Smoke Detector/Side Tone

Thu May 16 02:01:19 EDT 1996

A good belly laugh, Pete!

The security system at W1CW is susceptable to RF....during the first few
contests from there a few years ago, it was sop (thats standard operating
procedure) for a phone call to be handled by ma or pa telling the security
company there was no problem, all was ok....

After several attempts at bypassing/grounding, etc....a kill switch was
finally incorporated into the alarm system.....this was after one weekend
when a gung ho single op effort was underway and the operator didn't hear
that telephone call from the security company querying as to what was up at
the White House! Ooops.

If you haven't done it yet, a kill switch for those "special" weekends is a
good idea.

zx

qsy - pack suitcase nw!

>From n4bp at bcfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us (Bob Patten)  Thu May 16 07:51:06 1996
From: n4bp at bcfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us (Bob Patten) (Bob Patten)
Date: Thu, 16 May 1996 02:51:06 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: N4BP/C6A to be active for 50Mhz Sprint & HF on 5-18-96
Message-ID: <Pine.3.89.9605160250.A3347-0100000 at bcfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us>

W4OVU, WA4FLZ, and I will head for Bimini this weekend to participate in 
the ARRL VHF 6 Meter Sprint CONTEST.  We will be running 100 watts to a 2 
el quad and expect to hit the air waves by about noon on Saturday.  We 
will be active through Sunday on both 6 Meters and HF.  For HF, we will 
use a battery powered TS-130V running 5 watts to a trapped vertical and will 
be at or near the following QRP calling frequencies:
	cw	ssb
	==	===
	7.040
	14.060	14.285
	21.060	21.385
	28.060	28.385

For VHF enthusiasts, our grid square will be FL05.
For IOTA enthusiasts, our IOTA Ref will be NA048.

If your hear N4BP/C6A, please give us a call!

		73,		BP

Bob Patten
n4bp at bcfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us

>From jfeustle at UOFT02.UTOLEDO.EDU (jfeustle)  Thu May 16 13:49:00 1996
From: jfeustle at UOFT02.UTOLEDO.EDU (jfeustle) (jfeustle)
Date: Thu, 16 May 1996 07:49:00 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Fire alarm/Security systems
Message-ID: <01I4RL4WNQ0W00JI8S at UOFT02.UTOLEDO.EDU>

I too have had a fair amount of problems with, first, the security system,
and, second, an additional fire alarm attached to it.

The "kill switch" is one possible remedy, but one that I would not
recommend. How good is your security if, in a post-contest haze, you forget
to turn it back on? 

When my security system was installed, I only had problems when running my
amp. A fellow ham who works for the security company bypassed all of the
lines feeding into the main circuit box with toroids. Temporary end of
problem. I later had a fire alarm installed and bought a bigger amp. The
first time I fired it up--no pun intended--the security company called and
asked if we had a fire in the house. My first temptation was the kill
switch; my second was the right one, wrap the leads from the fire alarm
several times through a toroid in the alarm circuit box. End of all
problems, even at 1500 watts (+/-). Total time invested, about 5 minutes.

73,
N8AAT
-------------------------------------------------
Joseph A. Feustle, Jr.
The University of Toledo    

jfeustle at uoft02.utoledo.edu
-------------------------------------------------

>From n4zr at contesting.com (Pete Smith)  Thu May 16 13:45:10 1996
From: n4zr at contesting.com (Pete Smith) (Pete Smith)
Date: Thu, 16 May 1996 05:45:10 -0700
Subject: Dayton WX
Message-ID: <199605161245.FAA06831 at dfw-ix5.ix.netcom.com>

At 06:15 PM 5/15/96 -0500, Bruce WW1M wrote:
>For those venturing to Dayton to participate in the various CONTEST related
>activities:
>
>Thursday - Mostly cloudy with scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly in
>the afternoon.  Rain could be heavy at times. Low 55 to 60.  Southwest winds
>around 10 MPH.  Chance of rain is 50%.
>
>Thursday night - Mostly cloudy with scattered showers and thunderstorms. 
>Low in the lower 60s.  Chance of rain is 50%.
>
>Friday - Variable cloudiness with a chance of showers and thunderstorms. 
>High mid 80s.  Chance of rain 40%.
>
>Extended forcast for Saturday and Sunday - Warm with a chance of showers and
>thunderstorms.  Morning lows in the 60s.  Highs in the 80s.

I think I've finally figured out what's wrong with the weather this year.
They rescheduled Dayton.

73,

Pete Smith N4ZR (n4zr at contesting.com)

>From n4zr at contesting.com (Pete Smith)  Thu May 16 13:45:18 1996
From: n4zr at contesting.com (Pete Smith) (Pete Smith)
Date: Thu, 16 May 1996 05:45:18 -0700
Subject: Source of bolts & Timewave
Message-ID: <199605161245.FAA06836 at dfw-ix5.ix.netcom.com>

At 08:14 PM 5/15/96 -0400, JimP911 at aol.com wrote:
>Anti-seize compound can be found at any autoparts store.  It is great for any
>fastener that may seize up from heat, rust or over torque.  
>
>73 -- Jim KC1SJ
>

But... a cautionary tale.  My daughter had one of the old VW bugs that used
bolts threaded into the brake drums instead of studs to hold the wheels on.
Because of heating (and age) the bolts were almost unremoveable with normal
human strength.  Concerned that she not be left without the ability to
change a tire if that became necessary, I applied some molybdenum disulphide
anti-seize (the auto parts store solution) to the bolt threads and torqued
them in place.  A couple of weeks later, she was driving down the street
when one of her front wheels came off!  Turned out *all* the wheel bolts
were "finger-loose" to one degree or another.  

I still don't know why this should have happened, because I had used the
stuff with success on engine bolts, etc.  Maybe someone with specific
engineering knowledge can set me straight, but pending that I'd be leery of
using MBS2 anywhere where temperature cycling and/or repeated,
opposite-direction shear stresses occur. 

73,

Pete Smith N4ZR (n4zr at contesting.com)

>From larrytx at SSD.intel.com (LarryX Tyree contractor for brentc)  Thu May 16 16:08:26 1996
From: larrytx at SSD.intel.com (LarryX Tyree contractor for brentc) (LarryX Tyree contractor for brentc)
Date: Thu, 16 May 96 08:08:26 PDT
Subject: A real response from LHJ!
Message-ID: <9605161508.AA00646 at tensor.SSD.intel.com>

This just in:

> From lhj at dsm.mdp.com Thu May 16 07:38:14 1996
> X-Mailer: Novell GroupWise 4.1
> From: "Ladies' Home Journal" <lhj at mdp.com>
> To: larrytx at SSD.intel.com
> Subject:  Amateur Radio -Reply
> 
> Thank you for your article suggestions concerning ham radio operators.
> We have been in contact with a media relations person from the
> American Radio Relay League, and she has pitched us article ideas as
> well.  In all likelihood, we will be printing a clarification in an
> upcoming issue, most likely a letter from ARRL, although things do
> change constantly before press time.

Tree N6TR

>From larrytx at SSD.intel.com (LarryX Tyree contractor for brentc)  Thu May 16 18:02:59 1996
From: larrytx at SSD.intel.com (LarryX Tyree contractor for brentc) (LarryX Tyree contractor for brentc)
Date: Thu, 16 May 96 10:02:59 PDT
Subject: Advice to a new contester
Message-ID: <9605161702.AA00722 at tensor.SSD.intel.com>

I received a nice note from Jason Goldsberry, AB5LX.  Jason is 13 years old
and sent me the note after receiving 3 free copies of the NCJ from AA5B.  
After writing a response, I thought it might be good reading for other 
new contesters who are reading this list.  You can see a picture of 
Jason on page 21 in the May/June issue of the NCJ.  Based upon the 
observations made by N0AX in that article, it appears Jason is "Top Ten"
material.

Hi Jason,

Thanks for your note.  I was 13 when I started in this hobby.  

The reference to doing a sprint with the parameters you listed (low power,
one antenna per band, one rig, no memory keyer) was actually in past
tense.  During the September 1995 CW Sprint, I convinced most of the
top contenders to disarm themselves and limit their operation.  It was 
a very interesting project and it created a lot of comments (both pro 
and con).

There isn't a plan to limit all competition to this level...  however,
we do show who was running low power in the results and list the top five 
low power scores in a box.  If you want a challenge, look at the score
KR0Y made in that contest (with the call KC5NWX no less).  You can have
a big impact in this contest without an amplifier.  Ward, N0AX, who you
know, had the highest low power score in the February CW Sprint.

The sprint is a very "friendly" contest since the number of participants 
is smaller than major contests (around 200).  There are people who get on 
and make 50 contacts every time, but we all know who they are.  

We also have the two hour version of the sprints which are announced 
on the CQ-CONTEST reflector.  These are low power CW events with a 
format similar to the NCJ Sprint.  If you are not subscribed to this 
list, send a message to cq-contest-request at tgv.com with the word 
subscribe in the text.  The last one was run a few weeks ago, and 
you will probably see the results posted in the next week or two.

Low power contesting with sub-optimum antennas is how I started in 
contesting.  It teaches you techniques that will help you become
more competitive as you improve your hardware.  Without this period
of struggle, you won't learn as much.  The trick is to measure your
performance against your previous efforts, not against those who have 
been doing this longer than you have been alive.  (Boy - that makes me
feel old). 

You mentioned in the NCJ article that the Sprint was your worst contest 
where you only made 64 QSOs.  In a way, I envy you.  You can now look 
forward to breaking the 100 QSO barrier, refine your technique to get 
over 150 QSOs, learn from others and see direct results and break 200.  
Then dream of averaging one QSO per minute AND doing it.  These things 
are all in your grasp if you put your mind to it (you already live in
Texas which is half the battle).

If I was giving advice to WB6ZVC (my old call) as a teenager with my
years of "wisdom" I would tell him to relax and try and enjoy the contest
more.  Don't get hung up on trying to beat someone else.  Just work on
refining my technique to be the best you can.  Measure your success by
how much fun you are having and against your previous efforts.

I would also tell him not to get too obsessed with contesting.  You will
only be a teenager once.  Try to keep things in balance.  There will be
plenty of time for being totally consummed by contesting later on in
life.  

I wonder what I would tell myself today with another 30 years of wisdom...  

Probably something along those same lines.

73 Tree N6TR
tree at contesting.com

>From snace at tdrss.wsc.nasa.gov (Steve Nace)  Thu May 16 18:28:28 1996
From: snace at tdrss.wsc.nasa.gov (Steve Nace) (Steve Nace)
Date: Thu, 16 May 1996 10:28:28 -0700
Subject: Ladies Home Journal Bashing Hams
Message-ID: <v01510109adc1155cc858@[192.77.86.212]>

I sent them this:

>To: "Ladies' Home Journal" <lhj at mdp.com>
>From: snace at tdrss.wsc.nasa.gov (Steve Nace)
>Subject: Bashing Ham Radio Operators
>Cc:
>
>Perhaps you should use some intelligence (if you have any) before
>publishing >future articles about any electronic devices and Amateur Radio
>operators.
>
>What's next? Blaming us Hams for the crime rate or UFOs ??
>
>Steven Nace
>KN5H

They sent me this:

>Date: Wed, 15 May 1996 11:51:06 -0500
>From: "Ladies' Home Journal" <lhj at mdp.com>
>To: snace at tdrss.wsc.nasa.gov
>Subject:  Bashing Ham Radio Operators -Reply
>
>Thank you for taking the time to comment on "How Long Should It Last?"
>from the June issue.

de Hose  KN5H