Re: [Elecraft] Band button
In a message dated 7/6/08 2:36:25 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > What does "top band" mean? > 160 meters (1.8 to 2.0 MHz) The name derives from the time when we thought primarily in terms of wavelength. Going to a longer wave was going "up" and to a shorter wave was "down". Hence Clinton B. Desoto's book title "200 Meters and Down" (yes, it should be metres) 160 is the longest wave hams can use, hence it's the top band. 73 de Jim, N2EY ** Gas prices getting you down? Search AOL Autos for fuel-efficient used cars. (http://autos.aol.com/used?ncid=aolaut000507) ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Band button
In a message dated 7/5/08 6:25:50 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > Nowhere is it written that the bands assigned to the Amateur service must > be > referred to by wavelength. Agreed. Indeed, here in the USA, our FCC refers to the > > slices of spectrum we're assigned as "Frequency Bands", not "Wavelength > Bands". > Actually, both terms are used by FCC. I just checked Part 97, and the terms are used almost interchangeably. For example, the title of 97.301 is "Authorized Frequency Bands". But when you look at the charts which tell who can operate where in what region, the leftmost column is labeled "Wavelength Bands". Even odder, FCC refers to 3.5-3.6 MHz as "80 meters" and 3.6-4.0 MHz as "75 meters" as if they were not right next to each other. I am not making this up. When I first heard about it, I thought my leg was being pulled, so I went and checked. 73 es "yes it's trivia, but it's my trivia" de Jim, N2EY ** Gas prices getting you down? Search AOL Autos for fuel-efficient used cars. (http://autos.aol.com/used?ncid=aolaut000507) ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] Lightness of the K3
I have to ask Is the lightness of the K3 unbearable? (runs, hides, looks for missing sock) 73 de Jim, N2EY ...bowler hats? ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] FD: QRO + QRP with pwr multiplier
In a message dated 6/30/08 5:16:58 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > For this year and last year, I've added a QRP station to our club's > QRO FD setup, but I submit it as a separate entry. As far as I can > tell, this is within both the rules and spirit of Field Day -- it > provides another station, another example of radio use for anyone to > check out, try, or just talk about, while I share in the social > aspect of the club event instead of being off on my own. What you've done is to have a separate FD station that just happens to be near another one. > > I ran 1A-Battery (solar), using the call W0SAA, while the rest were > 5A using W0SA (having those two calls available was a coincidence, > but cute). The QRP station was my K2, with two wire antennas, a bit > > away from the main stations, which this year consisted of four > kilowatt stations, plus a 100-watt digital station and a VHF > station. I was off to the side a bit, but still within the 1000-foot > circle of the main group. You didn't have to stay within the circle. W0SAA was a different FD entry than W0SA, and could be separated by any distance since the scores were separate. > I'm not a competent contester yet -- I got 154 contacts, all CW S&P > -- but I had a darn good time. I'm not sure what your definition of "competent contester" is, but IMHO, if you gave out 154 QSOs and had a good time, that's a core competency! -- IMHO, it should be possible to have multiple power levels on FD. Here's one way it could be done: FD considers each "band/mode" a separate entity. IOW 40 CW is separate from 40 phone, 20 phone is separate from 40 phone, etc. When you fill out the summary sheet, you enter the number of QSOs per band/mode. Why couldn't each band/mode have its own power level, and all QSOs *of that band/mode* would be scored at the highest power level of that band/mode? A club could then run a mixture of the three power levels if desired. Only a minor change to the summary sheet would be needed. That way, a club might decide to run QRO on 75 'phone, low power on 20 digital, QRP on 40 CW, etc., and each band/mode would get its own power multiplier. That would maximize interest and avoid the need for things like the W0SA/W0SAA split described above. IIRC, one of the purposes of FD is exposure to new and different things. So the QRO folks could see QRP in action, and the reverse. It used to be done that way. Before 1971, the same FD group could have multiple power levels by band/mode. (I wuz there!) The change was made for FD 1971 "to simplify scoring". But that was long ago, back in the days before computer logging and online log submittals, when everything was done by hand. That's ancient history now; why not a better system that rewards diversity? The way to get it is for lots of us to write the Contest Advisory Committee. I would not be surprised if none of them knew that, at one time, multiple power levels were allowed in the same FD group. Just IMHO 73 de Jim, N2EY ** Gas prices getting you down? Search AOL Autos for fuel-efficient used cars. (http://autos.aol.com/used?ncid=aolaut000507) ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] FD - Some Comments about the Event
In a message dated 6/29/08 8:00:14 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > FD is not a contestit is an operating event. I would say "FD is not *just* a contest" or "Contesting is only one aspect of FD". Like Amateur Radio itself, there are many ways of doing FD, some of which are very different from others. Some groups take scoring very seriously, others don't think much of it and it's more of a social event. Some are very into the publicity angle, or the emergency-preparedness thing, or the training-less-experienced-hams part. I don't think the League even likes to rank > station that participate as to who made how many points. If you look up the scores database, that's how results are sorted (high score to low). Same in the QST report. >If FD allowed multipliers (rather than mode points) then we would have a contest. The FD multipliers are for power level. A QRP-battery QSO can be worth 5 times the points of a QRO QSO, or 2.5 times the points of a "low-power" QSO. >FD rules are so loose you can change your class at anytime. Only in a very limited way (number of transmitters), and only for specific reasons. For example, if a club started out with three transmitters (3A) but then somebody showed up with a fourth and lots of folks to put it on the air, they could reclass themselves as 4A. Or if they could not get one rig working at all, they could reclass themselves as 2A *if* they'd never had three rigs on the air at once. > It would be interesting to see how many vertical and dipole antennas were > used this year. We used a Windom and two G5RVs. Squalos and verticals for VHF/UHF. Yes there are better antennas but the resources needed to put them up and take them down are considerable. > FD is about training (both in technical and operating) skills. I would add "practical radio" to that as well. Theory is one thing, getting something to work in the real world is another. I was never a Boy Scout but I learned a heckuva lot about knots and handling lines on FD. Random comments: 1) Send in your entry, no matter how insignificant it may seem. Log entries are "votes" in a very real sense. 2) If there is something you want to see changed in the rules, suggest it in a specific way to ARRL. For example, you might want sections to count as multipliers on HF, grid squares on VHF/UHF. If so, *tell the ARRL contest folks*! 3) While the memory (and the bug bites, sunburn, poison ivy and aches/pains are still fresh, write down what you learned this year. What worked and what didn't, what you'd do the same and what you'd change. Put those notes in a folder marked "FD 2009". Trust me, it's a big help for next year! 73 de Jim, N2EY ** Gas prices getting you down? Search AOL Autos for fuel-efficient used cars. (http://autos.aol.com/used?ncid=aolaut000507) ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Re: K3 Key-down on power-up [Solution?]
In a message dated 6/29/08 8:43:06 AM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > Why anyone would let a "stupid user" > operate their > 2K radio at a field day site is beyond me. OTOH: One of the things FD is supposed to be is a training/education exercise. While it's certainly not a 100%-accurate simulation of a real emergency drill, there's always something to be learned. (I've done ever single FD since I was licensed in 1967, and learned something on every one.) Part of that education is learning about stuff we don't ordinarily do. The first Elecraft I ever saw in real life was N3IUT's K2, whose sn is under 200. All the ads, numbers and testimonials in the world did not have the impact of using that rig under FD conditions. Sure it's a risk to let someone else use a rig - of any price. I've always thought that one should not bring something on FD that one cannot tolerate losing, or having damaged. But I'm still grateful to those many amateurs over the years who let me and others use FD rigs we could not have owned ourselves at the time, and so learn what distinguishes a great rig from a good one. In 1970 I was a 16-year-old, licensed just three years. Yet the let me run the 40 meter CW setup overnight on FD that year. The rig was a Drake R-4B/T-4XB, worth something like $1200 at the time. More like $5000-6000 in today's money. 73 de Jim, N2EY ** Gas prices getting you down? Search AOL Autos for fuel-efficient used cars. (http://autos.aol.com/used?ncid=aolaut000507) ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] They Laughed At My K1
In a message dated 6/29/08 3:47:46 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > Plus, just think of those multiplier points for QRP and for solar power. Unfortunately, there probably weren't any. The way the Field Day rules are written, the power of the most-powerful rig in an FD setup is the power of all the rigs. All QSOs get the same power multiplier. IOW you don't get the QRP-battery multiplier unless every FD QSO is made running QRP-battery. There's a 100 point natural power bonus (not a multiplier) for making at least 5 QSOs with a rig powered by an alternative energy source (usually a solar panel). At K3TU we earned this bonus with a K2 and solar panel. IMHO it would be a great thing if a multi-rig FD setup could have different power levels on different band/modes. 73 de Jim, N2EY ** Gas prices getting you down? Search AOL Autos for fuel-efficient used cars. (http://autos.aol.com/used?ncid=aolaut000507) ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Bass in audio is good
In a message dated 5/5/08 5:14:48 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > Many years ago Bell Labs > (and others) proved rather thoroughly that 2.4 to 2.6 KHz > was more than adequately for "communications" purposes. Their > tests were specifically in relation to "toll grade" audio for > long distance telephony. Which is *not* amateur radio communication! Things like QRM, QRN and selective fading are not usually encountered in landline telephones. Note also that despite the quality standards, people often have to repeat themselves on the telephone, spell out words and names, etc. > > The FCC rules specifically required a maximum bandwidth of 2.6 > KHz on the US 60 meter channels. That should provide a strong > example of what FCC and NTIA consider to be the "maximum > bandwidth necessary" for single sideband operation in amateur > allocations. No, they shouldn't. The 60 meter channels are shared with other services. Amateurs are secondary users there, and must conform to the primary user's standards. > > Most amateur transceivers use 2.4 KHz bandwidth filters for > SSB generation - even cascaded 2.4 KHz filters with an effective > bandwidth in the 2.2 KHz range. The default SSB transmit bandwidth > for the K3 should be 300 - 2900 Hz or 200 - 2800 Hz in order to > not be excessively wide and meet the FCC regulations for use on > the US 60 meter allocation. Agreed! But that's only on 60 meters. Should we stop using LSB because other services don't generally use it? Should we channelize our bands because that's what other services do? I say there's room for all. 73 de Jim, N2EY ** Wondering what's for Dinner Tonight? Get new twists on family favorites at AOL Food. (http://food.aol.com/dinner-tonight?NCID=aolfod000301) ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Bass in audio is good
-Original Message- From: Joe Subich, W4TV <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Most HF users want AM and ESSB (occupied bandwidth greater than required for communications quality - 2.6 to 2.8 KHz) banned. On what information do you make this claim? 73 de Jim, N2EY ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Bass in audio is good
-Original Message- From: S Sacco <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> We're not broadcasters, we're communicators. That's true. But there are all sorts of communication! That extra frequency response takes away from the spectrum available for our fellow Amateurs. Hold that thought Don't even get me started on that "ESSB" stuff...and why is AM even LEGAL anymore, anyway? It's legal for two reasons: 1) A considerable number of hams like it and use it. 2) No one has come up with a proposal to ban it that hasn't generated overwhelming opposition from the amateur community. "Ban AM" (particularly from the HF amateur bands) proposals have popped up from time to time since before I became a ham 40 years ago. Always the same basic reason: AM is too wide. Now about "tak[ing] away from the spectrum available for our fellow Amateurs" - if using the minimum amount of spectrum is the issue, why are any modes wider than a few hundred Hz allowed? Ten CW or PSK31 QSOs can fit in the space of one SSB QSO, so why is SSB still allowed? 73 de Jim, N2EY ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] OT: Wanted 60Hz vibrating reed freq meter
In a message dated 4/28/08 2:10:17 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > Looking for a vibrating reed type of 60Hz frequency meter for a generator > monitor I'm trying to build for field day. Sorry, I don't have one. But I do know an alternative. Way back in QST for March, 1971, there was an article about a line voltage and frequency monitor. The frequency measuring section consists of a couple of resistors, a pair of zener diodes, a 0.22 uf capacitor, a bridge rectifier, a calibration pot and a 0-1 mA meter. I built one and it works very well. 73 de Jim, N2EY ** Need a new ride? Check out the largest site for U.S. used car listings at AOL Autos. (http://autos.aol.com/used?NCID=aolcmp0030002851) ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] CW Mistakes
In a message dated 4/26/08 11:43:23 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > > Learning to translate dits and dahs into letters and other characters. > Slow code encourages translation! I think what you mean is "counting" - hearing "H" as "four dits" rather than a single sound-group. That's why Farnsworth-spacing is a good idea. > > Learning code from a book or other visual source. (Not including learning > about code from a book such as Pierpont: The Art & Skill of Radio Telegraphy). Agreed! > > Starting after age 50. . > Actually, research has shown that one of the ways to slow the aging process is to learn new things throughout life. Particularly things that are *very* different than what you've done before, not just extensions of existing stuff. 73 de Jim, N2EY ** Need a new ride? Check out the largest site for U.S. used car listings at AOL Autos. (http://autos.aol.com/used?NCID=aolcmp0030002851) ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] CW Mistakes
In a message dated 4/25/08 8:08:58 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > 2) Letting a self-important bad operator discourage you because he/she > can't > or won't QRS to your speed or tells you that you don't have the skills to > get on CW, or to operate on a specific band. (I worked a guy who told me he > never used 20 meter CW because he was told by some idiot that it was a > expert operator's band and folks there didn't tolerate anything less!) It seems to me that a true "expert" is able to operate effectively at both low and high speeds, with both experienced and inexperienced operators at the other end. So if someone won't/can't QRS for a beginner, it says more about that person's skills than it does about the beginner. IMHO 73 de Jim, N2EY ** Need a new ride? Check out the largest site for U.S. used car listings at AOL Autos. (http://autos.aol.com/used?NCID=aolcmp0030002851) ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] CW Mistakes
In a message dated 4/25/08 6:27:49 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > What are some of the most common errors for > beginning CW Operators. WELCOME! In no particular order: 1) Not getting on the air. While it is a good idea to do some practice off-air and get some basic skills down, you don't need to be an "expert" to make lots of CW contacts and have lots of fun. 2) Sending too fast for the situation. 3) Expecting too much too soon. 4) Trying to use a rig that's not very good for CW (doesn't apply to Elecraft rigs!) 5) Not being familiar with abbreviations and procedures. Make a list of the common ones and have it handy. Listen to a few QSOs and get the general idea of how it's done. 6) Not asking questions or requesting help. (you've avoided this one!) 73 es GL de Jim, N2EY ** Need a new ride? Check out the largest site for U.S. used car listings at AOL Autos. (http://autos.aol.com/used?NCID=aolcmp0030002851) ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] K3 - some FW wishes...
-Original Message- From: Alexandr Kobranov <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> # General LOCK for all "knobs" (if somewhere - sorry, not found) If you can lock *all* the knobs, how do you ever unlock the rig? 73 de Jim, N2EY ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Alternatives to PowerPoles?
-Original Message- From: Mike S <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> At 11:07 PM 4/6/2008, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote... What would you use instead? Particularly given the desire for a genderless connector that can carry considerable current (20+ Amps)? Considering these are used for carrying polarized power signals, why do you want/require that they be "genderless?" Convenience and flexibility. There's a very good reason that wall outlets aren't hermaphroditic. That's because they are much higher voltage, and always a source. They're also meant to be used by people who know almost nothing about electricity. As radio amateurs, I'd hope we'd know a little about what we are doing. We use the same RF connectors (although gendered) for everything from the legal limit of power down to receiver inputs; make a mistake and the results can be very unpleasant. Is 12 volts somehow more dangerous? The only reasonable argument I've seen is that it allows charging batteries without "adapters." But, given that improper charging of many modern battery technologies can be dangerous if a specialized charger isn't used, making it easy to connect a 13.4V, 20A regulated supply to a 12V lithium pack doesn't seem wise. The problem is that with adapters it's just as easy to make such mistakes. If you adopt gendered connectors, you'll get in the habit of having adapters everywhere, and there goes the advantage. . There's also the advantage of a universal standard - all cable ends the same; you never have the wrong end, multioutlet systems are all the same. --- And there's still the original question: what would you use instead? If there were a gendered PowerPole configuration, would that solve the problem? 73 de Jim, N2EY ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] Alternatives to PowerPoles?
In a message dated 4/6/08 11:00:03 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > APPs are bad design, bad technology, just bad why? What would you use instead? Particularly given the desire for a genderless connector that can carry considerable current (20+ Amps)? Not trying to argue, just wondering about alternatives. Ten Tec and some others use Molex but they're not genderless, they're one-use, etc. 73 de Jim, N2EY ** Planning your summer road trip? Check out AOL Travel Guides. (http://travel.aol.com/travel-guide/united-states?ncid=aoltrv000316) ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Wait times... [OT]
In a message dated 4/5/08 3:24:41 PM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > No engineering project is EVER on budget. Yes, they are; I've worked on many that were. Forget about that one. And no > > engineering project is EVER allowed a reasonable development schedule by > Marketing and Executive Management. Forget about that one too. I've worked on engineering projects that had reasonable schedules. What you don't often find is both characteristics (adequate schedule and reasonable budget) together. > > I've heard and read of military contractors in the World War II era like > Douglas Aircraft and others bringing in a new warplane on spec, ahead of > schedule, and under budget. They say it's true, and I believe it, I guess. > But > whatever they were doing right in those days just doesn't happen any more. Whole bunch of things were different then. For one thing, there was a war on, and the nation's resources were completely dedicated to fighting it. The Army and Navy weren't going to haggle much over development price of a new aircraft that could give them an advantage in combat. There were also lots of projects that went nowhere. For example, the P-47 and P-51 are well known WW2 fighters. Anyone with an interest in WW2 aircraft knows them. But there were also the XP-48, XP-49, and XP-50 between them, which never went into production. Look down the list and the projects that never went into production far exceed those that did. There were also lots of versions, variants and modifications. The first couple of versions of a plane were often quickly superseded. While the P-51 prototype flew less than 6 months from the day the order was placed, the plane went all the way to the H model before the war ended. How much was spent developing all those versions? Imagine if there were K3 models all the way to H.. Finally, there was IMHO a much greater tolerance for odd and even dangerous characteristicsm as long as the basic specs were met. The P-51 was fast and powerful, but a pilot had to trim the heck out of it before takeoff to counter the enormous propeller torque. Forget to do so and the plane would crash. That sort of thing was accepted as the price of high performance. Think about how many features there are in any Elecraft rig and how few real problems. 73 de Jim, N2EY ** Planning your summer road trip? Check out AOL Travel Guides. (http://travel.aol.com/travel-guide/united-states?ncid=aoltrv000316) ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] OT: Pilotless F-106
In a message dated 4/3/08 7:32:33 PM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > I worked on the F-106 for 4 years and never saw a connection on a connector > > that wasn't soldered. > Ever work on 58-0787? In 1977, it landed itself after the pilot ejected: http://www.f-106deltadart.com/71fis.htm 73 de Jim, N2EY ** Planning your summer road trip? Check out AOL Travel Guides. (http://travel.aol.com/travel-guide/united-states?ncid=aoltrv000316) ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] Would This Power a K1 or KX1?
In case anyone missed this on QRP-L: http://www.thebackshed.com/Windmill/assemblyMini1.asp 73 de Jim, N2EY ** Ideas to please picky eaters. Watch video on AOL Living. (http://living.aol.com/video/how-to-please-your-picky-eater/rachel-campos-duffy/2050827?NCID=aolcmp0030002598) ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] K3 build rate
In a message dated 3/1/08 8:10:51 AM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > In round numbers, output now seems to be > around 200 per month, > For many, it must be like watching an old-fashioned egg timer - the > big pile of sand on top with only a few grains at a time passing > through the "waist" to exit at the bottom. I am glad that I now have > mine, but I remember the long wait (8 months for mine). Remember too that a lot of the wait was for the first production units to be completed. There were several months when none were shipped but many were being ordered, so the backlog was building; now it's been reduced. Perhaps the publication of the reviews and the record-breaking results of Ducie Island (at the bottom of the cycle, too!) will generate huge numbers of new orders. Meanwhile - where's that piggy bank? 73 de Jim, N2EY ** Ideas to please picky eaters. Watch video on AOL Living. (http://living.aol.com/video/how-to-please-your-picky-eater/rachel-campos-duffy/ 2050827?NCID=aolcmp0030002598) ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Just Say No.
In a message dated 2/29/08 8:08:46 PM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > it was made in China? > No. Justno. 73 de Jim, N2EY ** Ideas to please picky eaters. Watch video on AOL Living. (http://living.aol.com/video/how-to-please-your-picky-eater/rachel-campos-duffy/ 2050827?NCID=aolcmp0030002598) ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Chasing the numbers
-Original Message- From: Gary D Krause <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> I've been wondering how the numbers really affect what we hear. If a ham were to sit down in front of all the top rigs, >blind folded and not allowed to touch them, would he or she be able to pick out the one with the best receiver by just >using his or her ears? Lets assume that this ham has good hearing and that every rig is set the same. I realize that people >have different reasons for picking a rig and that it isn't always based on lab tests otherwise we would all own the same rig >assuming money is not a factor :-) But is there really a difference in the lab numbers as close as they are or are we just >chasing numbers? IMHO: It depends on what you are doing. Under good conditions (decent signal strength, not a lot of QRM or QRN, etc.), you won't hear much difference between a K3 and any other half-decent rig. It's when things are less-than-good that the differences really begin to show. Like when you're trying to dig out an S1 signal next to an S9+40 signal. Or when the band is full of signals of all kinds and strengths, but you only want to hear one of them. Etc. What tough conditions do is to show up the weaknesses in a rig. There's also the inability to set every rig the same. Filter responses and DSP settings vary all over the place, as do gain controls, notches, etc. The numbers show what can be measured objectively. But that's not the only measure of a rig. What really shows the quality of a design is a combination of the numbers and other factors, like how tiring is it to operate the rig, how well it makes contacts of the kind you like to make, etc. IOW, for me, the real test is this: How much fun do you have with the rig? 73 de Jim, N2EY ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Someone suggested "camo" ...
In a message dated 2/27/08 3:31:01 PM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > Believe it or not, "camo" has been suggested as a > "color" option we should offer in our line of Elecraft > covers ... > I went shopping for camo clothes yesterday. I couldn't find any. 73 de Jim, (thank you Steven Wright) N2EY ** Ideas to please picky eaters. Watch video on AOL Living. (http://living.aol.com/video/how-to-please-your-picky-eater/rachel-campos-duffy/2050827?NCID=aolcmp0030002598) ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] K3-Latest K3 Review on EHAM
In a message dated 2/24/08 1:40:27 PM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > Someone posts an honest review of > their experience and loads of people attack them for criticising their baby > by not giving it full marks? No. The criticism is that someone is posting an anonymous review saying the K3 SSB transmit audio is "terrible" *without* giving the company a chance to solve the problem. A company which has a hard-earned and well-deserved reputation for service, service, and more service. That is, if there even really is a problem - since the reviewer is anonymous, we don't know for sure if the "review" is for-real or not. *Anybody* can post a review on eham even if they've never even seen the rig they're reviewing. > Perhaps the transmitter is faulty - it is entirely possible the PA bias has > failed or there is a problem with the driver, in the alignment or elsewhere. > Of course that's possible. Perhaps the rig was damaged in shipping, or, if a kit, assembled improperly. Or perhaps there's something wrong with the test setup, and nothing wrong with the K3. > Perhaps solardx really has a point. Perhaps - but why not contact the company and try to fix it? Whatever, their experience is still just > > as valid as anyone elses. > If, indeed, it's a real experience. We don't know for sure if "solardx" has ever been near a K3. 73 de Jim, N2EY ** Ideas to please picky eaters. Watch video on AOL Living. (http://living.aol.com/video/how-to-please-your-picky-eater/rachel-campos-duffy/2050827?NCID=aolcmp0030002598) ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] K3-Latest K3 Review on EHAM
In a message dated 2/24/08 8:57:10 AM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > The reviewer (Solardx) gives the results of a test he ran on his K3. With all due respect We don't know if the reviewer has a problem K3 or a problem test setup. For that matter, we don't know if the reviewer even has a K3! IMHO, 99%+ of eham.net "reviews" are not reviews at all, (in the sense of objectice reports) but are really just personal opinions. In some cases they are based on very little experience with the rig, too. Anybody with internet access can write an eham review on anything. I could go on eham and say the IC-7800 is ten times better than the K3 - even though I've never seen nor used either rig! "Solardx" is completely anonymous - no call, no name, no K3 serial number. Yet his rating affects the score as much as somebody who's got one of the first ones and has many hours of experience testing and using it, and who signs his name to his words. 73 de Jim, N2EY ** Ideas to please picky eaters. Watch video on AOL Living. (http://living.aol.com/video/how-to-please-your-picky-eater/rachel-campos-duffy/2050827?NCID=aolcmp0030002598) ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] OT: Attn CPU gurus - one more thing
In a message dated 2/23/08 8:54:42 PM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > 1T external drive for backups. > Western Digital makes a series of external drives that look like a book. The case ventilation holes in the top spell out various words in Morse Code. I am not making this up. 73 de Jim, N2EY ** Ideas to please picky eaters. Watch video on AOL Living. (http://living.aol.com/video/how-to-please-your-picky-eater/rachel-campos-duffy/2050827?NCID=aolcmp0030002598) ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Class - A operatiom (was K3 #441 received)
In a message dated 2/20/08 11:29:20 AM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > isn't Class A not very efficient? That depends on how you define efficiency. First off, an ideal Class A amplifier that is not overdriven and is dealing only with symmetrical waveforms draws the same DC power regardless of signal level. That means its efficiency goes up and down with signal level. Also means that the amp must be capable of dissipating the full DC input with no signal, or at low signal levels. At full power, when amplifying sine waves, an ideal Class A amplifier can deliver 50% efficiency. IOW, on CW or FM/FSK, an ideal Class A amp can deliver 1 watt of RF for every 2 watts of DC. So even at full power and ideal conditions, a Class A amplifier dealing with sine waves has to dissipate half the DC input. Of course in the real world you don't get ideal efficiency. 35-40% overall is very good - I don't know if manufactured rigs are that good. You can get more power out of class AB1 or AB2 but you have to keep to the > linear portion of the curve to avoid distortion. I guess what is happening > is that the rigs are not keeping to the linear portion of the curve because > of over drive by the operator or by the circuitry to compensate for something > or other. A linear amp has to operated in the linear part of the curve. > Right? So, what are these rigs doing? The "linear part of the curve" is pretty limited for real-world devices. Yet to get max power, the whole curve is used. It only takes a little bit of nonlinearity to create distortion products. For example, suppose an amplifier with 100W output has enough nonlinearity to produce a distortion product that is 1 watt. Such an amp's distortion is only 20dB down. To reach 40 dB down, (.01%) the distortion product would have to be only 10 milliwatts. 73 de Jim, N2EY ** Ideas to please picky eaters. Watch video on AOL Living. (http://living.aol.com/video/how-to-please-your-picky-eater/rachel-campos-duffy/ 2050827?NCID=aolcmp0030002598) ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Best way to secure RF ground from 2nd floor?
In a message dated 2/19/08 8:50:41 PM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > Here is a solution from a very old QST, It's not from QST. and all I can say is it works > > for me. My shack is on the 2nd floor and I run several rigs w/ amps . I > was having RF everywhere until I tried this: > - Run coax ( RG-8 or similar) from rig to a real good ground . Put a > .01 cap across the shield and center conductor at both ends. Cap needs > to be 2KV or better. You will be using the center conductor as your > connection to rig and the ground rod.You should also use an ATU as > mentioned in an earlier reply. Have you tried just using the coax as a ground conductor, without the capacitors, and the center conductor tied to the shield? 73 de Jim, N2EY ** Ideas to please picky eaters. Watch video on AOL Living. (http://living.aol.com/video/how-to-please-your-picky-eater/rachel-campos-duffy/ 2050827?NCID=aolcmp0030002598) ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] wish list for K3/RTTY
In a message dated 2/15/08 11:11:17 AM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > How about a little bit of Ozone smell too? Sure - just go here: http://w5jgv.com/downloads/MVI_0101.AVI 73 de Jim, N2EY ** The year's hottest artists on the red carpet at the Grammy Awards. Go to AOL Music. (http://music.aol.com/grammys?NCID=aolcmp0030002565) ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] electronic product standards
In a message dated 2/13/08 5:45:39 AM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > There was a time when a 4 pin mic plug had pin one as mic and 2 as ptt and > 3 as gnd. Johnson, Heath, and all the other xmitter makers AGREED. > When was that? I've had Johnson transmitters that used the Ampenol MC1 type mike connector, and Heaths that used the odd 2 pin connector that is hard to find today. Others used the 1/4" "stereo" plug, except those that used the version which is 0.206" (PJ-068?) Of course it was common in those days to modify the rig to use the connector you liked, and there was lots of room in the rig to do it. But the original equipment connectors were all over the map. The four-pin connector was a Japanese standard for a while. But then came mikes that needed voltage at the mike for the element, mikes that had DTMF pads on the back, mikes with built in preamps, mikes with up/down frequency switches, etc. One more reason to use CW! 73 de Jim, N2EY ** The year's hottest artists on the red carpet at the Grammy Awards. Go to AOL Music. (http://music.aol.com/grammys?NCID=aolcmp0030002565) ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] OT - Battery ratings
In a message dated 2/9/08 3:24:59 PM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > The "real" AH ratings for batteries ... the kind we're referring to > in this topic ... are difficult to learn. Most automotive-related > ratings are specified in"cranking amperes", and this is -not- the > rating that of interest here. Agreed. That's because amp-hour rating doesn't mean much by itself in auto applications. It's consumer hype. Not at all. A modern car battery really has only two jobs: 1) To deliver the enormous currents required to start the engine, in all temperatures and after having sat idle for long periods of time. 2) To power the electrical system for short periods when the engine isn't running or the charging system fails. 1) is the main job, 2) is secondary. Modern alternator/charging systems are designed to power everything on the car with the engine at idle. What we hams want for backup (small currents for long periods of time) is the opposite of what an engine-cranking battery is built to do. > > I'm retired from an electric utility's communications department > where we used various typed of LARGE battery banks. Our > microwave stations all had "large" battery banks. I work in railroad signalling, with similar requirements. The battery banks can get quite impressive, such as sixty 420 AH lead-acid cells for the switch machines - and that's one bank in one medium-size location. For standby service, some RRs use wet-cell NiCads, made by SAFT and other companies. They have better regulation, longer life, and tolerate things like being discharged down to almost nothing. They also stand extreme temperatures better. But they are only 1.25 volts per cell and cost more than lead-acid. Two other factors: Car batteries have to tolerate not only heat and cold but shock and vibration. Stationary batteries usually have much better conditions. Amp-hour ratings are dependent on discharge rate and final voltage - the higher the rate and/or final voltage, the lower the apparent amp-hours. A typical rating is 8 hours and 1.75 volts per cell such as "40 AH at the 8 hour rate, to 1.75 volts per cell", which means that a fully-charged new battery can deliver 5 amps for 8 hours before its voltage falls to the specified 1.75 volts per cell. (Note that 1.75 volts per cell in a six-cell battery is only 10.5 volts) At higher rates, the same battery will appear to have fewer AH - at a discharge rate of 10 A, it may only last 2 hours before reaching 1.75 volts per cell. OTOH, at low rates the cell may deliver much more than the 8 hour rating. Similar results from accepting higher or lower final volts-per-cell. 73 de Jim N2EY ** Biggest Grammy Award surprises of all time on AOL Music. (http://music.aol.com/grammys/pictures/never-won-a-grammy?NCID=aolcmp0030002548) ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] K3 : standby current
In a message dated 2/8/08 11:15:13 PM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > I think most car batteries > are at least 100 AH. No, more like 50 AH. The biggest car battery I ever dealt with was for a VW diesel, and it was only 63 AH. Had to turn a 2 horsepower starter against the 23:1 compression ratio of the engine, *and* feed the glow plugs which required more than 30 amps. 73 de Jim, N2EY ** Biggest Grammy Award surprises of all time on AOL Music. (http://music.aol.com/grammys/pictures/never-won-a-grammy?NCID=aolcmp0030002548) ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [OT] Re: [Elecraft] New concept/tool for CW dxing
In a message dated 2/6/08 4:51:37 PM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > A substantial proportion of people are naturally conservative. They don't > react well to things being changed. > > Another substantial proportion of people are naturally progressive. I would say "change oriented". All progress involves change, but all change does not involve progress. > > These two forces are in a never-ending circular dance of engagement, even > struggle. This is basically the thesis-antithesis-synthesis process of > Hegelian dialectic, if you remember your Philosophy 101. If either side, > thesis or antithesis, becomes all-powerful, the dialectic process is > subverted > and things tend to go wrong eventually. I think there is a third kind of person: the one who is balanced between the two forces. > This is because Nature does have a slight built-in bias in favor of change. > > It's called adaptation. An individual, a species, even life collectively > either adapts or eventually becomes extinct. Nothing stays the same forever. > > Stasis is not an option in this universe. > I don't think we know anywhere near enough about the Universe to say that. Some forms of life here on earth have remained unchanged for tens of millions of years, if not longer, because they were and are well-adapted. Others have changed radically in much shorter times (domesticated animals, for example) because it was adaptive to do so. The laws of nature don't seem to change over time - we assume that they are the same since the Big Bang. One law of nature that is too often forgotten is the Law of Unintended Consequences. When one has run afoul of that Law, one tends to be a little cautious. > This small bit of potentially relevant philosophy is brought to you as a > brief respite from the ravages of taking some things in our wonderful hobby > way too seriously. :-) > I am seriously tempted to quote the Philosophy Song from Monty Python, but I will leave that for the reader to look up. Instead I will say this: Contesting and DXing are essentially competitive games many of us hams play because we think they are fun. And like any game, most of the rules are arbitrary. And it's not life-or-death if a rule is broken, or stretched. But that does not mean the rukes should not be taken seriously! Just the reverse. --- Some posts back I made a reference to a QST fiction article from 1953 about a ham who built a totally automated SS contest station. It was science-fiction back then, but not so fictional today. In fact, it may actually be possible today. We already have Pactor "robots" on the ham bands.(not going there!) What if someone actually built a completely automatic contest station? One that could keep pace with the very best contest ops, would never get tired or make a mistake, would listen to every band simultaneously and analyze far more data than any human could to maximize score, would access an enormous database of info, etc., etc. Should such a station be allowed to compete in the same entry class with stations that actually need an operator? IOW, where is the line drawn? 73 de Jim, N2EY ** Biggest Grammy Award surprises of all time on AOL Music. (http://music.aol.com/grammys/pictures/never-won-a-grammy?NCID=aolcmp00300025 48) ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] K3 (yada yada)
In a message dated 2/6/08 10:27:18 AM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > The term "yada yada" became popular after its use in the tv comedy > show "Seinfeld". Not that there's anything wrong with that! 73 de Jim, N2EY ** Biggest Grammy Award surprises of all time on AOL Music. (http://music.aol.com/grammys/pictures/never-won-a-grammy?NCID=aolcmp0030002548) ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] New concept/tool for CW dxing
In a message dated 2/6/08 2:59:17 PM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > It seems strange that some hams would find this sort of technology > objectionable. Not to me. After all, aren’t we all about technology? No. While technology is a big part of ham radio, it's not the only thing. If it were, we'd have stopped using modes like CW, AM, FM and FSK RTTY long ago. We'd have channelized, ALE-type rigs, etc. Why would we hang > > around this forum if we weren't looking for a leg up. Just because someone > has found a tool to work a new one doesn’t mean anything except to the ham > that did it. That's fine in everyday operating. But in a competitive situation like a contest it's a different thing entirely, because competition is a mix of technology and operator skill. Some analogies: What if someone wanted to use a "hybrid" bicycle in the Tour de France? One that would store the energy from a downhill run to be released on an uphill climb? For that matter, why aren't mopeds allowed? I could probably win the Boston Marathon if they let me use roller skates (and everyone else didn't). Corked bats in baseball - super-distance golf balls - turbine-powered Indy cars - lots of ways technology can give someone an edge and change the game completely. There are times when I take out my homebrew DC receiver and a > > homebrew transmitter and pound away. There are times when I like to take my > KX-1 to Central Park. There are times when I have three or four ham programs > running all connected to my K3 during a contest. I do it because I want to > and because its fun. No problem with any of that. The question is, where is the line at which a contest station is no longer single-operator unassisted? If it wasn’t, I could go play golf (and really make > > myself miserable). > > They call it golf because all the other four-letter words were already taken. 73 de Jim, N2EY ** Biggest Grammy Award surprises of all time on AOL Music. (http://music.aol.com/grammys/pictures/never-won-a-grammy?NCID=aolcmp00300025 48) ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] OT: new concept/tool for cw DXing and contesting.
In a message dated 2/3/08 10:02:53 AM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > The reality is that it is just one step up from the DX > clusters. > Except that using clusters in many contests will put you in a different entry class. The trend towards such automation is not new. Some time back, W3FQB (SK) wrote a story called "The Man Who Broke The Bank" about a techno-ham who built a fully automated SS station and proceeded to make an incredible score. The computer did everything - tuned across all the bands looking for new ones, called CQ, made the QSOs, kept the log, decided where the best points-rate could be found, etc. He just sat and watched it go, and occasionally keyed it manually just to have something to do. The article was in QST for May, 1953. 73 de Jim, N2EY ** Biggest Grammy Award surprises of all time on AOL Music. (http://music.aol.com/grammys/pictures/never-won-a-grammy?NCID=aolcmp0030002548) ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] OT: solved: K7NEE/8R1 Dan (Guyana) on 30m
In a message dated 2/2/08 1:27:56 PM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > I don't know if it is a > violation for the FCC to use an improper call when portable > outside the US IANAL/IMHO: Technically, FCC has no jurisdiction in 8R1. However, FCC does have the authority to consider "character" issues when issuing/renewing licenses. Everyone who applies for a license is assumed by FCC to be of good-enough character to be issued the license if they meet the other requirements. However, if they prove by their actions that they cannot follow the law, particularly if the violations are serious and intentional, their license may be in jeopardy. And it doesn't have to be an amateur radio violation. Some hams have lost their licenses for things like freebanding because those things are clear violations of the Communications Act. A felony of any kind can result in loss of all FCC licenses, too. This doesn't mean every ham who gets a speeding ticket has to worry about losing their amateur radio license. But a ham who willfully violates 8R1's radio laws by, say, using a bogus call, may give FCC reason to be concerned about that ham's ability to follow Part 97. FCC doesn't always go after the licensee right away, either. Sometimes they wait until the licensee tries to renew the license. Again, all IMHO and IANAL. 73 de Jim, N2EY ** Biggest Grammy Award surprises of all time on AOL Music. (http://music.aol.com/grammys/pictures/never-won-a-grammy?NCID=aolcmp00300025 48) ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] Believers, Translations, 2nd Receivers, Bugs, Fixes, Deposits, etc.
I've been reading this reflector a long time, but recently all the complaints about the K3 not being ready on a specific date, not having the second receiver, not having NIST-certified numbers for every possible specification and mode, etc., have become quite annoying. Then I was reminded of this story: A little boy and his grandmother are at the beach. The little boy is playing in the shallow water while grandma watches from the sand. Suddenly a rogue wave comes without warning and sweeps the little boy out to sea. One of the lifeguards jumps in after the little boy and swims toward him with powerful strokes. The other lifeguards launch the rescue rowboat and row furiously after them. Just as the first lifeguard reaches the little boy, he disappears from view. Lifeguard dives and pulls him up. Shark fins are sighted heading for them, and the rescue rowboat arrives just in time to pull them aboard. The sharks are so intent that they attack the rowboat itself. One of the lifeguards gives the little boy artificial respiration, two more row for shore with all their might while two more are fighting off the attacking sharks and bailing the now-leaking rowboat. Meanwhile an even larger rogue wave is seen bearing down on them. But the lifeguards somehow manage, through superhuman efforts, to fight off the sharks, resuscitate the little boy, and get to land before the second rogue wave hits. The lifeguards bring the little boy back to his grandmother, safe and sound. Then they collapse on the sand, soaked and exhausted. Grandma's only comment is: "He had a hat". 73 de Jim, N2EY ** Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape. http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp0030002489 ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] [K3] QST Labs review? -- Pool?
In a message dated 1/16/08 7:33:22 PM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > It is more likely > that they will wait until the firmware is more mature, the subreceiver is > available, and all modes are working. Reasonable guess, too. There's also these factors: - there's a considerable amount of time between when a rig arrives at Hq and when the article appears. They do extensive lab tests (whether you agree with their methods or not), try the rig on the air, and more. - They will almost certainly get a kit K3/100 with a lot of options, too. And there will probably be an extended report on the website, same as with the K2. - They will probably want a couple of ops to try it out, just to see how different people react to it. --- How about a pool? My guess is the K3 review will appear in QST for December, 2008. Anybody else? 73 de Jim, N2EY ** Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape. http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp0030002489 ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] AM bandwidth, the rest of the story :=)
In a message dated 1/15/08 3:18:00 PM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > 500kW? I assume that must be a typo. AFAIK, the limit on the AM BCB is 50kW > in > Canada and the US. > There was one 500 kW AM BC station in the USA, however. IIRC, it was WLW, and it ran that power level in the 1930s. Special experimental permit or some such. WW2 caused reduction to 50 kW - I don't know if WLW was allowed to increase power after the war. Google "WLW" for history, pictures, etc. 73 de Jim, N2EY ** Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape. http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp0030002489 ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] dipole antenna efficiency
In a message dated 1/5/08 11:40:39 PM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > We simply do not have conductors that will handle RF with anything like the > efficiency they will handle DC or low frequency AC. That's because all the > RF current 'crowds' onto the very surface of a conductor. > > As we make an antenna physically smaller, the impedance drops. As the > impedance drops, the RF currents and resistive losses go up. Even silver or > gold - the best electrical conductors known - are not nearly good enough for > the sorts of currents we see in small antennas. > > As an antenna is made shorter the resistive losses far exceed any other > losses in the system. Of course those resistive losses occur in the matching > network too. It's not just the antenna itself that converts RF into heat > better than it makes electromagnetic waves. This is so well said that it deserves repeating. In *theory*, a dipole 1.3 feet long can be made to radiate 80 meter RF almost the same as one 130 feet long. But in *practice*, the resistive losses of real-world practical antenna systems of those sizes are very different. And what we're looking for are practical, real-world antennas that we can put up in the limited space we have available. --- Another factor to remember is that under good conditions we can do pretty incredible stuff with very low power.100 watts into an antenna system that has 1% efficiency will radiate the same amount of RF as 1 watt into an antenna system with 100% efficiency. So even a poor antenna will sometimes let you make a QSO. --- It seems to me that one of the biggest stumbling blocks we amateurs have with antennas is seeing and understanding the entire antenna *system* - which includes the antenna itself, its surroundings, the feedline, matching networks, etc. We have to consider all of them together. And like the links of a chain, the weakest one will be the problem. A great antenna in poor surroundings will work poorly, etc. 73 de Jim, N2EY ** Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape. http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp0030002489 ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] dipole antenna efficiency
In a message dated 1/4/08 4:31:49 PM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > The most expensive thing is ground to install > them where antenna restrictions don't bring down the > wrath of the taste police. AMEN!! (I have been trying for > > over 50 years to convince the world that antennas are > beautiful, but without success) Me too. I've always found it odd that the very people who want the convenience of modern technologies often consider the technologies themselves to be unattractive, and want things to look like a time when life was much more difficult. 73 de Jim, N2EY ** Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape. http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp0030002489 ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] dipole antenna efficiency
In a message dated 1/4/08 4:34:29 PM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
writes:
> I've never understood the popularity of the G5RV. It's
> achieved a sort of "cult" following.
It's an ingenious compromise antenna for several bands, that's all.
Actually, just a ~102 foot dipole with a matching system that gives
"low" (but not unity!) SWR on several HF bands, so that a simple
ATU can match it.
The original design
>
> was for a 20M -ONLY- antenna,
Not true!
I have PDF's of the original articles by G5RV himself, and from the very
beginning it was a multiband design. He had a small garden ("back yard" to us
Yanks) and wanted to get on the air easily, quickly and simply. For his
application, it worked.
But it must be remembered that when G5RV designed the antenna, the ham bands
were somewhat different than today. 30, 17 and 12 meters weren't ham bands at
all. 9-/75 meters in G land was 3.5 to 3.8 MHz only, and 40 meters was 7.0 to
7.1 MHz.
Most important of all, the rigs in use were capable of matching "reasonable
levels of SWR" - meaning 3 or 4 to 1 wasn't considered to be worth worrying
about for the bands and short lines being run.
and somehow has
>
> morphed into a do everything hoax.
Not a hoax, but there's a lot of misunderstanding about the antenna.
The biggest misunderstanding is that too many folks expect to put up a
G5RV-like antenna and get 1:1 SWR on all parts of every HF band from 80 thru 10
meters, automatically. And work the world with the same ease as folks with big
aluminum.
That's just not going to happen. It's just a dipole with an ingenious feed
system, not magic.
> I do antenna talks at conventions and hamfests, and
> I always ask; "How many of you use a G5RV"? The
> hands go up and it's usually about 50% of the audience.
> I say; "Gosh, I'm sorry", and try to show them how much
> easier and more efficient it would be to simply use the
> open wire feeder portion of the antenna and a balun at/in
> the (required) tuner.
>
It's easier to do it that way *IF* you can make the feedline and antenna
length such that the balun doesn't have to deal with very high, very low, or
highly reactive impedances on the bands of interest. Or if you can run the
balanced
line all the way to a true balanced tuner that can handle the impedances
presented to it.
> Some years ago the "Carolina Windom" had the same
> sort of following
>
And for the same reasons - with the same limitations.
The G5RV and Windom antennas can be useful solutions in many cases. The main
thing is to understand how they work and what their limitations are.
---
Comparing HF antennas can be very misleading because of all the vagaries of
propagation and expectations. For example, suppose two hams with identical 100W
output rigs put up identical dipoles, but Ham A's dipole has a feedline/tuner
system that is 88% efficient and Ham B's dipole has a feedline/tuner system
that is 22% efficient.
Ham A loses only 12 watts in the feedline/tuner system - that's about as good
as it gets on HF. Ham B loses *78* watts in the feedline/tuner system -
almost six times the loss of Ham A!
Yet at the receiving end, the difference is only one S unit - 6 dB. Slight
differences in propagation could easily mask that and make Ham B's antenna
appear to be as good or better than Ham A's.
A lot of hams will say a particular antenna "works great" for them. But what
does that really mean? I remember one multitransmitter Field Day, some years
ago, when a variety of antennas were tried out by the various station teams.
All reported their setups "worked great" when notes were compared a few hours
into the contest.
But for one team, that meant they were able to average 40-60 QSOs/hour, and
for another team, it meant 10-15 QSOs/hour! Their expectations were completely
different. (And compared to truly competitive setups, neither was a
world-beater).
73 de Jim, N2EY
**
Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in
shape.
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[Elecraft] Re: [QRP-L] Re: As good as it gets...for now?
In a message dated 1/1/08 9:22:31 AM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > Four wires, each approximately 3-4m (10-13 feet) long. The PW-1 is > ground mounted with radials stretched out orthogonal to each other. > > I also failed to mention the bands that I tried. The were 40, 30 and > 20m. Well, there's part of the problem: Too few radials, and too short for the band. Try adding more wires, and making them longer. The other issue is skip distance. Verticals less than about 5/8 wave long have good low-angle radiation (towards the horizon) but poor radiation at higher angles. If you are trying to work someone a few hundred miles away, a vertical may not put enough RF at the correct radiation angle. 73 de Jim, N2EY ** See AOL's top rated recipes (http://food.aol.com/top-rated-recipes?NCID=aoltop000304) ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Kinda OT, about changes ....
In a message dated 12/30/07 11:33:11 AM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > And pricing? The K3/100 is right on par with the great Heath SB-101 > from the 1960-70's, when you factor in government CPI adjustments. > The SB-101 was from the mid-1960s. Replaced by the SB-102. IIRC, the bare-bones SB-101 kit cost $360 less shipping 40 years ago. That works out to $2160 today, adjusted for inflation. What you got was a good basic 100 watt SSB/CW transceiver that covered 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 meters. No RIT, no AGC choice, no noise blanker, no memories, no keyer, no sidetone on SSB, no built-in speaker, no ATU, no general coverage, no WARC bands, no second rx, etc. You could add one optional four-pole filter for CW ($22 then, $132 now), and a second VFO ($100 then, $600 now) could be added externally. Some years later, an external digital readout became available, for $180 IIRC (works out to about $900 today...). Of course both the SB-101 and K3 need power supplies if you want to run them from AC power. But the SB-101 also needed a power supply to run from 13.8 volts DC. And as much as I am a fan of Heath gear, the SB-101 was in no way competition grade. Not compared to rigs like the Drake twins, or the Collins S-line, whose receivers alone, with no options, cost much more than the SB-101. > But to me, the most amazing change is the flip of what happened > 30-40 years ago when the offshore equipment pushed Heath and > Hallicrafters out of the picture. > > Within the last few years, there are 3 companies that looked at > Japan, and said, "Oh ya? Watch this!" > > Elecraft, Ten-Tec and Flex Radio. All 3 right here in America. (cue > the patriotic music!) > Actually, Ten-Tec appeared in the late 1960s, with simple QRP rigs. By the 1980s they were making general-purpose HF transceivers like the Omni and Corsair. IMHO, it was Ten-Tec that pushed amateur HF transceiver design towards better CW performance. Before TT got into the act, manufactured HF transceivers were designed for SSB and had CW added as an afterthought. Nobody offered a transceiver with true QSK before TT did so. And it was Ten Tec that first pushed QRP out of the super-simple class. > It does make me happy to see this. I am impressed with all three > companies. A good friend of mine bought the SDR-5000 and it is a great > radio. I, for my reasons, chose the K3. It is a joy to be able to have > the choice. > Consider the choices in new ham rigs available in 1967 and the choices available now. And what they cost. Good times then - and good times now. 73 de Jim, N2EY ** See AOL's top rated recipes (http://food.aol.com/top-rated-recipes?NCID=aoltop000304) ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] Sienna Transceiver
(Insert standard "no connection" disclaimer HERE) W5WVO asks: > Where's the beef? Main website: http://www.dzkit.com/ Specifications: http://www.dzkit.com/sienna_specs.htm Datasheet: http://www.dzkit.com/sienna.htm All I had to do was google "Sienna transceiver" Sure it costs a lot, but it includes things like an embedded PC. And it's not new at all. Remember that Elecraft was once an unknown company with a single transceiver product. I recall more than a few people telling me that nobody in his right mind would pay over $550 for a CW-only QRP kit rig from an unknown company... Frankly I don't see any reason to prefer the Sienna over a K3. I do see a couple hundred to a thousand reasons to prefer a K3 over a Sienna. Still, as KK7P points out, is is a good thing to see another American company producing a serious HF transceiver kit. 73 de Jim, N2EY ** See AOL's top rated recipes (http://food.aol.com/top-rated-recipes?NCID=aoltop000304) ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] K1 band selection -Friendly opinions
In a message dated 12/29/07 11:51:41 AM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > The "WARC" bands (including 17 meters) are great, but the simple truth is > they are not as well populated as the old standbys (10, 15, 20, 40, 80, > 160). I think that's due, in part, to the popularity of multi-band coax-fed > antennas. Yes, and that's a major reason for hams who have limited antenna resources (lot size, high supports, space on the tower, etc.) Of course the classic dipole-fed-with-ladder-line and end-fed-random-wire antennas can be made to work on those bands easily - if you can put one up. But there are other reasons. One biggie IMHO is that they are not included in contests, so they don't get the exposure that contests generate, and the big gun contesters do not build stations for those bands. Another reason is that they are relatively narrow (30, 17 and 12 meters together are only 250 kHz, which is narrower than any other single Region 2 HF amateur band). Plus 30 meters is CW/data only in the USA. There's also the fact that their propagation isn't much different from the adjacent bands, with the possible exception of 30 meters. 73 de Jim, N2EY ** See AOL's top rated recipes (http://food.aol.com/top-rated-recipes?NCID=aoltop000304) ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Which Heil Prosets should we carry?
In a message dated 12/29/07 10:32:21 AM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > Why carry any microphones (or keys, for that matter)? Why act as a > retailer > for any standard accessories that can be purchased from dealers or the > manufacturer? Two reasons: 1) You can make one big order rather than a couple of smaller orders. 2) You are guaranteed that the unit you buy will work with your Elecraft rig. 73 de Jim, N2EY ** See AOL's top rated recipes (http://food.aol.com/top-rated-recipes?NCID=aoltop000304) ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] K3 - Tuners
In a message dated 12/8/07 6:49:45 PM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > K9ZTV wrote: > > Why in the world would you want to use an external tuner when the K3 > > has an internal one? Besides the remote tuner, one big reason is because you already have the external tuner. Another is if you want to feed a balanced line and don't want to deal with the balun problems that can happen if the load Z is very high, very low and/or very reactive. Interesting article: http://www.somis.org/bbat.html One of the great things about Elecraft rigs is that you can add or remove the ATU at any time. 73 de Jim, N2EY ** Check out AOL's list of 2007's hottest products. (http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop000301) ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] 66 cents a day
In a message dated 12/1/07 9:23:38 AM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > Since the K3 is modular, I would presume plugging in a new DSP board would > > supply whatever horsepower is needed. We'll be replacing boards and > software, > not entire radios. That's true only within the limits of the original hardware. Look at a PC - upgradeable in theory, but in practice it's often not long before it's cheaper and easier just to buy a new computer. That said, note that there are plenty of 20+ year old rigs whose performance and features are very good and whose price can be very reasonable. > > If I get to enjoy my K3 for 5 years and sell it for half what I paid, I > still got a bargain - my hobby only cost $1,200/5 = $240 a year or the > equivalent > of a couple of rounds of golf, two nice dinners out or a visit to the > dentist. > This was a selling point Collins used a half-century ago: their gear was expensive to buy, but its resale value was also high. Here's another way to look at it: If it costs you $1200 to own your K3 for 5 years, that's 66 cents a day. 73 de Jim, N2EY ** Check out AOL's list of 2007's hottest products. (http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop000301) ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] OT - American hamming in UK
In a message dated 11/30/07 7:36:09 PM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > It was 18 AWG solid copper wire with a cotton covering, > usually white with a colored stripe, and was widely used to > hook up ...bells, what else! > I still have a roll. No, it's not for sale. 73 de Jim, N2EY, WCP (World Class Packrat) ** Check out AOL's list of 2007's hottest products. (http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop000301) ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] OT: US call areas
In a message dated 11/26/07 2:29:09 PM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > I suspect that when the original call sign issuing system > was created, the US population was a lot less mobile > than today. From what I've read about the 20's and 30's, > it was common for people to have lived their entire > lives within one state. In those days it was common for people to live their entire lives within one *town*. But that had nothing to do with the call sign system. That probably helped condition the > > idea of call sign goes with location. > Nope. The original licensing concept in the USA was that there were "station" licenses and "operator" licenses - and the callsign denotes a station, not an operator. A licensed station had to be operated by a licensed operator. This idea was most useful in radio services like maritime radio. A ship or shore station would be assigned a callsign, which would not change even though many different licensed radio operators would operate the station. And the callsign could indicate things about the station. The idea was adapted to amateur radio, but over the years it has gradually been de-emphasized. Once upon a time, it was possible to have an amateur operator license but no station license, or to have several station licenses. It was even possible to have more than one operator license. Amateur callsigns were assigned to stations, not operators, and were originally only assigned to fixed stations. (Mobile and portable operation were not originally allowed to US hams). Callsigns were originally issued by the district offices, not the central Hq. of FCC and its predecessors. Before WW2, there were only 9 districts, all CONUS hams had calls beginning with W, and all hams in the possessions and territories had calls beginning with K. Some states were split into two call areas (NY, PA, NJ to name just three) After WW2 the district borders were shuffled, 0 calls were added and split states were eliminated. Possessions got distinctive prefixes and CONUS stations could begin with K. We went through periods when all calls were sequentially issued, when Novices and repeaters had distinctive calls, when mobile operation required a special license, and much more. What we have today is a remnant of those old systems. Each rule had its good and bad features. One of the biggest problems with the old gotta-change-when-you-move system was that hams who moved a lot went through a lot of callsigns - and QSL cards. Hams could run across old friends on the air and not realize it because they'd changed calls when they moved. Also, as the number of hams grew, getting a corresponding callsign in the new district could be impossible. Now we have a choice. A good thing IMHO. 73 de Jim, N2EY ** Check out AOL's list of 2007's hottest products. (http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop000301) ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Kester Resin Five 50/50 alloy solder
In a message dated 11/17/07 8:45:43 AM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > Can anyone tell me what Kester Resin Five 50/50 alloy solder is made of. > > Is it a rosin core solder? Resin, rosin. Tomayto, tomahto. Same stuff. It's 50% lead, 50% tin, rosin core. Higher melting point than 60/40 or the eutectic 63/37 mixes usually used for electronics. Save it for big stuff like antenna connections and PL-259s. 73 de Jim, N2EY ** See what's new at http://www.aol.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Transmission line loss
In a message dated 11/17/07 12:02:32 AM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > For today's > discussion, let's assume the power is 100 watts, total run is 100 feet, that > I > can tune this vertical up to 50 MHz, and the SWR at the antenna hits 5:1 (it > won't, as I'll have a remote tuner there, but just for discussion...). For comparison, check out the online loss calculator at: http://www.ocarc.ca/coax.htm > Davis RF-brand "RF-9914F Bury-Flex" has a published matched line loss of > 1.1 > dB/100 ft at 50 MHz. Per the Handbook, a 5:1 SWR at the load will add > around > 1.2 dB of loss, for a total of 2.3 dB over the run, for about 60% > efficiency. > (I'm still fuzzy on the percentage calculations.) According to the online calculator, the matched loss of that coax is 1.009 dB/100 ft. It shows the additional loss due to 5:1 SWR as 1.13 dB, so the total loss is 2.139 dB and about 62% efficiency. Insignificant difference between your calculations and the online calculator. . > A variety of brands of RG-8X have a matched line loss of 2.0 dB at 50 MHz > per > 100 ft. A 5:1 SWR adds 1.7 dB, for a total of 3.7 dB loss, for a little > over > 42% efficiency. The online calculator shows Belden 9258 (which is RG-8X type) as having slightly higher matched loss (2.188 db/100 ft @ 50 MHz) which makes the SWR loss 1.784 dB and the total loss 3.972 dB. Efficiency almost exactly 40%. Again, an insignificant difference between your calculations and the online calculator. . > > Am I reading something wrong here, or is the 1.4 dB difference between the > two > cables correct? Can you extrapolate that to an S-meter at 6 dB/S-unit? If > so, > I'd say the 1.4 dB would be barely noticeable on the receiving end at best, > and > the extra cost of lower loss coax isn't worth the money. Operation at HF > would > be even less of an difference than at 50 MHz. All the numbers I have are close to the numbers you got. But there are other factors to consider. First is the actual coax length. IIRC, you need 128 feet, not 100 feet, and that pushes the losses up a bit. In practice the coax length will probably need to be greater - maybe 150 feet when all is said and done. For example, you want to leave some slack at both ends of a buried cable. Second is the cost of a dB. If the difference between a K3/10 and a K3/100 is ten dB and the price differential is $380, that's $38 per dB - but only on transmit. If better coax reduces the overall loss by, say, 2 dB, and the cost differential is $50, that's $25 per dB. And it works on both transmit and receive, not just transmit. Remember too that a lot of the 'cost' of the installation will be in the work it takes to put it up. Third is maxing out performance. While an S-unit of loss will normally not be noticeable most of the time, when things get tough it can be the difference between a QSO and no QSO. This is one big reason the big guns work stations the rest of us don't. Fourth is purely esthetic - some folks like knowing that they have the highest efficiency reasonably possible. 73 es GL de Jim, N2EY ** See what's new at http://www.aol.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Co-ax for the K2
In a message dated 11/13/07 3:19:30 PM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > Almost universally, there seems to be > no recognition that even though the feedline is matched at the radio, > it is indeed NOT matched beyond the tuner. The feedline can see > humongous mismatch (high SWR) and the operator doesn't know because > the tuner hides it. That's only true if the load impedance is far from 50-75 ohms, or is highly reactive. In these cases, the feedline will see high > > voltages (perhaps very high), which causes heating in the dielectric > and will eventually destroy the coax. *If* the mismatch is considerable and the power is high enough. But at the hundred-watt level and SWRs under about 4 to 1, that's not going to be an issue with most coax. > So why is hardline so much preferred? It has next to no non-air > dielectric to be heated/destroyed. > The reason hardline is preferred is that its loss is less. All the TV hardline I've seen has foam dielectric, btw. > And last, what is the best solution? Most likely to remote the antenna > tuner so that it always provides a good match on the local feedline > for the transmitter to see. The ultimate, of course, is to place the > tuner at the antenna. Why doesn't everybody do this? Because it is > rather difficult to do. Ham radio, along with the rest of engineering, > is all about finding the best compromise that provides the best results. And knowing what is really going on in the system. An SWR of 2:1 at HF on 100 feet of most coax types isn't a big deal. 10:1 is a different thing completely! > > So, if you can assure a good match between the antenna and the coax, > or perhaps even one that transforms the antenna feed impedance to the > transmitter's at all operating frequencies, then you have found the > right solution for you and should go forward with whatever coax fits > that solution... Agreed - but a good match doesn't have to be a perfect match. 73 de Jim, N2EY ** See what's new at http://www.aol.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] OT: pwr rating of RG6, etc
-Original Message- From: Samuel Strongin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> RG6 is 75 ohm cable. Why would you buy a great radio and worry about performance,then go use the wrong cable. You >start out at a 1.5:1 swr. Because RG-6 may not be the "wrong cable", and the SWR may not be 1.5 to 1. IMHO, the question of what cable to use requires evaluating the entire antenna/transmission line *system* and taking all the issues into account. Depending on the antenna impedance, frequency, length of line and comparison coax, RG-6 might be lower loss than 50 ohm line (say, RG-58 or even RG-8X). For example, suppose I had a wire dipole at a height such that the feedpoint Z was 75 ohms, and it needed a long feedline to reach the shack. Feed it with RG-6 and the SWR on the line will be 1:1. All I need to do is match that 75 ohms to 50 ohms at the shack, which can be done with an unun or the ATU in the rig. With 50 ohm cable the load SWR will be 1.5 to 1, and I'll probably still need to match it at the shack end - but the shack-end Z can be anything inside the 1.5 to 1 SWR circle on the Smith Chart. Depending on the line used, the loss with 50 ohm cable may be greater, too. 73 de Jim, N2EY Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! - http://mail.aol.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] [OT] K3 Serial Number 000037 is in Switzerland
-Original Message- From: Richard HIll <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Why in my day I had to walk two kames to the post office and back -- in the snow -- just to retrieve my kit, and then I had to assemble it myself, connect tuners and antennae, and pray for sunspots! Luxury. http://youtube.com/watch?v=QsWd5QC7K5E http://youtube.com/watch?v=FatHLHG2uGY http://youtube.com/watch?v=Xe1a1wHxTyo 73 de Jim "Two Sheds" N2EY Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! - http://mail.aol.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: Re[2]: [Elecraft] OT: Motorola buys Yeasu. Wow!
ound Japanese equipment be it TV's or stereo's a lot cheaper and ready to go out of the box? Partly. Was it their equipment didn't have all the features of the latest item on the shelf at the local store? Partly. The big reason IMHO was this: Heath (and Eico, and EFJ, and a number of other electronic kitmakers) made their money on the fact that assembly labor was a big part of the cost of electronics in those days. Automated assembly changed all that. In addition, they were faced with the challenge of designing stuff that could not only be built by the average person with a few tools, but that could also be aligned by them without a lot of test gear. That was easy in DX-40 days but became increasingly challenging in SB-104 days. Make no mistake - a lot of the reason so many hams built a Heathkit was that it cost so much less than an assembled rig. Most people either don't have the time or desire to build from scratch and if they do, no matter how badly they screw it up, they expect the item to work the first time, or they expect the kit maker or someone else to fix their problem. Google my call. Why do you think guys had a small business of assembling K2's? I saw the book and the instructions are pretty clear, and straightforward. Some people want the rig, but not the work that goes into building or making it. They want to buy a finished product, not a kit and am willing to pay someone else to pick up parts and solder it together. And some people can't physically build one. Vision and other impairments prevent it. as you stated, the price is the same for everybody. Why should it be any different at a ham store? Agreed. Last time I needed to fix an appliance (old Maytag D8300 dryer - yes, even Maytags break) I got the parts online. Ordered Saturday, at my door Tuesday. No argument here, but a question Where did you buy the dryer? It came with the house. If it ever became unfixable, I'd shop around for a new one. the point I'm making is that you went somewhere local, agreed on a model, and either brought it home yourself or had it delivered from a local merchant. Sure - because transport charges would be enormous for something like a dryer. If your dryer broke during it's warranty period, your merchant was expected to provide (or at least assist you) with service for that unit. In many cases, warranties are serviced by the manufacturer and not the dealer, in my experience. I've had to deal with Dell computer warranties, and they were top-notch. I had a few Maytag items break too, but I do admit I got a lot of years out of them before they did!! Part of this is that I subscribe to the old Yankee saying: "Use it up, Wear it out Make it do Or do without" I think of that philosophy as a big part of ham radio, too. If you're comfortable buying something for several thousand dollars off a webpage then great. But I'll tell you, from my experience, there are still a lot of guys out there that want to turn the knobs a bit before they pull out their wallet. Even if the purchase is made later using a 800 number or the net' later on, they'll travel to a show or store (even hours away) to see the item before they buy it. Agreed. It's all up to the person and the item. The big thing is educating hams on what it really takes to run a business. Any business. 73 de Jim, N2EY Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! - http://mail.aol.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: Re[2]: [Elecraft] OT: Motorola buys Yeasu. Wow!
-Original Message- From: Joseph M Grib <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> this is a 2% business for major gear. I've heard this from other sources and I think it's true. Even if it were a 10% business that doesn't give a lot of wiggle room. Why do you think that ham dealers across the US have been folding? Why do you think there's been a lack of dealer and manufacturer presence at hamfests and shows? It's because it's not profitable to do it. Yup. But that's not our fault, is it? Do you work for free? The days when most people had 9 to 5 M-F jobs and paid overtime for anything outside those strictly defined limits are pretty much over. How many hours do you think Wayne, Eric and the others have put in on the K3? What you the consumer are paying for is the service behind the sale and the ability to actually see things before you purchase them. Agreed. And the products have to be priced to support that. When I was on the other side of the counter, I heard all the time how "I can get it cheaper by the 1-800-XXX number." Then fine and go use the 800 number but when it's needing repairs or you need advice, go call the 800 number and don't come bother me. Yup. The question is, why do the rigmakers allow their product to be distributed that way? Don't they realize that, by doing so, they are killing off their distribution network? You don't walk into your local grocery store and argue with the checkout clerk how cheap you can get milk somewhere else do you? Then why do you do it at a ham store? But when you go to buy a car, haggling over the price is often part of the deal - even a new car that's in demand. Same for when you buy real estate. Why is it OK to haggle for those things but not a ham rig that costs hundreds or thousands of dollars? One thing that has kept me homebrewing and Elecrafting for many years is the ads in ham magazines that show a rig but don't show a price. Sorry, but how much it costs is an important specification! Sure there's tons of places to get stuff on the internet and I'm sure a lot cheaper, but if the ham community wants ham stores to be around and not everthing to be either a 800 number or on the internet, then you will have to support your local store and local dealers, or they'll disappear. Or perhaps times have changed... For a very long time, Heathkit was only available by mail order. The price of a Heathkit was what it said in the catalog and in the magazine ads. Unless you lived in MI you didn't pay sales tax but you did pay shipping. Heath eventually opened retail stores, but they didn't last too long. Ten Tec is only available factory-direct. The prices are clearly shown and the same for everybody. Service is reportedly excellent. I understand that once upon a time TT was available through dealers, but that ended years ago. And of course Elecraft offers excellent service and advice, spare parts and direct advice from all levels of the company. This isn't just happening with ham rigs. Want parts? There's Digi-Key (guess where the name comes from?) Mouser, Dan's Small Parts and many others. Wire and cable? The Wireman and many others. Last time I needed to fix an appliance (old Maytag D8300 dryer - yes, even Maytags break) I got the parts online. Ordered Saturday, at my door Tuesday. A big part of what makes these things possible are: - email and the internet - modern ham gear is smaller, lighter and more reliable than the old stuff - there are many shipping options, and with the smaller/lighter ham rigs the cost is not *too* bad. Perhaps the day of the distributor is ending, and factory-direct/internet sales is the new paradigm for a lot of things. 73 de Jim, N2EY Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! - http://mail.aol.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] K2 and the CW SS
In a message dated 11/5/07 7:22:31 PM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > I wonder, could a computer just run the thing while you are out > raking leaves. > Most rigs can be software controlled, computers can beat people > at chess, why not just have the computer do the contest? Because a computer cannot beat a trained operator at contesting. Yet. Chess is logic, there is nothing left to skill or chance. Contesting is a lot more complex. And because contesting is essentially radiosport. A moped could win the Tour de France, and a rollerblader could win the Olympic marathon in world-record time, but that wouldn't be sporting. > Or has all this been done already? > The idea is not new. W3FQB (SK) wrote a story called "The Man Who Broke The Bank" about a techno-ham who built a fully automated SS station and proceeded to make an incredible score. The computer did everything, he just sat and watched it and occasionally keyed it manually just to have something to do. The article was in QST. May, 1953. 73 de Jim, N2EY ** See what's new at http://www.aol.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Sweepstakes
-Original Message- From: Joe-aa4nn <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> IIRC, I was surprised to get such a low SN from AA4NN. But then I noticed a number of stations on Sunday that had good big sigs and yet were giving out low SNs. I think they were playing the "hot and fast" game: Show up late in SS (Sunday morning at the earliest, late Sunday afternoon usually) and start calling CQ. By then, almost everyone, even the big boys, are looking for new ones, and you have a few intense hours of being *very* popular! You won't win that way, but your QSO rate will be phenomenal. If you insist on going for high score, make your goal more realistic and more fun by competing with stations in your own ARRL/RAC section or local radio club or a friend. In this way you are competing with stations in your particular area on this continent. Or compete in a variety of ways: - are you ahead of where you were last year, the year before that, etc? - have you fixed any weak points in your setup (rig, antenna, operator?) - where do you fit in the overall percentile rank? - where do you fit in the particular class (QRP ops in your section, etc.) You can also use contests like SS as a way to get those rare states for WAS. Forget the high score and all the pressure that goes with it, and just concentrate on getting a *sweep* of all 80 ARRL/RAC sections. Now, there's a challenge for you and a quite difficult one at that. AAARRG Don't remind me! I've worked all sections in SS - just never all in the *same* SS! From EPA, it is really tough to get AK, NT, and PAC, simply because there are so many hams closer to those sections, they are so rare and so far away, and EPA isn't rare at all. Got 76 sections including PAC this year. AK heard but couldn't break through, NT nowhere to be found. The other holdouts were WTX, and (sob) DE! It's only a few miles from here to the Delaware/PA border, yet I never heard any DE stations at all this year. Perhaps they were all tossing pumpkins. Maybe next year I'll have a different rig for SS... 73 de Jim, N2EY Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! - http://mail.aol.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Sweepstakes
In a message dated 11/4/07 11:48:07 AM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > I have a K2/100 and a decent antenna. With all due respect, what do you consider a decent antenna? When I > > call someone they almost always respond after the first call. My cw > skills are pretty good I can exchange contest info at around 30wpm if I > have to, although I run between 22 and 25wpm most of the time. I try not > to get distracted, another words I try to stay in front of the radio. So > I feel as if I should be, at least, competitive. You *are* competitive - with stations that are similarly equipped. But, it happens every > > time. I sit down, eagerly awaiting the start of the contest, ready to do > battle, and get slaughtered. Within an hour or so I am hopelessly > behind. After 4 or 5 hours it is a joke. after 8 or 10 hours every > station I work has 600 contacts! Some of these guys are averaging a > contact a minute OVER 8 HOURS! I'm not mad, I am just amazed. My best > contact rate was about 30 an hour and that was only for a couple of > hours.I usually run a contact every 3 or 4 minutes. The question is, what factor limits your QSO rate? In my case, the limiting factors have always been: 1) My signal isn't usually strong enough to hold a frequency and run QSOs. 2) Finding new ones to work by hunt-and-pounce. The folks with 600 QSOs after 10 hours aren't hunting and pouncing much. They're holding a frequency and running QSOs two-a-minute. So after a while I > > get discouraged and start getting up and watching football for a few > minutes or something else and then I really fall behind. I don't mind > not winning, but I am getting clobbered by every one I work by a factor > of 7 or 8. I know what you mean. It's hard to maintain focus when the results are not up to expectations. Perhaps the expectations are unrealistic. I have to wonder, am I really that bad? No. The more-important question is, are you getting better? IOW, are you learning from the experience? One thing I notice about myself is that I'm pretty rusty when the contest starts, and it takes me a while to get up to speed. That means I need to do more "little contests", rather than just SS and FD. I also need to get the computer fully integrated into the shack well before the contest. As it was, all it could do was log and dupe - I did all the sending myself. --- SS is a really strange contest in some ways: 1) Compared to other contests, SS has a very long and complex exchange. Four distinct items to be sent and received besides the callsign. (Used to be five!) 2) It's a US-and-Canada contest (I'm old enough to remember when the Canal Zone was a section!) which makes it very different from DX contests, because you need to work close-in stations as well as far off ones. Where you are in the country can make a difference 3) Unlike almost every other big contest, you can only work a station once, regardless of band. This makes finding new ones harder and harder as the contest goes on. It also means you have to use completely different judgement than other contests, because the station you spend five minutes dragging out of the mud on 80 may be twenty over on 20 in a few hours - or minutes. 73 de Jim, N2EY ** See what's new at http://www.aol.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] K3 S/N 25 arrives
In a message dated 10/31/07 3:56:10 PM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > I have a feeling most would like to hear about a delivery serial # in > three digits. > > Better yet, four digits. Then five digitsbwaahaahaaa! Seriously, though, I'd like to see how high the s/n' s go... 73 de Jim, N2EY ** See what's new at http://www.aol.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] OT: News Article on "Tin Whiskers" Ruining Electronics
In a message dated 10/19/07 12:28:43 AM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > But, consider just how many ham rigs end up in landfills - not many in > my opinion. Agreed - for two reasons. One is that there simply aren't that many ham rigs around, compared to other electronic devices such as TVs or computers. But the big reason is that we hams try to get as much use out of a piece of equipment as possible, rather than just tossing it in the trash when something newer comes along, or it develops a problem. Even a rig that is judged "not worth fixing" becomes a parts source to keep others going. The computer this was written on is a Dell Dimension XPS R400. It was intercepted on its way to the dumpster a year or so ago. It cost more than a K3-100 when it was new (about 1999?) yet it was considered to be worthless trash in less than a decade. A little work and it does the job. Maybe there's a message there we hams need to spread. 73 de Jim, N2EY ** See what's new at http://www.aol.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] K3 15khz 2nd IF?
-Original Message- From: Brett gazdzinski <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Just what drives the choice of 15 KHz? Here's my semi-educated guess. Correct me if I'm wrong, folks!: The reason for the conversion to a low last-IF is to feed the DSP filter-decoder system. The lower you go, the better, because you get more samples per Hz of signal. (If you are sampling a 15 kHz signal 150,000 times per second, that's 10,000 samples per Hz, but if you were to sample a 150 kHz signal the same number of times per second you only get 1000 samples per Hz.) All else being equal, more samples per Hz is better, as is more bits per sample. But increasing either means more processor power is needed. You can't go much lower than 15 kHz without getting down into audio. Plus you also have roofing-filter issues at low IFs (if you tried to convert from the first IF to, say, 5 kHz, the oscillator is only 5 kHz from the filter passband, and the secondary image is only 10 kHz away.) Every design is a series of tradeoffs. 15 kHz is the optimum tradeoff for all these issues given the available parts and other design issues. --- You are probably familiar with receivers of the 1950-60s era which used a last IF in the 50 to 250 kHz range. From the Hallicrafters SX-88/S-76 to the Drake R4B and many in between, this was done because it allowed a reasonable number of practical LC circuits to provide the selectivity. Again, a tradeoff - lower IF was better for selectivity but made the secondary-image problem worse, while a higher IF meant more tuned circuits were needed. The introduction of practical high frequency xtal filters ended that design. 73 de Jim, N2EY Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! - http://mail.aol.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] [BL1] Seems lossy in all useful configurations
In a message dated 10/13/07 4:58:04 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > There is no difference if the balun is on the input or output side of an > unbalanced tuner. In theory, no. In practice, there can be a big difference. See > > > < > http://fermi.la.asu.edu/w9cf/articles/balun/balun.html#SECTION0005> > > He's not looking at the big picture. If the balun is ideal, or close enough to ideal, or if the shack-end impedance of the balanced load are within a certain range, the unbalanced-tuner-with-balun-at-the-antenna-end idea works fine. Thousands of hams use it with no problems and good results. But in some cases the shack-end impedance of the balanced line can be very high, very low, and/or highly reactive. Under those conditions some baluns don't work well, and all sorts of odd things happen. Sometimes the end result works well enough that the ham doesn't notice anything wrong, particularly if s/he has nothing else for comparison. Sometimes the problems can be fixed by things like changes to the line length or adding reactive elements in parallel or series with the line. You can't just blindly increase the number of turns on a wound-core balun to increase the impedance because you may set up self-resonances that cause all kinds of fun. The best approach IMHO is to model the antenna-feedline system and see what the actual shack-end impedances are. Or measure them. Then decide what tuner setup is needed to do the matching job. 73 de Jim, N2EY ** See what's new at http://www.aol.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] K3 Manual Question
In a message dated 10/11/07 4:20:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > (most hams don't have office-type printers that will print on both > sides) I don't know any printer that won't print on both sides. Of course it may take two passes through the printer, but that's why the printing dialog box allows you to select only the even-numbered pages or only the odd numbered pages. 73 de Jim, N2EY ** See what's new at http://www.aol.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] K3 Manual Question
In a message dated 10/10/07 5:50:41 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > What's wrong with doing it that way? There must be something wrong with it, > > because nobody in the ham world is doing it. Would most hams not like such a > > manual scheme? I sure would. > In my work, things like standard plans, timetables and rule books are often done that way. When you have a big book that is frequently revised, and is in the hands of many people, it makes sense, because the cost of sending everyone a complete new book is much more than the cost of keeping page-by-page revision info. The big downside is that there must be absolute discipline in keeping the books up to-date. An old timetable can be worse than none at all. But in the amateur radio market, the revisions are few and the numbers small. Keeping track of updates is a lot of administrative work. It seems to me that having the manuals and revisions on the website is the best way to go. That way, anyone can see them. 73 de Jim, N2EY ** See what's new at http://www.aol.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Re: CX Report
In a message dated 10/9/07 6:43:09 AM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > What does make sense to me is to have "ALL" contests be restricted to less > 24 hours or less. Why take a whole weekend? Because that way everyone has the same shot at the good times, regardless of sunspot cycle. Besides - how many contests are more than 24 hours? 73 de Jim, N2EY ** See what's new at http://www.aol.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] OT - Heath CW Twins
In a message dated 10/6/07 12:07:38 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > According to > Chuck, the HR-1680 was released in the Fall of 1967, I think he meant "fall of 1976". The first advertisement for the HR-1680 that I could find was QST for October, 1976. The ARRL Product Review came out in January 1977. 1967 was the year of the HW-100 and soon after the HW-16. Much too early for the all-solid-state HR-1680. The Product Review says the VFO stability deserves special note, as it was measured as under 75 Hz from cold start to stabilization, and less than 20 Hz per hour after that. Using the SSB-bandwidth filter (CW selectivity is provided by an active audio filter), the rx noise floor was measured as -137 dBm, BDR of 108 dB, and IMD two-tone IMD as 82 dB. The review notes some of the corners that were cut to keep the price down ($200 range). The RF circuits are diode switched, the IF xtal lattice filter is only 4 poles and made of discrete components rather than packaged, and the builder assembles the VFO. Only the first 1 MHz of 10 meters is covered, and there is no provision for more band xtals nor other IF filters. Since the receiver predates WARC-79 by several years, there's no 30, 17 or 12 meter coverage. The HR-1680 seems to me to have been meant as a replacement for the HR-10, but with much better performance and features. But at over $200 for the kit, I don't recall it being a big seller. If you wanted a hamband receiver, a used Drake 2B could be had for about that price or less, and offered a lot more features. The HW-101 transceiver cost only about $100 more than the HR-1680, and needed a power supply, but the '101 was a full-scale 100-watt class CW/SSB transceiver, covered all of 10 meters, and could be set up with the optional CW IF filter. 73 de Jim, N2EY ** See what's new at http://www.aol.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] The State of the Art
-Original Message- From: Bob Waddell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Elecraft I am reminded of our responsibility to communicate with the "state of the art" of our day. With all due respect Who decides what is "state of the art" and what isn't? My K2 was built in 2001 and its design dates to 1999. My Southgate Type 7 was built in the early 1990s but its design could have been done thirty years earlier if someone had thought of it. I have other rigs too, mostly older. Where's the line? If a rig puts out a clean signal, is it state-of-the-art? This is an exciting time to be a part of our hobby, amateur radio! IMHO, it's always been an exciting time. We had great rigs in the past and great rigs today. Even better, we have a choice! 73 de Jim, N2EY Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! - http://mail.aol.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] Today's HW-101?
-Original Message- From: michael taylor <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> "What cost $280 in 1968 would cost $1633.40 in 2006." Source: <http://www.westegg.com/inflation/> K2, KPA100, KSB2 is $1117.00 new unbuilt from Elecraft. Thanks, Michael! Running $1117 through the same source backwards gives $191.48. (what you buy for $1117 today cost $191.48 then). What new rig could you buy for $191.48 in 1968? 73 de Jim, N2EY Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! - http://mail.aol.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Today's HW-101?
-Original Message- From: Brett gazdzinski <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> S heathkit sold a lot of gear, and a lot of it was the same, the DX100/DX100b ran a while, as the HW100, HW101, and the (almost the same) SB101. The DX-100/B was on the market for less time than the K2, and there are no plans to discontinue the K2. Many Heathkit models are similar but *not* the same. When they made improvements they changed the model number. DX-40 is an improved DX-35, etc. Some years back, Electric Radio published a list of how many EF Johnson ham rigs were actually made in their day. The numbers were surprisingly low. I can look them up if anyone is interested. It would be really interesting to know the number of Heathkit ham rigs produced. I suspect it's a lot lower than we imagine, particularly for rigs other than the big sellers like the HW-101. The HW101 was an improved HW-100, which was derived from the SB100/101/102 family. The big savings in the HW series was the elimination of the expensive preassembled LMO module and its dial drive, plus some features like provision for a remote 2nd VFO. Just what was the audio output tube in the HW101? 6GW8 Triode-pentode. I remember it being sorare, heathkit was the only place I could find one back then... It was a standard TV tube. All my catalogs (Allied, Newark) had the 6GW8 and the 6BN8 used in the '101. I guess I just come from a homebrewers standpoint, where I don't need to make so many compromises to cost.I guess that is why I got rid of all that old stuff and went all home brew, too much cost cutting I did the same thing, but it only works if you have parts sources that cost much less than what manufacturers pay in quantity. No manufacturer can pull the precision variable capacitor out of a BC-221 frequency meter and build a rig around it, but a homebrewer can. This one did - twice. A homebrewer who buys all new parts in small quantities will not save money. Been that way for more than half a century. Heck, I'll bet the stock parts in a K2, if bought new from Allied/Newark/Mouser/Digikey in small quantities, would add up to a surprising percentage of the kit's price. I don't think the rig you describe (hw101 specs) would sell at all, unless it was a kit maybe. You can buy a good used rig for much less. That's what I heard folks say about the K2 back in 1999. 6300+ K2s later, I guess they were wrong Yes you can get a good used late-model rig, but can you work on it? Does it have top-shelf performance at a bottom-shelf price? How much does someone learn from buying a used rig vs. building a kit? Historical note about Heathkit: The company didn't originally make electronic kits. They made kit airplanes. Rhinebeck Aerodrome has one. Heath got their start in electronics kits after WW2, designing things around war surplus parts they got for pennies on the pound. That's why the oddball tubes in their early test gear. (1626 as a rectifier?) You have to keep in mind the state of the art and economy of their times. Plus inflation. 73 de Jim, N2EY Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! - http://mail.aol.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Today's HW-101?
-Original Message- From: Darwin, Keith <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Do you guys think it is feasible to design / build a basic 100 watt HF transceiver kit that would sell for $600? Something that would give basic SSB / CW / Data modes, 10-80, with good (not great) performance. The main problem I see in meeting the $600 price goal is the 100 watt requirement. Look how much the KPA100 costs. -- If I understand the problem, what you'd want would include: - 80/40/30/20/17/15/12/10 meter coverage. (leave out 60 and 160 if they drive the price up, include them if it doesn't cost too much). - Synthesized VFO with RIT, maybe a couple of memories - CW, SSB, data modes via soundcard - PTT, VOX, semi-break-in - Basic controls on panel (RF gain, AF gain, tuning, band select, AGC off/slow/fast, filter narrow/wide) - Kit form What you're describing is a basic K2/100 with SSB. IMHO, if you took a K2/100 and removed features like the preamp, attenuator, QSK, direct keypad entry, dial lock, selectable tuning rate, CW reverse, multiple filter widths, scanning, yada yada yada, I don't think the price would come down much, nor would the hardware be much simpler. IIRC, an HW-101 with sharp filter but no power supply cost about $280 in 1968 or so. Run that price through an inflation-adjustment calculator and see how it compares to the cost of a basic K2 with SSB and KPA100. Note also that you could build the K2 first, then add the SSB and KPA100 later. Plus other options (audio filter, NB, 160/2nd rx, etc.) that were never available for the '101. And that the HW-101 did not have RIT nor even the option for a second VFO. However, the HW-101 smells better. 73 de Jim, N2EY Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! - http://mail.aol.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Heath vs Elecraft
-Original Message- From: Dave Van Wallaghen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> There are some basic similarities, but certainly different times and technology. Yep. Here's another difference: advertising. In the bad old days, if a company wanted to sell to hams, they pretty much had to advertise in the ham magazines like QST and CQ. They also needed to print and distribute catalogs/flyers of their products as widely as possible. And the more info in the catalog or ad, the more it cost. Those costs showed up in the product prices. Today, a small company can put an incredible amount of info on a website, which acts as a catalog and reference point. Sure, ads in magazines are still needed, and websites are certainly not free, but it's a completely different cost and dynamic than in Heath's time. Imagine being able to get a free copy of the manual for anything in Heath's catalog *before* buying OTOH, we have largely lost the "cross-fertilization" effect of the old catalogs. Someone who got a Heathkit catalog because they were interested in a stereo kit or test equipment stood a good chance of seeing the ads for ham gear and wondering "what's ham radio?". IMHO, we hams are a lot less visible today than 30-40 years ago. I think I would have become dissatisfied with just operating in the 80's and 90's and not having the chance to play with the hardware. I've been a ham 40 years come October 12, and there's *always* been a chance to play with the hardware. The existence of Elecraft is due in some part to the QRP movement, which started in the late 1960s. Lots of homebrewing, articles, and small companies making kits, which reached a growing community of hams all through the 70s/80s/90s. All of which is a Good Thing. 73 de Jim, N2EY Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! - http://mail.aol.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Heath vs Elecraft
Just a couple of historical notes: In a message dated 10/1/07 11:10:19 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: T> he Novice class in the US was > invented in the very early 50's, Novice was created as part of the 1951 license restructuring that replaced the old ABC system with named license classes. There were just > > a lot of Heathkits out there because they were more economically > accessible than the host of other rigs that more or less did the same > thing for more money. > Heath wasn't the only company making ham gear in kit form, just the most popular. Price *was* a big part of it: compare the Heath DX-20 ($36) and the Johnson Viking Adventurer ($55). > the computer was just > being invented and it filled rooms with equipment. The world's first high-speed, general purpose, electronic digital computer was ENIAC, announced in 1946. It was in service until 1955. 18,000 tubes. > > So no, Elecraft is not Heath reincarnated. One more similarity: Great manuals. > I began wondering what The Aptos Wonders would > have engineered with Heath era technology. Don't know the answer. > > I do: Great rigs! 73 de Jim, N2EY ** See what's new at http://www.aol.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Sherwood on ARRL Testing Methodology
-Original Message- From: Goody K3NG <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Another thing to note is that ARRL buys all the gear they review, right off the shelf just like any other ham would. And it's bought in such a way that the seller doesn't know it's going to be an ARRL test unit. -- As for "fluff" in ARRL Product Reviews, I attribute that to the wide 'dynamic range' of the readership's technical knowledge. On the one end are hams who can recite testing methodologies for all sorts of performance metrics, including pitfalls and claimed-vs-observed numbers. At the other end are hams who don't understand why you'd want passband tuning, narrow filters, or what the attenuator/preamp switch does. And everything in between. On top of that are complaints that QST is "too technical" and/or "aimed only at the contest/DX/big station hams", etc., etc. So we get Product Reviews that are part lab test, part feelings, and part an attempt to Elmer. All jammed into a limited space, and on a limited time, to be done by a limited staff. The K2 got an expanded report that only appeared online. Went into more detail than the mag report. K3 should get the same. One ham's fluff is another ham's main interest. 73 de Jim, N2EY Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! - http://mail.aol.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Re: Elecraft Digest, Vol 41, Issue 51
mething went wrong. There's also the experience of using something you actually built, which simply cannot be had any other way. For Heath, cost was a big draw as well. Look up what the average person earned 40-50 years ago, and then look at rig prices in terms of "hours of work to own". I would be most interested to know what many thought was the reason for the end of Heathkit with regards to Ham Radio. IMHO it was technological change coupled with competition from Japanese rigs. Before the widespread use of automation in electronics manufacture, a significant part of the cost of anything electronic was manufacturing labor. Heath and other kitmakers saved money by eliminatiing most of that. The limiting factor was the need to produce detailed assembly manuals, and to come up with designs that could be built, aligned and tested without too much in the way of specialized tools, jigs and test equipment. With point-to-point wiring and bolted-in components, there's a lot of labor, so lots of possible savings. Just look at a DX-100. The change to printed circuit boards reduced a lot of the labor to board-stuffing, but it was still significant until that process was automated. See HW-101. The final blow was the success of imported manufactured rigs at competitive prices. Why build a Heathkit when you could get a Yaecomwood with more features for less money? Heath actually outlasted many other US ham gear makers (National, Hallicrafters, Hammarlund, SBE/Gonset, EFJohnson, etc.) What Elecraft did was to play a different game. They saw a part of the market that wasn't being addressed, and met the need. They purposely abandoned some of the standard paradigms of the past 20-30 years of HF ham rigs, and made a lot of hams happy in the process. 73 de Jim, N2EY Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! - http://mail.aol.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] K rig's longevity?
In a message dated 9/30/07 6:17:24 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > Will it be possible to keep a K2 working 35 years? I don't see why not, > given > > that almost all the parts are readily available, the documentation is wide > > > open and free, and expert assist is available from several sources. Plus > when > > Most of the documentation is closed, as, as you point out yourself, the > radio does a lot in software, and the software source isn't released; > not even the AuxBus protocol is documented. It's documented, just not publicly. That could always change. It's also the case that > > component substitution, including piggy backed surface mount parts, have > had to be made already. > > The impact of the closed software is that, even if you can get the PIC > chips, you won't be able to program them. Also, where the firmware has > restrictions for legal reasons, and these go away (e.g. the Thai > government permits use of additional amateur radio frequencies, or, on > my reading of the UK licence, and assuming the situation has arisen and > > Elecraft have actually complied, if a UK Novice gets a Full licence and > is therefore allowed to operate equipment that is not restricted, by > design, to authorised frequencies, the user may have trouble getting an > upgrade). > > ncidentally, making the software public domain is not a good idea, as > it will be ineffective in the UK, and most other countries, with the, > probable, exception of the USAb, and doesn't allow one to restrict > implied warranties. It's better to use a liberal and perpetual licence. > WHich could happen in the future. > The other issue is that Elecraft is a small company and we have > discovered, this week, that one of their founders is turning 50 and > another key technician learned algebra in the late 1950s, it seems to me > that a lot of the key personnel are reaching the point where they think > about retirement. Heck, I'm 53, and I was thinking about retirement 20+ years ago! As well as losing the product knowledge, founders of > > startup companies in that position often want to turn the value of the > company into cash to fund their pensions. To me, the K3 could well be > there in order to make the company sellable. My experience of > innovative startups, where the founders sell out, is poor. I've had to > leave my old ISP, because of the consequences of that. > Of course that could happen. But support of older products is an issue with *any* company nowadays. How many ham-rig manufacturers today give full support to rigs they made 20, 25, 30, 35 years ago? > From what I know of the hardware, I would be most worried about the K2 > headphone jack, as it is not particularly generic and a known weak > point. I'm also somewhat concerned about the relays. They are almost > > impossible for an individual to source and they have a limited life, and > the KAT2, in particular, hits them hard. > I didn't know they had a limited life - how many operations? What is the failure mode? --- It should be remembered that in most cases, the way old rigs are kept alive is a combination of: - replacing old parts with new equivalents (orange drop caps replacing old wax-and-paper caps), - custom-making new parts to replace the old (usually done to mechanical pieces) - finding old caches of parts (this is how I fixed a GE Fanuc Workmaster unit to program Series Six PLCs a few months ago) - cannibalism of parts-rigs to keep good ones working. 73 de Jim, N2EY ** See what's new at http://www.aol.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] K rig's longevity?
cumentation needed to fix it are rare and expensive. Will it be possible to keep a K2 working 35 years? I don't see why not, given that almost all the parts are readily available, the documentation is wide open and free, and expert assist is available from several sources. Plus when you get right down to it, the hardware part isn't all that complicated because so much is done in software. 73 de Jim, N2EY ** See what's new at http://www.aol.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Best band for low cost DXing?
In a message dated 9/28/07 12:15:17 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > I'm interested in the > band that allows me (or by friend) to be a contender, not an also-ran, > for low cost. I'm CW and he's SSB. I'm lucky that I have 40 and 30. > The question is, how do you define "contender" and "also-ran"? If you mean being able to work almost as many DX stations as the Big Boys, that's possible - it just takes more time. But if you mean you want to beat them, or come close, without their hardware, sorry, that's not how it works. A lot can be done with a modest station, particularly when conditions are good and the ham on the other end has a decent setup. But conditions aren't always good and the ham on the other end doesn't always have a decent setup. That's the difference. AC7AC is right; if you want to compete in a Formula 1 race, you need a Formula 1 car. My old 1980 VW Rabbit Diesel and its 11 gallon tank could do the Indy 500 without a pit stop - in 8 hours and change. What I thought you were asking is how to get the most DX performance out of a limited space and money budget. That can be done, and it's a fun quest to see how close you can come to the Big Guns. 73 de Jim, N2EY ** See what's new at http://www.aol.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Best band for low cost DXing?
-Original Message- From: Darwin, Keith <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> DX on a shoe string Depends on how big the shoes are. What is a minor expense for one person is a major expense for others. Same for antenna space. - 40 meters. A vert of 1/4 to 3/8 wave makes you very competitive on this band. *IF* it's a good one, with a good ground/counterpoise/radial system, and in the clear. If the RF has to go through trees, buildings and other absorbers to get to the sky, you may find a dipole is better. A dipole at 1/2 wave high is tough to do. Depends on your situation (trees, etc.) What do you have? A Yagi is even tougher. The tall vertical is relatively easy and cheap while providing a better low angle signal than a low horizontal antenna. - 30 meters. Again. 3/8 vertical. The power limit on 30 makes for a more level playing field. No DX contests either. - 15 meters. Antenna sizes and heights are manageable. Here a mono-band yagi on a 25' pole will work well at a moderate cost. But at this point in the cycle, 15 is at best undependable. And what you describe involves pole, rotator, etc. Those are my thoughts. What are yours? 1) Why ignore 20 meters? Sure, the Big Boys will overpower you there, but it's where the DX is. 2) What resources do you have? Large open space (rooftop is ideal) for a vertical with radials? Trees/tall house for a dipole? 3) You seem to favor a vertical. If you can put one up with a good ground/counterpoise/radial system, and in the clear, that may be the way to go *if* a high dipole (50 feet is plenty) isn't possible. The problem I see with most manufactured verticals is that they're expensive and have multiple traps. What I'd suggest is a low-resistance (tubing, aluminum downspout, multiple copper wires) vertical about 28-30 feet high - whatever works out to be about 5/8 wave on 15 meters. With as extensive a ground system as possible. A remote-controlled L network matcher at the base permits tuning the antenna to resonance/low SWR on any band from 40 to 15 meters. If 15 isn't a priority or you get a Yagi for the band, go for more height to increase performance on the lower bands. At around 42 feet, you'd have a 5/8 wave on 20 and more than a quarter wave on 40. While manufactured remote-control matchers exist, you can make your own and save $$. The trick is that the matcher only needs to match your particular antenna on the bands you use. Such a matcher could consist of a single tapped air inductor (large and homebrew, to save money and be low loss) with one tap for each band, taps being selected by relays. One variable capacitor turned by an old electric-screwdriver motor does the rest. If you want to cover 4 bands (say, 40/30/20/15), you only need 3 relays and 4 control wires plus ground. (There are tricks to reduce this even more but for simplicity I'm going basic). Sure you have to find the taps by experiment, but you only have to do it once. Just my ideas. IMHO. YMMV. LSMFT 73 de Jim, N2EY Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! - http://mail.aol.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] K3 in the marketplace
I'll say this and then be quiet. I find phrases like the following to be extremely offensive: "designers had K2-its" "human factor... so often ignored by purist engineers..." "attacks from rabid fans" "experts (ex-spurts)" "Real engineers seem to stall out when they try to confront intangible human factors" "toy sized" I don't see what the point is in these comments. If you don't like a product - any product - just don't buy it. That's one of the great things about ham radio: we don't have to buy any particular thing, and we have lots of choices. KR2Q stated the choices perfectly, dittoes to what he wrote. Please - it's enough to say "I prefer A over B". The derogatory comments about engineers, toys, experts, rabid fans, etc. are really, really offensive. "The K3 has jumped Elecraft into the arena of the ORION 2, FT-9000 and IC-7800 and great specs are great, but.This means they can still be beaten in the marketplace when their specs indicate they should be the only hi end rig of choice." How much do each of those other rigs cost? Can you leave out features you don't find essential to lower the price, then add them later if you want to? For me, a 100 watt K3 kit with ATU and one optional roofing filter would be the starting point. Priced at about *half* of an Orion II with ATU. Put every available option in the K3 and its price will not reach 75% of the price of an Orion II with ATU. And the Orion II is much lower priced than the FTdx-9000 or the IC-7800. Elecraft's game has always been to produce high performance rigs (not "toys" - RIGS!) that are uniquely different from what's on the market, at a lower price and with much more owner involvement. That their products could even be considered competition to rigs costing so much more simply amazes me. Sorry for the rant, thanks for the BW 73 de Jim, N2EY ** See what's new at http://www.aol.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] smaller?
In a message dated 9/19/07 11:41:37 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > All respondents really gave me only one answer... cheaper... and I > understand that, but cheaper does not always drive consumer products see > > the BMW 730i or the celebrity handbag costs ESPECIALLY IN A NICHE MARKET > like those and like ham radio. How many 730is are sold in the USA, compared to total car sales? Apply that percentage to the total number of ham transceivers sold. > > I still think a ham radio the size and shape of a flat panel display... > where the controls are spread out, plentiful, and large over a big panel > space would sell well. > How much more would you be willing to spend for one? 73 de Jim, N2EY ** See what's new at http://www.aol.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] smaller caps?
In a message dated 9/19/07 8:12:18 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > What is the motivation driving smaller and smaller electronic > products? > > smaller means using less stuff to make it and thus cheaper? Yep. Also less cost to pack, to ship, and to store. Look at the cost of packing, shipping, and storing, say, a DX-100 and K2/100. That all comes out in the price. > > But when the hand phone, the caculator, the iPod, the mp3 player, the memory > > stick, the 706, etc etc are so small that they can not be easily be operated > > with normal human fingers, what is going on? Depends what you mean by "normal". And people buy the things. > One of my students had her computer "thumb" memory thingy hanging from her > ear lobe. > I remember carrying punched card decks, reels of computer tape (magnetic and paper) and those multiplatter removable disks that went into drives the size of a washing machine. No thanks. > > The greying of America and of ham radio indicates the need for bigger type, > bigger radio buttons, etc., AND louder cel phones and louder everything, > too. > How much more are you willing to pay for it? 73 de Jim, N2EY ** See what's new at http://www.aol.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Six Days, not Seven Days
-Original Message- From: Thom LaCosta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> created Heaven and Earth in Seven Days. Six days. Seventh day was a rest day. Which Eric and Wayne haven't gotten in a while, I bet! 73 de Jim, N2EY Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! - http://mail.aol.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] How Many Hams In USA?
In a message dated 9/14/07 11:05:26 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > One might find it very interesting to compare the annual income per family, > during the times shown. Yes, but it would have to be adjusted for inflation. Back in the 1950s, a gross family income of $5,000/yr was solidly middle-class, and $10,000/yr was Easy Street. I would even further offer that it may be that the harder it is for families to make a > "good" living, the easier it is for folks to become hams. > You're obviously looking at the enormous growth of the 1930s, despite the Great Depression. I don't have a simple explanation of why there was so much growth then. But if the family-income theory is true, why so much growth in the 1950s and so little in the 1960s? Why the downturn in recent years? It seems to me that the biggest change in "personal economics" in my lifetime has been a sort of inversion of the cost of necessities and luxuries. When I was a kid, 40-50 years ago) it seemed that necessities (food, clothing, housing, transportation, utilities, energy, health care) were relatively inexpensive. Particularly if you went for the basic model and took care of it yourself. But luxuries (TV, vacations, restaurants, ham radio, etc.) were relatively expensive, unless you were somewhat ingenious. Now it seems that the necessities are expensive and the luxuries inexpensive! Almost everyone can have a computer, iPod, etc., but the house to put them in is another story. What this meant to ham radio was that, in the past, lots of folks had a home with room for a decent antenna and shack, but not a lot of money for a fancy rig. So there were lots of articles and examples of how to do ham radio on a shoestring budget, and they were practical because of the economics of the time. A lot of hams homebrewed, converted surplus and built kits because there was simply no other affordable option. (How many of us built an Elecraft to save money, compared to those who built one for its performance?) I suspect that for every ham with an S-line on the air there were a dozen hams with ARC-5s and S-38s. Today it's the other way around! I think there are lots of other factors, many of them complicated. For example, in the 1930s there were lots of inexpensive parts on the market, partly because of mass-production techniques developed for broadcasting and partly because of business failures. After WW2, and well into the 1970s, there was an enormous amount of war-surplus parts and equipment around at low prices. Sunspot peaks and lows have a considerable effect. I think a lot has to do with people's living situations. In the 1930s, putting up a wire for your radio set was something everyone did. Now it's forbidden in many places! In the 1950s, a lot of Americans were moving out to the 'burbs, with lots of room and no restrictions. That's changed greatly. 73 de Jim, N2EY ** See what's new at http://www.aol.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Elecraft news story
In a message dated 9/14/07 8:29:53 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > Actually in the US in 1962 (the year I was licensed) there were > over 250,000 hams in the US. The callbook I saved to show my > first call was the summer 1963 and it lists 258,000 hams. > Is that 258,000 operator licenses or 258,000 station licenses? Just curious. In those days, there were considerably more amateur station licenses than operator licenses, because there were a more than a few club, military, RACES, and second-station licenses. When amateur repeaters became popular (about a decade later), the difference swelled even more. 73 de Jim, N2EY ** See what's new at http://www.aol.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Revised Shipping date for K3
In a message dated 9/14/07 6:41:54 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > you know how you sometimes get all fidgety and itchy when you're close > to the end of a good book? > Or waiting for someone to finish the last Harry Potter book so you can start it (went through that the weekend it came out). SPOILER: At the end of "Deathly Hallows", Harry discovers that "Rosebud" is a sled. Then he wakes up, middle aged, next to Suzanne Pleshette. 73 de Jim, N2EY ** See what's new at http://www.aol.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] How Many Hams In USA?
In a message dated 9/14/07 7:38:44 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > in 1971 210,000 would have been pretty close to actual number, in US. More like 275,000. Here are some numbers to think about while waiting for the sunspots to come back and the K3s to start shipping: US population vs. hams - (numbers are rounded off, accurate to within 2%) 1930: US population 122 million, US hams 18,000, 1 ham per 6778 Americans 1940: US population 131 million, US hams 50,000, 1 ham per 2620 Americans 1950: US population 150 million, US hams 90,000, 1 ham per 1667 Americans 1960: US population 179 million, US hams 230,000, 1 ham per 779 Americans 1970: US population 223 million, US hams 270,000, 1 ham per 825 Americans 1980: US population 227 million, US hams 350,000, 1 ham per 649 Americans 1990: US population 249 million US hams 550,000, 1 ham per 453 Americans 2000: US population 281 million, US hams 683,000, 1 ham per 411 Americans 2007: US population 301 million, US hams 655,000, 1 ham per 460 Americans Note the tremendous growth (compared to the total population) in the 1930s despite the Great Depression, the fast growth of the '50s followed by the loss of the 1960s, and then the steady growth from 1970 to 1990. 73 de Jim, N2EY ** See what's new at http://www.aol.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Time to Move On
-Original Message- From: Darwin, Keith <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> My K2 was a kit. I spent a month or so building it. I've spent the last 18 months operating it. Beauty of operation pays dividends long after the joy of building has ended. Like I say, I'm having a hard time wrapping my brain around this one. I think it has to do with how much of oneself goes into the process. At one end of the spectrum would be a kit that was a box of parts, a schematic, and maybe a layout drawing or two. Lots of soldering, coil-winding, etc. Maybe even require you to drill some holes. On the other end would be a kit that involves mounting a couple of components and nothing else. From what I can see, the K3 requires a bit more assembly than building a PC. No soldering - same as a PC. And for the same reasons. It would have been great if the K3 could have been built with all through-hole components on conventional boards that we could stuff'n'solder, just like the K2. I think if that were practical, it would have been done. -- None of this is really new, though. Heathkit's famous SB line used prepackaged crystal filters, prepackaged LMOs in a "do not open" box, and a preadjusted first-IF bandpass transformer. And that was over 40 years ago. Even earlier, the Heath RX-1 "Mohawk" receiver came with a preassembled, prealigned front-end module that you just bolted onto the chassis and hooked up. Tuning cap & coils, bandswitch, several tubes, etc., all done for you. 73 de Jim, N2EY (didn't we have this discussion before?) Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! - http://mail.aol.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Use of Heathkit SB200 amp
In a message dated 9/12/07 11:12:05 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > the Heathkit SB-200 has several > modifications that can be made to it, one of which is the reduction of drive > power to excite it. What is modified to do this? > > Does anybody have any idea what the lowest power required to excite an > SB-200 amp is? > I presume you meant "what the lowest power required to excite an SB-200 amp to full rated output is" The SB-200 uses a pair of 572B triodes in grounded-grid. The data sheets list the 572B as needing 50 watts of drive in that service, so a pair will need 100 watts of RF to drive them. > Without mods, it is around 100 watts, but I use to have one with the > reduced > drive mods, and I drove it with 30 to 50 watts for around 300 watts out. The tube ratings (for a pair) say that 100 W of drive will give 600 W output, so 50 W of drive would give 300 W output. I don't see what could be modified to reduce the drive requirement for full output, except perhaps changing to grounded-cathode operation instead of grounded grid. But such a mod would be extensive, requiring neutralization and other changes. I > > never tried testing the lower end with that mod. Though. > > Bottom line is: if an SB-200 had the reduced drive mod, could a QRP K2 at > 10 to 15 watts with an amp key interface safely/adequately drive an SB-200 > to say, 50 to 60 watts out? > Since the SB-200 is a linear amplifier, I don't see why not. Of course it's using a sledgehammer to drive a 3d finishing nail The problem is, how do you tune up the SB-200 with such low drive power? --- I'm curious to know what is changed by the "low drive mod" for the SB-200. Thanks 73 de Jim, N2EY ** See what's new at http://www.aol.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] K3 manual
-Original Message- From: Brett gazdzinski <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Looking at the manual, it looks like building the K3 is going to be really fun! Just like every other Elecraft product. I think you get the really fun part of building, without the endless soldering in of .01 caps and so on Hey! I like soldering! I always liked the winding and mounting of toroids, mounting of the chips and transistors and other parts, only the (seemingly) endless installation of caps and resistors got old after an hour or two... I always found it relaxing. But then I like to line up all the color codes and capacitor labels up the same way, too The only thing that bugs me is it looks from the pictures like the K3 uses the same (no fidelity) speaker as the K2. Simple fix: External speaker. Wonderful, like old heathkits, that you can take the entire radio apart to fix a problem easy, any problem, and have instructions on how to do so. Just like every other Elecraft product. And you'll be able to get factory-direct parts and technical support. It looks like there is a lot of extra room inside the K3, unlike any of the other brand rigs. None of that is "extra" room. It's all there for a reason. You watch - there will be some neat stuff for that space. The folks at Elecraft probably haven't even thought some of it up yet. 73 de Jim, N2EY Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! - http://mail.aol.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] manuels
In a message dated 9/11/07 12:09:37 AM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > Take a look at the ORION 2 manuel. Perhaps the best I have ever seen. > Makes the JA books really look sick. > Does it include assembly instructions? 73 de Jim, N2EY ** See what's new at http://www.aol.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Balanced AT
In a message dated 9/10/07 1:10:42 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > If I had a doublet I would seriously consider feeding it like the W5DXP > which uses switched ladder line for matching . Looks cheap, low loss and > easy > to do: any residual mismatch should be compensated by the K2/K3 auto-matching > system. > Cecil's "linear tuner" setup works - I've heard it on the air. He's used it for a number of years. The problem is that it's a bit of a mechanical nightmare, with all the switches and different lengths of window line. Remember that the window line has to be separated from other conductors by a couple of line-spacings. You also don't have a lot of flexibility on how much line there is from the antenna to the first switch. If you don't QSY a lot, it's certainly doable. 73 de Jim, N2EY ** See what's new at http://www.aol.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Big Rigs?
In a message dated 9/9/07 1:41:29 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > Many good companies have been damaged or even destroyed by trying > (to grow too fast) > There are also problems associated with growth at any rate. The biggest > of these is that it generally forces you either to become a B2B > (business to business) company or a mass market company, neither of > which are compatible with supporting niche consumer products. It also > tends to result in extreme industrialisation of the support process, > i.e. the use of low skilled staff working from scripts. > The trick is to stay just big enough to do the job. > > > There's also the fact that the existing Elecraft product line isn't going > > away, and needs to be supported all through this time. > > However, if the company becomes too big, the venture capitalists' > management consultants will almost certainly insist that support for it > is dropped, as it is incompatible with the high volume, mass market > organisation that you need to be big. (That will also happen if the > company gets taken over.) > Which means keeping the company just big enough to do the job. Also, most small companies that succeed were founded by folks who have the right mix of business and product/design smarts. Too often, if a company grows too fast, the founders wind up leaving the product/design stuff to others because of the business demands. > Although the analogy isn't perfect, consider Apple, which was built on > the basis of Steve Wozniak's ability to play tricks with minimal > hardware, but he dropped out in favour of Steve Jobs when it got big, > and what one now has is essentially a fashion, rather than engineering, > based company. > Sure. But consider what has happened to PC hardware, particularly processors and RAM. The price has imploded while the performance has exploded. The need for machines that can do a lot with limited hardware is limited to special applications now. > Big companies can't compete with Elecraft because they are big companies! > > Exactly 73 de Jim, N2EY ** See what's new at http://www.aol.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Optimized mic ?
In a message dated 9/6/07 8:56:36 AM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > On Thu, 6 Sep 2007 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > All of the improvements in our > > methods, rigs and antenna systems since then have been the direct results > of radio > > competition of various kinds. > > All of the improvements are direct result of competition? Competition *of various kinds*. So none of them were > > made simply to satisfy the creator, or give him/her what he/she wanted that > was > not driven by competition? > When one wants something better than what already exists, and works to get it, that's a form of competition. > There are most likely a small number of folks who go about life meeting or > exceding their own standards, and don't gague their happiness or suceess on > the > basis of "beating" someone else. > Meetin or exceeding one's own standards is a form of competition, even if it is competing with oneself. I've been a distance runner since 1981. I've never been very fast, yet I entered many races simply to see how well I could do. Often I ran the same race several years in a row, in competition with myself, trying to set a "PR" (personal record). I've also designed and built many ham rigs, from my first 1 tube transmitter of 40 years ago to the rig currently on my webpage. All were an attempt to do better than I'd done before, and I learned an enormous amount from each of them. That's another form of competition. (One of the tests of whether New Rig is an improvement over Old Rig is how many points I could make with it in contests like Sweepstakes). 73 de Jim, N2EY ** See what's new at http://www.aol.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Big Rigs?
ed or even destroyed by trying to grow too fast. Better to grow in a sustainable, well-controlled way. This is particularly important when high product quality is important. There's an old saying in engineering: Quick, cheap, good: Pick any two. If you mean you want the products to be larger, note the factors I mentioned above. How much more are you willing to pay for a "K4"? Would you pay twice as much as a K3 costs? 1.5 times as much? I have thought about taking a K2 and fabricating a new, larger front panel with bigger knobs and buttons, and putting the K2 insides in a bigger cabinet. There's no reason I can see that it couldn't be done. But it's a lot of work, mostly mechanical, and would take a considerable investment of time and resources. >I hope they will expand and bring out more products faster, while reducing the individual workload so they don’t burn out. I do too. But the rigs do not design or fabricate themselves. And as the complexity grows, the design/fabrication workload grows exponentially. I know you like the big old rigs of yesteryear, particularly their "user interface". But remember how much they cost in their time, even though things like labor and space were much less expensive. An R-390 may not seem "miniaturized", but for an early-1950s design it was very small for what it did. Look at what one cost new, too! There's also the fact that the existing Elecraft product line isn't going away, and needs to be supported all through this time. It should also be remembered that the other Elecraft rigs did not come out "all at once".First the basic rig hit the market, and then the accessories came along one or two at a time. That spread out the development work and cost. But the K3 is being offered with almost all the features at the same time, and most of them built-in. That's a much bigger project. If Collins Radio, at the height of their success and with all their experiences and resources, had such problems with the introduction of the KWM-2 as described in that article, it's not surprising that the K3 has taken a bit longer than originally projected. Quick, cheap, good: Pick any two. 73 de Jim, N2EY ** See what's new at http://www.aol.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Optimized mic ?
In a message dated 9/6/07 1:32:40 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > Jim N2EY wrote: > > >Ancient Ones is a term of respect. > > Understood. In this part of the UK this usually refers to those who lived > here some thousands of years ago, whereas Elders are still living. I did not know that! TNX In amateur radio usage, mostly among glowbug types, it has come to mean those who did things "back when" and are no longer with us to explain *why* they were done. > > >Consider the age of anyone who actually operated an amateur station 75+ > >years ago > > Indeed. > > > >A lot depends on how the comparison is made. > > There is no doubt in my mind that the availability of "plug and play" rigs > and the growth of the ham population has increased interference levels from > what they were in 1946. > Perhaps. But OTOH, the quality of affordable rigs available to most hams today is far above what it was then. 73 de Jim, N2EY ** See what's new at http://www.aol.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
