1 00:01:03,054 --> 00:01:10,174 Good evening, welcome to the 985 workbench. I'm Greg and my call is W3DIB, tonight's host 2 00:01:10,174 --> 00:01:14,654 for the August worth edition of the workbench. I'm located in Kennet Square, we meet every 3 00:01:14,654 --> 00:01:22,474 Monday at 8pm on the W3GMS Parksburg repeater at a frequency of 146,985 MHz. The PL tone 4 00:01:22,474 --> 00:01:28,214 to access the repeater is 100Hz. For those who use tone squelch on receive, the repeater transmits 5 00:01:28,214 --> 00:01:33,982 a squelch tone of 94.8Hz. Newcomers are very welcome. We encourage all stations to check 6 00:01:33,982 --> 00:01:42,202 in. Take a look at the repeater website located at www.w3gmsrepeater.com. It has lots of information 7 00:01:42,202 --> 00:01:48,922 including technical articles, of 95 users and actions, repeater etiquette, and history. Please 8 00:01:48,922 --> 00:01:55,302 be aware that on occasion the repeater experiences intermod interference. Please run maximum power 9 00:01:55,302 --> 00:02:00,694 or be prepared to check in digitally through Echolink or All-Star. definitely want to hear 10 00:02:00,694 --> 00:02:06,054 you. To be able to use EchoLink or All-Star on 985, you'll need to register with us. Directions 11 00:02:06,054 --> 00:02:13,774 for doing so can be found on the website at w3gmsrepeater.com. Also, when the intermod 12 00:02:13,774 --> 00:02:18,834 is present before starting a transmission, give a short call, kind of like a, am I getting 13 00:02:18,834 --> 00:02:27,310 in okay? Once the host, me, confirms that, you can then share your longer comments. When we 14 00:02:27,310 --> 00:02:32,011 experience the intermod, just check in to make sure you're getting in solid. Here on the 15 00:02:32,011 --> 00:02:37,033 workbench, we focus on answering general questions of radio theory and operation. Additionally, 16 00:02:37,033 --> 00:02:41,934 we invite each station briefly to comment on your amateur radioactivity in the past week. 17 00:02:41,934 --> 00:02:46,716 When checking in, please indicate if you have a question for the workbench. So just say your 18 00:02:46,716 --> 00:02:54,508 call and then question, or state your call, W3DIB. No question, if there's no question. 19 00:02:54,998 --> 00:02:58,980 If you don't have a question, definitely please still check in. After all stations have checked 20 00:02:58,980 --> 00:03:04,186 in, we will first share what we've done this past week using a roundtable format. Please 21 00:03:04,186 --> 00:03:08,439 write down the call of the station that checks in right after you. When you have finished 22 00:03:08,439 --> 00:03:12,793 your comments, turn the mic over to that station. Once we have all made our comments, we will 23 00:03:12,793 --> 00:03:18,358 start the question and answer portion of the workbench operating as a directed net. I 24 00:03:18,358 --> 00:03:22,481 will call on a station that indicated having a question and then for stations who wish to 25 00:03:22,481 --> 00:03:27,985 respond to that question. Wait to be recognized by me, Net Control, before beginning a transmission. 26 00:03:27,985 --> 00:03:33,899 This helps us handle the questions efficiently and keep the net running smoothly. At times, 27 00:03:33,899 --> 00:03:37,872 it helps for two stations to pass the mic back and forth to help clarify the situation and 28 00:03:37,872 --> 00:03:45,287 pass information. Feel free to do that as needed and then pass the back to Net Control. Here's 29 00:03:45,287 --> 00:03:52,449 a few things to remember. Don't be too quick to talk. Pause a couple seconds before, or 30 00:03:52,449 --> 00:03:57,013 I should say before hitting the push to talk switch. It's good repeater etiquette and it 31 00:03:57,013 --> 00:04:02,668 allows those on the digital modes like All Star and Echo Link a chance to check in as there 32 00:04:02,668 --> 00:04:07,362 is a bit of a delay for them. When you do click the push to talk button, please make sure to 33 00:04:07,362 --> 00:04:12,627 wait a second before you start talking. The repeater does take a moment to process your 34 00:04:12,627 --> 00:04:18,307 PL tone and it will lop off the first. portion of the first syllable of the word if you're 35 00:04:18,307 --> 00:04:25,009 not careful. It's very easy for the EchoLink and All-Star stations to miss the first letter 36 00:04:25,009 --> 00:04:29,150 of your call sign if you're too quick to talk after pushing the push to talk. Also, the 37 00:04:29,150 --> 00:04:33,911 repeater has a three minute timer. If you talk more than three minutes without letting up 38 00:04:33,911 --> 00:04:38,182 on your mic button, the repeater completely shuts down. That is until you've released 39 00:04:38,182 --> 00:04:42,414 your push to talk switch. So every two to three minutes, release the mic button just for a 40 00:04:42,414 --> 00:04:50,076 moment like this. And then simply continue. Before we begin, I would like to say a thanks 41 00:04:50,076 --> 00:04:55,900 to all of our Workbench hosts. They are the ones who make this happen. If you may be interested 42 00:04:55,900 --> 00:05:04,985 in hosting the Workbench, please contact Jim AF3Z, Alpha Foxtrot 3 Zulu, or any of us, 43 00:05:04,985 --> 00:05:10,929 and we will help get started. Lastly, please join Jim AF3Z this Thursday night at 8 p.m. 44 00:05:10,929 --> 00:05:16,611 for the 9 a.m. roundtable. At this time we're going to start the check-in process. Remember 45 00:05:16,611 --> 00:05:21,505 to indicate whether you have a question by simply stating question or no question after your 46 00:05:21,505 --> 00:05:28,653 call. At this time, anyone on the digital modes that wish to check in, please call now. So 47 00:05:28,653 --> 00:05:33,298 that would be all ECHO-Link or All-Star stations. Please call now. 48 00:05:37,420 --> 00:05:42,702 Whiskey 8, Charlie Romeo Whiskey, CR, no question. 49 00:05:46,956 --> 00:05:51,884 K-7, Romeo, Alpha, November, K-7, R-A-N in Salt Lake City. 50 00:05:58,360 --> 00:06:04,202 Kilo Charlie 3, Whiskey Whiskey Charlie, KC3WWC, John in Landisville, no question. 51 00:06:34,286 --> 00:06:38,630 Okay, forgive me for the long pause. I was just looking up one of the calls. So, so far 52 00:06:38,630 --> 00:06:48,931 for the digital check-ins, I've got WHCRWCR, then I had Kilo7ROMEOALPHANovember. Justin, 53 00:06:48,931 --> 00:06:57,620 I believe it is. Wow. And then I had KC3, Whiskey Whiskey Charlie, John, are there any other 54 00:06:57,620 --> 00:07:00,674 stations in the digital modes wishing to check in? 55 00:07:08,352 --> 00:07:15,586 Okay, nothing heard. Now for the RF check-ins. Anybody else coming in through RF, please check 56 00:07:15,586 --> 00:07:24,232 in now. The Alpha 3, Victor Echo Echo, mobile right now, but soon to... No question. 57 00:07:27,502 --> 00:07:29,940 KC3YSM, Stephen Downing. 58 00:07:37,910 --> 00:07:39,698 NA 3CW? No question. 59 00:08:06,382 --> 00:08:10,208 AC3SQI, no question. 60 00:08:17,890 --> 00:08:21,874 Alpha Fox, chart three Zulu, excuse me, AF3Z, nope. 61 00:08:30,038 --> 00:08:33,600 Euler Delta 3 Alpha Papa Romeo, no question. 62 00:08:58,638 --> 00:09:03,190 Okay, let me go through what I've got so far. So originally, I'm gonna go through the digital 63 00:09:03,190 --> 00:09:11,843 stations quickly. had W8CRW, K7RAN, KC3WWC. Then starting the RF check-ins, I've got Ron, 64 00:09:11,843 --> 00:09:22,368 WhiskeyAlpha3, Victor Echo Echo, WA3VE, then KC3YSMSteve, Downingtown, NA3CW, Chuck, 65 00:09:22,368 --> 00:09:34,491 KC3OKBill, with our first question. 3KFT John, believe it's WA3, I hope it's WA3. And no question, 66 00:09:34,491 --> 00:09:39,515 you kind of doubled with Bill or part of your transmission got lopped off. And then I believe 67 00:09:39,515 --> 00:09:47,063 the next station was Kilo Bravo 3 Bravo Papa India. Is that the correct station? I did see 68 00:09:47,063 --> 00:09:48,242 that you had a question. 69 00:09:52,718 --> 00:09:58,930 This is Kilo Delta 3 Bravo Papa India here. Yes, Simon, we're taking... 70 00:10:05,678 --> 00:10:11,480 I I got it that time. Kilo Delta 3, Bravo, Papa, India and is it John? 71 00:10:26,658 --> 00:10:32,581 You're a little bit scratchy and I'm having a hard time making you out, I'm hoping I got 72 00:10:32,581 --> 00:10:38,725 it right that time. If I didn't, I will correct it when I come back around with your question. 73 00:10:38,725 --> 00:10:47,489 So after Kilo Delta 3 Bravo Papa India, we have Kilo Charlie 3 Sierra Quebec India Wayne, 74 00:10:47,609 --> 00:10:58,252 KC3SQI, then AF3Z Jim, then over to KD3 Alpha Papa Romeo. Paxton, you are our tail gunner. 75 00:10:58,252 --> 00:11:01,938 there any other stations that would like to check in? Please call now. 76 00:11:08,334 --> 00:11:08,978 Thanks. 77 00:11:15,852 --> 00:11:23,199 Oh, go ahead Chuck, I didn't catch what you said. Yeah, KD3BPI, I believe he said his name 78 00:11:23,199 --> 00:11:24,242 was Simon. 79 00:11:29,806 --> 00:11:34,858 Chuck, you have ears that are made of magic. I'm amazed at how well you were able to pull 80 00:11:34,858 --> 00:11:39,350 things out. I guess maybe you might be listening on headphones. Thank you, I appreciate that. 81 00:11:39,350 --> 00:11:46,573 Got it. Kilo Delta 3 Bravo Papa India Simon. And I wrote down you have a question. So 82 00:11:46,713 --> 00:11:52,742 are there any other stations that would like to check in? Please call now. 3, Mike, Foxdrop, 83 00:11:52,742 --> 00:11:54,753 Bravo, checking in, no question. 84 00:12:07,278 --> 00:12:15,718 We've got Mike added to the list, W3MFB, Mighty Fine Buckets. All right, I guess we'll go to 85 00:12:15,718 --> 00:12:22,998 the quick check-in portion of the net at this point. So feel free to share anything you've 86 00:12:22,998 --> 00:12:29,318 done in the past week of Ham Radio. And it can go back to, I guess, since the roundtable, 87 00:12:29,418 --> 00:12:34,978 because that would have been the last directed net. So anything from Friday through this morning. 88 00:12:35,262 --> 00:12:41,915 And hey, I'd like to offer everybody an apology for missing my hosting duty the previous roundtable. 89 00:12:41,915 --> 00:12:48,215 yeah, I just wanted to put that out there because it's been on my mind since it happened. just 90 00:12:48,215 --> 00:12:55,032 putting that out there. And with that, we will turn it over to CR, Whiskey8CRW. This is Whiskey3, 91 00:12:55,032 --> 00:12:58,514 Delta India Bravo on the Monday night workbench. 92 00:13:03,192 --> 00:13:10,717 Very good, Greg. Thanks for hosting tonight. This is CR. And it's been a relatively normal, 93 00:13:10,717 --> 00:13:17,832 quiet, week-and-ham radio, 985 activities, a couple other nets on other frequencies. And 94 00:13:17,832 --> 00:13:26,418 that's been it. So let's go to Justin, K7, Romeo Alpha November, WHCRW. 95 00:13:32,684 --> 00:13:41,288 Yeah, W-A-C-R-W, this is K7R-A-N. And you do have my name correct, but I go by Randy, Radio 96 00:13:41,288 --> 00:13:50,682 Alpha, November Delta Yankee, just to mix things up, I guess. No, that is what I go by. I'm 97 00:13:50,682 --> 00:13:57,324 in Salt Lake City, and I was just setting up DV Switch on a device and hooked in here through 98 00:13:57,324 --> 00:14:06,109 All Star Link directly and just wanted to check in just to see if it worked. So it does. And 99 00:14:06,109 --> 00:14:16,896 it's been a long time since I've been up around Downing Town, Pennsylvania. But I have a 100 00:14:16,896 --> 00:14:22,860 friend who actually works at QVC. I believe they're not that far away from you. Anyway, 101 00:14:22,901 --> 00:14:28,875 that's it for me. In and out. Thank you for letting a stranger say hello from all the way 102 00:14:28,875 --> 00:14:31,026 out west. This is K7RAN. 103 00:14:36,718 --> 00:14:41,678 Randy, nice to make your acquaintance. As we said at the top of the net, everybody's always 104 00:14:41,678 --> 00:14:46,138 welcome, so feel free to come back and join in, especially if you have a question or join 105 00:14:46,138 --> 00:14:51,058 us on Thursday night. There's another roundtable discussion where everybody kind of just go 106 00:14:51,058 --> 00:14:56,878 around and enjoy each other's company, talk about anything ham radio related. All right, 107 00:14:56,918 --> 00:14:59,518 turning it over to John, KC3, WWC. 108 00:15:05,006 --> 00:15:12,797 Thanks Greg, this is KC3WWC, John in Lansfield. For my past week, it has been kind of quiet. 109 00:15:12,838 --> 00:15:22,377 I listen to a bunch of podcasts for all my interests, that includes ham radios. a conference coming 110 00:15:22,377 --> 00:15:28,833 up called the Zero Retries Conference. It's on September 13th. It's virtual and in person 111 00:15:28,833 --> 00:15:36,240 like Portland or something like that or Oregon, I'm not sure. I'm gonna join virtually, but 112 00:15:36,240 --> 00:15:44,488 it's all digital aspects of radio. know, everything but talking, I guess. So it sounds interesting. 113 00:15:44,488 --> 00:15:51,485 I've got to check that out. Also, currently, my last job just ended, so I'm between work, 114 00:15:51,485 --> 00:15:56,239 so I'm going have all kinds of time. So I'm contemplating maybe traveling for some parks 115 00:15:56,239 --> 00:16:04,736 or other radio projects, et cetera. Maybe trying to build another directional VHF antenna, 116 00:16:04,736 --> 00:16:09,490 something lighter weight to put on the top of the flagpole here and point towards 984. 117 00:16:10,318 --> 00:16:14,838 thinking maybe a moccasin or something like that. My projects just get more complicated 118 00:16:14,838 --> 00:16:23,578 slowly over time, so think about giving that a shot. I will hand off to Ron, WA3VE. This 119 00:16:23,578 --> 00:16:24,898 is KC3, WWC. 120 00:16:27,982 --> 00:16:32,202 Very good. By the way, the intermod is in there among us on and off. It doesn't sound like 121 00:16:32,202 --> 00:16:37,722 it's there right now, but if you have high power, go ahead and use it. Or like Randy out west, 122 00:16:38,222 --> 00:16:43,042 if you have All-Star EchoLink, now may be a good time to switch to that just in case the 123 00:16:43,042 --> 00:16:50,542 intermod comes back. This is WA3VEE Ron in Westchester. And yes, Randy, welcome to 985. Absolutely. 124 00:16:51,402 --> 00:16:59,398 And we have a website, as Greg mentioned, w3gmsrepeater.com. And also if you're connecting to Joe's repeater 125 00:16:59,398 --> 00:17:06,198 on the the All-Star node 53085, be sure that that's the only node you're connected to because 126 00:17:06,198 --> 00:17:13,618 we don't want to be connected to the world here on 985 for sure. Okay, I've been asked a lot 127 00:17:13,618 --> 00:17:21,198 of questions here about Joe and how he is doing. He evidently picked up a bug way back at field 128 00:17:21,198 --> 00:17:29,340 day and it took a little while to gestate and to... rear its ugly head and Joe is fine. 129 00:17:29,340 --> 00:17:35,986 He's absolutely fine. I saw him today. I saw him yesterday. I had the pleasure of visiting 130 00:17:35,986 --> 00:17:41,280 him in Chester County Hospital. And when you mention hospital, everybody frets, but believe 131 00:17:41,280 --> 00:17:50,738 me, Joe is fine. He is just in there to allow the parasites in his blood to decrease to the 132 00:17:50,738 --> 00:17:55,502 point to where he can be released. And it's moving definitely in the right direction. So 133 00:17:55,502 --> 00:18:02,418 That's the 5,000 foot view of what's going on. No cause for concern at all. And we had 134 00:18:02,418 --> 00:18:10,344 a couple really great conversations since yesterday, good probably total of four hours of chat. 135 00:18:10,344 --> 00:18:14,887 And since Chester County Hospital is right around the corner, in fact, I'm looking at 136 00:18:14,887 --> 00:18:22,878 the back of it right now here from the van, from the Silver Porcupine Standby. So, you 137 00:18:22,878 --> 00:18:27,251 know, I told Joe if he needs anything including contraband I'd be delighted to bring it in. 138 00:18:27,251 --> 00:18:33,894 hi. So, ham radio, not much activity but that's the big news to report. And Greg, thanks for 139 00:18:33,894 --> 00:18:38,717 doing the net tonight and I will turn it over to Steve, KC3 and I'm going to move from the 140 00:18:38,717 --> 00:18:45,330 van here to the fix station inside. KC3YSM to take at WA3VEE mobile. 141 00:18:48,526 --> 00:18:55,786 Thank you, Ron, W-A-3-V-E-E. This is KC3YSM. Greg, thanks for sitting in tonight and hosting. 142 00:18:57,766 --> 00:19:03,026 uh, Ron. Ron, thanks for the update on... 143 00:19:08,610 --> 00:19:09,522 been wondering how you... 144 00:19:13,870 --> 00:19:20,651 Randy, yes, QVC is right around the corner. Literally, I used to live, she's like, ride 145 00:19:20,651 --> 00:19:28,651 my bike. All good, so welcome. ham radio's been a bit quiet. 146 00:19:31,790 --> 00:19:32,914 8 days. 147 00:19:37,514 --> 00:19:37,853 game. 148 00:19:41,555 --> 00:19:43,748 And that is about it. 149 00:19:55,502 --> 00:19:58,638 Thank you Steve, KC3YSM and A3CW. 150 00:20:03,438 --> 00:20:12,938 quiet weekend Lake Wobegon, I radio wise, 985 activities, subbing for Joe on Sunday, so I 151 00:20:12,938 --> 00:20:19,598 hosted the pre-net and did that control for the Antique Wireless Association, PMA, I'm 152 00:20:19,598 --> 00:20:23,058 now at 75 meters. And we had a good group. 153 00:20:27,310 --> 00:20:35,206 and of course, visiting Joe and keeping an ear on things in general. And then Bill and 154 00:20:35,206 --> 00:20:42,321 I went over to Joe's house to work on the tower and I'll let Bill explain what we did since 155 00:20:42,321 --> 00:20:51,458 he did most of it. I help, he does the actual work and I help. So that's probably it, let's 156 00:20:51,458 --> 00:20:58,557 see. Yeah, that's it. Oh, and Steve. Interesting you you rode your bike to QVC when you were 157 00:20:58,557 --> 00:21:06,432 a kid I Rode in that neighborhood as well Except I was riding on 202 while it was being 158 00:21:06,432 --> 00:21:12,646 built It was kind of fun riding up and down a four-lane divided highway with nobody on 159 00:21:12,646 --> 00:21:17,080 it So it did that a couple of times that was kind of a thrill and that was in the neighborhood 160 00:21:17,080 --> 00:21:29,339 of QVC So speaking of bill over to same KC 3. Oh, okay, and a 3 CW N-A-3C-W K-C-3-O-O-K. 161 00:21:29,339 --> 00:21:33,366 Thanks, Chuck. And great, thanks for taking the net tonight. 162 00:21:41,486 --> 00:21:50,035 for I think a year or two before it was actually opened. But anyhow, enough of that. I guess 163 00:21:50,035 --> 00:21:56,866 for me, as Chuck said, the highlight was working on Joe's tower. It's two steps forward, one 164 00:21:56,866 --> 00:21:56,882 step. 165 00:22:08,078 --> 00:22:08,466 out. 166 00:23:16,334 --> 00:23:21,854 You'll never know how convenient it is, and especially if you don't have it. 167 00:23:25,496 --> 00:23:25,919 table. 168 00:23:33,185 --> 00:23:33,555 legs. 169 00:23:40,482 --> 00:23:44,404 DC power strip as well as a 12 volt DC strip. 170 00:23:47,470 --> 00:23:54,774 They come in real handy. You don't have to climb over things to find an outlet, use a long 171 00:23:54,774 --> 00:24:01,688 extension cord or any of that kind of stuff. I learned a long, long time ago, make your 172 00:24:01,688 --> 00:24:11,093 power available easy, easy to get to and so forth. We've been kind of making up master 173 00:24:11,093 --> 00:24:20,119 lists of call letters and so forth. We've had a couple of typos. I made a list of the 174 00:24:20,119 --> 00:24:32,146 985 gang. I keep a list when we check in and then from that I kind of make a master list. 175 00:24:32,146 --> 00:24:46,454 And it's growing. So far tonight, two new ones. So, very good. And not too much otherwise. 176 00:24:46,678 --> 00:24:55,263 radio-wise, we're sorting through parts and pieces and cables and things like that, I 177 00:24:55,263 --> 00:25:06,943 discovered. in the sealed packages today. we've got a place... Okay, I think it was Simon 178 00:25:07,627 --> 00:25:18,804 kilowatt delta three. from Whiskey Alpha 3, King Fox Tango, John here, go ahead. 179 00:25:59,726 --> 00:26:03,926 you're trying to make it in there, we're not quite getting there. You're just barely breaking 180 00:26:03,926 --> 00:26:07,946 the scrouch. KD3D, BPI, this is W3DIB. 181 00:26:19,960 --> 00:26:24,968 Yeah, we're still not hearing you. I'm checking both on the RF and the All-Star side. I'm 182 00:26:24,968 --> 00:26:29,595 not able to hear you on either side. So if you're trying to get in, if you can increase 183 00:26:29,595 --> 00:26:39,323 power. know the intermod was back it seems like it might be not here now but if you want 184 00:26:39,323 --> 00:26:42,418 to give it one more shot let's let's give it a try 185 00:26:56,556 --> 00:27:01,130 We still have intermod. He might get a chance if it goes away later. 186 00:27:04,770 --> 00:27:10,077 Okay, very good Chuck. Yeah Simon, we're not able to hear you. I assume did it go on a 187 00:27:10,077 --> 00:27:10,930 wait? 188 00:27:14,072 --> 00:27:19,915 hear the standard, you know, over top of me as well as the on the end. 189 00:27:23,054 --> 00:27:29,374 We're going it over to Wayne, KC3, SQI, and we'll try to come back to Simon after, I guess, 190 00:27:29,374 --> 00:27:33,574 the first question. So Wayne, KC3, SQI, this is W3DIB. 191 00:27:36,960 --> 00:27:41,085 Am I making it in? and clear. 192 00:27:44,610 --> 00:27:59,634 Okay. This is KC3SQI. in the process of going to the new tower and 193 00:28:02,670 --> 00:28:09,940 to start trying to mount the remote switch inside the weatherproof. 194 00:28:12,942 --> 00:28:22,075 and got it off of the old tower. And last year, some of you can remember that I had 195 00:28:22,075 --> 00:28:35,450 a remote switch full of earwigs or pins or bugs. And so I put screen around it. Well. 196 00:28:37,742 --> 00:28:45,902 took it apart to look at what was in there and I had little black ants going everywhere, up 197 00:28:45,902 --> 00:28:54,342 my pants, down my pants, up my arms, down my neck. It was a mess. Had take it outside and 198 00:28:54,342 --> 00:29:04,422 blow it all out with the compressor. And so I will get that mounted into the box and then 199 00:29:04,422 --> 00:29:13,072 we'll go from there and start. moving all the coaxes and stuff. And then the last thing 200 00:29:13,072 --> 00:29:26,339 to move over will be the two meter antenna. Hopefully things will settle down a little 201 00:29:26,339 --> 00:29:34,353 bit and I won't have to find out what kind of bugs I got in the remote switch this year. 202 00:29:34,353 --> 00:29:42,898 So with that I'll turn it over to Jim, AF3Z, this is KC3SQI. 203 00:29:54,126 --> 00:29:59,986 I'm making it here on RS. You are Jim, you're coming right in. 204 00:30:12,142 --> 00:30:24,399 Okay, sorry folks. I was looking up Simon on QRZ and then I got fouled up here. I'm on 205 00:30:24,399 --> 00:30:31,573 echo link at the moment. AF3Z, a lid here this evening. And good evening everybody and 206 00:30:31,653 --> 00:30:37,777 Randy out in Salt Lake, good to hear you. And also Simon. Simon, I saw there on QRZ that... 207 00:30:37,777 --> 00:30:48,430 You happen to know Ron W-A-3-V-E-E, so I want to express my condolences for that. But, 208 00:30:48,430 --> 00:30:55,933 and I also saw, think you're using an H-T, so yeah, you were marginal before the intermod 209 00:30:55,933 --> 00:31:04,086 came in, and that just wiped you out, and that's a normal kind of thing. So anyway, Ron and 210 00:31:04,086 --> 00:31:09,370 others of us, you can get an outside antenna and things like that. But good to hear you 211 00:31:09,370 --> 00:31:15,690 and hopefully later on it will be gone and we're okay there. I haven't done a whole lot this 212 00:31:15,690 --> 00:31:22,170 week radio-wise, my normal 985 stuff and some CW occasionally with a local guy here and that's 213 00:31:22,170 --> 00:31:30,110 about it. But I do want to point out too, like Chuck and Bill said, I lived very close to 214 00:31:30,110 --> 00:31:39,347 202 and they built the quote new 202 and I never rode on it my bike I can't believe it that 215 00:31:39,347 --> 00:31:43,729 just how did I miss that I thought about that a number of times why didn't I get up there 216 00:31:43,729 --> 00:31:51,663 between 29 and 401 we lived right along it there had good access to it but I never did 217 00:31:51,663 --> 00:31:57,816 ride my bike so that's one I missed so Paxton good to hear you again tonight over to you 218 00:31:57,816 --> 00:32:01,298 KD3APR this is AF3Z 219 00:32:04,770 --> 00:32:07,209 want to check, am I getting into the repeater okay? 220 00:32:11,406 --> 00:32:12,546 Yes, making it to the side. 221 00:32:15,566 --> 00:32:23,886 Great, thank you Jim. This is K-3 APR packaging. I'm in Hockessin right now on a 8 watt handheld 222 00:32:23,886 --> 00:32:30,786 so I'm pleasantly surprised that I'm making it in through the inner mod. Not too much for 223 00:32:30,786 --> 00:32:41,786 me in the way of ham radio this week. Took part in the... I know. Yeah, took part last Thursday 224 00:32:41,786 --> 00:32:48,457 but... not all too much else, you know, did actually repair this very radio. They're all 225 00:32:48,457 --> 00:32:55,313 great until the screen goes white and you can't work on it. that was a simple case of disassemble, 226 00:32:55,313 --> 00:33:01,019 unplug the ribbon connector and plug it back in. But probably the closest I've come to 227 00:33:01,019 --> 00:33:08,306 a repair thus far, but not all too much else for me. 228 00:33:16,534 --> 00:33:19,712 That's over two W three NFB Mike. 229 00:33:23,576 --> 00:33:33,015 be a three MFP, am I making it correct? You're making it just fine. alright, yeah, not too 230 00:33:33,015 --> 00:33:34,802 much going on here. 231 00:33:40,014 --> 00:33:41,119 HF this evening. 232 00:33:53,816 --> 00:33:55,250 Yeah, BW3MS. 233 00:33:59,822 --> 00:34:07,962 Excellent, thanks Mike. W3MFB, W3DIB. Is there, before we go on to the question, is there anybody 234 00:34:07,962 --> 00:34:14,502 else that would like to check in, please call now. You have a quick, quick comment, WA3VE. 235 00:34:15,842 --> 00:34:22,482 Go for it, Ron. Okay, very good. Well, first of all, I just want to, I'm completely elated 236 00:34:22,482 --> 00:34:29,602 here to have one of my former students try to check into the workbench here, Simon Yovino. 237 00:34:30,158 --> 00:34:36,918 Wonderful, wonderful job, Simon. I sent you an email. I have your old email address from 238 00:34:36,918 --> 00:34:41,978 the days we were at Delaware Tech together and you were one of my students. So welcome, absolute 239 00:34:41,978 --> 00:34:47,198 welcome to 985. And I won't keep it here because we need to get to the questions, but I wanted 240 00:34:47,198 --> 00:34:53,258 to throw that out there. Give me a call tomorrow. I emailed my phone number to you. I want to 241 00:34:53,258 --> 00:34:57,898 get you going and tell you how you can get a very good signal into any of the repeaters 242 00:34:57,898 --> 00:35:06,498 in this area. And Paxton, great to hear you. Another one of my mentors as well. So, one 243 00:35:06,498 --> 00:35:14,198 final thing, great Clambake, had the pleasure of having Luke. Much to his displeasure, I'm 244 00:35:14,198 --> 00:35:19,658 sure he had to ride shotgun with me all the way up to build W2DGBs and back. But we had 245 00:35:19,658 --> 00:35:23,938 a great time, all kidding aside. That's it from me. Thanks for letting me come in and make 246 00:35:23,938 --> 00:35:30,802 the comment. doing a fine job Greg thanks for hosting again tonight W3DIBWA3VE 247 00:35:44,778 --> 00:35:51,906 Alrighty, left a cause for the pause there. Thanks Ron. WA3VEW3DIB. And I was going to 248 00:35:51,906 --> 00:36:00,156 say Simon, Kilo Delta 3 BPI. I was going to say if you want to send me an email or send 249 00:36:00,156 --> 00:36:05,282 Ron an email your question, we can still try to have it answered on the net if you can hear 250 00:36:05,282 --> 00:36:05,452 us. 251 00:36:09,614 --> 00:36:15,268 I think the first person that had a question besides Simon was Bill, so we'll send it over 252 00:36:15,268 --> 00:36:19,188 to KC3. Oh, okay. W3DIV on the Monday night work. 253 00:36:22,792 --> 00:36:25,490 KC-3DIB, KC-3O... 254 00:36:40,270 --> 00:36:40,914 He can do it. 255 00:36:48,482 --> 00:36:54,130 The Warrior amplifier has two ratings for AM. 256 00:37:45,346 --> 00:37:56,617 John, we'll turn it over to you. WA-3KFT. WA-3, King, Fox, Tango. Control carrier modulation 257 00:37:56,617 --> 00:38:08,882 is a cheap way of doing AM as opposed to plate modulation. Nightkit T-150. 258 00:38:11,970 --> 00:38:23,721 pair of 6146s in it. did not have plate modulation. had control carrier modulation. And what happens 259 00:38:23,841 --> 00:38:42,076 is the audio changes the... carrier and in effect it modulates the carrier. So if they're 260 00:38:42,076 --> 00:38:52,384 saying X number watts of control carrier modulation, you need to look at what the peak is because 261 00:38:52,465 --> 00:39:01,125 it's not constant. It's a signal very much like sideband. No audio. It does have a carrier, 262 00:39:01,125 --> 00:39:12,479 but it's very low. modulation peaks, it's very high. So you need to have a power supply 263 00:39:12,479 --> 00:39:22,123 that is stiff and won't sag during modulation. But the Niket T-150 used control carrier modulation. 264 00:39:22,123 --> 00:39:32,401 I think there were some other transmitters that did it. It's less expensive than plate 265 00:39:32,401 --> 00:39:37,554 modulation and that's why they use it. This is WA-3KFT. 266 00:39:41,546 --> 00:39:47,215 Excellent. Cool. I'm taking notes as well. Are there any other stations that would like 267 00:39:47,215 --> 00:39:49,108 to offer a comment? 268 00:39:53,611 --> 00:39:57,535 Is it? Take it away, Jim. 269 00:40:00,710 --> 00:40:09,593 The DX60, HeatKit DX60 also has control carrier modulation. And John, you can correct me or 270 00:40:09,593 --> 00:40:15,954 Chuck or somebody if I'm wrong here. My recollection, it's been a while since I looked at it, is 271 00:40:15,954 --> 00:40:24,737 it's much harder to overdrive the modulation as in, you know, get flat topping and stuff. 272 00:40:24,737 --> 00:40:34,161 The way it's set up, it kind of... When I was testing out the DX60, I couldn't get 273 00:40:34,161 --> 00:40:41,696 it to overdrive. So anyway, I think that may be true. But anyway, that's another rig that 274 00:40:41,696 --> 00:40:51,193 uses it. like I say, I didn't have much to do as far as setting the audio level, because 275 00:40:51,193 --> 00:40:56,937 it sort of seemed to almost control that itself, at least on the high end. Back to you there, 276 00:40:56,937 --> 00:40:58,898 Greg, AF3Z. 277 00:41:01,998 --> 00:41:05,790 AF3Z, W3DIB, are there any other stations with comments? 278 00:41:12,504 --> 00:41:24,185 John. The Nikon T150, it uses a pair of 6146s in the final. And the modulation is applied 279 00:41:24,185 --> 00:41:34,221 to the screens. So basically, you're modulating the screen instead of the plate. Plate modulation, 280 00:41:34,221 --> 00:41:42,806 literally you modulate the V plus on the plate. But control carrier modulates the V plus on 281 00:41:42,806 --> 00:41:51,375 the screen. And I got carried away during a QSO once and really hit the audio hard. 282 00:41:52,256 --> 00:42:00,841 And I burned the screens out of pair of 6146s in the T-150. So it's an inexpensive way 283 00:42:00,841 --> 00:42:09,808 to make amplitude modulation. But look to see if it modulates the screen of the final or 284 00:42:09,808 --> 00:42:17,945 the screen of a driver. Be aware that if you hit the audio too hard, you're going to lose 285 00:42:17,945 --> 00:42:21,586 the screen. This is WA3KFT. 286 00:42:25,326 --> 00:42:32,162 I like the way you put that. Are there any, I guess you definitely want a brick wall limiter 287 00:42:32,162 --> 00:42:38,387 on your AF side before you go into your transmitter there. Are there any other stations that would 288 00:42:38,387 --> 00:42:39,778 like to offer a comment? Please call now. 289 00:42:44,206 --> 00:42:57,626 See you again. Over to Chuck. is NA3CW. Yeah, the X60 did carrier control or screen modulation. 290 00:42:57,626 --> 00:42:59,090 Screen modulation can sound excellent. 291 00:43:02,360 --> 00:43:07,683 The efficiency is not as high as plate modulation, but plate modulation requires basically a 292 00:43:07,683 --> 00:43:16,109 very large audio amplifier and a modulation transformer. well, that version of plate 293 00:43:16,109 --> 00:43:27,652 modulation. As far as burning the screens up, that has to do with the dynamics. of the 294 00:43:27,652 --> 00:43:33,527 tube during voltage swings. you can end up with a situation where the screens are more 295 00:43:33,527 --> 00:43:37,851 positive than the plate and all the current will go to the screen instead of the plate, 296 00:43:37,951 --> 00:43:44,166 all the electrons. And they are fast. And the screen's not made to take that much current, 297 00:43:44,166 --> 00:43:53,143 so they go, boof. Back in the day when I was working in the shortwave business, I made 298 00:43:53,143 --> 00:44:00,702 a dynamic carrier control system for the broadcast transmitters. They were 100 kilowatt carrier 299 00:44:00,702 --> 00:44:10,681 and they did modulation by varying the power supply like a switch mode power supply. And 300 00:44:10,681 --> 00:44:22,209 so at 12 kilovolts it was at 100 kilowatt carrier and 100 percent modulation means 301 00:44:22,209 --> 00:44:28,218 you're doubling the voltage. the AC voltage that's coming out of the tube. And so it goes 302 00:44:28,218 --> 00:44:36,298 from 100 kilowatts to the voltage at 100 kilowatts, double that, you end up with 400 kilowatts 303 00:44:36,298 --> 00:44:39,838 because power goes up by a square of the voltage. 304 00:44:42,838 --> 00:44:49,098 the transmitter's a cable of 400,000 watt peaks. Now, when you're sitting at 100 kilowatts of 305 00:44:49,098 --> 00:44:54,578 carrier and nobody's talking, you're burning up a lot of power. and there's nothing to listen 306 00:44:54,578 --> 00:45:01,557 to other than keeping the channel quiet on the receiver. So what we did, and there's various 307 00:45:01,557 --> 00:45:05,578 schemes of carrier control depending on what your goals are. In our case it was to save 308 00:45:05,578 --> 00:45:11,658 money since we were a donation of finance ministry. 309 00:45:15,738 --> 00:45:21,638 I designed a system whereby the transmitters, when there was nobody talking, they would drop 310 00:45:21,638 --> 00:45:28,126 back to 50 kilowatts. which is enough to keep the generally in target areas enough to keep 311 00:45:28,126 --> 00:45:35,611 the channel quiet. And then if there was a little bit of audio, say half audio, they 312 00:45:35,611 --> 00:45:41,464 would drop down to 25 kilowatts, but the audio would sort of mask the noise of the channel 313 00:45:41,484 --> 00:45:47,151 in the receiver. But then when there was loud audio, the carrier would swing up to the full 314 00:45:47,151 --> 00:45:56,198 100 kilowatts so we could get make the 400 kilowatt peaks. So we ended up saving $5,000 a month 315 00:45:56,198 --> 00:46:05,918 out of a $30,000 a month electric bill. So carrier control can be very useful, but it can be tricky 316 00:46:05,918 --> 00:46:15,938 to set up. And what they're doing in the case of how much power, it's a plate modulated system 317 00:46:15,938 --> 00:46:24,634 is generally constant carrier, constant carrier coming out plus peaks. carrier control is 318 00:46:24,634 --> 00:46:32,481 the power is going up and down so the average is lower and so you can run quote unquote 319 00:46:32,481 --> 00:46:37,876 more power in a carrier control situation without overloading things downstream because it's 320 00:46:37,876 --> 00:46:44,112 not at full power most of the time depending on how much himming and hauling you do. So 321 00:46:44,112 --> 00:46:48,142 back to NET, I don't know if any of that made sense but there you go, back to NET and H3CW. 322 00:46:48,142 --> 00:46:57,706 Wow Chuck, that's a really cool explanation. It almost sounds like you made the RF equivalent 323 00:46:57,706 --> 00:47:04,209 of like a downward expander in the audio world. And when I say that, instead of downward expanding 324 00:47:04,209 --> 00:47:10,193 the AF side, the audio frequency, you were kind of downward expanding the power you were 325 00:47:10,193 --> 00:47:19,318 applying to the tubes that would modulate the signal. Is that a fair synopsis of what 326 00:47:19,318 --> 00:47:28,899 was going on? to interject W, NA 3CW, this is W3DIB. Internet control, you can do whatever 327 00:47:28,899 --> 00:47:36,433 you want. Yeah, that's kind of the idea. Now BBC had a whole different approach. They wanted 328 00:47:36,433 --> 00:47:42,466 to keep the channel very quiet. And so what they would do, because they had the budget 329 00:47:42,466 --> 00:47:47,929 to do it, they don't anymore because they don't do very much international broadcasting anymore. 330 00:47:47,929 --> 00:47:56,924 But what they did, was they would cram the carrier up to maximum and just sit there when 331 00:47:56,924 --> 00:48:04,731 there was no audio. the channel would be very quiet. And then when they modulated, the carrier 332 00:48:04,871 --> 00:48:11,096 power would actually drop because now you have audio in the channel overcoming the noise. 333 00:48:11,096 --> 00:48:19,213 And so all their modulation was downward. And so it... Made a very listenable thing, 334 00:48:19,213 --> 00:48:24,095 but it cost the fortune to run it because anytime somebody stopped talking both the carrier goes 335 00:48:24,095 --> 00:48:30,038 up to maximum But so again like I said it depended on what your goals were in our case It was 336 00:48:30,038 --> 00:48:36,351 to save money so in the listening end at the listeners end in our normal not on the fringes 337 00:48:36,351 --> 00:48:44,424 But in our normal target areas They couldn't tell the difference You can listen to recordings 338 00:48:44,424 --> 00:48:50,709 and the carrier is jumping all over the place, but it sounds fine because there's always enough 339 00:48:50,709 --> 00:49:00,016 carrier to fully modulate the audio without clipping. So it sounds a lot more complicated 340 00:49:00,016 --> 00:49:06,361 than it really is. Doing it was complicated, but the end result works very well. So in 341 00:49:06,361 --> 00:49:12,650 any event, to get back to Bill's question, it's all about average carrier power. Now with 342 00:49:12,650 --> 00:49:18,876 a carrier control situation such as would be in a DX6D or something like that, the average 343 00:49:18,876 --> 00:49:28,903 carrier power is less than if it was in, say, plate modulated AM system. N83CW. Thanks 344 00:49:28,903 --> 00:49:33,262 Chuck, that's an awesome explanation. Yeah, and Bill, sorry to sidetrack. I'll put it 345 00:49:33,262 --> 00:49:36,389 out there one more time. there any other stations that want to offer a comment? Please call now. 346 00:49:36,389 --> 00:49:37,522 W3DIB. 347 00:49:43,854 --> 00:49:47,755 Okay, nothing hurts. So we'll turn it back over to you, Bill. Hopefully that answers your 348 00:49:47,755 --> 00:49:50,614 question. KC3, okay, W3DIB. 349 00:49:53,646 --> 00:50:01,121 W3DIB KC300K. Yes, it does answer my question and surprisingly it's starting to sink in and 350 00:50:01,121 --> 00:50:01,402 make... 351 00:50:04,866 --> 00:50:05,363 and end. 352 00:50:14,304 --> 00:50:17,994 It's interesting, John's comment about burning out. 353 00:50:24,878 --> 00:50:26,482 can't respond quickly enough. 354 00:50:43,374 --> 00:50:48,494 I it. And I'll have to do some more reading about the radio because it gives you both. 355 00:50:53,582 --> 00:50:54,386 3, go down to rabbit. 356 00:51:02,798 --> 00:51:11,406 KC-30K, W3DIB. The only other person I believe that had a question was Simon, so Telo Delta 357 00:51:11,406 --> 00:51:18,522 3, Bravo Papa India. I just checked my email inboxes and I don't have anything. Ron, did 358 00:51:18,522 --> 00:51:23,136 you happen to get an email from Simon or I guess we'll give Simon a chance to see if he's 359 00:51:23,136 --> 00:51:36,643 able to make it in. KD3BPI, are you there? W3DIB. W3DIB, KD3BPI, can you hear me coming 360 00:51:36,643 --> 00:51:47,122 through yet? You're coming through perfect. Excellent. Well this is great news. I ran 361 00:51:47,122 --> 00:51:53,802 down to my car and grabbed my mag mount and a cookie sheet. And I stuck the cookie sheet 362 00:51:53,802 --> 00:51:59,242 in the edge of a gutter here on my fiance's porch out. She has a third floor apartment 363 00:51:59,242 --> 00:52:04,782 in East Ocean. And it's sort of on the, with my small radio, it's kind of on the fringe. 364 00:52:05,542 --> 00:52:10,382 Well, at least it seems to be on the fringe. I don't think it actually is, but what you 365 00:52:10,382 --> 00:52:17,109 get with a cheap underpowered radio. Anyway, I will get to my questions and it has to do 366 00:52:17,109 --> 00:52:26,637 with automotive application of a handheld radio. So I have my BaoFang and I have it 367 00:52:26,637 --> 00:52:34,534 hooked up to my MagMount usually in my Nissan. But I tend to get, when I'm at speed, I tend 368 00:52:34,534 --> 00:52:40,459 to get a little more noise on the receive and I've received reports that I get noise on 369 00:52:40,459 --> 00:52:48,222 the transmit as well. And so I was wondering if I should perhaps ground my antenna to 370 00:52:48,222 --> 00:52:53,670 the chassis of the vehicle and therefore ground my radio as well because the radio grounds 371 00:52:53,670 --> 00:52:58,978 the antenna. But I hope that got through, OK? Let me know if it did. 372 00:53:02,688 --> 00:53:06,835 You got through just perfect. I was actually able to check you on the input as well. So 373 00:53:06,835 --> 00:53:13,695 you're making it to Kennet Square, right near Longwood Gardens, very well as well. Yeah, 374 00:53:13,695 --> 00:53:20,854 any stations wishing to give an answer, please call now. Reset. 375 00:53:26,190 --> 00:53:35,184 Alright, we'll turn it over to Jim. That sounded great there, Simon, and very astute adjustment 376 00:53:35,184 --> 00:53:43,820 to your setup there. was great. I have always used mag mounts in various kinds, sizes, 377 00:53:43,820 --> 00:53:50,925 various people. I never had that problem. This is a guess on my part, but I would think 378 00:53:50,925 --> 00:53:59,034 maybe the connection from the whip to the mag mount, the actual whip to the mag mount. I 379 00:53:59,034 --> 00:54:03,339 know if they could be dirty or corroded or something or clean that up, but I'm wondering if when 380 00:54:03,339 --> 00:54:09,406 you're moving, the whip moving around, you know, that connection is not real good and 381 00:54:09,406 --> 00:54:15,052 that's what's causing your noise. That's my guess. Back to you there, Greg. W3DIBAF3Z. 382 00:54:15,052 --> 00:54:26,501 AAF3ZW3DIB, are there any other stations that would offer a comment? I was actually just 383 00:54:26,501 --> 00:54:30,134 going to throw in there, don't, Simon, don't know if you're getting, when you say you get 384 00:54:30,134 --> 00:54:36,158 more noise on receive and transmit, is it noise, like as in white noise, or are you getting 385 00:54:36,158 --> 00:54:42,182 like a whine, or you know, like what I would call ignition noise that kind of changes pitch 386 00:54:42,182 --> 00:54:47,305 with acceleration of the engine? I just figured I'd throw that in there as an extra question. 387 00:54:47,445 --> 00:54:52,097 Do you have any kind of? like additional information on the type of noise you're getting. 388 00:54:56,270 --> 00:55:03,793 Yeah, so what I heard, the report I heard was that it came through as sort of like a crackle 389 00:55:03,793 --> 00:55:12,797 and that's what I hear on the receive as well. It's just sort of a, like a very, well, 390 00:55:12,877 --> 00:55:18,379 not quite intermittent. It has some sort of frequency to it but no defined frequency if 391 00:55:18,379 --> 00:55:23,491 that makes sense. It just kind of, it'll crackle a few times and then be fine and then crackle 392 00:55:23,491 --> 00:55:30,146 again and be fine, but then. almost, well, almost without fail when I come to a stop, 393 00:55:30,166 --> 00:55:37,246 whether at a traffic light or whatever, it goes away. With whatever frequency it had, it doesn't 394 00:55:37,246 --> 00:55:44,066 have anymore. But that's the kind of noise that crackles. And also, the report I heard was 395 00:55:44,066 --> 00:55:50,106 that it made it so that I couldn't hear, he couldn't hear me at the other end. And as soon 396 00:55:50,106 --> 00:55:55,829 as I came to a stop, he said he could hear me, it's just fine. So... I wonder, I do wonder, 397 00:55:55,829 --> 00:56:00,253 I'll have to double check to make sure it's good and tight. Thank you, I believe that was 398 00:56:00,253 --> 00:56:01,618 KF3Z. 399 00:56:09,612 --> 00:56:14,546 My double blue heading, was Chuck. Was that you, Chuck? It were. 400 00:56:18,990 --> 00:56:26,350 Simon, just to recap, you say you're using a handheld HT wired out to a mag mount. 401 00:56:29,964 --> 00:56:38,649 Yes, that is correct. It has a couple of adapters on it as well. I had to do SMA to the RG. 402 00:56:38,649 --> 00:56:43,978 I can't remember the number now, but it's the one with Elmary, relatively large. 403 00:56:47,640 --> 00:56:52,399 And are you using the internal battery or are you powering it through a cable to the car 404 00:56:52,419 --> 00:56:53,722 like it's to a cigarette lighter? 405 00:56:57,048 --> 00:56:57,778 the internal battery. 406 00:57:00,920 --> 00:57:05,645 Okay, one thing that occurs to me is I'm wondering if you're building up static electricity because 407 00:57:05,645 --> 00:57:14,403 you have no ground to the frame of the car. The mag-mount couple doesn't really DC connect 408 00:57:14,403 --> 00:57:22,481 to the car and you're not using the car's power system so you got no drain for static and 409 00:57:22,481 --> 00:57:28,079 depending on weather conditions and etc. etc. you can collect significant amount of voltage 410 00:57:28,200 --> 00:57:39,087 on the antenna if it's not grounding to the car any place. aside from, we'll say forget 411 00:57:39,087 --> 00:57:47,733 about grounding the mag mount. If you could maybe do a clip lead from say the outside 412 00:57:47,793 --> 00:57:55,677 of the coax connector on your adapter or the radio itself and run a clip lead to some metal 413 00:57:55,677 --> 00:58:03,119 part of the car that is grounded as a drain, that might be an interesting experiment to 414 00:58:03,119 --> 00:58:08,690 see if it quiets it down. It may not be that, but that did occur to me. NHECW. 415 00:58:12,376 --> 00:58:13,094 the other state. 416 00:58:16,402 --> 00:58:19,730 Over to W3MFB, W3DIB. 417 00:58:23,086 --> 00:58:34,678 This is Mike W3MFB. When I started out I did the same thing, balfang, mag mount in. can 418 00:58:34,678 --> 00:58:39,146 tell you one thing, yeah, you just mentioned keeping everything tight. That's very good. 419 00:58:41,230 --> 00:58:41,832 Right? 420 00:58:52,814 --> 00:58:53,804 Get them all from radio. 421 00:58:56,814 --> 00:58:58,002 and you're a little scratchy when you... 422 00:59:04,448 --> 00:59:07,479 even when you're using a high-power radio. 423 00:59:16,834 --> 00:59:19,096 Yeah, a mobile radio. 424 00:59:29,710 --> 00:59:33,526 Here's your... bit more. 425 00:59:41,486 --> 00:59:44,427 You know, it's doable. You're doing it right now on a cookie sheet. 426 00:59:57,966 --> 00:59:58,450 3 427 01:00:01,486 --> 01:00:06,178 on the cookie sheet and the mag mount is excellent. 428 01:00:13,102 --> 01:00:20,737 The necessity is the mother of all invention. Excellent. W3DIB here. Are there any other 429 01:00:20,737 --> 01:00:29,870 stations that would like to offer a comment? W3VEE. We're turning over to Ron, W-A-A-3-B-E-E-W-3-D-I-B. 430 01:00:29,870 --> 01:00:36,747 Excellent, excellent, excellent. By the way, Simon, I have a recording of your first transmission 431 01:00:36,747 --> 01:00:41,449 there, so I'll send that over to you via email. And yes, thanks for forwarding the question 432 01:00:41,449 --> 01:00:48,951 to me also, but you're getting in very, very well on your mashup that you have there. 433 01:00:48,951 --> 01:00:56,133 And by the way, another person who checked in here who I've also mentored is Steve, KC3YSM, 434 01:00:56,133 --> 01:01:02,355 and his first configuration was exactly yours. It was also a mag mount on a cookie sheet 435 01:01:02,355 --> 01:01:08,408 from his kitchen. But he's significantly closer to the repeater than I think you are. So I 436 01:01:08,408 --> 01:01:14,921 don't see your address on QRZ, but nonetheless, we'll settle that tomorrow when we chat on 437 01:01:14,921 --> 01:01:22,004 the phone. Anyway, I just wanted to make the comment that before Chuck, Chuck beat me 438 01:01:22,004 --> 01:01:28,210 to the push to talk button, but it definitely sounds like static buildup. If you think about 439 01:01:28,210 --> 01:01:32,822 the fact that there's friction, of course, between that antenna and the air molecules 440 01:01:32,822 --> 01:01:40,916 moving by. And on a grand scale, that's exactly what is caused in a thunderstorm. So that's 441 01:01:40,916 --> 01:01:46,038 probably what's going on. The mechanism is certainly there to define that. When you're 442 01:01:46,038 --> 01:01:51,801 moving, the faster you're moving, you probably have more and more static. And like you said, 443 01:01:51,801 --> 01:01:57,647 as you stop, the static goes away. Once you put a ground on it, that should solve it. 444 01:01:57,647 --> 01:02:02,729 And we'll talk more about effective antennas both for the fixed station and also for mobile 445 01:02:02,729 --> 01:02:11,193 tomorrow when we chat. Back to you, Greg. Again, Simon, pleasure to have you on the, 446 01:02:11,193 --> 01:02:18,216 first of all, to have your radio ticket. And at least I had some success anyway, 447 01:02:18,216 --> 01:02:24,162 way back when. Thanks for acknowledging me on QRZ on your page, for sure. and you'll 448 01:02:24,162 --> 01:02:29,422 notice that K3DTS is still a call sign, but it's no longer with the college, it's with 449 01:02:29,422 --> 01:02:34,482 me. Back to you, Greg. W3DIB and the net WA3VE. 450 01:02:37,848 --> 01:02:45,705 Thanks Ron. Yeah, K3DTS, man that'll forever be burned into my mind as the 985 Field Day 451 01:02:45,705 --> 01:02:51,319 go to station. I know it has more purpose than that, but I'll never forget that call sign. 452 01:02:51,319 --> 01:02:56,163 yeah, kudos Simon for quick thinking in pulling out a cookie sheet for your ground plane and 453 01:02:56,163 --> 01:03:03,418 making your antenna more effective. That's really cool. And I'm jealous. I'm very jealous that 454 01:03:03,418 --> 01:03:09,138 you got to have Ron for an instructor. I said to Ron before, or at least I hope I have, if 455 01:03:09,138 --> 01:03:15,018 I'd have had him and when I was in double E, I probably would have graduated double E, although 456 01:03:15,018 --> 01:03:18,377 I probably still would have gravitated towards programming because my brain just works that 457 01:03:18,377 --> 01:03:22,638 way. Anyway, I am going on. Are there any other stations that would like to offer a comment, 458 01:03:22,778 --> 01:03:40,339 please call now. KC3SQI Take it away Wayne, this is W3DIB. Okay, another way that you 459 01:03:40,339 --> 01:03:53,775 could ground the radio is if you had a power cord that went into a lighter plug for the 460 01:03:53,775 --> 01:04:04,449 radio for charging. And if you can use that while you're transmitting, that will ground 461 01:04:04,449 --> 01:04:15,311 the radio too and also gives the static a place to bleed off. that might be something that 462 01:04:15,311 --> 01:04:18,094 you actually have running around with you. 463 01:04:21,336 --> 01:04:23,417 KC-3SQI, back to you. 464 01:04:28,462 --> 01:04:33,745 Yeah, that does have the added benefit. You could derive your power from the car, giving 465 01:04:33,745 --> 01:04:38,258 you longer QSOs, longer conversations. Are there any other stations who would like to 466 01:04:38,258 --> 01:04:41,010 offer a comment? Please call now. 467 01:04:48,590 --> 01:04:55,736 Okay, nothing hurt. Simon, we'll turn it back over to you for your final comments. KD3BPI. 468 01:04:55,757 --> 01:04:57,170 This is W3DIB. 469 01:05:01,230 --> 01:05:09,150 83 BPI. Thanks to everyone for their thoughts. This is a lot. I took notes, but it's a lot 470 01:05:09,150 --> 01:05:16,250 to think on. I do, I was wondering about the idea of MADC building up because as I heard 471 01:05:16,250 --> 01:05:23,270 it this morning, I had moved my antenna from my trunk lid to my roof because I thought maybe 472 01:05:23,270 --> 01:05:30,177 my trunk lid wasn't an effective ground plane. And so, and it actually was worse on my roof. 473 01:05:30,177 --> 01:05:34,175 The noise I was getting, I was able to hear it in the receive, whereas before I hadn't 474 01:05:34,175 --> 01:05:39,425 been able to hear it in the receive. So I was thinking like, maybe the wind rushing by is 475 01:05:39,425 --> 01:05:48,522 doing something. But you guys put it together for me and I thank you for that. And I like 476 01:05:48,522 --> 01:05:54,722 the idea of this cigarette lighter plug. That would be easy. I was thinking I might have 477 01:05:54,722 --> 01:06:01,062 to go and find my stash of forks connectors, the crimp on forks connectors, and put one 478 01:06:01,062 --> 01:06:10,142 under one of the bolts of my seat. like I probably can just hook up the lighter plug. And I might 479 01:06:10,142 --> 01:06:17,676 even, I'm going to test my radio tonight. This particular Baofang has a USB-C port on the 480 01:06:17,676 --> 01:06:24,760 battery for charging. And I was wondering if maybe that, the case or the shell of that 481 01:06:24,760 --> 01:06:28,992 USB-C port, maybe that is shorted to the same ground as the... 482 01:06:32,576 --> 01:06:33,458 I can use the US. 483 01:06:36,462 --> 01:06:40,160 that I'll be getting a pigtail with the cigarette light on. 484 01:06:46,318 --> 01:06:47,570 P3PPR. 485 01:06:54,382 --> 01:06:58,962 Excellent. Yeah, sounds like you have a couple of options. I often wonder if you were to plug 486 01:06:58,962 --> 01:07:05,662 in the USB-C. I wonder if you might negate your one noise problem with another one, especially 487 01:07:05,662 --> 01:07:13,782 if there's a battery management or charge management module circuit in there with extra potentially 488 01:07:13,782 --> 01:07:21,685 noise generating components. But I guess that's for another conversation. If there's anybody 489 01:07:21,685 --> 01:07:26,137 else that has a question or if there's just anybody that would like to do a late check-in 490 01:07:26,137 --> 01:07:31,950 before we close down the workbench, let's put it out there. So anybody that wants to either 491 01:07:31,950 --> 01:07:37,523 get a check-in or has a last minute question for the workbench, please call now. This is 492 01:07:37,523 --> 01:07:43,986 W3DIB. 3MFP question. A3CW, comment. 493 01:07:47,317 --> 01:07:53,418 Let's turn it over to Chuck first for comment because I think it's probably on the same question 494 01:07:53,418 --> 01:07:57,718 and then we'll turn it, Chuck if you want to turn it right over to Mike, W3MFB that'll be 495 01:07:57,718 --> 01:08:05,058 perfect. This is Whiskey 3 Delta, India Bravo, sending it to NA3CW. Actually this is different, 496 01:08:06,298 --> 01:08:17,022 NA3CW. Going back to Wayne, talking about his ants in the box. At one time I had a full infestation 497 01:08:17,022 --> 01:08:24,576 of ants in my household breaker panel. They were waving their antennas between the breakers. 498 01:08:24,576 --> 01:08:31,288 They were all over the place in there. And I read a thing and I tried it out and it works. 499 01:08:31,288 --> 01:08:41,153 Ants hate the smell of peppermint oil. So I vacuumed out as many as I could, but I didn't 500 01:08:41,153 --> 01:08:47,283 want to go spraying around inside my breaker panel with bug spray. So I put, as per the 501 01:08:47,283 --> 01:08:56,767 suggestion, I got a little cup and put in a few cotton balls and soaked them with peppermint 502 01:08:56,787 --> 01:09:04,161 oil. Now you want to do this outdoors because if you get peppermint oil loose in your house, 503 01:09:04,161 --> 01:09:09,743 you're just going to burn your house down out of frustration because it's overwhelming. Peppermint 504 01:09:09,743 --> 01:09:16,974 oil is very powerful stuff. But if you, especially if you're doing it outdoors anyway, put a 505 01:09:16,974 --> 01:09:23,751 cup, a bottle cap, a lid, something, and put some cotton balls on it and put peppermint 506 01:09:23,751 --> 01:09:28,116 oil on it and sit it inside the box and you will not have any trouble with ants because 507 01:09:28,116 --> 01:09:31,430 they can't stand it. Back to net, NHRECW. 508 01:09:34,795 --> 01:09:40,576 Wow, that's a cool tip. I'm going to file that one away too. Over to you Mike. W3MFB, W3DIB. 509 01:09:40,576 --> 01:09:52,396 Crazy question, crazy question. On the work. seeing how long winded we all get over here. 510 01:09:52,396 --> 01:09:57,245 And sometimes we leave a pause for the cause and that's a good thing. I heard you say that 511 01:09:57,245 --> 01:10:04,434 before Greg. I never asked this in five years, how come we never break for a mercy. 512 01:10:13,454 --> 01:10:17,496 We'll put that out to the group. I don't know if I totally understand the question. Why do 513 01:10:17,496 --> 01:10:23,159 we never break for emergency traffic? Have we had an instance where someone has chimed in? 514 01:10:23,159 --> 01:10:28,751 But maybe I understand the question. I will put it out. Is there anybody, any stations 515 01:10:28,751 --> 01:10:30,432 that have a comment? Please call now. 516 01:10:40,622 --> 01:10:45,850 I got WA3VEE but you definitely doubled with somebody so I'll mark down Ron, we'll go to 517 01:10:45,850 --> 01:10:50,738 you first and then was there another station to call? HCRW. 518 01:10:53,890 --> 01:11:01,237 Got it. Alright, so we'll send it over to Ron, W-A-3-V-E-E, and then over to W-8-C-R-W. This 519 01:11:01,237 --> 01:11:10,989 is W-3-D-I-B. Monday night, workbench. Very good, Greg. W3DIB with W-A-C-R-W in the wings. 520 01:11:10,989 --> 01:11:17,334 W-A-3-V-E-E, with your indulgence as net control, I will send it right over to C-R when I'm done. 521 01:11:17,334 --> 01:11:26,580 Typically, nets have a script where they start off by saying, if anybody has priority traffic, 522 01:11:26,580 --> 01:11:34,546 please call now or whatever. I don't know that we've ever, and I can't speak for... 523 01:11:35,180 --> 01:11:41,334 the founders of the workbench and that would be Jerry W3 EMF or for the roundtable Phil 524 01:11:41,334 --> 01:11:48,288 KC3 CIB. I don't know that we ever really thought about that. I don't know that it's 525 01:11:48,288 --> 01:11:56,563 really necessary in ham radio and it sounds like something that you'll learn here. In 526 01:11:56,563 --> 01:12:05,344 ham radio basically, if there is an emergency, The typical way that you signal an emergency 527 01:12:05,344 --> 01:12:14,649 is you do break break between transmissions. That will immediately signal an emergency 528 01:12:14,649 --> 01:12:21,664 for anyone who didn't know that. That's the typical procedure and folks have been in this 529 01:12:21,664 --> 01:12:25,956 a long time, in fact even some longer than me, correct me if I'm wrong, but that's what I 530 01:12:25,956 --> 01:12:31,757 always understood the procedure to be. Someone with any emergency traffic, if you're on the 531 01:12:31,757 --> 01:12:37,691 road and there's an accident or you need to, you can't get to 911 or something like that, 532 01:12:37,691 --> 01:12:43,754 or you need immediate help, the way to do it is break, break. That signals an emergency 533 01:12:43,754 --> 01:12:49,337 like right away and everything stops. So calling at the beginning of a net, always thought, 534 01:12:49,418 --> 01:12:55,581 frankly myself, I've always thought that was silly. But anyway, that's the input that 535 01:12:55,581 --> 01:13:03,365 I have there. So. If anybody ever has a priority, that's what would be expected to be done. 536 01:13:03,365 --> 01:13:09,779 That's in the ARRL operating manual and has been in there since DIRT was invented. Over 537 01:13:09,779 --> 01:13:19,294 to you, CR. W-H-C-R-W. End of group. W-A-3-V-E-E. Good, Ron. I believe you got the essence of 538 01:13:19,294 --> 01:13:26,318 the answer. So, yeah, so if you have an issue, you have an emergency on the ham radio side. 539 01:13:26,670 --> 01:13:35,630 break break and that will give you priority. And with that let's go back to Greg. W8CRW. 540 01:13:39,250 --> 01:13:48,692 Go for it Jim. Right over to AF3Z. Just a highlight, not a highlight, highlighting something. That 541 01:13:48,692 --> 01:13:54,184 is correct, obviously, I hope. But also I can say I've never heard it discussed here and 542 01:13:54,184 --> 01:14:00,577 I agree with Ron. It's kind of silly the way it gets done. does remind people it can happen. 543 01:14:00,577 --> 01:14:05,889 But that's when we say, you know, you should leave pauses between transmissions and it's 544 01:14:05,889 --> 01:14:12,582 good repeater etiquette, which is in our scripts at times. That's part of what that's all about. 545 01:14:12,582 --> 01:14:18,334 the airway, you should leave breaks in case somebody needs to break in. So another good 546 01:14:18,334 --> 01:14:24,454 reason to do that. And we all trespass on that territory of time. Back to you, Greg. AF3Z. 547 01:14:30,510 --> 01:14:38,705 Nope, that's good advice for me as well. I can sometimes be quick with the push to talk, 548 01:14:38,705 --> 01:14:44,278 especially now that I've gotten over to RF. Yeah, I just, I had always assumed, and it's 549 01:14:44,278 --> 01:14:50,062 funny, this, I, for once, I didn't feel like the dunce in the room because I actually knew 550 01:14:50,062 --> 01:14:54,616 the answer to that. I remember, I forget how it happened, I think it was Dr. Mills back 551 01:14:54,736 --> 01:15:00,551 at University of Delaware where he was kind of in charge of the amateur radio club there 552 01:15:00,551 --> 01:15:12,993 when I was in school, W3UD, with the call, I believe. And... Yeah, remember something 553 01:15:12,993 --> 01:15:19,097 came up about the word break and it was basically, oh don't use that on amateur bands. Like that 554 01:15:19,097 --> 01:15:24,711 means an emergency. And like I don't know why, but that stuck in my head. yeah, and I always 555 01:15:24,711 --> 01:15:30,085 kind of assumed like the ham radio being kind of like the gentle person's type of radio, 556 01:15:30,085 --> 01:15:36,559 not like some other forms of radio. If somebody ever broke in with any kind of emergency, we 557 01:15:36,559 --> 01:15:41,039 would just immediately stop what we were doing and like probably try to help. whether it was 558 01:15:41,039 --> 01:15:46,630 relaying a message, making a phone call, whatever. I just assume that's kind of how AMRADIO is. 559 01:15:46,630 --> 01:15:50,738 So are there any other stations that would like to offer a comment? Please call now. 560 01:15:56,334 --> 01:16:05,745 Okay, nothing hurt. guess we'll turn it back over to Mike. W3MFB, this is W3DIV. In CR 561 01:16:05,745 --> 01:16:11,986 and GM, yeah, I figured as much. I figured as much, you know, we do leave pauses and, uh... 562 01:16:14,784 --> 01:16:21,406 courtesy especially on digital and digital mounts and RF we do leave major pauses for 563 01:16:21,406 --> 01:16:28,898 digital so if anybody wanted to they could pop in here. We're kind of the dawn of cell 564 01:16:28,898 --> 01:16:37,200 phones and all that stuff but we're not really in a spot with cell phone use and whatnot. 565 01:16:37,200 --> 01:16:46,150 usually call but 911 was down in our Chester County area not too long ago and So the Euclid 566 01:16:46,150 --> 01:16:52,610 area, Exeter area, getting a lot of drop calls. A lot of people are on cell phones. There's 567 01:16:52,610 --> 01:17:01,289 not enough towers up there. I think it was better when it was 4G, then COVID hit and taxes were 568 01:17:01,289 --> 01:17:06,210 high in New York and New Jersey and everybody moved down this way. So there's a lot of drop 569 01:17:06,210 --> 01:17:11,130 calls on all networks up there in that general area. So yeah, I was just kind of curious, 570 01:17:12,730 --> 01:17:18,866 because you hear it on HF a lot. you know, especially like maritime mobile and things like that. 571 01:17:18,866 --> 01:17:24,945 But yeah, no, I get it. I get it. wasn't gung ho on it, but I was just curious. That's all. 572 01:17:24,945 --> 01:17:30,674 So I appreciate it, Greg. And the boys, thank you very much. W3MFB, back to net. 573 01:17:34,104 --> 01:17:40,220 Okay, I don't think there were any other questions indicated. But you know, we'll put it out 574 01:17:40,220 --> 01:17:45,780 for anybody who wants to check in for that final check in to get on the list here on the 575 01:17:45,780 --> 01:17:51,753 Monday night workbench. I almost said Thursday night workbench. Are there any other stations 576 01:17:51,753 --> 01:17:53,694 who would like to get added to the list? Please call now. 577 01:17:57,592 --> 01:18:01,714 Kilo Charlie 3, Yankee Tango Delta. 578 01:18:06,146 --> 01:18:10,007 Hilo Charlie 3, Yankee Tango Delta, over to you. 579 01:18:13,196 --> 01:18:14,847 I don't have any comment. 580 01:18:22,807 --> 01:18:23,400 Okay. 581 01:18:57,166 --> 01:19:04,097 trying to look up the station YTD. That is KC3 YTD. That's Steve. And also you had Bruce 582 01:19:04,097 --> 01:19:12,370 in there, KS4CK. So that gives you some continuity there. This is WA3VE. 583 01:19:15,598 --> 01:19:20,738 Thank you, Ron. I did even worse than that. I don't know what I pressed on my mic, but 584 01:19:20,738 --> 01:19:26,738 I completely changed my radio into some weird frequency mode. And I basically had to power 585 01:19:26,738 --> 01:19:31,698 cycle it to get back, and I missed all of what Steve basically said. But I did not hear Bruce, 586 01:19:31,738 --> 01:19:38,178 so I guess we'll turn it over to him. Steve, was there a question? KC3YTD. 587 01:19:41,526 --> 01:19:44,023 No, I had no question. was just checking in. Over. 588 01:19:47,566 --> 01:19:53,113 Thank you and sorry I missed a lot of your transmission unfortunately because of my stupidity. So 589 01:19:53,113 --> 01:20:02,305 forgive me. I will turn it over to Bruce. K Kilo Sierra for Charlie Kilo, W3DIV on 590 01:20:02,305 --> 01:20:09,246 the Monday night workbench. Yeah, KS4CK, name is Bruce, just checking in and out. Thanks 591 01:20:09,246 --> 01:20:16,242 for having a great net and love listening to it. Just wanted to get my name on the list. 592 01:20:20,468 --> 01:20:25,601 You are officially on the log and welcome. Glad you guys both checked in, Steve and Bruce. 593 01:20:25,601 --> 01:20:31,485 Yeah, make sure to check in frequently. We'll turn it over one more time. there any other 594 01:20:31,485 --> 01:20:35,547 stations that would like to get added to the list? And then if not, we'll go ahead and close 595 01:20:35,547 --> 01:20:40,050 the workbench. Any stations wishing to be added to the list, check in now. 596 01:20:46,350 --> 01:20:48,671 November 3 Oscar Golf Foxtrot. 597 01:20:55,054 --> 01:21:05,778 November 3 Oscar Golf Foxtrot. John West Bradford Township. listen to the net good net again. 598 01:21:05,778 --> 01:21:08,690 Very informative and 73 and three or GF. 599 01:21:12,910 --> 01:21:20,371 John, thanks for checking in. We'll love to hear you here again. Any other stations listed 600 01:21:20,371 --> 01:21:21,419 to check in, please call now. 601 01:21:31,118 --> 01:21:35,918 Okay, nothing heard. Alright, before we close down the workbench, I want to say thanks to 602 01:21:35,918 --> 01:21:42,898 all stations checking in to this edition, this Monday, August 4th edition of the 95 Workbench. 603 01:21:43,138 --> 01:21:48,518 Great questions all around. Bill, I loved your boat anchor question. I learned something huge 604 01:21:48,518 --> 01:21:58,856 about carrier control modulation versus plate modulation and how... doesn't like those 605 01:21:58,856 --> 01:22:01,930 nasty loud audio peaks. Otherwise you can chew up your screens. 606 01:22:09,294 --> 01:22:11,122 save quite a bit of energy. 607 01:22:14,830 --> 01:22:15,561 the energy out of 608 01:22:19,672 --> 01:22:27,378 Yeah, and then let's see, we had Simon, we've got, kudos to Simon for making it in with 609 01:22:27,378 --> 01:22:36,098 your cookie sheet and mag mount. getting rid of the noise on your mobile setup. Looking 610 01:22:36,098 --> 01:22:41,978 at both static electricity as probably a source of that. Anyway, we want to give a big thank 611 01:22:41,978 --> 01:22:46,938 you to Joe, W3GMS, for making the 985 repeater available to the workbench. You are invited 612 01:22:46,938 --> 01:22:51,238 to use the repeater often. That's a great way to show that you appreciate the gift of 985 613 01:22:51,238 --> 01:22:55,898 to the amateur radio community. Finally, we hope to hear you again on Thursday evening 614 01:22:55,898 --> 01:23:03,346 at 8 p.m. during the round table, the 985 round table this week hosted by Jim, AF3Z. This concludes 615 01:23:03,346 --> 01:23:07,666 the workbench for tonight. Feel free to stick around and continue the discussion on 985. 616 01:23:08,246 --> 01:23:14,226 Have a great night and a great week ahead. 73, this is W3, DIB now clear.