As I prepare to embark on my first contest DXpedition (CQWW SSB to PJ7, with
N0BSH & KI4HN) I have run across one problem... computers. KI4HN just bought
a IBM Thinkpad, which will work great, but we need a second laptop. I have
an old Epson Equity LT (NEC V20 chip, 640k, 20mb) but past experience has
shown that it isn't much good for higher rates & large numbers of QSOs.
Internet SprINT it CAN handle!
I came across an ad in the Damark catalog for an Ambra (division of IBM) 486
sub notebook. With all discounts, etc., it will run me about $925, which I
think is more than reasonable. Problem is, there is no way I can justify
buying a laptop AND travelling to PJ7 this year. Unless...
What if I made my laptop available to others taking DXpeditions? I could
rent it out for, say, $10 a day + insured shipping both ways. I'd like to
take an informal survey and I'll post the results if they warrant it. My
questions are:
1. How much per day is reasonable to pay for a DXpedition-ready notebook?
2. Any pitfalls in my idea?
Reply directly to me at ka9fox@aol.com (not to cq-contest@tgv.com!!!!!)
Thank you so much for your help! See you in NAQP this Saturday (I'll be at
W9UP).
73 Scott KA9FOX
ka9fox@aol.com
Sultans of Shwing NAQP team #1
>From Steve Harrison <sharriso@sysplan.com> Thu Aug 4 20:12:29 1994
From: Steve Harrison <sharriso@sysplan.com> (Steve Harrison)
Subject: Re[2]: Pulling cables in conduit
Message-ID: <Pine.3.87.9408041528.A12582-0100000@eagle>
A sort-of substitute for the pipe hitch that has worked well for me is to
first run several feet of rope down the cable's end (from the direction
in which you will pull), then begin wrapping the end around the cable and the
rope back toward the end of the cable bundle. For light loads, you only need
several wraps of rope, and you can increase the number of wraps to a
dozen (or more!) in an attempt to more-evenly distribute the wrap over a
longer length of the cable(s). At the end of the wrap (near the cable
connectors), simply use several half-hitches; since the load is at the other
end of the wrap, the hitches don't take much, if any of the load and do
not normally loosen (you can tape around the rope to make certain it
doesn't loosen). As you pull on the rope to pull the cables through the
pipe, the entire wrap grips the cables, although it is true that the
majority of the pressure is still concentrated at a single point on the
cable where you began the wrap. You should end the wrap no less than 6
inches from the connectors; but to pull the entire bundle through a pipe,
you need to place several half-hitches very close to, if not actually
on,the cables. I usually tape all the connectors together with electrical
tape to streamline the connector bundle and prevent getting a connector
shell caught on something within the pipe; then a half-hitch around the taped
connector bundle tends to keep the connectors in the same line as the cable
bundle, preventing droop of the cable from the weight of the connectors.
You may still experience a connector being pulled off, but this usually
happens when the connector was not properly installed in the first place.
Another method that works for relatively light pull loads is to simply
tape the rope and a couple of half-hitches. Keep everything as
streamlined as possible. 73, Steve KO0U/4 <sharrison@sysplan.com>
>From Morao Esteban <z801183a@bcfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us> Thu Aug 4 20:38:07
>1994
From: Morao Esteban <z801183a@bcfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us> (Morao Esteban)
Subject: Voice PED
Message-ID: <Pine.3.89.9408041553.A15416-0100000@bcfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us>
Hi Peter,
Yes, i had the chance to try it out here at work, is quite nice, the only
thing is that you need a 386 or faster computer plus a sound blaster
system, it work just like ped.
73 de Steve W4/YV5DTA
z801183a@bcfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us
|