On 30-JAN-1996 23:38:13.4 k4sb said to JKAHRS
> Well, I have finally decided to do a DXCC or so from the truck, but
> am getting my plow cleaned by ignition noise. Rig is a TS-50 fed
> directly off the battery. Noise level on the S meter about 1 to 1.5
> with the engine off, and S 7-8 when on. (20 meters )Noise almost
> disappears when the antenna is removed, so definitely getting it from
> that source.
<snip>
> Thanks, Ed
Ed,
I think your problem might be the electric fuel pump. Try this. Go out
first thing in the morning and turn your rig on. Then turn your ignition
switch on but do not start the truck. If you hear that hash in your rig,
it's your fuel pump. Ford is FAMOUS for that problem and they DO have an
EMI suppressin kit for the problem. The reason for first thing in the
morning is that the fuel pressure will have bled off during the night.
I do a lot of mobile work...worked all the counties mobile-to-mobile. I run
a TS-50 in an Olds with no problem. Tail pipe is grounded...un-grounded
acts as antenna. Power leads are shielded. Shields are grounded at the
battery and float a few inches from the rig.
Have fun.
73, Hank/K2UVG
jkahrs@delphi.com
>From Lon Richoz <lrrichoz@execpc.com> Thu Feb 1 03:09:17 1996
From: Lon Richoz <lrrichoz@execpc.com> (Lon Richoz)
Subject: Mobile engine noise
Message-ID: <Pine.SOL.3.91.960131210437.22663A-100000@earth>
On Tue, 30 Jan 1996, Edward W. Sleight wrote:
> Well, I have finally decided to do a DXCC or so from the truck, but
> am getting my plow cleaned by ignition noise. Rig is a TS-50 fed
> directly off the battery. Noise level on the S meter about 1 to 1.5
> with the engine off, and S 7-8 when on. (20 meters )Noise almost
> disappears when the antenna is removed, so definitely getting it from
> that source.
>
> Antenna is a Hustler mounted on a burnished aluminum across the bed
> tool box mounted about 1' from the rear of the bed. Also have 2 meter
> 5/8 wave about 2 feet away. Vehicle is a 1995 Ford Ranger. Have already
> checked with Ford and they assure me it have radio suppression plugs
> and ignition harness.
>
> Have never operated mobile so have pretty much in the dark. One of the
> guys here at HRO suggested grounding the tailpipe and am going to do
> that tomorrow. Any suggestions would be appreciated, especially good
> technical references. The 95 handbook doesn't even mention noise!
>
> Thanks, Ed
>
Ed,
That sounds like it is your fuel pump. Fords are very bad with their
electric fuel pump noise. If your noise blanker does not reduce the
noise, then it might be the pump. I've tried several things, with no
luck! If you find out how to cure it let us know
lon...w9xu
>From n3rr@cais.cais.com (Bill Hider) Thu Feb 1 04:03:03 1996
From: n3rr@cais.cais.com (Bill Hider) (Bill Hider)
Subject: Mobile engine noise
Message-ID: <199602010403.XAA26835@cais.cais.com>
Ed,
Get a book on mobile operation. I operated mobile exclusively in the 70s.
Try the Radio Shack mobile power line filter.
Bill
08:18 PM 1/30/96 -0800, Edward W. Sleight wrote:
>Well, I have finally decided to do a DXCC or so from the truck, but
>am getting my plow cleaned by ignition noise. Rig is a TS-50 fed
>directly off the battery. Noise level on the S meter about 1 to 1.5
>with the engine off, and S 7-8 when on. (20 meters )Noise almost
>disappears when the antenna is removed, so definitely getting it from
>that source.
>
>Antenna is a Hustler mounted on a burnished aluminum across the bed
>tool box mounted about 1' from the rear of the bed. Also have 2 meter
>5/8 wave about 2 feet away. Vehicle is a 1995 Ford Ranger. Have already
>checked with Ford and they assure me it have radio suppression plugs
>and ignition harness.
>
>Have never operated mobile so have pretty much in the dark. One of the
>guys here at HRO suggested grounding the tailpipe and am going to do
>that tomorrow. Any suggestions would be appreciated, especially good
>technical references. The 95 handbook doesn't even mention noise!
>
>Thanks, Ed
>
>From ronklein@ix.netcom.com (Ron Klein ) Thu Feb 1 04:21:56 1996
From: ronklein@ix.netcom.com (Ron Klein ) (Ron Klein )
Subject: NA QSO Party (Phone) Entry e-mail address???
Message-ID: <199602010421.UAA15510@ix9.ix.netcom.com>
Could someone e-mail me an e-mail address for N4TQO who is listed as the
recipient of logs for the NA QSO Party Phone weekend?
I'm way behind on reading reflector mail on my other account, so an
e-mail to the below netcom address would be appreciated.
Thanks.
73,
--
Ron Klein - W0OSK
-----------------
ronklein@ix.netcom.com
>From neader@centuryinter.net (Scott Neader KA9FOX) Thu Feb 1 05:12:05 1996
From: neader@centuryinter.net (Scott Neader KA9FOX) (Scott Neader KA9FOX)
Subject: 160m antenna / TS-440 questions.
Message-ID: <v02110110ad35f6f643aa@[206.65.185.42]>
I'm off to Guatemala again to operate ARRL DX SSB, this time hopefully
all-band high-power. I'll be operating from the QTH of TG9GI and it looks
like the callsign will be TD9IGI (TD9IGI is better than TG/KA9FOX... I
think.)
Anyway, TG9GI has a 70ft tower with a TH6DXX on top, plus what I believe to
be sloping dipoles for 40m and 80m. So, I need something for 160m. I have
savored WE9V's summary of Inverted L messages, but not sure I have enough
room at GI's to put one up, nor am I confident in my abilities to get it to
resonate and/or play. I have no coils (but do have a big Dentron tuner I
could ship there). I have no MFJ-thingy. I have no antenna experience.
So, I want a back up plan:
Last year I sent a message looking for information on simple 160m antennas.
At that time, somebody said they had a 160 meter coil for the Butternut
HF2V or HF6V. Of course, I have hundreds of messages archived, but I can't
find that one. If that was you... please drop me another message. Juan,
TG9AJR has one of those Butternuts, and as a last resort, I could take it
down and put it up at TG9GI's place for the contest. Yes, I know the
Butternut on 160m is about as good as a dummy load. We experienced it at
PJ8Z.
Any comments on above would be appreciated!
- Scott
P.S. I also need to bring a cable to make a TS-440-S key an older Alpha.
And hook up a footswitch to the 440. Pin-outs / suggestions?
NEW E-MAIL ADDRESS EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY: neader@centuryinter.net
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
INTERNET SOLUTIONS - your source for low cost web page design and storage!
Scott Neader - (608)788-1234 / FAX (608)787-0100
Ham Radio web: http://www.4w.com/ham La Crosse web: http://coulee.com/
>From Walt Kornienko <k2wk@crystal.palace.net> Thu Feb 1 07:15:55 1996
From: Walt Kornienko <k2wk@crystal.palace.net> (Walt Kornienko)
Subject: TopBand: Top-loading effect of yagis
Message-ID: <199602010715.CAA23243@crystal.palace.net>
Tom, W8JI writes:
> Put in a good ground system and shunt feed the tower. I like to use a cage to
> minimize the Q and improve the bandwidth, and reduce the voltage across the
> series cap. I never use an omega match, instead I adjust the tap point
> between the shunt wires and tower for lowest SWR with only a series cap. That
> gives maximum BW and efficiency, because the series L/C circuit formed by the
> cap and the gamma wire has the lowest L/C ratio and the lowest loaded Q of
> any shunt feed system.
>
Tom, I always enjoy your very helpful technical analysis and advice.
I'd like to pose a few questions and make some comments on
observations I've made while modelling different feed systems
for my yagi-on-top loaded tower.
According to a graph in ON4UN's book, a tower about 30m high,
with a face of about 12", and topped off by a common 4 element
20m monobander on a 36' boom has an electrical length of about
100 degrees. I have wondered how he derived the graphs,
if there is a simple function that can be calculated based
the variables in the given problem.
For shunt feeding a tower he directs the reader to another graph
where he shows the height of tap point -vs- electrical length,
for three gamma wire spacings, .5m, 1.0m & 1.5m. He also gives
instructions on how to emperically derive the electrical length
by coupling a GDO to a wire that runs from the top of the tower
to ground level.
All well and good if you do not stack antennas. Many stack one
or more yagis on the same tower, and many are limited to using
that tower for 160M. Thats pretty much the case here.
The stacking situation is further exacerbated by the fact that many
can not place the gamma tap point below the lowest beam in the stack.
I found that if I used a wide spacing, about 5' from gamma wire
to tower, I could achieve a reasonable match to 50 ohms. In my case
42' seemed to work OK. The lowest beam on my tower is planned to
be at 45'. So far no problem... until I modelled a 34' boom 3' above
the gamma tap point. This spelled disaster! The model showed extensive
coupling between the gamma feed and the boom. The effects on the 160m
antenna were a distorted radiation pattern, a drastic change in
drive impedance & reduced gain.
Are there any ways to minimize these interactions?
Would the N4KG reverse feed method be a better choice for such a
situation.
*****************************************************************
* *
* 73 de Walt Kornienko - K2WK > W3MM (FRC) *
* K2WK@crystal.palace.net or K2WK@N2ERH.NJ.NOAM *
* *
*****************************************************************
>From ni6t@ix.netcom.com (Garry Shapiro ) Thu Feb 1 09:35:28 1996
From: ni6t@ix.netcom.com (Garry Shapiro ) (Garry Shapiro )
Subject: Beverage boxes - summary
Message-ID: <199602010935.BAA01945@ix10.ix.netcom.com>
You wrote:
>
>>A number of people sent me email wanting to know what I had
>>found out concerning building a beverage box. So here's a
>>quick summary:
>>
>>The books, "Low Band DXing" by ON4UN and "Beverage Antenna
>>Handbook" by W1WCR, are both good sources. I intend to take
>>a look at them tomorrow. I was also advised to look at a
>>book on transformers written by Jerry Sevaks.
>>
>>N4ZR cautioned that the box should provide some means of limiting
>>RF from the transmitting antenna to prevent damage to the
>>receiver's front end, and maybe a BC-band reject filter.
>>
>>Thanks to everyone who sent me information.
>>
>>73 - John, W3GOI
>
>
>Unless you have some special consideration, I wouldnt worry about a BC
>band filter... All you really need is a low power matching
transformer...
>and the cheapest way to go are the little DIP package transformers
made by
>Mini-Circuits. They make all sorts of ratios in a 6pin DIP package
for a
>few bucks a piece. Mount it on a small PC or perf board with pigtails
and
>pot the whole thing in epoxy or what-have-you and you've got it made.
>
>
>73, Tyler KF3P
>
>
I did that---a good lowbander friend repped Minicircuits (and only
charged the going rate :>)). I built two short two-wire Beverages,
using the tiny 300 ohm and 600 ohm units. I ran into intermodulation
problems that had me scratching my head, until Dave, AF6S asked me
where the power lines were. Bingo!
Apparently there was enough powerline energy induced in the Beverage
wires--just from normal neighborhood 7.2 kV primaries--to SATURATE the
tiny cores!This does not usually occur with the relatively HUGE
half-inch or so cores we normally use. The solution was quite
easy--disk-ceramic caps in series with the secondary windings. These
had negligible reactance at 1.8 MHz and above, but were essentially
open circuits at 60 Hz. The small cores also have more insertion loss,
but that is not a major problem .
Garry, NI6Tz.H Hhh t jpoiuopiup[Hz
Garry, NI6T
>From Felipe J. Hernandez" <0006627542@mcimail.com Thu Feb 1 10:26:00 1996
From: Felipe J. Hernandez" <0006627542@mcimail.com (Felipe J. Hernandez)
Subject: rufz!
Message-ID: <94960201102649/0006627542NA1EM@MCIMAIL.COM>
Just a question, are all the rufz scores determined with
the dl3dzz rufzfile.dta file?
felipe np4z
>From ronklein@ix.netcom.com (Ron Klein ) Thu Feb 1 12:56:04 1996
From: ronklein@ix.netcom.com (Ron Klein ) (Ron Klein )
Subject: N4TQO E-mail address - received
Message-ID: <199602011256.EAA23264@ix6.ix.netcom.com>
Thanks to those who e-mailed this information to me for the NA QSO PARTY
CONTEST entry.
73,
--
Ron Klein - W0OSK
-----------------
ronklein@ix.netcom.com
>From btippett@ctc.net (Bill Tippett) Thu Feb 1 12:06:07 1996
From: btippett@ctc.net (Bill Tippett) (Bill Tippett)
Subject: FOC Marathon
Message-ID: <01I0OX4TS4PQ90VT50@SUNBELT.NET>
FOC'ers: Isn't your Marathon coming up sometime soon?
How about being First Class Operators and staying below
1825 kHz? Since G's and DL's can operate there, I think you
could all still work each other and not clobber 1825-1840 for
the rest of us second class operators.
Thanks in advance. 73, Bill W0ZV
>From ki4hn <ki4hn@nando.net> Thu Feb 1 14:02:49 1996
From: ki4hn <ki4hn@nando.net> (ki4hn)
Subject: Phone Sprint
Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.91.960201090157.23623C-100000@parsifal.nando.net>
Anyone need another team member for this weekends Phone Sprint?
Jim KI4HN
>From Takao KUMAGAI <je1cka@dumpty.nal.go.jp> Thu Feb 1 14:17:36 1996
From: Takao KUMAGAI <je1cka@dumpty.nal.go.jp> (Takao KUMAGAI)
Subject: rufz!
Message-ID: <199602011417.XAA10730@dumpty.nal.go.jp>
In message "[cq-contest 12186] rufz!"
on 96/02/01, "Felipe J. Hernandez" writes:
np4z: Just a question, are all the rufz scores determined with
np4z: the dl3dzz rufzfile.dta file?
Yes, we recommend to send the score recorded in the "rfzhiscr.dta".
Your scores will be appreciated.
Regards
One of the RUFZ score keepers.
---------
Tack Kumagai JE1CKA/KH0AM
TEL:81-30-066-6408, FAX:81-423-93-4449
Internet: je1cka@nal.go.jp
>From Bill Fisher KM9P <km9p@akorn.net> Thu Feb 1 15:52:01 1996
From: Bill Fisher KM9P <km9p@akorn.net> (Bill Fisher KM9P)
Subject: FOC Marathon
Message-ID: <Pine.BSD/.3.91.960201103244.25226C-100000@paris.akorn.net>
I can't speak for anyone else here, but I will try to stay below 1825Khz
in non-DX contests.
However, I'm not going to get in a frequency battle below 1825Khz because
someone else feels it's his band and should only be used for DXing.
Sorry... but the sarcastic tone of this note got under my skin. Nobody
in the FOC feels they are any better op than anyone else. It's simply a
CW rag chewers club that has a cap on membership.
The real 1st class ops are the guys subscribed here!
Should I be posting "PLEASE WORK ME IN THE CONTEST THIS WEEKEND" messages
to the DX reflector and TopBand reflector ??????? Just curious if what's
good for the goose is good for the gander?
73
Bill, KM9P (Asbestos underwear on...)
On Thu, 1 Feb 1996, Bill Tippett wrote:
> FOC'ers: Isn't your Marathon coming up sometime soon?
> How about being First Class Operators and staying below
> 1825 kHz? Since G's and DL's can operate there, I think you
> could all still work each other and not clobber 1825-1840 for
> the rest of us second class operators.
>
> Thanks in advance. 73, Bill W0ZV
>
>
>From john.devoldere@eunet.be (John Devoldere) Thu Feb 1 16:00:48 1996
From: john.devoldere@eunet.be (John Devoldere) (John Devoldere)
Subject: ON4UN 160 M SCORE AND STORY
Message-ID: <199602011559.QAA07217@box.eunet.be>
THE 1996 CQ WW 160 M CW CONTEST
SCORE:
------
QSO'S: 1275
1SO POINTS: 8995
STATES: 47
COUNTRIES: 79
SCORE: 1,133,370 POINTS
CATEGORY: SINGLE OP
OPERATOR: ON4UN
THE STORY:
----------
The contest starts as usual with trying to work a JA. In these years of low
sunspot activity this is much easier than in the "high" years. After having
worked the multiplier, I start cleaning up the European stations. No point
in wasting time trying to work JA's. A DX is worth only two European
stations, and you can work them much faster.
The XV7 station is said to be active in the contest (from Hanoi), but he has
only one frequency, 1827. I still need him for a new coun-try, but don't
think we will hear him with all the contest QRM. Anyhow it's S9 plus QRM all
around 1827...
The conditions seem to be "fair" to the USA, but pile-ups are moderate.
Around 03:00z the Mid-West starts coming in and from then on the skip
lengthens to Texas, New Mexico etc. At 05:22 Mike, N7ML is the first W6/7
worked, followed one minute later by N6DX, and a few minutes later by Bob,
W7LR also in MT. All were really loud! No more West Coast was worked, and
the only multiplier before sunrise was 6D2J. At 07:50 I am off to bed for
some sleep.
At 15:3z (45 minutes before sunset) I am back. It's working European
stations until my first DX at 19:00z (EX8W) followed shortly later by a good
signal from VK2BJ. Some of the rarer Europeans are worked (Z3, LX, ZA, GU,
GD). At 19:30z the band is wide-open to Japan (2 and a half hours before
their sun-rise). I work a string.
I worked Mark, ON4WW from his home QTH on Friday evening. He was leaving for
9X on Saturday early morning, and gave me a sked for Saturday evening. At
21.00z sharp 9X4WW calls me for a nice multiplier. In the next half hour I
work two other African sta-tions: 6W6JX (very strong!) and 7X2VZK. Mark,
5N0MVE was the only other African station worked.
I run across a huge pile up for 1A0KM. Won-der if this is the "real" one?
Anyhow, hordes of Europeans must have worked him.
The first W is worked at 22:40 (W2VO). The band starts opening really well
to the states at 23:30z the mid-West starts coming in at 00:30, and Ks
(W0CM), AR (K5GO) are added to the multiplier list. At 01:08 N6SS in
Arizona calls me with an excellent signal. This is early! The band remains
excellent to the US all through the night until sunrise, but never really
stretches all the way to the West Coast. The only W6 worked is Glen, K6NA,
and KX7VG in Utah. In total 2 W6's, and four genuine W7's (two in MT, one in
AZ and one in UT) were worked.
My last multiplier was PT7BZ at 07:30z, just on my sunrise.
Being single op non-assisted, I am forced to switch being working pile-up
and do some search and pound across the band looking for pile-ups where the
rare multipliers are. While doing so, I call every station (DX or European)
that's not yet in my log. One very amazing thing happened to me in this
contest. On at least 20 (TWENTY) occasions, the station I called came back
with "wkd B4", while this clearly was not the case. This can happen once or
twice in a contest, but not 20 times! With some stations it took a bit of
convincing to give me a "real" QSO. This happened ONLY with European
stations. I wonder what happened? Did the computer let me down? Maybe it did
not log some contacts? After the contests I listened to the entire recorded
con-test, and ALL QSO's were in the log. Maybe someone wanted to harm me and
worked a bunch of European stations with my call while I was running a
pile-up somewhere? Who will tell?
I have only one funny story: UR5KDX. kept telling me to move out of the
DX-window ... As I did not react, he started jamming me. Hell, I can
understand the purpose of the DX window (it's great), but if the DX (that's
we ??) must also stay out of there, who is going to work who ??? ... Maybe
we have to explain the poor man what's DX for the US organisers of the contest.
After the first night, ands in view of the local "factory generated" QRM, I
was convinced this year's results would not be as good as last year's. But
the much improved condition to the US on the second night soon made it clear
that maybe I would break the 1 Mi point barrier after all. And yes, almost
3 hours before sunrise we went through the 1 Mi point barrier. I ended with
approx. 150 more QSO's than last year (1275 QSO's) and with 1.13 Mi points,
which is nearly 20 % better than last year's score. Last year we worked 340
US + Canadian stations, this year 460! I nevertheless worked fewer
multipliers (80 countries and 47 states, vs. 82/47 in 1995). In the US I
made all W!,2,3,4,5,6,8 and 9 states, missed N and S.D. in the W0 district,
and missed all but AZ, MT and UT in the 7th district. From Canada we worked
the easterly provinces (VO1 through VE3).
No sign of the XV7 station, nor from 9V1XQ who's been on 160 in the week
prior to the contest. From Europe I missed GJ, HB0, 3A, but worked a number
of the rarer ones: EA6, HV, OH0, C3 etc. No EA8, nor CU! Besides the 460 US
+ Canadian stations I worked from N/S America: 6D2X, 8P9DX(very strong but
deaf like hell, half of Europe vcalled him, and I had to call for at least
20 minutes before getting through!), JG3KIV/6Y5, PJ9Z, PT7BZ, PY0FF, TO5T
(strong), TI1C (Strong as always), YV1OB (who else), P40WA (deaf like
8P9DX), P40I (got mMike on my first call!) and 9A3A/4U.
Without the chemical plant QRM I am sure I would have been able to dig into
the prover-bial "third layer" of North American stations which would
undoubtedly have given me a few more W7 stations. Maybe next year we'll have
160 m contest without handicaps?
73
John, ON4UN
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
john.devoldere@box.eunet.be
Call us in all major 1996 contests: ON4UN (OT6T in WPX)
John Devoldere (ON4UN-AA4OI)
POBOX 41
B-9000 Ghent (Belgium)
|