MFJ-492x memory keyer
Bob Morris
robrk at fyi.net
Sat Nov 2 15:55:03 EST 1996
ad4tu at esinet.net wrote:
>
> A while back someone posted a 'fix' for a brain-dead MFJ 492x memory
> keyer. Mine was working at that time so of course I didn't save the post.
> Now mine is in 'slumber' mode, and won't display any signs of life nor
> respond to any commands. Will whoever gave the instructions on how to
> 'reset' this infernal device email them to me direct?
>
> Thanks for your time,
> Pete/AD4TU = ad4tu at esinet.net
> Email: ad4tu at esinet.net
This is not the prevous post...but my book says hold the menu button
down during power up...resets to factory settings...page 7 speakes of
lithium battery change...Mine was dead after Field Day....but CRS
prevents me from knowing which method fixed it (lifting the battery,
not a change). ..The book says have the unit ON!!! to replace battery.
Maybe it gets perminent CRS ??????????? GL K2RK
>From n5ia at juno.com (Milt Jensen) Sat Nov 2 21:14:12 1996
From: n5ia at juno.com (Milt Jensen) (Milt Jensen)
Date: Sat, 02 Nov 1996 16:14:12 EST
Subject: CQWW Field Day style
Message-ID: <19961102.211043.7462.5.N5IA at juno.com>
This is a fairly long posting and is intended for those who
requested a report on my portable operation from a mountain top as single
op, 160 M. only, in the CQWW SSB 'test. Hopefully I have answered all
questions that were asked. For all others, it is contest related and
might be of interest. Thanks for bandwidth.
I selected the contest site for the purpose of trying out for
myself the theory of the effect of terrain in the far field (Fresnel
Zone) on the take off angle of the transmitted signal.
The site is some 50 miles west of my home, in the Pinaleno
Mountains, near Safford, Arizona. The location is called Heliograph
Peak, and received it's name from being a main relay site for the US
Army's Heliograph communications system during the 1880s calvary period.
Heliograph Peak is a dedicated communications site administered by the US
Forest Service with six two way radio/microwave facilities. Electrical
power is generated on site. For the facility I operated from, the power
is from photovoltaics with backup from a 7.5 kW diesel powered generator.
Heliograph Peak is 10,028 feet (3,050 Meters) high with very
steep slopes on all sides except the north west. Even that direction
drops 1,000 feet in less than one mile. At 5 wavelengths from the peak
for 300 degrees of the compass, the terrain has dropped off more than
1,000 feet.
I felt that this was a nearly ideal location to do some testing,
which has relatively good access and some facilities in place to work
with. As you will see, Murphy visited in the form of Mother Nature and
did not allow for a real conclusive test.
I left home after work on Wednesday evening and drove to the
site. I spent the remainder of the evening unpacking and setting up the
radio and computer equipment. This was located in the building which
belongs to our local radio club.
Thursday was a beautiful clear calm day with a high temp of 40
degrees F. I started building and installing the transmit antenna. This
was a full size 1/4 wave length wire ground plane suspended from a
catenary wire between two 150 foot high towers. The feed point was
approximately 15 feet above ground, with 16 elevated radials. Fed
directly with 50 Ohm coax, the antenna resonated at 1.835 mHz with
slightly less than 2:1 VSWR.
An early evening call to an HC8 received a quick 5-9 response.
Friday morning a KH8 was calling CQ NA. One call and he came right back
giving me another 5-9. This was with just 100 Watts from the
transceiver. 240 Volt power had not yet been wired to the amplifier. It
appeared the transmit antenna would work well.
The weather Friday was another story. The wind started early,
producing peak gusts of 60-65 MPH by mid afternoon. The day was spent
installing two, 2 wire Beverage antennas for receiving. The antennas
started on one side of the peak, went up over the top, and down the other
side. Each was 2 wave lengths long, with one oriented 80/260 degrees and
the other 140/320 degrees. A third antenna oriented at 20/200 degrees
was planned, but I ran out of time. By late afternoon it was sleeting
with the temp hovering just above freezing. I finished the antennas at
0000 Z (contest start time), wired the 240 VAC line from the generator to
the amplifier, and was ready to go at sundown (0100 Z).
The east Beverage was picking up lots of signals, and PJ9E was
the 1st contact. The first hour produced 7 Zones and 7 countries along
with a lot of Zone 4 & 5 contacts. I believe that I was the Zone 3
contact for a great percentage of the Zone 4 & 5 160 Meter stations.
It seemed that I was being heard very well. My experience from
my home station has been that the east coast stations do not hear my
signal well until 0300-0400 Z.
Then the approaching storm upped the QRN level till the S meter
was reading over 9 off the Beverages. I was unable to copy any station
with exception of the very loud ones.
It started to snow heavily at 2 am and snow static was added to
the listening menu. By 8 am Saturday there was 12 inches of snow on the
ground, and still falling lightly.
I slept during the day Saturday. When I awoke and went outside,
I found that the snow and ice had built up on the transmit antenna. The
base of the vertical was going up and down about 6 feet as the wind blew
the ice laden vertical up to 20 feet out of line. Ten of the 16 radials
were broken off at the base.
I managed to get all of the radials reattached before it got too
dark. When I checked the antenna with power, the VSWR was very high. At
the time I suspected the ice buildup was the culprit, and the antenna was
detuned. So, little radiated power and difficulty getting stations to
hear me. I was surprised to have both KH6, KH8 and others call me. The
Beverages were outstanding. Jack, KH6CC was barely noticeable on the
east antenna, and a strong standout S-9 on the west antenna.
It all came to an end about midnight Saturday when the com-
bination of ice buildup and wind took the whole transmitting antenna
down. I just went to bed and slept the rest of the night.
Early Sunday morning I started packing everything up. Once
outside, it was digging all the radials, vertical element, Beverages and
transformer boxes, antenna switch box, etc. out of the snow. The
visibility was 50 feet and still snowing lightly.
The upper portion of the vertical wire had 3 1/2 inch diameter radial ice
on it. No wonder it came down.
Left the site at 2 pm Sunday, with an average of 18 inches of
snow on the ground. The 4 wheel drive Suburban was pushing some snow
with the bumper, and plowing a large ditch with the axles and
differentials. Even though I had not brought the tire chains with me,
because the route was all down hill, I had no problems getting out.
There was snow down to the 6,000 feet elevation level.
WHAT DID I LEARN!!!! I learned that occasionally we can get
a major winter storm as early as late October. That aside, the varying
operating conditions resulted in no extended operating time periods where
the response to my station could be compared to other stations operating
the contest from this region of the country.
Therefore I can only compare brief snippets of operating time
from this elevated site with my experience of operating on 160 meters
over the last 23 years.
The following points lead me to firmly believe that there is some
advantage to the elevated transmitting location.
1. The contacts on Thursday evening with HC8 and Friday morning
with KH8, using only 100 Watts.
2. The response to my calls during the first one hour + of the
contest when all equipment was operating correctly and the atmospheric
conditions were decent.
3. Being called by KH6, KH8, KG4, and PJ9 the 2nd night when my
transmitting antenna was radiating very little RF.
These are the results of the contest operation.
Hours operated: 5.5
Total Contacts: 165
DX Contacts: 29
Zones : 10
Countries : 21
Zone 3,4,5 Qs : 136
Score : 2,077
I would appreciate a report from anyone who heard my signal at
any time during the 'test, noting approximate time and a general
comparison of my signal to others from southern Zone 3. In particular
are there any stations who tried to contact me and I did not hear your
call? Thanks in advance for your time, and THANK YOU to all the stations
that did contact me.
I am already laying plans for some future operations from the
same and similar locations. There is one location where the possibility
exists to install a permanent operating facility. I would like to
receive information from anyone who has experience of operating 160
Meters from locations such as I have described.
It is a good thing that "THIS IS ONLY A HOBBY!!!!!!"
73 de
---Milt Jensen @ ARS N5IA---
---Virden, NM Route Box 176---
---Duncan, AZ -- 85534---
---H: (505) 358-2105 W: (520) 359-2503---
---Reply to n5ia at juno.com---
>From kt4ld at juno.com (Andrew H Lewis) Sat Nov 2 21:23:46 1996
From: kt4ld at juno.com (Andrew H Lewis) (Andrew H Lewis)
Date: Sat, 02 Nov 1996 16:23:46 EST
Subject: EMail Gettysburg
References: <199611022014.PAA14322 at lucas.emi.com>
Message-ID: <19961102.172603.4407.1.KT4LD at juno.com>
Amen Brother! You said it it better than I or the heavens could have said
it. This reflector isn't called "THE FCC COMPLAINT REFLECTOR." I mean the
FCC didn't have to do this vanity stuff. Sure I want a vanity call but I
am resigned to the fact that it will take a while. This guy obviously
doesn't have anything to loose because he isn't applying for a vanity
callsign. He has a nice 1X2, I don't. If he keeps up his bad attitude the
FCC may cancel the vanity program because they don't have to put with
this kind of ****. Let me get off my soapbox.
73
KT4LD-16 YEARS
OLD
Hopefully N4CH
or N4JM or W4FM or W4DX
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