APRIL 1994
ISSUE mm
VSA$2M
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A WGI Publicmhn
Iniernational Edition
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T^Amateur
Radio Today
April 1994
Issue #403
TABLE OF CONTENTS
FEATURES
to Motorcycle Mobile!
Take ham radio two-wheeling , KC6QJB
14 The 40 Meter Full-Wave Horizontal Loop
Take your signal to the treetops „.,. .„ .„ NH6XK
20 The Big Kahuna
A 15" high, 160 meter Distributed Capacfty Twisted Loop Antenrta. .WA6QBU
32 A Sensitive Bandspread SWL Receiver
Aaah, the nostalgic smell of dust burning off tubes! ...„„. „XE2/KB6EPO
40 A 2 Meter Half-Kilowatt for $1 per Watt
Build this VHP amp using vacuum-tube technofogyl WB2WIK/6
48 Using International 9096-11 A
Xtra-flex, low-loss coaxial cable „, , .....WB2WIK/6
REVIEWS
DEPARTMENTS
82
89
86
80
97
64
83
17
75
74
S8
70
24 The Lightning Bolt Quad
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AC4HF
Above and Beyond
Ad Index
Ask Kaboom
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Carres Comer
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Feedtiack Index
Ham Kelp
Hams with Class
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6 Letters
4 Never Say Die
96 New Products
78 Packet it Computers
95 Propagation
76 QRP
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62 RTTV Loop
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94 Special Events
102 Uncle Wayne's
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55 Updates
28 The Diamond X2200A
A high-gain UHFA/HF omnidirectional base station antenna.
30 Quickyagi Antenna Design Program
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.WB2WIK/6
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73 Amateur Radio Today* April, 1994 3
NUfTib«r 1 on your Feedback card
Ni
EVER SAY BIE
Wayne Green W2NSD/1
Good Science,
Bad Science
Have you gottefi sucked in on
soma of the phony science scares?
Like the ackl raJn baloney? Alar? How
aljoul the ozone hole panic or green*
house efiect? Nuclear winter? Since
youVe decided to elect lawyers with
no science background to run our
country, our science-ignorant
Congress has been throwing billions
at one ecoscam after another, urged
on by a scientifically illiterate media
and public. You should pay more
attention to your old Uncle Wayne,
who has been pooh-poohmg these
alaruiTis and excursions fof years.
At one time we were going to be
overpopulated to starvation, bringing
on a movement to Itrntt families to twd
children. Remember zero population
growth fZPG)? And we were going to
run out of oil by the end of tfie centy-
ry. We were losing our lopsoK. Our
croplands were being paved over and
we'd stan/e. We were using up our
ground water. We're poisoning the
oceans. We're killing the whales. Nu-
clear war would wipe everyone out.
The ice age comet h. Doom I And how
about that virtually science-free Earth
Summit last year in Rio and the
llreaded freon and PCBs? All ecologi-
cal disaster phony baloney. But very
expensive baJoney.
We're still being warned about pes-
ticidea. non-renewable resources, pol-
liition. genetic engineering plagues,
to*ic wastes, landfills, and endan-
gered species. Oh yes, and some of
our reason -challenged religious fanat-
ics are expecting the end of the worid
any day now. For the exact date,
check with the Seventh-Day Adven-
lists the next time they come to your
door
Yes. there have been some legiti-
mate environmentai concerns, but
separating them from the spurious
hasn't been one of our government's
better accomplishments^ In the iasi 30
years scores of new environmental
taws have been enacted, complete
with thousands of regulations. The
government is spending over $130 bil-
lion this year on environmental reguJa-
tion* The Environmental Protection
Agency's budget has Jumped 31% in
the last four years and its siatf has
swelEed by 23%. The federal budget
for dtmate change research alone will
be $1 .4 b4lik)n tNs yeaii What a lovety
piece o1 pork that one is! Pork yoii
and I are paying for.
presumably youVe familiar with
Veep Al Gore's envfronmenlat hyster-
ics. I don't ihink he's ever seen an en-
vironmental scare that he didn't climb
aboard and endorse.
BO Minutes does some fine Inves-
tigative reporting, but every now and
then they screw up seriously — like
with the Alar scare and the accelerat-
ing Audis. Both turned out to be com-
plete hooey bul you'd never know it
fiofn watching the program and wait-
ing for an apology.
The really big money in all this is
that collected by advocacy groups
from coTKemed citizens, whipped into
a frenry of concern by the media. No
amount of failed prophecies seems to
discourage people from taking the
next cry of doom seriously and send-
ing checks.
he or she has a conflict of interest- A
conflict would arise if any money or
other benefits were received directly
Of indiredty from any party with an in-
terest in said legislation. If other
states passed similar laws this would
cut off PAC and lobbying money,
throwing tens of thousands of lobby-
ists out of work. It would give our
politicians less money to spend on
dirty-tric1< TV ads and maybe force
them to come up with some proposed
solutions to our problems fnslead of
spending their campaigns astride
fences.
The media are in love with doom
and gloom. "Good news does not sell
papers" ts the old and true saw, so
the worse they can make things ap*
peaf, the more papers they'll sell and
the higher the TV ratings. But in view
of the alrrHSSt complete failure to hap*
pen of every scientific disaster we've
been warned about, is there any way I
can at least get you to be skeptical
"Can anything be done about
this mess? Of course, and it's not
alt that compiicated. "
Yes, some species are becoming
extinct— just as millions have in ttie
past That's part of the sunmrnl of the
fittest deal, which we accept as a rule
of nature (God?), I haven't any pic^-
lem with our tfying to pfOtecl spedes
whidi man is decimating, as long as
we don't have the government doing it
al our expense. The government, arrd
that mainly means Congress, has an
unblemished record of screwing up
everything it does and costing us a
bundle to do It.
The one thing nobody has figured
out yet is how to stop us from re-elect-
ing the same crooks to Congress
again and again. ^^Ye tfie one who
voted in the crook who is wasting your
money and screwing up your country
for you.
Can anything be done about this
mess? Of course, and it's not all thai
complicated. My recommendation is
to get your slate legislature fo pass a
law saying that any representative or
senator from your state may not com-
ment or vote on any legislation where
the next time sorr^e scientifically igno-
rant journalist cries wolf? And that,
unfortunately includes some sdentists
who should know a lot better such as
astronomer Carl Sagan and his nucle-
ar winter campaign. Shame on you.
Cart'
If you'd like to do some homework
on this subject you could do worse
than read Ecoscam by Ronald Baily;
St. Martins Press, 1993; 228p. Anoth-
er book you'll enjoy is Environmental
OverkiU by Dixie Lee Ray; Regnery
Gateway. T993; 260p. Those'li give
you more than enough to talk about
on the air.
Tliose Pesky Anomalies
tf you've t>een keeping up with your
science basics you may have a vague
grasp of how matter is put together,
You know, ail those atoms and stuff.
Of course our scientists just couldn't
leave things well enough aione-nthey
had to go and try to take the atom
apaa So they ended up wrth a grow-
ing mess of particles, l^ost stuff is
made out of protons and electrons.
And it's those pesky electrons wh^ch
make it possible for us to have the
displays In Las Vegas, arid our radios.
Einstein made it bad enough, but
then Planck and his lousy quantum
theory really screwed up what had
seemed pretty simple before that.
Now. if you have kept up with the
mess scientists have been making,
youVe got a rough concept of matter
being made out of energy. This is how
they came up with nuclear fission, and
its practical application with the atom
bomb and nuclear power plants. Then
there^s fusion, such as is keeping the
sun going, and which peps up our
atom bombs tnto fusion bombs.
They're trying to harness the power of
fusion, but no! having any real suc-
cess. YeL
But the fact is that all thrs stuff
around us is made up of ator^. and
they're made up of energy. A whole
big bunch of energy. What would be
nice lor us would be to find some way
to tap into that energy, and he able to
turn it on and off like a faucet. Now,
while the cold fusion researchers
have been having some amazing suc-
cesses, there seem to be some other
approaches which may atlow us to tap
into this energy. There are a number
of hints on ways to tackle this. Scien-
tists call these anomalies because
they don't yet understand them and
don't know how they worit
One way someone can make a Mil-
lion or seven is to come up with a
practical and inexpensive way to prO'
vide energy. It helps to t>e there first
with something like that. That's the
way Bill Gates got to be a billionaire—
he had the first usable version of
BASIC and sold it to the first micro-
computer manufacturer— and then
rode the wave from there on.
Hal Fox, in his December New En-
ergy News, lists seven approaches to
generating power that are being re-
searched and show promise. Most of
these are research projects that can
be done on the cheap. It doesn't take
$500 million a year the way they're
spending on hoi fusion. I've talked
with experimenters who are spending
more like $1,000 a year— and are
having very serious positive msults.
Pons and Fleischmann were pur-
suing an anomaly when they discov-
ered that a mixture of palladium, deu-
terium, and lithium salts put out more
power than was possible through any
chemical reaction. Most scientists dis-
like anomalfes and tend to dismiss
them just by calling ihem anomalies*
But for others anomalies are the key
to discovering new things.
One of the more exciting aspects
of my getting interested in cold fuskm
has t>een my meeting with scientists
with open minds. What a pleasurel
And what an enormous number of
things there are thai need to be inves-
tigated. There was a move to close
the patent office a hundred years ago*
Let's not dose it yeL In fact, lefs put
on some pressure for it to be more in
Continued on page 93
4 73 Amateur Radio Today April, 1994
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Nuinber 2 on your Feedback cart!
Gien Gencken K0PNQ, St Charles
MO I havd been reading your maga^no
from cover to cover for about three
years now. I enjoy it very much and
have wan led to write to you many
The teller from Fred Carmichaei
K04ATW (December 1993) is tike a
cartKjn copy Of me- I have experier>ced
the very same problems that he has.
i wholeheartedly endorse what he
has said about ficenslng without the
code requirement. If a young person is
Interested In electronics today he wiJi go
Into computers arxi not ham radk>. Ham
radio could ofter avenues for cfevelop-
ment d greatef types of communication
if onEy the code requirement were
flopped to attract these young, talented
people. The bottom line is: Do we want
these people In the computer work! or
the ham world with computers?
Glen— Your point is weli taken: but
(k>n't give up hape^ in the March ^994
issue of Radio Fun, Dr. Joseph H. lay-
for K1JT sa^ that ham radio is still an
excellent training ground fof young sd-
entists. Taytor won the t&93 Nobef
Phze in physics and said amateur ratSo
was key in iaunchiryg his career.
Tayior said that iechnicai knowiedge
mmains at the heart of amateur radio
and hs had no obj&ction to the no-code
fic&ns^. The fact is that there are more
choices avaiiabie for our t^rightest
young peopie today. Anything we can
do to bring amateuf radio into the
199Qs would hefp to attract more of
them into ouf hobby, it seems only a
matter of time before the code test
takes its ti^tfut piace in tfte museum
between the buggy whips and the slide
rui&s.^Chartie WAIRZW
Roman S. tVlakuch N2UCK, West
Hurley NY In response to Randy
KBTUITs letter in the February 1994 Is*
stJ€, I also am a No-Code Tech. Instead
of moaning and groaning about the
FCC's insistence on requiring code to
gain greater pfk^iegee. he should join a
ctub and have one of the old -timers
ieach him. I have done thai and will be
attempting the 13 wpm element
With the books that are published by
numerous publishers giving the whole
question pool, the written elements
have been reduced to nothing more
than an exercise En memorization. With
my electronics background. I could
ptob^ty pass the Extra Class element
m my sleep. Geltrng a higlner class li*
cense should be an achievement and
rtotajoke.
6y remo¥ir>9 the code usQuiremefils^
those who have advanced to higher li-
censes would have their accomplish-
ments reduced to almost nothing.
If Randy ever dedctes to try some of
!he more difficuil VHF techniques {eg.
aurora propagation above 144 UHz},
he will quickly ftnd that witlx)iit axle he
wont get throtigli.
iff tfie FCC reduces ^e code require-
ment to whefB ft will be "so easy that it s
}ust a nursance," then they might as
well just give out the licenses without
testing at all.
Amateur radio is a challenging hob-
by, and as such I oppose reducing the
requirements to the point where getting
an amateur license becomes nothing
FrofV the Hamshack
n^re tlian a formalJty (read: JOKEI).
When peopie want to make some-
thing too easy and reduce other peo-
pie's acconnp]i>shments it gets my dan-
der ip.
Davtd S. Laustsen N3LHYi
Doylestown PA 18901 [Letter to Dean
Frazfer NH6XK author of "My Longwire
Antenna." 73 Amateur Radio Today,
September 1992.] I read your article
some time ago and decided to try to
replicate it. IVIy longwire is about 450
feet long and is made from #1 4AWG
stranded insulated black wire from the
local electrical shop. It has no coax —
goes right out of the MFJ 986 tuner and
out the second floor window— up to tt\e
top of a 50-foot tree and horizontal for
about 400 feet, ft is also an easL-'west
wire with a slight bow in it I have six ra-
dial s for 160 meters and eight for 80
meters^all fanning out from the ground
stake on the first floor. I run 100 watts
RTTY/AIVITOR/PACTOR and occasjon-
ally even SSB on all bands, and have
no major RF problems even though I
have a huge table of Macintosh stuff
within four feel o( the wre. I put a few
snap-on RF chokes on some of the
Unes just to be sure, but no problem.
The performance of the antenna is
very gratifying. People ask during
QSOs, "Are you local?" or "Are you run-
ning a kilowatt?" I can break through
pileups— almost with wild abandon —
and I've worked just about everybody I
can hear on the digital bands. Plotting
out the major ksbes of tr»e antenna ac*
cocdmg to youf labtes. I can urKierstand
why I have had the DX performance
that I have had.
This js a perfect antenna for those
who have power lines in the front of the
house — not enough room for a big dou-
blet— and antenna restrictions on tow-
ers. WeVe had a lot of fee storms iately,
and my friends on 2 meters were ail
complaining because they can'l use
their big t>eams^ — too much ice-tnduced
SWR. 1 replied that the ice fell off my
wire in about two hours, so IVe been
working DX while the/re stilJ trying to
figure out how to get on the aid
! think Ihat the end-fed longwire has
tiad a bad "rap" from certain theoretical
types who believe that ail antennas
must be balanced and have baluns —
oihenwtse they have to be commercial
beams.
Well, Dean, 1 doni know how much
feedback you authors get on your arti-
cles, but my antenna is the best S2D
worth of wire I've ever put up in the
air— arKi I thank you for the idea, 1 rec-
ommend it highly.
I'm also a fan of 73 magazine and
Wayne Green. He*s amateur radio's
voice of conscience and common
sense.
Ted Stoforos N2IVIZJ^ Long
NY Wayne, PRINT THE HIV DEVICE
SCHEMATIC? Use whatever dis-
claimers \he Shysters recommend, just
do iL This is my (un)biased opinion, I do
not have HIV. nor do I know anybody
who has it
The medical oiigarchy and the drug
monopoly need a good swift kfck in the
pants. Searching only for a chemical
cure is their prerogative— after all. it's
Iheir money they're spending— but
when they start interfering with inde*
pendent research and other people's
grants, that gets me rnad.
As for losing a tew pages of 73 next
month, so be it. After alt, some sacri-
floes must be nrrade to keep the "free" In
freedom of speech. Besides, would a
man who has his ham radio budget
planned for the next two years miss yet
another product review? Would a ham
wfK> has foijr or five active projects on
the bench miss another construction
pfoiect? I think not. if challenging ortho-
doxy is the task, then a free press is the
tooi, and a well -informed, open-mjnded
audience is the raw material.
You have the tools and the materi-
als. Get to work. Of all people, you
know how important it is to upset this
apple cart, HIV Is mankind's biggest
and deadliest challenge yet. Your 73
readers and fellow hams {except the
brain -dead) also know it. Of course.
Ihey win be right when they argue that
73 is r>ot ttie correct place for this, but
they're not thinking broadly enough.
They're missing tf^ point, because the
very root of the problem is that the ap-
propriate scientific journals won't pub-
lish this kind of unorthodox stuff.
! have read your rumblings for 2.5
years now, and you haven't tumed me
off yet ! get angry sometimes ajid rally
wifri you (ifke now) and I try to do some-
thing at>out it. { get off nny backside and
get mone involved in ham radio, build
something, help someone, whatever.
You help me to stay out of a rut, and re-
mind me to reach out and to expect
more from myself. Thank you and keep
it up!
I read 73 from cover to cover, the
very day it comes ^ and I occasionally
read some of the other stuff between
•*Never Say Oie" and "Rarvdom Output."
too!
I agree tttat anyor^ who sues over a
hanv related (non -business) dispute is
acum. If you have to go to the courts to
settle a probiem involving your hobby,
something is v#/y wrong with your prior-
ities.
When I first became a ham, I had
trouble believing that any ham would
deliberately sour another ham's enjoy-
ment of the hobby by causing malcidus
interference and disrupting communi-
cations, but J hear all loo much of it
lately. Our weekly 2 meter ARES net
gets jammed every now and then, and
just last weekend somebody left a NGN
signal on our 440 repealer's input for
over an hour Stupid . . , you bet. But
very motivating, for now I am trying my
hand at direction finding antennas,
phasiffcg cable, deep nulls, step attenua-
tors, and bunny hunting, I have read
about this stuff for yeai^ and never tried
any of it It is hard to get it right — even
though I know exactly what is sxipposed
to happen, arKJ how it is suppo^d to
work, it ohen doesn't wori?. and never
works the first time. It's a nice chal-
lenge, but I hope I don't have to DP too
oftan.
Jim RIndfleisch Wayr>e, I'm an ex-
broadcast engineer whose career has
taken me in other directk>ns. For years
Tve been reading your column and at
last have decided to get off my duff and
answer your request for informatk>n on
what I do and don t like.
What I ctonl like: I'm a shortwave Hs-
tener. not a ham, and for that reason
feel compelled to offer a few observa-
tions from the outside looking in. First,
it's a shame what has hap|>ened to the
amateur bands, with the name-calling,
cannier-throwing, profanity. VFO swish-
ing and other types of betiavtor that not
so long ago was restricted to the do-
zen's bands. As we ali know, the radio
spectrum is very crowded and space is
valuable^ ff this resource is not well
used it's not hard to Imagine even more
of the ham spectrum being given over to
other more responsible users. The real
Shame about this is that I'm sure the of*
fencfing operators are a minority that wifl
eventually spoil the whole pie for every-
one else, rd hate to see the amateur
bands r^ncted to a few noisy frequen-
cies no one else wants because tfK^se
who use it can't behave.
73 Anmteur Radio Today is excellent,
but in my opinion the best part is your
column. J can't say l always agree, but
your opinions are always well thought
ouL
Now. about equipment. Since I dont
have a ham ticket fm not sure I qualify,
but as I do subscnbe I'd tike lo pass on
some observations on equipment I use
an ICOM R71A for shortwave and an
ICOM R7000 for most everything else.
Both radios have many hours on them
and have mv^r given me any trouble.
They are as sensitive as the "profes-
sion ar receivers and, with a computer
interface and a wideband spectnjm ana-
lyzer, much more useful. What I don1
like is the eirfra cor^erter that musl be
had for Ifie computer interface wtth the
R?1 , i guess into everyone's lite some
rain must fall.
In clos;r>g. I want to say thank you for
what you've done for amateur radio,
even from those Of us who choose to
"lurk" but not talk. Keep up the good
work!
[Editor's Wbre: The foibwtng is a fet-
ter sent to the ctiairman of the Dayton
Hamvention. a copy of wtiich was sent
to the 73 offices.}
Mr. Dave Grubb. Chairman
Dayton Hamventaon
Dayton AnBteur Radio Association. Inc.
Box 964
Dayton OH 45401 -0964
Dear Dave,
1 am one of a contingent of hams
from Mobile that planned on flying
to Dayton for the Hamveniion. I had
not planned on renting a car but an*
ticipated using if>e shuttle bus service
from the hotel as tn prior years. I have
just called your information number
and learned that the Dayton Hamven-
tion will not have shuttie buses running
from the area hotels to the Hara Arena
site this year. I also f^teard that the large
parking area immedialely adjacent to
Hara Arena will not be available for
parking this year. With the decrease
in available parking, the decision to
not have shuttle bus service lo area
hotels seems tike a very short-sighted
decision. The traffic problem at the
Hamvention already is out of hand. With
significantly decreased parking and no
shuttie bus service from the hotels, I
think you are headed for a disaster. 1
can tell you that if the Hamvention atten-
dees fiave to spend 2 hours getting to
the Arena and 3 hours getting back to
their hotets each day yoo are going to
have a fiuge controversy on yoor hands.
I respedtufly submit that you recon-
sider the shuttle bus decision. I am look-
ing to hear from you on this before I
order our tickets for this year.
Yours tnjly,
S. Felton Mitchell, Jr.
6 73 Amateur Radio Today April, 1994
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chunk fitter, site ^arm, aux rcvr.
«Cw speed arxi tone, beep delay, tail
tfmer, and courtesy beep type can t>e
changed at any time by owner pass-
wof d Dfotected dtmf commands.
I
•Auxriiary i&c^ver input for contra* or
cross linking repeaters.
•Color coded LEDs indicate status of
all major functions.
• 3Vfe inch atuminum rack panels finished
in eggshell whFte and black
REP-200T Voice Message Repeater, as above, except
includes Digital Voice Recorder Allows message up to 20 sec to tie
remotely recorded off the air and played back at user request by
DTMF command, or as a periodical voice id, or both. .... hit $1145, w&t only $1395
REP-200C Economy Repeater, uke rep 200. except uses
COR-6 Controller (no DTMF control or autopatch). Features real-voice
Id recorded with buift-in microphone Kit only $795, w&t $1095
REP-200N Repeater- want to use your ACQ controller, etc,? No problem I
Well make you a repeater with rf modules only Kit only $695, w&t $995
XMTRS & RCVRS FOR REPEATERS, AUDIO
& DIGITAL LINKS, TELEMETRY, ETC.
Also avaHable In rf-tight encJoiures, anci with doto modems.
FM EXCITERS: 2W continuous
duty. TCXO & Ktal oven options.
FCC type accepted for com7
higfr hand & uhL
. TA51: 50-54, 143-174, 213-233
MHz ...kit $109, w&t $189,
. TA451 420-475 MHz
...Nft S109. wat $189.
* TM01 902-926 MHz,
{0,SWout);w&t$219
. VHP & UHF AMPUFIERS
• For fm, ssb, a*v Output levels from
1 0W 10 100W Several models starting at $99.
FM RECEIVERS:
. R144m220 FM RECEIVERS for 143-174
Of 21 3-233 MHz- GaAs FET frorrt end,
O.ISifV sensitivity' Both crystal & cefamic
if filters p]us helical resonator front end
for exceptional selectivity >100dB a!
±12KH£ (tjest available anywhere!)
Flutter-proof hysteresis sqjjelch, afc
tracks drift, kit $149, wfii $219
• R451 FM RCVR for 42tM7S WHz,
Simitar to above .kit $149. w&t $219.
. R9gi FM RCVR. for 902-92eMHi
Tripte-con version, GaAs FET front end,
..,S1S9. w&l$249
* R76 ECONOMY FM RCVR for 28-30. SO-54, 73-76, 143-174, 213-233 MHz,
wto helical res or afc Kits $i 29 w&t $219
- R137 WEATHER SATELLrTi RCVR for 137 MHz. fGt $129, w&t $219.
Our 32nd Year?
mironics, inc.
Phone 71 6'392'9430 — fax 7t$^s92-942o
f^
QI7X...
N umber 3 on your Feedbaek card
RF Hazards
The FCC (s considering new rules which
could require radio amateurs and others to
show they comply with certain standards of
radio frequency radiation safety. Those guide-
lines have been recommended jointly by the
American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
and the Institute of Electrical and Electronic
Engineers (IEEE),
The Commission's proposal raises complex
engineering and public health issues. Compli-
ance could cost in the millions.
For the last decade, the FCC has required
commercial broadcasters to prove their opera-
tions do not expose their employees or the
public to RF radiation in excess of the ANSI
standards. Until now, amateurs have been ex-
empt from these regulations. In addition, the
guidelfnes were updated in 1992 and the FCC
may decide to adopt these much stricter stan-
dards.
At press time, the Commission had extend-
ed the comment period on Docket 93-62 three
times at the request of various industry
groups. TNX W5Yt Report, Issue #5, Febru-
ary t. W94,
Research and
Pevelopment Growing
The Clinton Administration*s proposed 199S
budget includes increases in allocations for a
variety of electronics and information technol-
ogy research and development projects. If the
package remains intact, it would increase fed-
eral support: for R & D to S73 billion, a three-
percent hike over 1994.
Officials predict the shift from military to
civilian R&D spending will reach parity by
1998 — a time frame called too slow by Con-
gressional critics. Research spending was
kept afloat at the expense of so-calfed "big
science" projects, however. Cuts included the
superconducting supercollider — cancelled by
Congress over White House objections — the
space station, and a fistful of big-ticket
weapons development programs. T/VX Elec-
tronic EnginBBring Times, fssue 784, February
t4, 1994.
Shuttle Ride Was a GaAs
If you have ever built a project utilizing a
GaAsFET, varaclor, or diode, you already
know the value of semiconductor devices
made witti gallium arsenide. Now the mari^et
for gallium arsenide could go sky high attar
the February flight of the space shuttle Dis-
covery
Astronauts conducted epitaxial thin-film
growth experiments in what NASA calls the
Wake Shield Facility— a l2'foot-diameter
stamless-steel disk used to create an ultra-
vacuum in space for epitaxial growth of these
8 73 Amateur Radio Today • April, 1 994
GaAs thin films. Ttie vacuum created was de-
signed to be thousands of times more effec-
tive than the best laboratory could create on
Earth.
A consortium of high-tech companies, uni-
versities, and government laboratories is
sponsoring the program, which is proiected to
continue through 1997, If successful^ devices
grown in space could find appltcations in digi-
tal ^llular phones, Ngh^defimtion television,
fiber optic communications, opto-electronics.
and perhaps your next home-brew project,
TNX BlectroniQ EngmeBring Times, Issue
783, February 7, 1994.
This is Only a Test
One more retic of the Cold War is quickly
fading into obscurity. The FCC has an-
nounced it is dismantling the 42-year-old
Emergency Broadcast System arKi replacing
it with a new computer-based system.
Under the EBS, a daisy chain of phone
calls among officials and broadcasters was
designed to get the word out to the public.
Under the new system, emergency broad-
casts wifl be computerized and automatically
sent to radio and TV stations, cable systems,
and satellite operators. TNX The Independ&nt
Repeater Assodation's The Purple Crystai, *
No. 3$, February, 1994.
Once And For All
The ARRL has petitioned the FCC to make
amateur radio operators' licenses valid for the
life of the holder. The League said in its Jan*
uary 6th petition that there is nothing in the
Communications Act of 1934 that would pre-
vent a lifetime ficense tenn for amateurs, and
said the measure would allow inactive ama-
teurs to retum to sennce at the same dass of
license without retesting. The League says
\he number of amateurs who (XHjld stand to
benefit from a lifetime ticket is significant
Under the current 10-year license struc-
ture, the League says it Is already possible
for relatively Inactive hams to remain licensed
during periods of extended inactivity. The
ARRL says there ts no practical difference,
then, between such a person and one who
allows his or her license to expire and later
wants to return to amateur radio. Currently,
there is only a two-year grace period under
which a lapsed license can be reinstated
without the need for re-testing. TNX Wastfink
Report, No. 665, January 24, i994.
Try^ Try Again
By the time you read this, the Earthwinds
Hilton around-the-world balloon project may
be launched for the fifth time? Hams around
the world are looking forward to working the
rapsute simplex on 14S,55 MHz, Launch at-
tempt #4 took place in January. Shortly after
a seemingly perfect liftoff from Stead Field
Airport in Reno, Nevada, the flight was
doomed by a frozen vent valve, and the bal-
loon had to land tn an open field just west of
Fresno. Califomia,
In a previous attempt a surprise tempera-
ture inversion layer prevented the craft from
gaining enough altitude to clear the Sierra
Mountains, At each attempted flight, ham ra-
dio operators on the ground were instrumen-
tal in maintaining safety communications for
the mission. Two of the three crew members
are licensed hams.
Still, after four failed attempts, organizers
and crew remain optimistic. If successful, the
Earthwinds balloon is expected to circle the
earth following the jet stream in 12 to 21
days. TNX WSYt Report, Issue #3. February
t, 1994; Radio Fun, issue 28, No\rember,
1993.
TAPR Has Moved
Tucson Amateur Packet Radio has relocat-
ed to new offices. The new mailing address
is: Tucson Amateur Packet Radio^ 8987-
309 E. Tanque Verde Rd, #337. Tucson, Ari-
zona 85749-9399. The voice telephone num-
ber is (817) 383^000; FAX (817) 566-2544.
TNX WSYi Report, issue #3, February I,
1994.
For Sale; Big Transmitter
If youVe got a few extra million collecting
cobwebs in the bank perhaps you'd like to bid
on a really big station which is now up for
sale in Central America. The Voice of Ameri-
ca has announced il wtU entertain offers for
its broadcasting facilities m Belize,
The sale is necessary due to budgetary
limitations during the 1994 fiscal year. The
BeRze relay is located at Orange Point on the
Gulf of Honduras, southwest of Punta Gorda.
The station is equipped with two 100 kW MW
transmitters, two directional antenna arrays,
an on-site dtesel power plant, satellite termi-
nal equipment, control and monitoring equip-
ment, and associated buildings. The facility is
located on 240 acres leased from the Belize
government. TNX Amateur Radio Action,
February 1994.
TNX 1 • •
. . , to ell our contributors! You can reach
us by phone at (603) 924-0058, or by mail at
73 Magazine. 70 Route 202 North, Peterbor-
ough, NH 03458. Or you can reach us on
CompuServe ppn 7031 0,775 ©CompuServe,
com; or at the 73 BBS at (603) 924-9343
(300-2400 bps), 8 data bits, no parity, one-
stop bit News items that don't make it into 73
are often put in our otiier monthly publica-
tion. Radio Fun. You can also send news
items by FAX at (603) 924-9327.
liTl
^^"
iHE World is ItiAr
"That Thing Wiu Never Fly"
IS Too Smai,!, to Work'
There's one m cvtzv crowd — one tkir piL^ihrs the limfts and proves me
dcepncs wrong. The wodd sailed inro a new era of discover)^ mdi Coltinjfcui
The Woi^hi brothers propelled us into the a^^ of air travel AEA advances into
die ranks of these distin^tished pioneers wirfi the IsoLoop 10-30 HF
antenna — 1 35" kx^ antenna uith lovv-anglc perf omunce that is betrer than
n^mv fiill-si?^ HF antennas.
One IsoLoop 10-30 HF pioneer offers this: '3ig-giin DXcrs wiJl tell you
nothing that small can work. Tliev will continue to tell von this after ^mi work
o - it
a couple hundred countiics with it. Ignore rheni. In 24 months, I liavc worked
213 connEnes and confirmed 198."
Tlie reason you get such a big performance in a small package i^ the
efficiency of the IsoLoop 10-30 HF; it's 72% on 20m» using
to 96% on lOm. The main loop senses as an inductor, tuned
with a lO.OlXJ volt variable capacitor. Frequency range is
10 MH/ to 30 MH/ with continuous cover:ige. The iinicjuc
a
a
cornpact design is also ideal if wire fxing space Kmitalioos — mount it in
vour attic on a balcony, or eo mobile.
With the optional IT-I Automanc Antenna Tuner (below), tuning
your IsoLoop 10-30 HF becomes an ach^cnture in speed — 2 oc J seconds b
typically all the time ic cakes before wuVe tuned and ready to go. (^'Vntcnna
comes standard vi-ith a manual tuner.)
Discover the world of big antenna perfotmance in a smaU antenna. CaU
our literature rec[iiest line a! (800) 432-8873
;ind request the "Inside Story" on die
IsoLoop 10-30 HF or cAl us direct at
(206) 774-5554. For best pricings
see your i n vor- ^^ " '^^yj ^"^W - ,-•- -"^^^S^R'
ite amateur ra-
dio e<pipmenr
dealer.
i4Jitnyi<3
Number 4 Qn your FecdbacK car<}
Motorcycle Mobile!
Take ham radio two-wheeling.
The most frequent complaint of those irav-
cling with VHF/UHF rigs is the indilTcr-
ent reception ihey often receive when keying
up repeaters in unfamiliar areas. A new le-
gion of hams i^ finding, however, that this
does not apply to them. Instead^ they are ex-
periencing the thrill of cneaiing pileups. Mo-
torcycle mobiles represeni one of the hottest
new trends In ham radio.
Ray Davis KD6FHN is president of
MARC (Motorcycle Amateur Radio Club).
Davis and iwo fellow MARC members re-
cently rode their Honda Gold Wings on the
Four Comeni Ride from San Ysidro, Califor-
nia, to Blaine, Washington; Madawaska,
Maine; and Key West. Florida. "It was amaz-
ing*" says Davis, **There were repeaters, ex-
cept for wide-open spots in Montana and
South Dakota* all the way to Maine and
down the East Coasi. As soon as 1 would go
on the air with *This is KD6FHN, moiorcy-
clc mobile, looking for local information/
hams would start asking me all kinds of
questions . . , we would talk for hours. It was
this way finom one town to the nexL"
"The interest in MARC is phenomenal,**
says Davis. "In less than a year we have
picked up over one hundred members.'*
Members donate hundreds of hours each
month by riding herd on charity walks, runs,
and bicycle rides. A call sign is not a prerequi-
site for joining MARC, but all of the mem-
bers arc licensed hams. Most were motorcy*
clisis first, and now see ham radio as an en-
hancement to their enjoyment of riding. Oth-
ers, like Billy Hall N6EDY, enjoy the fun of
trying something new, 'Tve been licensed
since about 1960. and 1 had tried about every-
thing in ham radio. I heard about this, and I
thought great, now I can enjoy both hobbies,"
by Iwin W. Risk KC6QJB
Their rigs nm the gamut: handhelds adapt-
ed to motorcycles, single-band mobiles, du-
al- and triband mobiles, 10 meter HF rigs,
even a Kenwood TS-50S. Several members
have both HF and VHF/UHF capability,
Danny Velderrain KD6FLP mounted his 10
meter Ranger RCI-2950 on a crosspiece be-
tween his handlebars, and he alternates be-
tween his Alinco DJ-102 and Yaesu 50 watt
mobile for 2 meter work.
A No-Code Tech often selects a hand-
held for his first radio — an easy installation
for use on a bike. The key component is a
speaker/microphone such as Comeths ML- 7.
The ice-cube-sized unit has two leads that
plug into the speaker and microphone jacks
of your handheld. Attached to a third lead is
a small earpiece that acts as both a speaker
and a microphone. Its PTT button allows you
to switch between send and receive. The
ML-7 is easily attached with a bracket or
tape near the left-hand grip, and the antenna
can be easily attached via coax to the con-
nector on lop of the handheld. Members with
handhelds often connect their rubber duck
antennas to an adapter, such as the Realistic
Suction Cup Accessory, 17-314, made by
Radio Shack. This adapter has two side-
mounted suction cups near its base. The suc-
tion cups stick easily to the windscreen, thus
making it ideal for quick setup and take-
down.
If prolonged use is anticipated, the rig can
be powered by connecting the power leads to
the bike's battery. The radio can be nestled
into one of the bike's up-front compartments
or it can be mounted with Velcro so it can be
easily detached for off-bike use. MARC
members report working each other on sim-
plex up to 10 miles with their handhelds, S
watts, and their adapter-mounted rubber duck
antennas.
The miniaturization of ham radio is a boon
to motorcycle installations. One of the newer
innovations is the detachable face feature of
some VHF/UHF mobile radios. The small
face mounts nicely in front of the rider while
the radio tucks safely out of the way in the
luggage companmenL If you are installing a
dual- or tribander. you can also mount the du-
plexer or triplcKer unit in back with the radio.
Antennas can be mounted on the luggage
rack, if properly grounded, or in any other
convenient rear location. In the case of Gold
Wings, several MARC members have re*
placed their stock issue AM/FM antennas
with VHF/UHF models.
The small Kenwood TS-50S is already
finding its devotees in motorcycle amateur
radio. Ray Davis mounted his TS-50S HF
unit in tandem with the face of his Kenwood
741 -A VHF/UHF tribander. This gives him a
previously unheard of number of HF, VHF,
AND UHF radio bands in a foot-square
space, Davis connected his Kenwood 741 -A
to a iriplexer that in turn connects lo his
Comet 224 triband antenna. He connected his
TS-50S to a fold-over Comet CA-HV multi-
band antenna that is mounted on his lussase
rack. The CA-HV also works on 2 meters
along with the HF bands.
These new detachable-face radios don't
preclude one from installing a full-sized mo-
bile rig. Standard mobile radio brackets, se-
cured with sheet metal screws or bolts, can
be used for most mobile rigs. You will need
Photo A. MARC meiubcrs proudly show off their liam-radiO'equipped ttiotoixycies.
1 0 73 Amateur Radio Today * April , 1 994
Photo B. The ML-7 mtniature speaker/mike
accessory from Comet allows you lo easily
adapt your HTfor molorcycle mobile use.
10 Bands - 1 MFJ Antenna!
Full size performance . . . No ground or radials
Operate 10 bands: 75/80, 40, 30, 20, 17, 15, 12, 10, 6 and 2 Meters with one antenna
Separate full size radiators . . . End loading • . . Elevated top feed . . . Low Radiation
Angle . . , Very wide bandwidth . . . Highest performance no ground vertical ever . . .
Operate 10 bands ** 75/80. 40, 30, 20. 17, 15,
12, 10, 6 and 2 Meters - with this MFJ- 1 798
vertical antenna and get fiill size performance
with no ground or radials!
FuJl size performance gives you high
efficiency for more power radiated. The result?
Stronger signak ana more Q-5 QSOs.
Full size performance also gives you
exceptionally wide bandwidths so you can use
more of your hard earned frequencies.
Full size performance is achieved by using
separrite full size radiators for 2 through 20 Meters
and highly efficient end loading for 30, 40 and 75
/80 Meters,
You get very low radiation angle for exciting
DX, automatic bandswitching, onmi-directionai
coverage, low S WR and it handles 1500 watts PEP
SSB.
MFJ's unique Elevmed Top Feed^ elevates llie
feedpoini all the way to the top of the antenna. It
puts the maximum radiation pt"*int high up in the
clear where it does ihe most good - your signal
gets out even if you Ye ground mounted.
It's easy to tune because adjusting one band
minimum effect on the resonant frequency of
other bands.
Setf-supporting and just 20 feet talU the
MFJ- 1 798 mounts easily from ground level to
tower top - on small Iocs, backyards, apartments,
condos, roof tops, tower mounts.
Separate Full Size Radiators
SepamtefiiU size quarter wave radiators arc used
on 20, 17, 15, 12, 10 and 2 Meters. On 6 Meters, the
17 Meter iBdialor becomes a 3/4 wave radiator.
The active radiator works as a stub to decouple
everything beyond it. fn phase antenna current flows
$
MFJ- 1 798
269
95
in all parallel radiators.
This forms a very large eqitiyBlent radiator
and gives you incredible bandwidths.
These radiator stubs provide automatic
bandsw itching -- there is absolutely no toss due
to loading cofls or traps.
End Loading
On 30, 40, 75/80 Mctere, end loadii^ - the
most efficient foim of loading - gives you highly
efficient performance, excellent bandwidth, low
angle radiation and iiutomatic bands witcliing.
MFJ*s unique Frequency Adaptive
L'Network''' provider automatic impedance
matching for lowest SWR on these low bands.
T\minf4 to your favorite part of Uiese bands is
simple and is done at the bottom of ^ antenna.
No Ground or Radials Needed
You don't need a ground or radials because
an effective counieipoise that's 12 feet across
gives you excellent grt)und isolation.
You can mount it from ground level to roof
top and get awesome performance.
No Feedline Radiation to Waste Power
Ttie feedline is decoupled and isolated from
the antenna with MFJ's exclusive AirCore"^
high power current balun. It's wound with
Teflon* coax and can't saturate, no matter how
high your power
Built to Last
Incredibly strong solid fiberglass rod and
large diameter 606 1 T6 aircraft strength
aluminum tubing is used in the main structure.
EOidenl high-Q coils are wound on tough
loH' loss fiberglass forms using highly weather
resistant Teflon* covered wire.
MFJ Super Hi- Q Loop Super 80/40M Vertical MFJ half wave Vertical
-ii«ftiean
MFJ's MFJ- 1 786
r?/iy36inch ^299^^
diam^erWj?/i
efficiency loop antenna lets
you operate 10 to 30 MHz
condnuoiislv — including
the W^C bands I
It*s ideal where space
is limited ~ apaitmenLs,
small lots, mobile homes, attics, motor homes.
Eiijoy both DX and local contacts when you
mount it vertically. You get both low angle radia-
tion for excellent DX ami high angle r^ation
for local close-in cc«itacts. ifindles 150 watts.
Super easy-to-use! Only MFJ- 1786 Super
Remote Control has Auto Band Selection"^, it
auto-tunes to your desired band, then beeps to let
you know. No control cable is needed*
Fasl/slow tune push buttons and built-in
two range Cmss-Needie SWRAVattmeter lets
you quickly tune to your exact frequency.
All welded constraQtioTU no mechanical
joints, welded butterfly capacitor with no
rotating contacts, large Lu50 inch diameter
round radiator *- not a lossy thin flat-strip —
gives you highest possible efficiency.
Eadi plate in MFJ's superb tuning capacitor
is welded for low loss and polished to prevent
high voltage arcing. Ifs welded to the xadiaton
has nylon bearing, and-backlash mechamsm^
limit switches arid a continuous no-step DC
HKKor for smooti} precisian tuning.
A heavy duty U8 inch thick ABS plastic
bousing with ultraviolet inhibitors protects iL
MFJ- 1782 , $269.95. Same as MFJ- 1786 but
remote control has only fast/slow tune buttons.
MFJ- 1792
Designed as a high
perfoniumce antenna for
80 and 40 Meters, the
MFJ- 1792 features nfuil size quarter
wave radiator fw 40 Meters - - thaf s a
fuU 33 feet of mthless radiaiing oowcr.
End loading » the most enicienc
form of loading — is used for 80
Meters. It's accomplished by a virtu-
ally lossless 4V2 foot capacitance hat
and a high-Q coil wound with Teflon*|
wire on a low4oss fiberglass form.
The entire length radiates power.
High strength 6061-T6 aluminum
tubing, super strong solid fiberglass
insulator. Frequency Adaptive
L'Netivork™, neavy duty swing mount.
Handles 1500 watts PEP. Requires guying and
radials, counterpoises or ground screen.
MFJ-1793, $179.95. Same as MFJ-1792 but
includes _^// size 20 Meter quarter wave radiaton
Box Fan Portable Loop
No, it's not a fan MFi-17gO
- Its a high effi- $229^^
ciency portable loop "" •
antenna that's about the same size
and shape as a 2x2 foot box fan,
complete with carrying handle. _
Carry it like a suitcase, tuck it in a cl
of your car or check it as baggage on a plane.
When you get there, set it on a table or
desk and enjoy ragchewing or DXing.
AD welded coastmction, covers 14-30 MHz
conrlnuousfy including WARC bands, handles
150 watts. Remote control has fast/slow tune
buttons. Separate control cable not needed.
CIRCLE Se ON READER SERVICE CARD
6 bands: 40 f 20^ 15, 10,6,2 Meters . . .
No radials or ground needed!
Operate 6 bands - MFJ- J 796
40, 20, 13. 10, 6 and S|_ 99^^
2 Meters - with this
MFJ- 1 796 ground independent
halfwave vertical antenna* No
radials or ground ever needed!
It's only 12 feet high and has a tiny
24 inch footprint! Mount it anywhere
from ground level to tower top - on
apartments, condos, small lots, even
motor homes. Perfect for vacations.
Geld dav, DX-pedition, camping.
Efficient end loadings no Tossy
traps. Entire length is always radiat-
ing. Full size halfwave on 2 and
6 Meters. High power air-wound chokt balun
eUminates feedline radiation. Adjusting one
band has minimum effect on other bands,
Automatie bandswitchinc, low radiation
angle, omni-dircctional, handles 1500 watts
PH*. Goes together in an afternoon.
Free MFJ Ccrtalog
tind hree instrucKoit nranuob
Write or call toll-free , , , 800-647^1800
Nearest Dealer/Orders: 800-647-1800
Technical Help: 800-647-TECH (8324)
• 1 year unconditiixia^ guarantee • 30 day money back
guarantee (less sJh) on orders from MFJ * Free cataiog
M FJ ENTERPRISES, INC.
Box 494, Miss. State. MS 39762
1(601) 323-5869: 8^:30 CST. Mon-Fri
FAX; C60n 323-655 1 ; Add S20 s/h
MFJ . . , making quality affordable
Prices aod spetilicatioos subjecl to change 1^ IW4 MFJ Enttrpmfs, he.
Phoiu C 77m5 simple hmidheid histaUuiion can be easily removed to pneveni theft
msxaX straps to secure the lofger radios. You
may want lo lliink abroui the security of your
radio before choosing a rig for your bike.
The deiachuble-face radios are less vulnera-
ble to theft, but they arc more expensiv'^e,
Mosi rigs are powered by connecting the
radio's power leads lo the terminals of your
battery, but make sure the in-ltne fuses ane in
place. This arrangement works fine while the
engine is running, but moiorcycle baiteries
are small and not conducive to powering
long-winded QSOs while the engine is off*
Several MARC members report they operate
their mobile rigs on low power to prevent ex-
cess battery dr^n.
VHF/UHF antennas, because of their
small size, can be easily mounted nearly any-
where in the rear. Most MARC members in-
stall their antennas onto their grounded lug-
gage racks.
HF mobile antennas need to be of a man-
ageable size for motorcycles. Whips can be
used for your favorite band, but a multiband
such as the Outbacker or Cornel's CA-HV
will be required for multiband HF work-
Most Outbackers will cover from 10 through
75 meters. The CA-HV will cover 2, 6> 10,
i5, and 40 meters. A 20 meter loading coil is
aEso available. Make sure the base of the an-
tenna bracket is grounded to the frame of
your bike.
The speaker and microphone arrange-
ments are the most problematic aspect of
motorcycle radio installation. You have sev-
eral choices: 1 ) use the standard mobile radio
speaker/microphone arrangement where the
microphone hangs on its mounted bracket
until you need to reach for it; 2) use the in-
your-ear speaker/microphone arrangement
discussed earlier in this article; 3) integrate
the speaker and/or microphone into your
helmet.
The first option has the advantage of being
easier to install, but has the disadvantage of
outside noise distraction to your speaker. On
the plus side, many of the newer rigs have
frequency and volume controls built into the
microphone.
The second option, the ML-7 or its equiv-
alent, works hut reportedly lacks the speaker
fidelity of a normal-sized speaker The ML-
7K is needed for use with Kenwood radios.
This option works best when handhelds arc
utilized as mobiles.
Integrating the speaker into the helmet is
more complex on the installation end, but
makes for a more comfortable mobile opera-
tion. One of the simplest methods, used by
several MARC members, is to buy Radio
Shack*s Compact Disc Cassette Adapter #12-
195L It looks like an ordinary cassette tape,
except that it has a wire attached to it. They
insert the *lape" into their bike's tape deck.
The end of the attached wire plugs into the
speaker jack of the radio. The audio of the
radio feeds through the tape deck into the ex-
isting helmet speakers or the bike's external
speakers. Member Billy Hall advises setting
the ham radio volume on low and controlling
the volume with the tape deck's volume con-
trol.
Several members of MARC have installed
small helmet speakers, such as those made
by J&M in the helmet. This speaker, of
course, connects directly to the speaker jack
of the radio.
Once you have installed your rig on your
bike, you are in for an enhanced ham experi-
ence. Danny Vclderrain sums it up: "When
you mention you are a motorcycle mobile,
everybody warns a piece of you/*
MARC's contact person is Ray Davis,
President, 3 Lindberg, Irvine CA 92720;
(714) 551-1036. MARC HF nets meet every
Tuesday evening: 000 UTC on 14260; 0100
UTC on 7.250. The VHF net meets Wednes-
day at 8:00 p,m, PST at 146.985.
Photo D. What else could yott ask for? KD6FHN operates motorcycle mobile with his Ken-
wood TS-50S (foregrotmd) mounted in tandem with his Kenwood 741 -A (faceplate in hack-
gmuiid).
Photo E. MARC members Ray Davis
KD6FHN and Danny Vclderrain KD6FLP
are deep in a forest ofmotofvycle mobile an-
tennas.
12 73 Amateur Radio Today* April* 1094
%
I
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Number 5 on ycHjr Feedback card
The 40 Meter Full- Wave
Horizontal Loop
Take your signal to the treetops.
by Dean Frazier NH6XK
If you have ihc space to put up 142 feel of
wire in a closed loop configuration, and
you desire 10-80 meter opcral ion, including
the WARC bands, the 40 meter full-wave
horizontal magnetic loop may be just what
you're looking for It docsn*i have to be
square, out in ihc open* or very high off the
groimd to perform well.
My 40 meter loop averages 35 feet in
height (about 1/4 wave high on 40 mctcn?),
and yields 5-9 signal reporis to middle
America and 5-6 reports to the East Coast
from my QTH on Oahu. Hawaii, with 100
watts. The loop gets 5-9 to 10 dB over into
VK and ZL, across open water, and this de-
spite the fact that (1) the loop is buried in
and amongst trces of a forcsu (2) the loop is
not at all square, and (3) my feedline (50
ohm coax terminated with 22' 6-5/8" of 75
ohm coax, velocity factor 0.66. giving 1/4
wave on 7,2 MHz) is almost 300 feet long.
I use #12 AWG copper wire* PVC cov-
ered, and 1 do not use a balun. A 1:1 current
balun (inductive coupling) can help to re-
duce RF signal pickup and re-radiation by
the coax braid, but I suggest not using a
balun for multiband operation unless the
balun is very broadbanded (low Q) iest you
bum it up at high reactance levels on fre-
quencies other than the design band. 1 do
cancel RF at the feed point with eight turns
of the coax wound to a diameter of 6", taped
together as a "coil" or RF air choke.
All antenna attachmeni points are via 1/8*'
nylon line terminating in a 3" loop of
spaghetti tubing. 1 avoid direct contact with
trees because this seems to increase the an-
tenna's noise level on receive and also
seems to cause some degradation of trans-
mitted signal due to energy absorption into
the tiees (see Figure t and Table 2).
On bands other than 40 meters I use a
!!tatchiK)x (L/C circuit) to tune out reactance
and help keep the SWR down to allow full
power transfer Some form of magnetic cou-
pling in the transmission train from rig to
antenna helps lo suppress harmonics which
can cause TVI/RFI, so a tuner, no matter
how simple* is suggested, regardless of
whether it is needed for impedance matching
or reactance time-out.
The feed point mechanical construction
consists of a strip of plastic (a 2" PVC strip
cut down the middle to make a **plaie" or
14 73 Amateur Rsdia Today • April, 1994
strip, about 9" long) to which is mounted,
via plastic ties, an SO 239 connector. One
end of the antenna wire is soldered directly
into the SO*s center conductor; the other af-
ter making its way around the forest through
the trees, is attached to the braid side of the
PL connector of the coax (now screwed onto
the SO connector) by a small hose clamp.
(See Figure 2), The plastic strip is hoisted up
into the trees by nylon line thrown up previ-
ously. 1 use the "weight and string'* method
of getting lines up into trees. Some fast
tr
Nylon Line
To Tree
/
/ol— ^3^
(CJ '^ —
^ ^zsr
^^-^^^^ ^' 3" Diameter L&op
^^^^^^^ Spaghetti Tubing
Figure 1.
Amich'mg the
nyhn support
Hneis} io the amemia wire.
Band
Frequency
« Waves
Gain
Feed Point
Wave Angle
(itieters)
(MHz)
(on wire)
(dBd)
(resistance, ohms)
(degmes)
10
28.500
4
+&^
140
10
12
24.940
3-1/2
+5
130
t5
21.225
3
+4+
125
13
17
ie.l18
2-1/2
+4
120
20
14.200
2
■1^
110
15 .
30
10.120
1-wa
+3
100
40
7.150
t
+2+
90
ao
80
3.750
1/Z
+U
eo
Table L 40 Meier FuU-Wuve Hariontai Loop (142 feet of 012 FVC covered copper wire) at 35
feeL
on Hojst Lines
ftntenna
Ulire
Seat Entire
CDnnectlon
lUlth Sllicaite
CoeK
Figure 2. Feed point deiaii Wire strain relief is pruvided byjirsi ihreaditig each end of the
loop's wires through three holes each about an inch apart, on each side of the S,0. cormeciOK
before electrical connections are made.
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■ Built in digital power/SWR meter
■ DDS VFO with 1 Hz step size
■ Selectable variable speed/fixed 1 0Hz step
VFO tuning
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■ Built-in 5-75 wpm IAMBIC keyer
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Outgoing data
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CIRCLE 321 ON READER 5ERVTCE CARD
50 Ohm
SL
^ 7S Ohin
^
20;^
•^^.^^^ze-
^
Approx*
35* High
20-\
^
\ 20*
•
33*
^^""^20'
Approx,
25' High
Figure S. A vien' of the 40 Meier Fail Wave Horizonmt Loop.
A
-^-.546 t S — ^
h
A
s
t
1
1.454 X S
^ X Y ^
2 2
Area ^ S
V t
'r
X V
Area = (.546 x S) x 0-454 x S) = .79 x 5^
(»)
(b)
Figure 4. You don V /i€#iv to nutke ihe loop square lo make ii work well.
twirling and a hard launch m the right anele
can put a 4 oz. lead weight with h'ght line
some height up, A fishing rod/spinner works
well also,
Lois of line throwing, tree branch trirn-
mtng, climbing, sweat and hard work may
be necessary^ in a thick forest to gel the loop
up and clear of small branches, but then
again, in a clear area some suppons for the
antenna would be required* and il takes work
to pm ihcm up, too. So, as long as you can
avoid near (X/ln) field proximity lo larf e
(over 6") limbs, the loop will work almost as
if the forest weren't there , . . e,g. on 40 me-
ters* try to stay 22 feet away from large tree
trunks. !2 feet on 20 meters, etc., otherwise
a significant percentage of energy will be
absorbed by the trees» resulting in reduced
primai7 signal strength (see Table 1 ).
Concerning gain and enclosed areas, real-
ize that a square loop (each side 1/4 electri-
cal wave long, all comer angles 90 degrees)
has a bit more than 2 dB gain over a dipole
at the same height over the same ground.
For a not-square loop to lose 1 dB in signal
strength compared lo a square loop (a jusi
barely detectable audio dilTerence), its en-
ctOT^ area has to be reduced about 79^ of
that of a square:
IOIog(OJ9)= 1 dB
The signal from ihe loop in Figure 4B will
be aboui i dB less than ihat from ihe loop in
Figure 4A.
1 6 73 Amateur Radio Today • April , 1 994
The point of this geometrical digression
has been to show that you don't have to
make the loop square to make it work well;
just avoid making (if rectangular) ihe short
side less than 0,546 \ the length of a square
loop's side.
Example:
Total wire in loop = 1005/t"(MHz) feet.
40 meter loop wire = I0O5/7.O77 MHz s 142 feeL
If square, then each side length = 142/4 = 35-1/2
Figure 5. internal angles of less than 90 de-
grees can cause signal eancelkiiion prob-
lem.K,
fecL but fwl less than 0346 x 35- 1/2=19-1/3 feeL
Avoid internal angles less than 90 de-
grees. Don't use a design like that in Figure
5, for obvious neasons of signal cancellation.
If you desire stronger propagation in a
preferred direction, angle the plane of ihe
loop toward the desired direction in a slop-
ing loop (or diamond) conllguration (see
Figure 6).
But if you do make the loop into a dia-
mond shape and slope it, don't let the short
width (across) become less than 0,885 x the
length of a side when square (see Figure 7).
Specifically, for 40 meters* a sloping dia-
mond would look like Figure 8 (The sketch
shows the minimum width and maximum
length allowable before the loss resulting,
compared to that of a square loop, exceeds 1
dB).
Comment: My 80 meter SkyLoop (282
feet of wire, another antenna) enjoys the ad-
vantage of both horizontal and vertical po-
larization, as half of the loop (the west halQ
is more or less horizontaL while the remain-
ing east half slopes down into a gulch. The
result is thai the SkyLoop is elfectively a
sloping loop. It's plan layout is not at all
square, but the short width is greater than
0.885 X the length of a square loop's side.
Always feed horizontal loops at their
highest point. And note that a 40 meter full-
wave loop is a half-wave vertical on 80 me-
ters, the loop functioning as a capacitance
Contimted an page 18
1 dB
NyJpn Lrni
Gain
"#^ 3 - 4 dB
Figure 6. Directional enlmncemems are made by pimtioning the plane toward the desired
angle.
Feedback
In OUT conlinyfng effort to present tt>e best in ama-
teur radia features and columns, we recognize the
need to go direcUy to the sounce— you, the reader Ary-
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leedback card opposide this page. On the card, please
dieck the box which honesiiy represents your opinion
(^ each artJde or column.
Do we really read the feedback cards? You bet!
TTie resists are tabulated eadi monlii, and the editors
take a good, hard bok at what you do arkd don I lri<e.
To shc3w our apprecialion, we dmw one feedback cantl
e%^ rrtontt; and award the ludcy winner a (ree one-
year sut»scnption (or extension} to 73.
To save on postage, why not Tti out the Product Re-
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envelope? Toss in a d^niung or praising letter to the
editor while you're at it. AO (or thie low. bw price o1 29
oenisl
1 Never Say Die
2 Letters
3 QRX
4 Mctorcycle Mobile}
5 AQ Meter Full -Wave l^rizontaJ Loop
6 The Big Kahuna
7 Review: The Ltghtr^ing Bott Quad
8 Review: Tlie Diamond X2200A
9 Review; Quickyagi Antenna Design Program
10 Sensitive BarKtspread SWL Receiver
It 2 Meter Hatf-Kilowatt (or Si per Watt
12 Using International 9096-llA
13 Dealer Directory
14 Updates
1 5 Hamsats
16 RTTVLoop
17 Carrs Corner
18 Homing In
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20 Ham Help
21 QRP
22 Packet & Computors
23 ATV
24 Above and Beyond
25 Ask Kaboom
26 73 International
27 Special Events
28 New Products
29 Barter 'n' Buy
30 Propagation
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73 Amateur Radio Today • April, 1 994 17
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SI&IXI
Nowmstcsck- VHF &UHFYagfs toy RtJilarei Arrays
Other models av^lable C^ or vmte for catalog.
DOWN EAST MICROWAVE
Bilf Olson, W3HQT
Box 2310. RR1 Troy. WE 04987
(207) 948^741
FAX: (207) 940-51 57
■•T-r
2 MMmi Hid 222 MHz high dyn«mc rvt{K ^^^W t2-l4V.
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emrwelas. hetevik and haitiwir* -JtSS.
OEH432IC
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DEM 432-158
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Untflr transveners convert IF frttpjfricy {2& or i44 MHiJ lo hi^tt
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e fvteief Kii. 29 MH2 IF 20W ckJI high dyrwfnkr range QaAsF^ \2-
14VQC Kil ndud« asaenibted matfi PCB, Hytrid An^ nvtiul*. Qd*
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^295
TOcm. »serrtil«l and tesicid 1 SW w*h irttwiul TW —UJug and dmi
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Also RvdHatyle: povvBran^Sr preftfrip*. •.nlpnmii. amtmna retoya, qou,
{^ornporwnlA.
FREE Catalog availabF^,
DOWN EAST MICROWAVE
BILLOLSOMW3HQT
RR 1, BOX 2310
THOY, ME 04967-9721 USA
FHQHit f?07)94e^3741
FAX (207)946-5157
'^'^frCttf
MICROWAVE AMPLIFIERS
from
DOWN EAST MICROWAVE
Linear Power Amps
for SS0, ATV, FM, 902 — 1296 —2304 — 34&6 MHt
2303 PA
231BPAJUI
2335 PA
2340 PA
2370 PA
3316 PA
3335 PA
3310 PA
432 PA
Sd - 222 Mz
iDntW In 3W oul
OJWinieWoyt
1DW in 35W out
1W in 35W QUI
5Wir7CiWout
1W \r\ 20W atii
14W in 40W out
lOmW inlaw out
70m W in liW out
version ngw available
1240-1300 MIti 5130
1240-130QMHZ $295
1240>13OD MHz S3?S
1240-1300 MHi $35^
12^1300 MHz S695
902-d2a MMz 3275
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42&4S0MI1Z siea
Write
TjH Switching avatlab^Q, alf 13.S VDC/Some aveilsble In U1
fqrm. Low Nois* Pr^smp^ 4 pfe^mp kits ^32^ &02, 129ft»
ie91 , 2304. 2401, 345d IttU. 17 and to GHz.
3SIIIA
23tMA
UttUUlP
vmiiAK
Ifa far 2304^10 GHe
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INFOfUlATIOH
DOWN EAST MICROWAVE
Bill Olson, W3HQT
Box 23 1 0. R R 1 Troy , ME 049B7
(207) 948-3741 FAX: (207) 348-5157
The 40 Meter Full-Wave Horizontal Loop
Comirtued from page 16
hat for mdiation from the vertical fccdltne*
HorizonCa) lCK>ps urc easy to buili erect,
and require no tuning if you cut the wire
according to L = l005/f (MHz) feeu where
the frequency f is for the lowest band of de-
sired operation. Feed the loop either directly
with 50 ohm coax or with a quarter wave
(electrical, considering velocity factor) of 75
ohm coax; again, the quarter-wave matching
section's length is based on the lowest fre-
quency of planned operation. Of course,
tuned feeders may also be used.
For those who are unable to erect anten-
nas very high, the 142-foot length of wire as
a 40 meter full- wave horizontal loop about
35 feet above ground is a winner And it
doesn't have to be textbook square, or
horizontal, to be effective.
Area =: S
2
X Y
2
t MHz/^ =^^ ^eet
f MHi
(«)
X Y
Minimum _
WJdth
(b)
Area = .79 x 5
■685 X 2S1 ^ _222 p^^^
f MHz t MHl
Figure 7. Dtm^t let itie sliart width { across) become less ifum 0.HS5 x the ten^lh of a side
Miien sqitarw.
35-1/2'
35-i/a*
3 - 4 dB
Gain ^
3S-1/2*
35'1/2'
X Y
{■)
W
figi4rt 8. A ^tapijig diamofid/or 40 meters.
Band (meters)
il«ir
'Field
{>J2-R
: ) Clearance Distance (feet)
10
6
12
7
15
8
17
9
20
12
30
16
40
22
SO
42
160
83
Table 2. When an antenna is within XilKfeet of a nearby object^ such as a tme (a capacitor)
or some metal (an indtiCfor), being the free space wavelength at the frequency of operation
ifeeih primary signal attemtation occurs due to the energy of the near (storage) field being
absorbed by the tree or metal. As a result, this energy is no lotfger avaiUthle to reinforce, by
ground reflection, the signal of the primary radiation. The loss can amount to as much as 6
dB. To avoid this phenomenon, keep all antenna wire at leaxt these disiances away from 6"
diameter or larger energy-absorbing objects:
1 8 73 Amateur Radio Today • April, 1 994
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FM RECEIVERS & TRANSMiTTER
keep an ear on the local repeater, police, wealher or just
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Complele manual details how the rigs worfc and
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Generates from 0- 01 Hz to 50 KHi with
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SHORTWAVE RECEIVER
Faniasbc receiver tnat captures Ihe
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FM WIRELESS (VIIKES
Pick the unit that's right lor you. All units ttansmrt a stable
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even arrtenna ideas. Be your oim Rkjsit Limoaugh or Rsk
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AM-1 Transmttter kit .^.„».»....>.>.>,,„>.,hh».».^4.&5
CAM Matching case set S14.&S
SCANNER CONVERTER
Tune in on the BOC-SSO lAHz action using
your existing scanner. Frequencies are
coriyerted i^ilh ciysial referenced siabilty
to the 400- &50 MHz range Unslructipns
are even included on building higti
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SURROUND-SOUND/REVERB
Add concert hall realism lo your stereo, TV or even 2-way radio! Easily sythesize a stereo effect Irom mono sources or rbhiy
flnBven regular mu.$lc. Add a big-voice reverb to your radio voice that others will envy! Our reverb/surround sound kt| uses 3
Bucket Brigade \C Device for reliable solid-state performance. Adjustable reverb, delay and mix conbols to customize yaur
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RV-1 Sunound Sound'Hewrfe kit , .,S&9,9S CHV Matching case sal .»»».. .»»„»..,..».» S14,95
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TOUCH-TONE REMOTE CONTROL
Control vvluatty anything by Toudv-Tone remote contro*. The URC-1 tras 16 switched outputs, 4 ad)i,^tabte voltage outputs
(20 mV sieps 0 to 5 VDC). two 10K digital pots (tOf voJume. squelch, etc.) and 3 Jimers adfLtstaWe from 10 mS to 40 ^ours!
two level password control allows secure control and mulli-levet access. Six digit LED display shows currently entered
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for a handsome finish.
URC'1 Remote control kit „.. .,.,.„,., SI 29.95 CURC Matching case sal St4,9S
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FM SUBCARRIER DECODER
Tap irto the wodd d commeroiarlree rmsm and data that is ^rhed over marry standard FM broadcast fadio stations.
Decoder hooks to the defnodUaKv di FM rgJo and tones rie 50-100 KH2 SCA subcarrier band. Many ratks have a
demod output but rf your rado doesnX ir« easy 10 locate, or me our FR-i FM recefver kH Kvtuch is a comp^e FM radio
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Ffl'1 FM receiver kit.. ...........524.95 CFR Matching case for FR-t $14.95
L-C METER
Measure inductors Irom 10 ■ui-l-"fOmH and capacrtors (rom 2 pf-2uF with high accuracy by oonr>ecling the LC-1 to any
digital multimeler. Two pushbuttDn ranges lor hicjh resdution readings arid we even give you caiibratiDni componer^ts to
assure proper aocxiracy of yon^r W. Acting filters and switching supples lequTe cntKai values, no one shodd be without
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LC^I LC meter kM „ S34.9S CLC case set ^14.95
STEREO FM TRANSMtTTER
Run your own Stereo FM radio station^ Transmits a stat^ sagr^
in ihe BB-108 MHz FM broadcast band up to 1 mile (detailed
manual provides helpful info on FCC regs, antenna ideas and
range to expect. Latest design features adjustable lrn« level
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FM-1 OA Stereo transmitter kft ...„ S34,95
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current charge whife being monitored by a negatrve detta-V system that cuts oft the fast
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NiCads or NiMH packs from 2 to 10 cells {easily expanded) and current capacities up to
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DN-1 Of Nl-Ca<t condrtionerAasI chargorkft ««*«*««**««.,„„„„..***.*,.. S4 9,^
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DN-1 vyi Fiily assefnb*ed Dr. Ni-Cad wim case „ S89,95
WWȴ
SPEED RADAR
Mew lovi^^oet micmwave Dopptef radar kit 'ctocks^ cars, ptanes. boats, horses, txkes or any
large rnovmg ob^t. Operates at 2,6 GHz wrth up lo 1/4 mite range. LED
digital readout displays speed in mSes per hour, kilometers per hour or
feet per secondf Earphone output allows for listening to actual Doppler
Jj^ I £hih Uses two 1-tb coffee cans for antenna (not included) and runs on 12
mBF VDC Easy to build— alt mii^rowave circuitry is PC sthplina. ABS plastic
*V case with speedy graphics lor a professfoiial look. A very uselul and lui^
ol-fLii kilt.
STEREO PEAK HOLD BARGRAPH
fmMf a diBi LED bat ^raph wifii a peak hoM display! Bar graph (fesplays are neat and eye
calching but tt^ speed e tier downfai * tiey just can1 capture tm peaks. Our kit is 1^
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peaks, smilar units go for hundreds of bucksi We olfar 3 modets: Linear for genera) use»
Semt-Log lor aucSo VU rrwiers, and t^ lor power desptays. Dual ■ for stereo^ - 10 segment
multi-colored LED display fOT snazzy, aye grabbing display and easily set ranges for
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PH-14 Dual Linear bargraph krt. ....... ..SM.95 PH-15 Dual Log bargraph kit . .539.95
PH 16 Dual Semi-Log bargraph kH $3MJBB CPH Watching case set SI 4. 95
SPEECH SCRAMBLER
E>escrami](e most scrarnbie systems hearO
on your scanner rad*o or set up yoiif own
scambled communication sy$t»m over me
phone or radio Latest 3rd geimiion IC is
used tor fanlaslk: audK? quatity - equrvaJent
to over 30 op- amps and mpxers! Crystal
cofitroHfld for crystal ctflar sound wrth a tsuift-
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For scramble systems, each user has a unit
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a line proleissional finish
SS-70 Scramt>lef /de&cramOterkn ....$^;d5
CSSD matching case eel... ,„.S14.95
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CRYSTAL
RADIO
Relive the racbo past with a crystal set
like your grandfather buiL LJses gencene
Galena CfystaJ and catwhtsker. Several
different types of radios a^e built,
including standard AM broadcast,
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style. To compare modern semicon-
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we even give antenna adeas. Radio for
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CS-t Crystal set kfl $19.95
TOUCH-TONE DECODER
Grab Tooch-Tone numbers right ofl the air. phone or tape, A simp^ iiook-up to any r^Aa
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even in the event of power loss. An 8 digit LED display atiows you to scroll through the
memory bank to e)4amine numbers. To make it easy to pick out number groups or codes^
a 'dash" is inserted between sets of digits that were decoded more than 2 seconds apart.
A "central-o^ice'' quality crystal controlled decoder is used allowing rapid and reliable
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TG-1 Tone GratJt^er kit... S99J5 CTG Malditfig case set S14^5
TG-1WT Fully assembled TG-1 and case ,„„Ji49.95
DIGITAL VOICE RECORDER
ChattertwK digital voice siofage uni! will record your message of up lo 20 seconds.
Time 1$ split up into four 5 second blocks which can be played separately or
cascaded (or longer messages. An LEO disptay shows message location and
current mode tor easy operation. Nifty buili-in interfaces atlow simple connection to
transmitters for automatic keying when the PTT is inilially closed or atler it is
released. You can even loop your rigs mtke through the Chattedjox. For contest or
fun use, Uie t^S-l can Onve an e)demaE speaker, tnckides a built-in electret mike.
For that finishing toucti. &^ Our matching case set
C8-1 Voice recoftier kit S59,9S CCS Matctwig case s0l.^»*«.«..S14.^
MOTOR CONTROLLER
Control the speed and direaion of any motor. Use our SMD-i lor thoee mce steppers you
see surpfLs. and our MSC-t for DC rnotors. The stepper dnver features vanatJie speed, hati
step rotation, direction and power down mode, can drive most any stepper motor. Our DC
pv dnver features pulse width modulation control allowing full motor tofique even at
I ^. low speeds and can drive molois up to 50 VDC @ 10 Amps I Add our case set
for a professional assembly.
^,SlylD-1 Stepper kit , ,, ....$24.9S MSC-1 DC motor l«it S24.95
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Number B on your Feecfi}aci( card
The Big Kahuna ,
A 15' high, 1 60 meter Distributed Capacity Twisted L^^
by Jim McLelland WA6QBU
If you're like most hams, you don't come
close to having enough room for an anten-
na for our lowest band, 160 meters. Not be-
ing much diffcrenL I not only lack sufftcienl
space for a Low~band antenna but« like most
cliff dwellers before me, I can't even put up
an outside clothesline. So, I developed the
Distributed Capacity Twisted Loop (DCTL)
prototype on 40 meters (see 7S, September
1993, page 26) and then applied what I
learned to a 160 meter version*
The result is a l5-foot-high equilateral tri-
angle that you can hang on the side of your
himse or, like I do* from the balcony when the
XYL isn't looking. It can be built in a couple
of hours, docsn^t cost much and, as the title
(Big KahunaJ suggests, packs a real punch. If
you've got room for a 10 meter dipole you*ve
got room for this, so quit stalling, get out
your soldering iron and go for it.
Description
The DCTL is a loop made from 300 ohm
twinicad, but with a twist. To understand the
**twist," look carefully at Figure L You'll
notice that opposite ends of the loop do not
connect to each other This is a crittcal point
in getting the loop to resonate. These open,
opposite ends connect to a capacitive stub
that does the fine tunings but most of the
tuning capacitance is distributed along the
whole length of the loop. It is this capaci-
tance thai lowers the frequency of the wire
loop so that about 1/8 wave will resonate in-
stead of the usual 1/2 wavelength. In shorty a
loop about 50 feet long (15 feci across) has
replaced a 246-rooi-long dipole. The
impedance drops drastically and must be
1/2 Turn
Twist
300 Ohm Line To
Baiun & Tuner;
Any Length
Loop
LL = 51* 6
Shorted Stub
LZ= 16' 11"
Figure I. The Big Kahuna 160 meter DCTL dimensions.
20 73 AmatBUf Radio Today* April, 1994
raised back to 300 ohms. This is accom-
plished with a shorted "hairpin" stub
impedance matching device across the feed-
tine. The net result is a loop antenna resonat-
ed between 1 .8 — 2,0 MHz with a 300 ohm
impedance and a "Q" of 1(X). This produces
a very narrow bandwidth of about 20 kHz,
However, you cun easily adjust the SWR to
1:1 over the entire 200 kHz^ 160 meter band
with a balun and tuner.
Construction
The loop is cut for 2.0 MHi and the ca-
pacitive stub is made long enough to pull the
resonant frequency down to 1 .8 MHz, Then
it is easy to trim the stub to anywhere in the
band. All DCTL parts are made from 3/16'*
twinlead. available from Radio Shack (15-
1153). or you can order a complete kit from
Antennas West (see the Pans List). Either
way, you'l! have enough wire left over for
some lead-in to the balun/tuncr.
Figure 1 shows the lengths required. Re-
member, they are critical, so measure care-
fully. Twist together and solder all connec-
tions. Don*t forget to put pieces of shrink
tubing on all the leads before you solder any-
thing! After soldering and insulating, the
shorted *'hairpin** stub {16'ir) can be at-
tached directly to the lead-in with shrink
sleeving, or tt can be rolled up into a l2"-di-
ameter loose coil, or it can even be left to
hang free. The anienna characieristics
change a little from one method to the other,
but they all work fine.
The open stub is quite frequency-sensi-
tive. Keep it away from other antenna com-
ponents and metal in generaL If it can't hang
freely, attach it to an insulator, such as a
twin lead standoff.
The 48" length lowers the loop resonant
frequency 200 kHz and its effect seems to be
fairly linear. Before you do any trimming,
however, complete the construction and in-
stall the antenna. You should do it this way
because the shape also affects the frequency
somewhat, with the resonant frequency go-
ing up as the feed point angle gets brger.
The loop itself (51.5') must be connected so
that there is no coniinuiry (infinite resis-
tance) between the terminals that connect to
the feedlinc. Check and connect these leads
before the shorted "hairpin" stub is attached.
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InstaMation
If your operaiirig location permiis, mourn
the DCTL as an equilateral triangle or dia-
mond, with the feed point down. If not, then
go for the most area inside the loop that you
can, given your situation. The DCTL will al-
so work as a wide-spaced two- turn loop, but
it*s down about one **S" unit in comparison.
You'H need to relune somewhat, but ihai*s
not difficult
Be Rure to use insulating material to sup-
port the loop. Nonconducting clothesline
works well if beauty isn't important (I keep
my odd-shaped creation in the attic). Those
of you concerned with aesthetics can get by
on an outside wall by following trim boards,
using traditional standoffs, and painting your
loop the same color as the house. Don't for-
get, though, that you must stay away from
metal objects such as Hashing, vents, and
downspouts. This includes the lead-in itself.
Also, if you have the choice, put the plane of
the loop in your favorite directions as it defi-
niiely has deep broadside null points.
Ttinlng
The minimum equipment necessary to get
this system working is an SWR bridge, a
balun. and a tuner. Without the tuner, your
bandwidUi is only abut 20 kHz, but with it.
you can QSY the whole band with no irou-
blc. There are several "no tuner" options to
OSY but they all require changing the effec-
tive length of the capacitive stub. You could
make several stubs for different riequencies
and attach them with banana plugs, or use a
rotary switch, or even rig up a remote relay
system, Tve tried all of these and fmally de-
cided that while it was fun to experiment,
the tuner worked jusi as well.
To resonate the loop, trim short pieces off
of the capacitive stub until the SWR is
where you want it. Remember that shorten-
ing the stub 24" moves resonance up about
100 kHz, The best way to check this all out
is to use an antenna bridge. Then you can
find the starting point and trim until youVe
in the middle of the band, or where you pre-
fer to be. You may be somewhat bck>w the
band edge if your feed point angle is less
than 60 degrees (equi lateral triangle); with
only an SWR bridge, it may be dilTicuk to
find the proper stub length. Trimming 3*' at a
lime and checking for an SWR dip is the
best procedure, remembering that each
change will move the antenna up about 10
kHz, If you don't feel like doing this, cut the
stub to 24", resonating the antenna some-
where in the band (hopefully the middle)*
and use your balun/tuner for the rest. ! later
discovered that the tuner would resonate the
loop on every band down to 10 meters and
my antenna bridge showed sharp resonant
points on 7, 14, 21, and 28 MHz as well as
on the design band.
Testing
Believe me when 1 say this thing worlcs! I
contacted stations out to about 700 miles
with S9 signals both ways and my noise lev-
el was always below S3, Band conditions
were bad and I coutd still hear nonhem sta-
tions over KOOO miles away. I didn^t try to
work ihem as they were all in round tables
and I hated to break-in since I couldn't hear
everyone, I later tleured out that thev were
broadside to the loop and in the general area
of the null. A 90 degree turn made the north-
south stations much stronger.
By the way, the locals tell me that there's
even DX late at night! I can't wait
Another thing lo remember* and one rea-
son why 1 developed this antenna, is that the
sunspoi cycle is still on the wane. There may
be nights when 160 is the only band left
working. Til be ready! Will you?
Parts List
All parts needed to build this (160 meter) an-
tenna, or the 40 mBW model described In the
September 1993 issue of 73, are available in the
"Compact Loop Experimenter's KjL" The parts
arB:
Tw^rvlea<J-S/ir 100"
Shrink tubing - 3/8" V
Shrink lubing- 3/16' t'
Banana plugs 2
Dacron line 50'
Double split twinlead
Insulators w/hardware 4
Introductory price w/s hipping (40% discount for
73 readers); S24
Available from:
Antennas WtSi
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Provo UT 84604
TeJ. (601)373-0425
Sell your product In 13 Amateur RaiHo Today
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22 73 Amateur Radio Today • April, 1 994
&
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73 Review
Number 7 on your Feedback card
by JeffM. GoldAC4HF
The Lightning
Bolt Quad
An HF five-band, two-element, cubical quad antenna.
Lightning Bolt Antennas
RD#2RT19
Volant PA 15156
Telephone:(41 2) 530-7396
Price Class: $289 complete
Most hams are famiJiar with that age-old
wisdom: "Put your money into your sta-
tion's antenna," It Is nice to have a full-tea-
tured HF transceiver, but the antGnna Is much
more criticaL With a directional antenna you
can effectively increase your signal strength
and help eliminate signals coming into the
back and sides of your antenna.
Quad or Not
The two n>ost popular types of directional
antennas are quads and yagis. Up until re-
cently yagis have been more popular. Quads
had a reputation of not being as mgged as
yagis, due to the construction materiafs avail*
able In the past.
A two-element quad has the same amount
of gain and front-to-back ratio as e three-ele-
ment yagi, and can be as effective at a lower
height. Since the quad is a lower "Q" antenna
than a yagi, the spacing between its elements
is not as critical- The quad is also quieter with
atmosphenc noise ttian the yagi.
Lightning Bolt Antennas sells a two-
element five-bander (covering 10. 12. 15. 17.
and 20 meters). The antenna is designed
to stand up to tough weather conditions.
Ughtnlng Bolt uses a special Rbergias wrap-
ping technique for the spreaders. The
supports are made of heavy-duty welded
aluminum and all the materials are top
quality.
Building the Antenna
The instruction manual is five pages long.
Most of those pages are taken up by dia-
grams. The first steps guide you through as-
sembling the spreaders. There are 16 hollow
Rberglas sections. You take them in sets of
two and adjust them to the specified length
and secure Ihem with hose clamps. The actu-
al length is not critical; you just need to be in
»■
^■^
m^XH.'^i^
'. -^
24 7^ Amateur Radio Today • April, 1994
V '
f. s.
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on Uniden
8500XLT,
2500XLT, 890XLT, LRD9000W1 .
ICclcbnic our 23 [h Aiiniversiiiy wiili special sii vings cut ibe Kimmn and
r*dv JcKr^Muf iMmdtn ttiii nd Thi? fMmpOd musl ht incflixli^ 4'iitli yiiui
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Bearcat® 2500XLT H
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a49 0l2> - 8*^9950, W012> - 1,300.0000 Mill,
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Ust price J689.95/CE price S569-95/SPECIAL
SOOChaimels * 20 banks ^ A I phajium eric display
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Frequencj^ step resolution 5. 12.5, 25 & 50 KHz.
Size: lO-l/a" Wide x 7-1/2" Deep % 3-3/8" ffigh
Frequency Coverage:
25.000 ' 2b!^?95 AlHi. (AM), 29.000 - 54.000 MHi. (NFM),
54.ftOO ' 71-995 MHt (WFM), 71000 * 75995 M»r (NFM),
76,000 ' 107.995 Mitt C«TM). 108.000 - 156 995 MiEi- (AM)
137,000 - 175-995 HHt (Nm), 174000 - 215-995 MHi (WTM),
216.000 - 224,995 MHi^ (KFMJ. 225-000 -^ 599995 MHi. (AM)
400 000 - 511-995 Mlli (NFM). 5 12.000 ^ 549-995 MHi (VFM)
760 000 - 823-9S7S MHi (MFM). 849-01 25 - 868 9875 MHi (NFM)
894.0125 - 1,300-000 MKzl (KFM)
TTie new Bearcat 850OXLT ghe* yow piur panning s^ifaciiofi
with tiring feantres \\\t Tur1>o Scan. This hghtning-^ tfcb-
luiofy fiaOuing a triple toaverf iCHi KF svstf ffi, enaliiles IJmden's
best scaniier to scan and search up to lOO channeb per seconiL
Becai}se the frequent' toveragi! is so laf^e, a very fast soummg
system 1% es^cfitiaJ to teep tip with ihe adioiL Other features
include WO Controi - QimMc Frequency O^dllaiof) which
allo^wi you lo adjust the large rui^xry luiier \o select tlie desired
frequency or channel. Caunt^ Display - Uts you couni aod
record eadi channel while scan n En g. Auto Stcre - Autoinatj-
cally stores all active fret)uencji-s within the spedfied brnkt^).
AHt<^ Recording - Tills feaitire lets you retord channel activity
from the scanner onto a tJipw recorder. You can even get an
optional cress Tont Board (Continuous Tone Control Squcldi
System) which allows the s(|uelch to be broken during scanning
only when a correct CTGSS tone Is received. 20 banks - Each
bank contdns 25 channels^ useful for storing simUar frequende^s
in order lo maintain fabler scnnning cycles. For majdmum
scanning enjoyineni, order the following* optional accessories:
P^DDl Cigarette lighter power L^ord for temporary operaiion
frijin your vehicle's cigarette ligUler SU,95; PS0O2 DC power
curd - enables permaneni opcmtion from your vehicle's fuse bojt
$14.95; JrtBOOl Mobile mounting bracket SI 4.95; BC005 CTCSS
Tone Board $>4.9>; EX71J Eiiemal speaker with mounting
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BC8500XIT comes irith .%CadaptfT. tek^copac antenna, owner's
manual and ftne yetr itmiied warranty from I'mden, Order your
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_^ i«-pi^^i^3
OtZIO
GB/GMRS Radios 1
The Uniden GMRIOO b a handheld GMKS UHF Z-w^y radio
transceiver that has Ihesee^t frequcndes mstalled: 462.550,
462 J25, 462.5875. 4d2.6l 25^ 462,6375, 462.675,462,6625
and 462.6875 MHe. This one watt radio comes with flexibfe
rubber at^tenna^ rediafgcablc nicad batter)', AC adapter/
chargef, belt clip^ F.C.C. Lcctise application and more*
Cobra 2000GTL-H SSB DeluxeCB Base$4l9^95
Uniden GMRIOO-H GMRS Handheld .,.$169-95
Uniden WASHINGTON-H SSB CB Base $189.95
Uniden GMNTXL-H SSB CB Mobile ,..$149-95
Uniden PC76XL-H CB Mobile......... $99^95
Uniden PC122XL H SSB CB Mobile ... $107-95
Uniden PRO510XL-H CB Mobile...... $36.95
Uniden PRO520XL'H CB Mobile $49.95
Uniden PR0538W-Jf CB & Weather $69.95
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[
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K»H tTIOOIt hMx vidi 900 aeHCT (hU 149.00 f]y|nHfl|)S (.28995
kDOM R900(m bm 30 ldl2.-l GHz. (idtf 1 14^00 tiit|i{i|3 11 TT""
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Cfutt^ SMeiiii 700 Ml portable mith 512 Wmofy AAC tflipi t|^.^
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Saniljtfjin ATV^UO-tll ponablc 20 meinory shortwtve ..S^9.95
ga])]^eiiii ATSHC15A H partible wi\h SSR reception ± AC iblapler $1 59.95
Safi^ean AT^HOS H portable 45 memory shortwave ™„„ $ 1 59.9$
Sani^on ATSHIR || pordibic nUhmt caswtie recorder ™ 118995
Siingp^ui AiSWIHCI^I! with cassette reccjrJer ,„...,.hh-.»« ^209-95
Saiij(cait ANT6{I-H pfliftibli* ^tiorrwav^ anlenna „..^.....u^,^». I9.9S
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must have icam ic, up-to-date weitber iofonoaiion, n^ Ditvls WeaUier
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lial weiihrr mf^iijloxing fuiKU{>f^ iaio orve Irkcr^iljhk' ^>^k»^. (Jlmice
It tilt dispEx}', and sff virid direction and wind ^peed on ihe aimpass
rose. Oiacl: the Hn>t»#trk trend arrow to see if the press^ure i& rising
or ftUli^ Oor packa^ df al indudes tlif new hlgb ftsolntbo I / 1 00 indi
raia collector part #7852 H, ind the extcnit] trinpemturcj'liiuajdiqr
iOBtir.pin #7859 IL tte pactagedfid IS order *BAV1 H for $524.9%
ftm 1 1 S 00 $hrpp[n§. tf jm hxvt a persoml compurer. wtia) ytm. ofder
the optiaful VMihcflbtk owqpirtEriofrn'aft for 11-19-95. ytwIJ ha** a
powerful Gootpalemed wradiCT stmoD ai aa kifnidilrk prk^ For the
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Other n^t stuff}
Uajdm Ol^iOCWI 900 MHt 2 line cocdlcB ptoas $ J29.95
UfiJdcfi EXPjlOO'tt 9CW KHr 1 line cwdks pbooe *299'95
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ICim {;P21H hintl!KH j^tabai posiiiomng syiAem J699.95
WRiOO'H wealhrr rMiio with slorm alert , ,, ,, 1399^
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REIX RH256NB1I >1iF 25 *^tt svnihesized tnmsttlwf $2«9-95
Ranker RCI 2950-11 25 wait Ifl meter ham radio . .^„ 1244.95
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Uniden LKD9()0UWI H Super ^jdebmd Laser/Raitaf Detector! 169 95
PWbH PL'Ssport to Worldbitnd Radio hy IBS ...^....^,. $10,95
P0L11I Polk:t Call lor CT, ME, MA, NH. NY, ftl, VT ^»». ^....,.$595
KIL2 II Polkf €al] lor m, MO, NJ, PA ..^„ S5.95
POL3 H Polk-e <]all for Michigan & Ohio >.»,*»«.,».«,,■.,»*» $595
P0L4 II Poike Call for IL, IN, KY, Wl „ .«^....»„ $5 95
P0I.5 II Poike Call for lA, KS, HN, MO, m ND, SD. .„,„ $5 95
POI^ II Police Call for PC. Ft, GA, m, PR, SC, VA, WV $595
POL? II Polkc CaU for Al, AR, (A W5, 01, TO, TJt , $595
POLSII PoIke Caa for Al, CO. ID. KT, KM, NV. UT, WY ,.,.......,.,. $595
POI91I PoIke Call for Calif&mii, Ok j;on & Tashlnpion ^««»«h $^95
US.'^MMBNGJ^ magnet mDunl icarinei antenna wilh H.'^C .„.129 95
UE.AK K VlIF wnannrr/VHF tranMoitting antenna wMh PU59 .529 95
USaSCJMBNDH glass mount scanner ai!t yxiih BNC connector .329 95
V> \ '^ MH II ylais ii>iiiint scaiifter apieopa vith Mfjiomli )aft $29 95
Buy With ^If idence]
ll's eas)' to order fixun CEl. Hafl ofders to: Commurtltai-
tiofis Electjonioi Inc., Emer^encv Opcraiioris Ccntef , P,0, Box
IMS> Ann Ajlxir, MidiiEan 4S106 LISA .^dd SI 5.00 per
radio for U.P.S. groiind shipping 3tnd haMling in the conth
oental U S,^ unless otherwise stated. Add S8.00 shipping for
all accessories md puhliciiions. Add $8.00 shipping per
inienna. For Canada, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Alasica. P.O Box,
ot APO/TPO delivery, shippmg charges are two times conti-
nentai VS, rales, IMichigan residents add staif sales tax. No
OOO's. 10% surcharge for net 10 bilUng ID quatified accounts.
All sales are subvert to availability, acteptancc and vcriftca-
tJoa Prices, lenns and specifications are subiect to change
^ithoul notice. We welcome your Discover, Visa, American
express or MasterCard. Call 1-8WUSA SCAN to ordef toll-
free. Call 3 1 5 996 8S8S if outside the U.S,A. FAX anytimtv dial
313^3 8^$88 For technical assistance ta solve yaur
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For credit card orders call
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Emergency Operations Center
P.O. Box 1D45, Ann Arbor, Midiigan 48106-1045 U.SA
for information call 5 1 3 99^8S«« or FAX 5 li^63-»»8S
Specifications
h
1
Gain
ScfB
Fnont-to-badc
2€aB
Side kibe
50 dB
Boom diameter
2'
Turning radius
10.6"
Weight
35 lbs.
Arm lengUi
t2'9"
ihe ballpark. You next attach the spreaders to
the metal spider using some more hose
damps-
The first element to work on is the reflector.
You lake wire holders and attach them along
the length of each spreader at given dis*
tances from the center of the spider. You
need to be close on your measurements, but
not exact You will end up moving these later
to adjust the wires.
The next step is critical. You need to mea-
sure and cut the wires as specified. The wire
is lightweight aluminum alloy and it comes on
two small spools. Be very careful when mea-
suring and cutting^ — the wire likes to stay
spooled up. If you let It slip, it will coil back
with a good deal of force and this could
cause an injury,
I cut and installed each wire separately.
Once the wire is cut. you run it through the
wire holders. The wires are fastened to a
clear Plexigfas insulator You adjust the wires
by sliding the wire holders back and forth and
you will want to adjust them so that there is a
slight bow in the Fiberglas spreaders. The
wires on mine seemed a iittle loose in this
configuration, but I do have the slight bcw in
each element's spreaders.
There was only one unclear part in all the
Instructions. This involved the tuning stubs for
the reflector element. There is a section that
describes an eight-inch adjustable stub (step
4B) and then the next section gives exact
measurements lor the stubs for each of the
SWR Measurements
Actual SWR fr^asufe after TnstaHalfon using given assembly measurefflents:
10 meters
28,000
28.200
28.:^Xi
28.500
28.700
29.000
29.700
12 meters
15 meters
17 meters
20 meters
14.000
14.100
14.350
2.0:1
1.7:1
1.5:1
1.12:1
1:1
t.2:1
1,6:1
1.5:1 or better
Better than 1.4:1
1.5: or belter
1:1
Betterthan 1,2:1
1.2:1
five bands. The first part of this step is meant
for those who wilt want to play with the front-
to*back ratio versus gain. I chose to use the
specified measurements and didni figure I
wanted to mess with this antenna, if in fact 1
ever got it all assembled. Using the preset re-
flector stub measurements is meant to give a
good compromise between front- to- back ratio
and gain.
I took my time building it I assembled the
spider parts one night, then built the reflector,
then the driven element. All the parts were in-
cluded and of top quality materials. The an-
tenna is very lightweight when assembled.
The SWR and bandwidths are shown in
the chart. All measurements exceeded the
nnanufacturer's claims.
On the Ak
I turned on the radio and woi1<ed VP5M fn
the Caicos Islands on 15 meters, then tSUDM
and CT1GG/CU3, both on first calls through
pile-ups. [Editor's note: The author's QTH is
in Tennessee,} Next, I hooked up an antenna
switch and went back and forth between my
trusty vertical and the quad. The vertical
would read 5-1 and the quad would read 5-7
to 5-9. In some cases I couldn't even hear the
station on the vertical but It would be nice and
strong on the quad.
WS4S, the only other QRPer in town,
came over the same evening to help work on
a friend's tube rig. He had to play with the
new antenna before we started on the rig.
The first thing he did was turn the power on
the rig down to 1 watt and work 4X1 EL, after
which I worked him also. He turned the power
down to 20 mW and worked Z36CXN in
Macedonia, I really wanted the same station^
so I cheated and cranked the power all the
way up to 70 mW.
Next he turned the power to 50 mW and
called CQ once. He said this is futile." He
cat!ed one mora time and Y08COC came
back to him. He talked to this guy on 20 me-
ters and turned the power down to tO mW.
The RST was 5-4-9.
Next he worked HA5HC In Hungary. He
started with 50 mW and the RST was 5-7-9.
He started chatting and turned the power
down to 1 0 mW. The RST was now still 5-7-9
and Emil reported the signal was nice and
strong. Next he turned the power to 1 mW
and the RST was stiK a 5-5-9. Conrad WS4S
talked with Emil HA5HC for quite some time
on very low power.
FIELD DAY KIT
W-155 MAST KfT with eioht S8 If -Slacking erUcI .6'
dia aiuminiim M&-44 mast sections to make 40 ft
mast. Also four each rope guy lengths 31 , 40, & 50
ft with clips; five guy rings, swivel base, six 15'
stakes, and 2 lb hammer. 70 Ihs sh.
USED ,. , „.,.. .., l^aiT... $99.50
TRIPOD AOAPTER. allows thf^e MS-44'sas legs to
free-stand mast to 24 ft: 4 lbs sh.
#TRt-AB155 $15w/AB-155purchise
M97/U BANDPASS F I LTER for 205-225 Mhz band:
twin gold-plated tunable cavities each with N*con-
nectJOfi. 7x2.5x0.5, « l&s sh, UNUSED $30
MmiU FILTrajike above but 121-142 MHz; with
conversion info for 2 Meiers $24
F,0 J. Uma, 0.* VTSA, MASTETTCARD
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5931 Alma Dr. - Rockford, Illinois 61108
O A flJf Amateur Radio
O All rf Callsjgn Database
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26 73 Amateur Radio Today • April, 1 994
Explore The World of Quorum Wefax
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[ GOES / Meteosat Wefax Reception
I NOAA / Meteor APT Reception
I HF Nafax Reception
I Dual RF ports for gemync and polar
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I Integrated preamp and down con-
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SO user definable configurations
I Software controlled receiver with 2
UHFy 10 VHP memories and scan
On board audio amplifier and
speaker with software controlled vol-
ume^ squelch and mute
Automatic Unattended Animation
works continuously
8 bit data for up to 256 gray levels
View at up to 1280 x 1024 256 color
Use TIFF, GIF or PCX fde formats
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Contrast, Brightness, 3D effect.
Sharpen, Smooth, Noise, Histo-
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Integrated Satellite vLsibUUy pre-
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Automatic time and ephemeris
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2 7 day programmable schedulers
A utomatic digital gain lock in
AIX modes^ PLL clocking
Ephemeris based NOAA APT navi-
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73 Review
Number ft on your Feedback card
by Steve Kutz WB2WIK/6
Diamond Antenna Corporation
Distributed by RF Parts
435 So. Pacific St.
San Marcos CA 92069
Teleplione: (619) 744-0900
Price Class: $174.96 suggested retail
The Diamond X2200A
A high-gain UHFA/I-IF omnidirectional base station antenna
The Diamond Antenna Corporation of
Tokyo has emerged as a premier amateur
antenna manufacturer offering strong compe-
tition to the welJ-established American com-
panies. They are already well-known for their
"F," 'Vr and "X" model base-station VHF-
UHF gain antennas. These models feature
commercial performance at amateur prices
and are easily recognizable by their gleaming
white Fiberglas radiator casings and dual-
band mobile whip antennas, Even their mo-
bile whip antenna mounts are famous and
rather innovative (n design. I've been using a
Diamond model F-23A for more than two
years now as a repeater antenna on my 1 45
MHz repeater system. It's been working like a
charm, creating excellent coverage with its
low-angEe radiation pattem and causing abso-
lutely no receiver desensitization in full-du-
piex service at the 50 watt power level
The X-2200A Is a rather new product intro-
duced for the American market just last year.
It offers claimed omnidirectional gain of 6.0
dB on 146-148 MHz and 7.8 dB on 222-225
MHZj and because it covers the 1.25 cm
band it has no domestic market in Japan
(where 222 MHz is not an authorized ama*
leur band).
This antenna employs a 3/4-wavelength
center-loaded radiator on 2 meters and three
5/8- wave length phased radiators on 1-1/4
meters, with the radiating elements made of
brass and all the "works" enclosed in a beau-
tiful Fiberglas "radome" (antenna cover). At
the base {feed point) of the antenna, It has
three quarter-wavelength drooping (down-
sloped) radials to decouple it from its support
and coaxial feedline. And, the X-2200A
weighs in at a scant 2.64 lbs. The antenna is
11-1/2 feet tall fully assembled and is UPS-
shippable because it comes broken down into
two radiator sections plus the radial kit, base
support tube and mounting hardware. As-
sembly requires only a Phillips screwdriver
and takes about five minutes.
While the X-2200A is rated lor "150 watts"
maximum transmitter power, this is a very
conservative rating. In fact, I have no clue
why Diamond places such a low-power rating
on the antenna, since its only active compo-
nents are the brass rods which make up the
radiator and some air-dielectrlc phasing/load-
ing inductors which appear rugged enough to
23 73 Amateur Radio Today April, 1994
handle considerably more than the rated
power. When I was testing the 2 meter omni
model F-23A at home prior to installing it on a
repeater. I transmitted with 1 ,000 watts of
output power into this "200 watt" rated anten-
na for several minutes with no ill effects. Pos-
sibly the manufacturer is rating the X2200A
based on the assumed use of a
''duplexer" (RF signal-spHtter)
which most hams would use to
separate the RF energy for the two
service frequencies when using a
single feedline to operate two
bands. Oiamond*s "duplexer" for
146/222 MHz is rated at 1 50 watts,
and this is more understandable.
In any case, most hams operating
VHF-FM wouid have little reason
to exceed the 150 watt power level
at the antenna feed point.
The X -2 200 A is an impressive
package, it has a rugged look and,
because the metal elements are
entirely enclosed in Fiberglas tub-
ing with a very weatherproof mid-
section connector (used to join the
upper and lower sections in the
field), it should be extremely
weather*resistant. The onJy ex-
posed metals are aluminum, stain-
less steel and plated brass.
Mounting hardware is all stainless
steel (U-boits, lockwashers and
nuts) and should be completely
impervious to the weather. I've had
my F-23A installed at a hilltop re-
peater site for more than two years
and the entire antenna Is still
"shiny/' Viewing the mounting
hardware through powerful binocu-
lars, I can see it is all slfll "shiny,"
too.
Gain
Lacking an adequate calibrated
reference antenna I could not
measure the gain of the X-2200A.
By computer analysis it seems that
its gain on 146 MHz and 222 MHz
are somewhat lower than Dia-
mond's claims. But I should note
here that most omnidrreclional
gain antennas for VHF/UHF seem
to have published gain figures that aren't par-
ticularly accurate.
More important factors are radiation angle,
bandwidth, good impedance matching, ease
of assembly and installation, ruggedness and
reliability, and overall cost effectiveness. In
these areas, the Diamond products, including
Photo A. The Diamond X220QA.
the X'2200A, definitely excel.
Since I couldn't measure gain, the only test
I coold run on the X-2200A was to compare rt
(on 2 meters) with my own personal refer-
ence antenna* an extremely popuJar aN-aiu-
minum stacked 5/8 wavelength radiator de-
sign with a tapped aluminum nnatching net-
wiofk at its base. It's a product that's been on
the market for many years and still sells very
well. The c/a/med gain {by its manufacturer)
for my reference antenna is 6 dB and it is 10
feet lalL like the X-2200A. AJi things being
equal, the Diamond X-2200A and my refer-
ence antenna should have worked about the
same. Did they?
in a word, no. The dual-band X-2200A pro-
duced stronger signals (received and trans-
mitted, In all directions and at various di&>
tances) than my reference antenna did. To
make the comparison fair, I installed both an-
tennas at the same height above ground (30
feet), and they were separated by 60 feet,
which is nine wavelengths at 2 meters. Both
antennas were fed by identical iengths of
identical coaxial cable. At this writing, I still
have both antennas installed and am still
making comparisons. Because 1 live on a bit
of a rise and am pretty high above average
terrain for these parts, both antennas have a
good "view' with a distant horizon ranging
from 1 2 to 40 miles in most directions.
I am blocked in to the north by a mountain
with an elevation of 3.600 feet, cresting only
four miles from me, so I never expect great
results from the north on VHR But the other
directions are more open, and I can always
work into San Diego, some 120 miles to the
southeast, with very low power on 2 meters.
Working into Santa Barbara, some 65 miles
to the west-northwest, is quite another story.
In that direction. I have rugged coastal moun-
tain terrain along the whole path and signals,
while workable, are not terribly strong.
I took signal level data on various re-
peaters in all directions and recorded it on
paper, using first my reference antenna and
then the X-2200A, I took the data using S-unIt
signal levels on my FT*736R Yaesu VHF-
UHF all'mode base station rig. S-meters be-
ing what they are. i don't believe the readings
have any merrt other than to compare one
signal level to another. I then used my
Hewlett Packard 608F signal generator,
which has an output level accuracy of better
than 1 dB at all levels and an output attenua-
tor accuracy of better ttian 0.1 dB when com-
panng two levels that are less than 10 dB dif-
ferent, to determine what the diffe/ent S-me-
ler readings really meant.
Conclusion? The X-2200A outperformed
my reference antenna by a peak of 3.1 dB, a
minimum of 0.8 dB and an average of 1,95
dB. Pretty good for a dual-band antenna that
has essentially the same aperture as the ref-
erence. I osuld not run the same set of tests
on 222 MHz as 1 lacked an appropriate refer-
ence antenna. But the antenna does work
well on 1 .25 meters, and allows me to access
the "CONDOR" 222 MHz linked repeater sys-
tem very well through any of three "CON-
DOfT sites ranging from 20 to 70 miles away,
using a Kenwood TH-315A handie-talkie (2.5
watts output). In all, I'm pretty impressed.
VSWR
The VSWR of the X-2200A is low, low, low.
Since I'm using a 100-foot*long transmission
line to reach the antenna arwi it has about 1,4
dB loss on 146 and 1 .8 dB loss on 222 MHz,
taking VSWR data in the shack would prove
rather useless: The loss of the cable reduces
the measured VSWR. So 1 measured VSWR
across each band right at the antenna feed
point with zero transmission line toss, and
this data is shown in Table 1. 1 took the
VSWR data with the antenna temporanfy in-
stalled on a mast mounted in a small tripod
sitting in my driveway, prior to installing the X-
2200A on its permanent mounting. Raising
the antenna another 20 feet or so higher
shouldn't change the readings.
The X-2200A is supplied with mounting
hardware that will accommodate mast diame-
ters from 30 to 62 mm (about 1.2" to 2.4*),
which should allow convenient installation by
almost anyone. I like this much better than
the mounting system on my reference anten-
na, which calls for pfuggrng the base of the
antenna into its mounting mast and only al-
lows lor a maximum mast diameter of about
1.3 Inches. When nrvounting the X-2200A or
any similar omnidirectional vertically-polar-
ized antenna, be sure that the mounting mast
does not protrude beyond the base of the an*
tenna (where the radials attach) or perfor-
mance will be severely degraded. This anten-
na should not be side-mounted on a tower
unless it can be spaced at least 40* from the
tower. Even with this spacing, the pattern will
not be quite omnidirectional.
The Diamond X-2200A packs a lot of
punch! It is another excellent product offered
by a world-class manulacturer who is sen_sh
tlve to the needs of American hams.
Table 1.
Measured VSWR vs. Operating
Frequency, Diamond X-2200A
Fsr»q uency in MHl VSWR
144 1.63:1
145 1.38:1
146 1.13:1
147 1.22:1
148 1.50:1
222 1 ^:1
223 1 ^6:1
224 1 .40:1
225 1 .62:1
Notes: There are no field tuning adjust*
ments for the X-2200A. It appears that
this particular antenna was resonant to-
wards the low*frequency end of the 1 .25
meter band and could posstbly be adjust-
ed for lower VSWR at the upper end by
slightly shortening the brass radiator
length, but no attempt was made to do so.
VSWR data taken with 12" feediine and
directional coupler at the base of the an-
tenna: measurements made in the shack
at the end of a normal transmission line
would indicate the VSWR to be lower.
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73 Amateur Radio Today * April, 1 994 29
!«■■
73 Review
Number 9 on your Feedback card
by Larry Antonuk WB9RRT
Quickyagi Antenna
Design Program
Designing a yagi has never been so easyl
RAI Enterprises
45M Nortti 48th Drive
PhC3eni)( AZ 85031
Telephone: (602) 84S-9755
Price Class: $39.95;
$19.95 for registered user upgrades;
$3 ($5 r>on-USA) S&H.
Put three hams in a room, and you'll wind
up with four opinions on any given topic,
While we share one of the most diverse hob-
bies on earth, it may be safe to say that one
thing all hams have m common is antenna
building- It's hard to find a ham who hasn1
buitt at least on© antenna — even if it's only a
10 meter dipole, or a 2 meter ground plane
made from a coat hanger. Ttie antenna is the
Interface between the rig and the ether, and
an understanding of antennas (and antenna
problems) is the common ground we aJI stand
on. While virtually every ham has built some
fund of antenna, ir's also a safe bet that per-
haps only one in 20 antenna butkiers has ever
built a yagi.
How come? Several rea^ins come to mlmJ.
While ifs pretty easy to figure ttie length of a
2 meter dipole, figuring out a 2 meter beam is
a Httie trickien Not only are you concerned
with frequency and length, but you have to
worry about the spacing between the ele-
ments. Which, of course, changes if you
change the diameter of the rods. Which, of
course, all changes if you want to add more
elements. Which, of course ^ is not to mention
trymg to get your design to work best for a giv-
en front- to-back ratio. Or for a given band-
width. Which, of course, means you might
want to change the length a little and * * ,
Phew! This coyJd be more complicated than
it's worth.
Not only that, but if you do find a published
design somewhere that includes more or less
about what you want from your yagi. you still
have to put it all together, which is a fair
amount of work. Not tfiat thafs a problem, but
it does represent a commitment of time and
effort, if the design calls for 3/8" tubing, and
you use the 1/d* stuff you have in the base-
ment» will it still work? Is it worth the effort if
you're not sure?
Once the thing is all screwed together and
you want to test it . . . that's kind of tricky, too*
Unless you're building scale modcts and have
an anechoic chamber in the basement, it's
pretty hard to gel meaningful test resuits— -es-
pecially on parameters like bandwidth and
Iront-to-back ratios. You might even be able to
do some A-B comparisons with your buddy
across town, but who wants to build up two
separate antennas just to try out a couple of
new ideas?
Design, Quick and Easy
The answer to all of these problems lies in
the ability to calculate your own yagi designs,
based on the parameters you want, using the
materials that you may liave available. Yagi
design was originally accomplished using the
published NBS designs, which were put to-
gether using a combination of design and ex-
perimentation. Eventually software was devel-
oped that performed the calculations on an as-
needed basis, but this was normally available
only on a time-sharing basis on university
mainframes. Once the desktop comptJter boom
hit. it became viable for smalt companies to
write the complex code needed to perform the
thousands of cakxilations. and to offer it to the
casual expenm enter,
RAI Enterprises has taken this concept a
step further. By writing the essential calculating
routines in machine language, the Quickyagi
program produces results in record time, while
maintaining the user-triendliness of higher fevel
languages. (For users new to antenna design
software, the "BLAZING SPEED" referred to on
the Quickyagi brochure means an antenna de-
sign In as tittle as a few minutes, up to a few
hours. Obviously, this changes depending on
whether you're using a Pentium or a PC JR.
but in any case it beats the usual "enter the pa-
rameters, and go away for the weekend" soft-
ware you may be used to.)
Perhaps the easiest way to get to know
Quickyagi is to run the Auto Design feature,
which creates the yagi design with a minimum
of information. Starting the Auto Design mode
is accomplished with two keystrokes after the
opening menu. Tt^ user is then prompted for
the design frequency, the number of elements
desired, and the diameter of the available ele-
ments. After a few seconds, the program re-
turns with the antenna gain, front4o-back ratk>,
length, and input impedance. The user is then
prompted to choose between maximizing the
front-lo*back ratio, or maximizing the gain for a
given f ront-to-t)ack ratio. If the second option is
chosen, the user may pick from several more
Dptbns— best gain while choosing the front-to-
back ratio, optimum gain, or optimum band-
width. Once all of the selections are made, the
program goes into the ^thinking" mode. This
fihe
Dh
43
40
35
30
as
15
10
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0
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2:1
FllaU6E43erD
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TrB
falfk
Figure 1. Pefformance vs. bandwidth graf^
30 73 Amateur Radio Today * April, 1 094
can take several minutes to several hours, de-
pending on the machine and the antenna de-
sign being perfomned. (Again, due to various
machine configurations, time comparisons may
be somewhat meaningless. However, a six-eie*
men! 146 MHz yagi took atxjut 15 minutes to
optimize on a '286 done. [Manutacturefs Note:
The '286 done was running without a math co-
processor The results wil} be up to four Hmes
faster wiUi a coprocessor.]]
Once the design is optimized » tt may be eval-
uated in several ways. Quickyagi will draw a
full-screen polar plot of the antenna gain, in ei-
ther an efevation or azimuth mode. Linear or
logarithmic scales are available in either case.
These plots c^n be viewed on-screen, or sent
to the printer for later examination, A Bandwidth
Chart Utility displays the bandwidth information
(gain, F:B, impedance, and VSWR at 21 fre-
quencies) in chart or x-y graph mode. Again,
these can be printed in hard copy and saved.
Antenna designs can be saved to disk, and
pulled up later for further design and testing.
In addition to the Auto Design mode, the
program also supports manual entry of various
parameters, and will calculate the missing fea-
tures. For instance, you might need to design a
yagi to make use of that bundle of S/16'* alu*
minum you dragged home. You might have a
10-foot section of square tubing that would
make a nice boom. What is the best an^ange-
ment of elements to give you maximum gain
on 440 MHz? Quickyagi can let you know. A
Scaler routine allows scaJing an existing design
to a new frequency, by changing either the ele-
ment lengths, or the lengths and the spacing,
(Remember that high-class five-element yagi
you bought at the last hamfest? The one that
tumed out to be on 155.000 MHz? These last
two features are just the ticket to tell you if you
can just lengthen the elements, or if you have
to move them ... or if you threw 25 bucks
down the drain!) Options are available that cal-
culate element lengths using tapered ele-
ments, for the use of telescoping tubing, plus
element compensations for the boom, the abili-
ty to view the antenna's geometry, and the abil-
ity to easily model a folded dipole driven eie-
merrt. In case you only associate yagis with
VHF and above, note that Quk^yagi can calcu-
late designs from 1 .5 to 999 MHz, with up to 17
elements. (Please check yoyr local zoning reg-
ulations before building that 160 meter, 17-ele-
ment t>eam.) Even if you don't plan on buikiing
any HF beams. Quickyagi will gladly calculate
wire beam dimensions for use on Field Day, or
durtng emergency operations. Tlie best part rs
that Quickyagi doesn't assume anything — just
tell tt about your resources arKJ it will design a
yagi that will work for you.
The Quickyagi program comes with "on-
dfsk" documentation, which means you won't
get a fancy hard-cover manual. The manual
willi however, be up4o-datet which is some-
what of a rarity these days. In any case, the
manual amounts to a half do2en pages, due to
the ease-of-use of the program itself.
The Quickyagi program qualrties as a low-
priced piece of software, but could just be your
key to a new realm of antenna building. By re-
moving the mystery from yagi design, it allows
antenna experimenters to get involved with
Irom scratch' designs using materials they al-
ready have on hand. "What \f comparisons
can be performed by modeling existing yagis,
with the idea of performing modifications, or
just for the fun of it. Existing antennas can Ije
modified for different frequency ranges, which
open up a great source of antenna materials —
the surplus commercial market. If you build
even one yagi a year, you'll ftrKl Quickyagi to
be well worth the money.
(Quickyagi runs on any XT or better with
at least 640K of RAM, using CGA. EGA, VGA,
or Hercules graphics. A math coprocessor is
supported but not required.)
[Manufacturer's Note: The program is now
optimized to run on an AT or later models of
the Turbo" XT running the NEC V-20 micro-
processor. A math-coprocessor-onty version is
available by special order, at no extra charge,
for the older 8088 PC/XTJ
.CornerBeam?
1
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73 Amateur Radio Today
Call 800-289-0388
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73 Ama tear Radio Today • April , 1 994 31
Number 10 on your Feedback card
A Sensitive Bandspread
SWL Receiver
Aaah, the nostalglac smell of dust burning off tubes!
by Eric R. Johnson XE2/KB6EPO
Back in the 1920s and during the Great
Depression era, the hame-brew regener-
ative shortwave receiver was all the rage.
Radio was coming of age and everyone
wanted to listen in. Money was tight and al-
though most commercially made radios
were of the regenerative type, they were still
too expensive for the average consumer. Yel
the low pans count of the regeneraiive re-
ceiver made consiniction a snap and kepE
cosis down, keeping this type of receiver
popular with the home-brewer right up to
the 1960s. And the resents sensitivity was
hard to match by all but the best super-
heterodyne receivers of the time. These
attributes still hold true today!
This little radio can *'hear" everything on
the SWL bands that my Yeasu FT-747 can I
An 8-foot piece of wire strung out along the
test bench or behind the desk Is more than
enough to pick up all the major broadcasters.
Of course, the more antenna the merrier —
bur the point is that excellent reception is
possible with an indoor antenna right at your
listening position. The three-siage circuit is
typical of a "deluxe" setup of the era. The
physical size is less than half of what some-
one in those days might have constructed us-
ing the same schematic, thanks to the substi-
tution of ^'modern'' miniature tubes and com-
ponents.
I have departed from our ihemc era in the
design of the power supply in order to make
the receiver completely portable. In the old
days they used bulky, non-rechargeable *'A*'
and ''B'' batteries to provide H lament and
plate voltages. The super deluxe setup sport-
ed a line-operated transformer and vacuum
rectifier **B battery eliminator," the use of
which often required the owner to repSace all
the existing ''DC filament" tubes in the radio
with "modem AC filament*' tubes. Ponabili-
V
C21,
L4
CI
SAK5
RF AMP
fll
w
jr
C22
eAB4
DETECTOR
m
C27
•REFER TO FIG, Z
I
C23
EC4
AF AMP *
RS>-i
^
Re
C24
iL
PHONES
11
:
:rio
C2B
Rll
-vw-
1
LS
C25
J 1^ in PUT
6AKS
•A
&AB4
X
C5
NO, 51
DIAL LAMP
/77
X
C26
6C4
^
X
C30
^ + e.3v
■>iNPgT
jf
INPUTS
Figure I. Receiver schematic diagram.
32 73 AmatBur Radio Today* April, 1 994
ty was either ledTOUS or impossible. My pow-
er supply allows portable operation for about
10 hours from a single 6 voli, 10 amp-hour
rechargeable sealed lead-acid bailery (gel
cell). When connecied to the AC line it both
operates the radio and chaises the battery.
Receiver Theory of OperaUon
The fiecciver (Figure 1) consists of an on-
luncd pentode radio frequency amplifier, a
Iriodc regenerative detector, and a power iri-
ode audio frequency afTtpltfier. Output is in-
to a pair of high impedance headphones, ei*
ther 2k ohm magnetic types or the crystal
type. Both are readily available on the sur-
plus market. Those "extra** resistors and ca-
pacitors you see sprinkled liberally through-
out the schematic are for bypassing and B+
line decoupling filters. They should not be
left out of Lhc circuit as a way to save mon-
ey! These parts are what make the difference
between a "sweet" stable and predictable re-
generative receiver and a wild untanicable
howling "beasL" of a receiver.
The RF AmpliOer
The 6AKS is a sharp-cuioff pentode de-
signed for use in RF or IF amplifiers in
high-frequency wideband applications ai fre-
quencies up to 4(X) MHz. Its primary pur-
pose is to isolate the anEenna from the tuned
circuit in the detector's grid. This eliminates
I-
*C
Sla
iC
He
C20
I Qi I 3 «« «s «i
C14
Slt^
Z I rS #4 m% «l
"CIS
I II
C17
:ci8
CIS"
M
ea BALL BEARING
REDUCTION DRIVE
^i-O-
TUNE
Figure 2. Tuning components xchemtttic details
the detuning problem found in regen sets
where the antenna is coupled directly to the
detector. In spite of this being an untuned
amplifier, and thanks to the use of the pen-
tode, we still get about 6 dB of gain on all
the bands. CI couples the antenna to the
control grid. LI couples the amplified output
to the detector.
The Regenerative Detector
The 6AB4 is a high-mu iriode designed
for use in cathode-drive amplifiers, frequen-
cy converters, and osciliaiors at frequencies
up to 300 MH^. Electrically identical to one
section of dual-triode type I2AT7, here it is
used as a regenerative detector. L2 and the
capacitors selected by SI form the only
Have your own repeater or tink f ysteml
L^v rypcMi'L!! fU-'itip wJiItoui mcMiiHrnLinn 10 your ntilio |^f»r. Kimpily
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BUY AMERICAN, BETTER PRtCE AND QUALITY
The SG200Qi HF uansceivm \s type accepted For commerciaf and marlno scfvicfl
made with traditional U.S. c<?Fnm«ful*il radio quail ty (and of cguiSe It can be used
on th& ham bands also}. WTiitd the Japanese radios ^ave 2 Final Irana^lnrs ttiat
strain to pul oul lOO walls on IJne low bands and only 75-85 waits g(% Ion molars,
the SG2000 has 4 large translators that loaf along al 150 watSa on ALL THE
BANDS tNCLUDIHG 10 METERS? Some of Ihe SG2000 (oalurpa aro; 1) A
control head ramolatJie (no speciat ki\ necessary)' up to 15D' a^ay from ttto rig,
perfGct for aulojnabllefi and bcials. Up to B hieads can b-a utl1l7E2d and ua^d as
4ni^rconn£ also. 2) The largost dii^play of any HF Iranaceluer. 3] 844 pr&-
progriamn>ed memorieB and tOO user programmaWe m&morics. A) operable from
'50F (.^^C) 10 leSF {^850- Vou want qijglily right? Here IS wlial EVERY
SG^OOO mLBl endure- before ihey're stupped Ffom itie faclory: 1} They're (aclcjry
aligned, 2| EVERY SG20OO is iieycd down at full powe/ (Cw %50 waiis^ inio an
op&n aiTlefina Hot abou! 1 D seconds. ther> connedsd 1o a stioned anlenr^a arfd
keyed d{>wn for art addilional 10 seconds. 3} EVERY SG^OOQ i& pgl in the
^URN IN" rack aiM^ keyed dgwn to^ 2* tyovr& rto<n-^cip ^ riHl powe^ GW- Donl tiy that with |h€ lori^ign radios 4) EVERT SG2000 «
tnen re^hecked tor aSflnmenl and put in the TORTUFIS RACIT wtittrv lf«y Bfc keyed ofi and oR ev&ry 10 second ior 24 hours. 5J
The SG2000 is Ihen r«-«v«liial^ Biid ^ osfilRit Iwictksns itre verified Ip «n»die Ihal tie micnifiRKessor ts up to opec- THEN AND
C3NLV THEN tS THE SG20Q0 ALLOWED TO LEAVE THE FACTCMW.
The baaam line is price you Know ttciw expensive cofumeft^ rigs are rxsmiaPy. we are sel&ng the SG2000 BELOW DEALER COST
at Only Si,5&5 CO each" Tnafs a 5400 00 savings* We gu^ant&e me &^l pnce.
The SG230 SW AWT- TUNER is the best HF aulotut^r at any prtw, and la
pn^mole a procluci tnai t$ ma)C>e in itw USA, w^'m dftenr^ i1 at th« Qi ilTMHOiiJ
tr^t price of ority 5449.00" WHY THE SG230? BECAUSE: W^teti yo^ tint an
^itenna at if £ bdse you are resonating fie antenna, i^ead Of lusi maidttng the
coax Id ihe racBo aa with cih«r tuncirs SMCh as me AT50. etc The result YOUR
SiCKAL GETS OUT MUCH BETTEH TTie Kenwood ATSO, AT450 and Offief
^miar biners can artiy rnatch 3:i mismalches (YES only 3:1;^ so forgel maldiing
anything but a fairly fSeceni antennia Tlie SG23Q can match from OS Ohm to 10
hSohnt antennas {u^^tt 200: 1 niswatich}. so il isn ea&ily match random wires,
dipoi^. ram-gutters, shopping carts, ek;. The result MQf^E POWER.
To order, send ch^dk or mocwy order with ^ 50 Ibr s>hlpping, aking wMh your shippng address (sony nO U S Podl
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Joe Brancato
THE HAM CONTACT
PO Box 3624. Dept 73
Long Beach. CA 90803
CA ll**lclpnli Acfd @ VA% Sales Tan, CAriadiAn fl*tidffn1a pleose send U.S. Money Order t $1T 10 for Rhtppmfl.
If you wfsh more infoTmatim please send a SASE to the above aiJdress, For COD Ofdefs. call
(310K33 B360, OLitsEde of CA Orders Only can {800)933-HAM4 and leave a messago.
i<^»
^-V
Solving The LORD
Since 1967
CtHCLE 384 ON READER SERVICE CAHO
73 Arm teur Radio Today • Ap ri 1 . 1 994 33
toned circuit in ihe radio. C20 couples the
selected signal to the control grid and, along
with R5, forms a grid-ieak bias circuit. The
amplified RF signal is coupled by L3, in
phase, back to the tuned circuit L2/SI. This
causes two effecis: The signal is re-ampli-
fied, thus giving extreme sensitivity, and il
introduces ''negative resistance" into L2,
which dramatically increases it's '*Qr This
allows our single tuned circuit to give our
radio a si^lcctivitv on the order of 3 kHz,
C21 is the return padi for the RF signal. The
same signal is detected by grid-leak action
and the amplified audio is developed across
the primary of Tl. L4 and C22 filter any
residual RF from the detected audio. Of
course, all this must be controlled somehow
or else we'd have an RF oscillator instead of
a detector! R6, R7. and R8 form a voltage
divider to provide variable B+ voltage to the
detector. C24 filters out any noise generated
by the mechanical motion of R7* In use, R7
is advanced until the lube oscillates (which
can be heard in the headset), and then
backed down until oscillation just Slops. The
circuit is now set up for best sensitivity and
selectivity for AM signals.
The Tkining System
Now refer to Figure 2, L2 and the capaci-
tors selected by Sla and Sib form the tuned
circuit in our radio. Six shortwave bands ans
R12
-±-cn
D4
C33
ill ioi ^^* f 13 ^
3 1 dl T
, ^ — i —
8+
■*- OUTPUT
e-. -6 3V
OUTPUT
D5
^^
S2 [
S2
ON-DC OFF LiT OH-AC
I
PLl
'l^.
;;
I
C37
06
■^*6.3V OUTPUT
i
%
Figure i. Power supply schematic diagram.
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34 73 AmatQur Radio Today * April, 1 994
L3tPlN3i
LllPiN4J
L3 (FIN 2)
U(P1N5)
L2{PIN€)
U* H TURNS. CtOSrWOUNO BETWEEN LZ TURNS.
LZ' 15 TURNS, SPACED Bt U .
U-12 TURNS, C LOSE WOUND p WINDING SPACED
1/e" FROM TOP OF 1,1/ Z.
* USE NO.Zfi ENAMELLED WlRC FOR ALL 3
INDUCTORS.
* * CORE IS 1/4" Dl A. 8Y 1 1/B" LOHG PHEMOLIC.
miH 2 FERRtTE SLUGS. CORE BASE SECTION
IS l/Z* D!A,BY 3/a" LONG, WITH 6 SOLDER
LUGS IMBEDDED.
selected by SI as fbllows:
Pofiititifi 1 = )3 Meter Band. 21.200
PositiDn 2=16 Meter Band, 1 7.400
PbsiLion 3 = 19 Meter Band. 1 5.000
Ptisitioa 4=21 Meter Band. 1 3.400
Positron 5=25 Meier Band. 1 1 .600
P^ition 6 = 31 Mmer Band. 9,450 -
22,000 MHz
I7.9SOMHZ
15.5SOMHK
13.900 MHz
12.075 MH^
9.900 MHz
Figure 4. Coil winding diagram.
SI a performs the function of ^'bandscL**
Capacitors C6 through CI3 are either fixed
siLvered mica or miniature silvered ceramic
trimmer capacitors. Sib selects various ca-
pacitors to be placed in series willi band-
spread/main tuning capacitor CI 9- CI 4
through CIS are fixed silvered mica types.
C19 is a 25 pF air-dielectric variable capaci-
lor wiih a standard 1/4-inch shaft. Between
it and the tuning knob is a 6:1 ball bearing
reduction drive to which is anached a 4-inch
diameter aluminum plaie that serves as the
tuning dial.
In a tuned circuit with a fixed inductance,
a variable capacitor will have a greater efrect
on tuned frequency the higher the frequency.
Sib introduces ever smaller fixed capacitors
in series with C19, effectively reducing its
overall change in capacitance each time the
bandswitch is moved to a higher band. This
ensures that ihe entire 1 80 degrees of rola-
tion on ihe tuning capacitor is used to tune
each band, keeping the stations from being
bunched up in a small area on the dial With
this system the 6: 1 reduction drive is not re-
ally necessary, but 1 had a few laying suxsund
so 1 used one anyway.
The AF AmpUfler
The 6C4 is a medium-mu power tiioiie
designed for use in Class C RF amplifiers* It
is capable of S.5 watts of output at Frcquen-
cies in the 50 MH?: range. It is used here be-
cause of its low plate and filament current
requirements compared to a power pentode.
This is important since we want to be able to
operate ihe radio on battery power for long
periods of time. TTie audio output is louder
than 1 can stand with the volume control ad-
vanced halfway on most signals. Tl is a
step-up audio transformer with a ratio of
1 :2.5. R9 is the %^olume control. T2 matches
the output impedance of the 6C4 to the
headphones.
Power Sypph Theorj' of Operation
The heart of the power supply (Figure 3)
is transformer T3. And the good news is that
it*s nothing special! It has two 6.3 volt 2
amp secondaries, and two 1 IS volt pri-
maries. A 12.6 volt transformer with two
primaries would work just as well. For both
AC and battery operation* we use one of the
primaries to provide the B+, DK D2, C34,
and C35 form a full-wave voltage doubler.
L6 and C36 smooth the rectified output.
FIELD STRENGTH METER
Are
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you .. ,
•Isctromftgmilc radiatkin, TV
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Model 810O0A is a thoroughly engineered, portable, Insertion type wattmetef
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Service and Dependability. . A Part of Every Pmduct
mamm
CIRCLE 166 ON HEAOEFI SERVICE CARD
73 Amateur Radio Today • April , 1 994 35
C
During AC operation, one half of DPDT
toggle switch S2 routes the line voltage to
the other primary of T3 via FK C37 connects
I he line ground to the circuit ground. The
two 63 volt secondaries, D3, IM, and C33,
form a full-wave power supply that produces
63 volts DC at 4 amps (under load). D6
routes this vohage to the H laments and the
dial lamp, which use up 0.55 amps of the
available current. The other half of S2 routes
this voltage to Bl via F2, making available
up to 3.45 amps to charge the battery. There
is no danger of overcharging the battery be-
cause the voltage is within the acceptable
range for continuous "float" charging. D5
ensures that Ql and R12 have no effect on
operation, effccuvely disconnccUng them.
During DC operation, current from the
battery is routed through F2, one half of S2,
and D5 to provide power for the filaments
and dial lamp. Ai the same time, current
from the battery is used to operate the power
oscillator consisting of QK R12, and both
secondaries of T3* C32 shapes the waveform
so that It is closer to being a sine wave than
a square wave, thus eliminating the switch-
ing transtenis present in a square wave
which are difHcuU to filter out. The 1 15 volt
AC current generated in the unused primary
of T3 is isolated from PLl by S2^ thereby
eliminating a shock hazard there. Because of
the way they are connected, D3, D4, C33,
and D6 are effectively "not there" during
DC operation.
Construction Hints
The hean of the receiver is the LI -3 coil
assembly. You'll have to wind it yourself.
Figure 4 shows how it's done. The coil form
was found ai a surplus store, and the wind-
ing that was on it had to be removed first.
As previously mentioned, the output of the
6AB4 must be fed back in phase to its grid
in order for it to oscillate. If the cotl is
wound and connected as shown, feedback
will be in phase. A handy rule of thumb to
keep in mind goes as follows: If L2 and L3
are wound end-tch^nd in the same direction,
the plate connection is to the outside of the
plate or "tickler" coil (L3) when the grid
connection is to the outside of L2- If you
lose track of the leads and the detector fails
to oscillate after being wired, swapping the
two leads of L3 will fix the problem. The
other consideration is to make sure that
when laying out your parts-mounting plan,
the colt assembly is separaied by at least one
coil diameter from any large metal objects
(such as the front panel or an audio trans-
former)- This prevents any such object from
mining the high "Q" of the coil
If you can't find any audio transformers
for Tl and TZ^ you can substitute resistors
and capacitors without losing too much au-
dio gain. To substitute for Tl, replace the
primary with a 250k ohm resistor and con-
nect a 0.01 uF capacitor from the junction of
that resistor and C22 to the top of volume
control R9. To substitute for T2, replace the
primary with a 47k ohm resistor and connect
a 0 J |jF capacitor from the plate of the 6C4
to the headphone jack. If T2 is replaced by
R/C coupling then C27 may be omitted also.
L5 and L6 are not critical. Anything from
2 henries on up should work fine. If you
don't have an inductance meter, just use an
ohmmeter to find one that measures between
150 and 700 ohms. The current through
these is only 18 niA, so anything small in
size that fits cither of the above speci Oca-
lions will work. It can be a choke or Che pri-
mary of an old tube-type audio output trans-
former. I used the latter for mine. They mea-
sured 4.5 henries on the inductance meter,
and 150 ohms on the ohmmetet
A regenerative detector occasionally
shows a tendency to change frequency
slightly as the hand is moved near the dial
This condition (body capacity) can be cor-
rected by better shielding. I used double-sid-
ed PC board material for the front panel and
receiver sub-chassis. The front panel is 10-
1/2 inches wide by 6-1/2 inches high. The
receiver sub-chassis is 9 inches wide by 4-
1/2 inches deep, and is soldered at a right
angle to the center of one side of the front
panel This results in a ^P'-shaped assembly
thai is very strong. Once all the controls are
mounted on the front panel their metal
mounting bushings make contact with the
copper on both sides of the panel, thereby
providing double shielding. With this tech-
nique there is no body capacity and the re-
ceiver is completely stable. The mbe sockets
and all the other parts are mounted on the
sub-chassis after appropriate sized holes are
made. Wiring is done point-to-point, with
the advantage that wherever a ground ts re-
quired it can be soldered to the sub-cha5sis
with minimal lead length.
You could develop your own PC artwork
for the receiver sub-chassis and etch it be-
fore soldering to the front panel if you like.
When making your layout for the receiver,
the important thing to consider is to keep all
leads and/or PC runs as short as possible be-
tween the plate of the 6AKSt L 1/2/3, S I and
its associated capacitor^^ and the 6AB4. Any
layout you can come up with that accom-
plishes this goal will work fine.
The power supply was also built on a
piece of PC board material measuring 7-1/2
inches long by 3-1/2 inches wide. You could
etch a pattern for this if you like, but it's not
necessary. The power switch is a three-posi-
tion "ON-OFF-ON" type, and is mounted on
the front panel. Ql is mounted on a small
heat sink just slightly larger than the area of
the transistor body and about I inch tall. The
transistor mns cool to the touch even after
hours of operation. R12 will probably need
to be experimented with if you use a differ-
ent transistor or umisfomier. You'll find the
right value will be somewhere between 100
ohms and Ik ohm,
I built a box out of standard ]*inch ap-
pearance pine, like you would use to make
shelves out of, and finished it with
polyurethane varnish. The battery and power
supply mount inside it towards the rear, and
the receiver/front panel assembly slides in
the opening on the front and h secured by
several wood screws with wide decorative
heads. A short cable with a plug on it con-
nects the power supply to a socket on the re-
ceiver. The line cord and antenna jack are on
the back of the wood bo?t, and the antenna
Jack connects to the receiver through a short
coaxial cable and RCA plug. Four rubber
feet screwed into the bottom of the box fin-
ish it off, and the end product looks real
"olde-tyme."
Table 1 lists all the parrs, additional sub-
stitution information where allowable, and
sources of pans for those who do not have
any decent stores nearby,
Calibratioti and Operation
All calibration is done with the aid of a
signal generator. It is not necessary to make
a direct connection between the receiver and
the signal generator. A short piece of wire
connected to the output of the signal genera-
tor will radiate enough signal to be picked
up by the windings of L2. Set the top (L3)
slug in the coil form so that it's flush with
the top of the form, then calibrate in the fol-
lowing order.
1. Band 1 (13 M). Set the tuning capaci-
tor, C19, to its fully unmcshcd position. Set
the signal generator for 22.000 MHz. Adjust
the bottom (L2) slug in the coil form until
you can hear the signal best-
2. Band 2 (16 M). Leave Ct9 set as it is.
Signal generator to 17.980 MHz. Adjust C6
for best signal.
3. Band 3(19 M). Adjust C19 to the fully
meshed position, then open it up just a tai
Signal generator to 15.000 MHz. Adjust C8
for the best signal.
4. Band 4 (21 M). Return CI 9 to the fully
unmeshed position. Signal generator to
13.900 MHz. Adjust C9 for best signal.
5. Band 5 (25 M). Leave C19 set as it is-
Signal generator to 12.075 MHz. Adjust CI 1
for the best signal.
6. Band 6 (31 M), Adjust C19 to the fully*
meshed position. Signal generator to 9.450
MHz. Adjust CI 3 for the best signal. Now
that the band edges have been defined* you
can go back and and mark whatever calibra-
tion intervals you wish for each band on
your tuning diaf 1 painted my dial white,
then used black dry transfer numbers for
this.
To listen to stations, connect an antenna
and select a band with SI. Set the volume
control at mid-range, then adjust the regen-
eration control (R7) until the detector breaks
into a "hiss," which indicates oscillation*
Slowly reduce the regeneration control until
the "hiss" just stops. You should now be
able to hear stations as the tuning control is
rotated. Sometimes the setting of the regcn-
eration control needs to be changed to main-
tain the "sweet spot*' from one end of the
tuning dial to the other within the same
band If you are hearing beat notes as you
tune across stations, the regeneration control
is advanced slightly too far for best AM re-
ception. This is a good way to find stations,
but once you've got one tuned in to "zero
beaL"' reduce the regeneration control a tad
36 73Amat&ur Radio Today *Apu\,^994
and you'll be in the "swcel spol" where sen*
sitivity« seleciiviiy, and fidelity of delected
audio aie all at their besL
The detector will require more vohage
from ihc regeneration control {R7) in order
to osciElaie on the 31 meter band, and le.ss
voltage to oscillate on the higher bands. If it
will not o&citlate sufficiently on the 3 1 meter
band, you can either turn the top (L3) slug in
the coil form in until oscillation is enough^
or play with the values of R6 and R8. When
everything is set up right, the regenetation
control will be one-quarier of its rotation
from the ground end for reception on the 13
meter band« three-quarters of it's rotation
from the ground end for reception on the 3 1
meter band* and somewhere in the middle
for all the other bands. My receiver needs 1 6
volts from R7 to worit on the 13 meter band
and 60 volts to work on the 31 meter band
To recieve signals below the 31 meter
band, you will need to make your L 1/2/3
coil larger (more inductance), and experi-
ment on your own with the values of the ca-
pacitors selected by SI. You'll also want to
use a larger capacitor for CI 9, say 50 pF, in
order to get sufficient bandspread on the
lower frequencies. With the coil specified in
Figure 4, you cannot receive well below the
31 meter band. This is because the regenera-
tive receiver likes to have a high "L'' to *'C'
ratio in its tuned circuit. Adding more capac-
itance to make the spcciHcd coil tune below
the 31 meter band mins the high '*L" to "C
ratio, resulting in a receiver that needs ex-
ces.sivc voltage from R7 in order to oscillate
and ruining the high selectivity of the circuit.
If you decide to calibrate the receiver for
the ham bands instead of the broadcast
bands, you'll find that CW is easy to copy.
To receive CW, the regeneration control is
set so ihai the detector is just starting to os»
cillate. This provides "autodyne'* reception.
The code signals can be luned in and will
give a beat note with each signal depending
on the setting of the tuning control. As the
receiver is tuned through a signal, the tone
first will be heard as a very high pitch, then
will go down through "zero beat" and rise
up again on the other side, finally disappear-
ing at a very high pitch. The same setting
of the regeneration control used for CW
reception will also allow SSB to be copied.
Tuning will be very criticaK but is easy to
do with the help of the 6:1 ball reduction
drive.
WliaLcvcr bands you calibrate your receiv-
er for, a few moments practicing tuning- in
stations will get you familiar with the way a
regenerative receiver operates and soon
you'll be an old pro at it. I guarantee that if
you've never played with one of these sets
before, the more you listen around the bands
the more you'll be ama/ed at w'hat a small
handful I of parts in a simple circuit can do.
And just maybe you*ll get to feel a little of
what it meant to be a ''real ham*' in the "old
days" when "everyone built their own rigs"
from whatever they could find laying
around!
See Paris List on page 38
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73 Amateur Radio Today* April, 1 994 37
Ctmtmued from page 37
Pari
B1
CI
C2
C3,24
C425.31
C5 .26.30
C6,8
C7,14
C9.11J3
C10,16
C12
CIS
C17
CIS
C19
C20
C21
022
C23
C27
028
029,34,35
032
C33
C37
0^2
D3.4.5.6
Fl
F2
LI .2.3
L4
LS,6
PL1
01
R1
R3
R4
R5
R6
R7
R8
Rg
R10
R11
R12
R13,14
SI
S2
T1
T2
T3
V1
V2
V3
Description
6 vdt, to Ah gel cefl
56 pF, 500V ceramic disk
0.02 ^F, 25V ceramic disk
0,02 pF, 5D0V ceramic disk
10 jiF, 400 V electrolytic
0.15 |iF, 50 V ceramki disk
6-25 pF ceramic trimmer
15 pF. &0OV sliver mica
10-40 pF ceramtc {nmnner
30 pF, 500V sih/er mira
68 pF, 500V silver mica
20 pF. 500V silver mica
39 pF, 500V sJtver mica
62 pF, 500V silver mica
25 pF air variaM
100 pF 500V silver mica
270 pR 500V silver mica
2500 pF, 500V silver mk::a
2^ pF. 250V etectroiytlc
0.0015 pF, 5Q0V ceramic (flsic
100 jiF. 50V etecirolytic
100 jif. 400V electrolytic
2 jjF, 150V non-polarized
1000 ^R 16V
0.1 pF.4O0V
600 PIV, 1A RS#276-t104
50PIV.3ARSf276 1141
F0250V 3mA
FO250V 4AS
Handwourid on 1/4' fomi
4 pH RF dbokQ
5H; 150 ohms DC ctroke
3-Wfr^ tine COfd set
MJ2955
560k ohm. 1/2W
330 ohm. 1/2W
22Kohm, 1/2W
4.3k ohm, 1/2W
3.3 megohm, 1/2W
10k ohm, 1/2W
50k ohm. l/2Wpot
27k ohm, V2W
250k ohm. 1/2W pot
2.4k ohm, 1/2W
Ik Ohm, 1/2W
660 ohm, 1/2W
470kohm. 1W
2 -pole, 6 -Position rotary
DPDT "ON-OFF-ON" toggle
Audio transformer, UTC
#TF5SX212Z, 1:2.5 ratio
prl = 1k ohm DC. sec = 6.5k ohm DC
ALfdio transformer, UTC
tTF4RXl3Yy.
prlZs 10k, 790otrm DC
sec 2^ 2k. 195 ohm DC
STANCOR #P-6376
dual 115V primaries
dual 6,3V. 2A secondaries
6AK5 sharp cut-oft pentode
6AB4 hj-mu triode
6C4 power tftode
Miscellaneous:
{3 ea.) 7-ptn nMaiuT^ sockel
(1 ea,) 6:1 ball beariog drive
(1 ea,) Bayonel laRip socket
(1 e^) i5l mimature lamp
(1 ea,) Hi-Z headphones
Parts List
Source (see
key betow) Substltutton Range
2
Larger current capacity
t^
33-100 pF
1*2
0.01-0.1 \xf
1^
0.01-0.1 mF
1^
10*100 |jF
1^
0.01-1 jiF
2
None*
1.2
Ceramic NPO type*
2
None'
1.2
Ceramic IMPO typo*
1^
Ceramic NPO type*
1.2
Ceramic NPO type*
1.2
Ceramic NPO type*
14J
Ceramic NPO type*
1.2.3
None'
1.2
47-??0 pF
1^
220-390 pF
1.2
680 pF-33(X} pF
12
1-5 mF
1.2
750 pF-0,0022 pF
1.2
10-150pF
ia.3
50-??0tiF
2,3
0.5-4 ^F non-potari^ed
1.?
470^,000 |iF
1.2
0.047-0.68 |iF
5
Any equivatent
5
Any equivalent
1.3
HonQ
1.3
Hone
12
None* {see Figure 4)
1.2,3
2.5^10 mH
12.3
See teid
12
5
RS#27G*2043
12
IOOk'1 MEG
12
100-560 ohm
12
iek-27k
12
2.2k^5.6k
12
1 MEG^.7 MBB
12
Ik^lOk
122
100k pel
12
10k 33k
1 2.3
lOOk-SOOkpot.
12
i,ek-3,3k
12
1k-4.7k
12
See teid
12
220k^1 fvlEG, 1W
2,3,4
2,3,4
122
Sea text
1 2.3
2.3
12
1,3
1.3
12.4
2,4
12
12
12.3
See text
See text
6AJ5,559S,5654.EF95
6664. EC92
561 0.61 00.61 35.EC90
4*
See letX
rr^ililary styles H-43B/U. H-23S/R, HS-16, or eqw,
Sut^tttution Notes Key:
none = Do rkot substfiute or omit for safety reasorYS.
none* = Values may be changed to tune different barwis.
Values may need to be vaned slightly to tune specified bands due to differences in stray wnng capacitances between your model and the prototype.
" = Way t?e omitted if desired.
Source Key^
I.J Antique Bedronic Supply. 6221 S. Maple Ave., Tempe A2 852^3
(602) 820-54 1 1 ; Fax: t602) 820-4643
3.) Fair Radio Sales, RO- Box 1106, 1106 E. Eureka Si, Unna OH 45802
(419) 223-2 19&227-6573: Fax: (419)227-1313
2.) Gateway Electronics. Inc.. 8123 Page Blvd,. St. Louis MO 63130
(314)427-6116
9222 Chesapeake Dr.. San DieQD CA 92123
(619)279^6602
4*) Surplus Sales of r^ebraslca. 1 502 Jor>es St. Omaha NE 681 02
(402) 346-4750; Fax: (402) 346-2939
&.) Racio Shade
3d 73 Amateur Radio Today • April . 1 994
45!^
2 Day
Delivery
'lip to 12 lb&. in CorFtinQfUal USA
800-
Fax (612)
-2891
Calt for Catalog
Ask for Ext. 22
Phone Hours
1-800-426-289t
M-F 8 am - 8 pm
Sat. 1 0 am - 5 pm
CST
^^^
pT-990
PT-890/AT]
po"«'S5M^
FT-736R
The new Fr-990 cofnbflnes
•labosictedinJceJ
fealufes of tiai ipfhoHhe-
sevetslnew S^"
atfvanc^ m bOEti '^^
tfansmio^ and ^*
Abt, 90 rTienKKie&. wide
dynamic ninge
andmudtmom'
Si 99995
■A blend of hjgh
fp&rfonnance fealiir^s
Ibofmwed (rom ihe FT-
tOOO family am cranbiriBdJ
iri iti^s aftofdabte
1/artsce^vfif. IFs^hrft,
variable notch filter
vanatife fKuse
bi3fl*tef .VOX and
antcnria tuner
afo included.
^1 31 9
'Smeflile and ailmooe
f2m/70cTn wofk gets
exCftirv^ with thi^ full*
l^hJtS transceiver.
Utiked tunfng, i2 unimk
meimories, 100 gf^nofaf
purpose memorms. and
(l>cim fcK 2 optkmaJ
modules otfering band
ext^istoiis for firn,
220MHz. on 2
GKtz ofiefBbcin.
1 71 9
Ft-IOOOD
Fun's fun. but you can to
veiy serious wth ttiis
tteavyduty ^<%^
compettlof. Dual ^
r^cofVQfs. 200 whM
output. 99 msfFsones
and f 08 de dynamic
ra;nge gitfies you the
perforTTancG
6000.
3855
^850S/ATj
[Kenwood s lechtnology
[ofKlows the TS-850S/AT
Iwith specs thai pface it
[af the lop ol amaleur
i^fio equipmenl
Automatic antenna
luner, 100 memofies.
three scan mode^, DDS,
digdal PLL syst&m
pfusmom.
fcoM
M 789'
\C^37
Thts Advanced
[transcohror toaiures DDS,
dual aJ^ienna pods, duai
VFOdspiay 101 ^.^^
fnemones, inlenuU "
a«i1enna lunef. boflHn ^
keyeraixJIOSdB
aynarrHC fiBtewE range.
Join ihe DX sceoe with
tetetrel design.
QUBIllltBflr
imifed
FX-840
FX-290Pj
This new ifansce^ver
Idollvi^rs the fun and
pedormance you're
kiofung lor while
slayan^ on a
bud^^ It h^ 100
watt output. 100
mefTXjnes. DBS, iFStiMt
FET fmttt end and a
genefal oovefi^e
Vi
fecewar
799^
Portable or
, I nubile,
ffhjfi 2
moler ell-
mode
Ifansceiver |
delivers
fun and function The
25 wetl linear amplifier
dips on in place dI an
optional banery case lo
extend your opera Lmg
tHjnzon
FTHI90R S6i^.95
FT-7S0R
S649j9a
569
KENWOOD
-f S.450S/ AT 1 1 tM\-732A|
"«ai::?£a
Acompact. igtitweig^ radM>
wtti lOOw&iffiisiritssion
cepeistftKs on al nine
amaieiA^ bands Huggod
rgiafaiity es fnaictied wih
leaeing^«dge electn:)nic&^
aulonudkc anienna luief ,
AJP sfSiem. affMJ DC^ lor
fineltmg.
OM
1359
lC-728
Attuned to the lasl-
moving woffd ol mobile
commufucatiofis, th^
duai-tiand transceiver
<^efs many features
indudung a deiachabfe
front paf^ in a
compact design.
\C-W21AT
FT-11R
[This new HT
packs the
^features you
want in a
smalt size. It
featyf es a new
alphanumerio
dr^^y, super
£It4iA pfofib,
new square
■Cr battery
design, lit
keypad, AM
aircraft
recc3ve. DSQ
onoode.
295
FT-5200j
The removable fronf
panel lets rhts ^^
duaJ bander f it *^ii3
ajiy Irtsia Elation, h ^
reatufes 50w o^ *^
on 2 meAars. 35w oyt
iKi TO rzentimeters, 32
memorii^. CTCSS
encxKfe and
PAGE mode
P B
57#
;£NV/OOD
I tM-24^ a
This 2 meter FM moOile
comes Gomplole with
extiB-targe display. DTMF
micrciphone. widr^ band
receive entd Hiurrunated
switcties.
369
1C-2GXATJ
fTho
IC'
7S&is
3 full
leDtured transceiver
provrding pleasurable HF
operation wilh features
such as passband tuning
and speech compres-
siofi. Perteci for
rnobile operation
Also ava viable
K:-729 with 5
meters
'i\fi
hV^
isK-
This now
I dual band
: offers
Innovative
features
i amateurs have
[come to expect
tfrom loom. Auto-
output power
: 5ele<^on, 70
[memories^ paosr
hiictloo. CTCSS.
and more.
frl
939'
«499
|Hfgh power
!*& compact
.'design set a
new
performance
pace. This
HT offers 40
memories
Die cast
case.
CTCSS. Its
ne* artd exciting
from Icom.
-tC2GX without
itev pad also
available
!"^
294
[The nauirest
member ot the
dual band
family. This
handheld sports
auto tone
search. 82
(nen^ofy
channels^
autofnalic
power off. buA-
n VOX, dwal if*-
band receive
f^^tiuire, btiillE'ifi
cross band
repeal function
arvlmore.
FT-530,
Mi
^:j^,
j^'-
P R
423
FT-5l00i
''^^^^^Ui
This dual (jand mobile
teatures lOO mem ones,
crciss band repeal.
IgMad keypad,
buii^ dufri^Kfif ^>>
andasmal "'-Z-
loed|3fint. Duai ^'
niranch c^tjpatiiiity
nDunds CMI this 50^35
^irallVHF/UHF
^ansoon^er,
Packet fsadv
P R
559^=
Small just got
smaller.
Kenwood's new
TH-22AT is in a
categoiy all its
own. Thts new
FM transeeiver
teaturea loag
battery life.
PTWF keypad.
uSer-fTierrdly
menu system, scan
functions 41 rrvemori^s,;
CTCSS eficode, OTSS,
and much more.
S295
FT-2200
This compact, tull-
featured mobile comes
with 49 memories.
10 DTMF autodial
mem*ones,
A.RS.. CTCSS
encode, diktat
£<9uelch andligl^ed
tseypad aw standard
features,
369
fCompQd and
■ confidont. this
dual band HT
sols exciting
new standards
fOf portable
€ommurkica-
Hoflsby
combining
simplicity of
opemtion with
a rTHiltiptJCfty
of teaiures.
^ico^,
co^^51i>^^
;-3230A;
Get ahead with duaJ
ttar^SMperKprtty. Even
Biough it cs loadod witi
many altractfve tunctjons
for complete dual band
cppabihty. it ^ compact
Uce a rTKVKHbwl
tianscerver.itflls
arrywheia; in anj^vehidla.
36 memortes, DwF
microphane. anj
495
iCBSSKF'-
.. jC-281
^ ^^|tc1H.Atoo
TNs now iG-2ai moWie
radio packs a iJiple punch
with Its mEiny teatures it
hosts IX)i1fUf> tl^nd 440
Mil rec^ve and a 9600
beud dela r^dio poft^ for
a piice lhafs hatd lo beat
The IOi%100 fe^bjr^s tri-
bandXcv^wnhfrorit
window cross
oamd St3Sd9S,
379
Not {Responsible For Typog^phicai Ermrs.
Expires
April1994
■Hiiees Subject To Change Wrthout Molfce.
Auttiorized Factory Warranty Center
W& lifter factory anlhofM^ yr^rrari'ly s^rvicjt fcr Icorn; K^nwoodi and Yae^u. We servkc^^ dirrn^kt^^ an6 models. Our cuiir»mer$ miky gand ar.y producit requiring ^rvice tn us. and wa
will t^andie tt for thoiti. This Is a Orte-stop seruiee Ibot ko^s ourcustonrvers Having more inn lh>an hassle in fhis hobby, it you need a cuslonr> cabl9 for pickotdrKl don't have time lo
make Jt. let us da IE Tar you. C.A.F. & M.A.R.S. TtiDdfi Ar* also Bvailabte ai rea&onabtn rales \a authorczed hams Qnly.
2683 County Road I, Mounds View, MM 55112
Meira: (612) 78^4475 ■ Nat'f Watts: 1-800-426^2091 • FAX (6t2) 7B6-6513
CIRCLE 153 ON READER SEFIVtCE CARD
Store Hours: U-F, 10:00 am - 0:00 pm, Sat, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
PtKHie Hours: M-F, 8:00 am - 8:00 pm. Sat., 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Number 11 on yaur Feedback card
A 2 Meter Half-Kilowatt
for $ 1 per Watt
Build this VHP amp using vacuum-tube technology!
f
by Steve KatzWB2WIK/6
Everybody wants a stronger signal, and
those operating 2 meters are no excep-
tion. In the car, it is economically feasible to
mn 170 walls RF output power or so on iKe
144 MHz band before the law of diminish-
ing returns sets in. Solid-state "brick" ampli-
fiers, which are powered by 13*8 volls DC,
abound. These little amplifiers cost about $2
to $2.50 per watt new, and often include a
built-in receiver preamp.
For the home station, tube-type amps are
much more cfficieni than solid-slate amps.
Example: Let's say you intend to use a 170-
wait-ouipui "brick" amplifier at home, and
its RF drive (input level) requirement is 30
watts to achieve full output. The amplifier
requires a regulated source of 13,8 VDC,
and draws 27 amperes at full power. To gen-
erate this 373 watts of DC power, you use a
commercially-manufactured linear power
supply that, to deliver 13.8V at 27A, re-
quires an input of 117 VAC
at 5 amperes. So, to run a
measly 170 watts RF output
power you arc consuming
585 VA (volt-amperes, the
AC equivalent of watts) ev-
ery lime you "push the pick-
le." To generate that 30
watts RF drive into the am-
plifier you are probably con-
suming ai least 100 VA
more. So, to run 1 70 wails
RF output, you ane consum-
ing 685 VA of AC power,
which is an ovemll efTicien-
cy level of about 25%.
The solid-state "brick"
amplifier is a convenience
which requires no tuning
across the band, but its effi-
ciency isn't very good, and
gets much worse at lower
power levels. If you want to
run higher power, the over-
all cost of doing so will sky-
rocket into the $3+ per watt
range as the regulated DC
power supply requirements
become unwietdly. 1 can un-
derstand using solid-state amps for the car,
truck, boat, or RV, since the normal power is
13.8 VDC. But at home, when you use an
outboard solid-state amp, you are first
down-converting power from 117V (or
234V) AC to 13.8 VDC, then up-converting
thai to useful RF energy*
While modem "switch- mode" regulated
pov^'er supplies are 90% efficiem, most hams
aren't using these because of their cost. In*
stead, they'll using old-fashioned "series
regulator" linear power supplies, which are
terribly inefficient, wasting a lot of power as
hcaL Not only that, but ihe "no-nine" solid-
state amps can only be optimized at one
power level (typically the highest power
they can run) and lose efficiency quickly as
the power level is reduced. Tlie no-tune sol-
id-state amps will not allow you to transmit
into a mismatched load, should you ever
need to, because they all have VSWR pro-
Photo A. Top
ble ai cemen
Piew of ihe RF deck. The 856()A external anode leirode is visi-
wifh ibe plate tank circuit to the right.
tecfion circuits in them that shut down if the
SWR gets high. Most also include a thermal
overload protection circuit which shuts them
off if they gel too hot — and they do get
mighty hot, especially under high duty-cycle
service. Yuck! What's a ham to do?
T^ibe Amplifiers
How about taking a giant step backwards
in technology and using a tube amplifier in-
stead? Tubes are still heavily used in modem
high-powered transmitters and amplifiers,
and for good reason: They tend to develop
more gain and operate at higher efficiency
levels, especially at higher radio frequencies,
than transistors do. Not only that» but reason-
ably-priced tubes are available that will op-
erate at a linear I kilowau output (per tube)
without the need for complicated combining
networks and extremely high-current regu-
lated DC power supplies. (To run 1 kW out-
put power ai 50% .stage effi-
ciency using 28 VDC transis-
tors requires a 71.4 amp power
supply, the cost of which could
exceed that of the rest of the
amplifier,) Sure, tube amps
usually require tuning, but in
the shack, where the operator
has access to a wattmeter and
tuning controls, this is not a se-
rious drawback.
How efficient can wc make a
2 meter tube amplifier? Very ef-
ficient. We can use a lube cir-
cuit that is about 65% efficient
mnning class AB2 , and a pow*
er supply thai is 90% efftcienu
Under these conditions, that
400 watt amp would consume a
mere 684 VA of AC power, an
overall efficiency level of
58.5% (compare this to the
25% solid-slate scenario de-
scrit>ed earlier). This will gen-
erate far less heat, and result in
a much lower electric bill for
the operator Can this be practi-
cal? Surely,
There are two more neat
40 73 Amateur Radio Today April \994
April 29, 30 & May 1, 1994
General Chairman, Dave Grubb, KC8CF
Asst. General Chairman, Ken Allen, KB8KE
# Giant 3 day Flea Market
# Exhibits
# Activities for the Non-IHam
Information
General Information: {513) 276-6930
or, write to
Hamvention, Box 964, Dayton, OH 45401-0964
Lodging Information: (513) 223-2612
(No Reservations by Phone)
Flea Market Information: (5 1 3) 276-6932
Lodging
Please write to Lodging, Dayton Hamventfon, Chamber
Plaza, 5th & Main Streets,
Dayton. OH 45402-2400 or refer to our 1993 Hamvention
program for a listing of hotel/motels in the Dayton area.
Special Awards
Nominations are requested for Amateur of the Year, Special
Achievement and Technical Excellence awards. Refer to ttie
Hamvention Program for nomination form or contact
Hamvention Awards Chaimnan, Box 964
Dayton, OH 45401-0964,
1994 Deadlines
Award Nominations: March 1
Advance Registration and Banquet
USA - April 8 Canada - April 1
Flea Market Space: February 1
Flea Market
Flea Market Tickets (valid all 3 days) will be sold IN
ADVANCE ONLY. No spaces sold at gate. A maximum of 3
spaces per person (non-transferable). Electricity is available
in a portion of the last Flea Market row for $40 additional per
space. Rental tables and chairs are not available in the Flea
Market. Vendors MUST order an admission ticket when
ordering Flea Martcet spaces. Please send a separate check
for Flea Market space(s) and admission tjcket(s). Spaces will
be allocated by the Hamvention committee from all orders
received by February 1. Please use 1st class mail only.
Notification of Flea Market space assignment will be mailed by
March 15, 1994. Checks will not be deposited until after the
selection process is complete.
License Exams
Novice thru Extra exams scheduled Saturday and Sunday
only. Send FCC form 61 0 (Aug 1 985 or later ) - with requested
elements shown at top of form, copy of present license and
check for prevailing rates (payable to ARRI7VEC) to Exam
Registration, 708 Mapleside Dr, Trotwood, OH 45426
Free bus service
Free bus service will be provided between Hamvention and
our satellite parking areas. In addition, some motels may offer
transportation to Hamvention.
HAMVENTION Is sponsored by the Dayton Amateur Radio Association Inc.
Advance Registration
Enclose check or money order for amount indicated in
U.S. dollars and type or print your name and address ciaariy.
Make checks payable to:
Dayton HAMVENTION Mail to -
Dayton Hamvention Box 1446, Dayton, OH 45401-1446
Flea Market tickets Please enclose two checks
□ Send admission tickets only if flea market space(s) assigned.
ij Send admission tickets regardless of flea market space assignment.
Name
Call
Address
City
State
Zip4'4
Daytime Phone # ( )
Evening Phone # ( )
Admission
(valid all 3 days)
Grand Banquet
Alt. Act, Luncheon
(Saturday)
(Sunday)
Rea Market i
{Max.3 spaces) ,
Efectricfty
Covered tent
add
Ho IV Many
S1 1 .00*
© $22,00
**
.© S8.50
.esd.oo
.S30/1 space
.S60/2 adjacent
^$1 50/3 adjacent
.$40.00/space
$21 5,00 ea.
$.
$
$.
$.
Total $
* $14.00 at door
**$24.00 at door, if available
:t Admission tid<ei must be
ordered mth flea matket tickets
Photo B. Side view of fhe RF ciecL Note the two panel meietx RF IN and RF OUT jacks,
meter niting, and Dow*Key Rf relays.
things about tubes. If operated in driven-grid
configuraiion, many power tetrodes will de-
velop about 20 dB gain. Addilionally, tubes
don*t mind heat; in fact, they need it to
work. While transistors; must be derated for
operation at high temperatures, and wilt fait
if operated too hot. tubes don't require such
denuing and most power lubes are intended
to be operated at seal temperatures ex-
ceeding 200 degrees C, where no normal
transistor witl survive. Ever see the out-
put power of your solid-state amp start to
fall off as it gets hot? This won*i happen
with tubes.
Finding an Amplifler
We could sian "from scratch** and build
an amplifier from sh^ts of aluminum, using
a special (and cosily) tube socket with
spring-finger stock contacts* an air duct
4^2. 2KV
Fiptn* J. Plate and screen dtruilforlm halfkHowait amp power supply.
chimney, precision -made anode resonators
and so fonh. but whyl There are plenty of
commercially- made surplus RF amptitlers
out there which will tune up on 2 meters,
available for less than the cost of a single
tube. Problem is, most of the surplus comes
without dt>cumeniaiion, and often without a
power mpply. Many Limes a power supply
was so big and heavy it was left behind
when the amplifier was removed. Some-
times the original power supply was de-
signed to be used on something other than
standard 1 17 VAC power StilK it is easier to
find a high-powered ^'RF deck" (amplifier
without a power supply) than it is a com-
plete unit. So if you find a surplus ^'RF
deck*' for a good price, don't hesitate to buy
it; the power supply is the easy pan and,
along with control circuitry* meters, and a
relay or two* it can be converted into a great
base-station amplifier for little cost or effort.
I stumbled across a beautiful VHF RF
deck at the local swap meet. Tve seen simi-
lar units at the Dayton Ham vent ion and in
the pages of various surplus outlet catalogs.
If you want to find a 2 meter RF deck, the
key is to look for one that originally covered
the 150 MHz band (typically 150-174 MHz)
so little or no convention to the RF circuitry
will be required. The deck was unlabeled,
but it looked like a VHF unit, and a quick
check with my trusty Millen 90651 grid-dip
meter confirmed that its plate tank circuit
resonated at 150 MHz. When I got it home, I
checked the tuning range of both the input
and output circuits and was pleased to find it
tuned right down to 140 MHz without modi-
fication.
This deck (sec photos) cost
me $100. and was worth the
price, since it contained an
Eimac 8560 A condiiciion-cooled
power tetrode thai normally re-
tails for about $190; plus, the
mating tube sockeu beryllium-
oxide thermal link, anode heat
sink, and all tuning circuitry.
The 8560A is a conduciioii-
cooled version of the famous
4CX250B> and its ratings are
idcnticaL but it requires no
forced-air cooling, blower, air-
system socket or chimney. It is
rated for literally unlimited an-
ode power dissipation, as long as
the anode and base seal tempera-
tures can be maintained below
250 degrees C. and this will be a
function of power input, effi-
ciency, and the size of the heal
sink used. In the unit pictured^ I
was able to run 400 watts RF
output powder for about 20 min-
utes before the heat sink became
uncomfortablv warm — that's
when 1 decided to add an out-
board "muffin fan" to blow a
cooling airstrcam across the heat
sink. If you find a deck with a
different tube {c.g„ 4X1 50A;
7034; 4CX250B; 7203; 7580W;
«GNO
42 73 Amateur Radio Today * April , 1 994
AC^
AC
GND
6V e Z.6A
S560A
-1S0V
R13
Kit
R14
Bias
AdJ,
ASfiQA
Qrid
R15
Rttlny Shown In
SlBndby/n«(^elve Position
Kib.
♦12V Keyed
■3E
C11
cia
=- Antenna ftetay
To f^'O^ Voltage WIreJ +2.2KV
^^ 8560A
»+'*
^ Plata
To ^
-A
( J'^aPp
}
V
_l .
Tci ^
-*02 >JL
Q-afo,)
*x
m J
^0 6VAC
^ asflflA
FJL
^ Plr 3 or 7*
T^o -ifiO/-SS VDC Keyed
^SSflflA
Grid
^ Can tar Pin
__ +320VDC
^ SSflfiA
iSj ^
^ Pin 1
•Whichever f^irt l» NOT Qrotifided |
(Crieck With Ohmmeter)
1
Figure 2. Bias, fdatnenu oiid conttvl circuiifor 2m half kilowmi amp.
or 4CX250R) it should still work fine, but if
[hey require air-cooiing you'll need to make
sure [hat [he original blower, chimney and
ductwork are opemtionah
I decided to make one initial chanee to the
RF circuitry, I ngted that the manufacturer
used mica chip capacitors to bypass the
screen pin of the mbe ai its socket, but used
no further decoupling close Lo the lube base.
This is a huge ''no-no*' that could result in
unstable operation, so I added a 220 ohm, 1
wall carbon resistor in series with ihc screen
lead, right at the tube socket, and bypassed
the ^'power supply end'' of this resisior with
a 0.01 jiE 1 kV ceramic disc capacitor {zero
lead length) to ground. This adds consider-
able RF decoupling for the screen and is ro:-
ommended for any power tetrode that is not
operating grounded-grid. Vd found from
many years of experimenting with similar
tubes that a carbon resistor works better ihan
an RF choke at this point in the circuit since
it offers more wideband decoupling with lit-
tk fear of resonance and regeneration (insta-
bility). It is safe to use a resistor in the
screen lead, as it is in the grid bias lead^
since the current drawn by these elements is
very small
The Power Supply
The next step was to design and build a
modest power supply for the amplifier. The
power supply circuit is very simple. The
high- voltage (plate) supply is a simple full-
wave, center- tap rectifier providing 2200
VDC at 500 mA, filtered by five 250 pF,
450W VDC electrolytic capacitors in scries.
The total filler capacitance is 50 pF, quite a
To
Powar
Supply
NO
lot for a 500 mA load. Each capacitor is par-
alleled by a 50k ohm» 20W wirewound resis-
tor to equalize the voltage across each one.
(Please note: Feel free ro use something else,
if you have it. A
single. 20 |iF, 2500
to 3000 VDC oil-
filled capacitor
would serve the
purpose here.) The
rectifiers are
Semtech *'Slimpac"
type SCH7500. rat-
ed 7.5 kV at 500
mA each^ found at
the Local swap meet
for $2.50 each.
This approach was
cheaper and more
effective than using
big strings of low-
er-voltage diodes
with bridging ca-
pacitors and resis-
tors. If you can't
find Slimpacs or
something similar^
**do your own
thing" and come up
with another solu-
tion, [n lieu of each
Slimpac, four type-
IN4007 diodes in
series with a 470k
ohm, 1/2 watt resis-
tor across each one
would work-
To meter the B+
figure J. IntercatmeciiORS for 2m half kihwail
amp.
(high voltage), I used a 0- 1 mA DC panel
meter in series with two 2.4 megohm, 2W
resistors and a 250k ohm "calibration" po*
leniiomeier. which is used to adjust the me-
ter for accuracy. Because I wanted to meter
both high voltage and plate current remotely
from the power supply (the meters are on the
RF deck), I used a separate B-' (high volt-
age return) lead in the power cable between
Antenna
w
Feedllna
To Afitenni
Amptlllar
Out
NC
Ccaxiai
f
c*bm
nftlffys Shown tn
sundry /Receive Poijtion
To
J3
K2
K3
Attanuaior At Amp tnptit
Input
tin
Radio/
R«isy^
R17 - R21
R22 - R2G
^VSAA^_^
^
R27 - 029
i ^ -^
Oittput
(To Amp
Input
Jack)
R17 - RZ1; 5 m 7S0 Ohm. 2Wi Carbon
RZZ - HZ6: 5 X ISO Ohm, 2W, Carbon
R27 - R2d: 3 t 4T0 Ohm. 2W. Carbon
Use Short Leads For AIM
Figure < Smiion connection for 2m half kilowatt amp.
73 Amateur Radio Today* April, 1994 43
Photo C. View fnmt under the power supply chassis. Note the stx
high-vnitage eledmlyiics. The bleeder resistors are on the other si(fe
of the pe^ board.
Photo D. The completed, modified RF deck mnv inviudes panel
tneters, a grid him adjustment pot, and a standln' switck
them, and mcL\surcd Ip (phLc current) in Ihc
negative lead — much safer than measuring
in ihc *V' lead, which Is floating 2200 VDC
above ground!
The screen power supply is a full-wave
bridge rectifier which develops +320 VIXT
at about 25 mA, It is noi electronically regu-
laied. and many feel thai screen supply regu-
lation is key to linearity in letrode ampli'
fiers. Howe%'er. it is very stable because the
supply is very well filtered by a 250 fiF ca-
pacitor and a 10k ohm, 20W ''bleeder" resis-
tor provides a 32 mA constant load. This
load is about 10 limes more than the screen
currcni drawn by the tube itself, so the sup-
ply vohage doesn't change when the ampli-
fier is run from ''key up" to "key down/'
Electronic regulation with gas lubes or zener
diodes wouldn*t be much better than this.
For the screen current, negative-lead me-
tering is also used. I used the same 0-1 mA
meter that is used for plate current, with a
0.5 ohm. I wati precision resistor as a meter
shuni. The shunt resistor is located in the
power supply, not across the meter iiself, to
keep the return lead close to ground poten*
tial. Possibly the screen current needn't even
be monitored, since in operation the amplifi-
er rarely draws any measurable screen cur-
rent. However, monitoring screen currcni is
useful for tuning the amplifier. You" 11 also
note on the schematic that 1 used a 1/16
amp, fast-blow fuse in the screen return
lead. This will open in the unlikely event the
tube tries to draw excessive screen current.
(This series of tubes has grid and screen
structures which are far more fragile than
the cathode or plate, and excessive screen
current destroys more power tetrodes than
almost any other problem.)
By ihe time I was finished building the
plate and screen power supplies into the lit-
tle 10" X 12" X 3" chassis, there wasn't much
room left for the filament transformer and
grid bias power supply. Besides, I wanted to
mount a "muffin" fan on the power supply
chassis to exhaust the hot air generated by
the plaie and screen "bleeder" resistors. Af-
ter all, 35 watts are being dissipated under
this power supply chassis, beginning imme-
diately after the *X)N" switch is thrown.
No problem: There was sufficient room
on and around the RF deck panel to mount
the rest of the components necessary for op-
eration. Before mounting sensitive parts like
meters and relays, I performed all the
drilling and hole-punching. Punching the 1-
3/4" holes required for the two meters was a
real task because this particular amplifier
deck used a solid-steel l/8"-thick panel.
Ugh! Using a *'wrench-handle extender" on
the socket wrench turning the lead screw to
a chas,sis punch, and after much grunting
and groaning, the meter holes were finally
completed,
I mounted the filament tninsformcr, bias
transformer, relay (to switch bias for the
lube and to activate the antenna relays) and
other components on the left-hand side of
the panel and the rear chassis of the RF
deck. Why did I use a 12.6 volt filament
transformer for a 6 volt tube filament? Be-
cause I had one, that's why! And a conven-
tional filament transformer of 6.3 volts
would provide excessive vohage for the tube
filament, anyway — these tube 11 laments are
rated 6.00 VAC at 2.6 amperes and they do
tw! last long with 6J volts applied to them.
So, a small resistor (or a Variac on the irans-
former primary) would be required in either
case. I used 2,5 ohms total resistance be-
tween the 12-6V transformer and the tube
filament: one 2.2 ohm, 20W and one 03
ohm. 5W wircwound (precision) resistor,
both purchased from All Electronics for a
total of S2. This results in exactly 6 volts AC
at the tube base.
I found a 1 20V: I OV transformer for about
a dollar and used it, wired in reverse, to pro-
vide grid bias from a half- wave rectifier cir-
cuit. The bias rectifier and filter produce
-160 VDC (remember, grid bias is negative,
so the rectifier and capacitor must be wired
as shown) which is then adjusted to the
proper levels with a three-resistor %'oltage di-
vider made up of the 3Jk ohm, lOW; Ik
ohm, 5W potentiometer and 1 .75k ohm, 5W
resistors shown on the schematic. The relay
Kl .switches the operating bias to the tube
from 160 VDC (cutoff, for * standby") to
about -55 VDC ("openiie'l when activated
by an outside keying source that simply goes
to ground on transmit. Most rigs have such a
keying line* The power for the relay coil
comes from a small rectifier/filter circuit
that is driven by the 12.6 VAC line from the
filament transformer I also used reverse-
voltage "spike" suppression (in the form of a
diode across the relay coll) to prevent "kick-
back" voiiage from the relay coil from dam-
aging sensitive keying circuits in the radio
used 10 key the amp.
Even if you don't understand its theory,
you can make this amplifier workl If you
follow instructions and schematics exactly,
and have someone check your wiring, the
thing has to work. It's essen(ially foolproof.
I used another set of contacts on relay Kl
to provide +12 VDC for keying the antenna
relays, which are a pair of conventional
"Dow Key" {Kilovac Corp., Santa Barbara,
California) RF relays which bypass the amp
on receive ("standby") and place the RF am-
plifier circuit in the line on transmit. I also
added a "standby" switch. This switch
breaks the DC line to the relay Kl so that it
will not key, even when the exciter is keyed
to transmit Thus, with the switch in **stand-
by," the exciter will run straight through the
antenna relays and run "barefoot"; with the
switch in "operate," the amp wilt be keyed
into the line. What could be simpler? (The
Kilovac Dow Key relays are exircmely high-
quality devices offering belter performance
at VHP than the circuit-board-mounted re-
44 73 Amateur Radio Today • April , 1 994
(1) ^^ careful. There are lots of hazards
associated with cansiruction and operation
of this equipment, especially when lethal
volEages are involved. Even the mechanical
work can be hazardous: You'll be using
hacksaw blades, drill bits, chassis punches
and other sharp tools. Work slowly and
carefully, minding the old saw, ^'Measure
twice, cut once," and you'll be more as-
sured that all the cutting will be on the
mclal and noi on your fingers. Use only
high-voltage insulated wire for all the plate
voltage wiring: the correct wire isn*t ex-
pensive or rare.
(2) Don^l operate high-powered equip-
ment without all shielding covers in place.
Load the amplifier only with a shielded
dummy load connected by a well-shrelded
coaxial cable, or an antenna located at least
20 feet from yotir operating position and
other people.
(3) Don't meter the B-*-! If you want to
measure plate current, meter the B- (p)atc
voltage minus return lead) instead, Plasttc-
faced meters arc not rated to withstand
2200 volts and represent a hazard.
(4) Operate only equipment using three-
wire AC power cords^ with the ground lead
firmly connected to the power supply chas-
sis and the plug installed in a three-wire
grounded outlet. When wiring the AC line
cord in the power supply, make the ground
lead {usually green) the longest wire, an
inch or two longer than the "hot" lines
(black and white), so that in the event the
Construction Tips
line is pulled very hard from the chassis,
the ground lead will be the last to break or
become disconnected.
(5) Cover or protect all exposed poten-
tially hazardous connections, including the
I [7 VAC line. Use a generous ''glop" of
RTV sealant and allow it to cure before
turning anything on. And even then, be
carefuL
(6) Some of the resistors in the schemat-
ic will dissipate a lot of power, generating
considerable heat. Their surfaces get hoi
enough to bum your skin, even when oper-
ating within their ratings. Conceal these so
they are out of reach and t)e careful not to
touch them during and immediately after
operation,
(7) Use expert soldering techniques.
Don't just wrap stranded wire around or
through a terminal point and solder — it*s
bound to have stray "whiskers" which
could short against other surfaces. Pre-tin
all stranded wires carefully before wrap-
ping and soldering. This is not just safer,
it*s more attractive. Take pride in construc-
tion— it only lakes a little effort lo do a
professional job.
(8) When measuring the output of this
amplifier use only an instrument which
can be trusted at this frequency and power
level. The Bird Electronics Model 43 Thru-
line is an appropriate instrument. Many
wattmeters are sold that proclaim very
wide bandwidth and power ratings (e.g„
L8 lo 144 MHz. 20 to 2000 watts all in one
meter)* but these are not precise instru-
ments, and they are not only unlikely to
measure accurately but they may even biun
up.
(9) Use real coaxial relays. The best
deals arc on surplus "Dow Key'' type coax-
ial relays. Use either two SPDT (single-
pole, double-throw) coax relays back-to-
back as shown, or a single DK260 type
DPST coaxial bypass relay, which is
speci Ileal ly made for this application. Fve
seen the DK60 variety (SPDT Dow-Key
with UHF connectors) at swap meets for
$15 each surplus. These are great buys!
Very little else has ever been manufactured
that works as well for so reasonable a
price.
(iO) Use coaxial cable capable of han-
dling this power at 144 MHz, RC58/U and
similar small-diameter cables will not cut
it, even for very short jumper connections.
RG8X ("Mini 8") might work, but you'd
be better oil using cable that is well within
its ratings at 400W and 144 MHz, such as
RG213/U, 9913, etc,
(11) Whichever RF deck you Start out
with, get a copy of the manufacturer's data
sheet on the tube and heed its advice. Most
of these external-anode tetrodes require
120 seconds warm-up time before applying
operate bias and drive. If you inadvertantly
key the amp shortly after turning it on, you
risk blowing the tube — and as **cheap" as
they are* a new one can cost from $65 to
$170, depending on which tube you use.
lays in commercial solid-state amplifcrs.
Unlike the little relays used in soltd-state
amps, these big units have absolutely no loss
at 144 MHz. and perform very well up to
500 MM?.. They are expensive, but can be
found surplus for about $15 each.)
You might notice thai 1 didn't meter the
grid current. Feel free to do so! But this am-
plifier is so easy to drive that I added a 3 dB,
50 ohm attenuator ("pad") in series with its
inpul jack. I still turn the RF drive level on
my exciter, a Yaesu FT736R, nearly all the
way down when 1 use it, preventing exces-
sive grid current, 1 have measured the
8560A grid current during bench tests by
breaking into the bias circuit with my trusty
VOM, and the grid current for proper opera-
tion is just about zilch. It kicks to maybe 1
mA on voice peaks on SSB when running
the amplifier at 400 W PEP output power
Not bad! Since this tube is rated for 2 watts
grid dissipation, the grid current could be as
high as 18 mA or so in linear service, but
drawing this much grid current means some-
thing is very wrong. Believe me, there's no
reason for any grid current to flow in order
to produce a strong and healthy signal.
I used silicone-based RTV sealant on all
expoised potentially hazardous connections,
the most hazardous of which is probably the
117 VAC line, which has exposed connec-
tions at the fans and on the screen trans-
former.
Results with this SI per watt amplifier
have been gratifying. (Note: TTie $1 per watt
includes the cost of the original RF deck,
plus all power supply components. RF re-
lays, meters, fans, power supply chassts« ca-
bles and cords, etc., and still leaves room in
the budget for buying QSL cards to confirm
all the great contacts you will make. The
amplifier has a power gain of about 250:1
until it saturates and requires only 2 watts
drive for full (400W) output power. To
achieve 200W output » less than 3W drive is
required. Driving with my ICOM IC2AT
"handie-talkie** just for fun (and keying the
amp with a clip-lead lo activate ihc relays),
the unit produced more than 50 watts output
when using the HT in the low power posi-
tion (rated 150 mW output)! Just try to do
thai with transistor!
I used this amp oo-the-air in the "VHF
Spring Sprints" 2 meter mini-contest the
evening of April 9, 1990, and made contact
with every single station heard, including
many up in the Bay Area, some 4(X) miles to
the north. 1 used a little F9FT "Tonna**
ponable yagi. nine elements on a 10' long
boom.^ temporarily installed on a Radio
Shack 19" **slip-up" mast. My location for
this four-hour exercise was Saddle Peak, a
2800* hill very close to my home*
Tuning this amplifier couldn't be simpler
Apply power to the amplifier and, after wait-
ing two full minutes for the tube to warm up,
key the amp with no drive power and adjust
the "idling" plate current to about 80 mA us-
ing the grid bias adjust poteniiometer (Ik,
5W resistor in the grid bias circuit). Then
apply a small amount of RF drive and peak
all controls on the amplifier for maximum
RF output power Apply slightly more drive
and rcpeak for maximum output. When the
RF output reaches about 400 watts after ev-
erything is peaked, reduce the drive slightly
until the output drops off just a bit, maybe
down to 375W or so. No further tuning is re-
quired.
When the amp is properly tuned to reso-
nance and maximum output, the !p {plate
current) should be about 300 mA, screen
current anywhere from zero to 5 mA, and
grid current neariy zero. If you use my pow-
73 Amateur Radio Today* AprW, 1994 45
er ivupply design and are connected to a^
"stiff 117 VAC line (normal house wiiing
should be sufficient), the phte voltage will
tsc 2200 VDC 'key up" and 2000 VDC "key
down" at full power. Of course, this will de-
pend on exactly what plaie transformer you
use.
Don't be afraid to cxperiinenl! The
4CX25D family of tubes, including the
8560A used here, will perform very nicely
with plate voltage anywhere from 1600V to
about 2500 VDC. Screen voltage can be
from about 275V to 365 VDC, as long as
it is stable. The operating bias should be
adjustable, as shown, to allow for variations
in the other voltages and in the tubes. The
ampliner power gain will not be quite as
high as l*ve stated if you use reduced plate
and/or screen voltages, but it will still have a
ioi of gain, especially compared with solid-
siiite,
Eimoc only rates the tube for a maximum
plute voltage of 2000, so using this series of
tubes at higher plate voltages is done al the
user's risk. However, Tve used these tubes
for years at 2500 VDC with no ill effects. As
slated earlier, filament voltage, screen power
and grid power are the critical parameters on
these iut>cs, much more so than plate voltage
or even plate power.
Any deck using this series of popular
tubes and originally intended for VHF ser-
vice should work. Try Fair Radio Saks. The
military surplus AM-9I2/GRC is a wonder-
ful unit that Fair has sold for vears for about
$90 (a great buyS) which tunes 100-225
MHz and uses a single 4X1 50A, But there's
a multitude of commercially-made RF decks
out there using these lube types, and many
Surplus Electronic Outlets Likely to Have RF Decks
and Other Required Parts
AH Beciranics Corp-
1492SOxnardSL.
VanNuysCA91406 {800^^6<5432
(Miscellaneous electronic parts.)
Apex Electronics
8909 San Fernando Rd.
Sun Valley C A 91352
(Miscellaneous electronic parts, especially power
iranstormerB, HV capacitors, relays, meters, etc)
Davilyn Corp,
13406 Saticoy SI,,
No. Hollywood CA 91605
(Miscelianeous electronic parts including
complete RF decks, power tubes and socKets.)
Fair Ptadio Sales
1016 E- Eureka. (P.O. Box 1105)
Uma OH 45802 (41 9J 227-6573
(Miscellaneous electronic parts Including
complete BF decks, power tubes and sockets,
blowers, trar^sfomiers, capacitors, elc.)
Surplus Sales o! Nebraska
1502 Jones St.
Omaha NE 68102 {402)346-4750
{Miscellaneous electfonic parts Preluding OOfli-
plete RF decks^ power tutxes and sockets » etc.:
also Ten- Tec cabinets, Collins parts, etc. to
dress up your project!)
Tucker Electronics
1717 Reserve St.
Garland TX 75042
(214) 348-8800, (800) 527^642
(Sometimes has compieJe, operaiional equip-
ment)
AJl these dealers ptjblisli catalogs or flysfteets
featuring ilieir current "goodies/ and all sell by
mail order Fair Radio has been an excellent
source Of complete RF decks, with or without
power supplies, fof a r^umber of years. If you
dor>'t see or^e in their catatog. catl them I Also
search your tocal ftea marKets or swap meets,
and contact your local two-way radio shops
(found in the Yellow Pages) tor possible surplus
commerciat gear taken out of repeater service.
will cover the 2 meter ham band. Since a
new tube, socket and chimney for a
4CX250B will cost much more than $1(X),
any amplifier using them and available for
abou! this price is a lerriHc deal.
A bit of scrounging, and a few hours work
building the power supply and control cir-
cuitry described t^re, is all it will take to be
a "big signal" on 2. Oh, by the way: I'd slay
away from FAA VOR transmitters for use
Of! 2 meters. Since they were designed for
frequencies much lower than 144 MHz, my
experience has been that most won't tune up
to 2 meters, and the conversion to the RF
drcuilry isn't worth the effort.
Please feel free to write me (21! 01 Celtic
Street, Chatsworih CA 91311; Fax: SI 8
349-8264) with questions regarding this, or
the conversion of other commercial/military
gear which will make useful amplifiers for
VHF/UHF service. Tve converted a lot of
ihem, but many require literally no conver-
sion. Good luck, and good DXing on 2
meters!
Parts List
BLl.Bta
Botron "rnuHin' fans, 4-1/2" square, 117 VAC
R6, R7
2.4 megohm, 2 watt, l%or2% precision high volt^tge resistors
C1-C5.C7
250 pF. 450V eleclrolytk;
(ceramic or glass insulation)
C6
0.001 }jR 3 kV ceramic
R8
250k ohm. 1 watt potentiometer (HV meter caJIbmtlori)
ca,cii-ci3
0.001 \iF, 1 kV ceramic
m
1 ok ohm. 20 wa t1 wifewound i
C0
250 mF. 250V electrolytic
RIO
0.5 ohm 1% or 2%. 1 watt precision
CIO
1000 |iF. 25 V electrolytic
B11
2^ ohm. 20 vvatt wirewour>d
D1-D11
1N4007 (1000 PIV, 1A recttrier)
R12
0.3 ohm. 5 watt wi rewound
F1
10A 125 VAC "5k^t^k>' fuse
R13
3.5k ohm. 10 wan wire wound
F2
1/16 125V 3AG fuse (special item)
R14
Ik ohm, 5 watt wi rewound potenttomeler (grid bias adjust)
HVR1 , HVR2
Sefntech SCH75O0 ot equivalent (7.5k V PIV,
R15
1750 ohm. 5 wan wi rewound
500 mA reclifief assemtJEies)
R16
SSO ohm, 1^2 watt cartxHi
Ji.a2
RCA phono receptactes
Bl7^R2t
750 ohm. 2 watt carbon (on y): Do not use wJrewound.
K1
DPDT relay, 12 VDC coil (norvcifttcal: Radio Shack
R22'R26
160 ohm, 2 watt carbon (on y}: Do not use wi rewound.
Item or surplus)
R27'R29
470 ohm, 2 watt carbon (on y): Do not use wirewound.
K2, K3
DK60 Dow-Key SPOT coaxfal relays
SI
SPST, 15 amp rated AC toggle (AC power ON-OFF)
LED1
High-Intensity LED. panel mount
S2
SPST, 3 amp rated min toggle (STBY OPERATE)
Ml
0-1 inA cm:; panel meter (wi 1 read 0-5000 VDC plate
T1
Plate transformer. 117 VAC primary: 3000V C.T
voltage when used with R6-H8)
(center-lapped) secondary, 1/2 ampere continuotts rated
M2
Plate current meter Can be 0^500 mA tX^ used wrthout shunt;
(a 750 rriA "intermittent duty* transfonnef is okay).
or. a 0-50 mA CX; meter may be used with a 0. 1 ofim shunt
12
Screen IransJonner. 117 VAC primary: 225V seconrtary.
resistor; or. a 0-5 mA DC meter may be used with a 0-0 1 ohm
100 mA rated.
shunt resistor, Use ¥vhatever you can find. arxJ select shunt
73
117 VAC pnmary: 12.6V secondary, 3 amps continuous
value as appropriate.
rated. CouJd be drffereni secondary voltage (6,3V. 10V. etc.)
M3
0-1 mA DC panel meter (will read 00-100 mA DC screen
but if a different rating ts used, this will affect the values for
current when used with RiO).
R11, R12, R13. R14, RIS, etc, RecommerwJ slaying with the
PI
Three-prong (grounding) 125 VAC plug, ISA
originat tafir^g shown unless you (ike to experimenl.
PLl
125 VAC pilot lamp assembiy. panel mount
T4
117 VAC primary: 10V secondary, 1 amp rated
R1-R5
40k ohm. 20 watt wi rewound
(wired in "reverse" as shown on schematic, with the lOV
winding used as the primary for this design).
46 73 Amateur Radio Totfay* April, 1994
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by Steve Katz WB2WIK/6
My anicle called *The Hows and Whys
uf Coaxial Cable" in the May 1993 is-
sue of 73 created a lot of reader response.
Some readers asked about low-loss 50 ohm
coax, which is more flexible and easier to
use than the popular Bclden 9913 btit siill
has the same excel Icni cleciiical properties.
Tvc been using Bclden 9913 since its first
appearance on the market about eight years
ago and JVe always had very pleasant re-
sults, although there are some caveats in the
use of this air dielectric cable which I ,
discussed in the May article.
Fve searched for years for a suit-
able substitute for Betden 9913, not
tjecause I don't like the Bclden prod-
uct, but simply because it's not flexi-
ble enough for some applications.
(The original 9913 has a #9 solid cen-
ter conductor which makes the cable quite
rigid.) In contacting the vendors of substi-
tute cables, I found that most were not aclu-
al manufacturers, but rather distributors of
wire and cable products who were very re-
luctant to reveal their sources of supply. Of-
ten these distributors have their own brand
names imprinted on the cables they sell,
giving the appearance that they actually
have production operations. This is quite
common in the wire and cable indusuy, and
many "master distributors" like Alpha Win*
Corporation (Elizabeth, New Jersey) have
done business for many years and devel*
oped excellent reputations. Still, Fve been
reluctant to recommend distributors as
product sources, feeling that if they don't
manufacture the product, they have little or
no control over it. Sure, we buy ham rigs,
computers, TV sets and automobiles from
distributors, but we know who made these
items and we have the option of contacting
the manufacturers directly for technical as-
sistance^ problem solving, and so forth, so
we feel comfortable about our purchases.
Substitutes for 9913
Fve tried products sold by a number of
distributors and found some were better
than others. I found at least one 9913 sub-
stitute, sold by an amateur product distribu-
tor who specializes in wire and cable, to be
^^How does it work?
In a word^ ^greaL *
In two words, ^Fm impressed.
ffy
of such poor quality that I litemlly couidn*t
strip it This cable's dielectric was so tight-
ly bonded to its center conductor that it was
nearly impossible to remove, but at the
same time the dielectric was so poorly
bonded to the aluminum-mylar film outer
conductor that all attempts to remove the
Jacket resulted in pulling the dielectric and
center conductor right out the end of the ca-
ble! ITiis stuff was terrible.
There's a brand-new product on the mar-
ket from International Electronic Wire and
Cable called 9096-llA "Extra-Rex." This is
another **9913 cloned but it's the best Fve
seen so far. It is similar to Belden 9913 (de-
scribed in the sidebar), but instead of hav-
ing a solid center conductor it has a 19-
strand conductor of #9 overall gauge, which
makes it very flexible and easy to use. The
9096 bends and flexes as easily as conven-
tional RG8/U or RG213/U, but has far low-
er loss due to Its construction and material
content. 9096 has an outside diameter (o.d.)
of 0.405" just like mil-standard RG213/U
and will accept a standard "UHF' type PL-
259 fitting; however, due to its oversized
center conductor, it will not fit a standard
UG21/U type *W and must be fitted to a
special type N, the kind sold for use with
Belden 9913 (how convenient!). I took de-
livery of 500 feet of 9096 as soon as I heard
about it, in part to lab test it but also to po-
^ tentially use the new product to feed
my recently installed 6 and 2 meter
beam antennas.
How docs it work? In a word,
"great." In two words, "I*m im-
pressed." Before installing the cable
_ in my station, 1 measured its attenu-
ation on the 28, 50, !44, 222, 440
and 1270 MHz bands, where it is most like-
ly to be used in the average ham station. (Its
low-loss characteristic would be almost
wasted below 28 MHz, as conventional
RG213/U is good enough for the majority
of installations in the HF spectrum.) This
data is shown in Table 1, which compares
the loss of 9096 per 100 feet to the loss of
conventional mil-standarcd RG2t3/U
(which is the current successor to old-fash-
ioned RG8/U). To make this measurement,
1 used all 500 feet of 9096 and installed
type N connectors on both ends* then divid-
ed the measured loss by five to yield "loss
per 100 fect.*^ This is more accurate than
measuring 100 feet, as it offers five times
greater measurement resolution,
9096 will handle the amateur legal power
limit throughout the HF-VHF-UHF spec-
trum, although at very high ambient temper-
Continued on page 51
Photo j4. The end of a piece of 9096 stripped and ready for instalia-
tion of a ''UHF" PL'259 connector. It strips easily and is a pleasure
to work with: One rawr blade and five seconds is ail ii takes to do
this.
48 73 Amateur Radio Today • April, 1 994
Photo B. A piece of 9096 with an end stripped and the turned copper
braid pulled hack to reveal the aluminum-mylar film shield. You
would not normally do this to install connectors. That ^ stranded
center conductor is a healthy hunch of copper.
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50 73 Amateur Hadio Today * April, 1994
Using iDtemational 9096-IIA
Continued from page 48
alures or elevations it may require some de-
nittng. It features a type IIA polyvinylchlo-
ridc (PVC) outer jacket material, which is
lolerani Eo ultraviolet (UV) radiation and
therefore requires no protection from the
sun, unlike some commercial coaxial cables
which can contaminate with UV radiation.
Since cable is a pretty simple product
which is most readily assessed for aitenua-
lion and ease of use (and most other param-
eters are not terribly sigiiiricant), 1 cannot
report a great deal more about the merits of
the new International product. It works, it
works well, and is a suitable replacement
for Belden 9913 for those situations requir-
ing greater mechanical flexibiHty. Because
9096 is 100^^ shielded like the semi-rigid
**hardline" cables are, it would lend itself
well lo repeater insEallations where single-
shielded cables don''t perform, due to RF
leakage and noise generation caused by the
braided outer conductor. See the sidebar for
more details on construction of Internation-
al 9096.
Now would be a good lime to point out
some of the limilaiions of helical dielectric
cables including 9096:
1, This cable is flexible enough to
be routed nearly anywhere, bul great
care must be exercised in its handling
due to its internal construction. Do
nor. siep on it: use nylon or metal ca-
ble tics or clamps to affix it to sup-
pons; '*kink" it; bend and re-bend it
back and forth at the same spot: make
any bend of less than 4*' internal radius, and
if you make such a dght bend, be sure to do
it only once in thai spot; or place mechani-
cal stress on it at any point where it makes
a bend or is affixed to a support. (This is a
lot of *'do nots'* but they are all imponant,
and reasonably easy to follow.)
2, When installing a "UHF' type PL-259
connector, use a lot of heat applied for a
brief period of time to gci the solder to flow
into the connector body holes (for braid
connection), rather than a small amount of
heal applied for a long period of time. Us-
ina a 260 watt soldering eun and soldering
all the holes in just a few seconds is much
better than using a l(M watt gun and taking
30 seconds to accomplish the task. During
and for about five minutes after the connec-
tor soldering operation, do not move the ca-
ble at or near the soldered connector. Leave
it alone so the dielectric can re-form to its
intended state and establish a good insula-
tor between the inner and outer conductors
of the cable near the connector, or you risk
a short -circuit.
3, If you need to affix the cable to a
"hard" suppon such as an antenna boom or
mast, lower leg, tower cable standoff arm
or whatever, do not use many layers of
overlapping vinyl tape pulled tight around
the cable and its support — you'll short-cir*
cuit the cable at this spoL Instead, use many
loosely- wrapped spiral -wound layers of
Photo C A piece of 9096 cui away (sectioned} to reveat its iniemat const ruction, ffyoit look
closely you can see the spiral turns of polyethylene dieleciric, with 1/2 ** air spaces between
them.
tape, spread over several inches of cable
and suppon. This will be just as strong and
place much less stress on the cable.
4. When ^'rolling out" the cable for use,
do not uncoil a bunch of cable and lei it lay
around on the ground or roof and pull on a
free end. This will surelv cause destructive
"kinks" in the cable. Instead^ free up jusi
one coil of cable lo connect that free end to
your antenna (or whatever), then gently and
carefully unroll the cable using a hand-
over-hand technique to roll the cable, al-
lowing it to uncoil one turn at a time. If you
see a ''kink" form, flop the entire roll of ca-
ble over in the appropriate direction to ''uii-
kink" lU and then continue unrolling. With
practice, you won't get any kinks at alL It
" J7i w is a lot of *do nots ' but
they are all important,
and reasonably easy to follow.
helps a lot to have the cable wound on a
wooden spool* so you can use a piece of 1-
1/2" pipe inserted all the way through the
spool to create a ''handle'' on each end. You
can hold the pipe ends like handles, and just
walk with ihe spool, allowing ii to gently
unspool itself. This way, no kinks will form
and the whole process is not tiring at atk
5. When makinc bends in the 9096. make
them as gradually as possible, preferably 9*'
or greater in radius. Vv^ experimented with
this cable to determine it will accommodate
a 4" radius bend, just once. If such a small
radius bend is "un-bent" and bent again in
the same place, it can create an internal
short circuit in the cable. When making a
"rotor loop** of cable to route around a rota-
tor, make the loop as large as possible, bul
be sure that tt won't snag on guy wires,
clamps or other supporting mechanisms as
the rotator turns.
If these precautions are followed, the ca-
ble will serve you well. Note that all these
caveats apply to any helical -dielectric cable
with air between the turns (9913 included)*
not just International 9096; the only differ-
ence is 9096 is so flexible that it is deceiv-
■ii bends easily, but too much bending
ing
yf
can destroy it.
Short Circuits
If you install a long section of 9096 and
find that you've created a short circuit in
the cablCp you may be able to deter-
mine where the short is, so Ihe
whole length won^t require replace-
ment. Surely any point along the ca-
ble where it may have kinked and a
kink's been "pulled out" during in-
stallation would be highly suspect.
Also, any point where the cable
makes a bend and that point is taped or oth-
erwise affixed to a supporting structure
would be suspect, as well.
If you inspect the line and can find no
visible clue as to why the cable shorted, try
using a high-quality directional waiimeier
in the shack and transmitting into the cable
on the highest frequency you can generate.
Record both forward and reflected power
readings. If they are both equal, the short
circuit is very close to your tnansmilter. If
the reflected power is considerably lower
than forward, the short is farther away. If
the short were all the way up at the antenna
end, then the reflecied power reading would
Continued on page 54
Frequency
28 MHz
50 MHz
144 MHz
222 MHz
440 MHz
1270 MHz
Notes: Data from measurements taken &y WB2WIK 7/93 on SOO-ft. lengtfis of each cable type shown.
No data taken for 903 MHz as tmnsmEtter was unavaiiabte. Extrapolation indicates inat at 903 MHz,
9096 s loss would t)e approximately 4.0 dB. and RG213/U's would be 8,7 tffi. 9096 may not support use
above 2 GHz due lo minor Inconsistencies in center conductor spacing resulting trom the use of soft ma-
terials. I recommend only ^weep-tested* cables above 2 GHz.
Attenuation in dB/100 feet
9Q96
RG213/U
0,65 dB
1.20 dB
0.82 dB
1.62 dS
1 .36 dS
2.40 dB
1.76dB
3.7S dB
2.60 dB
5,7t dS
S 13dB
10.87 dB
'
I
Table /. Attenuation per 100 feet vs. operating frequency. International 909^ and MIL-STD
RG2I3/U.
73 Amateur Radio Today AprW, 1994 51
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CIRCLE 172 ON RIAOEII SERVICE CARD
Using International 9096-IIA
Continued from page 51
be equal to forward power generated, minus
two limes ihe loss of Ihe cstbEe.
Say you're using 100 watts of power at
144 MHz. and 100 feet of 9096 cable. You
know you have a short somewhere, but
don't know where. You transmit into ihe
cable and measure 100 watts forward pow-
er and 70 watts reflected power. You refer
to Table 1 of this article to determine that
9096's loss per 100 feet at 2 meters is L35
dB, This means its '*round-trip" loss for a
signal generated by your transmitter, re-
flected back from the far end of the cable
and back down to your wattmeter, is 2 J
dB. Thus, if the shonncircuit were right at
your antenna, 100 feet ^'down the line,"
you'd measure 2.7 dB less reflected power
than forward power. 100 watts minus 2 J
dB is 53 J watts. So, if your short circuit
were at the antenna, you should measure
53.7 reflected power. But you didn't; you
measured 70 watts, which means the short
circuit is closer to your transmitter than 100
feet. 70 watts ts L55 dB less than 100
watts, so the short circuit is '*L55 dB
away." 1.55 dB divided by two is 0,775 dB.
0.775 divided by 1 35 dB (the loss for 100
feet of cable) is 0.574- This would place the
short-circuit at about 57.4 feet from your
transmitter.
This method of establishing where a
short circuit in coaxial cable is located is a
bit crude, as tt relies heavily on the accura-
cy of your directional wattmeter, published
data regarding line losses, and so forth. But
it's better than nothing, and is probably
about 90% accuraie. Thus, if you were to
cut your cable about three fcei before and
after the 57,4-fooi point (ihat is, cut ii at 54
feet and 61 feet from the transmitter end)
and check the section of cable you've cut
out of the line, there is a fair assurance that
the short circuit would be located in that
section. Not foolproof, but, again, better
than no system at aiL A more accurate as-
sessment could be made using a time-
domain rcflcctomeier (TDR), but not many
What makes 9096 different from ordinary RG21 3AI
(the successor to old-fashioned RG8AJ) coaxial cable?
instead of using a solid polyethylene di-
electric and a #13 gauge center conductor
as in RG213/U, 9096 uses instead a dielec-
tric which is mostly air and a center con-
ductor of #9 gauge. To hold the center con-
ductor in place, securely centered between
the cylindrical "sides" of the outer conduc-
ior» RG213/LI uses solid polyethylene, a
good dielectric material; 9096 uses instead
a thin spiral of polyethylene with large air
spaces berween the turns of the spiral. This
is called a "helical" dielectric, because its
construction resembles a helix. The helix
turns occur at 1/2" spacing in 9096, which
is about as far apan as ihcy can be wiihout
risking a short circuit at every bend in the
cable. The closer together the helix turns
are, the more mechanically robust the ca-
ble will be. but closer spacing will increase
the cable's dielectric constant, slow down
its velocity of propagation factor, and in-
crease the cable's transmission losses. The
farther apart the turns are, the more me-
chanically fragile the cable will be, but far-
ther spacing will reduce the cable*s dielec-
tric constant, speed up its velocity of prop-
agation, and decrease the cable's transmis-
sion losses. This is a trade-off, and Interna-
tional made an intelligent choice by using
1/2"* spacing. It's a good compromise be-
tween attenuaiion and usability.
Because the dielectric constant is so
much lower with this construction, 9096
can use a much larger center conductor
diameter without decreasing the cables
nominal impedance. 9096 is a 50 ohm
impedance cable that uses a huge center
conductor (19 strands of #21 copper wire)
to decrease ohmic and "skin effect*' losses
and reduce attenuaiion. Popular '*9913"
cable, introduced by Belden in the mid-
1980s and copied by many, is very similar
in construction but uses a solid #9 center
conductor, making it more difficult to flex.
International calls its 9096 "Extra-Flex"
and they're not kidding — it is very flexible
indeed.
Another difference between 9096 and
normal military cable types like RG213/U
is the construction of the outer conductor.
RG213/U uses braided copper, tightly wo-
ven to provide 95% to 97% coverage of
the dielectric. This is good, low-loss mate*
rial that has sufficient shielding for most
applications, but it is not "100% shielded."
Even RG214/U, which uses two silver-
plated copper woven braids, is not "100%
shielded;* although it is about 99%. Inter-
national 9096 uses two outer conductors
and provides truly "100% shielding,'' The
innermost of the conductors is an alu-
minum-mylar film which completely cov-
ers the dielectric and provides 100%
shielding. However, it would be impossi-
imm
''In essence, Pm giving up
L8 dB on 2 meters at a
cost savings of
more than $400 r
ble to solder or clamp to this shield, as it is
thin and fragile like household aluminum
foil and aluminum is not readily soldered
with standard materials. So, over the atu*
minum-mylar film is a tinned copper braid
which offers about 95% coverage. This
tinned copper braid is very strong and can
be readily soldered to a PL- 259 or clamped
in a type N connector, just as one would do
for the mil-standard cables.
So, although the outer diameter of 9096
is 0.405" just like RG213/U, its use of a
largely air dielectric and an oversiited cen-
ter conductor allows it to have substantial-
ly less auenuation. Whether you*ll notice
the lower loss depends on what frequency
you operate and how much cable you use,
I would not recommend it for runs of less
than 100 feet on frequencies below 28
MHz, as the diUcrence in loss will be im-
possible to detect. But if you use 100 feet
or more at frequencies of 144 MHz or
higher, you wiU notice an improvement in
station performance. If you refer to Table
1, youMI see that 9096 has less loss per
100 feet length (as compared with
RG213/U) by about 1 dB on 2 meters,
about 2 dB on 222 MHz, 3 dB on 440
MHz, etc. As you can see, the higher ihe
frequency used, the more notable the im-
provement will be if you use 9096 instead
of solid-dielectric cables.
The difference will also be mom notable
when long transmission lines must be
used. For example, in my station, I need
250 feet of coax to feed my 2 meter beam,
and another 250 feel to feed my 6 meter
beam, since they are both located on a
tower that is 200 feet behind my home. By
using 9096 instead of RG213/U, Tve
saved about 2.5 dB in feedline loss on 2
meters — definitely a worthwhile improve-
ment. I could save another 1.8 dB or so if
I changed from 9096 to 7/8" "hardline"
(solid-conductor, rigid cable), but at very
significant expense. The 9096 costs about
as much as good-quality RG213/U, but
7/8" "hardline" retails for about $2 per
foot, plus its connectors can cost another
$40 each or so. In essence. Vm giving up
1. 8 dB on 2 meters at a cost savings of
more than $400! But my first 2.5 dB sta-
tion improvement came from using 9096,
at an added cost of literally nothing! Each
of us has our own sense of values, but for
the $400+ Fm saving by not using 7/8"
coax, I could take my family on a short va-
cation.
The only trade-off in using 9096 instead
of RG213/U is that the International prod-
uct— like all helical-dielectric "soft*"
cables — is more fragile, and more care
must be used in handling and installation*
If you choose to use ii, and 1 recommend
you do if it will improve your station
performance at no added cost to you, just
be careful. If you handle the cable as
though it were a crate of fresh eggs it will
serve you wclL
54 73 Amateur Radio Today • April . 1 994
hams have access to this piece of laboratory
equipment
I offer advice on all this because ii is pos-
sible thai many users of 9096 and simHarly
cansimcted cables will crcaic a short circuit
during installation, especially if the cable
isn't handled with care. With experience
and repeated use> youll find 9096 is great
stuff and short circuits will be avoidcd.
International 9096 is available front
many wire and cable retailers. Look for
those distribuiors who specificaJly advertise
9096-IIA Extra-Flex" rather' than just
flexible 9913 type" cables, to be sure
you're getting the product described here. It
retails for about the same price as Bcldcn
**
4*
9913 or standard RG213/L) (in the 69^ per
foot range for ICX)-foot lengths), making it a
very aitractive deal for those wishing to use
flexible but low-loss coax. When you onler,
be sure to request a copy of Intemationars
10-year warranty. Distributors should have
no difficulty providing you with a copy of
this docunicnt.
More About 9096
International Electronic Wire & Cable
oflcrs their 9096 and other products for sale
through franchised distributors. For techni-
cal information, ihey may be contacted di-
rectly at 89-1/2 O'Leary Drive, Bensenvilk
IL 60106. Their 10-year warranty on 9096-
IIA states, ". . . cable is warranted against
defects in material or workmanship for 10
years from date of purchase. Any defective
footage will be replaced free of charge
when shipped pre-paid with proof of pur-
chase to (their address). This warranty does
not apply to damage resulting from acci-
dent or misuse. Liability is limited to re-
placement only and does not include instal-
laiiun."
9096-IIA is rated bv the manufacturer as follows:
Dialectric strength 3000 VDC {equivalent to 21 21 Vrms AC. which would be 89,973 watts!)
24 pF/foot
50 ohms
84% {important to know in the design of phasing lines or transformers)
Capacrtance
Impedance
Velocity factor
DC resistance
Attenuation
0.95 ohms/1 OQO feet
0.9dB/100feetat50MHz
1.4dB/100fe6tat100MHz
1.8dB/100feelat200MHz
2,6 dB/lOO feet at 400 MHz
4.2 dB/100 feet at 900 f^Hz
4.5 dB/1 00 leet at 1 000 MHz
(Note: Attenuation ratings differ from actual test data taken by this author as shown in
Table I, but not by very much. I measured the cable to be better than its ratings on all fre-
quencies below 1000 MHz,)
Upda tes
Kuml»r 14 on yotw Feedback card
ASCfl-to-ni>1orse-Code Interface
If you wish to order the kit from
Suncoast Technologies for m© above*
mentioned project (February 1994,
page 36). the coirect tefeplione num-
ber to call is (904) 596-7593.
Using the World s Most
Accurate Frequency Standanl
The above-mentfoned project Is a
three-part series which appeared in
the January. February, and March
1994 rssues. There is a silght error
on the PC board layout for Part 1 ,
the WWVB Receiver, which ap-
peared in February, page 23, Rgure
5. Shown below is the correct foil
pattern and a simple cut-and-jumper
fix for the one we printed. The RF
amp will still work withoul this fix: it
just won't work very welL
(a)
(b)
Cut CofPF^
Figure La) New artwork for the WWVB Receiver, b) A simple cul-and-jumper fix far the original artwork.
73 AmatBur Radio Today • April, 1 994 55
Pi
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Amateur Radio Via Satellites
Andy MscAiflster WASZfB
14714 Knights Way Drive
Houston JX 77083
The Shuttle Amateur Radio EXperi-
menl (SAREX) has been flymg into
space for over a decade. Since Owen
Garriott W5LFL went up on STS*9 in
November 1983 with a Motorola handie-
talkie, small tape recorder and a curious
In-the-window antenna, many missions
have followed with amateur radio on
board.
There have been missions with slow-
scan television (SSTV). fast-scan televi-
sion (FSTV)^ packet and voice. Figure 1
shows Ihe four different configurations
currently supported. Changes to the
equipment list occur on a regular basis
as new headsets, tape recorders, an-
tennas and connectors are developed.
SAREX has several objectives. The
primary one is to encourage children to
pursue careers in science and mathe-
matics and to show that there is a con-
nection t>etween education and real- life
activities. Another goal is to promote
pubtic interest in space activities and
amateur radio, SAREX also provides a
means to conduct scientific experiments
with amateur radto, to promote interna-
tional goodwill, and to provide a mean-
ingful recreational activity for shuttle
crew members.
It takes more than just a radio and an
antenna to fly a SAREX mission. Even
the voice-only mode includes 12 items.
When running Ihe works" the system
has more gear than most amateur- radio
home stations. One astronaut on ST3-
56 (configuration D) said the SAREX
set-up was like "a dark closet full of
black spaghetti." Another comment re-
ferred to the operation as a Field Day
station in the dar)c. A close look at all the
equipment in configuration D reveals a
very complex setup. Imagine the gear
either floating around or velcro'd to
available flat surfaces. Then turn the
lights down and try operating!
Hundreds of hams, other volunteers
and NASA individuals who recognize
the im porta r^ce of SAR£X keep the pro-
gram runnlr^. Some are involved with
school selection, contact scheduling,
telephone bridge coordination when
needed, hardware testing, maintenance
and loglstECS, astronaut training and li-
censing. The astronauts who pursue
their licenses and operate the equip-
ment from space invariably tsecome en-
thusiastic supporters. Bill McArthur
KC5ACR was ashed if he had any sug-
gestions for future SAREX crews after
tie came back from STS-5S in Novem-
ber 1993- Bill thought for a moment and
commented that his only suggestion
was that SAREX should be flown on all
missions.
Although personal contacts arid gerv
eral ham QSOs are fun, school contacts
really keep the crew members' interest
and bring more astronauts into ham ra-
dio. For the kids, there is something
special about talking directty to an astro-
naut oittEting the Earth. For the astro-
nauts» Ifs the satisfaction of bringing the
adventure of space exploration directly
into the classroom and perhaps inspir-
ing students to pursue interests in sci-
ence and engineering.
During STS-58, 17 scheduled school
contacts were made. One was with a
school in France. In addition, the audio
was distributed via ham radio to more
than 10,000 French students in other
schools » so they coukJ listen in on the
contact too. For many amateur radio op-
erators, listening to the shuttle downlink
during a school pass is better than lis-
tening io random contacts with other
hamS' But for all hams, the real thrill is
to make a personal voice or packet con-
tact direct with SAREX.
Recent missions have been great for
random ham contacts. In 1993, the
SAREX working group drafted a new
set of SAREX contact guidelines to bet-
ter define school contact activity and
general ham QSOs. A list of proposed
schools must be provided to NASA sev-
en months prior to launch. This means
that applications from schools to the
American Radio Relay League (ARRL)
must be submitted and accepted even
earlier. The total number of SAREX
school and experimental activities, ex-
cluding personal flight crew scheduled
contacts, are not to exceed two per day
for the duration of the mission. Personal
contacts are typical ty limited to one per
crew member and are usually accom-
plished through telephone bridges made
outside the mainland U.S.
SAREX organizers have recognized
that contacts with the general ham popu-
lation are essential. The flight crew is en-
couraged to make voice or packet con-
tacts with hams whenever possible. Dur-
ing STS-58, KC5ACR, KC5AXA and
KC5CKM made many voice contacts
and logged hundreds of packet connects
and fun QSOs using the W5RRR-1
packet robot. When SAREX is left unat-
tended during a flight, the packet sys^
tem is activated in robot mode as much
as possible. During STS-60 in early
February, the robot system was very
busy due to the focus of crew efforts on
difficulties with the Wake Shiek) Facility
experiment. While many would have
preferred to hear more voice operation^
others recalled earlier missions that had
no ham activity at all on many passes.
The ham-astronauts for STS-60 includ-
ed Commander Charlie Bolden
Photo A, STS-57 PHot Brian Duffy NSWQWoperamg SAREX in tateJune 1993 on board the shuttle Endeavour. (NASA photo.)
58 73 Amateur Radio Today • April , 1 994
KE4IQB, Mission Speciafist Ron Sega
KC5ETH and Cosmonaut Sergei
Krikalev U5MIR, also known as UZ3AK.
How to Work SAREX
The July 1993 ^'Hamsats*' colymn
covered the procedures necessary to
successfully make a contact with the
ham station on the shuttle. It's very
competitive and usually more difficult
than amateur satellite operation. The
column described methods for tracking
the shuttle, operating with voice or pack*
et and getting a QSL A brief summary
of the process includes knowing when
to listen, what frequencies to use for
packet and voice ^ and what to expect.
Preliminary orbital element sets for
use with computers are always posted
to packet and telephone bulletin board
systems (BBSs). While they provide an
idea of what type of ortjit the shuttle will
htave for a particular mission, they are
rarely accurate, due to launch
rescheduling. Shortly after launch the
data is updated and is again distributed.
During the mission this information can
also be otitained from ARRL bulletins at
9:45 p,m. and 12:45 am, EST on 3.99,
7.29, 14.29, 18.16, 21.39 and 28.59
MHz, The Goddard Amateur Radio Club
In Green be It, Maryland, carries news
and shuttle retransmissions on 3.86.
7.165. 14.295. 21.395 and 28.65 MHz.
The Johnson Space Center Amateur
Radio Club In Houston, Texas, also
carries news and retransmissions on
3.85, 7.227. 14,280. 21.350 and 28,40
MHz,
For those without tracking software,
tabu Ear listings are posted via packet
and phone BBSs with antenna headings
and access times tor many major cities
in North America and the world. Two
phone BBSs that carry the information
are the NASA Spacelink computer at
(205) S95-0028 and the ARRL BBS at
(203) 666-0578.
The common down Jink for all general
or random ham activity is 145.55 MHz
FM. This is for both packet and voice, If
nothing is heard during a pass, then the
SAREX equipment is either off or being
used for a personal or school contact on
another, usually nearby, frequency. If
the monitored signals are not on 145.55
MHz, do not attempt a contact— it will
only Interfere with a scheduled activity
that uses a non-standard uplink.
The packet system uplink is 144.49
MHz. The SAREX gear is not set up for
Simplex. All activity is split-frequency.
For voice over North Amerk:a, there are
five possible uplinks, including 144,91,
.93, .95, .97 and .99 MHz. The ham-as-
tronaut will typically listen wherever he
or she can get the best contact and will
tune to another channel if congestion is
high or no signals are heard. There are
three European upfinks on 144.70. .75
and .80 MHz. These are not used over
North America for general contacts.
During voioe contacts, transmissions
will be short and usually only Include the
exchange of calls and names. Many
stations are usually listening and trying
to get in, so brevity is vital.
On packet the callsign of the "robof
Is W5RRR-1. Figure 2 shows a sample
of packet activity monitored during STS-
Photo 8. STS-58 Mission Speciatfs! Biff Mc Arthur KC5ACR made many \/olce contacts on 2 m&ters using the SAREX gear
on the space sliuttfe Columbia in fate October 1993. (NASA photo.)
60. When a connect request Is received
by the robot, a QSO number is sent. If
Ibe number is acknowtedged^ ttie robot
will send a disconnect to the ground sta-
tion and the contact is complete and
logged \n ttie SAREX terminal node
controller (TNC}. Since many stations
are simutoieousiy trying for a contact,
Itie odds afe h^gh that a complete se-
quence of transrnissions between the
rotx)t and grourd station will rx)t occur.
It should onfy take between 10 and 30
seconds from the time tt>e connection is
estabiisifved tit tr>e "disconnected' mes-
sage appears. IF more than a minLite
has passed, manually discor>neci and
Iry again. Complete contacts afe sliown
in a *QSr list broadcast by the TNC.
and [ncomplete contacts are in the
"QRZ' list The TNC stores the QSL tist,
t3Ut not the QBZ list. It is up to the
ground station to Ce^ture QRZ^ist data
since the shutUe Jap^top computer may
not be available for logging packet activ*
With hundreds ol Stations attempting
to make contact, it is good practice to
onJy make ooe contact arxl tfien tisren
for the remaJfMter of the mission. Only
one QSL per missron will be avaiEabfe
for each cafteign submitting a request
To get a QSt for a contact or SWL
report for STS-58 or STS-60. send your
card with a setf-addressed stamped en-
velope (4" ?f 9.5") to the ARRL, Educa-
tional Activities Department, 225 fwlafn
Street. Newmgton CT 06111. Be sure to
note the missbn number on the outside
of your envelope. Expect a long delay,
sometimes up to six monttis. Ttie photo
for ttie shutt^ QSL is not selected until
after the mission. Tfie cards are then
printed based on the volume of re-
quests. Votunleers take )t from tfiere to
get the repRes out
What's r^ext
STS-59 IS cufferrtty scheduled for
launch in early April and will cajry con-
figuration C SAREX gear. Jay Apt
NSQWt and Linda Godwin NSRAX are
tooklng forward to thetr nine-day mission
and amateur-radio operations. The ojtjit
will be very low at 120 nautical mites,
but tfie ir>dination of 57 degrees should
COVpf a lot of territory in North America,
STS-65 is expected to carry ham
SAREX Configurations ^^^
Component Requirements Packet
SSTV
A
Voice
Packet
B
Vom
Voice
Packet
SSW
FSW
D
Antenna cavity
Antenna adapter plate
Transceiver and power adapter jonc uni)
Adapter module
Recorder cable adapter
CcBW Personal Recorder
Batteries
Headset
Sony camcorder (^if^ n« srmi
Comt)ination VCRlrtonitor t*«i nm vh^ ^»si
Scan converter
Packet module
FSTV module
P6SC {mi chni^ to SAPEX i( SfWwd)
SAREX disks
Cables:
Headset e^denslon
Tape recorder
Sony camcordef
ComtMnation VCR/monitor
Camoorder/mofiitor e^enaof>
SJiuttle video
Tiansoeiver
PGSC DC power jnOlttm^bS/iiSXt^hmvS^
Shuttle DC power intf
Eiwgid to StfCX # ^«mf}
PGSC R^32 (^n)
FSTV
An! en na cable
Motorola cable
Figure 1. Current conriguration possfbilitfes of SAREX.
Photo a Biif McArther KC5ACR with the paci<et g&ar on STS-58, (NASA photo.)
73 Amateur Radio Today April, 1994 59
f
p
gear in July, ortce again with cponligua-
tton C. The aititude wHt b# 160 miles
with a 39 dagree indinadon and should
tasi 14 days. Due to tie i^e of a side
window for the antenna and the orienta-
tion of the spacecraft fof this mission,
the passes may be short due to shad-
owing of the antenna wrth respect to
ground stations.
STS-64 is to be a September launch
with configuratiori B SAREX gear. Pow-
9r from the spaceaatt fof the ham gear
is not currently available, so batteries
wit be taken. It is hoped that tfie situa-
tion will change t>efore flight to allow
power for packet operation and configu-
ration C activity. The Highl is set tor nine
days with an altitude of 140 miles and
an ifK^inatfon of 57 degree.
More flights are esq^ected For 1995.
moil with packal arid voice, but a return
of SSTV and even digitaJ TV are being
sludied as possiMlities.
The Future
What's ahead lot SAREX? NASA's
Principal Investigator for the program.
Lou McFadin W5DI0, believes that a
permanent ham shack for the space
statk>n is the goal. Efforts are undenrray
to coordinate a 2 meter FM rig with an
outside anienna ir^to the station's de-
sign. Antk^ted Dopplec shift pr ediides
the use of higher frequencies, but all
potentially useful systems will be con-
Sidered.
Sample Conversation
W5RRR-1>SAREX [02/05/94 13:03:13] <UI>:
This Is STS-eo SAREX Robot Station W5RRR-1 onboard tie Space Shuttle Discovery,
cmdic w5rn^-1
"* COMNECTED to WSRRR^I [02/05/94 21:08:521
#926-is your STS-60 SAREX QSO number
DISCONNECTED £02/05/94 21:08:56]
••*
W5RRR-1>QST [02/05/94 22:40:43] <1 S4 R0>:
Greetings from the crew of STS-60E Our cun^ertt altitude is 190 nautical miles above the beautiful Earth that is the home for all of us. We are very busy wfth
Spacehab experiments and hopefully today we will deploy the Wake Shield Facility
W5RRR-1>QRZ[02/0SW 22:42:071 <UI>:
•S44-N6GIW KSSIN WBSUUK rM/LOT NSYIE KESGR KW7E KJ6H0 G0ERY KCSUD
N6VMS KORI K7ZTM WB6GXX WA6UE NflCLF KF6BM DI_5KR KD6RJU W6GBF W68ME
WA5DJJ KR2C N7VWJ VE7ZR WA7DE0 KD7LT N71NB AA7Nt KB7WGC KB7AD0
WTTtZ N7K10 WA7QCC WB6FJE
W5RRR-1>QSL [02/05/94 22:42:08] <UI>:
DLSKI^976 KD6RJU/975 N70FW/951 JH1 DWU/94a JH3FDA/943 C02VV/93a
K4HVK/934 WA5ZIB/926 N0NTW/923 WASNOM/922 N0ULV/9ie N7SFI/914
N0IYN/911 KBQE/aO^ 9Y4DG/893
*
W5RRR-1 >QRZ [02/06/94 21 :33:33] <UI>:
#956'KI5UA N0SEG AB4EG KE7NS N7ZEF KDGGC KF0GT N9VDO NOULV KB7WAU
AA0HL K7RD N01VN KB7WGC KV4KE KI7JM N7KPy!J K7YCH N7UVF KB7QLY KW7Y
NL700 VE7XQ AL7PB AL7BX WL7EF NL7RY WL7CX NL7RK AL7N0 KL7GiD KL7JAU
WL7EP JS1 JiO JH4DHX
W5RRR-1>QSL [Ce/06/94 21 :33:34] <U1>:
AL7BX/1634 WL7CX/1630 NL7VR/1628 WL7EP/1625 WL7CN/1623 JR4GMO/16T3
JA2eGX/1612 JH2VHL/1609 KO4EI/1590 KB1SF/15S4 NSSJ N/1583 NL7ZU1567
N9UD0/1 547 WB2ELfl/1530 KA9QFJ/1S21
W5RRR-1>SAREX [02/06/94 21:33:34]<U1>:
This is STS-60 SAREX RobOt Station WSRRR-1
onlx>ard the Space Shuttle Discovery.
W5RRR-1>WB5UUK |02/06/94 21:34:13] <UA>
W5RRR-1>WB5UIJK [02/06/94 21:34:14] <i SO R0>;
#1671 HS your STS-60 SAREX QSO number
WSRRR'I >QST [02/06/94 21 :34:34] <i $3 R0>:
HelJo from the crew of STS-60, Discovery! We've enjoyed several school contacts with students from Boise, ID, and Moscow. Russia, so far as well as a num-
ber of voice contacts at random. The views of Ihe world from our orbit continue to be spectacularl We're working very hard with our mission control at present to
get the Wake Shield Facility ready for deployment. We encountered problems commLinicating with tt yesterday causing us to cancel the initially planned deploy.
The STS-60 Crew
Fsgure 2. Edited sampiing of STS-60 packet opemtion.
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73 Aryya f our Radio Today * Apn\, 1994 61
Rtty loop
Number 16 on your Feedbacli card
Marc i. Leavey, M.D., WA3AJR
BJerrnyLane
Banimore MD 21208
The AEA CP-1
As has b&en evident by the several
questions appearing in these pages
over the East few monthSp Interest in
old equipment is far from over In par-
ticular, the AEA CP-1 Computer PatcJi
Interlace has been Hie cantar of many
a hain's efforts.
Introduced by AEA about 10 years
ago* the CP-l was one of the first
RTTY modems; that is, modufators
and demodulators, produced with the
amateur computer siation tr^ mind. For
Iti time, this was quite a unit. Wtlh a
fixed 170 Hz shift and variable shift
capability, \\ allowed just about any
transceiver to operate on RTTY, with
an appropriate software package.
Originally, an interface option was
aval fable from AEA for adding an RS-
232 port to the CF-1. However, some-
Amaleur Radio Teletype
tfme in lale 19B6 Texas Instalments
ceased manufacturing two integrated
ciicuits. the 75150 and 75152. which
were the foundation of the Interface.
When the supply of these fCs ran out
in early 1989, AEA was unable to con-
tinue sending an option kit for the HS-
232 port.
Figure 1 shows a method for creat-
ing an RS-232 interface using a U88
and t4B& integrated circuit (chips
available at Radto Shack and many
maH order dislribulofs).
Referhrtg to the diagram. U-1 Is a
14S8, U-2 is a 1489. All other designa-
tions. U-1 3 and U-1 2, refer to the Silk*
screened layout on the CP*1 printed
circuit tjoard. On the CP*1, resjsiors
R-99 and R-100 must both be Ik ohm
resistors. Ignore the values listed in
the schematic. Those values in the
schematic referred to the original de-
sign; the Ik ohm values work with the
1488 and 1489. Ground for U-1, pin 7<
can be obtained at U*13, pin B, the
same place U-2 Is grounded.
Kow« NOG HP circulated another
scheme last year, in which he says
that the CP-1 can work on RTTY, ON;
AMTORp and even FACTOR with pro-
grams like HAMCOM. PCTOR. etc.
However, AEA, in itie origlr^ instnio-
tions for the RS-232 port using the
1488 and 1489. go a roundabout way.
The following is much easier to wire
up and understand:
Install JP 7, 10, and 3. Set JP 11 to
+12 volts. Now the difference: On the
CP-1 RS-232 port jump pins 5 & 20
(this sends modem output to pin 3 and
taites data for transmission to pin 2).
Jump pins 3 & 6 (this allows it to re-
ceive/tmnsmit Baudot, ASCII, and AM-
TOR). Wire bom ends of the RS-232
cable exactly the same, and iio not
wire any pins but these:
Pini
Frame grour^d
Pin 2
Send data
Rn3
Receive data
Pin 4
Ready To Send
Pin 7
Ground
Pin 8
Carrier Detect
Now. if a Macintosh owner wants to
try to use thls^ using a standard mo-
dem cable and appropriate software, It
should work.
The CP-1 can be connected to 8
Commodore C-64 directly, as weil, as
shown in Figure 2. This uses the TTL
levels available al the ports, so no
modification to either unit is required.
Or>ce again, appropriate software rn
the C-64 to run RTTY would be re-
quired,
I tiope these diagrams and direc-
tions will help get many of you up and
running with a piece of equipment you
have expressed an Interest in. As not-
ed, appropriate software in the host
computer Is essential. The "RTTY
Loop' disk collection^ as detailed pre-
viously, has several programs which
may be of help. Additionally, a new
Disk #5 is available, with some of the
newest PC compatible programs
around. As always, each collection
may be yours for a disk, 3.5' 1.44 Mb
pretended. seJf -addressed stamped re-
turn mailer, and S2 per disk, sent to
me at the above address. Feet free to
drop me a self-addressed, stamped
envek>pe for a listing of programs, or
send Email to me on CompuServe
(ppn 75036,2501) or America Online
(MarcWA3AjR) and I'll forward the
list to you via Email- While I'm on Del-
phi as well (MarcWA3AJR), f have yet
lo forward a file via Email on that
system.
1112 .
pm 2
100
U13,
Pfn2
U13
Pin 3
100
U13 <
Pin IS
-Of U2
10
100
JVSAA-
U13
Pin 8
T
I
U12
PinB
,001
T
I
U13
Pins
,001
I
U13
Pin 11
Figure t Method for creating an RS-232 mterfacB using a MBS and 14B9 (ntegrat^
Bd circuit.
(—
1
-|
I
1 2|
3|4 5
hJ=
i v*
12
N
n 10
9 8 'i
1 6 5
4
3
2 1
1
1
M L
K J \
\ F E
D
C
B A
yy
1^
1
— '
I
= Polarity Pins
Shield To Ground
On C-64 End Only
CP-1 TTL
Pin Number
PTn Number
1 \
E
Z
F
d
H
4
A,N,1,12
5
J
Figure 2. Connecting the CP- 1 toa Commodore C-64 directiy^
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73 Amateur Radio Today • Apnl, 1 994 63
Carr's corner
NiOTitidr 1 7 Ofi your Feedb ack card [
Joseph J. CarrK4iFV
RO. Box 7099
F^H^ Chufdi VA 22041
For Long Ham Equipment Life
.., GET THE HEAT OUTIll
Experienced electronics profession-
als Know that heat is the great kiEler of
eleclronlc devices. Equipment that
passes or delivers large arrx^unis of ei-
ther current or power must be kept
cool fof proper operatiori. The meHiods
given ax Itiis month's co^umn are sim-
ple, yet are suffideni for most app(ica-
tion$. While reliability engineers and
thermodynaniiclsts will flinch at the
lack of rriathema^cal elegance in this
approach, ihe methods are nonethe-
less effectcve for most practical ham
radio applications.
There is only one sfmple rule:
Where there is excessive heat, remove
It
But, as they say, "the devii Is in the
details." What does "excessive'' mean?
If the equipment feels loo hot to the
touch, or has a history Of uneiqplained
faifures or repairs, then it Is probably
running too hoi. An engineer will have
spectficatJons to meet and cafcuEabons
to make, but they are beyond the
scope of this column. The practical
lakes off the skin of the thumb' njle
sutfices for our needs,
Conskjer some practkral examples,
I know of a merfioaT cer^tml monitorlrtg
station in a hospttal that once suffered
from heat exhaustion. The monitoring
console contained oscilioscopes that
were slaved to bedside monitdririg sets
In the coronary care unit (CCU). The
carpenter who built the consoie was a
master craftsman in wood, but did not
understand eEectronics worth a squaL
He compfetety enctosed the monitor^
a pretty nice installation, except tha!
there was no ventilation. The service
techniciarts In the hospital tiad to be
summoned In the middle ol the mght.
Figure 1. a) TO-5 transfstor package;
b) TO-5'Style top-hat heat sink.
on the avenge of once a month. This
was not only experts We^ but ft placed
the patients at risk as welL
Another example was seen in con-
sumer electronics servicing. A low-cost
compact stereo unit from Japan was
causing the Importer fits because war-
ranty returns were tenible, Shops were
awash with returned units. Adding in-
sult to Injury, the repaired units often
retumed a§air) before the oitgirtal war-
ranty expired. An enterprising lechni-
cian began irtstallirg sheet rnetal heat
sinks on the TO-5 audio output transis-
tors (it was a relatively low-power unit).
arK3 his work didn't return. The service
manager r>oted that fact, and issued a
earvloe guidance letter to all warranty
stations orderir>g heat sinks installed
on all units retumed* Subsequent mod-
ifications from the manufacturer includ-
ed heat-sinking.
There are three basic tactics which
can be used In any combination to re-
move heat: 1) radiate more of the heat;
2) improve natural ventilation; or 3)
add or Increase torced'air cooling. Wa*
ter cooling is not an issue for most
hams, although some commercial
broadcast transmitters and high-power
Indus! rial electroncs devices use circu-
tating water for cooling, (Some broach
casting stations use the waste heat
from tt>e imrismitter's water radiator to
heat tf>e transmitter building).
Protecting Transistors & IC Voltage
Regulators
Semiconductors are especially
prone to heat damage, so manufactur-
ers often take special care to rid solid-
state circuits of heat. In both of the ex-
amples presented above the parts
causing the problems were the semi-
corKJuclois, In the case of the hi-fi gear
Figure 2. a) TO220 and other piastic
power transistor package: b) 70-220
device mounted to sheet metei heat
sink
/
Device Mounting Area
(a)
o
o
o
o
^^^"
^"^
Wrong
(Less Effective)
Right
(Most Effective}
(b)
Figure 3^ &} Power tranststor heat sink; b) right and wrong ways to direct air at
heat sink.
It ¥ras obvious, but in Ihe hospital case,
arialysts of the service records indicate
ed that DC power supplies arid cath-
ode ray tube deflectksn amplffiers were
the main printed wiring boards re*
placed. Further analysis by Ihe manu-
faclurer showed that it was prf manly
the voEtage regulator transistors on the
power supply, ard the output amplilier
transistors on the deflection circuits.
Electronic reliabiiity experts note that
semiconductors should be operated
such that the junction temperatures in-
side the transistors are kept at ne'e
gr less, even when rated at 125X. Ac*
cording to one reliability handbook, the
mean time between failure (MTBF) of
seinksnductors is cut in half for every
1Q°Q increase in junction tempera*
tures. Thus, even small improvements
in the temperature situation can make
a tremendous difference in the final
product.
On some small equipment it is not
practical (or fxsssibie) to use forced air
cooling, so you will have to provide
heat'Sinking for the semiconductors. In
fact, even in most forced-air cooled
equipment the semiconductors will
need these metgF radiators. Figure la
shows the metal TO-5 transistor pack-
age. Most of these transistors are
mounted on printed wiring ixianls, and
are tow^signaf (and low-heat) devk^es.
But certain TO'5 transistors, such as
ttie 2N30S3. 2N5109 and certain 3 to
10 watt RF fxiwer transistors, operate
at moderate power levels. A lap-fiaf
finned heat sink, such as that shown in
Figure ib. is mounted on the TO-S
package to radiate heat. There are al-
so certain other "spring clip" versions
of this same kind of heat sink.
Figure 2a shows two different pjas*
tic power device packages. You will
find these packages in audio power
transistors (e.g, 2N5249K thyristors
arKi thfee-tefmina! IC voWage regula-
tors. In the reguiator case, the devk^s
are usual ^ rated at 750 mA in fmiB air
and 1.000 mA when heal-sinked.
These devices are frequentfy used al
higher fx>wer than tbey are mted for!
Either vertical or horizontal finned
sheet metal heat sinks, such as that
shown in Figure 2b. are used to pro-
vide heat dissipation. Be sure to use a
thin layer of silicone heat transfer
grease between the metal tab surface
on the transistor (or regutator) and the
heat sink. Also be sure to tighten the
mounting screw property in order to fa-
'^yyjyyr^^^Jirx^
V
'y»5«>>y>>^.^v^yyyz>v^
^
5-10 mm
'II I \x\ <^mmfmimm^i'f^
'V5i«5'!»y>yy^>^>!Z^
Figure 4. Power resistors (1 watt and up) shoutd be mounted off the board sur-
race--
64 73 Amateur Radio Today • April, 1 994
JRC
Fully Automatic MOSFE
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
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Featuring a hea\^*duty power amp
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dean output up to 1,000 watts {100%
dut3^ cycle, 24 hour) SSB/CW, plus a
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with memory capacity of 1820 chai
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an automatic antenna selector for
up to four antennas and a wireless
remote control unit
0apGn Radio Co,, lid.
430 Park Ave, 2nd Flftor New York. NY 10022
Phone: (212)355-1180 Fax ; (212)319-5227
Telex: IJ6U14 JAPAN IL\DI0 NYK
Plug-in
Printed
Circufl
Boards
A
Empty
Sockets
r^r^r^r^r^r^rnrn
Motherboard
(•>
Wrong
PWBs
Connectors
Airflow
1= c^
1
\ [♦- 12nim
' I g
Figure 6. Hoiss in an otherwIsB dosed chassis were used by one compul&r man-
ufacturer to direct air over PWB surfaca.
t
Right
(b)
Rgvre 5. a) Sevemi pnnl&d Circutf cards mounts in sockets on a motherboard;
b) fight aryd wror}g ways to dirmt air aver the pn'nted circuit cards.
ctliiate heat transfer to the heat sink.
Sheei-melal heat sinks tor TO-3
transistors and three- terminal reguia-
tors are moyrtied on a printed Circuit
boarxi. The l>enl sneet metal heat sinks
are good for up to at>out lO watts of
power. Of voflage legulalors up to i,5
amperes. For ihe 3 ampere, 5 ampere
arxf 10 ampere voltage regulators that
also use a TO-3 package it would be
better to use a lar^r finned heat sink.
In many pieces of equipment the
metal chassis is used tor heat-sinking.
In those cases tire transistors are bett-
ed either directly to ttie metal chassis
or mounted via mica insulators if elec-
trical isotation is required. In bolh cas-
es, silicone heat transfer grease Is
used between the semiconductor de-
vice and the chassis, Tliis method ts
especially successful when the chassis
Is tarpe, or when r! Is partiajlarfy thick
(i.e. has a high lliermal mass!.
Some printed wiring boards (PWB)
use laf^e areas of unetdied copper foil
and/or [arge metal r?dges or blocks to
provide better heat-sinking. This
method Is used especially where there
are no single devices that can be trxJi-
vEdually heat-slnked (e.g. a 10-220
transistor), but rather a large number
of heat-produdng devices such as TTL
■Riere are many dUTerent iorms of
large, finned heat sinks used for TO-3
(and other) transistors, high ctirrenl
voltage regulators and high-current
diodes and SCRs; Rgure 3a shows a
side view of one of these heaf sinks, fn
this case, the TO-3 trar^istor (or ottier
device) is mounted witti screws on tf>e
flat cen&al surface of the heat sink. In
most SFtuatiors, it ts wse to use a thin
smear of silicone heat transfer grease
A NO-RADIAL VERTICAL
THAT COVERS 80 OR 75 METERS?
THERE'S ONE NOW!
No, we won't insult your intelligence by telling you that it's a
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multiband vertical in the business, the HF9V-X, over our counterpoise
kit. You*ll not only save a tidy sum but you'l! work DX Ihat the shorter
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HF6V-X and HF9V-X use longer active element lengths for higher
radiation resistance and greater efficiency on more bands than any of
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on all Butternut models and receive technk:al note DLS-1 "Dirty Little
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manufacturer's own specs so you won't have to team the tmth the
hand way!
Model HF9V-X (shown to the left) for S(V75, 40, 30, 20,
1 7, 15, 12, lOandS nneters.
Model CPX counterpoise kit for Butternut models
HF9V-X, HF6V, and HF6V-X; substitutes for ground or
elevated radials. Self-supporting tubing bolts onto
base of antenna. Mast not provided.
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P.O. Box 1234, QlmUo, TX 78575 (210) 350-5711
WMSel
TEHmtOGIES
A DIVISION OF U ELECTRONIC INDUSTRIES
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Model TSC1
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CIRCLE 1 1 014 READiR SERVICE CARO
66 73 Amateur Radio Today * April, 1 994
DlO'lId'
;:\
Airflow
u
SFiFeld Scr^eit
Anode Cap
Hfgh Power Valve
GIsss
Chimney
Ceramic
SocJgbI
Airdciw
(a)
(b)
Closed! ChafiiS'
Air
System
Socket
Rgure 7. a) Direct method of cooling RF power tubes: b) use of an air system socket
between the device and the heat sink,
ThJs grease is especially needed when
a mica insulator is placed between the
semiconductor device anct the heat
sink. Again it is necessary !o make
sure that the mounting screws are
cinciied down tight enough to allow
maximum heat transfer (but not
enough lo distoft the device padtage).
The big issue in selecting a heat sink is
the surface area.
When forced air is used to cool a
heat sink-^ good idea when the pow-
er arxl/or current Is high — the orienta-
tion of the heat sink with respect to the
airflow is sometimes important* Figure
3b shows the nght and wrong ways to
force air over the finned surfaces.
Keep iT\ mind, however, ttial orientation
ts rK>t always critical, e^>ectalty when
air from the "wrong" direction Is suffi-
cient or blows over the entire surface.
The designations "right" and "wrong"
are merely general considerations for
soma critical applications.
Microprocessor chips are no differ-
ertt from other semiconductor devices:
Heat kills them. To mske matters
worse, speed beyond the designer's
specified speed often generates ex-
cessive heat inside the chfp. Some
low-priced computers operate cheaper
lower-speed chips at a higher clock
rate, but at the cosl of decreased relia-
bility. Even in weil -designed comput-
ers, reiiabilfty improvement is possible
by coofing the microprocessor chip.
Some 486 personal computers add
a second Ian on the t)ack of the cabf-
ne!. in addition to the one in the DC
^^
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73 Amateur Radio Today April, 1994 67
power supply, in order to cool the very
high-speed chips on \he mothertxjard-
Othec vendors offer a. dip-on (an tfiat
mounts atx>ve the 486 chip and blows
air on il direcUy. These ians are de-
signed 10 tci^ power tn^m one of the
computer's disk drive power connec-
tors. In the JDR Microdevices (2233
Samarilan Drive. San Jose CA 95124)
catalog there is a "refrigeration" cHp-on
fan for 486 ctiips. I suspect that this
device has a Peltier- effect sotid-state
refrigeration unit embedded In the fan
block. Some vendors ot computfng
stuff tell me that they won1 sell a 4B6
machine rated at more than 33 MHz
clock speed wfttKni! installing the clip-
on fan to cacA the main ctiip.
Other Comp^onenls
Certain components other than
power transistors ^nerate heat. Rec-
tifier diodes, bridge rectrf'ter slacks arxi
power resistors are prime examples.
How these components are handled Is
critical in determining the reliability of
electronic equipment
Rectifier diodes and power resis-
tors should be mounted with their bod-
ies 5 mm to 10 mm from the Printed
Wiring Board (PWB). Please see Fig-
ure 4. This procedure allows the heal
to dissipate into the air instead of into
the PWB material. Many phenolic arKl
some Fiberglas printed wiring boards
can be badly damaged from the af-
fects of a 10 watt power resistor
mounted Hush to the surface. Some
l>aTgain tiasemenf or "grab baq' rec-
tifier diodes can meet their rated fof-
ward current only when the rectifier is
a} mounted 10-15 mm off the board,
and b) have the a^ial leads cut to 20
mtit or longer. Those diodes are over-
rated and should either be used only
in lower ihan the rated current applica-
tions or shunned entirely,
Besides reducing the operating life
Of II mi ling the power output of circuits,
overheating can atso decrease perfor-
mance in o^er ways. Certain circuits,
oscillators for example, are inherently
sensitive to heat. There was once a
popular two-way radio transceiver trtat
suffered terrible frequency dr*ft be-
cause the master osc ilia tor was locat*
ed rtght next to the RF/IF stnp vacuum
tubes. Althiough thai was such a bad
design error that nothing would really
1[fC the situation, a lot of technicians
improved the frequency stability
markedly by adding some thermal in-
sulating material between the RF/lF
PWB and the aluminum oscillator
shielded housing.
I^rge MuttJ-Board Equipment
Figure 5a stigws a piece of typical
large-scale multi-board equipment,
such as a microcomputer, in which
plug-in printed wiring boards are in*
stalled on a socketed motheri3oard.
Usualty. these PWBs will be mounted
in a closed cabinet for both Electro-
Magnetic Interference (EMI) and aes-
thetic reasons. If we apply air broad-
side to the PWBs, only the first one in
the lineup will benefit. Figure 5b
shows a top view that permits you to
see right ar>d wrong airflow directions.
Obviously, air coming in from the sides
is better able to remove heat from
more of the PWQs.
Rgure 6 shows a method that was
used in a minicomputer a few years
ago. There is a large metal chassis
v^th a moiheittoard mounted on il to
hold the PWBs. There were several 12
mm holes cut in both the diassis top
and the mothertjoard to admit air be-
tween the boards. Although only one
hole Is shown between each board In
this side view, there were four pBf row
in the actual computer. Air from the
blower Mowed up through the holes
and across the electronic components
on the PWBs.
Radio frequency power ampfWlers
and highiXiwer transmitters pose spe-
cial heat problems. Some linear power
amplifiers, for example, are only 45
percent etficienL Therefore, a 1*000
watt linear amplifier delivers 450 watts
of usable RF power and 550 watts of
waste heat. To make matters even
worse, the necessity of i<eeplng har-
monics inside the transmitter means
buttoning up all that heat inside of a
shieEded metal catiinet.
Most RF power amplifier tubes
used in ham radio transmitters must
be forced-air cooled In order to realize
^ir full laiir^s. (Some are absolute!/
dependent on cooling.> Figure 7
shows two methods lor providing Iht
needed cooling air. In Figure 7a we
see the situation where a blower is
nx>unted so that the air fk)w is directly
over the glass envelope. The fan may
be mounted either exterior to the RF
compartment (as shown) or inskJe.
The other method, shown in Figure
7b, assumes the use of "air system"
lube sockets. A blower or fan supplies
air to the bottom side of the socket,
and the air is directed upwards
through holes in the socket and
around the glass envelope. A ""chim-
ney" aids in keeping the airflow
against the glass. Some air system
sockets have plumbing connections
for the air hose, while others are de-
pendent upon pressur-ization Of the
lower compartment. In
efther case, Ihe reason this socket is
better is that the lead seals in the
glass are kept cooler. The plate cap
lead seal shouid aiso be hept cooL if
possible. Toward this end some
builders use a finned "heat dissipating"
plate cap
to make electrical connection to the
anode.
IC Printed Circuit Boards
The component density possible on
modem pnnted wiring boards (PWB)
makes it poss^le to make very small,
high density products such as mod^n
radio communications equipment and
digital computers. Unfortunately, as
the number of IC devices on a card In-
creases, so does the problem of cool^
ing them off. In some cases, impinge*
ment airflow, as discussed eariler, is
neither feasible nor desirable^ but we
Heat Sink Ptale
c
1=
DIP tC
Device
M«tfli Ladder
Heat Sink Leg
J
Chip
^
Heat Sink
Figure 8. Use of a he^t sink ladder network on a printed cin^it board with a large
rmwter of i€s (parHcu^riy importaf^t in ^rge TTL boards}.
still have to rennove the heal One so-
lution is shown in Figure B. This
method uses a ladder heat sink built
onto the tioard.
In Figure 8. a heavy meial TaWei*
is ain underneath each IC device (see
inset) and is joined to a iarge heat sink
bar on the card edge. Heat is removed
from the iC area by conduction. In
some cases, afr flow can de directed
across the card edge heat sinks. In
this type of construction, we usually
want to place the most heat producing
components as close as possible to
the edges of the PWB where tfw heal
sank bar ts located.
A neat Irick used in some cofnmer-
dat and military equipment, although
less practical for hobby isls. is to en-
close the chamber containing the
prirrted circuit board and use the con-
duction ladder method to conduct heat
to tiie walls of the box (Rgure 9), The
txix wal^ act as a 'cokJ plate' to sink
the fkeai Fenced air is bUywn through
chambers on the outside of tfie cold
plate to carry heat away.
Conclusion
Heal is cleariy Ihe great destroyer
of electronic components. If a piece of
equipment runs too hot the resuft wiil
be erratic operation, frequent break-
downs and all the headaches that ac-
company low retiabiiity. Although it is
ordinarily unwise to modify equipment
without expressly written Instmctions
from the manufacturer, there are
sometimes exceptions to this mle. An
obviously overheating piece of equip*
ment that can be modified with no ad-
verse effect is a candidate for excep-
tion to tiie fule. The simple methods
shown in this column will pemnit you to
modify equipment to gain the longest
and most reliable use.
"H..,^^
/
Ajr Channel
t 1 I I 1
PWB
n\
Heat Rpvv
Air Channel
Box Outer Wall
Socket
Figure 9. Closed box for mounting PWBs uses air channet and cold plate to carry
away heat conducted from (tie printed circuit doardL
68 73Ama teur Radio Today • Ap ri 1 , 1 994
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73 Amateur Radio Today* April, 1 994 69
Homing in
Numtwr 1i on your Feedback cflfd
Joe Moett RE K0OV
PO Box 2508
Fufferton CA 92833
T-Hunters to the Rescue
Las! August 7 was a typical Saturday
at the top of Skyline Drive in Fullerton.
By 7:45 p.m, a dozen cars, trucks, and
vans formed a row on the roadside. Un-
usual antennas— quads, yagts and
doppEers — were mounted on top or
throL»gh the wiixlows of each.
I lotned me drcie of hams of all ages
laughing and chatting, as another ham
walked to each vehicle and wn>te down
(ts odometer reading. A radio direction
finding (ROF) contest, called a foxhunt
or T-hunt, would begin in 10 minutes.
None of the hams knew where they
would end up that evening, nor what
til ey would find.
One team had broken away from the
group. Bob iwliller N62H2 and Cathy
Uvoni KDSCYG were removing their
four«e]ement 2 meter quad and substi-
tuting an eight-element UHF quad.
Soon they would put on the tiluc jump
suits thai tt^y keep ck^se at hand. Bob
had iust been alerted by pagec to the
presence of an emefgency t)eacon sig-
rtal on 243 MHz.
Radio Direction Finding
When a pilot or a boater is in trouble,
radio rescue devices bring help to the
scene. Emergency Locator Transmitters
(ELTs) for aircraft activate on impact to
signal the location of a crash scene.
Emergency Position -Indicating Radio
Beacons (EPIRBs), which are manually
activated tsy sailors in distress, share
the ELT frequencies.
ELTs and EPmOs transmit a dtslinc-
live tone to attract aitenlion. Newer
ones transmit digital registration dala<
too. But despite their r^mes, Ihey do
not transmit the coonfmates of their k>-
cation, so they must be found using
RDF techniques. As members of the
Civil Ajf PaUol (CAP). Bob and Cathy
are always on call to begin tracking
wf^n a beacon comes on the air In the
Los Angeies metropolitan area.
CAP, an auxiliary of the US Air
Force, is a non-profit organization of avi-
ation ^minded civilians from ail walks of
life. The Caiifornia wing of CAP Is re-
sponsible for tracking all on-shore
ELT/EP[Ft9 activations in t!>e state and
performs air/gfound searches when
crashes occur.
Civilian ELTs, some military aircraft
ELTs, and most EPIRSs transmit on
both 121.5 and 243.0 MHz. Other ml-
Photo A. Civii Air Patrol Captain Bob Miffer N6ZHZ is testing his mw dual-band
mobile quad with four elements for 121. S MHz and seven etemenfs for243M MHz.
He is Commander of Brackett Composite Squadron 64 in La Vame, OalifomiQ.
tary aircraft and survival beacons emit
only on 243.0 MHz. The newest EPIRBs
transmit on 121.5 for SO seconds, ttten
send a short data burst on 406.025
MHz,
A Sleepy Seaman
The next morning, as T*hun(ers re-
hashed their competition cki a UHF re-
peater, Bob told the story of his and
Cathy's evening. They had traced tfie
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70 73 Amateur Radio Today * April, 1 994
Photo a Cathy Livoni KD6CYG publishes the official T-hunt caiBndar and hunt
Hst for Southern CaHfomia, She recently jamed CAP and uses the Uttl& L-Per to
sniff out emergency beacon transmissions.
243 MHz signal to a home 17 iniles
from the hilltop, where a US Navy man
was asleep on a couch with a personat
EPIBB lying next to htm.
The saitor had found the beacoo in
an emergency pro vis tons t>ag he ha6
purchased from anoltier sailor aboard
ship," Bob announced. "He didn't know
what ft was. He had been playing with it
and ffianaged to turn rt an. He wa^ tired
tjecause of his lofig driving lr|) from port,
£0 he put it down and went to sleep,'
Whenever possible, pilots monitor
ELT freqyenctes for rapid dtscovery of
acOvatk}ns. Since the mkJ 19SOs. how-
ever, most transmissions are detected
by sat^Hites in ttie SARSAT/COSPAS
program. Three 1=?ussian COSPAS birds
monttor 121,5 and 406.025 MHz. Three
US SARSATS hear these frequencies,
plus 243.0 MHz.
The low-orb tt high-Inclination tracks
of SARSAT/COSPAS satellites put one
over any given point on earth about ev-
ery two hours, Doppjer shifts of the
downlfnked beaoon signals are comput-
er-processed to determine Iheir point of
origin. Accuracy of the fixes varfes from
dead on to 20 miles off, depending on
the s^nal quality and the satellite path.
Beacon signals received by satellites
are relayed by downlinkir^ temninais to
SARSAT/COSPAS missioo cofitrol cen-
ters. Coordinates of US 'hits* are
passed to the Rescue Coordination
Center at l^ngfey Force Base in Vir-
ginia, which in turn notifies the agency
having Jurisdiction. If it is the Civil Air
PatroJ, a local Mission Coordinator (MC)
is assigned and volunteers are alerted
by phone, radio, and i^^ger.
Speedy RDF Saves Lives
CAP*s Lt. CoL Pat Robmson
WA60IS began iracklng ELTs when
they were first mandated for aircraft in
1972. Since that time* she has discov-
ered three unreported crashes. As we
talked, her dog iody t^jgged continiious-
ly on h^ leash. 'I first got a seaich dog
after we acckJentaDy walked by a crash
at night in the Santa Ana mountains*"
she to^ me. '^e smetled (he smoke but
thought it was coming from a campfire
below LIS.'
There are over 4.0OO dues-paying
CAP members in Calrfornia. but onty a
tew are RDF experts. Pat. Bob. and
Cathy are dispatched to find about §0
percent of the activated ELTs and
EPJR0S in the Los Angeles basin each
year, coordinating thek searches on one
or more of the seven Southern Califor-
nia CAP repeaters just outside the 2
meter ham band. They say that 98 per-
cent of the reported beacon transmis-
sions are acckierttal, not calls lor help.
According to Pat "We have found
activated ELTs and EPIRBs in almost
any place you can imagirve. indixf^ig a
dumpstef in Costa Mesa, a junkyard m
Oxniard. a UPS container on an \ncom-
tng train, and even in one of our own
CAP planes. One night I was invoK^ in
fuming off an ELT on an L-1011 at On-
tario airport tt was being delivered to an
Arab oil baron the next day. with $17M
worth of modifications. The bathroom
had gokJ fixtures *
"Occasfonalty I go as long as a
month without a call, but sometimes I
gel three in a day'' Bob says. "They
bunch up in bad weather. 11 seems like I
have found half my ELTs in the rain. Of-
ten water leaks into a plane ar>d causes
a short across ttie power swtch. These
are the hardest to find because they
have marginal signal, often with no
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CIRCLE 131 ON REAtJCR SERVICE CARD
73 Amateur Radio Today * April, 1 994 71
modulation. They may be inlermitlent
disappear rg after tf^ rain slops,*
Smce many false ELI activations oc-
cur In hangars, CAP has convinced
SOm$ airports to buy their own RDF
setSp so that when ELTs are reported,
airport personnel can secure them
quickly. Hartjormasters have not done
this^ however. "IVe done more hunting
of EPIRBs lately than ELTs," says
NG2HZ. "I've found ihem in vessels of
every size, even in a Jet ski I
"One day, after the Coast Guard had
been searching unsuccessfully for an
EPIRB, CAP was called for assistance. I
went to the harbor where there was a
helo circling , trying unsuccessfully to DF
the uniL After a few mmutes, I found it It
was on one of the Coast Guard's own
cuttersf
WA60IS tells of tiacfcing a signal to a
vessel at the Wilmington tjoatyard. *lt
liad barnacles atl over everything, in-
cHxIirtg the glass, and it smeBed to high
heaven* Tlie EPiRB was inside the cab-
la The boat had sunlt, slaying under 60
feel of water fof four months without tt>e
device activating. After they pulled it up
and the water drained out, the EPIRB
tipped over and turned on. We switched
it off and left a note on it. The next day
we were called out and ended up find-
ing the same beacon* moving tJiis time.
Someone had found it and was taking it
home in a trude"
Any signal on 121.5 or 243 MH^ can
interfere with the sensitive satellite
tracking system. FCC regulations caEI
For shielding of QCim06tB and other de-
vices thai can emit RF on these fre-
quencies. Your local cable company
cannot use channels containing
ELT/EPIflS frequencies unless it can
demonstrate adequate system shield^
ing.
CAP ROFers Trequenfly have to trad?
down such sources of QRM. *lt doesn't
take a lot of Hf to key some of ihe
sateiiites." Bob says, "We turned off an
interfering word processor one evening,
I got a call the following morning from
the MC saying that it was back on. I
went back to find out t^iat it was still off.
The signal was coming from an identical
model in the office netct doof. I iooked at
the serial numbers on the two and they
were consecutive.'
Oprt Mess With These T-HuitlefS
Persons who accidentally activate
ELT/EPIRBs or create intederence on
their frequencies must immediately
cease their emissions when nolrfied Of
face prosecution. 'Mcfit people are co-
operative." says Pat. "although one man
threatened to shoot us."
CAP'S beacon searchers can get
prompt backup from the authorities
when necessary, N62H2 had to over-
come resistance from the employees
and night manager of a telephone com-
pany repair center. "He refused to turn
the offending piece o( lest equipment
off,* says Bob. 'I tiad the Mission Coof-
dinatof call him, and he mdely tokt the
MC to *go pound sand," So the MC had
Photo C. With over 20 years of expsrience, search and rescue volunteer Pat
Robinson WA60IS is quick to embracQ new technologies such as saielfite naviga-
tk>n units. CAP makes ext&nsive use of these devices to pinpoint cmsh iocations.
an Air Force Colonel cail to politely ex-
plain the situation. Again, he didn't rec*
ognize anybody as having jurisdiction to
fell him to turn off his test equipment,
and fie used four-letter wofds to say so.
*So the Air Force had the FCC and a
US Federal Marshal! go out the fo low-
ing morning with a search wananL They
arrested the facility manager as he
came in. arrested the night manager
Semog The LORD
Since 1987
THE POWER STATION
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72 73 Amateur Radio Today • April , 1 994
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who had given them a hard time, and
seized the offending equipment. It went
to court, and based on my written slate*
ments and deposition, the nighi manag-
er ended up with a S-l/S-year prison
sentence ^ which was commuied to pro-
fctation. They fined the phone company
$10,000, and the facility martager was
fined, too,*
N6ZHZ credits ham radfo with help-
ing him develop his RDF estpertise. He
began T-huming three years ago, "t
cx)u)dn1 find anytxxjy to train me in tt^
CAP' he says, mien I got into amateur
radio and met the Souttiem CaSfomia T-
huntefs. It didn't laKa long before I was
hooked."
But beacon hgntjng ts quite tfffferent
from foxhuntir>g. "On a mobile male age
iK^t, you get a comforting level of signal
at tt>e starting point." says Bob. Tbere's
rot a reaJ sense of urgency to go gel it.
Wtiereas with the ELT, you often start
out without hearing the signal and won-
dering when youH be able to."
When his beeper sounds off. Bob
tmows ifves may be at stake. 'Ttieres
more of an adrenaline rush hunting
ELTs." he says. 'But the same skills
apply. The hardest thing for me to do
is trounce back and forth. In ham T-
hunting, teams don't share information.
The rule is — no dues! In CAP, the ob-
ject of the game is to share signat
strength and bearing info» and try to get
somebody to find the transmitter as
rapidly as possible. It takes a change of
mirrfseL"
Searching on foot for a signal at
close range is sometimes called "sniff-
ing* by ham foxhunters. Bob says his
sniffing skills get a real workout in CAP
searcttes. One night he !rHd<ed a 121.5
MMz signal to a storage room In an air-
Jine's repair facilfty at Los Angeles Inter-
national AiTporl Inside were 800 ELTsf
Which one was transmitting? Bob's
sniffing equipmeni led htm to a comer of
the room, where a tx>x of beacons had
accidentally beer! placed on ihe power
switch of one ELT, luming rt on.
L-Pers Versos Quads
The Unte L-Per by L-Tronk:s of San-
ta Barbara, CalHomia, has become the
de facto standard RDF set for beacon
tracking. It has two verticaJ dipoles on a
wooden frame, plus a sensitive receiver.
In the Of mode, the dipoles are
switched rapkJIy lietween two cardiotd
pattenis, giving a sharp left-righl direc-
lionaf indication on the paries meter.
Operatran of tf>e L-Per appears the
same as Trme-Differenc^-Ot-Arrrval sets
described in previous 'Homing In" in-
stallments. t)ut its design pflndpie and
circuitry is quite different^ Whereas
TDOA units work Only with FM re-
ceivers, the L-Per uses AM detection for
optimum performance in the AM aircfafi
tjands. Many hams use L-Pers for fox-
hunt sniffing, but the receiver's lour
crystak^ntro^led channels fimlt its ver-
satility on ham bands.
Like many olher CAP RDFers, Pat
uses a pair of mobile whips with her
L-Per when driving. Her dash- mounted
indicator tells whether the signal is left
or right and includes a signal -strength
meter. "I can't turn the antenna," she
says, 'so I turn the vehicle. In the city, if
its off to the right, I turn right, go to the
next street and see wt^re i1 goes from
there, L-Tronics recommends a second
set of antennas to indicate fore and af^,
but i like it this way. i can make a big dr-
cle and potnt right to the target t can al-
most pick out the exact plane from
across an air fiekj*"
Bob wants CAP to add high^in an*
tennas like quads and yagis to the
equipment pool 'My quad has a lot
more gain," he says, *And you can add
it to the L-per receiver for very high
sensitivity and increased range, I can
rotate the quad and not have to turn
ttie car to get a precise heading, i can
twist the boom to horizontal pofariza-
tkxi to reduce ne-radiated signals from
airport antennas and structures. My
biggest problem is convincing people
to dnil holes in the roots of their cars.
"With the quad, i am able to pck up
a 243 MHz ELT two to five miles miles
before the L-Per's antenna will hear rL
When there afe two or three ELTs chirp-
ing simultaneously in hangers at an
airport, I can use a high-gain quad to
track one at a time, listening to the
<ifferences in torve sweep rate of each
one/"
Help Wanted: T^Hunters Please Apply
The Patrol needs more RDFers and
search/rescue volunteers, especially In
Florida and California, where the most
ELTs and EPlRBs are registered, "Here
in California, we do the most search fly-
ing of any state." boasts Pat. "We go out
in all kinds of weather."
"We cover a wide variety of rugged
tenrain, from coastline to mountains to
flat desert,' Bob adds. "So we have
strict membership qualification require-
ments and a tfioroygh training program*
pJus regular exercises, We cant go out
to took fof a pilot arxi then have to turn
around and rescue our own."
Men and women over 1 3 years of
age can become full CAP memt>ers.
Boys and gffis over 13 who have conv
pleted sbcth grade are efigible to be CAP
cadets. CAP provides vehk^ies, aircraft
and RDF gear For sea/ches and training.
But the most active seanctiers eventuat-
ly buy ttieir own, t^o ensuie reliability and
instant availability.
A tip of the hat to these three hams,
plus all others who are using ham radio
techniques lo help save lives. If you
want to learn foxhunting technkjues and
particfpate in an important pubiic ser-
vice, CAP can use you. It you win tots of
T-hynts and are wiHJng to respond to
phone calls in ^m wee hours, CAP
needs you. Inquire at your nearest air-
port to find out about local CAP RDF
activity. If that doesn't work, contact
CAP Nafional Headquarters at MaxweH
Air Force Base, Alabama 36112, The
phione numljer for CAP Personnel Cen-
ter is (205) 593-5463.
P.O. Box 415, Pierceton, IN 46562 219-594-3661
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CIRCLE 299 ON READER SERVICE CARD
73 Amateur nadio Today* April. 1994 73
Number 19 on your Feedback cM^
» » HUTnoer 1 9 on your i-ee<]
Hams with class
Media Mentors, tna
P.O. Box 13164B
StBten Island NY f 0313-0006
Remembering the Forgotten
Art of Memory
In a recent graduate course I was
taking, the professor asked how n>any
of us thought thai mennofy could be im-
proved by exercising It— -that is, to
memorize dates, poetry, and so on.
Then he asked how many of us
thought that, like ceilain genetic traits
such as eye color, you can't do any
Hiing about improving your memoiy.
Ti^e answer, according to the latest
psychological research, is neither.
MtfTiory isn't a muscle, so exercise
dodsot nrtake it stronger* Ydt. according
to my protessor and others who re-
saanch the vagaries of human memory,
there are things you can do to improve
your memory.
As a teacher of ham radio, I of
course have many situations where I
have to tell the kids to simply memorize
somethmg. In my opinion, memory
strategy Is a very important skiH to
teach. Good memory skills can en-
hance the learning of "higher ordei"
skills socJi as comprehension and cnti*
cat thinking. Memory st^ills can help
children master the basics so they
have the tools to build on for higher-
^eve) conc^ts, I am always amazed at
how many children are lacking In the
simptest of organized methods of haw
to retain and then retrieve wanted data.
Because so little emphasis is placed on
this skill by most teachers, the kids re-
ally seem to enjoy the lessons I do on
memory techniques. Now if I can only
remember what they are so I can share
them with you.
Any or the following seven steps can
be adapted or modifked to fit the appro-
priate age and ability group you're
working with. In my eKpertenoe^ adutts
as well enjoy getting a refresher course
in niemonzatk>n techniques.
1 . Chunking. This means grouping
several items Into one piece that's as
easy to renrtember as a single Item. We
recaH an acronym like UNICEF as a
single name, not as six letters. Many
studenls already know about using the
word "HOMES" to prompt the recall ot
the Great L^kes: Huron. Ontario, Michi-
gan. Erie and Superior
Psychologist l-aird Cermak. author
of Improving Your Memory, urges us to
make up our own chunks. His example:
For a picnic, you rieed milk, soda. be«r,
saiami. botogna. hamburger, napkins,
paper cups and paper plates, Ttiat's a
lot to rememt>er, but you can make it
easy. There are three drinks, three
meats, and three paper goods. Use the
first letter of each category — d.m.p — to
make a word: damp (bad for picnics).
Remember that, and youll recall the
categories, and thien the Items in each.
2. Ext&mat memory. This refers to
all physical devices that help you re-
member: lists, memos, diaries, and
alarm clocks. When all else falls,
there's always a deliberately misplaced
object like a string around your finger
to jog your n^emory.
3. Associaticns^ Visual Images are
one effective form of association. To re*
member names, think ol a visual link
between a person's name and some
facial feature, or think of a v^ord you
can make a visual associalion with that
is a sound-alike for the person's name.
You just met Jim Purdy who has a ra*
c£o you'd like to buy. Think: 111 feel pur*
ty bad if i can^t get the radio from Jim.
4. Reliving the moment. Studies
have shown that sensory Impressions
are associated in memory to what
we're learning, and later help remind
us of what weVe learned. If you Ye try-
ing to recall a name or a fact, pk:ture
the place in whk:h you learned \l the
people arourKJ you at the time, or how
you were feeling. If you're tryir>g to re-
member where you lost something,
mentaify netraoe your steps. Many stu-
dents remember the names ot ham ra-
Photo A Children remembef better wfwn they adtvsiy participate fn demonsirations.
djo guests I invite to dass by recalling
what part tf^y personal^ played in the
person's demonstration. Students al-
ways have a better chance ot remem-
bering an experience they've actually
participated In,
5. Mnemonic pegboards. We've aif
seen performers who remember scores
of nan>€s called out by people in the
audience. They don't have unusual
memories; they've previously memo-
rized a set ot words or images to which
Ihey mentally attach the names. It's
easy. First, memorize these 10 *peg-
words.'' They rhyme with the numbers
one lo 10: one-bun; two-shoe: three-
tree; fouT-doof; five-hive; six-slicks;
seven -heaven; eight-gate; nine-line;
len-hen. Now make up a list of 10 otfver
words and number them. Link each
one to the pegword with the same
number by means of an lnr\age. If your
first word Is license, picture eating a
bun while you study from your license
book. If your second word is radio, pic*
ture your shoe on top of your radio.
6. Mediation. This means attaching
the items of a list to some easily-re-
membered "mediating" device, such as
the jingle most Of us use to recall the
lengttis Of the months: ' 30 days hath
Septerrt>er . . , • Making up your own
mediators can be fun, especially when
you do it with the kids in a da^room.
Before leaving for Christmas vacation
we made up a list off itams to take care
of In oyr classroom. We listed on the
board: give out plants to children, lock
up the radio and other ham gear from
our shack, make sure the ham radio
telephone answering machine was
turned on, tower the thermostat in the
room, secure the windows, bag all the
garbage from our ctass party, k>ck the
door with the toxiock where the radio is
kept. From the first letter of each item
«>mes trie s^Uy sentence: "Peter Flabt>it
takes Tums with gcftjrmet dinners"
7. Weaving it into the web. All of the
atKSve n^ethods are useful for refilling
simple lists and names. But with more
comp floated in for ma lion, you can't
merely memorize; you have to connect
it to the many related items you already
know. According to psychologists, that
is the best way to retrieve it later.
Now you've got seven ways to teach
kids how lo increase their memory pow-
er. If only you could remen^er them alii
Don't forget to be on the lookout
tor artictilate youngsters who would like
to be guest speakers at the Dayton
Youth Forum, Please have them con-
tact me at (718) 983-141 6, or write to
PO. Box 131646, Stfiten island NY
10313-0006.
/:
Hie Best f n PC tw^ed High Quditv APT Weathei kte[^k imu^BPf
jOFS WetithefFAX
— ^ Higit Perf ormance
Sataliite WeotlF^
74 73 Amateur Radio Today * April , 1 994
Advait<ad Capture Soardl
Removes Doppler bending
Self test moqes v&rlFy ojsernflon -M^fg
FCC Port 1 S (lass a cert if id mBt
Contains holh Af^ ond FM decoitel^ " i
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Autoimtrit Goiii lock (ACL)
Mdfi tains Frame Sync
iiilt Funtttoii SoffWQr«
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Obionce i i\mm meKBUfsnsnf fori
Exfensrvfr ^mcge pfoteising \m\to%
rf'~>
The World of Ham RadiO;
andCALLSIGN'Databasel
Tfie World of iiam Radio CD-ROM winch is dedicated
to amateur radio soth^are, now Includes the FCC ham
call sign database. Scan over 750.000 US ham calls m
fust secotkds with CALL SIGN You will have the latest
rclcMO in ham radio ^itware trom all over the World
at ytnir fingertipis;, using CDVIEW to gjuide you while
viewing over 7^000 JBSi files, ovcf 1,000 radio mods,
wd dtoii&ands of S^T. JirqiieDcics. USA ^ippisig 13,
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CIRCLE 113 ON READER SERVICE CARD
Ham help
Hmvtm 20 on your Feedback card
We are happy to provide Ham Hep fistngs free on a space aval^bie basis. To
make OurjoO easter arxi to ensure that your ttsting is correct, ptease type or print
your request dearly, double spaced, on a fuit (3 1/2' x 11') sheet of paper You
rmyafso upioad a listing as E-matt to Sysop to ttie 73 BBS /Special Events Mes-
sage Area filt. (2400 ttaud, 8 data bits, no parity, t stop tnt. (603) 924*93431
Please indicate if it is for pubtication. Use upper- and iowef-case tetters wfiere ap*
propriate. Also, print numbers carefully — a f, for example, can be misread as the
tetters 1 or i, or even the number 7. Specif icatfy mention that your message is for
the Ham Help Column. Please remember to acknowledge responses to your re-
quests^ Thank you for your cooperation.
\ am trying to help a Tocaf nelghbor-
fiiODci crime watch group that is m need
of CB radios/scanners for Iheir crime
patrols. Any type accepted: 23 chan-
nel. n\aK minoi repairable, etc. Please
help fight the crime that iS taking ovm
our neighbortKXKfe, by donating those
radios you no longer use. THANKS!
Rob Beit vine N1NTE. P.O. Box 692,
f^ofthbofo MA Of532-089Z
I have an ICIR ASTRO 200A HF
Transceiver I Need the Instruction or
Service Manual. I will cover the copy
fee. or will copy it and retyrn the manu-
als. I heard that the radio might have
been boughi by Swan and continLfed
for a time. John Przychocki, 115 Mon-
tague St.. Brooktyn^ NY 11201-3457.
I need infdmnation on how lo set up
a YAESU FT-726 to tyne me receiver
Of transmitter above and t>elow 2 me-
ters. 6 meters and HF Conv. ranges.
Does anyone have any modifications?
N8ZAW, PJ. PO. Box 32, Xenta OH
45385.
I wouJd like to purchase TTL con-
nectors fof Itie en^igir^g ttam popula-
tion of Slovakia. Please contact me
with the price, or with the names oi
Commodore dutjs, (The C-64 is popu-
lar m Siovakia.J Paul Taylor OM9AAK,
1 Penfmkt Ave^, Croton^on-Hudson t^Y
10520.
WANTED: Schematic and/or manu-
al tof a SILTRONICS 1011D. Vintage
approx. 1976. 11 meter RCV, 28.5 to
2S.0 MHz SSB XCV. Ill pay for copies
and postage. Thanks. Ron Gardin
KBSKOV. 3297 West 94th St., Cleve-
land OH 44102-4855. Tel: (218) 961*
1879.
WANTED: Operating Manual for
KENWOOD TR2400 2 meter transceiv-
er. Will pay copy costs. E. Danietezyk
K9SXU. 9 LtoydSL, Ca/ylL 60013.
High Performance
PacTOR / AMTOR
Use an ordinary RTTY terminal unit such as
CP^I, CP-100, TU-170. ST-6, ST^SOOO.
ST-6000, etc. with G4BMK's BMK-MULTY
software running in your IBM -PC or compatible.
A TNC is not needed! (but we do have an
adapter for PK232). Version 3 now available.
Detailed literature upon request. Prices:
Base communications package with AMTOR^
RTTY, CW and QSO/callsign fogging database
$95. Base + Pactor $145. Extended audio
package adds Audio Spectrum Analyzer, HF
WEFAX and SSTV reception. Base + Extended
$140. Base + Pactor -i- Extended $175. Pactor
alone $50. PK232 Adapter $49. Shipping $3.
VISA/ MasterCard accepted.
Amateur callsign required with order.
Please state 372 or 5V4 inch disk preference.
Schnedler Sj^stems AC4IW
P.O. Box 5964
Asheville, NC 28813 (704) 274*4646
r
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ifpjt 3]T&n^a-jw and iF gm.
{Stttv are providid
ZERO SPAN As::ao:ly plaoes
analyzer in zef? ^an inodi
demoduldcr for cOfive^iift
SPAN contT'Ols tfi6 widtn Qt the
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resolutiQn filter.
RF INPLTF accepts si^^n^is to be
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flfeaterthan 1000 Mhz,
AUDK) DEMOD
^iFvMes aydo demod
bovd and sets audo
VAR SPAN rM^es m widtti of
the soeciTuri being dsfiiyvdtr
doser sqriA enam^itfon and
tnriahcad anpiajdi aco^acy.
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73 Amateur Radio Tocfay April, 1994 75
Nymb^r 21 on ycHir Feedback eard
Mtke BfycG W^VGE
2225 Mayflower NW
MBSSiiton OH 44646
While doing a review on the Howes
transceiver kits, I found they lacked
even the simplest T/R switching— ft's
done manuall/ with a front-panei-
mounted switch. The tack of a
sidelone also proved frustrating to me.
The kil did have a module for RF
sensed side tone generalion. but that
required a second speaker: one
speaker (or headphone) for the receiv-
er and another for the sid^lone. I
toyed with the idea of using a pair of
stereo headphones — one side for
skJelOhe. the other for receive audio. 1
trashed this kjea based solely on my
experience with stereo headphones
and amateur receivers.
Siereo headphones have an audio
response much too wide for pteasant
listening. A 10 kHz beat note can real-
ly be appreciated after hearing it
through a quality stereo headset. Re-
ducing the audio bandwidth is espe-
cially important with a direct conver-
sion receiver.
So, to fix bo&i problems, i built up
the circuit shown in Figure 1. It's a
cOfnt>ination QSK module with
s^eione generator. It also has a reed
relay for keying the emitter lead of the
driver transistor used in I he Howes
transmitter. Today's eledronic keyers
norma My use a transistor pulling the
key line to ground. This method works
very well . . . most of the time. But, the
emitler-collector junction, with Its 0.7
volt drop, will not pull the key line all
the way to ground. This may cause
troubie when keying a rig using emitter
keying, such as in the Howes
transceiver.
Another drawback with the Howes
system of T/R control is the ability to
key the transmitter without switching
the antenrtas. This could destroy the
PA Iransistor in the transmitter, or
cook the recaiver. My QSK module
prevents this fmm happening.
The QSK Uodyle
A mulli*pole relay does the switch-
ing between the receiver and the
trans milter The relay switches anten-
nas, grounds the receiver's front end,
and has several contacts left over for
other tasks.
The reed relay keys the transmitter
while the sidetone is injected into the
receiver's audio chain. You can adjust
the delay between transmit and re-
ceive with a front panel coniroL This
control replaces the manual T/R
amftch on the transceiver, ti's possible
to get full OBK if you don't mind the
dddng of the main reiay as you key.
In our bells and whistles depart-
ment, a red LED glows when the mod*
ufe goes into transmit mode. I insialied
this LED behind the translucent lace
of the meter. It looks nice and, best of
Low Power Operation
all you don't have to driH any more
holes in the front of the rig.
How It Works
A stable +5 volt reference voltage
is supplied by U3, a 7805 regulator. A
small toad Is placed on the 7805 by
R15. This helps keep the regulator
stable. One section of an LM324 Is
usiied to buffer the output of the regula-
tor. In a circuit like this, the use of a
buffer for the reference is overkill, but
since the amplifier was available, I
took advantage of if. The +5 volt refer-
ence IS used by the dday circuit. Ca-
pacitors C€ throygh CS are required to
ensure stai)iiity. The entire QSK mod-
ule ts protected from reverse polarity
byDl.a 1ISI4002 diode.
The QSK moduie is keyed by
grounding the junction of R1 and R2.
Normally, this junction is 3 volts. Re-
sistor R3 and C1 help to remove any
noise on the key line. Amplifier U1A
buffers this key line before sending it
out. The output of U1A is normally
high. Keying the QSK module pulls the
junction of Rl and R3 to ground. The
result is a low at Ut As output
With U1 A output sitting high (un-
Keyed). It goes to three different sub-
circuits: sidetone generator, delay
driver, and transmitter keying. The
sidetone generator is a 555 timer
(what else?) and is kept off by 02,
This keeps the timer's reset pin rietd to
ground- When the QSK module is
keyed. 02 turns off. allowing the
timer's reset pin to go high. The result*
Ing output of the 555 is filtered by R15,
R16 and C9. This filter clips off the
edges of the square wave to make it
easier to listen to, DC blocking Is
provided by CIO. The output level is
set by trimmer R17. The resulting 600
Hz tone is fed to the receiver t>oard
via the center termir^al of the volume
control.
The delay circuit takes the high
from U1A and compares it to the refer-
ence voltage. When the QSK
module is unkeyed, U1C out-
puts a high, charging up 04
via D2. This output is com*
pared against the reference
voltage by U1D, As long as
the input is higher Than the
reference 03 remains off.
Keying the QSK module
changes things. U1C turns
off. and C4 begins to dis-
charge via Ra and R9, the
delay controL When the
charge on 04 ts lower than
the referertce on U1D pin 13.
11 outputs a high turning on
Q3, a power MOSFET. The
relay ttten ck^ses and the an-
tennas switch. Diode D4 pro-
tects Q3 from the EMF
caused by the relay coirs od-
iapse.
Transistor Q4 inverts the
output of U1A. With 04 on, Qi is
turned off. When Q4 goes off^ QI
turns on and keys the rig via the con*
tacts of the read relay. Transistors 04
and Qi Follow the keying at the Ri , R2
junction. The reed relay provkfes a di-
rect-to-9 round keying for the Howes
transmitter
Conshuctlon
Although when first looking at the
schematic the QSK module seems
complicated, in fact it's really two ICs
and some transistors. You could use
(ewer components, hut I think you'll
get sloppier operation, too.
This module is built on a piece of
copper-clad perl board available from
Radio Shack. The circuit is simple, so
rx> PC board is available. If you're so
inclined, lay one out if you wish. The
relay is mounted on its side using a
piece of double -skied tape. Diode D4
is mounted across the coil pins and
not on the perf txsard. I used iC sock-
els for the LM324 and the 555 tfmer
chip,
I placed thm LED inside an LEO
lens before I glued the combination to
the back of the meter's face with a
drop of super glue. The lens does little
to make the LED brighter,
but its flat face makes the
glue hold better
Ifs best to build this cir-
cuit arKl test as you go.
Testing as you go when
building on pert board can
make troubleshooting eas-
ier. The reference voltage
source would be the first
to go on the perf board,
followed by the delay,
sidetone and finally the
keying components.
After assembly, test the
module out before you in-
stall it in your transceiver I
left the connections be-
tween the antenna^ receiv-
er and transmitter up to
you. It's simple to do. Us-
ing mintature coax, solder
directly !o the pins on tf^
relay. 1 p re-assembled the
ooax before 1 rrxHinted the
QSK module inside the
Howes transceiver The QSK module
had 10 be mounted on the bottom of
the chassis. The 50k pot came with
itre kit and is placed m the front panel
ho4e meant for the T/R switct^
Final Emotes
If you have more ifian $10 in this
project, you've spent too much money,
TTie project has junk bOJt priorttyl You
can substitute parts without much con-
cern. You don't have to use a 7805 ei-
ther. A 7SLO05 is tine, any 5 volt regu-
lator would work as welL Why, a zener
diode and resistor may work. too.
The 50k delay control is way too
low in value tor proper use. Capacitor
C4 had to be a rather large value to al-
low enough delay. Why use the 501c
pot to begin with? It was a leftover
from Ihe Howes transceiver kii A 470k
pot arxj 22 ^F cap tor C4 would be a
good starling point il you want lo ex-
periment.
Although this project t>egan as a fix
to the manual T/R switching in the
Howes transceiver, there is no reason
why you can't use the basic module in
your own QRP transceiver. It sure is
simple, cheap and packs a lot of fea-
tures for the money.
Photo A ThB T/R amuoi^Bf iS built on a smaU piece
<^ perf boantf. The rulay is mounted so its contacts
are /cwan^ th^ edge of the txtanf.
Photo a Controtfer inside the tx>itom of the Howes tranBceiven
76 73 Amateur Radio Today * April, 1 994
TOTRAr^MTTGR
KEY
INPUT
RY2
I
CONTACTS
TRAMSMlTtEH
TO
ALLVDC
i
D1
1N4002
(b)
+12
¥
U3
7aDa
tN ,— — lOUT
C6
470
^
Figure 1. Schematic for the (a) OSK modute and (b) reference voltage regulator/buffer drcutts.
n/.
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73 Amateur Radio Today Apnl 1994 77
Nuinb«r 22 on your FmcSMCH MKI
H^ Numb«r zz on your FMOPiCT cani
Packet & computers
Jeffrey Shyrmn N lEWO
RO. Box 636
FfmnkliniN 46131
What Are We Doing Here?
As you saw in Jast rnonth's column,
t was attacked by the oriental death
flu. Well. I am back to atx)ut 90% ca-
pacity and rd like to use this month's
K>lumn to talk a little about JNOS, and
some ottief things. First, last month's
column included an example of an
AUTOEXEC. NOS file from a working
station. II should get you wefi on the
way to a wording station with just a I it-
lie editing. Also included last month
was a table describing how to give
users permission to access various
functions of your JNOS station. In both
cases, there are some version-depen-
dent differences — you'll need to sort
out what J3 up with your station by
redding error messages and observing
behavior.
Catching |j||^
Many of you may be reading this
ookimn for the first lime and have no
clue what the first paragraph of this
ookimn ts about. For you, let's take a
quick bok al whal has been going on
here for the past few montt^. Aniateur
pocket radb is usually thought of as
AX.25 — Amateur X,25. This is a ver-
sion of the X,25 protocol used in hard-
wired networking adapted to use on
radto chanrrels. This pnotoco) was da-
vekiped qulle some time ago — as ham
radio technology goes — and was
made possible for the average ama-
teur by the TAPR TNC1. TAPB Is a
group of amateurs in Tucson who de-
cided to develop the hardware to
rrtake amateur packet radio a realiry.
The TNCi was the first hardware
and firmware system that understood
AX.25. It was, in effect, a dedicated
computer system-which could be con-
nected to a "dumb" terminal and radfo.
With this equipment, amateurs could
communicate via VHF radio circuits for
a reasonable cost. What made packet
special? Well, unlike ASCII {a fomn of
Radio Teletype, or RTTY). which hiad
been used on these same frequencies
in the past, packet had one big advan-
tage-eiTOf detection and coneetion,
With ASCII transmissions, any lr~
rtgylahty in the signal — noise, poor
propagation, interfering transmts-
sions — would cause data loss. Ttie re-
sult was usually garbled nonsense
and the operator woufd have to ask for
a retransmission. Packet, on the other
hand, is always error- free from the op-
erator's point of vieWn This is because
packet radio is based on data ''pack-
els,' technically tilled frames, which
are managed with an emor-detectiofi
arkd correction protocol. In a packet ra-
dio QSO, each Iransmissksn is broken
up into these fiames and transmitted
along with a "checksum"— a number
generated by riinning an algorithm
(set of mathematical operations)
against the data in the frame. When
the rei^rvlng station gets the frame. It
runs its own, identical checksum. If
they match, the frame is undam-
aged— if not, the protocol offers a way
to asK for a retransmission. In any
case, the operator never sees any-
thing but perfect data (though \i may
take some time).
All this protocol stuff happens In
that TNC— now a TNC2— and it talks
through an RS'232 port to a terminal,
today usually a computer running a
communications program. This ar-
rangement was much better than the
previous digital modes, and it was
quk:kty adbpted. It soon became dear
that a tHjnch of hams mnnir^g stations
with dumb temiinals or terminai-emih
later software was just not going to cut
tt. If packet fBdio was going to live up
to its potential, something else was
needed-
Hank W0HU dodcfed that some
sort of host system was needed.
Something that could store and for*
ward messages and bulletins. W0RU
PBB3 (Packet Bulletin Board Sys-
tems) soon became the de facto stan*
dard for the store and fora/ard sys-
tems, and networks with PBBSs ap-
peared all over the country. Today,
there are riiany FB^ packages out
there. All of them work hard to intenop-
erate, but the standards invoived are
more of a gentleman^s agreement
than the law. Still, all things consid-
ered, the packet network works very
well.
The problem is thai PBBS software
expects ordinary AX.25 connections
and acts as if the connected station is
a terminal. There is nothing inherently
wrong with this, and this sort of access
will be needed for a long time, since
many users wlli only have a dumb ter-
minal available. On the other hand,
many hams are running sophisticated
computer systems capable of being
PBBSs themselves. These users then
run a terminal program which turns
their powerful system into a dumb ler-
mmal — what a waste!
The Other Possibility
There is a system which rur^ beau-
tifully over amateur radio and takes
advantage of the computer in iha
shade It is based on an Tnternalbnalfy
recognized set of standards, and in
the hght location can let you literally
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78 T3 Amateur Radt'o Today Apiil, 1994
connect to nearly anywhere in Europe
and many other places in the world
with 5W. When I say connect, I am
talking about realtime keyboard-to-
keyboard connections.
This system includes utilities that
wJIJ allow you to compose mail on your
own machine and have it transparently
delivered to the addressee. U lets
users who cannot run their station fuli-
time get mail automatically in a batch
process whenever the machine Is
availabfe. It afso includes a program
that allows the error- and troubEe-free
file transfers of large (500 MB and
more) binary files, without monopoliz-
ing the frequency, even at 1200 baud.
What is this system? it's called
TCP/IP (Transmission Control Proto-
col/Internet Protocol) and il is avail-
able to the radfo amateur in the form
of KA9Q NOS (Network Operating
System). TCP/IP— often called just
plain "IP" — is a protocol for communi*
cattons and a set of utility programs
that offer the services discussed
above. Phil Karns KA9Q wrote the
seminaf version of TCP/IP for amateur
radio, and his source code fs the basfs
tor all of the available versions to-
day ^and there are lots!
The other thing to be aware of
about TCP/IP is that it is the standard
for communications on the Internet.
Yes, the Internet — our present infor-
mation superhighway. This fact has
led to the use of the Internet — which
goes everywhere — to connect ama*
teurs from all over the world using
'^wormholes.'' These are point-to-point
connections over the Internet. To get
an idea of the practical effect of this
situation, imagine a theoretical ham irt
Bloomington, IN. This is the location of
K9IU, an amateur TCP/IP station con-
nected directly to the Internet From
this location, our ham can connect to
Hawaii, Australia, California. Chicago,
Holland, and Canada by using a low-
power VHP radio.
Now, you can do this with a normal
packet station, since the NOS pack-
age offers a BBS interface for such
connections. But if you mn some form
of NOSj it is possible to directly Inter-
act with resources anywhere on the
amateur TCP/IP packet radio network.
Getting Started with TCP/IP
So now you know why, here's what
we were doing: J NOS, J NOS is a ver-
sion of KA9Q NOS. modified by Jo-
hann WG7J. This version of NOS was
chosen for several reasons, among
It is widely used and available.
It is feature- rich.
It is stable.
It is still being developed — though
Johann has chosen to take a
break.
I use it.
To run JNOS, you need the JNOS
package. You will find many versions
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• Silky smooth QSK circuit
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out there and, version 1 .07b is the rec-
ommended, though not the latest, one.
You can gel this on the 73 BBS (603-
924 9343, 300-2400 baud. 8 data bits,
no parity one stop bit) and many other
sources. Check any ham radio BBS
that you use — it is most likely there.
Vou also need a PC, though not
anything fancy An XT will work, an AT
is better, a 486 is better yet. You get
the idea: the bigger the better. Finaliy,
you need a TNC and a radio. JNOS
uses the TNC In "KISS" mode (Keep It
Simple, Stupid), so your TNC must
have this capability — most do, but
check.
The only other thing youll need is
help and patience. The help you can
get here and where you live; the pa-
tience Is up to you. Using JNOS is lots
of fun, and It offers much more than
the run'Of-the-mtll packet operation.
Keep reading this column as we con-
tinue this series,
A Product You Should Consider
There is a product out there that
has not gotten the attention it de-
serves, it is a good tdea, is executed
wellp and is very useful to many hams.
The product I am referring to is called
the 'PC Packet Station."
All in One
The PC Packet Station is a 3/4 PC
expansion card with a BayCom 1200
baud packet modem and a 5W two-
channel Moton^la VHP radio. Plug this
board into your PC, load the supplied
software, and plug m an antenna —
your packet station is on the air. No ra-
dio wiring, no TNC wiring, no used-up
serial port, and no space tai<en up in
the shack! This may be just what
many of you have been lool^ing fot
You can also use the unit with TCP/IP
by loading the widely available
AX25DRV driver for the BayCom mo-
dem.
The software supplied is a compre-
hensive terminal program specifically
designed for packet radio. When com-
blned with the PC Packet Station
board, the result is a slick, easy-to- in-
stall-and- use package — a real solution
for many of you.
Another Oood Reason To Buy
I don't know about you, but I really
like to buy things that are:
Made En the USA.
Obviously a labor of love.
Supporting a US-based startup
amateur radio manufacturer.
The PC Packet Station fits all three
categories, and deserves your sup-
port. To find out more about the PC
Packet station, contact:
PKT Electronics, Inc.
2668 Haverstraw Ave.
Dayton, OH 45414
(513) 454-0242 (voice)
(513) 454-0029 (fax)
Fax: (616) 796-6633 Orders 61 6-796-1460 Tech. tn1o (616) 796-0920
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73 Amateur Radio Today Apnl ^994 79
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Winterfest
This past January I attended the
annual Monterey^ California, hamfest
(called WInterfest). Sponsored by the
Naval Postgraduate School Amateur
RadEo Club, this event offers a nice
flea market stocked full of unique
goodies, as well as a great series of
inside booths and forums covering just
about every special interest facet of
ham radio.
This year's ATV exhibit was
manned by Doug McKinney KC3RU
Rene KD60CP and (an Bible
KE4EAC, One of the unique aspects
Ham Television
of their display was a live demo of
lan's mobile B/C ATV off- road vehicle.
R/C CarCam
Capable of sending back an exhHa-
rating ground fevei view of the hamfesl
while racing up and down the aisles,
lan's R/C carcam proved to be a real-
crowd please r. The ATV booth was
usually quite busy as onlookers
watched the high-speed antics of the
carcam. The carcam was very popular
with the kids as well. Every time I saw
the carcam race by, it was follovwed by
an entourage of kids trying their best
to catch it- A number of times Ian took
the car out to an open area near the
flea market and thrilled us all with
some very high-speed (about 60 mph)
runs across the parking lot.
Photo A. The ATV carcam system consists of a R/C off-roBd vehicle carrying a 1
watt ATV transmitter and came fa.
The CarCam System
An avid R/C off-road enthusi-
ast, tan got the idea that it would
be fun to install an ATV system
on his R/C car for the hamfest
demo. The off-road model he
used is made by Team Associat-
ed (model RC10) and is powered
by a NiCd pack capable of about
eight minutes operation.
The ATV system consisted of
a Marshall Electronics IVIicro
Miniature b/w camera (model
#1206, 380 lines and 0.5 lux) and
a 1 watt KPA5 PC. Electronics
transmitter. Packaged in an alu-
minum box with eight AA-cell bat-
teries and a rubber duck anten-
f^. this made for a very compact
package capable of being mount-
ed to the R/C car. The AA batter-
ies usually lasted several hours
and Ian carried extra NiCd packs
for the car's power system. Since
the NiCd packs could be quick-
charged in 20 minutes, Ian could
keep the car running nearly con-
tinually during the hamfest.
To attach the ATV package to
the R/C vehicle, Ian cut out a
block of styrofoam to fit between
the car and the ATV module (see
Photo A). He secured everything
with nylon straps which held on
nicely even during the highest-
speed mns.
Using the 75 MHz system that
came with the R/C vehicle, Ian
could control the car out to about
300 yards white the ATV trans-
mitter was running. He found that
there was a lot less interference
to his R/C system when using 439.25
MHz instead of 426.25 MHz.
A Versatile System
If you plan on making your own R/C
carcam, you coufd use just about any
moderate-sized off-road model. De-
pending on the distance you intend to
cover, you could extend the battery life
and the weight of the transmitter sys-
tem by using a lower power transmit-
ter (for example, P.C. Electronics also
Photo B. fan Bible KE4EAC can controt his
B/C off- road ATV vehicle out to n&ariy 300
yards and reach speeds approaching 65
mph.
offers a postage-stamp-size transmit-
ter that puts out 80 milliwatts). Al-
though the R/C carcam system makes
for a great hamfest demo. It could be
adapted for a number of other interest-
ing uses. This kind of ATV system
could be used in robotics and maybe
even as a probe for hazardous situa-
tions Imagine being able to send a
small R/C vehicle carrying an ATV
transmitter into a fire or emergency
area.
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Converting HF SSB Systems
for Microwave Use
This month I will cover an HF-to-
VHF transceiver conversion that ca.n
serve as a single-side band IF system
for use with microwave converters.
Some of Lis are lucky en<ou9h to have a
2 meter muUirriode rig that can be de-
voted to the job. However, there ts a
growing need among those who cant
inv^t heavy budcs tnto such a package
lo dedicate il for microwave use. You
can purchase a multimode rig for 2 me-
ters, but watch out for the price — il
might shock you. Thafs the reason for
this month's topic, a viable alternative to
a very pricey VHP multinnode rig. I be-
lieve that the most economical method
to achieve this goal is to convert or
modify an existing high frequency SSB
radio for use on 2 meters, which is a
good choice for microwave IF,
Why don't we use 2 B MHz directly
for the microwave converters? Welt, the
main purpose of converting 28 MH2 to
145 MHz is that when using a 28 MHz
source to clrive a microwave converter,
the image frequency produced in mix-
ii>g is not removed by filterjng of the mi-
crowave products. The bancfwidlhs of
most microwave fitters are not r^mow
enough to pass the real signal and re-
move or attenuate the image signal. By
converting 28 f^hz to 145 MHz we now
have an image product that is offset in
frequency by some 300 MHz rather
than 60 MHz. The image at 300 (VtHz is
a lot easier to filter out with convention-
aJ microwave filters. Another benefit of
VHF And Above Operation
Ifiis conversion Is that you have a low-
power transceiver that can be used for
2 meter SSB worit as a bonus package.
That's the dirBCtion we will be going
this month: modifying an older SSB soi-
id-state transcerver for 80 to 10 meters,
and adapting a few moduies lo make It
into a 2 meter SSB IF system. This con-
version project is in response lo many
letters I have received inquiring about
how one can otDtaln an inexpensive
SSB transceiver for microwave use.
The project descriptions should give
yoy some ideas on whal lo look for. es-
pedaly on a limited budget.
Choosing Parti and Construction
Methods
I donl expect you to follow the exact
construction and modifications I pre-
tormed on the radio I selected. I used
the Atlas PC boards because they were
readily available and served as an ex-
antple of one frwttxxl to reach It^ goaJ,
I have several 2 meter SSB
^anscelvers in use a\ present, tiut I had
lots ol fun constructing the HF base
SSB system for this example. IVe got to
let my passion for the workbench be ex-
pressed: I love It, The HF PC board I
used for this project was damaged and
had to be repaired. L had to do that — it
was ripe for this pmfect. in any case,
that's what I selected for the HF SSB
generator portion of ttte 2 meter SSB
transceiver I hope you put your swap-
meet talents on aiert for bargains to i^e
surplus material or other low-priced
equipment requiring jusl a modest in-
vestment to make the 2 meter SSB sys-
tem goal reachable.
This description is one of many
methods available to build your system.
The best selection for an SSB system is
Photo A. The Atlas R-100 receiver constructed from scrap PC boards. VFO and
other shield compartmBnts removed tor ptrotograph.
a so^id-state unit, but a tube-type unit
will work, with obvious limitations for
portable operalion, Typcal HF ngs lajCk
FM operation, another possible nxKJe
that could be useful for microwave op-
eration. Not having FM should not be a
problem as there are so many 2 meter
FM HTs available if you are considering
FM as a alternate mode to SSB. I feel
this limitation is no( worth considering
as SSB }s the prime mode of opecation
contemplated. Let's get a basic ap-
proach and then start modification on
my seleclk>n, the Atlas R-IOO. See Fig^
ure t , the block diagram of the system.
Here's a little tiackground on the per-
formance of a similar system construct'
ed by John WB6BKR^ a member of the
San Diego Microwave Group, John us-
es the same Atlas base system that I
CIrcuttry
T» Bo
Retained
For
Modification
MP56514
CA3iee
CA31S0
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RF
Final
Amp
UflF
454
Final
Amp
WIflF *
4S4
RF In/Out
/
Circuitry
To 8«
Removed
figure 1. Block diagram of the AVa$ RT^lOO system. Atias RfT lOO SSB transceiver circuitry switched from REC to XMT with
relay activated by mike PTT switch Tiine grounded in receive and switched to + 12V in tmnsmit.
82 73 Amateur Radio Today* April, 1 994
am about to describe. The microwave
end of the system Is a MACOM conv
mercial dish and transceiver originally
intended for telephone-type service. !t
required an IF near 2 meters and John
built up an SSB transceiver using the
same scheme to be described here.
The PC boards vi^re part of an Atlas R-
100 80 meter to 10 meter receiver- The
transmitter, a 1-100 Novice type CW
and SSB transmitter^ was an add-on
optk>n. sort 0* a "buy the optKjn and add
it on as you go" type of rig. The trans*
mitter ynit is not required in the modifi'
cation as only the mike audio circuit is
needed, along with the receiver PC
board and a relay switching RfT volt-
ages.
Rememl:>er, any small similar HF PC
board system can be used. The baste
components from some ottier Hf com-
mercia] device that is small and could
be adapt^le to converter use can a^
fill the bill. I suggest you look at the pos-
sibility of obtaining one of the hteathkil
monobanders, the Atlas or Swan
monobanders. the Radio Shack 10 me-
ter transceiver, or some other similar
type SSB HF radio, to do the job. I
mention monobanders because when
these show up at swap meets they do
not can^ a high price tag. Some are
tub&4ype arxJ demand a k>t less in the
expense column That's a big plus for
home stations and ecofwrny. The solid-
state versions can be somewhat mere
costly, but they are still relatively inex-
pensive when located at swap meets,
Tfie Modification
tn any case, ifie modification con-
sists of removing or cSsabling tfie powef
amplrfier circuitry as onfy low-ievei RF is
required for Iransverter operalkm Most
converters require less than 10 mW of
RF for transmit operation. By way of
comparison, I have never repaired the
defective RF final of my 2 meter SSB
HT, a Santec multimode rig that I use
for microwave conversion as it's not
necessary to have several watts of
To PA Grid
±
S pF
14 dB Pad
Series
120 Ohms
Exiatinfi
Priver
Approx
1/4 WaW
#
yVSAA.
Stiiint
75
Ohnns
Shunt
75
OKms
1 Mw Out
To
Transmit
Converter
Figure 2. Tfansmittef output coupling circuit Transmitter driver circuit shows at-
tenuator attached to tube-type driver to reduce power at driver output to fevet
suitatyiB for Hamtronics transmit convener Use 2 watt carbon resistors. Keep ait
leads short.
Photo B. Ciose-up of DBM BF tnput/outpui 28 MHz Fitter (BFf), Ist iF and XTAL
fitter at 5.595 MHz. Lead dress not critical— shown for ease of construction.
power in this application. Without the fi-
nal transistor, this rig puts out about 75
mW and is just right for most mi-
crowave IF systems with a 10 dB atten-
uator.
By ths way, \ picked my Santec mulli*
mode HT up for $50 as a "Basket Case,"
essentially a case and a bag full of PC
boards and components It dJd not work
at first, but with a lot of troubieshooting
and Jove it is back on the air. Possibly
you can do something similar. You just
have to keep your eyes open.
Let's get on with the conversion de-
scription of the Atlas RT-100 HF
SSB/CW transceiver. The beauty of this
system is that only the PC board from
the basic receiver is required to con-
stroct a Single SideBand {SSB)
transceiver.
tn the case of a tube-type driver cir-
cuit, low-levei power can be taped off
the driver stage if you don't want to re-
move the final circuitry from operation.
See Figure 2 tor suitable output cou-
pling circuits for a tube -type rig. The cir-
cuit in Figure 2 will not be needed if you
buiid a similar transceiver driver as I
have done as the power is limited to a
few mW* See Rgure 3 for a low-power
indicator.
The Atlas Radio used In this modifi-
cation was part of an R-100 and T-IOO
80 through 10 meter beginner SSB and
CW transceiver— basicaHy a Novice
CW rig that had SSB capability. The
SSB capability was there when the
Novice got hts upgrade license and
could then use that portion of the radio.
It was built to be a "purchase the fea-
ture as you upgrade" entry in the ama-
teur market.
The Atlas T-100 canrie stock with a 5
watt final and could be upgraded to add
a 100 watt amplifier into the transmitter
chassis, which is remote arid alongside
the receiver cabinet, in any case, the
thing to focus on is obtaining something
similar, an HF SSB transceiver that is
inexpensive, and mainly solid-state.
This fills most of the goals towards an
SSB IF system for 2 meters or whatev-
er IF frequency you intend to use.
See Photo A, the basic Atlas R-100
PC board and the system I constructed
for 28 MHz SSB. Left behind in this
modification was all the band switching
(80/10 meters) as it was not required.
The transmitter circuitry, save for the
mike audio circuit, was constructed in
the lower left corner, dead- bug style.
See Figure 4 for the mfke schematic
used in the exanple. The nrtain receiver
PC board contained the second IF,
product detector, BFO, AGC and audio
amplifier The BFO, product detector
and IF amplifier serve dual purposes
and are active in transmit when the au-
dio amp and AGC are de -activated.
The SSB filter was mounted exter-
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73 AmateuT Radio Today* April, 1994 83
Figure 3. Low-power termination and
power indicator. Use carbon resistor —
other types might be inductive, causing
improper termination of RE
nally and the first mixer and first IF am-
plifier were mour\ted on another PC
board. Reconstructing these PC boards
made for a very small transceiver Actu-
ally, the reconstruction was necessary
because the radio {Atlas R-100) looked
like a truck ran over it, and salvaging
thq PC boards was necessary.
I choss to re-construct the transceiv-
er dead-bug style on a scrap of PC
board to better demonstrate the sys-
tem. I left the shielding off for photo-
graphtc purposes. In the final version I
moved the VFO from the top left corner
of the PC board to the middle of the
board; Photo A was taker before this
was done. In the old VFO spot I placed
the Hamtronics 144 MHz to 28 I^Hz re-
ceiving converter. Now, in your conver-
sion you might not be able to obtain the
Atlas R-100 PC boards that I used for
examples hut in most cases the princi-
ple is the same. You are looking for cir-
cuitry and a filter platfomn on which to
construct your transceiver or a com-
plete HF rig for 28 f^Hz, and to in-
corporate the Hamtronics modules
for 2 meter operation.
You don't have to tear apart your
stand-alone 28 MHz SSB transceiv-
er as it can be converted in place.
It's your choice of size and how you
want to configure your system. The
biggest prot^lem in using a 2S MHz
transceiver as it stands is that the
hig In -power output must be attenuat-
ed before it can be used with a mi-
crowave converter. I operate from
batteries and excessive cuo'ent draw
on batteries is detrimental Why gener-
ate high power of 20 to 100 watts only
to attenuate it back down to a very low
level for injection into a transverter?
Removing or disabling this part of
the circuit reduces these problems, and
battery current draw is minimized. Just
because I re-packaged the system
doesn't mean you must; it's a matter oi
clioice. If the re-packaging seems intim-
idating then keep \he radio in stock con-
dition and construct a converter as an
external device. The choice is yours:
niodify or re-construct. I chose to start
from scratch from a junked radio be-
cause it was available. Us^ what you
can locate.
Looking at the system block diagram
of til e Atlas R/T-100, it is clear that for
transverter operation high power finals
are not required- Only about 20 to 50
mW of power are needed in this appli-
cation. Output power from the mixer cir-
cuitry in transmit is in the range of 1 to
10 mW and is quite adequate for most
up-converting schemes. This makes
drive to the VHF 2 meter mixer quite
simple.
Construction
A word of caution before you con-
template ripping apart your SSB radio:
Think the process througli before re-
moving PC boards and circuitry. I once
obsen/ed a io-speed bicycle being torn
apart to give it a real splffy paint job,
and not all the parts could be found
when the paint job was complete. The
bike became a pile of junk. This hap-
pened due to lack of planning and doc-
umentation of the pieces. Don't let lack
of planning happen to you.
If you are thinking that this is too
much of a project to attempt, possibly
you should construct a portion of the
circuitry first and give it a try. If you are
unsure of just what to construct, let me
suggest a VFO for starters. When it's
complete, test it and if all seems OK,
nKsve on with the project in a portion of
the circuit as you go. Don't look at the
entire project as a whole. Keep it in per-
spective, one stage tied to another, and
test as such, stage by stage. In that
way you will not be overwhelmed by the
entire circuit. As you proceed from one
circuit to another, in small steps careful-
ly planned out, you should build up suc-
cess and confidence as you proceed.
Remember: Do not rip out all the circuit-
ry at once but rather move in a prede-
termined pattern towards a planned
goal When a large circuit is looked at
as component modules, the entire
scope of any moditication becomes
much clearer. In most cases the radio
can be returned to the original condition
by careful planning and labeling of cut
leads when disabling circuitry. Keep
records and drawings of your mods,
I tested the PC boards in my system
in a circuit, module by module. In this
way a complicated circuit becomes
small chunks of circuitry and easier to
test, Check for obvious shorts In DC
distribution and apply power when
clear. Check the basic unit as a receiv-
er. Start with the audio amplifier and
move back towards the IF, then the RF
part of the circuit. Don't worry about the
transmit circuitry now, get the basic re-
ceiver working. Test the tF amplifier and
the crystal f liter circuitry. If you have a
signal generator it can be used prior to
construction of the VFO. Use test
equipment at your bench to your best
advantage by furnishing missing signals
to determine just what is not functioning
properly.
When you have the receiver operat-
ing, start to check out the transmitter
circuits. Many of the transmitter circuits
are common to the receiver circuit be-
ing used in a dual fashion in the Atlas
R-100. They are switched by the 'T'
control line from receiver configuraUon
to transmit configuration with steering
diodes and associated coupling circuits.
IVs a simple and effective scheme, al-
lowing the VFO mixer and IF amplifier
to reconfigure the circuit for transmit
from receive. In receive, the mixer has
the VFO injection and converts the an-
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84 73 Amateur Radio Today • Apri[, 1 994
270
AAAA.
«o +12V
^^ ^.vw^
2.2|iF iijc Audio
+ J I ^ Out To
Modulator
FigufB 4. Mike audio circuft for the Atlas R-100 convBrsion. CW keying and Sfdetone circuits removed.
tenna received RF to ihe IF and on to
the detection circuits. In transmit, the
mike audio is mixed witl^ the BFO crys-
tal and injected into the input of the IF
ampiirjer The output is no longer con-
nected lo the receiving product detec-
tor, it 1$ fad to tt>a filter. The output of
the filter is then fed to the front-end
rnxer. wtiich is bidirectional (die frfsl IF
aifip isn1 used}. Voiia' Low-power out-
put (a few mW) to ttie antenna on
transmiL
The nice thin^ wtien worlting with a
low-power transmitter circuit such as
this IS that you can hold the transmit T"
line in transmit for long penods of time
WTlhoul worry atxxit over-dissipatir^ 5-
nats (them are none) Power output is.
as I stated earlier. 20 to 5Q mW.
Obsen/ation of output signaf can be
confirmed with a power meter, SWR
bridge, or o-scope, If you don 'I have an
indicator you can make one from a 1/2
wat! 50 Ohm nesistor and a tfode con-
nected to a sensitive m^croamp meter
for an indicator. See Rgure 3. Whatever
type of device you use to test the moci-
tied rig at 20 IMz. use a terminating re-
sistor of 50 ohms. Any power rating wiH
do just fine; 1/2 or 1/4 watt is actually
an overkill but hes^ common compo*
nents work well. You can tisten to audio
quality on your base station as a moni-
tor. So much for Indicators. I have been
saving that discussion and a bunch of
other Items as sirrple test adjuncts for a
VHF bench lest equipment coJumn. I
won't go into details here but rather
save it for that time.
Hamtrofiics KitOplion
The next part of tf^ system, conven-
ing from 28 MH2 to 2 meters. 144 MHz,
will foJIow in next month s column. I
thought about designing a transmit/re-
ceive converter from 10 meters to 2
meters but then i saw the HamtrowiCS
advenisement in 75—they provide kits
ready to go. Why re-Invent the whed?
Ham!fDok:s tias done all the hand work
and provided in kit form just what i was
looking for, a Hamtronics XV2 transmit
converter and a C Al 44 receive convert-
er. I had several reasons for making
this choice: Hamtronics is an estab-
lished company with quality kits, and
their pricing is very reasonable. My
pfime goals were knv cost artd modest
labor QtJtput on my pail, and ttiese kits
certainiy fili the bttt.
The XV2 transmitter kit and ttw re-
ceiver kit CA1 44-28 were both de-
signed to com^fl 2B Mht^ to 144 MHz
Xmir, and 144 MHz to 28 MHz for m-
oeive. The "transmitter costs $89 and
the receiver kit is $4$, for a total cost of
less than S150. which is quite reason-
able, Coupting these kits with the HF
SSB transceiver, your modification witi
complete the package for a 2 meter
SSB system for microwave IF use.
You may wonder why I went to the
trouble of constructing a 28 MHz sys-
tem when J already have SSB systems
for microwave use and you might ques-
tion my sanity. Let me assure you that I
constructed this working system to
demonstrate that ft is possible to home-
brew with surplus components. I hope
this re-generates interest in home-brew
construction, as this is not difficult nor
e?^)enswe.
Well, that's it for this month. Next
month I wilt cover ttie constructk^n of
the Hamtronics converters part of this
project for 2 meter SSB operation. As
always, t witi be glad to answer ques-
tions pertaining to this and similar top-
£s. Please send an SASE for a prompt
response. 73 Chuck WB61GP
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73 Amateur Radio Today • April, 1 994 85
Ask kaboom
Nuinbef 2& on your Feedback card
Your Tech Answer Man
Michaet J. Gei&r KB1UM
c/o 73 Magazine
70 Route 202 North
P€teft&r£Hjgh NH 03458
Plug and Play?
Before we get to this month's topic,
rd like to discuss a letter I received
from a readef reamed Rick, who gave
no caD, no last name arid no address.
He pointed out that, in my January col-
umn, my drawing of ilie transistor
model using two diodes was not physi-
cally correct, and he sent photocopied
pages from a transistor theory book
sliowing that the internal constmctkjn
of a bipolar transistor is actuaHy like
two back-io-back diodes, with th©
base connection between ttiem.
Before others starl complaining
about it please understand that I was
not trying to d^crlbe the insides of a
transistoci Rick is right that my repre-
sentation is not physically £rue^ but it
wasn't intended to be. Rather, 1 was
trying to show what a transistor looks
like to exterrtal currents when it is con*
ducting. The physically correct model
makes it awfully hard to imagine how
current could ever (low between the
emitter and coliector without a deep
understanding of the "holes and carri-
ers* physics stuff that goes on in the
Jynctlons. I was trying to avoid that,
and my diagram was correct for its in-
tended purpose. Tm sorry fof any con-
fusion that may have caused. Anyway,
Ric((, whoever you are^ thanks for writ-
ing; It's good to know we still have
knowiedgeabae hams out there who
care about efectronics.
AC Adapters
Have you ever wanted to ain your
walkie. QRP rig or some other small
piece of ham gear from the AC line
without resorting to an expensive pow^
er supply? Or, perhaps you bought
something at a hamfest arul It needs
an AC adapter, but you didnl get it
arxi have rK> kiea of the voltage or po-
larity. And I'm sum you've seen those
boxes of ultra-cheap adapters at the
'fests and drooled over the opportunity
to get (ne?cpensive DC power tor your
Stuff. From wf^t I've seen, no device
causes more damage to small elec-
tronics than the AC adapter! Spedfi-
cally, the problems occur when the
wrong adapter Is used. Matching an
adapter to a piece of gear may at firBt
glance, seem trivial, tnit there's more
to it than meets the plug. Let's take a
kxHc.
Matchmaker, Matchmaker
Before you even consider plugging
Ihe adapter into the gear, check to see
how closety the voilag^, currents and
polarity match. The potarity is a non*
negotiable ttem; if you get it back-
wards, you are probably gonna cause
some serious damage to your device.
Thafs how most gadgets gel trashed
by adapters, because people assume
that a plug which fits means correct
polarity and tt just ain't so. In fact. It
used to be that most manufacturers
were pretty consistent among their
models, but even that much "standard-
tzation" has disappeared. I've seen
Sony products with opposite polarities,
although they tend to use different-
sEzed piugs to avoid disaster Some
other companies are not as careful.
This is one point you simply must not
fail to douOie-check.
If it's not written on the case, deter-
mEnlng the polarity of an AC adapter Is
as easy as plugging it in ar^ measur-
ing the voltage with your voltmeter.
Bui, sans markings, how can you de-
termine the polarity of your device?
Sometimes, the only way is to open it
up and follow the leads back to the
board. Almost certainly, you'll come to
arv electrolytic capacitor, and you can
read the polarity from its maritlrtgs. As
usual, plus goes to plus and minus to
minus. If you can't find one directly
connected to Ihe power input, take a
look at the other eiectroiylics. All, or
nearty all, ol them wil have the same
skle going to grounds which usually is
the largest trace on the Ooafd. and will
neariy always be connected io any
shMJs or IF cans. Most likely itll be
negative, although there are a lew
positive-grourxJ devices out there, es-
pecially old ones. Whichever side
goes to ground is the same potarity as
the incoming power's connection to
ground. I've used this polarity -deter-
mining technique numerous times,
and it has myet failed me. One rrtore
thing: Some adapters output AC in-
stead ol DC, and you must never try to
use them on a normal. DC -operated
device or you'll piobably ruin it. Con-
versely. an AC-output adapter must be
used on an AC-input gadget. Many
phone answerers use AC jnput and
perlorm the AC- to- DC conversion in-
side, so they can derive tioth positive
and negative voltages for their circuits.
Ideally, the adapter's voltage
should be the same as that required
by the device: a 6*vo3t radio should
have a 6 -volt adapter But, fs there re-
ally such a thing? Usually, no. t^ost
equipment Is fnterr^ally voltage -regu*
lated. and very few adapters have any
regulators in them. A 6-volt adapter
may indeed provide about 6 volts at its
rated current capacity, but might mea-
sure S or 10 voits with a much lighter
load. The thing to remember here is
that most equipment expects this;
that's the reason for the intemat volt-
age regulators. They do that for two
reasons: Unregulated adapters are
very cheap, and the use of internal
regulation lets them get the most from
a set of batteries.
Here's why: Lef s say yoy r^ve a 6-
volt circyit, and it won't run property on
less than 5 volts. If you njn it on 4 AA
cells, that II give you 6 volts when the
l:)atteries are new, and alt wilt be fine.
As the batteries run down, the voltage
wil[ begin to approach the 6-volt ujtoff
level. When each cell is at i.25 volts,
the circuit will begin to malfunction.
But at 1.25 volts, those cells have sig-
nificant enerigy lett! Why waste it? If
you use 6 oetis, you'll start at 9 volls,
but you won't get down to 5 until those
things are realfy dead PnopofHonally,
the batteries will last a great deal
longer There are other issues in-
volved, such as the diftefence be*
tween using a linear regulator {com-
mon and oheap but wasteful of ener«
gy) and a switching regulator (more
expensive but much more efficientj,
and how close the regulator's input
arKf output voltages can get before the
f«gul3tk)n fai^.
The upshot Of all this is that most
AC adapters have widely varyir>g out-
put voltages, and U behooves you to
take a iook at the cun^ent requirements
of your device, if you use an dOO-mA
adapter to power a 100-mA device,
chances are the adapter wili be giving
you much higher voltage than its rat-
ings spectfy. Is that good or bad?
It can work for or against you. If yoo
want to power a 9-volt, lOO-mA device
and you only have a 7.5-volt, 500-mA
adapter, you may just find that it all
works out fine, thanks to the adapter's
voltage being higher at the lighter
load. If, though, you want to power a
6-voEt, 100-mA device with a G-volt,
600-mA adapter, you might be getting
more voltage than you want, despite
the identical voltage ratings. In that
case, take a look at whether the de-
vice has inlemai regulation: the higher
input voltage may not matter, as long
as the extra dissipation doesn't over-
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86 73 Amateur Radio Today* April, 1 994
h&at tha regulator, and the irtcoming
voltage isn't at or above the voltage
ratings of any electroiyti^ on the un-
regulated side.
RnaBy. i've seen plenty of adapters
&ia! dldnt actually live tip to their rat-
ings. I remember some 9- and 12-voll
adapters >^iQh wem supposed to de-
liver 500 mA. Above about 400 mA,
the voltage dropped well below the
ratingst The only way to know for stire
rs to measure the voEtage while the
adapter is actually powering the de-
vice.
By the way, the usual result of over*
stressing an AC adapter is hum in the
equipment, due to the adapter's filter
capacitors getting lieavlly drained be-
tween AC cydes. When stressed, fuli-
wave- rectified adapters will do better
Ihan half-wave units, but even Ihey
^ve up eventually. Everything has lim-
its.
AGoodFH
Obv^ously, if you want to be able to
plug the adapter into the gadget, the
plug must matcfi the socket. Although
various kinds of plugs are us6d» the
two most common ones are the ear-
phone-type 1/8" and the coaxial. The
coaxial dominates the field, and, un-
fortunate iy. there are lots oi different
sizes 01 themi Due to theif stfucture,
there's an inner diameter to worry
about, as well as the outer one. You
might think that, as lorvg as the thing
fits into the hole, all will be well That's
often true, but not always. Two prob*
iems can anse: First, the center pin on
the jack may not make contact if the
plug's inner dtameter is too b*g. The
plug fits in fir^, but the darned thing
just won't work. Or, if II work if you
push on one side of the plug, but
when yoy let go It dies. Second, if the
plug's outer diamater is too small, II
may not push hard enough against tlm
jack's spring switch. That can have se-
rious consequences, especially if the
equipment also uses batteries which
get disconnected when you insert the
adapter's plug. If the spring switch
doesn't open, the adapter may send
power to those batteries. If they're
non-rechargeat)le types, you could
have a leaky, caustic mess with which
to contend. To avokj ttiat problem. I al-
ways check for voltage on the battery
contacts while I wiggle the adapter's
plug around. The voltage shouki read
zero unless the equipment has a
charging circuit for NCds.
The length of the coaxial plugs
varies, too. I htaven't found it to make
too much difference, though, when the
plug was too long. If part of the plug
hangs out, just be careful not to cause
a short between the exposed sleeve
and anything else, particularly in the
car If the sleeve's polarity is positive
and you shofi *t to somelhing metal on
the car. which is negative, you're look-
ing for trouble. If th$ plug is too short,
it may work fine, but yoy might mn into
the problem I described above in
whk;h the jack's spfing switch doesn't
get property contacted.
Finally, some manufacturers use
non-standard plugs ar^d jacks. Some-
times it*s intentional, son^tin>es rioL
For instance, the ICOM IC-2iA uses
an odd vanaiion on the coaxial theme
in which the center pin is in the plug
instead of the jack; only their plug will
fit. And, my Yaesu FT-530 uses what
looks like a standard jack, but I
haven't been able to find anything,
anywhere, that fits it, because Its outer
diameter is just a little too small.
Othef Issues
Sometimes, you seem to have
enough current capacity, but you still
experience hum« especially in a re-
ceiver You m^ht just need some extr^
filtering, but the problem also can be
caused by a rather obscure phe-
nomenon known as *re-radiation.'
Wha( happens is that incoming sig-
nals, arxj sometimes the radio's own
oscillators, get into the adapter via the
AC line or the DC wires. They get rec-
tified in the adapter's diodes, and then
they get rerad fated back oiit the DO
wires, where they are picked up by the
receiver. The result is that the signals
get modulated by the 60- Hz line fre*
quency with each zero cross of the
diodes, and you hear +i as hym. Many
adapters have 0.1 or 0,01 |iF caps
across the diodes, but sometimes it
just doesn^t work. It's a difficult prot^
Tern lo cure» and f've experienced It
many times with minJatun TV
where it shows up as a sma^i hum tsar
hding up the screen. By the way, di-
rect^x>nveiBon receivers are so pror>e
to Fucking this sluFf up that most are
extremely unsuitable for use with
adapters. Battery operation, of course,
does away with the problem.
if you try to operate an NT on an
adapter, you may run into something
similar, wherein your transmissions
have hum on them, even though
you've got plenty of current capacity.
It's your own RF that's getting into the
adapter. Sometimes you can cure it
with a tofoid on the DC wires, some-
times you can!.
Finally, here's a trick you can use
when you want to operate something
which has a rx)rmal cun'ent drain with-
in the adapter's specs, tMJt whk^ has
momenta fy demands I he adapter can1
provide, i ran Inio that when I tried to
rig up an adapter for a little S-mm
video recorder ttiai took several times
its normal current for just a moment
whenever the eject button was
pressed. That caused the adapter's
voltage to drop low enough to shut the
recorder down. I pul a 9600 j.iF cap
across the adapter's output lines, and
It stored enough current to prop the
whole thing up for the fraction of a
second thai was required.
Well. I told yo(j there was more to
AC adapters than just plug and play!
See you all next month. 73 de
KB1UM.
/^^ /itumimcm^
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78 Amateur Radio Today • April, 1 994 87
Kumber 2@ on ymir Feedback cant
^^p ^^ Mumber ze on your PeeODi
73 INTERNATIONAL
Amle Johnson NWAC
43 Oki Homestead Hwy.
N. Svmnzey NH 03431
Notes from FN42
Wefi. my computer seems to be
fixed {f hope), it was acting flaky In
more ihari one way so i thought it
might have something to do with the
BIOS chip, t removed that and then
placed it back in the socket. That
seems to have fixed the problem, t
guess the ti^ip had tteen in the socket
for so long thai the ^ns got B Ifttte oor-
fode^t
We have a new Harr^ssador step-
ping info the tight. BiH Meara
N2CQR/H18. who t\as sent severai
newsworthy tetters from the Dominican
nepubtic, has asked to become its
Hambassador. From the tetters he has
provided I know that he writ nrnite an
excellent Hambassador. Weicome
aboard, Bill* We kxjk forward to more
news from DR.
t received a copy of a letier to
Wayne from Dean Hate KF7CR, who
commented on a letter to Wayne from
Nat v: in Bangalore. India. Dean trav-
els to India regularly and has already
sent a tetter to Nat so that they might
meet. Doesn't that sound like fun I
Dean advises thai if we are to travel to
India. t>e prepared^ india has its share
of eye-openers. International travelers
need to accept that &\ey aren't in total
control of the situation. They are a
guest in the host country. Rexibility
and patience are important qualities.
f\4ost travel literature is full of glossy
pictures and romanticized Info For the
business traveler he recommends the
All Asia Guide published by the Far
East Asia Economic Review. He also
recommends India, A Travel Survival
Kit by Lonely Planet Pubttcations. The
latter s written by two Engiishmen and
a Nepalese. A good bookstore will
stock either txiok. The classic Freedom
at Midnight by Larry Coliins and Do-
minique Lapierre gives a good sense
of contemporary Indian history . , . and
a peek into the Indian mind.
if any of our readers are interested
in travel to tncMa, Cfean will t>e gfad to
be a resource. Feef free to call him at
wofk ($03^m7'2202) or at home (503-
683*2985}. Tell him thatlZ sent you.
Congratulations to Woodson Gann-
away (Canary fsfands' Hamt)assador}
and his wife on the arrival of their first
child, Layli Rose Tahirlh, born Octot?er
27. One of Woodson's neighbors calls
her 'nino todo terreno, ' which trans-
lates to "four-wheet'drive kid.' She
goes everywhere with Woodson, so
the neighbor has a point*
Now, on to some great news from
the v^orfd of ham radio. 73, Arnie
NiBAa
Roundup
Russid The 'Russian Robinson
Club" was created En early 1993 and is
interested in the world islands pro-
gram— Islands On The Air (IOTA). It
has supported more than 10 island
Arctic DXpeditions in 1993, two of
whfch are new lOTAs: 4K2RRC (EU
019); 4K3RBC (EU 082); 4K4RRC (AS
005); 4K5RRC (AS 025); 4K3GW (EU
161); 4K3WQ (EU 162); 4KaWW3GW
(EU 082); 4K3/RA1ZA; 4K3/RA1WQ:
UW122/A (EU 082); UW1ZZ/A {EU
162): and 4K4DV (AS 029). During this
year, the Russian islar>d national dip^
m3 program (RRA) has been devel*
oped Like the nalMsnal island programs
of \Xa\y (tIA), Spain <IDEA), France
(DIFM), Portugal (DIP), and Poiska
(SP IOTA A), Compet^tors in this pro-
gram have received more than 120
diplomas. We greatly hope that In le re si
in the Russian national Island program
(RRA) will be increased ^ery year.
RRC publishes a magazine -report
every quaiter wh»ch gives ir^lormation
about members of the dub. the Cast is*
land, polar and sea expeditions. IOTA
News, and provides a databank of
Russian island stations. Anta relic sta-
tions (4K1 ), and much more.
Like most DX organizations, we
need your support so that our program
can continue. We would like to thank
you in advance if you could donate
anything {rr*oney, equipment, etc.) lo
our cause. An sponsors will receive,
tree -of -charge, our magazine- report.
^'Russian Robinson News.*
RRC invites aif interested hams
from diftereni countries of the world to
arrange joint expeditions to the Islands
of Russia. The RRC can help to ar-
range any visit to any islamd Of Russia
and to settle an organ Izal ion problems.
We wait for your suggestk^rvs!
Please communicate with our head-
quarters: RRC, PC Box 3. 39800D.
Lipetsk. Russia: NS!, L!d. (RRC). 429
Soi;th 321 St.. Place # E 10. Federal
Way. WA 9S003, USA: MHYW (RRC),
Gianni Varetlo. PC Box 1, 10060, Pan-
caNeri, (Torino). Italy. Our E-Mail: victor
@ stack. Serpukhov, su.; Packet:
UV3DIN @ W2X0.#WPA.PA.USA.
NOAM.
Best Robinson wlsti9S from
RW3GW. V. Sushkov,
India The All India Amateur Radio
Convention for 1994 will be held in
Bangalore April 9-10. This event is
called "Hamvention-94." It is sponsored
by the National Institute of Amateur
Radio and hosted by the Institution of
Engineers. The venue Is also the Insti*
tution of Engineers (Kamataka State
Centre). Bangakire.
The theme of the Hamvention is
"Ham Radio— A Global Ffaternity.' It
will focus on various aspects of this
unique hobby An exhibition of instru-
ments relating lo the hobby. HAl^PEX-
94 (a stamp exhibition on related sub-
jects) and a Ham- Esperanto meet are
planned* along with other usual pre-
sentator sessions. Delegates from In-
dia and abroad are inviled to partict-
pate.
For a free brochure and feglstration
forms, write to: f^agesh Upadhyaya
VU2NUD. General Convenor, PQ Box
1129, Bar^alore 580 011. India,
ISRAEL
Ron Gang 4X1MK
KS>butzUrim
D. Negev B5530
Israel
4X1 RU HF-VHF Gateway Going
QRT For the past six years, iim Stone
4X1 RU has been running an HF-VHF
Packet Radio Gateway. He has dedi-
cated his }^f transcetver, amplifier. an6
beam antenna to this end, and spends
about three hours of his time daily
keeping everything ordeffy and njnning
smoothly. For us in 4 X 'Land, his sta-
tion is the main junction for aU mes-
sages and bulletins to and from outside
the country. W© daily check into one of
the four BBSs on 2 metres, and gel a
list of about 60 new bulletins from all
over the wofld, as well as sending and
receiving our own personal mail. All
this goes through 4X1 RU ar>d witfKxit
his efforts. VHF-UHF packet radio in
Israel would be pretty bodng.
However, it turns out that most of
the hams benefiting from Jim's efforts
are outside of Israel. Because of the
strategic position of Israel between
three continents, as well as the pecu-
liarities of 20 metre propagation, much
of the traffic to and between Europe
passes through 4X1 RU on 20 metres.
Jim points out that the Pyrenees nnourh
tain range acts as a banm, and he is
the main link between Spain and the
rest of Europe. 4X1 RU says ihat there
are difficulties in the European UHF
backbone packet network, and as a
result much of the traffic is routed
through him. In the past, because of
the U.S. FCC rulings about third-party
traffic, messages for Europe from the
States could be addressed only via
Israel, wtth whom a t^trd^party traffic
agreement exists.
Anyone who has hooked up his
TNC and computer to an HF rig and
watched the packet traffic on 14,107
MiH? wonders how any serious mes-
sages can move at all there on 20 me-
ir^. Ai 300 bps. a quarter of the speed
on VHF. the problem is compounded
by the abundance of QRM, and it
seems to take forever for a paragraph
to be tmnsf erred, f^onetheless, 4X1 RU
moves an average of one megabyte a
day of messages and builetins on the
frequency,
Jim will now be able to participate in
other amateur radio activities (like talk-
ing to his friends around the work) on
HF SSB) and be at>le to communicate
on VHF. whicti is jammed all the time
by ttie BBS running on VHF, After a
Vacation* from all this activily, Jim
hopes to investigate activities such a
FACTOR and Clover.
Thanks. Jim^ for ail the years of ser-
vice. Your act is indeed a hard one to
follow. Be seeing you on the bands!
VHF-UHF Link to Eitat The trusty
team ot 4X1 DM. 4Z5AY. 4X6PH,
4X6WR and 4X6ZH installed the first
stage of the link bringing to Israel's
southemnnost fXiint reHable ham com-
munications with the rest of the coun-
try, Installed at Shaharul. overlooking
the Arava highway from about 50 kms,
north of Ei la t. the link is tied into the
145.325 Yatir repealer, which covers
from the Tel -Aviv area down lo the
Central Negev. The link relays wtiat is
heard On 145.325 to 434.500 f^^H2. and
i1 145,325 is quiet, then a signal trans-
mitted on 435.500 will be relayed to
the input of the Yatir (in the center of
Israel) repealer to be heard on its
output. A UHF yagi points down the Ar-
ava Road to Ellat and the VHF yagi
beams north 160 kms to the Yatir
repeater. A 91 .5 Hz CTCSS subaudiWe
tone is necessary on both ends of the
system.
As these lines are being wrNten, th^
task of completing the rest of the VHF-
UHF-VHF link with Eiiat has been com-
pleted, it works* The link's backbone,
located In Shaharut. uses the UHF
simplex frequency of 433,300. working
into a VHF transceiver in Ellat on one
end and the Yatir R13 VHF repeater in
the hilts north of Beer-Sheva on the
other ^e. In Eilat, you may wortt using
a handle operating on Rt2 (145.300 —
offset, as with a standard VHF re-
peater). You will not hear a squek:h tail
when you leave the PIT. as It is not
acting as a VHF repeater but. rather, is
relaying the signal to UHF. The fre-
quency spilt is just for operating conve-
niertce. It can be used as a repeater in
Eilat. though, il you use a dual-band
rig. transmit on 144.700 and listen on
433.300. And, driving ak>ng the Arava
tiighway north of Eilat. you will be
linked into bottt £ila! VHF and the Yatir
repeater by working simplex on
433.300. In all cases, a PL tone of 91.5
Hz must be used.
Mow all you need is a 2 metre hand-
te- talkie while basking in the sun at Ihis
Red Sea resort town and you're in
touch with the centre of the country. It
was pointed out Itiat this is a true plo-
neering triumph of ham radio in Israel
as there is actually no commercial ser-
vice at any price that will presently al-
low you. In Eilat, the same range of
hand-held or mobile communications.
Hats off to our lARC repeater crew for
their imagination, hard work, and
pulling off of this terrific job!
MONACO
Daniel Plett 3A2LZ
B.P.349
MC 93007
Monaco
Monaco lias had its share of ama-
teur radio visitors this past month.
DK6AS pak5 us ano^er visit, operating
from his hotel room. Another ham
came from the UK to operate the
CO WW CW contest- UnfortynateJy, he
had equipment and health problems
and had to return home before the con-
test even began.
One visitor who is legal Is F9UW.
He has been operating mobile/portable
Continued on page 90
88 73 Amateur Radio Todfeiy- April, 1994
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73 Amateur Radio Today * April, 1 994 89
73 INTERNATIONAL
Continued from page 88
from here for years, is fully legal h and
also QSLs.
On the subject of visiting hams, not
all hams claiming to be from the Princi-
pality are actually operating from here.
One case in point is 3A2CC. We have
been receiving many cards al the
ARM for this station. The claimed
contacts are mainly for August 1993.
This callsign has never been issued by
Monaco officials and has never been
heard here. If you contacted this sta-
tion , . . sorry, it doesn't count for any-
thing-
Pirates show up fairly regularly. My
own callsign was pirated » especially on
15 meter CW during 19S9, All current
licensees are listed in most call books.
The next series of licenses witi be in
the 3A2M? series.
Congratulations to a couple of
JVlonaGO hams. One of them received a
U.S. Extra Class license and another,
3A2LU, has qualified for the Worked
All States (WAS) Award. To my knowl-
edge this is the first one issued to a
Monaco ham.
Finally, the 3 A CW group has been
issued the callsign 3A2CW. Hopefully
this callsign will be appearing on the air
soon.
PEOPLE'S
REPUBLIC OF CHINA
Rick Niu, Chief Op.. BYIQH
Room 3 16 Baitding 25
Tsinghua Universiiy
Beijing 100084
People 's RepubUc of China
Sorry Es Happy Our apology for
the delay in issuing this I7th issue be-
cause of two busy weeks with the
satellite ground station. Thani< good-
ness we are not too late to cfe liver our
cordial Season's Greetings: We all
wish you and your family a Merry
Christmas and Happy New Year 1994!
Silent Night A Christmas party was
held by TUARC on the evening of
November 18, 1993, in a nicely deco-
rated bar near Tsinghua University. All
of the dub members and many of our
Chinese and foreign ham pals took
part. A double-layer caite with the sign
"HA1VI 1993" on it was ordered and a
BT20006J videotape produced by the
Worldwide Television News was
shown.
China on OSCARS Firsl off, our
sincere gratitude goes to John KD2BD
for his popular SpaceNews (29-Nov.-
1993), where our effort to get BY on
OSCAR 13 was well-mentioned. We
are happy to report that, as of now, all
the antenna system and proper con-
nections with the Yaesu V/UHF
transceiver have been set up and
working. However, nothing has been
heard on the SSB when the bird, ac-
cording to InstantTrack, is overhead.
Several pacl^et boltetlns regarding a
solar eclipse that has stood in the way
of normal AO-13 operation have been
noted but there might be something
else that went wrong. TUARC will ap-
preciate your instructions if you have
had any experience with the OSCAR
satellites or you are a reguiar user of
AO-13. Any reference books would be
welcome.
TNX Marconi If you have been
carefully searching around 30, 40 and
80 meters lately, you might have come
up with BYlQH on CW! Yes— Rick,
Sean and our dear old friend Dieter
0J7BU are fairly active on the tow
bands. Keep listening and we won't let
you down: 1430-1 &00 and 2230-2330
UTC. QSL via the CaflboQk.
First BY2 BY2AA, the first and cur-
rentty the only station in Region 2, is
located at the Sports Commission of
Heilongjiang Province in Harbin, North-
east China. Equipped with a TS-180S
and a TS-520D, the ciub started to
work the world on SSB and CW on
f^ay 3, 1993- Two operators are known
to be active: Mr U Feng, BZ2LF and
Ms. Li Ruqin. QSL via PO Box 89,
Harbin, Heilongjiang Province 150001,
China.
BA Net They are not a large com-
munity, but they are heard every day.
This best describes what the BA hams
are doing. Every Sunday around 0000
UTC, thousands of Chinese SWLs lock
their frequency on 14180 kHz— the BA
Net — listening for the most noted 20-
odd Chinese hams. What's more, a 2
meter net is "triggered" as well, both in
Beijing and Slianghai. when the clock
hand points to 8:30 p.m. local time.
The BY2-3 List By July 5, 1993, the
following 11 stations {shown alphabeti-
caily) have been registered in Regions
2 and 3:
(Call-QSL info) BY2AA-P0 BOX 89,
Hartpin, Heilongjiang Province 150001;
BY3AA-P0 Box 7, Tianjin 300040;
BY3AB-P0 Box 7, Tianjin 300040;
BY3AC-P0 Box 7, Tianjin 300040;
BY3AD-P0 Box 7. Tianjin 300040;
BY3AE-P0 Box 61, Tianjin 300270;
BY3AF-P0 Box 7, Tianjin 300040;
BY3AG-P0 Box 7, Tianjin 300040;
BY3AH-PO Box 1, Tianjin 300040;
BY3AI-P0 Box 551, Tanggu, Tianjin
300452; BY3CC-PO Box 2, Tianjin
300020.
Who^s Who at BYIQH Sean, a
second-year E.E. student, is one of the
TAgJCiM/KORI
Photo A: QSL card from the Special Event Sta^on at Taejon EXPO '9$.
yoLingest but most zeaious members
of TUARC, Alter his first meeting with
Bick BZ1QU in November 1992, the
open-minded, smart boy quickly be-
came hooked on the hobby, and has
been very much involved in afmost all
of the club activities since, "What a ter-
rific relaxationp working on the radio
while forgetting about the pressure
from schoolingr Crazy about con-
structing antennas, Sean is atso start-
ing to teach himself CW through the
SuperMorse program, and may be
heard on the tow bands from time to
time during the winter season. Acting
as a Public Relations Group member,
he not only does a super job as
BZ1LUV, but aiso gets the hang of his
university subjects very well ""We are
always learning, both about the radio
and about the life, especially about get-
ting along with various kinds of people,
TUARC has taught me a lot of things,
and I am very lucky to be in this ciub
and know these guys"
Thanks! Our hearty appreciation
tliis time goes to BZ1AA long,
BZ1HAM Chon, DJ7SU Dieter, EA4AD
Jesus, GW3GJ0 Roy, K6DGW Fred.
K80QL Jerry, KA3BMS Hani<, KD28D
John, K04XM Bob, N1BAC Arnie„
N5VGC Presley, 0E2CAL Walter,
SM5BDV Lars. VE7CIZ George^
VK5ADD Donald, W5KSI Angelo,
ZL1KG John, ZL2MAX Max^ and espe-
cially, Mitsuo JA5TX for his wonderful
Pactor BBS service and Bob N0ARY
for his state-of-the-art packet- Internet
gateway.
TUARC can be reached via any of
the foUowing paths; packet — ^BYIQH
@ JA5TX.JPN.AS; Internet— contact
Bob , gateway_requ est @ Aras m ith . com.
For more info, atrmaii: Rick Niu. Pubiic
Relations Manager TUARC, Room 316
Building 25, Tsinghua University, Bei-
jing 100084, People's Republic of Chi-
na. [Packet relayed by KE7XO]
REPUBLIC OF
KOREA
Byongjoo Cf}0 HL5AP
Room 401 CO Building
157-7 Kwangan"2Dong, Nam-Ku
Ptjsan60&-ro2
Korea
Let me offer all my sincerest con-
gratulations upon the arrival of the New
Year.
I am happy to say that an^teur ra-
dio station 6K93XPO at the 1993 Tae-
jon International Exposition was a
great success. I served as a volunteer
operator from August 1 to 31 , and it
was very enjoyable. I am sending
along the QSL card and a copy of the
certificate for your use. I am also hap-
py to announce that the EXPO Award
has been extended one year to De-
cember 31, 1994.
The Taejon '93 EXPO Award may
be earned by contacting and confirm-
ing contact with 6K93XPO and any
Other HL QSO made after April 1,
1991. Yes, it only requires two QSOs.
The award is also awarded to SWLs.
Over 10,000 certificates have been
printed. Send the two QSL cards and
eight IRCs to: Award Desk, KARL, PO
Box 162, CP.O. Seoul 100-601. Ko-
rea; Tel.: 02-817-7493: Fax: 02-817-
7494, Apply until December 31, 1994^
From June to November 1993 I op-
erated with a special cailsign, HL93AP.
and made contacts with 1400 DX sta-
tions and 80 DXGC countries. If you
were one of those stations, please
QSL to the address above.
Field Day G5RV
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Never Say Die
Coniinued irom page 4
lune with the limes. They have yet to
issue the first American patent in the
cokj fusion field. Tsk,
Why Stop at Digital?
Oigital is good. It's all zeros and
ones, martcs and spaces, yeses and
nos. It's also cumbersome as all helL
U takes eight bits of ASCII code to
communicate one lousy letter I don't
know how good you are at counting by
twos, but In the digital world you only
need two fingers to count It takes a lit-
tle getting used to. Why do viB need
eight bits? Well, if we used one bit
we'd get two choices. With two bits we
have four. Three bits gives us eight
possible combinations. So, where we
want to be able to communicate 26
upper case letlers. 26 more tower
case, 10 numbers, and a bunch ol
punctuatk^n marks and special charac-
ters, we're out to eight bfts. That gives
us 256 combinations.
Some of Ihe early DEC minicom-
puters made do with six-bit code, but
this only provided 84 combinations, so
it slowed them way down when they
were used for word processing.
The old Teletype code only had five
bits, so we were stuck with only 32
combinations. Maybe you noticed that
telegrams were alt upper shift letters.
The Teletype keyboard had the 26 let-
ters in the lower shift and the numbers
In the upper shift, along with most of
the punctuation. One key put you in
the upper shift Another was a car-
riage retum, and so on.
Okay, enough about history, now
weVe going way out into left field. Are
you ready for a stretch? One of our
problems today has to do with the
slowness of communications. WeVe
up around 9,600 baud for much of our
lar>dline stuff. ar)d that beats the t^eck
out of the 60 words p^r minute Tele-
type speed we started with, and the
100 words per minute we graduated
into. Bauds? Bits? When we use
ASCII we send our characters in eight-
bit groups, plus a start bit, a stop bit,
and a parity bit. That s 11 bits for
sending one letter or number * , , a
byte.
Do I have to explain ttiat parity t»t?
Thai's in there to teJI you when some-
thing somewhere in ihe system is
screwed up. Your computer adds up
all the bits in one byte and checks to
see If the number is odd or even. If
you decide on even parity, it adds a bit
to any odd bit number. Thus, if the
computer getiirig the data rurts across
a byte with an odd number of bits it
lights up tiit. telling you that something
is amiss.
So, at 9.600 baud we're actually
getting about 872 characters a sec-
ond. Divide by six to convert that into
wards and you Ye throughputting about
145 words per second. That's faster
than most of us can read. That's over
8,700 words per minute.
It's loo slow. We can do better than
Ihai. Yes, I know there are some do-
92 73 Amateur Radio Today • April,
hinkies thai can boost that to 14.400
baud, but it ain't easy. Or cheap.
Trfgtel?
Now iet's lust suppose that instead
of sending just zeros and ones, that
we drive the engineers totally bonkers
by sending ones, twos and threes. Our
frequency shift keyjrtg will then have
three frequencies instead of two. Bight
away that gives us seven combina^
lions instead of two, 1, 2, 3* 1-2. 1-3,
2-3, 1-2-3. It two choices gives us digi-
tal, then three should be trigltal, right?
With digital and two bits we have
lour possible combinations. With t/igi-
tal we have A9- With three bits we
liave 343 oombtnatk>ns . . . more than
enough to handle just atx>ut anything
in the way of special characters. So
we've reduced the number of bits from
eight to three for the same throughput.
That's 2.7 times the speed with the
same number of bfls. That's like send*
{ng at 25,600 baud.
Now, before you get too excited
Five bits opens us to another 7,776
words, and we're still beating the heck
out of slowpoke digital. Now we're
covered for over 99% of the words
used in normal communications.
It wouldn't be very difficult to sped-
fy at the beginning of a message (f a
special dicUof^ry is ^ing to be used.
In this way we could have or>e lor doc-
tors, another for lawyers, engir>eers.
computer tweaks* and so on. Even
one for hams with all tire Q-codes built
nght in-
Walt^ there's more. If we want to
have secure communications we can
just shuttle those bits a litUe and tfie
words coming out will be gibberish,
unless yoti have tfw key.
I'm not done yet. Next, let's sup-
pose that you're in communications
with someone who doesn't know En-
glish. Like Japanese, for Instance. No.
most of them know English. Make it
Chinese or Arabic, How are we going
to do this the easy way? No strain.
When you are busy typing in your
"Okay, enough about history,
now we're going way out into ieft field.
Are you ready for a stretch ? "
over this I want to take back one of
tr^ose oomt)4nations ar>d use it just as
a start bit. I'd iike to use the 1-2-3
combination for this. This will then act
as a reference for the three tones.
This takes us down to six possibie
combinatioris we can use tor our bits
instead of seven. Three bits mil pro-
vide us with 216 combinations, which
fs more than enough to take care ol
upper and lower case letters, the 10
numbers, lots of punctuation, and
plenty of special characters such as
dollar and yen signs, brackets, etc.
I'm not done yet Let's suppose we
want to speed things up a litite. See
where I'm heading? No? Okay, I'll ex-
plain. Let's say that v^e use three t>its
for most of the ASCII code combina-
tions. Thai's fine if we don't mind
speliing out even the most often used
words. But. If we send four bits we1t
have 1,296 combinatiorts and thus be
able to communicate 1,206 of the
most often used words by just adding
one bit. This will cover a surpnsing
amount of our normal communica-
tions. We could be nasty atx)ut it arwj
lean toward shortening words like
•communication" to one character, as
well as our more often used shorter
words.
Hey, we're dealing with computers
here, so we can make 'em do almost
anything we want, building the coiri-
ple)£ity into a cheap chtp ... so let's
consider going out even one more bit.
so we'll have a larger dictionaiy. Now
we're out to 7,776 possible combina-
tions. That's a pretty good-sized dictio-
nary, one large enough so we aren't
going to have to sp^l many words out.
If your computer gets a three^bit
'word'' it'll translate it into a single
character. If \\ gets four bits it pro-
duces one of the next 1 ,296 words.
1994
message your computer wi!l be checfc-
irig each word as you type for multiple
meanings^ Then, when you're done, in
addition to your rxirmal speliing check,
it'll stop at each word with a multiple
meaning and ask which meaning you
have in mind. The dictionary it uses for
this will assign bit groups to concepts
instead of just words- I'tl cheat on this
and add a sixth bit giving us a 46.600
concept dk^tionary. That ouQht to hold
us for most communk:atk}ns. We can
afford to be a little slower on our
throughput when we're providing an
automatic trans la lion into any lan-
guage in the world. Well still nm cir-
cles around 9,600 baud ASCII.
With throughput like this we'd be
able to transmit for a second or two
and send whole stones. It would lake
around one and a half seconds for me
to send a 16-page booklet. The story
of my recent trip to htawaii for the cold
fusion conference ^ plus scuba diving
on all six major islands, would take
maytje 15 seconds to zip through. Of
course you might prefer lo rxji t>e t5ur-
dened with reading and just want a
signal and weather report. I can do
that in a millisecond and be on to
more fruitful contacts.
I thought you might enioy Ihe con-
cept, even ttiough I realize that r>o one
will probably bother to make it tiappen.
Even though someone could easily
get dtsgustingiy. filthy rich tjy develop-
ing it and selling the systems ... and
not just lo hams. Hey, put me down for
2%, okay?
Breast Cancer
A reader who, for some pen/erse
reason, enjoyed my editorial on bio-
electricity, wrote to say that while he
was visiting England a few years ago
the BBC broadcast a program show*
ing a breast cancer tr^tmenl in Swe*
den vifiere they put a probe (needle)
in the middle ol the cancer with 412
volls on it and ringed the cancer with
-12V probes. The result after a short
application of the voltage was a quick
cure.
You'll team more about tfiis sort of
thJr>g In the Bob Becker t>ooks i reoom-
mended.
I'm mminded of Michael Crichlon*s
book. TravBts, where he pointed out
that radical mastectomy for breast
cancer as an example of superstitious
behavtor in that there is no scientific
evlderx^e that there are any benefits.
Except perhaps to the doctors and
hospitals, who reap millkKis. Mike was
a doctor before he got into writing and
directing, You1l enjoy this $4.95 pock-
eltx)ok. Look for it.
Free Music? What's This, Another
Con Job?
We keep hearing there's no free
lunch, but every time someone puts
out some food we belly up to the table
and start eating, hioping this lime it*s
for real. So what's all this free music
stuff? What's Ihe catch? Well, it isn't
totally free, but it's darned close.
Close enough so you can build one
heok of a music library for peanuts.
You can build yours the same way I
built mine. The English language is
pitiful when It comes lo expressing
feelings, so I can't begin io tell you
how excited, happy, sad. enthralied I
am when tistening to JoptJn, Nazareth,
Sibelius, Gli^re. No more than I can
explain the exdtement of skiing hard
and fast down a stope or scuba dfving
on a ri©ef full of fish. Why are contests
so much fun? Why do DXers chase a
rare one for hours? What s the fun of
sitting fn some rare country and worK*
Ing the pileups?
But a music library Is something
you have for life. I can pull out The
Music Man CO from Telarc and enjoy
the incredibleness of the music, the
lyrics, the performance and Ihe
recordir>g. We haven't got the words in
Eriglish to communicate this. Nor can I
ever really explain to you the feelings
of combined happiness and angst I
expenence in listening to Joplin's mu-
sic as played by Scott Kirby. Or the
emotional experience of Cesar
Frajy^s symphony played on a good
hi-fi system. I can only do my best arxj
hope you'll join me in enjoying the
things i have found so exciting.
You? A Music Expert?
Yes. youl Look, everybody, includ-
ing you. likes some kind of music.
Whether you enjoy rock, ragtime,
blues, Dixieland, ja22. bluegrass. pol-
ka, or old time fiddle mu^c, there are
some kinds of music that you like. You
are a music expert on one thing: the
music you like to hear. Okay, now Tve
got a way you can cash In on your
expertise.
Sure, some people like music mom
than others. Some not only listen to
music on the radio and buy records,
they go to ooncerisi A few even go to
music festivals^ which are popping up
alf around the country. Even way up
here in the mountains of New Hamp-
shire we have a restaurant that spe-
ciaiizes in biues (Rynborn in Antrim),
another in foll< music (The Folkway in
Peterborough), and one in biuegrass
(Del Rossi's in Dublin).
But no matter how much or ifttie you
love music, you are an expert on what
music you li!<e, and there are record
companies out there that want to find
out what you like^ This is where the
Music Research Foundation comes in.
This is also where you can bufid one
heck of a music collection for peanuts.
Damned near free, actually.
So who's going to shell out to ser>d
you music and why? Just put yourself
in the big tat luxurious chair of a
record company executive. You know
the odds are only about one in 20 that
your next new release is going to pay
for itselfi much less be a hit. And this
despite aii the experts you have on
your staff, and your own intuition. It's
worth a lot to you to have a focus
group listen to your new releases and
rate each one on how much they iif^e
it. Vou don't want music-Ph,D. expert
opinions, you want to know how much
the general public is going to like your
release.
Record Companias Meed to Know
This mformalion allows the record
companies to put their major promo-
tion money behind the winners and
not waste big bucks on losers. Pra mo-
tion can't make a lousy record into a
hit, but the lack of it can keep good
music from getting anywhere. This
same mformation is also helpful for
record store managers when they're
deciding how many copies of a new ti-
tle they should order.
The Music Research Foundation
has been providing this rating service
to a few record companies, but it's
been so successful in picking hfts that
now marty more want it. Thus, the
Foundation is looking for volunteers to
cost of setting up your enrollment and
shipping the first three CDs or CAs for
you to rate.
Over the last 10 years I've rated
well over 5,000 new CD releases, plus
I've written some 3,000 in-depth re-
views for my music publications. The
result Is that I have buift a superb mu-
sic colCectton of classical, ragtime, the-
ater organ, operettas, country, blue-
grass, folk music, foreign, dance,
show tunes, old lime piano, choral,
and so on. Nope, not much rock,
blues, new age, or jazz. With several
So what's all this free music stuff?
What's the catch? "
get newly released CDs and cassettes
and rate them. The record companies
provide the review CDs and CAs to
the Foundation for the Research As-
sociate groups. All the Foundation
charges is $3.86 each for CDs and
$2.77 for cassettes, just to cover the
handling, shtpping and record-keep-
ing.
Since there are many types of mu-
siCj the Foundation needs hundreds
more Associates to help evaluate
them all. If you're interested, let the
Foundation know what kinds of music
you like and send a $10 registration
fee (check or credit card) to cover the
hundred new releases every month,
there's no shortage of music.
You Havenl Got Time?
Somehow, despite my fairly busy
schedule, I manage to put in at least
an hour a day listening to new releas-
es. Even on trips I have a portable CD
player with me and a box of CDs to
rate. That's "work" that is very relax-
ing. Scientists are just now begin nir>g
to recognize the therapeutic aspects
of music. Heck, when I was the Exec-
utive Director of the Music IResearch
Foundation back in 1952 I worked with
a group of New York's top psychia-
trists and psychoanalysists and wnDte
a book on the subject which the Foun-
dation published.
Record companies and record re-
tailers need to know which new re-
[eases you, as a representative of the
general public, like. So give them and
yourself a break and start getting your
almost free music. Most of the CDs
sell for from $15 to $20. so you can
build a valuable CD collection in short
order. I know mine couldn't be re-
placed for $100,000.
Here's your opportunity to have fun,
build an enviable music collection, and
help the music industry to improve its
product. Wouldn't it be great If the
ham manufacturers wanted vox pop
reactions to their products? Dream
away — but listen to some wonderful
music while you're dreaming.
Send your $10 to: The Music Re-
search Foundation, Research Associ-
ate Fulfillment Division, 70 R 202 N.
Peterborough NH 03458-1107, or calf
800-234-8458 with your credit card
number.
Ordering Books and CDs
[Editor's NotB: Wayne often refer-
ences books and CDs in his editoriafs.
The booiis are often avaUable from
Uncfe Wayne's Bookshelf; the CDs
from IMPS by Maii^ Both can be or*
dered by tefephontng (800) 234-8458
or (603) 924-4196, or by faxing (603)
924-8613.]
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CrRCLE 2A3 ON READER SERVICE CARD
73 Amateur Radio Today • April , 1 994 93
Number 27 on your Feedback card
^^ Number 27 on yoi
Special events
Ham Doings Around the World
Listings are free of charge as space permits. Please send us your Special Event
two months in advance of the issue you want it to appear in. For example, if you
want it to appear in the January issu&, we should receive it by October 3 /. Provide
a dear, concise summary of the essentta! defa^ts about your Speciai Event. Check
Sp&c!3l Events Fite Area mi on our BBS (&Q$-924-9343). for listings tfiat were
too tate to g&t into publication.
APRIL 2
CHESAPEAKE, VA C.A.R,S.
"Sprmgfest" Amateur Radio/Compjter
Show will be held at the Virginia Beacti
Pavilion from 8 AM-S PM. VE Exams giv*
en by CDXA Talk-in on 146.^7-. Dealer
Contact: Preston P. fpock N4Stilt 1026
Caifoway Ave., Chesapeake VA 23324.
Tel. (804) 543-46 W. Ftea Market Contact:
Hot^ert M. Holt N4SPH, 2539 Roundfree
Cir. Chesapeake VA 23323. Tel. (804)
437-1 39a
COLUMBUS, IN The Columbus ARC will
host a Hamfest at Bartholomew County 4-
H Fair Grojnds, Farriily Arts Bidg., on
State Rd. 11. from 3 AM-a PM. Tatk-in on
146.790A190. Make reservations thru
Marion Winterberg WDQHTN, 11941 W.
Sawmiit R^., Coiumbus IN 472Qi. Tel.
(812) 342-4670.
EAST LYME, CT The Southeast Con^
necticut Radio Amateur Mobile Soc.
(SCRAMS) will hold its annual Spring
Ajction at the Senior Citizens Center,
Waterford Municipal Complex. Setup at 9
AM. Auction from 10 AM until sold out.
Bring your equipment to be auctioned.
Talk-in on 146.07/.67 Rptr For info, call
KAIBB at (203) 739-8016.
LONGMOMT, CO The Longmont ARC
will hold its annual LARCFEST from 8
AM-3 PM at the Boulder County Fair-
grounds, Hover and Nelson Rds, VE Ex-
ams at 1 PM. Talk-in on 147.27A87 or
146.52. Contact Randy Stevens NONMD,
5280 Cypress On, Boulder CO 60303.
Tsi. (303) 499-1106.
APFIIL9
FERGUS FALLS. MN The Lake Region
AC will sponsor their 7th annual ARRL Af-
filiated HamfesI between 8 AM-3 PM. at
the Hockey Arena. Otter Tail County Fair-
grounds. VE Exams, ARRL Forum. Pack-
et Meeting. More. Contact Keith McKay
NOFKF. Rt 1 Box 46. Battle Lake MN
56515. Tel (213) 326-6274.
LAWTON, OK The Lawton Ft. Sill ARC
will hold the 48th annual LFSARC HAM-
FEST from 8 AM-5 PM at the Comanche
County Fairgrounds in Lawton. Talk-in on
1 46.91 /.31. WrEts to Bob Morford
KA5YED. 1415 N.W. 33rd Si, Lawton OK
73505, or call (405) 355-6120.
ROCHESTER, MN The Rochester Area
Hamf est/Computer & Electronic Show will
begin at 8 AM at John Adams Jr. H.S,,
1525 31 St St NW. Talk-in on 146.22/.S2
(WOMXW Rptr); 223.22/224.32 (WOMXW
RptrO. Contact Rochester ABC, Attn:
Colleen Vaneps NOZDY, 707 11 112 SI
StY, Rochester MN 55902. Tel. (507) 230-
9102.
APRIL 10
lUlADlSON, Wl The Madison Area Re-
pealer Assn., Inc., wlfl hold its 22nd annu-
al Madfson Swapfest at the Dane County
Exposition Center Forum BIdg. beginning
at 8 AM. (Set-up 7 AM). Talk-In on
147.75/.15 on the M.A.R.A, Rptr.
(WB9AER). Reservation deadline is
March 3l3t> Write to M.A.RA, P.O. Box
8390. Madison Wl 53708-8390] or call
Jim Waldorf KBOAQO, (608) 249-7579.
Leave a message on the answering ma-
chine.
NEW CASTLE, OE The Penn-Del ARC
will present its annual Hamf est at the IVur
Temple on RT 13, Open 8 AM-2 PM (set-
up at 6:45 AM. Register for VE Exams at
9 AM. Packet and ATV Demos. Talk-in on
147.225+ and 224.220/R. Send resen/a-
tions to Penn-Del Hamf est. RO^ Box
1954, Boothwyn PA 1906t For info call
(302) 793-7270.
TRENTOM, NJ The Delaware Valley Ra-
dio Assn^ will spor>sor HAMCOMP '94.
their 22nd annual Flea Market of annat^ur
radio and computer equipment. The event
will be held from 8 AMI PM on the cam-
pus of Trenton State College, Route 31,
Ewing Township, Trenton UX Wheelchair
accessible. Talk-rn on 146.07/.67. Contact
HAf\/iCOMP '94, P.O. Box 7024, West
Trenton NJ 03623. TeL (609) 682-2240.
APRIL 16
JOPLIN, MO A Hamfest, sponsored by
the Joplin ARC, will be held at John Q.
Hammons Trade Center from 8 AM-3 PM.
VE Exams. Rea Market. More. Talk in on
147.21 0-I-. Call for details at (417) 623-
3610 (days); (417) 782-5343 (eves); or
J.A.R.C., P.O. Box 2983, Joptin MO
64303,
APRIL 17
RALEIGH, NO The Raldgh ARS will pre-
sent fis 22nd Hamfest, ARRL NC State
Convention and Computer Fair, in the Jim
Graham BIdg., NCS Fairgrounds, from 3
AM-4 PM, ARRL QWCA, MARS. ARES,
more. Pre- register for VE Exams by catl-
ing AA4MY at (919) 347-3512. For info,
contact Botiln Ransom NF4P, 1421 Parks
Village Rd., Zebulon NC 27597. TeL (919)
269-4406. Talknn on 146.64 -600.
APRIL 30
SONOMA, CA The Valley of the Moon
ARC, WB6DWY. will hold its annual
"Ham" and Fgg Breakfast and Swap
Meet, starting at 8 AM at the Sonoma Vet-
eran's Memorial BIdg., 126 Rrst St. West.
VE Exams: walk-in, with registration at 10
AM. Testing begins at 11 AM. Talk-in on
147.47 simplex, and the 1 45.35 -600 and
146.205 H-600 Rptrs, PL 8B.5. Contact
Barrel WD6B0R, (707) 998-4494.
MAYI
BURLINGTON, tA Valley Emergency
Comm, Assn. will host Burlington Hamfest
■94 from 7:30 AM-3 PM, at the Burlington
Drive-En Theater Agency St. (off U.S. 34
ID-8 Automatic Morse Station Identifier
Compatible with Commercial, Public Safety, and Amateur Radio
applications. Uses include Repealer Identifiers, Base Station Identifiers,
Beacons. CW Memory Keyers, etc. Great for F.CC ID Connpliance.
MiftiaTUfe in size, 1.85")(1 12 "x 0.35".
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All con REci ions matte wKh micnorrinlatLif^ plug and scM^ket with color toded wires attached.
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{sM distorlion. low Impedarvce, adjusts bfe sinewave oulput: 0 lo 4 vfllis peak in peak,
Cry&taJ conirolloO lor tijgh accuracy
Transmitter PTT ouiput (to key transiriilter while rO is being sent), fs an open colledor
Iransistor mat will tiandJe 80 VDC at SOOtna.
Field programmable with SUPPLIED keyboard.
Contirmatior^ lone to indicaEe sccepted parameter, plus tqfies lo indicate programming error
All prcigT^mming is siored in a non-v&iahle EEPROM which may be altered at any time.
Message fength {iwei 200 characters lotig,
Trigger ID with aciive higt) or low.
lihiBit ID wilti acttve high or law Wilf hold off fO until cliannel is clear o1 traffic;.
Genisfaies repeater courtesy tone a! end of user fransmassion if enabled
Hout^le SEded tape and mound ng hardware supplied f^if quick moursiing,
Oj>efaiing t&mperatuns rancie. -30 degrees C lo +65 degrees C,
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Programmable Features
• Bghi pmgfBmffiab^s. selectable, messages.
• CW speed from ? lo 99 WPM.
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• CW tone fmqvenGy tmm WO hz to 3000 iiz.
• Fmnt pQfct] delay iutefwl Iwm 0 to 9.9 seconds
• CW or MCW operatfoo.
$89.95 each
programming keyboard included
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&4 73 AmatBur Rsdio Today* April, 1994
and U.S. 61)- Talk-in on 14S.7go/.t90
WOLAC/H and 146.530 simplex. Contact
Chuck Gysi N2DUP. Burlington Hamfest
-94. P.O. Box 91 1, Burfington iA 52601-
0911 Of call (319} 752-3000 (vOH^/fax)
YONKERS, NV Ttie Metro 70aTt, Net-
work will present a Giant EJec!fonfC Rea
Market at Lincoln M.S.. 9 AM-3 PM, raif>
Of shine, VE Exams. Talk-in on 440.425
MHz PL 156.7: 223.760 MHz PL 67,0?
146,910 Hz; and 443.350 MHz PL 156.7.
Mat! paid reservalfons to METRO TO CM
NETWORK 53 Haywarti Si, Yonkers NY
W704. For details, call Otto Supfiski
WB2$L0, (914) 969-1053.
MAY 7
MANITOWOC, Wi The Mar>corad RC will
tiold its annual Hamfest from B AM*?? at
Itie Manitowoc County Expo Ctf. Ama-
teur/Coinpufter/Electronfcs Rea Market,
VE Exams. Coatad w/SASE to Mancorad
RC, RO. Box 204. Manitimoc Wl 5422h
0204: or catr Red. (414} 6&4-9097 days:
Bon(4U) 7^^-4733 eves.
SPECIAL EVENT STATIONS
APRIL 2-3
TULSA, OK The Tulsa ARC will cele-
brate its 70th Anniversary by operalrng
W50K. from 18:002 2 ApriM 8:002 3
April. Frequencies: Phone — lower SO kHz
of Ihe General 15, 20, 40, 80 meter sub-
bandSp and Ihe Nov^ice 10 meter subband.
Tliere will also be a 2 meter SSB station.
CW— tower 25 kHz of the Gemral 20. 40.
80 meter subbands and the Novice 15
meter subband. For a unique certificafe.
seitd QSi and a 9xl2 SASE to Tutsa
ARa P.O. Bom 4283. Tuisa OK 74t5&.
APRIL 3-9
TWEED HEADS. N.S.W., AUSTRALIA
Station Vi2CQ wili operate approJC. 2300
UTC-0000 UTC and 0300 UTC-0500 UTC
from Camp Qualify (Kids with Cancer), in
tfe Tweed Heads area of NE Mew South
Wales. It will be manned mainfy by the
VK4 Gold Coast ARS Inc. Frequencies:
7,050, 14,150, 21.150 and 29.550, all +1-
QRM. QSL via VK2CYI VK2 Bureau. A
Q5L card will be sent for all contacts.
APRIL 7
GLENBROOK, N.S.W, In commemora-
tion of the 140th Annltversary of Ihe first
Morse telegfaph circuit in Australia (be*
tween Metbourr>e and WUHamstown), the
Sydney Morse codians Fraternity will es-
tablish a Morse link beiween Melbourne
and Wiiliamstown {witl^ the venues at
each end yet to be identified}. The Sd*
ence Cenfre in Can&erra wiH be linked
with both temiinats so Ihal messages may
be exchanged tietween the three centefS.
Visitors will be able 1o send bhef tele-
grams lo relatives or friends, without
charge.
APRIL 9^t0
GREEN VALLEY, AZ The Green ValFey
ARC will operate KG7MF 1600Z April 9th*
23002 AprH 10th, to Commemorate the
dosing of all TITAN 2 Missile Sites in Ihe
USA. Phone Bands: 3.860 (AM or SB),
7.230, 14.250, 21.330, 2B.450 MHz. For
local 2m Rptr. operation, use 145.290
MHz (-600), For a certificate, send QSL
and an 8x12 SASE to GVARa 601 N, La
Canada, Green VaifoyAZ 85614.
APRIL 11
MOBILE. AL The Mobile ARC wil oper-
ate K4ROQ in commemoration of the
94th An m versa ry of Sut>marines USN.
Operation will be from the USS DRUM at
Battleship Park. Frequencies: 20m
14.220-14.280; 146.22/.82 for locals. For
a certffk^te, seiMJ OSL and 9x12 SASE to
Murray Randers K4RQ0, 9075 Howefis
Ferry Bd, Semmes AL 36575-7502.
AFRfL 22^23
ADAMS, NY Members oJ Jefferson
County ARC will operate N2DMZ 14002-
2400Z April 22nd and 23rd, to commemo-
rate the birlh of J. Sterling Morton, the
founder of Arbor Day. Operation wifl be in
the lower 25 MHz of General 80. 40, 20
and 15m CW and phone su bands. Try
14.060 +/- for CW QRP. For a special
QSL card, send SASE and OSL to John
Wagrrer H2DMZ. 20 Robert St., Adams
NY 13605,
APRIL 2^24
SAY CUY, TX The Matagorda County
ARC will operate N50WF from OOOOZ-
2400Z April 22-24, to celebrate the Bay
City CentennmL The Station wiN operate
on all bands, m all modes. For a QSL
tarti, seiKJ SASE to N50WF. 4404 Doris
SL Bay City TX 774 14
SPARKS, GA The Middle Georgia Pro
Ams will sponsor Station AA4RI, to com-
memorate th€ 100th Anniversary of "wire-
less" and the 120th Anniversary of
GuglielnK) Marconi's birth (25 April 1874).
Operation will begin 22 April at 2100
UTC. and continue until 1800 UTC 24
April. Listen for AA4RI in the lower 25 kHz
of Uie Geneca! bands. Hams traveling on
l«75 will be invited to visit and operate this
Station. For a certificate, send a 9x12
SASE, with QSL card to Curtis Carter,
114 Belmont Dr., Warner Robins GA
31088. For DX stations riot desiring a cei-
liTicate. QSL cards wiB go out via the bu-
reau.
APRIL 29-30
DAYTON, OH Special Event Sfalton
WaBt/8 will again operate from Ihe Day-
Ion Hamvention Ftea Marltet. during Flea
Market hours {12002-22002 April 29th;
1000Z-2100Z April SOlfi. Operation will be
in the General and Novice phone, and
CW portions (as band conditions dictate).
W8BI/8 QSLs 100% to hams and SWU.
To QSL, send a business-sij;e SASE to
W8Bt/&, RO. Box 44, Daytorr OH 4540t
APRIL 30
SONOMA VALLEY. CA The Valley of the
Moon ARC, WB6DWY, will operate in
commemoration of tbe City of Sonoma
and the V^Hey of the Moon's rich htstorn^
heritage, from 1700 UTC-2400 UTC. The
station will be operated during ttte dubls
annual Hamfest. Listen throughout the
day on me General phone portfons of 10.
20 and 40m, For a nice parchment certifi-
cate. QSL with SASE to VOMARC, 358
Patten SL Sonoma CA 9547B.
APRIL 30-MAy 1
PHILADELPHIA, PA The Olympfa ARC
will operate WA3BAT from 1300Z April
30lh-2000Z May Isl, lo commemorate Ihe
96th Anniversary of Admiral Dewey's tri-
umph over the Spanish Fleet at the Batlte
of Manilla Bay. SSB/Phone— 3.898,
7.268, 14.268. 21.368. 28.368. 145 270,
ai^d packet For a certificate, send QSL
asVJ a 9x12 SASE to CHympia ARC, RO.
Box 9^, PhUadeiphia PA 191Q&.
M^ Number 3
Propagation
Humt^er 30 on your Feedl>ack card
Jim Gray W1XU
270 East Chateau Circie
Paysan AZ S5541
April is usually a very good
month for RF propagation, and
should be taiily good this year in
spile of the dedirung sunspot nunv
bers and solar tlux tevets. Doni ex-
ped Apfil to t)e a passive mK>nth,
however, as there are signs of pos^
siie ionocphenc upsets ajid distur*
bances in ihe earth s magnetic
field, particutarly between Urn Stti
and 1 0<t> d ttie month. You may al-
so exped some otter geophysical
effects around this time, sodi as
stonns m ttw atmospfiere and oltv
er manf testations in the eartti itself,
but not as great as the January
17th'2lst period. Such occur-
rences need not happen oniy in the
United Slates, either, but they will
likely be somewhere on earth.
Winter has transitioned into
spring i^n the fsJorlhem Hemisphere,
and the usual thurwiersionn activf
ties in lower elevations and snow in
the higher ones, such as the Rocky
Mountains, can be expected. An:tK>
ipated DX cor>ditions durmg the
month follow.
tCK121leitafs
FaJrty good daytime condHkNis
on nonh-soulh pailhs. paiticu^rty in
the ahernoon. Also some east-
west openings to Africa and the
Pacilic on Good {G) days. Short
skip between 1.000 and 2.000
miles will occur during tf>e daytime
hours ^ with movement to the west
Jim Gray WIXU
following the sun. These bands will close
around local nightlall.
1
EASTERN UNITED STATES TOr
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15-17 Meters
Fairly good DX openings to al areas of
ttitt world on Good (G) days, am} occasion-
aliy on Fair (F) days Of days trending Jrom
Fair lo Good or vice versa. Expect open-
ings from the Norihem Hemisphere to
Africa, South America and the Pacific,
peaking En the afternoon. Short skfp, during
daylight hours, of 1 ,000 miles or so is liltely
on many days.
20 Meters
Vefy good DX openings to all areas of
Ihe world Irom sunrise through the eady
tkours of darkness. Openings stiould peak
an t>our or two after sunrise and again in
ttie afternoon. Shott skip openings beyorxj
750 miles stvoiid occur during rrw^ days in
Itie dayTight tioifrs. This stKiid t>e your tiest
band for DX opportuniiies, with strorig sig-
nals on Good (G) days.
30 and 40 Meiers
Fairly good worldwide DX openings
from earty evening ihrougii sunrise. Short
skip will occur over 1,000 milos during
hours of darkness, and between 100 and
1,000 miles during daylight hours. The 30
meter band exhibits some characteristics of
20 meters and some ol 40 meters. Tliese
bands are subfecl to thunderstorm ORN.
tiowever. and on Far {f) days signal may
not be much above t^te noise tevd. Static
crashes are always a proWein wtien lhi*i-
der storms are preserit within (he skip
zones.
80 and 160 Meters
These are the wintertime bands, wtien
noise levels are low, but some good resuKs
can be obtained this month, loo. particularly
from the Northern Hemisphere to Central
and South America and other areas of the
Southern Hemisphere Easl-wes! openings
are rare but daylight shon skip openings of
up to 350 miles are possitrie on 80 n>etefs,
and over 500 miles durrtg rvghttime bours.
On 160 meters, you wtll find some DX
openings that peak around midnight and
aroufxl s4Jiri&e, but t^ie vfi\ be NO day-
ftght ct^ances for short skip or oltierwise be-
cause of high signal atsospuon levets dur-
ing the day.
In gerwfal, April may turn ou4 to be one
of ItM better months until fall tor your DX
opportunities. Because of the lower values
of so^ar fluK, openings will be fewer in num-
ber and farther between. Use the charts
wisely for best resutls, and monitor WWV at
18 minutes after eadi hour for updates on
the ionosphere.
SUN
MON
April 1 994
TUE WED THU
FRI
SAT
1 P-F
2 F
3 F
4 F
S F-P
6 P
7 VP
8 P
9 P
10 VP
11 P
12 P
13 P F
14 F
15 F-G
16 G-F
17 F^G
IS G
19 G-F
20 F-G
21 G
?? G'F
23 F-P
24 P-F
25 F
26 F
27 F
28 F-G
29 G
30 G'f
73 Amateur Radio Today* April. 1994 95
Number 2S on your Feed&ack card
^ m NUfn&er 2B on \
New products
Complied by Charles Warrington WAIRZW
KENWOOD
There's a new rig coming soon
from Kenwood— the TS-60S 90 watt
6 meter transceiver — and It is da-
Signed in the same sty'^ dfid configu*
ration as the popular TS-&OS HF
transceivef.
Main features Incfude 3 full 90
watts output on SSB, CW, and FM
modes: 23 watts on AM mode; 100
memory cJiannets; Direct Oigrtal Syn-
thesizer with fuzzy logic control; a
large LCD panel with a digital t>ar me-
ler: a mulll-f unction mfcrgphone; and
much more.
The suggested retail price for this
all- mode transceiver is $1,209.95. For
more information visit your favorite
Kenwood authorized amateur radio
dealer or contact Kenwood Communi'
calkms CorporsUon. P. O. Box 22745,
Long Beach, CA 90^f-5745; (3W}
639-4200.
NCG COMET
With the downsizing of most hand-
held transceivers available today,
Comet has introduced a fine quality
speaker-microphone in a compact size
to match. The new Comet HM-P2 may
be the smallest speaker-mtke you'll
ever see, measuring approximately 1'
wide by 2" high. Tlie rugged piastre
shell hoyses the feather-light unit,
which exhibits excellent transmit and
receive quality.
The HM-P2 does everything a com*
parable large speai^ermike can do
and features a dynamic microphone
element. The suggested retail price is
$32.95 and it is available at most deal*
ers nationwide. For more information
contact NCG Comet Antenna, 1275
North Grove Street, Anaheim, CA
92806; (714) 630-4541; FAX (714)
630-7024. Or circle Reader Service
No. 203.
JPS COMMUNICATIONS
JPS Communications, Inc., r%as in*
troduced the new NTH-1 Wide Band
Noise and Tone Remover to the ama-
teur radio market. The NTR-1 is a
general purpose audio processing unit
designed specifically to provide noise
reduciion and multiple tone removal
for AM, FM. or oltier wide-
band signals, at an afford-
able cost.
This handy unit uses Dig-
ital Signal Processing to
provide operating character-
istics far superior to those
attainable using analog
techniques. Both WIDE (ap-
prox. 6.8 kHz) and NAR-
ROW ^approx, 3,4 kHz)
band widths are provkfed to give opti-
mum performance for AM or FM sig-
nals as well as SSB. CW. or data. For
more information contact JPS Cam*
municstions, ttia, EO. Box 97757,
Raleigh, NC 27624-7757. Or circle
Reader Servfce No. 204 »
(«#*»£.'
/TONtW^^
1 "1
A & A ENGINEERING
Dr Ralph Taggart WB8DQT has
just released his Weather Satellite
Handbook Software [WSHFAX) and
A & A Engineering has worked with
Df. Taggart to create a compatible in-
terface hardware package. The inter-
face is A S A's Product i2D0 and Is
available in kit form or assembled and
tested.
This unit is featured in the Fifth Edi-
tion of the Weatfier SateUitB
Handbook. It will process both HF and
satellite weather FAX. The software
will run on any PC/XT/AT/PS1/PS2
compatible with at leas! 640K of RAM
and one floppy, parallel port, and VGA
disptay Kit price is $159-95 or ass^ii-
bled for Si 89.95. For shipping within
the USA please add $6.50. For more
information contact A & A Engineer-
ing, 2521 W. LaPafma, Unit K, Ana-
heim, CA 92801; (714) 952-2114. Or
circle Reader Service No. 207.
ICOM
loom has intro-
duced the new IC-
2(3XAT hand'held
transceiver, with the
highest power in its
class, aiong with a
multitude of other
advanced features
at a very reasormble
price. This beauty
offers strrtple opera-
tion, advanced fea-
tures and durable
conslojction.
You can operate the 1C-2GXAT 2
meter hfT by channel number only, if
you wish — keeping frequencies secret,
restricting frequencies, or simplifying
operation for an unfamiliar user. Other
features include auto repeater opera-
tion, tone scan, DTMF redtal, and a
user-friendly keyboanj.
For further information visit your fo-
cal Icom dealer or contact icom Ameri-
ca, inc., 2380 U6th Ave, NE/P.O. Box
C-90Q23, BetievuB, WA 96009-9029;
(206) 454-7619; Telex 152210; FAX
(206) 454-1509. Or rarcle Reader Ser-
vice No. 201.
AEA
Advanced E lee Ironic Applications
recently introduced something new for
the satellite operator. Hie ST-1 Satel-
lle Tracker offers the satellite enthusi-
ast hardware and software for tt>e au-
tomatic tracking of saiellites,
The ST-1 offers t>ands-0l1 control of
antennas and transceiver tuning to
make sateliite operation easy As the
satellite nears the horizon, the anten-
nas are pointed in the proper direction
and tf^e rig is tuned to the right uplink
and downlink frequencies. As the
satellite moves into the field of vrew,
the antenr^s track and the transceiver
tuning is corrected for (he Doppler
stiift throughout [he pass.
The system has many ottidF ftie
features, and is priced at 5399. For
more intormation, please contact Ad-
vanced Eiectronic AppUcstions, inc.,
P.O. Box C2160, Lynnwood, WA
98036: (206) 774-5554; FAX (206)
775-2340. Or Circle Reader Service
Ho.2Sy2.
CORDON WEST
Well-known auttror and Piadio Fun
columnist Gordon West has just fin-
ished a four-year project of amateur
radio test-preparation manuals with
the release of his new Extra Class the-
ory book. The complete selection of
training materials for all radio license
grades Is a continuous process/ said
West "Just as I finish a new book. I go
back and begin the yearly revision of
another twok for the July 1st question
pool change."
All of the Gordon West amateur ra-
dio license preparation books and
code tapes are available from amateur
radio dealers throughout the country.
For more information or to mail an or-
der, contact Gordon Wesl c/o the
W5Yi Group, P.O. Box 56510t Dai-
las, TX 75356-5101: (800) 669-9594.
Or circle Reader Service No. 205.
Extra Class
Adxunaxi Class
[ X X ^ I Acc rt5»^ Pre p; i r^ 1 1 ii m
i*u(Pr-*'J<**t.
Gcncml Class
N(>-Code Plm
SUPERCIRCUITS
Imagine screaming along, just inch-
es otf the grourKJ, at 60 mph. Or how
about nose-diving straight down from
1,000 feet up. and pulNng out at the
last moment? The Supercircuits PC-
10XS microvldeo camera is what
makes it happen!
For a really exciting
projects try mounting the
PC-10XS microvideo
camera and a miniature
amateur TV transmitter to
a model rocket, R/C air-
plane, car. Of helicopter
Live video telemetry can
be thrilling ar>d it is easier
\han you think. The unit weighs in at
one ounce, prodyces a sharp 380
tines lesolut kjn, and works well in low
light with an auto-exposure control.
For more information contact Supercir-
cuits, 13552 Research Bfvd^, Austin,
TX 78750: (512) 335-3777. Or circle
Reader Service No. 206,
96 73 Amateur Radio Today • April, 1 994
Barter w buy
Number 29 on your Feedback card
Tirm your old ham and pomputer gear into cash now. Sure, you can wait for a hamfesl to try
and dump it, but you know you'll get a far moct; iisallstjc price if you have it out where 100.000 ac-
tive ham poienlial buyers can see it ttian ihe few hundred local hams who come by a flea market
table^ Check your attic, garage, eel tar and closet &hetves and get casJi for your ham and computsr
gear b&foro it's loo oFd to aetl. You know youVo not going to use It again, so why leave tt for your
widow to ttifow o^Jt? Thai stuff isnl gettSng any younger!
The 73 Fea Market, Barter 'n' Buy, costs you peanuts (almost) — comes to 35 cents a wond for
individiual [noncommercial) ads and S^OO a word for commercial ads. Don't plan on telitng a long
story. Use abbreviations, crajn it In. But be honesi There are pteniy of hams wlio love to fix things,
so if it doesn't wod^. say so.
Make your lj$t, count the words, including your caFI. address and phone number, IncFude a
check or your credit card number and expiration. If you Ye pladng a comm-&ncial ad^ include an ad-
ditional phone number separate from your ad.
This is a monthly ma'ga2ine, not a daily newspaper, so figute a coujile monrhs before (he ac-
tion starts: then be prepared, [f you get too many calls, ycHj prtced it low. If you don't get many
calls, too high.
So get busy. Blow the cfust off, check everything out, make sure it stilt works right and maytre
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 &usy on your com-
puter and put together a list of small gear/parts to send to those interested?
Send your ads and payment to the Barter 'n' Buy, Judy Waiker. 70 fit. 202H. Peterto rough NH
0345£ and get set for the phooe cads.
The deadline for the May classified
ad section is March 10, 1994.
ALL ABOUT CRYSTAL SETS, Theo-
ry and construction of crystal set ra-
dios. $7.95 each, ppd USA, Send to:
ALLABOUT BOOKS, Dept. S, RO.
Box 22366. San Diego CA 92132.
BNB200
CUSTOM MADE-HAND TOOLED
leather products with your [nitials,
name, call tetters. Photo's & estimates
available. Key rings, wallets, belts,
purses, hanging signs, specialty items.
GREAT GIFT. LEATHER « WEST 67
Causeway Rd., West Swanzey NH
03469. (603)352-6256- 9-4 pm. M F
ET. BNB215
SUPERFAST MORSE CODE SU-
PEREASY. Subiiminai cassette. $12.
LEARN MORSE CODE IN 1 HOUR.
Amazing supereasy technique. $12.
Both $20. Mon$yback guarantee. Free
catalog: SASE. BAHR-T2, 150 Green-
field, BfoomingdalelL 60108. BNB221
KENWOOD TS-830S, XTRA TUBES.
Ameritron AU811 amp. MFJ-949D ver-
sa tuner. WIFJ-815B swr meler. Every-
Ihing perfect condition. Whole pack-
age $1348/BO you pay stlipping.
Steve (303)945-0639. BNB245
QSL SAMPLES- 50 cents. SAM-
CARDS, 48 Monte Carlo Dr, Pitts-
burgh PA 15239, BNB275
COMMODORE 64 REPAIR. Fast turn
around. SOUTHERN TECHNOLO-
GIES AMATEUR RADIO, 10715 SW
190th Street #9, Miami FL 33157.
(305)238-3327. BNB295
StLICON VALLEY Treasures. Caps,
resistors, drodes^ MORE. 100 pes
$2.00, SOOpcs $5,00, lOOOpcs $9.00.
Post paid in US. LYNN JOHNSON
ELECTRONICS, Box 51268, San
Jose CA 95151 -1 268. BNB300
WANTED: Electron Tubes. ICS. Semi-
conductors. ASTRALp P O, Box
707ST, Linden NJ 07036. Call
(800)666-8467. BNB307
KENWOOD AUTHORIZED REPAIR.
Also ICOM, Yaesu. GROTON ELEC-
TRONICS, Box 379, Groton MA
01450, {508)448-3322. BNB310
OLD TUBES. Write K1KOL Box 131 ,
Newton NH 03858. BNB335
RCI-295D OWNERS: New modiftcaMon
manual including Power increase.
Clanfier modification. Modulation in-
crease. Operating hints, and more.
Parts included. Only $20.00 ppd in
U.S. (Missouri residents add $1.15
lax). SCOTT, PO- Box 510408, St..
Louis MO 63151-0408, (314)846-0252.
Money Orders or C.O.D. BNB340
HR2510, RCI2950, CONNEX 3300,
COBRA 148, GALAXY SATURN, plus
many more kits to increase your modu-
lation. $19.95. (800)536-0109. BNB350
KIT BUILDERSr Complete list of 165-h
kit vendors. #10 SASE 4- $3.00 USD
to: RUTENBER ENGINEERING,
38045 10th St. E. tH75 AR. Palmdale
CA 93550. BNB365
QSL CARDS — Standard and cus-
tom. 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. BNB370
NEW NN1G CW SUPER-NET SIN-
GLE BAND TRANSCEIVER KIT,
Available in 20M. 30M, 40M, BOM.
$59,95 plus $3.75 S/H. {Catalog-2
Stamps). DAN'S SMALL PARTS &
KITS, 1935 South 3rd West #1, Mis-
soula MT 59801. BNB3a5
SERVICE MONITORS WANTED.Any
late model test equipment, (408)241 -
7376. BNB390
MAHLON LOOMfS, fNVENTOR OF
RADfOr by Thomas Appleby. Available
from Johan K.V. Svanholm, N3RF,
Svanholm Research Laboratories,
P.O. Box 81, Washington DC 20044.
Please send $25.00 donation with
$5.00 for S&H. BNB420
PCB / Schematic CAD - from $195
EASY-PC - For single sided and
multilayer boards to 17"x17".
Phenomenally fast and easy to use
Over 18,000 copies in use v^orldwide.
EASY-PC Professional for boards up to
32" X 32" at ,001" resolution, 16 layers.
Schematic capture and netlist extraction -
integrates seamlessly with PULSAH and
ANALYSER ML Riins on PC/XT/AT/
286/386/486 with EGA or VGA dtsplays.
PULSAR and PULSAR Professtorval -
Full featured digFtal logic simulators.
Allow you to test your designs quickly and
inexpensively without the need for
sohisticated test equipment.
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picosecond glitch occurring once a week!
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Powerful linear circuit simulators have full
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Plots Input and Output Impedances, Gain,
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For information v/rite, fax or call:
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REF: 73, 1795 Granger Ave,, Los Altos, CA94024
(415)968 9306
VISA and MasterCard welcome.
CIRCLE 1 ON HEADER SERVICE CARD
AMATEUR TELEVISION
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Made in USA ^^'V $®9
SEE THE SPACE SHUTTLE VIDEO
Many ATV repeaters and individuals are retransmitting
Space Sliuttle Video & Audio from their TVRO's tuned to
Satconn F2'R transponder 13 or weather radar during
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it is being done in your area on 70 CM - check page 461
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repeaters are springing up alt over - all you need is one
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P,C, ELECTRONICS
2522 Paxson Ln Arcadia CA 91007
Visa. MC, COD
lorn (W60RG)
Maryann (WB6YSS)
73 Amateur Radio Today* Apn\, 1994 97 _
Pico- J nefls, ufi arrf hid&i In his 4-agrii;* pMl^tl-sfied ^oWer, i' C
wjHmg Ilka t-ht) GerM |41 A b<7UI* lill you neBd full -quieting /
slgnat pouc^
Call him itiT\h and his iglistdhfintil black weather &e^e(J lln^a
jBVBBi a ll9*li *rttf-Tffd toiwavB antenna reidy 1q hsfig ^|r'iyWh*rft. Suf
pend til Jfsfr aparlfnenl closel at patci -dtMrvMny. Alt^Ch PICO-J Id window
sf^s^ or curtain rDd. Ha n«ed£ ng r^cliiJl:^ For bmndbarxj Idw-
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Cftrry PIco-J wish y&u kw emfligwoes- Kang in Ih* mctel whwrt on ih^
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PIcchJ cormts rudy Ibrworii wilh 72' isoiacsd oqakIsJ l6«Cfiii« and gold
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lr>Ton
Bm 50063^
Models
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Order Hollin»
101-373-6425
G(VE YOUR
HR-2510 HR-2600
fhe same featurvy us The
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• A Commodore Diagnosilcian or Am^ga Troubleshooter (Si 0,00 vaiyel.
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Between now and May 15lh, every customer who sends us
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• 1 2 VDC Operation
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ELKTRONICS
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1-800^445-7717
AA ^^1
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BROWNIES QSL CARDS SINCE 1939. Catalog &
samples $1 (refundabfe with order). 3035 Lehigh
Street. Allentown PA 1 81 03. BNB430
HIGH QUALITY PERSONAL QSL's Insure greater re-
turns I Customize one of 26 standard formats, or your
own unique design. FREE info-packet (75 cent stamp
appreciated). CHESTER QSL% Dept. A, 2 S. Com-
mercial, Emporia KS 66801. (316)342-8792, FAX
{316)342-4705. BNB434
ICOM-781 RAFFLE: One hundred tickets ONLY at
$100 a piece. Drawing to be held at 3pm on June 24 at
the RC of JHS 22 in NYC Ttckets/Questions-RC of
JHS 22, POB 1052, New York NY 10002. Phone
(51 6)674-4072, FAX (51 6)674-%00. BNB455
REPEATER PROGRAMMING SOFTWARE-Use your
PC and modem to genemte OTIVIF tones. Send SASE
to KM9S, Box 771, Franklin IN 46131. BNB460
CRYSTALS: High quality for your VHF/UHF and SHF
trans verter projects. SASE. WA3IAC, 7148 Montague
SL, Philadelphia PA 19135. BNB515
CDROM-94 HAM I^AOtO CALLSIGN DATA BASE
Ham Radb Calfsign Database with hundreds of PC
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Ham Radio Archives ^ FCC Rules & Regulations, cur-
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Only $24.96, with Windows/DOS Interface. Encludes
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VtsaorMC, BNB540
FOR SALE: ICOM 735 & ICOIWI AH-2A HF all band
antenna tunner S955. (901)986-5153 or Box 21, Hunt-
ingdon TN 38344. BNB545
DACRON ROPE, WHY RISK ANTENNA SUPPORT
FAILURES?? Mil Type, black, strong, high UV/stretch
resistant 3/32": $,06/ft., 3/16" (770 lb, test): $.11 /ft.,
5/16": $.l8/ft, IMMEDIATE SHIPMENT DAVIS RF CO,
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BKB557
FOR SALE; TenTec Triton 4 w/externai dig dsply,
150/260H2 CW filter, TenTec 20A PS. manuals, worn
front panel, works OK. Pickup only. N. ind.-WA9PYH-
(21 9)277-1 786. $275. BNB565
DONT BUY QSL CARDS UNTIL YOU SEE MY
FREE SAMPLES. Also I specialize in custom cards
ar^d QSL business cards. Write or call for free samples
ar>d custom card ordering Information. LITTLE PRINT
SHOP, Box 1160, Pffugervllle TX 7S660, (512)990-
1 1 92 . Maste rcard a n d V isa now accepted . BN B595
WANTED: Western Electric and otJier tube-type audio
equipment. [800)251-5454. BNB615
DUPLEXER TUNING GUJOE. A complete booklet
showing step-by-step instructions on tuning all types of
duplexefs. Included is theory of operation, detaifed dia-
grams and much more. Send $9.95 plus $2^50 s&h to
ROM PUBLICATIONS, 533 Main Street, ffllsboro NM
88042. For faster service using a major credit card call
(505)895-5333 and order today. 30 day money back
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SATELUTE EQUIPMENT AT 40%/50% OFF. Toshiba
TRX-t420, $479.00; 25° LNS, $59,00 w/rec. purchase.
VCRS w/$30.00 Program credit, $399.00; .6^ Ku,
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(602)624-1629. 6NB640
UNIVERSAL PROGRAMMERS Data 10, XELTEK,
Logic Devices, fvlagic 10, EETools, Needhams, from
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free catatog. (408)241 -7376. BNB64S
VHF-UHF'SHF Large SASE. VHF^r, P.O. Box 635,
Hotbfook AZ 86025. BNB660
98 73 Amateur Radio Today • April, 1 994
El-EGAMT QSL CARDS AT LOW PRICES, Samples
SI (refundable wilh order). AACO. Depl S44, 1639
Fofdham Way, Mcx^tain View CA 94040. BNB670
EfGHT VOLUMES SAMS RADIO PHOTOFACTS,
Vottiue XIV John Rider troubtes hooting manual. Circa
1946. 100 S of schematics. Call KBeCQR {618)783^
2016. 8rJB690
HAM RADIO REPAIR- All makes and rnodels. Fast,
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REPAIR, 7110 E. Thomas fld., Scottsdale AZ 85251.
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ROSS^ $$$$ NEW APRIL (ONLY) SPECIALS, SAVE
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WfllT£. KENWOOD. Pi- 10. $37.00; TR-751A,
$615.00: AT-50. S295.50: PB-12, $50.00; AEA CALL;
ALINCO CALL; YAESU CALL: I COM DELTA 1A,
$920.00: BP-23. $30.00; BP*22. Si 4.00; ASTRON
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BARKER & WILUAMSON CALL: BENCHER CALL:
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CONCEPTS CALL MIRAGE CALL; LARSEN CALL
ALL LIMITED TIME OFFERS. OVER 9035 ham-feiai-
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Pfices cash. RO.S. Preston. HOURS TUESDAY- FRI-
DAY 9:00 TO 6:00, 9:00-2:00 P.M. MONDAYS
CLOSED SATURDAY S SUNDAY ROSS DISTRIBUT-
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83263. (208)852^0830 . BN B707
GIANT SOLAR PANELS $44.00 EACH1 Excellent
Prices/Solar Equipment/Accessories. Free Inlorma-
Don/Send Stamped Envelope, Catalog $3.00. To:
OUAD ENERGY, P.O. Box 690073. Houston TX
77269. {7l3)d93-03ta BNB7I5
ELECTRON TUBES: AH types and sizes. Tiansmfflng,
reo&lving. rnicrowave ... Large inventory = same day
sh|)ping. DAILY ELECTRONICS. 10914 NE 39m ST,
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{206}896'dd56, BNB719
QUALITY QRP KITS FROM 624, Curtis 8044ABM
Keyer Kit $31 .00. MUCH MORE. 2 Stamps for catalog.
624 KITS, 171 Springlake Drive, Spartanburg SO
29302. BNB720
MINIATURE POLICE RADAR TRANSMITTER One
mile range. $41 assembled, $31.00 kit. 9025 Coldwa-
ter Rd. BidQ. lOOA. Fort Wayne IN 46^5. BNB725
QUALITY: coax cables, connectors . antennas and am-
ateur radio equfpmenL Send $3.00 for latest catak>g.
R, C. KOMTES, 465 Croft, Jdaho Falls ID 83401 -441 9.
BNB730
HAM RADIO f^MJR— Prompt service. ROBERT
HALL ELE(jrHONICS, 1660 McKee m,, Suife A. San
Joss CA 95116. 1408)729-^200. aNS751
JOIN TAPR-TUCSON AMATEUD PACKET RADIO
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SOLAR POWERED HAMS! The Sunswitch is a
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CW FILTER. No batleiies redufred Buy parts from Ra-
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t26e. BNB785
CB-TO-10 METERS
We specialtze in CB radio modification
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CURCLE 9t Of4 READER SERVICE CARD
Sell your product In 73 Amateur Radio Today
Call Dan Harper today. . . 1-800-274-7373
EVERY ISSUE
of 73
on microfichel
The entire run of 731rom October* 1 960
through last year is avaitabie.
You can have access to the treasures of
73 Without several hundred pounds of
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We otTer a battery oparated hand held
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The collection of over 600 nnicrofiche, is
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Your full satisfaction is guaranteed or
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PUBLISHING
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Route 4, Box 1 630
Mineral, VA 231 17
703-894-5777
800-282-5628
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CIRCLE 171 ON READER SERVICE CAl^D
73 Amateur Radio Tbc^ay* April, 1994 99
^i«ii
Six Shooters?
IrtdtKir/Ouidmjr
6 mtli^r Antiinniis
Easy to U»* Wetter Sealed - insdsifid to 3KV > l>tBd £0 (>M Ffied
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ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD METER
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Sell your product in 73 Amateur Radio Today
Call Dan Harper today, , . 1-800-274-7373
IHC ANL. L ^ ^AP UOINOiOG'r «THt AN^Wte H C*P JSCHHQi.Q^v
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1 00 73 Amateur Radio Today • April * 1 994
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so the nation's only full lime, non-profil organization,
working to gel Ham Radio into schools around the
country as a theme for teactung usiftg our EDUCOM-
EdLcatton Thnj CommunicaBofvprogram. Send your
radio to scfx>oi. Your donated amateur or related prop-
erty, which will be picked up or shipping arranged*
means a tax deduction to the full extent of the law for
you as we are an IRS 501 (c) {2) charity in our four*
leenth year of service. Your help will also mean a
whoie new world of ediicational oppoclunlty foe children
around Ihe country. Radios you cdn wnte olf , kids you
can'L Start spring off helping someone else and your-
selt. Please, wfite-phone-or FAX the wa2JKJ "22
Crew^ today: The RC of JHS 22. P.O. Box 1052, New
York NY 10002. Telephone {516)674'4072 or FAX
(516)674-9600. Young people^ riationwide, can get
high on Ham Radio with your help. Meet us al Oaylon
Hamvenllon.we will be monitoring 144.30 through
OUt-Meet us on the WB2JKJ CLASSROOM NET 7,23a
MHz. 1200-1330 UTC and 21.395 MHz. 1400-2000
daily, BN8762
EARN $1,000 WEEKLY WITH YOUfl PC. Free details.
Send SASE. Jeff Boone. 845 Miller Ave., #6. Shel-
byville IN 46176. BNe795
AGGRESSIVE SALES REPRESENTATIVE seeking
additional employmanl Would like to 3ell amaleur ra-
dio equipment (910)299-1298. BNB8O0
AMIDON TOROID COIL FORMS AND KfTB fof Ham
protects. Interest to Radio Amateurs, large stock on
hand. IVAN JOSEPH, 3116 WesT Jartath SL. l^L 73,
Chicago IL 60645. (312)46&'8683. BNBdOS
R-390A COVER SET. New S55 each. Ballast tubes,
$25. (ppd} PC Box 3541 , Toledo OH 43608. BNBai3
FREE S^iAREWARE AND HAM CATALOG tor IBM Of
COCO. Morse code Computer Interfaces, $49.95.
NEW TWO METER Mobile Anlenna Pattern 5witcr>er
for Iwo vertical antennas, $59.95. DYNAMIC ELEC-
TRONICS, Box 896, Hartselle AL 35640. (205)773-
2758, FAX-773 7295. BN8S1 5
SENSATIONAL NEW WAY TO LEARN CODE-Do
Aerobics, Sing, Jog^ or Drive while learning code!
Now the secret 1$ yours! Order THE RHYTHM OF
THE CODE- Morse code music cassette today! $9,95
ppd KAWA RECORDS P.O. Box 319-S. Weymouth.
MA 02188. The HIT of the 1993 Dayton Hamvention!
BNB824
EXPANDED C64 BEAM RD, PROGRAM. 500+ Sites.
S3.50, 5.25 rftsk. F. Aden, N7S0K. 4096 Marcia Place.
Boise ID 83704, BNBS35
FCC COMMERCIAL LICENSE PREPARATtON RA-
DIOTELEPHONE-RADIOTELEGRAPH. LaJ^t home
study fast easy audio video. O & A pool disks. FREE
details YiFT PUBLICATIONS (800)800'7588- 8NB840
COLLINS HF^3aO NTILTTARY SPEC, Not a converted
KWM'3a0. Continuous coverage 1.6 MHz lo 29.9990
transmit. Serial §440. All mods & updates. Mir^l oordi-
tion Includes Uie foltowing accessones; Noise blanker,
speech processor, digftal conlrol interlace with external
keypad, kiron memoi^ nodule, 1 .4, 1 .7, 3 6 MH2 fil*
ters. SM 280 & SM 281 microp hones, rack mount kit
bJower kit, microphone foot switch, owner manuals,
service manuals, all factory correspondence $2,650.00
or trade 1000D. 1C 781. R 90OO. KC4VGL. "Turk".
(303)469-3355, evenings (303)465-0776. BMB845
WANTED: COLLINS ANTIQUES, anything old from,
speakers, receivers, transmitters, and ail accessories,
any condition. Top SS$ paid- Rick. (800)462-2972 any-
time. BN&865
KEfWOOD TL-922A UNEAR, Low lime. Original box
* & manual. $1^50.00 FOB. (916)351-8453. BNBa70
ELECTRONICS GRAB BAQT 500 pieces of new com-
ponents: inductors, capacitors, diodes, resistors. $5,CX>
postpaid. ALLTRONICS, 2300 Zanher Rd., San Jose
CA 95131. BNB855
RF ENGINEERS WANTED SGC, a world leader in HF
SSB equipment is seeking experiericed RF Engineers.
Experience in transmitter and receiver design. A/D
converters, digital voice processing, and low noise os-
dllalors is required. Preference to licensed amateurs.
SGC, INC., PO Box 3526, Bellevue WA 98009. Prind-
pais only. BNOBBD
SCHEMATIC DESION PROGRAM, Free brochure,
write DepL 7. SCHEME-ADDICT, S622 West 44m
Place. Wheat Rid^e CO 80033. BNB905
PRINTED CIRCUrr BOARDS for Z3. QSZ etc CM)
orders welcome. US orders deduct 20%. Free iisl B-
C-D ELECTRONICS, Sox 20304. 95e Upper James
St, Hamilton, Oniano, Canada L9C 7M5. SNB910
WANTEDi BUY & SELL M types of Electron Tubes.
Call (612)429-9397, Fax (612)429-0292. C & N
ELECTRONICS, Harold Bramstedt 6104 Egg Lake
Road, Hugo MN 5503a. BN3915
COMMODORE 64 HAM PRQGRAM$-8 disk srdes
ovef 200 Ham pfograms $16,957$ 29 stamp gets irn-
usttal software catalog of Uinities. Games. Adult and
British Disks. HOME-SPUN SOFTWARE. Sox 1064-
BB, Estera FL 33923. BNB917
AIRCRAFT RECEIVER, Simple circuit. Buy parts trom
Radio Shack. Corr^ptete plans $3.00. LYNN JOHNSON
ELECTRONICS, Bqx 5T268. San JOSe CA 915^5-
1268. BNB925
INEXPENSIVE HAM RADIO EQUIPMENT. Send
postage stamp for list. Jim Brady WA4DSO. 3037 Au-
drey DR.. Gastonia NC 28054. BNB^7
RADIO REPAIR Amateur and commeiCfil, profession-
al work. Fred Ftsher WF9Q, 6866 W. River Rd.. South
Whitley JN 46787. (21 9)723-4435. BNe930
SEIZED GOODS, radios, Stereos^ computers, and
more by FBi, IRS. DEA. AvaJlabie in your area now.
Gait (800)436-4363 Ext. C-6223. BlStB940
RF TRANSISTORS AND TUBES NEEDS DEALERS
and repair shops tor 2SC1969. 2SC2879. MRF455,
2SC1307 and more. WESTQATE (800)213-4563.
BNB950
fO-rm FOR SALE. Used vdry little. Possible delivery
MA, NH. VT, Bill Welch. K10LN- (508)653^2347 (eves).
B/O S4,500. BNB955
FREE HAM GOSPEL TRACTS. SASE. N3FTT. 5133
Gramercy. Clifton Heighls PA 1901S. Blvr^6D
AMIGA, MAClflTOSH. ATARI XUXE/ST Amateur Ra-
dio & electronics PD/shareware so f1 ware S4.00 per
disk. Two stamp SASE brings catalog. Specify which
eompulerl KD-WARE, Box 1646. Orange Pk, FL
32DG7-1646. BNB965
PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARDS fof prc^eds in 73. Ham
RadfO. OST ARRL Handbook. Ust SASE, FAR CIR-
CUrrS, 1 8N640 Few Ct., Dundee IL 601 1 8, BNB966
AZDEN SERVICE by former factory lechnician,
SOUTHERN TECHNOLOGIES AMATEUR RADJO.
INC, 10715 SW 190 St. #9. Miami FL 33157.
(305)238^3327. BNB979
ROTOR PARTS ROTOR SERVICE. ROTOR acc^S-
sones: Brak-D-Lays, Quik-Conneds, Pre-Set nnxls.
NEW models for sate. Free catalog C.A,T.S.^ 7366
State Road 1 05, Pemben/ille OH 43450. BNB99S
CALL omiiri ORV
OVER A MILLION CALL SWm
HamcaJl online service gives you ALL hams
via your computer & modem. Updated each
month! Only^29.95 per year Unhmilcd use -
24 hours a day - you pay for ihe phone calL
400:282-562* * 703:494-5777 • FAX 703:«94-9141
A t_ I ii It I t4 A
RBiiB 4. Bob tHO
33117
CtRCLE 7 ON REAOBl SERVICE CARD
Whereas the Loop?
Whui H^'outJ vuH do in ihtfSGondo? I iriftj ilic
H'hifl im Ji Nix und i\)e utiip tii \hQ window
uiih :i oi>MeEl I ail. Only tlv I'V in \\w Tieit
iiinUii ivani mc 5^. A ham nJih jn OninJJUHf>
jusl Iji'^H]! on hk nxtl u^v i ^liki^i.' w ev^n^
^hen iilli ifH' rH-ijMi1*(»tK wert boiv, red it wSih coax. Now Tm gciim|i
i>p| hit Mi thru 10. Add Hi S i£ H
Mm SS5J 40m S7V 75orS0m S99 160m S13f>
Antennas West €^pr I^"'1%^J ^"'^^V
Sm 50062 Piowjm^a^aoa Hotline 8110-^26-7373
CIRCLE 363 ON READER SERVICE CAM*
Small Talk
HICRO 1.2 & 2.1 VOICE RECORDER IDENTIFIEIU
RJLIT ASeiBlED \H THE UUL (NO! k m INaUDING
mHOPHOME, SWnOiB AND FULL [KXyHEHTAIlON
SKmS/mEltXTE
s-i3JDcajpm
S DHH SPEAKER Oinm
Dim AUDiQ ounur
IT FOI BEACON OR FOX HUimHG
- SAVE ion VOICE OUI^NG A COfflEST
^ ioe TEAR HEMon wnwouT poira
-EXAO SOUND ErtUtTKW
^iisgr
IKK II
3 i4ir I lyir
NliCRO
JU)MT10»UL f EAIliES
mo It iri LT ' on a SQieai BD - «
-kcETQiTniT-iaBaoQiDrfWF^' ii
I [4i (NKLIU mi£II SOf MtCUDT, NT imi
lODRDEftCALl 1-800-588-4300 |[il! K»'*''
CIRCLE 2S1 ON READER SERVICE CARD
Sell Your New & Used Gear In BARTER 'N' BUY
Ciassified Ads Work! Call Judy Walker today. 1-800-274-7373
Manufacturers of Quality Communications Equipment
'Repeaters
'Links
Remote Base
VHF, UHF
Receivers
Transmitters
Antennas
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EXPANDABLE REPEATER SYSTEM
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Controllers
^Standard and
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'A NEW CONCEPT IN REPEATER DESIGN. THE HI Pro "f** IS AN EXPANDABLE REPEATER WtTH THE
FOLLOWING FEATURES: A BASIC REPEATER WHICH WOULD INCLUDE A COMPLETE RECEIVER,
TRANSMITTER. COR. FRONT PANEL CONTROLS AND INDICATORS. LOCAL SPEAKER AND MIC JACK
AND CAPABLE OF FUTURE EXPANSION. AIL HOUSED JN AN EXTREMELY RUGGED, ENCLOSED,
19-INCH RACK MOUNT ABLE CABINET.
^THIS SYSTEM CAN BE EXPANDED AT TIME OF PURCHASE OR CAN BE AN AFTER PURCHASE ADD ON.
THE ADO ONS ARE— HIGHER POWER. 1 10/220 VAC POWER SUPPLY. IDENTIFIER, AUTO PATCH. OR
COMPUTER CONTROLLERS. IN ADDITION TO THESE ADD ONS AN ADDITIONAL RECEIVER AND
TRANSMITTER CAN BE MOUNTED INTERNALLY FOR USE AS CONTROL LINKS. REMOTE BASE OR
DUAL BAND OPERATION, ETC.
• New 2 Year Warranty
NOW CELEBRATING OUR 25TH ANNIVERSARY
MAGGIORE ELECTRONIC LAB.
]
SOOWestlownRd. West Chester, PA 19382 Phone (215) 436-W51 FAX (21 5) 436-6268 Telex 499 0741liELCO
WRITE OR CALL FOR OUR COMPLETE CATALOG
cmOlB 230 044 REAi}ER SERVICE CARD
73 Amateur Radio Today • April, 1 994 1 01
Uncle Wayne's Bookshelf
REFERENCE
20 N 1 02 Practica I Di gital Electron^ cs Handbook hy Mi r TiNf-
U'v fiA Conriiiii^ nine iligiial icsi jiciir projctis. Digital tincuit^. h^'^k
!i5iE«;>. bivtubfe^ jiiU iii]icf>i, niJcropmceiisors. meimur^ uiid inpjiAiuLpui;
tJtrviLes. S14.50
20N103 Electronic Power Supply Hafitfbook ^v tan R.
Sitii-itn'r Cover;, muny lyptb, uf .supplies— bulterieA^ simple AC
supplier, jiwiitti inixJe supplieii und irtveRers. $16^
20N1D4 Electronic Test Equrpment Handbook hy Sk'vc Mtm-
I'y A i5Liitle lo electronic leiit equjpmeHi for tlit i:rnginecr, tefhnitiun.
20N105 Digital Logic Gales and Flip- Flops hyJait R Sinciutr
A ilnn IbuniJiiticjn In digiia! uHecfronics. Tjv^je;; the lopicii of gates, and
tlip-nnp;; tlituxsugllly ^id frt>ni thi: bcjiinning, $18.00
OICSO Master Handbook of 1001 Practical Electfonic
Circuits Irtcd jjid proven solid sEJiie circuk^. Sl'^.'JS
01 Pee Pirate Radio Statidns hy Atalreiv )Wv TuniDg In m
uiHlerjircnmd hroadeaiiis. $]135
01 TOl Transmitter HunUng hy Joxcph Mtteif and Thumax Cnrk'e
\{»d'nni]ftiiik)n Inidijij; sintplified. }t%^S
03H02 Rtty Today ^v Dave Iniimm Modem ^mdt ici i»mmeur
TLuliDiclctype. SS.5U'
05E03 First Book of Modern Electfonics I'rique pruietis thiit
jns iiuHsey ,tLi^in|^, $12.95
09D22 Ttie WorEd Ham Net Directory hy ,\fikv Witkmvxki
NtiA ^ud i;(Jition. Imruducies (he spettjil inlentiE ham radio nctwiiiMks
ill) J phtiws yi>Li wire II ai^il ^^■Iwn; yuu can tLrtc ihem in, $9,541
09P33 Pirate Radio Directory hy dw^e IfUt-f When; to \m\t in
on SL'i.Ti:E i!ntcri;iiji[iicn[ i^^iions. %13%
■EOF093 1993 International Callbook Tlie new I9y? Initma^
\m\A CalKiOiik lisLs ?il)t),(KK>+ HcenjietJ radio ajnatcun; in Ehe cttyiUrien
uutsidi: Ntmh Ameriui, U covers Sou til AiflcrJL-L, Europe. Africa.
Asist ;ind i\vc Pacilit area {eJitiiisive nf Hawaii iind the U-S. posses-
10DD93 1993 North Ameritan Call book The \^m Nonh American
Callbook lis-Es eNl^ calls, nyniex, J«ul addresN inJormation for ?iX},(KMJ+ !i-
Ltascd radio amiiieurs in all toitniricN vi Ntirth Amerfca, $iV.'?5
05H24 Radio Handbook, 23rd Ed. M WiiUdm L Orr \V6SAI S40
pannes ofevirvihinj: you wanted to tiioxv siIthhh radio commiynicaiion.
02B10 Heath Nostalgia M Tim PfvWwc ^^77* 124 pimt illu^tryicd
hmoty oi' the Hcjscit Company. Include.^ tnmiy lond mciDories c<inirit*i(ied
by lon^'timc Hcythkit eimpluyees. SV.5i(*
SHORTWAVE
1 0DF92 1993 Callbook Supptement An update to the 1 «W2
Intematiunfil yjid Ameri!;;an cidibook?., 110^00
12E76 Basic Electronics Prepared hy ihe Bm-nJU vf Ntmtl
FevMmmi Covers the iinportiint iispeeiii of upplit^d eletirotiitii. Lind
elccEronich cirnimunicatiortii. SIUfVJ
t2E41 Second Level Basic Electronics Prepared hy the
Buti'mi lif Nuvtii Pt-Kumttrf Sequel to Baiic Ebutronic^;. thorou^ii
trL^atment of ihe nion? ydvuEKed levels ofitpplk'd elecEronies. $9.9S
D1D45 The lllu&trsted DictionBry of Electronics^ 5th Ed
hy i^ufay P. Turner and Siaft Cihilisfo An exliaoiilive li>it ot'aWire-
viationK, and appendices p^tked wilh stheinulie symbols and con-
version tables. $205
20N091 Most-Often-Needed Radio Diagrams and Servic-
ing Information, 1 92G-1 93a, Volume One ^-umpikd by M,N,
fii'itmnff An iiiv;iluable fet'ereanjc for anyone in vol 'red in Vintage
Rudki nirslnmtiin], $11,95
20NO9e How To Read Sctiematlcs (4th Ed.} by Datuitd £
Hi'niftsittm Wri^EeJi for the l>ci;icJncr in cluMJtmni'CSH but it aho con-
EainM iirfommtioji v;]iuaMe Hi' lllsi; hotihyisE und ertdiccrini; Eechii-
t'SEHiH $14,95
20N097 Radio Operator's World Atlas hy Wult Sti/mm,
WOCP T\)'\% Is a com pat I i^xl). lictuiled^ and ctimprehcn^tve
world alias dc^i lined to he ctcomtant de:?ik lop cotitpanion lor radio
operaiorfi. $I7.'IS
20MO20 Secmts of RF Circuit Design hy Ms€ph J. Cmt
Wfjuen ill tiear non -tech n leal hmguage, tovers everyibi]!^ tVotn
aiicenn;i,s lo Jr^instMors. $MJ,SO
20N109 73 MagaiJine Index 1960-19«0
A complele inUt'\ co every arittle published In 7ji Mnt:a:.me
thrtni^h M>m Book Sl?.fMI IBM soft ware (specify lype) $2UM
30N110 Product Reviev/^ Since 194S Contains tm index to
^M^} proUiici reviews ihai have appcan.%1 in QST, C£/. fIR. 7J and
RudnHfi. Book SI 355 IBM Sofiw anf ji.25 $lftJW
SOFTWARE
06S57 1993 Passport to World Band
l^adio /;v fnfcntitn'fuittl BrneiiJeu.'itiiff^
.St'n'iti'.s. Lhl Ytni'll Lie( ihe laiesE stati[in tiitd
(inie grids. %Uu5n
03S11 Shortwave Receivers Past and
Present Ldifedhy Fn-dJ. Ostarmmi Oulde lo
l\ViU 7,horiWLivc ri^ceivers ffl;mufacturcd in the
la^l 20 yijars. Tlie Blue Bi;>aK of sibortwavL^ radio
value, $8.95
07R25 The RTTY Lislener by Frrd O.uer-
imn New uikI cxpa^Wed. Tliss spccjali/ed hook
compiles issues I ibrou^h 15 of ihc RTTY
LfMfent'r A'c n-.v/rfff |-. Ctsntuins up-E(s-dLLie. hard-
10 -find int'oriTiiHioo on advanced RITY iind
FvW osonitorin<i lecbiiiques and freqMiK'ies
$t9.95
Q3C09 Shortwave Clan destine Confiden-
tial hy Gary L Dt'Xfii Covers ail cliindeivEtfK;
tTioudcasEiii!^. -country-hy^^outitry: lell.^i frequen-
cies,. tvEliiCr uiipuhlisbed intonnaLinn: spy. i-n-ior-
^eiiEs. freedom ftghiers. reheL anarchist radio,
■■secret radio. !(S«54I
03Masi us Wilitary Communications
(Part 1 ) us Mjlitao' commanicatton channel.^
on s^mrEwavc. Coveiffl. j'reqircncics. background
oil poiaiE-io-poinl frequencicji for llie Philip-
pines. I'Apikn and Koreu. Indian and PiicJfic
CXeaij*. and more. S!2,*>5
D3M222 US Military Communications
(Part2) Covers US Coasi Guard. NASA,
C*Ai*. FA A, He pi. of Ejicr^y, Federal Emcr-
.i;eiK-y MaU[ELieiiicni A^cnv)-. Di Piaster Conimu-
Tiii."u[ions, hfC. Dcpt, of Jusiite. I-rum 14 KC to
03M2a3 us Military Commiinicaiions
(Part 3) CympletL^^ ifie vast ovqkiU freLtutEicy
IInI of LS Military services, frani isyy3 KC (q
27.^44 KC. $12, *>5 v^^
09S42 The Scanner Listenef's Harrdbook
by Eii^vard Sintmtr NlHfl- Get Ehc most \m of
yok] r sciiin tier radio . $ 1 49'S
11 Tee Tune in on Telephone Calls hy
Tttm Knviu'i K2AE^ ForTTiarred Ci.s a frequency
li-ii wiih detailed deseriptfon of each Mrvice aod
ii.s ][H,-LLiEon in RF Apectnim. $12.^/5
03K2O5 Gyide to Radiotel&fype (RTTV)
Stations hy J. KHu^enfusy Updated book
covijrs all RTTY sialbns ironi .^MH/-,^f)MH/..
PjTes?j, Mjlilary. Com]iiercial. Meico. PTT.s. em-
ha.s.sies. and irtorc. SL2.95
11 AS 10 Air Scan Guide to AeronautrGai
Communications (Sth Ed.J hy Tftm Km-iu^
K2AF.S Most com pre hens ive ^iitidc lo nuuiilor-
iny USiicninay(ica1 tommunicaoonx. Cover^ all
Caft[idian land tiirport.s and seaplane hM-i-^. plus
ii.stinj^s forCenlnil America, the Carilrbean,
North AiliiiUic. and [he Pacific Terriiories.
$1495
07A66 Aeronautical Commynlcattons
Handbook hy Rohcn F.. Fvuna EAhau^iave,
scholarly ireaEmcnl of shoriH^-avi: ucrtiRUUlical
listenioji. Sl'*.95
nRFl3 The 'Top Secret" Regisiry of US
Government Radio Frequencies (7th £d.)
by Tftm Km^iid k'2AES This siann^r direcEory
bus become tbc standard refcrcjice source for
frequency aild other import juK information relat-
Inji lo Ehe tHinimunicationsi of federal aifcncie.Sr
11F52 Ferrell's Confidential Frequency
List, New Revised Edition attupikd hy
A.G. lidltii^'ry All rrcijuencie.s from 4 MM/-
2i!Mli/, covering .^bip. emhii^sy. areo. Vohnel.
Iiitt?rpol, itunilwr^,. Air Force Ojte/Two, miire.
$19,51)
15A002 Scanner and Shortwave Answer
Book hy fiah Gnt^i' Most frcttuerttiy a.sked
quesiiiin.v hy hobbviMs. |[,\V5
11SR97 National Directory of Survival
Rad io Freq u e n cle s by Tom Kfiehel K2A ES
Handy and conci.se reie fence ^uide lo Ivi^h irtiec-
cif conuTHJtiic;j[ion'i frequencies nrqiijrcdl by sur-
vival is ts. Sa,95
11SMi1 Scanner Modification Hand-
book, Vol. i hy Hiii Creek provides strai^hi;-
fiirsvard step-by-^icp ills Enid ions for expanding
the opcrtiEiny capahi litter of VHP scanners.
SI7.9S
11FE06 Guide to Embassy Espionage
Communications by Tom Km-ht-i K2AES
Candid and probing examinaiion of wortdv^ide
embassy and uillctxd]- e.^pionaue coFtimianicii'
lifnis sy.sitfin?, and networks. $10,95
20N094 A Flick ol the Switch, 1930-1950
by Mttr^itn E. Af{'Mah'tn Djscover Ihc fast-
^rowin^ hobby of radiii collcciiti^. ^.95
Q7R2& World Wide Aeronautical Commu-
nications by Rohiiit E. FkiUh A ire raft/ Air
Trjifi'ic CoMtrol. AircrafE/Ut>mpany Operaiions.
Aviation Weather Broudcast.'i. Aeroniniiical
FJiiiht Te.'fis. Worldwide Military Air Forces.
Acnt Search & Re^-ue. Aero Lavv Enf^reeitient.
NASA Flight Support. AeroTenDs & Abbrevta-
lions and Aero Tucttcul Idetitiftcrs. $i^9S
11 Tag Scanner Mod iti cat ion Handbook
Vol. 2 hy tifii Creek Merc ii h — a companion
lo V(i[. L [n fai-E. Vol. 2 has u sec Eton thai pr^v
vides improved approaches and updated lech-
niqucs for ihe mods in Vot. L There's IK nc\\
e^cslin|! modifications for popular scanners,
$17.95
03R01 World Press Services Frequen-
cies (RTTY) New 5th Ed A compreliensivc
inanijal i.'(>verin.g raijioielclype news monitor-
inji — i^otnains all information — anieiina. receiv-
ing, terminal iniit.\, p\m three extensive frequen-
cy li.si^. $^9S
04M54 GGTE Morse Tutor F-fom Iteiiinijcrio Exim
d^y^s m i'Asy self-puLcd le.sstjns. Code sjieed.'i frosn t eo
over ICKI" wiirds per minute. StiindnrJ or Farnswofib
mtKlc. Adjusiable tone freiiuency^ Crt;iEe j'uur owrt
frills. prai;|Ece or at'EUid e-VaiUs. E;iiinLs conform lo
t'CC n:quirt:men|s, 5 Ur floppy for IBM PC, XT, AT,
PS/2orcoiiipatibles.$iy.5ll
D'tJVI^S Advanced Edition S29.9S
^0^021 r^o Code Ham Radio Education Pack-
age Computer software psick;!^^. Indudcs computer
aidvJ iiMrucii^in! sofEwiirc iSEM cEJmpatiblcl. 26X) pj^e
HjLm Rad-iti Hjtidbtxiti 52^.^5
2mm2 Hem Operator Education Package
Coinpuier jauftw-jrc L;oittji|VN fite IBM coinpiHibledist^
w\\h all ijuesiiisnsi for all hccnjoc classes, plus "MorM;
Academy" code iCiicbinj^ soliwarc that takes ytHj ffEim
(»-:<) y*'pin.Sl«.95
lame Co<fe Programs— (Available on 5 UA"
disk.} [nes pensile complcti; siuJv jjnide iTOde piu-
jirnims forbtflb ihe CW/IZK Ctjmmodcires ;itiJ Ibo lUM
uoiiipuiihlcs. Prtjitryms incliKle updaied rCTiiucstions.
inulEipIt ehtiJLc antiwers, fortiiuhs. ndieniLiiic symhtils,
diaiirmrLs^ ajid sinaylnled i VEHitJnpIc lest.
IBM Pan# Commodore Piirttf
P^icc
Notice IBMOI
COMtn
SN.*?5
Tgcb mM(l2
COMf):
S1J.W5
GeiteriLl |BM(f.^
co^n).^
SU.V5
Adinrjfe IGMtW
COMIW
Sl*».*>5
lI\ira(New P(K>h IRM[J5
COM05
siy.y?
IBM06. COM06 IBM/Commodore Tech No
Code— Lanje Code Program Contains alt ihe
auEhori^fcd FCC quuMioith atKl Jinsu,ers liscd in k'stinjj
loniiul;is. scPit^niaiic ^yinbols^ diiii<!raiiiih. and hifinple
iesE f(F passing Lbe iww Technitiiin Mo Codt licenscn
1BM97 Amateur Radio Pari 97 Rules New £di^
tioti. cojiipleic F(X' rule^. SV.OlJ
V© SiLidy Cards ComiKict. up ttj
-duk
' I-'iLisli CariK
wlEli Key Words.
,'nderlmed. Qui/oaht
ck. Ftjrmulas
worked oui, ScJi
i:nitiiic'i ill Vitur
fint]
crtips. tscd
SlCCT.SSri!LLV
hy aj:cs 6 3o J:i I !
NOVICE
VIS(}1
SI 1.95
n-:ni
vistc
1(1,95
fitiNKRAl,
VISQ3
9.95
AnV.ANX'ED
VISW
15.95
EXTRA
vi.so.s
14,-)5
ARRL BOOKS
ARig94 ARRL T9&4 Handbook (7l5t Ed.} Fca^
Euftfs; siddeJ DSP. itiiprovcd trcitmcnt of Pi aiid Pi-L,
jll Jiciv alt-Ji^isu1-loj:ii;. p\m \ois nioft. $25.00
ARl9g3 ARRL 1993 Handbook (70lh Ed,} 39
chiipicr.'i, fei^tufiJi*! 2.\W uilvk^, U^uc^> ittid chiirts.
Cnniprtkiisivc. well nr^ani/ec) and affordithlt, 52x00
AR1 066-4 ARRL Dp&rating Manual (4th Ed.)
lnfornDik)R iMi h<>w lo nijiLie lt)e J>?!it ij!^< of your ^U^
liort. iiicluJiri:^ incrfnLing home uomputcj^. OSCAR.
VHF-LHl.si».W
ARC 194 Aqtenna Comp«ndlum VoL 1 Mjitrijlji
<jii veditaJji. qinHK, k»ps. y4^|tl^. reduced vi« aiin;iiiia«i»
bjluns. Siniih Churls^ mitcniia poEan/allon, SHKOd
AR2545 Antenna Compendium VoL 2 Cuvcrs
vedical'i. \-j5ii^, ijijjdis. miihkbaiid imd brtiadbaiiKl sys-
AR401 7 Antenna Compendium VoK 3 More rer
tii-aK, ya^is, muitdv. plus Itwps, arrays, mobile, dircc-
Eiim firH^iiij;, k.''[)iiLn>]k!d cuments, comptiteri/ed. in^uil-
Imitai. {ni"rl(i4ids, plus 40 new articjcs for beginner's in
^ji\ivMKcd. £]4.(HI
AFI2S36 Companion Software for Antenna
Compendium Vol 2 ^ 1/4" MS-DOS ik^ppy.
SMi.iiii
AR04S3 WlFB's Antenna Notfibook hy Omtii
DrMuii- Wlf'B Qci itw: btsi peFiyrniiiixT ojt of unvit-
irtivKc uir« iitUiNiaus urnl vcriiL'^ih. Bdld luncrs unJ
SWRbrid^xs. 59,50
AR034B QRP Notebook i>y Drnt^i DeMnw WfFS
^tsfiiis LiMi^trmriioii projetK for ihc QRP opcraiur
AR4141 WIFB's Design Notebook h\ n^)u^J Da^
AfiM Wtf-'H Ml^t:d ^^ith simple pntcilcal pn^jecin iJiat
eaii bi^ huili usin^ reuJily available componfm-^ jnd
cLJCfiiiHjn ban J iwJ^- $]II,(HI
AR2200 Antenna Impedance Matching ^ li'iV-
fffiiN. Ciiwn Mom toiiiprthccisivi: booJ; wriLEenon m-
'\\V2 Smtili ChufiN in ^dviinj: imjietkttiu'c iviiMcliitij: prob-
k'inv ^O.Oft
Afl04Q2 Solrd Slata Design Gnni. hasK inrnnnLi-
ikin. circuit di.'si^in an J applieatiuii^; dcMfripiioiiv of
recciM'rN. {nLiis-iiiiiicrsn p^nwcr sujipJiess aM ttti pquip-
ninu.SflOO
AR3193 Weatfier S&leflfie Handbook {4lh Ed-)
M- Dr. Hiff^iff in^iaurt iVWiV/^y/" J ■xpiindcHl ;i[Kt revi*;e J
m rtfk\'[ iodav\ u^eiiiber-riax sate lb [e [cchjitib^y.
ANTENNAS
AR329'Q Companion Software for Weathef
SateltEte Handbook ^ IM" ^^S^DOS Floppy.
510.00
AR3291 Now YouVs Talking! All You Need To
Get Your first Ham Radio Ll^nse (2nd Edi-
tion) A cmTFpleie study jruide tor tlic TechniLan -irul
Kdvicc wrtsiei] tinum, PttKimi mU^ffmmm evefv be-
jrinnier n&ds i-i ^nlt<;ri cleurly innl simply itnti in small
[k)^i^^.SI9.00
AR329f Your Introduction to Morse Code:
Praotioe Cassettes Kit includes e^tr 9(1 n>[nij[e
t'ljs^cru? liiffvs. Prepares you for ilw S WPM Morse oode
exaiiii 10 earn your NVnice HceriM; or atkt hj^li-fret]uen-
cy woflttwitte eoirmiinicatioiis privileges lo your code-
free Tcclinitiaji litTn^e. ^JQ.IHf
AR0437 ARRL Repeater Dir«{;tory 1993-1934
l9iJtX!M- listin^n wiih diigipeaiers, hjmdplan^. CTCSS
(PLfTMM («ne -cliart, Vnctiucney cEJCffidinator,^. ARRL
jiptfctat M'r\"ien! club*;, and bcatxjn listinj;!; from 14 MH/
1D24GH/.S&00
AR1033 The DXCC Companion M Jtm Kfaman
KRIS SpeEls oui in simple. Hrrji^^Mffiru-ard l^rm^ what
yuii niff d io \x a SiUi'teji^ful P^er. $6.(10
AR1250 Log Book— Spiral $^M
ARA341 InterferertQe Handbook RFUIeiKti'^^ex-
pcricHL^e in solviji]^ intrrfercnee prtsblems. SI1.QD
AR2 1 97 A RRL Data Soofc Vaiuabte a id lo me R F
(tesijin cnyJHKcr, Ifcliilii'ian. r4H|iu unt^ileur* and experi-
menter S12.(MI
AR29SQ Transniissjon Une Trattttormers {2nd
Ed J hy Df. Jarty Seiiti W^FMI PniL'tical iic^i«n,s
and vpecifii: inforrmiilion on ctmsLruction lechniijucs
:tiid sovrut^ (sf niutcri^L $JO.UO
AH0410 Vagi Antenna De&ign A Hum KnJi^i sc-
ries p<,jli?ibi:d iLiMJ; txpunded by Dr. Liawson. SI 5.00
AR21 71 Hints and Kinks Kiaw fiw s«((in^ itp wur
^ear ftsr cdiHiiKnaWe. efficieiii operjutvi], SS+00
AR31 69 Q RP Class ic^ Ctxnpi Imm of A R R 1. pub-
Ik^QlLouK CUT. building receiveni. trmihmi iters, tj-ans,-
cci\crv, aeicesjitsrte^. $12.0(1
ARRL License Manuals Coi^iplete FCC qtiejitiori
pools wkh answers.
AR2375 Technician C\ass
AR23e3 General Class
AR0166 Ad\snQBd Class
AR2S91 Extra CJass
Sfi.00
WAX)
SIf.UU
SS.OO
20r^l0e The Easy Wire Antenna Handbook f?y
i'/tn-e ff\iiinm K-fJWJ. Gives you ull of the nerdcd di-
rtiL'fiJiiniiis fw ;i full trn^s of easy to build suul ereei
"sk\ ^^ires" $y.50
10A343 All About Cubical Quad Antennas hy
Wiiiitim Ort and Si mm Cftwuti ""The CliissLc" on
QuJj dL\^iirt. llKOfy. CDdhlriKtion. ope rati t>it. Nt^v
f«d -Md miitciiinji ^ys^el5l!i. Ne\i' liaia. J1L95
D1A70 Practical Antenna Handbook by
Joseph J. CufrUc^iiin. buildK modify, siiMl iii,'4iill your
(vivn iinicnnusH |22,¥5
UHF/VHF/PACKET\
01P22-2 Tire Packet Radio Handbook (2nd
Ed.) hyJuuiitium L Aht'i-tt K'iiJT "...tlie defmilive
yiiiitc to Jiniali^ur piickes tiperiiciort." — Gwvn Recdj
\VIIIEL Only $16.95
201^019 U-5. Ilepealer AAapbook hy Rtihert
Mfittiit Thi Cuidt* I'of ifuvelinji rjdJi;> ^iniji(eurs.
$0JJ5
10A343 All About VerticJe Antennas hy Wifiiam
On CoFiiprchcti'iiu' t'ovcriqie iM' mmaieur t'ominunita-
lions SIOJs
1QA345 Beam Antenna Handbook ^'.v WWmm
Orr iimf i'jMU/T dnvaii Every) hin^^ you need lu know
about beam design, cot>stri»f(k>n, and iiperfltion. SI I .^>?
10A346 Simple, Low-Cost Wire Antennas For
Bactio Arnateurs V Wijf/ityij Orr and Smmi Ctm-an
Ail Nt:\il LjO^i 'CHS'ii, multi-biirK! umcnniis; ine.vpcns.ivc
bciinu, "tnvisiblc" ajittnnia for hams in "touiih" 1(ku-
iionii!Ncwdgtj. Ili.i^S
09V11 The Basic Guide lo VHF/UHF Ham
Radio hy Ethi'Ui'ii A/. f^'aU Provides ;i llrsi Ttiie
iritrcKJuclicin to the l.fi jiid 1.25 nte^ier bunds as
wtit as 2a .^J. urtl TEtm, $6.50
03R02 RTTY Today hy Dmr Iti^nim K4J\V]
Most uimpnfhen.sive RTTY ^loitk evt'r piil^Eishedr
BOOKS FOR BEGINNERS
02D42 Oigital Novic* by Jim Gmhhfi Ge^ired
to iHiike you a mure kiicuvledgahlc participyni.
£8.51t
05C25 Basic A,C, Circuits A stcp-by-stcp
jppf(iin;li Riflfie be^initici^ stiHJent. $24,5U
20N01fi Technicadn Class Ucense Manual:
New No-Code by (hmUw WcM III is hook cov-
ers cvcryibiiiiji you need lo become n Ti^cbnickin
Cbsjt Ham. L\-ery quesiion uiiid iiiisweroii lliftfs-
amincLtiLins is [ootid in this one book,. I'CC Fonin
{Yl(>:]pp]icuii(jn.S9.9S
20N092 The Wonderful World of Hann
Radio hy likfutrd SMHik, KR4LCS S]rapk,
L'lcLir. Lin J lull. hiinKJooes youii^ people (o ami3ii;uf
rjidio,$7*y5
01A87 Shortwave Listener's Antenna
Hand book Primer utttentiii i het>ry, $ 1 5**^5
2DN100 Electronics Build and Learn (2nd
Ed.) by KA Fcnfold Conthines iln;<ir>^ yntl prut-
lice so thai you cm ""leaini by doinj:,"' (1Z,54t
20ISt093 Digital Electronics Projects for Be*
ginnery ^y tiwi^n /^Tj^/jf^;? Contains 12 d[i!,]E:jl
e It dromes projects so liable for the bejiinfier lo
build witJi ibc iminihiiiini ol e'L^uipineni. $12.50
AR2871 WIFB's Help for New Hams hy
Dtfsm DcMiivv U7r/f CoLTiplcte f-tjr the lewco nWf.
Put lo^tther u siution und^el ^m ifae 4iir. SlU.tKt
AR22a6 First Steps In Radio hy fhtnf:
DlMhw WifB Series of QST urtitlei^. $5,1*0
AR3185 The Satellite Experimenter's Hand-
book, (2nd Ed.) hy Mufiin ihtvidoff K2UBC
E}ipundcd and revFNed. Foc"ijHpni; on siiiellitcs btiih by
and for the imerfiiitional Rid in arnsjtetir uoniniuJiily.
$2fl.0ft
AR24Sa FCC Rule Book (9th Ed,) A inuHi fof
every active mdio onutcur, %^M\
AR2C30 Your Gate way to Packet Radio (2nd
Ed.) Tells every ihin« yoj need to know about this
popular new mtxJe. SI 2.00
AR2105 SatellJie Anthology iTie latest infwma-
tioii Oil OSCARs y tbriniiih L^ as wet I as (he RS satel-
lites, the use ordE^ilai modcii. iracLfng antrnn^is,
RtJDAK. miL'a>c{9inpuler, aildnititrl $5.00
AR2083 Complete DX'er (2nd Ed.) hy Mi hni^
er WVKh'f Leans hoi^Jt lo huni DX jnd (iblnJii hi^rd -to-
net QSL cards. SI 2,W)
CODE TAPES ^
73TD5 "Genesis" S5.9S
B wf>nfi— This btiilnniiji; lupe. lakes you (h rough
the 26 letk-rs. 10 mimbers. and necessary punc-
lujtion. complete with practice every step csf die
w^ay.
73T0e"TheStiE;k]er" S6.95
a* ivpm — Tills h (he praetiee tape for ihose who sur-
\ived (bL! 5 wpm iape% and it's ulsq ibc lapc lor the
Novice mil Techflician licetise,'^. It i*t comprised of
cmc wlid fiqur of e(Hk'. ChanK:ler> art se! at 1.^ ^pjlll
und 5;paLed iit S wpm.
WAYNE'S PICKS =
SS675e Warning! The Electricity Around
You Ma/ Be Hazardoys To Your Healih hy
Eih'if Siif^mmufi An ijividuaNe i!uiik to ilie l'isk^ ctf
electromuitnetk" fields, and stcp^. ynu can fiike to
pr{}l<;ct y<nirsetf und your fjiiiily. $[ ].(X)
"We The People" Declare War! On Our
Lousy Government hy Wayne Green A "mtisi
read" lor every ameritiiin laspityer. Solotinns
to every prohlean faeinj; our government (cHJay.
$12.^5
NEW STUFF ^^
AR37B2 Your ORP OperatFng Companion No
spetial rijis or cupeiiMU" Oijuipiiieni (O enjoy the cx-
citertvem ;tnd challen^ of low-p(.iiweropera(ini;. Sb.lH*
AR3959Youf Packet Companion Perfect tcjr ihc
packet iHwconwr, $J4.0(I
AR2065 ARBL Antef>na Book The new I6tb Kdi-
tiOfli represciiis (he bes( and nn.tfii highly rtjiarded infor-
matiort m art(enna fundamentuh, (ransmission liiie^i^
(ksi^n, and. constnteli-tsn iif wire antenniLS. $2([.IH^
AR2fl9fl Space Almanac hy Amhtttry R. Cmm
K.^KXK Rk^enE iiew^s I foin space. %29M
AR32^ [Worse Code: The Essential Language
hy L Pi'ier L'ttrnm Jr. WJDKV HipiiiiJed ;tiul revised
in its Slid etfllion. H<m- lo bandlc dislrcss calh head
fiC^ <H)ly i}R the hainbands hut on maritiTne and ainnift
frct|uen[:ic!t. SA.OO
AR4114 Low Profile A^nateur Radio Fiir the
Ham who [ive> where antennae ^re Irowned vpcHt.
Frotn hidinti your ainenna |c» opcfatmn with low pow-
er. This boolktclK you how U) ^ei oji the nir ustn^ ihi;Ne
tcehTiiqoes— and oihej?i — widioui callini!; itiiejitioti to
your!i«lt. $&M
73T1 3 "Back Breaker" 85.95
13-1- wpm — Code j^roups at;;;jin. at a brhk ^4
wprrt so you II be rsally at cjisc when you sit down
in front of a sieely-cycd voiunieer examiner who
!;tart*i send mi; you ptuin lan]i;ijag!e C'Oik; :le oitly 13
per • '•' ' "
73T20 "Courageous" S5.95
20+ wpm CotijimialahoMi^I 01^ ay, ilie tballenge of
code is^ what's j;otieii you tbis fur, so don't C|uit
now. Go for ibc e^tru cta-ss license We send ihc
cotle faster iban 20 per,
EDe6751 Dumbing Lis Down; The Htdden
Curriculum Of Compulsory Schooling, hy
Jtihn GiUtii If youenjincd "Declare Wur '. you'll eii-
JETv ihis lIso. a Wayne Green recommended
reaiJiiiij;,^.^^
7S572 How to Teach School Real Good ^v
Duk GmfUird Good rcudiiis!. A irue iaijiiiths <sn ihc
«ichool system. What our leathers leach, how and
wby (hey teach. Y<mj wfli noit be able m pui this one
down. A lA'ayjte Green ret'OiiimLiKied readlnii. Lim-
ilcd Quijntity, While supjllies ]asL $10.00
AB3873 Your VHP Companion tHvpttire the
t"jj*iCLnaiiiiiji ut'tivttics ini the VHF blinds: VM :tnd
re pe Lite r>i. pack cL CW & SSB. SyletllJes, ATV,
iransmiittir buiuiiig uiHJ n^yt. $8,00
I Uncle Wayne's Bookshelf Order Form I
Ygu may order by mail, telephone, or fax. All payment.s are lo be in
US funds. Allow 3 weeks for dehvety.
Item
Title
Qty.
Price
Total
Shippl na: AK US''Canada_orders add S5.00 shpo inq. U.S. ^^ jpp | ^ q
orders shp>ecJ UPS. [Pieage provsaf sl^'sei atSdress i
(AiasKa S Hawaii sbipfied via nnaij.) Airmail to Canada by X^TA 1
actual wcraht. 1 W 1 ML
Make checSiS payable to "Untrkj Wa/ne'a Eooksh&IL'
Foreign Onteis: Stiipping chatges by actual weigfH, Surface Or AiJrtiaa
tSufface delivery rnay labe S 1^ 3 mtHilhs.)
Name
Street
City _
State
Zip
TOTALS
□ AE U MC
Card #
□ VISA
□Check/Money Order
Expiration Date
Telephone: (603) 924-41 96 (800) 234-8458
FAX: (603)924-8613
Mail: Uncle Wayne^s Bookshelf, 70 Route 202N,
|_ Peterborough, NH 03458
UW0494
"J
^^ Delivery
nip to 12 ftn, tn Cofiiinemai l^A
1 -800-426-2891
Fax (612)786-6513
Call for Catalog
Ask for Ext. 22
"■'""""" ~""
Phone Hours
1-800-426-2891
M-F 8 am - 8 pm
Sat 10 am -5 pm
CST
Dayton Hamfest Specials
Watch for Coupons "^^
FT-890/AT
«1219
A btefKl of hNgh peHormanctt features
battmimd from the FT- \Q00 tamify are
coffCifel^ m this aftafdatjle
lian-scerver. IF shift. varLab>l>e notch
If l&r , vanaibfe rtotse blanker, VOX anct
antenna timer am inetuded.
TS-50S
Enjoy high
|ii- fomnance
commurilca'
tion^ plus gch
anywhere
Cor^venience
with ihe woftds smallest "fOOw mobile HF
IransceiveF. All mcKtes and all Dand^
complete this package Limrted suppHes
pftlCfc
TH-78A
Compact and CQnfidsnt,
this dua] band HT sets
BKCtting new standards tor
portable communicallons
by comhinrng simpHcily of
operation with a
multiplicrty of fe^lur^s
wow
EW7M.251
FT-51 00
FT-2400
$534
vitUl All *ODupQAIi
«293
k (StpoDunli
Thts duaTband mcitoile features lOO
memorjes, cross band ropsai, lightsd
keypad, built-in d up lexer and a email
toolpflnt. Dual watch capability rounds
OLit this b&35 wait VHF/UHF transcelvor
Packet ready
This ruggod rniliiary-grade 2 meter
mobile providos wide band feceive!^ 3
power ouipui levels, a iigtited keypad
and 2G fnsmories. Join ttie fun!
SS^'
Watch for Coupons^
<(.%'
, '^- ^ .
FLASH
Kenwood
exTend<?d
coupon
to
>>as>
<k:
/y
ll
/I
IC-707
TH-22/AT
.— ^1
$262
$839
Small \usi got smaller. Kefiwood's new
TH-22AT 15 m a czaiegory an its own. Ttiis
now FM tmnficeivef feabjre^ lor^g baHi^ry
Me, OTMF keypad, u^^-friendly menu
Mtefii. scan njndions, 4 1 rnemones,
[CTTCSS encode. DTSS. and much mom.
Here's 9 pounds of fun w^ a
tjiat s easy ro see, a hont panel
easy to work wrth. and performance to
spare. You flet &
!ransce<vef """"
portatJie
spe^ m an HF
mobiie^id
'^^nVV^'^h^^
Yaesu & Icom
Coupons Expire
3/31/94
FT-530
«398
The newg:^ rfi&vii»t of the dual t>and
f afTuiy, lbs hanrvdheW spofts auio tone
search, 82 menrtoiy channels, ai
power of!, tHJilt'in VOX dLiad ifvtiafid
reoetve feature, byift-n cross band repeal |
function and much more ^^^^^^
NEW
IC-281
IC-T21 A
«Oua[ reeerlve «Single band
transmit -e watt output "fit
keypad *fasl SCan •DSO
•clock 'IH memones and
rT>ore.
325
*284'
i. ilM6Ciunt».
IC-2GXAT
This compact high power
design sets a now pace '6
watt Oiji|XJl •40 memories
•Die cast case "CTCSS
and more.
• FCC Acceptance
Pending
ICOM
Not ResponsiiB ForlypogrBpNcil Errots,
April 1994
Prices Subjecl To Change Wilhout Notice.
Auth0rl2Oil Factory Warranty Ccnimr
WedHlmtmamPf auitwrqred warramy str^v r i^ ' ir \r.tsm. Kenwood arid Vaesw W* fe^rvica Mmakss »na mouds 6ur cueiomeri: may send any pmduci requffing service ro us. mid ««
ttM harHlle 11 for Ihetn. This is e ane-^op ' ihal Ftaepe «ur custDmeTi; having nootC' fun than has&le m thiti habbf. 11 you need & Gu^ttsm oiitii» toi- packa-t and don't h^ve lune tu
rrKtkfi rti JBl ui da 4t lor you. C^A-P & M A.h s9. rrod& are also avBi'lab^e at rvaaonabla rataa Id authofizad liarriB onry.
2663 County Road I, Mounds View, MN 55112
Metro: (612) 786^4475 * Nat1 Watts: 1-8l)& 426-2B91 • FAX (612) 786^13
Store Hours; M-F, 10:00 am - 8:00 pm, Sat, 10:00 am - S:00 pm
Phone Hours: M-F, 8:00 am - 8:00 pm, SaL, 10:00 am - SrOO pm
FT-2200/7200
2-nn/70-cm Mobiles
• Frequency Coverage:
FT-2200
RX: 110-180 MHz
TX: 144-148 MHz
FT-7200
RX/TX: 430-450 MMz
• 50 Memory Channels
• Wide Receiver Coverage:
110-180 MHz
• AM *" Aircraft** Recefve:
110-139 MHz-
• Buift-ln DTMF Paging. Coded
Squelch
• Powef Output 50/25/5 Watts*
•CTCSS Encode Bujit-ln
• 10 Memory DTMF Aufo Dialer
• Selectable Channel Only
Display
• Remote Operation
w/ Optional MW-2
• Optional Digital Voice
Storage System
• Backlit DTMF Mic
• Accessories:
FTS-27 CTCSS Decode Unit
DVS-3 Digital Voo System
Unit
MW'2 Remote Control/
Wireless Mic
External Speaker
'FT-2200 only
"The FT^2200
answers my problem!
It fits anywhere, and
the 3 power levels
are great!"
"Yaesu
did it again!"
or your sleek compact
car, the sculptured FT-2200
looks terrific. With leading-
edge features, performance and
reliability too, it*s the perfect
answer to vour 2*m needs.
At 5J5''W X 1j6*^H X &5"D
the FT-2200 installs nearly any-
where And. it does '^lead" with
features like optional Remote
Control Wireless Mic - first in
the world for any 2'm mobile
and AM Aircraft Receive - first
in a ^&esu mobile. Performance?
The Fr-2200 has more than
twice the memories of the com*
petition I Reliability? Its brightp
new LCD display and hack! it
DTMF Mic makes night mobil-
ingsafe. Features, performance,
reliability - in a powerful little
package See your dealer for
this answer to your 2-m needs.
O/MH C4kL iMHt
BKip BiMF ^f^^
YAESXJ
"I like the FT-2400H!^'
"Rugged
performance is
my answer!''
#
^fc
Yaesu FT-2400H set
the standard by which all 2-m
mobiles are judged. The first
and only amateur radio to pass
rugged MIL STD 810D tests for
shock and vibration, its one-
piece die-cast chassis with extra
large heat sink gives years of
trouble-free operation.
With 50 watts of TX
power, large alpha-numeric
display auto display dimmer,
exclusive backitt DTMF Mic
and advanced track tuning
front end for superior receiver
performance, the popular
FT-2400H is the choice
of amateurs in the know.
Features, performance,
reliability - ready to go any-
place- See your dealer for this
answer to your 2-m needs.
VOL
^^»iimmmmmmm^
<: SET fl g^T
1
LOW POWER
UOCK
TSCT STEP
FT-2400/7400H
2-ni/70-cm Mobiles
Frequency Coverage:
FT-24aQH
RX: 140-174 MHz
TX: 144-148 MHz
FT-7400H
RX/TX: 430-450 MHz
* Rugged Mil-Spec Design
' Advanced Track Tuning
(ATT)
* 31 Memory Channete
► Wfde Receiver Covefige:
140-174 MHz
> Selectable AJpha-^jumaric
Display
* Largest 2-Meter Display
Available
' CTCSS Encode Byrlt-?n
* Power Output
50/25/5 Watts *
* Flip Up Front Control Panel
Hides Seldom Used Buttons
' Backlit DTMF Mic
* Accessories:
n^-17A CTCSS Decode Unit
FRG-e DTMF Paging Unit
SP*4 External Speaker
FP-700 Power Supply
*FI-24O0ofi3y.
OVS tPABe
^^t torn
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JWIHI
row
VS/EB
Tfl*«
][
sc&^^
SKIP
l_oCK
^n. *
^9h
Performance without compromise!
I © 1993 Yaesu USA. 1 721 0 Edwaras Road. Cimlos CA 90701 {31 0) 404^2700
Specifcaborts siibtect to change W1l^0u1 notice Spec'ficitions gua^meed only wttti^ amateur bands. 5oi?ie accessories ant^or of^tK^ns arc siaiKJlard in cf r^n areas Cfiec4( wmi ywjr locai Yaesu Jie^st for s^MaTic dsiails.
TM-642A
t ^
TM-942A
33 ^
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I S A
Good tilings come in threes. Like Kenwoods distinctive TM-342A {U4MHz/
440MHz/120(}MHz), TM-742A (1 44MHz/440MH2),aiid newTM'642 A(l 44jMHz/
220MHz)— high-periormance FM niuttikaders tkt demonstrate the best in mobile
communications technologj. Besides offering triple receive and display capability,
the TM-942A an even receive all tbree bands simultaneously. For the TM-742A
and TiM-642A,you can choose one of several optional band units, enabling triple band
operation with the same triple simultaneous receive. Top-notch features include 101
memory channels (all available for split operation), automatic band change, DISS
i^^itn page, and S-meter squelch* There's even a wireless remote control function. Yet
operation is remarkably simple, thanks to sophisticated microprocessor control high-
vlsibility illuminated keys, and clear status displays. You wou!dn\ expect an v le^s
from Kenwood. But there's more: you can mount the controls and display separately
from the main unit (requires optional kit) for unique 5-vvay convenience.
i urn
-*-5a..titu.
eatures
I Max, SOW output (]44MHi), 25W (220MH21, 35W
{mmii \m immwi]
I 1 01 memory channels E memory hank system
lniJepend«r%t SQL & VOL controls (or eoch bond
Automatic bond cbnge
Buill in DISS selective colling feature with poge
Selectable hei]uancy step I fl scan modes per band
Time Operoted & Coc r iet Operoted scon stop modes
Direct freqt^ency entry with sypptied mkropbone
looe alert wflh elapsed time indicator
S-mefef squekh, noise squelch t Quto squelch
Cross-band repeoler I Muting For sub-bond circuit
Muftiple fock unctions I Wireless remole control kmtm
Built-in cress encoder & optbnol ISlf-? decoder
Bfltt & lime display, stopwottfa, ak m & on/off fimer
3'posi1ion RF output power control
Ayto power oB with wornmg beeper I Time-out timer
Separote control & dfspioy units (oplionol coble kits)
94AREKI834
KENWOOD COlViMUNrCATIGNS CORPORATiON
AMATejn RAOO f>ROCXJCTS GROUP
RO. aOX 22745 22Q-\ East DOitvnguezr St Long Bev-n, CA 90001-^745
KENWOOD ELECTRONtCS CANADA INC.
€070 K«£rEl Rnatit. M^sstss^i^ga. Ori:tfrQ LiT tSS
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