Antennas and Software

K8DO at aol.com K8DO at aol.com
Tue Feb 27 11:27:40 EST 1996


In a message dated 96-02-27 02:41:38 EST, you write:

>I am looking for a source to get the ELNEC or EZNEC antenna modelling
>software, could not find
>somebody selling this programm in Europe. If you know of somebody
>selling it (US or EU) or if
>you have an address or email, please let me know.

I have a question on this... Is it legal to export NEC based software?....  
I am aware that the fed gov restricts the exportation of some computor code,
esp. those developed with federal monies, having defense purposes, etc... NEC
is the property of the fed gov.... the fact that Christoph is not finding
vendors in EU, makes me suspect that it is on the banned list

Perhaps, one of our more knowledgeable list members can give us the facts
(not speculation.. or, I think..) on this....

Denny

>From John D. Allen" <jallen at vhfcom.com  Tue Feb 27 14:18:19 1996
From: John D. Allen" <jallen at vhfcom.com (John D. Allen)
Date: Tue, 27 Feb 1996 09:18:19 -0500
Subject: TIC Ring - addendum
Message-ID: <199602271418.JAA14915 at nic.iii.net>

> Addit. info to previous post about problem with TIC Ring. Resistances 
> aross control cables seem OK. 
> Also, last time turned on control box, indicator was OK. Turned the 
> preset, and meter stayed where it belonged. Then pushed SAtart button, 
> heard a realy click (maybe two relays), LED came on momentarily, then 
> went off. At that point, meter started to follow the preset knob as I 
> turned it.
> 
> --
> =======================================================================
> Barry N. Kutner, W2UP       Internet: barry at w2up.wells.com
 
I have seen the above phenonenem also, intermittantly with the
"meter follows preset knob" symptom.  They both appear to be caused 
by the same basic problem - open pot at rotor.

I sure hope TIC comes up with a fix to this problem!

73, John, K1FWF
John D. Allen, jallen at vhfcom.com

>From barry at w2up.wells.com (Barry Kutner)  Tue Feb 27 12:37:51 1996
From: barry at w2up.wells.com (Barry Kutner) (Barry Kutner)
Date: Tue, 27 Feb 96 12:37:51 GMT
Subject: TIC Ring problem - the answer
Message-ID: <sLJyJD1w165w at w2up.wells.com>

Tnx to N3RS, W2SC and K8DO for their replies. The problem turned out to 
be an open in the wiper arm on the direction indicating pot, as all 3 had 
experienced. As usual, Todd at TIC was very pleasant, but very limited in 
knowledge, and had heard of this problem "maybe once or twice before."

Tried roatating the antenna back and forth a few times, using external 
resistors in place of the pot, but no luck so far.

And tnx to Trey for providing the medium that holds all this great 
experience and expertise. 73 Barry

--

Barry N. Kutner, W2UP       Internet: barry at w2up.wells.com
Newtown, PA                 Packet Radio: W2UP @ WB3JOE.#EPA.PA.USA.NA
                            Packet Cluster: W2UP >WB2R (FRC)
.......................................................................


>From David & Barbara Leeson <0005543629 at mcimail.com>  Tue Feb 27 17:02:00 1996
From: David & Barbara Leeson <0005543629 at mcimail.com> (David & Barbara Leeson)
Date: Tue, 27 Feb 96 12:02 EST
Subject: How to Separate Tubing?
Message-ID: <82960227170228/0005543629DC2EM at MCIMAIL.COM>

Here are two ways to try to separate telescoping tubing that has galled
or corroded.

1.  Use a medium hammer and tap all around the outer tubing where the
two are overlapped.  This shapes the outer tubing to a cylindrical shape
and it stretches it slightly.  Use WD-4 or Liquid Wrench as well.  This
is an old muffler shop trick, used it many times on race car exhausts.

2.  If you can get at the open end of the outer tube, drive a piece of
dowel that is a good fit for the inside diameter up against the end of
the smaller tube.  It has to be a reasonably good fit or you'll end up
with the wood stuck inside the smaller tube.  Tapping sharply with a 
hammer shock loads the joint and can break it free.

If that doesn't work you are left with carefully cutting the outer
tubing in a spiral with a hacksaw so it separates from the inner tube,
then making up a splice with new tubing, including a piece that fits
around the larger tube.  Or you can simply replace the larger tube with
a new one at this point.

I mean WD-40, not WD-4, sri.  This is one of the secret handshakes of
the Gear Heads, but the reader is authorized to try this at home.  No
theoretical derivation is presently available, but some of my graduate
students are working on this as a paper to be published.  Yeah, sure!

73 de Dave, W6QHS


>From Pete Smith <n4zr at ix.netcom.com>  Tue Feb 27 13:33:47 1996
From: Pete Smith <n4zr at ix.netcom.com> (Pete Smith)
Date: Tue, 27 Feb 1996 05:33:47 -0800
Subject: FFT on PC
Message-ID: <199602271333.FAA02928 at ix2.ix.netcom.com>

At 03:09 PM 2/26/96 -0800, Brian, K6STI, wrote:
>But after I got the basic algorithm working and
>printing pileup callsigns on my screen, I realized that I would not want to
>use this device in a contest myself!  I love CW and I love digging calls >out
>of pileups.  To me, that's a big part of the fun of operating.  My decoder
>wasn't perfect but it certainly would increase your score.  Therefore, a
>serious competitor would feel compelled to use one whether he wanted to or
>not, whether it made the contest more fun for him or not.  I thought this
>was an awful position to put someone in.

An interesting, thoughtful message, Brian.

Fifteen or so years ago, I wrote a letter to the CAC suggesting that there
be a rule in contests limiting real-time computing to 8 KB of RAM, so as to
permit memory keyers and bar everything else.  As I recall, I didn't even
get an answer.  A few years later I wrote one of the first real-time logging
programs, for the Commodore 64.  Today I use TRLog and a DVP.

So what's the point? It seems to me that contesting technology is a little
like the arms race.  Once it's been demonstrated that it can be done, it
will be.  A few people will do it, when it's expensive and hard, but sooner
or later the price will be in general reach.

If we feel -- and I do, too -- that essentially unaided use of the human ear
and brain is central to the concept of radio contesting, then how do we
write a reasonable rule to keep it in that position?  Or, maybe better, how
do we distinguish between the unaided human class and the new SOA you suggest?

This isn't easy, I realize -- how do you distinguish between the use of DSP
that filters, auto-notches, etc. and DSP that decodes callsigns in pileups?
Or the software that then works the station for you?

Anyhow, just a topic for discussion between now and the next interesting
contest.

73,

Pete Smith N4ZR (n4zr at ix.netcom.com)


>From Pete Smith <n4zr at ix.netcom.com>  Tue Feb 27 16:27:22 1996
From: Pete Smith <n4zr at ix.netcom.com> (Pete Smith)
Date: Tue, 27 Feb 1996 08:27:22 -0800
Subject: Pointing a stack different headings
Message-ID: <199602271627.IAA28550 at ix2.ix.netcom.com>

At 08:20 PM 2/26/96 -0500, JBaumgarte at aol.com wrote:
>John,
>I very much enjoyed (and appreciated) your comments on this issue.  Let me
>add another little hooker!  

John -- tho this wasn't addressed to me, I couldn't resist commenting.  See
below.

>I have two C3 in a phased stack--both rotatable
>individually--at 53 and 110'.  Because of guys, 53 is absolutely as high as
>it can be.  Being in northern MN and very interested in domestic contests,
>spraying is important, however, I have been finding in checking with DX
>stations that there are apparantly some pretty big gaps in my coverage
>(angular) when phased in the same direction.  

Just for fun, I modeled your stack in EZNEC.  With the usual caveats about
models not necessarily reflecting reality, I see what you mean.  On 20m. the
stack gain is OK - 14.67 dBi, but the F-B ratio is badly degraded by a big
low-angle lobe off the back - only about 6 db.  On 15, the F-B is better,
but there is a big hole off the front (roughly 10.5 to 44 degrees elevation
at 3db down, and there is a lot of radiation sprayed at high angles between
45 and 90 degrees (straight up).  The pattern has a similar hole on 10 as well.

the I guess, like most of us, I
>would like to keep on improving things!  The potential of putting a fixed 3rd
>C3 in the middle aimed at EU is an option.  

This looks pretty good, when all 3 are pointed to Europe.  On 20, the main
lobe is 16.06 dBi, and the F-B is 15 dB.  On 15, the stacking gain is very
good - 17.45 dBi, F-B is decent at abt 12.5 dB, and there's no high-angle
radiation to speak of.

>  Now, the question!  What happens
>when the rotable antennas are both aimed at JA with top & bottom in phase and
>the 3rd antenna is not connected, but of course is a resonant presence in
>between?  (fixed 90 degrees off of the phased pair)

I ran this case too.  It's funny-looking!  With the 81-foot antenna turned
90 degrees from the other two, the stack gain on 20 for the remaining 2
drops to 12.46 dBi, the F-B is degraded to about 6 dB, and there's a big
slug of high-angle, resulting from some vertical radiation that is not
present when the three antennas are aligned together.  The azimuth pattern
is indescribable!  On 15, the stack gain is down to 13.28 dBi, and again
there is substantial vertical radiation.
>
>Your comments on this and many other antenna issues are mightily appreciated
>(both here and at Dayton!)
>
>73  John, K0IJL
>
If you'd like, I'd be glad to fax the patterns to you, (either)John.  Just
give me a number.  I've been contemplating a 2-high C-3 stack, which is why
you caught my interest.  My preliminary fiddling suggests that a good
compromise spacing for 20 and 15 with the C-3 is pretty small, on the order
of 27-30 feet, significantly smaller than for monobanders or longer-boom
tribanders.  Couldn't you place the lower C-3 above your middle set of guys?

73,

Pete Smith N4ZR (n4zr at ix.netcom.com)


>From lvn at fox.cen.com (Larry Novak)  Tue Feb 27 17:58:10 1996
From: lvn at fox.cen.com (Larry Novak) (Larry Novak)
Date: Tue, 27 Feb 96 12:58:10 EST
Subject: Contest Registry: Update
Message-ID: <9602271758.AA08176 at cen.com>

CQ Contest DXpedition Registery.
Updated February 27, 1996

This is a listing of planned contest Dxpeditions. If you have additions
or corrections, please email to lnovak at cen.com or via packet to K3TLX.

73, Larry, K3TLX

Contest          Location    Who/email              Status 
------------------------------------------------------------------
ARRL DX SSB      8P          K3KG, K3ZR & K4FJ    M/S firm
                             K4FJ at aol.com

ARRL DX SSB      FM          WJ2O                    Firm SOHP
                             WJ2O at aol.com

ARRL DX SSB      FS          N0BSH, WE9V, WX9E etal  Firm Multi-2
                             n0bsh at aol.com

ARRL DX SSB      HR5         N4MO                    Single band (TBD)  
                             syam at Glue.umd.edu       QSL to home call CBA.

ARRL DX SSB      J37K        W8KKF                   SO
                             hflasher at dayton.net

ARRL DX SSB      J8          Society of Midwest Contesters  Planned Multi-2
**CANCELLED**                blckhole at ripco.com

ARRL DX SSB      KH6         W2HPF SOLP  
                             102042.621 at compuserve.com

ARRL DX SSB      KP2(WP2AHW) KE2VB & WD5N           Confirmed Multi-single
                             readerl at goliath.sunyocc.edu

ARRL DX SSB      PJ9G        K2NG and K2TW 
                             K2TW at mcimail.com      QSL via WA2NHA

ARRL DX SSB      TD9IGI      KA9FOX                Firm SOAB
                             neader at centuryinter.net

ARRL DX SSB      V2          WB5CRG  
**CANCELLED**                w5robert at blkbox.com   

ARRL DX SSB      V31DX       N6YRU, KI6IM, WA9L     Firm.
                             jdowning at intelenet.net

ARRL DX SSB      VP2E        WA0PUJ, AH9B, KC0ZC    Firm M/S QSL via KC0ZC
                             grjohnson at vax1.bemidji.msus.edu

ARRL DX SSB      VP2E        YT6A                   PROBABLY  SO LP.
                             w5robert at blkbox.COM

ARRL DX SSB      XE2EBE      AA6DP, NF6H, et al     M/S Confirmed
                             dab at kaiwan.com

ARRL DX SSB      ZF          W5AU, W5MUG, N5OCD, N5XIQ   Firm, M/S
                             tballard at iamerica.net

------------------------------------------------------------------
WPX SSB/96       KP4         KP4XS etal             M/M
                             ramirezk at emi.com

WPX SSB/96       PY0F(ZX0F)  PY0FF, N5FA, PY5EG, PY5CC   Mutli/Single
                 Via PY5EG.  py5cc at sul.com.br
------------------------------------------------------------------
WPX CW/96        VP5         W5ASP
                             Jastaples at aol.com

------------------------------------------------------------------
WAE CW/96        VP2MGA      Bill, K5GA             One of us, probable 
                 VP2MGP      Bob,  N5RP             One of us, probable
                             perring at ICSI.Net

------------------------------------------------------------------
IOTA/1996        GW(EU124)   G5LP, G3VMW and G4BWP  Firm M-S from EU-124
                             group at ptpropn.demon.co.uk

------------------------------------------------------------------
IARU             OY          WJ2O and SM3OJR        Tentative Multiop
                             WJ2O at aol.com

------------------------------------------------------------------
CQWW SSB         FG          KI6FE/7 es JF2DQJ      Probable M/S
                             76353.2760 at compuserve.com

CQWW SSB         J3A         W8KKF, WA8LOW etal     M/S or M/M
                             Additional ops considered (hflasher at dayton.net)

CQWW SSB         V26B        (QSL WT3Q)            Confirmed Multi/Multi
                             N3ADL at aol.com

------------------------------------------------------------------
ARRL SS SSB      KH6         WJ2O                   SO, speculative
                             WJ2O at aol.com 

------------------------------------------------------------------
CQWW CW          J6          SW Ohio DXA           ?MS or many SOSBs
                             millersg at dma.org       Reserved

CQWW CW          T3          WJ2O                   SO, speculative
                             WJ2O at aol.com 

CQWW CW          V2          Larry, K3TLX           Reserved Single Op
                             lnovak at cen.com   ** The big 5-0 birthday bash **

CQWW CW          VP5         Dave, WD5N             Reserved
                             wd5n at msg.ti.com

CQWW CW          ZF2RF       K4UVT, K9LA, N8SR +    multi-single
                             k4uvt at aol.com

------------------------------------------------------------------
ARRL DX SSB/97   VP5         Glenn, WA0PUJ          Reserved

------------------------------------------------------------------
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