Packet*Cluster

Wed Jul 13 10:25:38 EDT 1994

Last weekend was spent working the hardware rather than the IARU contest.
Just bought an AEA DSP-2232 which IUve been using with dspGOLD to work
RTTY contests. (note: DARC HF RTTY Contest, Part II this weekend)

So far I have NOT been able to get it to work with CT, NA, N6TR Log, or
WF1BUs RTTY.  When I read thru the various manuals, IUm reminded of the
story of the three blind men and the elephant.  Everyone is consistant on
the signal ground line and stop bit, and almost univeral use of ALT-T to
issue commands to the TNC.  AEA (and only AEA) thinks a Null Modem cable
is the way to connect to the serial port.  Does anyone use a DSP-2232 and
also connected to any of these contest software packages with it?  Please
reply directly to me, and I'll post the summary of those comment (if there
are any).

73 de N2ALE/6, alan
ames at force.decnet.lockheed.com

>From John W. Brosnahan" <broz at csn.org  Wed Jul 13 17:58:46 1994
From: John W. Brosnahan" <broz at csn.org (John W. Brosnahan)
Date: Wed, 13 Jul 1994 10:58:46 -0600
Subject: FT-1000 etc
Message-ID: <199407131658.AA03170 at teal.csn.org>

1)  I have seen reference to a great contact cleaner and think it might be
called Cramolin or something sorta like that.  Anyone have any idea
what/where the stuff is.   (I may be completely off base on the name.)

2)  Finally got a set of Yaesu headphones and hope to have a more definitive
determination of their relative efficiency compared to the Heil ProSet in the
next week or so.  But they are definitely a lot louder than the Heils.
There is a new mod bulletin from Yaesu that changes two capacitors in the 
FT-1000 headphone amp for the Heil headset as earlier mentioned by KG7D
here, which I will try and obtain quantitative data rather than just
subjective opinion.  Chip mentioned that Heil is looking at alternative
driver options for the ProSet and someday in the future the headphones
may be of higher efficiency.  But I still want to make definitive
measurements to satisfy my curiosity.

3)  In reviewing the schematic of the second receiver for KC7EM to see
what the potential for damage to the second receiver might be when used
with a nearby antenna on the same band as the transmitter, I noted
a significant attempt to protect the second receiver from damage.  The
circuit includes an antenna voltage detector driving a relay to disconnect
the second receiver from the antenna when the antenna voltage becomes
excessive, as well as a lamp style fuse and a surge suppressor.  Subsequent
discussion with Chip reveals this to be the "ON4UN mod" brought about by
blowing the second receiver when running Beverages on it.

With the great interest in running dual rigs for single op and for multi-
multi situations there are some good ideas for protecting other make and
model receivers to be gleaned from the design.  And the fact that the mod was 
made does show that Yaesu is listening to customer feedback.

73  John  W0UN      broz at csn.org

>From David C. Patton" <mudcp3 at uxa.ecn.bgu.edu  Wed Jul 13 19:42:41 1994
From: David C. Patton" <mudcp3 at uxa.ecn.bgu.edu (David C. Patton)
Date: Wed, 13 Jul 1994 13:42:41 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: Orion RC2800p
Message-ID: <199407131842.AA02150 at ecom1.ecn.bgu.edu>

This is posted for Sam, K9SD:

Is there anyone on the reflector who is using the Orion RC2800p?
(manufactured by M-squared.)  I am having problems with it and need
to talk to another owner--especially someone who purchased one around
the new year.

I will call you if you send your phone number to WX3N, or you could
call me at (w) 618-255-2293, (h) 618-466-5720.

Thanks, Sam Effinger, K9SD

>From k2mm at MasPar.COM (John Zapisek)  Wed Jul 13 20:02:03 1994
From: k2mm at MasPar.COM (John Zapisek) (John Zapisek)
Date: Wed, 13 Jul 94 12:02:03 PDT
Subject: RX Input Protection
Message-ID: <9407131902.AA16141 at greylock.local>

> [John/W0UN/broz at csn.org]  With the great interest in running dual rigs for
> single op and for multi-multi situations there are some good ideas for
> protecting other make and model receivers to be gleaned from the [FT-1000]
> design.

I've been amazed at how much abuse the TS-930 front-end can take without
damage.  However, . . .

I was part of the WPX/CW M/S effort at AG6D.  We were using 930's for both
the run XCVR and the spotting RX.  Both 930's had bandpass filters.

When things slowed down, the spotting chair often become vacant.  Sometimes
the run op changed bands without coordinating with the vacant chair, and
sometimes he went to the band that the spotting RX had been listening on.

In this and previous contests at AG6D, it was common to see one operating
position's power/SWR meter wiggle when the other position transmitted.
Seeing this, I became fearful for the spotting-RX front-end's life.  So, to
protect its front end, I turned on the spotting RX's attenuator.  BAD IDEA!

We ended up smoking the attenuator resistors.  In the 930, they're really
hard to replace :-(

What puzzles me is why the naked front-end didn't smoke too.  I don't own a
930 (yet), and I don't remember what the schematic shows.  Perhaps RX-input
protection diodes look like a low enough impedance (at high RF levels) to
reflect most of the power back up the coax?  Anyway, I was very impressed by
the indestructability of the 930's front end.  Guess I'll just have to try
harder ;-)

Hope this story helps save somebody some trouble!  73.  --John/K2MM

P.S.  Tree/N6TR's TS-850 managed to survive my visit.  I have no idea how
this happened!

>From DFREY" <HARRIS.DFREY at IC1D.HARRIS.COM  Wed Jul 13 19:55:13 1994
From: DFREY" <HARRIS.DFREY at IC1D.HARRIS.COM (DFREY)
Date: 13 Jul 1994 13:55:13 EST
Subject: w5wmu  power
Message-ID: <QCY2.DFREY.8538.1994 0713 13 55 13 55>

Re KM3T comments:

Never thought I'd see it in print, the thought that some people
run more than the limit.

I hope this becomes a serious thread.  It is an issue worthy of
discussion by the community.

dick  K4XU   ...and sometimes 9A1A

dfrey at harris.com

>From John Dorr K1AR" <p00259 at psilink.com  Wed Jul 13 21:01:12 1994
From: John Dorr K1AR" <p00259 at psilink.com (John Dorr K1AR)
Date: Wed, 13 Jul 94 15:01:12 -0500
Subject: OK...I changed it!
Message-ID: <2983211720.4.p00259 at psilink.com>

OK, OK, not *Ladies* in Question #13 in my CQ Contest survey...I've
changed it to SPOUSE. Sorry for the unintended "sexism." By the way, there
has been an Internet pileup here with all your responses so far. This beats 
running them on 20! Thanks guys...

73 John, K1AR 