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Internationa!  Edition 


DECEMBER  IWS 

ISSUE  #33*> 

USA  $2.95 

CAN  $3.95 

A  WGE  Publication 


Ti  i  in 


$20  Keyer 

Modify  Your  Mid  Ian 
RS-232  On  The  C-BU! 


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HC04  HC04 


ICOM'S  N 


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Handy  2 


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10  mF 


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74820 


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Annual  iioiidau  Buyer's  Guide 


ICOM  has  a  commitment  to  high  per- 
formance 220MHz  gear.   That's  why  we're 
the  only  manufacturer  who  can  offer  you  a 
full  line  of  220MHz  equipment,.,  whet  her  it's 
a  mobile,  handheld  base  station  transceiver, 
or  fiber  optic  multi-bander. 

Handhelds    Choose  the  full-featured 
five-watt  1C-03AT  with  10  full  function  mem- 
ories capable  of  storing  odd  offsets 
and  subaudible  tones,  scanning  and 


JC-37A 

Mobile 


DTMF  direct  keyboard  entry.  Or  select  the  IC-3AT  easy-to- 
operate  handheld  featuring  thumbwheel  switch  frequency  - 
selection. 

Mobiles.    ICOM  offers  the  IC-3SA,  which  sports  a  large 
LCD  readout,  21  memories.  scanningP  and  memory  lock-out 
The  slim-line  1C-37A  features  an  LED  readout,  nine  mem- 
ories capable  of  storing  offset  and  subaudible  tones  and 
both  memory  and  band  scan. 

Base  Station.  The  1C-375A  is  a  220MHz  all  mode  open 
tors  dream... 25  watts  output,  an  internal  power  supply,  99 

memories,  scanning,  and 
all  subaudible  tones  built-in 

M til tl- Bander   The  new- 
est addition  to  ICO  Ms 
220MHz  family.,  the  IC-900 
fiber  optic  controlled  six- 
band  mobile,  which  has  a 
220MHz  optional  band  unit. 

Quality.    High  Perform- 
ance.   That's  ICOM  220MHz. 


IC-3AT 
Handheld 


ICOM 


Communicoi 

ICOM  America,  Inc.,  2380-1l6th  Ave.  N.E,  BelJevue.  WA  98004  Customer  Service  Hotline  (206)  454-761 

3150  Premier  Drive,  Suite,  126.  Irving,  TX  75063  /  1777  Phoenix  Parkway,  Suite  201 ,  Atlanta,  GA  3034! 

ICOM  CANADA,  A  Division  of  ICOM  America,  !nap  3071  -  #5  Road,  Unit  9S  Richmond,  B.C.  V6X  2T4  Canad 

All  stated  specifications  are  approximate  ami  subject  to  change  without  notice  or  obligation   Ml  ICOM  radios  sgmticantiy  exceed  FOC  regulations  hmrimg  spurious  emissions   220*fiHj£B 

CIRCLE  354  OH  REAPER  SERVICE  CM* 


FOUR  user  selectable  operating  modes  and 
a  90  number  autodialer  make  Private  Patch  V 


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1.  SIMPLEX  SAMPLING  PATCH 

Private  Patch  V  achieves  a  level  of  sampling  patch  performance 
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perform  noise  correlation  tests  which  result  in  greater  useable 
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ratios  allow  you  to  vary  performance  from  straight  sampling  to 
highly  VOX  enhanced,  (sampling  rate  decreased  while  the  land 
party  is  speaking).  The  mobile  is  in  full  control  and  can  break- 
in  at  any  time. 

2.  SIMPLEX  VOX  PATCH 

VOX  mode  offers  superb  simplex  operation  with  any  radio, 

including  synthesized  and  relay  switched  models.  VOX  mode 
has  other  advantages  too.  1.  A  linear  amplifier  can  be  used  to 
extend  straight  simplex  range,  2.  You  can  operate  through  any 
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eliminates  first  word  clipping  with  slow  switching  radios. 

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Select  duplex  mode  when  connecting  Private  Patch  V  to  your 
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Private  Patch  V  will  convert  any  receiver  and  transmitter  into 
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Patch  V  is  the  right  choice  for  your  club  system. 


Private  Patch  V  is  a  totally  new  concept  tn  automatic 
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23731  Madison  St.        Torrance.  CA  90505 
Phone:  (213)  373-6803 


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CIRCLE  12  ON  READER  SERVICE  CARD 


"You're  miles  ahead 

^AF1|  wT%    |     ^HT^itf^l^  ^ ' RickWoodsowe, Coirtmunications Consultant 
W tU  i.  ■  d%ll  *9^^M  &•     Woocfeome^d  Associates,  Boulder,  Colorado 

When  the  directors  of  the  Coors  International  Bicycle  Classic  needed 
a  sophisticated  mobile  communications  system,  they  turned  to  commu- 
nications consultant  Rick  Woodsome.  As  a  communications  specialist, 
Woodsome  knows  what  it  takes  to  make  a  communication  system  work. 

That's  why  he  turned  to  Larsen  Antennas. 

"You  don't  pull  off  the  largest  sports  event  in  the  Western  Hemisphere 
without  good  communication.  And  you  don't  have  good  communication 
without  trie  right  equipment. 

"Larsen  antennas  were  instrumental  in  making  last  summer's 
Coors  Classic  an  overwhelming  success.  They  were  key  to  our  entire 
communication  network. 

"Without  Larsen,  it  would  have  been  uphill  all  the  way." 

Rick  Woodsome 


*- 


THE  AMATEUR'S  PROFESSIONAL. 

Larsen  Kfllrod*  and  Kulduckie*  antennas 
provide  amateurs  the  same  advanlaoes  enjoyed  by 
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your 
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because  theyte  all  backed  by  Larseris  No 
Nonsense  Warranty  lor  a  full  six  months. 

For  a  professional  approach  to  amateur  radio, 
lune  in  to  Larsen, 


Larsen  Antennas 

The  Amateur's  Professional 

See  your  favorite  amateur  dealer  or  write  for  a  free  amateur  catalog. 

IN  USA:  Larsen  Electronics,  Inc.,  11611  N.E  50th  Avenue,  RO  Box  1799,  Vancouver.  Washington  98668  (206)  573^2722 
IN  CANADA:  Canadian  Larsen  Electronics,  Ltd..  149  West  6th  Avenue.  Vancouver.  B.C.  V5Y 1 K3  (604)  872-S517 


CIRCLE  23  ON  READER  SERVICE  CARD 


Invest  in  the  world's  finest  3  KW  roller  inductor  tuner  with 
dummy  load,  new  peak  reading  Meter  and  more  . . . 

The  MFJ-9B9C  is  a  compact  3  KW 


roller  inductor  tuner  with  a  new  peak 
reading  Crass-Needfe  SWR/Wattmeter. 
The  roller  inductor  lets  you  get  your 
SWR  down  to  absolute  minimum. 

With  three  continuously  variable 
components  ■■  two  massive  6  J<V 
capacitors  and  a  high  inductance  roller 
inductor  -  you  get  precise  control  over 
SWR  and  the  widest  matching  range 
possible  from  1,8-30  MHz. 

You  get  a  new  lighted  peak  and 
average  reading  Cross  Needle 
SWR/Wattmeter  with  a  new  more 
accurate  directional  coupler. 

You  get  a  giant  two  core  balun 
wound  with  teflon  wire  for  balanced 


MFJ-989C 


349 


05 


^Unes  and  a  6  position  antenna  switch 
with  extra  heavy  switch  contacts. 

You  get  a  50  ohm  300  watt  dummy 
load  for  tuning  your  exciter,  a  tilt 
stand  for  easy  viewing  and  a  3  digit 
turns  counter  plus  a  spinner  knob  for 
exact  inductance  control. 

Its  compact  t03Ax4V«15  inch 
cabinet  slides  right  into  your  station 

The  MFJ  9fl9C  is  not  tor  everyone. 

However,  ft  you  do  make  the 
investment,  you'll  get  the  finest  3  KW 
tuner  money  can  buy  -  one  that  will 
give  you  a  lifetime  of  use.  one  that 
takes  the  tear  out  of  high  power 
operation  and  one  that  lets  you  get 
your  SWR  down  to  absolute  minimum 


► 


MFJ's  Best  VERSA  TUNER  II 


i he  MFJ-949C  gives  you  more 
MFJ-949C      precise  matches  than  any  tuner  that 

*1  39M  uses  two  taPP^  'nducters.  Why? 

Because  you  get  two  continuously 
variable  capacitors  that  give  you  infinitely  more 
positions  than  the  imtted  number  on  switched  coils. 

This  gives  you  the  precise  control  you  need  to  get 
your  SWR  down  to  a  minimum.  After  all  isn't  thai 
why  you  need  a  tuner. 

You  also  get  a  dual  range  lighted  Cross-Needle 
SWR/Wattmeter.  6-position  antenna  switch,  50  ohm 
300  watt  dummy  load,  balun  for  balanced  lines  3j*j 
continuous  1.8  30  MHz  coverage  -  ait  in  a  compact 
1 0x3x7  inch  cabinet  that  fits  right  into  your  station. 

With  MFJ's  best  300  watt  tuner  you  get  an  MFJ 
tuner  that  has  earned  a  reputation  for  being  able  to 
match  just  about  anything  -  on  that  is  highly 
perfected  and  has  years  of  proven  reliability. 

MFJ's  smallest  VERSA  TUNER 

MFJ-901B 

The  MFJ 

90 IB  is  our 
smallest  -  5x2x6 

inches  -  and  most  affordable)  zoo  wan  pep  versa 
tuner     when  both  your  space  and  your  budget  is 
limited.  Matches  dipoles.  vees,  random  wires, 
verticals,  mobile  whips,  beams,  bafanced  and  coax 
lines  continuously  1.8-30  MHz.  Excellent  1or 
matching  solid  state  rigs  to  linears.  Efficient 
airwound  inductor.  4:1  balun  for  balanced  lines, 

1 44/220  MHz  VHF  TUNERS 

MFJ-920 

MFJ-921 

MFJ's  newest  VHF  

tuners  cover  both  2  Meters  and  the  new  Novice 
220  MHz  binds.  They  handle  300  watts  PEP  and 
match  a  wide  range  of  impedances  for  coax  fed 
antennas.  MFJ-921  has  SWR/Wattmeter. 


MFJ's  Fastest  Selling  TUNER 


MFJ's  1.5  KW  VERSA 


m#-.'  *tpsa  nmen  a 


.*'jr '•■■■'•■■• 


rsw 


.3  O  Q 


Ttie  MFJ  9410  1$  MFJ's  fastest  selling 
MFJ-941D  300  W  PEP  antenna  tuner!  Why? 
$qq  95  Because  ri  has  more  features  than 

v^       tuners  costing  much  more  and  it 
matches  everything  continuously  from  1.8-30  MHz, 

It  matches  dipoles.  vees,  verticals,  mobile  whips, 
random  wires,  balanced  and  coax  lines. 

SWR/Wattmeter  reads  forward/reflected  power  in 
30  and  300  watt  ranges.  Antenna  switch  selects  2 
coax  lines,  direct  or  through  tuner,  random  wire/ 
balanced  line  or  tuner  bypass.  Efficient  airwound 
inductor  gives  lower  losses  and  more  watts  out. 
Has  4:1  balua  1000  V  capacitors.  10x3x7  inches. 

MFJ's  Mobile  TUNER 


MFJ-945C 

$7995 


Don't  leavn  home  without  this  mobile  tuner!  Have 
an  uninterrupted  trip  as  the  MFJ945C  extends  your 
antenna  bandwidth  and  eliminates  the  need  to  stop, 
go  outside  and  readjust  your  mobile  whip. 

You  can  operate  anywhere  in  a  band  and  gel  low 
SWR.  You'll  get  maximum  power  out  of  your  solid 
state  or  tube  rig  and  it'll  run  cooler  and  last  longer. 

Small  8x2x6  inches  uses  little  room,  SWR/ 
Wattmeter  and  convenient  placement  of  controls 
make  tuning  test  and  easy  while  In  motion.  300 
watts  PEP  output,  efficient  airwound  inductor,  1000 
volt  capacitors.  Mobile  mount,  MFJ-20.  $3.00. 

2KWCOAX     "?i7£z5.^iAoj 
SWITCHES       $19<>        HP 

MFJ- 1702,  $19.95.  2-poSltfons.  N™>^ 

60  dB  isolation  at  450  MHz.  ■* 

Less  than  .2  dB  loss. 
SWFl  below  1:1.2. 

MFJ-1701,  $29,95. 
6-positrons.  Unused 
positions  grounded 
For  desk  or  wall  mount 


$2995    MFJ-1701 


For  a  few  extra  dollars,  me  MFJ- 
MFJ-962C    962C  rets  you  use  your  barefoot  rig 

*1  9905now  ancl  ^ave  lhe  capacity  t0  ad°"  a 
1500  watt  PEP  linear  ampfifer  later. 

Two  continuously  variable  6  KV  capacitors  give 
you  precise  control  for  getting  your  SWR  down  to  a 
minimum.  And  lots  of  inductance  gives  you  the 
widest  matching  range  possible. 

You  can  read  both  peak  and  average  power  with 
the  lighted  2  color  Cross  Needle  SWR/Wattmeter.  A 
new  directional  coupler  gives  you  more  accurate 
readings  over  a  wider  frequency  range. 

Has  6-position  ceramic  antenna  switch  and  a 
teflon  wound  two-core  baJun  with  ceramic  feedthru 
insulators  for  balanced  lines.  1 03Ax41/zx1 4  7/8  in. 

MFJ's  Random  Wire  TUNER 

MFJ  16010 

You  can  operate 
all  bands  anywhere 
with  any  transceiver 
when  you  let  the 
MFJ-16010  turn  any 
random  wire  into  a  transmitting  antenna,  Great  for 
apartment,  motel,  camping  operation.  Tunes  18  30 
MHz.  Handles  200  watts.  Ultra  compact  2x3x4  in. 

MFJ  artificial  RF  ground 

S7905   MFJ-931 

You  can 
create  an 
artificial  RF 
ground  and 
eliminate 
RF  "bites", 

leedback,  TVI  and  RFI  when  you  let  the  MFJ-931 
resonate  a  random  length  of  wire  and  turn  it  into  a 
tuned  counterpoise.  The  MFJ  931  also  lets  you 
electrically  piece  a  far  away  RF  ground  directly  at 
your  rig  -■  no  matter  how  far  away  it  is  -  by  tuning 
out  the  reactance  of  your  ground  connection  wire. 


ORDER  ANY  PRODUCT  FROM  MFJ  AND  TRY  IT  -  HO 
OBLIGATION,  IF  NOT  SATlSRED  RETURN  WITHIN  30 
DAYS  FOR  A  NO-HASSLE  REFUND  (less  shipping}. 
•  One  year  unconditional  guarantee  •  Add  $5  00 
each  shipping/handling  »  Call  or  write  for  free  catalog, 
over  100  products. 


MFJ  ENTERPRISES,  INC. 

Box  494,  Miss.  State,  MS  39762 


FOR  YOUR  NEAREST  DEALER  OR  TO  ORDER 

800-647*1800 

Call  601-323-5869  in  Miss,  and  outside 
continental  USA.  Telex  53-4590  MFJ  STKV. 
In  CANADA  call  TEXPRO  416-332-5944, 


MFJ  . .  -  making  quality  affordable 


CIRCLE  24  OH  READER  SERVICE  CARD 


Number  1  on  your  Feedback  card 


Never  say  die 


Wayne  Green  W2NSD/1 


Sun  Spots  and  Antennas 

Even  though  antennas  are  by 
far  the  most  interesting  area 
for  amateur  experimentation— 
and  also  one  of  the  easiest  to  in- 
vestigate, the  field  has  seen  pa* 
thetically  little  development  in 
recent  years,  Tsk! 

With  ihe  sun  spots  rising  at  the 
fastest  rate  in  history,  it's  getting 
time  for  all  of  us  to  start  working  on 
antennas.  How  much  do  you  know 
about  fem?  Have  you  ever  read  an 
article  on  how  they  work?  Do  you 
have  even  a  faint  idea  of  how  they 
work?  Do  you  give  a  damn? 

What  do  you  know  about  bi- 
squaresT  cubical  quads,  the  Twin 
Three  and  the  ZL-Special?  !  re- 
member when  I  first  ran  up 
against  a  bi-square  Sam  Harris 
WBUKST  out  near  Cleveland,  had 
put  up  a  whopping  tower  and 
hung  a  75m  bi -square  from  it  To 
change  its  direction  he'd  run  out 
and  move  the  pegs  holding  the 
antenna  away  from  his  tower. 
How'd  it  work? 

Well,  this  was  1951 ,  so  he  was 
running  an  old  40  watt  Collins  AM 
rig.  I  was  in  Brooklyn  with  my  rock* 


crushing  kilowatt  and  a  dipole.  I 
worked  out  pretty  well,  working  all 
over  Europe,  down  into  Africa  and 
even  over  to  Japan.  Sam,  with  his 
lousy  40  watts,  clobbered  me, 
HeTd  be  talking  with  a  ZS6.  I'd 
break  in  and  the  ZS6  would  men- 
tion that  he'd  heard  a  slight  het- 
erodyne in  the  background.  So 
they'd  stand  by  to  see  who  was 
breaking  in.  Drat! 

When's  the  last  time  you  saw  an 
article  on  building  a  bi-square? 
And  why  it  puts  out  such  a  whop- 
ping signal?  If  you  want  a  killer 
contest  antenna. . .? 

In  the  middle  of  the  rugged  win- 
ter of  1947  I  decided  to  try  the 
W6JK  Twin-Three  antenna.  Two 
dipoles  spaced  a  sixth  wave  apart . 
For  some  reason  this  beaut  has  a 
lower  angle  of  radiation  than 
dipoles,  yagis  or  quads.  The  result 
was  that  I'd  have  the  first  signal 
from  my  area.  I'd  call  CQ  and  get 
calls  from  England  saying  I  was 
the  only  signal  on  the  band.  Then, 
as  they'd  hear  other  signals  get- 
ting stronger,  mine  would  fade 
down  and  I'd  talk  with  Italy.  A  little 
laier  I'd  be  the  first  signaf  into  the 
middle  east — then  into  India. 


GSL  OF  THE  MONTH 

To  enter  your  QSLt  mail  it  in  an  envelope  to  73,  WGE  Center,  70  Re. 
202  N„  Peterborough  NH  03458,  Attn:  QSL  of  the  Month.  Winners 
receive  a  one-year  subscription  (or  extension)  to  73.  Entries  not  in 
envelopes  cannot  be  accepted. 

4    73  Amateur  Radio  *  December,  1968 


One  morning  I  heard  a  very  faint 
W7  portable  something  in  the  OX 
part  of  the  band  calling  CQ.  Hm* 
mm.  I  called  the  "W7  something, 
portable  something,'  I  felt  so 
stupid  l  only  called  him  once.  He 
came  right  back,  his  signal  gradu- 
ally improving.  It  was  W7IMW/G7 
in  Tsiensin.  China1  I  was  the  only 
American  signal  on  the  band. 

We  talked  for  a  while,  then  he 
mentioned  that  other  stations 
were  beginning  to  call  him,  so  we 
parted.  An  hour  tater  he  called 
again  to  say  that  everyone  else 
had  faded  out. 

The  ZL-Special  antenna  is  very 
similar  to  the  Twin-Three,  but 
made  entirely  from  twin-lead, 
Have  you  used  either  of  these 
barn-burners?  They  only  seem  to 
work  well  during  high  sun  spot 
times,  when  the  ionosphere  is  so 
heavily  ionized  that  these  ex- 
tremely low  angle  signals  can 
propagate, 

The  Twin-Three  is  simple  to 
make.  It's  a  wire  beam  with  two 
three-wire  dipoles  spaced  a  sixth 
wave  apart.  You  hang  them  from  a 
pair  of  2x2$,  which,  in  turn,  are 
hung  by  ropes  between  a  couple 
trees  or  between  a  tall  tree  and 
your  house.  Vou  feed  'em  with 
quarter-wave  300O  twin-line  sec- 
tions and  feed  the  junction  of  the 
two  feeders  with  300O  twin-line. 

My  question  is  this,  how  come 
you  Ve  not  outside  trying  new  an- 
tennas? Hells  bells,  it  isn't  as  if 
you  don't  have  a  personal  com- 
puter to  do  the  calculations  for 
you.  an  aid  we  dtdrVi  have  forty 
years  ago.  Let's  see  some  experi- 
menting and  some  antenna  arti- 
cles! 

How  about  a  40m  Twin-Three? 
Maybe  even  one  for  80m?  How 
about  stacked  Twin-Threes? 
What's  the  radiation  pattern  from 
something  like  that?  How  about 
some  club  projects  to  test  out  dif- 
ferent antennas? 

Continued  on  page  6 


TAFF 


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DECEMBER  1988 


AMATEUR 
RADIO 


Issue  #  339 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


FEATURES 

12    Civil  Air  Patrol 

Most  radio  fun  you  can  have  without  a  license 

14 


24 


27 


KA9KAF 

RS-232  Port  For  The  Commodore  C-64 
Give  the  ham's  favorite  computer  this  most  standard 
interface Neal 

Don't  Lose  Your  Memory 

Don'l  lei  a  dead  lithium  battery  ruin  your  listening 

p  I  tr  dS  Li  r  v  .    ..__•*   f   *  <■    k   i.   i   i   *  *  »•   -   .••--■*■■■<■«    XX  7  L^  vJ  I 

Packet  Tuning  Indicator 

More  easily  enjoy  world-wide  packet  operation, 

W2EKY 

Midland  13-509  Modifications 

Two  nice  low-cost  additions  to  a  popular  rig.   WB9  YBM 


29 


34 


57 


89 


d        m       4       * 


Decatur  Ham  Launches  Satellite 

A  satellite  to  go  up  in  the  name  of  education. 

Charging  Without  Overcharging 
No  more  backup  battery  bum-up 

Buyers1  Guide 

73 'spicks  of  1988'scrop 

Yearly  Index 

Easy  reference  for  1988  articles,  reviews,  and  columns ...,,,.  compiled  by  Linda  Reneau 


-      -      m      *       ■ 


■        ■        m 


. . . .  WB8UUE 


WB8VQR 


Staff 


REVIEWS 

11    The  TE-144  Deluxe  CMOS  Keyer 

Solid  keyer  at  the  right  price. 

19    Bel-Tek's  CMOS  keyer  kit 

The  best  dit  and  dah  for  the  buck.  ...... 

49    The  Carolina  Windom 

An  old  design  made  even  better 

68    The  ICOM  32AT  dual-band  HT 

Full  Duplex  in  a  Handheld. .  . 

7g    B&WPT-2500AHFAmp 
QRO?  QRO! - 


•  *  #  * 


WAGOHX 


WA9FPU 


WA4BLC 


WB2MIC 


•  NA5E 


DEPARTMENTS 


FEEDBACK.., 
FEEDBACK! 

UMiLc  Scsngtbcfir— 
nghi  her*  mow  officer 
Ho*  "  Jm^I  take  ad\aroage 
of  air  FEEDBACK  card 

page  (7  Yoo'll  nockc 
a  feedback  number  ji 
the  be  £  itming  of  each 
ankle  ;uid  col umn,  We'd 

c  viiu  to  rule  wrmi  vou 
read  mi  (hat  we  cart  pnnt 
what  t>  pa  uf  thing*  >  t  m 
lifcebcu  Andihen*c 
will  dnw  one  Feedback 
canl  cadi  memh  for  a 
free  subscription  Ed  73. 


%  Ad  Index 

75  Above  and  Bc> and 

63  Aerial  View 

72  AaR  kaboom 

55  ATV 

87  Barter 'V  Buy 

97  Dealer  Directory 

77  DX 

17  Feedback 

6S  Hamsals 

52  Homing  Id 

%  Index:  12*8 


67  Letters 

83  Looking  West 
A  VeverSa)  Dte 

44  New  Products 

HO  Propagation 

71  QRP 

9  QRX 

84  QTHDX 
107  RTTYLncip 

103  ?3  International 

80  Special  Events 

95  Tech  Tips 


CLC0ME  to  Wnfis  Island 


Photography  by  Suzanne  Torsheya 


73  Amateur  Radio  •  December,  1988    5 


Never  Say  Die 

Continued  from  page  4 

A  few  years  back  I  visited  (he 
Hustler  antenna  range  out  in  east- 
ern Ohio— a  ham's  paradise! 
They  even  had  a  platform  for  cars 
so  they  could  rotate  a  car  on  it  and 
run  a  curve  on  the  radiation  pat- 
tern. That's  something  a  club 
could  do  as  a  ctub  project.  Any 
takers? 

I  remember  reading  an  article 
on  the  optimum  heigh!  for  20m 
beams,  ft  turned  out  that  about  73' 
above  the  virtual  ground  gave  the 
best  DX  pattern.  Beat  out  even 
higher  antennas.  Come  on,  fellas, 
let's  get  going  on  antenna  experi- 
menting and  get  some  articles  in- 
to 73  so  we  can  all  have  a  ball  as 
the  sun  spots  open  our  bands. 
20m  will  soon  be  providing  DX 
contacts  around  the  clock,  10m 
will  be  fantastic  almost  every  day, 
giving  Novices  and  Teenies  DX 
thrills.  On  6m  you'll  be  able 
to  work  all  over  the  world  with 
low  power.  Let's  set  some  ORP 
records. 

We're  already  seeing  crazy 
sporadic-E  openings  on  6m.  It's  a 
hint  when  you  tune  your  FM  radio 
and  hear  strange  FM  stations 
pouring  in  by  the  zillions. 

If  you  want  to  build  a  Twin- 
Three,  dig  back  into  a  1947  issue 
of  CQ  or  an  old  Jones  Radio 
Handbook  and  find  the  plans. 
Build  one  and  let  us  know  how 
you've  made  out. 

Music  on  20m— Legally 

Yes,  of  course  you  can  transmit 
music  on  20m— or  any  other  ham 
band.  And.  yesr  if  you  do  it  right 
it's  entirely  legal.  Would  it  help  if  I 
offered  a  prize  for  the  first  20m 
ham  transmission  of  The  Blue 
Danube? 

For  that  matter  it's  also  legal  to 
send  fast  scan  TV  over  20m — if 
you  use  the  same  system.  Heck. 
you  can  send  high  definition  3D 
full  color  TV  in  the  20m  phone 
band  if  you  want. 

So  how  do  we  send  an  Erich 
Kunzel  and  the  Cincinnati  Pops 
Orchestra  playing  The  Blue 
Danube  over  20m?  Easy  as  pi.  All 
it  takes  is  some  sneaky  time  shift- 
ing. You  see,  it's  like  this,  that 
stuff  on  compact  discs  is  digital 
data,  not  music.  It  isn't  until  we 
run  it  through  a  converter,  deci- 
phering the  bit  stream,  that  we  get 
music. 

The  digital  data  on  a  CD  is 
clocked  at  44,100  Hz,  so  if  you 
send  it  at  full  speed  it's  going  to 
take  up  around  100  kHz  of  band- 
width, a  bil  much  for  20m.  It'd 
probably  play  on  the  UHF  bands 


alt  okay.  So  okay,  let's  slow  it 
down  by  a  factor  of  twenty  so  it'll 
only  tie  up  5  kHz— like  we  do  for 
slow  scan  TV,  where  we  pare 
down  a  5  MHz  bandwidth  and 
cram  it  into  a  5  kHz  slot. 

A  five  minute  musical  selection 
would  take  a  hundred  minutes  to 
transmit.  Nobody  said  this  was  a 
fast  system,  we're  aiming  for 
sound  perfection,  not  speed, 

Slowing  the  bit  stream  down 
for  transmission  and  then  speed- 
ing it  up  again  for  playing  is  an 
obvious  challenge.  One  fairly  sim- 
ple way  of  doing  it  would  be  to 
dump  about  20  megabytes  at  a 
time  from  a  CD  onto  a  hard  disk. 
You'd  then  program  your  comput- 
er to  put  it  out  at  the  slower  speed 
into  your  rig.  The  receiver  would 
do  the  opposite,  loading  the  signal 


the  time  Cantor  bought  hundreds 
of  old  books  for  a  quarter  each 
and  had  a  rubber  stamp  made 
with  Pappy's  address.  Cantor 
left  the  books  on  store  counters 
and  in  hotel  rooms  all  over  the 
country.  There  still  being  a  few 
honest  people  in  those  days, 
these  books  would  be  returned  to 
Pappy,  often  sent  collect.  Hun- 
dreds, 

Pappy  was  also  an  ace  cartoon- 
ist. When  I  started  73  in  1960  I  got 
him  to  do  my  first  cover.  Down 
through  the  years  I've  published 
hundreds  of  his  cartoons  for  you. 
The  last  time  I  saw  him1  we  got 
together  while  I  was  down  in  Mo- 
bile attending  my  old  submarine 
crew  reunion.  Smoking  had  bro- 
ken his  health,  but  not  his  spirit. 

Not  long  after  my  visit  he  had  a 


'  'What  do  you  know  about 

bhsquares,  cubical  quads, 

the  Twin  Three  and 

the  ZL-Special?" 


onto  a  hard  disk  and  from  there  to 
a  DAT  recorder,  Voila:  The 
Danube  ftoweth, 

I've  got  $100  each  for  the  first 
pair  of  you  who  pull  this  off  .  and 
prove  it 

What  about  the  FCC?  If  you'll 
read  the  rules  carefully  you'll  find 
nothing  to  prevent  your  experi- 
menting in  this  way.  However,  If 
you  ask  a  civil  servant  to  put  his 
pension  on  the  line  by  providing 
you  with  an  official  okay  to  do  this 
you  are  a  nut  case  and  should  be 
demoted  to  a  CBer,  Just  go  ahead 
and  do  it  and  stop  your  confound- 
ed nit-ptcking. 

Pappy  is  SK 

I  first  met  Pappy  K4PP  (K4LAP/ 
K8LAP)  when  I  was  working  as 
an  announcer/engineer  for  WSPB 
in  Sarasota,  Florida,  1950*  Nice 
gig,  where  I  put  the  station  on  the 
air  in  the  morning,  did  some  an- 
nouncing, read  news,  did  a  morn- 
ing disk  jockey  show  and  then  laid 
around  on  the  beautiful  Gulf  Coast 
beach  in  the  afternoon,  working 
on  skin  cancer  and  premature 
skin  aging, 

Bandel  Linn,  "Pappy,"  did 
an  afternoon  talk  show,  so  we  got 
to  be  good  friends.  He'd  bring 
in  well  known  writers  such  as 
his  good  friend  McKinley  Cantor 
and  interview  them.  He  and 
Cantor  were  always  pulling  practi- 
cal jokes  on  each  other.  Like 


stroke  that  paralyzed  his  left  side. 
He  was  still  able  to  turn  out  more 
cartoons  for  73— then  a  second 
stroke  ended  that— and  his  ham- 
ming. 

That's  two  old  ham  friends  and 
73  contributors  gone  in  a  couple 
months— Bill  Hoisington  K1CLL 
and  Pappy.  Since  most  of  you  are 
about  my  age,  you're  having  the 
same  thing  happen  to  you— good 
old  friends  dying.  In  this  case 
we've  lost  two  hams  who  have 
done  much  to  make  amateur  radio 
more  fun  for  all  of  us. 

Digital  Audio 

At  a  recent  ham  club  talk  I 
asked  the  assembled  how  many 
had  CD  players.  Bunch  hands 
went  up.  Great!  Then  I  asked  how 
many  were  reading  Digital  Audio 
magazine.  Darned  few  hands. 
Whoa! 

The  reason  I  started  Digital 
Audio  magazine  four  years 
ago  was  because  I  knew  that 
a  high  percentage  of  the  early 
CDs  would  be  technical  disasters, 
I  was  right.  Heck,  even  now,  four 
years  later,  we're  finding  that  1 7% 
of  the  new  CDs  being  released 
are  barfs.  They're  so  bad  that 
most  people  who  buy  them  play 
them  once  and  that's  It*  Some 
are  simply  awful  performances. 
Some  are  terrible  recordings. 
Would  you  believe  that  you  could 
end  up  with  a  CD  made  from 


old  78  rpm  records,  complete  with 
the  lousy  sound  and  needle 
scratch? 

A  recent  survey  of  the  field 
showed  that  the  average  CD 
buyer  is  spending  about  $670  a 
year  on  CDs,  mostly  to  replace  his 
old  LP  collection.  That's  $114  a 
year  wasted.  Worse,  another  60% 
of  the  CDs  coming  out  can  best  be 
termed  mediocre.  They're  okayr 
but  with  modest  performances  or 
only  fair  sound.  That's  another 
$402  blown  through  a  simple  lack 
of  research 

Now  if  you've  got  enough  mon- 
ey so  that  you  can  afford  to  waste 
$516  a  year  by  buying  lousy  or 
so-so  CDs,  fine.  I'M  tell  you 
this,  you  won't  find  wealthy  people 
throwing  away  their  money  like 
that.  You  get  to  be  wealthy  by  tak- 
ing care  of  your  money,  not  wast- 
ing it.  Yes.  the  solution  to 
the  problem  is  simple:  subscribe 
to  Digit  at  Audio  magazine — 
a  crummy  $20  a  year*  This  is 
the  only  magazine  devoted  to  re- 
viewing CDs,  so  it  isn't  like  you 
have  to  buy  a  half  dozen  new 
magazines  to  keep  track  of  the 
field. 

In  QA,  as  in  73.  I  have  an  in- 
depth  index  to  each  issue  so  you 
can  find  the  composer,  performer, 
music  or  label  of  your  particular 
interest.  DAt  like  73.  is  fun  to 
read.  My  DA  editors  don't  take 
themselves  any  more  seriously 
than  the  73  editors.  Try  it,  you'll 
like  it. 

If  you  haven't  gotten  a  CD  play- 
er yet  you'll  want  to  read  the  play- 
er reviews  in  DA,  Compact  discs 
are  killing  LPsr  slowly,  but  surely.  I 
stopped  by  the  Sound  Warehouse 
in  Houston  recently  and  found 
their  sales  were  running  78%  CD, 
2.6%  LP  and  the  rest  cassettes. 
The  down  side  of  CDs  is  that  their 
sound  is  so  fantastic  that  you'll  be 
wanting  to  improve  your  hifi  sys- 
tem in  order  to  hear  that  wonderful 
sound  better.  If  you're  short  of 
money  you  can  make  do  with 
some  Koss  headphones,  that  will 
knock  your  sox  off  with  the  sound 
they  let  you  hear. 

Call  my  operator  at  800-722- 
7785  with  your  credit  card  number 
and  get  started  with  DA.  It's  four 
years  old  now  and  has  over 
100,000  delighted  readers.  In 
fact,  according  to  the  Audit  Bu- 
reau, it's  one  of  the  fastest  grow- 
ing magazines  in  the  country.  Or 
you  can  send  $19.97  to  Digital  Au- 
dio, Peterborough  NH  03458- 
1194. 

And  yes,  you're  tn  for  another 
Wayne  Green  editorial  every 
month. " 


6     73  Amateur  Radio  •  December,  1988 


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(optional) 
Covers  80-10  meters, 

•  VS-1  voice  synthe- 
(optional) 


•  Superior  receiver  dynamic  range 

Kenwood  DynaMix"  high  sensitivity  direct 
mixing  system  ensures  true  102  tiB  receiver 
dynamic  range.  (500  Hz  bandwidth  on  20m) 

•  100%  duty  cycle  transmitter 

Super  efficient  cooting  permits  continuous 
key-down  for  periods  exceeding  one  hour. 
RF  input  power  is  rated  at  200  W  PEP  on 
SSB,  200  W  DC  on  CW,  AFSK.  FM,  and  110 
W  DC  AM.  (The  PS-50  power  supply  Is 
needed  for  continuous  duty,) 


•  Adjustable  dial  torque 

•  100  memory  channels 
Frequency  and  mode  may  be  stored  in 
10  groups  of  10  channels  each.  Split  fre- 
quencies may  be  stored  in  10  channels 
for  repeater  operation. 

•  TU-8  CTCSS  unit  (optional) 
•Superb  interference  reduction 

IF  shift,  tuneabfe  notch  filter,  noise  blanker, 
all-mode  squelch,  RF  attenuator,  RtT/XIT, 
and  optional  filters  fight  QFM 

•  MC-43S  UP/DOWN  mlc.  Included 

•  Computer  interface  port 

•  5  IF  fitter  functions 

•  Dual  SSB  IF  filtering 

A  built-in  SSB  filter  is 
standard,  When  an 
optional  SSB  filter 
(YK-883  or  YK-88SN)  is 
installed,  dual  filtering 
is  provided, 

•  VOX,  full  or  semi 
break-in  CW 

•  AMTOR  compatible 


power 


IC  -®-  CAR 


SQL-®-  NOTCH 


HI 


voice    m 


HF  TRANSCtiven 


t  u  D  n  n  n 

(      t.  L    U   u.  U 


-  e       2- 


u,  u 


I'M 


KENWOOD  I 


MODE/KEV 


—FUNCTION— 


T/XIT^S)-  IF 


F-8-RF 


I    I 


it.  .  'I 


M  +  V               SCAN              CLEAR 

I^HiSHH^^H  HHH  ■■■ 

VFO/M 

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.OCK  PflOC   NOTCH    ftSS*  SELECTIVITY 


eseei  band  ma  ■ 

CD  1=3    I    I    I    1 


auto 


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OFF  OCT         SLQMt 


Optional  accessories: 

•  AT-440  internal  auto,  antenna  tuner  (60  in  -10  m) 

•  AT- 250  external  auto,  tuner  (160  m-10  nri) 

•  AT-130  compact  mobile  antenna  tuner  {160  m - 
10m}*  IF-232C/1C-10  ievel  translator  and  modem 
IC  kit  *  PS-50  heavy  duty  power  supply  *  PS-430^ 
PS-30  DC  power  supply  *  SP-430  external 
speaker*  MB-430  mobile  mounting  bracket 

•  VK-88C/BBCN  500  Hz/270  Hz  CW  fliers  *  YK-86S/ 
S8SN  2.4  kHz/1. 8  kHz  SSB  tillers  •  MC-60A/80/S5 
desk  microphones  *  MC-55  (8P)  mobile  mtcro- 
phone  *  hS-5/6/7  headphones  •  SP-40/5OB 
mobile  speakers  *  MA-5A/P-1  HF  5  band  mobile 
helical  antenna  and  bumper  mount  •TL-922A 

2  kw  PEP  linear  amplifier  •  SM-220  station  monitor 

•  VS-1  voice  synthesizer  •  SW-100A/2 00A/ 2000 
SWR/power  meters  •  TU-8  CTCSS  tone  unit 

•  PG-2S  extra  DC  cable 


Kenwood  takes  you 
from  HF  to  OSCAR! 


,  •  * 


QJtiit 


Complete  service  manuals  are  available  for  all 

Kenwood  transceivers  and  most  accessories. 
Specifications  and  prices  are  subject  Jo  change  without 
notice  or  obligation 


KENWOOD 

KENWOOD  USA  CORPORATION 
2201 E.  Dominguez  St.,  Long  Beach,  CA  90810 
RO.  Box  22745,  Long  Beach,  CA  90801-5745 


rv 


pacesetter  in  Amateur  Radio 


ThisHT 

TH-215A/315A/415A 

Full-featured  Hand-held  Transceivers 


■ 


Kenwood  brings  you  the 
greatest  hand-held  trans- 
ceiver ever!  More  than  just 
"big  rig  performance;'  the 
new  TH-215A  for  2  m, TH-315A 
for  220  MHz,  and  TH-415 A  for 
70  cm  pack  the  most  features 
and  the  best  performance  in 
a  handy  size.  And  our  full  line 
of  accessories  will  let  you  go 
from  hamshack  to  portable 
to  mobile  with  the  greatest 
of  ease! 

•  Wide  receiver  frequency  range. 

Receives  from  141-163  MHz. 
Includes  the  weather  channels! 
Transmit  from  144-148  MHz. 
Modifiable  to  cover  141-151  MHz 
(MARS  or  CAP  permit  required). 

•  TH-315A  covers  220-225  MHz, 
TH-415A  covers  440-449,995 MHz, 

■  5,  2.5*  or  15  W  output,  depend- 
ing on  the  power  source.  Sup- 
plied battery  pack  (PB-2)  provjdes 
2,5  W  output,  Optional  NiCd  packs 
for  extended  operation  or  higher 
RF  output  available. 

•  CTCSS  encoder  built-in,  TSU-4 
CTCSS  decoder  opbonaJ. 

•  10  memory  channels  store  any 

offset,  in  100- kHz  steps, 

— -^— ^— 

•  Odd  split,  any  frequency  TX  Of 

RX,  in  memory  channel    0" 

•  Nine  types  of  scanning?  Includ- 
ing new  "seek  scan"  and  prior- 
ity alert.  Also  memory  channel 
lock-out 

•  Intel   gent  2-way  battery  saver 
circuit  extends  battery  life.  Two 
battery-saver  modes  to  choose, 
with  power  saver  ratio  selection. 

•  Easy  memory  recatL  Simply 
press  the  channel  number! 

•  12  VDC  input  terminal  for  direct 
mobile  or  base  station  supply 
operation.  When  12  volts  applied, 
RF  output  is  5  W1  (Cable  supplied!) 

•  New  Twist-Lok  Positive- 
Connect   locking  battery  case. 

•  Priority  alert  function. 

•  Monitor  switch  to  defeat  squelch, 
Used  to  check  the  frequency  when 
CTCSS  en  code  /decode  is  used  or 
when  squelch  js  on 


DC  IH 


MIC 


O   O 


KENWOOD 


una 


@ 


SOI 


VOL 


"7  n    s 


LAMP    0FFSET/F    ft /TONE  F 


LOW 


SAVE 


Large,  easy-to-read  multi-func- 
tion LCD  display  with  night  light. 
Audible  beeper  to  confirm  key- 
pad operation.  The  beeper  has  a 
unique  tone  for  each  key.  DTMF 
monitor  also  included. 
Supplied  accessories:  Belt  hook, 
rubber  flex  antenna,  PB-2  standard 
NiCd  battery  pack  (for  2  5  W  oper- 
ation), wall  charger,  DC  cable, 
dust  caps. 


hatv 


l 


ENTER 


SCAN 


TH-215A 


Optional  Accessories: 

*  PB-t  12  V,  800  mAH  NiCtf  pack  for  5  W 
output  *  PB-2;  8,4  V.  500  mAH  MiCd  pack 
(2  5  W  output)  ■  PB-3   7  2  V,  800  mAH 
NiCd  pack  (15  W  Output)  •  PB-4.  7  2  V, 
1600  mAH  NiCd  pack  [1.5  W  output.) 

*  BT-5  AA  cell  manganese/alkaline  battery 
case  •  BC-7  rapi         irger  for  PB-1,  2.  3P 
or  4  •  BOB  compact  battery  charger 

-  SMC- 30  speaker  microphone  *  SC-12,  13 
soft  cases  » RA-3. 5  telescoping  antennas 

-  RA-8B  StubbyDuk  antenna  -  TSU  4 
CTCSS  decode  urai  •  VB-2530  2m,  25  W 
amplifier  (1-4  W  input}  *  LH-4<  5  leather 
cases  *  MB-4  mobile  bracket  *  BH-5 
swivel  mount  *  PG-2V  extra  DC  cable 

*  PG-3D  cigarette  lighter  cord  with  filter 


n      ■ 


Compter*?  service  manudfs  are  available  lor  b4  Kenwood  frerwce/vers  antf  most  QccessQtiQS 
Spenhcattons  and  prices  am  sutojecr  fo  ctiange  without  notice  or  obligation 


KENWOOD  U.S.A.  CORPORATION 

2201 E  Domini  uii        ,  LonflB^cbXA  90&10 


flA    ■      m     m 


Number  2  on  your  Feedback  card 


EDITED  BY  BRYAN  HASTINGS  NS18 


Space  Operations 

AO-13  operations  continue  normally. 

On  1 9  September,  a  new  schedule  reflects  the 
spacecraft  altitude  change. 

The  first  Mode  S  transponder  tests  were 
successfully  performed  beginning  at  about 
2025  UTC,  17  September.  Three  stations 
were  on  during  the  first  test  run— VE4MA, 
WB5LUA,  and  KORZ  Mode  S  uses  an  uplink 
at  435  MHz  and  produces  a  downlink  at  2.4 
GHz,  All  three  stations  on  the  initial  test  ran 
SSB.  K0RZ  says  the  measured  uplink  band- 
width was  35  KHz;  the  measured  downlink,  34 
kHz.  More  than  a  dozen  stations  around  the 
world  reported  hearing  the  2,4  GHz  beacon. 
Recent  reports  suggest  good  to  excellent  re* 
suits  may  be  obtained  from  very  modest  an- 
tennas. DF5DP  used  only  a  20  dB  gain  yagi. 

AMSAT-DL  and  AMSAT-NA  thanks  all 
those  who  submitted  telemetry  reports  on  the 
Mode  L  AGC  levels.  They  have  now  estab- 
lished an  automated  system  on  AO-1 3  for  log- 
ging AGC  levels. 

AO-10  is  out  of  service  for  an  indeterminate 
period  due  to  poor  sun  angles.  Recently,  its 
beacon  has  been  occasionally  heard  sending 
garbled  PSK  telemetry.  This  indicates  the 
spacecraft  IHU  is  powering  down  during 
eclipses  and,  when  re-poweredt 
logic  circuits  assume  an  indeter- 
minate state.  Occasionally  the 
PSK  beacon  will  be  commanded 
by  a  chance  logic  state. 

RS-11  will  be  operating  Tues- 
day through  Friday  on  Mode  KA 
and  weekends  on  Mode  A.  There 
is  currently  no  RS-1 0  operation. 

The  new  Mode  S  test  window 
will  be  announced.  Mode  S  bea- 
con will  run  concurrent  with  Mode 
L  but,  for  power  budget  reasons, 
will  cause  Mode  J  to  be  turned  off 
during  Mode  S  beacon  opera- 
tions. On  or  about  19  September, 
the  attitude  will  be  changed  to 
BLON  =  2tQand  BLAT  =  +5  to  re- 
spond to  seasonal  sun  angle 
changes. 


government  to  deal  with  electromagnetic  in- 
terference problems  by  setting  EMI  suscepti- 
bility standards. 


Reciprocal 
Agreements 


Scotland 


Packet  digipeating  has  come  to  Scotland.  A 
packet  radio  digipeater  (switch)  became  oper- 
ational in  central  Scotland  on  27  August.  It 
operates  on  144.650.  Address  reception  and 
verification  reports  to  GM1VBE. 


Guinea  Biseau 


Dave  Heil  J52US  finally  obtained  6  meter 
operating  privileges  in  this  tiny  nation  on  the 
western  tip  of  the  African  continent,  located  1 2 
degrees  north  of  the  equator.  Dave  (US: 
K8MN)  works  for  the  US  State  Department. 

To  get  this  truly  rare  locale  on  the  air,  sever- 
al members  of  the  Midwest  VHF/UHF  Society 
are  working  toward  finding  a  50  MHz  trans- 
ceiver to  loan  to  Dave,  and  welcome  any  dona- 
tions. Equipment  sought  includes  a  Yaesu 
620B  transceiver,  amplifier,  and  memory 
keyer.  Contact  the  Midwest  VHF/UHF  Soci- 
ety. c/0  Terry  NetzEey  W8NJR,  1821  E.  Troy 
Urbana  Rd.t  Troy  OH  45373. 


Canada 


A  new  Radio  Communications 
bill  was  brought  to  the  table  in 
the  House  of  Commons  by  the 
Hon.  Flora  MacDonald,  Minister 
of  Communications.  This  is  the 
first  proposed  major  revision  to 
Canadian  communications  law 
since  1936.  If  passed,  it  will  permit 
the  Canadian  Government  to  stop 
the  importation,  manufacture, 
and  sale  of  substandard  radio 
equipment,  and  also  permit  the 


SS  HOMEBREW  IV  $$ 

73  Magazine  again  invites  all  home-brewers  to  turn  their  hot 
solder  into  cold  cash,  and  to  get  their  name  in  print  to  boot,  All 
project  have  a  chance  to  appear  in  the  magazine,  and  we  will 
handsomely  reward  the  authors  of  the  creme  de  la  creme  of 
these. 

First  prize  is  $300  plus  a  ten-year  subscription  to  73.  Second 
prize  is  $150.  Third  prize  is  $75.  This  is  in  addition  to  the  payment 
every  author  receives  for  publishing  in  73. 

Contest  Rules 


1 .  Entnes  must  be  received  by  1  April  1989, 

2.  To  enter,  write  an  article  describing  your  best  home-brew 
construction  project  and  submit  ft  to  73  If  you've  never  written  for 
73.  send  an  SASE  for  a  copy  of  our  Writer's  Guide,  or  download 
them  from  CompuServe  (Hamnet  forum,  Library  §,,  filename 
"73WBTTJ. 

3.  Here's  the  real  challenge:  The  total  cost  of  your  project  must 
cost  under  $73.  even  if  all  the  parts  were  bought  new.  Be  sure  to 
include  a  detailed  parts  list  with  prices  and  sources. 

4.  Our  technical  staff  will  evaluate  each  project  on  the  basis  of 
originality,  usefulness,  reproducibility,  economy  of  design,  and 
clarity  of  presentation.  The  decision  of  the  judges  is  final. 

5.  All  projects  must  be  original.  That  is,  they  must  not  be  pub- 
lished elsewhere.  There  is  no  limit  to  the  number  of  projects  you 
may  enter. 

6.  All  purchased  articles  become  the  property  of  73  Magazine. 

7.  Mail  your  entries  to: 

73  Magazine 

WGE  Center 

70  Rle.  202  N 

Peterborough,  NH  03458-1 194 

Attn:  Home-Brew  IV 


The  FCC  announced  that  three  more  coun- 
tries— Antigua  and  Barbuda,  Dominica,  and 
Hong  Kong—signed  reciprocal  licensing 
agreements  with  the  US, 

Never  Too  Old 


Murl  Fox  KB6YPF  is  one  man  who  apparent- 
ly has  never  heard  the  adage  about  "teaching 
an  old  dog  new  tricks."  Murl  received  his 
Technician  class  call  only  three  months  after 
celebrating  his  97th  birthday! 


Hams  at  the  Scene 


Amateurs  were  among  the  first  to  arrive  at 
the  scene  ot  the  August  31st  crash  of  Delta 
Flight  1141.  The  aircraft,  a  Boeing  727, 

crashed  at  takeoff.  Immediately  after  the 
plane  went  down,  both  Dallas  and  Tarrant 
County  RACES  activated  their  "Mass  Casual- 
ty Plan"  mode,  Under  the  Mass  Casualty 
_  Plan,  amateurs  were  dispatched 
to  the  crash  scene  and  to  alt  area 
hospitals  to  provide  tactical  back- 
up communications.  Virtually  all 
the  amateur  radio  communica- 
tions between  the  hospitals, 
where  survivors  were  taken,  were 
on  the  220  MHz  band. 

Some  of  the  key  operators  were 
Art  Hunstable  N5KSA  who  served 
as  Net  Control  Station  for  Dallas 
RACES,  Ken  Winters  N5AUX  who 
was  one  of  the  first  hams  at  the 
crash  scene,  and  Jim  Haynie 
WB5JBP  who  manned  the  City  of 
Dallas  Emergency  Operations 
Center, 

There  were  94  survivors  and  13 
fatalities  in  the  crash. 


87-139 

Extension 

Hams  have  been  granted  an 
90-day  extension  to  the  com* 
mentary  cutoff  date  on  PR  Docket 
88-139.  This  rule-making  seeks  to 
streamline  the  rules  governing  the 
Amateur  Radio  Service.  The  new 
cutoff  date  was  changed  to  29 
November.  This  came  about  as  a 
result  of  many  hams1  concern 
about  a  part  of  the  rewrite  pro- 
posal which  would  give  ihe  Com- 


73  Amateur  Radio  *  December,  1988    9 


QRX.  . 


mission  sweeping  authority  to  restrict  a  ham 
from  operating  if  his  station  caused  any  RFL  If 
passed  as  written,  there  would  no  longer  be  a 
system  of  checks  and  balances  of  FCC  per- 
sonnel handling  RFI  complaints.  They  could 
simply  order  hams  oft  the  air  without  appeal 
recourse 

Dead  Sputniks 

Leonid  Labutin  of  Moscow,  a  prime  mover 
in  the  Soviet  Radio  Sputnik  (RS)  program, 

reports  that  on  15  July,  the  first  Western  ama- 
teur visited  the  USSR  RS  command  station 
RS3A  in  Moscow.  Danny  Kohn  SM0NBJ  of 
AMSAT-SM,  visited  UA3CR  during  his  recent 
stay  in  Moscow  Danny  interviewed  the  chief 
operator  there,  Leo  Makhakov  RA3AT;  made 
tape  recordings,  and  took  pictures. 

Danny  will  likely  make  an  extensive  report 
on  his  visit  to  RS3A  after  reluming  to  Stock- 
holm. Perhaps  the  most  interesting  news  he 
learned  was  that,  according  to  the  operators 
at  RS3A,  RS~5  and  RS-7  are  now  definitely  out 
of  operation,  RS3A  gradually  lost  control  over 
these  iasl  two  active  RS  satellites  of  the  RS-3 
to  RS-8  series.  They  are  convinced  that  the 
batteries  in  RS-5  and  RS-7  are  dead  and  so 
expect  no  new  activity  from  them.  RS-3 
through  RS-8  were  launched  together  on  17 
December  1981. 

Amateur  Radar? 

Nick  Leggett  N3NL  continues  his  campaign 

with  the  FCC  to  obtain  permission  for  ama- 
teurs to  experiment  with  radar,  He  has  now 
asked  the  FCC  to  modify  Part  97  of  the  rules 
so  that  all  RACES  radio  stations  and  all  com- 
mercially built  amateur  equipment  be  protect- 
ed from  Electromagnetic  Pulse  (EMP). 
Leggett  claims  that,  to  date,  only  a  few  select- 
ed military  systems  are  shielded  from  EM  P. 
He  claims  communications  equipment  can  be 
protected  from  EMP  by  conductive  shielding 
and  active  bypass  devices.  He  asks  that  Part 
97.4  require  that  all  amateur  stations  manu- 
factured or  sold  after  1  January  1990  be  so 
protected. 


Japan  under  the  auspices  of  JARL  branches 
and  JARL-affiliated  clubs. 


88  and  73 


Japanese 
T-Hunting 


T-hunting  is  quickly  gaining  popularity  in 

Japan.  Last  year,  the  first  National  Amateur 
Radio  Direction  Finding  (ARDF)  Competition 
was  held  in  November  1967,  with  amateurs 
from  the  People's  Republic  of  China  (CRSA) 
and  the  Republic  of  Korea  (KARL)  participat- 
ing, ARDFf  whtch  was  introduced  to  Japan 
from  Europe,  is  attracting  the  interest  of  many 
Japanese  hams.  ARDF  events  have  already 
been  held  in  various  locations  throughout 

10     73  Amateur  Radio  •  Dece  m  ber ,  1 986 


The  numerals  68  and  73  have  been  a  tradi- 
tion in  communication  languages  for  almost 
130  years.  The  older  of  the  two,  73,  appeared 

in  1853  meaning  "My  love  to  you,"  In  1857, 
the  first  official  definition  made  it  a  "fraternal 
greeting  between  operators."  Two  years  later, 
in  1859T  Western  Union  made  73  a  part  of  their 
iJ92  code"  to  indicate  "Accept  my  compli- 
ments-1 '  The  final  change  came  in  1895,  when 
73  meant  "Best  Regards1'  for  the  telegraph, 
and  later  for  radio,  operators. 

88  never  received  the  formality  of  an  official 
listing  until  it  was  adopted  as  one  of  the  ham 
abbreviations.  It  had  been  one  of  the  telegra- 
pher operator's  traditional  terms  since  well 
before  the  turn  of  the  century.  During  the  First 
World  War,  88  was  used  by  the  U.S.  Army 
Signal  Corps,  again  strictly  as  an  operator's 
abbreviation  in  unofficial  communications. 
But  at  the  close  of  the  First  World  War.  88 
achieved  official  status  as  part  of  amateur  ra- 
dio terminology,  "Love  &  Kisses/' 


Not-So-Secret 
Service 


Ever  wanted  to  listen  in  on  the  men  in 
shades  during  a  presidential  visit?  It's  eas- 
ier than  you  may  think! 

Most  frequencies  used  by  the  Secret  Ser- 
vice/presidential protection  agents  are  in  the 
UHF  range,  and  most  of  the  transmissions  are 
unscrambled  voice  narrowband  FM.  It  ap- 
pears that  as  many  agents  use  plain  English, 
as  those  who  use  code  and  ciphers.  The 
secret  service  has  also  been  known  to  use 
portable  repeaters.  Frequencies  used  in  the 
past  (either  repeater  output  or  simplex): 

Air  Force  One/Two  in  the  air— 

171,235  MHz 
Air  Force  One/Two  on  the  ground — 

171.285  MHz 
Presidential  Li  mo— 164.885  MHz 
Secret  Service  agents— 165,375/ 

,685/.  785, 166,700. 167025. 

169.625/.925.  171 .235/285  MHz 

France 

On  6  Meters 

France  has  authorized  its  amateurs  the  use 
of  the  50-51  MHz  band  on  a  permanent 
basis.  The  band  will  be  available  only  to  ama- 
teurs living  more  than  100  miles  from  a  televi- 
sion transmitter.  Three  watts  ERP  at  a  dis- 
tance of  150  km  from  a  channel  2  transmitter 
is  permitted-     extending  to  10W  at  a  dis- 


tance of  200  km.  For  channels  3  and  4*  the 
protection  zone  is  the  signal  coverage  area  of 
the  television  station.  CW,  SSB,  RTTY,  and 
packet  are  authorized  to  fixed  stations  only. 

Repeaters  in  China 


Members  of  the  Boeing  (Seattle)  Aircraft 
ARC  were  in  China  demonstrating  FM, 
repeaters,  and  interlinking  systems  on  the  am- 
ateur 2  meter  and  1 V*  meter  bands.  According 
to  Yaesu  USA  Vice  President  of  Marketing 
C.R  "Chip"  Margelli  K7JA,  the  Seattle  ama- 
teurs took  with  them  repeaters  from  I  COM  and 
Spectrum  Communications,  antennas  from 
Larsen,  and  a  number  of  Yaesu  handhefds 
that  are  being  used  to  demonstrate  all  aspects 
of  VHF-FM  operation.  Including  autopatching, 
They  also  took  along  packet  radio  gear  from 
Advanced  Electronic  Applications,  and  vari- 
ous peripherals  supplied  by  a  long  list  of  man- 
ufacturers. 

The  demonstration  was  a  joint  effort  of  the 
amateurs  from  Boeing  working  with  the  Ama- 
teur Radio  Manufacturers  and  Publishers  As- 
sociation. 

Navy  Testing 

at  Va  Capes 

If  you  live  near  the  Virginia  Capes  or  will 

be  on  a  boat  near  there,  be  sure  to  listen  to 
the  maritime  notices  about  the  Navy  test- 
ing going  on  in  that  region.  The  Navy  is  simu- 
lating nuclear  blasts  to  learn  about  its  effect  on 
radio  equipment.  Make  sure  your  gear  is  well 
shielded! 


NBC  Hams 


Hams  who  are  current  or  former  employees 
of  the  National  Broadcasting  Company  can 
keep  track  of  one  another  over  the  20  meter 
NSC  Retirees  Net.  Hosted  by  Tony  Rokosz 
W5RFOT  the  net  meets  daily  at  1 0  AM  Eastern 
time  on  14.242  MHz.  Rokosz,  a  former  NBC 
Maintenance  Supervisor,  runs  the  conclave 
from  his  home  in  Rio  Rancho  Estates,  just 
north  of  Albuquerque,  New  Mexico.  For  more 
information  on  the  net,  write  Tony  at:  1523 
Sara  Rd~.  Rio  Rancho,  New  Mexico  87124,  or 
caJI  him  at  (505)  892-8308. 

A  Hearty  Thanks 

to  the  cast  of  thousands  who  helped 
supply  this  month's  QRX  items.  Among  them 
are:  Westimk,  ASR.  FSAARC  Newsletter. 
TSRAC  e-fV-7,  QRZ  Newsletter.  CAREN's 
World,  3irmingHamt  JARL  News,  WertdRa- 
dio,  Great  Faffs  AARC  Newsletter.  Mike  & 
Key,  NABET  News,  CARF.  W70IO.  and 
GB2RS. 


73  Review 


by  Jennifer  Roe  WA  60HX 


Number  3  on  your  Feedback  card 


The  TE-144  Deluxe 
CMOS  Keyer 


TRAC  down  this  good  value  keyer. 


TRAC  Electronics,  Inc, 

PO  Box  7685 

Charlottesville  VA  22906 

PH:  {804)973-3669 

Price  CJass:  $76 


The  TE-144  is  a  deluxe  CMOS  electronic 
keyer  from  TRAC  Electronics,  Inc.  There 
are  six  different  models  of  keyers  that  TRAC 
manufactures,  of  which  the  TE-144  is  the  mid- 
dle-oRhe-line.  It  offers  dot  and  dash  memory, 
sidetone,  a  tune  function,  and  speed  (5-50 
WPM)  and  weight  controls. 

Dot  and  dash  memory  only  remembers  that 
a  dot/dash  is  sent  in  a  specific  order  and  out- 
puts if  in  the  proper  order,  (if  the  operator  gets 
ahead  of  the  output),  This  memory  assures 
accurate  output,  but  can't  be  recalled  or  pro- 
grammed. The  sidetone  feature  includes  a 

"The  sidetone  has  tone 
and  volume  control. ff 

tone  and  volume  control.  Sidetone  capability 
permits  the  keyer  to  be  used  as  a  practice 
code  oscillator.  If  sidetone  is  not  required, 
TRAC  suggests  turning  the  volume  to  mint- 
mum  to  prolong  battery  life.  The  weight  con* 
trol  allows  you  to  add  a  distinction,  or  thick- 
ness, to  the  dot  and  dash  for  different 
operating  conditions. 

The  input  and  output  are  Va  "  jacks.  In  the 
TE-144,  the  tip  of  the  plug  \s  common,  a 
somewhat  unusual  configuration.  The  sche- 
matic and  instructions  do  not  specify  which 
connector  is  for  the  dot  and  dash,  which  re- 


quires a  little  detective 
work. 

To  tune,  put  the  semwu> 
TOfAUTO  switch  (positioned 
in  the  back  of  the  box),  in 
the  semi-auto  position.  This 
is  somewhat  awkward  if  the 
back  side  of  the  box  is  not 
easily  accessible  in  the 
shack.  The  only  other  adjustment  on  the  back 
is  the  fos/neg  (grid  block)  switch.  Unless  there 
are  other  changes  in  the  shack,  it  only  needs 
to  be  adjusted  at  installation. 

Circuit  Workings 

The  CMOS  circuitry  allows  the  TE-144  to 
draw  low  current  from  the  battery,  thus  elimi- 
nating the  need  for  an  on/off  switch.  A  single  9 
vott  battery  will  last  one  year  under  normal 
operation. 

The  circuit  is  described  as  follows:  A  clock 
oscillator  establishes  the  basic  speed  of  the 
dots  or  dashes  selected  by  the  paddle-con- 
trolling IC.  A  clock  division  in  another  IC  es- 
tablishes precision  timing  control  of  the  dots' 
mtra-character  spacing  and  the  dashes.  A 
third  IC  with  its  weight  control,  allows  some 
"stretching"  of  the  dots  and  dashes  as  de- 
sired by  the  operator.  This  weight-modified 
code  gates  on  the  audio  oscillator,  whose  tone 
(frequency)  is  operator-variable  with  the  tone 
control.  This  audio  version  of  the  code  is 


brought  to  a  suitable  output  level  by  a  tran- 
sistor amplifier  using  volume  to  control  the 
level.  A  fourth  IC,  in  addition  to  gating  on  the 
audio  oscillator  (sidetone),  controls  the  tran- 
sistor switch  MPSA92  and  MPSA42,  which 
provides  contact-to-ground  output  for  one  SW 
(pos/neg  grid  block  switch)  position  and  a  posi- 
tive output  voltage  for  the  other  SW  position 
(for  the  requirements  of  the  transmitter  to  be 
operated). 

All  the  chips  are  on  sockets  and  solid  wire  is 
used  for  all  interconnects.  The  unit  is  housed 
in  a  heavy  aluminum  box  with  "feet"  on  the 
bottom  to  prevent  marring.  (I  recommend 
scraping  some  paint  away  from  where  the  cas- 
es connect  (at  the  screws)  to  improve  the 
bonding.)  The  integrated  circuits  (ICs)  are 
easily  available  at  most  electronics  stores. 

With  the  TRAC  TE-1 44  connected  between 
my  Bencher  Paddle  and  IC-430S,  the  keyer 
functions  well  and  reliably.  The  TRAC  TE-144 
is  competitively  priced  and  is  a  good  looking, 
good  operating  piece  of  equipment. 


Photo  A,  internal  view  of  the  TRAC  TE-144, 


Photo  fr  The  hack  panel  showing  the  positions  of  the  switches. 


73  Amateur  Radio  *  December,  1938     11 


Number  4  on  your  Feedback  card 


CIVIL  AIR  PATROL 

Best  kept  secret  in  the  world. 


by  Phil  Nowak  KA9KAF 


What  kind  of  radio 
operator's  li- 
cense can  you  obtain 
without  having  to 
wade  through  either 
code  or  theory?  CB  is 
such  a  license— but  it 
lets  you  operate  only 
on  a  few  channels, 
and  with  very  limited 
power.  Yet  there  is  a 
license  that  allows 
considerably  more 
scope—one  hundred 
and  fifty  watts  on 
26,620  MHz,  opera- 
tion on  HF  and  VHF 
subspeetra,  and  oper- 
ation in  a  number  of 
modes,  including 
voice  and  RTTY, 
Much  ham  gear 
nowadays  is  easily 
convertible  to  fre- 
quencies in  this  Service,  Licensing  starts  at 
fourteen  years  old.  If  you're  lucky ,  you  might 
even  get  a  couple  of  weeks  of  an  all-expense- 
paid  vacation  in  a  foreign  land. 

No,  I'm  not  suffering  from  code-induced 
delusions.  This  service  actually  exists,  and 
quite  naturally,  thrives.  It  is  the  Civil 
Air  PatroL  the  US  Air  Force  Auxiliary. 
CAP  has  over  seventy  thousand  members, 
many  of  them  cadets  under  the  age  of  eigh- 
teen. Senior  members  are  generally  twenty- 
one  and  older. 

The  Waukcgan  Civil  Air  Patrol  squadron  is 
an  outstanding  example  of  what  can  be  done 
to  interest  young  people  in  amateur  radio. 
Based  at  the  local  airport,  the  Waukegan 
squadron  boasts  its  own  communications 
building  equipped  with  a  complete  radio 
room,  A  CAP  group  consists  of  several 
squadrons.  Lieutenant  Colonel  Leonard 
Bromstead  WB9MTC  is  the  communications 
officer  for  both  the  squadron  and  Group 
Twenty -Two.  Col.  Bromstead,  a  CAP  mem- 
ber  since  1952,  was  chosen  CAP  Communi- 
cator of  the  Year  for  1986,  He  has  been  the 
* 'Elmer*  for  dozens  of  young  people  in  his 
area  and  conducts  ham  classes  in  his  home. 
Over  thirty  people  have  become  amateurs  as  a 
result  of  these  classes. 

CAP  Hams 

Ted  Mathis  N9HJN  is  a  sixteen  year  old 
ham.    *I  was  interested  in  radio  as  a  small 

12     73  Amateur  Radio  •  December,  1988 


Photo  A.  One  of  the  many  activities  of  CAP.  Mitch  Mali  f  'Red  Fox  271 '  *  copying  traffic. 


boy.  After  I  joined  CAP*  Col.  Bromstead 
encouraged  my  interest  in  communications/ 
Ted  is  the  only  licensed  amateur  in  a  high 
school  of  5000  students.  When  he  carries  his 
handie  talkie  to  school,  other  kids  think  it's 
some  kind  of  CB.  He  notes  that  "Most  school 
kids  have  never  heard  of  ham  radio/  Ted, 
who  has  recently  upgraded  to  Technician , 
remembers  what  launched  him  into  this  fasci- 
nating hobby;  "I  wouldn't  be  in  ham  radio 
had  it  not  been  for  CAP/" 


"CAP  has 

over  seventy  thousand 

members/9 


Mitch  Hall  age  fifteen,  who  holds  the 
CAP  call  "Red  Fox  271,"  also  recently 
entered  the  ham  ranks  as  a  Novice  licensee. 
He  concurs  with  Ted:  **I  wouldn't  have  even 
thought  of  a  ham  license  without  CAP/ 
Mitch  has  also  had  a  wonderful  time  with 
CAP,  and  really  appreciates  the  hands-on 
practice.  Asked  if  there  was  a  ham  club  in  his 
school,  he  answered  with  depressing  pre- 
dictibility:  "No,  and  most  of  the  kids  have 


never  heard  of  ama- 
teur radio/* 

Best  Way  to  Go 

Why  is  amateur  ra- 
dio activity  in  schools 
on  the  wane?  For 
one,  it's  very  hard  to 
get  teachers  to  run 
ham  clubs.  Len 
WB9MTC  feels  that 
the  main  reason, 
however,  is  thai  ham 
clubs  don't  offer 
enough  initial  excite- 
ment for  young  peo- 
ple. In  a  CAP  pro- 
gram, cadets  often 
ride  on  Air  Force  air- 
craft, such  as  the  C- 
130  Hercules.  They 
take  camping  and 
hiking  trips.  Cadets 
visit  Air  Force  bases 
(Wright-Patterson  AFB  in  Dayton,  Ohio,  and 
Strategic  Air  Command  at  Offut  AFB,  for 
cadets  from  the  Chicago  area) ,  CAP  has  three 
primary  purposes:  aerospace  education, 
emergency  services,  and  the  cadet  program. 
Cadets  participate  in  all  three. 

'Young  people  are  introduced  to  radio- 
communications,  in  the  midst  of  all  the 
excitement,  and  so  they  develop  a  good  asso- 
ciation with  it/'  continues  Len,  "This  helps 
them  appreciate  amateur  radio  that  much 
more  when  they  start  getting  involved  with 

It. 

Cadets  are  encouraged  to  study  aerospace. 
They  lake  periodic  exams  and  are  rewarded 
for  good  marks  by  promotion  to  higher  rank. 
A  cadet  can  progress  all  the  way  to  cadet 
colonel. 

The  US  Air  Force  sponsors  several  CAP 
search  and  rescue  missions  each  year,  Group 
Twenty -Two  cadets  are  capable  of  handling 
mosl  of  the  communications  workload  of  a 
mission,  both  in  the  radio  shack  and  out  on 
the  flight  line.  They  talk  to  pilots,  flying 
observers,  and  ground  personnel.  Pretty  ex- 
citing stuff,  especially  on  an  actual  mission. 

Plenty  of  Incentive 

A  very  nice  feature  of  CAP  is  the  interna- 
tional air  cadet  exchange  program.  Every 
summer,  a  few  lucky  cadets,  along  with  se- 
nior member  chaperons,  spend  two  weeks 
visiting  foreign  countries— at  government 


expense .  The  cadets  chosen  to  go  are  the  ones 
who  are  very  active  in  their  units. 

Aviation  is  a  big  drawing  card.  Angela 
Greanias  "Red  Fox  311/'  a  fifteen  year  old 
female  cadet*  joined  CAP  to  enter  a  flight 
training  program  at  reduced  cost.  She 
stresses,  "CAP  doesn't  have  to  lead  to  a 
military  career.  I  personally  have  no  desire  to 
join  the  military,  but  that  doesn't  keep  me 
from  having  a  lot  of  fun  with  CAP."  Angela 
is  the  Cadet  Personnel  Officer  for  the 
squadron.  Angela's  made  many  new  friends 
in  CAP,  and  she  feels  it's  developed  her  lead- 
ership abilities.  Angela  operates  a  Regency 
VHF  crystal-controlled  radio  for  her  CAP 
communications .  She's  now  studying  for  her 
ham  ticket  to  broaden  her  communications 
horizon. 

RDF  Activities 

What  bearing  does  CAP  have  on  foxhunt- 
ing? Plenty!  There  are  many  simulated 
downed  aircraft  searches.  In  the  Waukegon 
group,  CoL  Bromstead  conducts  ELT 
(Emergency  Locator  Transponder)  search 
exercises*  An  ELT  is  an  automatic  on-board 
transmitter  used  to  locate  downed  aircraft. 
A  radio  operator  at  a  base  station  directs 
cadets  in  a  car  to  a  target  location,  A  senior 
member  drives  the  car  and  follows  the  direc- 
tions of  the  lead  cadet.  When  they  reach 
the  target,  they  identify  it.  The  next  cadet  in 
the  car  gets  to  be  the  lead  cadet,  and  they 
search  for  another  target.  Everyone  gets 
a  turn. 


".  ,  .most  of  the 

kids  have  never  heard  of 

amateur  radio/' 


Cadets  also  participate  in  actual  ELT 
searches.  A  ground  team  goes  into  action 
looking  for  the  target.  Ninety -seven  percent 
of  the  time  it  is  a  false  alarm— bur  thev  often 
save  lives  in  the  remaining  3  percent  of  true 
alarms. 

Opportunity  and  Fun  with  a  Structure 

Cadet  squadrons  meet  once  a  week.  This 
provides  an  ongoing  structure  for  both  cadet 
and  senior  members.  When  someone  Like 
CoL  Bromstead  takes  an  active  role  in  re- 
cruiting, motivating,  and  training  young 
communicators,  it  is  inevitable  that  the  ham 
community  benefits. 

Kids  aren't  the  only  ones  becoming  hams, 
either.  Carol  Szarfinski  KA9PRE  is  a  captain 
in  CAP.  She  is  a  senior  member  and  a  gradu- 
ate of  CoL  Bromstead 's  ham  class.  She 
told  me,  bM  heard  about  the  week  long 
CAP  communications  school  held  annually 
by  the  Great  Lakes  Region.  I  joined  CAP  to 
go  to  that  school.*  Her  husband.  Mike 
KA9ATL,  and  her  father  WBNSW,  are 
pleased  at  the  new  hams,  Now,  as  Red  Fox 
277,  she  conducts  the  Tuesday  night  CAP 
northern  Illinois  VHF  net  She  can  now  keep 


Photo  B.  Several  coders  getting  the  low-down  on  a  Canadair  Challenger  from  the  co-pilot ,  Charlie 
Tenmtedt. 


in  touch  via  ham  radio  with 
her  rather.  Milo  W0NSW, 
in  Kansas. 

Indeed,  CAP  and  amateur 
radio  activities  often  support 
each  other,  For  example,  the 
Waukegan  squadron  runs  an 
annual  hamfest,  "It  has  been 
profitable  every  year  we 
have  held  it.  The  proceeds 
go  to  fund  squadron  activi- 
ties thoughout  the  year. ' ' 

CAP  Lingo 

While  there  is  a  lot  of  em- 
phasis on  hands-on  training, 
formal  communications 
procedures  are  also  taught. 
The  student  learns  the  use  of 
prowords.  These  are  words 
with  specific  meanings  that 
communicators  recognize, 
such  as  "Over,"  "Roger,41 
and  "Out. "  The  CAP  radio 
operator  takes  an  exam  on 
communications  and  opera* 
Ltonal  procedures  at  the  end 
of  the  class.  If  he  passes,  he 
receives  a  Radio  Operators 
Permit.  This  allows  him  to 
talk  on  any  CAP  radio  with 
all  the  privileges  mentioned 
earlier. 

Just  the  Beginning 

The  CiviJ  Air  Patrol  offers  many  ex- 
citing activities  for  teenagers  and  adults 

alike.  Communications  is  an  integral  part 
of  the  entire  process.  While  it  is  much  easier 
to  gel  an  ROP  card  than  it  is  to  get  a  ham 
license,  there  are  just  a  few  frequencies 
that  you  can  use,  Your  audience  is  also 
quite  Limited,  Rag -chewing  is  not  encour- 
aged, since  these  are  military  frequencies* 
Once  CAP  radio  operators  gain  some  ex- 
perience using  the  radio,  they  often  want 


Photo  C.  Cot.  Bromstead,  flanked  by  Angela  and  Veronica,  holding 
his  "Communicator  of  the  Year  "trophy. 


to  talk  to  more  people  on  more  fre- 
quencies. 

Get  Involved! 

Sound  appealing?  Look  up  CAP  in  your 

telephone  directory.  Can't  find  it  there?  Send 
a  postcard  to  HQ  CAP-USAF/PA.  Maxwell 
AFB.  AL  36112-5572;  ATTN:  Tsgt.  Scon 
and  ask  them  to  put  you  in  contact  with  the 
unit  nearest  you.  Too  impatient  to  wait  for  the 
mail?  Cal!  205-293-5463  and  ask  the  same 
question.  Tell  them  you  read  about  it  in  73 
magazine.  Break  and  end.  This  is  Red  Fox 
197.  out. 


73  Amateur  Radio  •  December,  1988     13 


Number  S  Oft  your  Feedback  card 


RS-232  Port  For  The  C-64 


Allows  easy  file  transfer  to  and  from  the  C-64. 


There  were  many  text  files  on  my  old 
C-64  computer  I  really  wanted  to  trans- 
fer to  my  Amiga.  Unfortunately,  this  wasn't 
easy  to  do.  I  transferred  the  first  files  by 
uploading  them  to  a  local  BBS,  and  then 
downloading  them  with  my  Amiga-  This 
works,  but  it  is  time  consuming,  and  requires 
two  modems*  one  each  for  the  C-64  and  the 
other  computer. 

For  the  Amiga,  it  is  more  convenient  to  use 
a  program  that  allows  the  computer  to  read 
C-64  files.  However,  the  disadvantage  is  that 
to  use  the  program,  you  must  have  a  5  W "  disk 
drive  attached  to  your  Amiga,  not  a  popular 
drive  for  the  Amiga. 

A  third  possibility,  and  the  one  1  prefer,  is 
to  use  a  null  modem.  For  most  computers, 
this  is  simply  an  RS-232  cable  running  from 
one  computer  to  the  other  via  ihc  serial  ports. 
This  will  not  work  for  the  unmodified  C-64 
because  it  has  no  RS-232  serial  pons.  With  a 
little  work  and  time,  however*  you  can  build 
an  RS-232  port  for  the  C-64.  But  first,  you 
need  to  know  a  little  about  how  the  RS-232 
works. 

A  Little  RS-232  History 
Several  years  ago,  an  industrial  committee 


5V0C 
(Z) 


ICVF 


6 


5V0C  TO   -5VDC 
CONVERTER 


ICI 
7660 


5     -3V0C    ' 


~jr  f°* 


PA2* 
CM) 


IC2 
148B 


9VAC 
(10-11) 

PB? 

(U 


1N400I 

-w— 


14 


PB2* 

m 

FLAG  Z 


ft? 


IOOjiF 


by  Ralph  Neal 

agreed  to  a  standard  interface  for  serial  trans- 
missions. They  agreed  that  -3  to  -25  volts 
would  represent  a  logic  of  1  ?  and  +3  to  +25 
volts  would  represent  a  logic  of  0.  While  the 
C-64  is  quite  capable  of  sending  and  receiv- 
ing serial  transmissions,  it  does  not  do  so  at 
these  voltage  levels.  The  C-64  uses  a  TTL 
standard  in  which  I  is  defined  as  a  voltage 
between  +2.4  to  +5  volts,  and  0  as  a  voltage 
between  ground  to  about  0.8  volts.  There  are 
several  ways  to  to  make  the  TTL  standard 
compatible  with  the  RS-232,  They  range 
from  discrete  circuits  composed  of  transis- 
tors, optical  isolators,  and  the  like,  to  ICs 
designed  just  for  that  purpose.  In  this  article  I 
chose  the  latter,  using  the  MC1488  line  driv- 
er and  the  MC 1489  line  receiver. 

The  Circuit 

See  Figure  I .  This  is  a  relatively  simple 
arrangement,  requiring  only  three  ICs  for  its 
operation.  However,  the  voltages  needed  to 
power  the  MCI  488  line  driver  range  from 
+ 15  volts  DC  to  +7  volts  DC  on  the  positive 
side,  and  from  - 15  volts  DC  to  -2.5  volts 
DC  on  the  negative  side.  In  fact,  there  are  no 
usable  voltages  for  the  MCI488  line  driver, 
plus  or  minus. 

It  was  not  hard  to 
generate  the  required 
voltages.  I  obtained  the 
negative  power  with  a 
special  purpose  IC  the 
7660  voltage  inverter. 
Using  two  lOpF  capac- 
itors, this  TC  takes  +5 
volts  DC  and  converts 
them  to  —5  volts  DC. 
■^^^  L"n        The  positive  voltage 

***  was  even  simpler  to  ob- 

tain. While  the  user  I/O 
has  nothing  greater 
than  5  volts  DC,  it  does 
have  a  9  volt  AC 
source.  With  a  diode 


TXD 


470  pF 


ffr 


3,6,7 


DSR/ 
DTR 


470  pF 


m 


RS-23  2 

RS-233 

T*0 
flxD 

SIGNAL 
BM0 

RED 

TM0 

SIGNAL 
GN0 

COMPUTER   U  1 

COMPUTER  I2> 

Figure  2.  RS~232  cabling  wiring. 

and  small  filtering  capacitor,  I  was  able  to 
half-wave  rectify  the  9  volts  AC  and  obtain 
about  12  volts  DC  well  within  the  7-15  volts 
needed. 

When  building  this  circuit,  you  will  notice 
that  only  seven  of  the  14  pins  are  used  on  the 
MC1488  and  five  on  the  MC1489  ICs.  Often 
it's  a  bad  idea  to  leave  your  inputs  dangling, 
as  in  TTL  and  CMOS  logic,  but  in  this  case  it 
does  not  seem  to  hurt.  I  have  used  this  circuit 
several  times  now.  with  good  data  transfer 
each  time- 

Now  refer  to  Figure  2.  To  use  the  RS-232 
interface  as  a  null  modem,  connect  the  TXD 
(transmit)  pin  to  the  RXD  (receive)  pin  and 
the  RXD  pin  to  the  TXD  pin.  You  may  need  a 
third  line,  marked  DSR/DTR  (Data  Set 
Ready  /Data  Terminal  Ready),  to  inform  the 
other  computer  that  the  C-64  is  alive  and 
ready.  The  fourth  line  from  the  RS-232  inter- 
face is  attached  to  the  signal  ground  from  the 
other  computer's  RS-232  interface.  Once  the 
null  modem  cable  is  configured  correctly, 
you  will  need  to  load  terminal  programs  into 
both  computers.  Then  you  should  be  able  to 
communicate  from  one  computer  to  the  oth- 
er, as  you  would  in  communicating  with  a 
BBS. 

In  closing,  I  would  like  to  point  out  that  this 
circuit  has  other  possible  uses  besides  that  of 
a  null  modem.  It  should  be  possible  to  con- 
nect RS-232  modems  and  printers  to  the  C-64 
using  this  interface.  Perhaps  someone  read- 
ing this  will  be  inspired  to  do  so.  Happy 
building! 


PBOh*. 
CO 


PB3* 
(F) 


H* 


+5VDC 


IC3 

1489 


RXO 


+  5VDC 
* 


I5K 


j 


470pF 


GND 
(l,2,A,N) 

C-64  USER  I/O  PORT  PINS  SHOWN  IN  PARENTHESES 


GND 


Figure  /.  C-64  RS-232  port  interface  schematic. 

14    73  Amateur  Radio  ■  December,  1968 


User  I/O  Port 

t 

Pin 

Type 

Pin 

Type 

1                1 

GND 

A 

GND 

2 

+  5V 

B 

FLAG2 

3 

RESET 

C 

PB0 

4 

CNT1 

D 

PB1 

5 

SP1 

E 

PB2 

6 

CNT2 

F 

PBS 

7 

SP2 

H 

PB4 

8 

PC2 

J 

PBS 

9 

SER.ATNIN 

K 

PB6 

10 

9  VAC 

L 

PB7 

11 

9  VAC 

Wl 

PA2 

12 

GND 

N 

GND 

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332  ON  READER  SERVICE  CARD 


Feed b a ck 


In  our  continuing  effort  to  present  the  best  in 

amateur  radio  features  and  columns,  we've  decid- 
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Feedback*    Title 

1  Never  Say  Die 
2QRX 

3  Review:  TE*144  Deluxe 
CMOS  Keyer 

4  Civil  Air  Patrol 

5  RS-232  Port  for  the  C-64 

6  Review:  Home-Brew  Fun! 

7  Don't  Lose  Your  Memory! 

8  Packet  Tuning  Indicator 

9  Midland  13-509  Modifications 

10  Decatur  Ham  Launches 
Satellites 

11  Charging  Wilhout 
Over-Charging 

12  New  Products 

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Concepts 

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Antenna 

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17  ATV 


Feedbacks    Title 

18  Buyer's  Guide 

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in  a  Hand-held 

23  QRP 

24  Ask  Kaboom 

25  Above  and  Beyond 

26  DX 

27  Review:  B  &  W  PT-2500A  HF 
Linear  Amp 

28  Special  Events 

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3CI  Barter 'np  Buy 

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35  Looking  West 

36  73  International 

37  RTTY  Loop 

38  Propagation 


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IS    73  Amateur  Radio  •  December,  1988 


CIRCLE  295  ON  READER  SERVICE  CARD 


Number  6  on  your  Feedback  card 


73  Review 


by  Allen  Short  WA9FPV 


Home-Brew  Fun! 

Bel-Tek's  CMOS  key er  kit. 


Bei-Tek 

PO  Box  125 
BeloitWI  53511 

Price  Class;  $10 
Add-on  memory:  $15 


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J 


Photo  A.   The  board  and  parts  before  as- 
sembly. 

Are  you  a  new  Novice  in  need  of  your  first 
keyer?  Or  perhaps  an  experienced  Extra 
looking  for  a  bargain  in  ham  radio?  I  spotted 
an  ad  for  (he  Bei-Tek  CMOS  keyer  kit  that 
described  a  unit  that  seemed  to  fit  both  bills,  in 
the  November  1987  issue  of  73  Magazine.  It 
mentioned  neat  features  such  as  a  triggered 
clock  to  eliminate  start  delay,  circuitry  that 
automatically  inserts  a  dot  or  a  dash  between 
tones,  acceptance  of  any  power  voltage  be- 
tween five  and  1.2  volts  DC.  accidental  polarity 
reversal  protection,  operation  between  five 
and  50  WPM,  adjustable  800  Hz  sidetone  vol- 
ume, and  compatibility  with  grid  block, 
cathode  keyed,  and  solid-state  transmitters, 

All  this  sounded  pretty  tempting.  The  low 
cost  of  the  kit— $9.95— finally  convinced  me  to 
give  it  a  go. 

First  Look 

The  printed  circuit  board  for  the  keyer  was 
small  (2.5*  x  3  5'),  and  it  could  be  placed  into 
many  low  band  transceivers,  but  I  wanted  to 
us©  it  with  several  different  rigs. 

When  I  started  the  CMOS  keyer,  I  wanted  to 
see  if  the  cost  of  the  project  could  be  kept  tow 
while  still  providing  a  nice  piece  of  equipment 
when  finished.  As  I  looked  through  the  well 
stocked  junk  box,  I  found  the  following  parts:  a 
speaker,  a  battery  clip,  a  battery  power  lead,  a 
switch,  all  of  the  hardware,  the  decaf  kit.  and 


the  paint,  I  had  some 
extra  boxes,  but  they 
weren't  the  right  size  for 
the  project  So  one 
night  after  work,  I 
stopped  at  Radio  Shack 
and  bought  the  box 
shown  in  Photo  C.  It  has 
a  Radio  Shack  part 
number  of  270-238,  and 
it  just  fits  the  project. 

Bei-Tek  did  a  nice  job 
on  the  kit  for  Ihe  money. 
They  provided  the 
board  and  the  parts, 
with  a  set  of  instructions 
on  building  the  board. 
To  solder  the  board,  I 
used  a  small  iron  to 
make  the  connections, 
but  I  didn't  put  in  the 
CMOS  chips  until  all  soider  connections  were 
made.  After  building  the  board.  I  had  a  trial  run 
to  see  if  it  worked.  I  have  an  old  HW-16  CW 
transceiver  that  I  used  for  ihe  test.  The  keyer 
worked  Just  fine.  The  only  problem  was  thai, 
when  powering  up  the  keyer,  it  would  only 
send  a  single  dash.  I  didn't  find  this  to  be  a 
problem  since  I  have  heard  other  keyers  do 
this  same  thing- 
Final  Touches 

After  the  test  run.  I  did  get  into  another 
problem  of  my  own  doing.  Some  of  my  friends 
know  me  as  a  very  conservative  fe*lowh  or  just 
plain  cheap.  What  happened  is  that  I  tried  to 
use  an  old  nine  volt  battery,  and  it  wouldn't 
work.  So  I  went  out  and  bought  a  new  nine 
volt  battery  just  like  the  instructions  sheet  said 
to  do. 

Once  aJI  of  Ihis  was  brought  under  control,  it 
was  time  to  begin  the  final  assembly.  The  box 
was  made  of  soft  aluminum*  so  I  used  my  old 
drill  press  to  do  all  of  the  drilling.  I  had  a  can  of 


Photo  C.  The  front  of  the  finished  pr< 


Photo  &.  Getting  ready  for  the  test  run  of  the  keyer, 


spray  paint  from  K-Mart  that  had  a  Fanspray 
valve  on  it,  to  give  a  very  nice  finished  paint  job 
at  a  low  cost.  After  the  paint  had  set  up.  1 
baked  the  box  in  the  oven  for  10  minutes  at 
200  degrees.  This  gave  a  nice  baked  paint  job 
on  the  box.  The  decals  were  cut  out  and 
placed  on  the  box  to  complete  the  finishing 
touches. 

On  the  back  of  the  box,  I  have  two  terminal 
strips,  one  for  the  transceiver,  and  the  other 
for  the  key.  The  small  jack  is  for  external  pow- 
er for  the  power  supply  used  as  long  as  it  is  five 
to  12  volts  DC,  and  of  adequate  current.  I 
thought  this  would  be  a  worthwhile  addition, 
so  that  another  type  of  power  supply  can  be 
used  other  than  the  built-in  battery.  Have  you 
ever  been  in  a  contest  and  had  a  battery  die  at 
a  very  late  hour  of  the  night? 

The  keyer  is  very  easy  to  switch  between 
grid  block  and  cathode  keying.  Simply  reverse 
the  leads  on  the  transceiver  terminal  strip.  It 
doesn't  need  any  modification  to  the  equip- 
ment in  the  set-up. 

The  goal  of  the  low  cost  keyer  was 
achieved.  The  cost  was  as  follows;  the  Bei- 
Tek  kit  $9.95  postage  $1,50:  the  box  $2.50; 
the  battery  $1 .  Total  cost:  $14.95. 

En  Sum 

I  think  the  keyer  will  give  many  years  of 
service  at  low  cost.  It  was  a  rewarding  experi- 
ence to  build  it  and  I  woutd  encourage  the 
newcomers  to  amateur  radio  to  give  this  pro- 
ject a  try.  It  is  a  first  homebrew  type  of  project 
and  from  this,  try  something  a  little  more  diffi- 
cult. I  feel  that  this  keyer  is  a  good  way  to  break 
into  homebrew. 


7$  Amateur  Radio  •  December,  1988    19 


m 


Number  7  on  your  Feedback  card 


Don't  lose  gour  memory! 

End  the  backup  battery  problem  in  the  ICOM  IC-R71A  receiver. 


Bob  Roehrig  K9EUI 


•  ne  of  the  most  outstanding 
communications  receivers  on 
the  market  today  is  the  [COM  IC- 
R71  A,  It  has  all  the  features  you 
could  want  in  a  receiver,  whether 
you  are  an  SWLcr,  amateur,  or 
commercial  user. 

The  big  drawback  of  this  re- 
ceiver is  that  the  necessary  infor- 
mation to  its  operation  is  stored  in 
RAM,  and  it  depends  on  the  lithi- 
um backup  battery  to  retain  this 
information.  If  this  data  is  lost, 
the  radio  simply  will  not  work. 

The  lithium  battery  is  supposed 
to  be  good  for  several  years  (I 
have  heard  that  the  expected  life 
may  be  as  long  as  7  years).  What 
if  you  were  using  this  receiver, 
however,  during  a  DXpedition, 
or  during  a  contest,  and  suddenly  the  radio 
went  dead?  The  manual  says  "Contact  your 
dealer  or  ICOM  service  center.**    1  learned 
that,  for  S25.  ICOM  will  replace  the  batten 
and  reprogram  the  board  it  you  send  it  to 
them.  I  figured  there  had  to  be  a  better  way. 
and  indeed  there  is. 

Some  other  ICOM  models  have  the  same 
RAM  board-  and  so  have  the  same  problem. 
The  ideas  presented  here  will  likely  also  ap- 
ply to  this  equipment. 

Choices 

There  are  other  options  to  handle  the  bat- 
tery problem  besides  sending  the  board  to 
ICOM.  You  could  change  the  battery  your- 
self before  it  goes  dead.  To  replace  the  bat- 
tery, simply  remove  the  board  from  the  re- 
ceiver and  power  it  from  a  5  volt  bench 
supply.  You  might  consider  changing  over  to 


Photo  A .  The  new  hoard  in  K9EUI  's  receiver 


a  more  standard  type  of  battery ,  such  as  three 
A  A  alkaline  penlight  cells.  As  long  as  power 
is  applied  to  the  board,  the  batteries  can  be 
replaced  without  losing  the  memory, 

To  understand  what  is  going  on  in  the  re- 
ceiver, look  at  Figure  1 ,  the  schematic  of  the 
RAM  board.  There  are  apparently  two  ver- 
sions of  this  board.  The  board  layout  drawing 
in  my  manual  is  different  than  ihe  board  in  my 
receiver.  One  version  uses  an  iS-pin  RAM 
and  the  other  uses  a  24-pin  device.  The  result 
is  the  same  so  it  doesn't  make  any  difference 
which  one  you  have.  (Figure  1  shows  the 
24-pin  version.) 

Power  and  addressing  connect  to  the  board 
via  J  L  and  the  data  lines,  write,  and  ground 
are  on  J2.  Notice  that  only  four  data  lines  are 
used.  When  the  receiver  is  turned  on.  the 
RAM  IC  is  powered  from  the  radio's  5  volt 
bus  through  diode  Dl.  When  the  receiver  is 


PROM  Program 

00:       0, 

0, 

F. 

1. 

F. 

F. 

1, 

F, 

F 
1  t 

0, 

o, 

2, 

F, 

F. 

F, 

F 

10:      0, 

0. 

0. 

B, 

5, 

9. 

6, 

8. 

6, 

o. 

0. 

0. 

0, 

3, 

2, 

0 

20:      0, 

5. 

9. 

3, 

0. 

0, 

0, 

5. 

0, 

0, 

0. 

0, 

0, 

0, 

0, 

0 

30:       0. 

1. 

0, 

0, 

0, 

o, 

o, 

0, 

3, 

0, 

0. 

0, 

3, 

0. 

0. 

0 

40:       1. 

0. 

0. 

0, 

0. 

0, 

0. 

0. 

3. 

0. 

0, 

F, 

F, 

F. 

F, 

F 

50  Through 

IFF: 

Data 

is  all 

■■p' 

Table  L 


turned  off.  the  RAM  is  kept  alive 
by  battery  voltage  through  D2t 
and  the  chip  select  lead  is  held 
positive  by  R I .  This  disables  the 
IC  and  puts  it  in  a  high  impedance 
state,  The  current  drain  is  almost 
not  measurable  in  this  state. 

Also  notice  that  address  line  10 
is  not  used  but  grounded.  Thus, 
only  half  the  available  memory  is 
used.  Only  the  lower  256  memo- 
ry pnsi lions  contain  the  informa- 
tion that  cannot  be  lost.  The  rest 
of  the  RAM  holds  the  frequencies 
that  are  stored  in  memory,  and 
the  last  frequencies  (and  mexk 
used  by  the  two  VFOs,  When  the 
lowest  256  addresses  are  being 
used,  both  A8  and  A  9  are  low. 
The  output  of  IC2-C  remains  high 
which  inhibits  writing  to  the  RAM.  If  either 
A8  or  A9  or  both  are  high  (above  address 
256)  Ql  is  turned  on  to  permit  writing  to  the 
RAM, 

If  the  battery  does  go  dead,  you  can  repro- 
gram the  board  yourself.  Table  I  shows  the 
listing  of  what  is  in  the  lower  256  bytes  of 
memory.  Figure  2  shows  the  circuit  for  a 
manual  programmer.  Switches  S I  through  S8 
select  the  address,  and  S9  through  S 1 2 are  the 
data  switches,  A  simple  adapter  can  be  made 
using  a  piece  of  perf  board  and  stiff  wires  to 
mate  with  J I  and  J2.  After  the  battery  has 
been  replaced  and  the  board  is  connected  to 
this  programmer,  apply  power  and  close  the 
prog  switch.  Step  through  the  addresses,  one 
at  a  time,  select  the  correct  data  for  each 
address,  and  press  the  write  button  . 

RAM-Onlv  to  RAM  and  ROM 

The  best  solution  to  the  problem  is  to  re- 
place the  present  RAM  board  with  a  new 
board  containing  both  RAM  and  ROM.  The 
essential  receiver  information  is  put  in  an 
EPROM  and  the  RAM  is  used  just  to  store  the 
memory/VFO  information.  So  if  the  battery 
does  go  dead,  you  do  not  lose  the  operating 
data  itself. 

You  can  manually  program  the  EPROM 
programmer  with  the  data  in  Table  1  or  you 
can  build  an  adapter  that  allows  the  data  to  be 


20     73  Amateur  Radio  *  December,  1988 


wtour 


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CIRCLE  162  ON  READER  5ERVICE  CARD 


73  Amateur  Radio  *  December,  1988    21 


read  from  your  RAM  board  directly  into  the 
EPROM  programmer.  Figure  3  shows  such 
an  adapter.  The  adapter  simulates  a  2716 
EPROM  for  read-only  purposes.  The  highest 
four  data  bits  arc  not  used  and  are  grounded 
so  that  zeros  result.  Even  though  the  pro- 
grammer expects  2048  bytes ,  we  only  need 
the  lowest  256,  and  that  is  all  the  new  2716 
EPROM  is  programmed  with. 

Figure  4  is  the  schematic  for  the  new  re- 
ceiver board,  J 1-11  switches  low  when  the 
board  is  addressed.  When  both  A8  and  A9  are 
low,  the  2716  CS  pin  goes  low  to  select  the 
RAM.  If  A8  and/or  A9  are  high,  pin  18  of  the 
6116  RAM  switches  low.  enabling  this  IC, 
The  data  and  address  lines  of  IC  1  and  IC2  are 
paralleled.  I  used  a  Hitachi  HMS-6116forthe 
RAM  chip.  This  is  an  inexpensive  device  and 
the  pinout  is  similar  to  the  2716  EPROM. 
While  most  of  the  2716  is  not  used,  this  is  a 
popular  EPROM  that  most  all  programmers 
can  handle.  Other  RAM  and  EPROMs  can  be 
used  if  desired. 

There  are  devices  available  called 
NOVRAMs,  that  can  be  used  in  place  of  the 
61 16,  These  devices  need  no  separate  battery 
to  retain  their  data,  I  don't  know  the  life 
expectancy  of  them,  but  the  idea  is  certainly 
attractive.  There  is  a  NOV  RAM  that  is  pin- 
for-pin  compatible  with  the  61 16. 

Power  for  the  6116  RAM  is  obtained  via 
Dl  or  D2,  as  on  the  original  board-  I  used  a 
pair  of  germanium  diodes  to  minimize  the 
voltage  drop. 

The  second  advantage  of  using  this  circuit 
in  the  R71  is  that  the  number  of  memory 
channels  can  be  doubled  to  64,  Since  the 
highest  address,  A 10,  is  not  used  by  the  re- 
ceiver, only  half  the  available  storage  is  used. 
By  switching  A 10  of  the  RAM  high,  we  now 
have  twice  the  storage  capability.  If  you  do 
not  have  the  remote  option  board  in  your 
receiver*  the  remote  switch  on  the  front  panel 
docs  nothing  but  light  the  remote  LED.  Pin  4 
of  J 12  on  the  matrix  board  switches  to  ap- 
proximately 13  volts  when  the  remote  switch 
is  turned  on.  Connecting  this  pin  to  Q2  of  the 
new  board  permits  selecting  another  bank  of 
32  memory  channels  with  the  remote  switch. 
When  scanning,  only  one  bank  can  be 
scanned  at  a  time, 

For  a  backup  battery,  I  used  a  Radio  Shack 
holder  with  three  AA  alkaline  cells.  The 
standby  current  of  the  6 1 1 6  is  in  the  microam- 
pere region  so  the  battery  should  last  for  some 
years,  Do  not  forget  to  check  for  corrosion 
occasionally- 

The  photo  shows  the  new  board  installed  in 
my  receiver.  There  is  not  room  to  install  it  in 
place  of  the  original  board,  so  it  is  mounted 
on  a  metal  plate  above  the  logic  unit.  1  re- 
placed the  original  plate  with  one  of  sheet 
metal  about  1  inch  longer.  The  old  plate  was 
used  as  a  drill  template  for  the  four  mounting 
holes  and  the  scan  rate  control  access  hole. 
Slots  for  the  connectors  were  cut  in  the  plate 
with  a  nibbier  tool,  The  cables  for  J 1  and  J2 
have  amp  connector  strips  on  the  ends  and 
were  taken  from  a  surplus  computer  board. 
The  pins  have  100  mil  spacing  and  can  be 
obtained  from  many  supply  houses  specializ- 
ing in  computer  accessories.  My  board  is  a  lot 

22     73  Amateur  Radio  *  December,  1988 


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Figure  /.  Schematic  for  the  l€~R7tA  RAM  board. 

larger  than  necessary  but  it  allows  for  adding 

future  modifications. 

With  this  new  board  in  your  receiver,  you 
no  longer  have  to  worry  about  your  radio 
losing  its  essential  operating  data.  The  re- 
ceiver itself  is  not  modified  in  any  way  and 
can  be  restored  to  its  original  condition  in 
minutes,  if  desired. 

If  you  wish  to  build  this  board  and  need  the 
programmed  EPROM,  contact  me  at  3 14  S* 
Harrison  St.,  Balavia,  1L  60510  and  send  a 
SASE  for  details, 

Thanks  to  AJ9S  and  WA9FVP  for  their 
comments  on  the  R71  and  special  thanks  to 
W9DJN  for  the  use  of  his  PC/XT  and 
EPROM  programmer. 


Figure  2.  Manual  programming  setup. 


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adapter. 


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Figure  4.  Schematic  for  the  new  R71  memory  board. 


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73  Amateur  Radio  *  December,  1986    23 


NumberSon  your  Feedback  card 


Packet  Tuning  Indicator 

Dead-on  HF  packet  tuning  for  $15. 


by  Ronald  B.  Koester  W2EKY 


Many  packet  stations,  including  this  one, 
got  their  feet  wet  on  the  VHF  bands, 
where  tuning  is  just  a  matter  of  button* 
pushing.  Sooner  or  later,  the  old  DX  bug 
bites  and  the  temptation  of  HF  DX  oper- 
ation arises.  This  is  where  the  trouble  be- 
gins: no  buttons!  Tuning  in  a  packet  station 
on  the  20  meter  band  without  a  tuning  in- 
dicator can  be  exceedingly  aggravating  be- 
cause you  must  tune  to  the  2025  Hz  and 
2225  Hz  modem  frequencies  directly.  The 
slightest  mistiming  leads  to  no  received 
packets  on  HF. 

You  can  buy  commercial  tuning  indicators 
for  around  $40,  or  build  one  for  less  than  half 
that.  The  unit  deserihed  here  can  be  built  for 
about  $15,  depending  on  what  the  old  scrap 
box  contains. 

The  Circuit 

The  circuit  consists  of  two  identical  phase- 
lock  loop  (PLL)  decoding  ICs  (see  Figure  1), 
Decoding  is  a  function  of  the  timing  compo- 
nents R1/C7  and  R2/C8,  The  outputs  of  both 


Ci 


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If 6 1 


IC I  and  IC2  feed  a  resistor  transistor  N  AND 
gateQL 

Rl  and  R2  are  5kO  10-turn  potentiome- 
ters. (I  used  lOkQ  in  the  original  design  due 
to  availability,  but  they  required  more  critical 
tuning.)  Both  pots  should  be  preset  to 
3k  across  the  unshoned  portion  before  sol- 
dering. 

The  tuning  indicator  fits  on  a  PC  board 
measuring  2*  x  3* ,  Should  you  decide  to  use 
a  different  type  of  construction*  you  should 
find  little  difficulty  at  these  low  frequencies. 
You  can  house  the  completed  unit  in  a  plastic 
or  metal  box. 

A  few  more  construction  hints:  note  the  use 
of  a  jumper  directly  above  R3,  and  use  a 
shielded  cable  for  signal  input. 

You  can  find  all  the  parts  you  need  at  most 
Radio  Shack  stores.  1  listed  below  the  parts 
by  value  and  corresponding  Radio  Shack 
numbers. 

Adjustment 

This  is  best  done  using  an  audio  signal 
generator  and  frequency  counter,  shown  in 
Figure  2*  Adjust  the  output  of  the  generator  to 


2025  Hz  as  read  on  the  counter.  Adjust  Rl  on 
the  decoder  until  the  red  LED  I  lights  up. 
Keep  reducing  the  level  of  the  signal  by  ad- 
justing control  RA  and  repeated  adjustments 
of  RL  This  adjustment  is  critical  for  proper 
performance.  Repeat  the  same  procedure 
with  R2,  but  use  a  frequency  of  2225  Hz  for 
LED  2 ,  There's  a  small  amount  of  interaction 
between  IC  I  and  IC2,  so  it  pays  to  repeat 
both  adjustments. 

Lacking  a  signal  generator  and  counter, 
you  can  tune  the  circuit  by  carefully  adjusting 
your  receiver  until  you  are  consistently  re- 
ceiving  packets.  Next,  alternately  adjust  Rl 
and  R2  until  they  light  at  the  lowest  possible 
volume  level .  In  operation,  the  correct  recep- 
tion of  a  packet  station  will  result  in  both 
LEDs  flickering,  and  the  corresponding 
lighting  of  the  green  LED  3 .  In  normal  opera- 
tion, the  red  LEDs  1  and  2  are  dimly  lit  in 
absence  of  a  signal. 

Have  a  spare  fifteen  bucks  and  an  eve- 
nine?  You  can  go  out  an  have  a  (modest) 
meal  with  a  friend.  Or— put  together  this  pro- 
ject and  enjoy  worldwide  packet  with  dead- 
on  tuning! 


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Quantity      Part// 

2  C1-C4 

2  C5»C£ 

2  C7-CE 

2  R1-R2 

2  R3-R4 

2  R5*R* 

1  R7 

1  RS 


Parts  List 

Value 


Radio  Shacks 

272-1 434B 

272^1012 

272-1069 

271-343/1  OK  Sub. 

271-1342 
271-012 


Figure  I.  Schematic  for  the  HF  packet  tuning  indicator. 


1 

Q1 

MPS  3904 

276-2016 

2 

IC14C2 

LM567 

276-1721 

2 

LED1-LED2 

Red 

276-026 

1 

LED3 

Gr&en 

278-037 

1 

21 

9.1  Zener 

276-562 

AUDIO   GEN 


0 


T  t 


FflEQ   COUNTER 


-* 


iO*  TD  DCCOOCft 

* 


$io  m 


[r  \r 

HI  *f 

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I         I 

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1       I 


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CI      C2  C*      C3 

1  I         I  It 


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LCDS 


Figure  2.  Alignment  set -up  for  the  tuning  indicator ; 

24    73  Amateur  Radio  •  December,  1988 


Figure  3.  PC  hoard  foil  diagram. 


Figure  4,  Parrs  placement  diagram. 


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26     7$  Amateur  Radio  •  December,  1988 


Number  9  on  your  Feedback  card 


Midland  13-509  Modifications 


A  few  fun  and  useful  mods. 

by  Klaus  Spies  WB9YBM 


FROM  R59-R60 

SQUELCH 
IN 


Although  the  Mid- 
land 13-509  radio 
has  not  been  in  pro- 
duction for  ten  years, 
many  still  consider 
it  the  220  radio  be- 
cause of  its  reliability 
and  versatility.  Even 
today*  it's  the  rig 
of  many  repeater 
links.  Therefore,  it's 
inevitable  that  more 
modifications  and 
improvements  are  be- 
coming available  for 
it.  The  type  of  tran- 
smit and  receive  boards  used  in  the  509 
are  also  used  in  similar  radios,  such  as  the 
Clegg, 

Better  Squelch  Performance 

The  first  circuit  described  here,  the  "High- 
Z  COR,"  came  about  primarily  because  the 
squelch  circuit  in  the  509  (R59-60  is  the  typi- 
cal place  where  the  signal  is  obtained)  is 
rather  sensitive,  It  is  prone  to  making  the 
squelch  sound  strange  when  loading  occurs, 
even  when  the  load  is  buffered  by  a  2N2222A 
transistor.  What  is  therefore  needed  is  a  high 
impedance  load  for  the  squelch  circuit,  so 
i hat  there  will  be  no  degradation  in  its  per- 
formance when  an  additional  signal  (as  for 
a  COR  function)  comes  from  the  squelch 
circuit. 

There  are  two  ways  to  bring  a  high 
impedance  load  to  the  squelch  circuit,  You 
can  use  a  high -gain  Darlington  transistor  with 
a  large  base  resistor  (wire  the  Darlington  as 
a  common-base  switching  amplifier}*  or  use  a 
component  with  a  naturally  high  input 
impedance,  such  as  a  FET  or  an  IC  with 
a  FET  input.  This  way,  the  loading  on  the 
squelch  would  be  light  enough  to  not  affect 
the  performance  of  the  squelch,  while  provid- 
ing enough  Amplification  and  current  capabil- 
ities to  act  as  a  COR.  It  is  practical  to  use 
an  IC  rather  than  a  FET.  An  IC,  such  as 
the  LM393  comparator,  has  gates  left  over 
which  you  may  want  to  use  later  for  other 
circuits. 

The  squelch  circuit  of  the  509  provides 
2.5  to  2.65  volts  when  the  squelch  opens 
(either  at  a  received  signal,  or  when 
the  squelch  is  manually  opened  by  turning 
down  the  squelch  potentiometer),  and  a 
few  tenths  of  a  volt  when  the  squelch  is 
closed.  PI  is  biased  for  approximately  1.5 
volts.  Even  though  the  LM393*s  specifica- 
tions claim  it  can  operate  within  a  few  tenths 


+I2V 


C.0,R. 

OUT 


Figure  I,  The  high  hnpnhmic  It  mil  for  the  u/utlth  circuit.  Tins  ensures  no 
audio  degradation  when  an  additional  signal  (as  for  a  COR  function)  comes 
from  the  squelch  circuit. 


of  ground,  it  isn't  always  wise  to  operate  an 
IC  near  its  limit.  It's  wise  to  bias  it  up. 
A  potentiometer  makes  setting  the  voltage 
easier.  You  don*!  have  to  calculate  voltage 
dividers  or  experiment  with  resistor  toler- 
ances. 

The  output  of  the  LM393  drives  a  transistor 
which  can  handle  higher  currents  than  the  IC. 
I  have  used  this  circuit  to  actuate  the  RE- 
MOTE on/off  function  of  a  tape  recorder  for 
logging  signals  when  the  squelch  opens  in  my 
509,  and  it  works  flawlessly. 

Are  You  Really  TX? 

The  second  circuit,  the  TX  Light  Control* 
developed  through  a  two-stage  modifica- 
tion. In  the  first  modification,  the  5Q9"s  small 
transmit  light  bulb  was  replaced  with 
an  LED,  In  the  second  modification,  I  real- 
ized that  the  509*s  transmit  indicator  (now 
an  LED)  went  on  whenever  the  PTT  line 
was  toggled  into  transmit,  and  not  neces- 
sarily when  the  radio  itself  was  transmit- 
ting. There  is  a  difference  between  these 
two  functions.  When  the  relay  used 
in  the  radio's  T/R  section  becomes  worn, 


+  I2V 


RFIN 


Dl 

SIGNAL     R| 

DIODE        )00K 


"X 


1 


Figure  2.  Circuit  to  drive  the  TX  light,  it  samples  outgoing  RF  from  ihe 
antenna. 


the  radio  will  not  necessarily  toggle  in- 
to transmit  mode,  even  though  the  TX 
light  comes  on.  Just  because  the  radio  toggles 
into  transmit,  it  doesn't  mean  it  is  trans- 
mitting. 

In  effect,  therefore,  the  TX  light  was 
actually  a  PTT  light — which  is  a  bit  mis- 
leading. The  easiest  way  to  turn  this  into  a 
regular  transmit  light  was  by  checking  the 
antenna  for  outgoing  RF.  That  was  done  as 
follows:  a  signal  diode  of  the  1N914  variety 
was  connected  to  the  RF  connector  on  the 
back  of  the  radio  (on  the  inside!!),  using  the 
shortest  possible  lead  lengths;  in  series  with 
this,  a  100  kQ  resistor  provided  (again,  using 
the  shortest  possible  lead  lengths)  high 
impedance  isolation  between  the  antenna  cir- 
cuitry and  our  sampling  circuit.  With  this 
high  impedance  and  short  lead  lengths, 
effects  on  the  antenna  circuit  is  kept  at  a 
minimum. 

I  added  a  3.3  Mfl  resistor  to  keep 
the  transmit  LED  from  staying  on,  espe- 
cially in  the  low -power  position.  Mount 
this  resistor  as  near  as  possible  to  the  an- 
tenna coax  connector,  with  the  shortest 
lead  length  possible.  From  this  point  on 
the  radio's  back  panel,  to  where  the  LM393 
is  mounted,  I  used  very  thin,  shielded  coax, 
for  two  reasons:  to  minimize  the  reception 
of  any  unwanted  signals  from  inside  the 
radio,  and  secondly,  to  prevent  RF  still  on 
the  line  from  creeping  into  the  radio's  cir- 
cuitry. 

Adjust  PI  so  that  the  LED  lights  with  the 
radio  on  low  power.  In  all  other  respects,  this 
circuit  operates  the  same  way  as  the  high 
impedance  squelch  circuit  previously  de- 
scribed. 

The  LM393  dual  comparator  is  a  very  ver- 
satile IC  you  can  use  for  many  applications.  It 
is  commonly  available  as  a  quad  package 

from  Radio  Shack.  I 
purchased  the  dual 
package  from  Jameco 
Electronics  in  Califor- 
nia for  39c,  A  very 
reasonably  priced  IC 
for  the  experimenter. 
You  can  use  either 
the  quad  or  the  dual 
LM393  in  these  cir- 
cuits. 

So,  there  you  have 
it:  two  useful  mods 
for  a  very  popular 
rig.  Have  fun  and  en- 
joy improved  opera- 
tion! 


01 

2N2222A 


73  Amateur  Radio  ■  December,  1988     27 


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LLauL  iai 


A  most  unusual  college  project 


by  Mark  Lambert  WB8UUE 


In  1957,  a  photo  of  12-year- 
old  Frank  Wiesenmeyer 
and  a  few  other  hams  ap- 
peared in  their  local  newspa- 
per.  Sputnik,  ihe  world's  first 
satellite,  had  just  been 
launched  by  the  USSR,  and 
Wicsenmeyer's  radio  club 
was  the  only  one  in  the  area 
that  knew  where  to  listen  for 
the  beep-beep -beep  of  the 
space  beacon.  Now  Wiesen- 
meyer K9CIS,  and  a  group  of 
12  others  in  Decatur.  Illinois, 
are  the  creators  of  their  own 
satellite! 

Educational  Bird 

EDSAT,  an  eight-sided 
satellite  a  little  larger  than  a 
five-gallon  patL  is  expected  to 
be  launched  by  this  group 
of  Central  Illinois  enthusiasts 
in  early  1989.  The  Space 
Shuttle  will  deploy  this  in  the 
low-cost  Getaway  Special 
program  offered  by  the  Na- 
tional Aeronautics  and  Space 
Administration  (NASA).  (See 
sidebar.)  The  satellite  will 
feature  a  CW  beacon  and  an 
amateur  radio  transponder,  It 
will  receive  signals  on  two 
meters  at  146  MHz  and  trans- 
mit on  a  436  MHz  downlink, 
A  CW  beacon  will  transmit  on 
436J  MHz. 

Once  the  satellite  is  built, 
the  EDS  AT  team  will  trans- 
port it  to  Goddard  Space  Cen- 
ter in  a  special  five  cubic  foot 
container.  The  satellite  will 
then  be  transferred  to  a  Getaway  Special 
(GAS)  can  for  its  Space  Shuttle  ride. 

After  the  Shuttle  reaches  the  desired  or- 
bit, the  satellite  will  be  shot  out  of  the 
opened  GAS  can  by  a  simple  spring-load- 
ed pedestal.  It  will  have  a  57-degrcc  inclina- 


Photo  A.  Frank  Wiesenmeyer  mth  a  model  of  the  EDSA  T  satellite*  expected  to  go  up  in 
eurh- 1989* 


tion  at  its  high  point  and  will  orbit  at  an 

altitude  of  at  least  350  kilometers.  Because 
the  simple  device  will  not  have  any  boosters 
to  adjust  its  altitude,  EDSATs  final  posi- 
tion in  the  atmosphere  won't  be  known  until 
after  launch. 


The  special  launch  canister 
was  designed  to  spring  a  simi- 
lar satellite  into  orbit  in  1985. 
A  team  at  Weber  State  Uni- 
versity in  Utah  used  a  GAS 
can  to  launch  NUSAT,  a  small 
satellite  designed  to  calibrate 
radar  for  the  Federal  Aviation 
Administration. 

EDSAT,  Wiesenmeyer 
said,  will  be  an  educator's 
tool.  The  acronym  stands  for 
Educational  Door  to  Space 
and  Technology.  "There 
were  all  kinds  of  interesting 
science  experiments  with  the 
OSCAR  scries/'  Wiesen- 
meyer said,  referring  to  the 
popular  amateur  radio  satel- 
lite program.  Of  particular 
scientific  interest  was  the 
telemetry,  which  included 
temperature  readings,  solar 
panel  array  current  readings, 
and  other  related  information. 
Wiesenmeyer  is  an  associate 
professor  of  electronics  tech- 
nology at  Richland  Communi- 
ty College  in  Decatur,  and  he 
used  OSCAR  to  introduce 
space  to  his  students.  For  ex- 
ample, he  taught  them  how  to 
plot  Doppler  frequency  shift 
as  the  satellite  whizzed  by ,  us- 
ing it  to  calculate  the  satel- 
lite's altitude, 
VttL  k4It  fit  in  perfectly  with 

^jfc  me/4  he  said,  "It  provided  an 

interest  in  space  science, 
filled  the  bill  for  extracurricu- 
lar science  activity,  and  gave 
us  an  involvement  in  antennas 
and  communications/1 

With  the  death  of  OSCAR  8  in  1983,  how- 
ever, Wiesenmeyer  said  the  emphasis  on  edu- 
cation also  died.  Today's  amateur  satellites, 
he  said,  are  intended  more  for  communica- 
tion and  not  as  a  space  science  tool  He 


73  Amateur  Radio  •  December,  1988    29 


hopes  EDSAT  will  restore  the  educational 

aspect  to  ham  radio  satellites. 

EDSAT  will  use  a  speech  synthesizer 
to  speak  directly  to  students.  The  voice 

messages  will  include  the  spacecraft's  tem- 
perature, the  condition  of  the  battery  and 
electronics,  the  satellite's  position*  and  other 
data.  As  it  orbits  the  earth,  it  also  will  trans- 
mit voice  bulletins  to  users.  A  high-speed 
digital  transmission  mode  will  be  available 
for  advanced  users  with  access  to  a  personal 
computer. 

Cheap  (Relatively) 

Wiesenmeyer  said  they  designed  the  satel- 
lite with  as  many  commercial  off-the-shelf 
components  as  possible,  to  keep  costs  down 
and  to  encourage  others  to  try  satellite  build- 
ing on  a  limited  budget.  Donations  of  materi- 
al also  have  been  invaluable.  General  Motors 
donated  the  high-quality  aluminum  for  the 
satellite  shell,  and  Motorola  donated  radios 
for  the  bird's  transponder,  Even  so,  it  will 
cost  the  college  team  $25,000  to  launch  the 
satellite.  The  device  itself  will  be  valued  at 
$100,000, 

Satellites  have  been  the  topic  of  discussion 
around  Wiesenmeyer's  small  electronics  lab 


"He  (Wiesenmeyer) 

hopes  EDSA  T  will 

restore  the  educational 

aspects  to  ham  radio 

satellites." 


since  NASA  announced  the  Getaway  Special 
program  in  1982.  It  wasn't  until  1985.  how- 
ever, that  the  right  combination  of  space 
enthusiasts  came  together  at  the  college  to  get 
the  project  off  the  ground. 

Twelve  people  form  the  EDSAT  design, 
engineering,  and  advisory  team.  There  are 
other  instructors,  local  businessmen,  farmers 
and  students  involved  in  the  project.  The 
team  has  completed  design  of  the  satellite  and 
is  beginning  to  bolt  the  hardware  together. 

Funds  Needed 

Now  the  real  work  begins.  The  group  will 
launch  a  fund-raising  drive  this  summer  to 
come  up  with  the  S25.000  needed  to  put  its 
creation  in  orbit.  "It  looks  like  our  experi- 
ment is  way  up  the  ladder,  and  we  will  go 
soon  after  shuttle  flights  resume,  so  we  need 
to  be  ready/  Wiesenmeyer  said,  He  talks 
about  the  launch  with  restraint,  but  it  is 
obvious  he  is  excited. 

"Think  about  what  went  on  in  the  seven- 
ties! We  launched  satellites  and  payloads  to 
Mars  and  Venus,  and  Voyager  went  to 
Jupiter.  Saturn,  and  on  out  to  Uranus  and 
Neptune/  Wiesenmeyer  said,  "All  those 
successes  have  had  no  real  follow-up, 

"We  are  obviously  in  a  period  of  declining 
space  activity,  and  that  is  something  we  hope 
to  change/ T 


Getaway  Special 


The  Getaway  Special  (GAS)  program  was  never  intended  to  launch  satellites.  It 
was  designed  by  NASA  to  carry  science  projects  on  the  Space  Shuttle  and  return 
them  in  an  unopened  cylinder, 

A  group  of  college  students  at  Weber  State  College  in  Utah,  however,  requested 
in  1985  that  a  hinged  lid  be  made  available  on  one  of  the  cans.  They  had  done  the 
unexpected,  designing  a  satellite  small  enough  to  fit  inside  the  28-inch  high  cylin- 
der. A  hinged  lid  and  a  spring-loaded  base  inside  the  tube  were  needed  to  launch 
the  bird. 

The  team  successfully  launched  NUSAT  in  April  of  1985  from  the  Space  Shuttle 
Challenger.  Already,  the  team  led  by  an  amateur  radio  operator  at  Richland  Com* 
munity  College  in  Decatur,  Illinois,  was  planning  the  second  use  of  the  modified  can 
to  launch  another  mini-satellite. 

Getaway  Special  got  its  start  in  1983  when  10  experiments  by  college  students 
flew  on  the  shuttle.  Things  like  ant  colonies  and  hybrid  corn  seed  traveled  up  and 
back  in  sealed  cans  to  test  a  variety  of  scientific  theories,  Since  that  flight,  dozens  of 
other  experiments  have  flown,  and  reservations  for  hundreds  more  are  waiting  for 
shuttle  flights  to  resume. 

There  are  two  sizes  of  GAS  cans.  The  one  used  by  each  of  the  satellite  groups  is  a 
five  cubic  foot  cylinder  which  is  28  inches  high.  It  will  hold  200  pounds  of  material, 
and  costs  $10,000  per  launch.  The  hinged-lid  version  costs  about  $25,000. 

For  experimenters  with  less  grandiose  projects,  a  14-inch  high  cylinder  is  also 
available,  (t  holds  2  V2  cubic  feet  cf  material.  If  you  stuff  it  with  100  pounds  of 
payload,  it  will  cost  you  $5,000  per  launch.  Limit  the  baggage  to  60  pounds  and  pay 
only  $3,000. 

According  to  NASA,  sponsor  of  the  program,  GAS  cans  are  leased  only  to 
non-profit  groups  to  carry  out  space-related  research  and  development.  Foreign 
groups  are  welcome  to  rent  a  canf  but  each  project  flown  must  be  "peaceful  in 
nature' '  Shuttle  astronauts  will  assist  with  a  maximum  of  three  remote  on-off 
commands  for  each  can. 

Interested  participants  must  classify  their  project  in  one  of  three  categories: 
Governmental,  Educational,  and  "Everything  Else."  A  contract  is  signed  with  NASA 
and  each  group  must  pay  $500  earnest  money.  NASA  then  sends  each  participant  a 
videotape  and  manuals  describing  their  responsibilities, 

Projects  are  flown  on  a  "space  available"  basis,  and  the  fee  must  be  paid  in  full 
before  launch.  If  you  are  interested  in  learning  more,  contact:  Getaway  Special, 
Goddard  Space  Flight  Center,  Greenbelt,  MD  at  (301 )  344-6760. 


EDSAT 

Block  Diagram 


w 


tW/T0W  BURST 


MODE  E 


I 


146  MHz 
TuRnSTYlE 


V 


♦  36  Mr*; 
MONOPOU 


SWREP 


COMMAND  RCVR 
I46MH2NSFM 

TELEM  XMTR 
43&MHfHefM 

~CWB£ACON 
436  1  MM* 


cw 

KEYM 


I 


E-SEL 

BURST 
CONTROL 


-uZ'  C 


DIGIT  A4.KER 


FSK  TELEM 


1 


i 


->^ 


AFSK 
MODEM 


VOICE  SYNTH  CONTROL 


«  DATA 


i 


MICROPROCESSOR 

controller  *aK  ram 

m  ROM  f  3£  VO 


J-SEi 


1 


MODE  J 


COMMAND  RCVR" 

ueMHz 


LINEAR  TRANSPONDER 
t4£  UK*  Uf>r*38  MHz  DOWN 

CW  BEACON 
43G1UHX 


CW  KEYING 


24CHCW 
TELEM  ENCODER 

I 


ANALOG  TQ 
DIGITAL  CONVTH 


TELEM 
SENSORS 

mo* 


aSOLAR 
ARRAYS 

18  WATTS 


BATTERY 
CHARGE  REG 


LEAD  ADD 

BATTER  v 

fi  CELL  5  AH 


r 


>TRUMENT 
MTCHMG 

REGULATORS 


30     73  Amateur  Radio  •  December,  1988 


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2  mtr.  'Ringo  Ranger'  

450  MHz,  'Ringo  Ranger'  

144  MHz.  11  eFe   VHF 

11  eiemeni  146-148  MHz.  beam 

Power  Packer'  

2  mlr   'Oscar'  

2  mlr.  'Oscar' 

2  mtr.  'Boomer'  

FM  'Boomer"  

30  element 

mtr.    Boomer' 


22  element 
10  element 
20  element 
15  eiemeni 
17  element 
144 -148MHz 
19  eiemeni  2 


24  element  'Boomer'  

4  element  10  rntf.  'Skywalker' 
4  element  15  mtr.  "Skywalker7 
4  element  14  MHz  'Skywalker' 
ANTENNAS 

40-10  mtr   vertical  

8O-10  mtr   vertical  .       

6  band  trap  verticaF   

HO73[10.7sq.ft.I    

U110  

AR40TV,  3sq  ft 

CD45-II  [8.5  sq.ft.]  

HAM  IV  [15  sq.  It.] 

T2X  [20  sq.  fi.] 


2-18  &  6-2?]     4080  -  per  loot  

2-16  &  6-20]     4090  -  per  loot 

1108  AG8LI  Mini  8  low  loss  foam  per  fool  . 

1198         RG8U  Columbia  su  pert  I  ex  100" 
1 180         RG8LI  Low  loss  100%  bonded  Foil  shield 
66%  tin  copper  b'aided  sheild  -per  foot 


$169.00 

$152.00 

$246.00 

$81  00 

$81.00 

$125.00 

$204.50 

$344.00 

594,50 

$111.00 

$39.25 

$39  25 

$50.50 

$50.50 

$141  75 

$54. OD 

$77.50 

$81.00 

$101,25 

$21600 

$101.25 

set  oo 

1124  75 
S145.00 
$310  50 

$79.00 
$105.00 
$124.00 

$104,00 

$47.00 
CALL 
CALL 
CALL 
CALL 

SO.  18 

$0.35 

$0.17 

$31.00 

$0.35 


RANGER 

IOmeter  TRANSCEIVER,  25  watt, 
can  be  programmed  to  split 
transceive.  SSB,  CW.  AM,  FMJ 
programmable  scanning,  fulty 
automalic,  noise  blanker  2  3/8H, 
7V,W.  11D.  oaQ  QA 

uniden 

25  WATT  1 0  Meter  Transceiver,  all 
mode  operation,  backlit  muiti  funcj 
tion  LCD  meter,  frequency  lock, 
auto  squelch.  NB.  RF  gain,  PA, 
external  speaker  jack. 
7l/+Wx9l/*Dx2  3/BH. 


HH2510 


$249.90 


T 


MAXON....$26.95 

Model  49SA  ■  49  MHz,  FM  2-WAY  RADIO 
hands  free  operation,  voice  activated 
transmit  up  to  V?  mile.  Batteries  optional 

model    49B $34.95 

seme  ieatures  as  49SA  except  uses  " AA  " 
mead  batteries  and  comes  with  battery 
charger 

ASTATIC 

0104  SILVER  EAGLE $69.90 

Chrome  plaied  base  station  amateur  microphone 
Factory  wired  to  be  easily  converted  to  electronic  or 
relay   operation.    Adjustable   gain   for   optimum 
modulation 

ETS  D104  SE . $89.90 

NEW.  same  as  above  with  end  of  transmislon  'Roger 
fieep' 

RADAR  DETECTORS 

UNIDEN 

ROS00 $69.90 

Dual  conversion  superhet.  city/riwy.  LEDs.  audible  a  Jam.  compact. 

RD9 $114.90 

2  power  cords,  travel  case,  dual  conversion  superhet,  ctiy/hwy. 
audible  fi  LED  alerts,  mrni  size 

HD7 $79.90 

Dual  conversion  superhet,  mini  size,  LED's,  audible  alert. 

RD9XL $149.90 

Superhel  w/two  power  cords  carry  case,  City/Hwy,  mini  size. 

BEL 

XKR100 ...$43.90 

LED  alert,  tone  alert,  X  &  K  band,  dash/visor. 

876 VECTOR $94.90 

GAas  diodes,  sequential  LED,  City/Hwy,  audio  alert 

S47  $134.90 

EXPRESS  REMOTE,  V  4 Vband," Superhel!  2-way  filter,  LED  &  audi- 
ble alerts. 

HAXOH 

Wm  mm  Hto  wm      i     +     ■      h     +     t¥»***w     +     ****»*»     +     &      ■       ^     *F  v  ■  v  mr 

Superhet.  X  &  K  band,  audible  &  visual  alerl,  city/ high  way  seJtmg. 

RD3  . . . $59  90 

Long  range  dual  conversion,  .x  &  K  band,  LED's.  audible  alert 
w /volume  control,  antFtalsmg,  city/hwy,  dash/ visor. 

FTO21 $54.90 

Mini  size,  audible  &  visual  alert,  omni -polarity  guard,  dash/ visor 

RD25 S79.90 

Deluxe  mini,  same  as  above  with  sequential  LED's 

rdxl  ;;:,;;,,-•; :.!.;.. $129.90 

CORDLESS,  X  &  K  bands,  anti  talsing,  sequential  LED's,  audible 
aFert.  city/hwy.  cfark/mute  swilch.  with  carry  case 

TENNA  PHASE  III  POWER  SUPPLIES 

F$3 $15.fJD 

Output:13.8V  DC  -  3  amp  constant  5  amp 
surge,  electronic  overload  protection  w/in- 
stan t  auto  reset,  (use  protected 

PS4 $1990 

Fully  regulated,  13.8  VDC  -  4  amps  con- 
stant with  surge  protection,  overload  pro- 
lection  w /instant  auto  reset. 

TO     9  ■■■: ■■■■■■■ ■         r         «■■■■■■■!■!  fll-S^^Sf  U 

Fully  regulated ,  7  amp  constant,  10  amp  surge  capacity. 

PS12 $34.90 

Fully  regulated.  10  amp  constant  13  amp  surge,  eFectronic  overload 
protection  w/instani  auto  reset. 

PS20 564.99 

Fully  regulated.  20  amp  surge  capacMy.  13-6  VDC.  17  amp  cons- 
lant,  with  meter 

PSZ5  -. $79.90 

ReguEaied  4.5-15VDC-25  Ampconsianl  27  amp  surge,  instant  auto 

reset,  dual  meter  tor  current  &  voltage. 

PS35 S99J0 

Same  as  above  except,  35  amp  consiant,  37  amp  surge,  adjustable 
from  TO  to  15  volts. 


unlden 


BC800XLT  .  $239.90 

40  Ch  12  band,  800  MHi,  aircraft  & 

weather,  priority,  track  tuning,  scan 
delay,  auto  search,  direct  channel 

access,    auto    squelch,    channel 
lockout .  AC /DC 


BC55XLT 

$114.90 

10  Cnannel  10 
band,,  prog  ram - 
mabte,  keyboard 
lock.  2  digit  LCD 
display,    review, 


channel 

battery 

dicator, 

backup, 

delay. 

channel 


lockout, 
low   m- 

memory 
built-in 
direct 

access, 


track  tuning,  ac- 
cepts nicad  bat- 
teries. 


BC145XL  . .  .  $92.90 

16  Ch  10  band,  programmable.  2 
digit  LEO,  priority,  review,  direct  Ch 
access,  track  tuning,  built-in  defay. 
memory  backup.  Channel  lockout, 
direel  channel  access,  weather, 
AC/DC 


BC5B0XLT$  189.90 

100  Ch  11  mobile,  sery ice  search, 
weather,  priori! y.  charrnei  lockout, 
scan  delay,  auto  search,  il- 
luminated, programmable,  track 
tuning,  direct  channel  access 


BP55C  Baltery  pack  &  charger  for  BC55XL     $29.90 

BC100XLT       100  CFi  It  band  hand  held  $199.90 

aircraft,  ch  lockout,  auto  search,  programmable,  with  battery  pack. 
AC  charger,  carry  case  &  earphone 

BC200XLT       200  Ch  12  band,  hand  held.  $269.90 

WITH  SQOMFfz  band,  priority,  ch  lockout,  auto  search.  Iracfc  luning. 
direct  ch  access,  with  battery  pack.  AC  adaptor.  Garry  case. 

BC175XL  16  ch    11  band  aircrah  $149.90 

weather,  ch  lockout,  auto  search  a  squelch,  delay,  track  tuning, 
memray  backup,  high/low  scan  speed,  direct  Ch  access.  AC/DC. 

BC210XLT       40  Ch.  11  band,  aircraft  &  weather. $179.90 

Ch  lockout,  priori ly,  scan  delay,  auto  search,  programmaOFe,  track 
tuning,  direel  Ch  access,  AC/Dc  with  mobile  mounting  bracket. 

BC560XLT        16  Ch  10  band  mobile,  $99.90 

LED  display,  review,  priority,  memory  backup,  direct 'Ch  access, 
weather  search,  built-in  delay,  Irack  tuning,  eternal  speaker  jack 

BC760XLT       100  Ch  12  band  mobile.  $279.90 

WITH  800  MHzu  wealher  &  aircraft  base/mobr-le.  priority,  service  scan 
ch  lockoul,  scan  delay,  auto  search.  programmabEe.  track  tuning, 
direel  Ch  access,  memory  lock,  memory  backup,  ext  speaker  jack. 

BETTY  BEARCAT  Frequency  Directory 


BCFB-W 
BCFBE . 


Western      LIS  .  ,  . 

.  Eastern    US  ,  .  .  . 


$9.90 
$9.90 


INF5  . . .    $89.90 

AC  Powered  TURBO  SCAN*  . 
pre- programmed  by  state  to 
receive  any  type  of  poFfce 
transmission  plus  fire  and 
weather,  scans  at  50  channels 
pee  second,  digiial  display,  in- 
stant wealher. 

INF1 $144.90 

Preprogrammed  mobile, 
receives  all  50  states  police, 
plus  instant  weather,  scans  40 
channels  per  second.  DC 

SUPER 
CONUERTER 

installs  on  any  scanner  and  is 
designed  to  receive  frequencies 
belween  810  MHz  &  912  MHz  and 
convert  them  down  to  4 TO  MHz 
thru  512  MHz,  easy  to  install 


Z45 $99.90 

45  Channel  7  band  w/aircrafl. 
programmable,  45  preprogramm- 
ed channels  search  or  scan, 
alarm  clock,  priority,  permanent 
memory  backup,  ch  lockout,  scan 
delay,  AC/ DC  with  both  cords 

R1070 $89.90 

10  Ch  6  band,  programmable, 
permaneni  memory  backup,  dual 
level  digital  display,  channel 
lockout,  step  contfol,  AC  oniy. 


CIRCLE  323  ON  READER  SERVICE  CARD 


NYE 


Takes  the  fear  out  of  full  power  antenna  tuners, 
and  the  guesswork  out  of  PEP  measurement  with 
these  two  MUST  SEE  PRODUCTS!! 


V-A 


RFM-003 


.*njp^* 


1       la***       i*'-** 


Discover  this  durably  bui  Lt,  feature  packed  MB- V-A  Antenna 
tuner.  You'll  find  operating  conveniences  that  make 
antenna  tuning  a  snap  and  value  engineered  to  do  the  job 
over  wide  operating  ranges.  Compare  quality,  features  and 
the  NYE  VIKING  TWO  YEAR  WARRANTY. 


Get  correct  easy  to  read  measurements  of  PEP  for  SSB, 
AM,  and  PuLse  along  with  full  time  completely  automatic 
SUR  display  with  this  unique  Power  Monitor  System.  Two 
models  to  choose  from:  The  RFM-003  for  3KU  indication 
and  the  RFM-005  for  5KU. 


CHECK  THE  FEATURES: 


*  Pi  Network.  Low  Paaa  Pi  Network  timing  15-30  UHr.  Heavy  duty  silver  pJaled  continuously  variable 
inductor  with  25:1  vernier  dial,  71)00  volt  variable  capacitor  and  lO.OOOv  switch  selected  fijttd  capacitors 
on  output  side.   Tunes  <0 -3000  ohm  loads.   Good  harmonic  suppression! 

+  AllLonidlic  SWR.  Hands  free  metering  of  SW1L  No  read,  or  calibration  needed.  Separate  power  melcr- 
300  or  3000  i  La.  automatically  switched  Easy  to  reed  ZJ5"  recessed  and  bsek-tigjiled  Unit  band  indent 

*  Antenna  Switch.  PUSH-BUTTON  antenna  switching  to  (4)  antennas  {Z  coei,  single  wire  iui  twin 
lead).  Coei  bypassed  on  first  coax  output.  1  e  designed  this  switch  to  take  the  power.  Rated  at  10KV 
and  30  amps. 

1  3  KW  Balun.  THfilar  wounnd  triple  core  torroid  fives  balanced  output  to  twin  feeders  from  £00 
to  LOOt)  ohina  and  unbalanced  output  down  to  30  ohms, 

*  Maximum  Power  Transfer,  Welch  your  transmitter  output  impedance  to  almost  any  aoteimu 
system  for  maiimum  power  transfer  Amplifiers  only  run  at  their  designed  Q  when  properly  matched. 

T  Model  Options.  UB-IM1  includes  all  WB-Y-A  features  less  antenna  avilch  and  balun.  UB-IV- 
A2  is  identical  to  MB-IY-M  with  the  addition  of  a  triple  core  balun. 

*  1.0  MHz.  will  not  tune  on  some  antennas, 


*  (3)  Modes  -  Peak  Awrege  and  Peak  and  Hold  with  a  unique  non-drift  Sample  A  Hold  Analog 
memory  circuit. 

+  (2)  Ranges  -  Automatically  switched  power  scales  to  5  Kf . 

*  Fully  Automatic  SWR  -  Full  time  meter  displays  rata  directly  without  ML 

*  TllJ il L — 111  AtjQ  -  Protect  your  amplifier  tube  investment  with  Uiis  fast  acting  lookout 

*  Rc fHOle  Couplers  -  Six  feet  remotes  the  interchaiujcahle  calibrated  couplers, 

*  True  RMS  Conversion  -  H.F.  couplers  U3e  forward  biased  full  wave  detection. 

*  Rugged  Construction  -  Heavy  gauflc  aluminum  construction,  Top  quality  glass  epoiy 
PCB.  This  meter  is  built  to  last. 

*  Accuracy  -  Guaranteed  to  ±_h%  P.S> 

1  Warranty  -  TWO  FULL  YEARS  - 

*  Added  Features  -  Are  swiUhable  rewrae  power  all  mode  metering  -  Full  status  1ZL1  Display 
-  Adjustable?  AID  a  swilriiabJe  SWH/KS^  power  -  Heavy  duty  Nitad  batteries  charged  by  the  applied 
RF  for  the  field  and  a  charger  is  supplied  for  lost  charging  and  backlighting  of  the  taut  baud 
meters  for  the  ham  shack. 


OTHER  NYE  VIKING  PRODUCTS 

Phone  Patches  -  Electronic  and  Memory  Keyers  -  Squeeze  Keys  -  Straight  Keys  -  Code  Practice  Sets 
-  SWR  Wattmeter  for  the  blind  -  Low  Pass  Filters  -  All  Band  Antenna  and  more 

ASK  FOR  A  FREE  FULL  LINE  CATALOG. 


TO  ORDER,  CALL  YOUR  FAVORITE  DEALER 


Amateur  Electronic  Supply 

Ham  Radio  Outlet 

Henry  Radio 

Madison  Electronics 

EGE 

R  &  L  Electronics 


Barry  Electronics 

C-Comm 

Ross  Distributing 

Quement  Electronics 

LaCue  Communications 

Ham  Station 


Wm.  M.  Nye  Co,  Inc. 

1614  130th  Ave  N.E. 
Bellevue,  WA.  98005 
TEL;  (206)  454-4524 
FAX:  (206)  453-5704 


CIRCLE  353  ON  READER  SERVICE  CARD 


uniden 


$III$M$I$I$ 


$12, 

Scanner  Sale 

Uniden  Corporation  of  America  has  pur- 
chased  the  consumer  products  line  of  Re* 
gency  Electronics  Inc.  for  $12,000,000.  To 
celebrate  this  purchase,  we're  having  our 
largest  scanner  sale  in  history!  Use  the 
coupon  in  this  ad  for  big  savings.  Hurry... offer 
ends  December  31.  1988. 

•  *  *  MOMMY  SA  VI HO  COUPON**  • 

Get  special  savings  on  the  scanners 
fisted  in  this  coupon.  This  coupon  must 
be  tnciuded  with  your  prepaid  order. 
Credit  cards,  personal  ch&cks  and  quan- 
tity discounts  are  excluded  from  thts 
otte r  0 tfar  valid oniy  o n  prepaid  orders 
matted  directly  to  Communications  Elec- 
tronic s  fnc,  RQ  Bom  1045-Dept.  UN 11  f, 
Ann  Arbor,  Mich igan 4 8 1 06- 1045  USA 
Coupon  expires  December  31,  1968 
Coupon  ma  y  not  be  used  in  confunctio  n 
with  any  other  otter  from  CEL  Coupon 
maybe  photocopied.  Add  S  9.00  tor  ship- 
ping in  the  continental  U.S. A 

Regency  TS2-T  . . $259.95 

Regency  INF1-T ..,$119.95 

Regency  INF5-T 579-95 

Regency  R1090-T S114.05 

Regency  UC1 02-T S1 09.&5 

Regency  RH6068-T $413.95 

Regency  RH25GB-T..„, $294,95 

Bearcat  200XLT-T $249.95 

Bearcat  1  00XLT-T  , .  „ .  $1 84.95 

Bearcat  S0OXLT  T $249.95 

Uniden  TALKER-T $179-95 

•  *  *  •  VALUABLE  COUPON  +  +  ** 

NEW!  Bearcat?  760XLT-T 

List  price  $499.95/0 E  price  $244. 9 5/ SPECIAL 
f  **«m4  lOO  Channel  e  Crymtallaaa  e  AG/ DC 

Frequencyrange:  29-S4,  If  a-}  74, 406-5  1ZBQ6+956  MHz 
Excludes  823  9875-B49  0125  and  868  98  7SB94.Q  1 25  MHz 

The  Bearcat  760XLT  has  100  programmable  chan- 
nels organized  as  five  channel  banks  for  easy  use, 
and  1 2  bands  of  coverage  including  the  800  MHz. 
band.  The  Bearcat  760XLT  mounts  nealfy  under 
the  dash  and  connects  erectly  to  fuse  block  or 
battery.  The  unit  also  has  an  AG  adaptor,  flip  down 
stand  and  telescopic  antenna  for  desk  top  use.  6- 
5/1 6"  Wx1%"Hx  7% "  D,  Model  &C  590XLT-T  is 
a  similar  version  without  the  300  MHz.  band  for 
only  $1 94  95,  CTCSS  squelch  option  now  available. 

SALE!  Regency®  TS2-T 

List  price  S499.95/CE  price  S269.95/SPECIAL 
ta-Bmndt  73  Channel  e  Crystalteae  a  AC/DC 

Frequency  range:  29-S4.  It  8-1 75, 406-5  12, 806+950  MHz 
The  Regency  1S2  scanner  rets  you  monitor  Military, 
Space  Satellites,  Government,  Railroad, 
Justice  Department,  State  Department  Fish  & 
Game.  Immigration,  Marine,  Police  and  Fire  Depart- 
ments, Aeronaut  tea  I  AM  band,  Paramedics,  Am- 
ateur Radio,  plus  thousands  of  other  radio  fre- 
quencies most  scanners  can' l  pick  up.  The  Regency 
TS2  features  new  40  channel  per  second  Turbo 
Scan""  so  you  wont  miss  any  of  the  action.  Model 
TS1  -T  is  a  35  channel  version  of  this  radio  without 
the  800  MHz.  band  and  costs  only  $  199.95 

Regency®  RH256B-T 

List  price  S799  95/CE  price  S299.95/5PECIAL 
fa  Chmnnmi  •  23  Watt  Transceiver  •  Priority 

The  Regency  RH256B  is  asixteen-channel  VHF  land 
mobile  transceiver  designed  to  cover  any  frequency 
between  150  to  162  MHz.  Since  this  radio  is 
synthesized,  no  expensrve  crystals  are  needed  to 
store  up  to  1 6  frequencies  without  battery  backup. 
All  radios  come  with  CTCSS  tone  and  scanning 
capabilities  A  monitor  and  night/ day  switch  is  also 
standard,  This  transceiver  even  has  a  priority  func- 
tion The  RH256  makes  an  ideal  radio  for  any  police 
or  fire  department  volunteer  because  of  its  low  cost 
and  high  performance.  A  60  Watt  VHF  1 50*162 
MHz.  version  called  the  RH606B»T  is  available 
for  $429.95,  A  UHF  1 5  watt  1 6  channel  version  of 
this  radio  called  the  RU1 58B-T  is  also  available 
and  covers  450-482  MHz.  but  the  cost  is  $454.95, 


•  ••  Uniden  CB  Radios    ••• 

(g)  The  Uniden  line  of  Citizens  Band  Radio  transceivers  is 
styled  to  compliment  other  mobile  audio  equipment. 
Uniden  CB  radios  are  so  reliable  that  they  have  a  two 
year  limited  warranty  From  the  feature  packed  PRO 
8 1 0E  to  the  3 1 0E  handheld,  there  is  no  better  Citizens 
Band  radio  on  the  market  today. 

PR031 0E-T  Uniden  40  Ch,  Port  able/Mobile  CB      SS3.95 
PRO330E-T  Umdan  40  Ch-  Remote  mount  CB.    . 5  104.95 

PROSOOD-T  Uniden  40  Channel  CB  Mobile $3635 

NINJA-T  PRO310E  with  rechargeable  battery  pacK.S99.95 
B10-T  1.2V  AA  MJ-csd  battery  lor  Ninja  (set  of  10).     £20  95 

KARATE- T  Umdan  40  channel  rescue  radio    $5395 

PROS  1 0  XL-T  Uniden  40  cha  n  n«  i  C9  Mobile  $38. 9  5 

PflO520XL*T  Uniden  40  chennet  CB  Mobile.  $56  95 

PRO540E-T  Uniden  40  channel  CB  Mobile $97  95 

PROMO  E-T  Uniden 40 channel SSBC 8  Mobile       Si  37  95 

PRO710E-T  Uniden  40  channel  CB  Base ST  19.95 

PR0610E-T  Uniden  40  channel  SSB  CB  Base       S1  74.95 

*  * •  Uniden  Radar  Detectors*  *  • 


Buy  the  fines)  Uniden  radar  detectors  from  CEI  today 

TALKER-T  Uniden  talking  radar  detecto*  Si  &4  35 

RD7-T  Uniden  visor  mount  radar  detector  599,95 

RDft-T  Uniden  "PasaporT  size  radar  detector  S1 14  95 

HOBKL'T  Uniden  "micro"  size  radar  detector . . .  $144.95 

RD25-T  Uniden  visor  mount  radar  detector  ,    .    .  .  £54.95 

RD500-T  Lfnldan  viaor  mount  radar  delect  or. . .  $  74,95 

Bearcat®  200XLT-T 

List  price  $509.95  CE  price  S25495/SPEC1AL 
12- Band,  200  Chmnnmi  *  BOO  MHz.  Handheld 
Search  m  Limit  m  Mold  a  Priority  a  Lockout 
Frequency  range:  29-5<  MB-l  74,  406-512.  806-956  MHz 
Excludes  B23  9B?S-849.0r  25  and  86S9876-894.01 25  MHz. 

The  Bearcat  200XLT  sets  a  new  standard  for  hand- 
held scanners  in  performance  and  dependability. 
This  full  featured  unit  has  200  programmable 
channels  with  10  scanning  banks  and  12  band 
coverage.  If  you  want  a  very  similar  model  without 
the  800  MHz.  band  and  100  channels,  order  the 
BC  100XLT-T  for  only  $189.95.  Includes  antenna, 
carrying  case  with  belt  loop,  ni-cad  battery  pack, 
AC  adapter  and  earphone,  Order  your  scanner  now 

Bearcat*  800XLT-T 

List  price  $549, 95/C  E  price  $259 .  95/SPEC I A I 
wM-Bmndf  40  Chmnnmi  •  Nccryatat  acannmr 
Priority  control  *  Search/Scan  *  AC/ DC 

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Charging  Without  Overcharging 

This  circuit  conserves  AC  and  charges — not  chars—station  batteries! 


by  Dennis  Knittel  WB8VQR 


It's  always  a  good  idea  to  have  an 
emergency  power  source  for  the 
ham  station.  Hams  are  often  need- 
ed the  most  during  power  outages. 
Auto  batteries  are  good  to  keep  the 
12  volt  station  running,  but  deep- 
cycle  marine  batteries  from  GNB, 
Sears,  and  others  are  ideal.  Auto 
batteries  are  designed  to  provide  a 
whopping  current  (100-200  am- 
peres) for  very  short  periods.  *uch 
as  needed  to  start  a  car.  and  to  float 
the  load— lights  ignition,  radio, 
and  so  forth— against  the  alterna- 
tor the  rest  of  the  time. 

The  deep-cycle  batteries,  on  the 
other  hand,  are  designed  to  be  ful- 
ly charged,  and  then  to  provide  a 
steady,  medium  range    current 
(10-20  amperes)  until  discharged.  Thus  the 
deep-cycle  is  more  appropriate  to  this  appli- 
cation, but  if  the  automobile  batteries  are  free 
"putl-outs,"  or  nearly  so , . . 

More  Than  Just  Trickle  Charging 

A  popular  method  has  been  to  trickle- 
charge  auto  batteries  while  running  gear  off  a 
power  supply.  When  the  power  goes  out,  the 
battery  takes  over  automatically,  The  prob- 
lem with  this  is  that  unless  the  charging 
voltage  is  set  cxacdy,  and  the  condition  of  the 
battery  monitored  occasionally  with  a  hy- 
drometer, the  battery  will  be  either  under- 
charged (leaving  less  reserve  in  an  outage)  or 
overcharged  (driving  off  water  and  eventual- 
ly killing  the  battery), 

The  circuit  shown  in  the  schematic  uses 
two  batteries  alone  to  supply  the  station. 
When  their  voltages  drop  to  a  preset  point,  a 
control  circuit  activates  the  charger.  One  of 
the  batteries  begins  to  charge  while  the  other 
continues  to  supply  the  station.  After  the  first 
battery  is  charged,  it  powers  the  station  while 
the  second  battery  charges.  After  the  second 
battery  is  charged,  the  charger  shuts  off  and 
the  station  runs  from  both  batteries.  The 
charger  draws  AC  only  when  needed.  The 
charger  doesn't  need  to  be  well -filtered  be- 
cause it  doesn't  run  the  station  directly. 

Since  the  equipment  is  not  endangered,  this 
method  also  allows  the  batteries  to  charge  at 
15.5  volts.  Once  the  charger  is  removed,  the 
batteries  will  be  at  about  13.5  volts.  Charged 
at  only  13.5  volts,  the  battery  voltage  would 
be  only  about  12  volts  after  removing  the 
charger.  In  the  following  text,  you  will  note 
that  the  set  points  of  12.25  volts  for  starting 

34     73  Amateur  Radio  •  December,  1988 


charge,  and  1 3.50  for  stopping,  are  values  for 
new  batteries.  If  your  batteries  are  older,  you 
could  use  lower  numbers  tike  1 2  and  13  volts. 
This  just  means  slightly  different  settings  on 
R6  and  R5,  respectively.  Be  aware  of  voltage 
drops  due  to  the  voltmeter  when  adjusting  the 
potentiometers. 

Outage  Warning 

During  an  outage,  the  station  continues  to 
operate  from  the  batteries.  When  the  con- 
troller begins  to  charge  the  batteries,  howev- 
er, it  discovers  the  outage  and  sends  a  pulsat- 
ing audio  warning  to  indicate  trouble.  This 
audio  can  be  piped  to  useful  locations,  such  as 
to  a  speaker  in  the  ham  shack,  or  through  a 
transmitter  audio  input  at  a  repeater  site.  The 
controller  can  also  switch  the  equipment  to 
low-power  operation  during  the  outage.  It 
won't  allow  the  batteries  to  over-  or  under- 
charge. The  batteries  power  the  controller, 
which,  due  to  its  mostly  CMOS  circuitry, 
draws  under  2.5  mA. 

Voltage  Reference 

The  controller  circuit  requires  a  voltage 
reference.  Voltage  reference  criteria  are:  sta- 
bility, low  current  draw,  and  over- voltage 
detection.  Over-voltage  protection  is  set  a 
little  above  the  normal  peak  charge.  If,  for 
example,  the  batteries  arc  charging  at  15.5 
volts,  a  good  over- voltage  point  is  16  volts- 

It's  easy  to  derive  a  stable  16  volt  reference 
from  batteries  that  fluctuate  between  12.25 
and  13.5  volts.  A  723  voltage  regulator  chip 
(U2),  powered  from  the  batteries,  is  set  for  an 
8  volt  output.  A  voltage  divider  (R40.  R2, 
and  R41 )  divides  charger  voltage  in  half  and 


compares  it  to  the  8  volt  reference 
from  the  723.  If  the  divided 
charger  voltage  goes  above  the 
reference  voltage,  the  controller 
removes  the  charger  from  the  AC 
line  and  begins  the  audio  warning. 
It  remains  this  way  until  manually 
reset.  This  over-voltage  protec- 
tion keeps  the  batteries  from  over- 
charging,  and  protects  the  equip- 
ment from  what  might  well  be  a 
fatal  over- voltage. 

An  LM339  voltage  comparator 
chip  (U3)  monitors  four  voltage 
points.  The  four  points  are:  16 
volts  (over-voltage),  1 1  volts  (un- 
der-voltage),  and  the  two  inner 
limits  of  12.25  and  13.5  volts, 
which  control  battery  charging. 
All  reference  voltages  for  the  339  come  from 
the  723  voltage  regulator,  and  are  separately 
adjustable.  The  capacitors  and  the  series  re- 
sistors, which  are  after  the  battery  and 
charger  voltage  dividers,  smooth  out  any 
spikes  caused  by  load  changes  so  that  the 
comparators  are  not  accidentally  tripped . 

Circuit  Operation 

Normal  operation  begins  with  comparator 
U3c.  When  it  detects  that  the  batteries  have 
run  below  12.25  volts,  it  sets  flip-flop  #5 
(FF5).  This  starts  the  600  Hz  oscillator,  and 
the  4020  and  4017  divider  chips.  FF5  also 
causes  Darlington  pair  #1  (DPI)  to  ground 
relay  #  I  ( K 1 ) ,  that  connects  the  charger  to  the 
AC  line.  The  lime  when  FF5  starts  the  di- 
vider chips  is  the  time  reference  for  other 
events  described  later.  The  4020  is  a  unique 
CMOS  chip  in  that  it  is  capable  of  division  by 
as  much  as  16,384.  Its  last  three  outputs  di- 
vide the  600  Hz  down  to  one  cycle  every 
6.83,  13.65,  and  27.3  seconds. 

This  explanation  uses  the  1  cycle/6.83  sec- 
ond output.  It  gives  54.6  seconds  of  charge  to 
the  battery  during  each  cycle.  The  13.65  sec- 
ond output  gives  109.2  seconds  of  charge, 
and  the  27.3  output  gives  218.5  seconds  per 
cycle  to  the  battery.  If  the  batteries  require 
longer  charging  cycles,  the  13,65  or  27,3 
second  outputs  can  be  used,  giving  the  longer 
times.  Select  the  desired  output  with  a  jumper 
on  the  printed  circuit  board.  The  circuit  recy- 
cles on  each  battery  until  it  is  fully  charged, 
eliminating  the  need  to  worry  about  under- 
charging. Using  too  short  a  charge  cycle, 
however,  causes  the  circuit  to  test  the  battery 
voltage  before  it  stabilizes.  This  fools  the 


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circuit  into  prematurely  thinking  that  the 
batteries  are  charged,  causing  unnecessary 
cycling  and  relay  wear. 

We  now  have  a  6. 83  second  cycle  from  the 
4020  (U7)  clocking  the  4017  (U6).  Each  out- 
put of  the  4017  starts  with  output  #0  and  will 
sequentially  go  higher  for  6. 83  seconds  while 
all  others  remain  low.  At  0  seconds  (when 
FF5  sets}  output  #0  goes  high.  At  6. S3  sec- 
onds output  #9  returns  low  and  output  #1  goes 
high.  At  13.65  seconds,  output  #1  returns 
low  and  output  #2  goes  high.  This  continues 
through  output  #9  and  then  begins  over  again 
at  output  #0, 

When  output  #0  goes  low  at  6,83  seconds, 
it  causes  a  one  millisecond  negative  output 
pulse  from  the  capacitor-resistor  network 
(CI 5  and  R32).  This  pulse  sets  FF2  and  FF3, 
causing  DP2  and  DP3  to  ground  K2  and  K3. 
This  means  that  6.83  seconds  after  FF5  sets 
and  the  charger  comes  on  and  stabilizes,  the 
first  battery  begins  charging.  The  second  bat- 
tery continues  to  supply  your  radio  equip- 
ment. At  61.44  seconds,  the  40 1 7  output  #8 
resets  FF2,  releasing  K2,  and  stops  the  charg- 
ing. At  68.27  seconds,  the  4017  output  #9 
causes  a  voltage  check  on  battery  #1.  If  the 
voltage  is  under  13,5  volts  then  at  75+09  sec- 
onds Ehe  4017  output  #0  sets  FF2  again  and 
reconnects  battery  #1  to  the  charger  for  an- 
other round.  If  voltage  is  over  13.5  volts  then 
FF3  is  immediately  reset,  causing  battery  #1 
to  return  to  supply  the  load.  At  75.09  sec- 
onds, FF2  and  FF4  cause  battery  #2  to  begin 
the  same  charging  cycle  that  battery  #1  had 
used,  At  129,71  seconds,  FF2  resets  and  re- 
leases K2,  stopping  the  charging  of  battery 
#2.  Its  voltage  is  allowed  to  stabilize  and  at 
136.53  seconds  the  voltage  is  checked.  If 
under  13.5  volts,  the  charge  cycle  for  battery 
Wl  begins  again  at  143.37  seconds.  If  over 
13-5  votts,  the  entire  circuit  resets  immedi- 
ately. The  charger  is  disconnected  from  the 
AC  line,  and  everything  waits  to  be  called 
into  action  again.  If  battery  #1  has  fallen 
below  12.25  volts  by  the  time  battery  #2  is 
checked  and  found  to  be  over  13.5  volts,  the 
charger  will  not  shut  off.  Instead,  the  se- 
quence restarts  by  charging  battery  #1  and 
then  battery  #2.  This  means  that  if  there  is  a 
heavy  load,  the  batteries  will  continue  to 
charge  alternately. 

Over- Voltage  Protect 

If  over-voltage  should  ever  occur,  FF1  will 
set,  causing  DPI  and  Kl  to  disconnect  the 
charger  from  the  AC  line.  FF1  also  causes  the 
Conserve  output  to  go  to  the  high  state.  This 
output  can  advise  the  equipment  to  go  to  a 
power  saving  mode.  FF1  also  sets  FF5  via  the 
diode,  starting  the  oscillator,  and  allowing 
the  audio  output  to  send  out  a  pulsed  tone  to 
indicate  trouble. 

The  over-voltage  circuit  is  reset  by 
applying  a  LMow**  to  the  reset  input  of  FF1 . 
This  stops  the  beeping  and  restarts  the 
charging,  The  reset  can  be  remote  controlled 
unless  the  remote  reset  continuously  trips 
out,  which  means  a  trip  to  the  remote  site 
to  correct  problems.  The  conserve  and  audio 
outputs  will  also  operate  if  voltage  doesn't 
reach  point  A,  (due  to  AC  power  line  failure, 

36    73  Amateur  Radio  *  December,  1 


charger  melting,  etc.),  when  a  charging 
cycle  begins.  In  this  case,  an  attempted  reset 
is  ineffective,  Everything  will  return  to 
normal  when  voltage  does  reach  point  A 
(the  power  comes  back  on  or  the  charger 
is  replaced),  this  time  with  properly  sized 
fuses.  The  one  megohm  resistor  (R48) 
between  point  A  and  the  AND  gate  input 
is  to  insure  that  the  gate  is  not  destroyed  by 
its  input,  (which  is  being  forced  higher 
than  the  B+  supply  to  the  chip).  The  one 
megohm  resistor  (R49)  and  the  one  micro- 
farad capacitor  (R49,  C6)>  on  the  output  of 
that  gate,  causes  a  delay  to  prevent  falsing 
of  the  audio. 

If  the  controller  is  beeping  and  is  not  at- 
tended to,  the  battery  voltage  eventually 
drops  to  11  volts.  If  this  happens,  the  output 
of  the  comparator  U3d  goes  to  a  low  state. 
This  causes  DP5  to  ground  K5,  which  in 
turn  shorts  B+  to  ground  and  blows 
the  B+  fase.  This  feature  is  provided  to  pro- 
tect equipment  that  may  be  damaged  by  over- 
ly low  voltage.  The  beeping  that  begins,  as 
the  batteries  drop  below  12,25  volts,  should 
give  enough  time  to  correct  the  problems 
before  the  11  volt  "self-destruct"  point  is 
reached.  There  are  other  uses  for  U3d  and 
K5,  such  as  starting  a  back-up  emergency 
generator  or  changing  the  beep  rate  (to  indi- 
cate the  batteries  are  really  on  their  last  leg). 


A  second  723  Ul  is  provided  on  the  board 
for  regulating  your  charger,  It  can  control 
a  string  of  3055s,  The  723  does  not  have 
to  be  used,  but  if  it's  not,  it  still  must  tie 
point  A  to  the  charger  output.  The  circuit  is 
able  to  continue  detecting  the  power  line  or 
charger  failure.  Capacitors  placed  off  the 
printed  circuit  board  pins  are  used  for  sens- 
ing and  regulator  output  to  keep  the  723 
stable, 

A  third  battery  can  be  added  after  the  relays 
but  before  the  B  +  fuse.  Once  a  heavy  load  is 
applied,  a  third  battery  will  help  prevent  ex- 
cess voltage  drop  caused  by  wire  and  relay 
contact  resistances.  It  may  also  save  your 
equipment's  volatile  memory  from  loss  due 
to  dirty  relay  contacts.  The  third  battery  will 
remain  charged  by  the  first  two. 

The  contacts  of  K2  should  be  able  to  handle 
the  current  power  supply  charging  the  batter- 
ies. The  K3  and  K4  contacts  should  each  be 
able  to  handle  the  largest  current  that  the 
equipment  will  demand  of  the  batteries. 
Don't  forget  the  reverse  surge  protection 
diodes  across  all  relay  coils. 

I  recommend  using  larger  (500  Ah+)  bat- 
teries. They  hold  a  charge  longer  and  require 
fewer  charging  cycles, 

I  hope  you  will  find  this  project  useful  for 
setting  up  a  more  secure  and  economical 
battery  backup  system 


Parts  List 


Quantity 

Parts  number 

Description 

2 

2N3055  power  transistor 

11 

2N3904NPN  transistor 

3 

D1-D3 

1N4001  diode 

2 

D4-D5 

20  amp  50  V  on  beatsinks 

2 

U1-U2 

723  vantage  regulator 

1 

U3 

339  voltage  comparator 

2 

U4-U5 

4011 

1 

ue 

4017 

1 

U7 

4020 

1 

U5 

4044 

1 

U9 

4069 

1 

U10 

4071 

3 

C1-C3 

22uF  electrolytic 

3 

C4-C6 

1uF 

3 

C7-C9 

,1uF 

6 

C10-C1S 

.01uF 

7 

R1-R7 

20kQ 

5 

R14-R18 

470Q  V*  resistor 

11 

R8-R13,  R19-R23 

lOkfl  resistor 

1 

R24 

39kQ  resistor 

9 

R25-R33 

47kO  resistor 

1 

R34 

&6kQ  resistor 

1 

R3S 

68 kO  resistor 

1 

R36 

91  kQ  resistor 

1 

R37 

110kQ  resistor 

1 

R3S 

20GkQ  resistor 

1 

R39 

220kD  resistor 

4 

R40-R43 

240kQ  resistor 

1 

R44 

27Qk0  resistor 

1 

B45 

300kQ  resistor 

2 

R4&-R47 

330kQ  resistor 

3 

R48-RS0 

ImQ  resistor 

3 

K1.K2.K5 

Relay  12  volt  coif  20-25  amp  SPST  contacts 

2 

K3S  K4 

Relay  12  volt  coil  20-25  amp  SPOT  contacts 

5 

200  voit  amp  snirbber  diodes  for  relay  coils 

1 

T1 

Power  transformer 

1 

F1 

Fuse  5  amp 

4 

F2-F5 

Fuse  20  amp 3  AG" 

A  surplus  3-phase  magnetic  circuit  breaker  can  be  substituted  for  fuses  F3-F5  to  disconnect  all  power  in 
case  of  overcurrent  in  any  leg.  Remove  B+  (coming  through  F5>  also  disables  AC  input  through  the 
contacts  of  K1 , 

*Oo  not  substitute  slow-bfow  for  F5. 


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HAVING  FUN 


YOU'LL  KNOW 
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LEARNING 

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"Introduction  To  Amateur  Radio" 
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BUTTERNUT  ELECTRONICS  CO. 

405  East  Market,  Loch  hart,  TX  78644 


New  Mod  Kit 

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MEASURES  PEAK  POWER 

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Bird  Model  4300-400  modification 
kit  quickly  adapts  any  Bird  Model  43 
Wattmeter  to  measure  audio  peak  power 

of  single  sideband 

and  other  AM  modu  fated  signals. 

The  4300-400  kit  pc  board  mounts  inside  the  Model 
43  housing,  on  the  meter  studs.  Estimated  conversion 
time  is  only  15  minutes  from  start  to  finish. 

Once  modified,  you  can  measure  peak  power  to  an 
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And,  the  Model  4300-400  is  surprisingly  inexpensive. 
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WESTERN  REGION  OFFICE: 
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CIRCLE  176  ON  READER  SERVICE  CARD 


73  Amateur  Radio  •  December,  1988    37 


RF  POWER  AMPLIFIERS 

•  Lowest  NF  GaAs  FET  Preamp 

•  Finest  Quality  Military  Construction 
•  Off-The-Shetf  Dealer  Delivery 


For  the  past  five  years.  Amateurs  worldwide 
have  sought  quality  amplifier  products  from  TE 
Systems.  Renowned  for  the  incorporation  of 
high  quality,  low-noise  GaAs  FET  preamplifiers 
in  RF  power  amplifiers,  TE  Systems  offers  our 
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distributors. 

All  amplifiers  are  linear  (all-mode},  automatic 
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remote  control  capability.  All  units  are  de- 
signed to  ICAS  ratings  and  meet  FCC  part  97 
regulations,  Approx,  size  is  2,8  x  5.8  x  10,5" 
and  weight  is  5  lbs. 

Consult  your  local  dealer  or  send  directly  for 
further  product  information. 


TE  SYSTEMS 

PO.  Bow  25845 

Los  Angeles.  CA  90025 

{27 3)  478-0591 


SPECIFICATIONS 


Freq. 
MHz 


Model 


Q50BG 


05100 


14Q9G 


1410G 


1412G 


Power Preamp DC        Powar        RF 

Input     Output     NF-dB   GairvdB     +Vdc 


50-54 


5054 


144-^48 


144-t48 


144-148 


170 


170 


160 


160 


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2210G  220-225 


2212G 


44tOG 


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420-450 


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130 


100 


too 


13,6 


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Models  also  available  without  GaAs  FET  preamp  (delete  G  suffix  on  model  #).  Air  units  cover 
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Amplifier  capabilities:  100-200  MHz,  225-400  MHt  1-2  GHz.  Military  f28Vl  Commercial, 
etc  also  available  -  consult  factory. 


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38     73  Amateur  Radio  *  December;  1988 


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N  $10 
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±1  6Mhz@220Mhz;  -40dB 
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AUTOMATIC  IDENTIFIERS 


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•  For  transceivers  antf  repealers  ■  AMATEUR  and  COMMERCIAL 

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151  Commerce  Pkwy.,  Buffalo,  NY  14224 
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CIRCLE  17  ON  READER  SERVICE  CARD 


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P.C.  ELECTRONICS 

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Sound  from 
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ELECTRONICS  INC. 

54 17  Jet  View  Circle,  Tampa.  Florida  33634 

Phone:  {813)  885-6091  Telex:  289-237  (MAVL  UR)  Fax:  (813)  885-3789 


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40     73  Amateur  Radio  *  December,  1986 


& 


ASTROIM 

CORPORATION 


9  Autry 

Irvine,  CA  92718 

(714)458-7277 


INSIDE  VIEW  — RS-12A 


MODEL  RS-50A 


ASTRON  POWER  SUPPLIES 

HEAVY  DUTY  »  HIGH  QUALITY  •  RUGGED  *  RELIABLE 


SPECIAL  FEATURES 

•  SOLID  STATE  ELECTRONICALLY  REGULATED 

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from  excessive  current  &  continuous  shorted  output 

•  CROWBAR  OVER  VOLTAGE  PROTECTION  on  all  Models 
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Voltage 

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•  THREE  CONDUCTOR  POWER  CORD 

•  ONE  YEAR  WARRANTY  •  MADE  IN  U.S.A. 


PERFORMANCE  SPECIFICATIONS 

•  INPUT  VOLTAGE:  105-125  VAC 

•  OUTPUT  VOLTAGE:  13.8  VDC  ±  0.05  volts 
(Internally  Adjustable:  11-15  VDC) 

•  RIPPLE  Less  than  5m v  peak  to  peak  (full  load  & 
tow  line) 

•  Also  available  with  220  VAC  input  voltage 


MODEL  RS-50M 


MODEL  VS-50M 


RM  SERIES 


MODEL  RM-35M 


19"  X  5Va  RACK  MOUNT  POWER  SUPPLIES 


MODEL 
RM-12A 
RM-35A 
RM-50A 

Separate  Volt  aod  Amp  Meters 

RM-12M 

RM-35M 

RM-50M 


Continuous 
Duty  [Amps] 

9 

25 

37 

9 

25 

37 


IDS* 

(Amps) 

12 

35 

50 

12 
35 
50 


Size  [IN] 
H  x  Wx  0 

5V<  X  19  X  Btt 
51/4  x  19  x  12^ 

%%  x  19  x  rite 
5%  x  19  x  av4 

5"A  x  19  x  12ft 
5Y*  X19X  12ft 


Shipping 

m.  (lbs. | 
16 
36 
50 

16 

38 
50 


RS-A  SERIES 


MODEL  RS-7A 


MODEL 

RS-3A 

RS-4A 

RS-5A 

RS-7A 

RS-7B 

RS-10A 

RS-12A 

RS-12B 

RS^20A 

RS35A 

RS-50A 


Continuous 
Duly  (Amps) 

2,5 

3 

4 

5 

5 

7.5 

9 

9 

16 

25 

37 


ICS* 

(Amps] 
3 
4 
5 
7 
7 
10 
12 
12 
20 
35 
50 


Size  (IN] 
H  x  W  X  0 

3  X  4%  X  5Y* 
3%  x  6ft  x  9 
3ft  X  6ft  X  Vk 
33£  X  6%  X  9 
4  x7ft  X  10% 
4  X  7ft  X  10*i 

4ft  x  6  x  9 

4  x7ft  x  10V* 

5x  9  X  10ft 

5x11  x  11 
6X  13%  X  11 


Snipping 
Wl.  {lbs  | 

4 

5 

7 

9 

10 

11 

13 

13 

18 

27 

46 


RS-M  SERIES 


MODEL  RS-35M 


MODEL 

Switcriable  volt  and  Amp  meter 

RS-12M 

Separate  volt  and  Amp  meters 

RS-20M 

RS-35M 

RS-50M 


Continuous 
Duly  (Amp$| 


16 
25 
37 


ICS" 
(Amps} 

12 

20 
35 
50 


Size  |IN] 
H  x  W  x  0 

4ft  X  8  X  9 

5  X  9  x  10ft 

5  x  11  x  1t 

6x  13V4  x  11 


Snipping 
WL  [lit,] 

fj 

18 
27 
46 


VS-NI  AND  VRM-M  SERIES 


Separate  Volt  and  Amp  Meters  •  Output  Voltage  adjustable  from  2-15  volts  •  Current  limit  adjustable  from  1.5  amps 


MODEL  VS-35M 


to  Full  Load 

MODEL 

VS-12M 
VS-20NI 
VS-35M 
VS-50M 

Variable  rack  mount 
VRM-35M 

VRM-50M 


Continue  us 

Duty  lAmps] 

@13,BVDC  @10VDC  @5V0C 

9              5  2 

16              9  4 

25             15  7 

37             22  10 


supplies 

25 

37 


15 
22 


7 
10 


ICS* 

(Amps) 
@  13.3V 

12 

20 

35 

50 


35 
50 


Sittflff) 
H  x  W  x  0 

4ft  X  8  x  9 

5  x  9  x  10% 

5x  11  x  11 

fix  133/<  X11 


6ft  X  19  X  121£ 
5Vi  X  19  X  12Y2 


Shipping 
Wt.  (lis.] 


13 
20 
23 

46 


38 
50 


RS-S  SERIES 


Built  in  speaker 

MODEL 

RS-7S 

RS-10S 

RS-12S 

RS-20S 


Continuous 

Duty  |Amps| 

5 

7.5 
9 
16 


ICS* 

Amps 
7 

10 
12 
20 


Sizi  |IN| 
H  xWx  D 

4  x  7ft  x  10ft 

4  x  7ft  x  10ft 

4%  X  0  X  9 

5  X  9  X  10% 


Slipping 

Wt.  (lbs.] 
10 
12 
13 
18 


MODEL  RS-12S 


*ICS — Intermittent  Communication  Service  (50%  Duty  Cycle  5min,  on  5  min.  off) 


CIRCLE  16  ON  READER  SERVICE  CARD 


RADIO  TELEGRAPH  TERMINAL 


♦  •  m  m  • 


MORSE  CODE  DECODER 


ELECTRONIC  KEYER 


^R501 


MORSE  CODE  TRAINER 


$229.00 


DECODER 

Input  level 
Input  impedance 
Decoding  speed 
Audio  filter 


•  10mV  to  2V  RMS. 

•  8  to  1W1— 6O0Q  typical 

•  5  WPM  to  30  WPM 

•  800  Hz  ±  GO  Hz 
Actrve  and  PLL  filters 

700  Hz  to  900  Hz  fntemalty 
adjustable 


TRAINER 

Code  generator 
Speed 


•  Random  code  generator 
5  characters,  code  group 

*  5  WPM  to  30  WPM 
1  WPM  increment 


ELECTRONIC  KEYER 

Paddle  input 


Key  input 

Keying  speed 

Keyer  output 


•  TTL  level 
— LOvActuating,  Hi/Stop 
Contact  input 

— ON/Actuating,  OFF/Stop 

•  TTL  level 

— LO/Mark,  Hi/Space 

Contact  input 

— QN/Mark.  OFF/Space 

•  5  WPM  to  30  WPM 
I  WPM  increment 

■  Transistor  switching. 
Open  collector  type 


SPECIFICATIONS 


Model 

Power  source 
Size 


Controls 


Display 
Indicators 

Front  connections 


Rear  connections 


•AR-501  Radiotelegraph 
terminal 

•  DC  12V  to  13.8  V— t65mA 

•  45"-Wx2,24"-Hx6.25M) 

•  125  oz.  (358  g) 

•  Power  On/Off 

•  Random  code  generator  On/Off 

•  Print-out  On/Otf 

•  Monitor  speaker  level 

•  Electronic  keyer  mode  select 

•  Speed  Up  &  Down 

•  LCD  32  characters— 16  per  line 

•  Power  On — Green  LED 

•  Tuning — Red  LED 

•  ParJrJIe — Standard/Iambic 

■  Ordinary  telegraphic  key 

■  Headphone'Earphone 

•  DC  llfiV  Input 

•  Audio  input 

•  External  speaker 

•  Keyer  output 

•  Printer  output 


PRINTER 

•  Compatible  with  Centronics  8-bit  parallel  printer,  At 
least  4K  byte  data  buffer  is  required  in  a  printer. 


BACK  TO  BASICS  -  •  —  *  But  far  more  advanced •  - 

The  AR-501 ,  triple  mode  CW  terminal  in  a  small  package,  is  a  powerful  gear  to  practice  and  play  with.  For  the  Novice,  SWL  and  Ama- 
teur radio  operators  it  detects  Morse  code  between  5  to  3GWPM.  Just  plug  the  AR-501  to  your  receiver  to  start  translating  the  Morse 
code  onto  full  32  character  LCD  display.  Very  simple  and  easy  to  operate.  You  ask;  for  code  practice?,  both  receive  and  transmit?  Yes, 
the  AR-501  does  just  that  It  will  improve  your  cord  reception  and  keying  technique  at  the  speed  you  want  More?,  it  operates  as  an 
electronic  keyer  both  standard  and  iambic.  More  Yet?  How  about  a  printer  port?  You  bet  the  AR-501  provides  parallel  printer  port  for 
hard  copy,  You  can  Log  the  QSO,  and  Practice.  It  will  help  you  immeasureably.  We  even  offer  a  standalone  Nicad  operated  thermal 
printer  as  an  option.  ACCESSORIES  SUPPLIED:  The  AR-501  Radio  telegraph  terminal  comes  complete  with  Receiver  cable,  DC 
Power  cable,  Miniature  Phone  plug,  Miniature  stereo  phone  plug.  Spare  fuse,  Wall  receptacle  style  power  adaptor  and  Instruction  man- 
ual ACCESSORIES  AVAILABLE:  CC-501  Parallel  printer  cable  —  $3<hOO/DPU-4J]  Standalone  Thermal  printer  with  8K 
buffer— $235,00 

ORDERING  INFORMATION:  For  fastest  service,  call  800- 523-6366  from  9  AM.  to  4  P.M  P.ST.  Send  mail  orders  to:  ACE  Communications,  Inc. 
2251 1  Aspan  Street,  Lake  Forest,  CA  92630.  VISA  and  MasterCard  orders  and  certified  or  cashiers  check  or  money  order  shipped  within  48  hours  of 
receipt  Rush  service  by  UPS/Overnight  CJPS'2nd  Day  Air  and  Federal  Express  is  available  at  extra  shipping  charges.  Purchase  orders  accepted  from 
Government  agencies,  CA  residents  add  6%  sales  tax.  COD  is  53.00  extra*  WARRANTY  INFORMATION:  The  AR-501  covered  by  One  Year  War- 
ranty.  Extended  warranty  service  available  at  the  following  rates:  3  Years — $25.00,  2  Years* — $  1 5,00,  SATISFACTION  GUARANTEE;  If,  for  any  rea- 
son, the  ORIGINAL  PURCHASER,  is  not  satisfied  with  the  unit  purchased,  a  hilt  refund  of  the  purchase  price  will  be  issued  if  the  unit  and  all  accessories 
are  returned  to  us  UNDAMAGED  WTTH1N  25  DAYS  of  the  date  of  original  purchase  (Invoice  date).  This  policy  excludes  any  additional  freight  that  may 
be  incurred,  and  in  no  event  modifies  or  limits  the  limited  warranty. 


Communications 
2251 1  Aspan  Slree  flake  Forest  •  California  •92630-6321  •  (714)  581-4900  •  Toil  Free  1-800-523  6366 


CIRCLE  279  OH  HEADER  SERVICE  CARD 


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the  best  buys  in  town 
21 2-9257000 

Los  Precios  Mas  Bajos  en  Nueva  York 

WE  SHIP  WORLDWIDE! 


KITTY  SAYS:  WE  ARE  NOW  OPEN  7  DAYS  A  WEEK. 

Saturday  &  Sunday  10  to  5  P.M. 

Monday-Friday  9  to  6:30  PM  Thurs.  to  8  PM 
Come  to  Barry's  for  the  best  buys  irt  town. 


ONV  Safety 
belts-in  stock 


ttmmh'. 


Santa  Kitty  says,  *  'Seasons  Greetings  To  All" 
See  you  Dec.  4, 8pm-BARA  (speech), 
Paramus  N  J  (Bergen  CC) 


ii    KENWOOD 


YAESU 

FT-23/73/33/727R 

Fl-2tltJ09RM 

FT-1 903/1 123 

h  .      FTH-2005/7005 
A-Sr  AE3,  Cus-hcrafl,  Hy  Gain, 

Hustler,  KLMr  METZ,  Mosley, 

M00UBLOX.TONNA 


FT-767GX,  FT-757GXII,  FT-311  RM, 
FRG-0800,  FT-736,  FRG-9600,  FT- 
711RH,  FT-4700RH,  FT212/712RH. 

LandmobHe  HTs 


Antennas 


(COM 

IC2AT/12AT 

1C02AT-32AT 

IC2/4GAT 

IC-A2/U16 


ICOW:  U16,  Hie.VtM.  U4QO 
MAXON,  MOTOROLA, 
YAESU:  FTH  2005/2007 
UNIDEN,   REGENCY,  KING,  TAD 
MAR  I  ME  JCOM:  MS,  M55r  M700 
AVIATION  ICOM:  AEOH.T, 


TS440S/AT,  R-5QO0,  R-2QO0,  TS-940  S/AT.  TM 
221  A/421  A.  TM-2570A/50A/30A,  TR-751A,  Ken^ 
wood  Service  Repair.  TM-721A,  TS-711/811A, 
TM353QA,  TH205AT,  TH215A,  TM-621A,  TM- 
321  A,  TS14GS,  TS6S0S,  HZ-1.  TS-790A 


Budwig  ANT.  Products 

NELTECHOVK-100  Digital  Voice  Keyer 
FLUKE  77  Multimeter 

Media  Mentors— 

Amateur  Radio  Course   $99  95 

VoCom/Mirage/Alinco 

Tokyo  Hy  Power/TE  SYSTEMS 

Amplifiers  & 

5/8XHT  Gain 
Antennas  IN  STOCK 

MICROLOG-ART  1  v  Air  Disk, 
SWL,  Morse  Coach 


Soldering  Station  4dVVatts  $68, 


RF 
Concepts 


m 

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ft 

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[ICOM! 

IC-R71A.  751  A,  781. 28A/H,  38A,  48A.  Micro2/4, 
R-7000,  IC-761 ,  IC-375A,  275A/H,  321 0A,  475A/     W 
H,  735,  IC-900,  IC-228H  jy 

ft 
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SMART  PATCH 

CES-SimpLex  Autopatch  510  SA  Will  Patch  FM 
Transceiver  To  Yoyr  Telephone  Great  For 
Telephone  Gaits  From  Mobile  To  Base  Simple 
To  Use.  510SA/51OSAII 


,j    .uj.ij.uujjjj1a,u.i.«. 


PRIVA  TE  PA  TCH IV,  Duplex  8000 

TUNERS  STOCKED: 

NYE  MBV-A3  Killowatt  Tuner 


ALINCO  ALD  24T 
DJ-100T 


m 


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Computer  Interfaces 
Stocked:  MFJ-1270B 
MFJ-12741MFJ-1224,AEA 
PK'88,MFJ-1278tPK-232 
W/FAX, 


FREQUENCY 

COUNTERS: 

1MH£- 1.3GHz 

St  69-95 


COMMERCIAL 

&HAM 

HEPEATEflS 

STOCKED. 

WRITE  FOR 

QUOTES 


KANTRONICS 
UTU,  KAM,  UTU-XT 
KPC  2400,  KPC  IV 
KAM 


MFJ-989C 


MOTOROLA  AUTHORIZED  DEALER 
KACHINA  COMMUNICATIONS  DEALER 


SHORTWAVE  RECEIVERS 
STOCKED 


Ten-Tec 
Tuner 229B 


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METRON  NIA-1 000  B  STOCKED 

EIMAC 


AEA  144  MHz 
AEA  220  MHz 
AEA  440  MHz 

ANTENNAS 


3  500Z 

572B.  6JS6C 

12BY7A& 
6146B 

BIRD 

Wattmeters  & 
Elements    ^ 
In  Stock       =£ 


COMET  ANTENNAS 
STOCKED 


DIGITAL  FREQUENCY  COUNTERS 

Optoelectronics  model  1300H,  0-1 3COM  Hz 
Trionyx.  Model  TR-1000,  0-600  MHz 

Long-range  Wireless 
Telephone  forexoort  in  sioqk 


BENCHER  PADDLES, 

BALUNS,  LOW  PASS  FILTERS 

IN  STOCK 


MIRAGE  AMPLIFIERS 

ASTRON  POWER  SUPPLIES 

Saxton  Wire  &  Cable,  Int'l  Wire 


HEIL 

EQUIPMENT 
IN  STOCK 

SANGEAN  Portable  Shortwave  Radios 


Hy-Gain  Towers 
&  Antennas,  and 
Rotors  will  be 
shipped  direct  to 
you  FREE  of 
shipping  cost. 


New  TEN-TEC 
Corsair  II,  PARAGON 


AMERITRON  AUTHORIZED  DEALER 


S      MAIL  ALL  ORDERS  TO:  BARRY  ELECTRONICS  CORP.  512  BROADWAY,  NEW  YORK  CITY,  NY  10012  (FOUR  BLOCKS  NORTH  OF  CANAL  ST.) 


LARGEST  STOCKING  HAM  DEALER 


ra^w    f  ym  Uliy   9     COMPLETE  REPAIR  LAB  ON  PREMISES 


"Aqul  So  Habla  Espartol" 

BARRY  INTERNATIONAL  TELEX  12-7670 
MERCHANDISE  TAKEN  ON  CONSIGNMENT 

FOR  TOP  PRICES 

Monday- Friday  9  A.M.  to  6:30  P.M.       Thursday  to  &  PM. 
Saturday  &  Sunday  10  A.M.  to  5  P.M.  (Free  Parking) 


IRT^LEX -"Spring  SL  Station".  Subways;  BMT- 
"Prince  SL  Station".  IND-"F'  Train-Bwy  Station" 
Bus:  Broadway  #6  to  Spring  SL  Path-9th  St. /6th  Ave. 
Station, 


COMMERCIAL  RADIOS 
STOCKED:  ICOM,  Motoro- 
la, MAXON,  Standard. 
Yaesu.  We  serve  munici- 

palilies,  businesses,  Civil 
Defense,  etc.  Portables, 
mobiles,  bases,  re- 
peaters... 


ALL 

SALES 
FINAL 


We  Stock:  AEA,  ARRL,  Alinco,  Ameco,  Ameritron,  Antenna  Specialists, 
Astatic,  Astron,  B&K,  B&W,  Bencher,  Bird,  Bjtternut,  CDE,  CES,  Cushcraft, 
Daiwa,  Eimac,  Henry,  Neil,  Hustler,  Hy-Gain  1 1  com,  KLM,  Kantronics,  Larsen, 
MJF(  J.W.  Miller,  Mirage,  NyeT  Palomar,  RF  Products,  Saxton,  Shure, 
Tempo.  Ten-Tec,  TUBES,  Yaesu,  Vibroplex,  Duplexers,  Repeaferst  Scan- 
ners, Radio Publicati on s,  Uniden,  Kenwood,  Maxon,  RFC. 

WE  NOW  STOCK  COMMERCIAL  COMMUNICATIONS  SYSTEMS 
HAM  DEALER  fNQUIRES  INVITED    PHONE  IN  YOUR  ORDER  &  BE  REIMBURSED 
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Amateur  Radio  Courses  Given  On  Our  Premises,  Call 

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FAX:  212-925-7001 


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Number  1 2  on  your  Feedback  card 


New  products 

Compiled  by  Linda  Reneau 


PRODUCT  OF 
THE  MONTH 

AMERICAN  ANTENNA 

American  Antenna  has  a  new 
10  meter  antenna,  the  Ham-Ten, 
whose  design  is  based  on  their 
K-40  CB  antenna.  It  will  handle 
power  input  up  to  1500  watts 
when  property  installed,  and  has  a 
bandwidth  of  1.5  MHz  between 
2:1  SWR  points.  The  Ham-Ten 
complements  all  the  single-band 
1 0-meter  rigs  currency  on  the 
market.  An  adjustable  trunk  lip 
mount  comes  with  the  Ham-Ten, 
or  you  can  use  American  Anten- 
na's Magnamount. 

Price  for  the  Ham-Ten  is 
$45.50.  For  further  information, 
write  A merican  A ntenna ,  1575  Ex- 
ecutive Drive,  Elgin  IL  60123. 


WA9YW J  PRODUCTS 

WA9YWJ  offers  a  custom  photo 
engraved  callsign  plaque  on  XM" 
thick  glass  in  a  gold-colored 
frame.  You  can  choose  a  red, 
blue,  black,  or  green  velvet  back- 
ground, The  callsign  plaque  is  7" 
long  x  2W  wide.  WA9YWJ  guar- 
antees its  craftsmanship.  Price: 
$24,95  plus  $2  shipping, 
WA9YWJ  Products,  907  Baxter 
Ave.,  Superior  Wt 54880. 


Private  Patch  I 


CONNECT  SYSTEMS  INCORPORATED 


CSI's  Private  Patch  V  can  be 
programmed  in  four  modes:  Sam- 
pling Patch  (VOX  enhanced), 
VOX  Patch  (with  remote),  Duplex 
Patch,  and  Repeater  Controller 
with  Duplex  Patch.  It  has  a  built-in 
keyboard  and  digital  display,  a  90- 
number  auto-dialer,  redial,  re* 
mote  hook-flash,  programmable 
CW  ID,  toil  protection,  1-5  digit 


access  code,  2-5  digit  secret  toll 
override  code,  telephone  remote 
base,  remote  controlled  relay,  and 
regenerated  tone/pulse  dialing. 
Options  include  a  plugnn  CTCSS 
conversion  board  and  an  electron- 
ic Voice  Delay  board. 

Price  is  $500.  Contact  Connect 
Systems,  Inc.,  237$1  Madison  St. , 
Torrance  CA  90505.  213^73^803. 


dbx  PROFESSIONAL  PRODUCTS 


dbx  announces  new  software 
enhancements  and  price  reduc- 
tion (from  $6,950  to  $4t500)  for  the 
RTA-1  Professional  Real-Time 
Analysis  System.  The  features  in- 
clude enhanced  room-response 
curve  capabilities,  and  cus- 
tomized printout.  Present  owners 
of  Ihe  RTA-1  will  be  able  to  up- 
grade their  equipment.  The  new 
version,  designated  RTA-1  V.1.5. 
also  offers  improved  confidence 
indication  and  faster  automatic 
gain  setting.  Direct  readout  of 


dB  SPL  is  now  possible,  and  the 
V,t,5  stores  information  for  up  to 
ten  microphones,  allowing  cali- 
bration for  any  microphone  and 
use  of  a  microphone  calibrator  for 
automatic  correction.  Users  may 
enter  a  1-42  character  banner  at 
the  lop  of  the  printout.  Printouts 
also  contain  an  area  for  location, 
date,  time,  and  other  notations. 
For  more  information  contact  dbx 
Professional  Products.  PO  Box 
1Q0C,  Newton  MA  02195.  Or  cir- 
cle Reader  Service  number  207. 


HEATH  COMPANY 

The  SB-1400  All-Mode  Trans- 
ceiver is  now  available  from  Heaih 
Company.  It  provides  all-band,  alt- 
mode  coverage  with  100  watts  of 
transmit  power  on  all  nine  HF  am- 
ateur bands.  Maximum  AM  output 
is  25  watts.  The  SB-1400's  receiv- 
er has  0  25  |iV  (or  better)  sensitive 
ty,  dual  VFOs,  RIT,  a  built-in  500 
Hz  CW  filter,  "split"  operation, 
squelch  in  all  modes,  20  memo- 
ries, front  panel  controls  and  AGC 


action,  and  computer  interface. 
Available  accessories  are:  20  amp 
power  supply  with  speaker,  FM 
module,  hand-held  microphone, 
mobile  bracket,  and  switching 
relay.  The  SB-1400  is  a  no-frills 
transceiver  with  all  the  important 
features.  Price  is  $800.  To  order, 
call  800-253*0570  or  800*44- 
HEATH,  or  write  for  a  Heathkit 
catalog  at  Heath  Company, 
Department  350-036,  Benton 
Harbor  Ml  49022. 


ADVANCED  COMPUTER  CONTROLS,  INC. 


Advanced  Computer  Controls* 
new  RC-850  Repeater  Controller 
Computer  Interface  allows  remote 
control,  programming,  and  infor- 
mation access  to  FM  repeater 
systems  from  a  home  computer  or 
terminal  via  modem  or  packet 
TNC.  Controller  commands  may 
be  entered  through  the  remote 
terminal  with  responses  displayed 
on  the  terminal  screen.  The  con- 
troller stores  programmable 
speech  and  Morse  code  mes- 


sages. The  menu-driven  RC-850 
has  two  additional  Touch-Tone 
decoders  to  offload  the  main 
shared  decoder  for  full-time  cov- 
erage of  links  and  remotes. 

The  RC-850  Interface  is  $350. 
For  $75  more,  the  Vocabulary  Ex- 
pansion Option  increases  the  syn- 
thesized speech  to  530  words. 
Contact  Advanced  Computer 
Controls,  inc>  2356  Walsh  Av- 
enue, Santa  Clara  CA  95051.  408- 
727-3330. 


44     73  Amateur  Radio  *  December,  1988 


HOWARD  W.SAMS 
&  COMPANY 

Mastering  Packet  Radio:  The 
Hands-On  Guide,  by  Dave  Ingram 
K4TWJ,  Is  now  available  from 
Howard  W.  Sams  &  Company. 
The  book  covers  basic  concepts 
as  well  as  the  more  technical  ar- 
eas of  this  mode,  ft  describes  what 
packet  is,  how  it  works,  why  it  is, 
and  the  hardware  involved.  Dave 
Ingram  K4TWJ  has  written  twelve 
books  and  over  300  articles  for 
amateur  radio  magazines.  He 
holds  a  First  Class  Radiotele- 
phone Commercial  License  and 
an  Amateur  Extra  Class  License. 
Mastering  Packet  Radio  retaifs  for 
$13  and  is  avaifable  at  book- 
stores, computer  stores,  electron- 
ics distributors,  or  direct  from  Ihe 
publisher  by  calling  800-428- 
7267.  Howard  W.  Sams  St  Compa- 


ny. A  division  of  Macmilian,  Inc.. 
4300  West  62nd  Street,  Indiana- 
polis IN  46268.  3  1  7-298  5400. 


HUSTLER  JNC 

Hustler,  Inc.,  has  a  new  version 
of  Quick  Disconnect,  the  Model 
QD<2.  The  QD-2  is  simitar  to  the 
original  Model  OD-1.  but  it  fea- 
tures a  new  design  for  the  lower 
hall.  Milled  from  a  solid  piece  of 
stainless  steel,  the  new  design  is 
virtually  indestructible.  The  war- 
ranty extends  to  two  years.  For 
more  information,  contact  the 
Sales  Department  at  Hustler.  Inc., 
1  Newtronics  Place.  Mineral  Wells 
TX  76067. 


ULTRASOFT  INNOVATIONS, 
INC, 

ULTRALUCENr\  from  Ultra- 
soft  Innovations,  Inc..  is  a  screen 
restoration  product  that  elimi- 
nates haiiiine  and  deep  scratches 
from  the  hard  plastic  display  of 
any  laptop  or  notebook  computer. 
It  comes  in  a  standard  kit  that  in- 
cludes 6  re-usable,  color-coded, 


abrasive  pads,  anti-static  finish- 
ing cream,  application  foam 
block,  wiping  towel,  and  complete 
instructions  for  $20,  For  minor 
touch-ups.  and  for  laptops  with 
soft  plastic  displays.  ULTRALU- 
CENT  EL  is  available  for  $15-  Ut- 
traSoft  Innovations,  tnc.f  76  Main 
Street t  PO  Box  247,  Champtain 

NY  12919,  514-487-9293. 


CURTIS  MANUFACTURING 
COMPANY,  INC. 

Curtis  Manufacturing's  Anti- 
Glare  Filter  for  computer  monitor 
screens  is  made  of  distortion-free 
optically-coated  glass,  ft  absorbs 
95%  of  reflected  light  internal  and 
external  to  the  computer  monitor. 
The  all-glass  Anti-Glare  Filter  in- 


creases contrast  and  character 
resolution.  The  Filter  comes  in 
seven  sizes  to  fit  most  color  and 
monochrome  computer  monitors. 
It  carries  a  lifetime  warranty.  Sug- 
gested retail  price  is  $60.  Curtis 
Manufacturing  Company r  Inc.,  30 
Fitzgerald  Drive,  Jaffrey  NH 
03452.  603-532-4  123. 


RADIO  TEL 

Radio  Tel  offers  a  full  duplex 
private  mobile  phone  as  an  exten- 
sion of  a  regular  home  or  business 
phone  up  to  30  miles  away  with  no 
separate  monthly  phone  bill.  Send 
or  receive  calls  from  anywhere  in 
the  world.  Outgoing  calls  appear 
on  the  regular  phone  bill.  This  sys- 
tem operates  on  VHF  (138-174 
MHz)  or  UHF  (440-512  MHz)  with 
a  5  MHz  transmit/receive  split  for 
duplex.  Optional  features  are 
voice  scramblers,  intercom,  and 
selective  calling  for  multi- users 
Prices  start  from  £2,995  for  the 


entire  system,  Radio  Tel  1025  S. 
La  Brea  Ave.,  Los  Angeles  CA 
90019.213-937-6766. 


MOTOROLA  INC. 

The  KDT  portable  data  terminal 
provides  communication  between 
the  people  in  the  field  and  the  cen- 
tral computer  data  files,  it  features 
a  4-line  by  40-character  super- 
twist,  backlit  LCD  display.  The 
terminal  is  battery-powered  and 
contains  an  integrated  radio 
transceiver  for  cordless  opera- 
tion. The  unit  weighs  30  ounces 
and  is  small  enough  to  hold  com- 
fortably in  one  hand.  The  KDT  has 
up  to  96K  of  memory.  Code  read- 
ing and  other  accessories  are 


available.  The  terminal  is  compat- 
ible with  Motorola's  Data  Radio 
Network. 

Price  for  the  data  terminal  is 
$3300.  Contact  Motorola,  Inc. 
1301  E+  Algonquin  Roadt 
Schaumburg  IL  60196.  Attn: 
Nadtne  Sudnickr  312-57&6640, 


BUCKMASTER  PUBLISHING 

Originally  designed  for  librari- 
ans, the  Place-Name-Index  CD- 
ROM  from  Buckmaster  Publish- 
ing contains  information  valuable 
for  amateur  radio  operators.  It  of- 
fers quick  access  to  more  than 
one  million  place  names  collected 
from  the  quadrangle  maps  of  the 
US  Geological  Survey.  Each 
record  on  the  Place-Name-lndex 
contains  the  state,  county,  feature 
type,  FIPS  code,  elevation,  longi- 
tude/latitude, and  quadrangle 
map  name.  Search  on  place 


name,  mufti-word  phrases,  wild- 
cards, and  other  terms.  The  user 
can  find  the  longitude  and  latitude 
of  a  contact  in  seconds. 

The  Place-Name-Index  CD  re- 
quires a  Hitachi,  Phillips,  or  Sony 
CD-ROM  drive.  The  user  can 
store  search  results  on  disks  or 
printouts.  The  Place-Name-Index 
CD-ROM  leases  for  $295  and  sells 
for  $!  p495.  including  retrieval  soft- 
ware. Buckmaster  Publishing. 
Whitehall,  Route  Three.  Box  Fifty- 
Six,  Mineral  VA  23117.  $00-282- 
5628  or  703-894-5777.  Jack 
Speer  N 1 BIC.  President 


73  Amateur  Radio  •  December,  1988    45 


73  Review 


bv  Pete  Put  man  KT2B 


Number  13  on  Feedback  card 


Communications 
Concepts  335A- 

2  meter  35  watt  amplifier  kit 


Communications  Concepts  Inc. 

121  Brown  Street 

Dayton  OH  45402 

(513)220-9677 

Prices:  $79.95  kit 

$109,95  assembled 


Communication  Concepts  Inc.  has  ad- 
vertised this  amplifier  for  several  years. 
Basically,  it  is  a  gain  block  with  T/R  switching 
to  boost  a  low-level  2  meter  signal,  such  as  a 
handheld,  from  1-3  watts  up  to  the  30-35  watt 
range.  Unlike  other  amplifiers  made  by  RF 
Concepts,  Mirage,  and  THL.  no  preamplifier  is 
available.  It  is  strictly  a  no-frills  way  to  add 
better  than  13  dB  to  a  handheld,  (This  review 
is  somewhat  unusual,  as  the  product  is  sold  as 
a  kit,  but  the  review  unit  arrived  completely 
assembled.) 

The  circuit  is  straightforward.  A  Motorola 
MRR24Q  is  used  in  a  g rounded-emitter  con- 
figuration, running  Class  AB1  bias  for  true 
linear  operation.  Hence,  this  amplifier  can 
be  used  on  sideband  as  well  as  FM  and 
CW.  The  disadvantage  of  this  is  that  idling 
bias  current  is  always  drawn,  and  there  is  no 
power  switch.  This  means  the  user  has  to  tie 
into  a  switched  DC  line  when  using  the  amplifi- 
er in  a  car,  or  else  the  battery  runs  down  in 
short  order. 

Photo  A  shows  the  PC  board.  Workman- 
ship on  this  model  is  good  quality,  and  the 
component  layout,  plus  simplicity  of  design, 
should  allow  any  experienced  builder  to 
achieve  similar  results.  All  the  components 
mount  on  the  top  plane  of  the  PC  board,  ex- 
cept the  bias  regulator  Q3t  which  mounts  be- 
low. The  layout  is  uncluttered,  as  only  small 
components  are  used.  RF  keying  switches  the 
antenna  relay,  but  there's  no  provision  for 
hard-keying. 

The  DC  power  connector  is  a  standard  4-pin 
TRVWJones  type,  but  only  two  pins  are  need- 
ed. This  might  be  a  good  place  to  bring  out  a 


Performance 

Input 

Output 

3W 

3.0  W 

1-2W 

25  W 

23  W 

30  W 

Note:  Maximum 

input  specified  by 

manufacturer  to  be  5  watts. 

hard  keying  line,  which  could  be  nothing  more 
than  a  4.7k  resistor  to  the  base  of  Q2.  Input 
and  output  RF  connectors  are  BNC  types. 
SO-239  connectors  would  have  been  better 
choices,  since  they  hold  up  better  in  mobile 
nvironments. 


uai  is  so  thorough  that  inexperienced  builders 
might  want  to  try  it  as  their  first  RF  project. 

Conclusion 

The  CCI  335A-K  is  a  no-frills  amplifier  kit 
that  appears  to  be  easy  to  construct  and  uses 


" .  .  .  the  manual  is  so  thorough  that 

inexperienced  builders  might  want  to 

try  it  as  their  first  RF  project " 


Instructions 

The  instruction  manual  is  well  written  and 
contains  a  check-off  box  for  each  series  of 
instructions  (a  la  Heathkit)*  The  tune-up 
procedure  is  simple  but  does  involve  a  trial- 
and-error  method  of  soldering  and  resoldering 
the  chip  capacitors,  along  the  etched  lines 
to  obtain  lowest  VSWR.  The  manual  does 
include  several  pictorials  and  a  component 
layout  to  speed  things  along.  In  fact,  the  man- 


top-quality  components.  An  amplifier  such 
as  this  can  serve  many  purposes.  For  exam- 
ple, it  could  be  used  to  provide  higher  drive 
for  grounded  grid  amplifiers,  such  as  the 
3CX800  or  8877  tubes  which  need  at  least 
30  watts  or  more  to  really  perk,  it  could  also 
be  used  as  a  booster  amplifier  for  QRP  con- 
test work,  and,  of  course,  it  can  be  used  to 
kick  up  the  signal  from  a  handheld  while 
portable,  at  home,  or  in  the  car. 


Photo  A.  Interior  of  the  assembled  335A-K  amplifier.  Note  the  uncluttered  PC  board. 


46     73  Amateur  Radio  *  December,  1968 


83 


SEN0FOK 

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73  Review 


Number  14  on  your  Feedback  card 


by  Bill  Clarke  WA4BLC 


The  Carolina  Windom 
Antenna 

Improvement  on  a  tried  and  true  design. 


Radio  Works 

PO  Box  61 59 

Portsmouth  VA  23703 

PH:  (804)  484-01 40 

Price  Class:  $70 


The  Windom  antenna  was  first 
invented  in  1928  by  W8G2, 
and  immediately  became  popular. 
Like  many  older  types  of  antennas, 
however,  it  eventually  faded  into 
obscurity.  Although  the  Windorn 
popped  up  from  time  to  time  with  a 
new  twist  or  two,  it  never  became 
really  popular  again,  mainly  due  to 
the  inherent  feeding  problems. 

The  last  Windom  I saw  in  every- 
day use  was  in  1972,  which 
belonged  to  a  fellow  in  Cape  Cod. 
It  was  a  1928  classic,  fed  with  a 
single  conductor.  He  used  it  only 
on  75  meters  AM  phone.  It  put  out  a  loud 
signal  heard  regularly  in  Virginia. 

The  Windom  has  reappeared  once  again, 
reinvented  by  Joe  Wright  W4UEB,  Jim  Wilkie 
WY4R.  and  Edgar  Lambert  WA4LVB.  So 
much  has  changed  with  this  new  version, 
thought  that  they  now  call  it  the  Carolina  Win- 
dom—'Carolina7'  for  that  beautiful  part  of  the 
country  where  much  of  the  improvement  on  it 
was  done,  and  "Windom"  for  the  basic  off- 
center  feed  concept. 

Theory  of  Operation 

The  only  real  resemblance  the  Carolina 
Windorn  has  to  the  original  is  the  off-cemer 
feedpoint.  The  off-center  feed  creates  an  im- 
balance, which  causes  the  feedline  to  radiate. 
The  feedline  and  antenna  then  produce  both 


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The  Carolina  Windom  Antenna. 

vertical  and  horizontal  polarization  patterns — 
horizontal  along  the  wire  elements,  and  verti- 
cal from  the  feedline.  The  manufacturer 
claims  that  this  combination  of  radiations  is 
what  makes  the  Carolina  Windom  successful. 

While  most  transformers  try  to  eliminate 
feedline  imbalance  and  radiation,  the  Win- 
donVs  matching  transformer,  at  the  feedpoint, 
is  designed  to  encourage  feedline  radiation. 
But  this  radiation  must  be  controlled .  A  line 
isolator,  installed  twenty-two  feet  from  the 
horizontal  element's  feedpoint,  acts  as  a  brute 
force  RF  choke,  to  limit  the  vertical  radiator  at 
a  predetermined  length  and  to  keep  RF  out  of 
the  shack. 

The  overall  design  provides  an  antenna  that 
is  usable  across  the  entire  75/80  meter  band 
without  an  antenna  tuner.  Operation  on  other 
HF  bands  requires  a  tuner.  40/75/00  meter 


patterns  are  horizontal  with  verti- 
cal components-  20/15/10  meter 
radiation  is  primarily  vertical.  On 
the  higher  bands,  the  effect  is  an 
upside-down  vertical  with  the  hori- 
zontal elements  as  the  radials,  and 
the  feedline  as  the  vertical  element. 

Installation 

I  installed  the  Carolina  Windom 
as  a  sloping  dipole.  with  the  apex 
at  a  height  of  fifty  feet.  I  oriented  it 
the  same  as  my  trusty  160/75/40 
meter  fan  dipole,  figuring  this 
would  afford  me  a  chance  to  make 
comparisons.  I  used  seventy-five  feet  of  feed- 
line  (seventy  feet  or  more  recommended)  and 
placed  my  tuner  in  the  line.  After  an  initial 
smoke  test,  I  compared  my  results  with  the 
Radio  Works  SWR  curve  (see  Figure  2).  They 
displayed  the  same  general  curve ,  but  my 
SWR  curve  was  one  full  point  higher  than  the 
one  shown  in  Figure  2. 

I  then  tried  to  load  the  antenna  on  other 
bands  by  using  the  tuner.  All  was  well  except 
for  15  meters.  There,  it  was  no-go  under  any 
circumstances.  I  decided  to  change  feedlines 
and  put  a  forty-five  footer  on,  It  worked  great, 
All  bands  tuned  up  easily,  and  the  SWR  on  80 
dropped  to  where  the  book  said  it  should  be.  I 
checked  the  feedline,  and  have  since  placed 
others  of  varying  length  in  service.  Evidently , 
the  Carolina  Windom  antenna  is  "feedline- 
length"  conscious. 


Specifications 

(as  stated  by 

the  manufacturer) 

Coverage: 

80-10  meters 

Gain: 

3-5  dB  gain  over  a  dipole 

Radiator  Length: 

Horizontal  132":  Vertical  22+ 

Feedline: 

SOD  Coax 

Matching  Method: 

Dedicated  Matching  Transformer  &  User's 

Transmatch  Requirements: 

40-10  meters 

Power  Rating: 

1 500  Watts 

Recommended  Height: 

Above  35* 

Radials: 

Not  Required 

Figure  1,  Diagram  of  the  Windom  antenna. 


Table  1. 


73  Amateur  Radio  *  December,  1988    49 


t.Q 

1.5 

1  O 

i 

.1 

36 

3.7 

3ft 

3.$ 

40 

Z-CJ 

1.3 

JO 
3 

.3 

3,6              3.7 

18 

S3 

4.0 

Figure  2.  Typical  75/80  meter  SWR  curve 
shown  in  the  Radio  Works  instruction  sheet. 
The  curve  this  reviewer  came  up  with,  using 
75  feet  offeediiner  resembled  this  figure,  but 
was  a  full  point  higher. 

Operation 

On  75  meters  !  found  that  the  antenna  con* 
sistently  performed  as  well,  or  slightly  better, 
than  my  dipole.  When  working  stations  with 
20  +  over  nine  signals.  I  could  hear  only  small 
differences  between  the  dipole  and  the  Win- 
dom  Reception  reports  indicated  about  the 
same  for  my  signal.  However,  very  obvious 
performance  gains  were  seen  when  working 
stations  at  S-5  or  S-6  levels.  The  Windom  won 
every  time. 

Since  the  initial  installation,  I  have  used  the 
Carolina  Windom  on  10P  15,  20,  and  40  me* 
ters.  All  tests  have  indicated  that  the  antenna 
performs  as  advertised.  On  40,  it  consistently 
performs  better,  on  the  long  haul,  than  the 
dipole,  no  doubt  due  to  the  vertical  radiation 
component,  On  close  contacts,  it  is  always  at 
least  equal  to  the  dipole.  When  I  compared  the 
Windom  to  a  tribander.  I  found  that  what  it 
lacked  in  directional  capabilities,  it  made  up 


Figure  $.  SWR  curve  of  the  Windom  on  75 
meters  after  slightly  shortening  the  two 
elements. 

for  with  vertical  polarization.  Signal  reports 
were  generally  better  on  the  beam  than  on  the 
Windom,  and  I  could  not  turn  to  get  away  from 
offending  QRtVL  However,  I  had  no  problem 
working  stateside  or  DX  stations. 

Changes 

In  the  booklet  that  accompanied  my  Caroli- 
na Windom,  I  saw  a  brief  mention  of  optimiz- 
ing the  antenna  for  the  75  meter  band.  I  took 
this  to  heart  and  reduced  the  shorter  ele- 
ment's length  by  one  foot,  and  the  remaining 
element  by  three  feet  The  results  were  trans- 
parent on  40-10  meters,  however  the  75  me- 
ter SWR  dropped  down  to  that  of  my  dipole. 
This  is  a  worthwhile  adjustment  (see  Figure  3), 

Impressions 

First  impressions  of  the  packaged  Carolina 
Windom  are  good.  The  package  contains  two 
custom-made  assemblies  (feedline  trans- 
former and  isolator},  quality  end  insulators, 
stranded  #14  copper  wire,  pre-bullt  vertical 


Figure  4.  Typical  SWR  plot  of  a  full-sized  75/ 
80  meter  dipole. 

coax  element,  and  even  a  pack  of  coax  seal. 

it  offers  unusual  bandwidth  on  75/80  me- 
ters, something  my  dipole  cannot  do  (see  Fig- 
ure 4).  Though  the  antenna  is  about  the  same 
size  as  a  full-size  80  meter  dipole.  and  is  fed 
with  a  single  coax  feedline,  you  can  work  all 
bands  with  a  tuner.  Using  a  plain,  80  meter 
dipole  and  a  single  feedline,  you  cannot  effi- 
ciently do  this. 

The  $69,95  price  tag  is  reasonable.  After  all, 
you  could  invest  more  than  $45  in  the  materi- 
als alone,  if  you  could  find  them  all,  and  you 
would  still  have  to  measure  and  cut  the  verti- 
cal and  wire  elements,  install  the  coax  con- 
nectors, solder  the  cut  elements  to  the  center 
insulator,  put  the  end  insulators  in  place,  and 
then  build  your  own  RF  isolator.  How  much  is 
your  labor  and  time  worth? 

The  Carolina  Windom  would  make  an  excel- 
lent ' 'take-along"  antenna  for  vacations  and 
field  day.  If  you  are  looking  for  a  good  wire 
antenna  that  can  do  it  all,  and  don't  mind 
using  a  tuner  on  the  higher  bands,  the  Caroli- 
na Windom  is  likely  for  you,  H) 

\ 


29th  ANNUAL 


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FEBRUARY  4-5, 1989 

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50 


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73  Amateur  Radio  •  December,  1988 


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73  Amateur  Radio  ■  DecembeM9S8    51 


Ho 


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MING  IN 


Joe  Moell  PE  KQOV 
PO  Box  2508 
Fullerton,  CA  92633 


Loops: 

A  Love/Hate  Relationship 

"What  equipment  do  t  need  for 
T-hunting?"  That's  the  most  com* 
mon  question  I  hear.  This  month 
we'll  begin  to  look  at  the  many 
types  of  radio  direction  finding 
(RDF)  gear.  Stick  around  for  plen- 
ty of  no-nonsense  advice  on  what 
equipment  to  choose  for  your  par* 
ticular  hunting  needs. 

Would-be  T-hunters  have  had 
trouble  finding  information  on  the 
sport  in  ham  magazines.  Of  the 
few  articles  that  have  made  it  into 
print,  a  targe  percentage  of  them 
have  been  about  making  and 
using  loop  antennas.  It's  easy  to 
see  why. 

Loops  are  the  simplest  RDF  an- 
tennas to  build.  They're  small  and 
easy  to  mount,  or  you  can  hold 
them  out  the  car  window;  They 


Radio  Direction  Finding 


can  be  made  for  any  of  the  popu- 
lar ham  bands.  In  an  hour  or  so. 
you  can  have  one  ready  to  go. 

T-hunt  loops  aren't  like  the  full- 
wavelength  square  or  delta  loops 
OXers  use<  Loops  for  RDF  are 
small,  usually  less  than  1/10 
wavelength  in  circumference. 
Electrically,  they  behave  more  like 
a  coil  than  like  a  wire  antenna. 

I  have  a  file  folder  full  of  articles 
on  simple  RDF  loops,  taken  from 
major  magazines  and  club 
newsletters.  It's  fun  to  read  the 
authors'  claims.  Here's  one  for 
two  meters  that  says,  'Throw  your 
competitors  for  a  loop!  A  little 
practice  will  make  you  an  expert, 
and  you'll  be  able  to  invite  your 
fans,  family,  and  friends  into  your 
trophy  room,  „.** 

These  Claims  are  reminiscent  of 
the  "hidden  antenna''  articles  in 
which  the  author  says  he  worked 
DXCC  in  a  weekend  after  hooking 
his  rig  to  a  downspout  through  a 
tuner  made  of  old  bedsprings. 


STOP!  Time  for  a  reality  check.  It 
just  isn't  that  easy. 

Left  or  Right? 

The  biggest  problem  with  sim- 
ple loops  is  that  they're  bkiirec* 
tional.  As  you  rotate  the  loop  360 
degrees,  you  get  signal  peaks 
when  the  plane  of  the  loop  is  in  the 
direction  of  the  source,  and  nulls 
(minimum  signal  points)  through 
the  loop  at  the  source.  The  peaks 
are  broad  and  the  nulls  are  sharp. 


too  much  time  and  mileage.  You 
could  circle  in  from  the  edge  of 
the  hunt  boundary  area,  instead 
of  starting  at  the  center—but  even 
if  the  hunt  rules  allow  you  to 
do  that,  you'll  probably  lose  time 
or  mileage  because  you  have 
to  pick  the  most  distant  edge. 
Or  you  could  watch  to  see  which 
way  the  hunters  with  uni-direc* 
tional  antennas  start  out.  But  you 
don't  want  to  follow  them,  do  you? 
Though  there  are  ways  to 


"The  biggest  problem 
with  simple  loops  is  that  they're 

bi-directional. " 


so  the  nulls  give  greatest  RDF  ac- 
curacy. Bui  there  are  two  nulls. 
and  they're  in  exactly  opposite  di- 
rections. 

How  do  you  figure  out  which 
way  to  go  when  the  RDF  system 
has  180  degree  ambiguity?  You 
could  take  bearings  from  two 
widely  separated  locations  and 
triangulate,  but  that  would  involve 


The  surplus  A  T-339/PRC  loop  and  a  portable  receiver  make  a  nice  mobile  or  hand*camed  RDF  system  for  6 
meters.  George  Stokes  WT6U  and  Bob  Miklos  KdLPFare  ready  to  hunt. 

52     73  Amateur  Radio  *  December,  1988 


electronically  solve  the  bi-direc- 
tionality  problem  at  2  meters, 
none  of  the  VHF  loop  designs  I've 
seen  in  the  magazines  have  such 
a  feature.  Parasitic  elements,  tike 
directors  and  reflectors,  will  not 
work  on  a  fractional  wavelength 
loop  antenna.  Shielding  methods, 
such  as  screens  and  metal  plates 
won't  make  them  unt-directional, 
either.  The  most  effective  way  is  to 
add  a  nondirectional  whip  to  the 
antenna  system.  Then  sum  the 
whip  and  loop  outputs  with  just  the 
right  amplitude  and  phase  rela- 
tionship, to  either  enhance  one 
lobe  or  create  a  cardioid  (heart- 
shaped)  pattern.  For  decades, 
this  loop/sense  scheme  has  been 
standard  for  RDF  below  60  MHz. 
It's  tricky  at  2  meters,  but  it  can  be 
done.  (For  details  of  a  simple  loop/ 
sense  system  for  2  meters,  see 
page  27  of  Transmitter  Hunting- 
Radio  Direction  Finding  Simpli- 
fied, TA8  Books  #2701.  available 
from  Uncle  Wayne's  Bookstore,) 

Loops  Hate  Multipath 

It  is  common  in  VHF  transmitter 
hunting  for  the  signal  to  arrive 
from  more  than  one  direction. 
This  is  called  "multipath."  It  oc- 
curs because  features  of  the  ter- 
rain, such  as  mountains,  hills,  and 
buildings,  reflect  VHF  signals. 
Good  performance  in  multipath 
situations  is  an  important  feature 
of  a  successful  RDF  system, 

Null-hunting  with  a  loop  can  be 
very  frustrating  when  multipath  is 
present.  As  the  hunter  sweeps  his 
loop  past  the  direct  signal,  trying 
to  find  the  exact  null  direction,  the 
null  is  filled  in  by  a  signal  arriving 
from  the  reflection.  Even  if  the  re- 
flection is  much  weaker  than  the 

Continued  on  page  54 


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73  Amateur  Radio  •  December,  1988    53 


Homing  In 

Continued  from  page  52 

direct  signal  it  may  be  impossible 
to  get  a  correct  bearing  on  the  di* 
rect  signal. 

Hunters  using  beams  can  dis- 
tinguish the  peaks  of  direct  and 
reflected  signals  as  Jong  as  there 
is  sufficient  signal  level  differ- 
ence. Furthermore,  when  the  sig- 
nal is  weak,  the  higher  gain  and 
larger  capture  area  of  the  beam 
make  it  a  much  better  performer 
than  the  loop. 

Forget  Loops? 

Were  all  those  guys  who  wrote 
glowing  descriptions  of  their  2  me- 
ter loops  wrong?  No.  just  overly 
enthusiastic.  Either  they  didn't 
have  serious  competition,  or  they 
didn't  realize  how  much  more  suc- 
cessful  they'd  be  with  a  better 
setup. 

The  loop  is  not  the  best  tool  for 
the  task.  It  may  be  your  idea  of  fun 
to  enter  a  20  meter  DX  contest  with 
a  QRP  rig  and  a  grounded  vertical, 
but  you  wouldn't  do  it  with  the 
expectation  of  winning  (unless  ev- 
eryone else  in  the  contest  had  QRP 
and  a  vertical).  You  need  some- 
thing much  better  to  be  truly  com- 
petitive against  the  big  gun  sta- 
tions. In  T-hunting,  it's  the  same. 


Several  years  ago,  Dick  Reimer 
W6ET  knew  there  was  a  2  meter 
repeater  jammer  in  his  neighbor- 
hood, because  the  jammer  had  a 
strong  signal  on  the  input,  Dick 
didn't  have  RDF  gear  at  the  timer 
so  he  spent  a  couple  of  hours 
building  a  simple  8-inch  diameter 
loop.  It  gave  good  nulls,  and  its  0,3 
wavelength  size  gave  it  good  sen- 
sitivity. The  jammer  cooperated 
(unknowingly)  by  staying  on  the 
air  and  being  in  a  location  free  of 
multipath.  W6ET  tracked  him 
down  in  short  order,  and  ended 
the  problem. 


tests.  I  don't  do  that  any  more- 
Loops  have  their  place,  but  com- 
petitive 2  meter  T-huntmg  around 
Los  Angeles  tsn't  one  of  them. 
Signals  are  too  weak,  and  the 
hiders  usually  pick  spots  in  the 
hills  or  in  urban  areas  that  make 
the  signal  ricochet  around  like  a 
ping  pong  ball. 

If  you  want  to  get  started  simply 
and  cheaply  in  2  meter  hunting, 
and  you  want  a  fighting  chance 
against  big  gun  hunters,  my  ad- 
vice is  to  skip  loops  and  use  a 
simple  qu  d  or  beam.  It's  a  bit 
more  wor  t,  but  there'll  be  no 


diNuif-hunting  with  a  loop  can  be 
very  frustrating  when  multipath 

is  present/' 


In  that  situation,  a  loop  can  do 
the  job  well  but  the  serious  sport 
hunter  would  not  want  a  loop  as 
his  primary  RDF  system  on  a  com- 
petitive hunt  against  experienced 
hunters.  W6ET  knew  that,  so  he 
later  got  a  commercial  Doppler 
RDF  for  serious  hunting. 

As  part  of  my  T-hunt  talks  to 
local  radio  clubs,  I  used  to  demon- 
strate W6ET's  loop  as  an  easy 
way  to  get  started  on  T-hunt  con- 


null-fill  or  bi-directionality  prob- 
lems to  worry  about.  You'll  get 
much  more  signal,  too. 

Try  a  Loop  on  HF 

Loops  are  far  more  success* 
ful  on  €  and  10  meters,  since 
there  is  much  less  multipath  on 
these  bands.  Signals  are  stronger 
because  they  must  overcome 
atmospheric  noise  to  be  heard. 
The  Southern  California  Six  Meter 


Club  sponsors  a  monthly  dual- 
band  6  and  TO  meter  hunt  in  the 
Orange  County  area.  Many  of  the 
participants  use  loops. 

The  most  popular  6  meter 
loop  is  the  low-cost  Army  sur- 
plus AT-339/PRC  (see  photo). 
Ruggedly  built  for  field  use,  it 
tunes  38  to  55  MHz  with  a  built-in 
attenuator  for  strong  signals,  and 
a  sense  circuit  to  resolve  the  back/ 
front  ambiguity,  You  can  find  oth- 
er models  with  a  little  scrounging, 
including  the  older  AT-249/GRD, 
which  also  covers  the  same 
range.  The  AT*340/PRC  looks  just 
like  the  AT-339/PRC,  but  it's  for 
20  to  39  MHz,  making  it  suitable 
for  10  and  1 1  meter  use. 

What's  Better  Than  a  Loop? 

In  summary,  a  loop  is  a  poor 
performer  for  serious  RDF 
work  above  tOO  MHz.  In  future 
columns,  we'll  look  at  the 
methods  that  top-notch  hunters 
use  on  the  VHF  bands,  including 
beams,  switched  antennas,  and 
dopplers.  Well  compare  their 
performance  in  a  variety  of  hunt 
situations. 

If  there's  a  T-hunt  topic  you'd 
like  to  see  covered,  please  drop 
me  a  line,  I  am  also  eager  to  hear 
about  hunting  activities  in  your 
area. 


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Amateur 
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54     73  Amateur  Radio  •  December,  1988 


(81 8)  447-4565  nvf  aam-5;30pm  pst, 

P.C.  ELECTRONICS 

2522  Pax  son  Ln  Arcadia  CA  91006 


Visa,  MC,  COD 

Tom  (W60RGJ 
Maryann  (WB6YSS) 


Atv 


Number  1 7 on  your  Feedback  card 


Mike  Stone  WBQQCD 
POBoxH 
Lowden,  IA  52255 

ATV  for  Weather/Packet 
Public  Service 

The  ATV  mode  can  be  especial- 
ly helpful  in  aiding  already  estab- 
lished weather  storm  alert  and 
emergency  weather  nets  com- 
monly held  on  2  meters  across  the 
country,  All  our  local  amateur 
weather  spotter  nets  were  doing 
an  admirable  job  over  the 
years,  protecting  and  serving  lo- 
cal law  enforcement  and  city/ 
county  officials  with  storm  spot- 
ting information  updates.  Many  of 
the  amateurs  realize  that  they 
lacked  professionalism  in  two  ar- 
eas: 1)  passing  witnessed  "spot- 
ter" messages  and  sightings  on  to 
nearby  counties  and  states,  and 
2)  getting  advanced  early  warn- 
ings to  all  affected  areas,  prior  to 
establishing  the  weather  watch 
spotters  nets. 

Two  years  ago,  our  BRATS  ATV 
club  installed  on  our  remote  trans- 
mitter and  repeater  system 
(N9CAI  ATV/RT/R)  a  Kavorus 
Color  Weather  Radar  feed  for 
910  MHz.  We  obtained  this 
feed  from  a  focal  NBC  TV  sta- 
tion (KWQC-TV)  which  em- 
ploys a  coupte  of  our  ATV  club 
members.  We  got  permission 
from  The  Kavorus  Company  in 
Minnesota  for  just  such  a  non- 
public view  feed.  These  feeds 
and  other  types  of  radar  ser- 
vices, including  Doppler,  are 
available  in  many  area  TV  and 
radio  stations  or  at  National 
Weather  Service  facilities, 
They  are  also  available  at 
some  commercial  business  fa- 
cilities, such  as  local  Airport 
Flying  Services  or  other  busi- 
ness that  use  weather  radar 
equipment,  Once  a  weather 
radar  feed  source  is  captured 
on  the  ATV  repeater  or  remote 
transmitter,  your  ATV  system 
wilt  blossom  with  new  interest, 
members,  and  public  service 
projects! 

EARWARN 

We  established  a  brand  new 
inclement  weather  early  warn- 
ing group  that  comprised 
county-appointed  ARRL  EC 
and  assistant  ECs,  RACES 
personnel,  county  and  state 
disaster  services  officials,  lo- 


Ham  Television 

cat  and  county  law  enforcement 
department,  ESDA  directors,  and 
weather  observers.  The  basic  pur- 
pose of  this  new  group  was  to 
provide  early  warning  and  storm 
advancement  information  to  alt 
the  local  weather  spotter  nets. 
We  chose  a  wide-range,  hardly 
used,  quiet  2  meter  FM  repeater 
(in  Maquoketa  on  147.06  MHz), 
to  conduct  our  meetings  and 
nets  rather  than  interfere  with  the 
ongoing  local  weather  spotter 
nets.  Assigned  members  from 
these  nets  come  to  our  frequen- 
cy most  of  the  time  and  thus  re- 
port  back  into  their  own  nets  with 
updated  information.  We  also 
hold  a  regular  Sunday  evening 
EARWARN  NET  at  9:30  PM  after 
all  other  local  nets  are  over.  This 
new  gfoup  met  monthly  at  dif- 
ferent locations  to  get  things  es- 
tablished, and  eventually  voted 
for  quarterly  meetings.  We  have 
our  own  newsletter — Take  Cov- 
er—funded by  donations  from 
other  local  amateur  radio  clubs 
and  groups. 


The  Tri-State  EARWARN 
Group  works  this  way:  Members 
of  the  local  Fast  Scan  gang 
observe  incoming  inclement 

weather  on  a  regular  basis  on  the 
ATV  weather  radar  feed.  Once 
bad  weather  threatens,  packet  ra- 
dio beacon  messages  (145.01 
MHz)  are  sent  to  designated  EAR- 
WARN  relay  dtgipeaters  in  the 
projected  path  of  the  storm.  We 
also  go  on  FM  voice  to  several  of 
the  local  2  meter  repeaters  in  the 
area  and  announce  what  is  hap- 
pening to  local  EC  or  RACES  per- 
sonnel. The  ATV  radar  feed  and 
television  transmitter  is  'locked 
on"  for  all  to  see  during  the  entire 
span  of  the  storm  period.  Packet 
radio  beacon  (unconnected)  mes- 
sages are  constantly  sent  up 
through  the  digi  relay  stations.  We 
also  man  the  mentioned  EAR- 
WARN  2  meter  FM  frequency  for 
general  WX  related  talk  discus- 
sions and  updates. 

We  are  doing  something  on 
packet  radio  that  relates  to  the 
used  FSTV  mode  and  is  quite  in- 
teresting and  perhaps  a  "first1*  for 
packet  use  around  the  country. 
We  designed  a  video  screen  map 
of  Iowa  and  Illinois  counties  and 
placed  around  this  map  (across 
the  top),  an  A-Z  and  (down  the  left 


artiwntal    S-E-    lot**  County   ATV   mvtm*ez      ::vi^'i:    -i    -fOE?  RADIO  Hap 
by    Cr«i3    riS>«QLJ    and    IHh«    HBOQCI    =-    ?<-!-£?« -ft    £££ttA3M 
Cmr*nng    A.R.E.5.    Districts    II,     III*     V>     4*3    '■' 
SB   CgIuAO    TtBt    Print    R*quir«c 
August    9th,    lr 


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LEVEL    It  Lt.     Run 

LEVEL    Zt  Hod.    ftun 

LEVEL    3i  Heavy    Rain 

LEVEL    4s  HRain/Windft 

LEVEL    5 i  Hail    Pass. 

LEVEL    61  Vei*y   Sftvara 

T      U      V      W      X      ¥      I 


STATISTICAL  STORM  WATCH  I NFORttAT I ON t 


Tin*  a*  WK  RADAR  display* 
Gsnvrsl  Direction  of  Star*  Ctllli) 
Estiafttvd  $f>**d  •^H  o*  Storaj 
WARNINGS  in  *HKt  fori 
Additions!  Cpwinti: 


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KMQC-TV   HSCb   -    noiirur  Wition*!    W**th*r   Bureau  at    DC    Airport*    rtalina,    IL. 


Map  obtainable  from  packet  radio  on  which  observers  pfot  the  tocation  and 
movement  of  storm  celts. 


side),  1-20  numbered  grid  refer- 
ence index  for  marker  indicators. 
We  distributed  copies  of  these 
maps  at  meetings  and  may  also 
sit  on  local  BBSs  for  packet  opera- 
tors to  download  and  print  out 
on  their  own  personal  computers, 
(We  have,  by  the  way.  a  KA  Node 
designated  weather  BBS  estab- 
lished (KOOQP-3)  thai  takes  and 
stores  all  weather-related  mes- 
sages, announcements,  maps, 
charts,  etc)  At  the  ATV  radar 
viewed  station,  and  with  these 
maps  stored  on  disk  files,  the 
packet  maps  are  filled  in  with 
XXXs  and  various  NWS  storm 
warning  level  indicators  {222, 333, 
444,  etc-)  on  the  TV  screen  as  to 
exactly  where  the  inclement 
weather  is  located.  Then  this  now 
updated.  filled-in  packet  infor- 
mation map  is  sent  over  pack- 
et, oi\  on  voice,  is  described  in 
exact  detail  using  the  provided 
A-Z  and  1-30  grid  locators.  Even 
those  in  the  net  without  ATV  capa- 
bility then  has  on  paper  a  map 
showing  where  the  inclement 
weather  storm  cells  sit.  This  hard- 
copy  is  especially  useful  for  pass- 
ing on  to  County  Radio  and  Disas- 
ter Services  Officials  for  their 
judgments  and  decisions.  The  of- 
ficials now  have  something  to 
back  up  their  decisions  which 
may  be  controversial  by  the 
public  after  the  storm  period 
passes.  All  maps  also  include, 
among  other  information,  low* 
er  page  time,  direction  of 
storm,  and  estimated  storm 
movement  speed.  There's 
nothing  like  hardcopy  evi- 
dence of  Level  5  and  6  intensi- 
ty buitd-ups  to  set  storm  warn- 
ings in  action! 

The  work  of  being  able  to 
harmonize  several  Amateur 
Radio  Groups  together  for  in- 
clement weather  situations 
(ARRL  District  DEC),  is  similar 
to  the  job  of  a  county  disaster 
services  director.  It  is  impor- 
tant to  understand  the  opera- 
tions and  needs  of  all  of  the 
local  groups  who  are  all  trying 
to  accomplish  the  same  goals, 
ATV  radar  is  the  vehicle  to  do 
it.  It  is  up  to  someone,  or  some 
newly  established  EARWARN 
type  group,  to  take  charge  and 
blend  these  groups  and  ser- 
vices. 

For  more  information  on  this 
type  of  service,  the  EAR- 
WARN  Take  Cover  newsletter 
is  available.  Send  $1  and 
your  SASE  to  Kurt  Johnson 
K0OQP,  c/o  Cedar  County 
ARC,  Cedar  County  Court- 
house, Tipton,  Iowa  52772, 


73  Amateur  Radio  *  December,  1988    55 


HF  Equipment  Regular  SALE 

IC-781  Xcvr/Rcvr/ps/tuner/scope„.  5995.00    Call 


IC-761  Xcvr/Rcvr/ps/tuner 

HM-36  Scanning  hand  microphone 
SP-20  ExL  speaker  w/audio  filter  .. 

FL-101  250  Hz  1st  IF  CW  filter 

FL-53A  250  Hz  2nd  IF  CW  filter .... 

FU02  6  kHz  AM  filler 

EX-310  Voice  synthesizer 


2699.00  2369 

47.00 
149.00  139*5 

73.50 
115.G01O9*5 

5900 

5900 


.wHU-4^  ■      ^  WIIHL 


*Vto#PX  -iv'S^Btw  4*-  '*-»:i 


>-^      E  HP  :• 


•"■  ■'.  "   •••      &  •  \1 


rcvr 


IC-751A  9-band  xcvr/.l  30  MHz 
PS-35  Internal  power  supply ,<,.*.* 
FL-32A  500  Hz  CW  filter  (1st  IF). .„ 
FL-63A  250  Hz  CW  filter  (1st  IF) 

FL-52A  500  Hz  CW  filter  (2nd  IF).., 
FL-53A  250  Hz  CW  filter  (2nd  IF) ... 

FL-33  AM  filter. ...._... ... 

Fi-70  2.8  kHz  wide  SSB  filter  „..„ 
RC-10  External  frequency  controller 


1699.00  1469 
219.00  1999* 

69.00 

59,00 

115,00  109" 
115,00  109" 

49,00 

59,00 

49.00 


1C-735  HF  transceiver/SW  rcvr/mic   1099.00  949" 
PS-55  External  power  supply.......   219,00199" 

AH50  Automatic  antenna  tuner ,..   445,00  369" 

FL-32A  500  Hz  CW  filter 69.00 

EX-243  Electronic  keyer  unit 64.50 

UT-30  Toneencoder 1850 


Other  Accessories 

IC-2KL  16015m  solid  state  amp  w/ps 

PS45  20A  external  power  supply 

PS-30  Systems  p/s  w/cord,  6-pin  plug 
MB  Mobile  mount.  735/751A/761A. 

SP-3  External  speaker 

SP-7  Small  external  speaker T. 

CR-64  High  stab,  ref,  xta!  for  751A.. 

PP-1  Speaker/patch 

SM-6  Desk  microphone 

SM-B  Desk  mic  ■  two  cables,  Scan.., 
SM-10  Compressor/graph  EQP  8  pin  mic 
AT-100  100W  8-band  auto,  antenna  tuner 
AT-500  500W  9-band  auto,  antenna  tuner 
AH-2  8-band  tuner  w/mount  &  whip 
AH-2A  Antenna  tuner  system,  only.... 
GC-5  World  clock 


Regular 

1999.00 

175.00 

349.00 

25.99 

65.00 

51,99 

79.00 

179.00 

47.95 

89.00 

149.00 

445,00 

589.00 

659.00 

519.00 

91.95 


SALE 
1G99 
159« 
319" 


164" 


139" 
389" 
519" 
589" 
449" 
79" 


I  COM 


+  Large  Stocks 
it  Fast  Service 
*  Top  Trades 

at 


VHF/UHF  base  multi-modes 
IC-275A  25W  2m  FM/SSB/CW  w/ps 

IC-275H  100W  2m  FM/SSB/CW 

IC-375A  25W  220  FM/SSB/CW  (c/o) 
IC-475A  25W  440  FM/SSB/CW  w/ps 

IC-475H  75W  440  FM/SSB/CW 

IC-575A  25W6/10mxwr  w/ps„,„. 
IC-575H  lGOWfi/lOmxcvr..:. 

1C-471H  75W  430  450MHz  base  (c/o) 

PS-35  Internal  power  supply 

AG-35  Mast  mounted  preamp 

AG-35  (Purchased  with  IC-471H) 

SM-6  Desk  microphone  . .  + 

EX-310  Voice  synthesizer . , 

TS-32  CommSpec  encode/decoder..., 
UT-15  Encoder  /decoder  interface... 

UT-15S  UM5Sw/TS~32  installed...,. 

VHF/UHF/1.2  GHz  Mobiles 

IC-37A  25w  220  FM/TTP  mic...  (c/o) 

IC-47A  25w  440  FM/TTP  mic.  +  (c/o) 

PS-45  Compact  8A  power  suppfy . . , 

UT-16/EX-388  Voice  synthesizer .. . 

SP-10  Slim-fine  external  speaker 

IC-28A  25W2mFM,TTPrnic 

IC-28H  45W2mFMinPmic.„. 

IC-38A  25W  220  FM,  TTP  mic 

IC-4&A  25W  440-450  FM,  regular  mic 
1C-48A  25W  440  450  FM,  np  mic . . . . 

HM-14  Extra  TTP  microphone 

UT-28  Digital  code  squelch 
UT-29  Tone  squelch  decoder 
HM-1&  Speaker/microphone 

IC-22BA  25W2m  FM/TTP  scan  mic 

IC-228H  45W  2m  FM/TTP  scan  mic 

UT-40  Pocket  beep  function..... 

IC-900A  Transceiver  controller 


Regular 
1299.00 
1399,00 
1399  00 
1399.00 
1599.00 
1399.00 
1699,00 


SALE 
1069 
1129 
899" 
1099 
12&9 
1129 
1499 


+  p  +  ■  +  ■  + 


d     P    *    -I    I-    I 


1399  00  98955 
219.00  199" 

99.95 

99.95  9" 

47.95 

59.00 

59.95 

34.00 

96.00 

Regular  SALE 

499.00  349" 

549.00  399" 

145  00  134" 

34.99 

35  99 

469  m  409" 
499.00  43995 
489.00  349" 
459,00  369^ 
509.00  449" 

59.00 

39.50 

46.00 

34  00 

509  00  449" 
539.00  479" 

45.00 
639.00  569" 


+  Package  Special . . . 

IC-900A  Transceiver  controller  with  UX-29H 
2m/45W  and  UX-39A  220/25W  band  units. 

$96995 


W    P    4     ■     ■     P     * 


UX-19A  10m  10W  band  unit 

UX-29A  2m  25W  band  unit 

UX-29B  2m  45W  band  unit 

UX-39A  220MHz  25W  band  unit.... 

UX-49A  440MHz  25W  band  unit 

UX-59A  6m  10W  unit 

UX-129A  L2GHz  10W  band  unit... 

KM2O0A  10W  1,2GHz  FM  Mobile 

IC-3200A  25W  2m/440  FM/TTP  (c/o) 

UT-23  Voice  synthesizer 

IC-32I0A  25w  2m/440  FM/TTP 

AH-32  2m/440  Dual  Band  antenna  ,., 

AHB-32  Trunk-lip  mount 

Larsen  PO-K  Roof  mount 

Larsen  PO-TLM  Trunk-lip  mount,,,, 

Larsen  PO-MM  Magnetic  mount  — 
RP-1210  1.2GHz  10W  99  cli  FM  xcvr 

RP-2210  220MHz  25W  repeater 

RP-3010  440MHz  LOW  FM  repeater.,. 


299.00  269" 
299.00  2G995 
349,00  319" 
349.00  289^ 
349.00  319" 
349.00  319" 
549.00  499" 
699.00  549" 
695.00  499" 

34  99 
739^00  649" 

39.00 

35.00 

20.00 

22.00 

22.00 
1529.00  1349 
1649.00  1469 
1299.00  1149 


Due  to  the  siie  of  the  fCOM  product  line,  some  accessory 
items  are  not  listed.  If  you  have  a  question,  please  call. 
All  prices  shown  are  subject  to  change  without  notice. 


Hand-hekh  Regular 

1C-2A  2  meters 289.00 

IC  2AT  with  TTP ,.   319  00 

IC  3AT  22D/TTP(c/o)  349  00 
ICMAT  440  MHz,  TTP  349.00 
IC-02AT/High  Power  40900 
IC-03AT  tor  220  MHz  449.00 
IC-04AT  tor  440  MHz  449.00 
IC-U2AT  for2mw/TTP  329.00 
ICu4AT  440 MHz, TTP  369.00 
IC-2GAT  for  2m,  TTP  429.00 
IC-4GAT  440MHz(TTP  449,00 
IC-32AT  2m/440MHz    629.00 


SALE 
25995 
27995 
269" 
299" 
349" 
289" 
389" 
28995 
299^ 

379*s 
3999h 
559" 


IC-u2A  for  2m  w/o  TTP 
Reg  $239     Closeout  $2499S 


IC-12AT  1W  1.2GHz  FM  HT/batt/cgr/HP  473.00  369s5 
KM2GAT  Dlx  I/7W  12GHz  FM  HT/TT?  529.00  469" 
Aircraft  hand  handheld*  Regular  SALE 

A-2  5W  PEP  synth.  aircraft  HT 525.00  479" 

A-20  Synth,  aircraft  HT  w/VOR 625.00  569" 

Accessories  for  all  except  micros  Regular 

BP-7  425mah/13.2V  Nicad  Pak  -  use  BC-35  79.00 
BP-8  800man/8,4V  Nicad  Pah- use  BC-35...  79.00 
BC-35  Drop  in  desk  charger  for  all  batteries    79.00 

BC-16U  Wall  charger  for  BP7/BP8 „ 21  25 

LC-11  Vinyf  case  for  Dix  using  BP-3 20.50 

LC-14  Vinyl  case  for  Dlx  using  BP  7/3 20.50 

LC-02AT  Leather  case  for  Dl*  models  w/SP-7/8  54  50 
Accessories  for  IC  and  /C-O  series  Regular 
BP-2  425mah/7.2V  Nicad  Pak  -  use  BC35...,  49.00 
BP-3  Extra  Std.  250  mah/8.4V  Nicad  Pah ....    39.50 

BP-4  Alhaline  battery  cas^ .*..« 16.00 

BP-5  425mah/ 10.8V  Mi-cad  Pak  -  use  BC35   65.00 

CA-5  5/8-wave  telescoping  2m  antenna  , 19,95 

CP  1  G|,  lighter  plug/ cord  for  SP3  Of  Dlx 13.65 

CP40  Battery  separation  cable  w/ctip 22.50 

DC-1  DC  operation  pak  tor  standard  models   24.50 

MB-16D  Mobile  mtg.  bht  for  all  HTs 25,99 

LC-2AT  Leather  case  for  standard  models...,,    54.50 

RB-1  Vinyl  waterproof  radio  bag..,.. ,.    35.95 

HM-9  Speaker  microphone. 47.00 

HS-10  Boom  microphone/headset „    24.50 

HS-10SA  Vox  unit  tor  HS-10  &  Deluxe  only    24.50 

HS-IOSB  PH  unit  for  HS-10 24  50 

SS-32SMP  Cummspec  32 -to ire  encoder 27,95 

For  other  HT  Accessories  not  listed  please  CALL 
Receivers  Regular  SALE 

R-71A  lQOkH*  to  30MHz  receiver $999.00  86995 

RC'll  infrared  remote  controller..,,      70.99 

FL-32A  500  Hz  CW  filter 

FL-63A  250  Hz  CW  filter  (1st  IF)... 

FL-44A  SSB  filter  (2nd  IFJ..., „ 

EX-257  FM  unit....... ,,., 

EX-310  Voice  synthesizer 5900 

CR-64  High  stability  oscillator  xtal      79.00 

SP-3  External  speaker He..      65.00 

CIW0{EX-299)  12V  DC  option 1299 

MB-12  Mobile  mount... 25.99 

R-7000  25MHz  to  2GHz  scan  rcvr.....  1199  00  1049 
RC-12  Infrared  remote  controller,...      70,99 

EX-310  Voice  synthesizer ,,.. 59.00 

TV-R7000  ATV  unit 139.00  12995 

AH-7O00  Radiating  antenna 99  00     (16J 


69.00 
59  00 

178.00  159** 
49  00 


HOURS  *  Mon.  thru  Fri.  95:30;  Sat.  9-3 

Mrlwaukee  WATS  line:  1-800-558-0411  answered 
evenings  until  8:00  prn  Monday  thru  Thursday. 
WATS  lines  are  for  Quotes  &  Ordering  only, 
use  Regular  line  for  other  Info  &  Service  dept. 


Order  Toll  Free:  1-800-558-0411 


in  Wisconsin  (outside  Milwaukee  Metro  Area) 

1-800-242-5195 


T 


I 


T 


4828  W.  Fond  du  Lac  Avenue;  Milwaukee,  Wl  53216 

AES®  BRANCH  STORES  


Inc. 


Phone  (414)  442-4200 

Associate  Store 


WIGKUFFE,  Ohio  44092 
28940  Euclid  Avenue 
Phone  (216)  585-7388 

Ohio  WATS  1-800-362-0290 

°^e  1  800-321-3594 


ORLANDO.  Fla.  32303 

621  Commonwealth  Ave, 

Phone  (407)  894-3238 

Fla.  WATS  1-800-432-9424 

ffia?  1-800-327-1917 


CLEARWATER,  Fla.  34625  LAS  VEGAS,  Nev.  89106  CHICAGO,  Illinois  60630 

1898  Drew  Street  1072  N.  Rancho  Drive  ERICKS0N  COMMUNICATIONS 

Phone  (813)  461  4267  Phone  (702)  647-3114  5456  N.  Milwaukee  Avenue 

No  In-State  WATS  No  In-State  WATS  Phone  {312}  631-5181 

No  Nationwide  WATS    8^1-800-634-6227  ?Se  1-800-621-5802 


ft  Holiday 


Hiuers  Guide 


ICOM 

The  (C-32AT  2m/70cm  dual  band  hand-held 
is  new  from  ICOM,  It  is  a  full-featured  HT.  The 
32AT  has  five  watts  of  power  output  on  UHF, 
and  five  and  a  half  watts  out  on  VHF.  It  has 
out-of-band  reception  (138-174  MHz  and 
440-450  MHz}.  The  32AT  also  has  full  duplex 
capabilities  when  the  two  channels  are  in  dif- 
ferent bands. 

There  are  also  many 
memory  features.  The 
32AT  has  40  simplex 
memory  channels,  that 
allow  storage  of  up  to 
20  duplex  frequencies. 
Each  independent 
memory  stores  fre- 
quency, offset,  and 
subaudfble  tone.  It  al- 
so has  programmed 
scan.  The  memory 
scans  all  the  channels 
except  the  one  you 
have  locked  out.  The 
optional  UT-40  tone 
squelch  unit  monitors 
busy  channels  and 
beeps  and  flashes 
when  the  subaudible 
tone  is  received.  By 
pushing  the  monitor 
swatch,  you  can  check 
the  repeater  output.  All 
ports  have  rubber  plugs  that  insert  into  them 
when  they  are  not  in  use.  The  IC-32AT  also 
has  priority  watch,  that  monitors  the  call  chan- 
nel every  five  seconds  while  operating  on  an- 
other frequency.  The  IG-32AT  is  available  for 
$629.  For  more  information,  circle  Reader 
Service  number  230. 


The  IC-781  HF  base  station  transceiver 
operates  all  modes  and  bands  1 60-1 0  meters, 
and  receives  continuously  from  100  kHz-30 
MHz.  Its  prominent  feature  is  a  band  spectrum 
scope  that  displays  signals  in  a  50/100/200 
kHz  range  of  the  operating  frequency.  This  all 
displays  on  a  built-in  five  inch  CRT  screen. 
This  screen  displays  frequencies,  modes, 
memory  contents,  operating  notes,  RIT,  two 
memo  screens,  and  subdfsplays  for  Packet 
and  RTTY.  The  JC-7S1  also  features  dual 
band  watch,  twin  passband  tuning,  99 
tunable  memories,  all  wide  and  narrow  filters , 


direct  keyboard  frequency  entry,  150  watts 
output,  built-in  power  supply,  dual  noise 
blanker,  five  multi-function  timers,  and  two 
internal  clocks. 

Suggested  retail  for  the  781  is  $5,995.  For 
more  information  on  this  and  the  IC-32AT, 
contact  ICOM  America,  tnc,t  Corporate 
Headquarters,  2380  116th  Ave.  NE,  PO 
Box  C~90029t  Belfevue,  WA  98009-9029; 
206-454-8155.  The  Reader  Service  number 
is  229. 


KENWOOD 

The  new  TH-25  2  meter  hand-held  is  similar 
in  size  to  the  BT  hand-held  series.  The  TH-25 
puts  out  5  watts  on  the  high  setting.  The  fre- 
quency coverage  of  the  TH-25AT  is  141-163 
MHz  (RX)  and  144-148  MHz  (RX  and  TX).  It 
has  a  front  panel  DTMF  pad  and  14  memories. 
Other  features  include  automatic  offset  selec- 
tion, mufti-function  LCD  display,  rotary  dial  for 
memory,  tone  alert  for  quiet  monitoring,  band 
and  memory  scan,  automatic  power-off  cir- 
cuit, and  a  CTCSS  encode/decode  unit  (op- 
tional). It  is  also  water-resistant.  The  price  is 
$329.95. 

The  TM-621A  is  the 
first  144/220  MHz  FM 
dual-bander*  It  in- 
cludes a  dual  channel 
watch  function,  se- 
lectable full  duplex  op- 
eration, 30  memory 
channels,  extended 
frequency  coverage 
on  receive  (138-174 
MHz  and  215-230 
MHz),  large  multi-color 
LCD  display,  and  pro* 
grammable  scanning. 
The  621  outputs  45 
watts  on  144  MHz  and 
25  watts  on  220  MHz. 
Also  included  is  an  au- 
tomatic offset  selec- 
tion  on  both  bands,  and  dual  frequency  dis- 
play for  main'1  and  4sub-band"  with 
automatic  band  changes.  The  suggested  re- 
tail price  is  $700,  For  more  information  contact 
Kenwood  USA  Corporation,  Communications 
and  Test  Equipment  Group,  2201  E. 
Dominguez  Street,  Long  Beach  CA  90810; 
213-639-4200, 


YAESU 

The  FT-747GX  is  a  compact  S3B/CW/AM 
and  FM  (optional)  transceiver  outputtlng  100 
watts  PEP  on  all  HF  amateur  bands.  It  also 
has  general  coverage  reception  continuously 
from  100  kHz  to  30  MHz.  Features  include 
operator  selectable  coarse  and  fine  tuning 
steps  optimized  for  each  mode:  25  Hz  and  2.5 
kHz  for  SSB  and  CW,  1  and  10  kHz  for  AM, 
and  5  and  12.5  kHz  for  FM  (with  the  optional 
FM  board), 

The  747GX  has  a  dual  VFO,  along  with  20 
memory  channels,  which  ateo  store  mode. 
You  can  choose  frequencies,  too,  over  which 
the  scan  skips.  Scanning  can  be  set  for  auto- 
resume.  Memories  are  selectable  from  the  mi- 
crophone upfoowN  keys,  Eighteen  of  the  mem- 
ories can  also  store  independent  transmit  and 
receive  frequencies  for  non-standard  split-fre- 
quency operation.  Suggested  retail  price  is 
$890,  Circle  Reader  Service  number  228  for 
more  information. 


The  FT-767GX  from  Yaesu  receives  from 
1 00  kHz  to  30  MHz  continuously  and  transmits 
on  all  HF  amateur  bands.  The  receiver  design 
is  an  upconverting  triple  superheterodyne. 
The  PLL  includes  a  modular  temperature- 
compensated  crystal  oscillator  (TCXO),  to 
minimize  frequency  drift. 

Features  include  memorized  pro- 
grammable tuning  steps  for  each  mode,  from 
10  Hz  to  100  kHz;  digital  wattmeter  and  auto- 
calculating  SWR  meters;  and  selectable  VFO 
tracking,  where  both  VFOs  tune  together  (for 
convenient  repeater  operation).  Ten  memo- 
ries include  modes  and  a  check  function,  by 
which  memory  contents  may  be  displayed 
without  affecting  simultaneous  operation  on  a 
VFO.  There  is  also  band,  memory,  and  limited 
band  scan. 

The  FT-767GX  has  a  built-in  automatic 

73  Amateur  Radio  •  December,  1988     57 


M 


antenna  tuner.  The  automatic  HF  antenna 
tuner  includes  one  memory  per  band,  The 
contents  of  this  memory  automatically  returns 
the  settings  to  their  previous  positions  for 
quick  settings  when  changing  bands. 

Suggested  retail  price  is  $1 ,930.  For  more 
information,  contact  Yaesu  USA,  17210  Ed- 
wards Roadf  Cerritos  CA  90701.  Circle  Read- 
er Service  number  227  for  more  information. 


\ 


HEATH 

Heath's  new  SA-2060A  deluxe  antenna 
tuner  wiii  effectively  tune  and  match  balanced 
or  unbalanced  feedlines  and  single-wire  and 
ladder  tines  up  to  1  kW,  on  the  160-10  meter 
bands. 

It  features  a  dual  wattmeter,  single  switch 
antenna  selection,  and  total  front  panel  con- 
trol. With  a  single  switch,  the  user  can  select  a 
dummy  load,  or  any  of  three  permanently 
connected  antennas,  including  a  long-wire 
antenna. 

Dual  wattmeters  read  both  forward  and  re- 
flected average  power,  and  in  two  ranges.  The 
wattmeter  section  of  the  antenna  tuner  installs 
directly  into  a  transmission  line  to  measure  the 
power  on  all  frequencies  between  1 ,8  and  30 
MHz.  It  measures  output  up  to  200/2000  watts 
in  the  forward  direction  and  up  to  50/500  watts 
reflected.  The  antenna  tuner  handles  power 
input  up  to  2000  watts  PEP  on  SSB,  and  1000 
watts  on  CW<  The  suggested  retail  price  is 
$270.  Circle  Reader  Service  number  226  for 
more  information. 


Heath's  HK-21  Pocket  Packet  TNC  is  the 
latest  and  smallest  TNC  available. 

If  your  hand-held  transceiver  uses  a  mini 
phone  jack  for  speaker  output  and  a  sub-mini 
for  microphone,  you  can  immediately  connect 
the  transceiver  to  the  Pocket  Packet  unit  at 
any  time  with  the  two  shielded  cables  sup- 
plied, The  HK-21  includes  a  built-in  mini  bul- 
letin board.  The  HK-21  requires  a 
9  to  13.8V  supply  at  40  mA  nominal  current. 
The  price  is  $219.95.  For  a  free  catalog  and 
more  information  contact  Heath  Company, 
Dept  01 1-652,  Benton  Harbor  Ml  49022.  For 
this  product,  circle  Reader  Service  number 
225  for  more  information. 


MFJ  ENTERPRISES 

The  3  kW  Versa  Tuner  Model  MFJ-989C 
is  a  full-featured  HF  antenna  tuner.  It  has 
two  large  transmitting  variable  capacitors 
that  can  withstand  6000  RF  volts.  The  250  pF 
cap  gives  an  extremely  wide  matching  range, 
even  on  160  and  10  meters.  It  also  has  a 
roller  inductor.  A  three  digit  turns  counter  and 
a  spinner  knob  give  precise  inductance  con- 
trol. You  can  use  this  tuner  from  1.8  to  30 
MHz,  including  MARS  and  all  the  WARC 
bands. 

Retail  on  the  MFJ-989C  is  $349.95.  For 
more  information  contact  circle  Reader 
Service  number  224. 


Also  from  MFJ  Enterprises  is  the  new  MFJ- 
986  2-knob  3  kW  Differential-T  Antenna  Tuner 
with  peak  and  average  reading  cross-needle 
SWR/wattmeter.  The  T-network  tuner  uses  a 
single  differential  capacitof  in  place  of  two 
variable  capacitors.  It  covers  1.8  to  30  MHz 
continuously,  including  MARS  and  all  the 
WARC  bands.  The  user  adjusts  only  two  con- 
trols. The  MFJ-986  is  broadband,  which  elimi- 
nates constant  retuntng.  A  three-digit  turns 
counter  plus  spinner  knob  gives  precise  in- 
ductance control. 

A  lighted  two  color  peak  and  average 
reading  cross-needie  SWR/wattmeter  lets 
the  user  read  forward  and  reflected  power 
and  SWR .  It  also  has  a  new  di  rectional  coupler 
that  gives  more  accurate  SWR  and  power 
readings  over  a  wider  frequency  range.  The 
six-position  antenna  switch  lets  you  select  two 
coax  lines  and/or  random  wires  {direct  or 
through  tuner),  balanced  line,  and  external 
dummy  load. 

A  new  current  balun  for  balanced  lines  re- 
duces feedline  radiation  that  causes  RF  in 
your  shack,  field  pattern  distortion,  and  TVI. 
Ceramic  feedthrough  insulators  for  balanced 
lines  withstand  high  voltages  and  tempera- 
tures. The  new  MFJ-986  3  kW  Roller  Inductor 
Differential-T  Antenna  Tuner  comes  with 
MFJ's  one  year  unconditional  guarantee.  The 
suggested  retail  price  is  $239.95.  For  more 
information  contact  MFJ  Enterprises,  inc.t  PC 
Box  494,  Mississippi  State,  MS  $9762;  601- 
323-6551,  Circle  Reader  Service  number  214 
for  additional  information. 


GORDON  WEST 
RADIO  SCHOOL 

Gordon  West  Radio  School  offers  cassette 
theory  courses  for  the  following  amateur  radio 
license  categories:  1)  Novice-two  cassette 
theory  and  two  cassette  code;  2)  Technician- 
four  cassette  theory  and  textbook;  3)  Gener- 
al-four cassette  theory  and  textbook;  4)  Com- 
bination Tech/General-four  cassette  theory 
and  textbook;  5)  Advanced-four  cassette  the- 
ory and  textbook;  6)  Extra-four  cassette  theo- 
ry and  textbook. 

Each  theory  course  features  the  new  re- 
vised question  pool  that  parallels  the  actual 
VEC-administered  examination.  Questions 
are  covered  on  the  cassettes  in  the  same  or- 
der as  they  are  in  the  book. 


Visually  impaired  will  especially  appreciate 
the  fact  that  this  course  can  be  followed  with- 
out any  visual  aids.  The  included  textbook 
assists,  however,  in  better  understanding 
some  schematic  diagrams  and  block  dia- 
grams. 

Each  cassette  course  with  its  accompany* 
ing  textbook  is  $19.95,  plus  $2,50  postage 
and  handling,  when  ordering  directly  from  Ra- 
dio School.  For  more  information  write;  Gor- 
don West  Radio  School,  2414  Coiiege  Drive, 
Costa  Mesa  CA  92626;  714-549*5000.  Reader 
Service  number  223. 


WILLIAM  M,  NYE  CO, 

The  Nye  RF  Power  Monitor  System  con- 
tains many  features.  It  gives  peak,  average,  or 
peak  and  hold  readings  at  a  flick  of  a  switch  It 
has  a  sample  and  hold  analog  memory  circuit 
capable  of  displaying  for  up  to  20  seconds  the 
correct  peak  power  readings  of  a  single  1  ms 
pulse.  The  power  monitor  automatically 
switches  power  scales  to  5  kW.  It  has  a  built-in 
adjustable  ALO,  It  comes  with  a  directional 
coupler  that  goes  in-line  with  the  coax,  and  is 
connected  to  the  meter  with  a  four-conductor 
flexible  cable.  This  lockout  circuit  for  your  am- 
plifier will  operate  from  either  SWR  or  reflect- 
ed power.  It  uses  heavy  duty  relays  with  isolat- 
ed contacts  rated  at  5  A  at  120V AC/28 VDC. 
The  monitor  is  available  in  two  models,  the 
RFM-003  and  RFM-005,  which  differ  only  in 


58     73  Amateur  Radio  •  December,  1988 


wattmeter  scaling.  The  models  are  priced 
the  same  at  $297t  and  backed  by  the  Nye 
full  two-year  warranty.  For  more  information, 
contact:  William  M.  Nye  Company,  1614 
130th Ave,  NE,  Bellevue  WA  98005;  (206) 454- 
4524.  Circle  Reader  Service  number  222. 


KANTRONICS,  INC. 

Kantronics  has  combined  the  features  of 
the  KPC-2  and  UTU-XT  to  create  a  true  All- 
Mode  unit,  the  KAM  (Kantronics  All  Mode).  It 
functions  with  VHF  packet,  CW,  RTTY ,  ASCII, 
and  AMTOR. 

KAM  features  HF  and  VHF  radio  ports, 
simultaneous  HF  and  VHF  packet  connects, 
digipeating,  and  VHF/HF  gateway. 

KAM  also  features  bargraph  tuning,  user- 
programmable  Mark  and  Space  tones  for 
RTTY  and  HF  Packet,  and  limiter/limiterless 
operation  on  HF  for  weaker  signal  operation, 
KAM's  separate  CW  demodulator  is  also 
center  frequency  and  bandwidth  pro- 
grammable. The  price  is  $319.  For  more  in- 
formation contact:  Kantronics,  inc.t  1202  E. 
23rd  Street,  Lawrence  KS  66046.  Circle 
Reader  Service  number  221  for  additional 
information. 

ALINCO 


Alinco  Electronics, 
Inc.,  has  introduced 
the  DJ-100T  hand-held 
2  meter  transceiver, 
The  DJ-100T  puts  out 
about  3  watts  in  the 
high-power  mode.  A 
number  of  accessory 
batteries  are  available, 
which  wifl  supply  up  to 
6,5  watts  of  output 
power. 

The  DJ-100T  has  a 
frequency  coverage  of 
144-148  MHz,  and  is 
easily  modified  for 
CAP  and  MARS  sim- 
plex operation.  Also  in- 
cluded are  10  memo- 
ries, automatic  battery 
saving  feature,  a  func- 
tion and  frequency 
lock,  and  a  subaudible  tone  encoder. 

The  price  of  the  DJ-100T  is  $299,  For  more 
information  on  this  product,  contact:  Alinco 
Electronics,  fnc,  20705  S.  Western  Ave.t 
Suite  104 ij  Torrance  CA  90501;  213-618-8616. 
For  additional  information  circle  Reader  Ser- 
vice number  220, 

HAL  COMMUNICATIONS  CORP. 

The  ST- 7000  is  specifically  designed  for 
300  baud  HF  packet.  Techniques  developed 
for  the  government  and  military  ST-8000 


(MD-1232/G)  HF  Modem  are  applied  in  the 
ST-7000  for  the  unique  problems  of  high  fre- 
quency packet  radio  operation, 

AGC-controlled  AM  signal  processing  is 
used,  providing  a  very  wide  dynamic  range. 
All  filters  and  detectors  in  the  ST-7000  are 
optimized  for  300  baud  HF  packet.  The  user 
has  the  choice  of  two  modes:  the  standard  200 
Hz  shift  mode,  and  the  600  Hz  shift  mode. 
Both  shifts  are  fully  supported  by  separate 
optimized  6-pole  input  filters  and  a  40  dB  AGC 
system.  The  standard  200  Hz  shift  mode  uses 
an  optimized  phase-locked  loop  (PLL)  detec- 
tor, whereas  the  more  optimum  600  Hz  shift 
mode  uses  separate  4-pole  Mark/Space  fil- 
ters, active  detectors,  and  a  3-pole  post-detec- 
tion filter.  The  transmit  tone  generator  uses  a 
proven  crystal-based  sine-wave  synthesizer 
circuit  to  assure  minimum  phase  distortion 
and  spectrum  splatter.  The  ST-7000  has  three 
different  packet  controller  (TNC)  interfaces: 
RS-232C,  TTLh  and  TNC  Audio,  making  it  fully 
compatible  with  all  existing  packet  controllers 
on  the  market. 


The  R4030  is  available  for  $399  from 
Regency,  Uniden  Corporation,  4700  Amon 
Carter  Blvd.,  Ft.  Worth  TX  76155.  Circle 
Reader  Service  number  218  for  additional 
information. 


ST-7000  operates  from  +11  VDC  to  +15 
VDC  at  .25  A.  It  is  available  for  $299  from  Hal 
Communications  Corp.,  Government  and 
Commercial  Products  Division,  1201  West 
Kenyon  Road,  PO  Box  365,  Urbana  IL  61801* 
365;  217-367-7373.  Circle  Reader  Service 
number  21 9  for  more  information. 


UNIDEN 


The  new  Regency  R- 
4030  Programmable 
hand-held  Scanner 
has  many  features. 
Among  them  are  800 
MHz  coverage  with  12 
bands  including  806- 
956  MHz;  200  channel 
capacity;  10  priority 
channels  to  keep  a 
close  watch  on  up  to  1 0 
channels;  10  channel 
banks  to  store  frequen- 
cies for  convenient 
use;  rechargeable  bat- 
teries with  a  detach- 
able battery  pack; 
weather  search  to  find 
the  NOAA  weather 
channel  that  is  active 
in  your  area;  keypad 
lock;  channel  lockout 
to  lockout  unused  or 
busy  channels  to  con- 
centrate on  others; 
and  a  track  tuning  fea- 
ture that  gives  perfect 
tuning  on  every  chan- 
nel for  crystal  clear 
reception. 


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Quad 

TtDti 

ENGINEERING  CONSULTING 

The  new  Model  TSDQ  four  digit  sequence 
decoder  replaces  the  popular  TSD  decoder 
and  adds  several  new  features,  including  a 
DPDT  2  A  relay,  on-board  5  volt  regulator,  and 
digit  valid  indicator  and  expansion  connector. 
Board  connections  are  via  a  24-pin  card  edge 
connector,  which  provides  quick  disconnect 
and  the  added  feature  of  expansion  with  the 
new  Model  "Quad1'  four  relay  expansion 
card. 

The  TSDQ  operates  as  a  stand-alone  two  to 
four  digit  touch-tone  sequence  decoder.  The 
output  may  be  either  latching  or  momentary 
control  of  the  DPDT  relay.  All  16  digits  output 
to  the  card  edge  connector  and  can  be  used 
for  single  digit  commands.  The  relay  is  turned 
on  with  a  four  digit  code  and  relays  which  may 
be  turned  off  with  individual  access  codes,  A 
master  on  code  followed  by  the  relay  will  turn 
on  a  relay  while  a  master  off  code  followed  by 
the  relay  number  turns  the  relay  off.  These 
relay  on/off  codes  can  be  a  total  of  three  to  five 
digits  in  length.  In  addition  to  the  relay  out- 
puts, there  are  four  transistor  outputs  that  can 
be  used  to  provide  LED  read-outs  of  the  relay 
states,  or  as  control  voltage  for  other  devices. 
All  output  connections  are  via  a  24  pin  card 
edge  connector  using  the  same  pin  numbers 
for  all  inputs  as  the  TSDQ  card,  This  allows 
instant  compatibility  when  adding  the  Quad 
expansion  card. 

The  TSDQ  and  quad  specifications  are:  +8 
to  +20  VDC  of  power,  200  mV-3  VAC  of  au- 
dio, 2  amp  double  pole  relay  for  output  TSDQ, 
1 6  individual  digits  (0-5V),  and  2  A  4DP  relays 
for  logic  output  quad  is  four  double  poJe  relays 
with  2  amps.  The  price  for  the  TSDQ  is  $79.95 
and  the  price  for  the  Quad  is  $99^95.  For  more 
information  contact;  Engineering  Consulting, 
583  Candfewood  Street,  Brea  CA  92821;  714- 
871-2009,  Circle  Reader  Service  number  217 
for  additional  information. 

NEL-TECH  LABS 

The  NTL  Digital  Voice  Keyer  (D VK-1 00)  is  a 
state-of-the-art  microprocessor  controlled  dig- 
ital voice  storage  and  announcement  system. 
It  has  been  designed  specifically  for  amateur 
radio  communications  and  represents  the  lat- 
est technology  in  audio  processing. 

The  D VK-1 00  provides  four  independently 
selectable,  variable  length,  voice  storage 
memories.  It  also  contains  a  built-in  selectable 
audio  amplifier  capable  of  driving  an  external 
80  speaker,  with  mute  and  high/low  level 

73  Amateur  Radio  *  December,  1988    59 


control.  It  also  includes  a  selectable  audio 
compressor  and  end  of  transmission  tone 
generator  have  been  included. 

The  DVK-100  is  virtually  compatible  with  all 
transceivers,  It  will  accommodate  both  dy- 
namic and  condenser  mikes  and  both  positive 
and  negative  PTT  transceiver  inputs.  The 
DVK-100  suggested  retail  price  is  $260.  For 
more  information  contact  Nel-Tech  Labs,  inc., 
PO  Box  1Q3Q,  Londonderry  NH  03053.  Circle 
Reader  Service  number  216. 


^^^^^—^^^^^ 


STONE  MOUNTAIN 
ENGINEERING  CO 

Stone  Mountain's  KW-QSYer  for  Kenwood 
rigs  provides  high  speed  keying  and  easy  fre- 
quency selection.  Its  full-size  keypad  is  in- 
clined at  a  1 0  degree  angle  for  comfort  as  well 
as  speed.  It  is  popular  with  contesters  and 
blind  operators.  It  has  an  internal  speaker  that 
sounds  a  different  tone  for  each  key.  The  KW- 
QSYer  works  with  the  TS-940  series  (with  the 
Kenwood  IF-10B  interface),  the  TS-440  series 
(with  the  tC-10  interface),  the  TS-140  series 
(with  the  IF-10C  interface^  theTS-71 1/81 1  se- 
ries (with  the  IF-10A  interface),  and  requires 
an  8-1 6V,  100  mA,  external  DC  supply.  The 
sister  models  are  available  for  the  757GX, 
757GX-II,  767GX,  and  the  IC-735.  Priced  at 
$89.50  plus  $2,50  shipping.  A  companion  12- 
voit  DC  wall  suppiy  for  the  KW^QSYer  is  $10. 
For  more  information  contact  Stone  Mountain 
Engineering  Company,  Box  1573,  Stone 
Mountain  GA  30086,  404-879-0241,  Circle 
Reader  Service  number  215, 


CALL  SIGN  CUPS 

Call  Sign  Cups  wi  II  personalize  1 0  oz.  coffee 
mugs  and/or  15  oz.  beer  mugs  with  your  call 


sign.  Ceramic  decals  are  placed  on  stoneware 
mugs.  They  are  machine  washable  and  mi* 
crowave  safe.  The  prices  are  $b.$b  for  the 
coffee  mug  and  $7.95  for  the  beer  mug,  plus 
shipping  and  handling.  Quantity  discounts  for 
clubs  are  available.  For  more  information  con- 
tact Call  Sign  Cupst  PO  Box  17062,  Rafeigh 
NC  27619. 

EPSILON  COMPANY 

Epsilon  Company  announces  Vertical  Prot 
software  that  enables  you  to  design  medium 
wave  and  short  wave  vertical  arrays.  By  mod- 
eling several  possible  antennas  before  build- 
ing, you  can  decide  what  to  build  on  an  objec- 
tive basis.  Vertical  Pro  gives  you  the  capability 
to  design  your  own  at  an  affordable  price. 
Modeling  the  antenna  first  will  stimulate  cre- 
ativity in  finding  better  solutions  given  limited 
resources, 

The  Vertical  Pro  gives  a  sinusoidal  projec- 
tion of  the  radiation  pattern.  This  is  a  flat  pro- 
jection of  the  three  dimensional  radiation  pat- 
tern, color  coded  according  to  signal  intensity. 
The  projection  can  be  explored  with  a  mouse 
or  cursor  keys  and  the  gain  can  be  read  at  a 
particular  azimuth  and  take  off  angle  in  a  win- 
dow below.  Antennas  modeled  with  Epsi Ion's 
software  can  be  modeled  over  your  choice  of 
ground  types  such  as:  sea  water,  fresh  water, 
moist,  average,  or  dry  earth.  The  projection  is 
displayed  in  the  center  of  the  screen,  the  origi- 
nal grid  is  on  the  upper  left,  and  a  report  is  on 
the  upper  right.  By  moving  the  cursor  over  an 
element  on  the  grid,  the  resistance ,  reactance 
and  element  parameters  are  displayed  on  the 
bottom,  Moving  the  cursor  over  the  sinusoidal 
projection  will  display  the  gain  at  a  particular 
take-off  angle  and  azimuth. 


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Epsilon  software  runs  on  IBM-PCs  and  com- 
patibles with  at  least  256K  (640K  recommend- 
ed), DOS  2.0  or  higher.  CGA  or  EGA  needed. 
The  programs  can  make  use  of  a  8087/80287 
math  co-processor  and  a  mouse. 

Vertical  Pro  sells  for  $80  plus  $5  for  interna- 
tional shipping.  Order  by  sending  a  US  check 
or  International  money  order  in  US  dollars  to 
Epsilon  Co.,  PO  Box  715,  Trumbull,  CT 
06611;  203-261-7694.  Circle  Reader  Service 
number  213  for  more  information. 

S-F  AMATEUR 
RADIO  SERVICES 

The  S-F  Radio  Desk  STD-36,  from  S-F  Ama- 
teur Radio  Services,  eliminates  clutter  by 
providing  enough  space  for  a  complete  radio 
station.  It  has  enough  space  for  antenna 
tuners,  VFOh  CW  keyers,  filters,  telephone, 
and  log  books.  It  will  support  over  200  pounds. 


It  comes  as  a  quick-assemble  kit.  The  rear 
shelf  is  angled  at  1 5  degrees  for  better  viewing 
of  the  displays.  The  S-F  Radio  Desk  is  50" 
high  by  39"  wide.  The  suggested  retail  price 
is  $200.  For  more  information  contact;  S-F 
Amateur  Radio  Services,  4384  Keystone 
Ave.,  Culver  City,  CA  90230;  213-837-4870. 
Circle  Reader  Service  number  212  for  more 
information. 


S-COM  INDUSTRIES 

S-COM  Industries  introduces  an  option 
display  cabinet  for  the  S-COM  5K  repeater 
controller.  This  cabinet  may  be  retrofitted  to 
the  5K  controller  without  soldering  or  rewiring. 
The  front  panel  is  made  with  non-chipping 
black  anodized,  with  white  graphics  and 
hidden  fasteners.  The  red  Hewlett-Packard 
AIGaAs  LED  lamps  inform  the  viewer  of  impor- 
tant circuit  status  dataf  e.g.  receiver  COR, 
transmitter  PTT,  CTCSS  decoder,  control 
receiver  COR,  DTMF  data  valid,  power  on, 
logic  inputs  1,  2,  and  3,  and  logic  outputs 
1 1  2,  and  3.  These  LED  lamps  draw  only  1  pA 
each. 


A  conductive  iridite-plated  chassis  box 
reduces  RFI  and  houses  the  5K  board,  display 
board,  and  an  optional  audio  delay  module. 
The  cabinet  provides  cutouts  for  the  5K's 
power  and  input/output  connectors,  and  uses 
PEM  fasteners  to  eliminate  troublesome  nuts 
and  standoffs.  A  ribbon  cable  assembly 
attaches  to  connectors  located  on  the  5K 
and  display  boards,  making  for  easy  installa- 
tion. The  assembled  and  tested  display  cabi- 
net is  priced  at  $69  plus  $5  shipping  and  han- 
dling, A  similar  cabinet  is  available  without  the 
display  feature.  Contact  S-COM  Industries, 
PO  Box  8921,  Fort  Collins,  CO  80524;  303* 
493-8316.  Circle  Reader  Service  card  number 
21 1  for  more  information, 


60     73  Amateur  Radio   •  December,  1988 


MFJ  ENTERPRISES 

MFJ  Enterprises  Inc.  has  a  new  MFJ-T09 
World  Time  Clock,  This  clock  features  a  slid- 
ing  indicator  you  can  set  to  learn  the  times  of 
any  of  24  international  cities.  It  has  a  24-hour 
world  time  display  and  a  local  time  display. 
The  LCD  characters  are  % "  high. 

The  MFJ-109  also  has  a  Greenwich  Mean 
Time  (GMT)  pointer  for  instant  access  to  the 
international  standard.  Other  features  include 
alarm  with  snooze,  night  light,  daylight  sav- 
ings time  adjustment,  date  change  indicator 
suede-like  carrying  case,  and  flip  stand.  The 
MFJ-109  World  Time  Clock  comes  with  a  one 
year  unconditional  guarantee.  Price  is  $18,95 
For  more  information,  contact  MFJ  Enterpris- 
es lnc.r  PO  Box  494,  Mississippi  State.  MS 
$9762;  $01*323-5869  Call  $00-647-1800  to 
order  Circle  Reader  Service  number  210  for 
additional  information. 

SIBEXINC. 

The  VR-1  is  one  of  the  new  lines  of  portable 
test  equipment  from  Sibex  Inc.  The  VR-1  is  a 
battery-powered  voltage  calibrator.  The  user 
can  select  us  output  from  10  mV  to  10  V  in  a 
1-2*5  sequence,  using  the  11  position  switch 
Both  +  and  -  voltages  are  available  at  the 
output  terminals.  The  front  panel  has  a  tow 
battery  indicator.  The  VR-1  can  be  used  for 
equipment  servicing  and  calibration,  R&D 
work,  instrument  calibration,  and  recorder  cal- 
ibration, to  name  a  few  applications. 

It  is  housed  in  a  pocket  sized  plastic  case, 
shaped  for  convenient  holding.  The  power  is 
supplied  by  a  standard  9V  battery  contained 
within  the  case.  VFM  is  available  from  stock  at 
$89.95  For  more  information,  contact  Sibex 
inc.,  1088  Kapp  Drive.  Clearwater,  FL  34825: 
813-441-8525.  For  ad- 
ditional information, 
circle  Reader  Service 
number  209. 

CUSTOM 
TECHNOLOGY 

Custom  Technology 
now  offers  a  line  of 
wideband  RF  BALUN 
antenna  auto-trans- 
formers. The  trans- 
formers match  unbal- 
anced loads  (coax)  to  balanced  loads 
(antennas  and  ladder  transmission  lines). 

The  BALUNs  are  rated  at  2  fcW  (PEP)  from 
1 .8  to  30  MHz  continuous.  The  cores  ate  pow- 
dered iron  toroidal  types  covered  with  glass 
tape.  Windings  are  high  isolation  magnet  wire 
to  ensure  maximum  performance  without 
breakdown  even  when  subjected  to  high  SWR 
conditions. 


Available  ratios  are  1:1,  1:4,  1:6,  and  1:9. 
Coaxial  termination  is  made  with  a  UHF 
S0239  receptacle.  The  coaxial  connection 
is  housed  m  a  PVC  cover.  An  "N"  type  recep- 
tacle is  available  at  extra  cost  as  a  special 
order.  The  3"  x  4"  BALUN  is  made  of  cadmi- 
um steel;  the  termination  is  made  of  flexible 
copper  braid.  The  complete  BALUN  assembly 
is  potted  in  epoxy  backfill  for  ruggedness  The 
price  for  each  BALUN  is  S25.  Multiband 
antenna  kits  are  available  for  $35  each,  plus 
$3  for  shipping  and  handing.  Product  litera- 
ture is  available  on  request  from  Custom  Tech- 
nology, 8385  Locust,  Kirtiand  OH  44094.  For 
more  information,  circle  Reader  Service 
number  208, 


ter  on-off  lighted  switch,  the  Model  SP4M  has 
a  surge  failure  light  which  indicates  abnormal 
voltage  or  noise  This  UL  listed  unit  includes  a 
resettable  circuit  breaker  and  a  six-foot  heavy 
duty  cord.  The  Model  SP4M  Surge  Protected 
Outlet  Strip  is  $89.95.  Scooter  Products, 
Ohm/electronics,  inc.,  746  Vermont  St.. 
Palatine  IL  60067.  800-323-2727 (Illinois.  312- 
359*6040);  FAX  number  is  372-359-9686-  For 
more  information,  circle  Reader  Service  num- 
ber 206. 


SCOOTER  PRODUCTS 

Scooter  Products'  Model  SP4M  Guard-It™ 
Surge  Protected  Outlet  Strip  protects  modular 
FAX,  modem,  and  electronic  equipment  and 
peripherals  from  surges  and  noise  Model 
SP4M  has  an  anti-static  grounding  jack  for 
your  anti-static  accessories,  such  as  touch 
pads  and  screens.  There  is  full  MOV  protec- 
tion on  the  power  sockets  to  protect  your 
equipment. 

Model  SP4M  handles  peak  surge  currents 
up  to  6000  amperes  with  a  clamping  time  of 
less  than  1  nanosecond.  In  addition  to  a  mas- 


SOLAR  ELECTRIC 

Hams  and  other  radio  operators  can  keep 
their  batteries  fully  charged  with  Solar  Elec- 
tric s  new  line  of  solar  battery  chargers  Mea- 
suring only  a  few  feet  square,  the  Maintainer  2 
model  is  portable  enough  to  bring  almost  any- 
where. The  panels  will  keep  storage  batteries 
charged  orvsrte,  or  power  the  devices  directly 
during  daylight  hours.  The  new  generation  of 
solar  panels  are  also  more  sensitive  to  low 
light  levels  and  more  efficient  in  high  tempera- 
ture sites.  The  Maintainer  2  is  available  for 
$89  95.  For  technical  details,  write  or  call  So- 
lar Electronic,  175  Cascade  Court,  Rohnert 
Park,  CA  94928;  800-832-1986  or  707586- 
1987.  Circle  Reader  Service  number  205  for 
additional  information. 


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73  Amateur  Radio  •  December.  1988    61 


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62     73  Amateur  Radio  *  December,  1988 


Number  1 9  on  your  Feedback  card 


ERIAL  VIEW 


Artiss  Thompson  W7XU 
RR  3,  Box  224 

Sioux  Falls  SD  57106 

Transmission 
Line  Transformers 

The  column  covering  transmis- 
sion line  transformers  in  the  Au- 
gust 1986  issue  of  73  generated 
more  feedback  than  any  previous 
installment  of  Aerial  View.  This 
month's  column  will  be  devoted  to 
answering  some  questions  and 
making  comments  of  general  in- 
terest to  all  readers. 

Many  attempted  to  run  the  BA- 
SIC program  listed  in  that  article. 
but  had  problems  with  it.  Readers 
alerted  me  to  several  problem  ar- 
eas, Joel  WB0OGF  pointed  out 
two  errors  in  the  program  fisting. 
First,  there  are  two  tines  num- 
bered 220.  Change  the  first  line 
number  to  200.  The  second  error 
in  the  listing  ts  in  line  470.  In  this 
line,  change  "nad"  to  "and." 

A  number  of  persons  com* 
plained  that  while  they  were  able 
to  get  the  program  to  run  in  the 
quarter-wave  transformer  mode, 
they  ran  into  difficulties  when  they 
used  the  series  section  mode.  The 
general  theme  seemed  to  be  that, 
in  the  program,  the  impedances  of 
the  matching  section  and  the 
main  transmission  fine  were  too 
close  in  value.  Since  some  of 
these  comments  came  from  users 
of  IBM  clones  and  GW  BASIC  (the 
same  version  of  BASIC  that  I  use), 
the  difficulty  probably  arose  from 
constraints  imposed  by  the  pro- 
gram and  its  equations. 

Impedance  Values 

Recall  that  the  impedance  of 
the  matching  section  cannot  be 
too  close  to  that  of  the  main  trans- 
mission line-  Program  tines  230- 
280,  and  line  340,  involve  some 
calculations  that  determine  if 
those  two  impedances  are  too 
close  in  value.  The  general  rule  is 
to  first  calculate  the  SWR  that 
would  exist  if  the  antenna  and 
main  transmission  line  were  not 
matched.  If  the  square  mot  of  that 
number  is  greater  than  1 ,  then  the 
impedance  of  the  matching  sec- 
tion should  be  greater  than  the 
square  root  of  the  SWR  multiplied 
by  the  impedance  of  the  mam 
transmission  line, 

Next,  reverse  the  numerator 
and  denominator  in  the  SWR  cal- 


Antenna  News 

cuiation  The  impedance  of  the 
matching  section  is  now  accept* 
able,  being  less  than  the  square 
root  of  the  SWR  times  the  im- 
pedance of  the  main  transmission 
line.  For  example,  say  the  anten- 
na has  an  impedance  of  200Q  and 
the  main  transmission  line  has 
an  impedance  of  5GfX  Without 
matching,  the  SWR  would  be 
either  4/1  (that  is,  4:1)  or  1/4  (nor- 
mally SWR  is  calculated  so  that  it 
fs  always  greater  than  1 .  but  we 
must  make  an  exception  in  this 
case). 

The  square  root  of  4/1  Is  2. 
Therefore,  the  matching  section 
must  be  greater  than  2(50)  = 
100O,  or  it  can  be  less  than  the 
square  root  of  1/4  times  the  main 
tine  impedance.  With  this  exam- 
ple, that  means  that  the  matching 
section  impedance  would  also  be 
acceptable  if  its  impedance  was 
less  than  1/2(50)  =  25Q.  If  you 
have  difficulty  with  this,  try  work- 
ing through  the  examples  that  ap- 
peared in  the  column.  The  an- 
swers in  the  examples  were 
calculated  by  the  listed  program. 
If  you  have  problems  with  the  ex- 
amples, check  your  listing  for  the 
above  corrections. 

BASIC  Problems 

An  ever-present  hazard  of  writ- 
ing programs  in  BASIC  is  that  dif- 
ferent computers  frequently  use 
different  versions  of  BASIC.  For 
example,  a  BASIC  program  writ- 
ten on  an  IBM  clone  may  not  run 
perfectly  on  a  Commodore  ma- 
chine. In  fact,  it  may  not  run  at  all! 
Larry  W8VLN  wrote  that  his  Com- 
modore 64  consistently  gave  an 
error  message  when  he  tried  to 
run  the  series-section  portion  of 
the  August  program. 

Speaking  of  BASIC  dialects,  I 
know  of  at  least  one  book  which 
can  help  you  translate  different 
versions  of  BASIC— The  BASIC 
Handbook,  by  David  Uen  (Com- 
pusoft  Publishing,  POBox  19669. 
San  Diego,  California  92119: 
1981 )  It  may  no  longer  be  in  print, 
but  it  might  be  available  at  your 
local  library.  Similar  volumes  may 
also  be  available  from  your  local 
computer  store. 

Those  readers  with  Apple  II  or 
IBM  PC  computers  may  be  inter- 
ested in  an  offer  from  Larry 
W1HUE,  He  wrote  an  improved 
version  of  this  program  in  "Apple- 
soft" BASIC  as  well  as  in  PC-style 


BASIC.  He  also  has  another  short 
program  that  calculates  the  de- 
sign parameters  for  antenna  traps 
made  from  coaxial  cable,  Larry 
will  supply  copies  of  both  pro- 
grams for  $10  ($12  for  overseas 
airmail)  to  cover  the  cost  of  the 
disk  and  mailing.  They  are  avail- 
able on  either  3.5"  or  5.25* 
diskettes  in  either  IBM  or  Apple 
format  (specify  which).  Write  to 
Larry  East  W1HUE,  119-7  Buck- 
land  St.,  PJantsville.  CT  06479. 

Frequency  Specific 

Another  question  centered  on 
transmission  line  transformer  use 
in  the  field.  One  reader  wanted 
to  know  what  length  of  series- 
section  matching  transformer  he 
should  use  to  feed  a  multiband 
trap  dipole,  Unfortunately,  series- 
section  transformers  are  frequen- 
cy specific;  they  work  over  a  rela- 
tively narrow  band  of  frequencies, 
such  as  an  amateur  band,  but 
not  on  multiple  bands.  The  same 
is  true  for  quarter-wave  trans- 
formers (a  special  case  of  series- 
section  transformers),  quarter- 
and  half-wave  batuns,  etc.  It's  not 
possible  to  feed  a  multiband  an- 
tenna through  a  single  series- 
section  transformer  and  obtain 
the  correct  impedance  transfor- 
mation on  all  bands, 

Another  reader  asked  whether 
series-section  transformers  func- 
tion as  baluns.  The  answer  is  no, 
A  balun  is  a  device  that  matches 
an  unbalanced  line  (such  as  coax) 
to  a  balanced  line  or  load  (such  as 
open  wire  line  or  a  dipole  anten- 
na). Series-section  transformers 
here  match  impedances.  They 
could  be  coiled  to  form  an  RF 
choke  type  of  balun,  or  ferrite 
beads  could  be  slipped  over  the 
outside  of  coaxial  series-section 
transformers  to  choke  off  currents 
flowing  on  the  outside  of  the  coax, 

Ground  Systems 
for  HF  Verticals 

The  recent  column  on  ground 
systems  and  vertical  antennas 
brought  in  some  interesting  ques- 
tions. Let's  see  how  your  answers 
compare  to  mine. 

Q.  MThe  well-known  manufac- 
turer of  my  multiband  trap  vertical 
says  that  the  antenna  has  minus 
3-dB  gain  compared  to  a  dipole. 
This  is  less  than  that  of  an  isotrop- 
ic antenna — can  this  be  true?" 

A.  Keep  in  mind  that  a  dipole 
has2.14-dB  gain  over  an  isotropic 
antenna  only  in  free  space.  Over 
perfect  ground,  an  additional  6-dB 
of  gain  is  possible  (the  direct  and 
reflected  waves  reinforce  each 
other);  gain  over  real  ground  is 


lessT  but  still  important.  Even  if 
this  gentleman's  antenna  has 
3*db  less  gain  than  a  dipole,  it  may 
still  show  gain  over  an  isotropic 
radiator,  particularly  when  over 
very  good  ground. 

Now  for  the  meal  of  the  ques- 
tion: might  a  vertical  be  3-db  down 
from  a  dipole?  Yes!  A  vertical  with 
better  than  a  fair  ground  system 
can  easily  be  fifty  percent  or  less 
efficient.  Dipoles,  on  the  other 
hand,  are  typically  over  90  per- 
cent efficient.  Of  course,  this  anal- 
ysis overlooks  any  differences  in 
polarization,  angle  of  maximum 
radiation,  and  so  forth,  but  as  a 
general  statement,  yes— a  multi- 
band  vertical  over  fair  to  poor 
ground  will  probably  be  3-dB  or 
more  down  from  a  dipole. 

Q  "I  have  a  horizontal  mono- 
bander  1 8  feet  above  my  roof.  The 
roof  is  1 3  feet  above  ground.  Does 
my  antenna  think  it  is  18  feet 
above  ground,  or  31  feet  up?  Do 
wires  running  across  the  roof  act 
as  a  ground?" 

A  This  ham's  antenna  probably 
'thinks"  it  is  31  feet  or  so  above 
ground,  as  far  as  distant  commu- 
nication is  concerned.  Radiation 
straight  up  may  be  reinforced  by 
wires  lying  beneath  the  antenna, 
but  that  radiation  will  be  of  little 
use  on  the  higher  frequency 
bands.  As  the  angle  of  radiation  is 
lowered,  the  reflection  point 
moves  farther  from  the  antenna. 
At  low  angles  of  radiation,  the 
area  of  reflection  for  the  antenna 
may  be  up  to  10  wavelengths 
away. 

If  the  roof  were  very  large  in 
terms  of  wavelength,  there  could 
be  some  ground  effect  from  near- 
by wires  lying  beneath  the  anten- 
na, though  this  is  not  likely  in  most 
suburban  or  rural  locations.  Note 
that  these  comments  are  directed 
with  regard  to  a  horizontal  anten- 
na. Also,  the  ground  may  not  be 
RF  ground.  The  point  of  reflection 
for  signals  typically  does  not  oc- 
cur exactly  at  ground  level,  but 
rather  it  is  usually  a  few  inches  to  a 
few  feet  below  the  surface.  It  is 
deeper  in  poor  soil,  and  closer  to 
the  surface  over  highly  conduc- 
tive surfaces. 

That's  it  for  this  month.  Thanks 
to  all  of  you  who  wrote  with  ques- 
tions, comments,  and  sugges- 
tions. Due  to  my  recent  move, 
replies  to  some  requests  for  infor- 
mation have  been  somewhat  less 
than  prompt,  but  any  backlog  will 
have  been  cleared  by  the  time  this 
appears  in  print.  My  apologres  for 
any  delays.  Keep  those  cards  and 
letters  coming  (with  SASEs. 
please,  for  a  reply). 


73  Amateur  Radio  •  December,  1988    63 


Satellite  Tracking 

with  your  PC  and  the  Kansas  City  Tracker  &  Tuner 


m- 


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mnia"^  iiiii 


mnii 


,   •*, 


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i. 


: 


The  Kansa*  City  Tracker  is  a  hardware  and  software  package  that  connects  between  your  rotor  controller  and  an  IBM  XT,  AT,  or 
clone.  It  controls  your  antenna  array,  letting  your  PC  track  any  satellite  or  orbital  body.  The  Be  nee  ■  City  Tracker  hardware 
consists  of  a  haff-size  interface  card  that  plugs  into  your  PC.  It  can  be  connected  directly  to  a  Yaesu/Kenpro  5400A/5600A  rotor 
controller.  It  can  be  connected  to  other  rotor  assemblies  using  our  Rotor  Interface  Option. 

The  w«««  C*ty  Tuner  is  a  companion  product  that  is  used  in  satellite  work.  It  can  provide  automatic  doppler-shrft  compensation 
for  digital  satellite  work.  Using  our  new  F-Trak  feature  it  can  also  slave  the  uplink  radio  frequency  to  the  downlink  radios  frequency. 
The  Toner  is  compatible  with  most  rrgs  including  Yaesu,  Kenwood,  and  I  com.  ft  controls  your  radio  thru  its  serial  computer  port  (if 
present)  or  through  the  radio's  up/down  mic -click  interface. 

The  BCj"""  City  Tracker  and  Toner  include  custom  serial  interfaces  and  do  not  use  your  computer's  valuable  COMM  pons.  The 
software  runs  in  your  PC's  "spare  time/'  letting  you  run  other  programs  at  the  same  time. 

The  Kansas  City  Tracker  and  Tuner  programs  are  "Terminate-and-Stay-Residenf  programs  that  attach  themselves  to  DOS  and 
disappear.  You  can  run  other  DOS  programs  while  your  antenna  tracks  its  target  and  your  radios  are  tuned  under  computer  control. 
This  unique  feature  is  especially  useful  for  digital  satellite  work:  a  communications  program  like  PRQCOMM  can  be  run  while  the  PC 
aims  your  antennas  and  tunes  your  radios  in  its  spare  time  Status  pop-up  windows  allow  the  user  to  review  and  change  current  and 
upcoming  radio  and  antenna  parameters.  The  KC  Tracker  is  compatible  with  DOS  2  00  or  higher  and  will  run  under  DESQ-VIEW, 


Satellite  and  EME  Work 

The  Kansas  City  Tracker  and  Kansas  City  Toner  are  fully 
compatible  with  AM  SATs  QUIKTRAK  (3.2)  and  with  Silicon 
Solution's  GRAFTRAK  (2.0).  These  programs  can  be  used  to  load 
the  Kansas  City  Tracker's  tables  with  more  than  50  satellite 
passes.  We  also  supply  assembled  &  tested  TAPR  PSK  modems 
with,  cases  and  1 1 0v  power  supplies, 

DXf  Contests,  and  Nets 

Working  DX  or  contests  and  need  three  hands?  Use  the  Kansas 
City  Tracker  pop -up  to  work  your  antenna  rotor  for  you.  The 
Kansas  City  Tracker  is  compatible  with  all  DX  logging 
programs  A  special  callsign  aiming  program  is  included  for 
working  nets. 

Pac ket  BBS 

The  Kansas  City  Tracker  comes  complete  with  special  control 
programs  that  allow  the  packet  BBS  user  or  control-op  to  perform 
automated  antenna  aiming  over  an  hour,  a  day,  or  a  week.  Your 
BBS  or  packet  station  can  be  programmed  to  automatically  solicit 
mail  from  remote  packet  sites 

Vision-Impaired  Hams 

The  Kansas  City  Tracker  has  a  special  morse-code  sender 
section  that  wilt  announce  the  rotor  position  and  status  auto- 
matically or  on  request  The  speed  and  spacing  of  the  code  are 
adjustable. 


The  Kansas  City  Tracker  and  Toner  packages  include  the 
PC  interlace  card,  interface  connector,  software  diskette,  and 
instructions  Each  Kansas  City  unit  carries  a  one  year  warranty. 

•  KC  Tracker  package  for  the  Yaesu/Kenpro 
5400A  5600A  controller    . , 

•  Interface  cable  for  Yaesu/Kenpro 
5400A/5600A    


4      fr     *     *     «      # 


KC  Tracker  package  with  Rotor  Interface  Option 
(to  connect  to  ANY  rotors)  


I       »      I       I       I       I       t      *      *      4 


$199 


KC  Tuner  (must  be  purchased  with  KC  Tracker)    . , , ,   $  79 


Assembled  &  tested  TAPR  PSK  modem  with  case  fit 
1 1 0v  power  supply    


■   ■    ■   ■ 


AM  SAT  QuikTrak  software 


$219 


S  75 


Visa  and  MasterCard  accepted 

Shipping  and  handling    $5,   $20  for  international  shipments. 

Prices  subject  to  change  without  notrce, 

L  L.  Grace 

Communications  Products 
41  Acadia  Drive  •  Voorhees,  NJ  08043  a  U.S. A 

For  more  info:  Telephone  609-751  -1 01 8 

CompuServe  72677,1 107 


CIRCLE  11  ON  REAPER  SERVICE  CARD 


H 


Number  20  on  your  Feedback  card 


A  MS  A  TS 


Andy  MacAttister  WA5ZIB 
74714  Knightsway 

Drive 
Houston  TX  77083 

A  Great 

Year! 

Wow!  1988  has 
been  the  best  year 
ever  for  the  amateur' 
satellite  program,  Ham- 
sats  have  come  a 


Amateur  Radio  Via  Sateliite 

this  five-and-a-half-year- 
oid  satelfrte  is  for  the 
batteries.  During 
each  period  of  off 
lime,  when  the 
satellite's  panels 
are  pointed  away 
from  the  sun,  the 
batteries  experi- 
ence serious  and 
potentially  damaging 


ischarge.  During  Sep- 
tember, the  beacon  was  occa- 

way  since  [he  sionatly  heard 

,  -  rto        Photo  B,  Mission  patch  from  STS-  , 

launch  of  OS-  sending  mean- 

o  a  m  ■  *  rk«  „ **«        2&:  A merica  s  return  to  space \  .  G  ^  ^ 

CAR  1  in  Decern-  ^  ingless  PSK,  in- 


long 


ber,  1961.  Twenty-seven  years 
ago,  we  had  a  single  small  trans- 
mitter in  space  sending  tlH\iT  in 
code  as  it  circled  the  earth,  until 
atmospheric  drag  took  its  toll  a 
few  short  months  later.  Today  the 
picture  is  much  different. 

For  me,  1988  satellite  activity 
started  a  few  minutes  after  New 
Year's  festivities  had  subsided, 
AM  SAT-OSCAR  10  was  up  and 
running  in  Mode  B  (70  cm  up  and 
2  meters  down)  with  good  access 
to  Europe,  After  a  leisurely  con- 
versation with  G1IMM.  a  check  of 
my  satellite  predictions  showed 
RS-10/1 1  available  with  a  pass  to 
the  west.  WA6TKV  and  N6DGK 
were  both  ready  with  New  Year's 
greetings  for  those  on  RS-11 
Mode  A  (2  meters  up  and  10  me- 
ters down).  Later  that  day,  I 
tracked  more  RS-10Y11  passes 
which  yielded  contacts  all  across 
North  America.  The  UoSAT 
spacecraft,  U-O-9  and  U-O-11, 
were  both  sending  telemetry  and 
messages  at  1200  baud  on  2  me- 
ters. Fuji-OSCAR-12  was  soon  to 
be  available  with  its  digital  packet- 
radio  system  bulletin  board  using 
Mode  J  (2  meters  up  and  70  cm 
down).  Operation  via  the  analog  J 
transponder  continued  for  voice 
communications  Things  were 
looking  good  for  1988.  and  they 
only  got  better. 

Those  Still  With  Us 

OSCARs  9,  10,  11  and  12  are 
still  with  us  as  the  year  comes  to  a 
close.  U-O-9  continues  with  te- 
lemetry and  bulletins.  A-O-10  is 
available  again  for  contacts  as  its 
orientation  of  its  panels  to  the  sun 
improves.  The  loss  of  control  due 
to  onboard  memory  degradation 
has  not  affected  the  Mode  B  tran- 
sponder's performance.  The  only 
concern  among  those  active  on 


dicating  that  complete  discharge 
could  be  causing  system  resets  at 
low  voltage  levels.  As  long  as  the 
batteries  hold  on  without  shorting 
internally,  A-O-10  with  its  high  el- 
liptical orbit  may  provide  many 
more  months*  or  even  years,  of 
service. 

Earlier  this  year,  U-O-11  per- 
formed admirably  during  the 
transpolar  Ski-Trek  operation  in- 
volving a  joint  Canadian  and  Sovi- 
et group  of  skiers.  This  University 
of  Surrey  satellite  is  now  back  to 
its  normal  activities  with  the  digital 
communications  experiment,  ra- 
diation measurements,  and  dig- 
italker  synthesized  voice  trans- 
missions. 

F-O-12  still  suffers  from  its  neg- 
ative power  budget.  The  systems 
require  more  electricity  than  the 
solar  cells  can  provide.  The 
schedule  of  digital  and  analog 
transponder  activity  alternates 
with  recharge  days  to  keep  the 
batteries  up.  The  JARL  (Japan 
Amateur  Radio  League)  has  pro- 
vided satellite  itineraries  as  much 
as  a  month  at  a  time,  though.  This 
has  helped  remove  the  guess- 
work from 
F-O-12  op- 
eration. It 
is  no  longer 
necessary 
to  listen  for 
a  pass  in 
hopes  of 
finding  an 
active  tran- 
sponder, 
A  M  S  A  T 
North 
America 
forwards 
the  sched- 
ule updates 
every  week 
via  HF  and 


sateliite  nets,  and  also  publishes 
them  in  Amateur  Satellite  Report, 
the  bi-weekly  newsletter  for  mem- 
bers. 

RS-10/1 1  seems  to  be  stuck. 
For  1988  there  has  been  no  RS-10 
operation,  and  Mode  T  (15  meters 
up  and  2  meters  down)  has  not 
been  heard  via  either  unit.  For  the 
year,  we  have  had  Modes  A  and  K 
(15  meters  up  and  10  meters 
down)  via  RS-11,  Mode  A  has 
been  active  continuously,  while  K 
can  be  used  on  weekdays.  Uplink 
sensitivity  is  still  excellent  and 
downlink  signals  are  strong.  The 
auto-transpondert  ROBOT,  has 
been  calling  CO  on  29.452  MHz 
every  day.  Many  stations  have  re- 
ceived QSLs  for  ROBOT  con- 
tacts. Unfortunately,  they  are  old 
RS-5/RS-7  cards  with  RS-10  or 
RS-11  handwritten  over  the  old 
sateliite  names. 

AO-13  Settles  In 

On  June  t5th,  A-O-1 3  joined  the 
club  of  active  hamsats.  After  sev- 
eral months  of  great  contactsH  sys- 
tem tests  and  flawless  ground 
control,  the  verdict  is  m.  This  is  the 
satellite  for  which  we've  been 
waiting.  With  A-O-10  still  perform- 
ing well  when  properly  illuminat- 
ed, we  now  have  two  Phase  3  type 
(high-orbit  and  long-life)  satellites. 

Thousands  of  stations  are  set 
up  for  Modes  8  and  J.  A  few  hun- 
dred are  on  Mode  L  (23  cm  up  and 
70  cm  down),  and  a  few  dozen 
have  been  on  the  air  via  Mode  S 
(70  cm  up  and  13  cm  down), 

During  September,  tests  were 
run  on  the  Mode  S  transponder, 
The  beacon  frequency  was  quite 
different  from  previous  announce- 
ments and  charts,  but  the  tran- 
sponder limits  were  close.  The  av- 
erage Mode  S  station  has  2  kW 
effective  radiated  power  for  the  70 
cm  uplink  and  a  five-foot  dish  with 
a  GaAsFET  preamplifier  for  the  1 3 
cm  downlink,  Due  to  the  highly 


directional  helix  antenna  on  the 
satellite  for  the  13  cm  downlink, 
you  can  only  operate  Mode  S 
when  the  satellite's  antennas  are 
aimed  directly  at  the  earth.  Short 
stretches  of  S  activity  have  been 
scheduled  in  the  middle  of  Mode  L 
periods,  another  mode  with  highly 
directional  characteristics. 

Now  that  the  satellite's  circuitry 
has  stabilized,  accurate  frequen- 
cy lists  have  been  made.  Bob 
N5LCO  composed  Table  1  using 
data  from  AMSAT-NA  and  Bill  Mc- 
Caa  K0RZ.  Bill  was  the  designer 
and  project  manager  of  the  Mode 
S  system. 

Shuttle  Activity 

Amateur  satellite  enthusiasts 
around  the  world  closely  followed 
the  launch,  in-orbit  activities,  and 
the  landing  of  STS-26.  The  mis- 
sion did  not  carry  any  amateur  ra- 
dio equipment,  but  it  represented 
a  return  to  space  for  America  and 
the  potential  return  of  ham-in- 
space  activities  on  future  shuttle 
flights. 

Most  hams  recall  the  2  meter 
activities  of  Dr.  Owen  Garriott 


Photo  A.  RS-11  "re-made"  QSL 
card^ 


OSCAR  MODE-J  FILTERS 


PREVENT  DESENSE  OF  YOUR  DOWN-LINK  RECEIVER 


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Rx 

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(usually  sufficient) 
LL.@145MHz 

Loss  ®  435  MHz 


$5500 

0.5dB 
40dBmm 


PSf432 

(for  extra  protection) 
LL.  @  435  MHz 
Loss  @  1 45  MHz 


$95.00 

0, 1  dB 
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Send  75c  (3  stamps)  far  detailed  specs  on  all  VHF  &  UHF  products.  Shipping  FOB  Concord.  MA 

PRICES  SUBJECT  TO  CHANGE  WITHOUT  PRIOR  NOTICE 

SPECTRUM  INTERNATIONAL  INC.  (508)263-2145 

P.O.  Box  10845,  Concord,  MA  01742,  USA 


CIRCLE  183  ON  READER  SERVICE  CARD 


73  Amateur  Radto  •  December,  1988    65 


W5LFL  on  STS-9  in  December, 
1963.  Signals  from  Owen's  HT 
and  window-mounted  antenna  on 
145.55  MHz  were  excellent.  Ten 
years  of  planning  had  finally  paid 
off.  Earlier  requests  to  place  a 
ham  rig  on  Skylab  had  been 
turned  down. 

During  the  summer  of  1985,  Dr. 
Tony  England  W&ORE  on  board 
the  Challenger  provided  many 
scheduled  voice  contacts  and  ex- 
cellent SSTV  (slow  scan  televi- 
sion) transmissions  from  space. 
Even  though  there  was  little  time 
for  making  casual  contacts,  the 
TV  system  was  activated  much  of 
the  mission, 

tn  late  autumn  1985,  Spacelab 
mission  D1  took  two  German  ama- 
teurs and  one  Dutch  ham  to  low* 
earth  orbit  on  board  the  Columbia. 
Using  the  callsign  DPOSL,  this  op- 
eration used  70  cm  as  an  uplink 
with  2  meters  as  the  downlink.  A 
CD  message  in  Morse  Code  (F2 
transmission)  could  be  heard  on  2 
meters  when  the  system  was  not 
used  for  voice  communications. 
Listeners  could  then  call  on  70  cm 
(FM  voice)  in  hopes  of  being  heard 
by  the  DP0SL  receiver  and  re- 
corded on  tape. 

Columbia  again  played  host  to 
an  amateur  radio  project  in  early 
January  1987.  MARCE.  the  Mar* 


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AMSA  T  OSCAR-13  Phase  3C  operating  modes  and  frequencies. 

shall  Amateur  Radio  Club  Experi-  erT  data  from  the  alloy  solidifica- 
ment,  flew  in  a  Get  Away  Special  tion  experiment,  the  plant  physio[- 
canister.  Using  a  voice  syntheslz-      ogy  experiment,  and  the  crystal 


growth  experiment,  flowed  to 
ground  stations  on  70  cm.  The 
transmission  frequency  was  set  to 
match  the  uplink  band  of  AO-10, 
allowing  linking  of  the  transmis- 
sions through  the  satellite  for 
those  not  able  to  monitor  the  sig- 
nals from  the  pay  load  bay  directly, 
Dr.  Ron  Parise  WA4SIR  will 
continue  in  the  tradition  of  the  pre- 
vious amateur  activities  with 
SAREX-2  (Shuttle  Amateur  Radio 
Experiment  number  2).  In  addition 
to  voice  contacts,  Ron  will  have  a 
packet  radio  system.  It  will  be  acti- 
vated continuously  to  allow  auto- 
matic contacts  to  be  logged  dur- 
ing times  when  the  station  is  not 
manned.  The  ROM  (Read-Only 
memory)  software  has  been  in  a 
TNC  (terminal  node  controller) 
and  on  the  air  from  the  Johnson 
Space  Center  with  the  callsign 
W5RRR. 

Ron's  mission  was  originally 
scheduled  for  March  1 986.  Now  it 
is  planned  for  March  1990  Other 
opportunities  to  ffy  the  SAREX-2 
equipment  may  come  before 
then,  but  at  least  ham-in-space 
activity  is  on  the  NASA  manifest. 
Till  then  we  have  four  micro- 
satst  RS-12/13,  JAS-1B,  and  two 
UoSATs  waiting  for  their  trips  to 
space.  While  1988  was  great,  '89 
may  be  better  yet. 


MAGGIORE  ELECTRONIC  LAB. 


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ADO  ONS  ARE  AVAILABLE  FROM  THE  COMPANY  AND  ARE  COMPLETE  INCLUDING  INSTRUCTIONS. 


600  Westtown  Rd. 


MAGGIORE  ELECTRONIC  LAB. 
West  Chester,  PA  1 9382         Phone  (21 5)  436-6051 


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G6     73  Amateur  Radio  *  December,  1988 


ORCLE 47  OM  RfADEft  SERVICE  CARD 


Letters 


Number  21  on  your  Feedback  card 


From  the  Hamshack 


73  Worldwide 

As  usual.  73  has  always  pro- 
vided interesting  articles  and 
information.  However,  the  days 
are  gone  when  the  magazine 
could  be  considered  an  "Ameri- 
can" magazine.  With  its  primary 
and  secondary  readership  world- 
wide, the  editorial  slant  ought 
to  lay  greater  emphasis  on  the 
needs  of  hams  worldwide. 

J,  Srinivasan  VU2 JX 
Bangalore,  India 

Thanks  very  much  for  your  kind 
comments  on  the  magazine!  73 
has  always  made  a  serious  effort 
to  stay  in  tune  with  hams  world- 
wide. What  other  magazine 
devotes  a  monthly  3-4  page 
column  to  international  ham  af- 
fairs? This  represents  a  minimum 
of  7-6%  of  our  editorial  material 
each  month.  (Foreign  subscrip- 
tions are  only  5%  of  the  total)  if 
you  are  interested  in  becoming 
our  Indian  correspondent  for  "73 
international,"  contact  Richard 
Phenix  here  at  73  HQ  . . .  de 
NStB. 

No  Code 

Rere visited 

I  wish  to  express  my  appre- 
ciation for  the  useful  data  I  have 
gleaned  from  73.  I  have  only 
been  reading  it  for  one  year,  but 
I  have  already  learned  from 
your  antenna  articles  how  to  get 
our  mobile-to-base  range  up  to 
about  30  miles  on  a  good 
morning. 

While  I'm  on-line,  Til  put  in  a 
plug  for  a  code-free  VHF/UHF 
license.  Some  of  us  radio  devo- 
tees have  a  good  deal  more  to  do 
than  memorize  things  which  we 
will  use  so  seldom  that  we  forget. 
This  is  a  busy  time  in  human 
history,  I  expect  that  there  are  a 
lot  of  us  out  here  who  could 
make  a  bit  of  time  for  vox  hamp 
but  who  decline  to  (as  we  see  it) 
waste  the  time  to  memorize,  then 
forget,  a  language  which  is  ar- 
cane and  becomes  increasingly 
archaic. 

If  radio  is  looking  to  the  youth,  it 
will  have  to  offer  them  a  twenty- 
first  century— not  19th  century- 
mode  of  operation. 

JR.Mainfort 
Farmville  VA 


Thanks 

to  the  Maritime  Net 

I  am  currently  serving  with  the 
US  Navy  in  the  Persian  Gulf  area. 
I  would  like  to  personally  thank 
Fred  W3WZU  and  Dick  WB1 BYN 
on  the  Maritime  Mobile  Wet. 

Once  I  was  licensed  as  a  ham, 
J  have  met  quite  a  few  extraordi- 
nary people  who  take  their  free 
time  seriously  to  help  out  others  in 
need.  I  was  tasked  to  get  priority 
cafls  through  involving  deaths, 
illnesses,  and  Easter  greet- 
ings. With  no  phone  for  57  days 
straight,  people  look  for  alterna- 
tives. 

Thanks  to  all  the  net  members 
on  14.313. 

Bill  Poulin  KA4WWG/MM3 
USS  San  Jose 


Try  1601 

Which  BS  is  Bill  W4TAL  refer- 
ring to  when  he  says,  "Sure 
don't  care  for  the  BS  that  clutters 
up  the  low  bands . . .  sure  enjoyed 


the  days  when  you  could  get  into  a 
good  technical  conversation  with 
another  amateur?"  Sure  hope  he 
isn't  referring  to  ME! 

One  reason  I  like  160  meters  is 
that  there  IS  plenty  of  technical 
conversation,  and  very  few  short 
rubber  stamp  QSOs> 

Listen  on  about  1 823  kHz  any 
morning  before  work.  There  are 
some  W4  stations  talking  com- 
puter technology  EVERY  DAY. 
Fascinating  to  listen  to.  And  every 
evening  there  are  a  couple  of 
hours  of  conversation  about 
packet,  AMTOR,  and  antennas, 
on  about  1865  or  so  by  a  group 
of  7s. 

And  Wayne — Newfoundland 

was  not  an  independent  country  in 

1959.  The  province  joined  the 

Confederation  on  March  31 ,  1949, 

Bob  Eldridge  VE7BS 

Pemberton  BC 


191  Hz  or  1  Meg? 

I  have  to  take  issue  with  Mr. 
Hotine's  claim  that  a  narrow  fre- 
quency spectrum  is  occupied  by 
his  method  of  phase  modulation  in 
which  short  pulses  are  used  to 
phase  modulate  a  carrier  using  a 
small  deviation.  The  phase  modu- 
lated signal  can  be  expressed  as: 
s(t)  =  A(cos[wt  + 


where  A  is  the  amplitude  of  the 
signal,  wis  the  carrier  frequency 
in  radians/sec,  and  m(t)  is  the 
time-varying  modulating  signal. 

Using  a  trigonometric  identity, 
the  equation  can  be  written: 

$(t)  =  A(cos[wt}co$[m(t)}  - 

sJn{wt}$in[m(t)}). 

If  the  amplitude  of  m(t)  is  small 
(less  than  0.1  radians),  the  equa- 
tion can  be  approximated: 
s(t)  *  A(cos(wt)  -  m(t)sin(m(t)Q 
since  sin[m(t}}  m  m(t)  and 
cos[m(t)j  *  1  if  m(t)  is  small 

The  equation  shows  a  carrier 
component,  cos(wt),  and  a  double 
sideband  component,  m(t)sin{m(t)} ', 

This  second  term  determines 
the  bandwidth  of  the  signal.  The 
modulating  signal  m(t)  is  the  su- 
perposition of  the  narrow  pulse 
trains  shown  in  Mr.  Holme's  artt* 
cle  (Fig.  16  and  1D),  with  one  of 
the  waveforms  inverted,  since  one 
causes  a  leading  phase  angle  and 
the  other  a  lagging  phase  angle. 

The  bandwidth  of  a  pulse  train 
such  as  this  is  well  known  and  will 
in  fact  be  inversely  proportional  to 
the  pulse  width,  t  vsec  in  this 
case.  Therefore,  the  bandwidth  of 
one  sideband  will  be  approximate- 
ly 1  MHz,  far  greater  than  the  191 
Hz  that  Mr.  Hotine  calculated 

DanMulally  WltC 
Rapid  City  SD 


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CIRCLE  309  ON  READER  SERVICE  CARD 


73  Amateur  Radio  *  December,  1968    67 


Number  22  on  your  Feedback  card 


73  Review 


by  Jozef  Hand-Boniakowski  WB2MIC 


Full  Duplex  in 
a  Hand-held 

The  ICOM  32A  T  Dual-Band  HT 


ICOM  America,  Inc. 

2380  116th  Ave.,  N.E. 

Bellevue,  WA  98004 

206-454-761 9 

Price  $629 


The  32AT,  ICOMS's  entry  into  the  dual- 
band  HT  field,  is  a  little  beauty  about  the 
size  of  the  02AT.  It  is  one  of  the  slickest  FM 
phone  radios  of  any  type  that  I  have  had  the 
pleasure  to  use,  and  I've  used  many  HTs  and 
portable  2  meter  ham  gear  over  the  years, 
beginning  in  1967  with  the  Varitronics  HT2. 

Less  rounded  in  appearance  than  the  02AT, 
the  32AT  weighs  590  grams  with  the  stock 
BP-70  battery,  510  grams  with  the  BP-3,  and 
545  grams  with  the  BP-4.  The  BP-4  pack  is 
just  a  shell  for  two  AA-size  NiCds.  With  the 
BP-70,  overall  metric  dimensions  are  65mm  x 
160.5mm  x35mm, 

Feature  Packed 

It  takes  a  bit  of  reading  to  become  familiar 
with  the  32ATfs  features.  Relying  heavily  on 
surface-mount  technology,  this  dynamo 
sports  20  independent  memories.  Similar  to 

68     73  Amateur  Radio  *  December,  1988 


the02AT,  you  can  program  each  memory  with 
its  own  input  and  output  frequency,  PL  tone, 
offset,  and  any  frequency  scan  lockout.  Each 
memory  therefore  has  two  stages.  When  not 
used,  they  serve  as  additional  memory 
channels.  If  you  programmed  only  simplex 
frequencies  into  memory,  40  channels  would 
be  available.  In  addition  to  the  stock  memo- 
ries, there  are  two  VFOst  one  each  for  VHF 
and  UHF,  a  priority  frequency  and  two  call 
frequencies,  which  again  are  one  VHF  and 
one  UHF. 

You  can  program  quick  frequency  and 
memory  selection  through  the  keyboard  or  the 
main  tuning  dial,  a  welcome  addition.  For  met 
this  was  more  memory,  power,  and  flexibility 
than  I  could  possibly  use,  The  right  hand 
column  of  the  touch-tone  pad  has  the  A,  B,  C, 
and  D  keys.  Used  in  conjunction  with  the 
function  key  located  on  the  left  side  of  the 
radio,  they  perform  Clear-Scan-Stop/Transfer 
memory  frequency  into  VFO,  Memory  Read/ 
Write,  and  VHF/UHF  Split  operation  and  Call 
functions. 

Full-Duplex  Operation 

The  most  amazing  feature  of  the  above  is 
the  Split  function,  It  allows  a  memory  to  retain 
a  TX  frequency  in  VHF,  and  an  RX  frequency 
in  UHF  and  vice-versa,  AND  allows  full-duplex 
operation.  That  is,  you  can  wear  a  headset 
and  talk  one  on  band  while  listening  on  the 
other,  simultaneously— just  like  using  a  tele- 
phone !  This  is  a  great  feature  for  public 
service  communications,  such  as  directing 
traffic,  coordinating  hamfest  activities  and 
bike-a-thons,  andT  of  course ;  checking  re- 
peater links-  Imagine  full-duplex  in  an  HT!  The 
possibilities  are  astounding,  including  dual- 
band,  full-duplex  packet  operation,  and 
digipeating! 

A  word  of  caution:  When  operating  full- 
duplex,  your  frequency  on  UHF  receive  must 
not  be  the  third  multiple  of  the  VHF  TX 
frequency.  The  third  harmonic  would  be 
picked  up,  and  you'd  receive  howling 
feedback. 

Also,  you  cannot  use  the  optional 
HS-10  headset.  However;  I  can't  see  why 
a  headset  cannot  be  rewired  or  home- 
brewed for  separate  TX  and  RX  audio 
lines.  OK,  ICOM,  when  will  that  accessory 


be  available? 

Scanning  Capabilities 

The  32AT  comes  equipped  with  scanning 
capabilities.  You  can  set  it  to  do  a  fulf  band 
scan,  a  programmed  band  scan  with  user- 
defined  top  and  bottom  limits,  a  memory  scan 
of  both  bands,  or  a  selected  band  memory 
scan  and  priority  watch.  You  can  do  the  full 
band  scan  within  one  band  only.  In  the 
memory  scan  mode,  use  the  SKIP  function  to 
eliminate  any  memory  frequency  from  being 
checked.  SKIP  functions  with  all  of  the  20 
memory  channels.  It  comes  in  handy  when 
you  need  to  put  non-amateur  frequencies  into 
memory  for  occasional  recall. 

For  example,  I  programmed  162.550  and 
162.450  MHz  into  my  32AT  for  listening  to 
NOAA  weather  information  from  Albany, 
New  York,  and  Burlington,  Vermont,  with  the 
SKIP  function  enabled  for  both  frequencies. 
When  I  want  to  scan  the  2  meter  band, 
these  are  skipped  over,  thus  preventing 
NOAA's  24-hour  transmission  from  tocking  up 
the  radio. 

You  can  set  the  32AT  to  temporarily  stop  for 
a  few  seconds  on  every  active  frequency,  then 
continue.  This  allows  a  quick  listen  to  busy 
repeater  frequencies,  and  comes  in  handy 
when  you're  listening  for  a  friend  and  you're 
uncertain  about  which  repeater  he  or  she  will 
show  upon. 

Programming  the  32AT 

You  can  activate  many  combinations  of 
scan  and  watch  operations:  VFO  and  memory 
channels,  VFO  and  call  channel,  VFO  and 
another  band,  and  of  course,  all  of  the  above 
with  the  priority  channel. 

With  such  complexity,  you  may  be  over- 
whelmed  by  the  programming  requirements. 
However,  there  is  a  SET  mode,  accessed  by 
depressing  the  FUNCTION  button  along  with 
the  ,J5fr  key,  which  makes  programming  con- 
venient. Then  you  can  use  the  main  tuning 
knob  to  set  subaudible  tone  frequencies, 
offset  frequencies,  tuning  steps  (the  rate  of 
frequency  change  when  using  the  mai  n  tuning 
knob  or  the  UP  and  DOWN  keys),  scan  edges, 
and  whether  you  want  the  power  saver  on 
or  off. 

Continued  on  page  70 


o 


TECH  TALK  from  ICOM 


ICOIVL 


Limelight  Views  of  the  IC-781 


ICOMs  incomparable  IC-781  HF transceiver 
is  truly  creating  widespread  excitement  in  the 
amateur  radio  world  and  requests  for 
additional  plain  language  details  continue  filling 
the  ICOM  company  mailbag,  Thank  you! 
Responding  to  your  inquiries,  this  Tech  Talk  will 
overview  some  of  the  IC-781  's  most  noticeable 
front  panel  operating  attractions.  Future  Tech 
TaJks  will  detve  further  into  special  features  and 
circuit  designs  of  this  pacesetting  transceiver, 

So  what's  behind  ail  the  initial  view  bioohs  and 
afths"  of  the  IC-781?  In  addition  to  its  numerous 
front  panel  controls  and  its  five-inch  multi-function 
CRT  is  a  complete  station  control  and  monitor 
center  with  tremendous  flexibility.  Despite  its 
sophisticated  and  futuristic  appearance,  however, 
the  IC-781  is  surprisingly  easy  to  operate.  Its 
special  features  are  simply  'called  into  useM  as 
you  desire, 

The  CRTs  top  section  always  displays  your 
present  operating  frequency  [in  bold  numbers) 
plus  the  selected  mode,  filters,  RIT/XIT  offset  and 
VFO  or  memory  operation.  The  alternate  VFOs 
data  is  displayed  below  that  bold/ in  use  infor- 
mation. Although  not  readily  apparent  in  ad 
photos,  VFO  A  and  VFO  B  plus  any  selected 
memory  can  also  be  set  to  different  bands!  A 
highlighted  block  in  the  CRTs  lower  right  area 
also  indicates  local  or  world  time  right  on  the 
screen! 

An  impressively  advanced  concept  of  fre- 
quency selection  and  control  is  included  in  the 
IC-781  Initially  pressing  VFO  A  and  rotating  the 
main  tunrng  knob  selects  frequencies  in  the  usual 
way.  Rotating  that  knob  after  pressing  VFO  B, 
however,  lets  you  select  standby  operating 
frequencies  on  the  alternate  VFO  while  continuing 
an  on-the-air  QSO  wrth  the  operating  VFO!  You 
can  also  change  band  and  or  modes  on  VFO 
B  or  load  informaton  into  any  memory  without 
disrupting  an  ongoing  QSO!  In  other  words,  the 
VFO  A  and  B  buttons  electronically  shift  only  the 
main  tuning  applications,  Totally  unique!  There's 
more!  Press  the  CHANGE  button  and  operating/ 
standby  VFO  content  swap  positions.  You  can 
shift  between  VFOs  and  bands  for  rapid-fire 


DX'ing  in  a  genuine  contest-winning  manner. 

When  split-frequency  DX'ing,  alternately 
working  two  DX  pile-ups  or  lining  up  sequential 
contest  QSO's,  both  VFO's  contents  can  be 
received  simultaneously.  This  dual  receive 
function  is  activated  by  pressing  the  DUAL 
WATCH  button  then  adjusting  the  front  panel's 
BALANCE  control  for  a  comfortable  VFO  A/B 
blend  A  single  speaker  is  used  for  this  simul- 
taneous dual  reception,  and  the  previously 
mentioned  VFO  A  or  VFO  B  buttons  select  which 
VFO  is  tuned  via  the  main  knob.  Simultaneous 
dual  receive  within  the  same  mode  on  different 
bands  like  VFO  A  on  20  meters  and  VFO  B  on 
15  meters  is  also  a  snap;  however,  greatest 
sensitivity  always  coincides  with  the  operating 
VFO/bofd  numbered  CRT  display. 

The  panoramic  display  indicates  all  received 
signals  within  a  horizontally-marked  range  of  50, 
100  or  200kHz  as  selected  by  Y  keys  in  the 
CRT's  escutcheon.  The  IC-781  's  present  oper- 
ating frequency  always  appears  in  the  spectrum 
display's  center  with  lower  frequencies  to  the  left 
and  higher  frequencies  to  the  right  of  that  point 
Horizontal  marks  indicate  relative  signal  strengths, 
and  background  noise  appears  as  "grass"  along 
the  bottom  edge.  It  also  reads  your  instantaneous 
signal  level  during  transmissions. 

On-the-air  activities  and  DX  pile-ups  are  easily 
detectable  at  a  glance,  and  they  shi  position 
according  to  frequency  selections  on  the  main 
tuning  knob,  Visualize  combining  this  superti 
asset  with  the  DUAL  WATCH  and  you,  too,  will 


echo  the  slogan  "ONLY  WITH  AN  ICOM!" 

Pressing  the  CRT  estuteheoiVs  "F6"  key 
changes  its  screen's  lower  area  to  indicate  memory 
contents.  Consequently,  pressing  the  "F1 "  key  and 
rotating  the  main  tuning  knob  scrolls  Memory  1 
through  99  for  reviewing  their  contents-  Additionally, 
pressing  the  VFO  MEMO  button  switches  fre- 
quency control  from  VFO  to  the  cursor-indicated 
memory. 

An  electronic  notepad  for  memory  use  can  also 
be  called  up  for  use  by  pressing  the  "F5"  button. 
Personal  memos  can  thus  be  included  in  selected 
memories  by  selecting  letters  via  the  main  knob 
with  one  hand  while  pressing  the  T2M  (Write)  button 
with  the  other  hand. 

The  previous  functions,  incidentally,  can  even 
be  performed  while  you  are  in  QSO  or  not  selecting 
frequencies  wrth  tie  main  knob.  Visualize  the 
versatility  and  convenience  of  this  feature  for  noting 
schedules  or  net  operations:  you  enter  ail  details 
in  memory  and  even  program  the  IC-781  to  switch 
on  and  remind  you  of  DX  activities! 

Another  press  of  the  LIF6M  key  changes  the 
CRT's  lower  screen  area  into  video  display  of 
printed  modes  like  RTTY  or  PACKET.  An  external 
Tils  RS-232  video  data  is  connected  to  the 
IC-781  *s  rear  input  T"  keys  select  compatible 
operating  parameters,  and  you  enjoy  ultra-deluxe 
video  readouts  on  the  C-781  's  screen! 

The  IC-781  ps  innovative  features  and  designs 
trufy  reflect  ICOMs  dedication  to  excellence:  a 
proud  tradition  that  is  built  into  every  (COM  unl 
Tune  in  wrth  COM  and  join  the  winning  team! 


ICOMS  NEW  IC-761  "The  future  of  amateur  communications. " 

CIRCLE  84  ON  READER  SERVICE  CARD 


ICOM  America.  Inc..  23B0-116m  Ave,  NjE,  8e»evue,  WA  98004  Customer  Service  Hotline  (206)  454*7619 

3150  Premier  Drive,  Suite  126.  Irving,  TX  75063  1 1777  Phoenix  Parkway,  Surte  201,  Atlanta,  GA  30349 

ICOM  CANADA,  A  Diwsw  of  ICOM  America,  Inc.  3071  -  »&  Road,  Unit  9,  Richmond,  B.C.  V6X  2T4  Canada 

AM  staled  specifications  are  approximate  and  subject  to  change  wthoul  notice  or  obbgalion.  AJI  ICOM  ratios  s*gnrficantiy  exceed  FCC  legutafeans  iimtt:ng  spunous  emissions  TT4B8. 


(COM  continued  from  p.  68 

Changes  in  offset  frequency  come  in  handy 
when  you're  using  repeaters  with  non- 
standard splits.  The  standard  offsets  are  600 
kHz  on  VHF,  and  5  MHz  on  UHF,  There  are  38 
different  tone  encoder  frequencies. 

Coverage 

The  general  coverage  of  the  32AT  (USA 
model),  guaranteed  by  ICOM  to  meet  the  man- 
ufacturer's specifications,  is  144-148  MHz 
and  440-450  MHz,  Within  these  frequencies, 
the  double  conversion  superheterodyne  re- 
ceiver boasts  a  sensitivity  of  less  than  0.25  pV 
for  12  dB  SINAD  and  a  squelch  threshold  of 
less  than  0.158  uV.  The  RX  audio  is  greater 
than  400  mW  at  10%  distortion  with  an  8  ohm 
load.  Compared  to  the  2AT  and  Q2AT,  the 
32AT  RX  audio  is  more  than  adequate,  and  in 
fact,  a  big  improvement.  The  IF  frequencies 
are  30.875  MHz  and  455  kHz.  The  operational 
range  of  the  32AT  receiver  is  138-174  MHz 
and  440-450  MHz.  For  the  transmitter,  it  is 
1 40-1 50  M  Hz  and  440-450  M  Hz, 

There  are  five  versions  of  the  32AT.  They 
are  the  USA,  Italian,  Spanish,  Australian, 
Southeast  Asian,  and  European  versions.  The 
main  differences  are  in  the  frequency  cover- 
age, while  minor  differences  involve  tone 
burst  operation.  In  non-USA  versions,  cover- 
age  includes  430-440  MHz.  This  leads  me  to 
suspect  that  as  with  the  02ATt  a  minor 
component  removal  or  change  is  all  that  is 
necessary  to  extend  the  range  of  the  USA 
version.  Within  the  guaranteed  range,  the 
transmitter  puts  out  a  clean  signal  with  +/•-  5 
kHz  deviation.  This  swing  is  derived  from  a 
variable  reactance  frequency  modulator. 

LCD  Display 

The  function  display  is  large  and  easily 
readable .  The  LCD  is  sidelit  with  2  green  LEDs 
from  left  and  right.  The  light  button  is  just 
below  the  PTT.  Once  depressed,  it  gives  five 
seconds  of  illumination  if  the  main  tuning  knob 
or  keyboard  is  not  touched. 

The  function  display  includes  frequency 
readout,  "TS"  indicator  in  SET  mode  (more 
on  this  later),  "M"  in  memory  mode,  "C*1  in 
CALL  CHANNEL  mode  with  the  appropriate 
numbers  1-20,  l'DUP"  or'-OUP"  indicating 
appropriate  frequency  split,  "SPT"  on  full- 
duplex  operation,  J'PROG"  during  pro- 
grammed scan  operation,  "PRIOM  in  priority 
watch  mode,  "T"  for  activated  tone  encoder, 
"SQL"  with  optional  pocketbeep  UT-40,  "T 
SQL*'  with  optional  tone  squelch  without 
pocketbeep,  "SKIP"  for  skip  a  frequency 
during  memory  scan,  "TO"  for  setting  the 
subaudibletone,  btOW"  while  writing  an  offset 
frequency,  and  "L"  when  the  keyboard  is 
locked.  Finally,  there  is  a  large  S/RF  bar  graph 
meter. 

Versatility 

The  UT-40  transforms  the  32AT  into  a 
pager.  If  the  transmitting  station's  PL  tone  is 
the  same  as  the  tone  set  on  the  32AT,  and  if 
the  pocketbeep  function  is  enabled,  beep 
tones  are  emitted  for  30  seconds,  and  the 
"SQL"  and  "(((.)))"  displays  on  the  HTs  large 
LCD  screen  begin  to  flash,  Within  30  seconds, 

70     73  Amateur  Radio  •  December,  1988 


press  the  CLEAR  key  ("A"  on  the  touch-tone 
pad),  or  the  PTT  will  cause  the  32AT  to  select 
the  tone  squelch  function  and  audio  from  the 
transmitting  station.  It  is  checked  for  PL  tone, 
and,  if  it  matches,  audio  comes  through  the 
speaker. 

There  is,  however,  a  MONITOR  button 
located  just  above  the  PTT  and  FUNCTION 
buttons  which  will  disable  pocketbeep  opera- 
tion and  automatically  break  the  squelch  for 
frequency  spot  checks.  MONITOR  also  works 
during  casual  listening,  when  you  do  not  wish 
to  break  the  squelch  with  the  squelch  knob. 

Features  at  the  top  include  a  BNC  antenna 
connector,  external  RX/TX  audio  and  PTT, 
a13.2  V  DC  Jack,  volume  control,  a  tuning 
knob  for  the  dual  VFOs,  ON/OFF  and  volume 
control,  squelch,  and  HI/LOW  power. 

In  a  previous  product  review  of  the  u2AT,  I 
complained  about  how  easily  the  ON/OFF 


n 


.  this  dynamo  sports 
20  independent 


memories. 


ft 


knob  can  be  accidentally  and  unknowingly  set 
to  ON,  killing  the  battery.  On  the  32AT,  [COM 
has  placed  the  squelch  control  on  the  top  far 
left  of  the  radio  with  the  ON/OFF  switch  in  the 
middle,  thus  eliminating  this  possibility.  The 
32AT  ON/OFF  switch  is  also  more  secure  with 
a  positive  click, 

Battery  and  Accessory  Compatibility 

The  32AT  comes  with  the  BP-70  battery, 
which  provides  5.5  watts  output  VHF,  and  5.0 
watts  output  UHF  in  high  power.  The  low  pow- 
er setting  is  1,0  watts  output  on  both  bands. 
The  BP-70's  capacity  is  270  mAh  at  1 3.2  volts. 
ICOM  made  the  32AT  compatible  with  all  the 
2A/AT  and  02AT  batteries  and  accessories, 
As  a  result,  ICOM  has  not  yet  made  a  single 
full-sized  HT  which  suffers  from  obsoles- 
cence. 

In  anticipation  of  the  32ATs  arrival,  I  had  a 
fully  charged  Periphex  BP-8S  super-battery 
ready  to  go.  The  32AT  easily  played  a  12-15 
hour  day.  The  programmable  power  saver 
function  helps  out  here.  If  there  are  no  incom- 
ing signals,  PTT,  or  keyboard  entries  for  more 
than  30  seconds,  the  32AT  shuts  down,  and 


ICOM  battery  pack  life  chart,  based  on  a 

ratio  of  1:1:8  of  transmit/receive/standby 

operation: 

Pack     Volts 

mA 

VHF  Op 

UHF  Op 

hours 

hours 

BP-2        7,2 

450 

3.7 

3.1 

BP-3        8.4 

270 

1+9 

1.6 

BP-5       10.8 

450 

3,2 

2,4 

BP-7       13.2 

450 

3.4 

2.4 

BP-8         8.4 

800 

5.8 

4.8 

BP-70     13,2 

270 

2.0 

15 

goes  into  listen  mode  briefly  every  few  sec- 
onds. This  feature  saves  10  mA  on  VHF  and 
12mAonUHR 

Also  included  with  the  32AT  are  a  good 
quality  dual-band  rubber  ducky  antenna,  a 
belt  clip  with  mounting  screws  and  washers, 
an  earphonet  rain-proof  cap,  hand  strap  with 
clip,  and  a  BC-16U  wall  charger.  Popular 
accessories  are  available,  such  as  an  external 
speaker/microphone,  headset  (PTT  or  VOX), 
desktop  battery  charger,  and  a  nifty  little 
device  called  the  UT-40  tone  squelch  decoder 
and  "pocketbeep." 

ICOM  makes  a  rounded  speaker/micro- 
phone that  is  very  convenient  to  use  with  the 
2A/AT/02AT  radios.  They  are  now  also  mak- 
ing a  much  smaller,  sleeker  speaker/mike 
called  the  SM46L,  However,  it  has  a  right 
angle  double  connector,  a  miniature  plug  for 
the  RX  audio  and  a  subminiature  for  the  TX 
AUDIO/PTT;  that  bends  right  over  the  13.8  V 
DC  jack  at  the  top  of  the  02AT/32AT.  This 
makes  external  12  VDC  mobile  operation  very 
inconvenient.  If  the  right  angle  were  shifted 
180  degrees,  02AT  owners  would  be  happy, 
but  32AT  owners  would  find  the  cable  jammed 
into  the  antenna. 

The  Culmination  of  High  Tech 

I  bought  my  ICOM  32AT  from  Ham  Radio 
Outlet  in  California  in  early  June,  and  received 
it  in  late  July.  I  knew  that  I  was  buying  a 
new  radio  which  might  be  included  in  the 
"test  market"  category,  but  I  did  not  want 
to  wait. 

Being  very  active  on  packet,  I  quickly  sent 
an  "ALL"  message  inquiring  about  the  32AT. 
Surprisingly,  I  received  a  reply  from  an  old 
friend  in  New  Jersey  who  had  purchased  one 
as  well.  Steve  WA2NHZ  mentioned  that  he 
and  a  few  others  were  having  PLL  problems. 
When  running  the  transmitter  for  three  to  sev- 
en minutes  in  full  duplex,  they  reported  that 
the  synthesizer  would  go  out  of  lock  in  UHF.  I 
tried  to  create  the  problem,  but  could  not, 
Steve's  32AT  had  a  lower  serial  number  than 
mine.  The  serial  number  of  my  unit  is  01267. 

I  can  find  no  operational  problems  with  the 
radio-  In  fact,  I  find  the  32AT  remarkable.  I  am 
thoroughly  satisfied  with  its  operation,  and  I 
have  used  it  daily  in  my  summer  employment 
as  a  painter.  The  backplate/heatsink  of  the 
HT  does  not  heat  up  as  the  02ATs  did.  The 
32AT  is  ruggedly  constructed,  and  its  sections 
and  backplate  are  sealed  with  water-resis- 
tant gaskets. 

My  one  and  only  complaint  is  minor — I  am 
disappointed  with  the  lighting  on  the  LCD 
function  display.  If  ICOM  could  have  provided 
the  back  lighting  of  the  U.2AT  for  the  32AT,  this 
review  would  have  been  flawless. 

WeVe  come  a  long  way  in  twenty  years, 
since  the  Varitronics  HT2.  The  32AT  is  the 
present  culmination  of  high  tech.  With  ICOM 
and  the  IC-781  HF  radio  making  such  a  splash 
with  its  built-in  video  display  screen,  I  wonder 
how  long  it  will  be  before  we  see  a  packet  TNC 
and  LCD  text  screen  inside  HTs?  How  long 
before  a  triband  HT  becomes  available?  The 
prospects  of  a  full-duplex  OSCAR  HT  are 
becoming  more  real.  In  the  meantime,  Tm 
having  a  lot  of  fun  with  a  very  nice  radio. 


Number  23  on  your  Feedback  card 


Mike  Bryce  WBBVGE 
2225  Mayflower  NW 
Massiifon,  OH  44646 

To  maximize  the  use  of  solar 
energy,  we  need  some  means  of 
storing  it  for  use  during  cloudy 
days.  Recall  in  physics  the  law  of 
the  conservation  of  energy;  You 
cannot  create  or  destroy  energy, 
only  change  it.  In  this  case,  kinetic 
solar  energy  converts  to  potential 
energy,  to  be  stored  and  later  con* 
verted  back  to  kinetic  energy  at 
wriL  The  best  container  of  this  erv- 
ergy  in  its  potential  form  is  the 
lead-acid  battery. 

Good  or  PbandH.SO, 

Even  in  today's  technology,  the 
composition  of  a  lead-acid  battery 
remains  basically  the  same:  lead 
and  acid,  A  lead-acid  battery  is 
typically  constructed  of  lead  or 
lead- alloy  plates  immersed  in  a 
sulfuric  acidfwater  solution.  This 
solution  is  called  the  electrolyte. 
Lead-acid  batteries  store  and  re- 
lease electricity  by  a  process 
know  as  an  electrochemical  reac- 
tion, which  involves  a  series  of 
chemical  changes  within  the  bat- 
tery and  the  flow  of  electrons. 

What  happens  when  we  dis- 
charge a  lead-acid  battery?  When 
a  battery  is  connected  to  an  exter- 
nal load  (e.g.  a  rig),  current  flows 
through  the  load  and  the  battery 
starts  to  discharge.  The  lead  diox- 
ide, PbO?,  in  the  positive  plate  is  a 
compound  of  lead,  Pb,  (sometime 
called  "sponge  lead")  and  oxy- 
gen, 02.  Sulfuric  acid,  the  elec- 
trolyte, is  a  compound  of  hydro- 
gen, H:,  and  the  sulfate  radical, 
SOv.  As  the  battery  discharges, 
lead  combines  with  the  sulfate, 
SO*,  found  in  the  electrolyte, 
forming  lead  sulfate,  PbSO,,  on 
the  positive  plate.  Oxygen,  O,  in 
the  active  material  of  the  positive 
plate  combines  with  the  hydro- 
gen, H?,  from  the  sulfuric  acid  to 
form  water,  H,Q,  which  reduces 
the  concentration  of  acid  in  the 
electrolyte.  A  similar  reaction  is 
occurring  at  the  negative  plate  at 
the  same  time.  Lead,  Pb,  of  the 
negative  active  material  com* 
bines  with  sulfate,  S04(  from  the 
sulfuric  acid  to  form  lead  sulfate, 
PbS04,  on  the  negative  plate.  As 
the  load  remains  (e,gf  as  we  con- 
tinue the  use  the  rig),  the  dis- 
charging progresses,  the  newly 
formed  water  continues  to  difute 


Low  Power  Operation 

the  sulfuric  acid  in  the  electrolyte, 
lowering  its  specific  gravity.  (You 
can  measure  the  specific  gravity 
with  a  hydrometer  to  accurately 
and  conveniently  determine  the 
battery  state-of-charge.)  The  ac- 
tive material  of  both  plates  slowly 
changes  to  lead  sulfate,  PbSOj, 
The  plates  become  more  alike 
and  the  acid  becomes  weaker. 
Therefore,  the  terminal  voltage 
lowers,  since  this  is  a  function  of 
the  difference  between  the  two 
plate  materials  and  the  concentra- 
tion of  the  electrolyte.  Keep  using 
the  rig,  and  you  eventually  reach  a 
point  when  the  battery  can  no 
longer  deliver  electricity  at  a  use- 
ful voltage. 

About  Face 

Using  electricity  from  the  photo- 
voltaic array*  we  start  the  charge 


faster  you  discharge  the  battery, 
the  less  capacity  you'll  receive. 
Battery  capacity  is  also  a  function 
of  size,  construction,  tempera- 
ture,  and  concentration  of  elec- 
trolytes and  plate  construction. 

Temperature  has  a  direct  effect 
on  the  capacity  of  a  battery;  the 
lower  the  temperature,  the  lower 
the  amount  of  capacity  available 
for  use.  A  battery  rated  at  100% 
available  capacity  at  80°  F  is  rated 
at  105%  at  85°F.  The  same  bat- 
tery is  rated  at  90%  efficient  at 
60 °F.  Long  periods  of  higher- 
than-normal  temperatures,  how- 
ever, decrease  battery  life.  Warm 
temperatures  will  also  cause 
the  battery  to  overcharge.  The  op- 
posite happens  m  colder  months. 

Battery  cycle  life  depends  on 
the  depth  of  discharge.  An  80% 
discharge  (to  a  20%  state-of- 
charge  )  is  considered  deep.  Best 
battery  cycle  life  occurs  at  dis- 
charge depths  of  60-70%  of  total 
capacity. 

There  are^of  course  other  fac- 
tors that  affect  battery  perform- 


"Battery  capacity  is  directly 
related  to  the  rate  of  discharge. 


9f 


cycle.  When  we  apply  current  to 
the  battery,  we  simply  get  the  re- 
verse of  the  above  reaction.  This 
causes  the  specific  gravity  of  the 
battery  to  raise  as  acid  forms,  re- 
placing the  water  in  the  elec- 
trolyte. 

A  battery  gives  off  gas  as  it 
charges;  hydrogen  from  the  nega- 
tive plate,  and  oxygen  from  the 
positive  plate.  These  gases  result 
from  the  decomposition  of  water, 
H20,  Heavy  gassing  can  be 
caused  by  several  conditions; 
overcharging,  cold  electrolyte, 
and  old  age.  Since  these  gasses 
can  combine  violently,  causing  an 
explosion,  make  sure  to  properly 
vent  your  batteries.  II  your  batter- 
ies are  contained  in  an  enclosure, 
make  sure  thereTs  plenty  of  con- 
vective  air  movements  such  that 
air  moves  from  the  bottom  of  the 
containment  to  the  top,  then  out. 

Batteries  are  rated  on  the  basis 
of  capacity  (in  ampere  hour,  Ah, 
capacity)  and  life  cycle  (the  num- 
ber of  times  a  battery  can  be  dis- 
charged before  failing).  Capacity 
is  directly  related  to  discharge 
rate.  For  example,  a  battery  rated 
at  100  amperes  over  20  hours  can 
deliver  5  amperes  for  20  hours. 
The  same  battery  will  only  deliver 
70  amperes,  however,  if  it  is  dis- 
charged within  five  hours.  The 


ance.  Charging  procedure  is  one. 
For  example,  if  a  battery  is  never 
allowed  to  be  charged  over  its 
float  voltage,  two  problems  can 
occur.  First,  the  electrolyte  may 
stratify.  The  acid,  being  heavier 
than  water,  concentrates  on  the 
bottom,  resulting  in  poor  perfor- 
mance and  increased  suscepti- 
bility to  freezing,  Second,  in  a 
battery  bank  that  has  several  bat- 
teries connected  in  series,  one  or 
more  batteries  may  lose  its  capac- 
ity before  the  rest.  This  reduces 
the  entire  battery  bank  per- 
formance. 

Car  Vs,  Deep-Cycle  Batteries 

Let's  look  at  deep-cycle  vs. 
starter  batteries,  A  deep-cycle 
battery  supplies  a  relatively  low 
amount  of  current  for  a  long  dura- 
tion. Car  batteries  can  supply  a 
great  deal  of  current  for  short  peri- 
ods, and  run  down  and  recharge 
repeatedly  with  a  minimum  loss  of 
capacity.  **lf  you  want  to  run 
something,  you  select  a  deep-cy- 
cle battery;  if  you  want  to  start 
something,  get  a  car  battery," 

Now  for  a  harder  look  at  deep- 
cycle  batteries.  Deep-cycle  lead- 
acid  batteries  are  constructed 
with  several  different  types  of 
plate  and  grid  compositions,  de- 
pending on  use.  The  pure  lead 


battery  typically  has  a  very  long 
life,  25  years  or  more.  This  is  the 
most  common  type  used  by  the 
phone  company  today  to  provide 
back-up  power. 

The  second  type  of  deep-cycle 
battery  is  the  lead  antimony.  Lead 
antimony  batteries  have  2.5-4% 
antimony  on  their  positive  pfates. 
They  are  the  most  common  type 
of  deep-cycle  battery  on  the  mar^ 
ket.  These  batteries  are  designed 
to  tolerate  a  deep  discharge  and 
have  very  good  charge/discharge 
cycling  capabilities.  The  antimony 
is,  however,  a  real  poison  to  the 
batteries.  The  lead  antimony  bat- 
tery often  requires  an  overvoltage 
charge  during  the  charge  cycle  to 
assure  that  all  of  the  batteries  in 
the  bank  recharge  to  the  same 
level.  This  is  called  equalizing  the 
batteries.  The  lead  antimony  bat- 
tery has  a  much  higher  seff-dis- 
charge  rate.  As  the  battery  ages, 
the  self-discharge  rate  increases. 
The  battery  will  also  produce 
more  gassing  than  others.  Even 
with  all  this  going  against  the  lead- 
antimony  battery,  it's  a  solid  per- 
former! 

The  lead-calcium  battery,  as 
the  name  implies,  contains  lead 
afloyed  with  calcium.  The  lead- 
calcium  batteries,  which  have 
about  the  same  output  and  Ah  rat- 
ing as  the  lead-antimony  batter* 
ies.  usually  do  not  require  an 
equalizing  charge,  and  they  are 
less  prone  to  self-discharge,  typi- 
cally less  than  1  to  4%  per  month 
at  room  temperatures.  They 
also  produce  less  gassing  when 
charged. 

They  have  several  disadvan- 
tages, however.  Principally,  they 
are  limited  in  the  number  of  deep 
discharges.  Further,  lead-calcium 
batteries  are  "maintenance  freef' 
batteries  and  are  most  often 
sealed.  This  stops  you  from  taking 
the  preferred  specific  gravity 
readings  with  a  hydrometer  Final- 
ly, they  are  expensive. 

The  jury  is  still  out  on  which  type 
to  use  in  a  stand-alone  PV  system, 
I  opt  for  the  fead-antimony  units. 
For  ease  of  maintenance,  others 
prefer  the  lead-calcium  batteries. 

Look  to  next  month's  column 
for  a  continuing  discussion  of  bat- 
teries. 

Before  1  Go  -  .  . 

Im  on  the  lookout  for  more 
mods  for  the  for  the  Heath  HW 
series  of  radios:  the  HW-7,  H  W-B, 
and  the  new  HW-9,  I'll  be  re- 
printing the  HW-6  Handbook 
sometime  in  early  1989*  In  clos- 
ing, when  you  turn  it  on,  turn  if 
down! 


7$  Amateur  Radio  *  December,  1988    71 


Ask 


Number 24  on  your  Feedback  card 


KABOOM 


Michael  Jay  Geter  KB  1 UM 

7  Simpson  Court 

So.  Burlington,  VT  05403 

Welcome  to  "Ask  Kaboom.'T 
This  column  will  dispense  advice 
regarding  the  adjustment  and  re- 
pai r  of  your  rigs,  with  emphasis  on 
modern  solid-state  gear.  Many 
problems  can  be  fixed  right  in  your 
shack,  saving  you  time  and  mon- 
ey, and  fulfilling  a  basic  purpose 
of  amateur  radio:  the  mainte- 
nance and  advancement  of  tech- 
nical skills.  Besides,  doesn't  it  feel 
great  to  use  the  old  noodle  instead 
of  the  old  wallet? 

Have  you  ever  noticed  when  lis- 
tening to  a  SSB  QSO  on  HF  that 
no  two  stations  seem  to  be  on  the 
same  frequency?  They  always  ap- 
pear to  be  30  or  40  Hz  offset  from 
each  other.  It's  especially  frustrat- 
ing in  roundtable  situations;  you 
have  to  twiddle  your  RfT  constant- 
ly. In  the  analog  days,  that  was 
understandable,  because  VFGs 
weren't  all  that  stable,  and  dials 
were  neither  accurate  nor  precise, 
In  addition,  many  rigs  had  internal 
controls  to  set  the  transmitter  and 
receiver  to  the  same  frequency, 
and  these  settings  drifted  over 
time. 

With  today's  frequency-synthe- 
sized rigs,  there  is  just  no  excuse 
for  being  more  than  a  few  Hz  off 
frequency  at  any  time,  YetT  many 
stations  continue  to  have  this 
problem,  due  to  a  simple  lack  of 
calibration.  In  my  experience, 
Japanese  gear  is  often  badly 
aligned  at  the  factory!  The  prob- 
lem is  compounded  by  the  fact 
that  the  crystal  whtch  serve  as 
the  reference  for  the  frequency 
synthesizer,  drift,  both  with  aging 
and  temperature.  So  you  can't 
assume  that,  just  because  you 
have  a  digital-synthesized  radio,  it 
is  dead  on  frequency. 

Invariably,  there  Is  a  trimmer 
capacitor  in  the  master  reference 
oscillator  which  you  can  set  to  cor- 
rect the  error.  In  some  rigs,  like 
the  Kenwood  TS-94QS,  it  can  be 
accessed  from  the  outside.  In  oth- 
ers, you  will  have  to  remove  the 
covers  to  get  at  it.  The  big  problem 
with  thfs  adjustment  is  that  the 
manufacturers'  instructions,  if 
there  are  any  at  all,  are  so  confus- 
ing that  most  folks  can't  tefl  when 
the  rig  is  correctly  adjusted. 

Here  is  a  simple  method  that 
will  get  you  right  on  the  money, 


The  Tech  Answer  Man 

with  absolutely  no  test  equipment, 
it  is  done  best  with  a  plastic  tool 
(such  as  one  found  in  Radio 
Shack's  TV  tool  setf  catalog  num- 
ber 64-2220,  which  sells  for 
$2.99),  but  can  even  be  done  with 
a  small  screwdriver,  as  long  as  it 
has  a  plastic  handle. 

First,  let  the  radio  warm  up  for  a 
good  half-hour.  While  the  rig 
cooks,  get  the  owner's  manual 
and  find  out  where  the  master  ref- 
erence adjustment  Is,  If  there's  no 
mention  in  the  book,  then  look  at 
the  schematic  and  try  to  find  it. 
Failing  that,  call  up  a  ham  store  or 
the  manufacturer  and  ask.  The 
phone  call  is  a  lot  cheaper  than 
the  shipping  charges. 

If  you  have  to  remove  the  cov- 
ers, do  so  now,  after  disconnect- 
ing power  and  antenna  from  the 
rig,  Find  the  adjustment  and  then 
reconnect  the  power  and  antenna 
and  let  the  rig  warm  up  for  a  few 
more  minutes.  Now  comes  the 
secret;  tune  in  WWV  on  5,  10,  or 
15  MHz.  If  20  meters  is  open,  15 
MHz  is  probably  your  best  bet,  but 
any  of  them  wi  II  do.  If  you  have  1 0 
Hz  readout  on  your  display,  be 
sure  the  last  two  digits  are  set  to 
"OO."  If  you  only  have  100  Hz 
readout,  then  you  can't  know  pre- 
cisely where  you  are,  and  can 
make  things  worse  by  adjusting 
the  frequency  to  "15.000.00" 
when  the  rig  is  really  set  to 
^15.000,07."  There  is,  however, 
an  easy  way  out  of  this  mess.  The 
mikes  that  come  with  nearly  alt 
digital  rigs  have  "up"  and 
"down"  buttons.  Set  the  rig  to 
"14,999.9"  and  then  click  the 
"up"  button  repeatedly  until  the 
display  changes  to  "1 5.000.0. " 
Now  you  are  really  set  to 
"15.000.00"  and  ready  to  go. 

You  must  wait  until  WWV  is 
sending  tones,  rather  than  clicks. 
Place  the  rig  in  USB  and  listen  to 
the  tone.  Now  switch  to  LSB,  If  the 
pitch  of  the  tone  stays  exactly  the 
same,  then  your  rig  is  dead  on 
frequency.  If  it  changes,  then  you 
must  adjust  your  trimmer,  If  you 
are  really  tone-deaf,  get  someone 
else  to  listen  for  you.  (A  note  to 
JCOM  owners:  Many  of  their  rigs 
shift  the  frequency  display  when 
you  change  from  USB  to  LSB.  It  is 
tedious,  but  you  will  have  to  go 
through  the  whole  mike  clicking 
thing  to  reset  the  display  every 
time  you  switch  modes.) 

Slowly  turn  the  trimmer  just  a 


little  bit.  Now,  switch  modes 
again.  If  the  difference  in  pitch 
gets  worse,  then  you  turned  it  the 
wrong  way.  Go  the  other  way  and 
try  again.  Keep  adjusting  (slowly!) 
and  changing  modes  until  the 
tones  are  exactly  the  same  pitch, 
Your  rig  is  now  precisely  on  fre- 
quency. 

If  you  are  using  a  metallic  tool, 
you  may  find  that  the  frequency 
shifts  a  little  when  you  remove  the 
tool  from  the  trimmer.  In  that  case, 
pull  the  tool  away  before  checking 
the  tones.  This  makes  things 
harder,  but  the  results  will  be  the 
same.  Be  careful  not  to  short  any- 
thing with  the  metal  in  the  tool! 

When  youTre  satisfied  with  the 
adjustment,  shut  off  the  rig,  dis- 
connect the  power  and  antenna 
and  close  it  all  up.  Voila!— no 
more  complaints  of  "you're  too 
high.OM." 

As  the  radio  ages,  it  may  shift 
frequency  slightly,  you  should  do 
this  procedure  again  if  you  are  as 
picky  as  I  am.  I  touch  up  my  '940 
about  every  six  months, 

Oh  yeah,  one  caveat,  there  are 
other  crystal  oscillators  (besides 
the  master  one  we  have  just  ad- 
justed) and  they,  too,  can  drift  off. 
If  the  rig  seems  REALLY  far  off, 
and  one  sideband  sounds  MUCH 
more  muffled  than  the  other,  your 
radio  may  need  more  alignment 
than  this,  and  probably  should  be 
seen  by  the  service  shop. 

Now  that  we're  all  on  frequen- 
cy, let's  look  at  some  letters. 

Dear  Kaboom, 

I  wired  up  a  favorite  mike  for  my 
Kenwood  TS-440.  if  works,  but  t 
get  terrible  RF  feedback.  This 
doesn't  happen  when  I  use  the 
stock  mike.  What  gives? 

Signed, 
Whattdldo 

DearWhattd  I  do. 

When  wiring  the  mike,  you  may 
have  noticed  that  there  were  two 
grounds  on  the  connector.  Yes, 
they  both  go  to  the  radio's  ground, 
but  there  is  an  important  differ- 
ence between  them.  Pin  7,  the 
'mike  gnd,"  goes  directly  to  the 
mike  preamp  circuit,  and  is  the 
internal  cable's  shield.  Pin  8,  the 
"stby  (standby)  gnd/'  is  the  rig's 
general  ground.  It  is  done  this  way 
to  avoid  RF  ground  loops,  which 
can  cause  the  feedback  problem 
you  have.  The  shield  on  the  mike 
cable  should  go  to  pin  7  and  the 
PTT  switch's  ground  to  pin  8. 
Even  if  you  have  wired  them  sepa- 
rately, you  may  find  that  they  are 
connected  inside  the  mike!  Open 
it  up  and  separate  them, 


DearKaboom, 

I  use  a  20-amp  DC  supply  with 
an  ICOM  IC-28A  mobile  rig  for  a 
base  station.  Sometimes,  there's 
a  hum  on  my  transmitted  signal 
and  other  times,  it's  not  there. 
Tests  of  the  supply  show  no  ripple 
at  the  output.  Where  the  heck  is 
that  hum  coming  from? 

Signed, 
Hummin'  Away 

Dear  Hummin1  Away, 

Sounds  like  RF  is  getting  into 
the  DC  leads  coming  out  of  the 
supply.  Check  your  antenna  SWR 
and  also  make  sure  your  antenna 
is  not  real  close  to  the  rig  or  sup- 
ply. Never  plop  a  mobile  antenna 
on  top  of  the  supply,  The  RF  is 
high  enough  in  frequency  to  get 
past  the  filter  caps  and  into  the 
regulator,  where  It  can  mix  with 
AC  hum  in  mysterious  ways  and 
cause  trouble.  Try  putting  a  .01  uF 
cap  across  the  DC  lines  right  at 
the  supply.  Also,  keep  the  DC 
cord  short,  or  try  coiling  it  or  wrap- 
ping it  through  a  large  toroid.  Fi- 
nally, try  the  same  toroid  trick  for 
the  AC  cord. 

Dear  Kaboom, 

My  Yaesu  FT-757GX  has  been 
in  for  repair  twice  now.  Each  time, 
the  FM  quit  and  then  the  whofe  rig 
wouldn't  TXorRX.  Nowt  it's  doing 
it  again.  What  should  I  do? 

Signed, 
Love  it  but  Hate  it 

Dear  Love  it  but  Hate  it, 

This  is  a  common  problem  in 
"757s  which  were  made  two  to 
three  years  ago.  The  cause  is  bad 
switching  diodes.  The  radio  uses 
lots  of  diodes,  rather  than  a  relay, 
to  switch  between  TX  and  RX.  It's 
a  good  idea,  but  there  was  a  ru  n  of 
bad  diodes  a  few  years  back.  They 
get  leaky  and  allow  voltage  to  the 
wrong  circuits  at  the  wrong  times, 
causing  the  radio  to  try  to  TX  and 
RX  at  the  same  time!  Thfe  result  is 
a  blown  transistor  in  the  FM 
squelch  circuit  and  a  dead-acting 
rig.  Sometimes,  some  tiny  coils  al- 
so get  blown.  This  is  a  compact  rig 
and  not  easy  to  work  on.  Also, 
they  are  special  low-noise  diodes 
and  should  be  replaced  with  the 
same  type.  Unless  you're  really 
skilled,  youYe  better  off  sending 
this  one  to  Yaesu. 

Finis 

That's  it  for  this  month,  Next 
month's  topic:  Troubleshooting, 
the  art  of  finding  what  does  work, 
not  what  doesn't! 


72     73  Amateur  Radio  *  December,  1988 


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73  Amateur  Radio  •  December,  1988    73 


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Telephone:  (407)  683-9587 


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74     73  Amateur  Radio  *  December,  1988 


Number  25  on  your  Feedback  card 


BOVE  AND  BEYOND 


Pete  Putman  KT2B 
3353  Fiefdstone  Drive 
Doyfestown,  PA  1S901 

NY  and  Ontario 

Grid-peditioning 

I  don't  know  how  these  things 
get  started ,  . ,  Sometimes  you  get 
an  inspiration,  sometimes  just  a 
cockeyed  notion.  Like  trying  to 
combine  a  long  weekend  with 
some  grid-hopping.  Like  driving 
almost  1 000  miles  in  4  days  via  the 
"scenic  route"  for  the  privilege 
of  standing  in  a  downpour  with  60 
pounds  of  equipment  on  your 
back.  Or  running  back  and  forth 
through  Canadian  and  US  Cus- 
toms via  inconvenient  ferry  trips 
to  work  a  couple  of  stations  on 
903  MHz. 

This  was  to  be  nothing  more 
than  a  short  jaunt  up  through  New 
York  state  to  the  St,  Lawrence 
River,  where  I'd  board  a  ferry- 
boat to  Wolfe  island.  Ontario. 
Once  there,  Id  spend  a  leisure- 
ly weekend  helping  my  family 
close  up  their  summer  home  for 
the  season.  .  get  a  little  swim- 
ming and  boating  in. ,  maybe  a 
little  fishing.  ,  .maybe  throw 
some  903  gear  in  the  car  and  try 
operating  from  the  back  yard . .  . 
no,  make  that  the  ferry  slip  at  the 
southern  end  of  the  island.  .  . 
better  take  some  1296  gear  along 
as  well .  .  .  maybe  even  something 
for  2304  not  to  mention  a  2  me- 
ter liaison  station, 

WeN,  things  got  quickly  out  of 
hand  (as  usual)  and  I  found  myself 
speeding  north  on  the  Pennsylva- 
nia Turnpike  on  Thursday  morn- 
ing. August  25  with  the  Honda 
completely  stuffed  to  the  gtlls  with 


VHFand  UHF  Operation 

camping  and  radio  gear  Three 
loop  yagis  and  15  feet  of  antenna 
mast  were  fastened  to  the  roof 
carrier,  and  I  left  behind  more  than 
a  few  very  interested  operators 
who  would  attempt  to  contact  me 
in  three  different  grids  over  the 
weekend* 

I  had  decided  to  spend  that 
evening  at  my  aunt's  house  in 
Goose  Bay.  NY,  ,  Just  a  few 
miles  northeast  of  the  dividing  line 
between  grids  FN  14  and  FN24, 
Both  are  fairly  quiet  on  the  mi- 
crowave bands,  with  most  opera- 
tion limited  to  grid-peditions.  The 
plan  was  to  drive  to  a  suitable  high 
spot  after  dinner  and  activate 
FN24  for  a  few  hours  on  903, 
1296,  and  2304,  using  144.150 
MHz  as  a  coordinating  frequency, 

To  that  end.  I  packed  the  Yaesu 
FT-290R  and  a  Microwave  Mod- 
ules MML-200S  amplifier  along 
with  a  Tonna  nine  element 
portable  yagi  to  make  sure  I'd  be 
heard,  The  Yaesu  also  served  as 
the  IF  stage  for  the  microwave 
equipment:  An  SSB  LT-33S  run- 
ning barefoot  with  20  watts  on 
903.100;  SSB  LT-23S  and 
DownEast  Microwave  2335PA 
running  30  watts  on  1296.100, 
and  a  homebrew  transmitter/re- 
ceive converter  running  eight 
watts  concocted  by  Ron  Whitsel 
WA3AXV.  The  antennas  were 
half-sized  loopers  designed  by  Bill 
Olson  W3HQT,  with  19  elements 
on  903r  and  25  elements  on  1296, 
Only  the  2304  looper  was  full- 
sized  at  45  elements. 

The  forecast  caHed  for  clear 
skies  and  no  precipitation  through 
the  weekend,  so  (of  course)  a 
good-sized  thunderstorm  showed 


up  about  6  PM  Thursday  and 
washed  out  my  carefully-laid 
plans.  A  quick  call  to  Dave 
Hackford  N3CX  allowed  me  to 
re-schedure  for  early  Friday  morn- 
ing, and  I  spent  the  better  part 
of  the  evening  assembling  the 
stacking  frame  for  the  yagis  as 
well  as  packing  the  car. 

Station  Setup 

After  dragging  myself  out  of  bed 
at  5  AM.  the  three  stations  were 
wired  up  on  the  passenger  seat.  A 
terminal  strip  was  plugged  into  the 
main  battery  connector  and  I 
brought  out  13.8  VOC  lines  to  the 
twotransverters  and  the  amplifier. 
The  Yaesu  was  fitted  with  the 
YBA-8  battery  case,  allowing  a 
maximum  of  three  watts  output — 
suitable  to  drive  the  transverters 
or  the  MML  amplifier  to  150  watts 
output.  An  interconnected  se- 
quencing box  made  sure  all  the 
relays  fired  at  the  right  lime.  The 
only  trouble  was  keying  it  with  a 
footswrtch  held  in  my  hand! 

The  entire  station  managed  to 
travel  about  20  miles  down  Route 
26  to  the  small  village  of  Pamelia 
Four  Corners,  NY  without  crash- 
mg  to  the  floor.  .  quite  an 
achievement  in  itself.  After  arriv- 
ing at  the  chosen  location— a 
500+  foot  rise  along  a  lonely  rural 
road— I  set  about  erecting  the 
mast  sections  and  microwave  an* 
tennas  just  in  front  of  the  Honda, 
using  the  bumpers  as  two  of  the 
guy  anchors.  This  was  made  nec- 
essary by  the  soil  adjacent  to  the 
road,  which  was  very  ioose  and 
sandy. 

Despite  all  of  the  time  I  spent 
setting  up  the  night  before,  things 
took  longer  than  expected  and  I 
was  unable  to  get  a  signal  out  on 
two  meters  until  almost  7:15  AM, 
Considering  it  was  a  weekday 
morning  and  I  was  several  hun- 
dred miles  removed  from  my 


target  audience,  I  didn't  expect 
much  activity  on  the  liaison  fre- 
quency. But  lo  and  behold,  there 
was  Dave  Halfiday  KD5RO  in 
Pittstown.  NY  (near  Rochester). 
all  tuned  up  and  ready  to  roll. 
Someone  actually  believed  Td 
make  it  on  the  air. .  .will  wonders 
never  cease? 

Dave's  two  meter  signal  wasn't 
too  encouraging  until  he  men- 
tioned that  hts  hardline  was  full  of 
water.  Seen  in  that  light,  his  signal 
strength  was  amazing!  We  quickly 
QSYed  to  903T  working  a  path 
across  Lake  Ontario  of  about  100 
miles  with  599  reports  either  way. 
Dave  suggested  moving  directly 
to  2304  MHz  to  take  advantage  of 
some  nice  tropo  enhancement 
over  the  lake,  ft  was  a  good  call,  as 
his  13  cm  signals  were  just  as 
strong  as  those  on  903,  hitting  S-9 
on  peaks  and  never  dropping  be- 
low S-3.  Our  1296  QSO  was  anti- 
climactic,  as  we  both  enjoyed 
armchair  copy  (well,  bucket  seat 
copy  for  me). 

Wayne  King  N2WK  was  raised 
at  work  and  got  on  the  air  a  little 
after  9  AM,  when  we  quickly  ex- 
changed reports  on  903  and  1296. 
Were  we  having  fun  yet?  You  bet. 
so  as  you  might  expect  a  squall 
line  quickly  blew  up  over  the  lake 
and  headed  in  my  direction,  with 
40  mph  wind  gusts  straining 
against  the  */*"  diameter  guy 
ropes.  The  2304  attempt  was 
brought  to  a  sudden  halt  when  the 
microwave  array  became  air- 
borne and  landed  ten  feet  away  in 
the  ditch.  So  much  for  FN24. 
SCORE:  five  contacts  on  three 
bands,  four  bent  elements,  and 
one  ruined  piece  of  coax. 

North  Of  The  Border 

After  fussing  with  the  Canadian 
Customs  and  Immigration  service 
and  one  wild  ride  across  the  St. 

Lawrence  on  the  Kingston  ferry T  I 


Photo  A.  The  Honda  Civic1  s  front  seat  set  up  for  903.  1296,  and  2304 
MHz  operation. 


Photo  B  The  portable  antenna  array,  with  19  elements  on  903,  25  on 
1296  and,  45  on  2304.  Lots  of  gain  in  a  small  area. 


73  Amateur  Radio  •  December,  1988    75 


arrived  on  Wolfe  Island  and  imme- 
diately scouted  out  five  potential 
locations  lor  that  evening.  In 
keeping  with  the  general  trend, 
none  proved  suitable.  It  was  the 
ferry  slip  or  nothing! 

The  work  at  the  house  went  fair- 
ly quickly,  so  I  was  able  to  spend 
some  time  repairing  the  loop  yagis 
and  reconfiguring  all  the  equip- 
ment for  Friday  night.  The  two  12 
voft  gell  cells  needed  to  run  the 
2304  station  were  difficult  to  fas- 
ten down.  The  object  was  to  keep 
the  power  run  short,  so  everything 
wound  up  carefully  stacked  and 
balanced  against  the  door  and  the 
seat.  One  sudden  stop  and 
CRASH!!!  No  more  equipment! 

Friday's  blustery  weather  finally 
died  down  about  8  PM,  so  I  bid 
adieu  to  the  clan  and  drove  for 
about  25  minutes  to  the  Cape  Vin- 
cent ferry  slip.  Unlike  the  Kingston 
ferry,  this  service  stops  after  7:30 
PM  and  the  area  is  relatively 
deserted  at  night  (albeit  well-lit). 
Three  huge  tires  served  as  excel- 
lent guy  anchors,  and  within  a 
half-hour  I  was  up  and  running 
again  on  144.150  from  FN14. 

Contact  was  immediately  made 
with  K2SMN  and  K20WR  in  New 
Jersey,  and  I  was  informed  that 
quite  a  few  stations  were  ready  to 
take  a  shot  on  903.  Unfortunately, 
the  excellent  tropo  conditions  of 
Friday  morning  were  nowhere  to 
be  found,  which  I  assume  was  the 
price  paid  to  Mother  Nature  for 
having  such  a  beautifully  calm 
and  clear  night!  Both  N3CX  and 
K2SMN  did  report  hearing  my 
CQs  on  903,  although  I  was  un- 
able to  detect  anything  coming 
back  the  other  way. 

Wayne  IM2WK  was  once  again 
on  with  a  potent  signal,  so  we  ran 
on  903  and  1296  with  Tom  Mott 
W2DRZ  in  Jamestown,  NY 
tailending  both  times.  Wayne's 
big  thrill  came  when  I  finally  heard 
his  2304  signal  after  about  1 5  min- 
utes of  back  and  forth  CQs,  giving 
him  a  new  grid  and  me  a  head- 
ache from  having  the  receiver  vol- 
ume up  all  the  way!  Shortly  there- 
after, KD5RO  popped  up  and  we 
quickly  fired  off  QSOs  on  9035 
1296  and  2304.  .  .again,  arm- 
chair copy  each  time.  After  a  few 
more  tries  with  K2SMN,  I  pulled 
the  plug  on  FN14  at  1  AM. 
SCORE:  ten  contacts  on  four 
bands. 

On  The  Last  Leg(s) 

All  of  the  previous  weather  con- 
ditions did  nothing  to  prepare  me 
for  the  third  and  final  leg  of  the  trip 
up  Cathead  Mountain  in  the  lower 
Adirondacks,  I'd  been  up  there 


during  the  August  ARRL  UHF 
Contest,  operating  432  and  903 
with  splendid  results,  but  this  time 
things  were  going  to  be  a  bit 
rougher. 

I  proceeded  serenely  along  to 
my  tent  site  at  Northampton 
Beach  State  Campground,  as- 
sured by  the  ranger  that  no  rain 
was  in  the  immediate  forecast. 
The  backpack  was  loaded  up  and 
the  antennas  broken  down  for  the 
climb  next  morning.  The  pack  was 
quite  a  bit  heavier  than  I  had 
planned,  tipping  the  scales  at  well 
over  50  pounds!  This  was  largely 
due  to  the  two  gell  cells  which 
made  up  16  pounds  of  the  total 
weight. .  .a  necessary  evil. 

Six  hours  of  driving  and  packing 
made  nodding  off  easy  at  10  PM. 
Thirty  minutes  later,  I  was  jolted 
awake  by  a  tremendous  thunder- 
storm and  torrential  rains.  It 
continued  to  rain  off  and  on  all 
night  long,  and  a  heavy  fog  had 
settled  around  the  campsite  as 
the  alarm  went  off  at  5:30  AM.  It 
didn't  took  any  better  at  the  base 
of  the  trail  an  hour  later.  To  scrub 
or  not  to  scrub. .  .that  was  the 
question.  Well,  the  temperature 
was  comfortable. .  J  had  plenty 
of  bug  repellent  .  everything 
was  packed  up  as  tight  as  possi- 
ble, ,  .what the  heck! 

One  of  the  quaint  features  of  the 
Cathead  trail  is  that  it  does  double 
duty  as  a  stream-bed  after  heavy 
rains.  This  and  the  extra  ten 
pounds  of  stuff  on  my  back  com- 
bined to  extend  the  climb  to  nearly 
one  hour  and  45  minutes,  after 
which  I  reached  the  top  of  the 
mountain  and  was  promptly 
soaked  in  a  downpour.  To  make 
things  worse,  there  are  no  shel- 
tered areas  on  the  mountain  to  op- 
erate from,  so  my  choices  were 
simple:  (1)  Give  up  and  retreat  or 
(2)  Wait  it  out  at  the  ranger  cabin 
1 00  feet  down  from  the  top. 

Option  two  gave  me  a  chance  to 
dry  out  (slightly)  while  looki ng  for  a 
glimmer  of  sunshine.  After  45  min- 
utes without  rain,  the  ranger 
solemnly  informed  me  that  the 
forecast  called  for  thunderstorms 
the  rest  of  the  day.  Weighing  his 
advice  carefully  and  considering 
my  soaked  condition,  I  made  the 
only  logical  decision:  Go  back  up 
to  the  top  and  get  on  the  air  from 
FN23! 

This  was  the  fastest  I've  ever 
set  up  on  a  mountaintop,  with  all 
four  bands  fully  operational  within 
20  minutes.  Although  things  got 
off  nearly  an  hour  late,  the  faithful 
listeners  were  quickly  raised,  and 
I  banged  out  four  1296  contacts 
with  WA2TEO,  N3CX,   K2JWE, 


Photo  C.  Mast  support  plate  and  guy  fines.  The  Honda  makes  a  good 
anchor  point! 


i\ 

f  w 


Photo  D.  Last  year's  modest  setup  will  be  repfaced  by  three  separate 
towers  plus  lots  of  aluminum! 


and  K2SMN.  N2FRB  and 
KA2CKV  in  FN30  were  worked  on 
two  meters  for  their  first  FN23  con- 
tacts. A  sked  with  W3IP  in  Balti- 
more didn't  pan  out  (although  I  did 
hear  his  signals),  so  it  was  back  to 
1296  for  a  QSO  with  Bill  K20WR. 
N3CX  ran  with  me  on  2304  and 
copied  a  little  bit  of  CW,  but  the 
on-and-off  cloud  cover  wasn't 
making  things  any  easier. 

Finally,  KD5RO  showed  up  to 
try  for  the  13  cm  hat  trick.  We 
quickly  made  contact  on  1296 
for  another  new  grid  but  the 
path  looked  pretty  bad,  as  copy 
was  rough  on  both  sides.  No 
armchairs  this  time!  To  make  mat- 
ters worse,  the  batteries  were 
running  down,  causing  instability 
problems  with  the  903  station. 
And — you  guessed  it — thunder 
was  now  heard  to  the  northwest. 
Despite  the  odds,  Dave  and  I 
finally  hooked  up  after  about  ten 
minutes,  giving  him  three  new 


grids  on  2304  in  three  days!  I 
signed  off  with  K2SMN  and 
crammed  everything  into  the 
pack,  making  a  quick  getaway 
down  the  mountain  about  1  PM. 
SCORE:  nine  contacts  on  three 
bands,  two  dead  batteries,  three 
banged  up  loop  yagis,  and  a  nice 
head  cold. 

The  grand  total  for  the  weekend 
was  23  contacts.  Not  quite  as 
many  as  I'd  hoped  for,  but  given 
the  cards  I  had  to  play  with, 
I'll  take'em.  The  cold  will  go 
away  soon,  and  Til  get  over  that 
sore  shoulder  eventually.  The 
loopers  can  easily  be  repaired 
as  can  the  nine  element  Tonna 
for  two  meters,  AH  the  sand  I 
brought  back  in  my  shoes  will 
end  up  in  Ross'  sandbox.  Most 
importantly,  the  memories — good 
and  bad— will  last  a  long  time.  And 
maybe-just  maybe— it'll  be  a  little 
easier  next  time  I  go.  ,  -Above 
and  Beyond, 


76     73  Amateur  Radio  *  December,  1988 


Number  26  on  your  Feedback  card 


Chad  Harris  VP2ML 

POBqx48$1 

Santa  Rosa.  CA  95402 

The4J1FSM-V 
Island  DXpedition 

In  early  July,  1988,  a  team  of 
three  Finnish  and  three  Soviet 
amateurs  operated  4J1FS  from 
the  tiny  island  of  Malyj  Vystoskij. 
in  the  Bay  of  Vyborg-  The  one- 
mile-long  island  lies  about  75 
miles  northwest  of  Leningrad,  and 
only  25  miles  from  the  border  be- 
tween Finland  and  the  Soviet 
Union. 

The  unique  DXpedition  started 
as  the  Finns  drove  their  van,  heav- 
ily laden  with  a  tower,  antenna, 
rig,  amplifier,  generators,  and 
lots  of  gear,  down  the  roadway 
bordering  the  Saimaa  Canal, 
surrounded  by  Soviet  terri- 
tory, to  the  last  lock  of  the  ca- 
nal, on  the  Bay  of  Vyborg,  at 
the  eastern  end  of  the  Gulf  of 
Finland,  John  Ahlbom  OH5NZ. 
Pertii  Turunen  OH2RF,  and  Martti 
Laine  OH2BH  made  up  the 
Finnish  half  of  the  joint  east*west 
DXpedition,  Their  gear  totaled 
800  pounds,  and  included  tables 
and  chairs,  as  well  as  drinking  wa- 
ter, food,  tents,  and  even  a  bag  of 
toilet  paper! 

Off  To  The  Island 

On  July  7,  1966,  the  three 
DXpeditioners  loaded  their  gear 
onto  the  50-foot  motorboat  Veera, 
for  the  short  ride  from  the  lock 
to  Malyj  Vystoskij.  The  boat 
stopped  at  a  Soviet  Coast  Guard 
station  to  pick  up  the  Soviet  half 
of  the  joint  DXpedition:  Enn  Lohk 
UR2AR.  Boris  Stepanov  UW3AX, 
and  Gene  Shulgin  UZ3AU,  The 
bare-chested  Finns  (it  does  get 
hot  in  Finland  in  July!},  showed 
their  papers  to  the  guards  at 
the  Coast  Guard  station,  and 
then  all  six  sailed  the  short  dis- 
tance across  the  bay  to  Malyj  Vys- 
toskij. 

The  crew  quickly  unloaded 
their  gear  and  started  to  set  up  the 
tower,  antenna,  and  gear.  Their 
operating  permission  restricted 
them  to  a  single  rig.  so  they  decid- 
ed to  concentrate  on  20  meters.  A 
40-foot  aluminum  tower  was 
capped  with  a  KLM  KT-34A,  A 
Kenwood  TS-940  and  TL-922  pro- 
vided the  4J1FS  signal.  They 
gassed  and  tested  the  3  fcW  Hon- 


Hams  Around  the  World 

da  generator,  and  all  was  ready 
for  the  opening  gun,  at  local  mid- 
night. 

Operating 

The  gang  concentrated  on 
SSB.  and  made  about  70%  of 
the  total  14t800  QSOs  on  that 
mode.  About  5,000  contacts  were 
made  with  US  amateurs,  and 
another  5t000  with  Europeans 
They  were  even  successful 
in  working  2,500  Japanese  DX- 
ers  over  the  difficult  polar  path. 
Excellent  propagation  prevailed 
for  the  entire  operation,  to  the 
great  pleasure  of  the  DXpedi- 
tioners. 

They  were  allowed  to  operate 
only  for  96  hours.  Jusf  before 
shutting  down,  UW3AX  and 
UZ3AU  carved  a  center  insulator 
of  scrap  wood,  and  improvised 


a  reloading  port  and  storage  fa- 
cilities on  M-V  Island,  but  the 
plans  were  never  carried  out. 
The  civilian  population  of  the  is- 
land left  in  World  War  II,  and  the 
island  has  since  remained  unin- 
habited. 

The  Saimaa  Canal,  and  M-V 
Island,  are  administrated  by  the 
Saimaa  Canal  Authority  (SCA), 
which  is  composed  of  commis- 
sioners appointed  by  both  Fin- 
land and  the  Soviet  Union.  To  get 
permission  to  operate  from  the 
island,  the  DXpedition  team  had 
to  secure  not  only  the  permis- 
sion of  the  SCA  to  land  on  and 
operate  amateur  radio  from  the 
island,  but  also  permission  from 
the  USSR  to  cross  the  interven- 
ing territory,  which  swarms  with 
military  activity.  The  complexi- 
ties of  getting  all  proper  papers, 
and  the  need  for  discussions 
at  the  highest  levels  of  govern- 
ment in  both  the  USSR  and 
Finland,  prevented  easy  access 
to  the  island.  In  fact,  the  Finns 
worked  on  obtaining  such  per* 


"The  gang 

concentrated  on  SSB, 

and  made  about  70  % 

of  the  total  14,800  QSOs 

on  that  mode/' 


a  low-band  antenna  for  a  few 
contacts.  On  July  12,  they  low- 
ered the  tower  and  antenna, 
packed  up  their  gear,  and  took 
the  short  boat  ride  back  to  their 
respective  countries.  The  first- 
ever  joint  east- west  pure  DX- 
pedition drew  to  a  successful 
close. 

History  of  Malyj  Vystoskij 

Malyj  Vystoskij  lies  near 
the  mouth  of  the  Saimaa  Canal. 
The  canal  was  first  constructed 
in  1856  to  provide  access 
for  ocean-going  vessels  to  the 
lake  region  of  southeastern 
Finland,  During  World  War  II, 
the  Soviet  Union  annexed  that 
portion  of  Finland,  incorporating 
the  canal  and  Vyborg  Bay  into 
the  Soviet  Union,  In  1962,  the 
Soviets  agreed  to  lease  back 
to  Finland  that  part  of  the  canal 
that  ran  through  the  now-Soviet 
territory,  Malyj  Vystoskij  Island 
was  part  of  that  50-year  lease. 
The  Finns  intended  to  set  up 


mission  for  about  20  years! 

In  the  1960s,  Finnish  amateurs 
felt  that  the  island  would  qualify 
as  a  new  DXCC  "country"  under 
the  "separation  by  foreign  land" 
provision  in  the  DXCC  country 
criteria.  The  island  is  essentially 
surrounded  by  Soviet  territory, 
and  thus  met  Point  3  of  the  DXCC 
country  criteria  in  1970. 

The  ARRL  Awards  Committee 
agreed  with  the  Finns,  and  then- 
DXCC  administrator  8ob  White 
W1CW  wrote  a  letter  to  the  Finns 
saying  that  the  island  would 
be  added  to  the  DXCC  list  'at 
such  time  as  operation  takes 
place."  There  the  matter  sat  for 
almost  13  years,  until  the  4J1FS 
DXpedition. 

DXCC  Questions 

Will  Malyj  Vystoskij  count  as  a 
new  one  for  DXCC?  The  situation 
has  raised  many  questions,  ques- 
tions that  must  be  answered  be* 
fore  the  DXAC  can  make  a  de- 
cision. 


The  first  question,  and  per- 
haps the  most  basic,  ts  whether 
the  island  can  be  immediately 
added  to  the  DXCC  list  on  the  ba- 
sis of  the  18-year-old  letter  from 
W1CW?  The  Finns  feel  that  they 
have  a  firm  commitment  from  the 
ARRL  that  Malyj  Vystoskij  would 
be  added  to  the  DXCC  list  "at 
such  time  as  operation  takes 
place M  from  the  island.  There  are 
no  conditions  nor  time  limit  im- 
posed. 

The  ARRL  however,  elected  to 
treat  M-V  island  as  a  new  applica- 
tion for  separate  country  status, 
and  referred  the  matter  to  the  DX 
Advisory  Committee  for  evalu- 
ation. 

This  raises  two  more  questions: 
Should  the  application  be  evaluat- 
ed under  the  DXCC  guidelines 
that  prevailed  in  1970  or  should 
the  new  DXCC  rules,  adopted 
by  the  ARRL  Board  in  January, 
1986,  be  used  instead?  If  the 
latter,  does  Malyj  Vystoskij  count 
as  one  of  two  islands,  or  must 
the  more  stringent  75-mile  sepa- 
ration limit  be  used?  (M-V  is  only 
25  miles  from  Finland,  and  would 
not  count  as  a  separate  country 
under  new  Point  3(a).)  So  which 
rule  applies,  continent  land 
mass— Point  3(a),  or  Islands- 
Point  3(b)? 

The  use  of  the  4J1FS  callsign 
confused  many  DXers.  If  Malyj 
Vystoskij  island  is  actually  Finnish 
territory,  why  did  the  DXpedi- 
tioners use  a  Soviet  4J  callsign? 
They  argue  that  the  SCA  does 
not  have  its  own  International 
Telecommunications  Union  (ITU) 
callsign  allocation,  and  thus  any 
callsign  can  be  used,  as  in  the 
case  of  Spratly  or  Abu  Ail.  Discus- 
sions with  the  Russian  Radio 
Sport  Federation  (RSF)  led  to 
the  issuance  of  the  4J1FS  call, 
symbolizing  the  first  joint  Finnish- 
Soviet  DXpedition.  The  RSF  only 
provided  a  distinctive  callsign. 
not  a  license.  SCA  licensed  the 
operation. 

Further  evidence  that  the  island 
is  indeed  under  Finnish  and 
not  Soviet  jurisdiction  is  that 
the  Finnish  members  of  the  team 
did  not  have  Soviet  visas,  normal- 
ly needed  by  Finnish  visitors 
to  Soviet  territory-  Their  passes 
were  issued  by  the  SCAt  not  the 
USSR. 

The  DXAC  has  a  great  many 
questions  to  resolve  over  the  DX- 
CC status  of  Malyj  Vystoskij,  but 
regardless  of  their  determination, 
the  4J1FS  was  a  splendid  exam- 
ple of  east-west  cooperation,  per- 
sistence, and  planning.  Congratu- 
lations to  all  involved! 


73  Amateur  Radio  *  December.  1988    77 


— 


Number  27  on  your  Feedback  card 


73  Review 


by  Larry  L.  Ledlowf  Jr.  NASE 


Barker  and  Williamson 

PT-2500A  HF  Amplifier 

Speak  softly  and  carry  a  big  signal 


P~  art  97  states  that 
amateurs  should 
use  the  minimum 
amount  of  power  nec- 
essary to  carry  on  a 
contact.  Often  it's  10 
watts,  sometimes  100. 
There  are  those  times, 
however,  when  that  ex- 
tra few  tfB  make  all  the 
difference,  especially  in 
contests  and  DX  pile* 
ups.  These  situations 
demand  both  craft  and 
a  solid  kilowatt,  For  the 
latter,  Barker  arid  Wil- 
liamson has  just  the  lin- 
ear you  need:  the  PT-2500A  1 +5  kW  amplifier 

Sensible,  Mature  Design 

In  one  relatively  small,  80-pound  package, 
B&W  has  produced  a  superb  Class  AB2  linear 
amplifier  rated  for  continuous  duty  at  1500 
watts  output.  It  will  run  happily  and  quietly  for 
extended  periods  In  SSBP  AM.  CW.  ATV,  and 
RTTY.  The  PT-2S00A  offers  excellent  per- 
formance for  any  mode  or  style  of  operation. 

The  PT-2500A  uses  two  Eirnac  3-50OZ  zero- 
bias  triodes,  real  tried  and  true  workhorses  in 
many  HF  amp  designs,  In  fact,  the  PT-25QOA 
uses  a  sensible,  mature  design  all  around.  As 
a  Class  AB  linear  amplifier,  it  produces  very 
little  intermodulation  distortion,  -33  dB  ac- 
cording to  the  specifications.  Typical  plate 
efficiency  for  such  an  amplifier  is  60-65  per- 
cent, and  the  PT^2500vs  manual  guarantees  a 
minimum  of  60  percent  on  all  HF  bands.  This 
amplifier  requires  a  100-125  watt  drive  for  full 
output  power.  Most  contemporary  HF  rigs  can 
supply  at  least  100  watts  of  drive. 

Circuit  Superiority  and  Plenty  of  Power 

Each  band  uses  a  separate  pi-network  for 
its  input  circuit.  These  are  superior  to  L-net- 
works,  since  they  attenuate  harmonics  more 
effectively,  and  match  somewhat  greater 
impedance  variations.  Accurate  matching  on 
the  input  is  essential,  especially  using  a  solid- 
state  transceiver  as  a  driver,  Further,  although 

78     73  Amateur  Radio  *  December,  1988 


Barker  and  Williamson 
Bristol  PA  19007 
(215)7&8-5581 
Price:  $21 75 


er  supply  worthy  of  a 
continuous-duty  ampli- 
fier. It  uses  a  main 
transformer  rated  at 
1 300  VA,  a  separate  fil- 
ament transformer,  as 
well  as  ''computer 
grade" '  filter  capacitors. 
Although  B&W  recom- 
mends 230  VAC  prima- 
ry power,  the  unit  will 
run  from  1 1 5  VAC  if  25- 
30  ampere  service  is 
available. 

Assembling 
the  PT-2500A 


two  Eirnac  3-5002s  in  parallel  operating  at  3 
kV  (in  a  grounded-grid  design)  have  an  input 
impedance  just  over  55Q,  circuit  Q  must  be 
maintained. 

The  output  circuit  is  a  pi-L  design  using  a 
235  pF,  6  kV  variable  tuning  capacitor  and  a 
heavy-duty,  silver  plated  7  kV  rotary  inductor, 
which  allows  impedance  matching  over  an 
even  greater  range  than  the  simpler  pi-  and 
L-net  works.  Pi-L  circuits  attenuate  harmonics 
better  than  the  other  networks,  typically  -50 
to  -55  dB  with  circuit  Q  in  the  10-15  range. 
The  PT-2500A  specification  calls  for  50  dB 
minimum  suppression  of  harmonics,  easily 
meeting  FCC  requirements.  (Part  97.73  speci- 
fies no  spurious  emission  shall  exceed  -40 
dB  below  the  fundamental  or  50  mW.  Assum- 
ing a  mean  carrier  power  of  1500  watts,  50 
mW  is  -44.8  d6c.) 

Since  the  PT-2500A  uses  a  grounded-grid 
(cathode-driven)  design,  it  is  well  suited  for  HF 
linear  operations.  Actually,  grounded-grid  am- 
plifiers require  higher  drive  levels  than,  say, 
gnd-driven  circuits.  Also,  the  design  must 
precisely  maintain  circuit  O.  or  waveform  dis- 
tortion occurs.  The  Pi-L  output  circuit  compo- 
nents assure  constant  Q,  and  so  help 
minimize  intermodulation  products. 

A  chain  is  only  as  strong  as  its  weakest 
link,  and  in  many  amplifiers,  the  power  supply 
is  given  less  attention  than  the  rest  of  the 
circuit.  (Slot  so  here.  B&W  has  designed  a  pow- 


When  the  UPS  man  finally  delivers  the  three 
boxes  comprising  the  PT-2500A  main  compo- 
nents, you  won't  spend  the  rest  of  the  week 
fiddling  with  cables  or  soldering.  Unpacking 
and  component  integration  take  an  hour  or 
two,  depending  on  your  familiarity  with  com- 
ponents. Proceed  slowly  and  carefully,  in  any 
case. 

The  3-500Z  tubes,  the  main  chassis,  and 
the  40-pound  power  supply  transformer  are 
packed  and  shipped  separately.  Aside  from 
the  usual  paperwork,  you  get  two  control  ca- 
bles, an  AC  power  cord,  two  tube  chimneys 
and  plate  cap  heat  sinks,  three  extra  fuses, 
and  a  7/1 6"  T- wrench. 

Transformer  installation  is  the  most  tedious 
exercise,  but  requires  only  a  screw  driver  and 
the  T-wrencrv  After  opening  the  main  unit's 
cover,  the  power  supply  filter  bank  is  removed 
(three  screws).  Then  the  transformer  is  care- 
fully positioned  over  three  \k*  threaded 
mounting  studs  that  protrude  upward  from  the 
chassis  bottom.  The  T-wrench  screws  V*" 
nuts  to  the  studs,  thereby  securing  the  trans- 
former in  place,  A  wiring  terminal  block  then 
attaches  to  the  top  of  the  transformer,  and  six 
transformer  primary  leads  and  plate  harness 
leads  are  attached  to  the  block.  Several  other 
leads  and  jumpers  are  connected  before  in- 
stalling the  power  tubes. 

Despite  their  power-handling  ability,  the  3- 
500Zs  are  still  mechanically  fragile.  It's  worth 


the  extra  few  minutes  to  carefully  inspect  each 
tube  and  chimney  for  possible  damage.  A 
magnifying  glass  can  help  highlight  small 
cracks,  (Report  damage  to  the  carrier.) 

The  tubes  drop  relatively  easily  into  place. 
Do  not  twist  the  glass  tube  envelopes!  They 
will  break.  Also,  be  careful  not  to  bend  or 
break  the  base  pins.  Even  moderate  lateral 
force  can  damage  the  tubes,  Assuming  the 
tubes  are  undamaged  at  this  point,  the  glass 
chimneys  mount  concentrically  around  them. 
The  plate  heat  sinks  then  screw  atop  the 
tubes,  and  the  sinks  in  turn  accept  a  screw 
connection  from  the  parasitic  chokes.  Voilai 
An  amplifier  almost  ready  for  action. 


flip  of  the  mam  power  switch,  and  I  got  quite  a 
surprise  when  my  PT-2500A  came  to  life:  It 
was  quiet!  I  could  actually  carry  on  a  whisper- 
ing conversation  without  an  obtrusive  whirring 
from  the  60  cfm  squirrel  cage  fan.  GRM  on  the 
band  is  bad  enough,  but  hours  into  a  contest  I 
have  found  myself  hating  unnecessary  noise 
in  the  shack.  What  a  nice  surprise,  indeed,  to 
find  the  PT-2500A  MUCH  quieter  than  the  old 
Alpha  340  I  had  come  to  despise. 

The  second  moment  of  truth  comes  with  the 
application  of  RF  to  the  input  for  initial  tune* 
up,  No  problem  here,  and  tune-up  is  very  sim- 
ple. Fortunately,  the  PT-2500A  does  not 
require  a  warm-up  period.  The  green  operate 


"The  first  moment 

of  truth  is  always  the  initial  flip 

of  the  main  power  switch,  and  /  got 

quite  a  surprise  when  my  PT-250QA 

came  to  life .  .  .  " 


Don't  even  think  about  plugging  in  the  AC 
power  cord  until  the  cover  is  secure  again. 
The  PT-2500A  has  micros  witches  closed  by 
proper  cover  seating,  and  only  then  will  main 
power  be  available.  Good  safety  practice, 
however,  insists  on  no  AC  connections  until 
the  cover  is  screwed  back  on.  Remember,  this 
1$  a  high-voltage  device,  not  a  solid-state 
transceiver  with  CMOS  circuitry  and  TTL 
voltage  levels.  Treat  the  amplifier  with  the  ut- 
most respect  and  with  safety  in  mind. 

After  the  RF  input,  connect  the  antenna  re- 
lay (key  down)  and  ALC  cables  between  your 
transceiver  and  the  amplifier,  and  attach  a 
properly  resonant  antenna  (SWR  less  than 
2:1,  and  preferably  less  than  1 .5:1)  or  a  dum- 
my load  to  the  BF  output  connector.  Use  the 
latter  while  becoming  famifiar  with  control  set- 
tings and  tuning, 

Dream  Shack  Operation 

The  controls  and  meters  are  surprisingly 
simple  to  understand,  and  the  instruction 
manual  clearly  explains  each  function. 
Review  the  manual  BEFORE  turning  the  pow- 
er on. 

The  large  vernier  knobs  on  the  amp's  left 
face  control  load  and  tune  settings  for  adjust* 
ing  the  output  impedance  to  the  load,  and 
tuning  the  variable  RF  capacitor,  respectively. 
The  scales  are  0-1 00 1  which  make  accurate 
recording  of  settings  very  easy.  The  knobs' 
actions  are  very  smooth,  though  with  re- 
spectable resistance  to  prevent  inadvertent 
movement.  The  six-position  bandswitch— 
yest  it  only  has  five  markings — selects  the 
band  of  operation:  160T  80,  40.  30,  20,  17,  15, 
and  (with  modification)  10  meters. 

Two  white  rocker  switches  below  the  meters 
select  SSB/CW/RTTY  modes  and  operate/ 
standby.  The  multi-function  meters  show 
plate  voltage  and  grid  current,  as  well  as  for* 
ward  and  reflected  power. 

The  first  moment  of  truth  is  always  the  initial 


lamp  lights  when  the  stamdby  switch  is  flipped 
to  operate  With  no  input,  a  quick  check  of  the 
plate  current  should  show  40  mA  and  100  mA 
in  RTTY  and  SSB  modes,  respectively,  A 
quick  adjustment  of  the  exdter  drive  so  the 
grid  current  is  90  mA  (CW  mode)  followed  by 
alternating  tune  and  load  adjustments,  will 
resonate  the  amplifier. 

After  several  more  checks  to  make  sure  the 
currents  and  voltages  are  within  specs,  the 
PT-2500A  is  ready  to  speak  to  the  world.  For 
fumbling  fingers  or  forgetful  hamsT  the  PT- 
2500A  has  an  SCR  grid  protection  circuit, 
which  will  shut  the  amplifier  down  if  grid  cur- 
rent exceeds  400  mA,  This  is  a  nice  feature, 
particularly  for  hams  who  forget  to  reduce 
drive  or  who  get  carried  away  and  try  to  get 
every  last  milliwatt  out  of  their  amp  by  over- 
driving it. 

Several  months  of  use  didn't  turn  up  any* 
thing  wrong  with  the  PT-25Q0A,  It  worked 
great  in  all  modes.  It  does  not  key  fast  enough 
for  AMTOR  or  QSK  CW.  but  with  a  long 
txdelay,  itTs  even  fine  for  Hf  packet.  All  signal 
reports  were  clean;  no  one  reported  AC  hum 
or  other  signal  distortion.  A  sonagram  taken 
by  a  friend  several  hundred  miles  away 
showed  no  leading  edge  clicking  or  chirp  from 
35  WPM  CW  signals,  fn  a  dozen  comparisons 
of  audio  quality  of  SSB  signals  with  and  with- 
out amplification,  there  were  no  remarkable 
changes  in  signal  characteristics  except 
strength,  indicative  of  little  intermodulation 
distortion. 

It's  too  bad  I  had  to  send  the  demo  unit 
back.  The  PT-2500  fits  in  quite  welt  with 
the  "superstation"  many  of  us  dream  about. 
Considering  the  bang  for  the  buck  (about 
$1 .45  per  watt),  it's  a  pretty  good  deal.  B&W 
is  known  for  quality  products,  antennas, 
and  components.  The  PT-2500A  linear  am- 
plifier is  worthy  of  their  name.  1  know  what's 
going  on  my  Christmas  wish  list  this 
year. . . 


B  ft  W  PRESENTS  A 
WINNING  COMBINATION 


>"W^V 


...  - 


1Sqp*. 


f0ty 


■r 


■  i 


MODEL  PT25O0A  LINEAR  AMPLIFIER 
The  Barker  &  Williamson  PT2500A  Linear  Am- 
plifier is  a  completely  self-contained  table-top 
unit  designed  for  continuous  SSB,  CW<  RTTY, 
AM  or  ATV  operation.  Intended  for  coverage  of 
all  amateur  bands  between  1.8  MHz  and  21 
MHz  Two  type  3-50G2  glass  envelope  tnodes 
provide  reliability  and  rapid  turn-on  time. 

FEATURES  INCLUDE; 

•  Full  1500  woTT  output 

•  PI- network  input  for  maximum  drive 

•  Pressurized  plenum  cooling  system 

•  DC  anten  no  relay  for  h  urn-free  operation 

•  Illuminated  SWR  and  power  meters 

•  Vernier  tuning  for  accurate  settings 

•  Pl-L  output  for  greater  harmonic 
attenuation 

Ruggedly  constructed  of  proven  des*gn.  this 
amplifier  reflects  the  manufacture!' s  critical 
attention  to  details-  such  as  the  strver-ptated 
tank  coil  tor  maximum  efficiency  Cathode 
zener  fuse  and  interna iy externa i  cooNng  are 
among  the  protective  and  safety  devices 
employed  Input  and  output  impedances 
are  50  ohms 

Dimensions  1 T  widex  W  deep* B'Vs  high 
Weight  SO  lbs  (shipped  in  3  cartons  to  meet 
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Pr<ce:    $2  1  75   00      FOB  Factory. 
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'.'  V 


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MODEL  VS1500A    ANTENNA  COUPLER 

The  Barker  &  Williamson  VS15O0A  antenna 
coupler  is  designed  to  match  virtually  any 
receiver,  transmitter  or  transceiver  in  the  160 
to  10  meter  range  (1  8  to  30  MHz)  wrfh  up  to 
1 500  watts  RF  power  to  almost  any  antenna 
including  di poles,  inverted  vees,  verticals, 
mobile  whips,  beams,  random  wire?  and 
others  fed  by  coax  cable,  balanced  lines  or 
o  single  wire  A  1:4  bolun  is  built  In  for 
connection  to  balanced  lines 

FEATURES  INCLUDE: 

•  Series  parallel  capacitor  connection 
for  greater  harmonic  attenuation 

•  Irvcircuit  wattmeter  for  continuous 
monitoring. 

•  Vernier  tuning  for  easy  adjustment 

Front  panel  switching  allows  rapid  selection 
of  antennas,  or  to  an  external  dummy  Eoad, 
or  permits  bypassing  the  tuner 

Dimension (AppfOx>  IT'  wide x  13"  deep 

x  6"  hioh 
Weight  6te  lbs 


Price 


00 


$499  "w  FOB  Factory, 
Fully  warranted  for  one  year. 


[HW 


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73  Amateur  Radio  ■  December,  1988    79 


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PECIAL  EVENTS 


CIRCLE  356  ON  READER  SERVICE  CARD 


ORLANDO  FL 
DEC  3 

Shows  Unlimited,  Inc.  is  holding  its  annual 
PC  Fest  Computer  Show  and  Sale.  It  will  be 
held  at  the  Orlando  Twin  Towers  Hotel.  The 
show  consists  of"  supplies,  chips  and  ICs, 
software/hardware,  new  and  used  equipment, 
local  and  national  dealers,  closeouts  and  liqui- 
dations. Commodore,  Amiga,  and  Atari  Soft- 
ware, brand  names,  IBM  Clones,  Apple  prod* 
ucts  and  savings  of  25-85%,  Show  hours  are 
from  10  AM  to  4  PM  For  more  information  to 
reserve  a  table  or  to  get  on  the  mailing  list 
contact;  Shows  Unlimited,  Inc..  at  301-970- 
2210  or  301-626-0311. 

FLAMINGO  FL 
DEC  3-4 

The  Everglades  ARC  will  operate  W4SVI 
from  1400Z  Dec  3  to  1900Z  Dec  4th,  to  cele- 
brate the  41st  anniversary  of  Everglades  Na- 
ttonal  Park.  Operation  on  CW  is  near  7030, 
14030,  and  21130  kHz.  and  on  SSB,  near 
7230.  14230.  21330,  and  28375  kHz.  Novice 
contacts  on  7130,  21130,  and  28375  kHz. 
Send  QSL  and  2  stamps  for  unfolded  certifi- 
cate. Novice  certificate  for  those  who  identify 
as  Novices  on  2  of  3  bands,  no  stamps  re- 
quired. E.AR.C,  PQBox  J 13,  Homestead  FL 
33090-0113, 

SAN  BENITO  TX 
DEC  3-4 

The  San  Benito  ARC's  Texas  State  QSO 
Party  is  from  0001  UTC  the  3rd  to  2359  UTC 
the  4th.  Texas  stations  may  contact  any  sta- 
tion, non- Texas  stations  may  contact  only 
Texas  stations.  All  amateur  bands,  except 
WARC.  Three  contacts  of  1  each  per  band 
permitted.  Suggested  frequencies  are  40  kHz 
up  from  band  edge  for  CW,  and  1.890,  3.885, 
7.285.  14.285,  21.360,  and  28.405,  Novice 
segment  CW  operation,  25  kHz  up  from  low 
band  edge.  Certificates.  For  information  on 
exchanges,  scoring,  and  certificates,  contact 
San  Benito  Amateur  Radio  Club:  #2247  SSC, 
PO  Box  1382,  San  Benito  TX  78586-1382. 

APACHE  JUNCTION  AZ 
DEC  3-4 

The  Superstition  Amateur  Radio  Club  will 
host  the  1988  ARRL  Superstition  Hamfest  at 
the  corner  of  Brown  and  Meridian.  Swap  and 
Shop  both  days.  Test  booth  with  120  volts  AC 
and  antenna.  Food,  camping  (no  hookups). 
Tailgate  admission  is  $3  and  general  admis- 
sion is  $1  for  both  days.  Primary  talk-in  will  be 
on  1 47. 12(^)  repeater  and  on  the  145,41(-J/ 
223.82(-)  link  system.  You  can  obtain  infor- 
mation on  146J4,  14694.  and  ZIA  system 
repeaters  as  well  Contact  Bill  Glaze  KA7SUF 
at  602*832-3955  or  Larry  Kuck  WB7CRK  at 
602-986-2298. 

HAZEL  PARK  Ml 
DEC  4 

The  Hazel  Park  Amateur  Radio  Club  will 
hold  its  23rd  Annual  Swap  &  Shop  at  the  Hazel 
Park  High  School.  23400  Hughes.  General 
admission  is  $2  in  advance.  $3  at  the  door. 
Children  under  11  free.  Tables,  S1  per  foot 
Plenty  of  free  parking.  Talk-in  from  the  9-mite 


Ham  Doings  Around  the  World 

and  t-75  area  on  146-640-  For  tickets  and 
table  reservations,  contact  H.P.A.R.C..  PO 
Box  368l  Hazel  Park  Ml  48030. 

JACKSONVILLE  FL 
DEC  4 

Shows  Unlimited,  Inc.,  is  holding  its  annual 
PC  Fest  Computer  Show  and  Sale  It  will  be 
held  at  the  Prime  Osborn  Convention  Cenler. 
The  show  consists  of:  sop  plies,  chips  and  ICs. 
software/hardware,  new  and  used  equipment, 
local  and  national  dealers,  closeouts  and  liqui- 
dations. Commodore.  Amiga,  and  Atari  Soft- 
ware, brand  names,  IBM  Clones.  Apple  prod- 
ucts and  savings  of  25-85%.  Show  hours  are 
from  10  AM  to  4  PM.  For  more  information  to 
reserve  a  table  or  to  gel  on  the  mailing  list 
contact;  Shows  Unlimited,  Inc.,  at  301-970- 
2210  or  301-626*0311. 

ALABASTER  AL 
DEC  10-16 

The  Shelby  County  Amateur  Radio  Club  will 
operate  AC200T  to  celebrate  the  200th  an- 
niversary of  the  US  Constitution  and  the  open- 
ing  of  the  club  station  in  Pelham,  Alabama. 
AC20AT  plans  to  operate  all  HF  bands,  con- 
centrating on  CW  and  SSB,  Other  modes  will 
be  used  if  available.  Special  efforts  will  be 
made  to  contact  Novices.  Include  SASE  with 
QSLs  and  send  to  W4DYL,  632  Gten  Park 
Drive,  Fairfield  AL  35064. 

NEWCARROLLTONMD 
DEC  17 

Shows  Unlimited,  Inc..  is  holding  its  annual 
PC  Fest  Computer  Show  and  Sale.  H  will  be 
held  at  the  New  Carrollton  Howard  Johnson's 
Hotel.  The  show  consists  of:  supplies,  chips 
and  ICs,  software/hardware,  new  and  used 
equipment,  local  and  national  dealers,  close- 
outs and  liquidations,  Commodore,  Amiga, 
and  Atari  Software,  brand  names,  IBM 
Clones,  Apple  products  and  savings  of  25- 
85%,  Show  hours  are  from  10  AM  to  4  PM.  For 
more  information  to  reserve  a  table  or  to  get  on 
the  mailing  list  contact;  Shows  Unlimited,  fnc, 
at  301-970-22 10  or  301  -626-03 1 1 . 

BURLINGTON  IA 
DEC  17-23 

The  Iowa  Radiosport  Society  will  be  operat- 
ing Amateur  Radio  Special  Event  Station  K20 
0RW  in  celebration  of  the  Constitutional  Bi- 
centennial and  the  150th  anniversary  of 
Burlington.  Iowa,  as  the  first  territorial  capiiol. 
Operations  will  be  on  CW  and  SSB,  as  propa- 
gation permits,  with  special  emphasis  on  op- 
erations in  the  10  meter  and  other  Novice  seg* 
ments  Special  OSL  cards  will  be  available  tor 
return  upon  receipt  of  SASE  or  SAE  and  IRC 
sent  to:  t.R.S.A.C.  923  N.  9th  Si,  Burlington 
IA  52601. 

GARLAND  TX 
DEC  24-30 

K200GHD,  of  the  Garland  Amateur  Radio 
Club,  will  operate  CW,  SSBt  and  digital,  on  80 
through  10  meters  beginning  0001 Z  the  24th 
through  2359Z  the  30th.  For  special  OSL, 
send  your  OSL  and  SASE  to  KF5PE.  2934 
Cotton  Gum  Road,  Garland  TX  75044, 


80     73  Amateur  Radio  •  December,  1 


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Number  35  on  your  Feedback  card 


Looking  west 


Bill  Pasternak  WA61TF 
28197  Robin  Ave. 
Saugu$>CA9t350 

The  Save  220  NTRN 

How  does  amateur  radio  tell  a 
deaf-eared  FCC  that  we  will  not 
accept  their  highly  questionable 
reallocation  of  220-222  MHz? 
This  was  the  question  puzzling 
220  Notes  Editor  Art  Reis  K9XI 
and  myself  when  we  sat  on  the 
phone  trying  to  find  some  answers 
to  this  and  other  allied  questions, 

Since  the  release  of  the  Report 
and  Order  on  PR  Docket  87-14 
last  August,  the  amateur  commu- 
nity continued  to  grow  ever  more 
incensed  at  what  it  saw,  In  its  deci- 
sion, the  Commission  used  arbi- 
trary and  capricious  methods  to 
tahe  220-222  MHz  from  hams  and 
give  it  to  private  business  inter- 
ests. Even  after  the  story  dropped 
from  the  front  pages  of  the  various 
amateur  news  publications,  the 
level  of  resentment  toward  the 
Commission,  and  specifically  its 
Office  of  Engineering  and  Tech- 
nology, continued  to  grow.  That 


the_ 

HAM  STATION 


wm 


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220  N.  Fulton  Ave. 

Evansville,  IN  47719  0522 

Store  Hours 

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CENTRAL  TIME 

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ENVELOPE  (SASE)  FOR  NEW  AND  USED 
EQUIPMENT  SHEETS 

WARRANTY  SERVICE  CENTER  FOR: 
ICOMrYAES(J,TEN*TEC 

FOR  SERVICE  INFORMATION  CALL 

(6 12)  422-02  52 

MONDAY    FRIDAY 

9:00  AM -12:00  NOON 


TERMS: 

Prices  Oo  Hat  Ineludi  Shipping. 

Prict  *nd  Availa  brirty  Subpcl  to 

Change  Without  Notict 

Masi  Oftftfs  Shipped  The  Same  Day 

COO  s  Welcome 


..   ,_- 


became  a  story  unto  itself,  Usual- 
ly, without  follow-up  coverage. 
nothing  is  forgotten  sooner  then 
yesterday's  news.  It  wasn't  the 
case  here,  as  everyone — be  it  the 
Novices  on  10  meters  and  the  re- 
peaters of  VM  meters,  the  Techs 
of  2  meters,  the  DXers  on  20,  or 
the  late-night   Extras  in  GSO  on 


matter,  but  many  people  are  going 
off  half-cocked  in  their  attempts. 
The  worst  it  of  all  seemed  to  be  the 
ham/lawyers,  many  of  whom  obvi- 
ously did  not  understand  either 
the  terms  of  the  Federal  Adminis- 
trative Procedures  Act  or  the  lim- 
its available  to  them  in  the  Federal 
Court  system.  They  were  heard 
loud  and  clear  before  many  clubs 
and  on  many  nets  with  their 
threats  of  Civil  Rights  suits 
against  the  FCC  Fortunately,  one 
perspicacious  ham/lawyer,  Joe 


.  .  bungled  divided  efforts 
would  only  ensure  that  the  FCC 
decision  would  stick. " 


75 — became  involved  and  stayed 
involved.  The  inter-community 
and  intra-community  chatter  was 
the  same;  US  hams  wHi  not  rest 
until  the  reallocation  decision  is 
reversed  and  the  entire  spectrum 
from  220-225  MHz  is  declared 
"amateur  exclusive!' 


i " 


Fits  and  Starts 

There's  great  motivation  in  the 
amateur  community  to  fight  this 


Merdler  N6AHU,  pointed  out  the 
danger  of  all  the  rhetoric  and  pos- 
turing— bungled  divided  efforts 
would  only  ensure  thai  the  FCC 
decision  would  stick.  Unity  was 
desperately  needed. 

Resurrecting  the  NTRN 

Enter  the  NTRN.  Many  people 
were  involved  in  getting  the  Na- 
tional Teleconferencing  Radio 
Network  {NTRN]  back  up  and  go- 


ing. (See  November  "Looking 
West"  for  details.)  Lou  Appel  K/ 
0IUQ  is  the  unsung  engineering 
hero  of  these  events.  He  supplied 
the  mid-USA  telephone  intertie 
system  and  was  the  man  who  sat 
there  controlling  it  during  each  of 
these  events  in  the  past,  and 
came  through  for  us  in  shining  col- 
ors again  on  2  October 

There  were  four  basic  jobs  to 
do,  and  really  only  two  people  to 
do  them.  We  worked  out  the 
NTRN  format  in  one  night.  We 
needed  a  panel  of  experts  repre- 
senting every  interest  on  1  V*  me- 
ters. We  had  to  publicize  the  time 
and  date  of  the  NTRN.  Finally,  we 
had  to  register  all  participating 
outlets  where  the  NTRN  would  be 
heard  and  assigned  a  port  on  the 
teleconference  bridge. 

While  Art  put  together  the  *  'pan- 
el* '  and  secured  studio  facilities.  I 
alerted  the  vast  majority  of  active 
hams  in  the  US  to  the  NTRN 
through  my  Westlink  Radio  Net- 
work Newsline,  and  other  news- 
letters, Soon  the  phone  at  my 
house  was  ringing  day  and  night 
with  requests  for  teleconference 
bridge  assignments.  Only  re- 
peater groups,  bulletin  stations, 

Continued  on  page  100 


o 

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Indiana  and  Information 
Call  1-8124220231 


73  Amateur  Radio  ■  December,  1988    83 


Number  29  on  your  Feedback  card 


TH-DX 


Leon  Fletcher  N6HYK 
274  Webster  Drive 
Ben  Lomond.  CA  95005 

The  Yuletide  Island 

On  Christmas  day  in  1 643,  Cap- 
tain William  Mynors  of  the  Dutch 
sailing  ship  Royal  Mary,  spotted  a 
small  isolated  bit  of  land  in  the 
Indian  Ocean  and  named  it  Christ- 
mas Island, 

Apparently  Captain  Mynors 
was  navigating  from  an  outdated 
chart.  The  island  had  actually 
been  discovered  28  years  earlier, 
in  1615.  Richard  Rose,  master  of 
the  Thomas,  founded  this  island 
and  named  it  Moni  on  a  Dutch 
chart  dated  1618, 

Today,  the  name  Christmas  is- 
land has  won  out,  but  the  island  is 
still  largely  unknown.  Although 
the  island  is  Australian  territory, 
the  information  officers  at  both  the 
Embassy  of  Australia,  in  Wash- 
ington  DC,  and  at  the  Australian 
Tourist  Commission  in  California, 
sard  they'd  not  heard  of  the  island. 
The  latest  Current  Report  about 
Christmas  Island,  sent  out  by  the 
Australian  Information  Service,  is 
five  years  old.  In  the  last  four 
years,  the  400  "major  maga- 
zines1'  published  in  the  United 
States  have  printed  only  two  arti- 
cles about  the  island.  In  the  giant 
Australia  Encyclopedia,  the  island 
gets  just  a  two  and  one  half  inch 
notice. 

Out  Of  Obscurity 

Such  solitude  will  soon  be  gone 
if  the  Australian  government's 
plans  work  out  They  authorized 
the  construction  of  a  170- room  ho- 
tel*casino.  scheduled  to  open  by 
the  end  of  1939.  Private  investors 
are  planning  additional  hotels, 
restaurants,  charter  fishing  boats, 
and  other  leisure  activities. 

Such  changes  are  needed  on 
Christmas  Island.  The  island  has 
been  relying  on  just  one  economic 
base — the  mining  of  phosphate,  a 
vital  ingredient  in  fertilizers.  The 
mining  hit  its  peak  in  1978.  when 
more  than  1.26  million  tons  of 
phosphate  were  exported.  In  De- 
cember 1978,  with  the  supply  of 
phosphate  nearly  exhausted,  min- 
ing stopped.  But  in  July  1988,  the 
Australian  government  an- 
nounced that  mining  may  resume. 

Santa  Claws 

Still,  other  economic  resources 


QTH  is  Christmas  Island 

are  clearly  needed.  In  addition  to 
tourists,  the  government  is  trying 
to  entice  smaM-scale  manufactur- 
ing and  agricultural  ventures.  But 
a  bothersome  block  to  those 
plans— actually  inhibiting  virtually 
all  activities  on  Christmas  Is- 
land— are  the  swarming  red 
crabs. 

Once  a  year  in  late  spring,  for 
about  nine  to  18  days,  some  120 
million  of  the  crustaceans — nearly 
9.000  tons — march  on  a  breeding 
migration  from  the  inland  forest  to 
the  seashore.  Their  cfaws  are  so 
sharp  that  they  could  puncture  the 
tires  of  an  'automobile  running 
over  them. 

The  red  crabs  are  just  one  of  the 
15  species  of  land  crabs  that  live 
on  the  island.  Among  them  is  the 
world's  largest  crab,  the  giant  rob- 
ber, or  coconut  crab.  They  weigh 


VK9XI 


CHRISTMAS     ISLAND 


opswron 

n  'AMii.  HON 


—  ii 


V 


fed  by  as  much  as  100  inches  of 
rain  a  year.  Temperatures  range 
between  75  and  85  degrees. 

Most  of  the  coastline  consists  of 
cliffs  up  to  600  feet  high.  There  are 
a  few  sandy  beaches  and  some 
small  bays.  Flying  Fish  Cove  is  the 
island's  lone  port. 

Who's  There? 

Only  about  1 .000  people  live  on 


"Christmas  Island 

is  in  the  Indian  Ocean,  220  miles 

south  of  its  nearest  neighbor 

Indonesia  ....** 


up  to  seven  pounds. 

The  island  also  ranks  as  one  of 
the  world's  great  seabtrd  habitats, 
according  to  Australian  conserva- 
tionist John  W.  Hicks.  Of  the  eight 
kinds  of  birds  which  breed  there, 
three — the  Christmas  Island 
frigate  bird,  Abbott's  booby,  and 
the  gold  bosun  bird— breed 
nowhere  else. 

In  addition,  of  the  some  200 
different  flowering  plants  growing 
on  the  island,  about  30  are  en- 
demic. 

To  preserve  those  distinctive 
plants,  birds,  and  crabs,  a  six 
square  mile  national  park  was  es- 
tablished in  1980. 

A  Little  Geography 

Christmas  Island  is  in  the  Indian 
Ocean,  220  mites  south  of  its 
nearest  neighbor  Indonesia, 
1.000  miles  north  and  slightly 
west  of  the  mainland  of  Australia. 
It  is  12  miles  long,  3.5  to  9  miles 
wide,  and  it  is  a  55-squa  re  mile  top 
of  an  undersea  mountain 

The  island's  central  plateau  ts 
about  1 ,000  feet  high.  Rain  forest 
covers  three-fourths  of  the  island, 


Christmas  Island.  The  majority 
are  Chinese  and  Malays;  most  of 
the  others  are  from  Australia,  New 
Zealand,  and  India,  Just  three 
years  ago,  before  mining  de- 
clined, there  were  around  3.000 
residents. 

Unemployment  is  high.  In  1985, 
the  government  started  retraining 
programs  to  help  islanders  find 
jobs  in  Australia.  A  "Resettlement 
Scheme"  provides  incentive  pay- 
ments to  encourage  residents  to 
move  off-island. 

Until  just  100  years  ago,  the  is- 
land was  uninhabited,  The  first 
residents  came  in  1888—14 
British  adventurers.  The  coconut 
palms  they  planted  still  stand 
along  the  beach, 

In  1895,  targe  deposits  of  phos- 
phate were  discovered.  A  British 
company  started  mining  there  two 
years  later. 

During  World  War  II.  the 
Japanese  occupied  the  island. 
In  1946  the  island  became  part 
of  the  Colony  of  Singapore.  The 
mining  company  was  bought 
by  Australia  and  New  Zealand 
in  1948,  and  ten  years  later,  the 


island  became  an  Australian  ter- 
ritory. 

In  1963,  Christmas  Island  be- 
gan issuing  its  own  stamps.  They 
are  especially  colorful  and  attrac- 
tive. Some  show  the  early  sailing 
vessels  and  sail-and-steam  ships 
which  visited  the  island.  One 
1980-81  series  shows  16  steps  of 
mining— drilling,  drying,  crush- 
ing, etc.  While  the  stamps  are 
avidly  sought  after  by  many  col* 
lectors,  they  have  not  yet  become 
particularly  valuable.  In  a  single 
year,  the  stamps  brought  more 
than  a  half-million  dollars  to  the 
island. 

For  resident  Europeans,  the 
center  of  social  life  is  the  Christ- 
mas Island  Club,  featuring 
a  swimming  pool,  tennis  courts, 
and  movies.  Other  island  attrac- 
tions include  a  nine  hole  golf 
course,  cricket  club,  and, 
on  Phospate  Hill,  a  building 
known  island-wide  as  the  MHam 
Shack." 

Two  Christmas  Islands 

Hams  around  the  world  know 
the  island  as  VK9.  The  current 
Catt  Book  lists  just  two  stations  on 
the  island,  and  one  of  those  is  the 
club  station.  Stilt,  the  island  is  on 
the  air  enough  so  that  it  didn't 
make  the  latest  list  of  "100  most 
wanted  DX  stations/*  compiled  by 
The  DX  Bulletin. 

One  caution:  This  Indian  Ocean 
Christmas  Island  is  often  con- 
fused with  the  other  Christmas 
Island,  the  one  in  the  South 
Pacific,  located  1 ,300  miles  south 
of  Honolulu.  This  South  Pacific 
Christmas  Island  is  the  largest  of 
the  33  islands  of  the  Republic  of 
Kiribati. 

Dedicated  DXers  never  confuse 
the  two  islands — hams  on  the 
South  Pacific  Christmas  Island 
use  the  East  Kiribati  prefix 
T32f  which  counts  for  the  country 
of  Kiribati,  not  for  the  ''country" 
known  as  Christmas  Island 


84     73  Amateur  Radio  *  December,  1988 


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ail 55.  6526-S 12  50. 6567-S 16  95.  82$ 100/ 
PLA-S13  25}  COMMODORE  REPAIRS 
Low  cost,  fast  turnaround,  $49  95  plus 
UPS. "THE  COMMODORE  DIAGNOSTI- 
CIAN." An  invaluable  double  sided  I  am  ma!  ed 
guide  tor  fixing  your  C64/1541  drive  It  diag- 
noses; 72  variables  and  talis  you  what  chips 
are  faulty,  $7  95  .  ViSA>MC  Kasara  Ml^ 
crosystems.  Inc  .  24  West  Street.  Spring  Vaf- 
ley,  NY  10977.  Call  tori  free  1-80f>24fl  29B3 
or  914-362-31 31  8NB529 

SUPEHFAST  MORSE  CODE  SUPEREASV, 
Subliminal  cassette  $10  LEARN  MORSE 
CODE  IN  1  HOUR  Amazing  new  supereasy 
technique.  $10.  Both  $17.  Moneyback  guar- 
antee. Free  catalog;  SASE.  Bahr,  Dept  73-9, 
2535  Marietta.  Palmbay  FL  32905     BNB531 

SB-220  OWNERS!— Enhance  perform- 
ance—add new  tea  lures.  17  slep  by-slep 
mods  which  incfude:  (uned  inpul  6-  and  160- 
meter  operation,  heavy-duty  power  supply 
mods,  full  OSK  operation,  solid-state  bias 
control,  and  many  more.  Source  of  pans  In- 
cluded. One  time  50%  rebate  tor  new  mods 
submitted  and  two  free  updates  10  pages  of 
teen  info  on  the  3-5002  Order  today — Si  0  per 
copy  plus  $1  postage.  SASE  for  info  Bob 
KorJarek  WA2S0O,  69  Memorial  Place.  Elm- 
wood  Park  r4J  07407.  BN  B5S 1 

WRITTEN  EXAMS  5UPEREASY,  Memory 
aids  Ifom  psychologist"  engineer  cut  study- 
lime  50%.  Novice,  Tech,  Gen  $7  each,  Ad- 
vanced. Extra:  S 12  each  Moneyback  guaran- 
tee Banr,  Dept  73-9. 2535  Marietta.  Palmbay 
FL  32905  BN8624 

COMMUNICATIONS  BATTERIES  NiCd 
Packs/lnserts/Rebuildmg  Exact  Replace- 
ment Packs  Yaesu  FJMB2  /  Wilson  BP4 
$22-95,  Santec  142/1200(3  pin)  $23.95.  Mo- 
torola: HT220-Slim  $29.9$.  HT220>Omn* 
$34.95.  Battery  Inserts:  ICOM"  BP2/Rap 
$18.95.  BP3^CM3  $16  95.  BPS/Rap  $24  dS. 
BP7/BP8/Rap  $29  95  Kenwood  PB21 
S1&95,  PB24  $21 .95,  PB2S/2&H/26  $2S  9$. 
Azden:  300  $21  95.  Standard  BP1/C118  / 
PaceMXBT2$25  95,  Tempo  S 1/270  $23  95, 
S  1,2,4,5^450  $23  95,  St5  $24  95  Yaesu: 
FNB3/3A  $32.95,  FNB4/4A  $33  95.  TenTec 
2991  $24.95.  Santec:  KT8P  $16  95.  KTBP2 
$23  95,  KTBPN  $24  95.  Redding    tCQM/ 


Ken/Yaesu/T-T  add  $4.00  to  insert  prices. 
Others  available.  SASE/free  catalog.  In  PA 
add  6%,  For  MC  and  VISA,  add  $2/order. 
Phone  (Bl4j  623-7000,  Add  $3  Shhppmgior- 
der  CUNARD  ASSOCIATES.  Dept.  7,  R  D  6 
Box  104,  Bedford  PA  15522  BNB628 

ROSS  $$$$  NEW  December  SPECIALS: 
KENWOOD  TS-680S,  $929  90;  TS940S/ 
WAT,  $2069  90.  TH-215A,  $324.90,  TH- 
31 5A.  S29990:  TH-dSIA,  $614.90.  AZDEN 
PCS-6000.  $369  90:  ALINCO  EP-2010. 
$99  99:  AEA  PK-64S/HFM,  S149.99:  COM 
IC-471A.  $6B9  99;  IO-228H.  $463  99;  IC- 
32D0A,  $4€S99;  IC-2AT,  $248  99;  K>761. 
$230990.  Yaesu  FT-2G9RH.  $27699;  YR- 
901.  $549  99:  FT-747GX,  $674.90;  MFJ- 
9896.  $309  90  ALL  L.T.O.  (Umrted  BrneOf- 
lei)  LOOKING  FOR  SOMETHING  NOT 
LISTED??  CALL  OR  WRITE.  Over  8780  hanv 
related  items  m  stock  lor  immediate  ship- 
ment Mention  ad.  Prices  cash,  F.O.B  PRE- 
STON WE  CLOSE  AT  2:00  SATURDAYS  & 
MONDAYS.  ROSS  DISTRIBUTING  COMPA- 
NY. 78  SOUTH  STATE.  (P.O.  Box  234H). 
PRESTON  ID  83263.  208-852-0830 

&NB654 

COMPUTER  CODE  PROGRAM  for  IBM  PC 
New  Does  most  everything!  Best  value  Si 2 
Moneyback  guarantee   Free  details:  SASE 
Bahr.  Dept  73-9.  2535  Marietta,  Palmbay  FL 
32905  BN8691 

CHASSIS  AND  CABINET  KITS  SASE; 
K3IWK,  5120  Harmony  Grove  Road.  Dover 
PA  17315.  BNB698 

CALL  SIGN  BADGES;  Custom  license  plate 
holders.  Personal,  distinctive.  Club  dis- 
counts. SASE.  WB3GND,  Box  75Q,  Clinton 
MD  20735;  301-248-7302.  BNB699 

ROSS  SSSS  USED  December  SPECIALS! 
KENWOOD  SWI  220,  $329.90;  TR-9500, 
(439.90;  VF024Q.  $159.90;  TR-3600A/ 
TU35B,  $279,90;  PS-30,  $124.90;  HENRY 
2K,  $695,90;  S-4T,  $149.90;  ICOM  IC-471H, 
$799  90;  IC-271H/WPS-35,  $799.90;  R-71A, 
$696.90;  IC-74Q/WPS-35.EX-242.241  ,FL- 
45.  $695.90;  ROBOT  400.  $299.90;  YAESU 
FT-747GX.  $679.90.  LOOKING  FOR  SOME- 
THING NOT  LISTED??  CALL  OR  WRITE 
WE  HAVE  OVER  315  USED  ITEMS  m 
SlOCk  MENTtQN  A&  PRICES  CASH,  FOB 
PRESTON  WE  CLOSE  AT  2:00  SATUR- 
DAYS *  MONDAYS.  ROSS  DISTRIBUTING 
COMPANY.  78  SOUTH  STATE.  P.O.  BOX 
234 H.  PRESTON  ID  63263;  208-852-0630 

BNB709 

DIGICOM  >  64:  C64  PACKET  See  AUG.  88 
73  Magazine  (by  W2UP|  for  circuit  and  soft- 
ware details,  or  wnte  us  for  more  info  Order 
#154-KTT  for  kit  with  disc  at  $49  95  Of  #154- 
AS  Y  for  assembled  board  and  disc  at  $79-95 
Add  $2  50  SAH  per  order.  A  &  A  Engineering. 
2521  W  La  Palma.  #K,  Anaheim,  CA  92801; 
714-952-2114  BNB732 

HAM  TRADER  YELLOW  SHEETS.  In  CKir 
27th  year  Buy,  Swap,  Sefl  ham  radio  gear 
Published  twice  a  month.  Ads  quickly  circu- 
late-no  long  wait  for  results  Send  #10  SASE 
tor  sample  cop/  $13  tor  one  y^ar  (24  tssues) 
P.O.a.  2057,  Glen  EJIyn.  IL  60138-2O57 

BN6741 


SSSSS  SUPER  SAVINGS  $$$$$  on  electron- 
ic parts,  components,  supplies,  and  comput- 
er accessories.  Free  40-page  calalog  lor  Self 
Addressed  &  Stamped  Envelope.  Get  on  our 
mailing  lis!  BCD  ELECTRO.  P.O.  Box 
630119.  Richardson  TX  75063  or  call  214- 
343-1770.  8NB749 


HAM  RADIO  REPAIR,  all  makes,  models.  Ex- 
perienced reliable  service  Robert  Hall  Elec- 
tronics, Box  280363.  San  Francisco,  CA 
94128-0363, 408-729-8200  BNB751 

HAM  HOLIDAY  m  VPS  Jmn  cycte  22  tun  from 
rare  DX  OTH  Turks  &  Catcos  islands  We 
supply  transceivers,  antenna,  process  li- 
cense and  offer  accommodations  as  low  as  7 
nights  $390  each  double  occupancy  m  pri- 
vate bungalow  Direct  Pan  Am  service.  60 
minutes  Miami  Details  VP5D,  PO  Box 
100658.  PL  UuderdaJe  FL  33310      BNS760 

WANTEO:  Ham  Equipment  and  other  proper- 
ty The  Rad>o  Club  of  Junior  High  School  22 
NYC,  Inc  ,  is  a  non-pro*ri  organization,  grant- 
ed 50 1(C)(3)  status  by  the  IRS,  incorporated 
with  Ihe  goal  of  using  the  theme  oi  ham  rarfto 
to  further  and  enhance  the  education  of 
young  people  Your  property  donation  or  fi- 
nancial support  would  be  greatly  appreciated 
and  acknowledged  with  a  receipt  tor  your  lax- 
deductible  contribution  We  sponsor  the 
■Classroom  Net"  on  7  238  at  1200  UTC  daily 
and  encourage  your  OSL  lor  our  weekly 
award.  Please  write  us  at  PO  Box  1052,  New 
York,  NY  10002,  or  calf  our  round-the-clock 
hotline:  {516)  674-4072.  Thanks'        BNB762 

COMPUTER  CODE  COURSE.  Apple  II  -/c/e/ 
GS  C  64/12B  37  Modes.  Graphics,  I -100 
WPM,  menus,  proportional  spacing,  variable 
frequency,  more  (529.95}  With  wordproces- 
sor  {$38,95).  Manual  ($10)  Check/MO. 
LARESCO.  POB  2018-ST,  Calumet  City  IL 
60409.  1-312-691-3279.  BNB764 

INDIVIDUAL  PHOTOFACT  FOLDERS.  #1  to 
#1400.  $4.00,  #1401  up,  $6.00.  Sam1s  booksh 
$7,00,  Postpaid.  Allen  Loeb.  414  Chesinut 
Lane,  East  Meadow,  NYl  1554.         8NB766 

VHF  TO  MICROWAVE:  GaAsFETs,  MWlCs, 
transistors,  etc.  SASE;  WA31AC,  7148  Mon- 
tague St..  Phi ladelph m  PA  1 9 1 35      BNB771 

HAMLOG  COMPUTER  PROGRAM  Full  fea- 
tures. 17  modules  Auto-logs.  7-band  WAS/ 


DXCC  Apple  $1 9.95.  IBM,  CP/M,  KAYPRO, 
TANDY.  CR6  $24.95.  73-KA1 AWH.  PB  2015, 
Peabody  M  A  0 1 960  B  N  B  775 

KITS' PARTS*  PLANS  We  have  hard  lo  find 
parts'  Variable  Tuning  Capacitors,  Tuning 
Cods,  Crystal  and  Magnetic  Headphones, 
Germanium  Diodes.  Crystal  and  Shortwave 
Radio  Kits.  Yeary  Communications,  12922 
Harbor  #300-6,  Garden  Grove    CA  92640 

BNB78G 

WANTED:  Sunajr  GCU-910A  Of  GCU  935 
Antenna  Coupler  Ray  Dunham,  1030  Hillside 
Ave,  Pacific  Grove  C  A  93950  BN8790 

QSLs:  Quality  al  a  reasonable  price!  Satistac- 
lion  Guaranteed,  Send  $1  tor  samples  and 
coupon  worth  $2.  The  Sugartosf  Print  Shop. 
PO  Box  563,  Sugarioaf .  PA  16249     BNB791 

ELEC  TRON  TUBES :  All  types  &  sizes  Trans- 
mitting Receivmg,  Microwave  Largo  in- 
ventory -  same  day  shipping  Ask  about  our 
3-5O0Z  speoaf  Dairy  Electron  ics,  PO  Box 
5029  Comptort.  CA  90224    800-346  6667 

BNB792 

KENWOOD  430s  OWNERS!  Stop  Scan 
slops  the  scanner  on  busy  frequencies  re- 
sumes scanning  automatically  after  an  ad- 
justable 1-10  second  delay  SASE  for  1989 
catalog.  $1 9.95  kit.  $29.95  assembled  $3.50 
Sluppfno,  JASCO  ELECTRONICS.  R'i  Box 
386.  Alexandria.  IN  46001 .  BNB794 

VOICEGATE  communicalions  noise  reduc- 
tion wilh  audio  squelch,  noise  reduction.  VOX 
cassette  recorder  control,  3  adjustable  audk> 
filters,  &  more?  SASE  for  1 989  catalog  $3.50 
for  demo  tape  $109.95  complete  (till  1/1789). 
JABCO  ELECTRONICS,  R1  Box  386,  Alex- 
andria. IN  46001.  BNB795 

LEARN  CODE  using  your  IBM  PC  orcompat 
ible  {256KB  RAM),  Easy  lo  follow  menu- 
driven  program  on  DS/DD  floppy  disk  rulty 
prepares  you  to  copy  5  WPM  for  Novice 
license  to  50  WPM,  exceeding  all  license 
requirement.  Features  include  adjustable 
^ratfrtfercharacter  timing  with  1  WPM  10  50 
WPM  sending  rale,  keyboard-seiected  char- 
acter generation  and  randomly  generated  let- 
ters, numerals,  all  FCC  required  punctuation' 
signals  and  mixed  character  types.  S1 1.00 
including  shipping  LOGICON.  PO  Box  426, 
Lexington  Park  MD  20653,  BNB796 

continued  onp  86 


Barter  'N'  Buy  advertising  must  pertain  to  ham  radio  products  or  services. 

Individual  (noncommercial) ,.**.....  50c  per  word 

:   Commercial , S1 ,50  per  word 

PrepaymerM  required,  Courtf  only  the  words  in  the  text.  Your  address  is 
tree.  73  cannot  verify  advertising  claims  and  cannot  be  held  responsible 
tor  claims  made  by  ihe  advertiser.  Liability  will  be  limited  lo  making  any 
necessary  corrections  in  the  next  available  issue.  Please  print  clearly  or 
type  (double- spaced ) 


"I 


No  discounts  or  commissions  are  available-  Copy  must  be  received  in 
Peterborough  by  the  first  of  the  second  month  preceding  the  cover  date. 
Make  checks  payable  to  73  Magazine  and  send  to:  Rebecca  Niemela. 
Barter  H  Buy.  73  Magazine,  WGE  Center,  Peterborough  NH  03458. 


73  Amateur  Radio  •  December.  1988     B7 


■■ 


WANTED:  Dead  Tempo  3020  for  parts.  Dan 
Giles  VE7QM,  RR3  Harrison  Ave.,  C^6t 
Ganges ,  BC ,  VBS^  1  Efl .  BM  B797 

R-390A  RECEIVER  PARTS:  Info.  SASE. 
CPRC-26  military  Man  pack  Radio,  6  merer 
FM.  with  antenna,  crystal,  handset'  £22.50, 
$42,50  pair,  Military-spec  TS-352  VoltohmV 
Multimeter,  leads,  manual:  $12.50.  $4.50/ 
piece  shipping,  39  maximum,  Baytronics,  PO 
Box  591 ,  Sandusky  OH  44970-  BN0798 


MACINTOSH  Ham  Software.  MacTrak  " 
tracks  satellites,  sun,  moon.  Graphic  or  tabu- 
lar outputs.  Compatible  with  Mirage  Tracking 
Interface  for  rotor  control,  $49.95.  DX 
Helper™  provides  DX  info  including  distance, 
bearing,  sunrise,  sunset,  propagation  MUF„ 
great  circle  display,  more,  $24.95.  SASE  for 
into  from  R.  Siegemeyer,  P.O.  Box  1590,  Port 
O  rch  ard  WA  96366  BN  B802 


home-brew  PROJECTS  LIST  SASE  to 
WB2EUF,  Box  70S,  East  Hampton  MY  1 1937, 

BN&805 


GSLs  &  RUBBER  STAMPS— TOP  QUALITY! 
Slates,  Worfd  Maps,  USA,  Key,  Shuttle, 
Globe  QSLs.  Report  Form  Rubber  Stamps, 
More!  Samples,  $1  00  [Refundable  With 
Order].  Ebbert  Graphics  D-7,  Bex  70,  Wester- 
vil!eOH430ai,  BNB807 

ELECTRONIC  WEATHER  STATION.  Su- 
perb bargain  while  they  last.  The  one  you've 
wanted,  as  featured  in  Popular  Science 
Magazine,  provides  more  than  20  functions, 
including  barometric  pressure.  Complete 
system  currently  retails  for  $339  DISTRIBU- 
TOR CLOSE  OUT  price,  only  S 1 69.  Includes 
full  service  and  original  warranty.  Satisfaction 


guaranteed  VISA,  Master  Card  accepted. 
Hurry,  call  now  for  details  and  pre- hoi  id  ay 
delivery;  20 1  -53 1  -46 1 5 .  B N B606 


PARTS  &  KITS  for  the  Home-Brew  Amateur. 
Two  Firsi  Class  Stamps  for  Latest  Catalog  & 
Flier.  Small  Parts  Center,  6816  Meese  Drive, 
Laos i  ng  M I  4691 1  <  BN 6809 

HAVE  OCTOBER  1 960  and  JANUARY  1961 
ISSUES  to  best  otter.  W7IXN,  14915  SE  47 
Court.  Bellevue  WA  98006.  BIMB810 

FLOOD  YOUR  MAILBOX!  You  get  100s  of 
radio  &  electronics  specialty  catalogs.  Send 
$2,00,  name  &  address  to:  Electronic  List  Ser- 
vices, Dept.  B,  PO  Box  1683,  Brookline  MA 
02146,  BNB811 

QUALITY  CISL  CARDS,  rubber  stamps, 
envelopes  and  printed  lelierhead.  Send  45c 
poslage  or  SASE  for  samples.  Large  selec- 
tion at  attractive  prices.  San  dollar  Press,  PO 
Box  30726,  Santa  Barbara  CA  93130. 

BNBS12 

LOOKING   FOR   HAMS   WORLDWIDE? 

Subscribe  to  QMT,  an  English- written  ham 
quarterly  where  subscribers  are  entitled  to 
place  one  free  ad  (max,  80  words)  which  is 
published  for  subscription  period.  Over  2,500 
ham  ads  quarterly.  87  countries.  Subscription 
rates  (CASH):  5-year  320,00;  3-year  $15,00; 
1-year  310.00.  Price  includes  p&h.  Enclose 
name,  call,  address,  and  advertisement  (non- 
obligatory).  Order  before  Jan.  5  and  get  free 
gift.  Paulo  Lago,  (Lyon  Publications),  Aparta* 
do  2804,  1121  Lisboa  codex,  Portugal, 

BN6S13 

WANTED:  Azden  PCS-4500  Regency  HR-6, 


or  Genare  GTX-600.  Reasonable.  Jim,  469 
Jayson  Avenue,  Pittsburgh  PA  15228, 

BNB814 

WANTED:  Vaesu  FT-625RD,  FT-627RA,  or 
FT6B0R.  Also  wanted:  ICOM  IC-505.  IC-551 , 
IC-551D,  IC-S60,  or  IC&Q2A.  Reasonable. 
Jim.  469  Jayson  Avenue,  Pittsburgh  PA 
15228  BNB815 


SLEP  SPECIALS,  MILITARY  USM-117C 
S  O  LI  D  STATE  SM A  LL  PORT AB  LE  DC-5MH  z 
OSCILLOSCOPE,  IDEAL  FOR  BENCH 
WORK  OR  RTTYf MODULATION  TESTING 
$95.00;  MILITARY  USM-SG7  30UD  STATE 
PORTABLE.  0-5G0MHZ  EIGHT  DIGIT  READ- 
OUT. HIGH  STABILITY  OSCILLATOR,  LATE 
MILITARY  LAB  QUALITY  $185.00;  TS-403/U 
MICROWAVE  SIGNAL  GENERATOR, 
1.8GHz  TH  ROUGH  4. 2G  Hz ,  M I L/SPEC  VER- 
SION OF  HP61SB  $195.00;  TS-51QA/U 
SIGNAL  GENERATOR  10MHz  THROUGH 
420MHz,  MIL/SPEC  VERSION  OF  HP608D 
£195.00;  BP614A  SIGNAL  GENERATOR 
900MH*  TO  2100MH2  $38500;  HP6Q6A 
SIGNAL  GENERATOR  50  kHz  THROUGH 
65MHz  $295.00;  HP417A  VHF  DETECTOR 
10-500 MHz  $85.00;  HP618B  SIGNAL  GEN- 
ERATOR 36GHz TO 7.8GHz $295.  ALL  LAB 
TESTED,  PRICED  LOW  TO  MOVE  QUANTI- 
TY. SATISFACTION  GUARANTEED,  VISA, 
M/C,  OR  CHECK,  ADD  SHIPPING.  WRITE 
OR  PHONE  BILL  SLEP,  704-524-7519,  SLEP 
ELECTRONICS  COMPANY,  HIGHWAY  441 , 
OTTO  NC  26763.  BNB816 

COMPUTERIZE  with  the  "Amateur  Radio 
Operating  System.  This  MS/DOS  based 
software  features  auto-logging,  OSL  man- 
agement, AWARD  summaries,  Contesting, 
and  MORE.  Base  System  $39.95,  Demo  disk 
$10,00  (credited).  SASE  brings  details.  Fun 


damenfai  Services,  1546C  Peaceful  Lane, 
Clearwater  FL  346 1 6 .  BNB9 1 7 

FREE  HAM  EQUIPMENT,  details  Si.  P.O. B 
1631,  Arvada  CO  800O1.  BNB61B 

INEXPENSIVE  VIDEO  DIGITIZER  THE 
IMAGE-IZER"  from  KINNEY  SOFTWARE. 
See  73 Oct.  1988  page  10  for  details.  Capture 

RS17Q  TV  video  {VCR  or  TV  camera)  to  Com- 
modore 64/128  or  IBM  PC-  Save  images  to 
disk  files.  IBM  PCfXT  4  77MHz  version 
requires  CGA  capability-  $59.95.  Com- 
modore version-  $39.95.  Includes  disk 
software,  documentation,  pretinned  and 
drilled  PC  board  for  easy  assembly.  Uses 
common,  low  cost  part$.  Specify  computer 
type  Order  from:  KINNEY  SOFTWARE 
DEPT.  73V.  974  HODSDON  ROAD,  POW- 
N  AL  M  E  04069 .  BNB8 1 9 

INEXPENSIVE  SLOW  SCAN  SEE  WHAT 
YOU  HAVE  BEEN  MISS1NG1  Either  IBM  PC/ 
XT/AT  or  Commodore  64/128  version  only 
$39.95!  Receives  all  popular  SSTV  modes, 
including  36  second  color  ROBOT,  in  8  grey 
levels.  Save  images  to  disk.  Commodore  ver- 
sion also  transmits  black  and  white  pictures. 
IBM  version  is  receive  only  (requires  CGA 
capability).  Includes  disk  software,  documen- 
tation, pretinned  and  drilled  PC  board  for 
easy  assembly.  Uses  common,  tow  cost 
parts.  Specify  computer  lype.  Order  from: 
KINNEY  SOFTWARE  DEPT  73SSTV,  974 
HODSDON  ROAD,  POWNAL  ME  04069, 

BNB820 

WANTED  DRAKE  R4245  Of  R7A  well  Op- 
tioned for  SWL  and  AM/SSB  DXing  io  excel- 
lent condition  in  exchange  for  some  cash  and 

collection  of  mint  New  Zealand  stamps,  de- 
tails Ron.  Harkness,  24  Talbot  Place,  Inver- 
carg  i  II ,  New  Zeal  and .  6  N  682 1 


THE  SMILEY  ANTENNA  CO. 

THE  HAND  TUNED  PERFORMANCE  SYSTEM 

FEATURING  PORTABLE  RADIO  SIMULATION  TUNING 


THE  TUNED:  AHTENNA 


Electrical 

fcf  a*  rrtlcjjn  Paw&f  , 
Ff*tju*nC|/  Wans* 
ffnp&dancg 


Mechanical 

Costing  Maitfial 


"Quality  through  Technology" 


B 


Hamaimq  Etemant ..A 


!i 


.SO  WelKs 
.nS-932MHi. 

.Mulched    to    the    Portable 
Spurji  allied  Tunjng 
Available. 


PippSd  if)  SynLhelic 
Rubber  To  Seal  and  Webh 
Coil    HruvHr'ir-g 
n-i&torliun 

1  PVC  Covering 

2  Mil-Sptic  MPO-20fJ£r.  A 
Soivem  and  Acid 
fresislam  Covering 


I 


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i.  * 
1 1 


Helical  Waurtd  Hsrdsjifld 
Steel  Wtr»,  Coppfif  Piaied 
lot  Lower  Fe&i&iancBAnd 
Higfief  Velocity 
t25  dia  High  Carbon 
SlHisi    Bias  Wound 
Fluxibla  Shalt  Co^e- 
FIsiatiL 


» 


a  i 


wajiaoIeTrom 
136-174  MHZ 


l_l     L_l 


Available  from 
210-250  MHZ 


i   i   i 


Availabfe  from 
440-470  MHZ 


FDR    DEALER 

LOCATIOM      CALL  BIS    573-BS16 

SMILEY  ANTENNA  CO.t  INC.  *oa  la  cresta  heights  road  I=lcajon.  ca  92021 


AXCDM  Work  n' 


CIRCLE  101  ON  READER  SERVICE  CARD 


88     73  Amateur  Radio  *  December,  1988 


Number  31  on  your  Feedback  card 


Index:  1988 


ARTICLE  AUTHOR 

ACCESSORIES 

He  il  B M- 1 0  Boom  set  N5EFG 

Security  Aiem  nmrve 

Tech  Tips  KK4CS 

AMPLIFIERS 

Ampsirier  Add-on  W7LNG 

Comm  2M  35W  Kit  KT2B 

Heathkrt  HF  Linear  Mods  VE5X2 

Heathfit  SB- 1 000 1  inear  Amp  K3R  V  N 

Modernizing  the  SB^OO  WA4BLC 

PT-25O0A  HF  NA5E 

fl  F  Concepts  3-3 1 2  220  MHz  KT2B 

ANTENNAS  AND  ACCESSORIES 

10  Meter  Beam  NfflBLX 

Aerial  Vtaw  W7XU 

Aeriai  View  W7XU 

Request  a  copy  of  the  corrected  printout. 

Aenal  View  W7XU 

Aerial  View  W7XU 

Aerial  View  W7XU 

Aenal  View  W7XU 

Aerial  View  W7XU 

Aerial  View  W7XU 

See  software  corf  eel  ion  in  DEC  issue,  p. 63 

Aluminum  Cloud  NFIDH 

Antenna  System  5  W37C 

See  malh  correction  m  NOV  issue,  p,67 

Antenna  Systems  W3ZC 

Above  and  Beyond  KT2B 

ATV  WB0QCD 

ATV  WBCOCD 

ATV  WBfflOCD 

Balloon-Supported  Antennas  WlGV 

B  utte  m  ue  Butterfly  Anton  no  W  A4BLC 

Carolina  Wrndom  WA4BLC 

Create  CR-30  Roof  Tower  KA1 HY 

Create  X^209  9-elernent  yagi  KT2B 

Cu&hcraft  1 24WB  and  Tonna  20804  KT2B 

Down  Easi  3333/1 345-LYK  loop  yagis  KT2B 

Down  Easl  Model  234SLY  45  loop  yagi  KT2B 

Hamsats  WASZtB 

Hardty-Hard,  Hardline  Connector  W5PFG 

Larsen  HT  Antennas  W7XU 
Matcom  Antenna  Matchers  2QOD/XLD-T50     W7XU 

M  B-V-A  3Q0QW  Anienna  Mate her  KA1 XO 

Mobile  Antenna  for  2  Meiers  W4JC 

Nye  ViMng  RFM-003  RF  Monitor  NS1 B 

Orion  146  MHz  Antenna  W7XU 

Portable  Re-entrant  Cavity  W7AC1 

QHP  W&BVGE 

WSE  wP-727  and  Com-  R  ad  CR2/4 A  KA 1 H Y 

AUDIO 

4  +■ 1  Tone  Decod  cr  W A3LT J 
See  clarifications  byaulhor  in  J  UN  issue.  p.iOQ. 

Digital  Voice  Compression  WA3YQY 
See  correction  of  decimals  to  (radians  in  JU N 

Monophonic  Output.  Adaptable  WA&RON 

AWARDS  and  CONTESTS 

10  and  75  Meter  Contest 

1987  World  SSB  Championship 

iOMete-r  Contest  Results 

Armed  Forces  Day  1986 

DX 

DX  DA  Award 

Golden  Gigahertz  Winners 

Sateiliie  Awards 


DeEperdang 
VP2ML 


BANDS  and  tuning 

1750  M 

Above  and  Beyond 

CompuierJ2ed  Freq  Readout 

Computerized  Tuning  TS-S30S 

Datong's  Greet  Add-On  Filters 

Digital  5C-V  Oscilloscope 

Finger  Tip  Frequency  Control 

Ham  Radio  31  Its  Best 

Life  on  a  Megacycle 

Looktng  Wast 

LooJurtg  West 

Maxcom  Antenna  Matchers  2O0D/XLD-15O 

MB-V-A  300OW  Antenna  Matcher 

Tech  Tips 

VHF/UHFTape  Antennas 

PRO-&004  Scanner 

Propagation 

Trip  Through  Microwave  Specif um 

BOOK  REVIEWS 

Tille 

Contemporary  Electronics  Circuils  De&fcbock 

Handbook  of  Practical  IC  Circuils 

Low  and  Medium 

Frequency  Radio  Scrapbook 
Low-Band  DXing 

Master  Guide  to  Electronic  Circuits 
On  the  Road  Again 
Passpon  10  World  Band  Radio 
RF1 

H  utch-.nson/Kaczy  nski 
Technofogy  Dictionary,  The 
Transmission  Line  Transformers 
Transmitter  Hunting:  RDF  Simplified 
WlFB's  Antenna  Notebook 

CFRCUfTS 

CMOS  Oscillator 
Fltp-Fiops  and  Latch  Circuits 
Fiip-Ffops  and  Latch  Circuits 
Oscillator  Circuit 

Correction  in  OCT  issue,  p. 94 
Rectifier  Diode 
Tech  Tips 


WB5RMA 

W2IMB 

KT2B 

WA9RDE 

KF6DF 

WA4BLC 

WA&TYU 

WA4BLC 

KA 1 PZV 

N4RVE 

WA6ITF 

WAS  IT  F 

W7XU 

KA1XO 

Cameron 

WB3KCZ 

NA5E 

WlXU 

KT28 


DESCRIPTION 

headset  and  mike 
for  Winnobiko 
quick  HT  holder 

for  160  meters 

review 

SB  200-220 

review 

Heathkit  linear 

review 

review 


for  14 

parallel  dipoles 
SWR 

3-ei  e  r  ihi  •■■  yagi 
spider  antenna 
the  dipole 
beam  antennas 
transformers 
ground  systems 

ettic  antenna 
SWR  and  tuning 

Part  2 

configurations 

WSDNTAIfordSlotUHF 

Skeleton  Sfol 

vertical/horizontal 

lor  60  and  160  meters 

review 

review 

review 

review 

144MHzyagiS 

review 

review 

anienna  restrictions 

For  antennas 

review 

review 

review 

HaradaMT-2 

review 

review 

2  meter 

Vee  beam;  wire  antenna 

review 


speaker  control 

synthesized  voice 

p.94 

circuit 


results 

contest  results 

world  and  1 60  meter 

communications  test 

new  awards  and  ARRL  rules 

rules.,  winners,  countries 

list 

diverse  awards 

160-190  kHz 

FCC  beacon  subbands 

digital  treq  display 

digital  VFOs 

ANF.FL2.FL3 

tuning  indicator 

QSYar 

14.275  MHz 

HF  Bicycle  Mobile 

220  MHz  and  FCC 

220  MHz  and  FCC 

review 

review 

10  mater  antenna 

copper  toil 

review 

VHF  bands 

1.2-10G.H* 


ISSUE 

JAN 

JUL 
JUN 


JUN 

DEC 

MAR 

AUG 

AUG 

DEC 

NOV 

MAR 

JAN 

FEB 

MAR 

APR 

MAY 

JUL 

AUG 

DEC 

SEP 
SEP 


AuthorfEdilor[sj  Reviewer 
Helms  WB&RRT 

Helms  WB9RRT 


Cornell 

WB9RRT 

Devatdere 

W7XD 

Helms 

WB9FIRT 

Johnson 

W6AAQ^NA5E 

Magne 

NA5E 

WB9RRT 

MAR 

Battle 

WB9RRT 

Sevtck 

WB9RRT 

MoellrCurlee 

KA9KAF 

PeMawWlFB 

W7XU 

KG5N 

variable 

W4RNL 

HsxrbiHly 

W4RNL 

HexibiNty 

WSLBH 

versatile 

W7FVM 

circuit 

DuBois 

connecting  circui 

issue 

FEB 

FEB 

FEB 

MAY 
NOV 
SEP 

APR 


MAR 
MAR 
MAR 

MAY 

FEB 
JUN 
JUL 
JUN 

MAR 
JUN 


p. 25 
p. 58 
P-80 

p.74 
p.40 
p.20 
p.  15 
p.  42 
p.7B 
p.  24 


p.14 

p.  100 

P-89 

P-62 

p,76 
p.74 
p,75 
p.^8 

pL63 

p.U 
plO 


OCT 

p.  38 

MAR 

p.  75 

MAR 

p.54 

JUL 

p.  70 

OCT 

p.73 

SEP 

p. 16 

SEP 

p.  16 

DEC 

p. 49 

MAY 

p,58 

MAR 

p.  16 

MAR 

p35 

MAR 

p.  11 

OCT 

p.44 

JUL 

P-63 

MAY 

p.32 

MAR 

p26 

MAR 

p42 

NOV 

p.  62 

MAR 

p.  28 

SEP 

p.  36 

NOV 

p.63 

OCT 

p.29 

OCT 

p.83 

MAR 

p.31 

APR  p. 55 
JUN  p.51 
MAY       p..S0 


AUG 

p.74 

MAY 

p.41 

MAY 

p.43 

MAY 

p.  47 

APH 

p.45 

JAN 

p.  4i 

FEE 

p.27 

MAY 

p.30 

FEB 

p3l 

JUL 

p.6B 

JAN 

p35 

NOV 

p. 49 

JUL 

p,30 

JUN 

p20 

AUG 

p.34 

APR 

p.11 

NOV 

p.  55 

NOV 

p.  60 

DEC 

p.  100 

MAR 

p.  42 

NOV 

p.62 

JUN 

p.  BO 

OCT 

p.  24 

AUG 

p.  50 

JUL 

p96 

OCT 

p.14 

p. 42 
p.42 

p4? 

p.51 
p.37 
p.  22 
p.37 

p27 
p27 

p.27 
p37 
p.51 


p. 63 
p.11 

p.43 
p.74 

p.96 
p. SO 


ARTICLE 

COMPUTERS  and  SO  FTWAR  E 

Briefly  Speahtmg 

0-64^128  vs.  Commerce  Depi. 

Care  and  Feeding  of  a  FBBS 

Care  and  Feeding  of  a  PBBS 

CAT  to  RS-232 

Digital  Accuracy  for  Vae&u  FRG-7 

IBM  PC  Clones 

RS-232  Port 

CW 

Beauty  and  the  Best 

Code  Test  Sure  Shot 

CW  Fitters 

GGTE  Morse  Tutor 

Home-Brew  Fun! 

How  lo  Improve  Your  Code  Speed 

Morse  Code  Motivational  Techniques 

Novice  Band  Code  Nets 

Op-Ed 

Problems  Learning  the  Code 

ORP 

TE-144Kayer 

Why  Become  a  Hem? 

DIAGNGST3CS/REPA IR7HOW-TO 

AH  About  Henry 

Anlennas  m  Uhe  Spring 

AR-4&QD  3W  LCD  Meter 

Bicycle-Mobile  R  and  0  Lab 

Ughming  Protector 

Ludvigson  Tonegen  iorC-64 

Microwave  Test  Equipment 

PK232 

QHP 

Raise  the  Hazerl 

Ramsey  CT-90 

Ramsey  D-5100  Multimeter 

ScHdoring  Sidebar 

Solder  iron  Shui  Off 

Tech  Tips 

Troubleshooting  Trichs 

Voltage  Sampling  with  a  Computer 

DX 

10  Meier  DX 
Above  and  Beyond 
AEADXIOmeler 
DX 
DX 
DX 
DX 
DX 
DX 

Holy  Mackerel.  What  a  Mess 
international  Application 
MFJ  Gray  Line  DX  Advantage 
Nets,  A  Case  for 
NatsH  OX„  to  Checlt  Oul 
Newsletters,  DX 
Pan  American  Games 
OSL  Cards,  OX  with 
QTH  DX 
QTHDX 
QTHD* 
QTHDX 
QTHDX 
QTHDX 
QTHDX 
OTHDX 
QTH  DX 
The  Colvins 
Working  the  World  Fast 
See  ?3  international  by  Richard 

EDUCATION 

Bears  F  reject 
Crew  at  22 

How  Not  to  Run  a  Novice  Class 
Op-Ed 

Opening  Doors  for  Kids 
W5YI  Novice  Course 
You  Wit!  Upgrade 
See  also  CW 

ENCODERS,  DECODERS 

Homfcdower  2 
Two-Tone  Encoder 

GENERAL  INTEREST 

Aoove  and  Beyond 

Above  and  Beyond 

AR  in  National  Emergencies 

Buyer  Beware 

Choosing  a  QSL  Card 

Civil  Air  Patrol 

Drifting  Along  the  Tetegraph  Tr 

Drifting  Along  the  Telegraph  Tr 

Drifting  Aiong  the  Telegraph  Tr 

Drilling  Along  the  Telegrapn  Tr 

Ham  Profiles 

Ham  Radio  at  Its  Best 

LASHE's  Commandments 

Look  North! 

Looking  West 

Looking  West 

Looking  West 

MARS  and  Amateur  Radio 

Meteor  Scatter 

On  the  Road  and  On  the  Air 

Passions  Of  trie  Ether 

Patents  Are  Unique 

Propagation 

Propagation 

San  Salvador  Earthquake 

MOBILE  OPERATION 

Aenal  View 

Full  Duplex  32 AT 

Hand-held  Transformation 


AUTHOR 

W5PFG 

KD5EA 
WA1 FHB 
WA1FHB 
N9CLX 

WA9HDE 

N8GNJ 

Neal 

NA5E 

KAflNTK 

W4THU 

KA1HY 

WA9FPU 

W9NGP 

KZU 

W6DDB 

NA5E 

K9K2T 

WB6VGE 

WBflVGE 

WABOHX 

KA1HY 

WB4DCV 

WA4BLC 

WB9RRT 

N4RVE 

N1FID 

NA5E 

WBSiGP 

KF6DF 

WB6VGE 

W5PFG 

WB9RRT 

WB9RRT 

WB9RRT 

KABJOHV 

N7DFR 

Harshbarger 

Msgee 

VP2ML 
KT2B 
WBSVGE 
VP2ML 

VP2ML 

VP2MI 

VF2ML 

VP2ML 

VP2ML 

W2NSDH 

Richard  Phenix 

Nowafc 

NOSM 


KA90IH 

NSFU 

N6HVK 

N6HVK 

N6HVK 

N6HYK 

N6HYK 

N6HYK 

N6HYK 

N6HYK 

N6HYK 

N6HYK 

N6HYK 


DESCRIPTION 

interface  standards 
propagation 
packet  BBS 
Pans 

Yaesu  control 

064 

less  expensive  computers 

for  C-64 

Brass  Racer  review 

w/o  learning  code 

2.1  kHzSSBand4O0Hz 

cooe  practice 

kayer  review 

lips 

teaching 

code  practice 

no  code 

teaching 

koyers  and  decoder 

keyer  project,  with  schematic 

review 

CW  learning  psychology 

induclance  checker 

m  ai  ntenance.'repai  r 

review 

experimentation 

conslruction 

review 

1 0  G  Hz  detector  mount 

FSfi* 

winding  ooils;foroid& 

frame  to  lower  anienna;  review 

frequency  counter,  review 

Digital  Auloranging 

tips 

safely  switch 

PC  board  fabrication 

basic  principles 

k\\ 

DX  primer 

Canada  {FN24) 

HT  review 

Mt.  Athos 

using  RTTY 

IOTA  designation 

United  Arab  Emirates 

1 60  meters 

Mafyj  Vysloskij 

St.  Pierre  and  Mk^uelon 

Inl'l  app.  form  (proposed) 

software  review 

case  tor  their  necessity 

list 

list 

news 

rules  for 

Nauru 

Iceland 

Pitcairn  Island 

Australia 

Cambodia 

Anita 

Japan 

Luxembourg 

Christmas  Island 

pXpeditioners 

DX  how-10 


ISSUE 

JUN 

JAN 

JUN 

JUL 

AUG 

JAN 

AUG 

DEC 

SEP 

JUL 

FEB 

JUL 

DEC 

JUL 

JUL 

JUL 

MAR 

JUL 

MAY 

JUL 

DEC 

JUL 

NOV 
MAR 
JUL 

JUN 

DEC 

FEB 

OCT 

DEC 

MAR 

NOV 

SEP 

JUN 

AUG 

AUG 

JUN 

JAN 

JUN 

JAN 

DEC 

FEB 

MAY 

JUN 

JUL 

SEP 

NOV 

DEC 

AUG 

JAN 

SEP 

JAN 

JAN 

JAN 

JAN 

JAN 

FEB 

MAR 

APR 

JUN 

JUL 

AUG 

HEP 

NOV 

DEC 

JAN 

JAN 


Phenix  in  each  issue  for  international  news. 

KZ1Z  ham  radio  scnoof  project 

WB2J  KJ  NYC  junior  rad^o  dub 

KC0ES  Humor 

NA5E  promoMng  ham  radio 

WB2MGP  cl assroom  program 

Norwood  review 

KOHBO  easy  approach 


W5PFG  remote 

WB7CPT  conslruction 

KT2B  Mid-Atianlic  VHF  Conference 

KT2B  best  and  worst  of  '87 

W9JD  bemg  prepared 

WD6HCL  used  equip,  shopping  caveats 

WA6OHX  buyer's  guide 

KA9KAF  privileges 

W6CK  memoirs 

W0CK  memoirs 

W6CK  memoirs 

W6CK  memoirs 

K  A 1 H  Y  Leon  id  Lafjulin  U  A3CR 

KA1PZV  14.275  MH* 

VP2M  L  for  QSL  Managers 

NA5E  Canadian/Soviet  Ham  Trek 

WA61TF  radio  nostalgia 

W A61TF  .  220  MHz  and  FCC 

WASfTF  220  MHz  and  FCC 

W1ZM  history 

WB5KYK  calendar  of  meteor  showers 

KA&OVA  tech  nomad 

N4RVE  ham  archetypes 

W6PFG  protection 

W1XU  planetary  influence 

W1XU  the  troposphere 

W9ELR  emergency  Operallons 

W7XU  mobife  antennas 

WB2MIC  review 

Nit  LRT  Kenwood  Mini  mod 


APR 
SEP 
JUL 
APR 
JUN 
JUL 
JUL 


JUL 
JUL 

JAN 
FEB 
AUG 

JUN 

SEP 

DEC 

FEB 

MAR 

APH 

JUN 

APR 

APR 

JUN 

JAN 

FEB 

NOV 

DEC 

SEP 

MAR 

FEB 

OCT 

SEP 

MAY 

JUN 

APP 

NOV 
DEC 
AUG 


pr40 
p.4€ 
p.22 
p..60 
p.54 
p.35 
p.2S 
p.14 

p.40 
p.10 
p.46 
p.20 
p.19 
p.3T 
p,24 
p.18 
p  103 
p.55 
p.  06 
p.  60 
p.11 
p.4 

p22 

P-34 
p,39 

p.42 
P-95 
p,32 
p.40 
p. 95 
p.73 
p.  11 

P-42 
p  10 
p44 
P-57 

p.ao 

p.  26 

P-54 

p  102 
p.  75 

p.15 
p,84 

p.85 
p.87 

P-71 
p.S9 
p.77 
p  10 

p.  7a 

p.49 
p32 
p.  39 

p.4& 
p,14 
p.  31 

p.a? 

p. 106 
p,1O0 
p.87 
p. 95 
p.87 
p,&9 
p.73 
pfl'1 
p.28 
p.11 


p.14 

p.46 
p,44 

p.ttO 
p.14 
p.37 
p34 


p£e 

p.14 

p-62 

p4S 
p.32 
p.32 
p.44 
p.12 
p.34 
p.50 
p.  50 
P36 
pB5 
p,11 
p85 
p.  72 
p.S6 

p.ao 

p.100 
p23 
P-22 
P-11 
p.35 
p.39 

p.et 

p.76 
p.13 

p. 70 

p-ea 

p  19 


73  Amateur  Radio  ■  December,  1988    09 


—■ 


ARTICLE 

MOBILE  (contmved) 

Mobile  Antenna  lor  2  Meiers 

Ouest  For  Ultra  Portahikty 

7*0  Meiers  Aboard  lh&  Winnebikd 

WSE  WP-727  and  Com-Rad  CR2/4A 

PACKET 

ATV 

Bicyde-Motjile  Packetaering 

Digicom  §4 

Emergency  "Pochsl"  Packet 

Pac-Comrn  Micro  Power  TNC 

Rachel 

P&cfcel  Tatk 

Packet  Talk 

Packet  Talk 

Packet  Tuning  indicator 

ORP 

POWER  SUPPLIES 

Aula- VIM1 

AulfrVIM 

C-34  Power  Supply 

Charging,  w/q  Overcharging 

Charger,  NiCd 

Inverter.  Low  Power 

Ludvtgson  Porta-Pow'r-Pak 

Power  Supply  Modulo 

QRP 

QRP 

QRP 

Winnebiko's  Solar  Power  System 

PREAMPLIFIERS 

1COM  *G-35S  Masi-Mounted  70cm 
Oscilloscope  Preamplifier 

RDF 

Datonq  DF  package 
Direction-Fading  Loop 
Homing  In 
Homing  In 
Smart  "S".  Meier 

RECEIVERS 

Converter  Receiver 
Don-'t  Lose  Merino^ 

(COM  IC^TOOQ 

LF  Eng  L-101 S  R-ac^iving  System 

Micro-  20  Receiver 

ORP 

REPEATERS 

ATV 

ATV 

CES  51QSA-II  interconnecl 

Kenwood  4  tOQA 

Lap-Top  Hopoater  ControlEar 

Looking  West 

Looking  West 

Looking  West 

Maggiqre  HI  Pro  Repeater 

Motion  AK-tO 

Packet  Talk 

Repeater  Controller 

Uftimale  Repeater  I  Dor 

RTTV 

RTTY.BAS 


AUTHOR  DESCRIPTION 

W4JC  Harada  MT^ 

N4RVE  Tech  Nomad 

N4RVE  problem  solving 

KA1  H¥  review 

WBBOCD  EARWARN 

N4RVE  Pac-Comm 

W2UP  packet  system  C-64 

WAtFHB  portable  digipeater 

WBSMIC  review 

WB6RQN  emergency  communications 

WBGFIQN  modems 

WB6RQN  net  protocols 

WB6RQN  NBFM  radios  for  oackel 

WSEKV  lor  $15 

WB8VGE  digital  QHP  modes 

W4RML  5^15  V  supply 

W4RNL  Part  2,  Bench  Supply 

WA4GUW  3052  regulator  replacement 

YVGBVQR  battery  back-up  charger 

WB7CPT  selectable 

ND6T  circuit 

NASE  review 

K1BQT  regulator 

WB3VGE  QRP5'er 

WB8VGE  solar  cells 

WB8VGE  load- acid  baltery 

N4RVE  schematic 

KT2B  preamplifier 

Pugh  op  artd  video  amps 

WA4BLC  revle* 

WA4U2M  bandaid  tuning  box 

KflOV  inlroduclion 

K8JOV  loop  anlennas 

N6JSX  circyh  for  T-hurttere 

WB2EUF  forVFO 

K9ELJI  RAMloEPR0MNllC0MR7lA 

receiver 
K3RVMGGEZZ  review 

WB9RRT  review 

KTBQT  loll  superhet  in  DC  receiver 

WBflVGE  Two-Fer  recede  r  schematkr 


ISSUE 

MAR 
AUG 
FEB 
MAR 

DEC 

APR 

AUG 

APH 

AUG 

APR 

MAR 

JAN 

FEB 

DEC 

JUN 

AUG 
SEP 

FEB 
DEC 
JUN 
MAY 
FEB 
APH 
FEB 
AUG 
DEC 
MAY 

JAN 
AUG 

MAR 

JUL 

NOV 

DEC 

AUG 


YVBtfQCD 

coordination 

W&rjQCD 

cOfirdirUiLrtn 

WA4TEM 

review 

W3HW 

crossoand  repeater  mod 

KFSWO 

schematic 

WA6ITF 

coordination 

WASITF 

coordination 

WA61TF 

coordination 

K1ZJJH 

review 

KA1JJN 

review 

WBeRQN 

Oigipeeter 

N1AAQ 

low  cost 

K7PF 

C  w  or  voice 

MAY 
NOV 
FEB 
APR 

FEB 

MAY 

NOV 

NOV 

NOV 

MAY 

JUL 

AUG 

NOV 

OCT 

JUN 

JAN 

NOV 


p  26 
p.2Q 
p.  12 
p.31 

p.  55 
p41 
p.  22 
p24 
p.40 
p.67 
p.77 
p.  80 
p.70 
p,24 
p.67 

pl2 
p27 
p.  63 
p.34 
p.  74 
p.  90 
p.1& 
p.  20 
p.BO 
p,76 
p,71 

p. 21 
p.47 

p.  39 
0.22 

P-1* 
p.  52 
p24 


MAR        p.96 


p,20 

p.44 
p.51 
p. 29 
p6Q 

p.54 

p.ea 

::.1t 
p.  39 
P27 
p.  65 
p.  96 
p.  78 
p.10 
p.58 
p.60 
p.61 
P-4S 


WA3AJR 


;-i\\YAv>  neeodo,  C&Gfi 


JAN       p84 


ARTICLE 

RTTY  (continued) 
RTTYLOOp 
See  correclion  of  RTTY.BAS,  SEP  p. 57  and  MAY  p.73 


RTTV  Loop 

RTTY  Loop 

SATELLITES 

Decatur  Nam 

Hamsais 

Hamsais 

Hamsais. 

Hamsats 

Hamsata 

Hftmtats 

Ham  sat  s 

Hamsats 

Hanisata 

History  of  Project  Oscar 

Satellite  Awards 

UoSATs 

UoSATs 

Why  DoSatallii.es? 

TRANSCEIVERS 

lOGHzpolaplexer 

Allnco24T  144/440  MH* 

Full  Duplex  32AT 

Going  Microwave 

Helping  and  Hopping  |he  HW-9 

ICOM  IC-375A  220  MHz  Multi-Mode 

ICOM  IC-475A  70CM 

ICOM  IC  900  FM  Transceiver 

Kenwood  TM-221 A  2  Meier 

Kenwood  TR-7&1  A  Multi-mode  VHF 

Kenwood  TS-1 40  HF 

Midland  13-509 

Pee  Wee  Thirty  Transceiver 

See  correction  in  OCT  issue,  p.94 
Pee  Wee  Thirty  Transceiver 
Pulsed  Bi-Pha&e  Dlgild 
Pulsed  Bi-Phase  Communications  System 
Ten  Tec  Paragon  Transceiver 
TH- 110  Transceiver 
Yaesu  FT-747GX  Transceiver 

TRANSMITTERS 

Beacon  Transmitter 

Sea  correction  note  tn  JUN  issue,  p.100. 
ORP 
Tool  a  Transmitter  for  AM 

TRANSVEHTERS 

Above  and  Beyond 
Above  and  Beyond 
Deluxe  Transverter  for  1 7S0  M 
SSB  Electronics  LT-33S 
W2CRZ  902  MHz  Linear 

VIDEO/VISUAL 

AEA  PK-FAX  Software 

ATV 

FAX  Program,  AEAPK-232 

Inexpensive  Display 

Packets  Full  of  Pixels 

Weathersais 

Wealheraats 

Weathersats 

Wealhersats 


AUTHOR 

DESCRIPTION 

ISSUE 

WA3AJR 

PK-232 

MAR 

PB1 

MAY  p.73 

WA3AJR 

,JCPR"  soltware 

JUL 

p.ee 

WA3AJR 

PC-Pakratt  Terminal  Program 

AUG 

p.63 

weeuuE 

launches  educational  sat 

DEC 

p28 

WASZIB 

AMSAT  OSCAR  10;  corcanfeedhom 

MAR 

p.  64 

WA5ZIB 

AM  SAT  OSCAR  1 1 

APR 

p.74 

WA52I8 

AEA  PK-232  modilicatiflin 

MAY 

py? 

WASzie 

upn nk,  downlink  modes 

JUN 

p.7B 

WASZIB 

AMSAT  OSCAR  13 

SEP 

p.67 

WA5ZiB 

telemetry  decoding,  satellites 

JAN 

p.90 

WASZIB 

tefemetry  decoding,  satellites 

FEB 

p.ftfl 

WA5ZIB 

the  rnicrosata 

NOV 

p. 59 

WASZIB 

as  update 

DEC 

PJ95 

K6LFH 

beginnings 

MAY 

p.27 

WB5RMA 

diverse  awards 

MAY 

pM 

NSAHD 

British  connection 

MAY 

p.20 

NSAHD 

British.  Part  2 

JUN 

p.  29 

N5BF 

past  and  future 

MAY 

pll 

WBfltGP 

full-duplex  on  3  cm 

OCT 

p.20 

WA80HX 

review 

OCT 

p.t3 

WB2MIC 

review 

oec 

p68 

WB6N0A 

AflflTRlOGAlOGHz 

AUG 

p,70 

WBWUZ 

adjustments 

FEB 

pSO 

KT2B 

review 

JUN 

p26 

KT2B 

review 

JAN 

p.2t 

KT2B 

review 

APR 

P34 

KT2B 

review 

NOV 

p. 13 

N1BLH 

review 

FEB 

p.  18 

WA4BLC 

review 

APR 

p.30 

WS9YBM 

modiltcatlons 

DSC 

p,27 

AC9E 

30  meier 

SEP 

p.30 

AC9£ 

Pari  2 

OCT 

p.  33 

K6HH 

communications  system 

JUN 

p34 

K6HH 

Part  2 

JUL 

p.40 

NX2C 

review 

MAY 

p.14 

K1BQT 

review 

APR 

p-24 

WA4BLC 

review 

JUL 

p12 

N4HCJ 


circuit 


MAR       pJ6 


WB8VGE 

The  6L8  Special 

JAN 

p  104 

W2IMB 

106  kHz 

FEB 

p.44 

KT28 

LMW  oscii  circuit 

APR 

p63 

KTSB 

LMW  mixer  board  schemata 

JUN 

p.64 

WD4PLI 

VLF  band 

FEB 

p2l 

KT26 

902  MHr  linear;  review 

OCT 

p.27 

KT2Q 

33  cm 

OCT 

p.30 

WBBOCD 

video 

APR 

P-38 

WB4QCQ 

video  soltware 

NOV 

p.77 

WBOGAI 

Screenfax 

MAY 

p.49 

N1VC 

WEFAX 

OCT 

P-77 

WDHAOX 

packet  scan 

OCT 

p-10 

WBaDQT 

Image  processtng, 

circuit 

JAN 

p.62 

WB8DOT 

pixel  values 

FEB 

P&4 

WB8DQT 

image  processing 

hardware 

APR 

p,72 

WBSDQT 

scan  converter  software 

JUN 

p,70 

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CIRCLE  2SS  ON  READER  SERVICE  CARP 


Index: 

December  1988 


FP'311^        l-t-ifkiiit-'-l-prl'i       Cp 

2N2222A tt  27 

Amiga  .,..,.._,,.,,...  14 

AMSAT-OSCAR 9,65 

battery  charging/regulation  - .  3471 

C-64H2S 14 

Carolina  Windom  Antenna 49 

Chrisimas  Island   84 

EARWARN  NET.... 55 

FET 21 

Hitachi  HMSrBI  16 22 

ICOM32AT 68 

IC0Mltfl71A 20 

KIOV.JflftttteilPE... 53 

K9EUI,8obRoehrig 20 

KASKAF,  Phil  NowaK 12 

KB1UM,  Michael  Jay  Geier 72 

KF6DF,  Robert  Fisher 95 

KT2B,PetePutman 75 

lightning  protect 35 

LM3$a/339 27,34 

loop  antenna  . 52 

Maiyj  Vystoslty] 77 

MC148B 14 

Midland  13-509 ,,,.,27 


Issue  #339 


NIFIDJimSammons 

4       »       ■        I        I 

,95 

N6HYK,L#or>FtetChar 

,84 

Neal.,  Ralph 

.  14 

NOVRAM  ....... 



.22 

PK232 

J        M.        m        L        L        L 

.  95 

PT-25QOA 

78 

RDF 

5? 

RS^32.. 

,        -        -        . 

.  14 

SAREX-2     

m 

TE-144K«y«r_  .  r . 

.        _        .          .          . 

.  ii 

VP2MUChod  Harris 

...          1          1        _ 

77 

W1 XU,  Jim  Gray.   . 

.-_... 

110 

W2EKY,  Ronald  B.Koester  .  . 

,  24 

W7KU,Ariis$N.  Thompson  . . 

.  63 

WA3AJn,MarcLeaveyMD  ,. 

107 

WA46LC,  Bill  Ctarke 

. .  m 

WA5Z18,  Andy  Mac  Alliste  r.    . 

66 

WA6ITF,  Bill  Pasternak 

.,83 

WA9FPU,  Men  Short.,.,,. 

„  19 

WBflXD.  Mike  Stone  

.  55 

WB2MIC,  Hand-8onialEQwskJ . 

.    68 

WB8VGE,  Mike  Bryce 

.71 

WBSVOR,  Dennis  KnilteJ 

r       r        (J^ 

WB9YBM,  Klaus  Spie 

S    ,    ,     .    .    . 

71 

90     73  Amateur  Radio  •  December,  1988 


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Peterborough,  NH  03458 


1  Bandplan  and  Crystal  Info  May  77 

2  Conversion  Data  fVlay  77 

3  Kadio  Shack  TRC  47  Jul  77 

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6  Arilerirm  Suggestions  Dec  77 

7  Radio  Shack  Realistic  TRC-1I  Dec  77 
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92     73  Amateur  Radio  *  December,  1988 


UNCLE  WAYNES  BOOKSHELF 


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Tech  tips 


Number  32  on  your  Feedback  card 


PS  Fix  for  the  PK-232 

The  AEA  PK-232  is  a  very  popular  terminal 
unit.  I've  had  mine  for  a  year  now.  Recently, 
though,  tt  developed  a  problem.  The  Pakratt 
sometimes  lost  its  presets  in  memory,  even 
though  the  memory  backup  batteries 
checked  out  OK.  The  three  LEDs  on  the  left 
side  of  the  display  lit  up  randomly,  The  unit 
sometimes  locked  up  and  didn't  print  a 
thing. 

I  soon  found  out  that  the  problem  was  in 
the  voltage  regulator  connection  to  the  cir- 
cuit board,  A  screw  with  lock  washer  and  nut 
at  the  bottom  of  the  board  loosened  up,  due 
to  the  heat  sink  temperature.  This  screw 
connects  the  output  of  the  regulator  from  the 
heat  sink  tab  to  the  circuft  board.  Tightening 
down  this  screw  improved  the  connection, 
but  there  is  a  better  way  and  permanent  fix  to 
this  problem. 

To  make  a  permanent  fix,  solder  a  wire 
to  the  center  tab  of  the  LM-317T  voltage 
regulator  and  the  other  end  to  the  anode 
of  diode  D12<  If  the  tab  is  cut  off  too  short, 
you  wifl  have  to  replace  the  IC  with  a  new 
one.  (Radio  Shack  has  them  in  stock.)  Apply 
heat  sink  compound  to  the  regulator  rC 
before  mounting  it  to  the  heat  sink  unit.  To 
remove  the  circuit  board  from  the  chassis, 
unscrew  the  six  screws  on  the  top  of  the 
board  and  the  knob,  and  nut  on  the 
threshold  pot  on  the  front  of  the  unit.  The 
board  will  then  lift  out  (don't  bend  any 
of  the  LEDs),  You  may  have  to  hold  the 
screws  on  the  bottom  from  turning  to  loosen 
up  the  top  ones.  After  you  are  done  with 
the  modification,  carefully  replace  the  board 
and  align  it,  then  replace  the  six  screws, 
nut,  and  knob, 

Recheck  connections  before  applying 
voltage  to  the  unit,  then  fire  it  up.  Be  sure 
the  memory  batteries  have  been  replaced. 
You  will  get  the  autobaud  message  asking 
to  print  an  ""*  to  set  the  RS-232  port.  The 
Baudot  LED  will  be  lit.  Reset  the  missing 
presets.  Turn  off  the  unit,  unplug  the  power 
then  replace  the  top  of  the  metal  cabinet 
and  the  six  screws.  Now.  install  the  unit 
as  before  and  plug  in  the  power  and  RS-232 
cable  and  you're  ready  for  problem-free 
operation. 

Remember  to  observe  safety  precautions 
when  working  around  ICs  lo  prevent  static 
shock  damage,  and  watch  your  soldering  to 
prevent  shorts  and  damage  to  the  printed 
wiring. 

I  love  my  Pakratt  and  have  been  very 
satisfied  with  its  performance,  Although 
you  may  not  have  this  problem  for  a  while, 
it  will  eventually  come  upT  so  don't  pull  your 
hair  out  until  you  check  this  regulator 
connection.  What  seems  like  a  complex 
problem  may  be  this  simple.  Here  is  the 


Pearls  of  Tech  Wisdom 


corporate  address  if  you  need  them  for 
advice  or  IC  upgrades.  AEA  Inc..  Units  O&P, 
2006  196th  S.W..  Lynwood,  WA  98036: 
(206)  775-7373. 

Robert  Fisher  KF6DF 

5994  Arden  Ave. 

San  Bernardino,  CA  92404 

Lightning  Protector 

As  I  settled  the  dust  in  the  new  shack,  I 
found  that  my  previous  lightning  protect  sys- 
tem was  inadequate.  I  sifted  through  the 
materials  that  had  been  pack-ratted  away 
and  came  up  with  a  system  that  satisfied  my 
needs, 

The  materiafs  I  used  were;  a  sheet  metal 
box,  measuring  7*  cubed,  enough  SO-239s 
for  each  of  the  antenna  systems  I  have,  cop- 
per braid  stripped  from  old  coaxial  cable, 
star  washers  and  nuts  to  secure  the  SO-239 
to  the  box,  solder  and  soldering  iron,  and  a 
drill. 

On  the  bottom  of  the  sheet  metal  box,  I 
drew  a  pattern  of  the  SO-239S,  leaving 
enough  space  between  each  to  allow  secur- 
ing with  star  washers  and  nuts.  I  also  left 
enough  room  to  label  each  one.  I  then  drilled 
the  patterns  and  reamed  the  holes  to  take  off 
any  sharp  edges.  I  connected  the  SO-239s 
in  series  by  soldering  the  end  terminals  to 
the  copper  braid  A  short  strip  of  braid  was 
cut  and  soldered  to  the  shielding  coupler  of 
each  SO-239,  to  insure  complete  grounding. 
I  cut  a  longer  strip  of  copper  braid  long 
enough  to  reach  the  ground  rod  outside  the 
shack.  The  series  of  SO-239s  then  fed 
through  the  open  end  of  the  box,  so  the 
threaded  end  protruded  through  the  pro- 
drilled  patterns.  The  SO-239s  were  then  se- 
cured with  the  star  washers  and  nuts  and 
labeled.  The  longer  strip  was  run  to  the 
ground  rod  and  secured  with  a  damp. 

This  system  saved  me  the  cost  of  buying 
commercially  made  lightning  arresters 
and  splicing  my  coaxial  cable.  Now  when 
the  thunder  starts  to  rumble,  I  simply  screw 
my  coaxial  connectors  to  my  home-brew 
lightning  arrester  and  pray  like  everyone 
else  that  1  don't  take  a  hit.  I  do  feel  better, 
however,  knowing  that,  if  I  do  take  a  direct 
hit,  the  energy  will  not  travel  to  my  radio 
gear.  I  would  rather  replace  my  antenna 
system  than  expensive  radios. 

Jim  Sammons  N1  FID 

Route  2,  Box  3530 

Jodie  Lane 

Fairfield  Center,  ME  04937 


Have  a  Tech  Tip?  Send  it  int  Authors  of 
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Tutr 


REFER  TO  0ST 
JUL Y  88  P  49 


_ 


21881  Summer  Circle,  Dept.  MTS 
Huntington  Beach,  CA.  92646 

CA.  Residents  add  $1 .20  sales  tax 

WW  AVAILABLE  THRU  UNCLE  WAYNE'S  BOOKSHELF 
THE  AHHL  iFFME  DEALERS  EVERYWHERE 


CIRCLE  339  ON  READER  SERVICE  CARD 

73  Amateur  Radio  *  December,  1988    95 


Number  33  on  your  Feedback  card 


ADVERTISERS 


R.S.#  page 

65  AEA 108 

+   ARRL 109 

243  AXM 85 

279   Ace  Communications  {C A)  42 

355  Ace  Communications  (IH) 15 

335  Ace  Systems  .,-._. 23 

68  Aerospace  Consulting , . .  53 

194  All  Electronics 47 

■  Amateur  Electronic  Supply SB 

288  Amateur  Radio  School     90 

314  Amentron 81 

89  Antennas  West 28 

90  Antennas  West 2B 

236  Antennas  West  . , , . . .  73 

302  Antennas  West 47 

303  Antennas  West  1 04 

304  Antennas  West 104 

5  Antennas  West 94 

107  Antennas  West 53 

82  Antennex 73 

271    Antique  Radio  Classified 28 

338   Ashton 5*1 

■  Associated  Radio  86 

1 6  Astron  Corp 41 

357  At  Fab 95 

363  Atlas  Radio 111 

105  Atlas  Radio 104 

158  Azimuth  Communications  ...-.,  86 

137  BAB  instruments 16 

53   Barker  and  Williamson 79 

41  Barry  Electronics 43 

42  Bilal 47 

94  BilfTrulockK9RKA-ATV                 94 

176  Bird  Electronics 37 

156  Buckmaster  Publishing 28 

7  Buckmaster  Publishing 73 

92   Burghardt 91 

•   Butternut  Electronics 37 


R.S.#  page 

356  C&S  Sates  51 

•  COMB.  ... ... 73 

•  CBC  Internationa] ....  53 

•  CES 94 

*  Call  Sign  Cups 15 

157  Cleveland  Institute 73 

186  Coaxial  Dynamics 109 

343  Comm-Pute 2Q 

99  Communications  Concepts  . , . . .  47 

121  Communications  Electronics  ...33 

10  Communications  Specialists  ...  99 

345  Computer  Radio 85 

12  Connect  Systems  , 1 

*  Control  Products  Unlimited    ....  15 

306  Creative  Control  Products 73 

147  Data  Com  International  74 

352   DATAK  ■ 18 

*  Delaware  Amateur  Radio 26 

263  Dentron 94 

102  Dentron 102 

103  Centronics 73 

15  Doppler  Systems 74 

339  DRSI 96 

112  BH,  Yost  53 

133  EGE„ 112 

291    Electron  Processing 94 

•  Electronic  Equipment  Bank 

...47,53,104 

8  Elktronics 85 

*  Engineering  Consulting 85 

58   Fox  Tango 74 

339  GGTE 95 

17  GLS  Electronics 40 

327  GTI 73 

326  GTI , 80 

72  Glen  Martin  Engineering 74 

273  Gordon  West  Radio  School 104 

346  Great  Circle  Maps 15 


R.S.#  page 

175   HalTronix. 38 

*  The  Ham  Station 83 

*  HamtrOnics(NY) 25 

309   Hamtronics  (PA)  .  .    . 67 

*  Heath  Company  100, 101 

303   Horizon  Manufacturing  91 

269   Hustler  . .  .„ 109 

354    ICOM C2 

84  iCOM 69 

358  Intercon  Data . 80 

97  International  Radio 86 

272  Jun's  Electronics  . . .  107 

235  K-40 Bl 

*  Kenwood  C4, 7, 8 

11  L.L.Grace  64 

23  Larson  Antennas .  ,  2 

320  MAO  Electronics 53 

24  MFJ  ... 3 

25  Madison  Electronics 23 

47  Maggiore  Electronics 66 

336  Magnaphase  . . 85 

*  Maryland  Monogram 23 

1 01  Maxcom 88 

241  Media  Mentors . .    37 

162  Michigan  Radio 21 

348  Micro  Computer  Concepts 48 

295  Micro  Control  Specialities  .,,,,.  18 

252  Midland  Technology 48 

187   Mission  Consulting 48 

1 63  Mobil©  Mark  Antennas  ..... 38 

127   Motron  Electronics 80 

*  N6KWQSLS 53 

323   National  Tower  31 

349  Naval  Electronics 40 

130   Nel-Tech 48 

*  Nemal  Electronics 100 

292  Omar  Electronics 53 

i   PC  Electronics 40,  54 

152   PaoComm 23 

1 78  Pacific  Cable 47 


R.S.#  page 

68   Periphex  .;,,, 28 

66  Pi po  Communications 16 

87  Printer  Productivity ,  15 

30  QEP's    28 

145   QSO  Software 40 

1 15   RF  Connection 48 

142   RF  Enterprises  ,98 

78  RF  Microtech 28 

*  Hr  Parts  ■ .  , .,,....  u ......... .  51 

356  Rad-Comm 48 

150   Radio  Works  . 43 

34   Ramsey  Electronics 39 

254  Ross  Distributing 28 

73  S&F  Amateur  Radio 51 

1 4  Sangean  America 26 

332  Satellite  City 16 

73 

*  CBtoTen 92 

*  Code  Tapes 92 

*  DX  Map  . . , 92 

*  QSLs 92 

*  Subscription 17 

*  Uncle  Wayne's  Bookshelf 93 

274  Smiley  Antennas SB 

250  Software  Systems 48 

244  Software  Systems 95 

51  Spectrum  Communications   ....  82 

183  Spectrum  International  .,.,....  65 

37  Star  Tone  Electronics . .  26 

232  TE  Systems 38 

268  Todd  W.  Skogen 53 

*  Tropical  Hambore© 50 

136  Unadilla 48 

*  Univerisal  Amateur  Radio . .  18 

298   VHF  Communications 53 

79  Vanguard  Labs 53 

361    Vioroplex 94 

38  W9INN  _ „ 28 

353  William  Nye 32 

64     Winter  Design  Clocks  ...... 91 

165  Yaesu C3 

351  Zeltwanger  Electronics  21 


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going  like  an  expert.  It  doesrft  even  keep  you  from  using  your 
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To  get  going  on  the  HF  bands  you'll  want  the  DRSI  HF*  Modem/ 
Tuning  Indicator  —  an  extra  $79,95.  Go  first  class  and  get  both  — 
or  stick  to  VHF  with  the  basic  POPacket  Adapter.  Find  out  for  your- 
self why  packet  is  the  fastest  growing  phase  of  amateur  radio  today. 
It's  a  ballf  See  it  at  your  dealer  today. 


AAA 


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96     73  Amateur  Radio  *  December,  1988 


CIRCLE  229  ON  READER  SERVICE  CARD 


Number  34  on  your  Feedback  card 


DEALER  DIRECTORY 


CALIFORNIA 


Burbank 
New  HAM  store  open  and  ready  to  make  a  DEAL. 
We  carry  all  lines,  ship  UPS,  and  arc  open  Sunday. 
A-TECH  ELECTRONICS,  1033  Hollywood 
Way,  Burbank  CA  91505;  (818)  845-9203. 

San  Diego 
Hard  to  find  parts,  surplus  electronics,  standard  line 
items.  Hams,  hobbyists,  industrial  professionals — 
from  nuts  &  bolts  to  laser  diodes ...  Electronically 
speaking,  Gateway's  got  it!  M-F  9^5:30  Sat.  9-5. 
GATEWAY  ELECTRONICS,  4633  Convoy  St., 
Sail  Diego  CA  92 1 1 1 ;  (619)  279-4802. 


COLORADO 


Denver 

Hand  to  find  pans,  surplus  electronics,  standard  line 
iten^  Hams,  hobbyists*  industrial  professionals— 
from  nuts  &  bolts  to  laser  diodes..  Electronically 
speaking.  Gateway's  got  it!  M-F  9-5:30  Sat,  9-5. 
GATEWAY  ELECTRONICS,  5115  N,  Federal 
Blvd.  #32,  Denver  CO  8022 1;  (303)458  5444. 

Englewood 
Rocky  Mountain  Amateur/  Short  wave  Specialists. 
Ten-Tec.  Yaesu,  JRC-NRD*  Sony.  MRL  KLM,  and 
other  fine  gear.  New  and  Used,  Vi%a/MC.  Antennas, 
Books ,  and  Discount  Prices,  too!  ALLIED  APPLI- 
ANCE &  RADIO.  4253  South  Broadway ,  Engle- 
wood,  CO  801 10;  (303)  761-7305. 


DELAWARE 


New  Castle 
Factory  authorized  dealer!  Yaesu.  ICOM,  Ten-Tec. 
KDK,  Kenwood,  AEA.  Kantrontcs.  Santcc.  Full 
line  of  accessories.  No  sales  tax  in  Delaware  One 
mile  off  1-95.  DELAWARE  AMATEUR  SUP- 
PLY, 71  Meadow  Road,  New  Castle  l)L  19720; 
(302)  328-7728. 

Wilmington 
Delaware's  friendliest  bam  store,  Also  Shortwave 
supplies.  AMATEUR  &  ADVANCED  COMMU- 
NICATIONS, 3208  Concord  Pike,  Wilmington 
DE  19803:  (302)478-2757. 


FLORIDA 


Stuart 

Radio  Shack  Computers  and  all  other  equipment . 
Nationwide.  Best  prices.  Call  FREE  on  orders  over 
S5<L  COTRONICS  INC.,  Radio  Shack  Dealer, 
2200  S.E.  Federal  Highway,  Stuart,  FL  34994 

(407)  2JWi-3<U0. 


[ 


IDAHO 


1 


Preston 
Ross  WB7BYZ  has  the  largest  stock  of  amateur 
gear  in  the  Intcrmountain  West  and  the  best  prices. 
Call  me  for  all  your  ham  needs.  ROSS  DIS~ 
TRIBITING.  78  S.  Statet  Preston  ID  83263; 
(208)  852-0830. 


Wellington 
We  have  it!  ASTRON.  BUTTERNUT,  ENCOMM, 


HEATHKIT,  GORDON  WEST.  KANTRONICS. 
LASER  COMPUTERS,  MFJ,  RADIO  SHACK, 
TEN-TEC,  VALOR  ANTENNAS  &  more.  Small 
town  service  with  discount  prices.  D ANDYS, 
124  So.  Washington,  Wellington,  ICS.  67152, 
(316)326-6314. 


Littleton 

Reliable  hamstorc  servicing  New  England,  Full  line 
of  Kenwood  and  I  COM  stocked  and  serviced.  AEA. 
ARRL  Publications.  AnphenoL  Alpha  Delta. 
Austin,  Avanli,  Alinco,  Ameco,  Bencher.  B&W. 
Cu  she  raft,  Carol  Cable,  Daiwa.  Hustler.  KLM. 
Kcnpro,  Larsen,  Rohn,  RF  Concepts*  Tokyo  Hy- 
po wcr.  Trac  Kcycrs,  Vibroplcx,  Wei/,,  etc,  TEL- 
COM,  INC.,  675  Great  Road  (Rl.  119)  Littleton 
MA  01460;  (508)  486-3400.  (3040). 


St.  Ixiuts 

Hard  to  find  parts,  surplus  electronics,  standard  line 
items.  Hams,  hobbyists,  industrial  professionals — 
from  nuts  &  bolts  to  laser  diodes.., Electronically 
spiking,  Gateway's  got  n!  M-F  9  >-3n  Sat  9  _s. 

GATEWAY  ELECTRONICS,  8123  Page  Blvd., 
St,  Louis  MO  63130;  (314)  427-61 16. 


NEW  HAMPSHIRE 


Derry 

Serving  the  ham  community  with  new  and  used 
equipment.  We  stock  and  service  most  major  lines: 
AEA,  Astron,  B&W,  Cu  she  raft.  Eneomm,  Hy- 
Gain.  Hustler.  ICOM,  Kenwood,  KLM.  Larsen, 
Mirage.  Moslcy;  books,  rotors,  cable  and  connec- 
tors. Business  hours  Mon.-Sat.  10-5,  Thursday 
10-7.  Closed  Sun. /Holidays.  R1VENDELL 
ELECTRONICS,  8  Londonderry  Road,  Derry 
NH  03038;  (603)434-5371 . 


NEW  JERSEY 


Eat  un  I  own 

Electronics  Supplies  for  amateurs.  Ten -Tec,  Barker 
and  Williamson.  Cushcraft.  Hustler,  etc.  ATKIN- 
SON AND  SMITH,  17  Lewis  St.,  Ealontown  NJ 
07724(201)542-2447, 

Lyndhursi 
A  full  service  Ham  Radio  Store!  Discount  sales 
and  service  on  most  major  brands.  Monday  to  Friday 
10:00am  to  7:00pm.  Saturday  9:00am  to  3:00pm 
"A  mile  south  of  Re.  3,  ABARIS  SYSTEMS. 
227  Stttyvesant  Avenue,  Lyndhurst  NJ  0707); 
(201)939^)015. 

Park  Ridge 
Bergen  County's  oldest  and  only  SWL/Amateur 
dealer.  Specializing  in  HF  receiving  systems,  anten- 
nas t  ham/SWL accessories*  books.  Kenwood,  JRC, 
Yaesu,  Icoro.  1  mile  from  Garden  State  Parkway 
Exit  172.  Tu-Fri  10-5;  Sat  10-3.  GILFER 
SHORTWAVE,  52  Park  Avenue,  Park  Ridge,  NJ 
07656;  (201)  391-7887. 


NEW  YORK 


Jamestown 

Western  New  York's  finest  amateur  radio  dealer 


featuring  1  COM~Larsen-  AE  A-Hamtronics-As- 
tron.  New  and  used  gear.  VHF  COMMUNICA- 
TIONS, 915  North  Main  St.,  Jamestown  NY 
14701.  (7 1 61664-6345. 

New  York 
New  York  City's  Largest  Full  Service  Ham  and 
commercial  Radio  Store.  BARRY  ELECTRON- 
ICS, 512  Broadway,  New  York  NY  10012;  (212) 
925-700(1, 


NORTH  CAROLINA 


J 


Greensboro 
9a.m.  to  7p.m.  Closed  Monday.  ICOM  our  special- 
ty-Sales &  Service-  F&M  ELECTRONICS,  3520 
Rockingham  Road,  Greensboro  NC  27407;  (919) 
299-3437. 


Columbus 

Central  Ohio's  full -line  authorized  dealer  for  Ken- 
wood ,  ICOM.  Yaesu,  Ten-Tec,  Info-Tech,  Japan 
Radio,  AEA,  Cushcraft,  Hustler,  and  Butternut- 
New  and  used  equipment  on  display  and  operational 
in  our  4000  sq.ft.  store.  Large  SWL  department, 
too.  UNIVERSAL  AMATEUR  RADIO,  1280 
Aida  Drive,  Reynoldsburg  (Columbus)  OH 
43068;  (61 4 j  866-4267. 


PENNSYLVANIA 


Trevose 
Same  Location  for  over  38  years.  HAMTRONICS, 
DIV.  OF  TREVOSE  ELECTRONICS,  4033 
Brownsville  Road,  Trevose  PA  19047;  (215)  357- 
1400. 


TENNESSEE 


Memphis 
M-F  9-5;  Sat  9-12;  Kenwood.  ICOM,  Ten-Tec, 
Cushcraft,  Hy-Gain,  Hustler,  Larsen.  AEA,  Mi- 
rage, Ameriiron,  etc,  MEMPHIS  AMATEUR 
ELECTRONICS,  1465  Wells  Station  Road, 
Memphis  TN  38108;  Call  Toll  Free:  (800)  238- 
6168. 


TEXAS 


Dallas 

In  Dallas  since  1960.  We  feature  Kenwood,  ICOM, 
Yaesu,  AEA,  Butternut,  Rohn,  amateur  publica- 
tions* and  a  full  line  of  accessories.  Factory  autho- 
rized Kenwood  Service  Center  ELECTRONIC 
CENTER,  INC.  2809  Ross  Ave.,  Dallas  TX 
75201;  (214)  969-1936. 

Houston 
Hard  to  find  parts,  surplus  electronics,  standard  line 
items,  Hams,  hobby ists*  industrial  professionals— 
from  nuts  &  bolts  to  laser  diodes.,. Electronically 
speaking.  Gateway's  got  it!  M-F  9-5:30  Sat. 
9-5  GATEWAY  ELECTRONICS,  10645 
Richmond  Ave,  0100,  Houston  TX  77042; 
(713)978-6575. 

Southwest  Houston 
Full  line  of  Equipment  and  Accessories,  in-house 
service,  Texas  01  Ten  Tec  Dealer!  MISSION 
COMMUNICATIONS,   11903  Alief-Clodinc, 
Suite  500,  Houston  TX  77082;  (713)  879-7764. 


DEALERS 

Your  company  name  and  message  can  contain  up  to  25  words  for  as  little  as  $300  yearly  (prepaid),  or  SI  75  for  six  months  (prepaid).  No  mention  of 
mail-order  business  permitted .  Directory  text  and  payment  must  reach  us  60  days  in  advance  of  publication.  For  example,  advertising  for  the  April 
*88  issue  must  be  in  our  hands  by  February  1st.  Mail  to  73  Amateur  Radio,  Rebecca  Nicmela,  WGE  Center,  Peterborough,  NH  03458. 


73  Amateur  Radio  •  December,  1988    97 


if  enterprises 


We  Specialize  In  Antennas  &  Towers. 


ANTENNAS 


KIM 


World  Clan  Ant»nnii  for  the  Serloui  Arniteurl 

KT34A.....„ $395.00     KT34XA... *5o5.00 

Monobanders:  80-10  Meiers! 
High  Partormance  VHF  I  UHF  antennae. 


hy-gam 


TH70XS 
E*ptoreM4 

Monobinoeft 

THSMItaS 
TH3JiS 

204  BAS                203  BAS 
155  BAS                153  BAS 
103  BAS                  66  BAS 

205  BAS 
105  BAS 

"VHF,  OSCAR  4.  VERTICAL  ANTENNAS! 
NEW!  High  Performance  144  &  432  M Hi  Antennas 

Ceil  For  Prices! 

TEN -TEC 


H      *      I      +     <■      *      ■ 


WINTER  SPECIAL!  The  MA3S." 

The  Popular  A3  with  Stainless  Steel 
Hardware  at  a  Special  RFE  Price 
A4S 

A744  Add  on  Kft . . , <«..,* 

A3SK  &  A4SK  Stainless  Kits 

AV3&  A  V5  Vertical.. 

APS  &  APR  IS 

40-2CD  2-el.  40  Mir  Beam . . 

MonoOerMletm  For  10.  IS,  4  20  In  Stock1 

617-6B  6  Mir  BOOMER 
A50-5.  ASM 
A147-11.AM7-20T 


o*V 


ill  ■*!■ fca  ■  i  ■  HHii 


W¥^^P¥WW¥f«WW¥¥W¥¥^W 


215WB  &  230WB  15  &  30  el  2  Mir e*X 

AOP  1  SalelUI*  System Cr 

421 8XL  &  3219  for  144-140  MHz  ......... 

220B,  424B  dOOMcRS mm».>.<h 

Large  Inventory  Of  Other  Antennas  6  Accessories 

BUTTERNUT 

^ 


M00ELS61  CORSAIR  II 

OTHER  TENTEC  PRODUCTS; 
Model  565  Paragon 
Model  425  Titan  Linear  Amplifier 
Model  229A  2KW  Antenna  Tuner 
Model  2510  Sate* I  He  Station 

Pull  line  ot  FIHerm,  power  suppllei,  mobile 
antennae,  end  ■cceeaorlea  In  atock. 

ASTRON  POWER  SUPPLIES 

Rack  mount  and  speaker  models  In  stock! 
RS4A  , .    S37  9S     RS-7A  ....  49  96    RS-12A  , . .  69  95 
RS-20A        88  95     RS35A      135  95     nSSOA..  19395 
RS  20M  . .  106  96     RS-3SM  ,  .  153.96     RS-50M  .  .  216  95 
VS20M      124  95     VS-35M    ,171.96     VS50M  . .  232  95 


FT-757  GX1I    All  Mode  Transceiver 


We  Ship  Worldwide. 


fVnn  W  PJK  j 


HF2V. 


G* 


_  O*        SC3000- 
HF5B CALL 

ALWMLMUA 

DX-A $40.96       DX-DD     64.95         DX-KT  ...  27.50 

MEWl  DXCC  Aft  band  dlpole $79.96 

Full  line  Alpha  Delta  switches  &  TransMrapsE 


6BTV. 
G6-144B 


f  134  96 

66  95 
07  220.-. 
HF 


56TV 

Q7144 

....  114.96 
Syatemi    CALL  I 


1124  95 

114. 


TA-33 
TA34 


MOSLEY 

CLASSIC  33 

PRO-67 


AMPLIFIERS  &  TUNERS 


TONNA 
ANTENNA  SPECIALISTS 

ROTORS 

VAESU 

6400/400110 CALL 

G600RC CALL 

KR200QWC     CALL 

G540O8...,, .,  CALL 


HDA3SL. 

1  Mntiiri+iprt 

HAMIV 
CO  451 


GALL 

CALL 

CALL 

.CALL 

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■MM 

HCWl^^.GALL    MftTSQPfe^. ..«.»,.,CALL 


NYE-VIKING 
MBVA 

MAGNUS  SOLID  STATE  HF  LINEAR  AMPS 


MFJ 

CLOC*S        ACCESS0B|ES      •"«£*§ 


K6YERS  TfJ 


SPECIAL! 

9898  Tuner  $275.00 

SSS  ELECTRONIC  A  MICROWAVE 
MODULES  TRANSVERTERS,  PREAMPS, 
A  ACCESSORIES.  CALLI 


TOWERS 


HY-GAIN 

Crank-Lip,  self-supporting,  galvanized  steel 
towers.  SS  rated  at  9  ft;  HD  at  16  ft. 

H0-54H0       CALL  FOR  PRICES        HG-70HO 


ROHN 

Self -sup  porting;  Ratings;  HDBX  at  ifl  ft. 
HBX  at  10  ft,  BX  at  6  ft 

HBX40 .  \,    HOBX40 ^V 

HBX4«____fjy       HOBX46 *y 

HBX  5*,.,. VT  BX  64 ....  O 

Galvanized  steel  with  base  and  rotor  plale. 
Today's  best  buy.  Frelohl  additional  but  you  save 
with  our  volume  shipper's  discount! 

GUYED  TOWER  SECTIONS: 
25G,  45G,  55G  Sections  and  All  Accessories  In 
Stock  Call  for  Current  Prices, 


FOLD-OVER  TOWERS: 

FK2S58.  -&V 

FK2568. 


Prices  10%  higher  in  western  states. 


*#  *  m  ■  n+4* 


FK4644 
FK4564 

FK4564 


....... ...a 


■  <»  +  +  •  lt4Hi  + 


RCK>F  TOWERS  4V  CLIMBING  BELTS     Cain 
TOWER  HARDWARE 

Quywlra:3/16EHS/14  EHS,pof  ft 

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Prices,  product  availability  and  specifications  are 
subject  to  change  without  notice. 


Looking  west 

Continued  from  page  83 

and  those  capable  of  distributing  the  net  on 
the  bands  were  granted  assignments.  With 
the  number  of  bridge  ports  limited  to  70 1  no 
individual  hams  were  given  special  treatment. 

The  crowning  link  to  all  this  was  donated  by 
Bill  Duval  K5UGM  of  Irving,  Texas.  Bill  ar- 
ranged the  donation  of  uplink  and  air  time  on 
KSAT  satellite  radio,  KSAT  is  on  the  ATT  Tel- 
star  303  communications  satellite  on 
Transponder  19.  With  the  addition  of  KSAT  to 
the  quickly  filling  teleconference  bridge,  it  ap- 
peared as  if  the  distribution  was  complete. 

Art  wasn't  sitting  on  his  laurels.  He  man- 
aged to  secure  the  facilities  of  the  Satellite 
Music  Network  in  Mokina  Illinois,  ft  is  state-of- 
the-art:  a  fullblown  Auditronics  mixing  con- 
sole, audio  cart  machines,  telephone  hybrid 
interconnect,  and  an  all-volunteer  engineer- 
ing and  production  staff. 

First  chosen  for  the  panel  of  experts  was 
ARRL  Counsel  Chrisopher  D.  Imlay  N3AKD. 
Chris  practices  his  profession  in  Washington 
and  probably  has  a  better  understanding  of 
how  the  Commission  functions  then  anyone 
else  in  the  League.  From  Ham  Radio  Maga- 
zine came  its  Associate  Editor  Joe  Schroeder 
W9JUV. 

Hurt  more  then  any  others  are  the  packet 
radio  users.  They  are  the  fastest  growing  sub- 
culture in  the  modern  world  of  amateur  radio 
and  were  depending  on  220-222  MHz  to  be- 
come the  backbone  of  a  real-time,  coast-to- 
coast  bofder*to*border  emergency  communi- 
cations network.  A  network,  that  due  to 
channel  loading  elsewhere  on  220  and  on  all 
other  suitable  VHF  and  UHF  bands  in  urban 
areas,  will  now  never  come  to  be.  Thanks  to 
Steve  Goode  K9NG  in  Illinois*  their  position 
was  well-addressed  during  the  NTRN. 

Ed  Gray  WflSD  in  Salem,  South  Dakota  and 
Roger  Cox  WB0DGF  in  Lincoln,  Nebraska  elo- 


quently addressed  the  needs  of  the  EME  and 
weak  signal  operators. 

FM  isn't  unaffected  by  this  reallocation 
move.  The  job  of  making  sense  out  of  this  falls 
to  the  nation's  frequency  coordinators.  Every- 
one that  now  operates  below  222  MHz,  must 
be  redistributed  into  the  urban  sprawl  above 
222.  Thus  Karl  Pagel  N6BVU,  president  of  the 
220-SMA  frequency  coordination  group, 
came  to  be  a  part  of  the  interactive  panel. 
220-SMA,  however,  represents  the  "western 
view"  so  for  balance  we  prevailed  on  Gary 
Cantor  WA2BAW  of  the  the  Tri-State  Amateur 
Repeater  Council. 

Finally,  the  Condor  Connection.  This 
NTRN,  through  the  outspoken  Mark  Giimore 
WB6RHQ,  told  the  country  about  the  world's 
largest  220  MHz  open  intertied  repeater  net- 
work. This  is  a  radio  network  that  permits 
hams  throughout  California  and  Nevada  to 
talk  to  each  other  as  if  they  were  next-door 
neighbors,  This  legendary  system  relies  total- 
ly on  the  220-222  MHz  band  to  interlink  its 
sites.  This  system,  which  has  served  in  nu- 
merous emergencies,  will  disappear  if  the  re- 
allocation is  permitted  to  proceed.  Due  to 
overcrowded  conditions  on  other  bands, 
there's  no  place  for  it  to  move. 

I  have  never  seen  such  cooperation  be- 
tween the  various  and  sometimes  highly  diver- 
gent factions  of  the  amateur  community- 
While  each  speaker  represented  a  particular 
point  of  view,  the  theme  throughout  the  2 
hours  of  on-air  activity  kept  coming  back  to 
what  people  like  Joe  Merdter  N6AHU,  had 
hoped  for.  One  of  unity,  of  purpose,  and  an 
ongoing  determination  to  do  all  that  is  within 
the  power  of  man  to  keep  220-225  MHz  and 
every  ham  band  for  the  use  of  amateurs  only. 

The  NTRN's  message  to  the  FCC  and  the 
business  community  is  clear:  'We  are  as  one 
and  we  mean  business!" 

Look  for  details  on  this  NTRNP  and  info  on 
future  ones.  Happy  Holidays  from  the  night 
shift  in  LA! 


100     73  Amateur  Radio  •  December,  1988 


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A  subsidiary  of  Zenith  Etecuomcs  Corporation 


WE  CAN'T 


////////////ff/itiiitiii    \\wmmm 

e  can't  thank 

you  enough  for 

all  the  support 
you  have  given  us  over 
the  years. 

Now  the  NEW  DENTRON  RADIO  COMPANY  INC,  will  continue  the 
same  great  products,  service,  and  support  that  we  have  been  known  for. 

THE  DENTRON  RADIO  COMPANY  INC.       Within  the  last  several  years 
we  have  received  calls  from  thousands  of  radio  amateurs  worldwide  requesting 
information,  giving  us  support,  offering  congratulatory  comments,  asking  for  new 
product  release  dates  and  so  much  more. 

We  can't  thank  you  enough.  .  .Please  be  patient.  Dentron  Radio  will  announce  a 

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line  in  the  near  future.  We  are  WORLD 
FAMOUS  for  our  linear  amplifiers, 
antenna  tuners,  and  state-of-the-art 
Amateur  Radio  accessories. 


Attention  Amateur  Radio  Dealers.  .  . 
Value  Added  Resellers,  Vertical  Intergrade  Designers,  Military,  Commercial 
Communication  Dealers,  OEM's,  etc.: 

CASH  IN  ON  THE  PROFITS  THAT  OUR  NEW  DEALER  PROGRAM  HAS  TO  OFFER 


Call  or  write  for  infor- 
mation  or  our  new 
product  catalog.  Export 
inquiries  invited. 


%n 


^{cloXo  ZO«  lf*A. 


PO  BOX  H,  East  Rockaway,  LI,  NY  11518,  TLX  4758244 


Telephone  516/536-2620,  FAX  516/766-9230 

CIRCLE  102  ON  READER  SERVICE  CARD 


Number  36  on  your  Feedback  card 


INTERNATIONAL 


Notes  from  FN42 

Air  mail  subscriptions  are  be- 
ginning for  established  Hambas- 
sadors  to  73  International!  New 
Hambassadors*  subscriptions  wtll 
graduate  to  air  mail  on  the  Janu- 
ary after  their  first  year's  third  re- 
port (third  of  the  three  Hambas- 
sadors send  irt  each  year).  This 
wilt  improve  report  fothw-ups  and 
help  keep  information  as  much  up 
to  date  as  is  possible  in  a  monthly 
magazine.  And  Hambassadors 
will  be  the  most  up-to-date  read- 
ers in  their  countries  f 

Callbook  editors  around  the 
world:  See  the  first  item  in  the 
report  from  Israel,  below.  And 
even  before  receiving  his  October 
issue  with  the  first  revision  of  The 
73  International  Universal  Per- 
mit Application.  4X1 MK  (not 
4X1 1MKt  as  mentioned  in  it!)  has 
sent  in  some  good  news.  Thanks 
to  the  good  offices  of  the  Israel 
Amateur  Radio  Club  (whose 
Membership  Services  volunteers 
will  do  the  work),  visitors  to  Israel 
wishing  to  make  good  their  recip- 
rocal licensing  privileges  no 
longer  will  have  to  show  up  in  per- 
son at  the  Ministry  of  Communica- 
tions in  Tel-Aviv, 

Here's  why  Send  the  IARC(PO 
Box  4099.  61040  Tel-Aviv,  Israel) 
a  photocopy  of  your  valid  license. 
a  photocopy  of  the  first  page  of 
your  passport  (with  your  photo  on 
it)t  and  a  check  or  MO.  for  the 
amount  of  US$  12  (the  Ministry  is 
not  authorized  to  receive  foreign 
currency,  so  the  IARC  does  the 
conversion}  and  the  following  in- 
formation: Family  name,  previous 
family  name  (if  changed),  first 
name(s),  father's  name,  place  and 
date  of  birth,  country  of  previous 
residence,  present  address,  last 
address,  occupation,  present  and 
previous  places  of  employment 
passport  number  and  country. 
State  expected  date  of  arn'val  in 
Israel  and  equipment  to  be  used; 
make,  model  number,  frequency 
range,  power  output,  and  types  of 
emission. 

Your  reciprocal  license  will  be 
kept  for  you  at  the  address  of  your 
choice  here,  OR,  if  you  send  the 
I  ARC  the  materials  far  enough  in 
advance  ("Give  us  a  few  good 
months1"  writes  Ron)  the  license 
wilt  be  mailed  to  your  home  ad- 
dress. (Ron's  regular  repon  fol- 
lows m  this  issue.) 


edited  by  C.  C.  C. 


December^  special  days  to 
mention  in  your  QSOs:  1— Nation- 
al Day,  Central  African  Republic 
(5th  for  Thailand.  l?th  for 
Bhutan),  and  Anniversary  Day, 
Portugal  (30th  for  Madagascar); 
2— National  Holiday,  United  Arab 
Emirates  (3rd  for  Laos);  5— Dis- 
covery Day,  Haiti;  6— Indepen- 
dence Day,  Finland  (7fh  for  Ivory 
Coast,  9th  for  Tanzania,  ttth  for 
Upper  Volta,  12th  for  Kenya,  16th 
for  Bahrain);  10— Human  Rights 
Day.  Equatorial  New  Guinea; 
13— Republic  Day,  Malta  (18th  for 
Niger);  15 — Statue  Day,  Nether- 
lands Antilles „  Bill  of  Rights  Day. 
USA;  23—  Victory  Day,  Egypt; 
25— MERRY  CHRISTMAS  TO 
ALU;  2$—Boxmg  Day,  Canada. 
Great  Britain;  27— Constitution 
Day,  North  Korea;  28— King's 
Birthday,  Nepai 

Special  Calendar  Note:  As  this  is 
written,  in  Japan  the  63rd  year  of 
Showa  (meaning  "enlightened 
peace'1}  is  in  its  10th  month, 
There  may  not  be  a  64th  year,  be- 
cause the  124th  Emperor.  Hirohi* 
to.  is  gravely  Hi  and  an  era  with  a 
new  designation  wilt  begin  Year 


AUSTRALIA 

The  following  is  from  the  fast  re- 
port sent  in  by  Jim  Joyce  VK3YJ 
before  he  retired  as  Australia's 
Hambassador  to  73  International 
(The  WIA  should  be  naming  his 
replacement  soon.)  We  call  his 
story  'Tour  Men  and  an  Island— 


"Willis  Island — the  site  of  one 
of  the  most  remote 
'Observing  Offices'  of  Australia's 
Bureau  of  Metereology. 


One  with  the  reign  of  Crown 
Prince  Akihito,  Autumn  festivals 
have  been  cancelled  in  that  na- 
tion, so  in  your  OSOs  with  Japan 
on  November  23rdT  rather  than 
sending  "Labor  Thanksgiving 
Day"  greetings  (as  listed  on  last 
month's  international  calendar)  it 
will  be  more  appropriate  to  ex- 
press condolences.  Sympathy  will 
be  appropriate  for  the  entire  time 
of  mourning— which  could  be  as 
long  as  a  year — for  the  period  will 
be  a  sad  one  for  the  Japanese. 
Rice  will  be  planted  on  sacred 
ground  when  Hirohito  dies,  and 
Akihito  will  eat  its  harvest  in  a  car* 
emony  which  completes  the  rites 
of  accession,  whereupon  he  be- 
comes Emperor  fully  and  in  every 
way.—CCC 


Willis  island's  current  total  population.  L  to  R:  P.  Giese,  C.  Clark 
(radioman).  P.  Dawson  (the  QIC),  andD,  Webb. 


Cairns  is  at  0200.)  It  is  400  meters 
long,  TOO  meters  wide,  and  9  me- 
ters high.  The  population  of  the 
island  is  4,  The  morning  paper 
sometimes  drops  down  out  of  the 
sky;  the  island  is  bombed  (with 
food  and  supplies)  every  six 
months. 

This  is  Willis  Island— the  site  of 
one  of  the  most  remote  +  'Observ- 
ing Offices"  of  Australia's  Bureau 
of  Meteorology,  It  is  staffed  for  six 
months  at  a  time  by  a  team  of 
three  Observers  and  one  Radio 
Operator/Technician,  whose  re- 
ports are  used  in  the  tropical  cy- 
clone warning  system, 

On  November  8,  1988.  Willis 
celebrated  the  67th  anniversary  of 
its  establishment.  It  has  come  a 
long,  long  way  since  the  first  team 
stepped  ashore  onto  a  bare, 
windswept  island,  inhabited  only 
by  birds  and  turtles. 

Davis,  the  Australian  Antarctic 
Station,  was  named  for  the  Com- 
mander of  the  Aurora  of  the  191 1 
Australasian  Antarctic  Expedi- 
tion, and  Captain  John  King  Davis 
was  also  responsible  for  the  Willis 
Island  station.  As  Common  wealth 


Ft 


Weather  from  Beyond  the  Out* 
back." 

It  is  a  tiny  outcrop  in  the  Coral 
Sea  400  km  east  of  Cairns,  a  mere 
speck  in  the  ocean.  (If  Australia  is 
thought  of  as  the  face  of  a  clock. 


Pitot's-eye  view  of  Willis  Island  on  the  run-in  for  a  drop. 

73  Amateur  Radio  •  December,  1988     103 


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This  quality  rotor  is  the  most  capable  and  powerful  unit  designed  for  the  amateur  mar- 
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I 


Director  of  Navigation,  he  saw  its 
forecasting  value  since  it  sat  in  the 
cyclone-prone  waters  of  the  Coral 
Sea.  In  September  of  1921,  he 
rode  over  governmental  objec- 
tions that  the  cyclone  season  was 
less  than  two  months  away  by  vol- 
unteering to  lead  the  first  party 
himself,  Davis  didn't  fool  around, 
and  one  month  later  the  steamer 
Innisfail  dropped  anchor  off  Willis 
and  unfoaded  a  15-man  party  and 
150  tons  of  cargo. 

Sixty-seven  years  later  Willis 
has  established  coconut  trees  for 
welcome  shade,  well-kept  lawns 
around  the  buildings,  and  con- 
crete paths  to  the  weather-balloon 
launching  area,  the  radar,  and  the 
beach.  The  beach  is  not  a  place  to 
go  to  swimT  however,  By  official 
decree,  the  ocean  is  reserved  for 
the  large  shark  population  and 
other  marine  life. 

A  large  cool  room  and  four 
freezers  ensure  fresh  foods,  and 
off-duty  hours  are  made  pleasant 
by  TV  from  Cairns  or  Townsville, 
video  cassette  films,  hi-fi  music, 
billiards,  table  tennis,  and  a  well- 
stocked  library.  Additional  amuse- 
ments Captain  Davis  wouldn't 
have  believed  are  (1)  the  mid-du- 
ty-term "bombardment"  of  food, 
supplies,  and  what  really  can 
be  called  air  mail,  by  the  Royal 
Australian  Air  Force,  and  (2)  un- 
heralded overflights  by  recon- 
naissance planes  which  often 
swing  by  to  drop  the  latest  papers. 
Rumor  has  it  that  bets  are  made 
regularly  on  how  close  to  the  front 
door  the  pilots  can  deliver  a  morn- 
ing paper! 

(Next  installment:  Amateurs  on 
Willis  Island.) 

Jim  wishes  to  express  his  appreci- 
ation for  their  help  in  his  report  on 
Willis  to  Ken  McLachlan  VK3AH, 
Dave  Shaw  VK3DHF,  Dr  Peter 
Barclay  VK3FR,  Reg  Carter 
VK3CAZ,  and  Bureau  of  Meteor- 
ology staffers  Trevor  Farrar  (PR 
Officer),  Michael  Joyce  (Weather 
Observer),  and  the  Bureau's 
house jounaL  Weather  News. 


ISRAEL 

Ron  Gang  4X1 MK 
Kibbutz  Urim 
Negev  Mobile  Post  Office 
85530  Israel 

A  request  from  the  Soviet 
Union  has  come  to  me.  Alex 
Lavrenchenko  UM8MRG,  QSL 


Eyal  4X6TC  (right)  makes  contacts  from  4X40R  in  Jaffa  (one  of  the  four 
commemorative  stations  for  Israel's  40th  Anniversary)  while  Nir  4X6RK 
logs  and  fills  out  QSL  cards.  (Photo  by  4X1  MK) 


Manager  for  the  UM  prefix,  the 
Kirghiz  Republic,  would  like  his 
address  to  be  known  to  all  the  call- 
books  around  the  world.  It  seems 
to  me  that  73  International  is  a 
good  place  to  pass  this  on.  It  is  PO 
Box  392,  Frunze-55,  Kirghiz 
720055,  USSR. 

Congratulations  to  the  Israel 
40th  Anniversary  Contest  win- 
ners! Nearly  400  logs  were  re- 
ceived from  around  the  world,  and 
over  150  different  Israeli  calls 
were  fogged  during  the  24-hour 
period  last  April.  (Complete  re- 
sults may  be  had  from  the  IARC 
using  the  above  address,  for  the 
price  of  return  postage.) 

In  Europe  the  top  three  were 
I5VIT  first,  SP2FAPr  and  OH7RS; 
in  Asia,  JA1BNW\  JA7HMZ,  and 
VU2UR;  Africa:  EA9GS, 
EA8ABG,  and  EA9JB,  From  South 
America:  LU7EVL,  PY5EG,  and 
LU1 JDL;  and  from  North  America: 
K1 MEM,  K3ZO,  and  W4MLA.  The 
first  three  Israeli  single  ops  were 
424YX  (4Z4KK),  4X6UU,  and 
4X1MJ. 

Fox  hunting  DFing  gains  mo- 
mentum here,  perhaps  glorified 


by  the  catching  of  "Dr.  Bereleh/' 
the  Tel-Aviv  jammer  (see  my  Au- 
gust column,  "The  Phantom  Un- 
masked.1'}  In  July  in  the  Haifa 
area,  Moshe  4Z4GM  played  the 
fox  on  2  meters  and  finally  was 
caught  on  the  watls  of  the  ancient 
city  of  Acre.  The  Holon  Bat-Yam 
Club  (just  south  of  Tel-Aviv)  plans 
a  hunt  on  80  meters. 

The  packet  explosion  has 
been  such  that  the  4X4HF  BBS  in 
Haifa  received  more  messages 
and  files  than  its  memory  capaci- 
ty, hampering  operations.  Just 
two  short  years  ago  its  planners 
never  imagined  such  widespread 
use. 

In  July  of  1987,  Amir  Bazak 
4X6TT  started  a  year-long 
around-the-world  DXpedition. 
In  eleven  months  he  made  67,000 
QSOs  from  18  countries,  visiting 
22,  neglecting  no  modes,  and  giv- 
ing many  of  us  new  countries  for 
our  DXCC  collection.  (Don't  con- 
fuse Amir  with  Barukh  4Z4TTf 
who  close  to  a  decade  ago  put 
some  rare  ones  on  the  air  in  the 
Pacific  area!  They're  two  different 
chaps!) 


CQ  ZONE  37 


ROD  HALLEN 
NAIROBI,  KENYA 


•:0m-  if  rwrwa 
qso-wjth 


!  >  -  ; 


~2ML 


m>m»  I  tfaf 


urfc 


UHf 


>;-,.- 


.:■   W  ,'■  : 


QSL  VIA  KE3A     TNX  &  73 


D^CQSL    Dth*«sl 


A  W*MPV  OBJ. 


Some  of  the  calls  Amir  put  on 
the  air  were  HSDB,  XX9TTT, 
N4MJH/DU8,  4X6TT/DU1,  XX9T, 
VK3ETT,  AX3ETT,  AX9L, 
VK3ETT/VK9,  ZLOACF,  4X6H7 
FW0.  T2STTh  T27DX,  5W1TT, 
4X6TT/KH8,  and  4U1UN,  Not 
bad  at  all!  Amir  is  taking  care  of 
his  own  QSLing,  and  cards  can 
be  sent  to  his  home  address  in 
the  International  Calibook.  Just 
remember  to  send  return  post- 
age! There  is  no  way  this  young 
man  can  handle  the  mailing  of 
cards  from  hrs  own  exhausted 
pocket! 

To  the  best  of  my  knowledge, 
Ralph  4X6IF  is  the  first  Israeli 
station  to  make  Eaiih-Moon- 
Earth  contacts.  Using  four 
stacked  Cushcraft  "Boomers" 
fed  by  a  kilowatt,  the  first  historic 
QSO  from  Israel  using  the  moon 
as  passive  repeater  on  the  half- 
million  mile  route  (I)  was  made 
with  W5UUN  on  June  1  this  year. 
If  you  want  to  work  Ralph, 
chances  are  it  won't  be  on  the 
conventional  bands,  no  siree! 
Check  out  2  meters  or  70  cen- 
tirneters-sateinte,  EME,  or 
Sporadic  E,  Ralph  likes  to  sweat 
for  his  DX! 


KENYA 

Rod  Hallen  5Z4BH 

Box  55 

APO  New  York  09675 

I  We  welcome  KB7NK  (take  a  deep 
breath:  ex-  9G1RTt  C5AZ,  5T5AZ, 
TL8AZ,  TU4BB,  EL2AE>  3D2RH, 
ZL0AGS,  VK2EFI,  VK1HR,  /5NO 
/VSS/DU1,  WA7N&V,  WB&BOW) 
as  our  roving  East  Africa  Ham- 
bassador  (see  last  month's  Kenya 
Roundup  Hem).  He  will  be  tra- 
veling there  extensively  for  the 
next  four  years  and  hopes  to 
operate  from  many  countries,  (Bill 
KE3A  will  be  his  QSL  Manager.) 
Rod  is  a  Regional  Communica- 
tions Officer  with  the  American 
Embassy  in  Nairobi;  he  has 
been  a  ham  since  1962,  and  was 
an  Associate  Editor  of  Kilobaud 
(later  Microcomputing;  around 
1978.— CCG] 

Kenya  celebrates  its  25th  An- 
niversary this  month  (December) 
and  will  be  using  the  special  prefix 
5Z25  (so  I  will  be  5Z25BH).  On 
October  14  and  15,  Kenya  was 
represented  on  the  Boy  Scout 
Jamboree  on  the  A*r  by  5Z4LBP 
(LBP  =  Lord  Baden  Powell,  Boy 


73  Amateur  Radio  •  December,  1988    105 


Gennady  Kofmakov  UA9MA. 


RL1P  call  was  used  (and  will  be 
used  throughout  the  year). 

Lots  of  stations  called  us, 
primarily  at  night.  During  the  day 
20  was  dead  and  15  good  only 
mornings  and  evenings.  We  had  a 
damaged  reflector  on  our  40-me- 
ter 4-el  yagi  and  only  a  vertical 
loop  (delta)  on  80  meters.  Never- 
theless, on  80  we  worked  5Z4,  ZS, 
VK,  PYt  LU,  ZP,  CXT  YBf  5T5, 
CN8— and  all  that  in  the  middle  of 
the  summer! 

The  ops  there  are  planning  to 
put  up  5  over  5  for  1 4r  4  over  4  for 
7t  and  a  3-el  yagi  for  3.5.  Big 
plans.  (  will  be  there,  multi-multi 
again,  for  the  CQ  WW  SSB. 

The  station  ops  are  making 
plans  for  a  Vietnam  DXpedition 
next  year,  with  UL7PAE, 
UL7PCZ,  RL8PY  and  one  other. 


In  addition  to  all  that,  I'm 
involved  with  the  newly  organ- 
ized West  Siberia  DX  Club,  and 
we  hope  to  have  our  own  bulletin 
and  issue  an  international 
award.  We  also  want  to  have  joint 
US-USSR  expeditions,  ex- 
change delegates,  etc.  Many 
hams  in  the  Soviet  Union  are  now 
looking  into  organizing  such  re- 
gional dubs  to  have  such  plans 
implemented- 

This  year  I  am  planning  a 
serious  effort  to  be  among  the 
10  best  "Soviet  Sportsmen  of  the 
Year/'  and  make  the  grade  of 
"Master  of  Sports,  Igternational 
Class."  [The  former  is  a  Fed- 
eration of  Radio  Sports  title 
awarded  those  who  win  a  certain 
number  of  contest  honors, 
—CCC] 


Scout  founder),  operated  by  Ted 
5Z40TandPalte5Z4EJ. 

The  Kenya  Award  is  issued  by 
the  Radio  Society  of  Kenya  (RSK). 
Only  contacts  made  after  Decem- 
ber 31 .  1977  count.  Ten  points  are 
needed:  2  points  for  a  contact  with 
any  5Z4  member  of  RSK,  5  points 
for  contact  with  the  RSK  club  sta- 
tion, 5Z4RS.  Any  band,  any  mode, 
SWLs  eligible.  Some  past  and 
present  members  of  RSK  are 
5Z4-BGh  BH,  BJ,  BP,  DS,  DU,  EJ, 
JBt  LH,  LL,  LT,  MR.  OC,  OT,  PR( 
PT,  RK,  RTr  RY,  SS,  WB,  and  ZC. 

Send  a  log  photocopy  wit- 
nessed by  an  official  of  a  local 
radio  society  or  the  licensing  au- 
thority—QSL  cards  not  neces- 
sary—wfth  10  IRCs  or  US$5  and  a 
self-addressed  adhesive  label. 
Mail  to  Radio  Society  of  Kenya , 
PO  Box  45681,  Nairobi,  Kenya. 
Put  KENYA  AWARD  on  the  upper 
left  corner  of  the  envelope. 


USSR 

Gennady  Kotmakov  UA9MA 
PO  Box  341 
Omsk  -  99 
USSR 


The  RL1P  antennas,  L  to  R:  36-meter  mast  with  delta  loop  for  80t  the 
lower  antenna  of  the  28  stack  (6  xG),  6x6  el  on  21.  The  op  on  the  tower 
is,  yes,  Genal 


[The  following  comes  from  a  letter 
direct  from  Gena  UA9MA  and  a 
letter  from  him  written  in  Russian 
and  sent  via  Ed  Kritsky  NT2X  for 
translation.  Ed  wilt  be  helping  us 
out  (as  an  Assistant  Hambas* 
sadorl)  with  translations  and  inter- 
pretations, when  needed;  his  help 
plus  our  plan  to  send  many  Ham- 
bassador  subscriptions  airmaff 

106     73  Amateur  Radio  *  December,  1988 


wilt  speed  up  and  make  more  up 
to  date  our  reports  from  far-away 
countries.— CCC\ 

I  received  the  August  column 
with  my  first  report  and  will  send 
my  next  one  some  day!  Hit  Also 
received  my  first  issue  of  73 
Amateur  Radio,  Thank  you  very 
much!  You  made  very  consider- 
able article  with  my  very  short 
report! 

I  have  been  away  at  a  very  big 
contest  station  for  this  year's  All 
Asia  Contest,  RL8PYL.  Exact 
address:  RL8PYL,  472300  Kaza- 
kh Republic,  Temirtau  Box  49, 
USSR.  We  operated  in  a  multi- 
multi  category,  28,  21,  14  days 
and  14,  7,  3.5  nights.  We  made 
3500  QSOs,  with  300  multipliers 
and  scored  approximately  1 
million  points— at  least  twice  the 
previous  record  I  think,  A  special 


It  will  be  sponsored  by  the 
Youth  Communist  League  of 
Kazakh  Republic  (VLKSM),  and  a 
large  sum  of  money  has  been 
allotted. 


I  am  happy  to  be  a  Hambas- 
sadorl— Gena. 

\NT2X  tells  us  that  the  USSR 
"has  lifted  ail  restrictions'  on 
the  sending  of  alt  eiectronic  goods 
and  magnetic  media  (VCRs,  PCs, 
etc.)  to  the  country.  Tariffs,  which 
used  to  be  as  much  or  moret  even 
double,  the  value  of  items  mailed, 
are  now  down  to  10%  to  30% 
of  the  value.  He  aiso  says  there 
no  longer  is  a  risk  of  causing 
offense  if  US  dollar  bills  are  sent 
instead  of  IRCsr  which  cost  $.95 
anyway. 

Readers  can  now  OSL  directly 
to  Soviet  hams  and  Soviet  hams 
can  now  OSL  directly  to  hams  out 
of  the  country.  For  more  informa- 
tion on  the  lifting  of  restrictions  for 
Soviet  hams,  see  the  August  1988 
"QRXtr  column,  titled  "No  Longer 
Just 'QSL  via  Box  88.'" 

And  see  other  USSR  infor- 
mation in  the  Israel  report,  above: 
"A  request  from  the  Soviet 
Union," 

— ccc]BS 


The  RLtPteam,  L  to  R:  UA9MA,  UL7PAE  ["chief"},  UL7PCZ,  and  the 
op  responsible  for  computer-duping  of  logs. 


Rttyloop 


Number  37  cm  your  Feedback  card 


Marc  Leavey  M.D.  WA3AJR 
6  Jenny  Lam 
Baltimore  MD  21 208 

AMTOR 

While  sitting  in  the  doctors1  lounge  al  a  local 
hospital,  another  physician  began  gesturing 
to  me.  Expecting  a  question  about  medicine, 
or  at  least  some  hospital  gossip,  imagine  my 
surprise  when  he  asked  me  if  I  were  the  same 
Dr.  Leavey  who  wrote  73 '$  RTTY  Loop 
column!  Thanking  htm  for  the  attention, 
I  sat  back  as  he  challenged  me  with  his 
situation. 

He  had  recently  become  interested  in  AM- 
TOR. While  he  could  hear  a  great  number  of 
stations  transmitting  this  mode,  he  could  only 
obtain  copy  on  a  relatively  small  number  of 
them.  He  wondered  why  an  AMTOR  station  of 
equal  signal  strength  to  a  conventional  Bau- 
dot RTTY  station,  was  so  much  more  difficult 
to  copy. 

His  problem  touches  on  a  basic  differ- 
ence between  Baudot  and  AMTOR.  repre- 
senting how  the  advance  from  the  old  to 
the  new  sometimes  catches  a  tad  in  the 
cracks 

Conventional  Baudot  or  Murray  RTTY  al- 
lows transmission  of  data  from  sender  to  re- 
ceiver, one  way  at  a  time.  This  is  often  termed 
"half-duplex"  communication.  With  data 
rates  typically  of  45.45  baud  (bits  per  second), 
each  data  pulse  lasts  at  least  22  rns.  A  noise 
pulse  would  have  to  last  a  substantial  time, 
perhaps  at  least  7  to  12  msf  to  destroy  a  data 
pulse. 

Contrast  this  with  AMTOR,  in  which  a 
special  seven  level  code  is  transmitted  at 
100  baud.  Here,  each  data  pulse  is  only  about 
10  ms  wide.  Consequently,  a  much  briefer 
burst  of  noise  can  "take  out1*  a  data  pulse. 

Therefore,  you  may  get  the  impression 
that  AMTOR  is  a  much  less  reliable  medium 
than  Baudot  for  RTTY  transmission.  Further, 
even  if  characters  in  Baudot  RTTY  take 
a  noise  hit,  they  can  often  be  figured  out 
by  context.  The  receiver's  brain  fills  in 
the  missing  characters.  Thus,  if  you  are 
looking  at  a  line  that  says  TO  ALL  STJTfONS 
your  brain  has  little  trouble  realizing  that 
the  third  word  should  be  "STATIONS,"  par- 
ticularly if  you  know  that  Baudot  codes  for 
MA"  and  +IJ"  differed  by  just  one  bit-  Monitor- 
ing a  Baudot  transmission  is  no  problem. 
Everyone  expects  "hits"  now  and  then, 
and  you  develop  the  knack  for  reading 
through  them. 

Perfect  Copy 

AMTOR,  however,  has  one  critical  advan- 
tage over  Baudot— error  correction,  Each 
character  must  meet  certain  bit  matching 
criteria  to  be  valid.  Groups  of  characters  con- 
taining  an  error  are  as  invalid  as  random  noise 
and  are  not  displayed.  The  error  correction 
scheme,  however,  works  completely  only 


Amateur  Radio  Teletype 

when  two  AMTOR  stations  are  in  synch  with 
each  other — that  is,  when  two  stations  share 
the  same  timing  cycle. 

Stations  receiving  AMTOR  from  another 
station  with  which  it  is  not  in  synch,  such  as  a 
broadcast  station,  have  only  partial  error  cor- 
rection. AMTOR  broadcast  stations  typically 
send  each  bit  bundle  twice.  If  the  first  comes 
up  as  an  error  on  the  receive  end.  the  receive 
station  looks  for  the  second  bundle.  If  that 
comes  up  as  an  error,  then  the  receive  station 
puts  a  blank,  question  mark,or  some  other 
symbol  indicating  the  uncorrected  error  in  that 
character's  space  on  the  monitor.  Unlike  Bau- 
dot RTTY,  a  blank  is  left  on  the  screen  instead 
of  a  misinterpreted  character. 

With  a  noise-free  circuit,  the  rates  of  data 
transmission  can  approach  the  maximum 
data  rate  being  sent.  With  a  noisy  circuit,  how- 
ever; the  many  retransmissions  can  slow  in- 
formation exchange  to  a  crawl.  But  the  data 
witt  get  through  perfectly. 


"AMTOR, 

however,  has  one 

critical  advantage 

over  Baudot — error 

correction.  Each 

character  must 

meet  certain  bit 

matching  criteria 

to  be  valid/' 


Those  of  you  familiar  with  packet  will  see  a 
certain  similarity  between  AMTOR  and  pack- 
et, and  indeed  there  is.  With  packet,  the 
groups  are  longer  and  there  are  other  conven- 
tions which  have  been  established,  but  the 
operating  principles  are  the  same 

As  with  packet,  you  can  command  many 
controllers  to  ignore  error  checking,  and  just 
display  what  is  received,  That  is  the  way  to 
monitor  an  AMTOR  circuit.  There  are  solu- 
tions to  these  problems,  though  they're  not 
always  quite  so  obvious.  It  just  takes  under- 
standing what  is  going  on  in  a  mode  to  make  it 
work  the  way  you  want  it  to! 

We  have  all  kinds  of  goodies  on  tap  for 
1989,  folks.  From  answering  all  of  your  ques- 
tions, to  asking  a  few  of  my  own,  I  think  it  will 
be  very  exciting.  Be  sure  to  let  me  hear  from 
yout  by  mail,  by  CompuServe  {ppn 
75036.2501)  or  by  Delphi  (username  MAR- 
CWA3AJR).  I  have  had  little  feedback  on  a 
Computer  Corner  here  in  the  Loop.  Let  me 
hear  from  you.  You  really  do  have  input  into 
this  RTTY  Loop* 


800-882-1 343 


ICOM 


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RZ-1  WIDEBAND  RCVR 
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TS-940S/AT  Gen  Cvg  Xcvr 
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TS-711A  AD  Mode  Base  25w 
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TH-2l5A2mHT  Has  It  All 
TH-25AT  5w  Pocket  HT  NEW 
TM-721A  gnVTOcm  FM  Mobile 
TM-421A  Compacl  FM  35 w 
TH-45AT  5w  Pockel  HT  NEW 
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CIRCLE  272  ON  READER  SERVICE  CARD 


73 Amateur  Radto  •  December,  1988     107 


Others  May  Try  to  Imitate,  But 


•  •• 


• 


• 


Advanced  Electronic  Aeol«ai*ore,  Inc 


Model 


flOR      IDIM      PHASE     STOf 


FEC        ASCI)    BAUDOT 


THRESHOLD 


MUUT      SEND     CONV 


OCD 


limit 


TUNE 


PAKRATT  232 


SO  TFC      OVEft 


CON        CMD       TRANS 
STATUS 


AHO      CHECK       PK I       MORSE 

MODE 


RADIO  t 


RADIO? 


Morse  Code  -  Baudot  -  ASCII  -  AMTOR  -  Packet  -  Facsimile  -  Navte 


Amateur  Net  Price  $319.95 


It's  a  lesson  you  learn  very  early  in  life.  Many  can  be  good,  some  may  be  better,  but  only  one  can  be 
the  best.  The  PK-232  is  the  best  multi-mode  data  controller  you  can  buy. 


1  Versatility 


The  PK-232  should  be  listed  in  the 
amateur  radio  dictionary  under  the 
word  Versatile.  One  data  controller 
thai  can  transmit  and  receive  in  six 
digital  modes,  and  can  be  used  with 
almost  every  computer  or  data  ter- 
minal. You  can  even  monitor  Navtex, 
the  new  marine  weather  and  naviga- 
tional system,  Don't  forget  two  radio 
ports  for  both  VHF  and  HF,  and  a  no 
compromise  VHF/HF/CW  internal 
modem  with  an  eight  pole  bandpass 
filter  followed  by  a  limiter  dis- 
criminator with  automatic  threshold 
control. 

The  internal  decoding  program 
(SIAM071  feature  can  even  identify 
different  types  of  signals  for  you,  in- 
cluding some  simple  types  of  RTTY 
encryption.  The  only  software  your 
computer  needs  is  a  terminal  program. 


n~rr- 


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» 


PC  Pakratt  Packet  TX/RX  Display 


Facsimile  Screen  Display 

2  Software  Support 

While  you  can  use  most  modem  or 
communications  programs  with  the 
PK-232,  AEA  has  two  very  special 
packages  available  exclusively  for  the 
PK-232. ...PC  Pakratt  with  Fax  for 
IBM  PC  and  compatible  computers, 
and  Com  Pakratt  with  Fax  for  the 
Commodore  64  and  128, 

Each  package  includes  a  terminal 

program  with  split  screen  display, 
QSO  buffer,  disk  storage  of  received 
data,  and  printer  operation,  and  a 
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facsimile  signals,  The  IBM  programs 
are  on  5-1/4"  disk  and  the  Com- 
modore programs  are  plug-in  ROM 
cartridges. 


3  Proven  Winner 

No  matter  what  computer  or  ter- 
minal you  plan  to  use,  the  PK-232  is 
the  best  choice  for  a  multi-mode  data 
controller  Over  20,000  amateurs 
around  the  world  have  on-air  tested 
the  PK-232  for  you.  They,  along  with 
most  major  U.S.  amateur  magazines, 
have  reviewed  the  PK-232  and  found 
it  to  be  a  good  value  and  excellent  ad- 
dition to  the  ham  station. 

No  other  multi-mode  controller  of- 
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the  PK-232.  Don't  be  fooled  by  imita- 
tions.  Ask  your  friends,  or  call  the 
local  amateur  radio  store.  We're  con* 
fidem  the  PK-232  reputation  will  con- 
vince you  that  its  time  to  order  your 
very  own  PK-232. 

Call  an  authorized  AEA  dealer 
today.  You  deserve  the  best  you  can 
buy,  you  deserve  the  PK-  232. 

Advanced  Electronic 
Applications,  Inc. 

P.O.  Box  C-2160 
Lynnwood.WA  98036 

206-775-7373 


AEA 


Brings  you  the 
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$25  in  U.S.  $36  elsewhere  (U.S.  funds)  Licensed  amateurs,  or  age  65  or  overf  upon  submitting 
proof  of  age,  may  request  the  special  dues  rate  of  $20  in  the  US,  $28  elsewhere,  in  (U.S.  funds) 
Persons  age  17  and  younger  may  qualify  for  special  rates,  write  for  application. 

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The  American  Radio  Relay  League 
225  Main  SL        Newington,  CT.  061 1 1        USA 


73 


please 


mation  on  your  line  of  amateur 
antennas  to: 

MAME . 

ADDRESS 


CITY 


STATE 


2FP 


One  Newtronics  Place 

Mineral  Wells,  Texas  76067 

(817)  325-1366 


CIRCLE  269  ON  READER  SERVICE  CARD 


Number 38  on  your  Feedback  card 


EASTERN    UNITED    STATES    TO: 


ROPA  GA  TION 


Jim  Gray  W1XU 
PO  Box  1079 
Payson,  AZ  85541 

December  1988 

Conditions  may  be  fair  to  poor 
on  many  days  during  the  first  and 
fast  week  of  the  month.  In  particu- 
lar, note  the  4th-7th,  and  again 
the  26th-29th.  The  remainder  of 
the  month,  however,  should 
provide  fair  to  good  DX  condi- 
tions, particularly  the  period  from 
the  1 1th  through  the  22nd.  During 
the  fair  (o  poor  days,  the  Earth's 
magnetic  field  is  likely  to  be  unset- 
tled to  active,  with  the  4lA"  index 
running  well  above  normal;  i.e., 
over  about  10,  On  days  of  an  ac- 
tive magnetic  field,  look  for  north- 
south  propagation  only  on  the 
higher  bands,  with  typical  "ring- 
ing" or  hollow-sounding  signals 
from  the  auroral  zone  to  the  north. 

Do  not  expect  any  OX  on  40,  80, 
or  160  meters  during  the  poorest 
days.  Look  for  some  VHF  auroral 
openings,  however,  on  the  days 
when  the  magnetic  field  is  most 
active.  In  particular,  6  and  2  me- 
ters should  be  good-  While  on  the 
subject  of  VHF,  the  Geminid  and 
Ursid  meteor  showers  occur 
about  the  13th  and  22nd,  respec- 
tively. Expect  some  meteor  trail 
propagation  on  VHF  bands  duhng 
the  peak  showers,  During  the 
"Good'1  (G)  days  on  the  chart,  you 
will  find  some  excellent  DX  on  10, 
12,  and  15  meters— as  well  as  on 


by  Jim  Gray  W1XU 

20.  Darkness  comes  early  at  this 
time  of  year  and  band  openings 
will  just  about  fade  out  at  sun- 
down, except  on  rare  days  when 
you  may  find  early  evening  open- 
ings on  1 0  and  1 5.  Your  best  times 
for  DX  will  be  toward  the  east  in 
local  morning  hours  and  toward 
the  west  in  local  late  afternoon 
hours.  For  those  who  enjoy  DX  on 
40,  80,  and  160  meters,  the  low 
atmospheric  noise  levels  of  De- 
cember will  provide  a  good  oppor- 
tunity to  hear  even  weak  DX  sig- 
nals, and  days  of  quiet  magnetic 
field  conditions  will  help  the  coun- 
tries totals  of  low-band  DXers. 

Late  afternoon  and  early  even- 
ing hours,  as  well  as  early  morn- 
ing hours,  are  the  best  times  to 
listen  for  DX  on  the  low  bands,  As 
always,  keep  your  radio  tuned  to 
WWV  at  18  minutes  after  each 
hour,  for  the  latest  propagation  in- 
formation. Consult  the  charts  here 
for  the  most  likely  times  to  work 
the  countries  of  your  choice  on 
Fair  (F)  to  Good  (G)  days.  Al- 
though the  winter  conditions  are 
not  quite  as  favorable  for  DX  on 
the  HF  bands  as  they  are  in  spring 
and  fall,  remember  that  solar  flux 
is  constantly  rising  afong  with  sun 
spot  activity,  and  the  MUFs  con- 
tinue to  climb  during  daylight 
hours.  Although  the  northern 
hemisphere  is  tilted  away  from  the 
sun  in  tne  winter,  remember  that 
the  Earth,  in  general,  is  closest  to 
the  sun  at  this  time  of  year! 


GMT: 

» 

91 

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CM 

10 

12 

14 

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ID 

21 

AL45KA 

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20 

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WESTERN    UNITED    STATES    TO: 

ALASKA 

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*Try  80  meters. 

The  bands  shown  represent  the  highest  usable  at  these  times 
on  "Good  Days." 

Note  that  the  lower  frequency  bands  open  first  and  close  last- 


DECEMBER 

SUN                 MON                 TUE                 WED                 THU                   FRl                  SAT 

1 

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110     73  Amateur  Radio  *  December,  1988 


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Bidltdn  CTCSS  encode  I  decode.  Selectable 
channel  steps:  5/10/12.5/20/25  kHz.  Pro- 
grammable  band  scan  with  upper/ lower 
limits.  Selectable  memory  scan.  And 
extended  receive  coverage  of  140-174 
MHz  (MARS/CAP  permit  required         , 
for  transmit  on  140-150  MHz).  ' 

Not  bad  for  a  handheld  mea- 
suring just  55(w)  x  32(d)  x  139(h) 
mm  (the  same  size  as  our  FT-23R 
Series  HTs)! 

Friendly  operation.  For  ope- 
rating  convenience,  the  FT-411's 
keypad  features  a  "do-re-mf  audi- 
ble command  verification.  Both  the 
display  and  keypad  can  be  backlit 
(brightly!)  for  night  operation  at  the 
push  of  a  button.  A  rotary  channel  selec- 
tor allows  fast  manual  tuning.  Or  key 
in  the  frequency  directly.  Operate  VOX 
(with  YH-2  headset  option).  Plus  you  get 
a  battery  saver  to  conserve  power 

while  monitoring.  And  a  (defeatable)  automatic  power-off  feature 
that  shuts  down  your  radio  if  you  forget  to  turn  it  off! 

High  power  capability*  The  FT411  comes  equipped  with  the 
2.5-watt  600  mAh  FNB-10  battery  pack.1V>'  our  optional  FNB-12 
5-watt,  SOOmAh  pack  or  tiny  FNB-9  2.5-watt,  200 -mAh  pack.  Or 
get  6  watts  output  by  applying  13.8 -volts  DC  from  an  external 
power  supply 

Swap  options  with  Yaesu's  FT-23R  Series.  Our  rugged 
best-seller's  changers,  batteries,  and  microphones  are  fully 
compatible  with  the  FT-41L  The  FT-23R  is  the  perfect  com- 
panion for  the  FT-4IL,  and  at  a  great  price! 
r         1Yy  oat  an  FT-411  today.  Ask  for  it  now  at  your  local  Yaesu 
dealer.  Or  call  1-800  999-2070  for  a  free  brochure.  And  experi- 
ence the  legendary 
Yaesu  HT  performance! 


Yaesu  USA  17210  Edwards  Road,  Cerritos,  CA  90701  (213)  404-2700.  Repair  Service:  (213)  404 -4884.  Parts:  (213)  404-4847  Prices  and  specifications  subject 
to  change  without  notice.  Specifications  guaranteed  only  within  amateur  bands. 


CIRCLE  165  ON  READER  SERVICE  CARD 


...pacesetter  in  Amateur  Radio 


Three  Choices  for  2  m! 


TM-2570A/2550A/2530A 


Feature-packed  2m 
transceivers 


The  all-new  "25-Series"  gives  you 
three  RF  power  choices  for  2m  FM 
operation:  70  W,  45  W,  and  25  W. 
Here's  what  you  get: 

•  Telephone  number  memory  and 
autodialer  (up  to  15  seven-digit  phone 
numbers)  A  Kenwood  exclusive! 

•  High  performance  GaAs  FET  front  end 
receiver 

•  23  channel  memory  stores  offset, 
frequency,  and  subtone,  Two  pairs 
may  be  used  for  odd  split  operation 

•  16-key  DTMF  pad  with  audible  monitor 

■  Extended  frequency  coverage  for 
MARS  and  CAP  (142-149  MHz;  141-151 
MHz  modifiable) 

•  Center-stop  tuning— a  Kenwood 
exclusive! 


Big  multi-color  LCD  and  back-lit 
controls  for  excellent  visibility 

The  TM-3530A  is  a  25  watt  version 
covering  220-225  MHz.  The  first  full 
featured  220  MHz  rig! 


•  New  5-way  adjustable  mounting 
system 

»  Automatic  repeater  offset  selection  - 
another  Kenwood  exclusive! 

•  Direct  keyboard  frequency  entry 

•  Front  panel  programmable  38-tone 
CTCSS  encoder  includes  97,4  Hz 
(optional) 


Introducing... 
Digital  Channel  Link 

Compatible  with  Kenwood's  DCS 
iDigital  Code  Squelch),  the  DCL  system 
enables  your  rig  to  automatically  QSY 
to  an  open  channel.  Now  you  can  auto- 
matically switch  over  to  a  simplex 
channel  after  repeater  contact!  Here's 
how  it  works: 

The  DCL  system  searches  for  an 
open  channel,  remembers  it,  returns 
to  the  original  frequency  and  transmits 
control  information  to  another  DCL- 
equipped  station  that  switches  both 
radios  to  the  open  channel,  Micro- 
processor control  assures  fast  and 
reliable  operation.  The  whole  process 

happens  in  an  instant! 


KENWOOD 


TM-2570A 


LAMP  REV 


SCAN  LOW 


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i  u 

iiiiiiiiiuiilllllllllll     f  5 


MHz 


IMF 


■» — r — t- 


*COmTO  PUSH  ON 


CTUN 


144MHz  FM  TRANSCEIVER 


*y 


LJ 

n 

n 

1                .1 

4r 

1          II          1 

!  f.lock      char       men 


PAIR 
16-17 
IB -19 


DCL 


VOICE 


POWER 


Optional  Accessories 

•  TU-7  38-tone  CTCSS  encoder 

•  MU-1  DCL  modem  unit 
■  VS-1  voice  synthesizer 

•  PG-2N  extra  DC  cable 

•  PG-3B  DC  line  noise  filter 

•  MB -10  extra  mobile  bracket 

•  CD-10  call  sign  display 

•  PS-430  DC  power  suppfy  for 
TM-255QW2530A/3530A 


•  PS-50  DC  power  supply  for  TM-2570A 

•  MC-60A/MC-80/MC-85  desk  mies, 

i  MC-488  extra  DTMF  mic.  with  UP/DVVN  switch 
MC-43SUP/DWNmia 
MC-55  (8- pm)  mobile  mic,  with  time-out  timer 

•  SP-40  compact  mobile  speaker 

•  SP-50B  mobile  speaker 

SW-200A/SW-200B  SWR/power  meters 

•  SW-100A/SW-100B  compact  SWR/power  meters 
SWT-1  2m  antenna  tuner 


Comptetg  service  manuafs  are  available  tor  ait  Kenwood  transceivers  ar*o  mosi  accessories 
Speoftcattons  and  prices  are  subject  to  change  Without  notice  or  obligation 
Specifications  guaranteed  on  Amateur  oands  anty 


Actual  size  front  panel 


KENWOOD 

KENWOOD  USA  CORPORATION 

2201 E  Dominguez  SU  Long  Beach,  CA  90810 
P.O.  Box  22745/Long  Beach.  CA  9080V5745