1 00:00:59,246 --> 00:01:07,329 Good evening my fellow Ham-Americans. Welcome to the 985 workbench. I'm Chuck and my call 2 00:01:07,369 --> 00:01:14,792 is NA3CW, tonight's host for the workbench. I'm located in Parksburg, Pennsylvania. We 3 00:01:14,792 --> 00:01:24,897 meet every Monday at 8 p.m. on the W3GMS Parksburg repeater at 146.985 megahertz on your FM dial. 4 00:01:24,897 --> 00:01:31,594 The PL tone to access the repeater is 100 hertz. To those who have tone squelch on receive, 5 00:01:31,814 --> 00:01:40,014 lucky you, the repeater transmits a squelch tone of 94.8 hertz. Newcomers are very welcome. 6 00:01:40,634 --> 00:01:49,874 We encourage all stations to check in. Take a look at the repeater website located at www.w3gmsrepeater.com. 7 00:01:50,054 --> 00:01:55,634 has lots of information including technical articles, pictures of 985 users in action, 8 00:01:56,654 --> 00:02:02,598 and repeater etiquette and history. Please be aware that on occasion the repeater experiences 9 00:02:02,598 --> 00:02:08,938 intermod interference. Please run maximum power or be prepared to check in digitally through 10 00:02:08,938 --> 00:02:16,338 EchoLink or All-Star. We want to hear you. To be able to use EchoLink or All-Star on 985 11 00:02:16,338 --> 00:02:23,318 you need to register with us. Directions for doing so could be found on the website w3gmsrepeater.com. 12 00:02:23,978 --> 00:02:30,531 Also when intermod is present before starting a transmission Before starting a long transmission, 13 00:02:30,651 --> 00:02:36,753 give a short call. Am I getting in OK? Once the host confirms that, then you can share 14 00:02:36,753 --> 00:02:42,996 your longer comments. Here on the workbench, we focus on answering general questions of 15 00:02:42,996 --> 00:02:50,099 radio theory and operation. Additionally, we invite each station to briefly comment on 16 00:02:50,099 --> 00:02:54,841 your amateur radio activity in the past week. When checking in, please indicate if you have 17 00:02:54,841 --> 00:03:00,594 a question for the workbench. If you don't have a question. still check in. After all stations 18 00:03:00,594 --> 00:03:06,189 have checked in, we will first share what we've done this past week using a roundtable format. 19 00:03:06,189 --> 00:03:12,114 Please write down the call of the station that checks in right after you. When you have finished 20 00:03:12,114 --> 00:03:17,668 your comments, turn the mic over to that station. Once we have all made our comments, we will 21 00:03:17,668 --> 00:03:24,124 start question and answer portion of the workbench operating as a directed net. I will call on 22 00:03:24,124 --> 00:03:28,954 a station that indicated having a question and then for stations who wish to respond to that 23 00:03:28,954 --> 00:03:29,386 question. 24 00:03:34,936 --> 00:03:39,919 Wait to be recognized by net control, me, before beginning a transmission. This helps us handle 25 00:03:39,919 --> 00:03:47,974 the questions efficiently and keeps the net running smoothly. At times, it helps for 26 00:03:47,974 --> 00:03:52,917 two stations to pass the mic back and forth to help clarify the situation and pass information. 27 00:03:52,937 --> 00:04:00,762 Feel free to do that as needed, then pass it back to net control. Remember, don't be too 28 00:04:00,762 --> 00:04:07,620 quick to talk. because a couple of seconds before hitting the prestatox, pause a couple of 29 00:04:07,620 --> 00:04:10,368 seconds before hitting the prestatox. 30 00:04:13,816 --> 00:04:18,851 This is good repeater etiquette and the pauses are especially helpful to those on All Star 31 00:04:18,851 --> 00:04:24,937 and Echo Link. When you do click the push to talk button, wait a second before talking. 32 00:04:25,999 --> 00:04:34,738 Click, wait, two, three, talk. We don't want to miss what you say at first. It takes a 33 00:04:34,738 --> 00:04:40,819 moment for the repeater to process your Pielto. Also, the repeater has a three minute timer. 34 00:04:40,819 --> 00:04:44,220 If you talk for more than three minutes without letting up on your mic button, the repeater 35 00:04:44,220 --> 00:04:49,512 completely shuts down until you release your push to talk switch. So every two to three 36 00:04:49,512 --> 00:04:55,795 minutes, release the mic button for just a moment like this. Then you can continue. Before 37 00:04:55,795 --> 00:04:59,267 I begin, I want to say thanks to all of our Workbench hosts. They're the ones who make 38 00:04:59,267 --> 00:05:05,569 this happen. If you may be interested in hosting Workbench, please contact Jim, AF3Z, or any 39 00:05:05,569 --> 00:05:13,218 of us, and we'll help you get started. Lastly, please join Bill, KC3OOK, Old Smoothie, this 40 00:05:13,218 --> 00:05:19,169 Thursday at 8 p.m. for the 985 roundtable. At this time, we're going to start the check-in 41 00:05:19,169 --> 00:05:25,961 process. Remember to indicate if you have a question for the group. Digital stations using 42 00:05:25,961 --> 00:05:30,492 Echolink are all-star. I will leave long pauses to make it easier for you to check in. Digital 43 00:05:30,492 --> 00:05:35,404 stations, please check in now. And everybody else, please be patient till I get back. This 44 00:05:35,404 --> 00:05:43,633 is NH3CW. W1RC, good evening, I have no question. 45 00:05:53,954 --> 00:05:57,567 Whiskey 8 Charlie Romeo Whiskey. No question. 46 00:06:20,812 --> 00:06:28,485 Sounds like that's it. Good evening, Mike. W1RC in Marblehead, Mass. And CRW8CRW. So 47 00:06:28,485 --> 00:06:35,568 we'll now take RF, or digital stations. Please call, spread them out a bit. This is NA3CW. 48 00:06:35,568 --> 00:06:41,636 Whiskey Alpha 3, Victor Echo Echo, WA3VEE. 49 00:06:45,472 --> 00:06:50,900 Whiskey 3 Juliet Alpha Mike W3JAM with a query this evening. 50 00:06:57,915 --> 00:07:02,516 WA3 King Fox Tango WA3KFT John 51 00:07:07,694 --> 00:07:10,962 KC3YSM Steve. 52 00:07:24,522 --> 00:07:27,986 D3SQI, no question. 53 00:07:34,190 --> 00:07:35,698 KC300. 54 00:07:46,702 --> 00:07:54,070 KD3AIS Kilo Delta 3 Alpha India Sierra. This is Tim with a question. 55 00:08:16,462 --> 00:08:22,263 Okay, that sounds like that's our list. So here they come and please write down whoever 56 00:08:22,263 --> 00:08:51,832 follows you. W1RC. to W8CRW to W83VE. to W3JAM. to WA3KFT to KC3YSM to KC3SQI. to 57 00:08:51,832 --> 00:09:05,347 KC3OOK and to KD3AIS. Do we have any other check-ins? Please call. Milky Alpha Two Juliet Tango 58 00:09:05,347 --> 00:09:06,642 Sierra. 59 00:09:18,094 --> 00:09:21,162 Okay, I got WA2JTF. Anyone else? 60 00:09:30,626 --> 00:09:37,461 Okay, welcome aboard Bob. And you're the tail gunner, so if nobody else checks in, you'll 61 00:09:37,461 --> 00:09:46,437 send it back to me after your comments. So. We'll now begin the roundtable session starting 62 00:09:46,437 --> 00:09:53,662 with Mr. Mike. So how was your week in Ham radio? W1RC. On the workbench, this is NHECW. 63 00:10:02,862 --> 00:10:10,314 This is W1RC. Well, I really haven't done much this week in ham radio as such. 64 00:10:14,806 --> 00:10:20,978 I I'm busy working my last week of work. will be... 65 00:10:24,490 --> 00:10:33,367 to June so you know kind of cleaning up from the last 13 months of work. Once we're out 66 00:10:33,367 --> 00:10:38,933 of it then there'll be plenty of time for Hammering U and other fun things. So wish you guys 67 00:10:39,226 --> 00:10:45,481 a good time at Steel Day coming up and I'd like to be down there but not this year but 68 00:10:45,481 --> 00:10:49,806 who knows, maybe next. Over to CR, this is W1RC. 69 00:10:55,054 --> 00:11:02,814 Mr. Mike and Chuck, thank you for taking the chair tonight and running the show. This week 70 00:11:02,814 --> 00:11:11,854 in Ham radio, normal 985 activities, Red Rose, Saturday night simplex net. But the big news 71 00:11:11,854 --> 00:11:19,034 is on Thursday with the storm, I lost my HF antenna and a bunch of tree branches. So with 72 00:11:19,034 --> 00:11:29,065 that, Ron, pick it up. W-A-3-V-E-E-W-H-C-R-W. Good to see you. Thanks very much. W-H-E-R-W 73 00:11:29,065 --> 00:11:35,216 in the group. W-A-3-V-E-E. And good evening to everybody on the net tonight. And also 74 00:11:35,216 --> 00:11:44,169 thanks, Chuck, for being in that control. Excellent. Well, for field day here. Right now in front 75 00:11:44,169 --> 00:11:53,862 of me I've got a laptop and I want to thank and publicly acknowledge Scott W3KZG. This 76 00:11:53,862 --> 00:12:02,699 laptop was... destined for the dumpster and he resuscitated it. It's a IBM ThinkPad 77 00:12:02,699 --> 00:12:09,174 and it is working great. I have the SAT software running on it right now and I will bring all 78 00:12:09,174 --> 00:12:14,448 this stuff up to the Field Day site and we should have satellite communications. Just 79 00:12:14,448 --> 00:12:22,073 need working with Corbin to see if he can get in there and actually operate. not, I'll 80 00:12:22,093 --> 00:12:27,178 fumble through it. I'm not sure if Harvey's going to be able to make it. He's our expert 81 00:12:27,178 --> 00:12:34,031 on this stuff, but we'll see. But right now that's the big thing. That and I will be getting 82 00:12:34,031 --> 00:12:40,925 some other logistical things done. Took care of some paperwork today and got that through 83 00:12:40,925 --> 00:12:47,659 George and Joe. That's great. And so we'll be able to welcome visitors at the site. 84 00:12:47,659 --> 00:12:53,622 So if anybody is, wants to see what we're up to and has not had a chance to become involved. 85 00:12:54,286 --> 00:12:59,738 Certainly on Saturday we'll be up there ready to fire the gun at two o'clock when we actually 86 00:12:59,738 --> 00:13:07,822 start operating on the field day itself. Tomorrow I hope to get onto QRZ and at least temporarily 87 00:13:07,822 --> 00:13:15,155 chase the Whiskey Rebellion guys off for about a week or so off W3R on that page and get 88 00:13:15,155 --> 00:13:22,458 our splash up there as well. So between that, oh and we did get an acknowledgement from another 89 00:13:22,498 --> 00:13:24,562 county commissioner. Standby. 90 00:13:30,702 --> 00:13:35,924 They will not be able to make it, are interested in future activities that we do. So that's 91 00:13:35,924 --> 00:13:40,986 two commissioners. One confirmed who will be there, Eric Roe, and Maryam Moskowitz, who's 92 00:13:40,986 --> 00:13:46,405 not able to make it. She's going to be actually out of the country starting in a couple days. 93 00:13:46,405 --> 00:13:53,591 We're over in Europe for a wedding. So anyway, all that's very good. And so it should be 94 00:13:53,591 --> 00:14:01,978 a tremendous, tremendous field day, even though it is blazing hot right now. Stand by. Temperature 95 00:14:01,978 --> 00:14:09,834 is predicted to moderate down to the low to mid 80s, which should be quite tolerable, especially 96 00:14:09,834 --> 00:14:23,791 if there's a lot less humidity. So let's see. It goes to Jeff, W3JAM, WA3VE. Okay, Ron, 97 00:14:23,791 --> 00:14:34,297 business. W-A-3-V-E-E-W-3-J-A-M out here sweltering Studio B this evening. But I'm already soaked, 98 00:14:34,357 --> 00:14:41,121 so I don't care really. It feels good in front of the fan here. Just finished up with the 99 00:14:41,121 --> 00:14:47,334 quadrupeds for the night and getting ready to throw in the towel and head in, but I will 100 00:14:47,334 --> 00:14:52,751 stick around. I do have a query this evening, which I'll... announce it the appropriate time. 101 00:14:52,751 --> 00:14:57,453 my week in amateur radio, by the way, all that sounds very, very good, Ron, on field day. 102 00:14:57,453 --> 00:15:02,115 And I've been completely absent in any of that this year. I've put these horses here with 103 00:15:02,115 --> 00:15:10,779 our guests. I've been, let's just say, come 8 o'clock. I'm down hard. Plus, I got sick, 104 00:15:10,779 --> 00:15:15,621 and all the extra work really dragged me down. I haven't been quite right here for a month 105 00:15:15,621 --> 00:15:21,748 almost. And I'm just trying to claw my way out of very bad cold and still recovering. 106 00:15:21,748 --> 00:15:29,294 So anyway, fine. As much activity as is possible when one has to come out in the Studio B in 107 00:15:29,294 --> 00:15:34,708 hot weather and operate, I do manage to check into the Simplex Net on Saturday night and 108 00:15:34,708 --> 00:15:40,273 have continued to do that. Started checking in again on the roundtable. Now the choir 109 00:15:40,273 --> 00:15:47,589 is finished, which I very much enjoy doing. And Central PA Skywarn, I can hit that repeater 110 00:15:47,589 --> 00:15:55,213 in Dauphin County from out here. So very good. And I have not made more progress on my off-center 111 00:15:55,213 --> 00:16:02,036 FED, working with the chief engineer on a minor sticking point, which I hope to get approved 112 00:16:02,036 --> 00:16:08,019 here soon, a variance or whatnot put into place to allow us to proceed with the OCF out here. 113 00:16:08,019 --> 00:16:14,222 But we'll see how that goes. And have not made any progress on my Centurion amplifier. 114 00:16:14,222 --> 00:16:20,057 What will be a pair of three 500s E's in ground to grid, but what at the moment is a pair of 115 00:16:20,057 --> 00:16:24,709 four 400s and a missing transformer. And I do have the transformer, I just need to put 116 00:16:24,709 --> 00:16:31,930 it in. So from Hammond, Peter Dahl replacement. So anyway, John, over it comes to Delco, 117 00:16:31,930 --> 00:16:47,300 down to Aston she comes. W-A-3-K-F-K-F-T to take it, W-3-J-A-M. W-A-3-K-F-T. Okadook. 118 00:16:48,101 --> 00:16:55,404 Well, I've been off the air for a few days since we did not have electricity of any flavor 119 00:16:55,404 --> 00:17:10,043 for three days and an hour. Really quiet around here. No fans, no lights until I fired up 120 00:17:10,043 --> 00:17:19,158 the generator so I could keep the refrigerator going and the freezer going. but three days 121 00:17:19,158 --> 00:17:23,790 of feeding the generator, yikes, and that's the generator we're gonna use for field day, 122 00:17:24,031 --> 00:17:32,455 or at least one of them anyway, so I know it works. So, oh my goodness sake. And right 123 00:17:32,455 --> 00:17:40,152 along with everything else, the sewer backed up. So we were taking care of that today. 124 00:17:42,966 --> 00:17:50,798 Not too many radio activities, no electricity and a back-up sewer. The sewer is cleaned out, 125 00:17:51,018 --> 00:18:00,158 the power is on, so I can play radio again. KC3YSM, your turn, WA3KFT. 126 00:18:03,224 --> 00:18:13,320 John, WA3KFT, this is KC3YSM and I am glad your sewer is fixed because that's way worse. 127 00:18:16,374 --> 00:18:22,321 not lose the power. know CR, I saw you on Friday and you were telling me about the, I guess 128 00:18:22,321 --> 00:18:22,802 the... 129 00:18:28,334 --> 00:18:35,118 regular 985 nets for me, some mobile. baby 130 00:18:55,500 --> 00:18:59,826 That's it. Guys, have a great field day. I'm not going to be able to be around this. 131 00:19:21,966 --> 00:19:28,766 Thank you very much, Steve, KC3YSM, this is... UI. 132 00:19:36,622 --> 00:19:46,988 The was doing a fantastic job of keeping the air conditioning on, keeping the refrigerators 133 00:19:46,988 --> 00:20:01,195 and freezers and lights on. So not as bad as some around here, but still a lot of 134 00:20:01,195 --> 00:20:15,233 trees down, a lot of garbage and lawn and everything. So need to get back to putting the final touches 135 00:20:15,353 --> 00:20:29,895 on the mast. Made a trip to Homeless Depot and got some no-locks for the conduit. Got 136 00:20:29,895 --> 00:20:42,533 a couple more square U-bolts. so that I can lock the base in a little bit tighter, a 137 00:20:42,533 --> 00:20:54,378 little bit more sturdy. And need to put the POP-2 on and put an eight-foot piece of strut 138 00:20:54,798 --> 00:21:06,710 across the top. And hopefully I will have 200-foot of Berry Flux here. this week and 139 00:21:06,710 --> 00:21:16,070 that will then give me the ability to take the two meter down and throw it onto the top of 140 00:21:16,070 --> 00:21:27,270 the tower. getting there, but got a ways to go yet. So, I'll turn it over to Bill, KC-3, 141 00:21:27,290 --> 00:21:30,330 okay, this is KC-3, SQI. 142 00:21:33,634 --> 00:21:40,821 KC3SQI, KC3OK. Thanks Wayne and Chuck. Thanks for taking the chair tonight. It's good to 143 00:21:40,821 --> 00:21:41,922 hear everybody on here. 144 00:21:46,240 --> 00:21:47,348 inside temperature here. 145 00:21:51,597 --> 00:21:52,146 It's cooler than... 146 00:21:55,246 --> 00:21:55,634 You're just. 147 00:21:59,054 --> 00:22:03,666 We had a fairly good week in radio this week. 148 00:22:09,420 --> 00:22:10,185 Use the beam. 149 00:22:14,318 --> 00:22:14,674 difference. 150 00:22:27,694 --> 00:22:28,290 Hey, we did it. 151 00:23:23,751 --> 00:23:33,506 Thank you, Bill. This is KD3AIS. was away from the house for this past week so didn't do much 152 00:23:33,506 --> 00:23:42,012 other than yesterday observing KC3NZT Harvey's amazing battery backup system to allow him 153 00:23:42,012 --> 00:23:47,756 to keep using radio and other things that we talked about a little bit on the repeater 154 00:23:47,756 --> 00:23:55,771 today. I do have a question and I will just give a heads up to Ron, W-A-3-V-E-E, because 155 00:23:55,771 --> 00:24:03,685 I sent you an email with pictures for my question. I know that is violating our radio communications, 156 00:24:03,685 --> 00:24:08,390 but I think you sit at your desk and are able to view that in case I'm not able to accurately 157 00:24:08,390 --> 00:24:18,962 describe my question. So with that, I will turn it over to WA2JTS. This is KD3AIS. 158 00:24:22,382 --> 00:24:32,687 JD3AIS, WA2JTS, and the handle's Bob. This is my first time on the net here, so don't 159 00:24:32,687 --> 00:24:44,710 be too rough on me. We are in Potsdam, Pennsylvania. for a long, time. We used to work at same 160 00:24:44,710 --> 00:24:53,348 company. But I do have a question. I didn't mention that when I signed in, but I'll throw 161 00:24:53,348 --> 00:25:07,971 it out there anyhow. We haven't had, we've been off HF for quite a while. my one amp 162 00:25:07,971 --> 00:25:17,346 AL-80, when I turn it on, it works and I've been able to use it. But when I turn it on, 163 00:25:17,437 --> 00:25:25,051 the plate current meter pops up to 50. And sometimes it slowly backs down and goes down 164 00:25:25,051 --> 00:25:30,354 to zero. by going here at May. 165 00:25:33,730 --> 00:25:41,557 bad meter that's got a dirty movement in there or something, but that's kind of strange. 166 00:25:41,557 --> 00:25:46,421 It worked fine. I've worked stations with it and get good reports. Not any problem. But 167 00:25:46,421 --> 00:25:58,015 now it's that little... happening that shouldn't be happening. So I'll turn it over to Chuck 168 00:25:58,015 --> 00:26:01,952 and A3CW. This is WA2JTS. 169 00:26:06,606 --> 00:26:13,428 Very good, Bob, and again, welcome to the workbench. And we love questions. 170 00:26:17,038 --> 00:26:24,835 sticky meter maybe. Yeah, welcome to the workbench and come back early and often. And we've 171 00:26:24,835 --> 00:26:29,850 got the roundtable on Thursday night at eight and love to hear from you any time in the 172 00:26:29,850 --> 00:26:34,174 middle. Do we have any other, before we move into the questions, do we have any other check-ins 173 00:26:34,174 --> 00:26:44,362 for the 985 workbench? Please call NA3CW. AF3Z mobile outside of Lancaster and not much 174 00:26:44,362 --> 00:26:47,442 to report but I am here for a while AF3Z. 175 00:26:50,592 --> 00:26:52,402 K3LH. 176 00:27:04,408 --> 00:27:13,863 Okay, two very good additions, AF3Z Mobile and Leon AA3LH. So Jim, how was your week 177 00:27:13,863 --> 00:27:20,914 in AMRADIO? 39 eventful, a little bit of CW and some 9856 178 00:27:34,427 --> 00:27:42,146 AF3Z. Okay, well thank you, this is AA308. We can have radio. 179 00:27:46,998 --> 00:27:56,342 off there. Too much air conditioning. I have some excuse, AC feels good. What I did, this 180 00:27:56,342 --> 00:28:04,245 past week, I was on the round table last Monday, last Tuesday I was on this radio, Wednesday 181 00:28:04,245 --> 00:28:09,418 I wasn't, Thursday I wanted to be on it and the guys told me they can't hear me. Now that's 182 00:28:09,418 --> 00:28:17,814 strange, you can't hear me on this radio? So Friday... Friday I decided I'm going to terror 183 00:28:17,814 --> 00:28:25,674 me. Friday, Thursday night, was too dark to even go out and examine what happened. I know 184 00:28:25,674 --> 00:28:32,154 we had a heavy thunderstorm, so I wasn't sure my antenna wasn't hit by lightning. So I waited 185 00:28:32,154 --> 00:28:37,934 until Friday after breakfast to come home. The antenna looked okay, so we started checking 186 00:28:37,934 --> 00:28:48,976 feed line. Now understand, we had like two inches of rain. in about four hours Thursday night, 187 00:28:48,976 --> 00:28:55,618 Thursday afternoon or Wednesday or Thursday, whichever day it rains so badly. And I got 188 00:28:55,618 --> 00:29:04,262 water at the coax and the outside end of the, yeah, the PL end of the coax, say this right. 189 00:29:04,262 --> 00:29:10,825 And I had water in my coax. So we took care of that and everything appears to be working 190 00:29:10,825 --> 00:29:16,982 and that was what we did. That's what I liked. to report on that. So if you heard me good, 191 00:29:17,282 --> 00:29:23,062 that's what the problem was. Like last Thursday, I couldn't check in. Just didn't work. All 192 00:29:23,062 --> 00:29:30,622 right, that's all I have to report. Back to Chuck. NA 3 CW, A 3 OH. 193 00:29:34,798 --> 00:29:39,371 Well, Leon, congratulations on finding the problem in Europe. You're banging it, full quieting. 194 00:29:39,371 --> 00:29:47,747 So you absolutely fixed it. And Jim, time to go home and chill. So we have three questions 195 00:29:47,747 --> 00:29:53,712 tonight, which is pretty good. So before we get to the questions, we encourage all stations 196 00:29:53,712 --> 00:30:00,877 to make comments, observations, or share experiences. Don't assume that your level of experience 197 00:30:00,877 --> 00:30:06,192 and knowledge isn't sufficient. We want to hear from you. We can all learn from each other 198 00:30:06,192 --> 00:30:13,034 and contribute to our discussion. feel free to pick up the mic and it's time to stump 199 00:30:13,034 --> 00:30:21,818 the chumps. Jeff, you're on. W3JAM. This is N8RECW. Okay, very good Chuck. I don't think 200 00:30:21,818 --> 00:30:29,278 I'll stump the chumps tonight. is, least I hope not. By the way, good evening to Bob, WA2JTS. 201 00:30:29,998 --> 00:30:35,238 Uh, Bob, I'm also in Pottstown. I think I heard you a while ago. If I'm not mistaken, I think 202 00:30:35,238 --> 00:30:40,818 you're off of Schoolhouse Road. I'm off, I'm on Ellis Woods Road, just past the Township 203 00:30:40,818 --> 00:30:46,658 Building, halfway up the hill. Just past that is, or halfway down the hill, depending on 204 00:30:46,658 --> 00:30:55,930 perspective. Anyway. good to all and my question is kind of related to the amplifier that I 205 00:30:55,930 --> 00:31:02,590 did pick up. Joe had alerted me to this. It was part of that Westchester estate disposition 206 00:31:02,590 --> 00:31:10,310 and it's a 10 tech centurion. I never owned, I mean obviously I'm very familiar with 10 207 00:31:10,310 --> 00:31:15,950 tech and a lot of their product line, but I never owned any 10 tech equipment in my amateur 208 00:31:15,950 --> 00:31:26,801 radio career. Just never have. So this Centurion amplifier is the first. it modified slightly 209 00:31:26,801 --> 00:31:34,094 in the sense that the OM had an outboard power supply transformer. I think just transformer, 210 00:31:34,094 --> 00:31:43,932 but I don't know, maybe the entire high voltage. uh... people uh... filtering and rectification 211 00:31:43,932 --> 00:31:52,547 i don't know i i i assume it was just an upward uh... transformer that he then uh... connected 212 00:31:52,547 --> 00:31:59,080 back into the amplifier anyway i the amplifier sans uh... sans transformer so no big deal 213 00:31:59,080 --> 00:32:06,624 i just uh... had uh... hammond by way of digikey produced one for me and that arrived a couple 214 00:32:06,624 --> 00:32:12,915 of weeks ago and uh... Nice piece of iron, an impressive piece of iron, I'll say that. 215 00:32:12,915 --> 00:32:18,808 So I'm gonna put that in here shortly, but I was looking at the amplifier itself and 216 00:32:18,808 --> 00:32:23,940 I did not realize that Tentec, and I don't know whether it was strictly with the Centurion 217 00:32:23,940 --> 00:32:29,843 or any of their amplifiers, did not include an ALC feedback circuit. So there's no ALC 218 00:32:29,843 --> 00:32:36,326 connection. I've not operated an amplifier without an ALC connection and I assume that 219 00:32:36,326 --> 00:32:42,046 as long as you're... monitor the ALC level in your exciter, you should be okay. There should 220 00:32:42,046 --> 00:32:48,806 be any problems with over driving the amplifier. So therein lies the question, is that in fact 221 00:32:48,806 --> 00:32:52,546 the correct statement if I were to just, let's say, use that with one of the, and by the way, 222 00:32:52,566 --> 00:32:57,126 I don't plan on using this amplifier with any of my solid state stuff. That's really targeted 223 00:32:57,126 --> 00:33:04,766 to my Viking Ranger 2, so I can maybe pump up the juice a bit for AM operation. I don't know, 224 00:33:04,766 --> 00:33:12,371 maybe 300 watts or so. carrier. as long as, let's talk about SSB or sideband operation, 225 00:33:12,371 --> 00:33:19,027 as long as I keep my transmitter ALC indicator within bounds, I assume I'll be fine business 226 00:33:19,027 --> 00:33:20,558 with the, with the. 227 00:33:26,536 --> 00:33:28,727 And I don't know, may have time to hang on. 228 00:33:32,334 --> 00:33:36,954 It may have timed the repeater out or I timed out my time out timer. I have not adjusted 229 00:33:36,954 --> 00:33:43,674 it on the 857D. This is the rig I bought from Joe. I need to do that. But the question therein 230 00:33:43,674 --> 00:33:50,894 is simply, am I correct if I just keep my exciter level, ALC level within bounds and I'm driving 231 00:33:50,894 --> 00:33:55,434 at the appropriate power level to drive the amplifier to full output, whatever that might 232 00:33:55,434 --> 00:34:01,934 be, 65, 80 watts, probably not that much, but a little bit less. Do I have nothing to worry 233 00:34:01,934 --> 00:34:02,066 about? 234 00:34:09,217 --> 00:34:11,889 Query, Chuck, back to you, W3JAM. 235 00:34:16,525 --> 00:34:26,009 Thanks Jeff, a good and relevant question indeed. now's the time to hear from you. What say 236 00:34:26,009 --> 00:34:29,650 ye the crowd? Please call NHRECW. 237 00:34:48,045 --> 00:34:56,096 Some of you guys that worked amplifiers, talk to Jeff. Very good. Just getting ready to 238 00:34:56,096 --> 00:35:04,570 try to forward this email. This is WA3VE. Very good. Let me just jump in here real quick. 239 00:35:04,570 --> 00:35:13,073 My understanding is exactly that also. What I try to do here is keep the ALC within bounds 240 00:35:13,073 --> 00:35:19,970 to be able to make sure I don't overdrive the amplifier. What I do have though here is a 241 00:35:19,970 --> 00:35:31,149 scope that has a little loop that is just a proximity located loop close to the coax 242 00:35:31,149 --> 00:35:37,254 so that I could take a look at what the waveform looks like. If looks like I'm clipping, then 243 00:35:37,254 --> 00:35:42,018 I need to back off on the ALC. Jeff, I don't know if that helps or not, but let me turn 244 00:35:42,018 --> 00:35:46,642 it back to Chuck first. 245 00:35:50,018 --> 00:35:51,669 Thank you, Ron. Do we have any other input? 246 00:36:03,726 --> 00:36:07,417 crickets on the repeater. I'll give mine then. 247 00:36:10,990 --> 00:36:17,897 I've never operated an amplifier with the ALC. because I would never operate an amplifier 248 00:36:17,897 --> 00:36:26,742 without a scope. That's just, I just don't. Especially, main reason I got the amplifier 249 00:36:26,742 --> 00:36:41,202 was for AM. And if I was relying on the ALC in the rig, I would blow the amplifier off 250 00:36:41,202 --> 00:36:50,165 the table because I only have one 3500Z and it's very easy to drive. So I could badly 251 00:36:50,165 --> 00:36:58,058 overdrive the amplifier without even touching the ALC in the rig, in the transceiver. The 252 00:36:58,078 --> 00:37:05,592 great arbiter is the scope. One of the fallacies of ALC is all loop feedback systems take a 253 00:37:05,592 --> 00:37:17,138 finite amount of time to react. when, say you drive the amplifier hard enough, say into, 254 00:37:17,338 --> 00:37:22,238 let's say you were using an ALC feedback from the amplifier and I have an ALADB and it's 255 00:37:22,238 --> 00:37:28,578 got ALC set and all that stuff. I could set it. But say you drive it into overdrive, then 256 00:37:28,578 --> 00:37:35,518 it produces a voltage which goes back into the transmitter, into the transceiver, which backs 257 00:37:35,518 --> 00:37:42,378 the gain down on the drive signal. Meanwhile, while in those milliseconds that takes for 258 00:37:42,378 --> 00:37:51,150 that to happen, you're splattering. So to me, I'd rather just go by the scope. And in your 259 00:37:51,150 --> 00:37:59,430 case, depending on how much drive you can get out of your exciter, you may have enough drive 260 00:37:59,430 --> 00:38:04,950 to drive the Centurion into clipping, depending on how you have it loaded. And that's important 261 00:38:04,950 --> 00:38:18,153 too, without overdoing the ALC and the transceiver. So yeah. It's important that you load the 262 00:38:18,153 --> 00:38:26,255 amplifier heavy enough to cover the maximum peak of power that you're conceivably going 263 00:38:26,255 --> 00:38:35,868 to hit. if you can get hands on a scope and make a sensor, just wrap a loop around the 264 00:38:35,868 --> 00:38:41,450 coax, do something to keep an eye on it. That's the main thing. Then once you get your system 265 00:38:41,450 --> 00:38:47,653 adjusted, and adjust your ALC and adjust this and that and the other to your scope, then 266 00:38:47,653 --> 00:38:53,917 you could more safely operate without one. But in my case, especially on AM, it's one of 267 00:38:53,917 --> 00:38:57,339 these things, don't leave home without it. I won't get on the air with an amplifier without 268 00:38:57,339 --> 00:39:02,642 a scope. Any other comments for Jeff? Please call NA3CW. 269 00:39:09,654 --> 00:39:17,857 Okay, Jeff, have we beat it to death? Sir, Chuck, thank you. Very good inputs from both 270 00:39:17,857 --> 00:39:27,604 you and Ron. And certainly for a YAYM operation, I was thinking that a scope would almost be 271 00:39:27,624 --> 00:39:34,569 mandatory anyway, especially during the, what I'll call the rehabilitation of my current 272 00:39:34,569 --> 00:39:40,703 Johnson Viking Ranger II from craptacular audio to something more akin broadcast quality. 273 00:39:40,703 --> 00:39:46,595 I would definitely want to be... monitoring improvements to the modulated waveform and 274 00:39:46,595 --> 00:39:53,729 I understand the importance of that especially too in the context of using an external amplifier 275 00:39:53,729 --> 00:40:01,142 with the exciter. So yeah, I was planning for my AM station to definitely have an inline 276 00:40:01,142 --> 00:40:09,465 means of monitoring, AKA scope, or maybe something like a field fox if I can get my hands on one. 277 00:40:09,465 --> 00:40:16,088 Use one of those at Lockheed, absolutely loved it. That's another topic for another day. 278 00:40:16,088 --> 00:40:25,088 But yes, but on sideband I was just looking to perhaps use it a time or two. I do have 279 00:40:25,088 --> 00:40:30,034 an AL 811. Yeah. 280 00:40:33,432 --> 00:40:34,834 Yeah, it's the 3811. 281 00:40:38,222 --> 00:40:44,342 the heavy model which has four closer to 800 watts peak. This is, I run mine considerably 282 00:40:44,342 --> 00:40:48,942 less, usually around 400 watts when I was using it anyway and I tend it to be more of a, what 283 00:40:48,942 --> 00:40:55,898 I'll call, because I knew from on-the-air reports that there was no splattering as long as I 284 00:40:55,898 --> 00:41:03,161 kept my observed ALC characteristics within range and wasn't driving that M too hard. 285 00:41:03,161 --> 00:41:09,854 E.G. wasn't loading it too heavy. Everything was fine and dandy and I could be a good old 286 00:41:09,854 --> 00:41:18,497 appliance operator. So very good. I appreciate the inputs and kind of emphasize the importance 287 00:41:18,497 --> 00:41:25,856 of the scope. put the scope on it as they say and I definitely will. Thank you all. Back 288 00:41:25,856 --> 00:41:31,010 to you Chuck and I will be in listen mode. I will offer dumb looks for free and any answers 289 00:41:31,010 --> 00:41:35,764 to any questions if possible but I am in trying to out in the lights and get back into the 290 00:41:35,764 --> 00:41:45,265 air conditioning because it is sweltering out here. W3JAM. Thanks, Jeff. And by the way, 291 00:41:45,265 --> 00:41:50,989 you're more likely to splatter if you underload the amplifier. If you don't have high enough 292 00:41:50,989 --> 00:41:58,113 loading, you'll run out of voltage before you run out of current. And that clipping of 293 00:41:58,113 --> 00:42:06,238 the plate voltage waveform will cause splatter. So thank you for all that. And moving on 294 00:42:06,238 --> 00:42:10,290 to Tim, KD3AIS, what is your question, sir? 295 00:42:13,368 --> 00:42:24,694 Thank you, Chuck. NA3CW. is KD3AIS, Tim and Malbert. My question is with regard to transformers 296 00:42:24,694 --> 00:42:31,618 on power poles and the potential for them to cause noise on HF. Looking around at power 297 00:42:31,618 --> 00:42:37,671 poles, I know what a traditional transformer looks like, but not every house has a transformer. 298 00:42:38,011 --> 00:42:45,003 Some of them have smaller things that seem to be functioning. to step down the power to the 299 00:42:45,003 --> 00:42:50,497 house, but are not transformers and are not green boxes that are mentioned when I Google 300 00:42:50,497 --> 00:42:58,692 this online. To make this a radio question, my question is, is it better to live away from 301 00:42:58,692 --> 00:43:06,077 a transformer or away from these other units that step down the power with regard to noise 302 00:43:06,077 --> 00:43:07,648 on HF? Does it matter? 303 00:43:11,790 --> 00:43:19,346 Thanks Tim, interesting question. Who wants to be first to respond to Tim? Please call 304 00:43:19,346 --> 00:43:25,928 on A3CW. W83VEE. Tango. 305 00:43:41,262 --> 00:43:46,103 Very good, and with the indulgence of the fine net control operator, I will turn it directly 306 00:43:46,103 --> 00:43:53,206 over to John. Oh, very good. A couple things you mentioned there, Tim. I just wanted to 307 00:43:53,206 --> 00:44:01,048 do a minor course correction on two statements you made. First of all, I know of no house 308 00:44:01,048 --> 00:44:08,810 in existence that runs on the primary power, which would be something like 2,000. or 7,000 309 00:44:08,811 --> 00:44:15,604 or 4,160 or something like that. So those are the wires that you see on the, what's called 310 00:44:15,604 --> 00:44:24,249 the cross arm, on the tops of poles. That's generally a very, very high voltage. And the 311 00:44:24,249 --> 00:44:29,212 reason it's high voltage is because it takes a lot less current and it feeds an awful 312 00:44:29,212 --> 00:44:39,774 lot of transformers. So that's one thing right there. The next thing is that, Yes, sooner 313 00:44:39,774 --> 00:44:52,554 or later, every load, house, business, street lighting, whatever, has got to have some kind 314 00:44:52,554 --> 00:45:00,854 of means to have the voltage step down from that high voltage I mentioned down to a working 315 00:45:00,854 --> 00:45:09,079 voltage of 240, 120, et cetera. That requires a transformer. Transformers are the thing 316 00:45:09,079 --> 00:45:13,670 that does the stepping down. They also work in the other direction, but that's not the 317 00:45:13,670 --> 00:45:20,032 topic here. Or they keep the voltage the same. That's a whole other, another topic for another 318 00:45:20,032 --> 00:45:28,814 night. But in this case, everything does have a step-down transformer to get from the higher 319 00:45:28,814 --> 00:45:35,526 voltage to 240 or 120. So these other devices that you're showing here, and by the way, I 320 00:45:35,526 --> 00:45:46,190 sent I sent this email to everyone that I had an email for here on the workbench on this 321 00:45:46,190 --> 00:45:47,050 net standby. 322 00:45:51,070 --> 00:45:54,350 for me, had the luxury of having this right in front of me here on the Shack computer. 323 00:45:55,090 --> 00:45:59,850 So what you're showing here, what Tim is showing for those of you who cannot display this, he's 324 00:45:59,850 --> 00:46:08,340 showing two photographs. And one is a picture, the first one is a picture of a cross arm 325 00:46:08,340 --> 00:46:15,445 on a utility pole. not a telephone pole, a utility pole. And it shows a fuse. And what that 326 00:46:15,445 --> 00:46:20,719 fuse looks like is a, first of all, there's a connection to a wire, and that's called a 327 00:46:20,719 --> 00:46:27,193 bug. And that bug takes the high voltage, feeds it through a fuse. And for those of you, 328 00:46:27,193 --> 00:46:32,017 when you do get a chance, if you're not looking at it now with this photograph, you'll see 329 00:46:32,017 --> 00:46:41,800 like a flanged. like a Y-type looking arrangement. That's where the blades actually go for this 330 00:46:41,800 --> 00:46:47,342 white cylindrical thing that's vertical in the photograph across this insulator. That's 331 00:46:47,342 --> 00:46:53,133 the actual fuse. The high voltage comes off of that and then goes to a feed that goes 332 00:46:53,133 --> 00:46:58,955 underground. There's no transformer in that. That just is taking the high voltage and feeding 333 00:46:58,955 --> 00:47:03,799 it underground. That's what we have in our neighborhood. And that feeds a whole bunch 334 00:47:03,799 --> 00:47:08,711 of transformers up and down my street here, which are on the ground. Those are those green 335 00:47:08,711 --> 00:47:14,915 boxes. So that's high voltage that's being fed directly underground. The next photograph 336 00:47:14,915 --> 00:47:23,279 does show what's called a distribution transformer. And in slang, we call those pole pigs. And 337 00:47:23,279 --> 00:47:31,464 that takes the high voltage and definitely steps it down to the voltage that we use in our 338 00:47:31,464 --> 00:47:39,270 homes. you're seeing here is you're seeing again, you're seeing a fuse and a connection, a high 339 00:47:39,270 --> 00:47:47,870 voltage connection from the primary wire, what the utility company calls primary. And that 340 00:47:47,870 --> 00:47:56,070 goes to a fuse. And then it goes through a insulator on the transformer. Coming out of the transformer, 341 00:47:56,190 --> 00:48:06,430 you see three rather thick black wires. That is 240 across two of those wires and neutral 342 00:48:06,430 --> 00:48:17,609 in the middle. And that is what's feeding your house. interference can certainly come from 343 00:48:17,609 --> 00:48:24,205 a partial breakdown anywhere in the system, primarily of insulators. And what you're hearing 344 00:48:24,205 --> 00:48:30,590 is you're hearing what's called corona that is radiating RF. And any time you have this 345 00:48:30,590 --> 00:48:35,952 situation, I'll try to wrap this up. Anytime you have that situation, you basically have 346 00:48:36,072 --> 00:48:41,355 the same technology that Marconi used to do transmissions in the very early part of the 347 00:48:41,355 --> 00:48:47,438 century of 1900. That was spark gap. So yes, these things, when they start to get old, 348 00:48:47,438 --> 00:48:55,363 they start to break down, they start to partially short intermittently. And that's what causes 349 00:48:55,363 --> 00:49:00,926 the Corona that radiates the spark. And that's what gets into your radio. I hope that's not 350 00:49:00,926 --> 00:49:14,839 too much. John, what did I not say correct? W-A-3-K-F-T W-A-3-Z-E-E W-A-3-V-E-E, W-A-3-K-F-T. 351 00:49:15,179 --> 00:49:24,512 Well, since we just had no power for over three days here, I have been spending time out at 352 00:49:24,512 --> 00:49:36,125 the curb talking to the power guys. In my case, what happened was a tree limb came down on 353 00:49:36,125 --> 00:49:50,010 the high line and... some fuses, but the tree was still too big and it didn't burn off. 354 00:49:51,771 --> 00:49:58,457 So we spent three days with no electricity until finally yesterday the crew was out here and 355 00:49:58,457 --> 00:50:05,723 when they, the first thing they did was they pulled a fuse on the pole hog, that's the 356 00:50:05,723 --> 00:50:14,511 transformer, the round transformer hanging on a pole hog. And they immediately said, hey, 357 00:50:14,571 --> 00:50:21,933 we can't do anything. We got tree limbs on the wire. Go call a tree surgeon. So some five 358 00:50:21,933 --> 00:50:30,195 hours later, the tree surgeon shows up and climbs the tree and trims his way up the tree 359 00:50:30,195 --> 00:50:40,288 and clears everything out. And then they replayed, well, they pulled the fuse on purpose. 360 00:50:40,478 --> 00:50:51,496 of the high line out at the street, I'll say the highway. We're in a, I'll say a residential 361 00:50:51,496 --> 00:51:00,112 area, but it's fed from a highway. So they pulled that, that killed everybody. And after the 362 00:51:00,112 --> 00:51:04,715 tree surgeon got done and what have you, they put the fuse back at the highway. Then they 363 00:51:04,715 --> 00:51:12,045 came back to our backyard and put the fuse back in. And the transformer was good, so 364 00:51:12,045 --> 00:51:21,856 they didn't have to replace that. Transformers usually don't go bad. They're in service for 365 00:51:21,902 --> 00:51:33,067 30 or 40 years. They do get changed, and the reason they change them... because of age 366 00:51:33,067 --> 00:51:42,711 and because they're not big enough. So they'll put a larger transformer in. The high line 367 00:51:42,711 --> 00:51:53,074 on the cross arm typically is in the world at 2,000 volts. The transformer takes at 2,000 368 00:51:53,074 --> 00:52:07,848 volts, well, 2,000 volts to ground. is a center tap winding and the end to end is your 230 369 00:52:07,848 --> 00:52:18,588 volts and the center to one end, the center to either end is the 115, 120 and that's the 370 00:52:18,588 --> 00:52:27,451 voltage that goes into your house. Pole hogs normally don't die. something else happens. 371 00:52:27,451 --> 00:52:33,866 If the power line got struck by lightning or something like that, it might damage a pull 372 00:52:33,866 --> 00:52:43,534 hog. But otherwise, they survive well. They'll change them because there's a failure. They 373 00:52:43,534 --> 00:52:53,574 change them because the load... The neighborhood has gotten too big for the transformer on the 374 00:52:53,574 --> 00:53:00,699 pole. So they'll take the transformer off and put a bigger one on. Mechanically, you may 375 00:53:00,699 --> 00:53:09,866 not see a difference in size. And I don't have a feeling for the KVA rating of the transformer. 376 00:53:10,886 --> 00:53:19,539 But being close to the transformer probably is a good because you don't have the voltage 377 00:53:19,539 --> 00:53:27,478 drop of the line running through the neighborhood. you're going to be relatively close so your 378 00:53:27,478 --> 00:53:33,072 voltage, if anything, will be a little bit on the high side. You're not going to have the 379 00:53:33,072 --> 00:53:38,411 IR drop of the wire going through the rest of the neighborhood and picking up another 380 00:53:38,411 --> 00:53:50,864 10 customers. in terms of noise and so forth, electrical noise, because you're close to 381 00:53:50,864 --> 00:53:55,743 the transformer, you're not likely to get it. If you're further away from the transformer, 382 00:53:56,063 --> 00:54:02,346 you may get more electrical noise caused by other customers using noisy things in their 383 00:54:02,346 --> 00:54:13,330 house. my recommendation is look for a place where a pole hog is or in some cases in some 384 00:54:13,330 --> 00:54:20,173 of the new developments, the green box sitting on the ground because they're now putting a 385 00:54:20,173 --> 00:54:25,631 lot of stuff in underground. This is WA-3KFT. Back to net. 386 00:54:29,742 --> 00:54:31,145 Thank you, John. Do we have any other comments? 387 00:54:34,168 --> 00:54:52,642 KC3SQI. Go ahead Wayne. Thank you, Chuck. Yeah, as stated by Ron and John, the transformer... 388 00:54:55,298 --> 00:55:06,428 most often is not the problem. The problem more commonly are the insulators on the poles 389 00:55:06,428 --> 00:55:15,816 or on the transformer because what will happen is as they get dirty, as they get cracked, 390 00:55:15,816 --> 00:55:25,838 or with expansion contraction there'll be a gap start between the ceramic and the metal 391 00:55:25,838 --> 00:55:39,518 and it will, as Ron said, start arcing. And so usually it's an insulator or a stack insulator 392 00:55:39,518 --> 00:55:48,138 that's going to give you more problems than the transformer itself. And like John said, 393 00:55:50,058 --> 00:55:56,280 the further away from the transformer you get, the higher the impedance and the more noise 394 00:55:56,280 --> 00:56:01,810 that your neighbors can send down your house. 395 00:56:04,974 --> 00:56:09,554 That helps a little. And back to you, KC-3SQI. 396 00:56:12,878 --> 00:56:14,089 Thank you, Wayne. Any other comments? 397 00:56:20,920 --> 00:56:29,527 is NA3CW? I'll toss in mine. Lightning arresters, which are kind of ribby things that I think 398 00:56:29,527 --> 00:56:36,682 are usually vertical. One end is grounded, one end goes to the wires. It's like a long insulator. 399 00:56:36,842 --> 00:56:41,606 They can go bad and make tremendous amounts of noise. And Joe can tell stories about 400 00:56:41,606 --> 00:56:50,314 lightning arresters. Loose hardware of any kind can cause arcing. Sometimes if you have, 401 00:56:50,314 --> 00:56:56,789 you know, well by the arcing and then it rains and the arcing stops, that usually is an indication 402 00:56:56,789 --> 00:57:04,506 of loose hardware because the rain kind of makes up the connection. So when transformers 403 00:57:04,506 --> 00:57:09,790 let go, it's usually spectacular. I had one do that right behind me. I was walking on 404 00:57:09,790 --> 00:57:17,794 the college campus and I heard this, phoom, and the skies lit up and... about three seconds 405 00:57:17,794 --> 00:57:24,438 later the top of that can came down with a clang, missed me. And the oil was on fire 406 00:57:24,499 --> 00:57:30,122 in the transformer. So usually that is rare, but when it happens it's usually spectacular. 407 00:57:30,122 --> 00:57:38,207 So it's more mundane stuff, loose hardware, noisy lightning arresters, dirty insulators 408 00:57:38,207 --> 00:57:43,680 I've seen in seaside environments where they're actually glowing and you talk about noise. 409 00:57:44,142 --> 00:57:49,262 So do we beat that one to death? And back to you, Tim. KD3AIS and A3CW. 410 00:57:53,005 --> 00:58:01,106 KD3AIS, thank you everyone for your learned opinions. I really didn't even know the full 411 00:58:01,106 --> 00:58:08,585 breadth of the question I was asking. So, but my takeaway is I look out my window at a, a 412 00:58:08,585 --> 00:58:15,606 Polhog, I guess, or a transformer, and I previous to this call thought that I, that was a bad 413 00:58:15,606 --> 00:58:21,724 place to be. It's not necessarily bad or worse, but. I actually may be better off on a relative 414 00:58:21,724 --> 00:58:28,848 basis because I'm not 10 houses down the line with people using noisy things in between me 415 00:58:28,848 --> 00:58:34,190 and my power, if I understand correctly. So no need to beat it anymore to death. But thank 416 00:58:34,190 --> 00:58:44,130 you and back to Chuck NA3CW. This is KD3AIS. Thanks Tim, thanks for your question. And 417 00:58:44,130 --> 00:58:50,230 yes, I've often said some of the simplest sounding questions are the hardest ones to answer. So 418 00:58:50,230 --> 00:58:57,929 that's why I like newbie questions because they can bring in lots of material. So over to Bob 419 00:58:57,929 --> 00:59:02,310 in Pottstown. Is still with us? WA2JTS, NA3CW. 420 00:59:06,336 --> 00:59:16,493 An A3CW, WA2JTS, real fine, yep, I'm still here. Okay, well, as I briefly commented, there's 421 00:59:16,493 --> 00:59:23,518 not too much more I can add to what I had said initially when I came in, but have an AL-80, 422 00:59:23,518 --> 00:59:36,118 and we have not been on the air with that box, I'll say, for a good five years. and 423 00:59:36,258 --> 00:59:42,722 we moved from East Fallow Field right around the corner from Joe. We moved from there to 424 00:59:42,822 --> 00:59:49,655 New Holland and was in New Holland for two years and now we're here in Potsdam and it'll be 425 00:59:49,655 --> 00:59:56,269 three years in October. And this is the first time since having lived in East Fallow Field 426 00:59:56,269 --> 00:59:58,810 that the AL-80... 427 01:00:06,638 --> 01:00:10,785 Immediately I noticed upon trying to get things. 428 01:00:13,902 --> 01:00:20,005 working that when I turned it on, I knew I hadn't turned anything on in terms of high 429 01:00:20,005 --> 01:00:27,268 voltage yet. I noticed the plate current meter was just setting at 50 milliamps. And I thought, 430 01:00:27,268 --> 01:00:34,258 well, that's kind of strange. yet. 431 01:00:41,452 --> 01:00:43,745 noticed it would like to. 432 01:00:50,318 --> 01:00:51,999 remained having it sit there. 433 01:01:05,632 --> 01:01:14,493 Oh, okay. That's interesting. And then after a little while, it crept up a tiny bit, double 434 01:01:14,493 --> 01:01:15,586 the width of the needle. 435 01:01:19,594 --> 01:01:23,688 I thought, well, okay, let's try and do a very minor load. 436 01:01:27,822 --> 01:01:36,768 And I put some RF to it, way down about 10 watts, I think it was, 10, 15 watts. And things 437 01:01:36,768 --> 01:01:42,610 worked, you know. I could tune up. would go up like this. 438 01:01:47,374 --> 01:01:48,310 get supposed to. 439 01:01:52,558 --> 01:01:53,063 Tune it up. 440 01:02:05,826 --> 01:02:06,206 little 441 01:02:14,082 --> 01:02:22,170 to get a little braver and took it up to 400 watts. Again, the plate current meter is operating 442 01:02:22,170 --> 01:02:33,640 properly. It's moving up and down. I spoke into the mic finally and you know it got 443 01:02:33,640 --> 01:02:41,647 movement out of it. Everything worked like it's supposed to. Turned it off for a while, came 444 01:02:41,647 --> 01:02:49,194 back, found a station on 40 meters. was a small quesadilla going on and I broke into 445 01:02:49,194 --> 01:02:53,138 that and everybody... 446 01:02:56,238 --> 01:03:05,258 They gave me all good reports, nothing sounded strange or my signal was staying steady, know, 447 01:03:05,338 --> 01:03:14,578 wasn't going up and down and doing squirrely things. So, I'm sure right now if I went over 448 01:03:14,578 --> 01:03:23,392 and through the switch that it probably would go up to 50 mils. that I think that it's, 449 01:03:23,392 --> 01:03:31,348 but maybe it is, but I don't know whether... some kind of current that's making it go up 450 01:03:31,348 --> 01:03:40,434 to 50 mils or what? But that's my question. So back to you Chuck and A3CW, WA2JTS. 451 01:03:44,302 --> 01:03:52,242 Thank you Bob. Good report there. So do we have any responses for Bob? Please call NHECW. 452 01:03:52,242 --> 01:04:10,058 John? Question for Bob. The AL-80, that uses a 3-500, doesn't it? Yes, it does. 453 01:04:13,294 --> 01:04:20,997 I got one sitting on my dining room table. I haven't put it on the air so I don't have 454 01:04:20,997 --> 01:04:37,111 any experience using one. when they're in the stand- so you're not transmitting through 455 01:04:37,111 --> 01:04:47,195 it. But it's warmed up and ready to trans... They can draw a little bit of plate current 456 01:04:48,217 --> 01:04:58,194 because... you have some biasing as part of it. Some circuits are zero biased, 457 01:05:01,688 --> 01:05:09,380 to look at the schematic to see exactly where that plate current meter is and to see if the 458 01:05:09,480 --> 01:05:20,633 only thing after the plate current meter is the plate. Because it could be seeing a little 459 01:05:20,633 --> 01:05:28,025 bit of leakage current or something like that. The plate current meter is going to be after 460 01:05:28,025 --> 01:05:35,701 the power supply. So... If you had a leaky capacitor, it would not affect the plate current 461 01:05:35,701 --> 01:05:43,367 meter. So the plate current meter is going to be, I will say, one terminal directly connected 462 01:05:43,367 --> 01:05:51,302 to the plate of the tube. So there's nothing in between. And unless the tube is leaky 463 01:05:51,302 --> 01:05:58,237 or something like that in the standby mode, you should have very, very little or zero 464 01:05:58,298 --> 01:06:02,258 plate current. WA3KFT 465 01:06:05,944 --> 01:06:08,472 Thanks John. Anyone else have a comment? 466 01:06:21,966 --> 01:06:30,522 I'll put in my two cents. I have an AL-80B and I use it every week. The A, the B, and 467 01:06:30,522 --> 01:06:40,269 the C are all very different amplifiers. More between the, well there is no AL-80A, there's 468 01:06:40,269 --> 01:06:47,284 the 80, 80A, and 80B. I'll get it right. The biggest difference is between the 80 and the 469 01:06:47,304 --> 01:06:57,709 80A. The 80A is really a redesign. And the 80A to the B is a number of upgrades, but 470 01:06:57,829 --> 01:07:07,694 essentially the same design. I got uncomfortably familiar with the A that belonged to Corbin. 471 01:07:07,694 --> 01:07:17,426 It was brought to me in a blown up state and to a long story short, I fixed it. High 472 01:07:17,426 --> 01:07:21,018 voltage comes on as soon as you turn on the amplifier. When you turn it on, you hear this 473 01:07:21,018 --> 01:07:28,019 bump. That's high voltage power supply charging up. So the high voltage is always there. So 474 01:07:28,019 --> 01:07:36,476 it's just a matter of whether the tube is biased on in its resting position, biased 475 01:07:36,476 --> 01:07:46,722 on, or also if it's driven. There are relays. is a, again, I don't know the original. 476 01:07:47,448 --> 01:07:56,856 very well. But there is a relay or two inside and I think it's salient that this, and 477 01:07:56,856 --> 01:08:05,129 confirm with me Bob, this amplifier sat for a long time not being used. Go ahead. That's 478 01:08:05,129 --> 01:08:15,459 correct. It was in my house, it hadn't been used for a good five years yet, so no power 479 01:08:15,459 --> 01:08:16,661 had been applied to it at all. 480 01:08:19,854 --> 01:08:30,174 Okay, what I would advise at this point is use the thing. If you've got slightly tarnished 481 01:08:30,174 --> 01:08:39,774 relays inside, use will take care of that most likely. Also, if the tube is at least a bit 482 01:08:39,774 --> 01:08:47,474 gassy, that can lead to current flowing when you don't want it to be. And the way that you 483 01:08:47,474 --> 01:08:57,717 degas a 3-500Z is by making the plate, the outer part of the tube glow, which means you 484 01:08:57,717 --> 01:09:03,820 have to use it and use it pretty hard and make it glow. And there's a chemical coating on 485 01:09:03,820 --> 01:09:11,343 the plate called a getter, G-E-T-T-E, our getter, because it gets, captures, and chemically 486 01:09:11,343 --> 01:09:19,242 holds gas molecules that run into it. But it only activates if the tube is hot. Smaller 487 01:09:19,242 --> 01:09:26,065 tubes have different kind of getters, but the 3500Z, the getter action is the plate glows 488 01:09:26,065 --> 01:09:37,360 red and it will absorb gases. That's what it's designed to do. So I would advise, the 489 01:09:37,360 --> 01:09:46,093 thing, excuse me, use the thing, drive it up into power and I think you may find that 490 01:09:46,093 --> 01:09:51,282 the swirlingness will go away. That's just a guess. Back to you, Bob. NHRE CW. 491 01:09:56,396 --> 01:10:07,422 NA-3CW-WA2JTS. Okay, we'll find that Chuck. Yeah, because I have, sitting right next 492 01:10:07,422 --> 01:10:16,258 to it, I have an AL-82 right next to the ADA. it doesn't do any this silliness at all. 493 01:10:16,258 --> 01:10:25,737 But it was, like I said, I've been here now for... of only three years in October 494 01:10:25,737 --> 01:10:30,610 and... Took a while getting the house squared away and. 495 01:10:33,686 --> 01:10:43,493 got around to being able to get my radio equipment back together again. So that's associated 496 01:10:43,493 --> 01:10:53,620 with an FT-101EE and an old Johnson Viking Matchbox. So I have three separate stations 497 01:10:53,620 --> 01:10:55,752 here sort of and I can switch. 498 01:10:59,966 --> 01:11:07,404 And so that was the last station set up to get fired up. And wouldn't you know. 499 01:11:10,734 --> 01:11:19,274 Yeah, it doesn't sound like it's going to be too big of a problem. And like you say, 500 01:11:19,274 --> 01:11:28,686 just using it could possibly resolve the Well, we'll say thank you very much and I appreciate 501 01:11:28,686 --> 01:11:31,454 the input and for the other inputs that I got. 502 01:11:45,934 --> 01:11:49,127 Good, good, Bob, and thank you for your question, and thank you for coming to the workbench. 503 01:11:49,127 --> 01:11:56,665 Do we have any other check-ins, or did any questions arise in all these exchanges? Please 504 01:11:56,665 --> 01:11:57,840 call on A3CW. 505 01:12:09,038 --> 01:12:15,541 Okay, silence was heard. So thanks to all stations for checking into the 985 workbench. A big 506 01:12:15,541 --> 01:12:22,363 thank you to Joe, W3GMS, for making the 985 repeater available and maintained for the workbench. 507 01:12:22,363 --> 01:12:28,096 And you are invited to use the repeater often. Joe really likes that. This is a great way 508 01:12:28,096 --> 01:12:33,598 to show that you appreciate the gift of 985 to the amateur radio community. So finally, 509 01:12:33,598 --> 01:12:41,536 we hope to hear you again Thursday night at 8 p.m. with... Our redoubtable host Bill, 510 01:12:41,536 --> 01:12:48,010 KC3 OK for the roundtable. And this concludes the workbench for the night. Feel free to stick 511 01:12:48,010 --> 01:12:56,275 around and keep 985 hot. Have a good night. A great weekend of field day. And this is 512 01:12:56,275 --> 01:12:58,066 NA3CW clear. 513 01:13:12,037 --> 01:13:21,620 N83CW, WA2JTS, are you still there Chuck? I am just sipping some tea. Where is field day 514 01:13:21,620 --> 01:13:28,702 this year? Is it in the area down near Joe there or is it up here in this area? Where 515 01:13:28,702 --> 01:13:36,954 is it going to be? near Ludwig's corner, is the intersection of Route 100 and 401. 516 01:13:40,174 --> 01:13:48,694 No, well, come down 100 quite a bit from here. So, okay, is it around that firehouse? Is there 517 01:13:48,694 --> 01:13:53,894 a firehouse there? forget. Been a while since I've been down there. What's, is there a field 518 01:13:53,894 --> 01:14:03,613 associated or nearby there? ...at, excuse me, there is a storage facility there called Lines, 519 01:14:03,633 --> 01:14:13,739 L-I-N-E-S, Lines Self Storage. It's right next to the Jeep shop and you go in the driveway 520 01:14:13,739 --> 01:14:17,751 and up the hill, up the hill, keep going uphill and turning right, turning right, turning right, 521 01:14:17,751 --> 01:14:21,983 till you get to the top where you have to make a left. And that's where it's going to be. 522 01:14:22,063 --> 01:14:26,496 It's up that hill in the trees. You can't see it from the road. But you can see the Jeep 523 01:14:26,496 --> 01:14:29,600 shop. and there's a sign there for lines self-storage. 524 01:14:33,454 --> 01:14:39,194 Okay, I think I know where mean now. Okay, real fine. All right, thanks a lot Chuck. We'll 525 01:14:39,194 --> 01:14:48,639 see you 73s and appreciate the help. An A3CW WA2JTS clear. Good night, NHRACW clear. 526 01:15:03,214 --> 01:15:05,522 H3CWKC3, okay. 527 01:15:09,122 --> 01:15:10,975 Glendon for punishment sitting there in the heat. 528 01:15:14,082 --> 01:15:15,628 just dedicated to 98. 529 01:15:19,374 --> 01:15:21,586 where the humidity is in bad Yadda. This was 80. 530 01:15:26,826 --> 01:15:28,671 And Bob, if you're still listening... 531 01:15:36,738 --> 01:15:40,053 did not have to do one thing today. The bolt holes... 532 01:15:45,422 --> 01:15:45,810 He 533 01:15:53,718 --> 01:15:55,602 and A3CWKC3, okay. 534 01:16:01,080 --> 01:16:07,964 Very good, that's a good one. Make that punch list get smaller. But yeah, thanks for doing 535 01:16:07,964 --> 01:16:12,877 that and enduring it. I spend most of the day fussing with a computer for our church. I 536 01:16:12,877 --> 01:16:22,702 got it straightened out. It's an old Dell all-in-one that we've been using in conjunction 537 01:16:22,702 --> 01:16:31,446 with our PA system, digital mixer. And the control software that was in it. suddenly refused 538 01:16:31,446 --> 01:16:38,230 to run. And so I cleaned it out and rebooted the machine and reinstalled it and it would 539 01:16:38,230 --> 01:16:43,343 still refuse to run. It would light up for about one second and then blink off. If started 540 01:16:43,343 --> 01:16:48,586 again it would light up for about one second and blink off. And this seems to correspond 541 01:16:48,586 --> 01:16:55,451 with a Microsoft update because it was running Windows 10. And given that it was running 542 01:16:55,451 --> 01:17:04,714 Windows 10 and Windows 10 is going unsupported in, I think it's September or October, whatever. 543 01:17:04,714 --> 01:17:09,917 I was always gonna convert that machine to Linux anyway. So today was the day I converted 544 01:17:09,917 --> 01:17:15,929 it to Linux. And I got it all straightened out. Everything loads and runs and everything's 545 01:17:15,929 --> 01:17:21,811 hunky-dory, but that was most of my morning. And then had to do a little shopping. went 546 01:17:21,811 --> 01:17:29,000 out to... pick up a slice of pizza and pick up some stuff at Walmart and that was my glorious 547 01:17:29,000 --> 01:17:34,418 morning. Siddling with bits and bytes. Back to you, NHRACW. 548 01:17:38,380 --> 01:17:44,880 KC3CW and KC3O, okay. Well today was a perfect day to be the inside working on a computer. 549 01:17:44,880 --> 01:17:51,640 That's great you got it worked out. yeah, as we've talked before, I really am looking 550 01:17:51,640 --> 01:17:54,294 forward to getting Lennox in. 551 01:18:00,238 --> 01:18:04,658 Cool, Micros. really frustrating and all 552 01:18:09,132 --> 01:18:10,866 this game that pops up while you're... 553 01:18:16,020 --> 01:18:21,963 Well, thanks for taking this. here for a hot evening. 554 01:18:30,048 --> 01:18:30,482 but I just... 555 01:18:42,830 --> 01:18:48,590 for doing that and congrats on getting that accomplished and I understand you got the bolts 556 01:18:48,590 --> 01:18:57,050 done too, the lock-tighted bolts, so that's a couple of things off the list. So, hoorah! 557 01:18:58,310 --> 01:19:08,932 Very, very good. And yeah, do you have any Windows 11 machines at the moment? do, my new computer 558 01:19:08,932 --> 01:19:14,050 is Windows 11 and that's what's given me all the problems. And I have an old inexpensive 559 01:19:14,050 --> 01:19:17,526 one that I just used for Vera FM and the signal... 560 01:19:21,472 --> 01:19:27,757 internet for six months. I'm afraid to do it. But yeah, have one Windows 11 machine. 561 01:19:27,757 --> 01:19:28,148 figured... 562 01:19:35,794 --> 01:19:38,872 If you liked Windows 10, you'll love Windows 11. It is so. 563 01:19:42,702 --> 01:19:43,954 It's like a... 564 01:19:47,182 --> 01:19:54,538 like a chihuahua that's always biting your ankles. That program just makes me nuts. I can't do 565 01:19:54,538 --> 01:19:58,551 without Windows for some of the software that I have, but that doesn't mean I have to let 566 01:19:58,551 --> 01:20:03,788 it online. What I'm going to do, I think I've said before, I'm going to stick with Windows 567 01:20:03,788 --> 01:20:08,949 10, except I'll just isolate it from the internet. Because none of the software that I use it 568 01:20:08,949 --> 01:20:19,026 with needs to be connected or updated. It works fine. So I only have one pure Windows 10 machine. 569 01:20:19,026 --> 01:20:25,403 It's the laptop I have here at the ham station. They call it a portable workstation. It's 570 01:20:25,403 --> 01:20:32,501 a heavy lumpy thing. It's a really heavy computer. Old, but good. And what I plan to do on that 571 01:20:32,501 --> 01:20:33,202 is... 572 01:20:36,990 --> 01:20:42,410 Convert it to Linux and then put Windows 10 as a virtual machine on it for when I'm, you 573 01:20:42,410 --> 01:20:45,490 know, for the occasions where I need to run Windows 10. The rest of the time it's going 574 01:20:45,490 --> 01:20:55,450 to go Linux. So that's going to be my solution. So 7-3, have a good night and go drink something 575 01:20:55,450 --> 01:20:57,930 cool. But KC-3, okay, NH-3CW. 576 01:21:00,952 --> 01:21:07,117 Sounds good Chuck. Well, just acclimating to it. It'll get easier as we go. And yeah, I've 577 01:21:07,117 --> 01:21:14,109 got uh... You Good night again. 578 01:21:18,318 --> 01:21:18,946 BCWS. 579 01:21:23,604 --> 01:21:27,058 7-3 Bill, always a pleasure, NHBCWQRT. 580 01:21:32,118 --> 01:21:41,254 KC-3-O-L-K-W-3-J-A-M. W3JAM KC3OOK. Hey Jeff. 581 01:21:45,422 --> 01:21:51,515 Bill, I wanted to ask you, do you know what the problem might be with your 510? I you 582 01:21:51,515 --> 01:21:59,768 report that you actually had a two-point, a double failure. The thing we kind of downplayed 583 01:21:59,768 --> 01:22:04,440 statistically, two-point failures, single-point failure we always dealt with in reliability, 584 01:22:04,440 --> 01:22:10,053 but not two points of failure. At least they were considered relatively low probability 585 01:22:10,053 --> 01:22:16,173 of occurrence. Sounds like you had the diplexer. and the 510 both crap out. you have any idea 586 01:22:16,173 --> 01:22:25,624 what the problem is with the 510? Exactly, not exactly, but I have some data that makes 587 01:22:25,624 --> 01:22:28,920 it look a little abnormal and I'll tell you. 588 01:22:33,102 --> 01:22:43,539 I checked everything. didn't check one. I replaced each one, then I replaced it with 589 01:22:43,539 --> 01:22:45,906 another barrel, know, multiples, because, 590 01:22:51,372 --> 01:22:51,954 time when I 591 01:22:55,096 --> 01:23:01,043 Okay. to the two meter port and the radio's... 592 01:23:06,506 --> 01:23:12,286 and I went, well, why would that be? I've got... You know, I've got more path, I've got more 593 01:23:12,286 --> 01:23:19,206 things in the path, why would it go on direct be slightly not as bad as the other and I didn't 594 01:23:19,206 --> 01:23:27,046 pick up on it. So yeah, it turns out that the triplexer, when I'm on the Diamond 510, well 595 01:23:27,046 --> 01:23:31,446 I'll put it this way, when I'm on the beam, this is how I figured it out on Saturday afternoon, 596 01:23:32,106 --> 01:23:37,466 when I'm on the beam with the 9700 going through the triplexer at 100 watts it bolts it back 597 01:23:37,466 --> 01:23:44,630 to 50. I took the triplexer out, put the coax right into the beam and I was getting a full 598 01:23:44,630 --> 01:23:52,350 100 watts out. So I carried it back over the diamond and I found that when I'm on the diamond 599 01:23:52,350 --> 01:23:57,570 through the triplexer it was folding back, 100 was 50, and when I went directly into the radio 600 01:23:57,570 --> 01:24:10,346 100 was 75. So the only thing I can think, break there, is I know, At least once by accident 601 01:24:10,346 --> 01:24:16,706 I might have gone from a Saturday night on a Sinplex net over to FT8 and been running 100 602 01:24:16,706 --> 01:24:22,826 watts of digital. In theory that shouldn't hurt that antenna. I know it's good for 160 watts. 603 01:24:23,826 --> 01:24:30,846 But I don't know. I just don't know or maybe the combination of the triplexer affected it. 604 01:24:31,766 --> 01:24:38,162 But one thing I'll tell you Jeff is when I put my antenna analyzer The antenna is resonant 605 01:24:38,162 --> 01:24:46,662 down around 144. When I get up to 146.0, which should be the center of that antenna, I'm up 606 01:24:46,662 --> 01:24:54,302 to about an S5. I go up to 147 and it goes off the chart. So long explanation. Back to you, 607 01:24:54,362 --> 01:24:56,882 Jeff. W3JAM, KC30K. 608 01:25:01,518 --> 01:25:09,118 Yeah, okay, Bill, very good. Well, it sounds like the antenna somehow got detuned. And, 609 01:25:09,118 --> 01:25:16,918 uh, you know, when I first put my 510 together, I, uh, I was getting all kinds of wonky SWR 610 01:25:16,918 --> 01:25:24,498 readings on it. And, uh, I took it down and reassembled it. And, uh, I don't know if I 611 01:25:24,498 --> 01:25:32,044 didn't have something physically tightened properly or what, but, uh... I actually recall it was 612 01:25:32,044 --> 01:25:37,378 a bit of a pain to put together. I redid it and everything was fine after that and it's 613 01:25:37,378 --> 01:25:44,303 been fine since. Talking about the one on Studio B, haven't noticed any issues. Nothing seems 614 01:25:44,303 --> 01:25:51,968 to be folding back. yeah, guess the, yeah, power wise the antenna should handle it. I 615 01:25:51,968 --> 01:25:58,412 know the digital modes are more of a continuous duty. I I suppose it's possible that that 616 01:25:58,412 --> 01:26:05,328 might have messed up your triplex, right? I've never used a Plexer with my 9700. I always 617 01:26:05,328 --> 01:26:13,213 had separate feeds for VHF and UHF. I didn't have anything on 1296. I did buy a TriPlexer. 618 01:26:13,233 --> 01:26:17,975 I did buy a diamond. It's either a diamond or a comet so that I could actually have all three 619 01:26:17,975 --> 01:26:25,099 bands connected simultaneously via one feed. And when I rebuild my station, I'll probably 620 01:26:25,099 --> 01:26:32,408 use it unless, of course, I get weird performance results. in which case I'll promptly discard 621 01:26:32,408 --> 01:26:39,431 it. But yeah, the other thing is there could be, you know, the thing that always worries 622 01:26:39,431 --> 01:26:47,123 me with the fiberglass antennas is water penetration. If you get a crack in that fiberglass radome 623 01:26:47,123 --> 01:26:51,764 or maybe something's not sealed quite right, I I told you I always use like the RTV 102 624 01:26:51,764 --> 01:26:58,262 to seal the joints just so I don't get any water penetration. But... wondering maybe 625 01:26:58,262 --> 01:27:03,395 if you've got some water penetration that compromised your antenna. This is only one way to find 626 01:27:03,395 --> 01:27:08,798 out. Take it down, look at it, see what happened, visually inspect it, see if there's any water 627 01:27:08,798 --> 01:27:12,300 in there or whatnot. well, I'm glad you've... 628 01:27:15,598 --> 01:27:21,060 I'm glad you figured that out because I did hear you mentioning you were having some issues 629 01:27:21,060 --> 01:27:27,383 and I did, I'll tell you I did hear you quite well when you were on the beam. Normally out 630 01:27:27,383 --> 01:27:33,145 in Studio B I don't hear you. I don't have the Yagi here now with the omnidirectional antenna. 631 01:27:33,145 --> 01:27:38,768 I don't hear you typically but when you move that to the northeast I heard you very well 632 01:27:38,768 --> 01:27:43,069 and I believe I was even hearing you. I think I heard you say you were rotating it to the 633 01:27:43,069 --> 01:27:51,538 east and I could still hear you. So that antenna works quite well. the RF up here well enough 634 01:27:51,538 --> 01:27:56,518 to be heard on my 510 at 27 feet. KC-300KW3JAM. 635 01:28:00,174 --> 01:28:10,263 3JAM KZ30K. Yeah, I was real happy with how it worked and it was interesting study. You 636 01:28:10,263 --> 01:28:12,050 get yours going. 637 01:28:17,486 --> 01:28:22,147 really worried it was the radio, I just feel so relieved that it's not. Unfortunately, you 638 01:28:22,147 --> 01:28:30,240 know what's... over. I guess I'm going to have to arrange some time to get a bunch of pizzas. 639 01:28:33,102 --> 01:28:40,665 see if we can get a few people out. Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's it. really think that's 640 01:28:40,665 --> 01:28:45,901 it. And as far as the sealing it up, I know what you mean about putting them together. 641 01:28:45,901 --> 01:28:51,747 Unfortunately, I have this long table in the shop, and you have a coupling with a screw 642 01:28:51,747 --> 01:28:52,818 connector that you have to... 643 01:28:58,574 --> 01:29:01,973 so I can set it under, keep everything in line, and then... 644 01:29:06,734 --> 01:29:07,551 I am 645 01:29:23,790 --> 01:29:25,207 The only other thing could be is. 646 01:29:33,358 --> 01:29:37,330 base of the antenna. the 647 01:29:44,334 --> 01:29:45,106 So 648 01:29:56,238 --> 01:29:56,926 Okay. 649 01:30:02,028 --> 01:30:08,559 Yeah, okay, Bill. Yeah, I won't keep you. I'm, uh... I retreated to studio A. I just took 650 01:30:08,559 --> 01:30:09,330 a shower. 651 01:30:14,126 --> 01:30:15,026 Chief Engineer. 652 01:30:18,446 --> 01:30:22,406 like to be operating out in the warm. 653 01:30:25,632 --> 01:30:28,788 Anyway, uh, yeah, that thing is detuned somehow. 654 01:30:33,058 --> 01:30:39,283 The only way to really diagnose it is to, yes, I know, it's bit of a project to get that 655 01:30:39,283 --> 01:30:43,907 thing down. I mean, I remember looking at it when it was down, visually inspecting it, 656 01:30:43,907 --> 01:30:50,923 and it looked like it was in perfect condition, least from what I saw. They give it the fairly 657 01:30:50,923 --> 01:30:58,879 good once over. I recall, I think I departed shortly after that with Joe and young Luke 658 01:30:58,879 --> 01:31:05,248 for a donut run, as I recall. the raising of the antenna, but I was definitely there for 659 01:31:05,248 --> 01:31:13,866 the lowering. And your antenna looked like it was in good shape. yeah, I haven't noticed 660 01:31:13,866 --> 01:31:18,490 anything like that going on with mine yet, not to say that it won't. I actually just bought 661 01:31:18,490 --> 01:31:22,744 another one of those. I have two of them now. I haven't assembled it yet, and I'm debating 662 01:31:22,744 --> 01:31:30,022 when I put Studio A back on the air. I was planning to put another 510 up. and have one 663 01:31:30,022 --> 01:31:35,822 on Studio A would actually be a 40 feet, it would be a good 13 feet higher than the present 664 01:31:35,822 --> 01:31:42,182 one, which starts to make a lot of difference. It would be roughly as high as my Yagi, well, 665 01:31:42,282 --> 01:31:46,542 be higher, the top of the antenna would be way higher than where the Yagi was, so that should 666 01:31:46,542 --> 01:31:52,482 help out quite a bit with some of more marginal contacts. But I haven't put it together yet, 667 01:31:52,502 --> 01:31:55,842 just because I remember it was kind of a pain in the neck putting the thing together, and 668 01:31:55,842 --> 01:32:00,079 every time I think about doing it, I... either have something else to do or frankly I haven't 669 01:32:00,079 --> 01:32:05,571 been feeling well enough to even worry about it lately so trying to get over this cold I 670 01:32:05,571 --> 01:32:10,644 had. Anyway I just wanted to touch base and figure out what was going on with your setup 671 01:32:10,644 --> 01:32:19,148 there. My 9700 is QRT at the moment. I've been strictly operating with the 857D or my 672 01:32:19,228 --> 01:32:26,582 Yehsu 3185 which I really like a lot. That's the 2 meter ring. with 85 watts in the digital 673 01:32:26,582 --> 01:32:33,722 audio signal processing. has essentially a receive preamp in there with some audio signal processing 674 01:32:33,722 --> 01:32:40,442 to help with the weak ones. So lots of time on Simplex, and then I'll flip that on and 675 01:32:40,442 --> 01:32:48,442 it'll do its razzmatazz and I can really pull the weak ones out. Sometimes I prefer not to 676 01:32:48,442 --> 01:32:53,531 turn on the audio signal processing and just turn on the preamp. but there's no option 677 01:32:53,531 --> 01:32:58,503 for that in the 3185. You get one, and if you have the audio signal processing installed, 678 01:32:58,503 --> 01:33:05,256 you get that as well. I think the more expensive version of that rig, the dual-bander, actually 679 01:33:05,256 --> 01:33:11,358 has the option to turn off the ASP, know, independent control of each of those functions. And that 680 01:33:11,358 --> 01:33:17,601 would be desirable, but oh well. All right, all that you can build, and glad to hear 681 01:33:17,601 --> 01:33:22,502 your problem has been diagnosed, and we'll... We'll see what it takes to get that fixed. 682 01:33:24,222 --> 01:33:31,242 glad the rig, it's not the rig. I agree with you. KC3, OK, 73 from W3JAM. 683 01:33:35,022 --> 01:33:38,088 Great night, Jeff. Stay cool and hopefully those horses... 684 01:33:41,314 --> 01:33:41,586 Thank 685 01:33:53,026 --> 01:33:56,900 KC3, OK. This is KC3, EMS. 686 01:34:06,264 --> 01:34:08,713 KC30K, was there another station there? 687 01:34:11,852 --> 01:34:16,032 Hey Bill, this is Kilo Delta 3 Echo Mike Sierra. 688 01:34:20,270 --> 01:34:28,705 83 EMS. I believe it's Chris, correct? Yes sir, you got it. I was on the starry night 689 01:34:28,705 --> 01:34:32,468 net and I believe you're running a beam antenna, is that correct? 690 01:34:35,470 --> 01:34:44,547 I was on Saturday night because you might have heard... The diamond Omni is not working 691 01:34:44,547 --> 01:34:51,103 right now and I did hear you. down everything I hear. I did hear you there. 692 01:34:54,190 --> 01:35:00,310 Yeah, I checked in with East, because I was up in Shady Maple. I was actually in his backyard. 693 01:35:00,690 --> 01:35:06,210 I think I was blown away with a 5'9", being about four miles away. But no, want to tell 694 01:35:06,210 --> 01:35:10,569 you, I actually heard you twice. I heard you for the first round, the second round. I did 695 01:35:10,569 --> 01:35:11,762 not hear you for the third round. 696 01:35:15,054 --> 01:35:19,188 Okay, I'm trying to think which way I went on the third round. 697 01:35:22,606 --> 01:35:27,372 I went to west or northwest. I picked up those guys in Caledonia. 698 01:35:30,862 --> 01:35:36,402 Nice, yeah. Yeah, I was pretty surprised. I wasn't sure exactly. I know you had mentioned 699 01:35:36,402 --> 01:35:42,922 what direction you're running head towards. yeah, up around east of Earl there, is the 700 01:35:42,922 --> 01:35:47,442 elevation. I'm not sure exact elevation, but it is pretty high there. So it's pretty easy 701 01:35:47,442 --> 01:35:52,622 to get out from up there. But yeah, just wanted to know, didn't hear you on the beam. Like 702 01:35:52,622 --> 01:35:55,222 I said, first two check-ins. 703 01:35:58,446 --> 01:36:05,144 Great, that's great. I appreciate getting the signal. did it with the beam on the net. It's 704 01:36:05,144 --> 01:36:14,192 not ideal. In the future, the plan is to receive on the, do the announcements on the Omni and 705 01:36:14,192 --> 01:36:20,999 take the check-ins on the Omni and then respond on the beam. Because I've got pretty much bearings 706 01:36:20,999 --> 01:36:23,882 for everybody that checks in, just spin it around. 707 01:36:26,894 --> 01:36:31,570 Good to hear you, Chris. I'm glad you enjoyed it. And yeah, that location up there in East 708 01:36:31,570 --> 01:36:32,524 Earl, that is up there. 709 01:36:43,534 --> 01:36:50,120 Alright, Bill, I'm gonna go 73 here, so uh, yeah, we'll uh, we'll talk soon. So KT3, you 710 01:36:50,120 --> 01:36:52,882 okay? KT3, EMS. 711 01:36:56,142 --> 01:37:02,066 Good Chris, cool tomorrow. KD3EMS, KC30K, have 73 and I'll...