402BAS info?

Mon Aug 21 23:53:16 EDT 1995

I had a discussion about or read about changing the 402BAS reflector element
in a director. Can anyone enlighten me or pass on their experience in this
area?

Thanks,
73, K8Joe"Palooka"
jpontek at aol.com

>From James White <0006492564 at mcimail.com>  Tue Aug 22 04:50:00 1995
From: James White <0006492564 at mcimail.com> (James White)
Date: Mon, 21 Aug 95 22:50 EST
Subject: FT1000 vs Omni-6 ??
Message-ID: <73950822035037/0006492564PK2EM at MCIMAIL.COM>

Ya know, several contests ago we had both the W1CW Omni VI and a borrowed
FT1000 for one of our multi-singles...

I was real glad to find out that we didn't have a problem driving the
headphones w/the FT1000 - after the godzillion postings about low audio on
the CONTEST reflector it had crossed my mind.

I am not a technical person at all, period...what I do know is that the Omni
VI sounds great, better than the FT1000 or any other rig has. I will not
provide you with any information other than that, as I in no way am an
engineer or of that mindset...all I know is what I like and I like the RX in
the Omni.

YES, for a high end rig the controls are "cheap" but heah, once I figure out
how the computer interface works I will hardly ever be touching the rig!
W1CW has the remote knob for the VFO which is very slick - I would almost go
as far as saying it is a must. As others have pointed out - if they only had
the RIT function out there!!!!! That IS something you are constantly
diddling.

The FT1000 is a nice rig, as far as RXing I liked WC4E and K4XS's Icom 765s
better though (audio to my ears is easier)...but neither can compare with
the OmniVI - again I dunno what it is but I feel it is so easy on my ears
that that must translate to less brain strain/fatigue and hence better
operator performance. 

I would like to offer you something of technical reference but I dunno - I
am a QCAO guy who just knows what works for him. I would love to have
another OMNI VI in the shack for S/O 2 Radio - lemme tell you with the Omni
on my left, and a TS430 on the right, I can REALLY see a big difference in
receivers!!! What can I say, Dad had the bux for an Omni and I am still
using my tried and true 430....c'mon lotto. I haven't tried the high end
ICOM rig, but if I were in the bux I suspect I would buy an Omni VI.

If I were you I would find a GA guy who has one and spend a few hours in
front of it - it is not until you have listened to it that you appreciate
it. I understand that Bill, N4AR now has several Omni VI's...the way I see
it - if I were a brain surgeon and had several of the same rig it would not
be because of the front panel's aesthetics or their affordability, if you
get my drift.

On code it is a slick radio, has a beverage antenna input jack, if you so
desire it is full QSK (I can't handle that - my "headram" crashes, too busy
listen to radio two, HI)....

Borrow one ...or... better yet, how would you like to try one during the CQ
WW CW? We could use another operator this Fall....the W1YL food is great,
the  comraderie is high, good Gab messages at 0dark:30, nice soft beds, 48
hour coffee pot, pleasant FL Fall WX, hint.

...my eldest daughter lives just outside of Atlanta and it is about an eight
hour drive - but all the carriers fly in and outta TIA (Tampa)...I of course
would provide limo service in my Nissan.

                        73,      Jim    zx               k1zx at mcimail.com

>From James White <0006492564 at mcimail.com>  Tue Aug 22 05:37:00 1995
From: James White <0006492564 at mcimail.com> (James White)
Date: Mon, 21 Aug 95 23:37 EST
Subject: $4,000.oo buys a lot of radios
Message-ID: <24950822043742/0006492564PK3EM at MCIMAIL.COM>

....agreed, thank you for finally opening the door on the rig versus the
operator question. A new mega rig does not a winner make....

Reflector mail of late has been biased with much too much emphasis being
placed on the radios and way too little on operator abilities as to what
wins contests.

A good operator with an ole radio will kick the butt of a mediocre one with
an FT1000MP (whatever new radio you wish to plug in) in any contest any
time. 

This is a beauty of contesting, like any other competitive sport it is the
operator/athlete that wins the competition - NOT the station.

Frequently a poor outdated radio is given the reponsibility for a poor
finish...why?  "He won because he has one of those fully digital rigs " -
more crap...whine whine.... 

Contesters by their nature appreciate and frequently create the new
technologies because they want bigger scores! The contester mindset is one
where improving his rig/antennas/station design is not a one time thing - he
is always in a state of flux. He does not say well I have my 20 meter
monobander up 90 feet and a full 1500 watt solid state rig, I've
arrived...nope not the contester he ain't done - not yet, not never. Did
anyone see the W3LPL post where he mentions the routine Summertime antenna
work?                                                    

Contesters demand more out of their stations - if they know that an outboard
device will improve upon the radio the buy or build one...not just to say
that they have one but because it, hopefully,  makes them more competitve. 

Competition is a powerful tool for mankind. At the top of the Frankford
Radio Club's newsletter is the statement "Proficiency Through Competition" -
I have to admit I have always liked that. Unfortunately it appears that
competition sometimes is not necessarily Politically Correct these days.

The most frequent proof of the operator being more important than the rig
usually is found with the up and coming contester. He joins the ranks of a
club or shows up here on the reflector...he may be a teenager, no matter, he
doesn't know better - He has just made the top ten with equipment everybody
else stopped using ten years ago....ooops! Don't we feel like fools with egg
on our faces?

How about N2NT and KT3Y, frequently winning with wire antenna farms - no
stacked yagis and 80 meter rotary beams...or: how about the operators in the
old USSR/CIS, with their "archaic" rigs - kicking butt...hmmmm.

Yes, high tech rigs are great, but they are perhaps the last step...not the
first one. Once you have pushed your station to the max, pushed your own
improvement, then mebbe its time for a "super-rig". 

RE: 4K bux...........a pair of real nice used transceivers can be had with
that, and that second linear too as well as a set of nice stereo headphones!
Before taking the plunge into this year's inside back cover rig a lotta guys
should consider this approach. Two radio contesting is here to stay, if
someone wants to compete they will be way better off with two good stations
than one mega station.                       

The newer rigs are very sexy, and I am sure the manufacturers would be happy
to see that you think it would help you win contests to have one of their
megaboxes...that's the way it works in our society. Just like a new car.
Mebbe a new set of tires and a tune up with a vacation in that old car is a
better choice though, eh?

                                Jim     zx           k1zx at mcimail.com

>From kf3p at cais.cais.com (Tyler Stewart)  Tue Aug 22 05:55:56 1995
From: kf3p at cais.cais.com (Tyler Stewart) (Tyler Stewart)
Date: Tue, 22 Aug 1995 00:55:56 -0400
Subject: Re New Radios
Message-ID: <199508220455.AAA13993 at cais.cais.com>

>On Mon, 21 Aug 1995, Jeffrey Yeager wrote:
>
>> 
>> Ok with all this talk of new radios and looking at the new FT1000MP
>> and 775 DSP at the hamfest this weekend  one has to ask "How much will a 
>> contest score improve by using one of these radios , or the dreamed about 
>> Hamcube?"
>> 
>> How important is the radio,  some people win with older radios while
>> other win with the latest technology.  I realize the operator has alot
>> to do with it but when is the radio an important factor in winning?
>> 
>> $4000 will buy alot of antennas!
>> 
>Good question Jeff!  There is a level of technology that you need to 
>perform at the top level.  Right now, I would judge this to be around the 
>IC-765 level.  Although K3ZO proves that you can do extremely well with 
>less (although he relies on his hopped up R-4C).
>
>The most important aspect of a contest radio is the receiver.  You need 
>something that can deal with the strong signals without rolling over.
>
>The new high-end radios are good.  They may help you hear a few extra QSOs
>over the course of a DX contest.  But for that extra incremental
>improvement to matter, you have to be within a handful of QSOs of the
>leader!  If you look at the results, you will see that rarely is a DX
>contest that close. 
>
>Even more important than the radio is where you live.  Use that $4000 to 
>put a down payment on a piece of property in New England!
>
>Randy Thompson, K5ZD
>k5zd at iconics.com
>

Gee! Where do I sign!!

Well, I'm still using an 830 as my #2 radio, but it's going to become #3 as 
soon as I get my tax refund!  It's a great radio...it's only problem is that
it's not digital and requires TX tuning.  So it has no place in a 2 radio
station unless you park it on one band or perhaps as a run radio.

K3ZO does OK with his 830, but he's been missing a lot of band openings lately.
That can be related to two things: lack of a second radio and/or a radio
that QSY's FAST!  With 2 radios, you can make up for a lot of ignorance of
band openings, because there is no excuse not to tune those bands in the off-
chance something might be happening.  When I operate SO at W3LPL's station,
I've learned to be very careful about checking different bands, but it's still
difficult because you have to run to another table to do it.  So if it's SSB
and you've just spent 1/2 an hour clearing a nice hole at 14051, it's
hard to leave for even 30 seconds! hi hi  So I end up missing an unusual 
opening or two, but Frank's antenna farm helps equalize things...(just a
little!).

73, Tyler KF3P

>From mpickard at netcom.com (Mike Pickard)  Tue Aug 22 06:04:57 1995
From: mpickard at netcom.com (Mike Pickard) (Mike Pickard)
Date: Mon, 21 Aug 1995 22:04:57 -0700
Subject: NAQP-PHONE K7NPN Results
Message-ID: <199508220504.WAA01791 at netcom10.netcom.com>

Station Call: K7NPN	Category Multi-Op (KC7KBU, JOE & K7NPN,MIKE)

	BAND	QSOS	PTS	MULTS
	160	0	0	0
	80	9	9	8
	40	118	118	35
	20	340	340	51
	15	9	9	6
	10	1	1	1

TOTAL		477	477	101	SCORE: 48,177

CLUB: WESTERN WASH DX CLUB

COMMENTS: First father and son multi op here. Great fun! 

Equipment: TS-140, W9XT Contest Card, NA V9.12, A3S and 40-80-160 slopers @50'

73 and TNX for the QSO's and fun everyone.

>From morpheus at kuwait.net ()  Tue Aug 22 09:17:41 1995
From: morpheus at kuwait.net () (morpheus at kuwait.net ())
Date: Tue, 22 Aug 95 08:17:41 GMT
Subject: ARRL bureau
Message-ID: <m0skljh-0003AHC at access.kuwait.net>

Hi,

  Long time now I didn't receive any QSL card from USA by the bereau!!  my
quistion is what is the way in the ARRL bereau to send the QSL cards to
kuwait??  I mean it's every 3,6,9 or 12 month or after filling big box of
cards?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
9K2HN                     | E-Mail: morpheus at kuwait.net                      |
Hamad Al-Nusif            |--------------------------------------------------<
Kuwait City               |    This space is intentionaly left empty         |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

>From David & Barbara Leeson <0005543629 at mcimail.com>  Tue Aug 22 06:43:00 1995
From: David & Barbara Leeson <0005543629 at mcimail.com> (David & Barbara Leeson)
Date: Tue, 22 Aug 95 00:43 EST
Subject: Beverage kit
Message-ID: <02950822054320/0005543629NA2EM at MCIMAIL.COM>

Three additional ideas:  when travelling, it's great to roll the Beverage
back up on the same reel the wire comes on, terminating resistors and all.

Also, for crummy grounds I always attach a quarter wave length of wire at
the ground side of the resistors and at the transformer ground (use a pair
of wires at each end for 160 and 80).  These go on the rolled up wire, too.

Last, how do you tell if it's going to work before it's too late?  You 
hook up an MFJ or equivalent SWR meter and it will show a very good match
all the way from 160 to 80.  Don't use a transceiver for this unless you
want to replace the load resistors!

I tried to ground the terminating resistors through the juicy inside of
a weed on P40, and it seemed to work, but I used belt and suspenders and
added the quarter wave grounds (just run a quarter wave of wire a couple
of feet off the ground, support the open end so it won't flop down on the
ground).

73 de Dave, W6QHS

>From Marijan Miletic <s56a at ljutcp.hamradio.si>  Tue Aug 22 07:31:32 1995
From: Marijan Miletic <s56a at ljutcp.hamradio.si> (Marijan Miletic)
Date: Tue, 22 Aug 95 06:31:32 UTC
Subject: Silent Beverages
Message-ID: <75018 at ljutcp.hamradio.si>

Frank, W3LPL was kind enough to reply to my enquiry on physics of Beverage
antennas "cone of silence" by providing 0.89 velocity factor used in computer
simulations.  Multiplying proposed physical wire length with that factor, one
comes to HALF WAVELENGTH multiples which makes sense in antenna design.
I am not sure wether 0.89 x 585 ft comes to 160m easily to people using out-
dated nonmetric measures :-)   73 de Mario, S56A, N1YU.

>From kf3p at cais.cais.com (Tyler Stewart)  Tue Aug 22 08:54:55 1995
From: kf3p at cais.cais.com (Tyler Stewart) (Tyler Stewart)
Date: Tue, 22 Aug 1995 03:54:55 -0400
Subject: NAQP Phone score
Message-ID: <199508220754.DAA26369 at cais.cais.com>

--=====================_809103319==_
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

--=====================_809103319==_
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="NAQPSSB.SCR"

Well, alll I've got to say is PPEEEEEEUUUUUUWW!

Here is the "score":

Band     QSOs     Mults
160      28       15
80       140      35
40       181      39
20       104      33
15       20       10
10       3        3

Total    476      135 for 64,260 points

Easily the most painful contest in memory.  15 and 10 were about useless...
20 was under the WX on the east coast.  40 was OK.  80 es 160 were noisy but
reasonable...I guess.  Good thing it's only 10 hours...ever try running a
phone contest with 2 radios and no voice keyer???  NO FUN?!@!
I ran NA on 2 computers networked and unlike CW, I had tons of trouble...
It started when the new 9.22 version defaulted all my COM ports to interupt
3...then I couldnt get the radio to talk to it and it would lock up the
keyboard...DVP's didnt work...couldnt get them to TX althoug they seemed
to be recording OK and headphone playback was good as well...
and one of my computers crashed about 10 times.  

I guess the MD record on phone is safe til January!  73, Tyler

--=====================_809103319==_--

>From n1jm at future.dreamscape.com (John Merrill)  Tue Aug 22 11:46:44 1995
From: n1jm at future.dreamscape.com (John Merrill) (John Merrill)
Date: Tue, 22 Aug 1995 06:46:44 -0400
Subject: FT1000 vs Omni-6 ??
Message-ID: <199508221041.GAA25506 at future.dreamscape.com>

At 10:50 PM 8/21/95 EST, James White wrote:

>YES, for a high end rig the controls are "cheap" but heah, once I figure out
>how the computer interface works I will hardly ever be touching the rig!
>W1CW has the remote knob for the VFO which is very slick - I would almost go
>as far as saying it is a must. As others have pointed out - if they only had
>the RIT function out there!!!!! That IS something you are constantly
>diddling.
>                    
>The FT1000 is a nice rig, as far as RXing I liked WC4E and K4XS's Icom 765s
>better though (audio to my ears is easier)...but neither can compare with
>the OmniVI - again I dunno what it is but I feel it is so easy on my ears
>that that must translate to less brain strain/fatigue and hence better
>operator performance. 
>                                       
>
Jim: I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder,as they say. I have an OmniVI
CorsairII and a TS850S and have operated the 1000(I prefer the OmniVI ,too)
and dont consider one any cheaper looking than the others. Personally I
think the knobs on the OmniVI are better made than on the 850 with the
exception of the main tuning knob.

73, John N1JM

>From Setzler" <setzler at c813.npt.nuwc.navy.mil  Tue Aug 22 14:12:27 1995
From: Setzler" <setzler at c813.npt.nuwc.navy.mil (Setzler)
Date: 22 Aug 1995 08:12:27 -0500
Subject: KD1NG NAQP SSB score
Message-ID: <n1403043034.43631 at C813.NPT.NUWC.NAVY.MIL>

Call:  KD1NG          Location:  Rhode Island

160   12    9
 80   66   30
 40  134   32
 20  249   42
 15    2    1
 10    1    1

      464  115   ==>>  53,360

Noise on 80 was abysmal here;  couldn't get anything going.  Expected 10 to be
dead, but 15 too?  NA (v9.16) crashed several times.  Almost anything
associated with DVP would not work;  operated the whole test the old fashioned
way.   

Thanks for the Q's and everyone's patience.   

73 de James ,  KD1NG