Black Abyss

ka9fox at aol.com ka9fox at aol.com
Thu Mar 31 10:12:47 EST 1994


VE6SH writes:
  > It's even worse from VE8, VE6 and VE5 given 
  > the lack of an natural ground as well as 
  > other quirks.

And you operate QRP from there?!?!  Hey Danny, talk to this guy!  :-)

73 Scott KA9FOX

"Life's too short for QRP" - K7SS
"I'm too short for QRO!" - KA9FOX (5'3")

>From fhmoore at nemed.b11.ingr.com (frank moore)  Thu Mar 31 15:40:51 1994
From: fhmoore at nemed.b11.ingr.com (frank moore) (frank moore)
Date: Thu, 31 Mar 94 9:40:51 CST
Subject: single/multi
Message-ID: <199403311540.AA03801 at nemed.b11.ingr.com>

Everyone seems to have an opinion about the single/multi issue. Usually that
would be a sure fire reason for me not to. Ahh... an exception. Anyway, my 
opinion is that the rules should be written so that most of the ops will be 
able to compete in an enjoyable and meaningful way (I can't help it, it's my
liberal upbringing). 

I don't think that it is reasonable to restrict the classes so that there is 
no room for innovation. I suspect that for many people there is just as much 
fun in finding a way just to increase their score as there is in winning. And
I bet that it is much more fun if it is a way that no one else is using or has 
thought of yet. If you can win and no one else is doing it... Wow!

On the other hand, I can sympathize with the ops that say that they can't 
compete successfully if the investment in time and money has to be all 
consuming to get there. Just telling these ops "thats tough, live with it" may
be satisfying but I think the end result is just fewer competitors.

So what do we do? Well it seems to me that we maintain some diversity in the
types of classes. I don't mean that we create a class for everyone. Just the 
opposite. We let ARRL and CQWW have different rules for what constitutes
single, multi and multi-multi. (Seems like we were just discussing this).
Sometimes there is a class that is less restrictive and you can innovate
and sometimes there are classes where the contest measures how well people
can do mostly the same thing.

This already happens to some extent. I tend to operate low power, domestic
contests. I don't have the time or money right now to have as much fun doing
single op dx contests and north Alabama is a wasteland for big contest 
stations. So I guess my opinion is "what's all the fuss?", enjoy the diversity.

I was confused about one point of contention in the argument though. I can't
see how you are not consuming more bandwidth if you are CQing on 2 different
frequencies. If I am running a frequency on 20m with my little one radio 
station, I can guarantee that another op can CQ on any other frequency on any
band and I won't want to run him/her off that frequency. I'm not consuming 2
frequencies, time division multiplexing aside, at one time. I'm NOT saying that
using more bandwidth is a valid argument for restricting an operating class but
it probably reduces the effectiveness of the rebuttal to deny what seems to be
pretty obvious.


                        Frank, KE4GY
                        "boy, when I have an opinion..."
                        fhmoore at ingr.com


>From Jay Townsend" <jayt at comtch.iea.com  Thu Mar 31 16:29:58 1994
From: Jay Townsend" <jayt at comtch.iea.com (Jay Townsend)
Date: Thu, 31 Mar 1994 08:29:58 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Heil Pro-Set
Message-ID: <m0pmPd0-0001FsC at comtch.iea.com>

> 
> On Wed, 30 Mar 1994, Jay Townsend wrote:

HOLD ON FOLKS....I NEVER WROTE WHAT FOLLOWS !!!!!!
> 
> > > 
> > > If you really want to know how they are at customer support, call 'em and
> > > tell them that you are having trouble driving your IC781 mic audio with
> > > your heil product.  Then post the message that produces on your answering
> > > machine. 
> > > 
> > > 73,  Eric
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
ERIC,  WROTE THAT. Not me.
> > 
> per bob heil,
> the 781 is easily driven by any heil headset by putting a 
> .01 mfd tantalum capacitor in series with the mike line. This blocks
> the dc voltage normally supplied by the 781 to power icom's
> condenser mike.  
> 73, walt, w0cp

I think Heil has as fine of customer service and service around.  I HAVE a
Yaesu FT1000 and have a replacement set of *FREE* ear pieces which cure a
problem certainly not of *Heil's*.

Just trying to make sure that Bob doesn't wack me at Dayton or something :-)
73,
-- 
Jay Townsend, Ws7i  < jayt at comtch.iea.com >


>From modular!eric at cs.arizona.edu (Eric Gustafson)  Thu Mar 31 15:47:57 1994
From: modular!eric at cs.arizona.edu (Eric Gustafson) (Eric Gustafson)
Date: Thu, 31 Mar 94 08:47:57 MST
Subject: Heil Pro-Set
Message-ID: <9403311547.AA07809 at modular>

Walt Sez:

>per bob heil,
>the 781 is easily driven by any heil headset by putting a 
>.01 mfd tantalum capacitor in series with the mike line. This blocks
>the dc voltage normally supplied by the 781 to power icom's
>condenser mike.  
>73, walt, w0cp


Walt,

Easily driven is in the eye of the beholder.   Yes, we could get enough
audio to have a SSB QSO.  But it required the mic gain to be fully
clockwise to be able to do it without shouting.  AND we also got a lot of
hum & RFI until the cables were replaced with shielded ones.  I think the
ICOM expects some gain in the microphone.  I suggested a little J-FET in a
box for the Heil but Ed is going to take Heil's advice and sell the ICOM
and get a Yaesu so he can use the headset/mic (I think he really wanted to
try the Yaesu anyhow...).

73,  Eric  N7CL



>From drs at ccd.harris.com (Doug Snowden)  Thu Mar 31 17:17:21 1994
From: drs at ccd.harris.com (Doug Snowden) (Doug Snowden)
Date: Thu, 31 Mar 1994 12:17:21 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Tribander Antennas, Summmary
Message-ID: <9403311717.AA62478 at rs2>

Heres a brief summary of what I got in responses about tribander antennas:

Most that had the KLM KT-34XA liked the antenna. I also noticed that most
had the antenna at at least 70 feet up. Several had more than one either
stacked or just at different heights. One negative factor for the XA was
(and I've heard this before) is that they require a fair amount of maintenance.

I didn't get very much encouragement as to the performance of the KT34A.

As an older antenna, the TH6 was recommended, if I could find one with good
traps.

In a nutshell, most said get up the biggest boom length antenna you can manage.
With that in mind, I might just decide and go for it. Seems to me that if I
take my time I should be able to get most anything up. Especially if I put
it together on the tower (tilt the boom method).


Thanks for all the ideas guys....73's





                      
                      ---------------------------
                     |       Doug Snowden        |
                     |           N4IJ            | 
                     | email: drs at ccd.harris.com |
                      ---------------------------


>From blunt at arrl.org (Billy Lunt KR1R)  Thu Mar 31 17:26:49 1994
From: blunt at arrl.org (Billy Lunt KR1R) (Billy Lunt KR1R)
Date: Thu, 31 Mar 94 12:26:49 EST
Subject: EME Dates
Message-ID: <8609 at bl>

Attention EME Enthusiasts,

The dates for the ARRL International EME Competition has been set
for the weekends of October 29-30 and November 26-27, 1994. The
complete rules and dates will appear in September QST. 

Please do what you can to help spread the word. Thanks.

73,
Billy

+------------------------------+-------------------------------+
| Billy Lunt, KR1R             | Voice:       203-666-1541     |
| Contest Manager              | FAX:         203-665-7531     |
| American Radio Relay League  | ARRL BBS:    203-666-0578     |
| 225 Main Street              | BBS Uploads: 203-665-0090     |
| Newington, CT 06111          | Internet:    blunt at arrl.org   |
+------------------------------+-------------------------------+
|       Send ARRL Contest Entries via:  contest at arrl.org       |
+--------------------------------------------------------------+



>From clay rudolf <rtclay at uxa.cso.uiuc.edu>  Thu Mar 31 17:45:17 1994
From: clay rudolf <rtclay at uxa.cso.uiuc.edu> (clay rudolf)
Date: Thu, 31 Mar 1994 11:45:17 -0600 (CST)
Subject: single/multi k6ll #2
Message-ID: <Pine.3.05.9403311115.A20049-a100000 at uxa.cso.uiuc.edu>

> 
> Another recommendation made in the article is for a station
> Ever wonder why more and more stations in the sprint fail to send the
> customary "dit-dit" or "TU" before they vacate the frequency? It's because
> they are already on another band working somebody, right after copying your
> serial number, with the computer filling in name and state. For some reason,
> that one really frosts my buns.
> 
> A simple rule change, such as "no cq'ing until the qso is over" would solve
> part of the problem. Please think long and hard on this subject, and express
.
.
.
> 
> Dave Hachadorian, K6LL
> k6ll at mcimail.com

If people don't hang around long enough to confirm a qso, there is a
simple rule change to make them do it, which doesn't have anything to do
with using 2 radios or not (already implemented in the SprINT!):  Qso
information must be copied correctly by both stations for the qso to count
in either log.

Torsten N4OGW/9
n4ogw at uiuc.edu



>From oo7 at astro.as.utexas.edu (Derek Wills)  Thu Mar 31 18:00:03 1994
From: oo7 at astro.as.utexas.edu (Derek Wills) (Derek Wills)
Date: Thu, 31 Mar 94 12:00:03 CST
Subject: S/M:  Bottom Line
Message-ID: <9403311800.AA18885 at astro.as.utexas.edu>

	I operate 2 radios at once every night I get on the air.
	Bill

Only two?   Today's leaders should be working contests on two
or three bands, tuning for DX on another band and shouting 
their "last two" to get on the list for FR5-somebody/somewhere.
In idle moments you can do cryptic crosswords.

Sounds to me as if the Modern Contester is going to be over the
hill by age 30.   Some of us are still trying to figure out how
to sharpen our pencils and listen to the radio at the same time.

Derek aa5bt



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