
bands 400-470 MHz'.
dtmf or eutopatcb ,. Kit only $795, w&t $1195 new transceivers for each band! • Kit (4~(l-450 ham D' nd only) !ri: .. ~"'_':;;: -..~~
REP-200N Repeater. Without controller so you can ~ ~ Incl TCXO ..,$149 :" ~~..I, ~ t "
Convert vhf arid uhf signals _
o
use your own, .....,..,.,.Kit only $695, w&t $995. • Wiredltested...$189 ~/ : ' ~
to & from 10M.
Ak~,~.,,~
"lorgo.' II o. pon u.o
• Even if you don't have a 10M rig, you can pick up
RECEIVERS:
very good used xmtcs & rcvrs for next to nothing.
• Receiving converters (shown above) avauatne for
R301 VHF Receiver; varroes bands 139-174MHz·,
various segments of 6M, 2M, 220, and 432 MHz.
216-226 MHz
• Rcvg Con" Kits from $49, wired/tested units only $99
• Kit (~am t>ao'ld. ooly) ,.only $139 (TCXO option $40)
o Transmitting converters • Wiredltested ...$209
Hamtronlcs has the world's most
for 2M, 432 MHz. (includes TCXO)
complete line of modules for
o Kits only S89 vhf or S99 uhf. R304 UHF Receiver: various
making repeaters. In addition to
o Power amplifiers up to bands 400--470 MHz' ,
excuere, pe'e, and receivers, we
sbwootout
o Kit (040_4&0 Mm b.oo'ld ooly)
offer the following controllers.
incl TCXO ..,$179
COR·3. lnexpensive. flexible COR module with timers, o Wlred/lested..,$209
courtesy beep, audio mixer. only $49/kit, $79 wit.
CWID. Traditional diode matrix mer. " kit only $59. A sensitive and selective
professlonal gradll receiver to
CWID·2. Eprom-controlled ID'er only $54/klt, $79 wit.
monitor critical NOAA weather
DVR·l. Record your own voice up to 20 sec, For voce id
broadcasts. Good reception
or playing club announcements ,......" ..,.$S9/klt, $99 wit.
e~en at distances of 70 miles or
COR-4. Complete COR and CWlO all on one board, 10 in more wrth surtable antenna, No FM EXCITERS: 2Woutpul, continuous duty.
eprom. Low power CMOS "".. onty $99/klt, $149 wit, comparison wrth ordinary consumer radIOS' • TAS1: for 6M, 2M, 220 MHz .., , kit $99, wit $169
COR-So COR wrth real-voice ill. Low power CMOS, non- Automatic mode provides storm watch, alertin9 you by o TA451 : for 420-475 MHz kit $99, wit $169
unmutln9 reeefver and pro~iding an output to trip remote
volatile memory, " " kit only $99, wit only $149. • TA901 : for 902-928 MHz, (0.5W out) . wit $169
equipment when an alert tone is bfoadcast. Crystal
COR·5. j.lP controller wrth autopatch, reverse ap, phone
controlled for accuracy: all 7 channels (162,40 10 162,55). VHF & UHF POWER AMPLIFIERS.
remote control, lots of OTMF control functions, all on one
Buy just the receiver pee module in krt form or buy the krt Output levels from lOW to 100W.,.,..,.....Starting at $99
board, as used In REP-200 Repeater, .. .. $379 wIt.
wrth an attractive metalcabinet, AC power adapter, and
FM RECEIVERS:
Ap·3. Repeater autcpatch reverse eutcpatch. phone line built-in speaker. Also available factory wired and tested,
remote control. Use with TO-2 " "" "kit $89. RWX Rc~r kit,PCBonl)' , $19 Very sensitive - 0.15IN.
TO·2. Four-dlgrt OTMF eecocerzccnncner Five latching RWX Rc~r krtwitl1 cabinet, speaker, &ACadapter 599 Superb setectivity, >100 dB down at ! 12 kHz, best
RWX RevrwiredtlestedIn cabinetwithspeaker &adal'!er, ,,$139
on-off functions, toll call reemetcr. ."" kit $79. available anywhere, nutter-proof squelch. For 46-54,
72-76, 140-175, or 216-225 MHz. kit $129, wit $189
TD-4. OTMFcontroller as above except one on-off function
and no toll call restoctcr. Can also use tor seieceve calling: o R144 RCVR. Like R100, for 2M, with helical
mule speaker until someone pages you. .__.klt $49. resonator in front end kit $159, wit $219
Join the fun. Get striking
o R4S1 FM RCVR, for 420-475 MHz Similar 10 Rl00
Images directly from the
above, kit $129, wlt$189
weillher satellitesl
o R901 FM RCVR, 902-928MHz ......... $159, wit $219
A very sensmve wideband fm
A ccess all your favorite recei~er optimized for NOAA
WWV RECEIVER
closed rep eaters l APT & Russian Meteor weather fax onthe 137MHz band,
Designed from the start for optimum satellite reception, not
• Encodes all standard CTCSS
Get time & frequency checks
tones with crystal accuracy and just an off-thll-shelf scanner with a shorted-out IF filler!
without buying multiband hf
ecrwenent DIP switch selection. Co~ers all 5 satellrte channels. Scanner circurt & recorder
rcvr. Hear solar activrty reports
• Comprehensi~e manual also shows how you can set up oontrol allow you to automatically capture signals as
affecting radio propagation.
a front panel SWitch to select tones for several repeaters satellites pass cvemeac, even while away from home.
Very sensitive and seieeuve
o DeCoder can be used to mute receive audlc and is oR139 Receiver Kit less case ",,, """, ,$159
crystal controlled superhet, dedicated to listening to 'NWV
optimized fOf installation in repeaters to pro~ide closed • R139 Receiver xn with case and AC power adapter $189
on 10 MHz. pertorrnance rwals the most expensi~e rcvrs
access. HIgh pass Mer ~ets rid 01 annoying buzz in oR139 Receiver wit in casewith AC power adapter ",$239
• RWNV Rcvr kit, PCBonl)' $59
receiver. @ New low prlcesl • Intemal PC Demodulator Board & Imaging Software $289
o RW-NV Rcvr kit WIth eabt spkr.& 1ZVdc adapter ".." $89
• TO·5 CTCSS Encoder/Decoder Krt ....., ......now only $29 • Turnstile Antenna . .".$119
• RWWV Rcvr wll illcebt....,thspkr &adapter ."..".."..".. ".." $129
oTO-5 c rcss EncoderlOecoder Wired/tested ., $49 • Weather Satellite Handbook " """ "" ,,$20
9 Autry
A A S T R C N
Irvine, CA 92618
,~
[phone] · Fax [phone] www.astroncorp.com
CORPORATION
SWITCHING POWER SUPPLIES ASTRON POWER SUPPLIES
CONT. ICS WT.(LBS)
55-10 7 10 3.2 • HEAVY DUTY. HIGH OUAlITY • RUGGED. RELIABlE.
5$-12 10 12 3.4
SPECIAL fEATURES PElFOR....CE SPECIFICATIOI.
55-18
15 18 3.6
85-25 20 25 4.2 • SOlID STATE ELfCTA(JrlICAllY REGLlATEO • INPUT VOLTAGE: 105-125 VN;
5$·30 25 30 5.0 • FOlD-8ACK CURRENT UMlTING PlOltCts Power Supply • OUTPVT WLTAGE: 13.8 VDC t 0.05 ¥OIts
from excessive ClMTent &continuous shorted output (Internally Adjustable: 11-15 VOC)
• CROWBAR OVER VOIJAGf PROTECTKlH on all Models • RlPFU Less than 5m'I peak 10 peak (tuIl load &
1S-3A..s-.u..
llcapt Q-M IHL Ill-5l low line)
• MAINTAIN REGULATION &lOW RIPPl..£ allow line il'lpul • All units available in 220 VN; inputvollage
YoI1aoe (except tor Sl-11A)
• HEAVY DOTY HEATSINK. CHASSIS MOUNT RJSE
55-25M With volt & amp meters • THREE CONOOCTOR POWER CORD exceet for AS-3A
8$-3OM With volt & amp meters • ONE YEAA WARRANTY . MADE INU.S.A.
• LOW PROFILE POWER SUPPLY
Sl SE
CIt.... Continuous ICS· Slz.lIli1~ ""&'"
MODEL Gray Blick Duly (Amps) (Amps) H~ W~ Wl N.
SL-11A • • 7 11 21Ai ~ 71Ai .~ 9"lf.o 12
SL-llR • • 7 11 "'· 7 12
SL·11S • • 7 11 21Ai " 7¥. ~ 9lf.o 12
SL·11R-RA • 7 11 4%~ 7 " 9lf. 13
• POWER SUPPLIES WITH BUILT IN CIGARETTE LIGHTER RECEPTACLE
RS·l SERIES
les· ""&",
CDnllnulllll Slzl lIM~
MODEL Dul, IAflps) lhpsl H" W~ Wl ...
•
RS·.(l •3 311t " 6%~ 7'10 6
RS-5l 5 3~ ~6% ~7'1o 7
• 19" RACK MOUNT POWER SUPPLIES
RM SERIES
CInIinuDlls ~S· Sizl lJlI) ""&'"
MODEL Du1r IAIIIJSI lAmpsl Hx Wx D Wl ...
Rt.l -12A 9 12 5'/0 x 19 x 8'/0 16
RM-35A 25 35 5'./, 19 x 1211t 38
)<
sr
RM-5OA 50 5''/' x 19 x 1211t 50
RM-60A 50 55 7x 19 x 1211 60
•
Separate Volt and Amp Meters
RM-12M 9 12 5'" x 19 x 8'/0 16
RM-35M 25 35 5'10 x 19 x 12'h 38
RM-SOM .... 37 50 5'10 x 19 x 12'h 50
MODELRM-35M RM·60M 50 55 7 x 19 x 12'h 60
e..
ti..... ICS' SIZI liN) U i"il '
RS·A SERIES II".
MODEl Grly Dily lA_, sl lA_,ll HxW xD WI. •Ilh,)
AS-3A • 25 •J 3 x 4'1. x 5"<
RS·4A • • J 3,,"x 6'h X9 5
RS·5A • 4 5 3'h x 6'1, x 7'/. 7
RS·7A • • 5 7 3'% x 6'/2 x s 9
AS-lOA • • 75 10 4 )( 7'/; x 10'1. 11
RS·12A • • 9 12 4'k x 8 x 9 13
RS-12B • 9 12 4 x 7'/; x 10'1. 13
RS-20A • • 16 20 5 x 9 x 10'h 18
s u x u ..
RS-35A • • 25 J5 x 27
i:!.50A • J7 50 e x taa x u "
R ·70A • " " 6 x 13V< x 12'.
MODEl RS-7A
Cllli..l.. Its' l in I1I I U i"i••
RS·M SERIES
MODEl hlylb,sl lA_,ll Hx Wx • WI. (Ih.)
.;.:;.;..~ ~
• Swit:llable YOII <n:l Amp meier
RS-12M 9 12 4",x8 x9 13
• 5epa"ale vott and Amp meters
RS-2OM 16 20 5 x 9 x 10"., 18
RS-35M 2S 35 5 x 11 x 11 27
RS-SOM 37 50 6 x 13"'" x 11 46
MODEL RS-35M
AS-10M 51 70 6 x 13V< x 12\ 48
VS ·M AND VRM·MSERIES • Separate VOlt and Amp Meters . Output \IoIlage adjustable from 2-15 volts . Cu'rent Iimil acl~stable from 1.5amps
10full LoacI
C..UIHII SUI I1II 1'1,,1••
I'"
MODEl ' 11ylA_, ll lA_,ll • x W x I Wl. llh ·1
@13.8VDC @10v0c @5VOC @13.8V
ee x ex s
VS-12M 9 5 2 12 13
..
VS-20M 16 9 4 20 5x9x101'lo 20
..
VS-35M 25 15 7 J5 5x11 x l1 29
VS-SOtA 37 22 10 50 6x 133Hx ll
V$-70M 67 34 16 " 6 x 13lfox12 'j,
• Variable rackmounl pOwer supplies
VRM-35M 25 15 7 J5 5'1. x 19 x 12'h J8
MODEL VS-35M VRM-SOM 37 22 10 50 5'1. x 19 x 12'h 50
RS ·S SER IES • Built in speaker
ClIII1 C..li....s ItS' Size (III] 1'1,,1••
MOOH Guy 8latk 0.1, lA_,ll A_,I I xW x l WI. Ilh.1
R:>7S • • 5 7 " x 7'1: x 10'" 10
R:>lOS • • 7.5 10 4x7""xl0"," 12
R:>129 • • 9 12 41'lox8x9 13
s x s x
R:>20S • • 16 20 IOI'lo 1S
SL-llS • • 7 11 2-% x N x9lJ. 12
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THETEAM
J ANUARY 19 99
ISSUE *460
EI Supremo & Founder
Wayne Green W2NSDfl
@A m a t e u r
Associate PublllJher
F. r. MariOn
R a d i o T o d a y
Associate Technical Editor
Larry Anll)lluk WB9RRT
Nitty Gritty Sluff
TABLE OF CONTENTS
J. Clayton Burnett
Priscilla Gauvin
Joyce Sawtelle
FEATURES DEPARTMENTS
Contributing Culprits
Bil Brown WB8ELK 4'
Ad Index
10 Home-brew a Customized HF Amplifier - WI5W
Mike Bryce WB8VGE
ca-r 64 Barter 'n' Buy
Joseph E. K4lPV VISualize. contrive, create!
KB7NO 64 The Digital Port
Michael Geier KBl UM
WSACM 46 Hamsats
JimGrayW1 XUf7
18 3 L.s 4 2m - WD4KMP
Jack Heller KB7NO NZ9E 43 Ham to Ham
Chuck Houghlon WB6IGP This three-element stubledcoaxial vertical KOOV 52 Homing In
•
Dr. Marc Leavey WA3AJA is dirt cheap, sturdy. and vel)' effective. Letters
Andy MacAiliSler W5ACM W2NSOIl 4 Never say Die
Dave Miller NZ9E 48 New Products
21 The Evolution of Power Supplies - W6WTU
Joe Moell KOOV W1Xun 62 Propagation
Part 2: Switching techniques.
Steve Nowak KESYN/5 WB8VGE 54 ORP
Carole Perry WB2MGP
8 ORX
19. 31, 35,
24 From the Ukraine: A Radio Amateur's Story - UY5DJ
Advertising Sales
45, 62, 63 Radio Bookshop
Behind the Iron Curtain, home-brewing was the mother of
Frances Hyvarinen
64 Special Addition
Roger Smith invention.
42 Special Events
603-924-0058
800-274-7373
28 Here Comes the Sun - WA8YKN
f ax: 603-924-8613
Part 1: Cycle 23 and you.
Circulation
linda Coughlan
34 7:Js OX Dynasty Award List
uere Entry & Other Sluff
36 73s 1998 Annual Index
Christine Aubert
Norman Marion
,
Web Page
.. • .
Business Office
.. .
www.waynegreen.com .
Edrtorial - Mvert~ing - OrCliabon
seeooace • Product Reviews
,
73 Amateur Radio Today Magazin.e E-mail
•
70 Route 202N
[email protected]
Peterborough NH 03458·1107
603-924-0058
Fa x: 603-924-8613
Reprints: $3 per artiCle On the cover: This monster awaits you on page 10. Photo by WI5W. Don't forget: You, too, can win
Back issues: $5 each
a little fortune and a lot of fame by sUbmitting your cover photo candidale-with or without article.
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Printed in lhe USA
Feedback : Any circuit works better with feedback, so please take the time to report on
Manuscripts: Contribulions for
how much you like. hate, or don't care one way or the ot her about the articles and
possible publieaticm are most
= = =
columns in this issue. G qreatl. 0 okay, and U ugh. The G's and O's will be
welcome. Wol 00 flo best we can10
continued. Enough U's and irs Silent Keysville . Hey, this is your communications
leUo ~ you '8QI""S!. blJ: we
assure rc le5JOOl5tJity for loss medium, so don't just sit there scratching your... er... head . FYI: Feedback "number- is
or mrnage. Paymenl lor sw itted usually the page number on which the article or column starts .
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artldes wi be macle after PltllicatOl
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without wrillen permission of the publisher. which is not aU that dillicult to get. The subscription rate is: one
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year $24.97, two years $44.97; Canada: one year $3" .21, two years $57.75. Including postage and 1% GST.
checked drawirgs ard schernaIJcs. Foreign postage: $19 surface, $42 airmail additional per year, payable in US funds on a US bank Second
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to 73. What? All of your ham rneocs are already subscribers? Donate a subscription to your local school library!
Sl.brM~ 10 know\\to.
overall decrease in upgrades
has gone from 17.8% in 1996
to 22.2% in 1997 and 27.3%
in 1998.
The numbers may not mean
much to you until you plot
NEUER SRV 0 I E
them on graph paper. They
form a fairly straight line, indi
cating that unless something
Wayne Green W2NSOIl
changes, 1999 will give us a
33% further drop, 2000 a
39% drop over that, and 200 I
a 45% drop over that.
T he Rad News
Peoria! waiting OUI the delays. The classes of license. Second, I'd The September FCC li
lines at McDonald's never like 10 see all classes of li cense figures show an even
Yep. Wayne Green played gal under 15 deep, with hun cense done away with and faster drop in new licenses,
Peoria again! And I had a dreds of people sitting on there'd be just one license for with an overall loss of licensed
great time. Too had if you anything handy, working dili everyone. This silly business hams. General licenses d"Wcd
were within driving distance gently on reducing their life of making us memori ze a by 2953 from a year ago.
and missed it The Peoria spans with burgers and fries.
bunch of Q&As to pass a test Advanced dropped 2459 and
Superfest '98 was a hum- When word gal out that I for upgrading doesn't make Novices by 7678! The only
dingcr. If I'd driven there my was going to be coming to any sense to me. That doesn't significant increase was Tcchs,
car would have been packed Peoria. the folks at the Rock
teach anyone anything. You by 11 ,550. This tells us that a
to the gills with some of the ford (Illinois) club went (0 learn mainly by doing, so we bunch of Generals and Ad
great stuff I saw being sold. lengths to get me 10 stop ofT should make the entry into vanced have dropped out of
Lordy! Video cameras for there and give a talk.. Instead
the hobby easy and then do the hobby and not even both
$20. great bargains on coax. of Flying to Chicago and then our best to get as many hams as crcd to renew their tickets.
Apple IIT"'- computers with on 10 Peoria, they picked possible interested in packet, Others, of course, died. But,
monitors that looked like they Sherry and me up in Chicago RITY, slow scan. satellites, worst, the Techs are not up.
were right out of the canon and drove us to Rockford. We and so on. If we gel 'em into grading. Itjust isn't happening.
from me factory for $30. had dinner at a wonderful DXing they'll be learning Not to be a pest, but the
Sigh. I could have filled a van buffer restaurant and then I about antennas. It's about time next time an ARL official
at those prices. And the flea talked to the club. And talked. we got some pioneering done shows his face at your club
market stretched on in every And talked. Well, no one with HF packet anyway. We you might ask him what in
direction. Tables of old lubes, dozed off, and the hands were should he developing ways to hell the Little League plans to
and anything you could ever up all over the place with get that creepy-crawly stuff do about this situation. I sure
want in parts. questions. up to speed. Ditto RITY, Oh haven't heard anything about
The Wayne Green fans The next morning they well, RlTY was 60 wpm when any plans, but then what do I
(yes, there are still a few left) drove us to the airport, where I got interested 50 years ago know? No, that missing R
got their ration of my views they had hired a Mooney (it's - now it's up to a mighty isn 't a typo. The day of mes
on things. I spoke for an hour a small plane, not a religion) 100, the last I heard. Snore. sage relayi ng is long gone, so
and a half on Saturday after- to fly us to Peoria. Our computers can discuss let's forget the Relay pan of
noon, and then again for it During the whole trip we things at 50,000 wpm. That's their name. which is as in tune
Cw.
must have been an hour (but were treated like royalty. 1 even faster than we can read with the times as Yeah,
who was counting?) at the could get used to that. AI packet is relaying, of a son.
- although, when I get the
banquet mat evening. Then for Peoria they even had distilled time, I have a speed reading But show me where theARL is
another hour Sunday morning. water for me at both the Friday a big packet supporter.
course here that guarantees
The hamfest was hcld at night dinner with a few club I'll be able to read 25,<XXl In the 1920s. when wc
the local fairgrounds, with members and at the Saturday were down on 100 meters and
wpm, and with better retention
the exhibits and forums being banquet.
than 1have now. using spark, the only way to
in the usual fairgrounds ex- I talked about the day that get a message very far was by
hibit buildings. On Sunday, Khrushchev saved amateur License Drop relaying it. Thcn came CW
right in the middle of my talk, radio. Yes, 1 was right there and the League message han
the rain let loose, It sounded when it happened! And I The August 1998 FCC li dling nels which solicited un
like someone dropping a few talked about the greatest ca cense figures compared to important messages and re
tons of lead shot onto the lin rastrophc in the history of the 1997 show a continuing drop layed them for the fun of it,
roof. It did this a couple of hobby. I also talked a lot less in Teehs upgrading to Gen with involved hams making
times and then went away. than I'd have liked about my eral and Advanced licenses. like small Western Union sta
Later I found where the storm approach to answering the There was a drop of 26% in tions. J used to enjoy how long
had gone, a..Chicago's O'Hare FCC's questions ahout restruc upgrades 10 General and a it took messages to get through
Field was closed down, delay- turing the hobby. Well, I kept 28% drop in upgrades to Ad this system, and how bungled
ing my trip back to New getting off on tangents, just vanced. The 1997 figures vs. they' d get in the process.
Hampshire by three and a half like J do with my editorials. 1996 showed only a 10% drop When RTTY came along
hours. The terminal at O'Hare BasicallyI'd like to see the in General Class upgrades, so
was wall-to-wall passengers FCC have a 5 wpm test for all the drop is escalating. The Continued on page 6
tcaev
4 73 Amateur Radio January 1999
»
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NumtN!r 6 on yo"r Feedbac~ nrd need all the backup communi glad my new rig i'i. an ICOM. I
LETTERS cation we can get come Jan. I. was also going to gel a new
2000. Maybe you can gel the ICOM for the XYL but the guy
From the Ham Shack
ham), 10 lobby their senators and in the ham store wouldn't trade.
congressmen. Keep up the good After thirty-some years of edi
work. ronal brainwashing I fi nally
Gene Lynch WA7Z RA. 80\ interesting books I have read on AI the speed Ihillgs worl: in took your advice to heart. I quit
567. Boulder ~IT 5963:!. Hi. the subject. You may want 10 I\lu hillgron, we should have my high paying, do nothing gov
w ayne: I suspect you don', re read them. as they show the 1'"_"" ernment job with the unbcliev
started this fin' years
111<0.
member 1111: . I am the person modem-day churches for what I\e 'll all see how Y2K play,,, Ollt. able bcnnics and used my
who built the Karbon speaker they are.The hooks: The Forgot More and more experts the collective knowledge 0) to ad
0 11
cabinets about twenty years ago. Hooks ofEden, Bell Publish subject are predicting chaos, vance my station in life. Unfor
It'll
I still have them and they still ing Company: Tile 1...0."r Books Wlt\'/Ie. tunately. it didn't work. I am
perform better than anyth ing of the Bible, also published by now unemployed. broke, living
I' ve heard since. I still have the Hd l: Deceptions ami Mvths of in my car. and will have to pick
plans. and copies arc avuifublc the Bible. by Lloyd Graham. Ken Dupuis \V~2SQC. In lip empty beer cuns to pay for
I'm anyone who wants them. Just also pub-lished by Bell. Give all honesty.I enjoy 73 M(/~(/:.il/l' the stump on this envelope
send a large SASE. Make thut 'em hell. wayne. You may not very much and have for over thanks a lot. The good news is
two stumps. please everyone, hut you sure as three decades. The part I enjoy thut the beer cans arc allover the
This is good deal! There is heck gct them to think a little. most is your editorials. I mean Iloor so it's prcny caxy 10 eel
tI
nospeaker enclosure the Mavbe , - Wam e. it. and I actually pull hack is...ues teet enough for a stamp.The bad
Oil . .
to read for the nostalgia effect. news is that I can't bend over my
markrt today that equal tilt'
("WI
hut mainly for your editorial.... fat gut pick them up, so I wiII
to
Karlson, - Win"lle.
l>arr)r1 Jones VK2YI>J . It's like a refresher course in have to keep the next six-pack
r
Wayne, enjoyed yourSiglllillK_I' common se nse . I was also ofempties handier. I built a bio
Rill Nielsen KOQIW. As a interview and I always look for pleased to see th at (COM ctcctrofryer and tried it on the
fellow ham who got into read ward 10 your Neyer Say Die. America got its senses hack and family cal. Wow. no more fleas
ing 73 Mugazine hack with is Perhaps with Y2K now ~COIll­ renewed their effort to support and no more cat. My old tired
sue number I. I enjoy reading ing the i...sue it truly is. this is an the best ham magazine in print. eyes thought it read 27 volts
)our editorials. In a recent cdi excellent moment to lobby hard As you have pointed out so of output when it was 270 volts. Oh
tonal you touched on the sub to have Morse dropped to bring ten. it lakes advertiser dollars to well, I didn' t like the cal much
jeer of religion. so I thought I in more amateurs and 0IX'n the print reader information. More anyway. All kiddin' a...ide. k~
would tell you abo ut three very HF to all existing hams. We may bucks, more pages, Now I' m up the good work! W
NEUER fRY DIE the hobby going again. Prizes by Radin yet"). I can't dismiss Look at what 's happened
con lilHwdjrom PUfW 4 for anyone who can figure out Dames' predictions lightly. with the Tokyo market. which
how to wake up the directors Dames started out in this field was artific ially built up, based
and get them to do whm tbcy'vc with a group that was doing re on ridiculously high land val
in 194:-; the ARL fought it
been elected todo. mote viewing for the military. lies. When the air went out of
fiercely. It took years of light
He is now selling a course
that balloo n drastic measures
ing the League to get the fCC Uoom!
which leaches anyone inter
were culled for ... and nor
10 okay the usc of RTTY on
cstcd how to do it. Goll y, I
implemented. So the funda
the HF hands. They pulled Art Bell (W60 RB) had
wish I had the lime to check
mental weakness of the Japa
every Irick they could think "Dr. Doom: ' Ed Dames, on
that out!
nese market is stil l a potential
of. Well, they were afraid it his show again. 11 seems like
Anyway. Dames is predict
disaster which cou ld bring
would pUI their old CW net- Dames and Scallion (K I BWe ) ing that a major solar narc
down one market after an
work out of business with the are trying to outdo each other
next April will fry must of us.
other around the world. Re
RTIY ability 10 handle traffic in predicting doomsday see- Well. the Sun has been acting 4
member, the Japanese have
at 60 wpm with no errors. nanos. Dames said that the
very strange lately. with in
hundreds of billions invested
I think I really scared them Y2K computer bug is net go- creased UVs burning up crops
in American companies and
when I set up an RTIY sta- ing 10 he a major problem .. .
and bewildering bees so they
our government securities. A
tion on 42nd Street a half because most of us will he
can't pollinate plants.
crash in Japan could result in
block from Times Square in dead before then. Well. it's nice
Dames also predicted thai
frantic calls to liquidate these
Manhattan one Chr istmas and thai we can stop worrying
this fall the stock market is
handled thousands of Christ- about Y2K. investments and, like our
going 10 crash ... that stock
mas messages to our troops Dames has a group of "rc- banks, there isn't any money
markets all arou nd the world
overseas. J made the cover of mole viewers" who have been there. just debt. All it lakes is
are going 10 crash. Consider
CQ magazine. with Bill Hal- busy checking our the future ing how volatile they are, and a small movement to get OUI
ligan Wl)AC and Faye Emerson to sec what it holds. Since the weakness of their founda of the market and to cash in
and Skitch Henderson. I also scientific research has proven lion, this isn'l a far reach. government securilies, and
made the Bmss Pounder's beyond any queslion that in Like hanking systems. where poo f. the whole debt system
Le.tgue. Maybe lhey Ihought ...ollle way we lIrf' able to pre- over 90'k of the money is lent can crash. And since 10 mil
my h.'lel)·pc machine had bmss dict the future (as I" ve re- even a small run on the lion or so pt.--ople tune in 10lhe
OUI,
keys. ported before ... have you banks can crash Ihe whole
It is the League's job to get read The ComcimlS Uni!'ersl' system. Continued on page 56
6 73 Amateur Radio Today · January 1999
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display your "!fo.rmatIOII. '" your MFJ-259B anywhere with
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Numb. , 8 on your FHdbK~ clfd Scientists point out that Administratium is
QRH.
known to be toxicat any detectable level of con
• •
centration and can easily destroy any productive
reaction where it is allowed to accumulate. At
tempts are being made to determine how
Administratium can be controlled to prevent irre
versibledamage.but results todate are notprem
ising.
From Winter 1998's Passband, newsletter of
10 Executive Producer Hap Holly KC9RP, "Most the Onslow ARC. Jacksonville NC, Robert
Ham Scholarships
of us in the blind and visually impaired commu DeVega Jr. KF4VOM, editor.
nityhavehad limitedaccess to Green'sprovoca
Available
tiveand thought-provoking writings.Nowanyone
onthe Internet with Real Audio 3.0capability can
Digital Weather Reporting
The Fooroatoo lorAmateurRadio,Inc.,a non hear him expound weekly on the topic(s) of his
profit organizalion with headquarters in Wash choice. I've given him free rein, editing nothing on the Horizon
ington, DC. plans 10 administer 66 scholarships but myvoice: however, Ihave suggested he keep
lor the academic year 1999-2000 to assist ti his chats to 10 minutes or less. How delighted
censed radio amateurs. The Foundation. com we are that Wayne Green Pontificates (WGP) is As anybody involved in the emergency and
posed ofover 75local area amateurradioclubs. Wayne's first audio column!'" public service aspects of ham radio knows, the
futly funds 10 of these scholarships with the in Updating Fridays at [www.ramrepcrt.corrt]. participation level that we'd like 10 see is not at
come from grants and its annual Hamfest. The re WGP is licensed to Bohnhoff MediaCasting for ways there ... shortage of personnel is a real
maining 56 are administered by the Foundation internet distribution and archiving. Intended for problem.Aside from that. morepeople can often
without cost to the various donors. Weblisteningonly.WGPisthe brainchildof RAIN helpalleviate a problem,but it's no guaranlee 01
l icensed radio amateurs may compete for webmaster Mark Bohnhoff WB9UOM. "I have afull'fix."Afterall, thereare only so manypeople
these awards if they plan to pursue a full-time been benefiting from Wayne's column in 73 who can sil al a net control desk at the National
Weather Service. and there are only so many
course of studies beyond high school and are MagaZineever since I developed a health proo
voice repeaters that can be used in reporting.
enrolled or have been accepted for enrollment lem a few years ago. I am pleased that Wayne
Packet radio has been contemplated as an
at an accredited university, college, or lechnical has agreed 10 take the time to share his exper
addition toour system (in Green Bay.Wisconsin)
school. The awards range from 5500 10 $2500, tise with the Internet listener."
for the past few years, as a way to handle the
with preference given in some cases10 residents As Hap Holly says, "We aredelighted Wayne
less criticaltraffic with some degree of automa
of specified geographical areas or the pursuit of hasdecided to get his feet wet with RAIN.-
tion. Whilethese reports still are important to us.
certain study programs. Clubs, especially those
they are not of critical time-value in nature. The
in Delaware, Florida, Maryland. New Jersey,
report of a tornado, funnel aloft. or wall cloud
Ohio, Pennsylvania,Texas,Virginia and Wiscon
New Element Discovered!
certainly requires the speed that only voice reo
sin, are encouraged to announce these oppor
porting can provide. After-the-tact damage re
tunitiesat theirmeelings,intheirclub newsletters,
ports or heavy rainfall reports can be passed on
during training classes,on theirnets and on their
The heaviest element known to science was
a little later. There are also instances where a
World Wide Web pages.
recentlydiscovered by GMresearch physicists.The
net control operator cannot instantly appear at
Additional information andaneppucauon form
element. tentativelynamedAdministralium,hasno
the NWS to operate a net.
may be requested by letter or QSl card, post
protonsorelectrons and thus has an atomic num
The Wisconsin packet radio network is reach
marked before April 30. 1999, from:
berof 0(zero). However,itdoeshave oneneutron,
ing the stage where it will soon be practical for
FAR Scholarships
125 assistant neutrons, 75 vice neutrons, and 111
secondary or absentee reporting. The system
P.O.Box 831
assistant vice neutrons. Thisgivesitan atomicnum
that will be in place will have a computer opera
Riverdale MD 20738
ber of 312. These 312 particles are held together
tional 24 hours a day, with the ability fa give in·
The Foundation for Amateur Radio. incorpo
by a force that involves the continuous exchange
formation to users and get information from them.
rated in the District of Columbia, is an exempt
of meson-like partides called morons. The user ntertace will be (or at least resemble)
organization under Seclion 501 (C)(3) of the In
Since it has no electrons. Administralium is
a BBS. II will be configured to print out any re
remer Revenue Code of 1954. It is devoted ex
inert. However, it can be detected chemically as
ports at any time, so that meteorologists will be
clusively to promoting the interests of amateur
it impedes every reaction that it comes in con
able to simply tear off the report and keep it on
radio and those scientific. literary, and educe me.
lact with. According to the discoverers, a minute
There will be no direct interaction with the
none! pursuits that advance the purposes of the
amount of Administratium caused one reaction
meteorologists; alter all, even if one were avail
amateur radio service.
to take over fourdaysto complete when it woutd
able and licensed, he or she cannot operate be
havenormally occurredintessthan one second.
cause he orshe is on duty and being paid.There
Administratium has a normal half·lire of approxi will also be little interaction with the Net Control
Wayne on RAIN matelythree years.at whichtime itdoes notacto Operator, mostly because he or she will be ac
any decaybut instead undergoesa reorganization tively operatingthevoice net. Keyboard chats with
in which assistant neutrons. vice neutrons. and the NCO will not be needed to file a report.
Welt·known (possibly notorious) amateur ra assistant vice neutrons exchange places. Some Anotherfeatureof this system will be the abil
dio columnist and publisher Wayne Green studies have sho'NIl that the atomic mass actually ity 10 get timely information concerning the exact
W2NSDI1 has agreed to host a free-lorm op-ed increases after each reorganization. natureofanywatchesor warnings that have been
teature for RAIN. the RadioAmateur Information Research at other laboratories indicates that posted for the Central Warning Area that we
Network. 00 its Web site Iwww.rainreport.com]. Administratium occurs naturally in the atmo cover. This win allow county NCOs to get updated
Dubbed 'Wayne Green Ponntcates" by Green sphere. It tends to concentrate at certain points infoonation without interrupting the flow ofthe net.
himself. this weekly unscripted diatribe will pro SUCh as government agencies,large corporations, From an article in The Wisconsin Packe/eer,
vide anaudio outletforGreen'sdiverse opinions. and universities, and can usuady be found in the Andy Nemec KB9AlN, editor; included in Bad·
that. as he put it. "will range from amateur radio newest. best appointed. and best maintained ger State Smoke Signals, July 1998, Jim
to good health, wealth. and wtsoon." According buildings. Romelfanger K9ZZ, acting editor. &i
8 73 Amateur Radio Today . January 1999