On Sun, 18 Apr 1999 14:40:08 -0500 "Roy Koeppe" <royanjoy@ncn.net>
writes:
>
>Re:
>"The 2M operations spec is guaranteed at full ratings. How many
>>people
>>have you run into who wore out a RJ1a in amateur radio service?"
>
>Carl,
>
>I have encountered a few.
Roy, the above was from Rich, not me. But I do agree with him and Dan.
But, I never learned how much operating
>they
>really did everyday like I do with PIN diodes.
I operate a lot of CW but I hate QSK; even barefoot or with the QRP
station.
I would guess that for the digital modes PINs or speeded up vacuum relays
are the only choices for QRO but the digital modes occupy a very narrow
part of the bands and antennas or tuners can be set and forget. The same
can apply to exclusively CW ops most of the time.
My own operating style is all over the bands chasing CW/SSB band
countries 160-10M including WARC. I almost never tune the amp and rely on
preset charts.
Others that come here are strictly during contests and many are being
exposed to contesting for the first time. Mistakes happen but I have
built my station as idiot proof as possible...yes, even I still screw up
at 3AM at times!
Throw in ice storms, drenching rains and whatever else Murphy can come up
with and the PIN switch loses its glamour in this part of the world.
>
>Besides, it seems to me I also heard or read that the 2M operations
>are
>limited by mechanical failure, not electrical. Don't the relays have a
>kind
>bellows in them which suffers stress fatigue?
Rich can probably answer that; I've never dissected one. However my
primary amp lasted 13 years on the original RJ1A before I had to replace
it with a $35 Fair Radio bargain. During prime years that was about
25,000 QSO's per year.
73 Carl KM1H
>
>73, K6XK
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