| On
Line Magazine - June 2003 |
June 2003 Presidents notes
With the Queen's birthday weekend
behind us and the next public holiday in the Victorian calendar
not until November I guess its time to put all the camping gear
away carefully store the squid pole and portable antennas and concentrate
on things closer to home.
With the dark evenings perhaps we could
attempt to do what the "hams' in the old days did and get out those
rusty soldering irons clean them off and start constructing. There
are plenty of good ideas in the mags and handbooks for test gear
and bits and pieces for the shack. Why not bring your project along
to the next "prac" night and share your progress with other club
members.
The clubs display in the local libraries
has now been concluded and thanks should go to Russell White and
the library staff for their help in allowing us to expose the public
to amateur radio in this way. From the comments of librarians I
understand that quite a lot of interest was shown and one wonders
if on another occasion we could provide people for an hour or two
a day to answer peoples questions. Maybe a good opportunity will
present its self when the new entry grade license makes its debut.
Which reminds me the next exams are on Saturday July 5th.
Closing date for applications Friday
20th June.
Keep your GGREC Event Queue up to date
and close at hand , this Months talk by Andrew VK3HFA is on shack
safety and first aid. A subject we all need to be conversant with,
bring the XYL along too.
The Club Hamfest on Saturday July 19th
is shaping up to be a great event
I am told that all tables are now booked
which is great news seeing that we have increased the number available.
With the larger hall and space for people to sit and chat over a
cup of tea or coffee it has the chance to be a great success. Albert
VK3BQO and his sub committee are excited at the way plans are going
but will need willing helpers on the day so don’t be shy put your
name forward when the call for volunteers goes out
Well that’s it from me this Month don’t
forget the mid year dinner on Saturday 28th June. CU
there.
73s
Peter. VK3VB
Link
to top of Page
Farewell Apcnews
For the last 4 years a dedicated crew
from the Moorabbin and District Radio Club have
been running a regular new service - APCNews, However as happens
to most good things it has come to an end.
From APCNews June 4 2003
APC Amateur Radio News says farewell.
And so, to start with the last bit
first, which is often our strange want, we announce tonight that
this will be the last - APC Amateur Radio News.
And, I could say that we had planned
it his way, but then, we have never ever told you any "Porkies"
and so it’s just rather good luck that my Co-Editor and fellow partner
in APC News crime, Peter 3YE is here to see us out, the way we both
came in, way back in 1999 when we first tried out something for
VK3 Amateurs which we hoped might work.
So, here we are finally, back at the
lonely mikes at the MDRC Radio shack in Highett Ponds, right back
where we started some 200 sessions ago.
By anyone’s standards, that’s not a
bad effort for two ‘amateur" journalistic "Amateurs" , but after
all that time APC News has reached something of a crossroads, and
we think it only fair that we share some of the stats. with our
listeners.
Each APC News bulletin contains some
3,600 words, so together, your producers have written, edited and
presented over 720,000 words since we started.
Our news has always gone out on time
without fail each week for the last four and a bit years (barring
power failures etc) , with only short rest spells over the Christmas
& New Year period.
With the help of our relay stations,
individual repeater owners and operators, our regular listeners
and contributors, APC Amateur Radio News has became one of the biggest
success stories in Australian Amateur radio.................

I think they have done a fantastic
job - I don’t think I could keep up with their efforts.
If you missed out on their half hour
broadcasts, I think you have defiantly missed out.
If you have an Internet connection
try "http://mdrc.org.au/apcnews/"
Thank you - from VK3TGX
Link
to top of Page
Philips Fm92 Mods

The Philips FM900 range of radio’s
contained many models, most of you are probably familiar with the
’92 version. This set was made in many bands, most can be easily
made to work on the amateur bands, except the ‘W2’ which normally
runs from 500 to 520 MHz. Usually they can come down to UHF CB,
but no lower.
Yesterday, I received an email about
some mods to bring them down to 70cm
> -----Extracts from the Original Message-----
> Gents,
> I converted a W2 FM92 last night to 70cm.
>
> The RX Sensitivity was 0.221uV for 12db SINAD, and the RF out
was 25 Watts.
>
> What is required is a disassembly of the VCO module.
> All of the pins of the VCO Module are connected to a ceramic
wafer which contains the SMD components, so when removing the module,
all of the plated through holes on the PCB must be clear of solder,
or you will break the substrate when you try to pull the module
off the PCB.
>
> The VCO module comes apart easily with a small screwdriver
to lever the side plate off - which is just sweat soldered.
>
> All that is required is to solder a 10pf ceramic npo capacitor
between the variable capacitor (TX VCO) active side that is connected
to the stripline, and ground. There are three pins that are in close
proximity, and are all grounded, so the capacitor can be mounted
with almost no lead length.
Also mentioned in the original message
was the need to change the front end helical resonator tap. - I
will try and find the extra info and pass it on.
Paul VK3TGX
Link
to top of Page
Re-inventing the tape dipole
Ulrich H. Steinberg (DJ8GO)
About 20 years ago I traveled with
a Heathkit HW-8 and a Hy-Gain TD-1 tape dipole in my bag, and both
saw quite a few exotic locales. The QRP transceiver by now is an
Elecraft K1, and like the HW-8 the tape dipole was sold somewhere
along the way. I normally use a MP-1 vertical for my portable operations,
but often, when I have space for a full-size dipole, I wished that
I still had the TD-1. (which also was available in a military version
from Rockwell-Collins called, I believe, the HD-4000) I've tried
a few modern light-weight incarnations of the reel dipole, and although
they work fine none of them had the sturdy reassuring feel of the
old TD-1.
When I spotted these chrome clad 50'
measuring tapes on eBay, the pair for $13, somehow they just cried
out to be made into a tape dipole. The cases are made of metal coated
with plastic and quite rugged. It turns out, although the tape looks
like shiny bare metal, it is coated with some stuff that is an excellent
insulator - so you have to use steel wool to remove it in some spots
- but more about that later.
An aluminum U-profile, 3/4" wide and
1/2" high, normally used to protect the edge of plywood, looked
like a good choice for a frame to hold the reels. With a bit of
handiwork with a metal saw I fashioned the two brackets that hold
the tapes. They are bolted together with a 4 1/2" bolt with nylon
spacers in between. (all the materials I used are readily available
in hardware stores).
The old TD-1 had a screw-down clamp
to stop the tape, which also served as the electrical connection
to the tape, and the dust and dirt that gathered in that spot rubbed
off the markings on the tapes pretty quickly. So it's probably not
a disadvantage that these reels have nothing of the sort. I chose
to make the actual electrical connection using binder clips that
squeeze a short length of grounding strap firmly onto the tape.
Since the tape is coated you have to use steel wool to remove the
coating over some length around the desired point of contact, and
it turns out that this works quite well.
The finished product is definitely
not designed for the backpacker, but it conveys the heft and sturdiness
that I remember from the TD-1. With its aluminum frame it is probably
even more solid than the original. Taking a clue from the original
I have attached a laminated frequency-to-length conversion chart
to the back. Unlike the TD-1 with its 66' reels the two 50' reels
will not permit operation on 80m. However, since I'm rarely ever
on 80m and my K1 is not configured for it, that's not something
I miss. I believe that similar tapes are available in 100' length,
so you could construct this antenna to cover 80m, too. The whole
thing looks and feels professional and solid, which was my most
important objective.
My construction has a SO-239 connector
that directly connects to the antenna without a balun. I felt that
an electrically balanced situation is probably not going to occur
in the odd locations that this antenna will be used in, and therefore
the added complexity of a balun didn't seem justified - the TD-1
didn't have one either. (Although a small balun can easily be added
to the construction.)
How does it perform? That's, of course, hard to say since I can't
switch to another antenna easily. Stainless steels tapes are not
a particularly good material for antennas if you're looking for
low resistance material - but then, real wire antennas out there
gather a coat of oxidation pretty quickly which introduces some
resistive loss, too. Over all the antenna seems to perform quite
well - I get into Europe and South America on 20m with 5W quite
regularly from the East Coast despite the lackluster conditions.
Setup is very simple using the length chart, and my Elecraft K1
has no problems giving me a 1:1 SWR every time. For a total cost
of about $25 and a few bruises on my fingers from the metal work
I have an antenna that is at least as rugged as the TD-1 and should
travel with me for a long time to come. (and this time I'm not going
to sell it unless you make me an offer that I can't refuse ...)
Kenneth Meyer K9KJM
I have seen a number of tower owners who have replaced the original
steel (Usually a grade 5) tower leg bolt(s) with "stainless steel"
bolts, Thinking they have done the best thing. DO NOT REPLACE original
bolts without consultation with the tower manufacturer! There have
been a number of COMPLETE TOWER FAILURES (Bolts sheared off, tower
fell) from this practice. Apparently the owners objected to the
rusted appearance of the original bolts, and replaced them with
"hardware store" variety of stainless steel bolts, of unknown hardness.
THESE REPLACEMENT BOLTS HAD VERY POOR SHEAR STRENGTH, AND IN HIGH
WIND CONDITIONS FAILED SHEARING OFF AND THE TOWERS FALLING!
While it is "nice" to have shiny bolts, and no rust running down
the side of your tower, do not take a chance using bolts of unknown
quality! If the original bolts are rusting, Buy direct replacement
bolts, Or simply coat them with zinc galvanize paint. Rust-oleum
and other companies sell a high zinc content "paint" that is perfect
for tower applications, in small spray cans, and quarts or gallons.
Any questions about tower maintenance should be directed to the
tower manufacturer. Good luck, and keep those antennas up high!
73
Link
to top of Page
Instruction Madness
Actual label instructions in case you
needed further proof that the human race is doomed through stupidity,
here are some actual instructions on consumer products.
- On a blanket from Taiwan - Not to
be used as protection from tornado
- On a helmet mounted mirror used
by US cyclists - Remember, objects in the mirror are actually
behind you.
- On a Taiwanese shampoo - Use repeatedly
for severe damage
- On the bottle-top of a (UK) flavored
milk drink - After opening, keep upright.
- On a New Zealand insect spray -
This product not tested on animals.
- In a US guide to setting up a new
computer - To avoid condensation forming, allow the boxes to warm
to room temperature before opening. (sensible, but the instruction
was INSIDE the box)
- On a Japanese product used to relieve
painful hemorrhoids - Lie down on bed and insert poscool slowly
up to the projected portion like a sword-guard into anal duct.
while inserting poscool for approximately 5 minutes, keep quiet.
- In some countries, on the bottom
of coke bottles - open other end.
- On a sears hairdryer - Do not use
while sleeping.
- On a bag of Fritos - You could be
a winner! No purchase necessary. Details inside (The shoplifters
special!)
- On a bar of Dial soap - Directions
- Use like regular soap.
- On Tesco’s Tiramisu dessert (printed
on bottom of box) - Do not turn upside down. (Too late, You lose!)
- On Marks & Spencer Bread Pudding
- Product will be hot after heating.
- On a Korean kitchen knife - Warning:
keep out of children.
- On a string of Chinese-made Christmas
lights - For indoor or outdoor use ONLY.
- On a Japanese food processor - Not
to be used for the other use.
- On Sainsbury’s peanuts - Warning:
Contains nuts.
- On an American Airlines packet of
nuts - Instructions: Open packet, eat nuts.
- On a Swedish chainsaw - Do not attempt
to stop chain with you hands or genitals
- On a child’s superman costume -
Wearing of this garment does not enable you to fly .
Link
to top of Page
Jokes
An older Jewish gentleman was
on the operating table awaiting surgery and he insisted that
his son, a renowned surgeon, perform the operation. As he was about
to get the anesthesia he asked to speak to his son.
"Yes Dad, what is it?"
"Don't be nervous, son; do your best and just remember, if it doesn't
go
well, if something happens to me ... your mother is going
to come and live with you and your wife..zzz.."
-----------------------------------------
Aging: Eventually you will reach a point when you stop lying about
your age and start bragging about it.
------------------------------------------
The older we get, the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for.
------------------------------------------
Some people try to turn back their odometers.
Not me, I want people to know "why" I look this way. I've
traveled a long way and some of the roads weren't paved.
--------------------------------------------
How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?
----------------------------------------------
When you are dissatisfied and would like to go back to youth, think
of
Algebra.
----------------------------------------------
I don't know how I got over the hill without getting to the
top.
----------------------------------------------
One of the many things no one tells you about aging is that it is
such a
nice change from being young.
----------------------------------------------
Ah, being young is beautiful, but being old is comfortable.
-----------------------------------------------
Old age is when former classmates are so gray and wrinkled and bald,
they don't recognize you.
----------------------------------------------
If you don't learn to laugh at trouble, you won't have anything
to laugh at
when you are old.
--------------------------------------
First you forget names, then you forget faces. Then you forget
to pull up
your zipper. It's worse when you forget to pull it down.
-------------------------------------------
Long ago when men cursed and beat the ground with sticks, it
was called
witchcraft... Today, it's called golf
Link
to top of Page
A Well Planned Life????
Two women met for the first
time since graduating from high school. One
asked the other, "You were always so organized in school,
Did you manage to live a well planned life? " " yes,"
said her friend. "My first
marriage was to a millionaire; my second marriage was to an
actor; my
third marriage was to a preacher; and now I'm married to an
undertaker."
Her friend asked, "What do those marriages have to do with
a well planned life?" "One for the money, two for the show,
three to get ready, and four to go."
Link
to top of Page
HF Radios for Newcomers
If ham radio is as important to you
as it is to me and we want to retain all of our frequencies, we
all have to do more to populate the airwaves with newcomers. Newcomers
come in many shapes and sizes: he/she can be an experienced ham
trying out a new mode, or a recently upgraded ham who now wants
to try the HF bands, or someone who is completely new to the hobby
- licensed or not.
When I first started in radio, "elmers"
were easy to find. They were nice, helpful and enthusiastic people
who readily shared their hobby with others. Of course, life seemed
simpler back then. SSB was the "new" mode when CW and AM ruled the
day. FM was virtually unheard. Radio sets were full of tubes and
large discrete parts - in a word - easy to operate and fix (because
you could read the markings on the parts - actually the parts were
fairly large and my eyes were much younger back then).
While I certainly don't yearn for the
good old days (mainly because ham radio was a relatively expensive
hobby in the 1950's), I do think our hobby has less fascination
and wonderment today. Wanna talk to someone far away? Just pick
up the telephone (long distance calls are so cheap today), or if
you're outside use your cell phone, blackberry, pager, or FRS radio.
Almost forgot, use the Internet to chat, email, send pictures, even
videophone (Old word for webcam). And, one more thing, you can do
all this with your battery operated laptop sitting in a Starbucks
connected to their WI-FI HotSpot high-speed Internet connection
while you drink your $3.00 coffee beverage.
Fortunately, I think I can solve one
part of the problem. I want to make it really easy to transition
hams from VHF to HF by helping out with their first "real" radio.
There are several objectives to overcome:
Getting started on HF for little money. Getting equipment that is
easy to operate and works well. Putting up that first antenna "cheaply".
Not getting stuck if HF is not their thing. I believe that any experienced
ham can do this in his spare time. It's simply an extension of the
hobby and it's fun. Here are the steps to get started as an HF elmer.
It requires you to tie up a few hundred dollars in a radio until
it's bought by the new Hf'er.
Step 1. - Decide what type of
HF transceiver radio you feel is best for a newcomer. It's probably
one that you owned at one time, like an IC-735 or a TS-130S or better.
I suggest a radio that is 100% solid state as tuning up a PA with
tubes is more complex. Also newcomers will probably think a TS-520,
TS-820S, or FT-101 is too old because it has tubes.
Step 2. - Look for a good transceiver. Hunt it down in QST,
eHam.net, eBay, qsl.net, qrz.com, estate of a SK, your local ham
club or hamfest. Challenge yourself to buy it as cheaply as you
can. Certainly less than $250.00. I bought two very nice TS-130S
transceivers for under $250 each and found Radio Shack switching
power (25 amps) supplies for $60 new.
Step 3. Build a simple dipole for 40 meters. If you find
an antenna tuner for less than $50.00 attach ladder line to the
dipole. Otherwise use coax and a PL-259.
Step 4. Advertise to your local ham clubs that you have a
good basic HF radio for sale and if a newcomer buys it, you will
sell it for what it cost you with the following money back guarantee:
use 30 days, 90% back; use less than 2 years, 50% back.
Step 5. Help a newcomer get on the air and do it again if
you had fun and made new friends.
73, Dick, K3DML
Link
to top of Page
PLC... An Emerging Threat to Ham Radio:
Imagine the following: You walk
over to your HF and turn it on. On 80 meters, there is static interference
kind of like spark plug RFI. So you go to 40 meters. It's still
there. On to 20. Still there, too. And 10 meters is noisy as well.
So you turn the radio off and decide to wait until the noise level
drops. You come back in a few hours, but it's still there. It's
there 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can't hear anything on
any band except for the ratt-a-tatt-tat-ratt-tatt of some
sort of signal. You decide to get in the car and try to DF it. No
luck, it's everywhere.
Congratulations (or condolences)...
you have found PLC.
PLC is short for Power Line Communications...
a new way to provide broadband internet over the existing power
lines. Unfortunately, it also has the potential to render wide swaths
of HF spectrum useless due to RFI. It poses perhaps more of a threat
to the future of ham radio communications than any other in recent
memory. Basically, it superimposes a broadband (up to 80 MHz) signal
along side the standard 60 Hz power line signal. Now think about
it... how many times have you looked up thought "If I could only
use the power company's line as an antenna" and you can see the
possibilities that emerge. Antennas that are miles long, mounted
high in the air, radiating RF all the way up to 80 MHz. Not a fun
possibility for ham operators, is it?
One would think that other users of
the HF spectrum (the US government in particular) would object to
such interference and that saner heads would prevail. However, in
a recent ARRL article it was reported:
"The FCC has declared BPL [FCC shorthand
for PLC] as a top priority for its Office of Engineering and Technology
(OET) in 2003. [Michael] Powell, who recently witnessed a BPL demonstration,
calls its potential "immense." As the [FCC] chairman sees it, BPL
"can offer consumers freedom to access broadband services from any
room in their home without need to pay for additional wiring, by
simply plugging an adapter into an existing electrical outlet."
Currently, the FCC is investigating
the feasibility of PLC in the US, but the aforementioned quote leads
one to believe the FCC is more attuned to the PLC companies than
they are to the incumbent users of the spectrum. In Japan, where
PLC systems have been in operation, amateurs complained so much
about the RFI that the PLC companies were forced to place 30 dB
notches in the PLC frequencies to protect the amateur allocations.
Perhaps this is an avenue that bears investigation in the US. When
(and if) a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking is issued by the FCC, I
would urge all amateurs on HF to make their voices heard... before
ours are silenced by PLC.
73 to all,
Steve Matda, KE4MOB
Link
to top of Page
Only In Japan
In Japan, they have replaced the impersonal
and unhelpful Microsoft error messages with Haiku poetry messages.
Haiku poetry has strict construction rules: each poem has only 17
syllables - 5 syllables in the first line, 7 in the second, 5 in
the third.
They are used to communicate a timeless
message, often achieving a wistful, yearning and powerful insight
through extreme brevity.
Here are some actual error messages
from Japan. Aren’t these better than
"your computer has performed an illegal
operation"
-------------------------------------------------
The web site you seek. Cannot be located,
but countless more exist.
---------------------
Chaos reigns within. Reflect, repent,
and reboot. Order shall return.
---------------------
Program aborting. Close all that you
have worked on. You ask far too much.
---------------------
Windows NT crashed. I am the Blue Screen
of Death. No one hears your screams.
---------------------
Yesterday it worked. Today it is not
working. Windows is like that.
---------------------
Your file was so big. It might be very
useful. But now it is gone.
---------------------
A crash reduces your expensive computer
to a simple stone.
---------------------
Three things are certain. Death, taxes
and lost data. Guess which has occurred.
---------------------
Having been erased, the document you're
seeking must now be retyped.
---------------------
Serious error. All shortcuts have disappeared.
Screen. Mind. Both are blank.
Link
to top of Page
Real Men Don’t Eat Muesli Bars
A brief foray into the Grant Area on
the Queens Birthday weekend
Ian Jackson VK3BUF
Leaning back in the seat to keep my face from the windscreen as
the front of the van drops sharply into the swollen river. Engine
revs are kept high and a vee shaped bow wave begins to billow out
to the left and right. All aboard are shaken about as we crawl over
the invisible grapefruit sized rocks that pave the riverbed. As
the headlights dip in and out of the water, a cold sensation grips
the feet on the pedals as they too become submerged. All too soon
the far bank looms big and with a squeal of the slipping power steering,
the van grinds its way up and out of the water. Pausing briefly
to open the door to drain the residual floor water, I pump the brakes
vigorously to return their effectiveness to something approaching
normal and cast my eyes forward appraising the next obstruction…. …And
that is how you cross a river.

Last weekend a group of seven in three
vehicles had a bit of an exploration around the Grant Historic Area,
a little East of Dargo. The weather was cool and windy but quickly
improved.
After the first Camp at Matheson Flat we quickly climbed from the
valley floor towards Mt Ewan. My father Eric, Hal and myself up
front in the van, followed by Peter 3KCG and John XJW in the Nissan.
Jim 3UFO and his son Chris brought up the rear in the Kia.
After passing some deer hunter camps it soon became evident that
we were the first to travel this way since the recent storms as
we had to bark up the chainsaw a couple of times to clear the track.
At the 1200 metre mark we crossed the snow line and the forest became
a white fairyland.
We visited the old ‘Grant’ town site. Once it had been a thriving
town of 3000, now it looked more like an old drive-in with a missing
screen. John 3XJW took some video footage as we made our way to
the old Talbotville site on the Crooked River. This site became
our base for the next two nights. Here the track winds back and
forth across the river. In a single 8km stretch there are 24 crossings.
That night we resumed our 80M sked and made good contact with Dianne
3JDI and Graham Brown 3BXG. We heard in some detail how a bat had
hidden in Dianne’s boot overnight and had come to grief when her
foot and it tried to occupy the same space in the Morning.
The river rose around 400mm overnight and some fishing rods my father
had set the previous evening were washed away. It was a turbulent
soup of ash and bushfire debris. This settled down somewhat as the
river later dropped in level.
On the following day we did some touring in the area. The track
options to the north were drastically reduced because of closures
caused by the recent bushfires. Upon the return to camp the fire
was established and evening meals were prepared. Each night Jim
prepared a full cordon bleu meal complete with sautéed mushrooms
garlic cloves and fluffy rice. The rest watched in awe while munching
boiled saveloys in bread and munched on muesli bars.
The final day consisted of several deeper river crossings on the
approach
to Billy Goat Bluff. A track that leads south out of the mountains.
Jim was concerned about ground clearance limitations with the Kia
on this leg and (wisely) returned via Dargo to the East. The track
turned out to be a bit of a bugger with the Crooked River and Wongungarra
River converging into a wider stream around 800-900mm deep. Peter
and John joined us in crossing this four times before reaching the
base of Billy Goat Bluff.
The Bluff trail is something of a goat track (hence the name) that
had deteriorated somewhat since my last ascent about two years before
made in 36º heat. It’s a bit like crawling up the side of an Egyptian
pyramid laced with loose rock and gravel. In a single 7 kilometre
stretch it rises over 1200metres – about the same as driving from
sea level to the top of Mt Dandenong, twice. The van stalled
on some of the larger rocky ledges and I paused with feet planted
on the brakes while some holes were filled. Peter scrambled up with
less difficulty afforded by a bigger engine and greater wheel travel.
At some sections the ridge track is so narrow that simultaneously
the driver and passenger get to look out of their respective windows
at the terrain plunging away in near vertical drops. As I glanced
at the GPS waypoint flagging the top of the climb the words Are
we there yet? occasionally entered my mind.
At
the top of the Bluff an even higher point called ‘The Pinnacles’
is nearby. This is worth a visit as a fire lookout hut at 1440 metres
provides an outstanding view of the region. Once again snow littered
the ground, but the air was a still and pleasant ten degrees. It
was a fairly busy site with several others having recently made
the climb themselves. We made contact again with Jim on 2 metres
who had already passed through Dargo on the path home. After that
there was little more to be done except wind our way back to civilisation
on a 60km trail to Briagalong and Maffra. It was not the longest
nor the wildest journey when compared to previous trips in these
hills, but it had been a lot of fun.
Link
to top of Page
Shack Visit
The shack visit to Peter VB and Pat
OZ's home was very well attended.
Two smiling faces and a lovely warm fire greeted us. Ron erected
his telescope out the back in the garden. A very chilly night,
but those brave souls that ventured outside to stargaze had a great
time. Plenty of chit chat throughout the evening.
After a delectable supper folk gradually departed for home.
Thank you Peter and Pat for an enjoyable evening.
Ian VK3KSZ &
XYL Valerie
Link
to top of Page
GGREC IRLP/70cm Repeater Project
John VK3XJW
As you can see by the pictures below
the cabinet is finished and is sitting at the base of the water
tank ready to have its legs concreted into the ground. The cabinet
has front and rear doors for easy access and two 6" fans for removing
heat from the repeater and beacons. We have received some LDF750
connectors for our antenna cables and now need about 25 metres of
7-core trailer cable to run up to the antenna for the 2.4 GHz beacon.
Some pictures and diagram of the location of the cabinet have been
sent to South Wast Water to see if they have any objection to its
location. I hope to have an answer back from them this week.
Anyone looking for DTMF mic to use with the IRLP? I have been given
about 7 of them by Paul TGX for club members, so see me at the next
general meeting.
Well that’s it for now. 73s John
Link
to top of Page
|