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CAS  $195 

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Internatimuif  Edition 

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Bounce  Your  Signal  Off  a  Star! 


•      * 


•  • 


Standardize  Your  Microphones 


•• 


* 


Build  a  Portable  2m  Quad 


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73  Reviews 

Kenwood  TH-28A  HT 

XPERTEK  Digital 
Voice  Malf 


i*  -_/-i  •*- 


037 


02 


^""" 


ICOM's  IC-2GMT . . . 
Powerful  Versatility  In  A 
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Handheld. 


The  IC-2GXAT  offers 

surprisingly  simple 
operation  with  the 
features  and  perform 
mance  amateurs  have 
come  io  expect  from 
Icom  products. 
Whether  >oure  a 
beginner  or  a  seasoned 
veteran,  you'll  quickly 
fall  in  love  with  this  2 
meter  handheld 


IC-2GXAT 

2  Meter 

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1C-MXAT 

ICOM    FM  TRANSCEIVER 


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BATTERY  P*CK  BF-160 


SIMPLE  OPERATION 

Channel  Operation  -  display  can  be  set  to 
indicate  memory  channel  numbers  only 
This  keeps  frequencies  secret,  restricts 
operating  frequencies  or  simplifies 
operation  for  an  unfamiliar  user 


CH-HO 


Auto  Repeater  Operation  -  automatically 
activates  the  correct  duplex  direction  when 
the  receiver  frequency  tuned  is  within  die 
repealer  output  frequency  range. 

Tone  Scan  -  scans  for,  detects  and  his  the 
subaudible  tone  frequency  to  enable 
communication  with  another  station  that  is 
using  subaudible  tones. 

DTMF  Redial-  for  quick  and  easy  access  to 
autopatches. 

User  Friendly  Keyboard  -  uncluttered, 
user-friendly  design  for  ease  of  operation. 

ADVANCED  FEATURES 

Power  Saver  -  reduces  the  current  drain 
to  35  mA  (avg,  Rx)  for  battery  conservation 
and  ex!ended  operating  time. 

Low  Power  Option  -  switch  to  I W  output 
power  to  extend  your  operating  Lime  when 
high  power  isnTl  required- 

40  Memory  Channels  -  store  all  repeater 
information  independently 

Memory  Transfer  -  the  contems  of  a 
memory  channel  are  transferred  into  VFO, 
and  the  WO  mode  is  automatically 
selected,  to  assure  quick  and  easy 
QSVing. 

5  DTMF  Auto  Dial  Memories  -  for  quick 
and  easy  autopatching  to  frequently  used 
telephone  numbers. 

Selectable  DTMF  Autodial  Digit  Duration  - 
adjust  your  DTMF  speed  io  the  decode 
capabilities  of  the  repealer 


more  information? 
Call  our  brochure  hotline: 
(206)450-6088 


MAXIMUM  POWER 

7  W  Output  Power  -  one  of  the  highest 
powers  available  in  a  handheld  (nominal 
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provides  more  than  enough  power  to  reach 
those  fringe  areas,  and  a  long  lasting  600 
mAh  too! 


DURABLE  CONSTRUCTION 

Die-cast  Aluminum  Rear  Case  -  will  with- 
stand the  demands  of  rugged  outdoor  use. 

Splash  Resistant  Body  -  maintains  perfor- 
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Rated ]IS  it  fur  splash  resistance.  ihelC-2GXiT 
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OTHER  GREAT  FEATURES 

•  High  Sensitivity.  0, 1&  pV  for  H  dB  SIMU) 

■  Multiple  Scan  Modes 

•  Monitor  Function 

*  SET  mode  to  customize  transceiver  operation 

*  Display  Lighting  widi  >  second  timer 

■  Subaudible  tow  encoder,  lonr  sqMch  and 
pocket  beep 

■  Optional  pager  and  code  squelch 

•  BIM60  (3  W,  700  mAh)  batten  pack,  *al]  charger, 
belt  clip  and  hand  strap  come  standard 

•  8  tuning  steps  <5. 10. 12.5, 15.  20.  25, 30  or  50  kKi) 

*  Call  Channel 

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Interface  cable  for  MFJ-PQ7 
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La-Pass,  audio  usage  probe 
Drrect  50  OHM  probe 


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ur  microprocessor  controlled  interconnects 
patch  your  FM  base  station  radio  to  your  phone 
line  and  allow  you  to  initiate  and  receive  phone 
calls  in  your  mobile  or  HT  without  assistance. 


Only  CSI  interconnects  offer  Important  user  friendly 
features  such  as  Memory  Speed-dialing,  Last  Number 
Redial  and  a  buiit-in  Programming  keyboard  with  com- 
panion digital  display  which  makes  user 
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easy  and 
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All  features  are  fully  user  programmable:  ■  Speed- 
dial  memories  *  Single  or  multi-digit  access  code. 
■  Secret  toll  override  access  code  •  Toil  restrict  numbers 
and  sequences  *  Regenerated  tone  or  pulse  dialout 

•  Ringout  on  1-9  ring  •  Line  in  use  detect  ■  Call  waiting 

*  CW  ID  •  Hookflash  •  Activity  &  Timeout  timers... 
And  More  f 

CSI  has  been  the  leading  producer  of  interconnect  prod- 
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Private  Patch  V 

Private  Patch  V  is  a  multi- 
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Sampling  2.  VOX  Simplex 
3.  Semi-Duplex  ^Rep- 
eater Maker.  A  90  memory  speed-dialer  and  remote  base  mode  are  also 
included.  Can  be  connected  to  the  Mic  and  speaker  jacks  of  any  simplex 
transceiver  when  used  in  VOX  simplex.   Fully  FCC  and  DOC  approved.  No 
other  patch  offers  as  many  modes  and  features. 


CS-900  Control  Station  Interconnect 

The  CS-900  is  VOX  act- 
uated and  can  be  used 
simplex  or  Inrough  any 
remotely  located  repeater 
The  standard  1/2  Second 
Electronic  Voice  Delay  to- 
tally eliminates  syllable  or 
word  clipping  and  results 
in  unsurpassed  simplex  performance,   A  90  memory  speed-dialer  and 
Remote  base  mode  are  also  included.  The  only  required  connections  are  to 
the  Mic  and  Speaker  lacks  of  your  simplex  transceiver.  Fully  FCC  and  DOC 
approved.    This  is  the  best  deal  going  in  a  simplex  patch! 


CS-800  Full  Duplex  Interconnect 

The  CS*B00  will  operate     i^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 
Full  or  Semi  duplex  and 
also  has  a  built-in  Re- 
peater Maker,  The  only 
required  connections  are 
to  the  Mic  and  Speaker 
jacks  of  your  dual  band 
transceiver.  A  9  memory 
Speed-dialer  is  standard.  Fully  FCC  and  DOC  approved,  This  is  your  best 
choice  in  a  Full  Duplex  Interconnect  with  built-in  Repeater  Controlled 


CS-700  Intelligent  Interconnect 


• 

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K 

The  CS-700  is  for  simplex 
operation  and  offers  sel- 
ectable VOX  Enhanced  or 
VOX  Controlled  Sampling 
Sampling  alfows  the  mobile 
operator  to  have  positive 
control  at  all  times.  The 
CS-700  requires  an  internal 
connection  to  the  discnmmator  of  your  simplex  transceiver.  A  9  memory  Speed 
dialer  is  standard.  This  ts  the  best  sampling  patch  in  the  business! 

CD-1  Communications  Decoder  Unit 

Decodes  and  displays  all 

50  CTCSS  tones,  104  DCS 

codes  and  all  16  DTMF 

digits  when  connected  to 

any  scanner,  receiver  or 

service  monitor   Extremely 

useful  for  service  work  or 

determining  the  correct 

codes  to  operate  open  repeaters  and  autopatches.  DTMF  sequences  are 

displayed  a  second  time,  sfowty  just  in  case  the  real  time  digits  were  loo  fast  to 

comprehend, 


CSI  fta  registered  Trnacmarh  or  Correct  Syitarns  Inc. 


CIRCLE  12  ON  READER  SERVICE  CARD 


THE  TEAM 

PUBLISHER/EDITOR 

Wayne  Green  W2NSD/1 

ASSOCIATE  PUBLISHER/EDITOR 

David  Cassidy  NtGPH 

■ 

MANAGING  EDITOR 
Hope  Currier 

SENIOR/TECHNICAL  EDITOR 
Charles  Warrington  WA1RZW 

EDnORIAL  ASSOCIATES 
Sue  Jewell 
Joyce  Sawtelle 

CONTRIBUTING  EDITORS 

Bill  Brown  WB3ELK 
Mike  Bryce  WB8VGE 
Joseph  E.  Carr  K4IPV 
David  Co whis  WA1LBP 
Michael  GeiefKBIUM 
Jim  Gray  W1XU/7 
Chuck  Houghton  WB61GP 
Amie  Johnson  NtBAC 
Dr.  Marc  Leavey  WA3AJR 
Andy  WacAllister  WA52IB 
Joe  MoelJ  K0OV 
Carole  Perry  WB2MGP 
Jeffrey  Sloman  N1 EWO 

ADVERTISING  SALES  MANAGER 

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ADVERTISING  COORDINATOR 

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GRAPHIC  DESIGN 

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Rim  Works,  I  no, 
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Subscription  Services 

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Jg Amateur 

Radio  Today 


February  1994 
Issue  #401 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


10   VHF  Meteor  Scatter  Propagation 

Bounce  your  signal  beyond  the  horizon „ WB2WIK/6 

18    Using  the  World's  Most  Accurate  Frequency  Standard,  Part  2 

Building  a  digital  phase  comparator. K9EUI 

26   Computer  Control  for  Your  Direct  Digital  Synthesis  (DDS)  VFO 
Free  yourself  of  the  hassles  of  generating  an  accurate  and  stable 
sinusoidal  signal — and  moreL, „._.,. ....VE1ABC 


36   ASCM-to-Morse-Code  Interface 

Let  your  keyboard  do  the  work.  ... 


44    Standardize  Your 
Microphone 
Connectors 
A  one-plug-fits-all 
solution  you  can  easily 
build. WB9YBM 

46    Folding  Three-Element 
2  Meter  Quad 
Finds  fox,  folds,  fits  in 
trunk ..WX8G 


REVIEWS 


'---»"---*»««-"*¥¥  +  --W*»»W--T+T«T--*#l'**'--l 


KD1JV 


ft 

Audit  Bureau 

of  Circulations 

Member 


Reprints:  S3  00  per  article. 

Back  issues  $4,00  each. 

Wr lie  to  73  Amateur  Radio  Today,  Reprints, 

70  Route  202N,  Peterborough.  NH  QMSS. 

Printed  In  tiie  U.S.A.  by  Quad 
Graphics,  Thomaston,  Georgia, 


DEPARTMENTS 


74  Above  and  Beyond 
81  Ad  Index 
78  Ask  Kaboom 
89  Barter  V  Buy 
62  Carr's  Corner 
88  Dealer  Directory 
17  Feedback  index 
SO  Ham  Help 
68  Hams  with  Class 
65  Homing  In 

6  Letters 

4  Never  Say  Die 
86  New  Products 
72  Packet  &  Computers 
88  Propagation 
70  QRP 

8  QRX 

96  Random  Output 

60  RTTY  Loop 

80  73  International 

84  Special  Events 
94  Uncle  Wayne's 
Bookshelf 


Build  this  portable  2  meter  quad . . .  see  page  46, 


FEEDBACK- 
FEEDBACK! 

It's  like  being  ihcrc— rip  hi 
here  in  our  offices!  How? 
Ju-M  lake  advantage  of  our 
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print  what  types  of  things 
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wilt  draw  one  Feedback 
card  each  month  for  a  free 
subscription  to  73, 


52    The  Kenwood  TH-28A 
2  meter  hand-held 
transceiver.  ..WB2WIK/6 

56    TheXPERTEK 
D  VMS/1  + 

Digital  voice  mail  system 
for  repeaters.. .WA4TEM 

On  the  coven  Bounce  your  signal  off  a  shooting  start  Learn  all  about  VHF  meteor  scatter  propagation  . .  .  see  page  to. 
Star  photo  courtesy  of  the  National  Optical  Astronomy  Observatories.  Antenna  photo  courtesy  of  Rutland  Arrays. 

Manuscripts  Contributions  in  the  form  of  manuscripts  with  drawings  and/or  photographs  are  welcome  and  will 
be  considered  for  possible  publication  We  can  assume  no  responsibility  for  loss  or  damage  to  any  materia  I. 
Please  enclose  a  stamped,  self -addressed  envelope  with  each  submission  Payment  for  the  use  of  any  unsolicit- 
ed material  will  be  made  upon  publication.  A  premium  wilt  be  paid  for  accepted  articles  that  have  been  submitted 
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manuscripts. 

73  Amateur  Radio  Today  (ISSN  1052-2522)  is  published  month  fy  by  Wayne  Green  Inc..  70  Route  202  North. 
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Contract:  By  casting  your  eyes  upon  this  issue  of  73.  you  have  become  obligated  to  invest  in  the  future 
of  ham  radio.  Introduce  o  youngster  to  our  hobby  and  help  amateur  radio  grow. 


Editorial  Offices 

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Peterborough  NH  03458 

phone:  603-924-0058 


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phone:  800-274^7373 


Circulation  Offices 

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phone  603-924-0058 


73  Amateur  Radio  Today*  February,  1994  3 


Number  1  on  your  Feedback  card 


N 


EVER  BAY  DIB 


Wayne  Green  W2NSD/1 


Uncle  Wayne's  Caribbean 
Adventures 

The  downside  of  the  laplop  comput- 
er is  how  easy  it  makes  it  lor  people  to 
write.  People  like  meH  for  instance.  Nat- 
urally I  had  my  little  Mac  Power  Book 
with  me  when  I  made  my  11 -island  21- 
day  Caribbean  ham -music-diving  71st 
birthday  celebration  safari  in  Septem- 
ber. In  between  mini-ham  tests,  scuba 
diving,  flying  from  island  to  island,  and 
reading  a  pile  of  books  I'd  brought 
along.  I  somehow  managed  to  write  a 
blow  by-blow  travelogue  o!  the  adven- 
ture. 

Any  seasoned  reader  of  my  editori- 
als will  not  be  surprised  that  it  quickly 
assumed  epic  proportions.  It  started  as 
a  simple  letter  to  my  Aunt  Kitty  In  Jofiet. 
but  it  grew  legs.  By  the  time  I  got  the 
whole  thing  together  it  ran  a  Reader's 
Digest-  sized  40  pages.  Then  I  added  a 
story  from  my  1992  visit  to  Dominica, 
where  I  almost  got  skewered  by  a 
thrashing  diving  ladder,  Say,  why  not  in- 
clude a  hilarious  story  t  did  about  my 
diving  cruise  on  the  Ocean  Quest  a 
couple  years  back?  And  a  couple  other 
Caribbean  diving  vacations? 

I  somehow  couldn't  help  myself  from 
sending  a  letter  to  the  dive  operators  on 
the  islands  I'd  visited,  telling  them  now 
to  improve  their  product.  I  added  that  to 
the  saga.  And  being  into  economic  de- 
velopment here  in  New  Hampshire,  I 
saw  lots  of  opportunities  for  the  island 
leaders  to  a  (tract  more  tourists  and  de- 
velop industries  to  pull  their  countries 
out  of  poverty.  And  most  of  them  are 
deeply  embedded  in  poverty,  t  added 
that  to  the  saga  too.  I'll  send  the  Setters 
to  the  leaders,  knowing  they  probably 
won't  bother  to  read  them. 

Though  these  were  malnfy  scuba 
diving  trips,  and  thus  you.  as  a  mono* 
interest  person,  totally  dedicated  to 
toy  sing  up  what  Shreds  we  have  left  o! 
what  was  once  a  glorious  hobby  proba- 
bly could  care  less  about  the  adven- 
tures of  frugal  septuagenarian  Uncle 
Wayne.  Worse,  the  writing,  according  to 
my  critics,  is  vintage  Green.  Pity.  Weli, 
anyone  who  reads  this  pile  will  certainly 
know  Uncle  Wayne  better.  Maybe  I 
should  start  billing  myself  as  Grandpa 
Wayne.  Gramps*  Grumpy  Gramps. 
Gimpy,  grumpy  G  ramps,  honoring  my 
gimpy  left  knee. 

When  I  get  finished  with  the  saga  it'll 


probably  run  80*100  pages.  It'll  cost 
something  to  print,  so  I  cant  just  give  Ft 
away  free.  How  about  S5?  Postpaid? 
For  $10  I  could  include  pictures,  but 
finding  a  ham  With  a  spare  $10  bill  is  so 
unlikely  that  I  didn't  even  con-sider  that 
Maybe,  instead  of  buying  popcorn  and 
a  drink  at  the  movies  next  time,  you 
could  spring  for  my  Adventures?  It's 
amusing  stuff. 

But  then  you  haven't  bothered  to 
send  for  my  work  of  sheer  (thin)  genius, 
We  the  People  Declare  War  On  Our 
Lousy  Government,  wherein  1  present 
you  with  the  keys  to  solving  most  of  our 
more  serious  social,  economic,  political, 
and  ecological  problems.  Oh.  a  few 
readers  have  read  it  and  I  appreciate 
their  enthusiastic  letters.  HI  feet  even 
better  in  see  some  of  them  deciding  to 
actually  do  something  about  cleaning 
up  Congress,  cutting  crime,  and  im- 
proving our  miserable  school  system. 
Politically  I'm  not  ultra-right  or  ultra- 
left— maybe  Tm  ultra -center.  No*  I'm 
pragmaltc,  wherever  that  fits. 

My  enemies  will  love  my  Adven- 
tures. So  will  my  friends— both  of  them< 
Everyone  else  wilt,  as  usual,  sigh,  turn 
Ihe  page  and  forget  all  about  il.  Of 
course,  if  I  can  get  you  honked,  i  might 
be  able  to  foist  of!  the  20  issues  of  my 
Declare  War  Update  .  reports  These 
beauts  run  16  pages  each.  One  of 
these  days  Til  edit  em.  toning  down 
some  of  my  perhaps  too  clearly  ex- 
pressed frustration  with  Ihe  political 
baloney  here  in  New  Hampshire,  and 
print  the  reports  as  another  book. 
There's  a  ton  oi  good  ideas  in  em 
Check  Uncle  Wayne  s  Bookshelf  and 
see  if  we've  managed  to  list  thfs  stuff 
there.  Then  send  money.  Or  call  our 
800  number, 

OK,  You  Electronic  Experts 

I've  just  heard  from  a  second  73 
reader  who  says,  "I  don't  care  what 
some  loony  researcher  has  shown,  I 
know  that  all  this  stuff  about  60  Hz 
magnetic  fields  hurting  people  is  bunk." 
I  asked  both  if  they'd  read  anything 
about  the  research.  They  hadn't,  be- 
cause they  knew  it  was  baloney,  so  why 
waste  their  time? 

This  reaction  is  one  scientists  should 
appreciate,  because  this  same  ap- 
proach is  endemic  in  the  scientific  com- 
munity. It's  dandy  retribution  when  II 
happens  to  them.  In  the  science  busi- 


ness the  deck  is  slacked  against  re- 
search in  any  new  field,  A  scientist's 
success  is  measured  by  the  number  of 
papers  published.  The  more  papers, 
the  easier  it  is  to  get  research  grants. 
But  the  scientific  journals  are  reluctant 
to  publish  papers  which  challenge  or- 
thodoxy, thus  making  sure  that  re- 
search projects  are  not  challenging, 
The  result  is  that  today  science  has  lost 
its  spirit  of  adventure. 

In  the  past  scientists  have  held  on  to 
their  beliefs  tenaciously,  and  only  reluc- 
tantly accepted  new  ideas  when  there 
was  no  other  refuge.  Let  me  quote  Max 
Planck,  the  pioneer  in  quantum  physics: 
"A  new  scientific  truth  does  not  triumph 
by  convincing  its  opponents  and  mak- 
ing them  see  the  light,  but  rather  be- 
cause its  opponents  eventually  die  and 
a  new  generation  grows  up  thai  is  famil- 
iar with  it." 

Quantum  physics  really  shook  up 
the  scientific  world.  It  answered  some 
questions,  but  in  the  process  it  opened 
up  many  more  that  scientists  are  stilt 
struggling  with.  It's  fun  to  read  about  all 
this.  I've  read  several  fascinating  books 
recently  on  this  subject  I  really  should 
review  them  tor  you  and  see  if  I  can  get 
you  to  read  them.  There's  7"ne  Hoto- 
graphic  Universe  by  Michael  Talbot, 
and  Parallel  Universes  by  Fred  Wolf. 

As  usual,  I  digress.  Well,  there  are 
so  many  interesting  things  to  talk  and 
write  about  that  my  taffcs  and  writing 
seem  to  mainly  be  a  long  series  of  di- 
gressions. Perhaps  my  recognizing  in  is 
has  contributed  to  my  cutting  way  back 
on  the  number  of  talks  I've  been  giving 
at  hamfests  and  conventions.  About  the 
only  hamfest  where  IVe  been  speaking 
lately  is  at  Dayton.  I've  been  thinking  of 
Stopping  that  loo.  There  are  just  too 
many  exciting  things  to  talk  about  and 
too  little  time, 

Electromedicine 

Now,  un digressing,  and  getting  hack 
to  btc electromagnetics  and  bioelecri- 
city, 1  read  a  book  while  on  my  birthday 
Caribbean  tour  that  I  just  have  to  tell 
you  about.  It's  Cross  Currents  by 
Robert  Becker.  The  subtitle  is:  "The 
perils  of  electropolution  and  the 
promise  of  electromedicine — a  slarlling 
look  at  the  effects  of  electromagnetic 
radiation  on  your  health."  This  book 
really  kept  my  highlighter  busy.  It  was 
exciting  to  read. 


Not  only  will  the  research  that  has 
been  done  in  this  field  fascinate  you.  it 
may  well  get  you  to  thinking  about  set- 
ting up  a  little  lab  and  investigating 
some  areas  wheie  there's  still  a  need 
for  basic  research — research  which  is 
within  your  ability  to  do. 

The  more  you  read  about  life  and 
the  cells  which  make  up  life,  the  better 
you  understand  that  life  can  be  seen  as 
fields  within  fields  within  fields.  And  this 
is  helping  to  bring  about  a  revolution  in 
medicine.  We  know  now  that  chemicals 
and  surgery  aren't  the  only  possible 
ways  of  curing  illnesses  We  know  that 
the  mind  can  influence  the  body,  and 
that  the  body  has  a  powerful  innate 
self  -healing  system.  So  we're  seeing  a 
growing  interest  in  "unscientific"  ap- 
proaches such  as  acupuncture,  place- 
bos, visualization,  homeopathy,  hypno- 
sis, healing,  foods,  herbs,  meditation, 
and  electromedicine.  Are  there  more 
productive  approaches  to  tackling  ill- 
nesses such  as  diabetes.  AIDS,  chron- 
ic-fatigue syndrome.  Alzheimer's, 
autism,  and  even  cancer?  Is  it  possible 
that  a  physicist  who  is  an  ex-ham  really 
has  a  little  simpte-to-make  electrical 
gadget  that  can  cure  AIDS?  HI  tell  you 
more  about  mat  further  on  is  this  edito- 
rial He  also  has  an  electronic  gadget 
that  stops  drug  addiction  in  its  tracks. 

Now.  back  to  Becker's  book.  He 
starts  out  with  the  history  of  medicine, 
explaining  how  it  has  evolved.  You're 
probably  familiar  with  the  story  of  how 
Lister  discovered  germs,  how  physi- 
cians refused  to  believe  himr  and  con- 
tinued 10  kill  most  of  their  surgery  pa- 
tients through  infection  tor  many  more 
years.  Becker  didn'l  mention  that,  but  it 
makes  a  good  point. 

Scientists  have  found  that  our  bod- 
ies work  on  an  incredibly  complex  com- 
bination of  both  chemical  and  electric 
actions.  So  Becker  got  interested  in 
how  salamanders  are  able  to  regener- 
ate arms,  legs,  and  tails.  Maybe,  if  we 
understand  how  they  do  ft,  we  might  be 
able  to  regrow  human  arms  and  legs. 
He  discovered  that  very  minule  electri- 
cal currents  controlled  the  regrowth 
phenomenon.  Minute  being  billionths  of 
an  ampere' 

You  II  read  about  how  he  applied  his 
new  understanding  to  the  regrowth  of 
leg  parts  in  rats,  and  in  helping  speed 
bone  fracture  healing.  You're  not  going 
to  like  this,  but  researchers  have  found 
an  amazing  correlation  between  the 
voltage  points  on  the  body  and  the 
acupuncture  points  of  ancient  Chinese 
medicine. 

Becker  traces  the  history  of  cancer 
research  and  the  changing  medical  be- 
liefs about  it.  The  newest  research  indi- 
cates there  is  an  electronic  biological 
control  system  involved.  This  would 
help  explain  spontaneous  remissions, 
the  placebo  effect,  and  so  on. 

Our  Microcurrent  Analog  System 

Our  body  works  much  like  a  comput- 
er, using  digital  communications  for  all 
our  senses— sight,  hearing,  taste, 
smefl.  touch.  But  beneath  that  more  re- 

Continued  on  page  85 


4  73  Amateur  Radio  Today  •  February,  1 994 


1 


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CIRCLE  92  ON  READER  SERVICE  CARD 


VfSA 


Letters 


Number  2  on  your  Feedback  card 


Randy  Crase  KB7UIT,  Woodland 
WA  Wayne,  I  just  finished  writfng  out 
my  check  lo  renew  my  73  subscrip- 
tion, and  also  reading  your  editorial  in 
the  September  '93  issue,  Great  job, 
Wayne.  Actually,  I  have  read  many  of 
your  editorials  in  the  two  years  IVe 
been  licensed.  One  theme  stays  con- 
stant: I  fully  support  your  views  on  the 
ARRL  and  do  not  belong  to  the  organs 
ration  or  subscribe  to  OST.  In  your 
last  editorial  you  again  brought  up  the 
fiasco  of  CW.  You  also  stated  that  the 
ham  population  should  circumvent  the 
ARRL  in  proposed  new  rule  changes 
to  the  FCC,  How  does  one  go  about 
proposing  rule  changes? 

I  am  a  No-Code  Tech  and,  fike 
many,  do  not  care  to  spend  the  time 
learning  code  at  13  wpm  lo  get  a  Gen- 
eral Class  license.  Supposedly,  by  ITU 
convention  ail  HF  privileges  are  to  be 
allowed  upon  passing  a  lest  for  CW. 
However,  there  is  no  requirement 
about  speed.  What  I  woutd  tike  to  see 
is  a  5  wpm  requirement  (or  all  license 
Classes,  or  elimination  ol  CW  as  a  re- 
quirement, I  Know  that  Ihe  "live  and 
die  by  CW"  group  will  throw  fits  and 
keys  at  this  proposal;  that's  OK.  The 
majority  of  hams  now  are  No -Code 
Techs,  and  the  number  is  increasing. 
Most  of  these  people  are  not  "glorified 
appliance  operators."  I  have  talked  to 
many  very  intelligent  No-Code 
Techs — doctors,  engineers,  program- 
mers, etc.  These  people  could  pass 
just  about  any  theory  test  you  could 
loss  them,  yet  they  are  still  No-Code 
Techs.  They  do  not  upgrade  because 
Ihey  don't  want  to  "waste  the  time"  on 
an  "ancient  form  ol  communication."  I 
have  absolutely  no  problem  with  re- 
quiring a  theory  test  for  various  class- 
es of  licenses. 

If  No-Code  Techs  are  "glorified 
CBers*  then  more  power  to  us.  All  I 
need  do  is  turn  on  my  VHF  equipment 
and  listen  to  very  little  garbage,  or  turn 
on  HF  to  14,313  or  40  meters  and  lis- 
ten to  some  of  our  "superiors"  trash 
the  band^ 

Wayne,  keep  on  pushing  the  ARRL 
it's  now  time  to  get  nd  of  the  code  re- 
quirement, or  at  least  make  it  so  easy 
that  it's  just  a  nuisance, 

Wetf.  gee.  t  dunno . . .  Wayne 

George  M.  Badger  ML  San  Jose 
CA  Wayne,  you  certainly  are  an  EE 
(Eclectic  Editorialist)  if  I  ever  saw  one. 
And  at  my  age  I  have  seen  more  than 
four.  Your  October  '93  editorial  brought 
up  a  very  good  point:  The  majority  of 
nam  QSOs  are  very  boring  and  very 
often  pedantic.  It  seems  that  quite  a 
few  of  the  hams  on  the  air  are  old.  un- 
happy and  definitely  righl*of -center, 
Getting  order  has  its  rewards,  one  of 
which  is  that  we  alt  have  a  larger  cross 


From  the  Hamshack 


section  of  experiences  to  draw  upon 
and  therefore  we  should  have  more  to 
talk  about.  Nope,  it  doesn't  seem  to 
work  that  way.  I  don't  know  why  peo- 
ple are  not  excited  about  their  lives 
and  want  to  learn  more  about  others' 
lives  and  therefore  enrich  their  own* 
From  my  small  outpost  tn  the  world, 
the  loudest  compteiners  are  generally 
a  small  minority  who  are  "control 
freaks"  afraid  of  CHANGE!  They  go 
out  and  spend  for  targe  signets  so 
they  can  attempt  to  prevent  others 
from  having  their  own  experiences. 
They  are  often  accompanied  by  labels 
so  they  will  be  able  to  identify  their 
own  "tribe."  Or  is  It  diatribe? 

Wayne,  you  are  correct.  Life  Is  not 
a  spectator  sport.  If  you  are  not  part  ol 
the  solution,  you  are  definitely  part  of 
the  problem.  Anybody  can  sit  back 
and  point  out  how  something  may  not 
work,  but  it  takes  a  real  person  to 
stand  up,  join  \n  and  make  things  hap- 
pen. Hey,  tell  them  mis:  "If  you  don'l 
(ike  Hie  news,  go  out  and  make  your 
own," 

Thank  you  for  the  features  on  QRP. 
I  am  in  the  process  of  co-writing  a 
book  on  QRP  and  equipment  modifi- 
cations that  should  be  out  mid- 1994, 
I'm  an  ex-ham  who  has  missed  ham- 
ming and  am  in  the  process  of  retriev- 
ing my  ticket.  Solar  QRP  DX  is  my 
bag, 

Good  grief,  another  troublemaker 
. . .  Wayne 

Ed  Eggert  W3HIKP  Fair  Haven  NJ 
Just  a  quick  note  to  let  you  know  how 
pleased  !  am  with  the  Packet  Mac  mo- 
dem out  of  your  October  1992  issue. 
Dexter  Francis  of  Sigma  Associates  is 
a  delight  to  do  business  with.  He  was 
kind  enough  to  answer  all  my  ques- 
tions about  the  modem  before  I  or- 
dered one. 

I  had  purchased  a  commercial  TNC 
to  use  with  my  Mac  and  after  three 
months  of  taxing  back  and  forth  I  still 
could  not  get  it  work.  Try  as  they 
could,  they  admitted  that  they  did  not 
have  a  Mac  to  test  it  with. 

The  Packet  Mac.  along  with  Savant 
software,  worked  without  a  hitch.  If 
you  have  a  Mac.  it's  the  only  way  to 
go.  Now,  if  we  can  convince  Dexter  to 
design  a  regular  modem  with  fax  for 
the  Mac  we  will  have  it  made. 

Thanks  for  running  the  article, 

Harry     M.     Johnson     NV7K, 

Kalispell  MT  t  just  finished  reading 
the  December  1993  "Never  Say  Die" 
and  I  feel  I  must  write  lo  you.  I've 
recently  purchased  some  new  items 
that  I  feel  motivated  to  report  on  as 
per  your  request.  I  generally  use  boat- 
anchoMype  equipment  thai  i  acquire 
and  then  restore  to  working  condition. 


but  occasionally  t  feel  Ihe  time  is  right 
to  purchase  some  type  of  new  gear, 

I  would  like  to  review  a  new  book  I 
have  purchased  (new  to  me,  that  is): 
Solid  State  Design  for  the  Radio  Ama- 
teur by  Hayward  W7ZOI  and  DeMaw 
W1FB.  It  is  published  by  the  ARRL 
and  the  price  is  $12.  I  have  an  aca- 
demic background  in  the  biological 
sciences  and  education  and  have  a 
solid  foundation  in  physics  and  math, 
but  I  need  references  when  I  want  to 
build  certain  types  of  circuits.  While 
building  an  oscillator,  filter,  etc..  it  Is 
very  nice  to  be  able  to  look  up  a  circuit 
and  quickly  determine  component  val- 
ues without  having  to  do  it  by  thai  and 
error.  I  have  sought  out  this  type  of 
reference  work  on  many  occasions 
and  have  really  never  found  one  to  do 
the  job.  until  this  one.  Some  represen- 
tative chapter  headings  are:  "Semi- 
conductors and  the  Amateur/  Basics 
of  Transmitter  Design,"  "Power  Ampli- 
fiers and  Matching  Networks/  "Re- 
ceiver Design  Bastes/  and  *Tesf 
Equipment  and  Accessories." 

I  live  in  a  rather  isolated  area  with 
respect  to  rel ail  amateur  radio  dealers. 
I  can  order  by  phone  or  fax  or  USPS, 
but  sometimes  you  just  can't  beat 
hands-on  shopping,  A  few  weeks  ago, 
while  visiting  my  uncle.  YV7GBI.  and 
his  family,  we  had  occasion  to  visit 
one  of  the  Ham  Radio  Outlet  retail 
stores.  While  browsing  over  the  book 
shelves,  1  spotted  Hayward  and  De- 
Maw's  book  and  knew  then  and  there 
that  it  was  what  f  was  looking  for.  I 
know  it  is  not  a  new  title,  but  I  had  not 
seen  it  before  and  It  really  meets  a 
need  for  me, 

Another  new  item  1  would  like  to 
share  is  an  ICOM  IC-2iA  2  meter 
handie-talkie.  We  were  looking  for  a 
very  small,  uncomplicated  HT  While 
at  the  same  HRO  store,  we  looked  at 
and  got  the  feel  of  all  the  mini  HTs. 
The  IC-2iA  is  definitely  the  smallest 
and  has  the  fewest  external  controls. 
The  neat  part  is  that  by  using  the  few 
controls  on  the  outside  in  various  com- 
binations and  permutations  one  can 
program  onto  the  CPU  all  of  the  oper- 
ating parameters  used  by  your  aver- 
age 2  meter  repeater  user.  Clock  set- 
ting, power  on  and  off  times,  CTCSS 
tones,  DTMF  automating,  paging,  and 
power  levels  can  be  preprogrammed 
In  and  then  actuated  with  a  few  well* 
cnosen  keystrokes  (two  or  three  in  all 
cases).  The  radio  has  two  levels  of 
programming:  the  basic  for  everyday 
functions  used  most  often,  and  an  ad- 
vanced  mode  with  the  more  complex 
levels  of  operation  available.  There  Is 
even  an  Al  mode  in  which  ihe  HT 
learns  which  functions  you  use  most 
often  and  expands  the  programming 
to  suit  what  It  perceives  as  your 
needs. 

Wayne,  no  doubt  about  it,  you  are  a 
windbag,  but  I  guess  I,  and  your  other 
faithfui  readers,  wouldn't  have  it  any 
other  way.  I  do  find  73  to  be  the  most 
interesting  of  the  "Big  3"  not  only  be- 
cause of  your  editorials  but  also  be- 
cause of  the  general  content  and  the 


types  of  articles  and  regular  columns 
that  you  include.  Thanks  for  a  good 
job  and  I  won't  worry  about  you  be- 
coming complacent  and  resting  on 
your  laurels  because  of  too  much 
praise. 

Me  a  windbag?  Harrumph 
.  ■ ,  Wayne 

Tom  Tobiassen  NOBZ.  Aurora 
CO  Wayne,  in  response  to  your  De- 
cember 1993  editorial,  1  would  like  to 
give  you  my  rating  of  a  ham  product, 

I  would  rate  my  Kenwood  TS-S0S 
HF  transceiver  as  a  "9.*  t  purchased 
this  radio  last  spring  and  I've  been 
very  happy  with  it.  I  have  always  been 
interested  In  operating  HF  from  the  car 
while  traveling  and  IVe  dreamed  of 
operating  HF  while  on  vacation.  This 
radio  has  given  me  the  opportunity  to 
do  both  this  past  summer.  While  On 
vacation  at  Grand  Teton  National 
Park,  Wyoming,  in  July,  I  operated  20, 
15  and  10  meter  S3B  while  in  the  car 
chatting  with  folks  all  over  the  U.S.  I 
operated  40  and  15  meter  CW  from 
the  rented  cabin  using  a  dipote,  chat- 
ting with  other  hams  all  around  the 
world,  I  really  enjoy  this  radio, 

Ed  Maikranz  KG5UN,  Abilene  TX 
Wayne,  greetings  from  West  Texas,  I 
work  as  a  firefighter-EMT  here.  I  have 
been  a  ham  sfnee  1988.  I  also  spent 
eight  years  in  the  army  as  an  HF  HT- 
TY  operator. 

I  want  to  lell  you  about  the  two  lat- 
est additions  to  my  shack,  The  first 
was  an  ICOM  IC-729  HF  and  6  meter 
rig.  This  is  a  nice,  compact,  easy-to- 
use  radio;  not  too  complicated  It  has 
simple  controls  and  comes  with  good 
instructions.  I  have  been  using  it  for  a 
tittle  over  a  year  and  am  very  pleased. 
It  works  great  in  all  modes,  Shortwave 
listening  In  AM  sounds  very  nice,  The 
noise  blanker  and  preamp  are  both 
very  effective.  It  handles  RTTY,  AM* 
TOR*  FACTOR  and  packet  with  no 
problem.  The  radio  works  like  a 
champ  on  6  meters  also,  lis  a  good 
receiver  for  weak  signals,  and  does  a 
fine  job  with  FM  simple*  and  repeaters 
as  wefL  Ail  it  needs  is  transverter  con- 
nections on  it. 

A  few  weeks  ago  I  picked  up  an 
MFJ  1278B  muftimode  data  controller. 
This  is  a  very  versatile  unit.  On  packet 
it  works  great  and  has  a  nice  built-in 
mailbox.  RTTY,  CW  and  AMTOR  are 
easy  to  use  and  do  very  well. 
PACTOR  is  a  nice  mode  and  this  unit 
supports  it  very  well  I  have  copied 
color  slow-scan  pictures  with  good  re- 
sults and  also  copied  a  lot  of  fax  pic* 
tures  with  very  good  resutts*  This  was 
a  good  value  tor  my  money. 

My  radio  interests  are  quite  varied. 
I  like  chewing  the  rag  on  HF,  mainly  on 
17  meters.  I  enjoy  all  of  the  HF  digital 
modes  as  well.  I  also  enjoy  weak- sig- 
nal VHF  work,  currently  on  2  and  6 
meters.  I  have  done  a  lot  of  meteor 
scatter  work  as  well,  and  have  made 
contacts  on  the  RS  satellites. I  hope  to 
get  on  the  OSCAR  birds  soon,  as  well 
as  doing  UHF  weak  Signal  wont. 


6  73  Amateur  Radio  Today  *  February,  1 994 


Low  Cost  GaAsFET 

PREAMPS 


LNG-C) 

ONLY  $59 


FEATURES: 

«  Very  low  noise:  0.7dB  vhf,  Q.SdB  uhf 

*  High  gain:  13-20dB,  depends  on  freq 

*  Wide  dynamic  range  *  resist  overload 

•  Stable:  low-feedback  dual-gate  FET 

"Specify  tuning  range:  26-30.  46-56.    1 37-152. 

LNW-O 

MINIATURE 
PREAMP 

only  $29  kit,  $44  nt  im^Mnn 

*  GaAs  FET  Preamp  similar  to  LHG,  ex- 
cept  designed  for  low  cost  &  small  size 
Only  5/8-W  x  1-5/8T  x  3/4"H.  Easty 
mounts  in  many  radios, 

'Specify  tuning  range:  25-35,  35-55,  56-90. 
SCM20,  ?20-?Wr  150-200,  200-2730,  400-500  MHfc. 

LNS-f) 

IN-LINE 
PREAMP 

ONL  Y  $  89  wn$11 9  «*  edited 

•  GaAs  FET  Preamp  with  features  similar 
to  LNG  series,  except  automatically 
switches  out  of  line  during  transmit. 
Use  with  base  or  mobile  transceivers  up 
to  25W.  Tower  mounting  brackets  md 

•Tuning  fang*  120- f7$  200-240.  ot  400-500. 

HELICAL  RESONATOR 
PREAMPS 

•  GaAs  FET  preamps  with  3  or  4  section 
helical  resonators  reduce  intormod  & 
crass-band  interference  in  critical 
applications  MODEL  HRG-(  *  }, 
$80  vhff  $110  uhf.      "Specfly  tuning  range 

HE  750,  ISO- J6Z  162-174.  2 13-233,  420-470 


RECEIVING 
CONVERTERS 


Low  noise  converters  to  receive  vhf  and 
uhf  bands  on  a  10M  receiver. 

•  Kit  less  case  $43,  kli  w/case  A  BNC 
jacks  $74,  w&t  in  case  539. 

•  Input  ranges  avaf:  50-52,  136-138, 
144-146,  145-147,  146-148,  220-222, 
222-224  MHzd  432-434,  435-437, 
435,5-437,5,  and  439.25  {to  Chan  3). 


TRANSMITTING 
CONVERTERS 


XV2forvrrtandXV4foruhf.  Models  to 
convert  10M  ssbT  cw,  frn,  etc.  to  2M,  230, 
222,  432,  435,  and  atv.       1 W  Output. 
Kit  onfy  $89.  PAs  up  to  45 W  available. 


ACCESSORIES 


Versatile  DVR-1  DIGITAL  VOICE 
RECORDER  Module  As  a  voice 
ID'erfor  repeaters  records  your  voice 
using  me  built-in  microphone  or  external 
mic  Use  with  almost  any  repeater  COR 
module  May  aiso  be  used  as  a 
contest  calter  to  play  back  one  or  more 
messages  through  your  transmitter  at 
the  press  of  a  switch.  Used  as  a  radio 
notepad,  ii  can  record  the  audio  output 
of  a  receiver  -  up  to  20  sec.  of  any- 
thing you  might 
want  to  recall 
later.  Play  back 
as  many  times 
as  you  Hoe 
through  a  small 
external  speaker 
Extensive  man- 
ual telts  how  to  use  multiple  messages 
and  adapt  for  many  applications. 

..kit  $59,  w&t  $99 


IIIHt'-*    I— t 


TD^t  SELECTIVE  CALLING  Mod* 
Versatile  dtmf  controller  with  1 
latching  output  Mutes  speaker  until 
someone  calls  by  sending  your  4-digFi  ft 
code  Or  use  it  with  a  long  tt  zero  digit 
to  alert  anyone  in  club  Also  may  be 
used  to  control  autopatch  or  other 
device kit  $49,  w&t  $79 

COR-3  REPEATER  CONTROLLER. 
Features  adjustable  tail  and  time-out 
tuners,  solid-state  relay,  courtesy  beep 
and  local  speaker  amplifier  kit  $39 

CWID.    Diode  programmable  any  time 
in  the  field,  adjustable  tone,  speed,  and 

LI  II I  El .  ithrHtth--' ..hhI.j:...........(ii  iRH  f  v9 


COR-4.  Complete  COR  and  CWID  all 
on  one  board  CMOS  logic  for  low 
power  consumption  EPROM  program- 
med; specify  call.  kit  $79.  w&t  $12? 

COR-6.   COR  &  Real- 
Zoic  e  ID  on  one  board 
Digital  ic  records  up  to  20 
seconds   of   your   voice, 

using  built-in  or  ext  mic.  Can  record 
multiple  id  messages.  Taif  and  time-out 
timers,  courtesy  beep,  sol  id -slate  relay 
to  key  transmitter kil  $99,  w&t  $149 

TD-2  DTMF  DECODER/CON- 
TROLLER. 16  digits,  toll-call  restnct- 
or,  programmable  Can  turn  5  functions 
on/off  kit  $79,  wired  &  tested  $139 

AP-3  AUTOPATCH.  Use  with  above 
for  repeater  autopatch  Reverse  patch 
and  phone  line  remote  control  are  std 
..kit  S79.  wired  &  tested  SI  39 

AP-2  SIMPLEX  ALTTOPATCH  Timing 
Board  Use  with  above  for  simplex 
operation  using  a  transceiver kit  $39 

TD-3  SUBAUDIBLE  TONE  DE- 
CODER/ENCODER. Adjustable  for 
any  tone.  Especially  for  repeaters, 
with  remote  control  activate/deactivate 
provisions       kit  $29,  wired  &  tested  $59 

MQ-202  FSK  DATA  MODULATOR  & 
DE-2G2  FSK  DEMODULATOR-  Run  up 
to  1200  baud  digital  signals  through  any 
fm  transmitter  &  receiver  with  full 
handshakes.  Radio -I  ink  computers, 
telemetry,  etc    ...  kit  ea  $39,  w&t  ea  $69 

9600  BAUD  DIGITAL  RF  LINKS. 
Low-cost  packet  networking  system, 
consisting  of  MG-96  Modem  and  special 
versions  of  our  144.  220,  or  450MHz  FM 
Transmitters  s~3  Receivers  Interface 
directly  with  most  TNC's  Fast,  diode- 
switched  PA's  output  1 5  or  50W 


Buy  at  low,  factory-direct  net  prices  and  save! 
For  complete  info,  call  or  write  for  free  catalog. 

Send  S2  for  overseas  air  ma//. 

Order  by  mail,  fax,  or  phone  (9-i2AM,i-5piweaaieftitim*,) 

Min.  S5  S&H  Charge    for  first  pound  plus  add  I  weight  &  insurance 

Use  VISA,  Mastercard,  check,  or  UPS  C.O.D, 


REP-200  REPEATER 

A  fully  microprocessor-controlled  repeater  with  autopatch 
and  many  versatile  dtmf  control  features  at  less  than  you 
might  pay  for  a  bare-bones  repeater  or  controller  alone! 

We  don't  skimp  on  rf  modules,  either!  Check  the  features  on  B144 
Receiver  below,  for  instance:  GaAs  FET  front-end,  helical  resona- 
tors, sharp  crystal  filters,  hysteresis  squelch. 

Kit  $1095;  w&t  only  $12951 

(90QMH2  units  siigfitty  higher) 


•  Available  for  the  50-54,  143-174,  213- 
233,  420-475,  902  928  MHz  oandS- 

■  FCC  type  accepted  for  commercial 
service  (150  &  450). 

•  Power  Out  20W  50-54MHz;  25W  143- 
174MHz;  15W  213-233  MHz.  10W  uhf; 
1QW902-928MHZ 

•  Available  add-on  PAs  up  to  100W 

•  Six  courtesy  beep  types  including 
two  pleasant  multi-tone  bursts, 

•  Open  or  closed  access  autopatch, 
toll-call  restrict,  auto-disconnect. 

•  Reverse  Autopatch,  two  types, 

•  DTMF  CONTROL:  over  45  functions 
can  be  controlled  by  4-dic/t  dtmf 
command,  via  radio  or  telephone. 


•  Owner  can  inhibit  autopatch  or  re- 
peater, enable  either  open  or  dosed 
access  for  repeater  or  autopatch,  and 
enable  toil  calls,  reverse  patch,  ker- 
chunk filter,  site  alarm,  aux  rcvr 

•  Cw  speed  and  tone,  beep  delay,  tail 
timer,  and  courtesy  beep  type  can  be 
changed  at  any  time  by  owner  pass- 
word protected  dtmf  commands. 

•  Auxiliary  receiver  input  for  control  or 
cross  linking  repeaters 

•  Color  coded  LEDs  indicate  status  of 
all  major  functions, 

•3V6  inch  aluminum  rack  panel,  finished 
in  eggsheH  white  and  black. 


REP-2Q0T  Voice  Message  Repeater  As  above  except 

includes  Digital  Votce  Recorder    Allows  message  up  to  20  sec  to  be 
remotely  recorded  off  the  air  and  played  back  at  user  request  by 
DTMF  command,  or  as  a  periodical  voice  id,  or  both kit  $  1 145,  w&t  only  $1395 

REP*200C  Economy  Repeater.  Like  rep-200,  except  uses 

COR-6  GorttroSer  {no  DTMF  control  or  autopatch).   Features  real-voice 
id  recorded  with  built  -in  microphone Krt  only  $795,  wit  $1 095 

REP-2QGN  Repeater.    Want  to  use  your  ACC  controller,  etc?   No  problem" 
Well  make  you  a  repeater  with  rf  modules  only  .  ...   Ktt  only  $695,  w&t  $995 


XMTRS  &  RCVRS  FOR  REPEATERS,  AUDIO 
&  DIGITAL  LINKS,  TELEMETRY,  ETC. 


Also  available  in  rf*rlgirt  enclosures,  and  with  data  modems. 

FM  EXCITERS;  2W continuous 
duty.  TCXO  &  xtal  oven  options 
FCC  type  accepted  for  com'/ 
high  band  &  uhf. 

TAS1:  50-54,  143-1 74e  213-233 

MHz     kit  $109.  w&t  $189 

TA451  420-475  MHz 

...kit  $109.  w&t  1189 

TA901   902-926MHZL 

(0  5W  out),  w&t  $219. 

VHF  &  UHF  AMPLIFIERS. 

For  fm,  ssb,  atv    Output  levels  f 

lOWtolOOW.  Several  models 

FM  RECEIVERS: 

*  R144/R220  FM  RECEIVERS  for  143-174 
or  21 3-233  MHz    GaAs  FET  front  end, 
0.1 5uV  sensitivity '  Both  crystal  &  ceramic 
if  filters  plus  helical  resonator  front  end 
for  exceptional  selectivity:  MOQdB  at 
±12kHz  (best  available  anywhere!) 
Flutter-proof  hysteresis  squelch;  afc 
tracks  drift.  ...kil  $149,  w&t$219. 

*  R451  FM  RCVR,  for  420-475  MHz. 
Similar  to  above    .„kit  $149,  w&t  $219. 

*  R901  FM  RCVR,  for  902928MHz 
Triple-con version,  GaAs  FET  front  end. 
...$169.  w&t  $249 

.  R76  ECONOMY  FM  RCVR  for  26-30.  50-54,  75-76, 143-174,  21  £-233  MHz, 

w/o  helical  res  or  afc       Kits  Si 29.  w&t  $219. 
.  R137  WEATHER  SATELLITE  RCVR  for  137  MHz    Kit  $129.  w&t  $219 


Our  320d  Year! 


amironics,  inc. 

65-D  MOUL  RD.  —  HILTON  NY  14468-9535 
Phone  716-392-9430  —  fax  ne^92-942o 


I{ll/1    ■    ■    ■ 


Number  3  on  your  Feedback  card 


Radio  Operators  Behind 
Bars 

Three  young  residents  of  the  California 

Youth  Authority's  Camp  Fenner  recently  re- 
ceived their  amateur  radio  licenses  after  a 
long  period  of  study.  The  idea  was  formulated 
by  Parole  Agent  Bill  Goff  KI6DJt  with  assis- 
tance from  Teacher  Ed  Griffith  KC6WCT.  All 
three  wards  were  first  carefully  screened  for 
the  proper  levels  of  ability,  motivation,  and  re* 
habitation. 

Organizers  say  ham  radio  teaches  disci- 
pline, coope ration p  and  geography — not  to 
mention  electronics.  For  some  youthful  of- 
fenders, this  is  their  first  experience  being  co- 
operative or  successful.  The  program  is  be- 
lieved  to  be  the  first  of  its  kind.  Anyone  with 
experience  using  amateur  radio  to  rehabili- 
tate young  men  should  contact  Ed  Griffith 
KC6WCT.  RQ.  Box  30275,  Stockton,  CA 
95213-0275;  (209)  825-9458.  TNX  KC6WCZ 

Wanted:  Young  Hams 

Once  again,  Carole  Perry  WB2MGP  is 
looking  for  articulate,  active  amateur  radio 
youngsters  up  to  age  18  to  be  interviewed  for 
possible  participation  in  the  Dayton  1994 
Youth  Forum.  This  year's  forum  will  be  bigger 
and  better  than  ever.  Please  contact  Carole 
at  P.O.  Box  131646,  Staten  Island,  NY 
10313-0006,  or  telephone  her  at  (716)  983- 
1416-  TNXWB2MGR 


Huge  Cable 


A  private  venture  with  financial  backing  In 
the  United  States,  Japan,  and  the  Middle 
East,  is  planning  to  construct  the  world's 
longest  under-sea  fiber-optic  cable,  linking 
Europe,  the  Middle  East,  and  Asia  through  13 
landing  points.  The  new  cable  will  join  exist- 
ing undersea  links  to  open  up  broad  band- 
width international  multimedia  services  by 
1 996. 

The  Fiberoptic  Link  Around  the  Globe 
(FLAG)  will  cover  18,000  miles,  from  Britain 
through  the  Mediterranean  Sea  and  Indian 
Ocean  to  Japan.  FLAG  is  expected  to  com- 
plete the  first  global  high-capacity  fiber-optic 
highway  of  great  capacity.  The  link  would 
support  600,000  conversations  simultaneous- 
ly and  support  teleconferencing  and  enter- 
tainment video  too.  The  huge  cable  would 
likely  compete  with  satellites  for  business. 
TNX  Electronic  Engineering  Times,  Decem- 
bers, 1993. 

Semiconductors:  A  Girl's 
Best  Friend? 


With  financial  backing  from  the  White 
House.  Russian  and  American  scientists  are 
beginning  collaborations  to  develop  new 
semiconductor  technologies  based  on  dia- 
mond films.  The  Clinton  Administration  has 
allocated  fundfng  to  support  the  work  of  20 
Russian  scientists  for  a  year, 

8  73  Amateur  Radio  Today  February,  1994 


Russian  diamond  technology  first  came  to 
light  in  1977.  Reports  were  largely  ignored  in 
the  U.S.  but  were  pursued  in  Japan.  Now  the 
University  of  Missouri  has  established  the  in- 
ternational Diamond  Research  Institute 
where  researchers  will  work  with  the  Labora- 
tory of  Diamond  Film  Crystallization  at  the  In- 
stitute of  Physical  Chemistry  in  Moscow, 

A  primary  goal  of  the  new  institute  is  to  de- 
velop reproducible  n-type  and  p-type  dia- 
mond films  that  are  more  rugged  than  silicon 
for  a  new  generation  of  semiconductor  de- 
vices. TNX  Electronic  Engineering  Times, 
December  6t  1993, 


Boyer  Wants  His  HT  Back 

According  to  newspaper  accounts,  Chris 
Boyer  KC6UQG,  who  accessed  a  sheriffs 
department  radio  frequency  to  summon  medi- 
cal help  for  an  injured  friend,  now  wants  his 
portable  radio  back.  Reportedly,  Boyer  first 
tried  to  get  help  via  amateur  radio,  business 
band,  and  cellular  phone,  but  to  no  avail. 

Boyer  contends  that  he  made  a  responsi- 
ble decision  to  use  the  Sheriff's  frequency  on- 
ly after  exhausting  all  other  communications 
options.  His  friend  had  been  hurt  in  a  moun- 
tain bike  accident  and  was  bleeding.  Two 
weeks  after  the  incident  Boyer  was  called  in- 
to a  meeting  with  FCC  and  sheriff's  depart- 
ment officials,  where  he  surrendered  his  ra- 
dio. It  is  not  clear  whether  the  radio  was  actu- 
ally conff seated,  or  if  it  was  volunteered  in 
lieu  of  prosecution.  TNX  Westtink  Report,  No. 
662,  November  26t  1993;  W5YI  Report,  issue 
#23t  December  1,  1993;  The  San  Diego 
Union  Tribune. 


Form  610  is  New 

A  totally  new  FCC  Form  610  is  on  its  way 
into  ham  radio  as  a  resuft  of  a  new  computer 
at  the  Federal  Communications  Commission, 
The  venerable  old  610  will  soon  fade  into  his- 
tory as  a  resuft 

The  new  form  is  streamlined,  u  does  away 
with  all  of  the  boxes  previously  contained  in 
the  administering  VE's  report.  The  report  it- 
self has  been  relocated  to  the  bottom  front  of 
the  form,  right  above  the  VE  certification 
area.  The  administering  VE  will  now  only 
need  to  indicate  which  one  of  six  classes  the 
applicant  is  qualified  for.  The  sixth  category  is 
"Technician  Plus"  and  its  inclusion  on  the  new 
form  indicates  the  commission  wants  to  care- 
fully track  the  popularity  of  this  category. 

Sections  to  report  current  station  location 
and  change  of  station  have  been  eliminated. 
The  new  610  still  has  a  Physician's  Certifi- 
cate of  Disability  for  those  exempt  from  the 
code  tests  due  to  physical  disability.  This  new 
form  replaces  the  March  1992  version  which 
carries  a  February  1995  expiration  date,  but 
whhch  can  no  longer  be  used  once  the  new 
form  is  in  the  hands  of  the  public,  TNX  West- 
tink Report,  No.  662 ',  November  26,  1993; 
Newsline;  W5Y1»VEC 


Hams  Cool  Under  Fire 

Hams  did  more  than  iust  talk  at  the  scene 
of  the  recent  wildfires  in  Southern  California. 
They  put  their  lives  on  the  line  staffing  the 
DCS22  Mobile  Communications  Van  at  Pep- 
perdine  University  at  the  height  of  the  fire 
threat.  Hams  also  handled  the  fire  hoses  as 
flames  assaulted  the  Malibu  Sheriff's  Station. 

After  108  hours  of  continuous  operation, 
Scott  KD6NEA  dosed  down  the  emergency 
operation  by  saying;  *The  cooperation  of  all 
amateurs  in  clearing  the  frequency  for  this 
net  has  been  greatly  appreciated.  The  fre- 
quency is  now  clear  at  1800  hours/  F8  to  all 
who  pitched  in.  TNX  Westtink  Report  No. 
662w  November  26,  1993. 

Cuba  Incommunicado 

Third-party  message  privileges  with  Cu- 
ba— previous]y  authorized— are  no  longer  ap- 
proved. According  to  Rafael  Estevez 
WA4ZZG  of  Hialea,  Florida,  when  Hurricane 
Andrew  demolished  much  of  the  public  com- 
munications capability  between  Cuba  and 
Florida,  the  Cubans  resorted  heavily  to  ama- 
teur radio. 

The  pro-Castro  Cuban  American  Radio 
Federation  has  taken  a  renewed  position  that 
Cuban  amateurs  should  not  communicate 
with  the  "enemy,"  meaning  Florida  amateurs 
of  Cuban  descent.  Rafael  says  that  Cuban 
amateurs  are  getting  their  licenses  suspended 
from  three  mon!hs  to  a  year  for  passing  such 
innocent  non  -political  health -and -welfare  traf- 
fic as  *.  . .  appealing  for  aspirin  and  insulin." 

CG2QQ  advised  Rafael  on  the  air  recently 
that  the  United  States  and  Cuba  no  longer 
have  a  third-party  agreement.  Information  is 
now  moving  in  and  out  of  Cuba  with  great  dif- 
ficulty since  AT&T's  over~the~horizon  commu- 
nication system  was  damaged  by  Andrew. 
TNX  W5YI  Report,  Issue  23.  December  7, 
1993. 

Power  Stream 

Three  men  claim  they  have  invented  a  bat- 
tery which  is  powered  by  a  plentiful  natural 
substance  available  at  low  cost— urine-  Many 
scientists  are  highly  skeptical  of  the  inventors' 
claims,  especially  without  an  explanation  of 
the  battery's  purported  chemical  reactions 
and  construction. 

The  urine  battery's  inventors,  Nelson  E+ 
Camus,  Edgar  Aguayo,  and  Ismael  Valle,  are 
partners  in  an  electronics  company  called  Nel 
Nithiurn  Electronics.  They  say  their  informa- 
tion is  a  secret  they  are  not  about  to  share. 

The  men  are  looking  for  investors  with  $5 
million.  They  claim  their  home  power  plants 
will  be  cheaper  and  smaller  than  existing 
power  sources,  are  environmentally  sound, 
and  will  boost  the  economy.  They  estimate 
the  cost  to  perpetually  power  an  average 
home  to  be  around  $500.  TNX  Associated 
Press;  San  Maeto  Times;  and  Palo  Afto  Ama- 
teur Radio  Association  PAARA  Graphs,  De- 
cember 1993. 


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Number  4  on  your  Feedback  card 


VHF  Meteor  Scatter 

Propagation 

Bounce  your  signal  beyond  the  horizon. 


by  Steve  Katz  WB2WIK/6 


I'm  writing  this  after  returning  home  only 
hours  ago  from  a  little  expedition  to  a  lo- 
cal moLintaiutop  to  work  the  1993  Perseids 
meteor  shower,  which  was  supposed  to  have 
"peaked"  at  OIOOZ  on  August  12.  Wayne 
Overbeck  N6NB  (well-known  for  his  VHF- 
UHF  exploits,  as  well  as  for  designing  the 
popular  "QuagP  antenna)  and  1  headed  up  to 
his  new  mountaintop  VHF  contesting  site  at 
6,800  feet  above  sea  level  in  the  Tehachapi 
Mountains,  about  90  miles  northwest  of  Los 
Angeles,  to  "work*'  the  shower  on  50,  144, 
and  222  MHz.  We  had  some  success,  but  not 
as  much  as  we  had  hoped  for. 

The  1993  Perseids  shower  was  hyped  as 
the  biggest  news  for  astronomers,  meteorol- 
ogists and  VHFers  alike  since  the  return  of 
Halley's  comet.  Like  all  meteor  showers, 
this  one  occurs  when  bits  of  debris  left  by 
passing  comets  come  close  enough  to  our 
planet  to  be  pulled  in  by  the  earth's  gravita- 
tional field.  Cyclic  in  nature,  meteor  show- 
ers recur  every  year  at  about  the  same  time 
and  there  are  many  showers  each  year.  But 
this  one  was  supposed  to  be  the  "big  one," 
with  hundreds  of  meteors  falling  each  hour. 
It  should  have  had  a  major  impact  on  VHF 
propagation  and  been  a  wonderful  sight  to 
behold,  with  "shooting  stars"  filling  the  sky. 

Well,  as  of  today,  the  shower  wasn't  what 
it  was  hyped  to  be,  and  the  number  of  mete- 
ors we  worked  and  saw  were  not  all  that  un- 
usual But  maybe  we  missed  the  peak,  and 
the  1993  Perseids  may  turn  out  to  be  all  the 
wonderful  things  the  astronomers  said.  Ei- 
ther way,  it's  still  fresh  in  my  mind  that  a  lot 
of  hams,  newcomers  and  old-timers  alike, 
don't  seem  to  know  much  about  meteor 
scatter,  and  that's  the  subject  of  this  article. 

Working  Meteor  Scatter 

Meteor  scatter  propagation  occurs  when 
signals  are  reflected  off  the  ionized  trails 
which  follow  meteors  as  they  enter  our  at- 
mosphere. In  deep  space,  bodies  traveling 
very  fast  don't  generate  any  heat  to  speak  of, 
since  they  encounter  no  friction  in  their  trav- 
el. But  meteors  and  other  bodies  entering 
our  atmosphere  generate  considerable  heat 
as  the  density  of  our  atmosphere  creates  fric- 
tion to  their  travel.  Since  our  atmosphere 
contains  gasses  prone  to  ionization  and  even 
ignition,  the  meteors  literally  "burn  up"  on 

10  73  Amateur  Radio  Today  February,  1994 


entry,  and  most  are  extinguished  before  they 
reach  the  surface  of  our  planet.  Occasional- 
ly, a  larger  meteor  makes  it  all  the  way  down 
to  earth  and  plunges  into  the  ground,  ocean, 
or  some  other  obstacle.  When  a  meteor  suc- 
cessful ly  reaches  the  planet,  it  becomes 
known  as  a  meteorite. 

The  ionization  of  gasses  behind  the  mete- 
or as  it  plunges  towards  earth  is  highly  re- 
flective to  radio  frequency  signals  and  al- 
lows brief  reception  of  distant  signals  not 
normally  workable  on  the  VHF  bands.  Ran- 
dom meteors,  not  members  of  a  known 
"shower,"  are  workable  frequently  on  50 
MHz  year-round,  if  well-equipped  and 
trained  operators  are  at  both  ends  of  the  cir- 
cuit. The  meteor  scatter  signals  reflected  by 
a  random  meteor  path  may  only  be  present 
for  a  few  seconds,  and  another  meteor  may 
not  come  along  for  a  long  while,  Thus,  to 
complete  a  contact  (or  QSO)  via  a  random 
meteor  requires  considerable  skill  on  the 
parts  of  both  operators  involved,  since  all  in- 


formation must  be  exchanged  in  a  very  short 
period  of  time.  Signals  are  typically  weak 
and  "peaky,"  and  to  successfully  work  ran- 
dom meteors,  high  power  levels  and  high 
gain  antennas  are  usually  employed.  At 
higher  frequencies  like  1 44  or  222  MHz, 
even  greater  skill  and  better  equipment  is  re- 
quired because  the  signals  tend  to  be  even 
weaker  (due  to  path  loss,  which  is  related  to 
the  number  of  wavelengths  the  signals  must 
travel).  At  432  MHz,  meteor  scatter  work  is 
rare  indeed,  although  it  has  been  performed. 

Think  of  the  ionized  trait  left  by  a  meteor 
as  a  reflector  in  the  sky.  Its  shape  is  long  and 
skinny,  and  it  is  literally  a  moving  target.  It 
would  be  impossible  to  "track"  a  meteor's 
path  through  the  heavens,  as  these  bodies  are 
traveling  much  too  fast  to  steer  antennas  at 
them  as  they  travel.  And  their  flight  pattern 
is  quite  unpredictable.  So,  to  work  meteor 
scatter,  most  folks  find  it  best  to  just  aim  an- 
tennas directly  towards  the  station  they  are 
trying  to  contact,  keep  them  fixed  on  the 


Photo  A.  Dr.  Wayne  Overbeck  N6NB,  who  owns  the  moimtaintop  operating  site  used  for  Per- 
seids 1993.  He  is  leaning  on  a  50-foot  tower  erected  during  the  ope  ration  {!);  a  70-footer  to  go 
alongside  this  one  is  planned. 


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Photo  B.  "Antetmas-eye"  view  from  the  tneteor*scatier  operating  perch  in  the  mountains  at 
6.800  feet.  The  valley  floor  below  the  antennas  is  3 ,000  feet  lower,  and  the  nearest  obstacle 
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horizon  in  that  direction,  and  hope  for  the 
best.  In  this  case,  hoping  for  the  best  is  es- 
seni  tally  wishing  for  a  meteor  to  fall  be- 
tween your  location  and  the  location  of  the 
station  you  arc  trying  to  contact,  and  for  that 
meteor  to  be  low  enough  on  the  horizon  that 
its  ionized  trait  will  be  a  useful  reflector.  It's 
actually  quite  a  lot  to  hope  for! 

But  during  a  major  meteor  "shower," 
when  meteors  fall  at  a  reasonably  fast  rate 
(60  per  hour  is  not  unusual),  ihe  probability 
of  making  contacts  by  using  their  reflective 
"tails"  is  dramatically  increased,  to  the  point 
where  modestly-equipped  stations  with  a 
small  degree  of  training  and  skill  mighi  suc- 
cessfully complete  a  few  contacts.  What  is 
really  required? 

First,  realize  that  meteor  scatter  {m.s.)  sig- 
nals are  weak  and  ''peaky"  in  nature.  By 
"peaky"  I  mean  they  change  in  strength 
from  literally  zero  to  some  workable  level 
and  then  back  to  zero  again  in  a  very  short 
time,  ranging  from  less  than  a  second  to 
maybe  a  few  seconds.  A  "zinger"  (huge  me- 
teor  with  a  long  "bum"  time)  might  allow  a 
"burst"  that  lasts  several  seconds,  but  when 
its  gone,  signals  will  typically  fall  back  to 
zero  again.  For  these  reasons,  only  "weak 
signal"  modes  like  SSB  and  CW  have  been 
used  effectively  for  itls.  propagation.  Wide- 
band modes  like  FM  are  not  successfully 
used,  although  if  tried  with  a  tremendous 
amount  of  power  and  antenna  gain.  I  sup- 
pose it  might  be  possible.  But  remember, 
signals  are  typically  weak,  and  CW  has  a  20 
dB  signal-to-noise  ratio  advantage  over  FM- 
and  that's  a  whale  of  a  lot.  If  FM  could  be 
used  to  make  the  grade  at  1,500  watts  output 
power,  then  just  15  watts  would  do  it  on 
CW.  Normally,  15  watt  stations  are  not  suc- 
cessful in  m,s.  work. 


So,  if  you  wani  to  expand  your  horizons 
on  VHE  stick  with  SSB  or  CW.  (CW  was 
once  used  almost  exclusively  for  very  long 
DX  work  on  VHF-UHF,  including  meteor 
scatter,  aurora,  moonbounce,  etc.  But  with 
higher  antenna  gains,  receiver  improvements 
and  so  forth,  SSB  is  now  quite  effective  and 
is  often  faster  for  making  contacts.) 

Second,  understand  thai  to  have  any  real 
success  in  "over-thc-horizon"  type  VHF- 
UHF  work,  be  it  nxs.  or  normal  tropospheric 
propagation,  it  pays  to  have  a  zero  degree  or 
below  zero  degree  horizon  in  the  direction 
you  want  to  make  contacts.  If  you  put  your 
eye  at  your  antenna  level  and  appear  to  be 
looking  upwards,  above  level,  at  the  sur- 
rounding terrain,  you  will  not  be  terribly 
successful  at  making  contacts  in  those  direc- 
tions where  you  have  this  "positive  hori- 
zon/* If  you  have  a  "negative  horizon"  in 
any  direction  that  might  be  useful  in  making 
contacts,  use  that  direction  for  your  m.s. 
work.  If  your  location  is  such  that  you  have 
a  '"positive  horizon"  all  the  way  around  you, 
it  would  be  wise  lo  pack  up  the  station  and 
go  hilltopping  (portable  from  a  mountain- 
top)  instead.  You4 1 1  be  much  more  success- 
ful than  working  from  home. 

Third,  because  m.s.  path  losses  are  very 
high  and  signals  are  weak*  it  pays  to  run  as 
much  power  as  possible.  Meteor  scatter  has 
been  successfully  worked  with  lower  power 
(like  100  watts)  but  a  kilowatt  or  more  sun? 
helps.  Keep  feedline  losses  to  a  minimum 
and  use  antennas  that  have  some  real  gain. 
Bui  too  much  antenna  gain  can  sometimes 
be  a  hindrance,  because  a  tot  of  gain  means 
a  very  narrowly-focused  antenna  system 
with  a  sharp  front  "lobe,"  and  using  such  a 
system  can  make  you  miss  ihe  meteor  trails 
you  want  to  work.  Probably  13-15  dB  anten- 


na gain  is  the  suggested  range  for  most  m.s. 
work,  as  it  is  sufficient  to  make  contacts  but 
not  so  much  that  an  extremely  sharp  pattern 
will  result. 

Fourth,  and  maybe  most  important,  is  op- 
erating procedure.  Meteor  scatter  operators 
must  be  quickl  A  good  "burn"  might  propa- 
gate signals  for  several  seconds.  If  you  oper- 
ate well  and  have  lightning-fasi  reflexes, 
you  can  complete  an  entire  contact  in  that 
time.  For  a  QSO  to  count,  it  is  usually 
deemed  that  exchange  of  two  pieces  of  in- 
formation is  required.  Many  years  ago,  those 
two  pieces  of  information  were  a  callsign 
and  signal  report,  Since  meteor  scatter  sig- 
nals come  and  go  rapidly  and  it  is  common 
to  copy  only  portions  of  a  transmission,  an 
m.s.  signal  reporting  system  was  established, 
using  the  letter  i4S"  followed  by  a  number 
which  indicated  how  much  of  the  other  sta- 
tion's transmission  you  heard.  For  example* 
"S2"  meant  "I've  heard  your  complete  call- 
sign.  Now  send  me  something  else."  It  did 
not  mean  the  other  station  was  indicating 
"32*  on  your  receiver's  S-meicr! 

Nowadays,  with  modern  equipment,  big 
amplifiers,  high-gain  antennas,  low-loss 
feedHnes,  mast-mounicd  receiver  preampli- 
fiers, digital  signal  processors,  etc.,  I  think 
the  old  "S"  reporting  system  will  be  going 
away.  Instead,  it  would  be  prudent  for  sta- 
tions to  exchange  callsigns  and  a  grid  loca- 
tor. Grid  locators  are  alphanumeric  codes 
used  to  indicate  any  station's  location  with 
some  precision  and  are  internationally  rcc- 


JK 

Photo  C  The  author  atop  N6NB  s  van,  lo  the 
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M  rotor  at  the  bottom.  Portable  antennas 
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eight  elements  an  144  and  222  MHz.  To  min- 
imize ground  influences,  the  lowest-frequen* 
cy  antenna  goes  at  the  top,  highest  up. 


1 2  73  Amateur  Radio  Today  •  Feb  ruary,  1 994 


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CIRCLE  153  ON  READER  SERVICE  CARD 


M 


Photo  D.  The  author,  at  the  controls  ofN6NB's  contesting  van,  which  contains  KW  stations 
for  3.5  through  432  MHz.  and  a  gasoline  generator  to  run  it  all  Almost  like  home! 


ognizcd  as  a  standard  for  VHF-UHF  station 

location  information.  A  four-digit  code  will 
indicate  your  location  to  within  one  degree 
of  latitude  and  two  degrees  of  longitude.  Be- 
cause the  earth  is  an  oddly-shaped  spheroid 
(sort  of  a  round  ball  with  a  bulging  middle)* 
these  grids  will  change  in  area  from  point  to 
point  on  the  globe,  Grids  are  not  all  the  same 
size.  They  are  smallest  at  the  poles,  and 
largest  at  the  equator.  But  the  system  is  bet- 
ter than  nothing,  and  at  least  it's  a  standard. 
And  the  ARRL  offers  VUCC  (VHF-UHF 
Century  Club)  awards  for  confirming  con- 
tacts with  numbers  of  grids  (contact  the 
League  for  more  information)  and  the  grid 
locator  number  is  the  standard  exchange  for 
mosi  VHF-UHF  contests  now.  Because  the 
grids  arc  fairly  large,  knowing  another  sta- 
tion's grid  won't  help  you  much  if  he  is 
close  by.  but  the  information  is  valuable 
when  making  distant  contacts,  say  a  few 
hundred  miles  or  more  away,  for  beam- 
heading  directions. 

So,  I  propose  (and  1  see  many  operators 
are  already  doing  this)  that  instead  of  ex- 
changing meaningless  "S"  reports,  we  just 
exchange  calbigns  and  grid  numbers  to 
complete  meteor  scatter  contacts.  I  tike 
change,  and  I've  been  working  meteor  scat- 
ter since  about  1966;  if  1  can  adapt,  so  can 
anybody. 

Making  the  Contact 

How  does  one  make  a  meteor  scatter  con- 
tact? There  are  two  ways:  "Random,"  or  un- 
scheduled QSOs,  and  "skeds,"  or  scheduled 
QSOs.  To  make  a  random  m,s.  contact, 
somebody  has  to  call  CQ!  A  typical  CQ  for 
m,s.  work  would  be  something  like  this: 

CQ  WB2W1K  CQ  WB2WIK  CQ 
WB2WIK  CQ  WB2WIK  CQ  WB2WIK 

CQ  WB2WIK  CQ  WB2WIK  CQ 
WB2WIK  CQ  WB2WIK  BREAK 

Note  that  this  is  quite  different  from  an 
ordinary  CQ*  I've  only  used  two  "words": 
"CQ"  and  my  caltsign,  AH  other  information 


is  extraneous  and  unnecessary-  No  reason  to 
use  words  like,  *This  is ..."  or  *1n  Los  An- 
geles, California"  or  whatever.  All  that  ex- 
tra information  takes  up  valuable  time  and 
the  point  in  meteor  scatter  work  is  to  get  just 
the  information  that  is  absolutely  required 
across  to  the  other  party.  If  someone  heard 
my  CQ,  he  would  likely  hear  just  a  little  por- 
tion of  it.  Hopefully*  he  might  hear  both 
"CQ"  and  "WB2W1K/*  and  that's  all  he 
needs  to  know.  If  he  were  to  answer  me, 
he'd  transmit  something  like  this: 

WB2WIK  W7HAH  WB2W1K  W7HAH 
WB2WIK  W7HAH  WB2WIK  W7HAH 
WB2WIK  W7HAH  WB2W1K  W7HAH 
WB2WIK  W7HAH  BREAK 

This  is  all  he  needed  to  say.  It  told  me  he 
was  calling  me,  and  it  told  me  who  he  was. 
Nothing  more  is  required.  If  1  caught  a  mete- 
or during  his  transmission,  I  probably  would 
have  heard  some  portion  of  this  transmis- 
sion. If  I  did,  then  I'd  transmit: 

W7HAH  DM04  W7HAH  DM04 
W7HAH  DM04W7HAH  DM04  W7HAH 

DM04  W7HAH  DM04  W7HAH  DM04 
W7HAH  DM04  BREAK 

This  would  tell  Shep  (W7HAH,  who  is  in- 
deed a  VHF  "meteor  jockey")  that  I  heard 
him,  and  Vm  giving  him  my  grid  square. 
You  can't  assume  anyone  is  where  you  think 
they  should  be,  and  the  grid  square  data  is 
pretty  important.  For  example,  in  my  case,  I 
have  a  2-land  callsign  and  lived  in  grid 
FN20  in  New  Jersey  for  30-plus  years.  But 
I'm  not  there  now!  Also,  although  my  li- 
cense reads  "Chatsworth,  CAT"  which  any- 
one can  look  up  to  see  is  in  grid  DM04,  I 
might  have  been  operating  portable  some- 
where else.  The  grid  is  important 

If  Shep  heard  me,  he'd  probably  respond: 

WB2WIK    DN26    WB2W1K    DN26 
WB2W1K  DN26  . . .  etc. 
or  he  might  just  respond  with: 

QSL  DN26  QSL  DN26  QSL  DN26  QSL 
DN26  QSL  DN26  QSL  DN26  QSL  DN26 
.  ,  .  etc..  which  would  indicate  he  received 


my  report  and  is  now  sending  me  his. 

My  last  transmission  to  him,  assuming  I 
heard  the  above,  would  be; 

QSL  73  QSL  73  QSL  73  QSL  73  ■ .  .  etc., 
which  would  indicate  I  received  his  report 
and  am  saying  good-bye, 

You  see,  simply  sending  a  report  on  mete- 
or scatter  is  absolutely  no  assurance  that  the 
other  station  heard  it;  thus,  the  "QSL"*  or 
"Confirm"  or  something  should  also  be  ex- 
changed to  indicate  that  the  stations  really 
heard  each  other  and  got  everything  they 
needed  to  make  a  complete  QSO, 

In  real  life,  especially  in  the  absence  of  a 
major  meteor  shower,  it  is  common  for  a 
complete  QSO  to  take  a  very  long  time,  be- 
cause each  transmission  as  outlined  might 
need  to  be  made  several  times.  Typical  dura- 
lion  of  an  m.s.  transmission  is  15  seconds. 
Tafkyotf,  and  you  can  say  quite  a  lot  In  that 
1 5  seconds. 

Now,  what  about  if  you  catch  a  real 
"zingcr"  with  a  long  '"bunt"  and  you  hear  the 
other  station's  entire  exchange  in  one  burst? 
Do  you  go  into  your  15-second  routine?  Not 
at  all!  If  1  had  heard  several  successive  sec- 
onds of  W7HAH*s  exchange  and  he  stopped 
transmitting,  Vd  immediately  reply  with: 

QSL  ALL  73  73  WB2WIK  WB2WIK 
QRZ?  BREAK 

or  something  like  that.  I  could  say  all  this  in 
less  than  five  seconds  and  maybe  get  it  all 
across  in  one  shot,  and  possibly  even  stir  up 
another  meteor  contact  in  the  process.  The 
point  is,  "make  hay  while  the  sun  shines/1  to 
use  a  worn-out  phrase;  that  is,  take  advan- 
tage of  the  meteor  for  as  long  as  possible 
and  do  not  waste  time  with  a  lot  of  repeating 
what  the  other  station  has  probably  already 
copied. 

Often,  especially  for  "skeds,"  or  sched- 
uled contacts,  transmissions  are  sequenced 
with  station  clocks  set  precisely  to  WWV, 
Each  station  takes  a  15-second  "turn"  at 
transmitting,  and  who  transmits  first  is  pre- 
arranged. For  example,  say  it  is  agreed  that 
the  station  who  is  farther  west  will  transmit 
the  first  and  third  15  seconds  of  each 
minute,  while  the  station  farther  east  will 
transmit  the  second  and  fourth  15  seconds  of 
each  minute.  Of  course,  both  stations  must 
have  their  clocks  set  to  the  second  by  WWV, 
and  this  should  be  checked  just  prior  to  the 
"sked"  time  to  make  sure  the  clocks  are  ac- 
curately set.  The  advantage  of  sequencing  is 
to  avoid  stations  transmitting  at  the  same 
time,  which  makes  it  impossible  for  them  to 
hear  each  other* 

How  Far,  and  What  Direction? 

How  far  can  you  expect  to  work  with  me- 
teor scatter?  Much  farther  than  with  normal 
tropospheric  propagation!  Contacts  to  1,500 
miles  or  so  are  possible,  although  most  will 
be  closer,  in  the  range  of  500  to  1 ,000  miles. 
Still,  this  is  quite  an  improvement  over  what 
can  normally  be  worked  on  VHE  Sporadic- 
E  skip,  quite  common  on  50  MHz.  often 
makes  only  "pockets**  workable,  and  those 
"pockets"  tend  to  be  pretty  far  away.  Very 
short  "E-skip"  usually  lands  at  500  miles  or 


14  73  Amateur  Radio  Today*  February,  1994 


A  NEW  CONCEPT 
IN  HF  TRANSCEIVER  DESIGN 


J 


■*Vf  **V    i 


Patent 


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Technotogy  introduces  the  PC-1 61 0™a  full  fea- 
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■  90  tunable  memories 

■  1  scratchpad  memory 

■  9  {256  character)  keyboard  data  buffers 

■  Built-in  5-75  wpm  IAMBIC  keyer 

■  Built-in  2.4KHzr  1 .8KHz,  500Hz,  200  Hz  & 
RTTY  filters 

■  Notch  filter 

■  Select  1  of  3  antennas  from  front  panel 

Specifications  are  subject  to  change  without  notice. 
*  IBM  XT  te  a  registered  trademark  of  the  IBM  Corporation. 


Basic  display  lets  you  know 
exactly  where  you  are. 


H  03510 -T 
H.  03510 -R 


0930 

nooo 


Standard  Display 
shows  HXrtX  VFO 
freq's,  time  and 
current  memory 


Send  &  Receive  In: 

CW  /  RTTY(BAUDOT)  /  ASCII 


Incoming  data 

Outgoing  data 
appears  here 


Store  up  to  nine  256 
character  messages. 


M.035IO-T       0930 


3>  cnnriED    ns 


U 


Messages  can  be: 
edited,  sent  & 
appended  to  out- 
going  message 

Format  &  Edit 

stored  MSG's  here 


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more,  and  longer  skip  arrives  from  points 
out  to  1*200-1.300  miles.  ("Doubte-hop"  E- 
skip  occurs  on  50  MHz,  allowing  double 
these  distances  to  be  covered;  combinations 
of  propagation  also  occur  on  6  meters, 
which  allows  contacts  of  almost  any  dis- 
tance, but  these  are  rare.)  If  you  are  trying  to 
work  as  many  grids  or  states  as  possible,  re- 
lying on  E-skip  alone  can  be  frustrating.  For 
one  thing,  E-skip  is  most  prevalent  in  the 
June-July  timeframe  (in  the  northern  hemi- 
sphere) and  much  of  the  calendar  is  devoid 
of  E-skip  activity.  For  another,  E-skip  at  fre- 
quencies higher  than  50  MHz  is  rare,  Tropo- 
spheric  "dueling"  can  allow  extended-range 
contacts  at  144t  222,  432  MHz  and  higher, 
but  when  the  ducts  occur,  they  are  often 
quite  narrow  with  regard  to  height  and  width 
and  allow  contacts  only  along  a  limited  path. 

Meteor  scatter  can  allow  contacts  in  any 
direction,  at  a  variety  of  distances,  and  is  a 
flexible  mode  of  propagation  that  is  highly 
useful  for  filling  in  those  vacant  spots  on 
your  "Worked  All  Whatever"  map, 

You  will  never  forgei  your  first  meteor 


scatter  contact.  I've  made  hundreds  over  al- 
most 30  years,  and  I  still  remember  mine:  It 
was  with  K8MMM  in  Ohio,  when  I  lived  in 
New  Jersey,  1  was  running  100  watts  PEP 
output  to  a  little  five-element  beam  on  6  me- 
ters, and  working  Ohio  seemed  an  impossi- 
ble feat  at  the  time.  The  distance  (500  miles) 
was  too  far  for  normal  "trope,"  and  too  close 
for  E-skip,  The  only  way  to  do  it  was  via 
meteor  scatter.  When  I  made  this  first  m.s. 
contact,  I  felt  like  I  invented  this  new  mode. 
In  fact,  it  had  existed  for  many  years  and 
m.s.  work  was  quite  common  even  prior  to 
I960.  I  just  didn't  know.  But  t  know  now, 
and  now  you  know,  too. 

Try  it — you  Ml  like  it.  But  please  follow 
the  guidelines  for  operating  listed  here.  If 
you  don't,  your  success  will  be  limited  and 
it  is  easy  to  become  discouraged.  If  you 
know  a  local,  highly  successful  "meteor 
jockey"  (operator  who  works  a  lot  of  meteor 
scatter),  ask  him  for  advice,  He  should  be 
able  to  guide  you  through  your  first  few  m,s, 
contacts. 

Oht  by  the  way:  In  our  Pcrseids  1993  me- 


teor scatter  expedition  discussed  in  the 
opening  paragraph  and  shown  in  the  pho- 
tographs, we  had  at  least  some  success.  I 
made  32  scatter  contacts  on  50  MHz,  and 
four  on  144  MHz,  in  about  four  hours  of  op- 
erating time.  Not  too  shabby,  but  not  as 
good  as  we  expected,  1  think  we  missed  the 
peak  propagation,  which  likely  occurred  af- 
ter we  shut  down  and  left  the  operating  site. 
The  best  DX  on  144  MHz  was  DM79  in 
Colorado,  about  1,000  miles  or  so  away.  We 
completed  QSOs  with  Indiana  and  else- 
where east  of  the  Mississippi  via  meteor-en- 
hanced E-skip  (on  50  MHz)  and  worked 
DO20  in  Alberta,  Canada,  on  6  meter  m.s. 
without  skip.  All  this,  using  only  small 
beam  antennas  (14-foot-long  booms)  at 
about  30  feet  above  ground.  But  we  did  run 
1,000  watts  output  on  each  band,  and  our 
location  was  3,000  feet  above  the  Mohave 
Desert  floor*  which  extended  in  front  of 
us  for  about  100  miles,  so  this  was  a  great 
location! 

Good  luck  and  let  me  know  how  you 
make  out. 


Sell  Your  Product  in  73  Amateur  Radio  Today. 

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1  Never  Say  Die 

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4  WF  Meteor  Scatter  Propagation 

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1 0  Review:  Kenwood  TH-28A 

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CIRCLE  75  ON  HEADER  SERVICE  CARD 


73  Amateur  Radio  Today  *  February,  1 994     1 7 


Number  5  on  your  Feedback  card 


Using  the  World's  Most  Accurate 
Frequency  Standard,  Part  2 


Building  a  digital  ph 


comparator 


by  Bob  Roehrlg  K9EUI 


(Editor's  Note:  This  month's  installment 

of  this  three -pan  series  includes  the  PC 
hoard  layout  and  parts  placement  diagram 
for  the  circuits  described  in  Part  I .  pub- 
lished last  month.  See  Figure  J,  page 
22-23,} 

Part  S  oT  this  three-part  scries  described 
the  construction  of  a  receiver  for 
WW  VB  to  be  used  for  calibrating  your  local 
frequency  standard.  If  you  don't  have  a  good 
local  standard,  it's  easy  to  build  one  that  can 

■ 

provide  0.00 1  part  per  million  accuracy* 
Such  an  oscillator  will  be  described  in  the  fi- 
nal article  in  this  series. 

A  standard  with  0*001  ppm  accuracy  has  a 
drift  of  less  than  one  cycle  in  20  minutes. 
Even  an  oscillator  with  0*01  ppm  accuracy, 
which  I  consider  to  be  minimum  for  a  decent 
standard*  must  be  observed  for  at  least  two 
minutes  to  determine  its  drift  rate.  Clearly, 
this  cannot  be  done  by  listening  for  an  audi- 
ble beat  note  by  ear  The  only  way  to  check 
such  a  standard  is  visually. 

The  simple  method  of  comparison  in- 
volves using  a  scope  to  compare  the  re- 
ceived signal  against  the  local  standard*  This 
meihod  was  discussed  in  Part  1 , 

A  far  belter  method  of  comparison  uses  a 
digital  phase  comparator*  Just  what  is  a 
phase  comparator?  Well*  the  usual  forms  of 
detection  involve  either  rectification  (to  get 
audio  from  an  IF  stage  in  an  AM  or  FM  re- 
ceiver) or  a  mixer  (in  the  case  of  a  product 
detector  for  SSB  or  CW).  The  normal  forms 
of  detectors  are  fine  for  signals  in  the  audio 
ranee,  down  as  low*  as  we  can  hear,  but  what 


J 


about  signals  that  are  less  than  1  Hz? 

The  phase  detector  is  used  to  compare 
two  signals  that  are  almost  exactly  on  the 
same  frequency.  In  a  way,  it  is  a  form  of 
mixer  and  it  works  down  to  fractions  of  a 
Hertz  (DC  actually). 

The  digital  comparator  has  many  advan- 
tages over  the  scope  method*  It  is  a  much 
smaller  unit  than  a  scope,  requires  much  less 
power,  and  is  quite  easy  to  build,  It  also  has 
the  capability  of  feeding  a  chart  recorder  or 
a  computer  via  an  A-D  converter.  The  disad- 
vantage in  using  the  comparator  is  that  your 
input  signals  must  be  much  cleaner  than  for 
a  scope. 

The  basic  circuit  is  nothing  more  than  an 
edge-triggered  set-reset  flip-Hop.  A  simple 
version  is  shown  in  Figure  2.  Each  lime  a 
positive-going  wave  edge  is  applied  to  either 
input  A  or  B*  that  stage  turns  on.  which 
turns  the  opposite  stage  ofK  The  two  signals 
(A  and  B)  shown  in  Figure  1  represent  two 
signals  that  are  on  the  same  frequency  but  A 
is  90  degrees  ahead  of  B.  If  these  two  sig- 
nals arc  applied  to  the  circuit  shown  in  Fig- 
ure 2r  the  output  at  point  C  will  be  that 
shown  in  the  bottom  line  of  Figure  I.  The 
output  at  E  will  be  the  DC  average  of  the  du- 
ty cycle  of  the  signal  at  C.  Since  A  leads  B 
by  90  degrees,  the  resulting  DC  voltage  at  E 
will  be  about  1.25  volts. 

If  the  B  waveform  shifts  to  the  right  so  it 
lags  A  by  270  degrees,  then  the  voltage  at  C 
will  be  high  75  percent  of  the  time  so  the  av- 
erage at  E  will  be  3.75  volts.  So  you  can  see 
that  as  B  drifts,  compared  to  A,  the  average 
DC  output  at  E  will  vary  between  0  and  5 


volts,  which  represents  a  0  to  360  degree 
phase  difference  between  the  two  wave- 
forms* 

If  the  DC  voltage  at  E  is  used  to  control 
the  frequency  of  the  signal  A  oscillator*  that 
oscillator  will  lock  to  oscillator  B*  This  is  a 
simple  form  of  a  phase-locked  loop. 

Figure  3  shows  the  real  phase  detector 
system.  Actually,  there  are  two  comparators 
in  this  unit.  First*  a  6  MHz  crystal  oscillator 
is  divided  down  to  60  kHz  with  a  pair  of 
decade  counters,  IC4  and  5.  This  signal  is 
fed  into  comparator  IC6.  The  60  kHz  from 
the  receiver  is  also  fed  into  this  comparator. 
The  DC  output  from  the  comparator  is  fed 
back  to  Dlt  which  is  a  variable  capacitance 
diode  that  adjusts  the  frequency  of  the  6 
MHz  oscillator.  In  this  way,  the  6  MHz  oscil- 
lator is  phase- locked  to  the  received  signal 
and  has  the  same  accuracy  as  the  WWVB 
signal 

1C2  and  3  divide  the  6  MHz  by  6  to  gel  1 
MHz  and  again  by  10  to  get  100  kHz,  Either 
one  of  these  is  fed  into  the  second  phase 
comparator,  1C7.  The  local  oscillator  to  be 
checked  is  also  fed  into  this  comparator,  In 
this  wray  we  can  compare  our  local  100  kHz 
or  1  MHz  oscillator  asainst  WWVB. 

The  only  adjustment  to  be  made  is  the 
coarse  frequency  adjustment,  CI  on  the  6 
MHz  oscillator*  Connect  the  60  kHz  output 
of  the  WWVB  receiver  to  J2  via  coaxial  ca- 
ble. Observe  the  TP1  signal  with  a  scope. 
Adjust  CI  until  an  approximate  50  percent 
duty  cycle  waveform  is  observed.  Discon- 
nect the  receiver  signal  momentarily,  then 
reconnect  it.  The  6  MHz  oscillator  should 


B 


Figure  I.  Comparator  waveforms. 
18  73  Amateur  Radio  Today*  February*  1994 


Figure  Z  Basic  comparator  circuit* 


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lock  on  in  jusi  a  few  seconds.  If  ihc  meter  is 
switched  to  'INTERNAL."  ii  should  read 
about  half-scale. 

Even  though  the  crystal  oscillator  is 
locked  on  frequency  by  the  comparator,  the 


board  should  be  in  a  location  where  the  tem- 
perature is  fairly  constant.  To  prevent  the 
high-level  60  kHz  signals  from  being  picked 
up  by  the  receiver  input,  the  board  should  be 
mounted  in  a  shielded  enclosure. 


The  meter  can  be  switched  to  monitor  ci- 
ther the  6  MHz  oscillator  lock  voltage  (IN* 
TERNAL)  or  the  phase  difference  between 
the  comparator  and  your  local  standard  (EX- 
TERNAL). The  same  meter  can  also  be 


]  MHl 


«       R3 

10  pF    10Qk 


Dl  ai 


C4 
47 


R4 
10  k 


H~lu 


IC2 


F 


IT 


lu    In 


■fr +5 


!C3 


QXF 


fh     /77    fh 


12 


lOOkMr  G 

0 


I  51 

r 


JT^f 


n     14 


IC4 


50  p.  A 
Ml 


fh  fh  fh 


-£-cio  ( — , 


■O+S 


14 


12         1 


K 

o- 


+  5 

J 


1C5 


fh   fh  fh 


\z 


B       INTERNAL 
0         


SZ^D 


C       EXTERNAL 

HJ— 


LOCAL  STANDARD  . 

lOOkHl  OR  1MH*       R9  Eii 

D       1.5k 

— o — 


J 

o- 


C9 
47 


i 


GOhHi 

FROM 

RCVR 


J 


I        IB 


U 


M 


Figure  J.  Digital  phase  comparator  schematic* 


10  kHz 


100    kH2 


1   MHz 


10    MHZ 


100 


ElAPSEO  TIME  U) 


Figure  4,  Phase  measurement  than. 


20  73  Amateur  Radio  Today  February,  1994 


& 


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Duty  | Amps) 

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|A»PS) 
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CIRCLE  194  ON  READER  SERVICE  CARD 

22  73  Amateur  Radio  Today'  February,  1994 


switched  to  be  used  as  l he  receiver  S-meier. 

When  making  phase  comparisons,  re- 
member that  one  zero- to-full-scale  travel  of 
the  meter  (360  degrees!  is  a  one-cycle  drift. 
Figure  4  is  a  phase  measurement  chart  to  aid 


in  determining  ihe  accuracy  of  your  local 
standard.  The  phase  difference,  or  compari- 
son frequency*  is  plotted  against  elapsed 
time  to  show  the  accuracy  of  your  standard. 
For  example,  if  a  1  MHz  oscillator  drifts  one 


r 


GNT/P  8EGMP        K9EUI 


Figure  5.  PC  board  partem  and  pans  placement 


Fig  in?  6.  PC  board  pattern  and  parts  placement 


cycle  in  20  minutes.  Ihe  accuracy  of  that  os- 
cillator is  one  part  in  10\  or  0.001  ppm.  If 
this  oscillator  is  used  as  a  counter  time  base, 
your  measurement  of  a  450  MHz.  signal  will 
be  accurate  to  within  0,45  Hz! 


The  best  limes  for  signal  comparison  arc 
mid-morning  to  mid-afternoon  and  within 
several  hours  before  and  after  midnight. 
During  the  period  of  an  hour  or  so  before 
and  after  sunrise  and  sunset  there  is  a  phe- 


forthe  WWVB  Receiver  (Pan  L). 


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for  the  Digital  Phase  Compatator. 


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Analysis 
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istics 


3-D  surface 
plots  and 

COiof 

ram 

allow 

tracking  of 

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Spectra  Vision  -  $89.00 

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Spectra  Phis -$179 

All  of  the  above  plus  data  record/playback,  post- 
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Demo  disk  $4  00  (credit  toward  purchase) 

CIRCLE  31t  ON  READER  SERVICE  CAflO 


73  Amateur  Radio  Today  •  February.  1 994    23 


FOXHUNT  HEADQUARTERS 


Locale  hidden  or  unknown  transmitter  last.  The  Foxhound  direction 
Itnder  connects  lo  1he  antenna  and  speaker  jack  on  any  radio  receiver, 
AM  or  FM  from  1  MHz  to  \  GHz.  The  antenna  (a  pair  of  dipole 
tefescopc  whips)  is  rotated  unrt  the  Nul  meter  shows  a  mnwium  A 
pair  of  LEDs  refceate  to  turn  Left  or  Right  The  Foxhound  s  ideal  to  use 
*rth  a  wataeiafcie  if  you  wish  to  transmit,  go  ahead,  a  ouit-m  T  R 
s*nch  senses  any  transmitted  RF  and  swlches  riserf  out  ol  circul  while 
von  lalk  It  doesn't  get  any  easserthan  ihis!  Wo  provide  alt  parts-  except  tor  a  lew  leel  of  MZ  inch 
PVC  pipe  abatable  at  any  hardwar  e  store  for  a  dollar  or  Iwo.  Add  our  matching  case  set  !or  a 
compreto  finished  unit.  Be  the  one  with  the  answers,  wm  those  transmitler  hunts'and  Hack  down 

Ihose  jammers,  you  \\  do  i  an  with  your  Foxhound 

Add  some  run  to  your  duo  events  by  navmg  a  iransrnrter  hunt'  Foxhunting  is  a  craze  saeepng 
the  nat  en  but  many  dubs  are  musing  out  on  the  action  because  they  tack  the  expertise  or  bme  to 
deretap  their  own  fcuhum  transmitter  We  set  one  ol  our  meet  devious  and  sneaky  engineers  to 
the  lash  ol  designing  an  easy  to  rxnM  and  use.  yet  highly  capable  Foxhunt  transmrtter.  A  snazzy 
microprocessor  controller  has  bolh  presel  and  programmable  transmission  characteristics  allowing 
you  to  easily  set  (he  difficulty  level  from  "beginner"  to  "know-it -aPP  The  SlyFox .  FHT-1.  is  crystal 
controlled  in  the  2  meter  band  (crystal  lor  1 46  52  included)  with  a  power  outpul  of  5  waits  that  is 
adjustable  by  the  conuoBer  The  transmitter  is  programmed  to  TD  in  CW  of  add  our  voice  Option  if 
you  reatJy  want  to  aggravate  the  troops  -  "Ha  ha  you  cant  find  mer  Join  the  tun,  get  nd  of  those 
stuffy  old  meetmgs  and  penes  have  a  foxhunt' 

OF-1  Foxhound  direction  finder  tot S59.95    CDF  Malchinocase  set  tor  DF  1 Si  2.95 

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TOUCH -TONE  DECODER 


Grab  Touch-Tone  numbers  nght  off  the  air.  phone  Of  tape.  A  simple  hook-up  to  any  radio 
speaker  or  phone  fine  s  al  that  is  requred  to  irstanthr-  aeosher  touch-tone  phone  numbers  or 
codes  A  2So  dig*  memory  stores  decoded  numbers  and  keeps  rts  memory  even  ii  the  even!  at 
power  toss.  An  8  digit  LEO  display  attows  you  to  scroll  through  the  memory  bank  to  examine 
numbers  To  make  ii  easy  to  pick  cut  number  groups  or  codes,  a  'dash"  is  inserted  between  sets 
or  digits  that  were  decoded  more  than  2  seconds  apart.  A  "een!ral-ofliceH  qualrty  crystal  controlled 
decoder  Is  used  allowing  rapid  arid  reliable  detection  of  numbers  at  up  to  20  digits  per  second1 
For  a  professbnaMy  finished  look,  add  our  matching  case  set.  Stan  cracking  those  secret  codes 
tomorrow  with  the  Tone  Grabber! 

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JG-iWT  Futry  assembled  TG-1  and  case    ...... ,..„,.. TT..„,.,r$1*9L95 


TOUCH  TONE  REMOTE  CONTROL 


Control  virtually  anything  by  Touch-Tone  remote  control  The  URC-t  has  16  switched  outputs.  4 
adjustable  voltage  outputs  (20  mV  steps  0  To  5  VDC).  two  1QK  digital  pots  (for  volume  squelch. 
etc.)  and  3  irniers  adjusfabfe  from  to  rnS  to  4Q  hours!  Two  level  password  control  aflows  secure 
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controled  touch-tone  decoder  provides  ratable  operation  There's  nothing  else  hke  this  umt.  be  in 
ccTTplete  control  of  remote  radios  thermostats  hrlTs  homes  or  even  ketones  wth  the  UfiC-1 . 
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URC-1  Remote  controf  kit £129,95    CURC  Matching  case  set 512,95 

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DIGITAL  VOICE  RECOROEH 


Chaiierbo*  digital  voce  storage  um  mi  record  your  message  of  up  to  20  seconds  Time  is  soft 
up  into  tour  S  second  blocks  mnich  can  be  pferyed  separately  or  cascaded  for  longer  messages. 
An  LED  display  shows  message  location  and  current  mode  for  easy  operation  Nitty  burn -in 
interfaces  alow  simple  connecton  to  transmitters  tor  automatic  keying  when  the  PTT  ts  nitialty 
closed  or  after  it  is  released  You  can  even  loop  your  rig's  mike  through  the  Chatterbox.  For 
contest  or  tun  use.  (he  C 3- 1  can  drive  an  external  speaker.  Includes  &  built-in  electret  mike.  For 
that  finishing  touch  add  our  matching  case  set 

CB-1  Voice  recorder  M S59.95    CCS  Match*™  case  set 512.95 


FM  SUBCARRlER  DECODER 


Tap  into  the  world  ol  commeicai*tree  mussc  and  data  that  is  carried  over  many  standard  FM 
broadcast  radio  stations  Decoder  hooks  to  the  demodulator  of  FM  radio  and  tunes  the  50-100 
KHz  SCA  subcarrler  band  Many  radios  have  a  demod  output,  but  if  your  radio  doesn't,  it's  easy 
to  locate.  Of  use  our  FR-1  FM  receiver  kit  which  ts  a  complete  FM  radio  with  a  demod  jack  built-in 
These  hidden"  subcarrters  carry  fots  of  neat  progfantming  ■  from  stock  quotes  lo  news  10  music. 
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FR-1  FM  receiver  krt $19.95     CRR  Matching  case  for  FFt-1 512,95 


SCANNER  CONVERTER 


Tune  in  on  the  800-950  MHi  action  using  your  existing  scanner.  Frequencies  are  converted  with 
crystal  referenced  stabiKy  to  ihe  400-55-G  MHz  range.  Instructions  are  even  included  on  building 
high  performance  900  MHz  antennas  Welt  designed  circuit  features  extensive  filtering  and 
oanwnieot  oiK>Wbypass  swtch  Easy  one  hour  assembly  or  available  tuty  assembled  Add  our 
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STEREO  PEAK  MOID  BARGRAPH 


Finally  a  dual  LED  bar  graph  with  a  peak  hold  display'  Bar  graph  displays  are  neat  and  eye 
catching  but  their  speed  is  their  downfall  ■ they  just  cant  capture  the  peaks.  Our  tut  is  tike  two 
uncs  in  one  a  last  display  to  show  me  signal  arid  a  tone,  persistence  display  to  capture  peaks. 
sr-^r  uruts  30  to*  burnetii  *  tacto!  Mvdt*  I  mttl  :  i^var  fa  pane  A  use.  sWiog  bi 
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easy  hook-up  lo  most  any  device.  Add  our  maiching  case  set  tor  a  sharp  looking  unit 

PH-H  Dual  Linear  bargraoh  kit 539.95    PH- 15  Dual  Log  cargraph  kit S39-95 

PH  16  Dual  Semi- log  barnraph  krt,.         S39.9S    CPH  Matelwg case  sel 512.95 


SURROUND  SO UND/REVERB 


Add  concert  hafl  reaksm  to  your  stereo  TV  or  even  2-way  radio?  Easdy  syfhesize  a  stereo  effect 
from  mono  sources  or  nchty  enliven  regular  muse  Add  a  big -voice  reverb  lo  your  radio  voice  that 
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slate  performance  Adjustable  reverb,  delay  and  mi*  controls  lo  customize  your  sound  Easify 
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alone operation  too  Experiercnce  Ihe  fun  and  realism  that  surround  sound  provides  '  without 
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£ 


SPEED  RADAR 


New  low-cost  microwave :  Dopplcr  radar  kit  'clocks'  cars  planes,  boats,  horses. 
bikes  or  any  large  moving  object  Operates  at  2.6  GHz  with  up  to  MA  mile 
range  LED  digital  readout  displays  speed  in  miles  per  hour,  tatometers  per  hour 
or  leel  per  second1  Earphone  output  alows  lor  fcstening  to  actuaf  Doopter  shA 
Uses  two  t-Dcoflee  cans  tor  antenna  j not  inrJudeolandrunson  12  VDC  Easy 
to  buib— all  microwave  cirtuiry  s  PC  stnpline.  ABS  pfestic  case  wrth  speedy 
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FM  RECEtVERS  &  TRANSMI 


Keep  an  ear  on  the  beat  repeater  poke  weather  or  just  tune  around  These  sensitive  superfiet 
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vofume.  Complete  manual  details  how  the  rigs  work  and  applications-  iw  FM  transmitter  has  5W 
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2D  METER  SSB/CW  TRANSCEIVER 
DDS  -  DUAL  VFO  *  BUILT-IN  KEYER 


Imagine  takmg  Ihts  cute  little  20  Meter  SSBi'ClrV  rig  on  business  trips  or  vacations,  there's 
feature  galore  with  this  beauty  !  A  DDS  (Owed  Digital  Synthesis)  synthesizer  tunes  in  10  Hz 
steps,  two  VFO  with  memory  and  djgtaj  RlT  »iiji  h^  dtspi^  Cmvcniert  features  ike  a  chat 
tot  burton  alows  you  to  hop  arouvj  (he  band  and  dual  setectabte  AGC  aiowsujmiuitaWe 
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mcropfocessor  control  wUh  buiflnn  Iambic  CW  keyer  that  has  digital  readout  ol  speed!  Perky 
10  wait  RF  output  (only  1 1/2  S  units  below  irjrj  waits)  can  bo  turned  down  lor  ORP  Includes 
hand  mike  with  handy  Up/Down  buttons  for  easy  remote  tuning.  This  rig's  a  joy  to  operate, 
with  performance  equal  to  units  costing  hundreds  of  dollars  more  and  with  some  features  not 

found  on  arty  rig  at  any  price!  Covers  the  20  M  band  14  -14  5  MHz  plus  ft  MHz  WWV  Our  easy  to  toflow  nstructens  have  you 

assemble  Ihe  k4  in  s#nple  "We-sued"  sections  that  are  tested  as  you  buftd.  assuring  you  ol  a  ng  that  works  first  time 

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FANTASTIC  FM  TRANSCEIVERS      SYNTHESlZED-NO  CRVSTALS 


Ramsey  breaks  ihe  price  barrier  on  FM  rigs!  The  FX  is  ideal  for  shack,  portable  or  mobile  The 
wide  frequency  coverage  and  programmable  repeater  splits  makes  the  FX  the  perfect  rig  lor 
Amateur,  CAP  or  MAPS  appfecations  Packeteers  reaty  appreciate  the  dedicated  packet  port, 
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Tweke  diode  programmed  channels  5W  RF  outpul,  sensitrve  dual  conversion  receiver  and 
proven  EASY  assembly,  Why  pay  more  lor  a  used  foreign  rig  when  you  can  have  one 
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a 


2  MTR  tt  220  BOOSTER  AMP 


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deliver  over  30  walls  of  output,  af lowing  you  to  hii  Ihe  repeater's  full  quieting  while  the  low 
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PA-iO  2  MTfl  POWER  BOOSTER  (10  X  power  gam) 

Putty  wired  A  tested ._.....  SB9.9S 

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Fully  wired  &.  tested 


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STEREO  FM  TRANSMITTED 


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Detailed  manual  provides  helpful  into  on 

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eapoct  Latest  design  lealures  ad|usiable 

line  level  mpuls.  pre-cmphasis  and 

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any  CO  Of  tape  player,  mike  mwar  or 

radio,  includes  free  tuning  loot  too1  For  a 

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FM  WIRELESS  MIKES 


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MC-1.  Micro  size  sensitive  mika  cartridge 

for  FM-1  P  4  «?bc 


SPEECH  SCRAMBLER 


Desaamble  most  scramble  systems  heard  on  your  scanner  radio 
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aircraft 
receivffs 


Hear    exciting    aircraft 
communications— pick  up 
planes  up  to  100  miles 
away1  Receives  110-136 
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AIM  kit S24.95 

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AM  TRANS MtTTER 


High  quality  true  AM  broadcast  band  transmitter  « 
desigried  exactly  lite  me  big  cornmerciai  rigs  Power  of 
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MICRO  MIKE 


World's  s  ma  I  re  st  FM  wireless  mike.  Smaller  than  a 
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CRYSTAL  RADIO 


Relive  ihe  radio  past  with  a  crystal  set  like  your 
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CS-1  Crystat  sal  kit S19.95 


SHORTWAVE 
RECEIVER 


Faniaslic  receiver  that 
captures  Ihe  world 
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serious  DXer  For  the  car,  consider  our  shortwave 
converter.  Two  switchable  bands  (In  3  21  MHi  range), 
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nomenon  called  diurnal  shift  when  the  "E" 
layer  comes  and  goes.  No  serious  measure- 
ments should  be  made  al  [his  time.  At  cer- 
tain distances  from  WWVB,  the  sky  wave 
and  ground-wave  signals  can  cancel  each 
other  at  this  time,  making  the  signal  disap- 
pear Remember  thai  at  1 0  minutes  past  the 
hour  the  phase  of  the  WWVB  carrier  is  ad- 
vanced 45  degrees*  and  at  15  minutes  past 
ihe  hour  ihe  phase  is  relumed  to  its  original 
value. 

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simpler  by  just  dividing  both  the  60  kHz  re- 
ceived carrier  and  the  local  I  MHz  oscillator 
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WWVB  signal  cannot  toe  used  directly  as  a 
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The  third  and  final  part  of  this  scries 
dealing  with  using  WWVB  will  detail 
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MHz  crvsiai  oscillator  for  use  as  a  local 
standard 


Digital  Phase  Comparator 

Parts  List 

(All  resistors  1/4  watt) 

Oesig. 

Value 

Digt-Key  # 

Rt„2 

820  ohms 

R3J6.17 

1O0k 

R4.5P10.11P12 

10k 

R6,8,91l3r14 

1.5k 

R7f15 

220  ohms 

C1 

3-40  pF  trimmer 

SG3008 

C2 

22  pF 

P4841 

C3. 10,11 

O.t  jiF 

P4525 

C4,7,9 

47  uF 

P810 

C5,8 

470  pF 

P460S 

G6 

0.01  ijF 

P4513 

ICt 

74LS04 

OM74LS04N^ND 

IG2-5 

74LS90 

DM74LS90N-ND 

tC6,7 

74LS74 

DM74LS74N-ND 

IC  sockets 

14-pin  DIP 

AES914 

D1 

1N4001 

02 

tN914or1N4148 

Q1 

2N2222  or  equiv. 

X1 

6  MHz  parallel  load 
32  pF  XTAL 

X413 

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CIRCLE  34  ON  READER  SEVtCE  CARD 


73  Amateur  Radio  Today*  February,  1994    25 


Number  6  on  your  Feedback  card 


Computer  Control  for  Your 
Direct  Digital  Synthesis 

VFO 

Free  yourself  of  the  hassles  of  generating  an  accurate 

an*  stole  sinusoida!  sL^JSmcm 


by  Victor  MorinVEl  ABC 


4<TT  row!"  1  exclaimed  as  I  began  rcad- 
W  ing  John  Welch  NMZW's  article 
"The  Techno-Whizzy  1,  Pan  1 "  (page  8  in 
the  December  1992  issue  of  73  Amateur  Ra- 
dio Today),  N9JZW's  anicle  describes  how 
to  build  a  modular  muliiband  CW  low  pow- 
er (QRP)  transmitter  that  uses  a  new  Direct 
Digital  Synthesis  (DDS)  chip.  Why  all  the 
excitement?  Read  oni 

Over  the  years  I  have  constructed  a  num- 
ber of  home-built  rigs  (both  receivers  and 
transmitters)  that  have  one  thing  in  com- 
mon: a  variable  frequency  oscillator  (VFO). 
Most  receivers  need  VFOs  to  generate  a  lo- 
cal oscillator  (LO)  signal  and  transmitters 
need  them  to  be  freed  from  crystal  control 
of  a  single  output  frequency, 

The  VFO  designs  that  I  used  in  these  pro- 
jects were  all  lank^tuned  with  a  combination 
of  inductors  (coils)  and  variable  capacitors, 
either  mechanical  or  varactor  diodes.  Those 
of  you  who  have  also  gone  this  route  know 
that  there  are  certain  inherent  problems  with 
this  design:  temperature  drift,  nonlinear  tun- 
ing, difficulty  in  eliminating  the  mechanical 
backlash  in  the  frequency-control  element, 
frequency  pulling  when  a  load  is  placed  on 


the  VFO,  and  the  list  goes  on  . .  .  For  me,  at 
least,  this  type  of  VFO  design  has  been  a 
royal  pain! 

I  knew  that  there  were  alternatives* 
known  as  frequency  synthesizers,  to  this  tra- 
ditional VFO  construction  and  my  interest 
focused  on  two  genera!  types:  phase-locked 
loop  and  direct  digital  synthesis.  Looking 
over  some  phase-locked  loop  synthesizer 
designs  convinced  me  that  it  would  proba- 
bly be  more  of  the  same:  LC  tank  circuits 
are  used  at  very  high  frequencies  and  are 
varactor-controlled.  Frequencies  are  regulat- 
ed using  phase  detectors,  thus  generating 
phase  noise,  etc.  Please  don't  get  me 
wrong — I'm  not  saying  that  phase-locked 
loop  synthesizers  should  be  avoided — Pm 
simply  saying  that  for  me  they  didn't  seem 
to  be  the  way  to  go. 

That  left  the  direct  digital  synthesis  ap- 
proach. [  read  all  t  could  on  the  topic  and 
probably  the  best  anicle  I  found  is  "A  Di- 
rect Frequency  Synthesizer"  by  Fred 
Williams  in  the  April  1984  issue  of  QST, 
Surprised?  This  concept  has  been  around 
for  a  long  time!  If  you* re  interested  in  the 
theory  behind  the  direct  digital  synthesizer, 


Photo  A,  The  DDS  is  the  top  board.  The  interface  is  on  the  bottom. 
26  73  Amateur  Radio  Today*  February,  1994 


I  highly  recommend  Mr  Williams'  article, 
in  which  he  provides  DDS  theory  and  de- 
scribes how  to  build  a  DDS  using  standard 
TTL  IC  chips*  a  read-only  memory  (ROM) 
and  a  digitaMo-analog  convener  (DAC). 

This  is  the  exciting  part.  When  I  read  the 
"Techno-Whizzy  1"  article,  1  knew  it  was 
the  answer  to  my  dreams!  You  see,  I  had  ac- 
tually begun  building  the  Williams  DDS  and 
was  contemplating  building  a  ROM  burner 
for  it  when  Techno-Whizzy  came  on  the 
scene— and  there  was  a  full  kit  available. 
No  more  chasing  after  parts;  no  more  burn- 
ing bits  into  a  ROM.  I  could  get  right  down 
to  business!  I  ordered  the  DDS  right  away, 
explaining  to  my  wife  that  *it  would  be  my 
Christmas  present  from  mc  to  me." 

What's  So  Great  About  a  DDS? 

A  lot!  Precise  frequency  control,  frequen- 
cy stability,  no  phase  noise,  the  ability  to 
change  frequency  very  rapidly  (frequency 
hop),  etc.  What's  the  price  you  have  to  pay 
for  all  this?  In  a  nutshell,  you  have  to  be 
able  to  provide  the  DDS  with  a  digital  (bina- 
ry) value  that  is  proportional  to  the  frequen- 
cy of  the  sinusoidal  signal  you  want  your 
DDS  to  generate.  To  me  this  meant  comput- 
er control,  although  there  are  other  means, 
as  demonstrated  in  the  Techno-Whizzy  I  ar- 
ticle where  a  diode  matrix  and  switches  are 
used. 

I  own  an  IBM -compatible  AT  clone  com- 
puter. While  waiting  for  my  DDS  kit  to  be 
delivered  in  the  mail,  I  decided  to  design 
and  build  a  hardware  interface  that  would 
control  the  DDS  from  my  computer  and, 
just  as  important,  the  software  driver  routine 
that  would  make  the  DDS  perform  as  I 
wanted- 

The  Design 

I  decided  to  use  the  printer  interface  port 
of  my  IBM-compatible  to  control  the  inter- 
face and  I  chose  tu  use  the  simplest  alterna- 
tive in  order  to  maximize  my  chances  of 
success.  That's  why  I  elected  to  use  what  is 
in  fact  a  parallel  port  as  a  serial  port!  Why? 


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Bearcat  148XLT-H  base $88.95 

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Bearcat  BCT2-H  info  mobile  „„..$  139-95 


New  FCC  Rules Mean  Last  Buying 
Opportunity  for  Radio  Scanners 

On  April  19,  W5f  the  FCC  amended  Parts  2  and  15  of  Its 
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Bearcat®  8500XLT  H 

List  price  1689-95/CB  price  $ 3*9-9 5/SFECIA1 
500  Channels  •  20  banks  -  Alphanumeric  display 
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Frequency  step  resolution  %  12.5,  25  &  50  KHz. 
Size:  10-1/2"  Wide  x  7-1/2"  Deep  x  M/S1'  High 
Frequency  Coverage: 

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76.OO0  ■  107-995  MHz.  (WFM),  J08OQ0  -  136.995  MHz.  (AM) 
137.000  -  173995  MHz.  (NRM),  174000  ■  215,995  MHz,  (WFM), 
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400,000  -  Sit. 995  MHi  (NFM),  512.000    549,995  MHt  (WFM) 
76O.OOO  -  823.?£75  MHs!<NFM),  8490125  -  &>8.9875  MHz<NKM) 
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The  Dew  Bcarrat  85O0XLT  gives  you  pure  scanning  satisfaction 
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^^^ 


□  CO 


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[Buy  with  confidence] 

It's  easy  to  order  from  CEI.  Mail  orders  to:  Communica- 
tions Electronics  Inc.,  Emergency  Opera  lions  Center,  P.O.  Box 
1045,  Ann  Arbor.  Michigan  4S106  U.S.A.  Add  JlfOO  per 
radio  for  U.P*$.  ground  snipping  and  handling  in  the  conti- 
nental U.S. A  unless  otherwise  slated.  Add  $8,00  shipping  for 
all  accessories  and  publications.  Add  $8.00  shipping  per 
antenna.  For  Canada,  Puerto  Rico,  Hawaii,  Alaska,  P.O.  Box, 
or  APO/FPO  delivery,  shipping  charges  are  two  times  conti- 
nental U.S.  rales.  Michigan  residents  add  state  sales  tax.  No 
COD's,  10%  surcharge  for  net  10  billing  to  qualified  accounts. 
All  sales  are  subject  to  availability,  acceptance  and  verifica- 
tion. Prices;  terms  and  specifications  are  subject  to  change 
without  notice.  We  welcome  your  Discover,  Visah  American 
Express  or  MasterCard.  Call  1  -SGOUSA-SCAN  to  order  toll- 
free.  Call  3t  3-99^8*8  if  outside  the  U.S  A  FAX  any  lime,  dial 
313-663-8888.  Order  your  new  electronic  equipment  from 
Communications  Electronics  Inc.  today. 

ScflfVKr  BiwItHiltai  CtfiKr  md  CO  kwn  nr  Indemnity  of  Commuriiislions  HertronJfi  Inc 

For  credit  card  orders  call 

1 80(HJSA-SCAN 

Communications  Electronics  Inc. 
Emergency  Operations  Center 

r\0,  Box  1045,  Ann  Arbor,  Michigan  48106-1045  USA 
For  information  call  313  99^^888  or  FAX  31 3^5  8888 


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36-pin  Centronics-type 
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Photo  B.  The  test  jig. 


Photo  G  The  from  panel. 


Because  1  wanted  lo  ensure  that  most  of  the 

computer  output  lines  would  not  be  used  in 
solely  controlling  the  interface  (I  may  want 
to  simultaneously  control  other  devices  with 
the  computer  in  the  future).  T  knew  that  the 
serial  approach  would  slow  down  communi- 
cations with  the  interface  but  I  was  willing 
to  pay  the  price. 

The  software  design  was  more  complex 


than  the  hardware.  Here  is  what  T  wanted  to 
be  able  to  do: 

a)  Enter  a  decimal  frequency  value  in  the 
computer  keyboard  and  have  the  DDS  gen- 
erate that  particular  frequency  (0  Hz  to  22 
MHz  with  3  Hz  resolution); 

b)  Have  the  frequency  go  up  or  down  by 
a  particular  increment  whenever  the  opera- 
tor presses  the  up-arrow  key  or  the  down-ar- 


TWl   DDS   Control 

Key   In  frequency  and  press   ENTER,    or; 

■+•  To  Change  Frequency  Increment 

"+■  To  Increase  Frequency  by  Value  of  Frequency  Increment 
nin  To  Decrease  Frequency  by  Value  of  Frequency  Increment 
***   To   Enter  Scan  Hode 

Hum  Lock  must  always  be  ON,    Caps   Lock   and  Scroll  Lock  must  always  be  OFF 
otherwise   the  program  does  not   run  properly. 

Press  any  key  to  continue. . . 


Figure  2.  The  instruction  screen. 


^^= 


TWl  DDS  Control 

Encer  Frequency  in  Hz:  ? 

Current  Frequency  in  Hz:  3,606,400 

Frequency  Increment  in  Hs:  200 


Figure  3.  The  control  screen. 


TWl  DDS  Control 
Enter  Frequency  in  Hz^ 
Current  Frequency  in  Hz:   6,240,000 


Frequency  Increment  in  Hz: 


5,000 


Scaa  Low  Frequency  in  Hz:   5,000*000 
Scan  High  Frequency  in  Hz:  6,500,000 
Triangle  (T)  or  Sawtooth  IS) :   T 
Press  Any  Key  to  Start  Scan  Mode,  ■  ENTER-  to  Exit  Scan  Mode 


Figure  4.  Scan  mode  for  the  DDS. 


row  key: 

c)  Scan  a  particular  range  of  frequencies 
with  the  frequency  increment  determined  by 
the  operator;  and  scan  in  cither  triangle 
mode  (scan  up  to  the  highest  specified  fre- 
quency and  then  suddenly  return  lo  the  low- 
est specified  frequency  for  another  scan)  or 
saw-toothed  mode  (scan  up  to  the  highest 
specified  frequency  and  then,  at  the  same 
frequency  interval,  return  to  the  lowest 
specified  frequency  for  another  scan); 

d)  Generate  a  trigger  signal  for  an  oscillo- 
scope at  the  beginning  of  each  triangle 
mode  sweep. 

Thus,  i  wanted  it  all — a  VFO  plus  a 
sweep  generator  with  trigger  output.  An  in- 
strument that  is  accurate  and  stable,  with  its 
output  variable  from  DC  to  approximately 
22  MHz.  Yes,  you  can  use  the  DDS  to  gen- 
erate audio  frequencies.  It's  like  having  a 
very  expensive  lab-quality  instrument  at  a 
very  inexpensive  price  I 

The  Hardware  Interface 

Figure  1  is  a  schematic  of  the  hardware 
interface.  It  is  straightforward  and  based  on 
the  Williams  design.  As  expected,  the  com- 
puter software  has  to  do  all  the  work  in 
driving  the  interface.  Here  is  how  it  works: 
The  computer  generates  a  23-bit  binary 
number  {representative  of  the  frequency) 
that  is  to  be  presented  to  the  DDS,  This  23- 
bit  number  is  sent  to  the  DDS  interface 
through  the  printer  interface  port  and  printer 
cable,  bit  by  bit  in  serial  fashion,  beginning 
with  the  most-significant  biiT  on  the  serial 
data  line.  While  the  serial  data  bit  is  stable* 
the  computer  strobes  the  dock  signal  line, 
which  accepts  and  shifts  each  data  bit  into 
three  cascaded  74LS164  serial-in  parallel- 
out  shift  registers.  This  is  done  23  limes, 
until  all  three  shift  registers  have  been  load- 
ed. The  load  line  is  then  strobed,  which  pre- 
sents the  23  bits,  in  parallel  fashion,  from 
the  74LS374  Tri -State  Octal-D  lip- flops  to 
the  DDS.  The  DDS  then  takes  over  and  gen- 
erates ihe  required  frequency.  Piece  of  cake 
(son  of)!  The  trick  is  to  generate  the  correct 
23-bit  binary  number,  and  this  is  where  the 
software  provides  all  ihe  functionality. 


73  Amateur  Radio  Today  *  February,  1 994    29 


You  will  note  that  the  load,  serial  data, 
and  clock  lines  are  "snapped  up"  through  a 
74LSI4  Schmidt  inverter  to  ensure  thai  the 
leading  and  trailing  edges  of  the  pulses  are 
sharply  defined  and  jitter-free.  Because  the 
serial  data  pulses  arc  inverted  as  a  result,  ihe 
software  generates  the  Ts  complement  of 
ihe  required  23-bit  data  word  (every  bit  is 
"flipped" — Lc,  a  I  becomes  a  0  and  a  0  be- 
comes a  I ). 

The  Software  Driver  Routine 

The  only  software-generating  tool  avail- 
able to  me  was  Microsoft  QBASIC  so  I 
didn't  have  much  choice!  I've  annotated  al- 
most every  line  of  code  tn  the  DDS.  B  AS 
program  to  give  you  an  idea  of  what  is  go- 
ing on  in  case  you'd  like  to  change  things 
and  experiment, 

The  mainline  section  of  the  routine  begins 
with  the  usual  housekeeping  chores,  after 
which  the  instruction  screen  is  drawn  (Fig- 
ure 2h  An  initial  frequency  is  sent  to  I  he 
DDS  (I  chose  0  Hz  but  you  can  change  this 
to  any  frequency  you  like).  Figure  3  shows 
the  lavout  of  the  control  screen.  Two  subrou- 
lines  are  used  to  generate  the  required  23-bit 
data  word  thai  is  sent  to  the  DDS — Convert- 
ToBinary  and  Serin ITo Parallel. 

ConvertToBinary  accepts  a  decimal  fre- 
quency value  and  converts  it  to  binary  in  Vs 
complement  form  (see  above).  It  uses  the 
age-old  venerable  "divide-by-lwo'*  algo- 
rithm that  vou  mav  have  learned  in  school 
to  convert  from  the  decimal  system  to  bina- 
ry notation, 

ScrialToParallel  performs  three  chores:  It 
scales  the  frequency  value,  calls  ConvertTo- 
Binary. and  pumps  out  the  23-bit  data  word 
to  the  DDS  interface.  Why  scale  the  fre- 
quency value?  Without  going  into  a  lot  of 
technical  details,  the  DDS  will  generate  a 
frequency  that  depends  not  only  on  the  23- 
bit  data  word  that  is  presented  to  it  but  also 
on  its  on-board  clock  frequency.  The  on- 
board clock  chip  that  comes  with  the  DDS 
kit  has  a  frequency  of  55  MHz,  and  what 
you  have  to  do  is  scale  the  frequency  value 
so  that  ihe  DDS  will  generate  the  exact  cor- 
responding frequency. 

Back  to  the  mainline  section  of  the  rou- 
tine. The  computer  sits  there  and  waits  for 
you  lo  do  one  of  a  number  of  things: 

Press  the  *V*  key.  This  selects  the  next 
frequency-increment  value  that  is  contained 
in  the  frequency  increment  table  in  round- 
robin  fashion  (i.e.  you  return  to  the  first  fre- 
quency increment  after  having  gone  past  the 
last).  The  frequency-increment  value  deter- 
mines how  much  the  frequency  will  jump 
when  you  press  the  up-arrow  key,  the  down- 
arrow  key*  or  while  you  are  in  scanning 
mode  (see  below). 

Enter  a  frequency  and  press  the  enter  key. 
The  DDS  generates  Lhe  corresponding  fre- 
quency. 

Scan  mode  (Figure  4),  Enter  a  scan-low 
frequency,  a  scan-high  frequency  and  deter- 
mine whether  you  want  a  saw-toothed  scan 
or  a  triangle  scan.  The  DDS  generates  fre- 
quencies beginning  ai  the  scan-low  frcquen- 


eyjumping  by  the  frequency-increment  val- 
ue (see  above).  When  the  scan-high  fre- 
quency is  reached,  the  DDS  cither  jumps 
back  to  the  scan-low  frequency  (triangle 
mode)  or  proceeds  downward,  at  the  same 
rate,  toward  the  scan-low  frequency  (saw- 
toothed  mode).  At  the  beginning  of  each  tri- 
angle-mode cycle,  a  scope  trigger  signal  is 
generated  in  case  you'd  like  to  trigger  the 
sweep  of  your  scope  externally  The  whole 
thing  happens  over  and  over  until  you  de- 
cide to  exit  scan  mode. 

Press  either  the  up-arrow  key  or  the 
down-arrow  key  and  the  frequency  will 
change  upward  or  downward,  depending  on 
the  key  you  pressed,  by  a  value  correspond- 


j7    <m    *     di    i»J    <n    4)    m  vw 


nun  jl 

*|  i|  ■!  i,l  *|  *|  H  H  H 


74LS244 
OciaJ  Buffer  ■  Line  Privet 


1 


IX  IB 


Figure  5.  DDS  computer  interface  test  jig. 


ing  to  frequency-increment  Hold  your  fin- 
ger down  on  either  key  and  the  DDS  will 


obooooooooooooooooooooo 

0O00O00O000000O0 


TW-1 
COMPUTER 

INTER FRCE 
by 

rflR   CIRCUITS 


* 


000000000000000000000 
)Q000000O0O0000t  &0Oi 


+5V    GND 


♦ 


♦ 


GKD        U7 


♦ 


Figure  6.  PC  board  pattern  and  parts  placement  diagram. 


30  73  Amateur  Radio  Today  *  February,  1 994 


CABLE  X-PERTS,  INC. 


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14.95 

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130 

MB3719                6.35 

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2S3754 

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S3 .75 

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1.95 

2SC730 

4  50 

PLL02A                11J5 

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153.50 

MRF629 

4.25 

2SC741 

190 

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6990 

MR  F  630 

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MRF641 

19.95 

2SC1419 

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807                     19,95 

MRF237 

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MRF644 

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2SC1729 

17.95 

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MRF260 

11.50 

MRF652 

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2SC1955 

900 

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833A.  833C          89.95 

MRF262 

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MRF653 

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61469                  15.95 

MRF264 

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39.70 

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62.00 

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1  50 

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4.75 

25C2075 

243 

M57727               69.95 

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5395 

MRF1946 

1500 

2SC2D94 

15.95 

W57729               79 .95 

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3.50 

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15.50 

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H57732L              32.95 

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107.70 

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1000 

2SC2166C 

175 

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1.25 

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M57791               34.95 

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MHF455 

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2N4043 

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2SC2630 

24.95 

M57792              39.80 

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125 

2SC2G40 

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176 

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54.95 

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73  Amateur  Radio  Today  February,  1994  31 


I_ 


Photo  D.  The  completed  unit  in  its  enclosure. 


scan  up  or  down  as  long  as  the  key  is 
pressed. 

Construction 

I  decided  to  build  the  prototype  interface 
on  a  printed  circuit  board  that  is  exactly  the 
same  size  as  the  TW1  DDS,  This  would  af- 
ford a  couple  of  advantages:  The  DDS 


board  could  be  mounted  on  top  of  the  inter- 
face board  or  vice  versa,  and  the  25  X  2 
headers  could  be  made  to  line  up  exactly 
one  on  top  of  the  other.  I  would  simply  wire 
one  header  to  the  other,  ladder  fashion  and 
each  wire  perpendicular  to  the  boards  (Pho- 
to A), 
Because  my  skills  at  designing  and  build- 


ing two-sided  printed  circuit  board  are  lim- 
ited ( non-ex  tstent  would  be  a  better  choice 
of  words),  I  built  a  one -sided  board  where 
most  of  the  signal  lines  would  be  intercon- 
nected using  30-gauge  insulated  wire.  If  you 
choose  to  go  this  route,  be  prepared  for  a  lot 
of  drilling  and  a  lot  of  precise  soldering! 
Perhaps  a  better  way  to  go  would  be  to  use 
a  drilled  and  etched  PC  board  available  for 
$6.50  plus  51 30  S&H  from  FAR  Circuits, 
I8N640  Held  Cu  Dundee  IL  601 18. 

If  you  decide  to  make  your  own  board, 
first  etch  the  printed  circuit  and  drill  alt  the 
required  holes.  Install  IC  sockets!  This  will 
help  you  immensely  if  you  have  problems 
and  have  to  iroubleshoot  in  the  future*  Inter- 
connect all  the  sisnal  lines  usins  Figure  I 
as  a  guide.  Install  the  0.01  bypass  capacitors 
as  weH  as  the  10  jiP  electrolytic  capacitor. 
Don't  put.  in  the  IC  chips  in  their  sockets 
yet!  Check  each  and  every  interconnection 
with  an  ohmmeter  looking  for  "opens"  and 
pin-io-pin  shorts.  Only  proceed  to  the  next 
step  once  you  are  satisfied  that  the 
assembled  printed  circuit  board  checks  out 
perfectly! 

Cheek-Out 

Temporarily  connect  the  clock,  serial  da- 
ta, and  load  signal  lines  to  pins  I,  2„  and  3 

of  the  36-pin  Centronics-style  printer  cable 
panel  receptacle.  Temporarily  connect  a 
wire  from  pin  18  of  the  printer  cable  rccep- 


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32  73  Amateur  Radio  Today  •  February,  1 994 


taclc  to  a  suitable  grounding  point  on  the  in- 
terface board.  Plug  the  printer  end  of  your 
printer  cable  (36-pin)  into  the  receptacle 
leaving  the  other  end  (25-pin)  unconnected 
from  the  parallel  port  of  your  computer. 
Check  for  the  following  continuity:  pin  1  of 
the  printer  cable  {25-pin  end)  with  pin  3  of 
the  74LS14  chip*  pin  2  of  the  printer  cable 
(25-pin  end)  with  pin  1  of  the  74LSI4  chip, 
pin  3  of  the  printer  cable  (25-pin  end)  with 
pin  5  of  the  74LS14  chip,  pin  18  of  the 
printer  cable  (25-pin  end)  with  ground  on 
the  interface  board.  Don't  proceed  any  fur- 
ther unless  you  are  convinced  thai  the  above 
checks  out . 

Next,  load  the  DDS.BAS  program  into 
your  computer.  Access  the  SerialTbParuHcl 
subroutine  and  disable  the  HoidFreq&  = 
CLNG(CDBL(Freq&)  *  .3050398*)  line  by 
commenting  it  out  with  a  single  apostrophe 
at  the  beginning  of  the  line.  This  disables 
scaling  for  the  time  being.  Enable  Ihc  state- 
ment immediately  after  the  line  that  you 
have  just  disabled  (HoidFreq&  =  Freq&). 
To  provide  display  of  the  23-bit  data  word 
on  your  monitor  screen,  access  the  Convert- 
ToBinary  subroutine  and  enable  the  follow- 
ing line: 

LOCATE  23, 1 :  FOR  i%  =  22  to  0  STEP  - 
1 :  PRINT  Binary Value(i%);:NEXT  i%. 

This  causes  the  23-bit  word  to  be  dis- 
played in  binary  at  the  bottom  of  the  screen. 


Remember  that  this  is  the  Vs  complement 
of  the  number  entered,  however. 

You  aie  now  going  to  check  out  your  unit 
by  using  eight  LEDs  to  ensure  the  correct 
bit  pattern  is  being  generated  by  the  inter- 
face. (You  could  use  23  LEDs  at  once,  if 
you  like)*  Build  a  test  jig  based  on  Figure  5. 
I  used  an  1C  proto  board  because  the  test  jig 
is  only  used  once  for  check-out  purposes 
(Photo  B).  Temporarily  connect  the  eight 
test  jig  inputs  to  the  eight  least-si gnificant- 
bit  outputs  of  the  interface  (outputs  32  to  46 
to  inputs  d7  to  dO), 

Populate  your  printed  circuit  board  with 
its  ICs.  Connect  the  computer  printer  cable 
to  the  parallel  port  on  the  primer.  Provide  5 
volts  to  the  interface  board  and  the  test  jig. 
Run  the  DDS.BAS  routine  and  key  in  a  fre- 
quency of  zero  Hz.  All  eight  LEDs  on  the 
test  jig  should  be  out.  All  the  bits  at  the  bot- 
tom of  the  screen  should  be  Is,  Now  key  in 
a  frequency  of  255  Hz.  The  inverse  should 
happen  and  all  eight  LEDs  should  be  lit,  the 
eight  least  significant  bits  on  the  screen 
should  all  be  0s. 

Next,  unsolder  the  eight  test  jig  inputs 
and  temporarily  solder  ihem  lo  outputs  16  to 
30  of  the  interface  (30  to  dO.  28  to  dl,  etc). 
Key  in  a  frequency  of  65,536  Hz.  All  eight 
LEDs  should  be  lit.  Key  in  a  frequency  of 
zero  Hz.  All  eight  LEDs  should  be  out.  En- 
ter other  values  to  sec  the  generated  bit  pal- 


terns. 

Finally,  disconnect  the  input  leads  to  the 
test  jig  and  re-connect  the  seven  least  signif- 
icant test-jig  inputs  to  the  seven  most-sig- 
nificant-bit  outputs  of  the  interface  (2  to  d6, 
4  to  d5,  etc.)  Leave  d7  unconnected  and  ig- 
nore the  left- most  LED,  Key  in  a  frequency 
of  zero  Hz.  All  seven  LEDs  should  be  out. 
Key  in  a  frequency  of  8,388,607  Hz.  All 
seven  LEDs  should  be  lit.  You  will  notice 
that  the  bits  displayed  at  the  bottom  of  the 
screen  always  show  the  inverse  of  the  bits 
represented  by  the  LEDs, 

If  things  don't  check  out,  the  particular 
bit(s)  that  is  (are)  not  functioning  properly 
will  give  you  a  hint  as  to  where  the  trouble 
might  be  on  the  interface.  Use  your  analyti- 
cal skills  to  zero  in  and  determine  where  the 
problem  lies.  Once  everything  is  OK,  dis- 
connect the  test  jig. 

Final  Assembly 

I  assume  that  you've  constructed  and 
checked  out  your  TWl  DDS  board  before 
proceeding  to  this  point.  Mount  the  DDS 
board  on  top  of  the  interface  board  using 
half-inch  threaded  spacers  (photo  A).  Solder 
the  23  signal  tines  (outputs  2  to  46)  from  the 
interface  board  to  the  DDS  board  and  check 
the  continuity  of  the  23  lines  from  one 
board  to  the  other,  Use  22  gauge  hook-up 
wire  to  provide  Ycc  and  ground  to  the  DDS 


Serving  The  LORD 
Since  1987 


THE  POWER  STATION 

The  POWER  STATION  is  a  12V  x  6.5  AmpHr  gel-cell 
battery  complete  with  voltmeter,  wall  charger  and  a 
cord  for  charging  via  automobiles.  It  will  power  most 
HTs  at  5  Watts  for  2-4  weeks  (depending  upon  how  long-winded  you 
are).  Also  VHF,  UHF.  QRP,  or  HF  mobiles  such  as  the  KENWOOD  TS-50 
(at  50W).  There  are  no  hidden  costs,  all  you  need  is  your  mobile,  HT 
power  cord  or  cigarette  lighter  adapter 

The  POWER  STATION  provides  12V  from  a  cigarette  plug  and  has  two 
recessed  terminals  for  hardwiring,  A  mini-phone  jack  with  regulated  3V, 
6V,  or  9V  output  can  be  used  separately  for  CD  players,  Walkmans,  etc. 
THE  POWER  STATION  can  be  charged  in  an  automobile  in  only  3  hours, 
or  in  the  home  in  8  hours.  The  charger  will  automatically  shut  off  when  the 
battery  is  completely  charged,  so  you  can  charge  it  even  when  it  has  only 
been  slightly  discharged,  (unlike  Ni-Cads  that  have  memory).  Our  charg- 
ing circuit  uses  voltage  sensing  circuitry,  other  brands  are  timed  chargers 
which  always  charge  the  battery  a  full  cycle,  this  damages  their  battery 
and  shortens  its'  life  if  ft  only  needs  a  partial  charge.  The  POWER  STATION 
has  a  voltmeter  that  shows  the  exact  state  of  charge  of  the  battery,  not 
worthless  idiot  lights  that  tell  you  "YOUR  BATTERY  IS  NOW  DEAD."  The 
voltmeter  can  even  be  used  to  measure  voltages  of  other  sources. 


To  order,  send  check  or  money  order  for  $49.95  + 
$8.50  for  shipping,  along  with  your  shipping  address 
and  telephone  number  to: 

Joe  Brancato 

THE  HAM  CONTACT 

P.O.  Box  3624,  Dept  73 
Long  Beach,  CA  90803. 

CjA  Residents  Add  6  \I4%  Sales  Tax    Candran  Resident  Please  Send  U  S    Money 
Q  refer  £  St?,  to  Shipping 

If  you  wish  man?  [nlarmnlwn  please  send  a  SA3E  lo  (he  above-  Address   Far  COD 

orders,  call  (310)  433  SS60.  outside  of  CA  Orders  Only  call  (8G0)933-HAM4  and 
Teave  a  message 


CIRCLE  3*4  ON  HEADER  SERVICE  CARD 


73  Amateur  Radio  Today*  February,  1994    33 


board.  Next,  attach  the  combined  units,  us- 
ing two  small-angle  brackets*  to  a  front  pan- 
el My  front  panel  holds  a  seven-pin  DIN 
round  receptacle,  a  36~pin  Centronics-type 
printer  cable  receptacle,  and  a  BNC  single- 
hole-mount  chassis  jack  (Photo  C).  Solder 
the  three  signal  wires  leading  from  the 
printer  cable  receptacle  to  the  interface 
board.  I  use  the  seven-pin  DIN  receptacle 
to  provide  power  to  the  unit  and  to  provide 
the  scope  trigger  signal  to  the  outside  world. 
Solder  the  scope  trigger  line  from  pin  4  or 
the  primer  cable  receptacle  10  an  unused  pin 
on  the  DIN  receptacle.  Connect  the  BNC 
jack  to  the  DDS  output  with  a  short  length 
of  miniature  50  ohm  cable.  You  may  wish  to 
build  an  enclosure  for  the  unit  in  order  to 
provide  shielding.  I  built  mine  using  dou- 
ble-sided printed-eircuit  board  (Photo  D). 

Calibration 

Calibration?  But  there  aren*t  any  trim- 
mer capacitors!  Do  you  remember  the  scal- 
ing factor  in  the  software  routine  that  I 
mentioned  earlier?  Well,  it's  now  time  to 
"tweak"  the  scaling  factor  to  your  on-board 
DDS  clock.  Go  back  lo  the  DDS.BAS  pro- 
gram and  disable  the  program  lines  that 
you  used  for  checkout  purposes.  Also  re- 
move the  single  apostrophe  in  front  of  the 
following  line:  HoldFreq&  =  CLNG(CD- 
BLfFrcq&)  *  3050398#).  Now  connect  a 
frequency  counter  to  the  output  of  the 
DDS,  connect  the  unit  to  a  5  vok  power 
supply,  connect  the  printer  cable  between 
your  computer  and  the  DDS,  and  fire  ev- 
erything up.  Begin  by  keying  frequencies 
that  are  multiples  of  I  MHz,  and  observe 
the  values  on  the  frequency  counter,  If  you 
have  an  oscilloscope,  you  may  also  want  to 
view  the  purity  of  your  sinusoidal  signaL 
Assuming  there  are  no  problems  in  your 
soldering  and  wiring  job,  you  should  get 
frequencies  that  are  close  to  those  being 
keyed  in  and  that  have  a  very  high  degree 


Parts  Information 

A  copy  of  the  DDS.BAS  driver  routine  software  written  in  GBASlC  can  be  downloaded 
free  from  the  73  BBS  at  {603}  924-9343. 
Tbe  DDS  VFO  module  kit  is  available  from  Bktronics,  12536  T.R,  77,  Rndlay  OH  45840; 

(419)422-8206. 

The  receptacles,  capacitors,  \C  chips  and  sockets  for  the  computer  interface  are  all  avail- 
able from  Digi-Key  at  (800)  344-4339.  or  from  other  major  distributors. 

The  eight  LEDs  used  in  the  test  jig  can  be  any  LEDs  that  you  have  in  your  funk  box. 

The  use  of  a  manufactured  computer  cable  is  not  mandatory— you  can  build  your  own 
cable  using  receptacles  of  your  choice. 

Drilled  and  etched  PC  boards  are  available  for  S6.50  plus  $1.50  S&H  from  FAR  Circufts, 
18M640  Field  Ct,  Dundee  IL  60118, 


of  purity.  Once  you've  gone  up  to  22  MHz 
and  everything  looks  OK.  play  with  the 
unit  by  entering  oddball  frequencies.  The 
DDS  should  react  accordingly  and  this 
should  be  reflected  on  your  frequency 
counter 

The  adjustment  of  the  scaling  factor 
should  now  be  obvious.  If  your  input  fre- 
quency is  consistently  high  compared  to 
the  frequency  counter,  reduce  the  scaling 
factor,  and  vice  versa.  By  how  much? 
I  don't  know.  [  just  did  mine  by  trial  and 
error  until  the  frequency  counter  read 
dcad-on  and  then  1  built  a  direct  conver- 
sion receiver  using  the  DDS  as  the  LO  to 
zero- beat  it  ugainst  WWV.  I  think  the  accu- 
racy of  my  unit  is  within  50  Hz.  if  not 
better 

Operation 

I  tried  to  make  operation  of  the  unit  as 
intuitive  as  possible  and  I  hope  that  the 
instruction  screen  (Figure  2)  is  self-explana- 
tory. Those  of  you  who  are  accustomed  to 
Windows -based  applications  won't  find 
this  very  fancy  but.  in  my  defense,  all  I 
can  say  is  that  the  proof  is  in  the  puddin\ 
Speaking  of  Windows,  you  will  find  that  the 
scanning  process  is  slowed  if  the  software 
is  run  in  a  Windows  environment.  If  you 
want  maximum  scanning  speed  from  your 


computer*  run  DDS.BAS  in  an  MS-DOS 
environment. 

What  Next? 

1  encourage  those  of  you  who  are  inter- 
ested in  software  design  to  combine  forces 
with  the  hardware  types,  and  vice  versa. 
The  software  that  I  have  developed  is  first- 
generation  and  I  have  placed  it  in  the  public 
domain.  Play  with  it.  Change  it  for  the  bet- 
ter! A  machine-language  routine  to  speed 
up  the  scanning  process  might  be  interest- 
ing. The  hardware  interface  is  nothing  fan- 
cy. How  about  someone  developing  a  true 
parallel  interface,  or  using  adder  chips  on 
the  interface  board  again  to  speed  up  the 
scanning  process?  How  about  frequency 
hopping  or  spread-spectrum  applications? 
The  sky's  the  limit! 

As  for  me,  I'm  going  to  continue  my 
quest  for  the  Holy  Grail:  building  an  up- 
converting  general-coverage  HF  receiver 
(with  FM,  of  course)  using  the  TWI  DDS 
as  one  of  the  fundamental  building  blocks. 
Hmm  ...  I  wonder  If  cheap  HF  crystals  can 
be  used  at  their  third  overtone  to  build  a  lad- 
der filter  at  approximately  45  MHz?  The 
TWI  DDS  in  scanning  mode,  heterodyned 
to  VHFT  will  help  me  find  out.  I  hope  I  have 
as  much  success  with  thai  project  as  I  did 
with  this  one. 


Bench  notes  from  John  Welch  N9JZW,  designer  of  the  TW-1  DDS  rig. 


Since  I  built  the  TW-K  people  have  been 
asking  me  why  I  didn't  make  it  computer- 
controllable.  Frankly,  I  didn't  want  to.  given 
my  other  plans  for  expansion.  However. 
there  fa  a  need,  and  this  hoard  fills  it  well, 

I  buili  ihe  project  on  a  PC  board,  which  is 
shown  in  the  adjacent  photo.  It  went  together 
smoothly,  taking  about  an  evening's  work  to 
assemble.  There  are  a  lot  of  jumpers,  but 
ilicy  arc  plainly  marked  and  should  cause 
you  liltlc  Iroublc*  Do  socket  all  the  chips,  us 
I  had  one  bad  chip  which  kept  mine  from 
working  the  first  time,  A  quick  change  took 
care  of  that,  though,  and  it  has  worked  since 
then, 

Be  careful  about  soldering,  and  make  sure 
you  have  the  chips  inserted  the  right  way. 
The  parallel  port  on  an  IBM  PC  isn't  pro- 
tected, and  it  is  possible  to  blow  up  a  chip  if 
you  get  some  wires  crossed,  Just  be  sure  to 
double-check  your  wiring,  as  the  article 
says. 


The  program  will  only  work  if  you  use  a 
parallel  port  at  address  3F8  (hex).  The  port 
on  an  old  monochrome  video  board  is  not  at 
this  address,  but  for  most  computers  this  is 
LPT1  and  should  cause  no  problem. 

There  is  an  easier  and  faster  way  to  cali- 
brate the  frequency.  You'll  need  a  calculator 
and  a  frequency  counter  that  can  handle  55 
MHz  signals.  Measure  tfie  frequency  of  your 
TW-l's  oscillator  (it's  available  on  the 
jumper  on  ihe  DDS  VFO  board).  The  "fudge 
factor"  should  be  1 6777216  /  (your  oscillator 
frequency  in  hertz). 

My  oscillator  runs  at  55000230  Hz,  so  my 
value  is  16777216  /  55000230  = 
0.3050390153.  This  should  put  you  dead  on 
frequency  the  first  time  you  run  the  program. 

If  you  don* I  have  a  frequency  counter, 
don't  worry — the  55  MHz  oscillators  are 
very  accurate  and  stable,  and  you'll  be  no 
more  than  about  50  Hz  away  from  where 
you  think  you  are  over  almost  all  bands. 


There  is  an  enhancement  I'm  working  on 
for  the  TW-1  that  will  increase  your  upper 
range  from  2L5  MHz  to  slightly  over  30 
MHz.  This  will  require  a  small  change  to  the 
program,  and  another  jumper  to  be  added  to 
this  board.  FAR  Circuits  is  adding  a  pad  on 
pin  4H  of  the  header  for  this. 

When  I  get  this  board  functional.  HI  aJso 
let  you  know  what  to  jumper  and  what  to 
change  in  the  program.  Til  then,  hope  you 
have  fun  with  your  TW-1  Direct  Digital 
Synthesized  rig.  73  de  N9JZW. 


34  73  Amateur  Radio  Today  *  February,  1 994 


FREE  1994 
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Or  call:  {704)  841 -HAMS 


73  Amateur  Radio  Today  February,  1994  35 


Number  7  on  your  Feedback  card 


ASCII-to-Morse-Code  Interface 


Let  your  keyboard  do  the  work. 


Do  you  have  a  computer  in  your  shack 
and  only  use  it  to  log  QSOs,  send  pack- 
ct  or  play  games?  This  simple  weekend  pro- 
ject will  allow  you  10  send  and  receive 
Morse  code  with  your  computer  as  well  It 
will  not  decode  Morse  code  for  you  (thafs 
cheating!),  but  your  fingers  will  never  have 
to  leave  the  keyboard. 

Packed  Full  of  Features! 

The  ASCII-to-Morse-code  Interface  (or 
A.MCX)  will  convert  ASCII  characters  into 
Morse  code  at  the  speeds  of  10,  13, 15, 17  or 
20  wpm,  as  selected  from  the  keyboard.  It 
has  a  30-character  input  buffer,  a  message 
memory  of  50  characters  and  it  even  has  a 
built-in  electronic  keyer  function  so  you  can 
use  your  paddle  instead  of  ihe  keyboard, 
should  you  desire. 

Operation 

When  first  powered  up,  the  A.M.CL  gen- 
erates a  short  beep  and  outputs  the  message 
"***RECEIVE***"  to  your  computer 
screen.  It  is  now  in  the  receive  echo  mode. 
Whatever  you  type  on  your  keyboard  will  be 
echoed  back  to  the  screen. 

When  you  type  the  the  character  "+ft  the 
A.M.CL  switches  into  the  transmit  mode 
and  outputs  the  message  "***TRANS- 
MIT***10  WPM***"  to  the  screen.  What 
you  now  type  is  echoed  back  to  the  screen 
and  then  convened  into  Morse  code.  The 
A.M.CL  recognizes  letters  (upper  or  lower 
case),  the  numbers  0-9,  and  the  punctuation 
marks:  period,  comma,  dash,  and  question 
mark.  Any  character  not  in  the  Morse  look* 
up  table  will  simply  be  echoed 
back  to  the  screen.  The  code 
speed  is  selected  with  the  charac- 
ters #(10  wpm),  S  ( 1 3  wpm),  % 
( 1 5  wpm),  A  { 1 7  wpm)  and  &  (20 
wpm).  The  selected  speed  is  out- 
puted  to  the  screen  as  a  message, 
i.e.  "***|7  WPM***,"  The 
speed  can  be  changed  ai  any  time 
in  the  transmit  mode.  Typing  "[" 
doubles  the  spacing  between  let- 
ters and  words.  Typing  "]"  re- 
turns the  spacing  to  normal,  This 
provides  an  easy  way  or  slowing 
down  ihe  code  speed  when  nec- 
essary because  of  QRM.  The 
character  *f*  toggles  the 
A.M.CL  back  into  the  receive 
mode.  The  ENTER  key  gener- 
ates a  carriage  return  and  line- 
feed response  to  the  screen.  The 
space  key  will  generate  the  prop- 
er inter-word  spacing. 

You  may  want  to  make  a  lem- 

36  73  Amateur  Radio  Today  •  February,  1 994 


by  Steven  Weber  KD1 JV 

plate  for  your  keyboard  to  label  the  function 
keys  until  you've  got  them  down  pat. 

The  A.M.CL  has  a  30-character  input 
buffer.  The  characters  are  echoed  back  to  the 
screen  as  you  type.  If  you  are  a  good  typist 
there  is  a  possibility  you  will  fill  up  the 
buffer.  The  A.M.CL  will  not  allow  you  to 
overwrite  the  buffer.  Your  computer's  bell 
will  sound  if  the  buffer  is  full,  informing 
you  to  slop  typing  for  a  minute  and  lei  the 
buffer  send  out  some  characters.  It  is  best  to 
type  only  a  few  words  ahead  and  then  pause 
for  a  few  moments  before  continuing. 

Message  Storage 

The  A.M.CL  can  store  a  message  of  up  to 
50  characters  in  length.  Spaces  count  as 
characters.  Typically  you  would  use  this  to 
store  a  "CQ"  message,  but  of  course  you  can 
put  whatever  you  want  there.  To  store  a 
message,  type  "V  The  message  "TYPE 
MESSAGE  50  CHRS  MAX"  will  then  ap- 
pear on  your  screen.  Now  type  in  your  mes- 
sage. Mistakes  can  be  corrected  by  using  the 
backspace  key.  If  you  enter  in  too  many 
characters,,  the  message  U**BUFFER 
FULL**"  will  appear  on  the  screen  and  re- 
turn you  back  to  the  "type  message"  mes- 
sage. Enter  a  "!**  as  your  last  character.  The 
A.M.CL  will  then  respond  with  the  message 
"**  END  OF  MESSAGE**"  to  the  screen 
and  exit  back  to  the  receive  mode. 

To  output  the  message,  enter  "@."  The 
A.M.CL  will  now  output  the  message  at  the 
code  speed  currently  selected.  The  charac- 
ters of  the  message  are  written  back  to  the 
screen  one  at  a  time  as  they  are  sent.  You 


Photo  A.  Under  the  hood  of  the  A.M.  C.L 


can  send  the  message  in  cither  the  receive 
mode  or  the  transmit  mode  and  you  will  re- 
turn to  the  mode  that  you  were  in  when  the 
message  output  was  selected.  This  allows 
you  to  send  the  CQ  message  while  in  the  re- 
ceive mode  and  return  there  automatically  to 
copy  an  answering  call.  Or  you  can  use  the 
message  to  send  your  name  and  QTH  while 
in  the  transmit  mode  and  then  continue  send- 
ing when  the  message  is  finished. 

The  Electronic  Keyer  Function 

The  electronic  keyer  is  active  at  all  times 
in  the  transmit  mode.  Its  speed  is  the  same  as 
that  currently  selected  from  the  keyboard.  It 
has  dot  and  dash  memory,  sensed  at  the  end 
of  the  dot  or  dash  and  before  the  space.  This 
makes  for  glitch-free  operation.  If  both  pad* 
dies  are  squeezed  together  at  Lhe  same  time  it 
will  send  a  dot-dash  string  that  starts  with 
whatever  made  contact  first,  the  dot  or  the 
dash. 

As  an  option  you  can  add  an  N.O.  push- 
button switch  and  five  LEDs  on  your  front 
panel.  If  you  hold  in  the  PB  switch  (which  1 
labeled  "KYR  SPD"),  then  turn  the  power 
on,  you  will  now  be  in  a  stand-alone  keyer 
mode.  This  allows  you  to  use  the  keyer  func- 
tion without  having  to  turn  on  your  computer 
first. 

The  LEDs  indicate  the  speed  thai  the  key- 
er ts  set  to.  Pushing  the  PB  momentarily  will 
advance  the  keyer  speed.  This  function  oper- 
ates only  in  the  stand-alone  keyer  mode,  but 
the  LEDs  will  also  indicate  the  speed  that  the 
A.M.CL  is  set  to  during  normal  keyboard 
operation. 

CPU  port  bit  Pl.4  (pin  5)  is  set 
low  in  the  stand-alone  mode.  You 
can  add  another  LED  (with  a  330 
ohm  scries  resistor)  to  the  front 
panel  to  indicate  this  mode  if  you 
want  to. 

The  Circuit 

The  heart  of  the  A.M.CL  is  an 
8031  microcontroller.  The  8031 
has  been  an  industry  standard  for 
some  time  now  and  is  still  used  in 
many  products.  The  8031  is  an  8- 
bit  device  that  has  a  built-in  serial 
port,  128  bytes  of  internal  user 
RAM,  128  bytes  of  internal  func- 
tion registers,  two  timers,  a 
Boolean  processor,  16  I/O  ports, 
and  can  address  up  to  64K  of  pro- 
gram memory  and  64 K  of  exter- 
nal RAM.  The  instruction  set  is 
designed  so  that  the  program  code 
is  very  efficient.  The  program  for 
this  project  is  a  little  over  1.5K 


[JRC| 


Fully  Automatic  MOSFET 

HF  LINEAR  AMPLIFIER 


•  1  kW  No-Tune  Power  Amplifier 

•  48  MOSFETs  Single  Ended  Push-Pull  (SEPP)  Design 

•  Built-In  Automatic  Antenna  Tuner 

•  High-Efficiency  Switching  Power  Supply 


The  JRL  2000F  is  the  world's  first 
MOSFET  HF  linear  amplifier, 
designed  using  the  same  high  tech- 
nology found  in  JRC's  professional 
high-power  radio  transmitters. 
Featuring  a  heavy-duty  power  amp 
that  incorporates  48  RF  power  MOS- 
FETs to  ensure  low  distortion  and 
clean  output  up  to  1,000  watts  (100% 
duty  cycle,  24  hour)  SSB/CWT  plus  a 


high-speed  automatic  antenf 
with  memory  capacity  of  1820  chal 
nels  for  instant  QSY,  Plus  a  high 
efficiency  switching  power  supply 
(80V-264V)  with  power  factor  cor- 
rection to  supress  AC  line  currents, 
an  automatic  antenna  selector  for 
up  to  four  antennas  and  a  wireless 
remote  control  unit. 


JRC|  0apan  Radio  Co., lid. 


430  Park  Ave,  2nd  Floor  New  York.  NY  10022 

Phone:  (212)355-1180  Fax;  (212)319-5227 

Telex  ;  961114  JAPAN  RADIO  NYK 

CIRCLE  1 59  ON  REAOER  SERVICE  CARD 


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Ameritron  no  tune  Solid  State  FET  Amplifier 

No  tuning,  no  fuss,  no  worries  —just  turn  on  and  operate . . .  Incredibly  low  $1299  includes 
AC  power  supply,  700  Watts  output,  continuous  1.5-22  MHz  coverage,  instant  bandswitch- 
ing,  no  warm  up,  no  tubes  to  baby,  fully  SWR  protected,  extemely  quiet,  very  compact 

Amerif roll's  revolutionary  ALS-600  is  amateur  radio's  only 


linear  amplifier  that  uses  four  nigged  TMOS  RF  power  FETs  — 

gives  unequaled  no  tune  solid  state  performance 

$1299  includes  Ameritron' s  no  tune  FET  Amplifier   al§  ^00 

and  a  1 20/220  VAC,  50/60  Hz  AC  power  $  -  #HM* 

supply  for  home  operation  I  299 

Instant  bandswitchinc;,  no  tuning,  no  warm  Suggested  Retail 

up  —just  turn  on  and  operate  (includes  ac 

*  Output  Power  --  700  Watts  PEP,  500  Watts  CW   Power  SlwW 

Continuous  Coverage  --  1.5  to  22  MHz;  10/12  Meters  with 

easy-to- install  optional  kit 

SWR  Protection  —  prevents  amplifier  damage  if  you  switch  to 

wrong  band,  use  wrong  antenna  or  have  high  SWR 

Over  Power  Protection  —  if  output  forward  power  or  reflected 

power  exceeds  safe  level,  output  power  is  automatical  ly  reduced 

to  prevent  amplifier  damage  by  controlling  ALC  to  exciter 

Extremely  quiet  —  low  speed,  low  volume  fan  is  so  quiet  you*  11 

hardly  know  it' s  there,  unlike  noisy  blowers  used  in  other  amps 

Very  Compact  --  6  x  972x12  inch  amplifier  takes  up  less 

desktop  space  than  your  transceiver  and  weighs  about  the  same 

—  only  1 2  lh  pounds 

Illuminated  Cross-Needle  SWRAVatt  meter  --  lets  you  read 

SWR,  forward  and  re  fleeted  peak  power  simultaneously 

Operate/Standby  Switch  --  lets  you  run  "barefoot",  but  you 

can  instantly  switch  to  full  power  if  you  need  it 

Front  Panel  ALC  Control  --  exclusive  Ameritron  feature  ~ 

convenient  front  panel  control  lets  you  adjust  your  output  power 

Transmit,  ALCt  SWR  LED  indicators  —  keeps  you  informed 


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Solid  State  no  tune 

FET  Amplifier 


ALS     M>0 


ALS-600PS  Heavy  Duty  Power  Supply 

ALS-60QPS  power  supply  included  with  ALS-600  amplifier 

•   Massive  choke  input  filter  greatly 
improves  voltage  regulation  and  reduces 
peak  AC  line  current     *    Ameritron1  s 
exclusive  Multi-Voltage  Power  Transformer 
lets  you  compensate  for  stressful  high  line 
voltage  and  performance  robbing  low  line 
voltage     •    Step-Start  Inrush  Protection™ 
stops  damaging  inrush  currents  and  extends  life  of  power  supply 


components    •  Illuminated  Cross-Needle  Meter  monitors  voltage 
12VDC  output  jack -lets  you  power  low  current  accessories   and  current  of  50  VDC  line     •    Extremely  quiet  fan   •  Very 
Separate  ALS-600PS  power  supply  (included)  can  be  placed      compact  6  x  9  V2  xl2  inches  --  can  be  placed  conveniently  out-of-way 
conveniently  out  of  the  way  and  plugged  into  your  nearest  120     •    wired  for  120  VAC,  supplies  50  VDC  at  25  amps  to  ALS-600 

amplifier  •  Also  use  on  100-1 30  VAC  and  220-250  VAC,  50/60  Hz 
•  Draws  less  than  12  amps  at  100  VAC  and  less  than  6  amps  at  230 
VAC    •  Includes  prewired  cable  to  plug  into  ALS-600 


Made  in  USA 


VAC  outlet  —  no  special  wiring  needed 

Made  in  USA 

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Ideal  mobile  amplifier  —  uses  13.8  VDC  mobile  electrical  system,  very  compact  3^2x9x15 
inches,  extremely  quiet,  600  Watts  output,  continuous  1.5-22  MHz  coverage,  instant 
bandswitehing,  no  tuning,  no  warm  up,  SWR  protected 

amplifier  if  temperature  is  excessively  high;  automatically 


ALS-500M 

$799 

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I  ■  r 


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tmtid  Stair  no  tunt 


*  Mobile  no  tune  Solid  State  Amplifer  ~  uses  four  rugged 
2SC2879  high  power  linear  RF  power  transistors 

>  Instant  bandswitehing,  no  tuning,  no  warm  up  —just  turn  on 
and  operate  —  makes  mobile  QSOs  safer 

>  Very  Compact  —just  3Vzx9xl5  inches  --  fits  in  nearly  any 
mobile  installation;  weighs  only  7  pounds,  thatrs  less  than 

some  mobile  HF  transceivers 

»  Lxtremcly  quiet  —quiet  low  speed,  low  volume  fan  stays  off 
and  silent  until  temperature  rises 

»  Output  Power  «  600  Watts  PEP,  400  Watts  CW 

'  Continuous  Coverage  »  L5  to  22  MHz;  10/12  Meters  with 
easy-to-install  optional  kit 

1  Load  Fault  Protection  ~  disables  and  bypasses  amplifier  if 
antenna  has  excessively  high  reflected  power  or  if  bandswitch  is 
set  lower  than  exciter  frequency  --  virtually  eliminates  damage 
because  of  operating  error;  has  Load  Fault  LED  indicator 

h  Thermal  Overload  Protection  -  disables  and  bypasses 

Exact  power  output  of  amplifiers  may  vary  on  each  band. 


resets  when  temperature  drops  to  safe  level;  has  Thermal 

Overload  LED  indicator 

Excellent  harmonic  suppression  --  multiple  section  output 

network  md  push-pull  output  circuit  gives  excellent  harmonic 
suppression 

DC  current  meter  lets  you  monitor  collector  current 
ON/OFF  Switch—  bypasses  amplifier  for  "barefoot"  operation 
without  having  to  disconnect  high  current  power  supply  cables 
Remote  ON/OFF  Control  -  lets  you  remotely  control  ON/ 
OFF  function  for  out-of-the-way  mounting  of  amplifier 
Exciter  Drive  —  less  than  100  watts  input  gives  full  output 
Power  Supply  Requirements  —  requires  13.8  VDC  at  80 
amperes  peak  current  for  PA  transistors  and  seperate  line  for 
12-15  VDC  at  4  amperes  for  control  and  bias  circuits 
Made  in  USA 

Call  you  favorite  dealer  for  your  best  price  and  order  your 
ALS-500M  today 


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(601)  323  S2II  FAX:  {601)  321-655! 
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CIRCLE  148  ON  READER  SERVICE  CARD 


Photo  B.  The  completed  project. 


byies  long,  much  of  which  is  the  Morse 
look-up  table  and  ASCII  jump  tabic. 

The  8031  multiplexes  the  lower  eight  ad- 
dress bits  out  on  the  data  bus,  A  74LS573  is 
used  to  latch  this  address  information.  A 
MAX  232  IC  (or  TPC232)  is  used  to  inter- 
face the  RS-232  input  and  output  to  the  8031 
serial  port.  The  MAX  232  has  a  built-in 
voltage  doubler  and  inverter  to  generate  the 
+  10  and  *  10  volts  required  by  RS-232  ports. 
The  CPU's  clock  is  1 1.0592  MHz,  This  fre- 
quency was  chosen  by  the  8031  developers 
so  that  standard  baud  rates  can  be  easily 
generated  with  the  803 1  's  internal  timers. 

The  power  supply,  power  control  circuit,  a 


piezo  beeper,  a  number 
of  LEDs  and  transmit- 
ter keying  transistors 
complete  the  circuit. 
The  keying  circuit  is 
designed  for  solid-state 
rigs.  If  you  have  a  tube 
transmitter,  try  using 
an  optoisolator  to  drive 
a  high  voltage  power 
transistor,  or  add  a  re- 
lay to  key  your  rig. 

The  power  supply 
for  the  A.M.C.L  is  on 
all  the  time.  Power  to 
the  main  circuits  is 
turned  on  and  off  using 
a  simple  PNP  transistor  switch.  When  power 
is  turned  off,  another  PNP  transistor  is 
turned  on  to  supply  power  to  the  RST  pin  of 
the  CPU.  This  keeps  the  internal  RAM  alive 
so  that  your  stored  message  doesn't  have  to 
be  entered  every  time  the  unit  is  turned  on. 
The  capacitors  C3  and  C6  keep  their  associ- 
ated transistor  turned  on  when  Ihe  power 
switch  is  thrown  long  enough  to  ensure 
proper  power  down,  power  up  reset  of  the 
CPU. 

If  you  don't  mind  entering  the  message 
every  time  you  turn  the  unit  on,  these  pans 
can  be  eliminated  and  the  AC  line  switched 
on  and  off.  If  you  go  this  way,  a  2,2  pp  cap 


must  be  installed  between  +5  and  pin  9  (re- 
set) on  the  CPU. 

Communicating  to  the  Interface 

The  serial  port  of  the  A.M.CI.  is  set  to 
1200  baud,  8  bits,  no  parity  and  2  stop  bits 
(1200,8,1^,2)  and  it  recognizes  standard 
ASCII,  To  talk  to  the  A.M.CI,  you  must 
have  a  communications  program  of  one  sort 
or  another  installed  in  your  computer.  The 
TELECOM  program  that  came  with  my 
TANDY  laptop  works  just  fine.  Other  pro- 
grams such  as  PC  TALK,  PROCOM,  and 
the  like  will  also  work,  As  long  as  you  can 
make  a  direct  connection  to  your  serial 
comm  port  you  will  be  alt  set.  By  using  one 
of  these  communications  programs  you  can 
also  save  your  QSOs  as  a  file  on  disk  or 
floppy.  For  those  of  you  who  don't  already 
have  a  communications  program,  a  public 
domain  program  that  emulates  a  dumb  ter- 
minal will  be  supplied  along  with  the  source 
code  for  this  project. 

Construction 

There  are  three  ways  you  can  build  this 
project: 

First,  you  can  "prototype  it"  using  the  perf 
board  and  wire  wrap  method. 

Second,  you  can  buy  an  SBC  (Single 
Board  Computer)  kit  from  Suncoast  Tech- 
nologies {see  the  Parts  List).  The  kit  comes 


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40  73  Amateur  Radio  Today  •  February.  1 994 


with  the  basic  computer  pans,  i.e.  CPU, 
latch,  RS232  chip,  crystal,  caps,  sockets,  and 
PC  board.  The  PC  board  has  enough  room 
on  it  to  mount  the  power  supply  and  I/O 
pans.  Also,  as  a  bonus,  you  get  a  disk  with 
id  I  the  programs  you  need  lo  write  your  own 
803 1  programs.  That  is  how  this  project  was 
developed. 

Finally,  you  can  use  the  PC  board  de- 
signed for  this  project.  The  boani  is  single- 
sided,  making  it  possible  lo  home-brew 
should  you  desire.  AH  the  pans  can  be  found 
between  JDR  Microdeviccs  and  Radio 
Shack. 

Piea&c  note  that  IC2  and  IC3  have  pin  1 
facing  "down"  and  thai  there  are  16  wire 
jumpers  on  the  board.  Use  #24  stranded  wire 
to  connect  the  various  switches  and  jacks  to 
the  board,  If  possible,  use  1/8  watt  resistors 
as  they  will  fit  the  board  better  than  1/4  watt. 


Sum 

mary  of  Keyboard  Commands 

+ 

Go  to  transmit 

I 

Go  to  receive 

■ 

Enter  message  mode 

@ 

Transmit  message 

# 

Set  10  wpm  speed 

$ 

Set  1 3  wpm  speed 

% 

Set  15  wpm  speed 

A 

Set  17  wpm  speed 

& 

Set  20  wpm  speed 

I 

Doubles  code  spacing 

Resets  to  normal  spacing 

Parts  List 

*  ici 

8031 

8-btl  controller 

*    IC2 

74LS573 

Octal  bus  latch 

1    IC3 

2764 

8K  EPROM 

*     IC4 

MAX232  or  TPC232 

RS232  interface 

*    IC5 

7805 

Heat  sink  for  regulator 

SV-to-220  voltage  regulator 

!       Q1 

T1P42 

TO-220  PNP  power  transistor 

02.4 

2N3906 

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73  Amateur  Radio  Today  *  February,  1994  41 


The  7805  voltage  regulator  requires 
a  small  heal  sink. 

As  this  is  a  digital  device,  it  should 
be  mounted  in  a  mcial  box  and  bypass 
caps  added  at  all  the  input  and  out- 
put jacks,  This  keeps  RF1  from  your 
transmitter  from  getting  into  the 
A.M.C.I.  and  RFI  from  getting  out  of 
it.  1  built  mine  into  a  Radio  Shack 
#270-253  box. 

If  you  add  the  speed-indicating 
LEDs  it  would  be  a  good  idea  to  mount 
them  on  a  small  strip  of  perf  board. 

You  can  build  in  an  AC  supply  like  1 
did  or  use  one  of  the  9  VDC,  500  mA 
wall-mount  plug-in  type  supplies  that 
are  so  common  today.  Don't  forget  to 
jumper  pins  4^  6.  and  8  together  on  ihc 
DB9  jack.  If  you  don't,  your  computer 
will  not  recognize  that  there  is  a  device 
connected  to  it  I  mounted  the  DB9  jack 
on  the  back  of  the  box  and  used  a 
shielded  femalc-io-male  DB9  extension 
cable  between  my  computer  and  the 
A.M.CX 

The  front  panel  artwork  was  created 
on  my  computer  and  copied  onto 
Graphic  Applique  film,  using  a  tech- 
nique described  by  Marion  Kitchens 
K4GOK  in  the  May  1993  issue  of  73. 

If  you  don't  need  the  sidetone  you 
might  want  to  add  a  switch  to  switch  in 
or  out  the  beeper.  This  way  you  can  use 
the  A.M.C.L  as  a  code  practice  genera- 
tor. Just  about  anyone  can  send  code  to 
you  using  the  keyboard,  A  good  two- 
finger  hunt-and-peck  typist  will  have 
no  problem  even  at  20  wpm.  Or  you 
can  record  the  code  on  a  tape  recorder 
for  practice  later. 

Getting  the  Program  Code 

One  of  the  problems  with  building  a 
computer  project  like  this  one  is  getting 
the  program  code,  [t  is  not  practical  to 
publish  the  program  code  in  the  maga* 
zine,  so  you  will  just  have  to  send  away 
for  it  or  download  it  with  your  modem 
from  the  73  BBS  (603-924-9343). 

A  3-1V2"  disk  with  the  assembly 
source  code  listing,  INTEL  HEX  file, 
binary  flic  and  the  dumb  terminal  pro- 
gram called  THE  TERMINAL"  is 
available  from  me  for  S3  postpaid  (Box 
140,  Gorham  NH  03581).  If  you  can't 
blast  your  own  ROMs,  I  can  also  sup- 
ply a  preprogrammed  27C64  EPROM 
along  with  the  disk  for  $10. 

Last  Words 

Since  the  only  mode  I  work  is  CW. 
this  project  has  been  very  handy.  No 
longer  do  I  use  up  reams  of  paper,  and 
my  fingers  don't  gel  numb  from  having 
a  death  grip  on  the  pencil  I  hope  this 
project  helps  you  to  get  more  use  out  of 
your  computer  and  enjoy  CW  more  of- 
ten. So  if  you've  never  had  anyone  tell 
you  "great  fist — pleasure  to  copy,"  this 
project  is  perfect  for  you!  Let's  all  help 
keep  CW  alive  and  well. 


ASCII 
ymoRsE 


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73  Amateur  Radio  Today  •  February,  1 994  43 


Number  8  on  your  Feedback  card 


Standardize  Your 
Microphone  Connectors 

A  one-plug-fits-ali  solution  you  can  easily  build. 


by  Klaus  Spies  WB9YBM 


My  initial  reason  for  standardizing  the 
microphone  connectors  on  all  of  my 
transceivers  was  to  allow  interchangeability 
of  home-brew  station  accessories  among  my 
radios.  It  also  occurred  to  me  that,  in  the 
event  of  a  microphone  failure  during  emer- 
gency communications,  being  able  to  grab 


MIC     SMUTCH 


CVft    pTT"> 


Figure  L  Typical  microphone  switch  in  a  CB 
transceiver. 


si 

MIC    PTT 


*:<*iwu 


rrn> 


Figure  2.  Microphone  PTT  switch  for  most 
ham  transceivers. 


the  nearest  convenient  microphone  (and 
having  it  work  right  away)  would  also  be  a 
big  advantage. 

A  Look  at  Connectors 

Older  radios  in  my  shack  had  three-pin 

connectors,  while  the  majority  of  more  mod- 
em radios  have  four  pins,  with  the  fourth  pin 
being  unused.  Standardizing  to  the  more 
modern  four-pin  connector  made  I  he  most 
sense,  since  the  older  three-pin  connectors 
are  not  commonly  available.  The  four-pin 
connectors  can  be  found  at  most  pans  stores, 
humfests.  and  the  like. 

Having  the  fourth  pin  unused  turned  out 
to  be  a  blessing  in  disguise.  When  requiring 
a  signal  from  the  squelch  to  trigger  a  tape 
recorder  (for  logging),  or  to  enable  the  PTT 
of  another  transceiver  in  a  link,  it  was  very 
easy  to  build  and  install  an  interface  circuit 
right  inside  of  the  radio  (see  page  27  of  the 
December  1988  issue  of  73).  That  signal 
could  be  conveniently  brought  out  through 
pin  four. 

A  Look  at  Wiring 

Deciding  beforehand  on  the  wiring 


Si 

MIC    PTT 


2N2222 


■ffiH> 


— 2-EC35a3SZE> 


€2Z> 


«-g.r> 


U1B 

4Q69 


Figure  3,  With  a  standard  microphone  switch,  this  circuit  will  interface  to  most  CB 
transceivers. 

44  73  Amateur  Radio  Today*  February,  1994 


scheme  is  helpful  In  my  case,  the  determin- 
ing factor  was  my  HF  rig;  because  it  seems 
like  the  most  complex  rig  in  my  shack,  it 
was  the  transceiver  1  was  least  likely  to  open 
up  and  modify.  Using  pins  one  through  three 
as  ground,  audio,  and  PTT,  leaves  pin  four 
open  for  accessories,  putting  the  least  impor- 
tant function  last.  The  order  of  the  other 
three  is  not  really  important  as  long  as 
there's  consistency  in  the  entire  hamshuck. 

The  only  fly  in  the  ointment  is  with  con- 
verted CB  transceivers.  Even  those  that  work 
with  the  microphone  removed  (some  older 
ones  do  not)  had  microphone  switches  that 
were  DPDT,  one  side  toggling  the  PTT  to 
ground,  the  other  toggling  some  point  in  the 
transceiver  between  the  microphone  and  the 
receiver  circuit  (Figure  i  shows  the  typical 
cxampie  of  this).  By  comparison,  the  stan- 
dard switching  of  amateur  gear  is  a  bit  more 
straightforward  (see  Figure  2). 

Figure  3  shows  how  a  CB  can  be  made  to 
operate  with  a  typical  ham  microphone.  If 
the"RCVR  ENABLE*  of  Figure  1  (the  N,C 
on  Figure  3)  is  connected  to  anywhere  but 
ground,  connect  pin  4  of  Ul  there,  instead  of 
ground  (the  same  holds  true  for  RCVR  DIS- 
ABLE on  Figure  1  and  N.O.  and  pin  I !  on 
Figure  3). 

Unused  gates  of  the  ICs  should  be  con- 
nected to  +12V  or  ground,  as  convenient,  I 
installed  the  circuits  1  built  right  into  my 
transceivers,  as  far  as  possible  from  the 
transmitters7  final  amplifier.  This  ensures 
good  shielding  of  the  circuits  from  the  RF  in 
the  hamshack,  and  avoids  the  high  RF  in  the 
rigs1  PA. 


406* 

U1D 

3 

4063 

8  1 

r^40I6_ 

9 

4. 

ft 

4  0&9 

rS>cA2_ 

p'OMimi 

PIN    14    5    -1-12V 

PIM        7     =    CHD                            "== 

OOTH    I. c.o 

4069 

Figure  4.  Unused  gates  should  be  connected 
to  +721/  or  ground. 


I 


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I 


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Folding  Three-Element 

2  Meter  Quad 

Finds  fox,  folds,  fits  in  trunk. 

by  John  E.  Myers  WX8G 


I've  been  interested  in  radio  direction  find- 
ing for  about  six  years  and  I've  always  had 
good  results  with  my  home-brew  five-ele- 
ment yagL  Its  shortcoming,  however,  was 
that  it  was  loo  big  to  fit  into  the  trunk  of  our 
car,  Td  been  reading  about  the  quad  vs.  yagi 
debate  (73  Magazine,  January  1989:  "Quads 
vs.  Yagis  for  Fox  Hunting";  by  Joe  Moell 
RE.,  K0OV)  and  had  decided  to  try  a  quad. 
I  knew  lhat  it  would  work  well  for  radio  di- 
rection finding,  but  it  wouldn't  fit  in  our  car 
So,  I  figured  that  with  a  little  extra  effort,  a 
folding  quad  would  not  be  too  difficult  to 
build. 

The  folding  three-element  quad  is  de- 
signed to  work  well  across  the  entire  2  meter 
band,  and  has  excellent  gain  and  froni-io- 
back  ratio,  as  well  as  good  side  rejection.  It 
is  also  easily  folded,  and  unfolds  in  a  matter 
of  seconds.  Yes,  I  said  seconds.  The  secret  to 
the  folding  quad  is  a  notch  in  the  boom 
which  the  driven  element  drops  into  when 
unfolded.  The  driven  element  is  mounted  to 
the  boom  with  a  spring- loaded  bolt  (see  Fig- 
ure 3)  which  holds  it  firmly  in  position.  To 
fold  the  quad,  you  simply  hold  the  boom 
with  your  hand  while  pushing  up  with  your 
thumb.  When  the  support  for  the  driven  ele- 
ment clears  the  notch,  you  simply  fold  it  up. 
The  elements  are  connected  together  with  a 
tie  rod  which  keeps  them  parallel  to  one  an- 
other. In  its  folded  position,  the  folding  quad 
easily  fits  into  the  trunk  of  the  average  com- 
pact car,  which  makes  it  ideal  for  fox  hunt- 


Phoio  A,  Pant  NHIAK  shows  her  pleasure 
with  the  folding  quad. 


ing.  You  should  have  no  trouble  building 
this  antenna  in  just  a  few  evenings,  for  less 
than  $20. 

Using  the  dimensions  shown  in  Figures  I 
and  2,  I  cut  all  the  supports  and  the  boom 
from  a  piece  of  construction-grade  southern 
pine.  The  notch  in  the  boom  is  very  impor- 
tant. When  not  folded,  the  support  for  the 


driven  element  rests  in  this  notch.  I  recom- 
mend cutting  the  support  for  the  driven  ele- 
ment, and  finishing  it  first.  Then,  using  it  as 
a  cutting  guide,  make  the  notch  in  the  boom. 
The  fit  should  be  as  close  as  possible,  with- 
out being  too  tight  when  the  quad  is  unfold- 
ed. After  the  pieces  are  cut  and  drilled,  sand 
them  smooth  and  finish  them  with  at  least 
two  coats  of  varnish. 

The  elements  are  made  of  1/8"  brazing 
rod.  It  is  readily  available,  rigid,  and  easily 
bent — with  the  help  of  a  propane  torch.  I 
used  eight  36"  lengths  to  complete  this  pro- 
ject (if  brazing  rod  is  too  expensive  or  hard 
Lo  find,  try  12-gauge  aluminum  ground  wire. 
It's  cheaper  and  easier  to  work  with,  but  not 
as  rigid).  To  bend  the  brazing  rod.  clamp  it 
into  a  vise,  heat  it  until  if  s  almost  red  hot  (a 
propane  torch  will  do  fine),  and  bend  it  v-e- 
r-y  gently,  Take  your  time,  practice  on  some 
scrap  rod  first,  and  remember:  measure 
twice,  bend  once. 

Refer  to  Figure  2  for  the  dimensions  of 
each  element.  1  found  it  easiest  to  make  my 
first  bend  before  inserting  the  rod  through 
the  hole  in  the  support.  Since  it  takes  a  little 
more  than  two  rods  for  each  element,  you'll 
need  a  union  to  join  the  rods  to  one  another. 
I  use  a  union  thaL  1  made  from  some  small- 
diameter  copper  tubing  lhat  I  bought  at  my 
local  auto  parts  store.  With  pipe  cutters,  I  cut 
off  a  piece  about  an  inch  long  and  drilled  it 
large  enough  to  accept  the  brazing  rod.  To 

Continued  on  page  50 


-  11,5" 


11.5" 


[|  J3/4 


25" 


u 


10 


I    \o         0/     I 


9' 


5/8" 


A 

B 

Reflector     10-7/8' 

21-3/4" 

Driven  element 

10-5/16' 

20-5/8" 

Director        9-13/16* 

19-5/8" 

Make  each  support  about  7  inch  longer  than  the  B  measurement.  Make  the 
holes  large  enough  that  the  brazing  rod  fits  snugly,  and  can  be  pushed 
through  with  just  a  liffle  effort. 


Figure  L  The  boom:  Cut  and  drill  as  shown. 
46  73  Amateur  Radio  Today*  February,  1994 


Figure  2.  Dimension  table  for  the  quad. 


fti~.  .* 


.V/v? 


'&*  ! BULLETIN: 


February,  1994 

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from  All  the  Gang 

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Folding  Three-Element  2  meter  Quad       continued /mm  page  46 


Bolt 


n— n 


Washer 


Spring 


Washer 


Nuts 


Tie  Rod 


Boom 


*C 


11.5" 


11*5* 


2511 


Figure  4,  Top  view  of  the  folding  quad.  The  spacing  shown  is  0. 15 
wavelength 


Figute  3.  Close-up  of  the  spring  loaded  bolt  which  makes  up  the  pivot 
point  of  the  quad. 


Elements 
Attach    Here 

i 

Mounting 
Holes             ^ 

o 

O           O 

o 

0                O 

o 

o            o 

1                     ^  Bend   1 

Elements 

Attach    Here 

Here 

Figure  5.  He  rod— this  is  made  from  a  thin  piece  of  wood.  The  only 

dimension  that  is  important  is  the  one  listed,  Its  purpose  is  to  tie  Figure  &  Feed-point  bracket.  Mount  $0-239  on  the  right  side.  Mount 

the  elements  together,  and  keep  them  in  alignment,  while  folded  and  to  the  face  of  the  bracket,  using  6-32"  x  3/8"  holts,  attached  from 

unfolded.  behind.  Run  jumpers  from  SO-239  to  the  elements  (see  text). 


join  the  rods,  shine  up  the  ends  with  steel 
wool.  Insert  the  rods  into  the  ends  of  the 
union  and  solder  them  in  place.  You  can  use 
a  torch  for  this,  but  I've  had  better  results 
with  a  high-wattage  soldering  gun. 

The  construction  of  the  driven  element  is 
just  a  little  different  from  the  others.  First* 
remember  not  to  close  the  loop  on  the  driven 
element.  Leave  it  open  at  the  feed-point 
bracket.  The  feed-point  bracket  is  pretty 
simple.  I  look  a  piece  of  scrap  plastic  (1.5"  x 
4"  x  3/16"  thick),  warmed  it  until  it  was 
pliable,  and  bent  it  at  a  90-degree  anele. 
Then  I  drilled  as  shown  in  Figure  5,  mount- 
ed the  SO-239*  and  mounted  the  assembly  to 
the  support,  using  screws.  The  driven  ele- 
ment is  attached  lo  the  Feed-point  bracket 
with  nuts  and  bolts.  1  soldered  electrical 
crimp-type  ring  connectors  to  the  ends  of  the 
elements  to  make  a  cleaner  connection.  An- 
other way  would  be  to  bend  ends  into  a  loop 
bis  enoueh  to  insert  a  bolt  through. 

Insert  the  bolt  through  the  center  of  the 
support,  and,  using  a  bit  of  RTV  compound, 
or  cpoxy,  glue  the  bolt  to  the  support. 

Now  that  the  elements  are  finished,  it's 
time  to  assemble  the  quad.  First,  using  Fig- 
ure 4  as  a  guide,  attach  the  elements  to  the 
boom,  paying  special  attention  to  the  spring 
and  washer  placement  on  the  driven  ele- 


ment. Next,  attach  the  tie  rod.  This  should 
comptetc  the  mechanical  assembly  of  the 
folding  quad.  After  the  matching  is  done. 
and  you're  satisfied  with  the  operation,  ap- 
ply a  bit  of  RTV  10  the  end  of  all  the  bolts  to 
keep  the  nuts  from  coming  undone. 

1  had  very  little  trouble  matching  the 
quad.  I  took  all  my  measurements  outdoors, 
using  an  HT  and  a  VHF  SWR  meter.  To 
match  the  quad.  I  simply  varied  the  length  of 
the  jumper  wires  between  the  ends  of  the 
driven  element  and  the  SO-239  connector 
Once  matched,  the  SWR  was  acceptable 
across  the  whole  band  1  found  that  a  differ- 
ence of  only  a  half  inch  can  be  significant. 
The  trick  that  worked  best  for  me  was  to 
make  the  jumper  about  4"  long,  then  attach 
one  end  to  the  SO-239  and  an  alligator  clip 
to  the  other  end.  I  then  attached  the  alligator 
clip  to  the  element  and.  using  trial  and  error, 
slid  the  clip  back  and  forth  along  the  ele- 
ment until  I  found  the  perfect  match.  When 
you  find  this  point*  measure  the  length  of  the 
element  between  the  clip  and  the  point 
where  the  element  attaches  to  the  feed- point 
bracket.  Subtract  this  from  the  length  of 
your  jumper  wire.  The  result  will  give  you 
the  length  of  your  jumper  wire  between  the 
mounting  bracket  and  the  SO-239. 

All  done?  Great!  Now,  insert  the  U-bolts 


through  the  boom,  then  insert  the  mast.  Now 
you're  ready  for  the  next  fox  hunt. 

Field  tests  were  encouraging,  and  wherev- 
er I  go  the  folding  quad  generates  a  lot  of 
questions.  So  far  the  quad  has  been  used  in 
enough  hunts  to  tell  me  that  I  probably 
won't  go  back  to  a  yagi  anytime  soon. 


Parts  List 

1  Z  x  4'  x  BA  pine  stud 
8  36"  brazing  rods 

1  foot  copper  tubing  (see  text) 

2  U  bolts 

1  broom  handle  (mast) 

1  1 .5"  x  4"  piec9  of  plastic  for  the  feed  point 

1  SO-239  (Radio  Shack  part  #278-199) 

2  10-24x2.5"  screws 

3  10-24  x  1.25*  screws 

1  1/4x4-1/2"  screw 
6  6-32  x  3/8"  screws 

2  4x1/2"  wood  screws 
5  #10  washers 

2  1/4*  washers 

5  1 0-24  nuts 

2  1/4x20  nuts 

1  spring  (available  at  your  local  home  center) 

2  6-32  nuts 

5  Ring  terminals 


50  73  Amateur  Radio  Today*  February,  1994 


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The  10  meter  test  had  started,  and  I  expected  the  band 
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73  Amateur  Radio  Today  February,  1994  51 


73  Review 


Number  10  on  your  F 


05  -d 


by  Steve  Katz  WB2WIK/6 


The  Kenwood  TH-28A 


Kenwood  Communications  Corporation 
Amateur  Radio  Products  Group 
2201  E.  Dominguez  Street 
Long  Beach,  CA  90801  -5745 
Telephone:(3TQ)  639-4200 
Price  Class;  $399 


2  meter  hand-held  transceiver. 


Kenwood  has  done  it  again  by  producing 
a  tinyP  lightweight  and  affordable  VHF 
handheld  that  seems  to  do  everything  welL 
The  TH-28A  is  a  5-1/8"  x  2-1/8*  x  1-3/8"  {H 
x  W  x  D)  do-eve  rything  handie-talkie  that 
weighs  in  at  only  12  ounces,  including  its 
PB-13  standard  nickel-cadmium  battery 
pack.  It  contains  some  interesting  features 
not  previously  available  in  "mini"  HTs« 

For  example,  in  addition  to  covering  the 
2  meter  amateur  band  (144-148  MHz)  with  2 
watts  of  transmitter  power  (using  the  normal- 
ly-supplied  7.2V,  700  mAH  battery  pack),  the 
TH-28A  also  receives  the  public  service  VHF 
band  (136.000  to  173,995  MHz)  FM  as  well 
as  the  VHF  aviation  band  (118.000  to 
136.000  MH2)  AM,  and  is  capable  of  storing 
these  frequencies  In  memory  or  scanning 
through  them,  fust  like  a  high-priced  "scan- 
ner." In  addition,  it  contains  a  "suboand"  re- 
ceiver which  tunes  438  000  to  449.995  MHz, 
thus  covering  the  entire  70  cm  amateur  FM 
subband  (for  reception  only). 

Unlike  many  earlier-generation  HTst  the 
TH-28A  can  be  charged  during  operation, 
as  plugging  in  a  battery-charging  source 
does  not  disable  the  little  rig.  And  it  can  be 
operated  directly  from  a  13.8  VDC  power 
source,  including  the  optional  PB-14  battery 
pack,  or  your  automobile's  cigar  lighter,  or  a 
base-station  power  supply;  and  if  operated 
at  this  higher  voltage,  the  tiny  radio  pro- 
duces 5  watts  power  outputl 

Other  interesting  features  include: 

•40  programmable  memories,  easily  pro- 
grammed with  very  user-friendly  instruc- 
tions, Once  youVe  done  it  the  first  time,  you 
won't  have  to  refer  to  the  instruction  manual 
again! 

■A  well-written  63-page  instruction  manu- 
al to  get  you  going. 

•Built-in  DTMF  tone  pad  and  CTCSS  "PL" 
tones  (39  CTCSS  tones  total)  are  standard. 

•CTCSS  ("PL1*)  tones  as  well  as  TX/RX 
frequency  offsets  are  all  stored  in  each 
memory  for  quick  and  convenient  QSY. 

•The  transmitter  can  operate  at  any  of 
four  power  levels,  from  full  power  down  to 
20  mW  for  line-of-sight  work  and  extended 
battery  life. 

•DTMF  memories  (10  total,  storing  15 
digits  each)  allow  full  "autodial*  operation  lor 
telephone  patching. 

•Programmable  TX  delay  time  to  prevent 

52   73  Amateur  Radio  Today  ■  February,  1 994 


TX  unkeying  during 
autopatch  or  control 
system  dialing. 

•Dual-tone  squelch 
system  is  standard  in 
U.S.  models,  allowing 
DTSS  "paging"  with 
prearranged  signals. 

DTMF  (touch-tone) 
paging  is  also  de- 
signed into  the  TH- 
28A,  allowing  pro- 
grammable paging 
codes  to  Identify  the 
calling  party. 

•Built-in  24~hour 
clock,  accessible  any- 
time you  wish  by 
pressing  F+9  on  the 
front-panet  keypad. 

•To  supplement  the 


clock  function,  it  also  has  a  built-in  electron- 
ic timer  and  alarm— you  can  literally  use  the 
HT  as  an  alarm  clock  if  you  wish! 

•Crossband  operation,  transmitting  on 
144-147.995  MHz  while  receiving  on  438- 
449.995  MHz,  is  possible  by  pressing  the 
F+BAIMD  keys. 

•A  large  (3/16"  alphanumeric)  display 
which  indicates  RX  frequency  on  receive 
and  TX  frequency  on  transmit,  including  a 
full-sized  M5"  digit,  with  back  illumination 
available  by  depressing  the  "LAMP"  button, 
is  easy  to  read  day  or  night. 

■In  the  VFO  mode,  any  frequency  within 
its  coverage  range  may  be  programmed  di- 
rectly using  the  front  panel  keypad,  (For  ex- 
ample, to  dial  up  y  146.520"  MHz,  you'd  sim- 
ply push  the  "VFO"  button,  followed  by  4-6- 
5-2-0  and  you're  there!) 

•Battery  voltage  ts  monitored  and  dis- 
played every  time  you  transmit,  so  charge 
state  can  be  determined  in  advance  of  the 
unit  "running  out  of  gas," 

•With  its  Battery  Saver  function  on  (this  is 
a  default),  battery  life  is  incredibly  long:  The 
standard  PB-13  seems  to  last  more  than  24 
hours  (RX  only)  or  eight  hours  of  TX/RX  in 
the  "low*  power  mode  (500  mW  output)  with 
50%  duty  cycle;  it  Easts  about  five  hours  in 
"high"  power  (2  watts  output)  with  50%  duty 
cycle.  This  is  long  enough  for  almost  any- 
body. The  rig  gives  you  sufficient  warning 
that  the  battery  is  running  down  so  you  can 
switch  to  a  charged  spare. 

That's  Not  All 

Sound  like  enough  features?  There's 
more.  The  TH-28A's  "on/off  power  switch  is 
electronic,  and  is  a  recessed  press-switch 
which  is  not  easily  depressed  accidentally; 
but  even  if  it  were  momentarily  depressed, 
this  would  not  turn  the  unit  on,  as  the  button 
must  be  depressed  for  more  than  one  full 
second  before  it  functions.  This  is  a  good 
feature — it  saves  the  battery  pack  from  in- 
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you  need  to  hear  a  station  too  weak  to 
break  the  TH-28A's  squelch  setting,  or  one 
lacking  the  proper  CTCSS  tone  if  your  unit 
is  set  in  the  PL  RX  mode,  rather  than  ad- 


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73  Amateur  Radio  Today  *  February,  1994  53 


justing  the  squelch  or  reprogramming  the  rig 
you  may  simply  press  the  "MONT  button, 
which  immediately  breaks  the  receiver 
squelch  and  lets  anything  on  frequency 
come  pouring  right  through.  Nice! 

The  TH-28A's  16-digit  front-pane t  keypad 
may  be  a  bit  smalt,  but  the  buttons  are 
clearly  labeled,  and  spaced  adequately  for 
my  blundering  touch,  Possibly  a  man  with 
really  huge  hands  would  have  some  difficul- 
ty, but  he'd  be  the  exception.  The  most-used 
controls,  like  "POWER,"  "MR,"  "VFO"  and 
"VOL.1"  are  quite  large  and  easy  to  handle 
for  just  about  anyone. 

The  rig's  frequency  steps  are  pro- 
grammable from  5  to  25  kHz/step.  Every 
single  memory  (00-39,  a  total  of  40  are 
standard)  is  capable  of  storing  every  piece 
of  information  that  could  possibly  be  need- 
ed, and  alt  will  accommodate  "odd  splits* 
(i.e.,  TX/RX  frequency  offsets  that  are  not 
standard).  Even  some  higher-priced,  much 
larger  mobile  rigs  can't  do  that.  Also,  the 
MEM  memory  expansion  option  will  fit  the 
TH-28A  to  add  200  more  memory  channels 
to  the  unit,  for  a  whopping  240  memories,  I 
can't  think  of  anyone  who  could  possibly  fill 
alt  those  up  with  anything  useful,  but  it  might 
be  fun  to  try, 

ff  you'd  prefer  to  display  information  other 
than  the  memory  channel  frequencies,  the 


TH-28A  is  capable  of  displaying  anything  up 
to  six  characters  long  for  each  memory 
channel.  These  notations  can  include  the 
numerals  0-9  as  well  as  the  letters  A~Z.  SoH 
if  you'd  rather  remember  your  favorite  local 
repeater  as  "BOZO"  instead  of  147.885 


"The  TH-28A's  16-digit 

front-panel  keypad 

may  be  a  bit  small,  but 

the  buttons  are  clearly 

labeled,  and  spaced 

adequately  for  my 

blundering  touch. 


ft 


MHz,  the  rig  can  be  programmed  to  display 
the  name  instead  of  the  frequency,  This 
function  is  addressed  by  one  of  the  many 
"power  up"  commands;  in  this  case,  it's  MR 
+  POWER  that  selects  the  alphanumeric 
menu. 

The  TH-28A's  scanning  functions  can  be 
either  time-operated  or  carrier-operated, 
and  it's  capable  of  scanning  memories: 
memories  excluding  "locked  out"  ones;  an 


Table  1.  Performance  Measurements  vs.  Specifications 
Kenwood  TH-28A  2  Meter  Hand-Held  Transceiver 

Transmitter 

Output  power  with  standard  PS- 13 12  v  700  mAH  battery  pack: 
Specified  Hkjh  2W  Measured  2.6W 

Med  N/A  ?1W 

Low  0.5W  0.45W 

EL  O02W  0.02W 


Receiver 

Sensitivity: 

Specified 


Less  than  0,1  jiV  squelch  threshold 
Less  than  0.18  ^V  for  12  dB  SJNAD 


0£  fiV  @  146.000  MHz 
0*3  \N  ©  146,000  MHz 


Other  characteristics  are  unspecified,  but  we  measured  as  follows: 


20  dB  quieting  sensitivity 


*DFQ"  sensitivity  (no  discernible  noise) 


Aircraft  band  performance:  AM  mode 
12dBSlNAD 


0.35  hV®  146.000  MHz 
0,35  jaV@  138.000  MHz 
1.05  uV  @  173.995  MHz 
3.00  ^iV  &  146.000  MHz 
3.25  fiV  9  138.000MHZ 
8.75  mV  ©  173.995  MHz 

1,80  mV  @  118.000  MHz 
0.45  uV  @  136.000  MHz 


Subband  band  performance:  433-450  MHz  FM 

1 2  dB  SINAD  1 .05  ^V  ©  438,000  MHz 

1.20 gV  ©449.995  MHz 
Receiver  limiting:  Excellent.  50%  AM  modulation  at  400  Hz  modulation  fate  produces  zero  discernible 
demodulation,  even  down  to  squelch  threshold. 
Adjacent  channel  rejection: 

For  1  dB  desensitjzation  48  dB  ©  15  kHz,  146,01 5  MHz 

Out-of-band  desense  114  dB  @  10  MHz,  156.000  MHz 

Notation:  TH-28A  RX  "S"  meter  is  a  seven-segment  LCD  bargraph;  segments  1,  2  and  3  illuminate  in- 
dividually, but  then  segments  four  and  five  illuminate  together  and  segments  Six  and  seven  illuminate 
together.  Thus,  the  "seven-unit  display*  realty  only  displays  five  increments  or  incremental  changes. 

General 

Frequency  accuracy:  Unspecified.  Measured  to  be  +800  Hz  @  146.000  MHz,  The  "offset"  fs  precise; 
thus  any  offset  frequency  is  also  +800  Hz.  This  is  bound  to  vary  a  bit  from  unit  to  unit  and  will  be 
affected  by  ambient  temperature  and  age  of  the  unit, 


entire  band;  a  portion  of  an  entire  ban*  a  1 
MHz  range  of  your  choice;  a  combination  of 
the  VFO  and  the  last-used  memory  channel; 
a  combination  of  the  VFO  and  the  CALL 
channel  (more  on  this  later);  VFO  +  last 
memory  used  +  CALL  channel;  and  it's  ca- 
pable of  scanning  either  "'up"  or  "down"  the 
band,  with  reversal  of  the  direction  driven  by 
a  single  click  of  the  tuning  control  Whew! 

The  CALL  channel,  which  would  normally 
be  your  favorite  one,  is  programmed  using 
the  M  +  CALL  keys,  and  then  recalled  with  a 
single  touch  of  the  CALL  key  thereafter. 
This  allows  you  "instant  QSY"  to  the  CALL 
channel  in  memory,  any  time  you  wish,  by 
pressing  a  singlB,  large,  front-panel  key 

The  unit's  TX  frequency  offset  is  pro- 
grammed per  the  ARBL  Band  Plan  for  2 
meters,  and  This  is  the  normal  default  How- 
ever, the  preprogrammed  offset  can  be 
overridden  with  another  "power  up"  function, 
in  this  case  CALL  +  POWER.  Any  offset 
from  0  to  99,9  MHz  in  100  kHz  increments 
may  be  selected  manually  and  retained  in 
memory  for  continuous  use  if  you  wish. 

As  with  most  modern  handie-talkies,  the 
TH-28A  comes  equipped  with  a  "LOCK* 
function  {in  this  case,  a  slide  switch)  which 
turns  off  all  controls  except  LAMP,  MON! 
and  PTT  to  prevent  inadvertent  reprogram- 
ming or  GSY  It  also  comes  standard  wfth  an 
AOpowered  "wall  charger"  (15  hours  to  fufly 
recharge  a  depleted  battery  pack),  a  belt 
clip  (removable),  carrying  strap,  flexible 
"rubber  duckie"  antenna,  and  a  standard 
nickel-cadmium  rechargeable  battery  pack. 

The  antenna  connector  is  a  standard 
BNC  receptacle  (thank  goodness— no 
weirdo  plugs  required),  and  even  with  the 
flexible  antenna  installed  the  overall  height 
of  the  TH-28A  comes  to  nine  inches:  Still  a 
"pocket  rocket*4  to  be  sure.  Optional  acces- 
sories available  (but  not  normally  supplied 
with  the  radio)  include:  a  speaker  mike 
SMC-33  which  features  remote  program- 
ming functions;  the  memory  expansion  unit 
ME-1  discussed  earlier;  a  battery  case  BT-8 
to  hold  alkaline  batteries;  a  12  volt  nickel- 
cadmium  battery  pack,  PB-14,  rated  at  300 
mAH,  which  allows  5  watt  operation  (but  not 
for  long!);  a  clip  microphone  with  earphone, 
EMC-1 ;  a  full-blown  headset  with  VOX  or 
PTT  for  transmit  control,  Model  HMC-2;  a 
base-stand  rapid  charger  BC-15,  which  will 
recharge  the  NiCd  battery  packs  in  only  one 
hour;  a  water-resistant  bag  WR~2  to  alfow 
operation  in  the  swamps(J);  a  choice  of  soft 
cases.  SC-33  for  the  PB-13  standard  bat- 
tery pack  or  SC-34  to  accommodate  the 
taller  PB-14  pack;  a  filtered  cigar  lighter  plug 
and  cable,  PG-3F;  a  fused  power  cord  and 
connector  for  use  with  external  7,2  to  13.8 
VDC  power  supplies,  Model  PG-2W;  and 
even  a  *  swivel  mount*  for  using  the  talkie  as 
a  mobile  rig,  Model  BH-6.  Good  grief — no 
end  of  accessories  for  this  little  unit. 

Performance 

OK,  OK  already — how  does  the  darned 
thing  work?  Like  a  charm!  Its  tiny  speaker 
produces  room-fifitng  volume,  although  lack- 


54  73  Amateur  Radio  Today  February,  1 994 


ing  great  fidelity  (an  external  speaker  is  a 
must  for  serious  mobile  work),  and  its  inter- 
nal microphone  brings  on  reports  of  "won- 
derluf  and  natural-sounding  modulation 
from  nearly  everyone  contacted.  Once  pro- 
grammed with  active,  local  channels,  the  lit- 
tle radio  is  a  real  pleasure  to  use,  I  keep 
one  memory  programmed  for  the  local 
NOAA  weather  station  on  162.550  MHz 
(available  in  most  parts  of  the  country)  and 
get  my  WX  reports  even  before  the  local 
news  stations.  Around  here,  they  even  re- 
port local  surfing  conditions,  real  handy  for 
those  so  inclined.  I  use  another  memory  set 
to  a  CHP  (highway  patrol)  frequency  to  lis- 
ten for  reports  of  traffic  accidents  and  routes 
best  avoided  until  they're  cleaned  up.  (Note: 
In  some  states  it  is  a  violation  of  local  laws 
to  have  a  receiver  capable  of  monitoring  po- 
lice frequencies  in  your  car.  These  "scanner 
laws*  are  thankfully  being  abolished  in  some 
states  that  had  them  for  years,  but  check  to 
see  if  it's  OK  to  use  a  scanning  receiver  in 
your  area.  If  it's  not  and  you're  caught  using 
one,  the  rig  might  be  confiscated'  Unbeliev- 
able, but  ifs  happened.) 

Most  modern  transceivers  for  VHF-FM 
(handhelds  and  mobiles  alike)  are  highly 
sensitive,  but  not  terribly  selective  against 
adjacent-channel  or  out-of-band  interfer- 
ence. This  is  especially  true  of  those  rigs 
which  have  wide-coverage  receivers  that 
tune  beyond  the  ham-band  limits,  like  the 
TH-28A.  This  usually  doesn't  present  a 
problem  when  the  "talkie"  is  used  with  a 
less-than-zero  gain  "rubber  duckie"  anten- 
na, as  received  signals  will  never  be  all  that 
strong,  but  it  can  be  a  pain  when  such  re- 
ceivers are  used  with  gam  antenna  systems 
on  the  car  or  at  home.  As  such,  I  thought  it 
would  be  important  to  make  some  bench 
tests  on  the  TH-28A  to  determine  just  how 
much  rejection  it  offers  to  adjacent  chan- 
nels, distant  channels,  and  out-of-band  sig- 
nals. This  data  is  reported,  along  with  other 
measurements  I  made,  in  Table  1  ♦ 

All  Things  Considered 

It  should  be  noted,  and  I've  written  this 
many  times,  that  portable  hand-held 
transceivers  were  intended  to  be  used  that 
way  and  not  as  permanent  mobile  or  base 
stations.  It  is  impossible  to  squeeze  full- 
scale  performance  into  a  1 5-cubic-inch  ra- 
dio, especially  considering  that  4-1/2  cubic 
inches  of  that  radio  are  consumed  by  the 
battery  pack,  and  another  3-1/2  cubic  inch- 
es are  consumed  by  packaging  (case  and 
knobs).  This  leaves  exactly  7  cubic  inches 
for  all  the  radio  circuitry!  To  put  this  in  per- 
spective, a  pack  of  cigarettes  has  about  the 
same  volume  (7  cubic  inches).  Consider 
that  the  HT's  electronic  "works"  must  all  fit 
completely  inside  a  pack  of  regular  (not  ex- 
tra long,  or  "100  mm")  cigarettes.  This  in- 
cludes the  frequency  synthesizer;  memory 
module;  all  receiver  preamp,  mixer  and  dis- 
criminator functions;  all  transmitter  buffer, 
multiplier,  driver  and  final  amplifiers  and 
heat  sink;  a  powerful  audio  amplifier,  speak- 
er and  microphone;  Interconnections;  T/R 


switching;  J/O  ports;  and  controls.  1tfs  quite  a 
lot  to  jam  into  a  pack  of  cigarettes,  and 
doesn't  leave  much  room  for  such  frills  as 
narrowband  helical  resonators  in  the  receiv- 
er front  end,  muUipole  crystal  filters  in  the 
receiver  IF,  multiple  receive  conversion 

"  . ,  It's  hard  to  beat  a 

"handle"  for  portable/field 

work,  hikes  in  the  woods, 

camping,  biking,  skiing, 

boating  and  similar 

temporary  exercises, 

or  carrying  around  at  the 

local  swap  meet 


stages  with  "up  conversion"  to  help  reduce 
spurious  responses  and  images,  and  so 
forth. 

The  TH-2SA,  like  most  small  HTs,  gets 
quite  warm  during  extended  transmission 
periods,  running  at  its  normal  power  level 
of  2  watts  output.  It  gets  bloody  uncomfort- 
able when  running  5  watts  output,  and 
makes  me  wonder  how  long  it  can  really 
last  at  this  power  level  without  failure.  HTs 
were  not  designed  to  support  long  "rag- 
chews,"  with  stations  transmitting  for  10 
minutes  at  a  time,  nor  were  they  designed 
to  replace  dedicated  mobile  units,  If  your 


primary  use  for  a  2  meter  rig  is  mobile 
operation,  then  by  all  means  buy  a  mobile 
rig.  If  you  want  a  base  station  rig  for  perma- 
nent home  use,  there  are  plenty  on  the 
market  to  choose  from  (base  rigs  are  iden- 
tifiable by  their  built-in  AC  power  supplies). 
But  it's  hard  to  beat  a  "handle"  for 
portable/field  work,  hikes  in  the  woods, 
camping,  biking,  skiing,  boating  and  similar 
temporary  exercises,  or  carrying  around  at 
the  local  swap  meet  And  they  make  good 
temporary  mobile  rigs  in  a  pinch.  (I  use  an 
HT  in  rental  cars  when  t  travel  out  of  town. 
With  2  watts  and  a  umag-mounr  antenna, 
it's  amazing  what  can  be  worked.)  But  just 
as  magnetic-mount  antennas  are  intended 
for  temporary  installations,  so  are  handie- 
talkies.  You  cannot  expect  mobile  rig  or 
base  station  performance  from  a  12-ounce 
transceiver!  If  you  do,  you're  bound  to  be 
disappointed. 

In  ail,  I  love  the  TH-28A,  No,  it's  not  per- 
fect. I  wish  it  had  fewer  high-tech  features 
and  more  old-fashioned  RF  performance; 
but  then,  I  wish  the  same  of  every  HT  I've 
used.  I'd  gladly  trade  240  memories  for 
some  front-end  filtering,  and  Td  be  willing  to 
accept  a  portable  that's  25%  larger  in  trade 
for  a  triple-conversion  receiver  with  a  1 6- 
pole  IF  filter.  But  Kenwood  knows  what 
they're  doing  and  enjoys  a  huge  worldwide 
market  success.  They're  appealing  to  the 
largest  cross  section  of  users,  and  the  TH- 
28 A  has  a  tot  of  appeal.  Not  only  that,  but 
even  my  XYL  (not  a  ham,  not  even  close) 
thinks  it's  "cute."  Can't  ask  for  much  more 
than  that 


Choosing  a  Handheld 


If  you're  in  the  market  for  a  handhheld, 
consider  these  factors: 

•  All  the  modern  "talkies"  have  good 
transmitters,  ranging  in  output  power  from 
1-1/2  watts  to  about  7  watts.  They  sound 
good  on  the  air.  Power  output  has  more  to 
do  with  battery  power  available  than  any 
other  factor,  and  most  HTs  will  vary  in  out- 
put depending  on  the  battery  pack  used. 
In  general,  the  lower  voltage  but  higher 
current  packs  will  last  much  longer  be- 
tween charges  than  the  higher  voltage, 
lower  current  packs  will.  The  difference 
between  2  watts  and  S  watts  output  is  al- 
most inconsequential,  so  I'd  almost  al- 
ways recommend  running  lower  power 
and  using  the  highest-capacity  (ampere- 
hour  rating)  pack  available.  The  TH-28A 
comes  standard  with  the  PB-13  pack,  rat- 
ed at  700  mAH,  and  Is  an  excellent  com- 
promise  between  output  power  and  oper- 
ating life. 

*  The  primary  differences  among  the 
various  HTs  on  the  market  can  be  found  in 
their  receiver  performance,  features, 
"standard"  accessories,  frequency  cover- 
age, and  ruggedness  and  reliability.  The 
TH-28A's  receive  performance  is  very 
good,  but  the  'talkies"  that  cover  only  the 


2  meter  ham  band  and  have  no  extended 
range  (frequency)  coverage  can  be  a  bit 
better,  since  they  are  more  optimized  for 
the  4  MHz  they  cover.  Unfortunately,  this 
trade-off  is  technology-driven  and  we 
can't  do  much  about  ft  without  greatly  in- 
creasing size,  weight  and  price  of  the 
equipment. 

•  I  may  be  crazy,  but  to  test  the  rugged- 
ness of  the  TH-28A  I  put  it  through  a  short 
series  of  environmental  stress  tests 
(which  may  void  the  warranty,  so  I  don't 
recommend  you  do  the  same).  I  have  ac- 
cess to  mechanical  shock  and  vibration 
testers,  and  also  85/85  environmental 
stress  chambers  (i.e.,  85%  relative  humid- 
ity at  85  degrees  C  ambient  temperature), 
at  my  work  location.  I  subjected  the  TH* 
28A  to  shock  and  vibration  as  follows:  50g 
mechanical  shock  in  all  three  axes  with  a 
10  mS  shock  pulse  width;  50g  vibration 
with  rotating  polarity;  and  85/85  RH/temp 
testing  for  24  hours.  The  HT  worked  OK 
after  such  stress  testing,  which  is  quite 
severe  for  consumer  electronic  equip- 
ment, but  I  had  to  let  it  cool  down  and  dry 
off  after  the  85/85  test  because  it  wouldn't 
power  up  at  first.  The  TH-28A  is  a  rugged 
piece  of  gear  indeed! 


73  Amateur  Radio  Today  February,  1994  55 


73  Review 


Number  11  on  your  Feedback  card 


by  Robin  Rum  bolt  WA4TEM 


The 

DVMS/1+ 

Digital  voice  mail  system  for  repeaters, 


XPERTEK  Electronics 

RQ.  Box  768 

Lockport  NY  14095 

716-434-3008 

Price  Class;  $349 


Adding  real  voice  ID  messages,  voice  mail, 
bulletins,  and  sound  effects  to  repeaters 
has  been  possible  lor  several  years  now  by 
using  circuits  and  modules  that  digitize  voice 
and  store  it  in  RAM.  The  only  problem  has 
been  thai  either  massive  amounts  of  RAM 
were  required,  or  the  message  length  had  to 
be  kept  short.  Well,  the  folks  at  XPERTEK 
Electronics  have  changed  all  that  with  the  new 
DVMS/1+  Digital  Voice  Mail  System  for  re* 
peaters. 

This  system  stores  digitized  voice  informa- 
tion on  a  computer's  hard  disk  at  a  sysop-se- 
lectable  rate,  thus  allowing  a  tremendous 
amount  of  recording  time,  limited  only  by  the 
size  of  your  hard  disk.  A  hard  drive  with  20 
meg  of  free  space  can  hold  more  than  30  min- 
utes of  messages  (that's  minutes,  not  sec- 
onds!), which  is  more  than  enough  to  hold 
Westiink  or  a  bunch  of  ID  messages.  With 
hard  drive  capacities  now  in  the  gigabyte 
range,  it's  hard  to  imagine  not  having  enough 
room  for  all  the  ID  messages  anyone  would 
ever  want. 

Features  include  time  and  date  voice  read- 
out user-to-user  voice  mail,  a  genera!  bulletin 
announcement  system,  a  DTMF  checker,  a 


scheduler,  a  BBS  system,  and  a  signal  check 
feature  which  lets  users  hear  a  short  playback 
of  their  last  transmission.  Also  provided  are  ro- 
tating ID  capabilities  and  an  access-codetess 
autopatch  dialing  system. 

In  addition,  the  DVMS/1+  can  interface  with 
the  popular  RC  series  controllers  from  ACC, 
allowing  the  repeater  controller  to  trigger  vari- 
ous messages  and  respond  to  various  com- 
mands from  the  voice  mail  system. 

The  Hardware 

The  XPERTEK  system  is  composed  of  an 
interface  card  kit,  a  few  connectors  and  ca- 
bles, software  on  11  floppy  disks,  and  a  manu- 
al* It  is  not  a  complete  system  in  itself.  The  us* 
er  must  supply  the  following; 

1.  IBM-compatible  computer  (80286  CPU  or 
higher  is  recommended)  with  at  least  a  20 
meg  hard  drive,  640K  of  RAM,  an  onboard  re- 
al-time clock,  and  a  360K  floppy  drive.  A  serial 
port  is  required  to  interface  with  ACC  con* 
trailers.  A  modem  is  needed  as  well  if  the  BBS 
features  of  the  DVMS/1  +  are  to  be  used. 

2,  A  Soundblaster  (trademark  of  Creative 
Labs,  Inc.)  8-bit  audio  I/O  card. 

The  DVMSH+  board  serves  as  the  interface 


between  the  PC  and  the  repeater  system.  It 
has  an  on-board  DTMF  decoder,  a  multiport 
interface  to  the  PC  bus,  four  relays  for  various 
output  functions,  and  some  op  amps  and 
transfer  gates  for  audio  I/O  interface. 

Although  this  is  a  kit,  a  complete  schematic 
is  not  provided;  only  a  partial  schematic  of  the 
audio  input  stage  is  included  in  the  manual.  I 
found  this  to  be  such  a  great  shortcoming  dur- 
ing installation  that  I  invested  the  time  to  trace 
out  the  schematic  myself.  XPERTEK  would 
not  provide  a  schematic. 

Construction  and  Installation 

Construction  of  the  board  is  straightforward. 
The  board  is  well-made  and  silk-screened. 
The  manual  provides  guidance  on  which  parts 
to  install  in  which  order  It  took  me  only  a  cou- 
ple of  hours  to  complete  the  board,  and  it 
worked  the  first  time. 

Installation  was  a  bft  more  difficult.  It  took  a 
few  trips  to  Ihe  repeater  site  and  several  calls 
to  XPERTEK  to  get  it  right.  Taking  advantage 
of  all  the  features  of  the  DVMS/1  +  requires 
making  audio  and  logic  connections  to  inputs 
and  outputs  of  our  RC-850  controller,  connec- 
tions to  the  main  and  control  receivers  and  the 


56  73  Amateur  Radio  Today  *  February,  1 994 


The  XPERTEK  DVSM/1+  digital  voicg  maii  system. 


HAM 


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transmitter,  and  connections  to  the  Sound- 
blaster  board  and  the  computer's  serial  I/O 
card. 

The  DVMSH+  manual  attempts  to  tell  you 
what  each  I/O  pin  connects  to,  but  some  of  the 
descriptions  are  ambiguous,  not  really  telling  if 
the  pin  is  an  input  or  output.  It  was  here  that 
my  traced-out  schematic  was  invaluable.  1 
even  found  some  non-fatal  design  errors  on 
the  PC  board  whicti  XPERTEK  said  would  be 
corrected  in  its  next  generation  of  boards. 

Software  installation  was  quick  and  pain- 
free.  Although  there  are  11  diskettes  full  of 
software  to  be  loaded,  the  "Install"  program 
makes  it  quick  work.  The  software  takes  up 
about  10  meg  of  space  on  the  hard  drive. 

Operation 

All  operations  of  the  DVMS/1+  are  prompt- 
ed by  a  pleasant  female  voice,  which  I  under- 
stand belongs  to  a  lady  named  Kathy  from  up- 
stale  New  York.  She  asks  for  user  numbers 
and  passwords,  and  even  directs  you  when  to 
talk. 

The  voice  mail  system  accommodates  up  to 
1,024  users,  each  with  a  unique  user  number 
and  a  user-configurable  password.  User  ac- 
cess can  be  individually  enabled  and  disabled 
for  maximum  control  The  system  works  fine, 
but  takes  many  digits  to  operate.  On  our  re- 
peater it  takes  at  least  eight  digits  just  to  tum 
on  the  voice  mail  system.  Then  the  user  must 
enter  commands  for  the  functions  he  wishes 
to  activate. 

These  lengthy  codes  are  only  needed  for 
voice  mail  and  bulletin  functions.  All  other 


functions  are  lumped  into  what  is  called  "Di- 
rect Access,*  meaning  that  no  lengthy  access 
code  or  password  is  required.  The  sysop  does 
have  the  option,  however,  to  impose  password 
protection  on  any  function. 

One  really  nice  sysop  feature  of  this  system 
is  the  ability  to  make  the  access  and  com- 
mand codes  anything  the  sysop  wants  them  to 
be.  There  are  no  preprogrammed  prefixes  that 
are  cast  \n  concrete.  The  system  comes  with 
default  codes  for  everything,  but  they  are  easi- 
ly changed.  That's  really  nice. 

The  general  announcement  system  is  avail- 
able to  all  users  so  that  anyone  can  post  an 
announcement  for  all  to  hear, 

The  DTMF  checker  and  time  and  date  func- 
tions are  standard  fare  on  repeater  controllers 
nowadays,  but  it's  really  nice  when  (he  voice 
gives  you  the  day  of  the  week  and  the  name 
of  the  month  as  well.  There  are  several  op- 
tions available  to  customize  these  readouts, 

A  feature  that  has  proven  most  popular  on 
our  repeater  is  the  signal  check  feature.  This 
allows  users  to  replay  a  few  seconds  of  their 
last  transmission  to  hear  the  quality  of  their 
signat  info  the  repeater. 

The  scheduler  makes  it  possible  for  the  sys- 
tem to  send  control  codes  to  itsetf  and  to  the 
repeater  controller  at  preset  times,  it  adds  ca- 
pabilities not  available  on  the  RC-850  sched- 
uler We  can  even  use  it  to  dial  the  telephone 
automatically  and  download  data. 

The  BBS  system  aflows  limited  control  of 
the  PC  via  modern,  including  reading  directo- 
ries and  file  manipulations.  All  functions  of  the 
DVMS  system  can  be  accessed  via  the  mo- 


dem. Messages  and  files  can  be  uploaded  via 
modem  to  avoid  squelch  tails  and  radio  noise. 
You  can  even  send  commands  to  your  re- 
peater controller  via  modem  and  the  DVMS/1  + 
system. 

The  access -code  less  autopatch  dialer  sys- 
tem enables  the  sysop  to  build  a  file  of  permit- 
ted telephone  prefixes.  Then  when  a  user 
wants  to  make  a  call  he  simply  dials  the 
phone  number  desired.  The  DVMS/1+  checks 
the  prefix.  If  acceptable,  it  sends  the  correct 
autopatch  "ON"  code  and  telephone  number 
to  the  repeater  controller,  commencing  the 
call, 

This  system  was  harder  to  install  than 
necessary  due  to  difficulty  with  the  manual 
and  the  Initial  lack  of  a  schematic. 

We  experienced  some  crosstalk  problems 
due  to  running  various  audio  signals  through 
the  same  mulliconductor  cable  supplied  with 
the  kit.  but  this  was  easily  solved  by  running 
separate  cables. 

When  the  computer  first  boots  up,  the 
DVMS/1+  holds  the  transmitter  on  the  air  until 
Its  hardware  initialization  program  is  success- 
fully run.  If  it  doesn't  run  successfully,  your 
transmitter  is  locked  on  the  air! 

The  DTMF  decoder  on  board  the  DVMS/1  + 
has  different  characteristics  from  the  decoders 
in  our  RC-850,  even  when  fed  from  the  same 
audio  source.  Consequently,  we  had  to  do 
some  audio  level  and  frequency  response  tai- 
loring to  get  \\  to  decode  as  well  as  the  RC- 
850. 

This  system  will  work  with  an  old  XT  com- 
puter (80286  and  above  is  recommended) ,  but 


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SH  73  Amateur  Radio  Today  *  February,  1 994 


CIRCLE  66  ON  READER  SERVICE  CARD 


it  will  be  too  slow  to  be  useful.  We  recently  up- 
graded from  a  286  1 2  MHz  system  which  ex- 
hibited short  (less  than  one  second)  delays,  to 
a  33  MHz  386  SX  system.  Changing  the  moth- 
erboard did  not  make  that  big  a  difference. 
However,  changing  from  a  20  meg  65  ms  hard 
disk  to  a  50  meg  20  ms  hard  disk  made  a 
tremendous  difference.  Responses  are  now 
instantaneous, 

Do  not  add  this  system  to  your  repeater  un- 
less you  have  a  way  to  remotely  control  power 
to  the  PC!  This  is  an  absolute  must! 

Although  a  watchdog  timer  pulse  train  has 
been  provided  in  the  most  recent  software  up- 
grade, implementation  of  the  watchdog  timer 
hardware  is  still  left  to  the  user,  A  future  hard- 
ware release  will  no  doubt  incorporate  a 
watchdog  timer  circuit,  but  al  this  time  it  is  not 
avaiEable. 

XPERTEK  is  a  garage-shop  operation.  Its 
proprietor,  Andy  Mill,  onty  wears  his  XPERTEK 
hat  on  nights  and  weekends.  If  you  call, 
chances  are  you'll  almost  always  get  his  an- 
swering machine  or  his  "secretary."  Funny,  but 
he  doesn't  use  a  voice  mail  answering  system! 

On  the  Plus  Side 

There  have  been  several  software  up- 
grades since  we  purchased  the  system  which 
have  virtually  eliminated  all  software  bugs, 
and  have  made  some  of  the  features  easier  to 
use. 

Despite  initial  misgivings  about  having  a  PC 
at  a  remote  mountaintop  site,  we  have  gone 
through  one  cold  winter,  one  lightning  season, 
and  one  very  hot  summer  with  few  PC-related 


problems.  The  only  lightning -related  PC  dam- 
age  has  been  to  the  modem,  resulting  from  a 
direct  hit  which  severely  damaged  much  of  the 
rest  of  the  equipment.  The  DVMS/1+  was  not 
affected. 

The  DVM3/1+  creates  a  daily  date-trme 
stamp  log  of  all  DTMF  tones  il  decodes,  which 
is  more  versatile  in  some  ways  than  the  same 

"These  things  have  made  our 

repeater  the  one  to  listen  to  in 

our  area.  Membership  in  our 

repeater  club  has  jumped 

substantially  since  the 

system  was  added. " 

RC-850  function.  It  will  store  every  digit  it  de- 
codes, not  just  the  ones  that  activate  func- 
tions, although  it  does  also  show  which  func- 
tions have  been  adivated. 

While  I  mentioned  that  telephone  support 
was  intermittent,  t  must  also  say  that  when 
you  do  make  contact  with  Andy  Mill,  he'll  go 
the  extra  mile  to  help  work  out  problems.  He 
has  spent  a  great  amount  of  time  on  the 
phone  helping  to  get  our  system  operational. 

If  you  want  to  customize  some  of  the  sys- 
tem's prompting  messages,  that  is  easily 
done,  too.  We  have  Jack  Nicholson  doing 
some  of  our  prompts  now! 

Conclusion 

The  DVMS/1  +  affords  us  (he  capability  of 
having  a  great  variety  of  ID  messages,  sound 


effects,  and  humorous  one-liners  that  pop  up 
unexpectedly  at  the  most  opportune  moments, 
all  without  worrying  about  how  much  memory 
is  left.  We  have  used  the  system  for  meetings, 
hamfests,  and  net  announcements.  Various 
users  have  posted  "equipment  for  sale"  and 
"equipment  wanted"  announcements.  Local 
PC  user's  group  and  astronomy  club  mem- 
bers, who  are  atso  hams,  have  posted  their 
meeting  announcements.  We  occasionally  run 
an  announcement  inviting  non-hams  interest- 
ed in  becoming  hams  to  call  a  certain  phone 
number  for  information  on  how  to  get  into  am- 
ateur radio,  and  we've  received  many  calls 
from  scanner  listeners  as  a  result.  We  have 
posted  "Elmer  bulletins  to  help  new  hams  as 
welL  Any  repeater  club  member  can  post  a 
bulletin  without  control  op  assistance. 

These  things  have  made  our  repeater  the 
one  to  listen  to  m  our  area.  Membership  in  our 
repeater  club  has  jumped  substantially  since 
the  system  was  added.  I  believe  that  soon  no 
advanced  repeater  will  be  without  such  a  sys- 
tem— and  this  one  is  reasonably  priced! 

A  future  software  release  will  allow  the 
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the  time  this  review  is  published. 

After  working  on  and  with  the  DVMS/1  + 
system  for  a  year  nowT  would  I  buy  it  again?  In 
a  heartbeat?  I  can't  imagine  our  repeater  with- 
out the  capabilities  this  system  affords. 


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Jt  iqj  POM,  „    ,, -. ..... 

*  A30QQ  Mofrwrboard ;_,...,  ,   r 

*  ASOO  keyboard  [newt       ■■■   ■ 

*  A2QO0  fceytxtitd  l»Wr 

*  ASM  power  supply  (nwir) 

*  A2000  power  supply  (n#*j .... 

*  C64  repairable  1.8  atrip.  power  supply  (new) ..  -S24  95 

*  A5O0  internal  L380K  drive.  New.  e&ncl  replacement..., S59.95 

*  A59&  hard  drive  (20  megs):  RefurtwMwd.  w*h 

corf  rotor  &  RlS.., « — ^.  ,  .  ...^...^ ,S74  00 

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JB050 

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*  1541-U  nnpiet?  S«d  along  floppy  ***  •** 
P/Slnew) 


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*  9372/6375  1  MB  Agnus  upgrade  kit 
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A  complete  diagnostic  hardware  and  software  analyzer  tor  al 
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the  ability  to  lest  iho  tniegnty  of  any  disk  drive,  checks  alt 
ports,  buffer  chips,  alignment  and  joystick/mouse.  Software 
automatically  tells  what  errors  are  found  and  the  chips 
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CIRCLE  192  ON  RE ADEH  SERVICE  CARD 

73  Amateur  Radio  Today*  February  1994  59 


Rtty  loop 


Number  12  on  your  Feedback  card 


Marc  I  Leavey,  M.D..  WA3AJR 
6  Jenny  Lane 
Baltimore MD  21203 

Here  in  Baltimore  it's  cold,  snowing, 
and  not  reafly  a  nice  day  to  be  outside. 
So,  if  it  s  nasty  where  you  are  too,  why 
not  look  at  some  of  the  things  you  can 
do  over  a  wami  radio?  Over  Ihe  recent 
past,  I  have  been  offering  several 
disks  of  RTTY  programs.  Many  of  you 
have  requested  more  information  on 
these  collections.  This  month,  lets 
have  a  look  at  Disfc  #4  of  the  "RTTY 
Loop*  Software  Collection. 

Before  we  delve  into  the  programs, 
a  word  about  shareware,  freeware, 
public  domain,  and  the  like.  Except  lor 
the  first  term  In  that  list,  many  such 
programs  are  free  and  in  the  public 
domain.  This  means  that  you  may  feet 
free  to  use  them,  or  throw  them  away, 
or  modify  them,  at  your  pleasure- 
Many  ot  the  "free"  programs  carry  a 
copyrighl  notice,  which  means  that 
you  cannot  claim  authorship  or  nomi- 
nally incorporate  them  into  a  work 
which  you  then  call  your  own,  but  at 
least  the  price  is  right 

Shareware  Is  a  different  story. 


Amateur  Radio  Teletype 


When  you  acquire  a  shareware  pro- 
gram by  downloading  it  from  a  bulletin 
board,  getting  it  on  a  disk  from  a  soft- 
ware vendor,  or  receiving  it  as  part  of 
the  "RTTY  Loop"  Software  Collection, 
you  have  not  bought  the  program,  You 
have  obtained  a  copy  to  try  out  and,  if 
you  like  it,  you  are  requested  to  send 
the  author  the  remuneration  requested 
in  the  documentation.  This  honor  sys- 
tem, "try  before  you  buy"  software, 
works  quite  well,  and  is  the  preferred 
system  of  distribution  for  many  fine 
amateur  radio  products. 

Ail  that  aside,  there  are  seven  pro- 
grams in  the  current  edition  of  Disk  #4. 
They  encompass  a  wide  range  of 
RTTY.  DX,  packet,  and  AMTOR  capa- 
bilities. A  brief  synopsis  of  each  pro- 
gram  may  help  bring  this  into  focus. 

DXER13^1P 

Written  by  WA6JOO  to  gain  experi- 
ence in  QuickBasic  programming,  DX* 
er  is  a  versatile  amateur  radio  pro- 
gram primarily  of  interest  to  the  HF  DX 
operator 

As  he  puts  it,  the  DXer  concen* 
trates  several  functions  of  interest  to 
the  serious  DXer  into  one  (hopefully) 


-  Packet  Radio  - 

Portable  &  Affordable! 


TV 

BayPac 


.■MJ^MPMV 


*ui  m 


I 


Model  BP-1 
Packet  Modem 
Made  in  U.SA. 


•  Simple  Installation 

•  No  External  Power 

•  Smart  Dog™  Timer 

•  Perfect  For  Portable 

•  Assembled  &  Tested 

•  VHF.UHF.HFnoM) 


Whether  you* re  an  experienced  packeteer  or  a  newcomer  wanting  to 
explore  packet  for  the  first  lime,  itus  is  what  you've  been  waiting  for! 
Thanks  lo  a  breakthrough  in  digital  signal  processing,  we  have 
developed  a  liny;  full-featured,  packer  modem  at  an  unprecedented 
low  price.  The  BayPac  Model  BP-1  transforms  your  PC-compatible 
computer  into  a  powerful  Packci  TNCt 
capable  of  supporting  sophisticated  features 
like  dtgipeating,  file  transfers,  and  remote 
terminal  access-  NOW  is  the  time  for  YOU 
to  join  the  PACKET  REVOLUTION! 


400  Daily  Lane 

P.O.Box  5210 

Grants  Pass.  OR 

97527 


1-800-8BAYPAC 


Sg 


1-&0Q-  822-9722 
(503)474-6700 


CIRCLE  269  ON  READER 

60  73  Amateur  Radio  Today  *  February,  1 994 


CARD 


easy-to-use  program: 

•Bearing  and  distance  from  trans- 
mitter to  receiver,  Path  ends  may  be 
selected  by  latitude-longitude,  grid 
square,  prefix,  or  by  browsing  through 
the  data  base 

•Sunrise  and  sunset  limes  for  any 
location. 

•Maximum  usable  Frequency  and 
frequency  ot  optimum  traffic  between 
any  two  locations. 

•A  listing  of  all  locations  sharing  a 
common  terminator  line  (Gray  Line). 

•Custom  piinitng  of  bearing/dis- 
tance charts  for  any  location, 

*A  grid  locator  function  using  either 
six-digit  or  four-digit  coordinate  sys- 
tem. 

•A  complete  data  base  of  all  ARRL 
cou nines,  as  well  as  other  locations 
around  the  world.  The  data  base 
shows  latitude,  longitude,  continent 
and  CQ  zone  of  each  location.  Entries 
may  be  easily  added,  deleted  or  edit- 
ed. 

The  program  is  released  for  per- 
sonal use,  and  a  contribution  of  510  to 
the  author  is  requested,  if  you  feel  it  is 
of  use  to  you+ 

FAXFRQ-ZtP 

This  is  an  informational  file,  with 
lists  of  HF  frequencies  of  news  and 
WE  FAX  stations  monilored.  tt  was 
accurate  when  compiled,  but  this  infor- 
mation is  always  changing.  However, 
it's  a  good  starting  point  for  monitoring. 


PHS300-ZIP 

PHS,  Version  3.00,  is  a  host  mode 
server  program  for  the  PK-232  written 
by  Peter  H.  Heinrich  HB9CW.  It  pro- 
vides a  variety  of  features,  including; 

•Support  of  packet,  AMTOR,  RTTY 
ASCII.  Morse  and  signal  modes. 

•User  configurable  conrvpoit  colors 
and  texts. 

•Split-screen  operation, 

•Command  and  parameter  entry  in 
mode  sensitive  dialog  windows. 

•Extended  help  functions. 

•Review  of  received  text 
(backscrolling). 

•Printing  and  snapshooting  the  re- 
view-buffer. 

•Logging  (capturing)  to  fife. 

•Online  printer  support. 

•Send  text  from  file. 

•Binary  file  transfer  using  YAPP 
protocol  (packet  mode). 

•Multi-channel  operation  (packet 
mode). 

•Heard  Jist  showing  the  path  (pack- 
el  mode). 

•NetfROM  frames  are  decoded 
(packet  mode). 

•Word-wrapping  is  available  (pack- 
et mode). 

•Temporary  exit  to  DOS. 

♦BuilNn  message  editor 

•Support  for  screens  up  to  00*60, 

♦16550A  chip  support  with  FIFO. 

The  program  *s  free;  the  author  re- 
quests only  your  comments  on  his 
work.  This  is  a  comprehensive  pro- 


Ham  help 


Number  13  on  your  Feedback  card 


We  are  happy  to  provide  Ham  Help  listings  free  on  a  space  available  basts.  To  make  our 
pb  easier  and  to  ensure  thai  your  fisting  is  correct,  please  type  or  print  your  request  clear* 
fy.  double  spaced,  on  a  full  (8  1/2m  x  tV)  sheet  ot  paper.  You  may  also  upload  a  ftsttng  as 
E-mail  to  Sysop  lo  the  73  BBS  /Special  Events  Message  Area  #11.  (2400  baud,  8  data 
bits,  no  parity,  1  stop  bit  (€03)  924-9343).  Please  indicate  if  it  is  for  publication.  Use  upper- 
and  tower-case  tetters  where  appropriate.  Also*  print  numbers  cere  fully — a  1.  for  example, 
can  be  misread  as  the  letters  1  or  i,  or  even  the  number  7.  Specifically  mention  that  your 
message  is  for  the  Ham  Help  Column.  Please  remember  to  acknowledge  responses  to 
your  requests.  Thank  you  for  your  cooperation. 


Where  can  J  send  to  get  an  "Opera- 
tional Manual"  for  my  HALLI- 
CRAFTERS  Model  SX99  Receiver? 
The  manual  is  very  important  to  my  op- 
erating and  maintaining  mis  equip- 
ment. Frank  W.  Arnold,  1215  Sullivan 
Ln.f  fi82Br  Sparks  NV  89431. 

I  am  looking  for  info  regarding  the 
SBE  (Sideband  Engineers)  Model  33 
80-15  meter  transceiver;  operation  and 
service  manuals,  mike  wiring  dfagram, 
and  modifications,  Thanks  I  David  Cot- 
burn  AA 1FA,  130  Essex  SL  S.  Hamil- 
ton MA  01982.  Jet.  (508)  468-2199, 
Ext  328;  or  packet  ©  K1UGM. 

RADIO  Lost  or  Stolen  in  the  US 
Mail:  A  2  meter  ICOM  Model  IC-2SRA 
Transceiver;  Serial  #03304.  Marked 
wfth  call  K1UXD.  A  well-marked  priority 
package  has  not  arrived  at  its  intended 
destination,  Reward  for  return.  Thank 
you.  Paul  E  Ketiy,  135  East  Main  SLt 
#V8.  Weslborough  MA  01581-2741 
USA.  Tel.  (50$)  896-3202. 

NEEDED:  The  schematic  for  a  HAL- 
LICRAFTERS  HT-32  transmitter,  about 
1958  vintage,  I'm  anxious  to  get  it  back 
on  the  air.  Al  Smiley  K8NOV,  9970 
Page  fld..  Martette  Ml  48453 


NEEDED:  Information  on  schemat- 
ics, programming,  and  re-tuning 
of  KENWOOD  TK-801S  down  to 
440-450  MHz,  A  Esq  looking  for  6m 
SSB/FM  and  other  VHF/UHF  equip- 
ment and  KENWOOD  TR-751A  acces- 
sories to  Swap  for  computer  parts  and 
equipment.  Thanks.  Rob  Betlvitte 
N1NTE.  RO,  Box  892.  NorthbOTQ  MA 
01532. 

I  am  a  newly  licensed  Technician 
and  am  interested  in  obtaining  informa- 
tion about  usfng  Repealers  in  my  area, 
Ray  Chase  NiQFFw  ML  Peg  Rd, 
Woodstock  VT  05O91.  Tel  {802}  457* 
4084;  FAX;  (802)  457-4517, 

WANTED:  Schematic  and/or  manu- 
al for  PRECISION  Apparatus  Model  E* 
2O0-C  Signal/Marking  Generator 
(copies  ok);  RCA  Receiving  Tube  Man- 
ual (preferably  late  60s-70's  edition), 
Chet  Smith  WB2LUQ,  R.D,  #1  Box  30* 
Verona  NY  13478, 

WANTED;  Manual  or  copy  of 
HP1707B  HEWLETT  PACKARD  75 
meg  scope,  I  will  pay  copying  fees  els 
Mike  N4BME.  (804)  564*8821. 


gram,  which  has  been  ported  to  OS/2 
as  well,  and  seems  quite  capable. 

PKTGOLD-ZIP 

PktGOLD  is  another  multimode 
controller  for  AEA  TNCs,  This  is  a  lest 
drive  of  InterHex  Systems  Design 
Corporations  versatile  control  pro- 
gram. It  enables  control  of  packet.  RT- 
TY. AMTOR,  and  other  modes  of  the 
AEA  series  of  controllers. 

The  test  drive  is  functional,  but  it 
comes  with  minimal  documentation.  It 
is  free,  and  may  be  circulated  at  will. 
Full  commercial  versions  of  the  pro- 
gram are  available  from  the  authors 
for  $79.75  for  the  Enhanced  version, 
and  $59.95  for  the  Multimode  version. 

PKTWINT1ZIP 

Written  by  Paul  M.  Hounslow. 
PktWin  is  a  Windows-based  con- 
troller for  packet  controllers.  The 
controller  is  connected  through  the 
computer's  com  port,  and  modes 
and  features  configured  via  the  pro- 
gram. 

With  many  of  the  switches  set  in  an 
INI  file,  this  is  an  economical,  versatile 
program.  No  payment  is  requested  by 
the  author. 

TUWIN.ZIP 

Discussed  fast  June.  TUWIN  was 
written  by  Wayne  E.  Wright  W5XO, 
and  destgned  as  an  accessory  to  the 
WriteCog  Windows  logging  program  to 


aflow  Windows-based  foggtng  and  HT- 
TY  for  contesting,  as  well  as  general 
operations,  TUWIN  works  with  old- 
style  RTTY  terminal  units,  like  the  HD- 
3030,  MFJ-1229,  or  HAL  ST-6.  that  do 
not  do  internal  Baudot-to-ASCIi  con- 
version. It  thus  should  not  be  used 
with  multimode  controllers  like  the  PK- 
232  or  KAM.  With  a  split-screen  dis- 
play, text  to  be  transmitted  is  entered 
into  the  lower  window,  received  text  is 
displayed  in  the  upper  window, 

The  program  uses  the  DTR  and 
RTS  lines  on  the  serial  port  to  indicate 
"transmit  with  the  lines  being  keyed 


designed  to  reduce  the  overall  "learn- 
ing curve"  normally  associated  with 
this  type  of  product. 

XPCOM  was  written  originally  for 
the  MFJ-1278;  however,  it  has  also 
been  structured  to  work  with  ihe  AEA 
PK-232.  Operation  of  the  PK-232  has 
been  optimized  to  use  AEA's  HOST 
mode. 

XPCOM  offers  the  following  fea- 
tures to  simpfify  operation  for  the  user: 

■Pull-down  menus, 

•Custom  operation  with  the  AEA 
PK-232  and  MFJ-1278, 

•Dual-TNC  support 


"Overall,  this  Is  a  neat,  if  bare-hones, 
approach  to  using  an  older  terminal  unit 
on  RTTY,  with  a  spiffy  Windows  display/ 


about  500  mSec  before  the  first  char- 
acter is  sent,  and  continuing  until 
about  500  m Sec  after  the  last , 

Overall,  this  is  a  neat,  if  bare* 
bones,  approach  to  using  an  older  ter- 
minal unit  on  RTTYT  with  a  spiffy  Win- 
dows display.  Again,  this  is  a  freebie! 

XPCOM  1,  ZIP 

Gary  Johnson  KF7XP  has  his 
name  on  XPCOM.  a  program  written 
to  fill  a  void  thai  has  existed  in  com- 
mercial software  for  digital  communi- 
cations. The  user  interface  has  been 


•Mouse  compatibility. 

•One-key  brag  file  and  text  opera* 
Bon. 

•External  interfacing  to  the  user's 
favorite  text  editor. 

•Offers  full  packet,  AMTOR,  FEC, 
FACTOR,  BAUDOT  and  CW  modes. 

•Full  use  of  the  HOST  mode  for  the 
AEA-PK232. 

•Simplified  command  structure  for 
the  MFJ-1278, 

•Multi-connect  operation  with  XP 
Windows. 

•Intuitive  on-Tine  help  system. 


•Quik-connect  feature  for  packet, 

•Auto -route  capable  through  brag 
text, 

•Real-time  and  background  printer 
support, 

•Multiple  ASCti  file  transfer  in  pack- 
et mode  (AEA  only), 

•Built-in  logging,  with  AutoSearch. 

•Macro  support, 

XPCOM  is  classic  shareware,  with 
the  author  requesting  that  if,  after  try- 
ing the  program  lor  no  more  than  30 
days,  you  choose  to  use  the  program, 
you  register  it  with  him  for  the  sum  of 
$39,  Still,  this  is  quite  a  bargain. 

Sot  these  are  the  programs  in  the 
"RTTY  Loop"  Software  Collection, 
Disk  #4,  If  you  would  like  to  obtain  a 
list  of  programs  included  in  these  col- 
lections, send  a  self-addressed, 
stamped  envelope  to  me  at  the  above 
address,  or  Email  on  CompuServe 
(75036,2501),  Delphi  (MarcWA3AJR), 
or  America  Online  (MarcWA3AJR). 
The  collections  themselves  may  be 
had  by  sending  a  3.5"  high  density 
(1 ,44  Mb)  disk,  or  equivalent  capacity 
in  smaller  disks,  for  each  collection;  a 
stamped  return  mailer;  and  $2  for 
each  disk  to  be  filled,  to  the  address  at 
the  top  of  this  column. 

Next  month  we'll  take  a  look  at 
what  some  of  you  have  had  to  say 
lately.  Who  knows,  if  you  write  today,  it 
just  might  make  it  into  the  column  be- 
fore summer!  Stay  warm,  and  see  you 
next  month. 


1691  MHz  Weather 
Satellite  System 


1691  MHzHemtPre-amp. 
model  TS-1691-P.  Amp 

1691  MHz  Receiver 
model  TS-1 691 -Recvr 

Decoder  Board  &  Software 
model  TS-VGA-SAT4 


$250 


$450 


S349 


Low  Loss  (microwave)  Coaxial  Cable  (65ft) 
with  connectors. 

model  1691 -coax  assV  $65 

Track  II  Satellite  Orbital  Program.  Tracks  ALL 
satellites,  world  map,  print  out  $99 

1691  MHz  Loop  Yagi  Antenna 

moden691-LY{N}  $99 


1691  MHz  Loop-Yagi  Extension 
model  1 691  -LY-XTN 


$85 


Demonstration  Disc  {IBM-PC  VGA  compatible) 
of  signals  recorded  from  WX-SAT  system.     $3 

Shipping:  FOB  Concord,  Mass. 
Prices  subject  to  change  without  notice. 


SI 


SPECTRUM  INTERNATIONAL,  INC. 
Post  Office  Box  1084,  Dent.  S 
Concord,  Mass.  01742,  U.S.A. 
Phone:  (508)263-2145 
Fax:  (508)263-7008 


BUY  AMERICAN,  BETTER  PRICE  AND  QUALITY 


The  SG2MC  MF  Transceiver  is  rype  accepted  for  commerce  and  marine  service 
made  with  traditional  U,S.  commerc^-il  radio  quality  (and  ol  course  rtcan  be  used 
on  the  ham  bands  also).  While  the  Japanese  radios  have  2  final  transistors  that 
si  rain  lo  put  out  tOQ  watts  on  the  low  bands  and  only  75-&S  walls  on  ten  meters, 
t tin  SG20G.Q  has  <t  large  transistors  that  loaf  along  at  ISO  watls  on  ALL  the 
BANDS  INCLUDING  10  METERS!  Some  ot  (he  SGSQOti  laaluros  are:  1}  A 
control  head  rempfab-le  (no  special  ki(  necessary}  up  to  150/  away  from  the  rig, 
perfect  for  automobiles  and  boals.  Up  to  8  heads  can  be  uliii/od  and  used  as 
intercoms  also.  2\  The  largest  display  of  any  MF  transceiver.  3)  644  pre- 
programmed memones  and  100  user  programmable  memories.  A)  operable  from 
-50F  H15C)  to  1&5F  (*fl5C|  You  want  quality  right?  Here  IS  what  EVERY 
SG20Q0  must  endure  before  they're  shipped  from  me  factory:  "*)  They're  factory 
aligned.  £}  EVERY  SG2QO0  is  keyed  down  at  ftfl  power  (CW  f  50  Walts)  into  an 
open  antenna  lor  about  10  seconds,  then  connecied  to  a  shofled  antenna  and 
keyed  down  for  an  additional  10  seconds.  3)  EVERY  SG20O0  is  put  in  the 
-BURN-IN"  rack  and  keyed  down  for  24  tours  non-slop  al  fufl  power  CW.  Don't  try  thai  with  the  foreign  radios.  4}  EVERY  SG20GG  is 
Then  le-checked  tor  atyncm  and  put  w  the  TORTURE  RACtC  where  they  are  keyed  on  and  ofl  every  10  seconds  tor  24  rxwrs.  5) 
The  5G2D0G  is  men  re-evatusted  and  as  control  functions  are  verified  to  ensue  thai  me  microprocessor  rs  up  to  spec,  then  and 
ONtV  THEN  tS  THE  SG2QQQ  ALLOWED  TO  LEAVE  THE  FACTORY. 

The  bottom  ine  is  price,  you  know  how  expensive  commefciat  rigs  am  normally,  until  DEC  3?  we  are  seflng  me  SG2M0  BELOW 
DEALER  COST  at  only  Si  ,585.00  each*  That's  a  $400  00  savings'  We  guarantee  me  best  price. 


The  5G230  SMART- TunER  is  the  best  HF  autotuner  ai  any  price,  and  to 
promote  a  product  tftat  is  made  in  the  USA,  were  olfenng  <t  at  the  guaranteed 
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THE  HAM  CONTACT 

PO  Box  3624,  Dept  73 
Long  Beach,  CA  90803 

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i 

Serving  The  LORD 
Since  1987 


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73  Amateur  Radio  Today  February,  1994  61 


14  on  your  Feedback  card 


S CORNER 


Joseph  1  CarrKdlPV 

RO.  Box  1099 

Falls  Church  VA  2204 1 

Some  Miscellanea 

Every  now  and  then  I  like  to  take  a 
few  potshots  at  those  topics  that  read- 
er  mall  Indicate  are  of  interest  to  you, 
but  thai  requires  Jess  than  a  whole  col- 
umn's worth  of  discussion.  This  month 
we  will  take  a  look  at  a  couple  of  cir- 
cuits that  fall  into  that  category.  You 
mfgh!  find  them  interesting. 

Before  going  on,  however,  let  me 
reiterate  that  my  printed  circuit  boards 
for  the  MAR-1  preamplifier  are  still 
available  for  $7.  You  can  get  them  ei- 
ther from  me  directly  (P.O.Box  1099. 
Falls  Church  VA  22041)  or  from  FAR 
Circuits  (18N640  Field  Court.  Dundee 
IL  601  18}.  FAR  makes  boards  for  most 
73  projects,  I  also  have  some  MAR-1 
chips  left,  which  sell  for  $4.95  each,  or 
alternatively,  I'll  send  you  both  the 
MAR-1  and  the  printed  circuit  board, 
plus  eElher  100  pF  or  1,000  pF  chip 
capacitors,  for  a  total  of  $10.  I'll  keep 
the  offer  open  while  supplies  last. 

Let  s  take  a  quick  look  at  two  differ- 
ent circuits;  first,  an  active  bridge  am- 
plifier for  Wheatstone  bridges  and  dif- 
ferential output  RF  bridges;  and  sec- 
ond, an  audio  notch  filter. 


Bridge  Amplifier 

Many  bridge  and  other  measure- 
ment circuits  have  balanced  or  differ- 
ential outputs.  That  is.  the  output  is 
not  single-ended,  which  is  a  voltage 
measured  with  respect  to  ground,  but 
is  floating.  A  differential  output  has  two 
floating  lines,  and  the  output  voltage  is 
proportional  to  the  difference  between 
the  voltage  appearing  between  each 
line  and  ground. 

Rgure  i  shows  a  circuit  for  an  out- 
put meter  that  will  serve  as  the  output 
for  such  a  bridge.  Amplifier  A1  is  an 
operational  amplifier  connected  in  the 
DC  differential  amplifier  confJgu ration. 
Provided  that  R1  =  R2,  and  R3  =  (R4 
+  R5)T  the  output  of  this  circui!  is; 

Vo=V2-V1(-M-) 

In  the  specific  configuration  shown 
in  Rgure  1,  the  gain  (R3/R1)  is  unity 
(1),  so  the  circuit  is  relatively  insensi- 
tive, By  increasing  R3.  R4  and  R5  by 
a  factor  of  10,  you  can  get  a  gain  of 
10,  or  increase  the  components  by 
100  and  the  gain  goes  to  100. 

A  signal  output  voltage  is  provided 
to  the  "rest  of  the  world"  through  J 1  \r 
most  cases,  J1  will  be  an  RCA  phono 
jack  or  a  BNC  chassis-mounted  *RP 
style  connector.  The  alternate  output 
is  a  zero  center  iGO  \iA  (up  to  1  mA 


Photo  A.  Oscilloscope  trace  showing  input  and  output  of  the  notch  fil- 
ter (49  dB  attenuation). 


can  be  used)  DC  microammeter.  Po- 
tentiometer R6  is  a  sensitivity  control 
that  permits  adjusting  the  deflection  of 
M1  without  varying  the  bridge  circuit 

Amplifier  A2  Is  a  buffer  amplifier  to 
isolate  the  light  emitting  diodes,  or 
LEDs  (D1  and  D2).  that  serve  as  a  vi- 
sual output  indicator.  Two  LEDs  are 
selected  that  have  approximately 
equal  output  levels.  To  select,  connect 
both  diodes  such  that  each  is  in  series 
with  an  820  or  1 ,000  ohm  resistor 
Connect  them  across  a  12  volt  DC 


power  supply  so  that  both  are  illumi- 
nated. If  both  diodes  are  approximate- 
ly the  same  brightness,  then  use 
them.  Otherwise,  swap  out  one  of  the 
diodes  with  others  (LEDs  can  be 
bought  In  bulk)  until  a  match  fs  found. 

When  connected  Into  the  bridge 
amplifier  circuit,  D1  and  D2  are  oppo- 
site in  polarity.  Diode  D1  will  light  up 
when  the  output  of  A2  is  positive,  and 
D2  will  light  up  when  the  output  of  A2 
is  negative.  When  the  voltage  is  zero, 
neither  lamp  is  lit.  As  a  result  of  this 


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62  73  Amateur  Radio  Today*  February,  1994 


feature,  the  illumination  will  \el  you 
know  when  the  bridge  supplying  the 
input  signal  to  A1  is  in  balance  {V2  - 
Vi  =  0),  or  in  which  direction  tt  is  un- 
balanced, 

I've  used  this  circuit  on  a  number  of 
Instruments  and  found  that  It  works 
welL  The  illumination  of  the  LEDs 
drops  off  smoothly  until  a  pom!  very 
close  to  null  is  reached.  However 
don't  even  think  about  using  it  in  sun- 
light. Under  outdoor  conditions  you 
probably  won't  see  the  LEDs  when 
they  are  fully  lit  (remember  those  mid- 
1970s  calculators  and  digital  watches 
with  the  LED  readouts?). 

The  active  devices  are  operational 
amplifiers.  I've  used  741,  1458.  CA- 
3140  and  CA-3240  devices  for  this  cir- 
cuit. The  1458  and  OA-324Q  devices 
are  dual  op  amps,  so  only  one  is 
needed  to  accommodate  both  A1  and 
A2. 

The  DC  power  supply  connections 
are  not  shown,  but  each  device  needs 
V-  and  V+  DC  power  supplies  {unless 
a  dual  op  amp  is  used,  in  which  case 
only  one  connection  is  needed  for 
each  V-  and  V+), 

Audio  Notch  Filter 

A  notch  filter  is  a  band  reject  filter 
i.e.  it  rejects  a  narrow  band  of  frequen- 
cies around  the  center  frequency.  Sev- 
eral uses  are  made  of  the  notch  filter. 
CW  buffs  sometimes  build  two  types 
of  filters,  A  high-Q  band  pass  filler  will 
pass  onfy  the  400  to  1,200  Hz  signal 


V1 


GND     °~ 
V2        °- 


R1 

10K 

y\AAA, 

R2 

10K 

yvwv 


R3 

10K 

yvwv 


3« 


R6 

Sensitivity 


t 


M1 

100  -  0  -  100  MA 


Figune  I.  Bridge  null  voltmeter/amplifier. 


that  you  desire  to  copy.  A  notch  filter, 
on  the  other  hand,  will  reject  the  de- 
sign frequency,  so  it  can  be  used  to 
eliminate  unwanted  interfering  signals. 
For  example,  you  might  design  a 


bandpass  filter  to  pass,  say,  BOO  Hz 
(or  whatever  is  comfortable  for  you), 
and  a  notch  filter  to  take  out  600  or 
1,000  Hz.  Interfering  signals  could 
then  be  attenuated  even  further  than 


the  slope  of  the  bandpass  fitter  indi- 
cates. 

Another  use  tor  the  notch  filler  is  to 
reduce  the  60  and  120  Hz  hum  in  the 
output  of  audio  amplifier  circuits.  You 


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73  Amateur  Radio  Today*  February,  1994  63 


may  find  that  long  leads,  noise  from 
the  power  supply,  or  other  defects 
cause  an  unwanted  amount  of  hum  in 
either  your  transmitter  or  receiver.  I 
built  an  active  notch  filter  lo  eliminate 
the  hum  frequently  heard  in  direct  con- 
version receivers  that  are  powered 
from  the  AC  power  mains.  The  notch 
fHter  is  placed  in  the  signal  line  be- 
tween the  output  Of  me  detector/mixer 
of  Ihe  direcl  conversion  receiver  and 
the  input  of  the  audio  amplifier 

Rgure  2  shows  the  circuit  for  a  sim- 
ple notch  filler  that  is  tunable.  There 
are  other  designs,  but  they  require  du- 
et potentiometers  or  dual  capacitors  to 
tune  them  over  even  a  small  range  of 
frequencies. 

The  active  devices  are  operational 
amplifiers.  You  can  use  any  op  amp 
that  will  work  at  the  frequency  range 
you  need.  For  communications  purpos- 
es (F  less  than  3,000  Hz},  a  741  is  suf- 
ficient; a  1458  will  suffice  for  boih  A1 
and  A2  because  It  is  a  dual  op  amp. 
For  higher  frequency  ranges  use  CA- 
3140  or  CA-3240,  or  any  other  device 
with  a  high  gain  bandwidth  product. 

The  input  and  feedback  resistors 
are  not  too  critical,  but  2501c  ohms  to 
2.2  megoghms  are  recommended. 
What  is  necessary,  however,  is  to 


make      Rl  =  R2  and  R3  = 


R1 


The  notch  frequency  is  found  from: 


o  - 


I 


2k  jRaRbCaCb 


For  a  60  Hz  notch  niter,  good  val- 
ues to  start  with  are  124k  ohm  for  Ra 
and  RbT  1,500  pF  variable  for  Ca  and 
1  uF  forCb.  Scale  these  values  down- 
wards for  higher  frequencies,  using 
the  above  equation  as  a  guide. 

Photo  A  shows  an  oscilloscope  pre- 


sentation of  the  input  and  output  sig- 
nal from  the  filter  at  resonance  (I.e. 
when  the  Input  frequency  is  at  the 
notch  frequency)  In  the  filter  used  for 
this  test  I  used  the  60  Hz  version  and 
the  values  described  above.  The  Input 
signal  (upper  trace)  was  a  1  volt  p-p, 
60  Hz  signal  from  my  function  genera- 
tor, white  the  output  signal  (tower 
trace)  was  barely  visible  at  the  same 
scale  on  the  oscilloscope  vertical  in- 
put, When  the  vertical  input  was  ex- 
panded, it  was  shown  that  the  notch 
filter  produced  an  attenuation  of  49  dB 
at  the  notch  frequency,  plus  or  minus 
the  measurement  error  of  my  equip- 
ment. 

NiCd  Battery  Charging  from  DC 
Power  Supplies 

A  reader  wrote  to  me  and  asked  if  it 
is  possible  to  charge  hand-held 
transceiver  nickel-cadmium  batteries 
from  +6  or  +12  volt  DC  bench  power 
supplies.  The  answer  is  an  unequivo- 
cal yes  and  no.  If  the  DC  power  supply 
has  a  current  llmiter  control  as  well  as 
a  voftage  output  control,  then  yes;  if 
not.  then  no  *  .  .  don't  try  it  without 
special  knowledge.  The  procedure  is 
simple: 

1.  With  the  current  limiter  all  the 
way  on  (zero  output  current),  and  the 
voltage  set  lo  about  a  third  of  the  bat- 
tery terminal  voltage,  short-circuit  the 
output  ot  the  supply  and  then  slowly 
increase  the  current  to  a  level  that  is 
1/10  of  the  ampere-hour  rating  of  the 
NiCd  battery;  La  if  you  use  500  mAH 
batteries,  then  set  the  short  -circuit  out- 
put current  of  the  supply  to  50  mA 

2.  Remove  the  short  circuit,  and  in- 
crease the  voltage  output  of  the  DC 
power  supply  to  the  exact  potential  of 
a  fully  charged  battery  (see  instruc- 


v  in 


Figure  2,  Audio  notch  filter  circuit. 


tions  for  the  particular  battery  pack). 

3.  Connect  the  battery  to  the  sup- 
ply, being  careful  to  observe  polarity. 
Charge  at  1/10  level  for  14  hours. 

The  battery  can  blow  up  if  charged 
too  rapidly,  or  if  too  high  a  voltage  is 


used.  That's  why  the  current  limiter 
and  output  voltage  adjust  controls  are 
needed,  I  prefer  to  place  the  battery  in 
a  small  wooden  box  to  prevent  "shrap- 
nel"  in  case  the  battery  does  blow  up. 
Good  luck  and  wortc  safe. 


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64   73  Amateur  Radio  Today*  February,  1994 


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Joe  Moall  RE.  K0OV 
P.O.  Box  2508 
Fulferton  CA  92633 

Texas  T-Hunters  Trap  Teen 
Thief 


"Every  ham  needs  a  basic  under- 
standing  of  the  principles  of  transmitter 
hunting."  Tnafs  what  1  tell  ham  dubs 
and  convention  forums  in  my  talks  on 
radio  direction  finding  (RDF).  Of 
course  I  hope  that  when  I'm  finished, 
everyone  in  the  audience  will  want  to 
try  friendly  RDF  competitions  (usually 
cailed  foxhunts  or  T-hunts).  These 
events  add  to  the  camaraderie  of  our 
hobby  while  teaching  useful  propaga- 
tion and  electronics  skills. 

Bui  even  if  you  never  set  out  to  find 
a  radio  foxr  you  will  probabfy  find  RDF 
techniques  useful  in  your  future  ham 
experiences.  Perhaps  you*!!  want  to 
join  a  chase  team  for  a  high  altitude 
ham  balloon  launch,  or  find  an  annoy- 
ing source  of  interference,  such  as  a 
noisy  thermostat  or  cable  TV  leakage. 

Dallas  DF  Detectives 

When  someone's  transceiver  Is 
Stolen  or  there  is  a  stuck  carrier  on 
your  local  repeater  input,  you'll  be 


Radio  Direction  Finding 

ahead  of  the  game  if  you  have  already 
assembled  and  installed  some  mobile 
RDF  gear,  You  will  be  even  better  off  if 
you  have  accumulated  some  T-hunt 
experience.  Tom  Lewis  AB5CK  proved 
ttits  a  few  months  ago  when  he  used 
his  RDF  skills  to  foil  a  young  radio 
thief. 

AB5CK  regularly  goes  T-hunting  in 
the  Dallas/Fort  Worth  area.  "My  friend 
Randy  Hariin  AA5WJ  teaches  music  at 
a  middle  school,*  says  Tom.  "He  is  ah 
so  the  owner  and  operator  of  a  2  meter 
repeater,  which  he  likes  to  monitor  with 
a  dual-band  handheld  at  work.  One 
day  the  HT  was  stolen  off  his  desktop. 
The  taker  apparently  had  little  knowl- 
edge of  ham  radio  and  was  unaware  of 
how  to  change  frequencies.  Before 
long,  there  was  a  rash  of  profanity  over 
Randy's  repeater.  He  called  me  that 
evening. 

"We  speculated  that  the  unlicensed 
profane  operator  was  the  student/ 
thief,"  Tom  continued,  "and  we 
guessed  that  he  might  make  additional 
transmissions  the  following  day  after 
school.  To  speed  up  the  process,  I 
asked  Randy  who  coutd  have  done  it  I 
got  the  names  and  addresses  of  his 
primary  suspects,  then  centrally  locat- 


ed myself  In  my  car  outfitted  with  T* 
hunting  gear." 

Sure  enough,  the  profane  transmis- 
sions started  again  shortly  after  school 
let  out.  Tom  quickly  got  a  bearing.  "Bin- 
go! From  the  bearing,  !  knew  it  was 
probably  one  kid,  so  I  drove  straight  to 
his  apartment  building.  I  drove  around 
the  property  while  he  was  cussing,  and 
the  RDF  antenna  just  kept  pointing 
right  at  one  window.  He  was  using  a 
subdued  voice  so  family  members 
would  not  hear  Ihe  profanity.* 

Luckily.  Tom  was  not  spotted  by  his 
target  as  he  circled  the  area.  Once  he 
was  sure  that  he  had  the  right  resi- 
dence, he  made  a  transmission  saying 
that  he  was  out  front  and  that  the  radio 
must  be  returned.  To  our  surprise,  the 
thief  complied,"  says  AB5CK.  "This 
eliminated  the  need  to  have  the  au- 
thorities search  his  home,  We  couldn't 
have  been  luckier!" 

So  AASWJ's  rig  was  quickly  recov- 
ered. Tom  left  disciplinary  action  to  the 
school,  but  he  is  sure  that  the  incident 
was  not  treated  ligmty,  Of  course,  sto- 
ries such  as  this  don't  always  have  a 
happy  ending,  but  it  pays  to  be  ready, 
Plan  now.  as  there  is  no  time  to  build 
your  gear  once  a  bootlegger  or  stuck 
carrier  is  on  the  air. 

An  Improved  Bug  Buster 

Regular  readers  will  remember  an 
LED-readout  "sniffer"  project  in  the 
Jury  and  August  1990  Homing  In"  in- 
stallments. This  hand-held  field- 


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fox,  once  you  get  close  enough  to  pick 
up  a  few  millivolts  of  signal. 

That  1990  project  uses  the  circuit 
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CCB  "bug  detector,"  which  features  a 
pair  of  monolithic  wideband  RF  ampli- 


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73  Amateur  Radio  Today*  Feforuaiy,  1094  65 


-s  - 


I 

1   -20 
ii. 

E 

£5    • 


-30    ■ 


35 


... 


I 


5  I 

LEDs  uruminjred 


9 


10 


40 


1   -10 

ft 

£     -5  - 


0 
5 


-■ CCB 

-O R£0 


10 


100 

— I— 


Frequency  (MH?) 


Figure  1.  Measurements  by  KOOV  of  input  RF  levels  for  each  of  the  10  LEDs  at  2  meters 
for  both  the  CCB  sniffer  kit  and  the  factory  adjusted  R20.  The  -29  dBm  R20  threshold  cor- 
responds to  8000  microvolts  across  50  ohms. 


Figure  2*  Measurements  by  KOOV  of  sensitivity  versus  frequency  for 
the  CCB  and  R20  at  146  MHz,  The  -36  dBm  input  level  at  HF  and  low 
VHF  corresponds  to  3500  microvolts  across  50  ohms. 


tiers  and  a  bar  graph  display.  With  an 
upgraded  voltage  regulator  and  en  do- 
sure,  the  project  cost  about  $70  to 
buRd 

Recently.  Optoelectronics  Engineer- 
ing Manager  Bill  Owen  KD4HGT  en- 
hanced the  COB  circuit,  shrunk  it  to 
pager  size,  added  amplitude  modula- 
tion detection,  and  renamed  it  the  R20 
AM  Interceptor,  shown  in  Photo  A, 
With  surface-mount  technology  and 
chip  components,  it  has  a  dramatic  im- 
provement in  UHF  and  microwave 
sensitivity. 

An  LM3915  logarithmic  bar  graph 
IC  drives  the  display,  so  each  succes- 
sive LED  represents  approximately  a  2 
dB  increase  in  signal  strength  (Figure 


1).  This  helps  you  guess  your  distance 
from  the  transmitter.  If  you  don'i  like 
the  factory  settings  for  zero  and  full- 
scale  RF  levels,  you  can  modify  them 
by  tweaking  two  internal  controls. 

Using  the  supplied  non-resonant 
R20  antenna,  my  1/2  watt  2  meter  fox 
transmitter  with  19"  whip  was  detected 
(one  LED)  140  feet  away.  AH  10  LEDs 
were  on  at  45  feet.  On  the  other  hand, 
a  very  low  power  transmitter  (49  MHz 
cordless  phone  handset)  did  not  light 
any  LEDs  on  the  R20  until  it  was  13 
inches  away. 

With  a  f  our -element  2  meter  quad 
connected  to  the  bare  R2Q  circuit 
beard,  detection  range  of  typical  1  watt 
foxes  will  be  several  hundred  feet.  Of 


course,  as  In  the  car  commercials, 
your  results  may  differ,  depending  on 
transmitter  power,  antenna,  multipath. 
and  effects  o!  other  RF  sources  <n  the 
area. 

As  Figure  2  shows,  the  R20  is 
sEightly  less  sensitive  than  the  CCB  on 
the  2  meter  and  125  cm  bands,  but  It  Is 
more  sensitive  elsewhere  in  the  spec- 
trum, particularly  at  UHF  and  above. 
The  R20  showed  the  normal  leakage 
from  my  microwave  oven  (2400  MHz) 
at  ha  If -scale  indication,  compared  to 
quarter-scale  on  the  CCB. 

Coupling  capacitors  tr\  the  CCB  and 
R20  are  selected  to  roll  off  response 
below  4  MHz.  I  OOtiJd  not  hear  audio  of 
a  50,000  watt  AM  station  with  it  until  I 


was  a  block  away,  The  display  read 
only  half-scale  when  I  was  too  feel 
from  the  towed  So  don't  try  to  use  the 
R20  to  hunt  signals  on  160  through  40 
meters  or  in  the  AM  broadcast  band. 
This  rolloff  was  designed  in  deliberate- 
ly, Without  it,  sniffed-out  VHF  signals 
would  be  QRMed  by  local  AM  broad- 
casters and  covered  by  60  Hz  hum 
from  nearby  power  wiring. 

Supply  current  drain  is  25  mtl- 
liamperes  with  no  LEDs  on  and  84  mA 
with  all  10  lit.  There  are  no  indicators 
for  power  on  or  low  battery.  Specified 
life  of  the  standard  9-volt  battery  is 
three  hours  minimum,  but  this  is  very 
conservative.  I  measured  full  sensftrvt- 
ty  operation  down  to  6  1  volts,  thanks 


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66  73  Amateur  Radio  Today  February,  1994 


to  a  low-dropout  LM2931  regulator  in- 
side. Besides,  you  can  sniff  out  the  T 
in  less  than  three  hours,  right? 

The  supplied  whip  antenna  conve- 
niently telescopes  down  to  fit  entirely 
in  the  R2D  case,  but  it  is  only  12  inch- 
es fong  when  extended.  No  external 
antenna  jack  or  RF  ground  return  con- 
nection is  provided.  That's  fine  for 
quick  checks  of  your  2  meter  handheld 
or  for  listening  to  the  local  airport  tower 
as  you  sit  in  the  terminal,  but  for  bear- 
ings with  your  directional  antenna,  you 
will  need  to  make  some  modifications. 

For  serious  T-hunt  work,  consider 
removing  the  2 ,6"  x  2.1"  circuit  board 
from  Its  plastic  case  and  mounting  it  in- 
to a  small  metal  box  with  a  BNC  or 
UHF  connector  for  your  RDF  antenna, 
I  suggest  you  choose  a  box  big 
enough  for  two  batteries  and  a  selector 
switch.  With  a  spare,  you  can  qwckly 
recover  from  "battery  death"  in  the 
middle  of  sniffing  out  the  hidden  X 

While  the  R20  does  a  good  job  of 
receiving  nearby  AM-mode  aircraft 
band  transmissions,  KD4HGT  of  Opto- 
electronics warns  against  using  it  on 
your  next  flight.  Even  though  it  has  no 
escalators  to  interfere  with  communica- 
tions or  navigation  systems,  he  says  it 
Is  illegal  to  operate  it  on  a  commercial 
aircraft, 

FM  signals  cannot  be  demodulated 
by  the  R20  under  normal  circum- 
stances, but  they  "quiet"  the  back- 
ground hiss.  This  phenomenon  can 
help  identify  FM  emitters.  Occasionally, 


the  audio  of  an  FM  transmitter  is  read- 
able if  multipath  (signal  reflections 
from  buildings,  walls,  etc.)  causes  two 
or  more  signal  components  to  arrive  at 
the  R20  antenna  at  approximately 
equal  levels  but  with  time/phase  differ- 
ences. 

If  demodulating  near-field  FM  sig- 
nals of  unknown  frequency  is  impor- 
tant to  you,  consider  upgrading  to  the 
larger  and  more  expensive  ($359)  Op- 
toelectronics R10  FM  Communications 
Interceptor, 

The  R20  has  no  volume  control  I 
found  that  earphone  volume  on  100 
percent  modulated  VHF  AM  signals  is 
comfortable,  but  might  be  inadequate 
in  places  with  nearby  loud  noise.  In 
any  case,  you  should  have  no  problem 
figuring  out  whether  the  AM  signal 
you're  tracking  is  CB,  aircraft,  ELT,  am- 
ateur, or  something  else. 

Unlike  the  CCB,  the  R20  is  not  sold 
in  kit  form.  The  suggested  retail  price 
for  an  assembled/tested  unit  is  $119.  It 
is  available  from  the  manufacturer  and 
some  ham  radio  dealers.  For  more  in- 
formation, write  Optoelectronics,  5821 
North  East  14th  Avenue,  Fort  Laud- 
erdale FL  33334  or  phone  (305)  771- 
2050. 

Computerized  Display  Update 

A  lot  of  hams  are  also  digital  enthu- 
siasts, so  It's  no  surprise  that  interest 
remains  high  in  computerized  systems 
for  mobile  RDF  bearing  taking  and  pro- 
cessing. Jerry  Boyd  WB8WFK  recently 


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reported  his  progress  in  upgrading  his 
setup,  which  was  described  In  "Hom- 
ing In"  for  January  and  February  1993. 

Jerry  uses  a  manually-rotated  2  me- 
ter beam  with  the  mast  angle  (azimuth) 
and  signal  strength  sensed,  digitized, 
and  plotted  by  a  laptop  computer.  Re- 
cently, he  replaced  the  analog  poten- 
tiometer azimuth  sensor  with  a 
Hewlett-Packard  10- bit  shaft  encoder. 
The  encoder  works  great,  much  better 
than  the  analog  pot"  Jerry  told  me.  '1 
got  a  James  Millen  gearbox,  so  I  have 
the  analog  pot  and  the  encoder  on  the 
same  shaft" 

Much  of  Jerry's  effort  has  been  to- 
ward speeding  up  the  system.  As  de- 
scribed last  year,  it  took  data  for  25 
seconds,  then  pEotted  256  bearing 
points  and  calculated  azimuth  of  the 
best  bearing.  'The  original  1f>per-sec- 
ond  sample  rate  was  not  fast  enough," 
WB8WFK  says.  "The  data  between 
points  was  real  ragged.  Now  I  have  so 
many  points  that  you  can  see  the 
shape.  Even  on  a  noFsy  signal  that 
barely  raises  the  S-meter,  you  can  ac- 
tually see  the  shape  of  the  lobe." 

WBSWFK's  new  laptop  computer 
has  a  386  CPU  running  25  MHz  with  a 
VGA  liquid  crystal  display,  This  allows 
him  to  eliminate  the  external  Mioromint 
ZS  board.  Azimuth  and  signal  strength 
data  from  the  analog-to-digital  convert- 
er unit  now  goes  directly  into  the  com- 
puter through  the  parallel  port  at  much 
higher  speed. 

Jerry's  new  plotting  software  is  writ- 


ten in  C  language.  ul  have  two  new 
trigger  modes  to  start  data  taking.  I 
can  trigger  on  antenna  rotation  or  sig- 
nal strength.  Usually,  I  wait  for  the  car- 
rier to  come  on,  then  start  spinning  the 
antenna.  When  it  detects  motion,  it 
starts  acquiring  data  at  200  times  per 
second,  then  automatically  plots. 

'Also,  I  have  an  overplot  mode,  sim- 
ilar to  a  storage  oscilloscope.  If  I  start 
turning  again,  It  takes  data  again  with- 
out erasing  the  previous  plot,  so  two 
plots  are  now  visible,  I  can  save  data 
to  disk,  but  only  data  from  the  most  re- 
cent sweep,  The  software  also  pro- 
vides correction  for  vehicte  heading. 
When  you  enter  in  the  reading  from  my 
car  compass,  the  software  corrects  the 
display  to  be  relative  to  true  north." 

Jerry  is  a  regular  participant  in  Albu- 
querque T-h  lints,  which  begin  at  9  a.m. 
on  the  first  and  third  Saturdays  of  ev- 
ery month.  The  starting  point  is  on  the 
University  of  New  Mexico  campus  and 
the  frequency  is  146.565  MHz  simplex. 

WB8WFK  would  like  to  compare 
notes  with  others  who  are  experiment- 
ing with  computerized  bearing  displays 
for  rotating  VHF  yagis  and  quads.  You 
can  write  to  him  at  his  Callbook  ad- 
dress. Of  course1  I'm  eager  to  hear  of 
your  new  RDF  ideas  and  devices,  too. 
Write  to  the  address  at  the  top  of  thfs 
column  or  send  e-mail  to 
JoeMoetl@cup-poJlaLcom  (Internet)  or 
75236,2165  (CompuServe).  My  packet 
address  is  K0OV@WB6YMH.#SO- 
CA.CA.USA.NOAM. 


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CIRCLE  248  ON  READER  SERVICE  CARD 


73  Amateur  Radio  Today*  February,  1994  67 


Number  16  on  your  Feedback  card 


■    ■  wumoer  id  on  your  r&eo 

Hams  with  class 


Carole  Perry  WB2MGP 

Media  Mentors.  Inc. 

RO.  Box  t3164€ 

Staien  Island  NY  f0313-OOO6 

Payload  Packaging 

Twice  a  year  my  school  district  in 
Stolen  Island,  New  York,  has  a  profes- 
sional growih  day  for  the  teachers. 
Various  workshops  are  offered  for 
teachers  to  get  enrichment  and  to  ex- 
pand their  expertise  and  teaching  tech- 
niques. In  November  I  was  fortunate 
enough  to  get  into  one  of  the  NASA 
workshops,  along  with  200  other 
teachers  in  the  district.  The  NASA 
workshops  were  so  popular  that  they 
had  to  run  five  o(  them  simultaneously. 

The  seminar  ran  all  day,  and  each 
NASA  instructor  covered  a  great  deal 
of  information.  They  each  emphasised 
their  own  area  of  specialization,  such 
as  chemistry,  physics,  or  aviation.  You 
should  have  seen  grown-up  people 
who  happen  Id  be  teachers  making  pa- 
per airplanes  and  flying  them  around 
the  room.  At  most  NASA  educational 
workshops  tons  of  material  is  distrtout- 
ed.  At  the  "paper  airplane*  session  I 
got  a  wonderful  activity  book  called 
Sky  School.  There  are  at  least  live 
lessons  in  this  book  that  would  be  an 
excellent  addition  to  the  curriculum  of 
a  ham  radio  program. 

When  I  do  a  unit  on  space  travel 
and  communications  with  my  sixth, 
seventh  and  eighth  grade  ham  radio 
classes,  I  like  to  Include  something 
new  every  term.  There  is  a  plethora  of 


charts,  maps,  photos,  books,  and  pam- 
phlets available  from  the  NASA  Teach- 
er Resource  Centers  across  the  coun- 
try. Some  of  the  materials  are  free 
most  of  the  others  are  inexpensive. 
I've  included  a  very  useful  address  for 
teachers  a!  the  end  of  this  column. 

Any  instructor  who  uses  SAREX 
lesson  plans  and  activities  in  the  class- 
room wili  find  the  Tayload  Packaging" 
lesson  to  be  a  terrific  experience  to 
add  to  your  repertoire.  The  topic  areas 
are:  a.  Prelection  from  vibration,  accel- 
eration and  deceleration;  and  b,  Shock 
absorption. 

The  materials  required  per  student 
are  one  raw  egg  and  one  container 
wilh  the  following  restrictions:  no  larger 
than  6'  x  6"  x  6*;  must  weigh  at  least 
one  pound  (total  weight  with  egg).  Oth- 
er materials  include  assorted  packing 
materials,  cups  for  the  eggs,  a  trash 
can  to  dispose  of  the  packaging,  targe 
trash  bags,  triple  beam  balance  (espe- 
cially if  density  calculations  are  used), 
a  ruler  for  volume  measurements,  a 
stopwatch  for  drop  times,  and  newspa- 
pers. 

Trie  Lesson 

Pivotal  question:  Can  an  egg  be 
packaged  in  a  container  so  that  it  re- 
mains unharmed  alter  being  dropped 
from  a  height  of  at  least  30  feet? 

Background  Information:  Although 
shock  absorption  is  an  important  part 
of  aeronautical  engineering,  this  activi- 
ty emphasizes  creativity  In  design,  A 
background  discussion  should  solicit 


Photo  A,  The  NASA  enrichment  lessons  expose  youngsters  to  career  opportuni- 
ties and  introduce  them  to  new  interest  areas  tor  hobbies. 


the  many  commonplace  uses  of  cush- 
ioning. Examples  might  include  (he 
evolution  of  tires,  padded  rails  on 
school  buses,  rides  in  amusement 
parks,  baby  car  seat  requirements, 
and  food  packaging. 

Suggestions:  Prepare  the  class  for 
this  activity  at  least  one  day  ahead  of 
time.  Suggest  ideas  for  the  variety  of 
packaging  materials  students  can  try 
for  packaging  the  egg,  (You  might  want 
to  add  the  restriction  that  no  money  be 
spent  on  this  assignment).  Provide 


Photo  B.  Ham  radio  classes  love  to  do  enrichment  activities  from  the  NASA  educational  programs,  in  this  photo,  students 
brainstorm  tor  the  "Pay/dad  Packaging"  fesson. 

SB  73  Amateur  Radio  Today  •  February,  1 994 


newspapers  to  cover  tables  for  the 
egg-drop.  Be  prepared  for  a  mess 
when  some  of  the  eggs  break.  Stu- 
dents should  package  the  eggs  at 
home.  Prepare  a  "cut  away"  package 
for  display. 

Procedure 

1 .  Assign  the  students  to  prepare  a 
container  with  the  above  mentioned  re- 
strictions, in  which  they  have  pack- 
aged a  raw  egg.  Encourage  students 
to  package  their  eggs  with  materials 
they  believe  will  prevent  It  from  break- 
ing after  being  dropped  from  a  mini- 
mum height  of  30  feet. 

2.  Have  students  bring  in  their  box- 
es. Provide  arrangements  to  verify  size 
and  weight.  Provide  labels  for  students 
to  write  their  name  on  for  the  boxes. 

3.  Have  students  complete  handout, 
"Payload  Package  Drop." 

4.  Go  around  the  room  and  have 
each  child  describe  what  materials  he 
or  she  used  to  package  the  egg.  List 
the  items  on  the  board.  Have  the  stu- 
dents predict  which  eggs  wHl  make  it  in 
five  categories:  a.  Survival  in  good 
health;  b.  Living  .  .  .  but  with  cracked 
Skull;  c.  Unconscious,  with  brain  dam- 
age; d.  Total  scramble;  e*  Missing  in 
action, 

5.  Drop  the  egg  packages,  one  at  a 
time,  from  a  height  of  at  least  30  feet 

6.  Bring  the  "dropped"  packages 
back  into  the  classroom,  where  stu- 
dents open  them. 

7.  After  everyone  has  checked  their 
eggs,  count  up  the  number  of  eggs  in 
each  of  the  categories  and.  as  a  class, 
record  the  results, 

6.  Discuss  results  of  egg-drop  activ- 
ity. Assess  and  rank-order  the  quality 
of  materials  for  shock  aosorbency. 
Highlight  possible  modifications  in  de- 
sign for  packages  with  eggs  that  did 


not  survive  Interpret  Ihe  usefulness  of 
shock  absorbency  to  areas  other  than 
flight. 

Review  of  what  the  students  will  do: 
They  witt  discuss  payload  packaging. 
Students  will  design  a  "Blueprint"  for 
the  design  0/  a  package  for  the  raw 


Patterson  Biggs.  Aerospace  Educa- 
tion Services  Project,  NASA  Head- 
quarters, Code  XEO  Washington,  D.C. 
20546;  and  Debi  Dyer  at  Science  In- 
structional Specialist,  Virginia  Beach 
City  Public  Schools.  Virginia  Beach, 
VA  23456. 


"Any  instructor  who  uses  SAREX  lesson 
plans  and  activities  in  the  classroom  will  find 
the  'Pay load  Packaging'  lesson  to  be  a  terrific 

experience  to  add  to  your  repertoire. " 


egg,  They  will  construct  a  container  to 
protect  a  raw  egg.  They  will  record  and 
discuss  data  and  results. 

Follow-Up 

Here  are  some  good  suggestions 
for  follow-up  activities: 

1.  Provide  awards  in  various  cate- 
gories—best decorated  package,  most 
colorful  package,  most  unique  pack- 
age, most  lifcety  to  scramble,  survival 
of  the  fittest,  and  messiest. 

2.  Have  ihe  students  drop  the  box- 
es with  a  homemade  parachute,  bal- 
loon, or  other  air-drag  device. 

3.  Package  multiple  eggs. 

4.  Investigate  existing  designs  in 
running  shoes. 

Information  Sources 

The  Sky  School  instructors  are 


NASA's  Central  Operation  of  Re- 
sources tor  Educators  is  known  as 
CORE.  It  was  established  for  the  inter- 
national and  national  distribution  of 
NASA -produced  educational  materials 
in  audio- visual  format.  Educational  ma- 
terials include  videotape  programs, 
computer  software .  and  slide  and  film- 
strip  programs  that  chronicle  NASA's 
state-of-the-art  research  and  technolo- 
gy. To  apply  for  the  CORE  catalog, 
contact:  CORE  Lorain  Coynty  JVS 
15181,  Route  58,  South  Oberlin  OH 
44074;  phone:  (216)774^1051  Ext  293 
or  294. 

For  more  information  about  how  1o 
get  your  school  Involved  with  the 
SAREX  (Shuttle  Amateur  Radio  Exper- 
iment}, write  to:  Educational  Activities 
Department.  ARRL,  225  Main  Street, 
NewingtonCT  06111. 


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CIRCLE  112  ON  READER  SERVICE  CARD 


73  Amateur  Radio  Today*  February,  1994  69 


Qrp 


Humber  1 7  on  your  Feedback  card 


Michael  Bryce  WBBVGE 
2225  Mayflower  NW 
Massiiion  OH  44&4B 


The  Argosy,  Continued 

The  original  Argosy,  the  model 
525,  was  introduced  in  the  summer 
of  1981,  The  basic  rig  went  for  $549. 
The  525  was  discontinued  in  the 
summer  of  1983  to  coincide  with  the 
arrival  of  the  Argosy  II.  the  model 
5250,  The  base  price  for  this  rig  was 
S599.  The  Argosy  1/  was  discontirv 
ued  early  In  1988  at  a  price  of  S745. 
Many  thanks  for  Tom  Saliveiti  of  Ten- 
Tec  for  digging  up  those  details  from 
the  Ten-Tec  archives. 

The  Argosy  and  the  Argosy  II  have 
been  in  demand  ever  since  they  were 
introduced  back  in  1981.  So,  it's  not 
surprising  lo  see  hams  making  modi- 
fications to  these  rigs. 

In  an  issue  of  (the  now  defunct) 
Ham  Radio  magazine  several  years 
back,  an  article  appeared  on  modify- 
ing the  Argosy,  For  the  life  of  me,  I 
cannol  locate  the  issue  or  identify  the 
author  of  the  work,  1  do  know  it  was 
quite  extensive  and  included  a  digilal 
readout  lor  the  Argosy  I.  In  fact,  I've 
been  told,  some  of  the  receiver  modi- 
fications were  included  in  the  Argosy 


Low  Power  Operation 


11  by  Ten*T©c,  If  my  memory  serves 
me.  the  modifications  were  rather 
heavy-duty.  They  were  definitely  not 
beginner  mods  you  would  make  in  an 
afternoon  soldering  session.  If  you 
know  the  name  and  call  of  the  author, 
and  the  month  and  year  of  the  article, 
how  about  dropping  me  a  line?  Id 
like  lo  tell  others  about  this  piece, 

RF  Gain  Control  Mod 

One  of  the  most  common  com- 
plaints about  the  Argosy  is  the  lack  of 
an  RF  gain  control.  The  modification 
I'm  describing  requires  you  to  do 
some  soldering  directly  to  the  PC 
board  of  the  Argosy.  If  you  don't  feel 
comfortable  doing  this,  then  don't! 
The  modification  is  simple,  requiring 
only  a  potentiometer,  a  diode,  a  re- 
sistor and  a  soldering  iron.  This  RF 
gain  control  modification  is  by  Ten- 
Tec  from  their  QTC  bulletin  TN2-525. 

You'll  need  a  dual  concentric  10k 
potentiometer.  Remove  the  audio 
gain  potent romeler  Connect  the  orig- 
inal audio  control  wires  to  the  center 
potentiometer  Refer  to  the  schematic 
in  Figure  1 .  Connect  the  rear  section 
of  the  potentiometer  as  shown.  With 
that  done,  you  now  have  a  variable 
RF  gain  control  and  audio  gain  on 
the  same  potentiometer.  But,  youll 


Photo  A.  The  two  crystal  fitters  are  dearly  shown  in  the  Argosy  if.  The  100  watt  in* 
put  PA  is  hidden  under  the  shield. 


end  up  losing  the  power  switch,  You 
must  then  either  Turn  off  Ihe  power 
supply  to  Ihe  Argosy  or  use  the  mag- 
netic cfrcuil  breaker  if  you're  working 
from  a  12  volt  battery  supply.  I  don't 
know  if  Ihis  modification  will  work 
with  the  Argosy  II— I  havenl  tried  iL 

To  eliminate  the  dual  pot  for  the 
above  modification,  wire  in  the  noise 
blanker  so  it's  on  all  the  lime.  This 
frees  up  the  noise  blanker  switch. 
You  can  use  the  noise  blanker  switch 
to  turn  on  the  above  circuit.  A  small 
VQk  trimmer  would  repEace  the  panef- 
mognted  potentiometer.  You  end  up 


12V 


1N414S 


10K 


4 


> 


To   Junction 
Of  09  and  D10 
Cathodes   On 
IF/AF   Board   60785 


10K 


Figure  1.  Schematic  for  the  RFgain  control  modification  to  the  Argosy. 


with  a  fixed  attenuation  pad  of  say  10 
to  20  dB-  A  hunk  of  perf  board  would 
hold  the  parts  inside  the  rig. 

Dial  Light  Mod 

Another  popular  modif  teat  ion  cen- 
ters on  the  dial  light  for  the  meter,  In 
the  Argosy  II,  you  can  turn  off  the 
LED  display,  but  the  meter  light  still 
remains  On,  The  modification  is  Sim* 
pfe;  You  just  rewire  the  meter  light  so 
it  is  controlled  by  the  same  switch  as 
the  display.  So,  when  you  turn  off  the 
display,  the  meter  light  goes  out,  too. 
This  really  saves  the  juice  when 
working  from  a  battery  supply. 

More  Goodies 

Since  you  can  have  your  choice  of 
crystal  fillers  with  either  model,  some 
of  you  may  not  know  that  Ihe  basic 
four-pole  2,5  kHz  filter  may  be 
swapped  oul  for  a  narrower  filter,  an 
eight-pole  with  a  2,4  kHz  bandpass. 
It's  a  Model  220  filter.  Most  of  the 
crystal  filters  are  stifl  available  from 
Ten -Tec.  The  same  goes  for  instruc- 
tion manuals  and  most  of  the  parts 
making  up  the  Argosy  series, 

Another  little-known  fact  about  the 
Argosy  is  its  ability  to  drive  an  ampli- 


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Photo  B.  These  two  trimmer  pots  set  the  ALC  for  high  power  and  tow  power. 


Photo  C.  The  meter  tamp  can  be  easily  turned  off  with  the  LED  display. 


fier.  Granted,  the  SO  waits  of  RF  out- 
put won't  drive  your  Heath  kit  SB200 
full  blast,  but  you  can  make  it  work. 
Randy  KD8JN  drives  his  Heath  am- 
plifier with  an  Argonaut  509.  He  won't 
say  how  much  he  gets  out.  though, 

Ten-Tec  made  a  small  PC  board 
which  would  fix  inside  either  Argosy. 
Tneir  part  number  for  this  module  is 
80853.  This  module  would  provide  a 
delay  break -in  to  control  an  external 
amplifier,  It's  a  rare  find,  it  you  want- 
ed to,  you  could  easily  make  your 
own  control  board  to  do  the  same 
function  as  the  80853  board. 

There  are  two  more  easy-to-do 
modifications  for  the  Argosy  II.  They 
involve  the  setting  of  the  ALC  trim- 
mers. There  are  two  trimmers  on  the 


80784  D  board.  One  sets  the  high 
limit  for  the  high  power  position  white 
the  other  will  control  the  low  power 
position.  If  you're  are  a  real  QRP  nut, 
then  5  watts  output  Is  way  too  much 


my  power  supply  is  my  battery  bank, 
its  nominal  voltage  is  12.5  volts ,  so  I 
have  the  ALC  set  for  high  power  at 
40  watts  RF  output.  Higher  output 
power  is  possible,  but  the  ALC  LEO 


'Like  I  said,  You'll  have  to  pry 
my  cold  dead  fingers  off  of 
my  Argosy  II." 


power.  By  adjusting  the  ALC  trimmer, 
you  can  have  the  power  level  you 
want  and  still  have  fuN  ALC  control. 
This  is  something  the  original  Argosy 
did  not  provide.  I  have  the  ALC  set 
for  my  QRP  position  at  2  watts.  Since 


won't  light  when  operating  on  the  bat- 
tery supply, 

If  you  have  a  dead  transmitter  on 
an  Argosy  I,  Y\\  put  my  money  on  a 
blown  driver  transistor  on  the  RF/mix- 
er  board  #80784.  Its  Q3,  the  one 


with  the  small  heat  sink  It  seems  if 
you  switch  from  high  to  low  power 
white  transmitting,  youll  popQ3, 

If  your  Model  525  will  not  read  for- 
ward RF  power,  check  diodes  D6. 
D7.  and  D8-  Also  check  for  continuity 
on  L15.  It  has  a  tendency  to  become 
open.  All  these  parts  are  located  on 
the  SVWlGw-pass  filter  board  #80805. 

Even  I  ho  ugh  they  are  no  longer 
made,  both  the  Argosy  t  and  Argosy 
II  can  still  be  heard  on  the  ham 
bands.  It's  really  rare  not  lo  hear  one 
during  a  QRP  contest.  At  Dayton,  it's 
very  common  to  see  a  sign  on  some- 
one's back  reading,  Want  to  buy 
Argosy !  or  IL  Like  I  said,  You'll  have 
to  pry  my  cold  dead  fingers  off  of  my 
Argosy  IL 


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73  Amateur  Radio  Today*  February,  1994  71 


Number  18  on  your  Feedback  card 


Number  le  on  your  heecmacK  ca 

Packet  &  computers 


— 


Jeffrey  Sloman  N1EWO 
P.O.  Box  636 
Franklin  IN  46131 


Getting  Started  with  TCP/IP, 
Part  5:  AUTOEXEC.NOS 

[This  column  is  Part  5  in  a  series  on 
using  amateur  TCP/IP.  In  this  series 
we  are  using  KA9Q  NOS  in  the  form 
of  JNOS  (WG7J)  version  1.07b  or 
1.08c.  The  software  is  available  in  the 
"Packet  &  Computers"  area  of  the  73 
BBS;  (603)  924-9343,  300-2400  baud, 
8  data  bits,  no  parity,  one  stop  bit.} 

The  primary  configuration  file 
for  NOS  is  AUTOEXEC, NOS,  Thts 
file  functions  much  like  DOS's 
AUTOEXEC.BAT  Entries  in  it  are  exe- 
cuted as  if  typed  in  at  the  JNOS  com- 
mand prompt.  JNOS  also  offers  a  fa- 
cility to  include  other  files  in 
AUTOEXEC.NOS  by  reference. 

Some  entries  in  AUTO 
EXECNOS  are  position-dependent — 
that  is,  certain  statements  must  pre- 
cede them  to  get  the  expected  result. 
For  the  most  part,  though,  the  order  in 
which  statements  appear  in  the  fiEe  is 
arbitrary.  In  order  to  easily  learn  about 


Digital  Amateur  Radio 


the  AUTOEXEC.NOS  file,  we'll  divide  it 
into  logical  sections.  These  sections 
are  not  enforced  by  JNOS — they  are  a 
convenience  for  us, 

Let's  take  a  look  at  the  conventions 
used  in  the  AUTOEXEC.NOS  lite.  Be- 
low is  a  typical  entry: 


isat 


yes 


#  286/336  ciock 


"isat"  is  the  parameter  that  we  are  set- 
ting (this  tells  JNOS  that  you  are  using 
a  286  or  better  clock).  Separated  by  an 
arbitrary  white  space — spaces  or 
tabs— is.  In  this  case,  a  binary  switch. 
It  is  called  "binary*  because  it  is  either 
on  or  off.  Most  JNOS  commands  that 
use  binary  switches  accept  a  variety  of 
values;  y,  yes,  true,  on,  1,  set,  enable 
(to  turn  a  feature  on);  and  n,  no,  false, 
off,  0,  clear,  disable  (to  turn  one  off). 
The  ri#a  precedes  a  comment.  Whatev- 
er follows  a  #  on  the  line  will  be  ig- 
nored by  JNOS  as  it  processes  the  file. 

Creating  a  Working 
AUTOEXEC.NOS 

Let's  start  our  look  at  the  entries 
that  are  necessary  to  produce  a  work- 
ing JNOS  station.  These  are  the  en- 


tries that  create  a  basic  configuration 
which  will  let  you  get  your  JNOS  sta- 
tion on  the  air. 

DOMAIN 

The  domain  command  sets  or  dis- 
plays parameters  related  to  mapping 
between  names  (e.g.:  nlewo.ampr. 
org)  to  numerical  (e.g.;  44,48.70.21) 
addresses,  and  provides  a  way  to  add 
DNSs  (Domain  Name  Servers)  to  your 
configuration. 

This  translation  service  is  very  im- 
portant. To  understand  why,  let's  take 
a  look  at  the  two  types  of  addressing. 
Numerical  addressing  is  the  '"native" 
way  that  TCP/IP  determines  how  to 
find  a  device  on  a  network.  Here's 
how  it  works:  Each  numerical  Internet 
address  consists  of  four  bytes.  Each 
byte — eight  bits  of  information — can 
have  one  of  256  values.  When  an  in- 
ternet address  is  written  it  is  usually 
done  by  writing  the  value  of  each  byte 
(in  decimal  notation — that  is  base  10 
or  "normal11)  separated  by  a  dot  (.),  In- 
ternet addresses  come  in  three  class- 
es—A, Bf  and  C,  Class  A  addressing 
uses  just  the  first  byte  to  distinguish 
the  network;  the  fasl  three  bytes  are 
for  the  "host1'  or  device  version.  This 
sort  of  addressing  is  used  when  there 
are  few  networks  and  lots  of  devices 
connected.  Class  B  uses  the  first  two 
bytes  for  the  network,  which  balances 
the  number  of  available  network  and 
device  address.  Class  C  (you  guessed 


it!)  uses  the  first  three  bytes  for  the 
network  address,  the  last  byte  for  de- 
vice addresses. 

The  most  common  addressing 
class  used  in  the  amateur  TCP/IP 
world  is  C.  Amateur  addresses  always 
start  with  44.  This  is  the  address  for 
the  domain  AMPR.ORG;  the  name 
amp l org  amps  to  the  addresses  that 
lie  in  the  44.xx.xx.xx  address  space. 
All  amateur  addresses  assigned  by  IP 
coordinators  are  sent  to  a  host  at  the 
University  of  California  at  San  Diego 
called  mirrorshades,ucsd,edu+  This 
host  acts  as  a  router.  This  means  that 
any  time  there  is  traffic  anywhere  On 
the  Internet  that  starts  with  44,  it  is 
sent  to  mirrorshades,  which  looks  at 
the  address  and  sends  it  on  its  way  to 
the  correct  gateway. 

The  second  byte  in  an  amateur  In* 
ternet  address  points  to  a  particular 
region  of  the  world.  For  example, 
44. 48. xx. xx  is  somewhere  in  Indiana, 
because  of  the  48.  The  48,  in  this 
case,  is  the  Indiana  subnet.  How  the 
next  two  bytes  are  used  is  up  to  the  lo- 
cal IP  coordination  mechanism.  Here 
in  Indiana,  we  have  regional  subnets 
(yes,  you  can  have  subnets  in  sub- 
nets). I  am  located  in  subnet  70.  This 
makes  my  first  three  bytes:  44.48.70; 
add  21  to  this  and  you  have  my  com- 
plete address:  44.48.70.21.  21  is  the 
host  (I  also  call  this  "device,"  since  ft 
could  be  any  sort  of  networked  hard- 
ware) portion  of  the  address-  There 


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CIRCLE  11  ON  READER  SERVICE  CARD 


72  73  Amateur  Radio  Today  *  February,  1 994 


are  up  to  255  devices  on  the  70  sub- 
net. Why  not  256?  Because,  by  con- 
vention, hosts  are  never  assigned  0 
addresses:  these  are  reserved  for 
networks.  The  address  44,0.0.0.  (or 
example,  addresses  the  traffic  to  the 
ampr  network. 

OK,  so  now  you  have  some  idea  of 
what  the  numerical  address  is  and 
how  to  read  it.  What  about  the  name 
stuff?  Obviously  the  numerical  ad- 
dress is  not  particularly  user  friendly.  It 
is  also  absolute — thai  is,  always  points 
to  the  same  machine  or  device. 
Names  get  around  both  of  these 
things.  First,  it  Is  a  lot  easier  to  re- 
member ntewo.amprorg  than 
44.46.70.21.  The  first  part  is  my  call; 
the  second  is  the  name  of  the  amateur 
Internet  subnet.  This  formula  works  for 
mast  amateurs  on  Internet — though 
some  use  SSIDs  (Secondary  Station 
Identifiers,  e.g.:  N1EWO-1)  or  other 
names. 

The  other  advantage  of  names  is 
that  where  they  map  can  change  arbi- 
trarily. For  example,  a  while  ago.  in 
this  column,  I  reported  on  K9IU  and  its 
Internet*:— >ampmet  gateway  In  the 
piece  1  specified  K 91  Li's  numeric  (In- 
ternet) address.  Because  of  mis,  when 
the  sysops  of  K91U  had  to  make 
changes  to  their  hardware  confrgura- 
Con.  which  moved  the  gateway  to  a 
new  Internet  address,  they  had  to  do  a 
bunch  of  fancy  footwork.  Had  I  instead 
Just  told  you  about  K9IU.AMPR.ORG, 


it  would  have  been  a  simple  matter  for 
the  sysops  to  tell  mirrorshades  that 
this  name  now  mapped  to  the  new  ad- 
dress. 

So  this  domain  stuff  is  pretty  impor- 
tant Most  of  your  domain  name  ser- 
vices will  come  from  looking  at  a  local 
file  called  DOMAIN.TXT— this  tile  con- 
tains names  and  their  associated  In- 
temet  addresses.  To  do  this  name-to- 
address  mapping,  JNOS  looks  in  the 
DOMAIN,TXT  file  and  finds  the  entry 
that  matches  the  name  it  is  working 
with.  This  means  opening  the  file,  and 
parsing  (reading  and  interpreting)  it— a 
very  (time-)  costfy  operation.  A  TCP/IP 
conversation  involves  lots  of  packets  . 
each  with  a  header  that  might  require 
this  translation.  Because  of  this,  set- 
ting up  the  domain  services  can  have 
an  effect  on  performance. 

The  first  setting  well  look  at  is  the 
cache  size.  A  cache  is  a  space  in 
memory  which  is  sat  aside  to  store 
some  particular  sort  of  memory  ob- 
ject— in  this  case,  a  name* — >ad- 
dress  mapping.  When  JNOS  needs  to 
make  a  translation  it  will  first  took  in 
the  cache  (much  faster  than  opening 
and  reading  a  file)  and  use  what  it 
finds  there.  If  you  have  recently  com- 
municated with  a  station  this  informa- 
tion may  reside  in  the  cache  and 
speed  things  up.  Trie  cache  size  is  set 
with  the  command: 

domain  cache  size  <n> 


where  domain  is  the  command, 
cache  size  is  the  subcommand,  and 
<n>  is  the  number  of  entries  to  be 
cached.  The  limit  Is  based  on  avail- 
able memory  and  the  default  is  5.  You 
should  set  this  parameter  to  a  number 
large  enough  so  that  you  usually  don't 
have  to  open  your  DOMAIN. TXT  file. 
You  can  tell  if  this  Is  happening  by 
watching  for  disk  activity  when  your 
station  tries  to  resolves  name. 

The  next  domain  subcommand  of 
interest  is  "translate."  This  subcom- 
mand determines  if  JNOS  will  try  to 
convert  numerical  addresses  to 
names  whenever  it  displays  them  (in 
trace  mode,  for  example),  This  can  be 
a  real  CPU  hog.  so  unless  you  really 
need  it,  turning  it  off  is  a  good  idea.  To 
do  this,  the  entry  should  be: 

domain  translate  off 

The  last  domain  subcommand  for 
the  AUTOEXEC, NGS  needs  some  ex- 
planation. It  involves  the  use  of  a  Do- 
main Name  Server,  or  DNS.  If  you  live 
within  radio  earshot  of  a  real  internet 
gateway  this  may  be  of  use  to  you.  A 
DNS  is  a  machine  that  has  a  compre- 
hensive DQMAIN,TXT  file.  When  you 
try  to  use  a  name  that  does  not  ap- 
pear in  your  own  DOMAfN.TXT  file, 
JNOS  will  contact  a  DNS  that  you 
have  specified.  If  the  DNS  has  the 
name  you  are  looking  for.  JNOS  will 
add  it  to  your  DOMAfN.TXT  This  is  a 
great  service  It  you  can  take  advan- 


tage of  It.  The  command  looks  like 
this; 

domain  addserver<host>  <time 
out> 

where  domain  is  the  command, 
addserver  is  the  subcommand. 
<host>  Is  the  host  ID  of  the  DNS.  and 
ctimeout>  is  an  optional  timeout  in 
seconds. 

You  can  control  whether  your  sta- 
tion updates  the  local  DOmain.TXT 
based  on  the  DNS  server  response 
with: 

domain  update  <boolean> 

where  'domain"  is  the  command,  "up- 
date" is  the  subcommand,  and 
"<boolean>*  is  on,  off  or  one  of  the 
equivalents  mentioned  earlier. 

Finally,  you  can  turn  your  own  sta- 
tion into  a  DNS  using  the  command: 

domain  dnson 

where  "domain"  is  the  command,  "dns* 
is  the  subcommand,  and  "on"  enables 
the  DNS  server  built  into  JNOS— the 
default  is  off+ 

Next  month  we'll  continue  with 
AUTO  EXEC.  N  OS,  taking  a  look  at  in- 
terface configuration.  (NOTE:  A  work- 
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CIRCLE  49  ON  READER  SERVICE  CARD 


73  Amateur  Radio  Today*  February.  1994  73 


Number  19  on  your  Feedback  card 


Number  la  on  your  hi 

Above  &  beyond 

VHF  and  Above  Operation 


C.  L  Houghton  WBBfGP 
San  Diego  Microwave  Group 
6345  Badger  Lake  Ave. 
San  Diego  CA  92119 

The  winter  weather  and  all  of  its  ill 
effects  should  keep  you  indoors 
awhile,  leaving  you  more  time  for  in- 
house  construction  projects.  Continu- 
ing along  with  that  theme,  this  month  I 
would  like  to  cover  a  few  little  gems  to 
keep  you  and  your  soldering  iron  busy. 
Let's  consider  construction  of  pream- 
plifiers for  the  low  VHF  range.  This 
month  Til  cover  component  selection 
and  parts  substitution,  and  how  to 
modify  circuits  accordingly.  The  prima- 
ry goal  is  to  use  components  you  have 
on  hand.  Consider  a  dual -gate  MOS- 
FET  preamp  for  30  MHz.  See  Figure  1 
for  the  schematic  details. 

The  amplifier  shown  in  Figure  1  can 
work  well  over  the  frequency  range  of 
10  to  50  MHz.  The  40673  duahgate 
MOSFET  is  capable  of  higher  frequen- 
cy operation;  however,  there  are  better 
devices  today  for  those  applications.  If 
you  want  to  build  this  circuit  it  will 
work;  however,  it  is  primarily  used  for 
component  selection  examples.  With 
the  schematic  diagram  (Figure  1)  in 
mindP  lets  go  shopping  for  parts.  Don't 


go  and  purchase  everything  brand- 
new — a  lot  of  retailers  would  appreci- 
ate that,  but  rather  see  what  compo- 
nents you  have  on  hand  that  can  fill 
the  bill  to  hold  down  costs  and  keep 
the  project  in  a  "hobby"  realm. 

Use  the  design  in  Figure  1  as  a 
guide.  It  need  not  be  followed  exactly; 
most  component  values  can  be  varied 
about  10%  without  changing  the  circuit 
performance.  You  do  not  have  to  use 
the  exact  material  specified  for  the  res- 
onant  elements  (tuned  circuits). 
Changing  these  components  can  be 
very  cost-effective  if  you  can  use 
something  you  have  on  hand. 

Let's  take  a  closer  look  at  the  reso- 
nant elements,  the  inductors  and  the 
capacitors  that  form  this  part  of  the  cir- 
cuit. The  inductors  used  in  this  circuit 
are  two  variable  2.1  microhenry  {\i\-\) 
coils  and  two  25  uH  inductors*  What 
do  we  go  shopping  for  in  the  coil  de- 
partment? Two  or  three  RFCs  whose 
value  is  25  u\H  and  two  2.1  jdH  induc- 
tors for  the  resonant  elements.  The  25 
\xH  RFCs  role  on  the  input  is  not  very 
apparent  This  RFC  provides  a  ground 
return  for  both  the  input  tuned  circuit  to 
the  ampfifier  and  a  DC  path  for  the  de- 
tector diode  to  ground.  See  Figure  4.  It 
also  matches  the  diode's  higher 


impedance.  (Here  is  my  chance  to  slip 
in  some  microwave  activity),  Thts 
preamplifier  is  normally  used  in  WBFM 
applications  for  a  diode  detector  in  a 
microwave  cavity.  For  10  GHzd  this  is  a 
section  of  waveguide,  and  for  lower 
frequencies  it  could  be  a  tin  can  called 
a  polapiexer  It's  basically  a  tin  can  or 
waveguide  whose  size/opening  is  the 
right  dimension  for  the  frequency  of 
use.  For  10  GHz,  a  copper  pipe  1"  in 
diameter  is  about  right.  For  1296  MHz, 
a  one -pound  coffee  can  is  perfect.  The 
diode  detector  is  placed  1/4  wave- 
length at  frequency  from  the  back  of 
the  can  and  at  90  degrees  in  reference 
to  the  diode  orientation.  There  are  sev- 
eral ways  this  same  coupling  can  be 
done  but  this  is  the  most  inexpensive 
method.  Such  a  detector  diode  has  an 
impedance  of  about  200  to  400  ohms, 
and  when  coupled  to  a  preamplifier  it 
will  deflver  maximum  when  the  amplifi- 
er input  circuitry  is  matched  to  this 
same  impedance  range,  hence  the  in- 
put circuitry. 

The  output  inductor  (RFC)  is  used  to 
separate  RF  and  DC,  It  drives  up  DC 
power  from  the  output  coax  and  powers 
the  amplifier  for  operation  in  a  remote 
location  from  the  main  station  equip- 
ment. The  other  two  coils  comprise  the 
tuned  circuit  and  are  shown  as  variable 
coils.  They  can  be  fixed  if  we  wish  to 
make  the  capacitor  (15  pF)  variable. 
The  circuit  will  work  well  either  way  with 
variable  coils  or  variable  capacitors. 
This  is  one  of  the  cost-effective  choices 
to  make  by  using  your  "junk  box.* 


What  form  can  the  inductor  take  to 
make  the  circuit  work?  As  an  example, 
take  a  toroid  that  is  capable  of  working 
at  30  MHz.  Look  at  Table  1 .  Looking  at 
toroid  cores  from  Amidon  Associates, 
a  popular  amateur  parts  supplier,  we 
determine  that  a  T-XX-6  or  T-XX-12 
core  is  suitable. 

At  this  point  the  -6  (yeiiow  core)  is 
the  most  important  ingredient.  The 
table  states  that  a  -6  core  is  good  for 
10  to  90  MHz  use.  A  red  core  -2  could 
be  used,  but  the  frequency  stated  is 
not  suitable;  it's  good  from  1  to  14 
MHz  max.  Alternately,  a  -12  core 
(green  and  white)  would  work,  but 
that's  kind  of  overkill;  put  this  idea  in 
the  "might  use"  category.  A  -6  (yeElowJ 
core  would  be  an  easier  core  to  locate 
In  the  junk  box  as  it  is  very  popular, 
more  so  than  a  -1 2.  In  either  case,  let's 
use  the  -6  yeliow  core  and  proceed  to 
wind  a  2.1  u.H  inductor. 

The  Amidon  charts  ilst  the  toroid 
cores  by  core  size  (the  XX  above)  and 
type  (-2  or  -6  or  -12,  etc.).  Amidon  has 
published  a  numerical  value  called 
"ALH  or  hiH  per  100  turns}.  With  this 
UAI_"  value  for  a  selected  core  Size  we 
can  compute  the  exact  number  of 
turns  for  our  2.1  pH  inductor,  Let's  se- 
lect a  T-25-6  core.  By  the  way,  the  "25" 
of  the  part  identification  number  refers 
to  the  size  of  the  outer  diameter  of  the 
core,  in  this  case  1/4V  In  comparison, 
a  T-37-X  would  be  a  core  with  a  0.37O" 
diameter.  Now,  looking  at  Table  1,  the 
UAL"  value  for  the  T-25-6  core  is  27  T 
That  means  that  for  100  turns  on  a  T- 


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CIRCLE  64  ON  READER  SERVICE  CARD 


CIRCLE  55  ON  READER  SERVICE  CARD 


74  73  Amateur  Radio  Today*  February,  1 994 


25-6  core  the  inductance  would  be  27 
pit  (Note:  We  might  not  be  abte  to  get 
100  turns  on  this  size  core,  but  this  is  a 
figure  used  for  calculations  only  and 
not  actual  windlngj.  To  determine  what 
2.1  uH  would  be,  a  littte  math  is  need- 
eo\ 

Table  1  shows  inductance  if  you 
were  able  to  wind  100  turns  on  various 
type  cores.  On  some  smaller  cores  it  is 
impossible  to  wind  100  turns  so  this 
number  is  imaginary  but  it  is  used  in 
calculating  the  required  inductance 
from  that  "AL*  number. 

The  formula  to  determine  the  turns 
required  is  as  follows:  turns  =  100 
times  the  square  root  of  the  required 
nductance.  A  required  inductance  of 
2.1  \*H  divided  by  an  AL  of  27  equals 
0.07777777.  The  square  root  of 


0.07777777  is  0.278886675,  and  that 
times  100  equals  27.388.  So  we  need 
28  turns  of  wire  on  our  T2S-6  core  for 
an  inductance  of  2.1  ^R  For  this  appli- 
cation, a  wire  size  o(  #28  to  »30  gauge 
enameled  wire  woufd  be  used.  Bene- 
fits from  this  selection  are  that  the  in- 
put and  output  toroidal  coils  would  not 
couple  between  each  other,  minimizing 
a  condition  called  talking  or  crosstalk. 
That's  oscillation  when  the  input  of  an 
amplifier  finds  the  output. 

Toroid  cores  maintain  the  magnetic 
field  within  the  core  structure  and  mini- 
mize external  fiefafs.  You  can  verify 
resonance  of  your  loroid  and  its  capac- 
itor combination  by  using  an  instru- 
ment catted  a  grid -dip  meter.  Toriod 
cores  are  difficult  to  grid-dip  without 
some  external  coupling  added  for  test 


purposes,  To  grid-dip  a  toroid  tuned 
circuit,  put  a  turn  or  two  on  the  core 
and  make  an  external  two-turn  coii 
with  a  short  section  of  wire.  Couple  the 
dip  meter  to  the  external  temporary 
coil  and  you  will  read  the  actual  toroid 
resonant  frequency  directly  on  the 
grid-dip  meter.  Adjust  accordingly  to 
meet  your  parameters.  Add  or  remove 
turns  or  vary  capacitance  values  to  suit 
your  requirements.  Trying  to  do  this 
without  the  link  coil  for  testing  is  very 
difficult,  See  Figure  3  for  this  method 
of  grid -dipping  a  toroid  core. 

An  alternate  to  the  toroid  coil  would 
be  a  small  1/8*  or  so  diameter  slug- 
tuned  coil  form.  This  fomi  could  be  tak- 
en from  an  old  TV  set  IF  amp  circuit  or 
similar  circuitry  from  a  junk  PC  board. 
Remove  the  coil  form  and  any  wind- 


Pi 


RF    Input 
Zo  =  200 


P2 


L2 
2.1u  H 

mm 


L4 
2pH 


rprrL 


C5 
.01 

-II- 


25uH 


R4 
100 


CO 
.01 


Li 

25  a  H 
(Optional) 


CO 


^mLm>  ■■    * 


C7 

.01 


1 


.Optional) 


Figure  1.  30  MHz  IF  preamplifier  schematic  diagram. 


ings  on  the  form.  For  aiF  coil  form 
(slug-tuned),  12  to  14  turns  of  #24  wire 
have  worked  well  for  me.  You  can  ex- 
periment with  the  wire  gauge  and  par- 
allel capacitor  using  the  same  old  grid- 
dip  meter  for  testing  before  placing  the 
coil  and  required  capacitor  in  the  cir- 
cuit, I  am  trying  to  remember— I  be- 
lieve that  I  used  a  25  to  40  pF  capaci- 
tor to  resonate  the  circuit  at  30  MHz,  A 
factor  in  this  case  was  that  the  coil 
form  I  used  had  a  ground  shield 
around  the  coil  form  and  this  affected 
the  entire  circuit  Also,  using  a  selec- 
tion from  the  junk  box  can  lead  to 
some  uncertainly  on  what  you  have 
form* wise,  but  verification  with  the 
grid-dip  meter  will  remove  all  doubt. 

Remember  to  measure  everything 
so  it  will  properly  fit  in  the  circuit.  Also, 
placing  shielding  in  close 
proximity  to  the  coit  form 
can  detune  the  circuit; 
keep  this  in  mind  when 
placing  shielding.  If  you 
do  not  use  a  shield  cover 
(can),  there  could  be  sub- 
stantial coupling  between 
input  and  output  and  oth- 
er shielding  techniques 
need  to  be  employed. 
Give  different  methods  a 
try  as  not  much  is  at  risk 
here.  The  benefit  from 
this  construction  Is  cost 
because  you  are  more 
likely  to  find  junk  coil 
forms  than  toroids.  Check 
out  stability  and  add 


—  zo  =  so 


+12  v 


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CIRCLE  1 33  ON  READER  SERVICE  CARD 

73  Amateur  Radio  Today  *  February,  1994  75 


Figure  2.  Drilled  and  etched  PC  hoards  (or  the  30  MHz  iFpreamp  are  available  for  $4  plus  $1.50  S&H  per  order  from  FAR 
Circuits,  1BN64Q  Field  Court,  Dundee,  tL  60t1S. 


shielding  if  needed  to  make  the  circuit 
an  amplifier  instead  of  an  oscillator. 

Another  consideration  for  the  reso- 
nant circuit  is  to  put  a  capacitor  of  60% 
or  so  of  total  value  in  trie  circuit  and 
use  a  small- value  variable  to  make  fur- 
ther adjustments.  This  can  be  a  real 
benefit  towards  expert mentation,  I  am 
not  going  to  get  inlo  other  considera- 
tions such  as  device  substitution  for 
the  40673  duaf-gate  MOSFET 

The  tuned  circuits  that  are  used  in 
ttie  input  and  output  circuit  can  take 
many  different  forms  and  the  results 
will  be  nearly  the  same.  Some  experi- 
ence can  be  beneficial  but  you  aren't 
dealing  with  a  high  dollar  amount  so 
you  can  experiment  and  learn  a  ioj 
through  what  I  call  the  "Edison  Effect* 
That's  the  procedure  used  by  the 
renowned  inventor  Thomas  Edison 
who.  through  many  failures,  created 
devices  of  excellence. 

What  I  mean  is  that  you  should  feel 
free  to  use  a  substitution  component  in 
different  circuits  and  sea  what  the  re- 
sults are.  They  might  not  all  work  well 
but  I  assure  you  that  with  a  few  tries 
success  will  be  yours.  If  the  design 
used  fixed  capacitors  and  toroid- 
wound  inductors  to  a  specific  induc- 
tance, be  assured  thai  the  creator  of 
this  circuit  used  an  impedance  bridge. 


or  Amidon's  coil  chart,  to  determine 
the  number  of  turns  required.  In  either 
case,  ine  exact  component  does  not 
need  to  be  used.  Improvise  something 
and  try  it  out.  What  do  you  have  to 
lose  but  time  and  a  component  you 
have  on  hand?  Even  if  it  does  not  work 
you  have  gained  something  from  the 
school  of  hard  knocks,  Most  of  the 
lime  a  substituted  component  wiJI  work 
and  do  it  well. 

One  other  thing  to  remember  is  that 
any  coil  you  wind  will  vary  from  a  stock 
circuit.  Using  Amidon's  chart  tor  the 
to  raids  they  sell  will  result  in  a  coil  very 
near  the  inductance  you  desire.  But, 
as  with  all  things,  it  depends  on  how 
you  distribute  the  wire  turns  on  the 
core,  Toroid  cores  wound  for  maximum 
efficiency  have  their  wire  spread  or 
distributed  over  at  least  80%  of  the 
core- 
Slug-Tuned  Coil  Forms 

You  can  replace  toroid  cores  with 
s ma i [-diameter  coll  forms  and  fixed  or 
adjustable  capacitors  and  the  results 
will  be  the  same  as  long  as  coupling 
between  the  different  coils  is  not  great. 
Coils  and  capacitors  can  be  preset  be- 
fore mounting  to  a  circuit  by  checking 
with  a  grid  dip  meter.  This  is  actually 
an  oscillator  with  an  indicator  and  will 


indicate  resonance  in  tuned  circuits— a 
very  handy  instrument  on  the  work 
bench,  f  have  had  several  of  them  over 
the  years  and  the  grid- dipper  I  now 
use  is  a  James  Mill  en  solid-state  unit. 
There  are  many  different  models  and 
they  all  are  quite  good.  I  have  even 
seen  some  in  military  surplus  for  under 
$50. 

Well,  that's  all  I  have  to  contribute 
on  ihe  selection  of  the  components 
that  seem  to  be  most  troublesome. 
The  other  components  for  capacitor 
values  and  resistor  values  need  not  be 
difficult  and  10%  or  more  tolerance 
components  work  out  well.  The  only 
consideration  here  is  in  the  capacitors 
that  will  carry  RF;  they  should  be  se- 
lected from  disc  ceratntc  or  mica  types 
for  good  low-loss  capabilities.  If  the 
frequency  of  the  amplifier  is  increased 
to.  say.  over  a  GHz,  then  chip  capaci- 
tors would  be  a  better  choice.  Stan- 
dard chip  capacitors  or  surface-mount 
chip  capacitors  exhibit  low  inductance 
as  they  have  no  leads  to  hook  them  In- 
to a  circuit.  They  are  essentially  lead- 
fess. 

As  you  increase  frequency  again, 
from  higher  in  the  GHz  range  to  over  3 


GHz.  special  low- loss  chip-type  capac- 
itors need  to  be  used.  These  capaci- 
tors are  stilt  chip-type  capacitors  bul 
are  constructed  out  of  special  low*  loss 
materials  such  as  porcelain  for  a  very 
high  dielectric  and  low-loss  character- 
istics at  higher  frequency  microwave 
work,  Each  one  of  these  levels  in  com- 
ponent parts  represents  a  price  in- 
crease for  increased  quality  of  the 
component.  Disc  capacitors  are  about 
a  dime  each,  mica  caps  are  30  to  50 
cents  each,  surface- mount  capacitors 
are  about  50  cents  each,  and  high- 
grade  low-loss  HP  types  for  microwave 
run  from  50  cents  to  a  dollar  each.  Just 
as  frequency  increases,  so  does  the 
price  and  quality. 

I  hope  I  have  given  you  some  basic 
considerations  for  amplifier  construc- 
tion and  when  and  what  parts  to  try 
and  select.  I  heartily  suggest  starting  a 
junk  box  of  components  from  scrap  PC 
boards  and  old  TVs  and  radios  and 
whatever  components  you  happen  to 
locate  at  flea  markets  and  swap 
meets.  1  have  resisted  the  urge  to  pick 
up  only  what  I  want  when  I  am  shop- 
ping for  components  and  IF  the  pnce  is 
right,  I  usually  purchase  far  more  that  I 
will  ever  use,  All  these  parts  are  stored 
away  lor  "that  day"  and  then  I  don't 
have  to  run  off  shopping  and  can  use 
the  time  constructing  on  the  work 
bench. 

Mailbox 

Raymond  Eisner  of  Littleton,  Col- 
orado, writes,  "Do  you  still  have  any  of 
the  10  MHz  frequency  standards  avail- 
able?" (Model  T-424,  rrom  73,  August 
1992-)  Well,  I'm  sorry  to  say.  no,  They 
were  an  item  thai  I  picked  up  and 
when  \  offered  them  I  did  not  know  that 
they  would  be  so  hot.  I  did  pick  up  all 
that  the  locals  did  not  and  made  them 
available,  However,  now  they  are 
gone.  If  I  ever  locate  some  more  I  will 
let  everyone  know. 

Arthur  WtPXL  is  looking  for  a  noise 
bridge  for  144  MHz.  He  is  trying  to 
construct  one.  I  saw  a  unit  that  was 
good  to  uHF  in  the  RSG8  Hand&oofc 
and  recommend  the  circuit  to  Arthur,  I 
have  never  used  a  noise  bridge  as  J 
am  blessed  with  an  HP-250 
impedance  meter  that  I  use  for  anten- 
na measurements,  It  is  another  way  to 
verify  antenna  Impedance.  The  HP- 
250  was  more  sophisticated  In  that  you 
could  determine  at  exactly  what  fre- 
quency from  30  to  500  MHz  the  resis- 
tive and  capacrtive  components  of  the 
impedance  product  were.  You  could 


Toroid  Coil  With 
Two  Turn  Te*1  Unk 


Plug-In 
Coll 


Q 
CO 


hi 

I 


Hh 


/ 


2.1|i  H 


Grid  Dip  Meier 


ISpF 


\ 


: 


/ 


] 


IH23 

Diode 


Coax 
Cable 


Z.lj/H 


Capacitor 
Part   Of 
Diode    Mount 
(Low   Value) 


2  5uH 
RFC 


To  Gate 
4067  3 
MOSFET 


15pF 


■±^     RFC   DC   Return   For  Detector  Diode 
And  High   Impedance    Match   Network 
Of  About  200  Ohms 


Figure  3.  Method  of  grid-dipping  toroid  cores. 
76  73  Amateur  Radio  Today*  February,  1994 


Rgure  4,  Microwave  diode  detectors  matching  circuit 


set  an  antenna  to  50  ohms  on  the  hatr- 
line.  The  long  and  short  of  St  is  that  I 
have  done  just  as  well  with  a  simple 
SWR  bridge  that  was  home-construct- 
ed. I  guess  it  demonstrates  just  how 
well  you  want  to  match  something  or 
how  accurate  you  need  to  be.  The  HP- 
250  worked  great  but,  as  with  all  large 
devices,  it  went  out  the  door,  replaced 
by  something  smalfer.  If  anyone  can 
hefp  further,  contact  Arthur  at  6453 
31st  Avenue  North1  St.  Petersburg, 
Florida  33710. 

Thomas  KD4UIX  is  interested  in  an 
ail-mode  2  meter  radio  at  affordable 
prices.  Well,  Thomas,  that  is  not  the 
way  most  new  radios  are  going  today, 
it  seems  that  the  cry  for  more  belfs  and 
whistles  is  being  met  by  most  manu- 
facturers today  and  there  is  not  an  in- 
expensive 2  meter  multErnode  unit  on 


the  market .  The  most  inexpensive  rigs 
I  have  seen  are  priced  near  $700.  Next 
month,  in  response  to  this  letter,  I  plan 
to  cover  a  conversion  approach  (or  a 
microwave  IF  using  a  low-band  SSB 
transceiver  for  obviously  SSB  genera- 
tion, covering  modifications  needed. 
Later  I  will  detail  a  simple  2  meter  con- 
verter to  tie  the  package  together. 
There  are  several  possible  rigs  that 
can  fill  the  bill  for  inexpensive  SSB  ra- 
dios such  as  the  Radio  Shack  10  me- 
ter SSB  rig  or  other  similar  units. 

Well,  that's  it  for  this  month.  Next 
month  I  will  expand  on  the  conver- 
sion of  SSB  rigs  for  microwave 
SSB  use.  As  always,  I  will  be  glad  to 
answer  questions  about  this  and  simi- 
lar subjects.  Please  send  an  SASE  for 
a  prompt  response.  73  Chuck 
WB6IGP. 


Core 

Type 

T-20Q 

T-130 

T-50 

T-44 

T-37 

T-25 

T-16 


RED 
-2 
120 
110 
50 
57 
42 
34 
22 


Table  1-  AL  Values  (jaH/100  Turns) 

MHz 
BLK       GRN&WH        R£D  =    1  to    14 

-10  -12 


YEL 
-6 
105 
96 
40 
42 
30 
27 
19 


RED 

YEL  =    3  to    21 

BLK  =10  to    80 

GRN/WH  =  50  to  200 


31 
33 
25 
19 
13 


ts 

15 

13 

6 


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Preamplifiers:  2  mtrs. 


FM  4-5  WATTS  =  3SW 

Linear  4^5  WATTS  =  35W 

FM  4^5  WATTB  -  60W 

FM  4-5  WATTS  =  3SW 

Linear  1^2  OR  4-5W  -  tSW 

1/2  OR  4^SW  =  «W 

1ttOR4-SW  =  35W 

1^0R4-5W  =  3SW 

1/2  or  4-sw  =  eow 

3-4W  ■  GOW 
3-4W^60W 

1/2W  =  10W 
1/2W-10W 
1W  =  1«W 
1W  =  1«W 
1W*«JSW 
CW  a  1  sw 
Cmw=«W 
1fiW  =  1.£W 
1/2W  =  1/2W 
1/2W-10W 
NO  '  1W  =  1SW 

NO  "  1W  =  16VJ 

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73  Amateur  Radio  Today*  February,  1994  77 


Ask  kab 


$i$ 


Number  20  on  your  Feedback  card 

M 


Micnaet  J.  Geier  KB  f  UM 
&q  73  Magazine 
70  Route  202  North 
Peterborough  NH  03458 

It  Hertz  So  Good 


As  t  wrfte  this,  we  are  in  the  midst 
of  the  holiday  season.  For  most  peo- 
ple, visions  of  Thanksgiving  turkeys 
and  Christmas  presents  have  filled 
the  relaxed.  Idle  moments.  For  a 
techie  like  met  though,  those  mus- 
ings mingle  with  such  delicacies  as 
frequency  counters  and  resonant  cir- 
cuits. This  month,  lets  take  a  look  at 
frequency- related  Issues. 

Count  'Em  Up 

What's  the  difference  between  fre- 
quency counters?  What  makes  a 
good  one  or  a  bad  one?  The  most 
obvious  difference  is  in  the  maximum 
frequency  the  unit  can  count.  Is 
faster  necessarily  better?  In  this 
case,  pretty  much.  At  least  up  to  a 
point,  anyway.  If  you  never  use  any- 
thing higher  than  2  meters,  you  prob- 
ably don't  need  a  2  GHz  counter,  al- 
though it  would  pay  to  have  one  that 
goes  to  at  feast  250  MHz.  jus!  in 
case  you  need  to  count  a  focal  oscil- 
lator of  something  that  goes  above 
the  band.  But.  there's  more  to  a 
good  counter  than  its  frequency  re- 
sponse. 


Your  Tech  Answer  Man 

Exactly 

How  precise  is  the  counter?  And 
how  accurate  is  it?  Those  are  not  the 
same,  If  it  tells  you  that  your  frequen- 
cy is  14.208758423  MHz,  that's  pretty 
darned  precise!  But.  if  it's  off  by  300 
Hz.  that  ain't  very  accurate.  Con- 
versely, il  it  tells  you  that  the  frequen- 
cy is  14.2  MHz  when  it's  really 
t4+2G8,  that's  quite  accurate  but  not 
very  precise.  Generally,  today's  In- 
struments have  more  precision  than 
accuracy,  and  it  can  be  quite  hard  to 
look  at  all  those  lovefy  numbers  and 
riot  believe  Ihem.  I  see  lots  of  coun- 
ters on  the  market  which  have  eight 
or  even  10  digits,  but  I  doubt  many  of 
them  have  the  basic  accuracy  to  back 
Ihose  numbers  up.  (By  the  way,  that's 
true  of  some  3-1/2  and  4-1/2  digit 
DMMs.  too.}  To  be  sure,  take  a  look 
at  the  specs  and  you  should  find 
some  statement  of  basic  accuracy, 
such  as  +/-  10  ppm  or  +/-  300  Hz  al- 
ter warm-up.  The  Hz  statement  is 
pretty  obvious,  but  what  the  heck  is 
ppm?  That  refers  to  " parts  per  mil- 
lion/ in  the  case  of  a 
+/-  10  ppm  counter,  it  means  that,  if 
your  measured  frequency  is  14  MHz, 
the  counter  could  be  off  by  as  much 
as  140  Hz  in  either  direction,  because 
ti  can  be  off  by  10  Hz  for  every  million 
Hz  you're  counting.  So.  just  multiply 
10  (the  number  of  ppm)  times  the 
number  of  megahertz  and  you  know 


what  the  true  accuracy  limits  are.  And 
even  if  the  display  shows  digits  right 
to  the  single  Hz,  those  numbers  may 
be  lying  if  the  accuracy  isn'l  high 
enough.  Of  course,  you  have  no  way 
to  tell  for  sure,  and  many  instruments 
pefform  considerably  better  than  their 
worst-ease  specs.  The  morat  here, 
though,  is  not  to  go  tweaking  your  ra- 
dio down  to  the  last  Hz  just  because 
your  counter  says  to,  because  it  could 
be  the  counter  that's  wrong. 

Check.  Please 

Is  there  a  way  to  know  when  your 
counter  is  right  or  wrong?  Some- 
times. Luckily,  digital  counters  have 
no  "slippage"  of  any  kind  between 
their  reference  oscillators  and  every- 
thing else.  In  other  words,  the 
counter's  accuracy  depends  entirely 
on  the  reference's  accuracy.  If  that 
reference  happens  to  be  at  some 
multiple  of  5  MHz,  as  many  are,  you 
can  check  it  by  listening  Lo  it  with  a 
shortwave  receiver  or  HF  rig.  Just  put 
the  radio  in  AM  mode  and  tune  in 
WWV.  Ideally,  the  counter's  signal 
and  WWV  will  zero-beat,  meaning 
that  your  counter  is  dead  on  frequen- 
cy. In  the  real  world,  though,  it  never 
happens.  If  the  oscillator's  adjustable, 
you  can  set  it  right  on  frequency,  en- 
suring, for  a  while  at  least,  that  your 
counts  will  be  correct.  If  it's  not  ad- 
justable, try  counting  the  beats.  Once 
you  know  them,  you  can  calculate  the 
ppm  of  the  counter.  If  you  hear  three 
beats  per  second,  and  you're  tuned  to 
10  MHz,  then  you  know  your  counter 
is  good  to  0.3  ppmT  which  is  pretty 
good!  The  receiver's  stability,  luektly, 
doesn't  play  a  part  because,  In  AM 


reception,  the  carrier  (which  is  what 
you're  beating  against)  is  provided  by 
the  broadcast  station  (WWV).  not  the 
radio.  By  the  way,  this  method  works 
well  for  normal,  home-type  counters, 
but  it  isn't  accurate  enough  for  ex- 
tremely accurate  laboratory  counters, 
because  me  atmospheric  fading  and 
random  changes  in  ihe  length  of  the 
signal  path  cause  even  WWVs  earn- 
er frequency  to  shift  by  tiny,  random 
amounts.  But  we  re  talking  pretty 
small  shifts  here. 

Ring  Out! 

Resonance  is  a  topic  that  seems 
to  confuse  many  people.  Articles  at- 
tempting to  explain  it  often  resort  to 
mathematical  formulae  and  state- 
ments like  "resonance  occurs  when 
the  capacitive  reactance  exactly 
equals,  and  balances,  the  inductive 
reactance/'  That's  completely  true, 
but  it  doesn't  tell  you 
a  thing  about  whai  resonance  actually 
is.  The  phenomenon  of  resonance  is 
at  the  very  heart  of  radio  communi- 
cation, so  let's  lake  a  look  at  il 

Boiling 

If  youVe  ever  played  with  a 
"Stinky"  (and  who  hasn'l?).  you  al- 
most certainly  can  remember  stretch- 
ing it  out  and  then  flicking  your  end. 
The  energy  you  imparted  to  it  visibly 
deformed  it  in  a  moving  wave  down 
Ihe  spring  until  it  reached  the  other 
end.  It  looked  pretty  cool,  right?  But 
what  happened  then?  If  you  had  the 
other  end  held  rigidly  to,  say,  a  chair, 
the  wave  came  right  back  at  you, 
right?  To  me,  that  was  always  the 
niftiest  part.  Actually  it  is  exadiy  the 


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78  73  Amateur  Radio  Today  •  February,  1 994 


same  phenomenon  as  a  bouncing 
ball;  the  energy  is  reflected  by  the 
rigid  boundary. 

The  lime  it  takes  tor  the  energy 
wave  to  make  one  compleie  round 
trip  ts  caNed  the  period,  and  repre- 
sents one  complete  cyde.  If  you  mea- 
sure that  period  in  seconds,  and  then 
divide  one  by  it.  you'll  get  the  fre- 
quency In  cyctes  per  second h  or  Hz, 
of  the  round- trip  time.  So.  if  you  get  a 
period  ol  0.8  seconds,  your  frequency 
is  1.25  Hz.  And,  in  case  you're  won- 
dering, no  matter  how  hard  you  Hick 
the  spring,  the  frequency  will  be  ex- 
act Ey  the  same.  The  wave  will  be  big- 
ger but  not  faster,  because  the  transit 
time  Is  not  determined  by  the  amount 
of  energy  thrown  in. 

By  What(  Then? 

The  time  it  takes  for  ihe  wave  to 
traverse  the  spring  is  determined  by 
the  length  of  ihe  spring,  its  tension 
and  the  slrtfness  of  the  material  from 
which  it's  made.  Try  stretching  the 
string  tighter:  the  wave's  speed  will 
increase.  And.  of  course,  if  you  short- 
en the  spring,  the  energy  has  less 
distance  to  travel,  so.  even  though  its 
speed  is  not  increased,  it  takes  less 
time  to  make  the  trip. 

Let  £r  Rip 

Let's  say  you  flick  the  spring,  and 
then  you  Hick  it  again  at  exact ty  the 
moment  the  reflected  energy  returns. 
What  happens?  The  reflected  energy. 


which  is  going  to  reflect  ye!  again  to- 
wards the  other  end,  adds  to  the  new 
energy  pulse,  making  it  bigger,  it  you 
keep  doing  it.  the  wave  will  get  abso- 
lutely huge.  And  that  gentle  readers, 
is  resonance. 

Electrically  Speaking 

In  an  electrical  system,  energy 
travels  through  a  wire  at  approximate- 
ly the  speed  of  light.  That  may  seem 


effect  on  the  electrons*  speed.  But, 
there  are  other  factors.  Specifically, 
there  are  capacitive  and  inductive  re- 
actances. Notice  I  didn't  mention  re- 
sistance here;  resistance  makes  the 
energy  weaker  by  dissipating  some  of 
it  as  heal,  but  it  doesn't  slow  it  down. 
II  it  did,  we  could  make  delay  lines 
and  information  storage  devices  out 
of  resistors,  and  it  would  take  mea- 
surably  longer  for  energy  to  reach  the 


"One  very  useful  device  in  which 
ihe  mechanical  and  electrical  systems 

meet  is  the  crystal. " 


awfully  fast,  but  It  really  isn't  when 
you  want  to  make  mil  Irons  or  even  bit- 
lions  of  round  trips  per  second,  But 
Ihe  idea  is  the  same— electrons  have 
a  fixed  speed,  and  the  length  of  the 
wire  determines  the  transit  lime.  But, 
you  may  be  asking,  why  does  the  en- 
ergy reflect  back  from  the  end  of  the 
wire  at  all?  Well,  the  end  of  Ihe  wire 
represents  an  impedance  boundary  in 
much  the  same  way  as  the  spring's 
end  represents  a  mechanical  one. 
There's  no  place  else  for  the  elec- 
trons' energy  to  go,  so  it  comes  back 
at  'chat 

Reactance 

Unlike  in  a  mechanical  system, 
though,  the  tension  in  the  wire  has  no 


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CIRCLE  145  ON  READER  SERVICE  CARD 


other  end  of  a  1  megohm  resistor 
tfwi  il  would  for  it  to  traverse  a  1k  re- 
sistor It's  a  neat  idea,  bui  il  just 
doesn't  work. 

By  storing  voftags  charges  in  ca- 
pacitance and  current  in  inductance, 
though,  we  can,  LndeedH  control  the 
speed  of  the  energy.  And  its  true, 
when  the  two  kinds  of  reactance  ex- 
actly  equal  each  other  in  a  parallel 
tuned  circuit,  they  will  cancel  each 
other  out.  leaving  only  resistance,  but 
with  an  overall  slowdown  of  the  ener- 
gy. The  result  is  resonance  at  a  fre- 
quency determined  by  the  sizes  of 
the  capacitors  and  inductors. 

The  Twain  Meet 

One  very  useful  device  in  which 


the  mechanical  and  electrical  sys- 
tems meet  is  the  crystal.  Crystals  ac- 
tually do  vibrate,  but  only  very  slight- 
ly. In  doing  so,  though.  Ihey  excite 
their  atoms  to  produce  electrical  en- 
ergy at  the  frequency  of  vibration, 
That  frequency  rs  determined  by  the 
physical  charade ri sties t  such  as  the 
size  and  type  of  cuit  of  the  crystal 
Because  quartz  (Ihe  most  commonly 
used  crystal  material)  has  a  molecu- 
lar structure  which  Is  very  dimension* 
ally  stable  with  respect  to  tempera- 
ture, the  frequency  doesn'i  drill 
much.  So,  if  we  put  a  crystal  in  a  cir- 
cuit which  causes  it  to  excile  itself  ai 
its  resonant  frequency,  we've  got  one 
heck  of  a  stable  oscillator.  In  fact, 
without  the  stability  of  quart?  crystals, 
electronics  as  we  know  it  today 
wouldn't  exist. 

Skyhooks 

Antennas  are  another  resonant 
phenomenon.  They're  essentially  the 
electrical  equivalent  of  springs.  The 
longer  the  wire,  the  more  time  it 
takes  for  the  energy  to  make  (he 
round  trip  and  the  lower  the  resonant 
frequency-  And,  it  we  excite  the  an- 
tenna with  energy  that  is  nor  at  ils 
resonanl  frequency,  the  returning  en- 
ergy will  interfere  witht  and  partially 
cancel.  Ihe  applied  energy,  resulting 
in  an  energy  fig  hi,  We  call  that  a  "bad 
SWR!" 

See  you  alt  next  time.  73  de 
KB1UM. 


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CIRCLE  22  ON  READER  SERVICE  CARD 

73  Amateur  Radio  Today*  February,  1994  79 


Number  21  on  your  Feedback  card 


m  ^m  Number  zi  on  your  Feeoaa 

73  INTERNATIONAL 


Amie  Johnson  N18AC 
43  Old  Homestead  Hwy 
N.  Swanzey  NH  0343  f 

Notes  from  FN42 

/  received  a  phone  calf  from 
Richard  Sears  KCdfBC  this  past 
week.  He  was  looking  for  some  infor- 
mation on  Taiwan  which  1  was  not 
able  to  supply  to  him.  but  he  is  going 
to  he  there  for  some  time,  and  he 
promised  to  send  us  some  noteworthy 
information  about  the  happenings  on 
Taiwan  white  he  is  there,  f  hope  that 
he  has  a  chance  to  chat  with  our 
Hambassador  to  Taiwan,  Tim  Chen 
BV2A. 

tf  any  of  you  have  decided  to  travel 
around  this  great  world  of  ours  in 
1994,  you  might  want  to  read  the  let- 
ter from  Nat  VU2NTA  in  India  and 
Hams  9M6HF  in  Malaysia.  Nat  is  a 
tour  guide  and  Malaysia  has  declared 
1994  the  "Visit  Malaysia  Year. "  Con- 
tact Wayne  and  teif  him  where  you 
think  he  shoutd  go  on  his  wide  travels 
this  year  and  ask  him  to  take  you  too. 
1  must  admit  that  I  keep  telling  him  to 
take  me  along  but  he  wants  me  to  pay 
for  it.  f  would  think  that  he  would  want 
to  pay  my  way  just  because  I'm  such 
great  company  but,  of  course,  that's 
just  my  opinion.  I  do  know  that  he  and 
Sherry  would  love  to  become  your 
tour  directors. 

t  was  sure  glad  to  hear  from  Harris 
Abduflah  9M6HF  after  a  several-year 
"dry"  period. 

That's  enough  from  me  for  this 
month.  As  usual  many  great  reports 
from  other  hams  and  your  Hambas- 
sadors  follow,  if  you  hke  what  they  are 
reporting  to  ust  tet  them  know*  if  you 
want  something  else,  tet  them  know!  If 
you  have  some  new  information,  let 
them  know!  They  are  only  as  good  as 


those  who  provide  them  with  informa- 
tion.—73(  Arnie  NWAG. 

Roundup 

Egypt  This  is  just  another  reminder 
that  Egypt  ts  hosting  TELECOM  94, 
25-29  April  in  Cairo,  which  will  focus 
on  the  African  region.  Africa  TELE- 
COM 94,  which  follows  in  the  foot- 
steps of  Africa  TELECOM  90  In 
Harare,  will  continue  the  dialogue 
generated  by  those  events.  The  Inter- 
national Telecommunications  Union 
(ITU)  will  once  again  provide  a  plat- 
form for  continued  discussion  and 
presentation  of  the  latest  concepts  for 
the  development  of  telecommunica- 
tions in  the  region.  This  event  will 
bring  together  high-level  personalities 
from  the  academic  and  industrial 
world  and  will  thus  be  a  unique  oppor- 
tunity for  all  the  countries  to  meet  with 
partners  with  an  interest  in  the  devel- 
opment of  telecommunications. 

The  exhibitors  will  be  displaying  a 
range  of  advanced  and  high -quality 
items  of  telecommunications  equip* 
ment  and  related  services.  The  Fo- 
rum, a  cornerstone  of  TELECOM,  will 
bring  together  top  government  offi- 
cials and  policy  makers  from  around 
the  world.  This  event  is  thus  of  vital 
importance  from  the  point  of  view  of 
broadening  the  participation  of  coun- 
tries in  development  activities. 

For  further  information,  contact  Mr 
Tom  Dahl -Hansen,  Executive  Oi  rector, 
or  Ms.  Suzan  Hee-SooK  Lee,  Project 
Manager  ETUH  Place  des  Nations, 
CH-1211  Geneva  20,  Switzerland,  Tel: 
+41  22  730  5811  or  Fax:  +41  22  730 
6444  of  Telex:  +412  000  UtT  CH,  or 
the  Government  of  the  Arab  Republic 
of  Egypt  contact  person:  Mr  Ismail 
Out,  Chairman,  Cairo  International 
Conference  Centre,  Nasr  Road,  Nasr 
City,  Cairo,  Egypt,  Tel:  +202  263 


4637/16  Or  Telefax:  +202  263  46  40. 

India  Letter  from  Nataraj  v., 
VU2NTA:  Greetings  from  India.  I  have 
always  enjoyed  reading  your  "73  In- 
ternational* column  as  it  gives  us  an 
idea  of  what  amateur  radfo  is  doing  in 
other  countries.  [Thanks.  Natl— Amie) 
In  India,  amateur  radio  Is  growing  by 
leaps  and  bounds.  From  less  than 
1,500  amateurs  in  1979  to  around 
7,500  in  1993.  it  has  been  a  big 
growth.  But  most  licenses  exist  on  pa- 
per as  many  amateurs  find  it  difficult 
to  get  a  decent  station  on  the  air  due 
to  the  high  cost  Involved.  The  cheap- 
est transceivers  available  to  the  Indi- 
an amateur  is  the  FT-840,  which  costs 
around  Rs.  45,000.  i.e.  about  $1,500 
U.S.  This  works  out  to  be  an  average 
family's  income  for  two  years. 

This  has  led  to  a  huge  effort  In 
home-brewing,  and  many  kits  and 
ideas  float  around  the  popular  bands 
in  India — 40m  (7-7.1  MHz)  and  20m. 
In  South  India.  AM  and  CW  have  be* 
come  very  popular  for  home-brewers 
on  40m  and  SSB  for  those  on  20m. 

In  spite  ol  all  this,  what  has  gained 
popularity  all  over  the  country  is  2m 
FM  activity,  144-146  MHz  is  allocated 
to  amateurs  in  India  and  major  cities 
are  seeing  a  spurt  not  only  in  2m  ac- 
tivity but  2m  repealers  also. 

Bangalore,  In  |he  south,  was  in 
1987  the  first  2m  repeater  in  India 
open  to  all  amateurs,  followed  by  a 
second  repeater  in  1990,  Next  to  foi* 
low  was  Madras  with  two  repeaters. 
One  repeater  in  each  city  is  installed 
such  that  DX  on  2m  FM  is  possible 
and  the  other  one  is  for  use  within  the 
city.  A  third  city  to  have  two  repealers 
is  Coimbatore  in  South  India.  Bom- 
bay, on  the  west  coast,  and  Ko- 
daikanal.  a  hill  resort  in  South  India, 
have  one  repealer  each. 

All  this  activity  on  2m  led  to  the 
starting  of  T-hunts  (Fox  Hunts,  as  they 
are  known  here).  The  first  Fox  Hunt  in 
India  was  held  on  March  11,  1989. 
The  Fox  was  Ganesh  VU2TS,  This 
hunt  was  won  by  Les  VU2AKT  Chan- 
dfu  VU2RCR.  and  Bhat  VU2IFX,  in  a 
time  of  45  minutes.  There  have  been 


Photo  A:  Part  of  the  gathering  at  one  of  the  Indian  Fox  Hunts.  Photo  by  VU2NTA. 
80  73  Ama  teur  Radio  Today  •  February,  1 994 


seven  Fox  Hunts  so  far,  the  last  one 
on  September  5.  Prizes  for  winners 
have  ranged  from  storage  water 
heaters  for  the  bathroom  to  wait 
clocks,  wristwalches.  Walkman-type 
audio  cassette  players,  and  certifi- 
cates lor  all  the  part ici pants.  All  prizes 
have,  so  far,  been  sponsored  by  radio 
amateurs,  Including  fellowship  and 
lunch  after  the  conclusion  of  the  hunt. 

The  other  cities  that  have  had  Fox 
Hunts  are  Madras  and  Coimbatore. 
Fox  Hunts  are  the  times  when  you 
find  that  all  participants  are  crazy. 

All  sorts  of  antennae  can  be  found 
during  the  Hunt.  Unlike  in  most  coun- 
tries, hunts  here  have  more  partici- 
pants on  motorcycles  than  in  ears  or 
station  wagons.  One  will  find  three-  to 
five-element  yagis,  quads,  loop  yagis, 
phased  verticals,  and  the  latest  was  a 
half-wave  dipole  with  a  corner  reflec- 
tor on  a  250  cc.  motorcycle -side  car 
combination  by  Poru  VU2GGM, 

Bangalore  was  also  the  first  city  In 
India  in  1986  to  have  a  multiple  hill* 
topping  expedition  on  2m.  As  many  as 
six  hilltops  in  South  India  were  activat- 
ed. 

I  win  try  to  make  further  information 
available  to  all.  If  anybody  has  specif- 
ic questions,  please  drop  me  a  line 
along  with  an  SASE. 

I  wish  all  a  Merry  Christmas  and  a 
happy,  prosperous  and  peaceful 
1994.  73.  Nat  VU2NTA.  (Nataraj  V.,  8, 
100  Ft  Rd;  BSK  3rd  Stage.  2nd 
Phase;  7th  Bfock;  Bangalore  560085, 
India.} 

[Nat  also  wrote  a  letter  to  Wayne  to 
discuss  Wayne's  travels.  Following  is 
that  fetter  and  Wayne's  response, — 
Amie} 

Dear  Wayne, 

Over  the  years  of  reading  73  Mag- 
azine, I  have  found  you  travel  around 
the  world  a  lot  along  with  your  friends. 
How  is  it  that  you  have  not  made  a 
full-time  tour  to  India?  Is  it  that  you 
could  not  find  anyone  to  coordinate 
here  For  you  or  that  you  are  not  inter- 
ested? 

f  have  started  a  lour  service  for  for- 
eign groups  and  escort  them  myself. 
The  tours  in  South  India  are  by  luxury 
coaches  and  have  twin  sharing  ac- 
commodation at  the  best  available  ho 
lets.  For  tours  to  North  India,  I  do  the 
ground  handling  but  do  not  escort 
groups. 

South  India  is  vastly  different.  Ev- 
ery temple,  fort,  and  palace  is  differ- 
ent, as  is  the  culture,  traditions,  cus- 
toms and  life  style  in  every  village. 

Do  let  me  know  if  you  would  be  in- 
terested so  lhat  I  can  customize  an 
itinerary  for  you.  South  India  is  per- 
haps the  most  enchanting  spot  tn  In- 
dia. The  south  includes  the  states  of 
Maharashtra,  Andhra  Pradesh,  Goa. 
Kamataka,  Tamil  Nadu,  Kerala,  and 
Laccadive  Islands. 

Unlike  your  other  trips,  it  is  not  pos- 
sible to  get  a  reciprocal  license  to  op- 
erate amateur  radio  but  opportunities 
to  meet  radio  amateurs  and  visit 
shacks  will  be  arranged. 

I  look  forward  to  hearing  from  you. 

With  warm  regards,  Nat  VU2NTA. 

Continued  on  page  82 


A 


DVERTISERS 


RSJ 


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*  A  &  A  Engineering 70 

•  A  $  A  Engineering  tma ..„„„„„,. .70 

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351  Absolute  Va  rue  Systems **,17 

164  Ace  Communications  of 

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281  Agrelo  Engineering 91 

194  All  Electronics  Corporation  k.....™,„22 

•  Alpha  Jab . „...—mmmm^„ ., . ^.90 

76  Amateur  Networking  Supply B4 

148  Amerit/on .39 

113  Amsofi _~ .92 

107  Antennas  Wesl .40 

132  Antennas  Wesl 51 

380  Antennas  Wesl ..58 

324  Antennas  West  ........f. ...... ,t+^.*.+71 

340  Antennas  West 90 

135  Antennas  West 91 

315  Antennas  West    .,.♦,.. + .r„..92 

16  Astron  Corporation , .....21 

92  Aaden  Corporatton...M4„..^.tt+ . S 

£    I  DO  1—3      II    IV  -  ■  T r  n  rri*  p  ■  i  !#*+*+(  I  Ht*t  +  t  -t  ■  1-^  +*fi  r?\^ 

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42  B4al  Company , „ 43 

137  Box  Products ,..78 

56  Bucfcmaster  Publishing  „„, w70* 

7  Bucfcmaster  PubJtshtng.... 43* 

168  Buck  master  Puohshing. „.„..,..., 92* 


*  r  m  m  m  m  i  fJJll 


page 

93 

■  ■  ■  ■  ■  d  q^T  \# 

74 
71 


■  ■  ■  ■  q    r  n  ■  h  ■  ■ 


Burghardf  Amateur  Radio.... ..47 

Butternut  Elear0nics.,+«.^+++Mw.......72 

222  Byers  Chassis  Kils.»w .....51 

184  C  &  S  Sales,  mc ...S3 

•  Cable  X -perls «. ....... 31 

•  CBCily  International.... ...51 

•  Charlotte  Hamfesl , <»„35 

265  Chipswitch  ,. . ,71 

99  Common tcation  Concepts,  Inc.. 92 

10  Communications  Specialists.  Inc... 66* 
356  Communications  Electronics  ......... .27 

12  Connect  Systems,. *««««*«. ,2, 


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Lb"   r\^Pl"Cu|   ,.  »  m  a  -  a  i  ikup mid  **+  Niivi 

•  Down  East  Microwave 

114  E  H  Yosi  40 

•  Eavesdropping  Detection,,,,, 43 

•  Electron  Processing .♦ 58" 

75  Fair  Radio  Sates .17 

33  FB  Enterprises ♦.....♦♦«... ... .......+.66 

118  Flylecrafl 17 

251  Flytecfaft ....B4 

329  For  Hams  Only. „_«*. ,43 

253  Free  Radio  Tech- 
Berkeley  (FRB) ...71 

169  G  &  G  Electronics . 86 

■  Gap  Antenna  Products  ™„„+„„+_92 

■    *!*  "     "k_J\_*  I    J"_.    * __-jj  >■  >  »i.iu4Mitt*  +  f «  *-t*  +  «■  «-vrV 

192  Grapevine  Group .59 

•  Greater  Baltimore  Hamboree..,...^*67 

•  Ham  Radio  &  More ,♦♦„ .„...„57 

■  HamtronicSH  Inc , +7 

187  Harlan  Technologies 43 

187  Harlan  Technologies ♦ 91 

•  Highlands  Electronics. , 59 

293  IC  Engineering  ..,„ „.,* *....,.*.J>8 

17Q  i^rwn   '  CVP* 

•  Indiana  Hamlest.. ....75 

77  Interflex  Systems.. ..17 

42  Isotron ™™... ...... ..43 

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295  Itech 17 

175  J-Com  („„„W)W,„M.^.„., — „....,. ........ .83 

39  J-Com ,.90 

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133  Jade  Products ........75 

240  Jan  Crystals . ,+^35 

159  Japan  Radio 37 

26  J.M.S , 17 

285  J  PS  Com  muntoat  Ions ♦ 77 

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2  Kawa  Productions... .59 

•  K-Comm ........... *40 

»    Kenwood  U  S A  Corporation . ,  ~™  .CV4 


234  Lentins  Communicaiions .89 

243  Luke  Company , .84 

•  Moadowlake  Corporal  ion 17 

86  MFJ  Enterprises t 11 

160  Micro  Computer  Concepts ««.. ...,41 

144  Micro  Control  Specialties 87 

30  Micro  Video  Products ...89 

114  Mf  Nicad 40 

248  MoTron  Electronics....... „ ..67 

64  Mouse r  Electronics «*«««*♦*♦. ......74 

1  Number  One  Systems  Ud. t..55 

82  Oak  Hiils  Research 65 

102  ONV  Salety  Bert 53 

172  OpIoelectroniCS ..■■■■ .48-49 

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•  PC.  Electronks 69* 

t78  Pacific  Cable  Company,  Inc* .*♦♦♦. ...^i 
321  Patrioi  Communications. .15 

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68  Periphea. 83 

198  Personal  Computer  Repeater 

Conlrolter „ 41 

•  Personal  Database *** *..k..78 

249  Phillips  Industries,  Inc 40 

311  Pioneer  Hill  Software. _23 

66  Pipo  Communications,- .58 

394  PKT  EteciioniCS .— .....75 

396  Plus  Ten , ^^M....»..4.1 

49  Poryphaser,^.„.^... ,.,....+ 72 

145  OSO  Software „....79 

110  RadK?  Amateur  Satellite ....35 

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377  Flons  CDROMS 64 

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R.S.# 


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73  Amateur  Radio  Today*  February,  1994  81 


73  International 

Continued  from  page  60 

Nat  - , .  Been  traveling — Caribbean 
islands,  San  Francisco,  Munich, 
Beritn,  New  York,  etc  Vrn  off  to  Hawaii 
this  afternoon  [26  Nov  93]  for  two 
weeks.  Cofd  fusion  conference. 

South  India,  eh?  Wail,  dunno—i've 
done  the  New  Delhi- Agra  toil,  com- 
plete with  forts.  What  might  be  inter- 
esting to  a  ham  group?  I've  taken 
ham  tour  groups  to  Europe  and  Asia 
(Japan-Korea-Taiwan-Hong  Kong- 
China),  but  what  would  we  have  to  of- 
fer them  in  Southern  tndia?  And  how 
many  do  t  need  to  round  up  tor  Sherry 
and  Itobe  tour  directors?  Presumably 
costs  are  tow  in  India  as  compared  to 
here,  so  what  do  you  estimate  for  the 
cost  of  a  10-day  tour? 

No  chance  for  licenses,  eh?  We 
shouldn't  bring  our  HTs? 

t  organized  a  ham  tour  many  years 
ago  that  included  Lebanon.  Syria, 
Iraq,  Iran,  Afghanistan,  tndia.  Nepal, 
Burma,  Thailand*  Singapore,  Aus- 
tralia, New  Zealand.  New  Caledonia, 
Fiji.  Western  Samoa,  American 
Samoa,  and  Tahiti  Great  tour!  That 
would  be  fun  to  do  again,  but  t  haven't 
got  the  time  these  days.  Next  month 
I'm  starting  stilt  another  magazine.  So 
what  can  you  do  in  to  days  in  India? 

Best  regards.  Wayne. 

Israel  The  Israel  Amaleur  Radio 
Club  invites  ail  radio  amateurs  and 
SWLs  to  participate  in  (ha  Holyland 


DX  Contest  on  the  2nd  and  3rd  of 
April  1994. 

The  object  of  the  contest  is  to  con- 
lad  as  many  different  Israeli  amateur 
radio  stations  on  as  many  bands  and 
from  as  many  areas  as  possible.  It  be- 
gins at  1  BOO  UTC  on  the  2nd  and 
ends  at  1800  UTC  on  the  3rd.  Each 
station  may  be  contacted  on  both  CW 
and  SSB  on  the  same  band,  which 
makes  it  possible  to  make  up  to  12 
valid  QSOs  with  the  same  station, 

For  further  Information  contact 
Shalom  Beftcher  4Z4UX  IARC,  PO 
Box  17600,  Tel  Aviv  61176,  Israel 
(SASE  please).  [I  wiff  also  try  to  get 
the  entire  rules  on  the  73  BBS  in  the 
"73  InternationaT  area  (12).  603-924- 
9343.  300*2400  bps,  8N1.—Amie] 

CANARY  ISLANDS 
SPAIN 

Woodson  Gannaway  N5KVB/EA8 

Apartado  11 

35430  Sta  Marie  de  Quia  (GC) 

tsias  Canarias 

Espana 

The  NW  Radio  Club  (our  zone 
Guta,  Gaidar,  etc)  is  having  its  sec- 
ond annual  Fox  Hunt  but  they 
changed  the  name  to  "Treasure  Hunt.* 
Fox  Hunt  might  not  have  gone  over 
too  well  here  as  the  word  wfox"  in 
Spain  has  some  questionable  conno- 
tations. It's  nice  to  see  a  little  more 
activity  up  this  way.  And  maybe  the 
club  on  the  next  Island  (Tenerife)  will 
Start  sending  me  some  news.  I  hope 


so.  News  from  mainland  Spain  has 
dried  up  for  now  it  seems.  Maybe 
somebody  there  will  take  the  "hint" 

Most  of  you  probably  know  that  Eu- 
rope depends  heavily  on  bus  trans* 
portation  even  though  the  number  of 
cars  is  increasing  rapidly.  On  the  con- 
tinent they  also  have  trains,  but  we 
don't  have  any  in  the  Canaries.  The 
upshot  of  this  is  that  I  take  the  bus  al- 
most everywhere.  Over  the  years  this 
has  led  to  some  interesting  events 
and  conclusions,  like  about  the  char- 
acter of  different  makes  of  busses. 

In  1987,  the  only  ones  on  the  Inter- 
city line  up  here  were  Pegaso  (Pega- 
sus), old  and  tired,  but  still  stout  and 
willing.  The  terrain  is  mountainous 
and  steep  because  the  mountains  are 
relatively  recent  and  sharp-edged. 
Thai,  plus  frequent  stops  and  starts, 
added  to  people  with  an  impatient 
temperament,  means  thai  missed 
shifts  and  loose  steering  can  be  inter- 
esting. We  have  some  pretty  good 
grades  and  one  approaches  the  sec- 
ond highest  bridge  in  Europe  (105 
meters,  346  feet).  Pve  watched  drivers 
playing  the  loose  steering  on  those 
bridges  in  a  strong  gusty  crosswind 
and  keeping  well  within  their  lane, 
This  is  doing  more  than  it  seems  be- 
cause everything  is  much  closer  and 
more  critical  in  European  driving  than 
in  ihe  LLS.  After  six-plus  years  here  I 
still  have  a  tremendous  admiration  tor 
their  skill. 

I  also  remember  being  in  an  old 


Pegaso  grinding  up  the  approach  to 
the  bridges,  standing  In  the  aisle  {58 
seated,  30  standing)  when  it  came 
time  to  downshift.  No  way;  it  just 
wouldn't  go  m,  even  wttfi  repeated  try- 
ing. Meantime,  the  bus  had  really 
slowed  down,  but  the  only  gear  it 
would  go  into  was  the  original  one 
(fourth,  J  think).  So  we  caught  fourth 
but  at  a  really  slow  speed,  and  went 
on  up,  even  picked  up  a  little  speed  1 1 
watched  several  of  the  older  passen- 
gers exchange  knowing  glances.  It 
wasn't  the  first  time  they'd  seen  that 
happen.  Those  busses  are  tough,  and 
still  running  after  who  knows  how 
many  years  and  probably  millions  of 
miles,  because  they're  still  used  as 
spares. 

Another  time,  we  goi  stopped  on 
the  same  hi  if — bad  dies  el  fuel.  It  was 
just  sprinkling  rain,  and  I  started  talk* 
mg  to  the  driver  about  the  rain.  He 
sard  that  with  the  older  busses  they 
had  a  lot  of  problems  with  the  roofs 
leaking  during  the  infrequent  rain 
here.  He  said  that  at  times  he  had  to 
tell  the  people  getting  on  and  dosing 
their  umbrellas  as  they  did,  to  leave 
them  open  because  the  roof  leaked 
so  badly! 

This  same  driver  saved  my  bacon 
one  day.  I  had  bought  four  heavy  met- 
al industrial  shelves  to  take  home  on 
the  bus.  As  1  struggled  up  to  the  bus 
stop,  there  was  (he  bus  about  to 
leave,  across  the  very  busy  street.  I'm 
pretty  good  at  getting  across  busy  Las 


luMUHH 


P.O.  Box  415,  Pierceton,  IN  46562    219-594-3661 


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CIRCLE  299  ON  READER  SERVICE  CARD 


82  73  Amateur  Radio  Today  ■  February,  1 994 


Palmas  sleets  when  l  need  to,  bul 
not  wilh  a  cumbersome  load  like  that. 
But  I  looked  up  and  there  was  Marco 
at  the  wheel,  so  I  caJl.  "Marco!"  He 
looked  up.  *Wait  for  me.*  And  he  set- 
tled back  into  the  seat,  ready  to  wait 
as  long  as  it  look  me  to  get  across. 
This  would  never  happen  on  Ihe  line 
that  serves  the  south,  the  tourist  part 
of  the  island.  I*m  sure  glad  J  Jive  in  the 
north* 

Unlil  next  limef  73.  Woodson 

N5KVB/EA8, 

MALAYSIA 

Harris  Abdullah  9M6HF 

PO  Box  13329 

83837  Kota  Ktnabatu 

Sabah 

Malaysia 

I  operated  a  BBS  station  On  2m  for 
a  month  last  April  with  a  high  expecta- 
tion of  getting  others  to  try  out  this 
mode,  but  !  managed  to  gel  only  two 
amateurs  interested.  In  the  daytime, 
the  BBS  was  on  HF  and  downloading 
bulletins  and  mail  from  YB5Q2  BBS  on 
20m,  and  in  the  evenings  it  was  on 
2m.  But  it  was  fun,  and  the  experience 
gained  will  be  put  to  good  use  when  a 
BBS  runs  full-time  here  in  the  future. 

The  next  project  is  the  setting  up  of 
a  PC  cluster  here.  JH1ROJ/9M6RO 
has  contributed  the  software  and  TNC 
(DRSJ-2).  I  will  be  operating  the  dus- 
ter and  hopefully  this  new  project  will 
attract  the  o  I  hers  to  go  into  the  packet 
mode. 


The  73  H ambas- 
sador from  Hong 
Kong,  Phil  VS6CT, 
made  a  short  visit 
here  last  April  and 
was  kept  busy  by 
the  locaJ  hams,  Phil 
made  several  pre- 
sentations to  vari- 
ous groups  on  his 
specialty-  Maritime 
Distress  and  Safety 
Systems. 

VS6CT  is  always 

on  21 .227  MHz  dai- 
ly from  2300  UTC. 
Sometimes  he  is 
joined  by  HL9KT, 
BV2FA,  KA6V 
(Phil's  QSL  manag- 
er), WB2KXA  (from 
New  Jersey),  and 
myself.  HL9KT  and 
myself  have  a  regu- 
lar sked  on 
14.195MHz  at  0900 
UTC.  tf  any  of  you 
wtsh  to  join  in, 
please  do  so  when 
you  hear  our  sig- 
nals. 

Two  new  operators,  Din  9M6LS 
and  Armstrong  9M6BZ.  check  in  regu- 
larly with  the  W7PHO  Family  Hour 
Net  on  14.226  MHz.  So  does  Johnny 
9M6DB  located  in  Mia  Sarawak. 

JA9AG.  a  JARL  Director  fof  the  "9" 
call  area  in  Japan,  came  twice: 


Photo  B:  Hambassador  Phil  Weaver  VS6CT  while  visiting  Hambassador  Harm  Abdullah  9M6HE 


November  1992  and  February  1993. 
He  operated  9M6/JA9AG  at  a  place 
called  Seaside  Resort  about  20  km 
from  Kola  Kinabatu. 

1994  has  been  declared  "Visit 
Malaysia  Year."  Those  who  have  not 
made  their  holiday  plans  yet  may  con- 


sider a  visit  here-  Temporary  operat- 
ing permits  could  be  arranged  if  you 
desire  to  operate  from  here.  Let  me 
know  via  Packet  Mail  ®  JI3ZAG  in  Os- 
aka, Japan,  or  drop  me  a  line  at  my 
address  . 

73  from  Malaysia! 


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CIRCLE  68  ON  READER  SEflVlCE  CARD 

73  Amateur  Radio  Today  •  February,  1 994  83 


Number  22  on  your  Feedback  card 


Humoer  *^£  on  you 

Special  events 


Ham  Doings  Around  the  World 


FEB  5 


CHARLESTON,  SC  The  21st  annual 
Charleston  Ha  mtestf Computer  Show  will 
be  hosted  by  the  Charleston  ARS  at 
Chariestowne  Landing  Stale  Park  from 
8:30  AM-4  PM.  Talk-in  on  146.79-  or 
145-25-.  VE  Exams  at  12  noon  -  Tatk-in 
on  145.25-  lo  get  tocalion.  Walk-ins  ortfy. 
For  Exams,  contact  Ed  KC400Z,  ($03) 
671-4366;  or  Warren  W4ZYZ.  (803)  572- 
1164.  Flea  Market  Contact;  Jenny  Myers 
WA4NGV>  2630  Dellwood  Avetl 
Charleston  SC  29405-6614. 

FEB  13 

MANSFIELD,  OH  The  Mansfield 
Mid* Winter  HamiestfComputer  Show  will 
be  held  at  the  Richland  County  Fair- 
grounds beginning  at  7  AM,  Talk- in  on 
146.34/.94  (W8WE),  For  tickets/Into 
contact  Pat  Akerman  N8YOB.  63  N.  Illi- 
nois Ave.,  Mansfield  OH  44905,  Tef, 
(419)  569-7133  after  4  PM  EST.  Send 
SASE  with  payments  or  Inquiries  by 
mail. 

VANCOUVER,  B.C.,  CANADA  The 
Burnaby  ARC  will  host  their  annual  Flea 
Market  at  the  Westminster  Armouries, 
6th  St.  at  Queens,  New  Westminster 
BC  Doors  open  for  sellers  at  0900  hrs; 
buyers  1000-1400  hrs.  Talk  in  on  145.35 
(VE7HBY).  or  442.85.  For  info,  contact 
the  dob  net.  Monday  nights  at  2000  fo- 
cal time  on  145.35;  or  write  Burnaby 
ARC,  6ox  72012,  4429  Ktngsway  Burn- 
aby B.C.  V5H4P9,  Canada. 

FEB  19 

SALEM,  OR  The  Salem  and  Oregon 
Coasl  Emergency  Repealer  Assns.  will 
CO- sponsor  the  1994  HAM  FAIR,  begin- 
ning at  9  AM  at  the  Polk  County  Fair- 
grounds. Talk-in  on  146.26/86.  For  info 
write  (with  SASE)  to  Salem  Repeater 
Assoc..  PC  Box  784,  Salem  OR  97308. 

FEB  20 

BRIGHTON,  CO  The  Aurora  Repeatef 
Assn.  will  hofd  its  12th  annual  Swapfest 
at  the  Adams  County  Fairgrounds  at 
9755  Henderson  Rd,  Irom  B:30  AM-2 
PM.  Contact  Judi  WDOHNP  (303)  450- 
6910,  or  Jan  KA7TYU.  (303}  699-1944; 


or  write  (with  SASE)  to  Aurora  Repeater 
Assn.,  PO  Box  39666.  Denver  CO 

B0239 

CUYAHOGA  FALLS,  OH  SL  Vincent's 
Bingo  Hail.  3479  State  Rd.,  is  the  site  for 
a  HAMFEST  being  sponsored  by  the 
Cuyahoga  Falls  ARC.  Contact  (216) 
929-4267.  Or  Carol  Hervol  N8JLQ, 
11192  Cottmgham  Circle  NW.  Uniontown 
OH  44685.  Tel  (216)  497-7047 

FEB  26 

BISMARCK,  ND  The  Centra!  Dakota 
ARC  will  hold  its  annual  Hamfest  at  the 
Radisson  Inn,  800  South  Third  St.,  from 
8  AM-4  PM.  Tatk-in  on  146.85/.25.  VE 
Exams.  Ham/Computer  Swapmeet  Get 
details  from  Tim  N0SDB,  (701)  663- 
6620;  or  Chris  NQPOK  (70 1)  663- 1324. 
JENSEN  BEACH,  FL  The  Stuart  Out- 
door H amies!,  sponsored  by  Martin 
County  ARA4  will  be  held  at  Langford 
Park,  S.R.  707,  at  The  Arch,"  from  0800 
UTC-1500  UTC.  Talk-in  on  147.060 
(+600  MHz).  Packet  Demo  ARRL  VE 
Exams  begin  at  9:30  AM  (courtesy  of  Ft. 
Pierce  ARC).  Sign  in  at  9  AM.  Contact 
MCARA.  P.O.  Box  1901,  Stuart  FL 
34995[  or  Bob  Hess  KA3EDL,  (407) 
546-4353. 

FEB  26-27 

CINCINNATI,  OH  The  ARRL  Great 
Lakes  Div,  Convention  1994  will  be  held 
at  the  Cincinnati  Gardens  Exhibition 
Center,  2250  Seymour  Ave,  Exhibits 
open  at  8:30  AM  Sat  and  Sun.  Com- 
mercial vendors  and  Flea  Marketeers 
are  welcome.  Convention  Chairman: 
Stan  Cohen  WD8QDQ,  2301  Royal  Oak 
Ct.t  Cincinnati  OH  45237;  (513)  531* 
1011.  Vendor  Chairman;  Joe  Halpin 
W8JDU,  11615  Geneva  Rd..  Cincinnati 
OH  45240;  (513)851-1056. 

FEB  27 

DEARBORN,  ML  The  Livonia  ARC  will 
hold  its  24th  annuat  Swap'n  Shop  from  8 
AM-4  PM.  a  I  the  Dearborn  Civic  Center. 
Talk-in  on  144.75/5.35  and  146.52  sim- 
plex. VE  Exams  will  be  given  in  the  af- 
ternoon of  the  Swap.  For  mlor  send  4x9 


Listings  are  free  of  charge  as  space  permits.  Please  sand  us  your  Special  Event 
two  months  in  advance  of  the  issue  you  want  it  to  appear  fa  For  example,  if  you 
want  it  to  appear  in  the  January  issue,  we  should  receive  it  by  December  31.  Pro- 
vide a  dear,  concise  summary  of  the  essential  details  about  your  Special  Event 
Check  Special  Events  Fife  Area  #t?  on  our  BBS  (603-924-9343).  for  listings  that 
were  too  late  to  get  into  publication. 


SASE  to  Nell  Coffin  WA8GWL  Livonia 
ARC,  P.O.  Box  21  ft,  Livonia  Ml  48151. 
Tef.  (313)  427-3905, 

MARCH  5 

ABSECON.  NJ  The  Shore  Points  ARC 
will  sponsor  its  12th  annual  hamfest, 
^Springiest  *94",  at  Holy  Spirit  H.S..  Rte 
9,  l/2-mi,  south  of  Rte  30.  Doors  open 
at  9  AM  (7  AM  for  sellers).  Talk-in  on 
146.385/985.  Contact  SPARC,  P.O.  Box 
142,  AbseconNJ  08201, 
DENVILLE,  NJ  The  annual  North  Jer- 
sey Hamfest,  sponsored  by  Split 
RocWWest  Morris,  wili  be  held  on  Morris 
Ave.  starting  at  8  AM  (sellers  6  AM).  VE 
Exams  at  9  AM  sharp.  Sign  up  by  9  AM. 
Talk-in  on  146-9&5  and  223.86.  Contact 
Bernie  WB2YQKi  P.O.  Box  251,  Flan- 
ders NJ  07836;  (201)  584-4423, 

MARCH  6 

NORTHAMPTON,  MA  The  Smith  Voca- 
tional School  on  Rte.  9  has  been 
choosen  as  the  site  for  the  10lh  Annual 
MTARA  Amateur  Radio  Flea  Market. 
This  event  will  be  presented  by  the  Mt. 
Tom  Amateur  Repeater  Assn.  Inc,t  start* 
ing  al  9  AM  (8  AM  lor  vendors).  ARRL 
VE  Exams  at  10  AM.  Vendor  Reserva- 
tion Contaci:  Jim  K1MEA,  (413)  527- 
3199  eves,  before  2200  EST.  VE  Exam 
Registration:  Jim  WA1ZUH,  (413)  245- 
3228;  or  &  MTMBBS  via  packet.  Ad- 
vanced registration  strongly  recom- 
mended. 


SPECIAL  EVENT  STATIONS 

FEB  12-13 

EUGENE,  OR  A  CW  QSO  Party  will  be 
held  by  the  Quarter  Century  Wireless 
Assoc,  Inc.  from  0000  UTC  Sat.^2400 
UTC  Sun.  Frequencies:  30  kHz  inside 
the  CW  bands.  Regular  call  Signs  will  be 
used  for  all  contacts.  Send  logs  to  Bob 
Reed  WB2DIN,  597 Brewers  Bridge  Rd,t 
Jackson  NJ  06527.  For  more  info,  con- 
tact Bill  Miller  K2GCE,  Activities  Manag* 
ert  217  Porterfield  PI.,  Freeport  NY 
11520. 


EVANSTON,  WY  The  Uinta  County 
ARC  will  operate  MW7H  1S00Z-240OZ 
to  celebrate  the  Chinese  New  Year. 
Phone  10X  on  28.395.  24.945.  21.325. 
18.140.  14.245  For  a  certificate,  send 
OSL  with  a  9x12  SASE  to  Vranish,  PO. 
Box  2048,  Evanston  WY  82931 -2048, 

FEB  12-14 

CLAREMONT,  NH  The  1994  New 
Hampshire  QSO  Party,  sponsored  by 
the  NH  ARA,  will  take  place  on  Feb. 
12ih  from  1900  UTC-Q70G  UTC;  Feb. 
13thT  from  1400  UTC-0200  UTC  Feb. 
14th.  Open  to  al!  dasses.  Techs  w/o  HF 
prrvitedges  are  invited  to  join  on  simplex 
above  50  MHz.  Operating  frequencies: 
CW—  1810.  3535,  7035,  14035,  21035, 
28035.  SS&— 1875,  3935.  7235.  14280, 
213BOf  28320.  50115,  144205.  FM— 
29.610.  52.540,  146.550.  223.500. 
446.000,  902,100,  1296.100.  There  will 
be  a  75  meler  phone  linale  Sun.  on 
3950  +/-  QRM.  Logs  must  be  post- 
marked by  March  31,  1994.  Contact 
Conrad  Ekstrom  WB1GXM.  PO.  Box 
1076,  Claremont  NH  03743-1076. 
Please  send  SASE, 

FEB  16-20 

MARQUETTE,  Ml  The  Hiawatha  ARA 
will  operate  NBGBA  17002  Feb.  18th- 
1700Z  Feb.  201h.  to  honor  the  Up  200 
Sled  Dog  Championship.  The  Lower  end 
of  the  10,  15,  20  and  40  meter  phone 
bands  will  be  used.  For  a  certificate, 
send  a  large  SASE  with  2  stamps  to 
Richard  Schwenke  NBGBA,  21  Smith 
Lane,  Marquette  Ml  49855, 

FEB  19*20 

MOUNT  VERNON,  VA  The  Mount  Ver- 
non ARC  wiii  operate  Station  N4BV  dur- 
ing the  hours  Of  1600Z-2000Z  on  19-20 
Feb*,  to  commemorate  George  Wash- 
ington's brrthday.  Operalions  will  take 
place  from  George  Wash  ing  Ion's  home. 
Frequencies:  The  lower  General  80m- 
15m  subbands,  and  on  the  Novice  10m 
subband.  For  a  certificate,  send  QSL 
with  a  9x10  #10  SASE  to  Steve  Schnei- 
der WB4EE A.  8602  Cushman  Place, 
Alexandria  VA  22308. 


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Continued  from  page  4 
centfy  evofved  system  they've  found  a 
much  more  primitive  analog  communi- 
cations system  which  is  still  with  us. 
This  involves  communications  about 
damage  to  the  body  and  operates  on 
micro -currents,  lis  a  fascinating  detec- 
tive myslery,  where  Becker  has  dug  out 
past  research  data  which  didn't  make 
sense  at  the  lime  and  put  the  puzzfe  to- 
gether. 

Then  he  gets  into  how  all  life  has 
evolved  in  (he  Earth's  magnetic  field 
and  how  magnetic  fields  Influence  every 
celt.  The  micropulsa  lions  in  the  Earth's 
magnetic  field  are  strongest  at  10  Hz, 
the  frequency  at  which  many  of  our 
brain  functions  occur.  Becker  shows 
how  electromagnetic  energy  systems 
within  the  body  control  growth  and  heal- 
ing, regurate  the  level  of  activity  of  the 
brain,  and  produce  vitaliy  important  bio- 
logical cycles  by  deriving  timing  infor- 
mation from  the  natural  electromagnetic 
environment  of  the  Earth,  He  shows  that 
there  is  a  relationship  between  the 
Earth's  geomagnetic  field  and  human 
behavior.  Further,  it's  been  shown  that 
the  conscious  mind  can  control  the  level 
of  activity  in  the  body's  DC  control  sys- 
tems. This  helps  with  our  understanding 
of  how  changes  can  be  brought  about 
by  the  use  of  visualization,  hypnosis, 
meditation,  biofeedback,  suggestion, 
placebo,  and  religious  experiences. 

Some  yogis  are  good  at  this,  but 
more  research  is  needed  before  ihe  rest 
of  us  will  be  able  to  use  this  enormous 
power.  II  the  placebo  effect  could  be 
bottled  it  would  be  worth  billions.  Place- 
bos have  been  shown  to  be  able  to 
work  in  60%  of  clinical  cases,  so  we're 
not  talking  chopped  liver 

How  do  healers  work?  It  isn't  the 
placebo  effect  because  they're  able  to 
be  as  successful  with  animals  as  peo- 
ple. So  what  then?  And  how  can  those 
super-diluted  homeopathic  remedies 
possibly  work?  Scientific  orthodoxy  says 
its  impossible,  so  the  scientists  get  all 
upset  every  time  a  double-btind  re- 
search project  shows  success,  Lfs  im- 
possible, so  they  don't  wan  I  to  even 
know  aboul  it.  They  argue  that  there 
must  be  some  fault  in  the  research.  But 
then  other  labs  come  along  and  report 
the  same  findings. 

We're  dealing  with  extremely  sensr- 
tive  biological  chemical  and  electromag- 
netic systems.  For  instance,  a  male 
moth  sensing  one  single  molecule  of  a 
female  pheromone  will  fly  toward  her. 
This  process  involves  the  transfer  of  but 
a  single  electron! 


and  magnetic  fields  to  help  bones 
mend.  These  same  currents  can  cause 
cancer  cells  to  have  explosive  growth. 
In  1880  a  doctor  reported  that  a  patient 
with  cancer  of  the  lip  and  chin  had  been 
struck  by  lightning  and  his  cancers  dis- 
appeared within  a  few  weeks,  nor  did 
they  return  during  the  following  10 
years.  That  treatment  is  a  little  rough,  so 
perhaps  its  lime  to  see  just  what  it  does 
take.  Becker  reports  on  the  recent  re- 
search in  Lhis  field,  showing  that  even  at 
very  low  power,  microwave  energy  can 
have  a  number  of  extremely  undesirable 
effects. 

How  about  the  Amazon  Indians  who 
treat  snakebite  by  touching  ft  with  a  wire 
from  the  spark  plug  of  an  outboard  mo- 
tor, giving  it  a  low-current,  high-voltage 
zap?  This  seems  to  inactivate  the  toxin. 
Otherwise- fatal  bites  are  survivable  with 
this  technique. 

Becker  shows  how  solar  Hares  affect 
the  Earth's  magnetic  field  and  how  this 
correlates  with  mental  hospital  admis- 
sions. He  wonders  if  it  is  just  a  coinci- 
dence that  past  species  extinctions  co- 
incided with  gravity  field  reversals. 

Then  he  gels  into  man-made  fields 
and  their  effect  on  all  life— including  us. 
Doctors  in  Houston  found  that  the  chil- 
dren of  falhers  who'd  been  exposed  to 
electromagnetic  fields  (EMFs)  at  work 
had  an  increased  risk  of  having  children 
with  brain  cancer  before  the  age  of  Iwo, 
Exposure  to  microwaves  and  any  other 
man-made  electromagnetic  fields  (such 
as  60  Hz)  produces  stress,  a  decline  in 
the  immune  system,  and  changes  in  the 
genetic  system  (none  beneficial^ 


Zapping  Drug  Addictions 

A  small  voltage  stimulation  unit  is 
popular  for  sports  medicine  and  is  even 
being  used  by  jet-fighter  pilots  to  pre- 
vent backache  from  their  cramped  cock- 
pits. Another  has  been  amazingly  suc- 
cessful in  helping  people  cure  drug 
habits— without  withdrawal  symptoms. 
Further,  the  people  had  a  personality 
change  from  an  addictive  to  a  non- 
addictive  type. 

Then  there's  the  use  of  small  volt- 


Can  Our  PL  Tones  Cause  Genetic 
Changes? 

The  body  is  quite  capable  of  demod- 
ulating radio  signals  of  any  frequency 
and  the  biological  effect  is  the  same  as 
those  produced  by  low  frequencies— 
just  in  case  you  haven't  been  concerned 
about  what  those  handie-talkie  PL  tones 
may  be  doing  to  you,  Becker  quotes 
one  of  the  leading  researchers  in  this 
field.  Ross  Aoey  K6UJ. 

There  is  a  good  reason  to  suspect 
that  the  virtual  explosion  of  cancer  in 
the  last  two  decades  may  be  due  to 
EMFs,  Since  1975  lymphoma,  myelo- 
ma, and  melanoma  have  increased  by 
100%.  breast  cancer  by  31%.  testicular 
cancers  by  97%.  kidney  cancer  by 
142%,  colon  cancer  by  63%,  and  so  on. 
Is  that  enough  1o  make  someone  think? 

Work  is  just  Starting  in  the  extremely 
low  frequency  (ELF)  field.  It  turns  out 
that  the  brain  is  extraordinarily  sensitive 
to  very  low  levels  of  ELF.  The  govern- 
ment has  discounted  the  emerging  re- 
search reports  because  they  simply 
can't  be  true, 

We're  using  nuclear  magnetic  reso- 
nance (WMR)  units  in  hundreds  of  hos- 
pitals, yel  yeast  ceils  exposed  to  NMR 
multiply  at  twice  their  normal  rate  and 
their  offspring  are  half  as  large  as  nor- 
mal? 

We  know  that  ail  substances  are 
magnetic  to  some  extent,  because  the 
spin  of  the  electrons  around  the  nucleus 
produces  a  magnetic  field.  Some  people 
are  so  sensitive  to  magnetic  fields  that 


just  being  near  a  TV  or  computer  termi- 
naf  causes  their  skin  to  turn  red  and 
brings  on  flu-like  symptoms.  Are  the  rest 
of  us  totally  immune?  Mot  bloody  likely. 

The  power  companies,  appliance 
manufacturers,  broadcast  stations,  and 
the  military  have  enormous  vested  inter- 
ests in  the  public  not  finding  out  aboul 
how  thefr  fields  are  affecting  us.  Scien- 
tists who  have  persisted  in  publicly  rais- 
ing the  issue  of  harmful  effects  from  any 
portion  of  the  magnetic  spectrum  ha  we 
been  discredited  and  their  research 
grants  taken  away.  Paul  Brodeur's 
books  on  the  subject  have  documented 
this,  even  citing  how  much  some  named 
scientists  were  paid  by  the  power  com- 
panies to  testify  on  their  behalf  when 
questions  were  raised.  It  almost  re- 
minds one  of  the  tobacco  and  asbestos 
denials. 

I  think  you'll  enjoy  the  book,  lfs  writ- 
ten so  you  won't  have  any  problem  un- 
derstanding it  and  it  goes  into  a  lot  of 
fascinating  detail  I  don  t  think  you'll  al- 
low any  family  member  to  use  an  elec- 
tric blanket  again,  and  you  may  decide 
to  move  your  linear  amplifier  across  the 
room  where  it  isn't  as  close  to  where 
you  operate. 

Now  do  you  see  why  1  found  this 
book  so  interesting  and  am  trying  to  get 
you  to  read  it?  It  will  open  a  whole  new 
world  for  you — starting  you  looking  for 
more  information  and  perhaps  even  get- 
ting you  interested  in  doing  some  re- 
search yourself. 

Next  I  want  to  review  a  book  by  T 
Snnrvasan,  an  interesting  chap  I  met  re- 
cenity  at  a  Subtle  Energies  Conference 
in  Monterey.  This  is  a  collection  of  28 
papers  presented  a  I  Ihe  1987  Energy 
Medicine  Conference  in  Madras,  India, 
I'm  encouraging  Srini  to  bring  out  a  new 
edition,  but  with  the  material  presented 
in  a  more  reader- friendly  form.  Scientific 
papers  are  usually  very  difficult  to  fol- 
low, and  it's  a  shame  for  this  important 
material  to  be  buried  for  the  lack  of  a 
simple  English  translation. 

Then  there's  The  Secret  Life  of 
Plants,  by  Tomkins  and  Bird,  which  rais- 
es a  whole  bunch  more  questions.  And 
have  you  read  Electromagnetic  Man  by 
Smith  and  Best  yet?  Tsk!  Your  rmnd  enl 
much  good  to  you  if  you  don't  give  it  da- 
la  to  work  with,  and  that  garbage  on  TV 
you've  probably  been  wasting  your  time 
on  doesn't  count  for  much  as  data.  We'll 
have  a  tot  more  lo  talk  about  on  the  air  if 
you've  read  some  books.  Then  you 
won't  have  to  depend  on  ignorance  to 
guide  you,  like  the  two  hams  I  cited, 

A  Cure  for  AIDS? 

The  way  the  Lambda  homosexual 
ham  club  has  been  spitting  in  my  face, 
so  to  speak,  and  apparently  doing  their 
best  to  hurt  73  ad  sales,  IVe  had  a  short 
wrestling  match  with  myself  over  this 
HIV  virus  thing.  They're  mad  at  me  be- 
cause a  militant  opportunist  in  their 
group  has  latohed  onto  a  flimsy  pretext 
to  bring  what  I  consider  a  frivolous  surt 
against  the  ARRL  for  refusing  to  run 
their  ads  in  QSTT  and  rm  vigorously  op- 
posed to  bringing  lawyers  and  lawsuits 
into  ham  doings.  The  last  I  heard,  mag- 
azine publishers  are  permitted  to  refuse 


any  ads  for  any  reasons,  stated  or  un- 
stated. 

Now,  I'm  not  suggesting  for  one 
minute  that  all  homosexuals  are  pe- 
dophiles, but  we've  had  more  than 
enough  of  them  preying  on  young  hams 
and  the  children  of  hams  without  open- 
ing the  door  further.  Indeed,  two  very 
weli- known  hams  have  been  arrested 
and  convicted  of  this.  Well,  enough  of 
my  grousing  about  child  molestation.  I'd 
probably  shut  up  if  Mike  Kelly,  the  stri- 
dent voice  of  Lambda,  would  stop  doing 
his  best  to  give  me  free  publicity  for  my 
opposition  to  his  stupid  lawsuits. 

Yes,  I've  said  and  written  that  I  con- 
sider any  ham  scum  who  resorts  to  law- 
suits in  our  hobby.  This  is  supposed  to 
be  a  hobby,  and  it's  supposed  to  be  fun. 
When  hams  get  so  wrapped  up  in  the 
hobby  that  they  start  lawsuits,  their  per- 
spective is  awack.  Kelly  can  unscum 
himself,  at  least  to  my  satisfaction,  by 
dropping  the  Lambda  fawsuit  against 
the  ARRL  and  reimbursing  the  League 
for  the  money  (our  money,  by  the  way- 
money  that  comes  from  our  member- 
ship  dues)  that  he's  wasted  for  us  with 
his  push  to  get  his  homosexual  ads  in 
QS T and,  of  course,  personal  promotion 
for  himself. 

Now.  about  AIDS  which,  if  you've 
read  much  about  it.  is  almost  totally  a 
homosexual  problem.  The  good  news  is 
that  there  seems  to  be  a  simple  cure  for 
Ihe  HIV  virus.  The  even  better  news  Is 
that  we  hams  are  in  a  wonderful  posi- 
tion to  help.  I'm  not  sure  why  news  of 
this  incredible  breakthrough  hasn't  been 
a  cover  feature  on  Time  and 
Newsweek,  but  I  expect  it  will  be,  once 
a  lew  journalists  finally  realize  what's 
been  just  recently  discovered. 

I've  an  advantage  in  this  case  be- 
cause of  my  interest  in  the  research  into 
Ihe  effects  of  low  level  electromagnetic, 
radio,  and  electric  fields  on  cellsh  and 
their  connection  to  cancer  and  a  wide 
variety  of  other  illnesses.  Then  there's 
the  amazing  research  which  has  been 
done  by  Robert  Becker  in  Cross  Cur- 
rents. He  explains  how  currents  in  the 
microampere  range  can  have  powerful 
effects  on  cells. 

Having  recent  read  Energy  Medicine 
and  Vibrational  Medtcine,  I  was  not  sur- 
prised  to  read  that  some  researchers  at 
the  Albert  Einstein  School  of  Medicine 
in  New  York  have  discovered  thai  a  cur- 
rent of  about  50  microamperes  can  alter 
the  outer  protein  layers  of  the  HIV  virus 
and  thus  prevent  its  subsequent  attach- 
ment lo  receptor  sftes.  This  was  report- 
ed in  Science  News,  March  1991,  page 
207,  Well,  if  you've  done  any  reading  at 
all  in  molecular  biology,  you  know  this  is 
the  breakthrough  we  need  to  start  get- 
ting rid  of  HIV, 

In  my  review  of  Cross  Currents  J 
mentioned  that  Amazonian  Indians  have 
been  able  to  detoxify  deadly  snake  bites 
by  zapping  the  bate  with  a  wire  from 
their  outboard  motor  spark  plug.  The 
HIV  vims  can  be  similarty  zapped  and 
the  equipment  needed  to  do  this  is 
something  any  ham  should  be  able  to 
build. 

Further,  if  you've  been  paying  alten- 
Continued  on  page  87 


73  Amateur  Radio  Today*  February,  1 994    85 


■  Numoer  *  j  on  j 

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steps,  RIT  and  a  200-Hz-wide 
audio  filter  are  also  selectable 
from  the  front  panel. 

The  kit  is  complete  with  all 
parts,  si ik- screened  front  and 
rear  panels,  and  an  extruded, 
anotfized  aluminum  case.  The 
transceiver  operates  from  1t  to 
1 3.6  VDC  and  provides  3  to  4 
watts  of  RF  power.  The  output 
power  is  adjustable  to  the  milliwatt  lev- 
el. Breadboard  area  on  the  transceiver 
PCB  makes  adding  your  own  favorite 
optional  circuits  easy. 

The  ARK  20  kit  price  is  $269,95,  For 
more  information  or  to  order  contact 
S  &  S  Engineering,  141 02  Brown  road, 
Smtthsburg,  MD  21783;  (301}  416- 
06$f.  Or  circle  Reader  Service  No. 
204. 


AMECO  CORPORATION 

All  the  latest  changes  in  FCC  ama- 
teur radio  test  preparation  requirements 
are  incorporated  into  the  new,  revised 
editions  of  Ameco's  popular  license 
manuals.  Separate  manuals  are  avail- 
able lor  the  Novice  Class  (Cat.  827-01 }, 
the  Technician  Class  {Cat.  A28-01),  and 
the  new  No-Code  Technician  Class 
(Cat.  #78-01). 

Each  book  covers  all  the 
FCC  examination  questions 
for  each  class,  with  corre^ 
spending  muHiple-choice  an- 
swers. There  is  a  clear,  con- 
cise explanation  for  each  cor- 
rect answer  which  helps  l he 
reader  fully  understand  the 
theory  and  concept  behind  the 
question.  All  questions  and 
answers  are  conveniently  ar- 


ranged to  minimize  flipping  pages. 

These  books  are  by  Mr.  Martin 
Schwartz,  who  has  over  40  years  expe- 
rience writing  amateur  radio  license  in- 
struction materials.  You  can  purchase 
the  Ameeo  books  from  your  local  ham 
radio  deader,  or  contact  Ameco  Corpo- 
ration, 224  East  Second  Street,  Mtneo- 
ta>  NY  11 501;  (516)  741-5030.  Fax 
(516)  741-5031.  Or  circle  Reader  Ser- 
vice No,  206. 


i^ — ^"1 

■ 

_      1 

OnOOXCTWOMO                — 

I 

H 

^1 

- 

i 

L 

m 

OPTOELECTRONICS 

A  new  tow-cost  communications  de- 
coder with  advanced  features  has  been 
announced  by  Optoelectronics.  The 
Model  DC440  reads  50  subaudible 
iCTCSS)  tones.  106  digital  (DCS) 
codes,  and  16  touch-tone  (DTMF)  char- 
acters simultaneously!  Applications  in- 
elude:  two-way  communications  testing, 
repeater  monitoring,  and  security  and 

TRIPP  LITE 

Tripp  Lite  has  introduced  a  new 
product  that  is  perfect  for  ham  shacks 
equipped  with  PCs  and  PC  clones. 
The  new  Power  Miser  combination 
screen  monitor  and  surge  suppressor 
saves  electricity  by  automatically  turn- 
ing off  power-hungry  computer  moni- 
tors. Keyboard  activity  instantly  re- 
stores the  monitor  to  fts  prior  screen. 

The  Power  Miser  is  also  a  high- 
quality  lour-oultet  surge  suppressor 
with  superior  spike  and  noise  line  fil- 
tering for  connected  equipment.  It  pro- 


surveillance  monitoring.  It  can  also  be 
used  to  update  older  service  monitors 
and  to  enhance  recreational  monitoring. 

The  DC440  displays  decoded  Infor- 
mation on  a  two- line  alphanumeric  liq- 
uid crystal  display.  Unique  to  the  DC440 
is  the  serial  data  jack  that  permits  con- 
nection to  a  PC  serial  port  using  the 
model  CX12  RS-232C  interface.  There 
is  a  complete  set  ol  control  codes  to 
permit  remote  operation  from  a  PC.  Op- 
tional NiCd  batteries  provide  up  to  five 
hours  of  portable  operation. 

The  price  for  the  OC440  is  S2S9.  For 
product  assistance,  further  information, 
or  to  order,  contact  Optoelectronics 
Inc..  5821  NE  14th  Avenue,  Ft  Laud- 
erdaJB,  FL  33334;  (800)  327-5912,  Fax 
(305)  771-2052.  Or  circte  Reader  Ser- 
vice Mo.  202. 

vides  720  joules 
of  surge  sup- 
pression and  ex- 
cellent RFI  and 
EMI  noise  rejec- 
tion. 

The  Power 
Miser  has  a  retail 
price  of  $99.95 
and  can  provide 
savings  of  up  to  $T90  a  year.  For  fur- 
ther information  contact  Tripp  Lite,  500 
N.  Oneanst  Chicago,  JL  60610-4136; 
(312)  329-1777,  Fax  (312)  644-6505. 
Or  circle  Reader  Service  No.  203. 


HAMBREW 

Hambrew,  a  new  magazine  devoted 
to  amateur  radio  builders  and  designers, 

Is  now  being  pub* 
Hshed  quarterly  for 
hams  around  the 
world.  The  focus 
ranges  from  be- 
ginner-level kit 
building  to  more 
advanced  RF  de- 
sign, with  some 
theory  sprinkled 
in,  Articles  in  the 
Inaugural  Autumn 

FB  ENTERPRISES 

FB  Enterprises  is  now  offering  the 
1994/95  edition  of  their  popular  "Re- 
peater Maps/1  These  maps  are  avail- 
able tor  all  US  states,  Canadian 
provinces.  Central  American  countries, 
and  Caribbean  islands.  (California  is 
split  into  Northern  and  Southern  Calrfor* 
nia.  so  please  specify  when  ordering.) 

The  updated  maps  show  2  meter  re- 
peaters in  futl  color  on  the  front  of  the 
card,  and  the  bands  between  220  MHz 
and  1 2  GHz  are  in  black  and  white  on 
me  back.  They  include  autopatch  infor- 
mation and  CTCSS  tones  for  those  re- 
peaters which  usb  mem. 

The  maps  are  5*1/2"  X  8-1/2*  and 


1993  issue  included  a  Ramsey  30  meter 
transmitter  review,  constructing  loam* 
core  panel  cases  and  cabinets,  the 
NorthWest  QRP  30-30  Transmitter,  and 
decoupling  loops  for  dipoles  with  a  dis- 
cussion of  counterpoise. 

Classified  ads  are  free  to  both  com- 
mercial and  non-commercial  sub- 
scribers. Subscriptions  are  $2Q/yr,  do- 
mestic, $30/yr.  Canada  and  Mexico,  and 
$35/yr.  elsewhere.  For  more  information 
contact  Hambmwt  F,0.  Box  260083, 
Lakewood,  CO  80226  0083;  (800) 
5-HAMR1G.  Or  circle  Reader  Service 
No.  205, 


fflfjCK - N-  EASY   ■:  '■ '  ■  ■,- 


W'Mwmwji 


are  laminated  in  clear  plastic.  They 
retail  for  $3*95  and  are  available  at  your 
ham  radio  dealer  or  directly  by  mail 
order.  Catalogs  are  available  for  S2  (re- 
funded with  purchase).  For  more  infor- 
mation contact  FB  Enterprises.  23801 
NW  1st  Ave,,  Ridgefieid,  WA  98642- 
8830;  Voice/FAX  (800)  377*2339.  Or 
circle  Reader  Service  No.  207. 


MICRO-OHM  MEASUREMENTS 


Micro-Ohm  Measurements  has  an- 
nounced the  new  Ohm  Extender — a 
device  that  will  give  your  DMM  a  new 
depth  of  operation.  The  Ohm  Extender 
is  a  portable  battery-operated  adjunct 
which  uses  your  digital  multimeter  as  a 
readout. 

The  Ohm  Extender  gives  you  the 


equivaleni  of  an  expensive  mini-  and 
micro-ohm  meter,  which  would  cost  10 
limes  as  much.  You  can  actually  mea- 
sure shunt  resistors;  precisely  mea- 
sure wire  length;  verify  circuit  board 
trace  resist  a  nee;  read  motor,  trans- 
former, and  choke  values;  and  check 
switch  and  relay  contacts. 


All  components  are  of  the  finest 
quality  and  there  is  a  one-year  limited 
warranty.  Trie  price  is  $161  ppd.  For 
more  information  contact  Micro- 
Ohm  Measurements,  P.O.  Box  460, 
Brookshire,  Texas  77423;  (713}  934- 
4659,  Or  circle  Reader  Service  No. 
208. 


86  73  Amateur  Radio  Today  February,  1994 


Never  Say  Die 

Continued  from  page  85 

tion  to  the  news,  you  know  that  some 
German  blood  banks  have  been  care- 
less ami  allowed  HIV  virus  to  get  into 
their  supplies.  Now  we  know  how  to 
easily  and  quickly  cleanse  any  blood  of 
the  virus. 

A  physicist  friend  of  mine  gave  a 
lecture  on  this  new  procedure  lo  a 
group  of  doctors  at  a  recent  sympo- 
sium and  they  gave  him  a  standing 
ovation.  Bui  I  suspect  the  pharmaceuti- 
cal companies  are  going  to  be  ex- 
tremely upset  over  this  development 
There  are  no  drugs  involved.  The  drug 
companies  have  been  investing  mil- 
lions in  search  of  a  magic  drug  to 
counter  HIV — and  have  gotten 
nowhere.  It's  probably  fitting,  in  a  way, 
that  the  solution  to  thts  scourge  can  be 
cured  by  some  electronic  equipment 
which  costs  well  under  $100  to  make. 
Simple  stuff. 

The  normal  medical  electronic  in- 
dustry approach  would  be  to  put  the 
simple  circuits  involved  into  an  impres- 
sive box,  add  a  bunch  of  meters,  and 
charge  $10,000,  And  it  would  be  worth 
it.  The  tact  is  that  there's  nothing  more 
required  than  parts  you  can  get  at 
almost  any  radio  parts  store 

What  aboul  side  effects?  There 
aren't  any.  As  far  as  1  can  see.  this  ap- 
proach should  be  able  to  eliminate  the 
HIV  virus  wrthin  a  few  days  for  anyone 
infected  with  a  simple  and  completely 
noninvasive  treatment.  Of  course. 


since  the  equipment  involved  is  not 
FDA  approved,  you  canl  make  it  and 
sell  it  to  doctors.  If  they  bought  it,  they 
wouldn't  be  allowed  to  use  it.  But  you 
are  allowed  lo  experiment  with  it,  even 
on  friends.  And  doctors  are  allowed  to 
do  research  with  it,  as  long  as  they've 
built  the  equipment  themselves-  Thus 
there  is  going  to  be  one  heck  of  a  mar- 
ket for  HeathkiHike  kits  For  experi- 
menters and  doctors. 

There  are  two  pieces  of  equipment 
involved,  One  passes  a  microampere 
current  through  the  vascular  system, 
cleaning  out  Ihe  HIV  virus  in  the  blood. 
The  other  generates  a  short  and  very 
powerful  magnetic  field  to  flush  the 
virus  out  of  the  lymph  glands,  where  it 
tends  to  hide,  and  into  the  vascular  sys- 
tem, where  it  can  then  be  eliminated. 

If  you've  done  any  homework  on 
how  cells  work  and  the  effects  of  mi- 
crocurrents on  them,  you'll  understand 
the  beauty  of  this  approach — and  why 
researchers  have  failed  to  discover  it 
for  so  long.  The  labs,  largely  funded  by 
pharmaceutical  companies,  have  been 
looking  for  a  chemical  cure — one  they 
can  sell.  There's  been  little  funcfing  for 
non traditional  approaches.  Indeed,  the 
orthodox  scientific  community  routinely 
suppresses  research  like  this  and  does 
its  best  to  cut  off  alt  possible  funding 
sources.  In  this  case  an  it  took  was  one 
non 'traditional  physicist  to  see  the  im- 
plications of  the  Albert  Einstein  College 
discovery  and  develop  the  hardware 
needed.  He  used  to  be  a  hamr  but  got 
so  involved  with  research  that  he  let  his 


license  lapse. 

What  happens  is  that  when  a  small 
current  flows  through  the  vascular  sys- 
tem it  hits  the  HIV  virus  and  causes  it 
to  lose  its  ability  to  make  an  en2yme 
crucial  to  *ts  reproduction.  Then  the 
white  cells  can  no  longer  dump  togeth- 
er, and  the  virus  Is  terminated.  Using 
this  approach  it  will  a  (so  be  simple  to 
quickly  cleanse  infected  blood  banks, 
thus  preventing  further  HiV  infections 
from  transfusions. 

If  there  is  any  real  73  reader  interest 
in  this  Ml  consider  printing  the  circuit  di- 
agrams of  the  two  simple  units,  along 
with  detailed  instructions  on  their  use. 
If  I  get  less  than  a  thousand  requests,  I 
won't  bother  I  certainty  don't  want  to 
take  up  valuable  space  in  73  for  non- 
ham -oriented  construction  articles  thai 
not  many  readers  want  to  read  about. 
That  wouldn't  be  fair  to  the  other  read- 
ers. Mind  you,  if  I  do  print  the  construc- 
tion plans,  I'm  not  making  any  medical 
claims.  I  don't  need  to  have  the  FDA  or 
any  other  government  agents  making 
my  life  miserable.  Anything  you  build  is 
completely  between  you  and  yourself. 
And  anything  you  Ob  with  it  is  strictly 
experimental.  Tm  just  a  journalist  re- 
porting what  I've  heard  and  read. 

Experimenters  have  shown  that  it 
takes  about  three  weeks,  using  Ihe 
equipment  a  few  minutes  a  day,  for  a 
complete  HIV  remission. 

Will  we  be  seeing  headlines  about 
this?  Eventually,  but  you  read  it  here 
first. 

So  what's  next?  How  about  a  simple 


electronic  approach  to  drug  addictions? 
Any  interest?  NoT  probably  not.  I  ex- 
pect I'll  get  the  usual  letters  asking  me 
to  Stop  writing  about  Stuff  like  this  and 
stick  to  ham  radio  topics  in  a  ham  radio 
magazine.  Like  QST  does.  But  yes, 
there  is  good  reason  lo  believe  that  an- 
other fairly  easily -omit  piece  of  elec- 
tronic equipment  could  zap  even  the 
most  vicious  of  drug  habits. 

Religious  fanatics  may  be  upset  with 
me  over  all  this.  fve  talked  with  several 
on  the  air  who  are  absolutely  con- 
vinced that  AIDS  has  been  sen  I  as  a 
curse  by  God  as  retribution  for  the  ho- 
mosexual lifestyle.  Unfortunately  they 
haven't  convinced  me  that  their 
pipeline  to  God  is  any  better  than  mine. 
And  I  wonder  how  much  Kelly  is  con- 
sidering the  rights  of  homophobes  as 
he  pursues  his  own  demons  and  his 
personal  quest  for  power  via  gay  mili- 
tancy. 

It  doesn't  seem  to  have  occurred  to 
Kelly  that  anyone  who  is  not  stridently 
pushing  for  gay  rights  can  be  anything 
but  a  homophobe.  Go  back  into  the 
closet,  Kelly,  and  shut  the  padded  door 
behind  you. 

Ordering  Books  and  CDs 

{Editor's  Note:  Wayne  often  refer- 
ences books  and  CDs  in  his  editorials. 
The  books  are  often  avaitabte  from 
Uncfe  Wayne's  Bookshelf;  the  CDs 
from  IMPS  by  Mail,  Both  can  be 
ordered  by  telephoning  (BOO)  234-8458 
or  (603)  924-4 196,  or  by  faxtng  (603) 
924-8613.} 


here  is  the  next  generation  Repeater 


MAR  K  4CR 


The  only  repeaters  and  controllers 
with  REAL  SPEECH! 


No  other  repeaters  or  controllers  match 
Mark  4  in  capability  and  features.  That's 
why  Mark  4  is  the  performance  leader  at 
amateur  and  commercial  repeater  sites 
around  the  world.  Only  Mark  4  gives  you 
Message  Masters  real  speech  •  voice 
readout    ol    received    signal    strength, 
deviation,    and    frequency    error    •    4- 
channel    receiver    voting    •    clock   time 
announcements  and  function  control  •  7- 
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patch  functions.  Unlike  others,  Mark  4 
even    includes    power    supply    and    a 
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FAX:  #(508)  373-7304 


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MICRO  CONTROL  SPECIALTIES 


Division  of  Kendecom  Inc, 
23  Elm  Park,  Grov eland,  MA  01834 


2  meters  220  440 


CIRCLE  144  ON  HEADER  SERVICE  CARD 


73  Amateur  Radio  Today  *  February,  1 994   87 


Amateur  Software 

and  Hardware  for 

the  Commodore  User 


RRT-1 


ART-1 :  A  complete  interface  system  forsertd 
and  receive  on  CW,  PITTY  (Baudot  &  ASCII)  and 
AMTOR,  for  use  with  the  Commodore  64/12B 

computer.  Operating  program  on  disk  included. 

$199.00 


AIR-1 :  A  complete  interface  system  for  send 
and  receive  on  CW,  RTTY  {Baudot  &  ASCII)  and 
AMTQR,  for  use  with  Commodore  VIC-ED. 
Operating  program  in  ROM. 

^33  ii75 


SWL ;  A  receive  only  cartridge  for  CW,  RTTY 
[Baudot  &  ASCII)  for  use  with  Commodore  64/ 
126.  Operating  program  in  ROM. 

$69.95 


AIRDISK:  An  AFFM  type  op- 
erating program  for  use  with 
your  interface  hardware.  Both 
VEC-20  and  064/128  programs 
on  one  disk  $39.95 

AIR-ROM:  Cartridge  version 
Of  AIRDISK  for  C64/1 29  only. 

MORSE 
COACH 


MORSE  COACH:  A  complete  teaching 
and  testing  program  for  learning  the  Morse 
code  in  a  cartridge. 

For  C64  or  CI  28.  $49.95 

VEC  SPECIAL  $39.95 


G  and  G     ELECTRONICS 

OF  MARYLAND 


8524  DAKOTA  DRIVE,    GAITHERSBURG,  MD    20877 

(301)  258-7373 


\       v      / 


CIRCLE  169  ON  READER  SERVICE  CARD 


Number  24  on  your  Feedback  card 


Number  24  on  your  peedoec 

Dealer  directory 


DELAWARE 

New  Castle 
Factory  authorized  dealer!  Yacsu,  ICOM, 
Kenwood.  Ten -Tec,  AEA,  Kant  rentes,  DRSI 
Mfg..  Ameritrcn,  Cushcrah,  HyGainh  Heil 

Sound.  Standard  Amateur  Radio,  MFJ,  Hus- 
tler, Diamond,  BullernuL  Astron,  Lars  en,  and 
much  more.  DELAWARE  AMATEUR  SUP- 
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19720.(302)328-7728. 

NEW  JERSEY 
Lodt 
North  Jersey's  newest  Two  Way  Radio  and 
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equipment  as  well  as  Scanners.  Shortwave, 
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es and  more.  Friendly  service  and  low 
prices.  Advanced  Specialties,  114  Essex 
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and  Ham  Radio  Dealer.  Three  minutes  from 
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Radio  Company,  Kenwood,  Vectroniqs,  Yae- 
su.  Ham  Sales,  Lee  WK2T.  GILFER 
SHORTWAVE,  52  Park  Aven  Park  Ridge 
NJ  07656.  (201 )  391  -7887, 

NEW  YORK 

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Manhattan's  Eargest  and  only  ham  Radio 

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coaxial  cable  and  parts.  Full  Service  Repair 


Lab  on  premises.  Our  44th  Year . . .  We  car- 
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SCANNERS,  HYGAIN,  VIBROPLEX,  HEIL. 
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10-5  p,m.  Sun.  11-4  p.m.  We  ship  World- 
wide. Call,  Fax,  or  write  for  information  and 
prices.  Your  one  Source  for  HAM  and  Busi- 
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92S.70UU  FAX  (212)  925-7001. 

QHN3 

Columbus 
Central  Ohio's  full-line  authorized  dealer  for 
Kenwood,  !COWI1  Yaesu,  Alinco,  Japan  Ra- 
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mond and  MFJ.  New  and  used  equipment  on 
display  and  operational  fn  our  new  10,000 
sq.  ft.  facility.  Large  SWL  Department,  too. 
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Pkwy,,  Reynoldsburg  (Columbus)  OH 
43068.  (814)  806-4267. 

PENNSYLVANIA 
Trevose 
Authorized  factory  sales  and  service .  KEN- 
WOOD, ICOM,  YAESU,  featuring  AMER^ 
ITRON,  B£W,  MFJ.  HYGAIN.  KLM, 
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VIBROPLEX,  HEIL,  CALLBOOK,  ARRL 
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DEALERS:  Yoyr  cempany  name  and  message  can  contan  up  to  50  words  for  as  little  as  W2Q  yearly  (prepaid] ,  or  52 to  in  SiX 
months  (p/epflidj.  No  mention  of  mail-order  business  please,  Directory  text  and  payment  mi/sl  reach  us  60  days  in  advance  of 
publication.  For  example,  advertising  for  tJhe  April  '92  issuo  must  be  in  our  hinds  by  February  1st.  Mail  lo  73  Amateur  flar/io  Today, 
70  Rte.  202  N.  Peterborough,  NH  Q^SB. 

88  73  Amateur  Radio  Today*  February,  1994 


Propagation 


Number  25  on  your  Feedback  card 


Jim  Gray  W1XU 
2 W  Chateau  Circle 
Payson  AZ  85541 

This  month  is  considered  an  "in-be- 
tween" month  and  exhibits  some  winter 
and  some  spring  "conditions"  on  the  HF 
bands.  Although  1 994  will  be  a  year  of 
fewer  sunspots  than  the  past  eight  or 
nine  years,  it  will  stili  permit  excellent  DX 
propagation  on  the  days  marked  "G"  on 
the  calendar  but,  as  usual,  this  will  de- 
pend on  \ he  band  you  choose.  Winter 
conditions  of  low  noise  and  good  night- 
time  propagation  on  80  and  160  meters 
will  continue  this  month,  but  atmospheric 
noise  will  increase  as  the  equinox  in  late 
March  approaches.  The  poorest  days  for 
DX  are  fikeiy  to  be  those  surrounding  the 
8th  and  21st  of  the  month.  The  best  days 
for  DX  will  likely  be  those  marked  with  a 
"G"  (Good)  and  "P  (Fair),  or  trending  be- 
tween F  and  G.  On  the  Poor  days  keep 
an  eye  on  other  geophysical  conditions, 
such  as  storms  and  high  winds  with 
much  snow  in  the  north  and  rain  or  sleet 
in  the  south.  Geological  disturbances  are 
more  fikeiy  on  or  near  the  T"  days,  if 
they  appear  at  all.  Stations  with  better 
antennas  and  receivers  are  Eikely  to  fare 
better  In  times  of  low  sunspot  ac- 
tivity as  the  maximum  useful  fre- 
quencies also  decline,  and  hours 
of  good  DX  are  shorter  than  ev- 
er. Some  F2  openings  may  last 
for  only  an  hour  or  so  on  the  10 
and  12  meter  bands  as  the  MUF 
rises  above  28  MHz.  Choose  the 
riG"  days  for  your  best  opportuni- 
ties. Short  skip  will  prevail  on  the 
days  these  bands  are  open. 

On  the  15  and  17  meter 
bands,  you  may  find  DX  opportu- 
nities quite  good  with  afternoon 
(local  time)  hours  being  better 
than  morning  hours,  and  short 
skip  should  continue  during  most 
daylight  hours,  but  the  band  will 
close  around  dark, 

The  20  meter  band  is  always 
our  most  reliable  DX  band,  and 
is  even  more  so  during  times  of 
low  solar  activity.  Peak  condi- 
tions occur  shortly  after  sunrise, 
and  again  in  the  late  afternoon, 
and  should  provide  the  best  sig~ 
rials  to  distant  locations.  Short 
skip  will  prevail  during  daylight 
hours  out  to  about  2,000  miles  or 
so.  North-south  paths  will  open 
shortly  after  dark,  as  well,  with 
excellent  propagation  on  Good 
days. 

The  30  meter  band  exhibits 
some  of  the  behavior  of  20  and 
40  meters.  You  can  work  DX  on 
many  days  around  sunrise  and 
sunset,  with  short  skip  prevailing 


Jim  Gray  W1XU 

during  daylight  hours.  Although  the  band 
"dies"  an  hour  or  two  after  local  sunset, 
these  hours  may  be  the  very  best  for  DX 
and  grey-line  propagation  along  the 
day/dark  terminator. 

The  40  meter  band  tends  to  "peak" 
for  DX  toward  Europe  and  Africa  in  the 
late  afternoon  and  early  evening,  and  to- 
ward the  Pacific  in  the  morning  around 
sunrise.  This  band  will  stay  open  long 
after  dark  for  short  skip,  which  usually 
prevails  during  daylight  hours. 

The  SO  meter  band  may  be  your  best 
lower  HF  band  for  DX  between  sunset 
and  sunrise,  peaking  around  midnight 
(local  time)  and  again  around  sunrise. 
Noise  ievels  should  remain  low  until  late 
in  the  month  when  springtime  storms  oc- 
cur more  frequently.  Short-skip  condi- 
tions at  night  will  open  out  to  2,000  miles 
or  so. 

The  160  meter  band  will  not  be  open 
during  daytime,  but  will  be  very  good  af- 
ter dark,  and  DX  ought  to  peak  around 
midnight  local  time.  Short  skip  at  night 
during  early  evening  hours  will  be  quite 
good  out  to  lt500  miles  or  so-  Look  for 
DX  also  around,  or  just  before,  local 
sunrise,  toward  the  west,  south  and 
other  directions. 


EASTERN  UNITED  STATES  TO:         j 

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A?N«xl  tugfter  rrequsney  may  arso  Eh  used. 


SUN 

MON 

FEBRUARY  1994 

TUE       WED       THU 

FRI 

SAT 

1  G-F 

2  G-F 

3  G-F 

4  G-F 

5  F 

6  F-P 

7  P 

8  P 

9  P 

10  F-G 

11  G-F 

12  F-P 

13  P 

14  P-F 

15  F 

16  F-G 

17  G 

IS  G 

19  G-F 

20  F-P 

21  P 

22  P*F 

23  F-G 

24  G 

25  G-F 

26  F 

27  F-G 

28  G 

pn|  Number  26  on  \ 

Barter  w  buy 


Number  26  on  your  Feedback  card 


Turn  your  old  ham  and  computer  gear  into  cash  now.  Sure,  you  can  wait  for  a  ham- 
test  to  try  and  dump  it,  but  you  know  you'll  get  a  far  more  realistic  price  if  you  have  it  out 
where  100,000  active  ham  potential  buyers  can  see  it  than  the  few  hundred  local  hams 
who  come  by  a  flea  maricet  table.  Check  your  attic,  garage,  ceflar  and  closet  shelves  and 
gel  cash  tor  your  ham  and  computer  gear  before  it's  too  old  to  sell.  You  know  you're  not 
going  to  use  it  again,  so  why  leave  it  for  your  widow  to  throw  out?  That  stuff  isn't  getting 
any  younger! 

The  73  Flea  Market,  Barter  'n'  Buy,  costs  you  peanuts  (almost)— comes  to  35  cents  a 
word  for  individual  (noncommercial)  ads  and  S1.00  a  word  for  commerciaf  ads.  Donl 
plan  on  telling  a  long  story.  Use  abbreviations,  cram  it  in.  But  be  honest.  There  are  plenty 
of  hams  who  love  to  fix  things,  so  if  it  doesn't  work,  say  so. 

Make  your  list,  count  the  words,  including  your  call,  address  and  phone  number.  In- 
clude a  check  or  your  credit  card  number  and  expiration,  if  you1  re  placing  a  commercial 
ad1  include  an  additional  phone  number,  separate  from  your  ad. 

This  is  a  monthly  magazine,  not  a  daily  newspaper  so  figure  a  couple  months  before 
the  action  starts;  then  be  prepared.  Ef  you  get  too  many  calls,  you  priced  it  low.  If  you 
don't  get  many  calls,  too  high. 

So  gel  busy.  Blow  the  dust  off,  check  everything  out,  make  sure  it  still  works  right  and 
maybe  you  can  help  make  a  ham  sure  it  still  works  right  and  maybe  you  can  help  make  a 
ham  newcomer  or  retired  old  timer  happy  with  that  rig  you're  not  using  now.  Or  you  might 
get  busy  on  your  computer  and  put  together  a  list  of  small  gear/parts  to  send  to  those  in- 
terested? 

Send  your  ads  and  payment  to  the  Barter  n'  Buy.  Judy  Walker,  70  Rt.  202N,  Peter- 
borough NH  03458  and  get  set  tor  the  phone  calls. 


The  deadline  for  the  March  classified 
ad  section  is  January  6, 1 994. 

ALL  ABOUT  CRYSTAL  SETS.  Theory 
and  construction  of  crystal  set  radios, 
$7.95  each,  ppd  USA.  Send  to:  AL- 
LABOUT  BOOKS,  Dept.  S,  P.O.  Box 
22366,  San  Diego  CA  92 1 92.      BNB200 

CUSTOM  MADE-HAND  TOOLED 
leather  products  with  your  initial  name, 
call  letters.  Photo's  &  estimates  avail- 
able. Key  rings,  wallets,  belts,  purses, 
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GIFT.  LEATHER  &  WEST,  67  Causeway 
Rd,  West  Swanzey  NH  03469. 
(603)352-6256.  9-4  pm.  M-F  EL 

BNB215 

SUPERFAST  MORSE  CODE  SU- 
PEREASY,  Subliminal  cassette.  $12, 
LEARN  MORSE  CODE  IN  1  HOUR. 
Amazing  supereasy  technique, 
$12.  Both  $20.  Moneyback  guarantee. 
Free  catalog:  SASE.  BAHR-T1.  150 
Greenfield.  Bloomingdale  IL  60108. 

BNB221 

VACUUM  VARIABLES  AND  VACUUM 
RELAYS.  Lowest  prices.  SASE  for  list, 
BOND,  221  Greencrest  Marietta  GA 
3006B-3825.  BNB260 

QSL  SAMPLES-  50  cents.  SAMCARDS, 
48  Monte  Carlo  Dr.,  Pittsburgh  PA 
15239.  BNB275 

COLLINS  32V*  1  SERIAL  #1  A.M.  trans- 
mitter, mfg,  appx  1946.  Cash  only  offers 
solicited.  A  set  of  6  professional  color 
photos  wilt  be  sent  upon  the  receipt  of 
$6.  refundable.  Contact  Bob  Travis  Kea- 
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FL  32809,  Phone  (407)351-5939. 
BNB280 

COMMODORE  64  REPAIR.  Fast  turn 
around.  SOUTHERN  TECHNOLOGIES 
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RADIO  RUBBER  STAMPS  free 
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KENWOOD  AUTHORIZED  REPAIR.  Al- 
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(508)448-3322,  BNB310 


RCI-2950  OWNERS:  New  modification 
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Only  $20.00  ppd  in  U.S.  (Missouri  resi- 
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510408,  St.h  Louis  MO  63151-0408. 
(314)846-0252,  Money  Orders  or  C.O.D. 

BNB340 

KIT  BUILDERS!  Complete  list  of  155+ 
ktt  vendors.  #10  SASE  +  $3.00  USD  to: 
RUTENBER  ENGINEERING,  38045 
10th  St.  E  #H75-ARr  Palmdale  CA 
93550.  BNB365 

QSL  CARDS  —  Standard  and  custom. 
Your  ideas  or  ours.  Excellent  quality  Foil 
stamping  available.  Many  designs  and 
type  styles.  Catalog  and  samples  $1.00 
refundable.  WILKINS,  Dept.  A,  Box  787, 
Atascadero  CA  93423.  BNS370 

20  METER  SUPERHET  C.W. 
TRANSCEIVERS  KIT,  $49,95  plus  $375 
shipping.  Check/MO.  1994  Catalog  for  2 
Stamps.  DAN'S  SMALL  PARTS  A  KrTS, 
1935  South  3rd  West  #1d  Missoula  MT 
59801.  BNB335 

SERVICE  MONITORS  WANTED. Any 
late  model  test  equipment.  (408)241- 
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CHRISTIAN-THEME  QSLs,  "Let  your 
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JUST,..QSLsT  21645  E.  9  Mile  Rd.,  St. 
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BROWNIES  QSL  CARDS  SINCE  1939, 
Catalog  &  samples  $1  (refundable  with 
order).  3035  Lehigh  Street,  Altentown  PA 
18103,  BNB430 

HIGH  QUALITY  PERSONAL  QSL's  in- 
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BNB434 

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Phone  (516)674-4072,  FAX  (516)674- 
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73  Amateur  Radio  Today  •  February,  1 994  89 


^ackPack  Solar? 

10  wail  DesenSiorm  panel  is 
size  of  open  73  magazine,  weighs 
lib,  and  delivers  GOOmA  for  L2? 
charging  or  direct  operation.  Tough. 

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CIRCLE  39  ON  READER  SERVICE  CARD 

90  73  Amateur  Radio  Today  February,  1994 


ATTENTION  ACC  OWNERS! 

AM>  ALL  OTHER  KEPKATKK  CONTROLLER  OWNERS! 


I'p^raik  your  re  poller  without  replacing  the  controller! 
By  lidding  the  DVMS/1+  to  your  repeater,  you  can  more 
ihun  double  tliu  number  nf  fissures,  us  well  as  siive  it  n 
completely  new  personality.  MyouVe  tired  of  being 
restricted  u>  the  limited  vocabulary  of  ROMEO  & 
JULIET,  and  don' I  warn  in  pay  die  &I&K)  for  a  2  minute 
PVR  to  match  vour  ACC  controller,  this  one  is  lor  you! 
The  DVMS/I+  is  a  PC  based  ACC  compatible  DVR_  Just 
sonic  of  I  he  bene  Ills  are: 

•  Creme  a  1024  user  voice  trail  system  —  fully  prompted 
unci  password  protectable. 

•  Add  user  recordable  announcements  —  great  for 
ha m test  directions  <fc  Want  ads. 

•  Signal  check  ■ —  Now  you  can  actually  hear  hnw  you're 
hilling  I  he  repealer! 

•  Use*  a  Sound  lilavier  card  —  Allows  for  hish  quality 
voice  recording  und  use  of  many  ,voe  111 tf  s  and  editors! 
(Built  in  BBS  allows  remoie  upload/download! 

•  Storage  limited  only  by  hard  disk  sb.e  —  (40  Meg 
yields  1/2  hour  ul  12KH/,  nue) 

•  Real  voice  clock/ealeEidar/scheduler  —  (you  don't  need 
V3.I  EPROM  for  your  controller!  Sorry  if  you  already 
spent  your  Si 2,^0,,,} 

•  Available  in  an  easy  assemble  kil  wiih  a  high  quality  PCB! 

The  DVMS/I  +  as  reviewed  in  the  February  73  Magazine 
is  available  for  S349  PPD/CQPI  Mention  the  review  and 
reeehe  free  UPS  blue  (2nd  day  I  delivery  I 

{716)434-3008 

XPERTEK  ELECTRONICS 

P.O.  BOX  768 

LOCKPORT,  NEW  YORK  14095 


INTERESTED  IN  PUBLIC  SERVICE?  Join  REACT 
TODAY!  For  information  write,  KA3PDQ,  do  REACT 
P.O.  Box  8797r  Alleotown  PA  1 8105,  BNB465 

QSL  SAMPLES  send  $1  (refundable).  Bud  Smith,  Box 
1948,  Blaine  WA  98231 .  BNB475 

BEAM  HEADINGS-YOUR  QTH  AND  THEIRS  $5.95. 
KB7HM,  4204  Fox  Point  Drive,  Las  Vegas  NV  891 08, 

BNB505 

CRYSTALS:  High  quality  for  your  VHF/UHF  and  SHF 
transverter  projects,  SASE.  WA3IAC,  7148  Montague 
St.,  Philadelphia  PA  19135.  BNB515 

CDROM  Ham  Radio  Callsign  Database  with  hundreds 
of  PC  Compatible  programs,  radio  mods,  TCP/IP 
Usenet,  Ham  Radio  Archives,  FCC  Rules  &  Regula- 
tions, current  exam  question  pools,  and  Canadian  Call 
Signs.  Only  $25.00.  Includes  shipping!  Send  check  to: 
RONS  CDROMS,  2348  Karen  Dr.,  #6n  Santa  CEara  CA 
95050  or  call  (408)241-7376  with  your  Visa  or  MC. 

BNB540 

WANTED-  Manual  for  old  Hallicrafters  SX99.  Frank 
Arnold,  1215  Sullivan  Lru  82B,  Sparks  NV  89431 . 

BNB555 

DACRON  ROPE,  WHY  RISK  ANTENNA  SUPPORT 
FAILURES??  Mil  Type,  black,  strong,  high  UV/stretch 
resistant  3/32":  $.06/ft.t  3/16"  (770  lb.  test):  $.11/ft., 
5/16":  $.16/ft  IMMEDIATE  SHIPMENT  DAVIS  RF  CO, 
24  HOUR  ORDERS:  (800)484-4002,  CODE  1356, 

BNB557 

LEARN  TO  EARN  COURSES:  Electronics,  robot,  ra- 
dio, others.  Free  Catalog.  AAA  PRODUCTS,  Rt  1  Box 
482-L,  Rockdale  TX  76567.  BNB56Q 

WANTED-Plug  in  synthesizer  for  a  Drake  TR-33C.  Don 
Nappo,  P.O.  Box  123,  Stanton  NJ  08885.         BNB585 

DON'T  BUY  QSL  CARDS  UNTIL  YOU  SEE  MY  FREE 
SAMPLES.  Also  I  specialize  in  custom  cards  and  QSL 
business  cards.  Write  or  call  for  free  samples  and  cus- 
tom card  ordering  information.  LITTLE  PRINT  SHOP, 
Box  1160,  Pflugervllle  TX  78660.  (512)990-1192,  Mas- 
tercard and  Visa  now  accepted.  BNB595 

WANTED:  Western  Electric  and  other  vintage  audio 
equipment.  (800)251-5454.  BNB615 

DUPLEXER  TUNING  GUIDE.  A  complete  booklet 
Showing  step-by-step  instructions  on  tuning  all  types  of 
duplexers.  Included  is  theory  of  operation,  detailed  dia- 
grams and  much  more.  Send  $9,95  plus  $2,50  3&h  to 
RGM  PUBLICATIONS,  533  Main  Street,  Hillsboro  NM 
88042.  For  faster  service  using  a  major  credit  card  call 
(505)695-5333  and  order  today,  30  day  money  back 
guarantee,  BNB635 

SATELLITE  EQUIPMENT  AT  40%  TO  50%  OFF. 
Drake,  Toshiba,  HTS.  Gl,  25°  LNS,  $67.95;  ,7n  Ku, 
$89.00.  Call  (800)851-6534  for  wholesale  price  list. 
SATELLITE  WAREHOUSE,  TuCSOn  AZ.  Fax  (602)624- 
1629.  BNB640 

UNIVERSAL  PROGRAMMERS  Data  \0,  XELTEK, 
Logic  Devices,  Magic  IO,  EETools,  Need  hams,  from 
$399,00,  EPROM  programmers  from  $117.  Call  for 
free  catalog.  (406)241-7376.  BNB645 

MACRO  SURFACE-MOUNT  Breadboard  3"  X  5"  sam- 
ple kit  as  seen  in  73  for  12/93.  $4,00  ppd.  Brad  Thomp- 
son, NUtJ,  100  Powdermill  Rd.,  BX-233,  Acton  MA 
01720,  8NB650 

VHF-UHF-SHF  Large  SASE.  VHFer,  P,0,  Box  685, 
Holbrook  AZ  86025,  BNB660 

FOR  SALE-Kenwood  TS-440S/AT  with  CW  fllter/mic. 
Orig.  Box/manual  $900.00;  Cushcraft  R5  vertical  with 
box/manual  $200,00;  Cushcraft  224WB  4  element  220 
Yagi  $40.00;  Astron  R3-35A  power  supply  $110.00; 
MFJ-422BX  keyer  with  bencher  by-1  paddle  $110.00; 
50  Ft.  Belden  8267  (RG213U)  wiih  PL259  $30,00.  All 
mint  condition.  Paul,  N1HOL,  14  Summer  St.,  Marble- 
head  MA  01945.  (617)631-2810.  BNB665 

ELEGANT  QSL  CARDS  AT  LOW  PRICES.  Samples 
$1  (refundable  with  order).  AACO,  Dept.  S42,  1639 
Fordham  Way,  Mountain  View  CA  94040,        BNB670 


CONCENTRATOR  SOLOR  CELLS.  High  efficiency 
cells  rated  ai  20ma  or  40ma  555rnv  in  direct  sunlight 
will  output  up  to  several  amps  at  dose  to  one  volt  per 
cell  when  used  with  magnifying  lens  and  a  good  heat 
sink.  Data  sheet  included  S1  25  and  $2  50  each.  $5,00 
minimum  SASE  to:  James  Carter*  P.O.  Sox  23243T 
San  Jose  CA  95193.  (408)729-3131 ,  BNB695 

HAM  RADIO  REPAIR-  Afl  makes  and  models.  Fast 
Professional  Service.  AFFORDABLE  ELECTRONIC 
REPAIR,  7110  E.  Thomas  Rd^  Scottedale  AZ  8525 J. 
(602)945-3908.  BNB700 

9  1/2  INCH  UTC  WALL  CLOCK-  $26,50  ppd. 
GABAY  TOOL  CO.,  RO.  Box  68.  Necedah  Wl  54646. 

BNB705 

ROSS  $$$$  NEW  FEBRUARY  (ONLY)  SAVE  TIME 
AND  MONEY  HAVE  MODEL  NUMBER  AND  MANU- 
FACTURER READY  WHEN  YOU  CALL  OR  WRITE. 
KENWOOD,  TH-2BA,  $310.00;  TH-78A.  $438.00:  TM- 
241A.  $348.50;  TS-50S,  $990.00;  AEA.  PK-232MBX, 
$31000;  PK-BS.  $128.50.  ALINCO,  D^BSOT,  $391.00; 
YAESU.  FT-530.  $430,00;  FT-24Q0H.  $348-00P  FT- 
736R.  $1700.00;  ICOM,  IC-72S.  $1000.00;  fC-737. 
$1305.00:  ASTRON,  RS-20AP  $87.90,  RS-35A. 
$140.00:  MFJ,  81 5B,  $62.50,  949E.  $135,00;  259. 
S205-00.  1702B,  $21  m  ALL  LIMITED  TIME  OF- 
FERS, OVER  9035  ham-related  items  in  stock  for  im- 
mediate shipment.  Mention  ad.  Prices  cash.  F.O  B. 
Preston.  HOURS  TUESDAY-FRIDAY  9:00  TO  6:00, 
9:00-2:00  P.M.  MONDAYS.  CLOSED  SATURDAY  & 
SUNDAY.  ROSS  DISTRIBUTING  COMPANY,  78 
SOUTH  STATE,  PRESTON  ID  B3263.  (208)852-0830. 

BNB707 

GIANT  SOLAR  PANELS  $44,00  EACH!  Excellent 
Prices/Solar  Equipment/Accessories,  Free  Informa- 
tion/Send Stamped  Envelope,  Catalog  $3.00.  To: 
QUAD  ENERGY,  P.O.  Box  690073,  Houston  TX 
772S9.  (7 1 3)893-0313,  BNB7 1 5 

ELECTRON  TUBES:  All  types  and  sizes.  Transmitting, 
receiving,  microwave  .  .  .  Large  inventory  =  same  day 
Shipping  DAILY  ELECTRONICS,  10914  NE  39th  ST. 
Suite  B-6.  Vancouver,  WA  98682.  (800)346-6667  or 
(206)896-8856.  BNB719 

MINIATURE  POLICE  RADAR  TRANSMITTER  One 
mile  range,  $41  assembled,  S3 1. 00  kit,  (219)439-1711, 
RO.  Box  B0096,  Fort  Wayne  IN  4669B.  BNB725 

NEW  EQUIPMENT  SPECIALS;  ALINCO  DJ-560T 
deluxe  2m/440  handholds,  $297,95.  BENCHER  1.5 
KW  tow  pass  filters,  $47.95.  ZA-1A  balurrs,  $29.95. 
Best  prices  on  a  complete  selection  of  keyers  and 
keys.  ASTRON  RS-35M  power  supplies.  $167.95.  ALL 
ASTRON  products  competitively  priced.  PL-259 
silver/tellon  connectors,  $1,25  each  or  10  for  $10.00, 
Type  N  connectors,  52^75  each  or  10  for  $25-00.  Cus- 
tom built  BELDEN  coa*  cables  to  your  specs.  Call  or 
write  for  catalog.  R.  C.  KONTES,  465  Croft.  Idaho 
Falls  ID  83401  or  (208)522-2839.  BNB730 

ICOM  WJ1AT  DUAL  BAND  HT,  AC  Battery  charger, 
DC  power  cord,  factory  mod  for  MARS/CAP  $475. 
Keister  Whitt  Route  1.  Box  25,  Ringgold  VA  24586, 
(804)822-7005.  BNB745 

HAM  RADIO  REPAIR— Prompt  service.  ROBERT 
HALL  ELECTRONICS,  1660  McKee  ft6.<  Suite  A,  San 
Jose  CA  951 1 6.  (408)729-8200.  BNB751 

JOIN  TAPR-TUCSON  AMATEUR  PACKET  RADIO 
(non-profit  developers  of  the  TNG),  Membership 
benefits  Incfude:  supporting  the  development  of  new 
communications  technology,  quarterly  newsletter,  low- 
priced  software/shareware,  10%  discount  on 
kits  and  publications.  $i5/year  US  and  possessions, 
$l&year  Canada  and  Mexico.  $25  elsewhere.  US 
funds.  Visa/MC  accepted.  Bonus:  Mention  73. 
receive  TAPR  Packet  Radio  General  Info  booklet 
(57  value)!  PO.  Box  12925.  Tucson  AZ  85732. 

BNB765 

SOLAR  POWERED  HAMS!  The  Sunswitch  is  a 
Charge  controller  to  protect  your  batteries  from  over 
charge.  Power  MOSFETs  are  used,  no  relaysf  Assem- 
bled tuned  and  tested.  Now  with  Wall  Mount  Case. 
$55,00  plus  $300  shipping.  SUNLIGHT  ENERGY 
SYSTEMS,  2225  Mayflower  NWP  Massillon  OH  44647, 

BNB774 


Audio  Analyzer 

for  the  Sound  Blaster! 


M»wt  Analyze  mose  audio  wgnjjs 
(hil  you  bear,  such  «  SSTV.  RTTY, 
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Requires  VGA  display  ONLY139  W  ■ 

Snipping  &£  -  Oversea!  110 

Hiiro;-:  residents  add  $2.50  tii 

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CIRCLE  187  ON  READER  SERVICE  CARD 


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Channel  Scanner  with 

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10  search,  10  scan  banks 

lockout  on  search  & 

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With  Ni-Cad  batteries,  Chgr, 

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CIRCLE  164  ON  READER  SERVICE  CARD 


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ENTERPRISES 

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CIRCLE  171  ON  READER  SERVICE  CARD 

73  Amateur  Radio  Today*  February.  1994  91 


Beam  in  the  Briefcase? 

T]K  kiflil  of  Uisincss  I  rip*  I  Like,  you  gfslLa  hftVc  u  IXMtm 

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CIRCLE  315  ON  READER  SERVICE  CARD 


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RF  ENGINEERS  WANTED  SGC,  a  world  leader  in  HF 
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FIBERGLASS:  Solid  rod,  round  tube,  square  tube, 
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PRINTED  CIRCUIT  BOARDS  for  73,  QSTt  etc.  Club 
orders  welcome.  US  orders  deduct  20%.  Free  list. 
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INEXPENSIVE  HAM  RADIO  EQUIPMENT.  Send 
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RADIO  REPAIR  Amateur  and  commercial,  profession- 
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ALMOST  FREE!  Hundreds  of  pieces  of  surplus  test 
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QRP  KITS  &  COMPONENTS  only  2  stamps  for  cata- 
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AMIGA,  MACINTOSH,  ATARI  XLVXE/ST  Amateur  Ra- 
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PRINTED  CIRCUIT  BOARDS  for  projects  in  73,  Ham 
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AZOEN  SERV(CE  by  former  factory  technician. 
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I  BUY  ELECTRON  {VACUUM)  TUBES  Magnetrons, 
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73  Amateur  Radio  Today*  February,  1994  93 


Uncle  Wayne's  Bookshelf 


20N102  Practical  Digital  Electronics  Handbook  to  UiU  Tiw- 
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30N109  73  Magazine  Index  196^1990 

A  complete  index  io  e^ery  ;iriEc1e  puhli^hcJ  in  7Jf  \ftiKn:t'n 

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20Nt10  Product  Reviews  Since  194S  Contains  an  index  to 
,1.41  SU  prtHkici  revjewji  ihat  have  appeared  in  QST,  CQ,  MR,  7 J  umi 
Utidaim.  Book  $12.95  IBM  Software  .125  $10,00 


SHORTWAVE 


SOFTWARE 


\* 


06357  1993  Passpori  lo  World  Band 
Radio  by  Internal  taunt  Bmadvtuting 
SrtiUi'x,  Ltd  Yihi'U  get  ihc  luttjsi  Mution  uik! 
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03M222  US  Military  Communications 
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21  ^    /V  ^ 


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15A002  Scanner  and  Shortwave  Answer 

BOOk  to  Bifb  Crtne  Mral  frequently  aiked 
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11TB9  Scanner  Modification  Handbook 
Vol-  Z  to  Hifl  Crtei  Here  il  is^ — a  cnmpani<iin 
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ARRL BOOKS 


AR1994  ARAL  1994  Handbook  (71st  Ed.)  Fea* 
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all  new  ;il!-di£i{sLl-k)i:ic.pEiH  litis  more.  $2S.UU 

ART 993  ARRL  1993  Handbook  {7Gth  Ed.)  }9 
dttipicrii*  featuring  2. 1  Of.)  Libles.  figures  and  duns. 
Comprehensive,  ^ell :  orjninnxcl  and  affordable  $25.00 

AR1QEG-4  ARRL  Operating  Manual  (4th  Ed.) 
Inform j]  ion  on  how  uj  make  the  he&i  use  of  ynur  sti- 
liun,  inukuJitip:  iaTcn%ing  home  computers.  OSCAR. 
VHFdJHF.sili.lW 

AR0194  Antenna  Compendium  Vol.  1  MsiierialH 
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hilunv .Smith  Churls  anienna  potari/aitoti.  $10.00 

AR2545  Antenna  Compendium  Vol,  2    Covers 

verticals,  vagk.  quadiu  muLrihund  and  broiidtmnd  sys- 
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AR4D17  Antenna  Compendium  Vol.  3  More  *er- 
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AR262S  Companion  Software  for  Antenna 
Compendium  VoL  2     5  EM    MS-DOS  flnppy. 

ARG48S  WIFE'S  Antenna  Notebook  fr>  Wotjjj 
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AR034B  QRP  Notebook  by  Dmi$  DrMm  WfFR 
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A R 41 41  W1  FBs  Design  Notebook  hyDfn^De^ 
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AR22Q0  Antenna  Impedance  Matching  hy  Wil- 
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AR0402  Solid  State  Design  CiowL  hasic-  informa- 
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AR3193  Weather  Satellite  Handbook  (4th  Ed.) 

hy  f)r,  Hiitpti  Talari  WEHDQi  Expanded  and  revised 
to  reflect  twlav's  weudier-fax.  satellite  icfhnoltj^y, 
S2IUKI 


AR329D  Companion  Software  for  Weather 
Satellite  Handbook  5  I  AT  MS-DOS  Floppy, 
SIU.IM) 

AR3291  Now  You're  Talking!  All  You  Need  To 
Get  Your  First  Ham  Radio  License  (2nd  Edi- 
tion) A  complete  study  guide  for  ihc  Technicaii  and 
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AR3292  Your  Introduction  to  Morse  Code: 
Practice  Cassettes  Kit  includes  two  9H  minute 
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exam  to  earn  your  Novice  license  or  inkl  high-fmjuen- 
cy  worldwide  eoiuiTiunicatiuns  privileges  to  voirr  code- 
free  Technician  license,  SI  (MM) 

AR0437  ARRL  Repeater  Directory  1993-1994 

I9.0W14  listings  with  dijipeaiers.  hand  plaits.  CTCSS 
(PLfTMn  lone  than,  frequency  cswrdinators,  ARRL 
special  seriiee  ctubs.  arid  beacon  listing  from  f4  MHk 

AR1033  The  DXCC  Companion  M-  Jim  Keurman 
KRIS  Spelts  out  in  simple,  strai^htforwjird  terms  wltal 
you  need  to  be  a  successful  DXer.  H.flfl 

AH  1250  Log  8ook— Spiral  S3.5U 

ARA34T  Interference  Handbook  RFE  sleuih"s  ex- 
penence  in  solving  intcrt'ercnee  problems,  SU.OO 

AR2 197  ARRL  Data  Book    Valuable  aid  lo  the  RF 

design  engineer,  technician,  radio  iiinuLeur,  and  experi- 
menter. SU+O0 

AR2960  Transmission  Line  Transformers  (2nd 
Ed.)     hy  Or  Jtrry  Seiiik  WIFMt  Patctical  tSbtfgns 

and  specific  information  on  coiMruciion  techniques 
and  sources  of  material,  ^2tLEKI 

AR0410  Yagi  Antenna  Design  A  Ham  Rmiia  st~ 
ries  polished  ^nd  expanded  by  Dr.  La^-son.  S  JS.tMJ 

AR2171  Hints  and  Kinks  Ideas  for  setting  up  your 
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AR31 69  Q  RP  Classics  Cornpi  kfa  m  of  AR  RL  puh- 
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ceivers.  !3ccessH.)ries,  $12.00 

ARRL  License  Manuals  Complete  FCT  question 
pools  With  answers. 


AR2375  Technician  Class 
AR2383  General  Class 
AR01G6  Advanced  Class 
AR2391  Extra  Class 


SWHJ 

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S1O0 


ANTENNAS 


£0N10a  The  Easy  Wire  Antenna  Handbook  by 

i)wt  lM>rw?}  K-fTWJ.  Gi\es  you  ail  of  the  needed  di- 
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UHF/VHF/PACKET\ 

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20N013  U.S.  Repeater  Mapbook     Av  8$&t 

(Martin    The  Guide  for  traveling  radio  Jimatenrs. 


10A342  All  About  Verttcle  Antennas  hy  William 
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10A345  Beam  Antenna  Handbook     hy  William 

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10A346  Simple,  Low-Cost  Wire  Antennas  For 
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09V11  The  Basic  Guide  to  VHF/UHF  Ham 
Radio     hy  Edward  M.  Nott  Provides  a  ftrst  Rite 

introduction  to  I  he  2. ft  nnd  |*25  meter  bands  as 
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03R02  RTTY  Today     hy  /J^or  tk^m  MTiW 

Most  comprehensive  RTTY  pjUh  ewr  publislvd, 
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BOOKS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


02D42  Digital  Novice     fry  Jim  Gmbfrs  Geared. 

to  fiiuke  you  a  Jiiore  knowledgable  panicipurit. 

05C25  Basic  A,C.  Circuits    a  siep-b>'Siep 

approach  loi'  the  he^inninj:  student-  S-4,5(l 

20 NO  13  Technician  Class  License  Manual: 
New  Mo-Code    hy  GurAon  \\t.si  Tliis  book  COV- 

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2GmQ2  The  Wonderful  World  of  Ham 
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01AB7  Shortwave  Listener's  Antenna 
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20 Ml 00  Electronics  Build  and  Learn  {2nd 

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20N099  Digital  Electronics  Projects  for  Be- 
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AR2S71  WIFB's  Help  for  New  Hams     hy 
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Pnl  logetlier  a  slat  km  and  ge*  on  the  air,  IID.OO 

AH2236  First  Steps  in  Radio     by  Ehijig 
QeMw  »7f/f  Serie*  of  ysr articles  %SM 


AR31Q5The  Satellite  Experimenters  Hand- 
book, {2nd  Ed.)  by  Martin  Dm-idaff  K2UBC 
bepanded  and  revised-  Focusing  on  satelines  buiji  hy 
and  for  the  international  rudrtf  amateur  conununitv. 

AR2456  FCC  Rule  Book  (9th  Ed)     A  must  for 

every  active  radio  amateur.  S9.00 

AR2030  Your  Gateway  to  Packet  Radio  (2nd 
Ed.)  Tells  everything  you  need  to  know  aboul  rhis 
popular  new  mode,  5(1*00 

AR2103  Satellite  Anthology  The  iaicst  informa- 
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Eiles,  the  use  of  digital  modes,  tracking  antennas^ 
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AR2083  Complete  DXer  (2nd  Ed.}  by  Rob  h,d- 
tr  U'VA'AV  Learn  how  [o  hunt  DX  and  obtain  hard-|r> 
!;eiqSLcardsrSI2.tM} 

CODE  TAPES  = 

73T05  "Genesis"    S5.9S 

5  wpra — This  hey  inning  tape,  takes  you  through 

the  2ft  letter,  in  numbers,  and  necessary  punc- 
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73T06  "The  Stickler"  $5.95 

(i+  wpm — This  h  the  practice  tape  for  those  who  sur- 
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Novice  an  J  Technician  licen^,s.  It  is  comprised  of 
one  jolid  hour  of  code.  Characters.  Lire  sei  al  1 3  wpm 
and  spaced  at  5  wpm. 

WAYNE'S  PICKS- 

SSS756  Warning!  The  Electricity  Around 
You  May  Be  Hazardous  To  Your  Health  in 
Ellen  Sitxtirwtin  An  in  valuable  ^uide  to  the  risks  of 
electromagnetic  fields,  and  steps  you  can  Take  to 
protect  yourself  am!  your  family,  St  J*0fl 

"We  The  People"  Declare  War!  On  Our 
Lousy  Government,  hy  Wayne  Green  A  "must 
read"  for  every  ameriean  taxpayer.  Solutions 
to  everv  problem  facing  Our  government  today. 
U1S5  ' 


AR2065  ARRL  Antenna  Book  The  new  I6ih  Edi- 
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M  OUTPUT 

David  Cassidy  N1GPH 


Enough! 

Polly  Klaas  was  a  beautiful  12- 
year-old  girl.  Last  year,  on  October  1 , 
she  was  having  a  slumber  party  with 
a  few  of  her  friends.  Her  mother  slept 
downstairs  while  the  girls  stayed  up 
and  discussed  things  of  monumental 
importance  to  12-year-old  girls.  A 
knife-wielding  thug  broke  Into  the 
house,  tied  up  the  girts*  took  Polly 
and  left. 

Despite  a  monumental  publicity 
and  search  effort  by  the  citizens  of 
Polly's  home  town,  this  beautiful  little 
girl's  body  was  found  two  months  lat- 
er. The  man  who  murdered  her  had 
been  confronted  by  police  twice  dur- 
ing those  two  months,  the  first  being 
less  than  two  hours  after  the  kidnap- 
ping. He  has  a  record  ot  arrests  and 
convictions  for  abductions  and  other 
violent  crimes  going  back  almost  20 
years.  He  has  served  time  in  prison 
tor  these  crimes,  and  yet  he  was  free 
to  walk  the  streets  of  California  just 
like  you  and  me. 

In  the  last  two  weeks,  authorities 
in  St.  Louis  have  had  to  inform  two 
sets  of  parents  that  their  children 
won't  be  coming  home — ever.  They 
were  both  littie  girts.  One  was  9  and 
the  other  was  1 0, 

If  you  live  in  a  small,  rural  commu- 
nity, and  you  think  this  kind  of 
heinous  crime  cant  happen  to  you— 
think  again.  Ten  days  after  Polly 
Klaas  disappeared,  Stephanie  Crane 
was  abducted  from  her  small  Idaho 
town — population  700. 

Are  you  mad  yet?  Have  you  had 
enough  of  this?  Are  you  going  to  con- 
tinue to  allow  the  scum  of  our  society 
to  get  away  with  this?  Are  you  going 
to  continue  to  elect  local,  state  and 
federal  politicians  who  are  afraid  to 
make  the  hard  choices  of  taking 
away  the  rights  of  convicted  criminals 
in  order  to  protect  the  rights  and  lives 
of  the  law-abiding?  How  many  more 
beautiful  12-year-old  girls  are  going 
to  have  to  die  horrible  and  lonely 
deaths  before  the  people  of  America 
wake  up  and  demand  a  criminal  jus- 
tice system  that  deals  with  crime  and 
the  punishing  of  criminals?  Over  500 
children  were  abducted  las l  year,  and 
that's  500  more  than  we  should  toler- 
ate. Today,  as  you  read  this,  another 
child  is  being  taken — another  child 
that  we'll  never  find.  I  gotta'  tell  ya' 
folks,  I  am  beside  myself  with  anger 
over  this.  1  can  barely  type  these 
words.  1  have  had  enough, 

Amateur  Radio  Can  Be  Part  of  the 
Solution 

The  common  response  to  this  type 
of  situation  is:  "What  can  {  possibly 
do?"  Aside  from  electing  people 
carefully  and  supporting  spending  for 
more  cops,  bigger  prisons,  longer 
sentences  and  abolishing  the  parole 

96  73  Amateur  Radio  Today*  February,  1994 


system,  what  can  the  average  person 
do? 

We  may  not  feel  like  we  have  con- 
trol over  courts,  prisons  and  parole 
boards,  but  we  can  do  something. 
We  can  say  enough  is  enough.  We 
can  say  that  the  next  time  a  child 
turns  up  missing  we  wilt  be  prepared. 
Not  prepared  to  help  tomorrow  or 
next  week  — we  can  be  prepared  to 
help  right  now. 

When  a  small  plane  crashes  (or  is 
only  thought  to  have  crashed),  there 
are  systems  and  volunteer  organiza- 
tions in  place  to  search  for  and  come 
to  the  aid  of  the  crash  victims,  As  a 
Private  Pilot  I  am  thankful  to  always 
know  that  should  the  unthinkable 
happen,  I  won't  be  left  to  die  on  the 
craggy  slopes  of  a  windswept  New 
Hampshire  mountain  because  there 
wasn1t  a  system  in  place  to  come  find 
me.  Within  hours  of  my  late  arrival 
there  will  be  dozens  of  people  and 
aircraft  searching  for  me. 


set  up  to  assist  in  finding  children. 
How  many  days  go  by?  How  many 
nights?  Will  you  ever  see  your  child 
again? 

What  would  have  happened  to 
Polly  Klaas  if,  within  an  hour  of  the 
local  police  department's  call  to  an 
amateur  radio  search  coordinator 
there  were  several  dozen  trained 
hams  searching  in  an  ever-widening 
pattern,  alt  coordinated  with  a  net 
control  station  at  the  police  depart- 
ment? What  if  another  dozen  teams 
were  searching  in  automobiles, 
checking  all  available  modes  of  es- 
cape out  of  the  area,  driving  the 
roads  and  stopping  at  stores  and  gas 
stations  and  asking  questions?  What 
if  the  eyewitness's  description  of  the 
kidnapper  was  transmitted  via  packet 
to  the  local  search  teams  in  sur- 
rounding communitites  or  neigh  bor- 
ing states,  not  days  but  minutes  after 
it  was  available?  What  if  all  of  this 
happened  within  one  hour  of  the  ini- 
tial call  to  local  police? 

It  doesn't  matter  if  the  child  is  real- 
ly missing,  or  if  he  just  went  some- 
where without  telling  his  parents.  Ev- 
ery second  of  doubt  is  an  eternity  of 
anguish  for  parents  who  don't  know 
where  their  child  is.  How  would  you 
feel  ff  you  were  the  ham  who  could 


Over  500  children  were  abducted 

last  year,  and  that's  500  more 

than  we  should  tolerate. " 


Couldn't  we  do  the  same  for  the 
children  of  America,  and  isn't  the  am- 
ateur radio  community  ideally  suited 
to  form  the  core  of  such  a  system? 

Even  with  the  best  efforts  of  law 
enforcement,  it  can  be  several  hours 
between  the  time  a  parent  reports  a 
missing  child  and  when  any  kind  of 
an  organized  search  begins.  Think 
about  it  It's  six  o'clock.  You  just  got 
home  from  work,  and  your  12-year- 
old  isn't  there.  He  was  supposed  to 
be  home  after  schoolt  by  three 
o'clock  at  the  latest,  You  call  your 
neighbors,  and  they  haven't  seen 
him.  You  calf  his  school  friends,  but 
none  of  them  know  where  he  is.  You 
call  the  police,  and  they  send  some- 
one out  to  your  house  to  ask  some 
questions,  while  alerting  their  patrol 
officers  of  a  possible  missing  child. 
You  provide  police  with  a  description 
and  a  picture.  While  talking  with  the 
police  officer,  you  remember  the 
name  of  another  of  your  child's 
friends.  You  call  and  he  tells  you  that 
he  saw  your  son  get  into  a  blue  car 
driven  by  a  tall  man  with  a  beard, 
This  information  is  immediately  trans- 
mitted to  local  law  enforcement. 
What  time  is  it  now?  How  long  has 
your  child  been  missing?  How  far 
away  could  the  kidnapper  have  trav- 
eled in  that  amount  of  time? 

Over  the  next  few  days,  volunteer 
search  teams  are  set  up.  Posters  are 
distributed  over  an  ever-widening 
area,  The  FBI  gets  involved,  as  do 
several  of  the  national  organizations 


transmit  to  net  control  "I  found  him. 
He's  OK."? 

I'm  not  talking  about  a  bunch  of  fat 
guys  with  HTs  on  their  belts  and  a 
Rambo  complex.  I'm  talking  about  an 
organization  that  sets  up  systems 
with  the  aid  and  backing  of  local  and 
national  law  enforcement  agencies 
before  they  are  needed-  I'm  talking 
about  a  national  organization,  with 
state  and  local  chapters,  that  continu- 
ously trains  and  prepares  for  the  day 
when  they  have  to — within  60  min- 
utes— mobilize  to  search  for  a  miss- 
ing child  with  the  same  thoroughness 
of  the  Civil  Air  Patrol's  search  for  a 
missing  pilot. 

Amateur  Radio  Child  Search 

I  propose  the  founding  of  an  orga- 
nization called  Amateur  Radio  Child 
Search  (ARCS).  To  assist  in  getting 
this  started,  Wayne  Green  has 
pledged  the  financial  and  logistical 
support  of  73  and  the  entire  Wayne 
Green,  Incorporated  organization.  I 
am  looking  for  amateur  radio  opera- 
tors in  alt  50  states  to  assist  in  devel- 
oping this  organization.  I  will  listen 
to  anyone  and  everyone  who  is  will- 
ing to  help  {I'm  not  saying  that  111 
take  your  advice,  just  that  Til  listen  to 
it).  I  mean  it.  I  would  welcome  the 
participation  of  the  ARRL  or  any  oth- 
er amateur  radio  company  or  group. 
This  is  above  the  petty  squab blings 
of  amateur  radio  (and  amateur  radio 
magazines).  This  is  above  your  ani- 
mosity towards  Wayne  Green,  me  or 


73  magazine,  I  am  looking  for  fund- 
ing avenues  to  aid  in  forming  this 
national  organization.  If  you  have  ex- 
perience in  areas  such  as  grant 
writing,  your  help  would  be  most 
welcome,  If  you  are  already  involved 
in  search  and  rescue,  whether  pro- 
fessionally or  as  a  volunteer,  I'd  like 
to  hear  from  you. 

The  plan  is  to  have  local  groups  in 
every  state,  all  coordinated  by  a  na- 
tional organization,  to  assist  law  en- 
forcement in  the  immediate  search 
for  missing  children.  If  you're  a 
paramilitary,  soldier  of  fortune,  cop 
wanna- be  type  of  nut,  please  do  me 
a  favor  and  stay  away.  We1  re  not  talk- 
ing about  chasing  bad  guys,  Alt  we 
want  to  do  is  find  missing  kids. 

The  state  coordinators,  all  select- 
ed by  the  national  office,  will  oversee 
the  operation  and  training  of  their  lo- 
cal team  leaders.  Team  leaders,  se- 
lected by  state  coordinators  with  the 
approval  of  the  national  office,  will  be 
responsible  for  the  training  of  their  lo- 
cal chapter,  as  well  as  building  and 
maintaining  relationships  with  local 
law  enforcement  agencies.  Chapter 
members  will  be  responsible  for  stay- 
ing current  in  their  training  and  being 
available  to  assist  in  the  search  for  a 
missing  child  within  one  hourot  notifi- 
cation. Everyone  involved  in  this  or- 
ganization will  be  screened  and  reg- 
istered by  the  national  office. 

Amateur  radio  desperately  needs 
to  justify  its  existence.  We  no  longer 
advance  the  state  of  the  art,  we  are 
not  needed  as  a  trained  pool  of  quali- 
fied radio  operators,  and  there  ain't  a 
whole  helluva  lot  of  international 
goodwill  generated  by  the  average 
DX  contact  How  about  if  we  decided 
that  one  of  the  reasons  for  our  exis- 
tence should  be  to  use  our  communi- 
cations skills  and  networks  to  come 
to  the  aid  of  missing  children?  There 
are  well  over  250.000  active  amateur 
radio  operators  in  this  country.  Could 
the  combined  efforts  of  a  quarter  mil- 
lion people,  united  for  the  single  pur- 
pose of  protecting  the  lives  of  our 
children,  make  a  difference?  Is  there 
any  more  important  use  of  our  time 
and  talents? 

I  may  be  setting  myself  up  for  a 
big  disapointment  by  announcing 
this  before  the  logistics  are  worked 
outT  but  if  there  is  one  thing  I  have 
learned  from  Wayne  Green  in  the 
last  four  years  It's  that  the  only  way 
to  get  someting  done  is  to  just  do 
it.  Talking  about  it  doesn't  get  it  done. 
It  will  take  several  months  to  find  out 
if  starting  an  organization  such  as 
I've  described  is  even  possible.  I'll 
be  meeting  with  attorneys  and 
accountants  to  set  up  the  paperwork. 
I  need  the  help  of  every  interested 
person.  If  nothing  else,  send  me  your 
name,  address  and  phone  number  so 
I  can  put  you  on  the  list  for  when  your 
state  and  local  chapter  gets  started. 
If  you  can  do  more,  let  me  know  that 
too. 

Inquiries  should  be  sent  to  my  at- 
tention at  73  Amateur  Radio  Today 
70  Route  202  N,  Peterborough,  NH 
03458. 


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band  operations  (TH-28— TH-48A), 

•  Frequency  coverage 

TH-2BA:  118-173.995  MHz,  sub  RX: 
438-449.995  MHz;  TH-48A: 
438-449.995  MHz,  sub  RX:  136-173.995 
MHz;  TH-78A:  118-173.995,438-449,995 
MHz.  Transmit  an  Amateur  bands  only. 
(MARS/CAP  modifiable,  permits  required). 

■  2 . 5 W  power  with  supplied  battery  pack 

5W  with  12  VDC  power  source  (PB-U, 
PB-17,  or  external  DC). 

•  Non-volatile  memory 

The  TH-78A  has  50  memory  channels 
(expandable  to  250  wrth  the  ME-1 
option),  while  the  TH-28A  and  TH-48A 
have  40  channels  (expandable  to  240 
with  the  ME-1  option). 


TH-78A/28A/48A 

FM  Handheld  Transceivers