[HCARC] Antennas, Radios and Elmering
Bob Richie
bob.k5yb at yahoo.com
Sun Aug 5 15:25:36 EDT 2012
Re-read Kerry's comments. If you get signals with a given set of characteristics from any transmitter reaching the antenna you will get the same results out. The antenna does not care what rig the signals came from. Some rigs have a little different audio characteristics than others but I generally cannot hear the differences. The small speaker in my receiver probably makes more difference but a good set of headphones takes care of that. You may want to pay some attention to receiver sensitivity and the ability to to filter out close signals. You can't work them if you can't hear them. You may also want to consider a Beverage antenna for receive - talk to Chuck Brainard or John Hueckstaedt about this. You have enough space to do this and it would probably give you some really good ears.
Bob
K5YB
Kerrville, TX 78028
________________________________
From: Gary and Arlene Johnson <qltfnish at omniglobal.net>
To: Bob Richie <bob.k5yb at yahoo.com>
Cc: hcarc at mailman.qth.net
Sent: Sunday, August 5, 2012 1:15 PM
Subject: Re: [HCARC] Antennas, Radios and Elmering
Bob,
I claim to be someone who doesn't mind moving
someone out of their comfort zone. As such I have no problem what so ever
with someone doing the same to me. Smart ass questions can do that and to
be really honest, it felt good to go back and try to remember some of the
genetics info from the far distant past (40+ years ago). Hard to believe
but true.
If I eliminate all those criteria when reading eham
reviews there aren't any reviews left to read :-). Your
comments go along way to prove that the people you ask about a radio should be
people you trust, and I can't think of any group of Hams that I trust better
than the members of HCARC. Hence all the more reason for a listing of what
radios each member runs. I know that we don't like to be on lists, but it
surely helps people find the right people to answer specific questions and since
the roster is password protected, members should be fairly certain that the
information is protected.
Gary J
N5"BAA"
----- Original Message -----
>From: Bob Richie
>To: Gary and Arlene Johnson
>Cc: HCARC at mailman.qth.net
>Sent: Sunday, August 05, 2012 12:37 PM
>Subject: Re: [HCARC] Antennas, Radios and Elmering
>
>
>I was kind of being a smart ass about the mutation question but it kind of makes my point and that is "well, it depends." It's kind of like radioactive decay - it's pretty easy to measure rates over time with great precision. We have no way to predict when a certain atom will decay. If you ask 6 hams for an opinion you will get at least thirteen definite answers and another nine qualified answers. You've gotten several suggestions for a rig and if you are looking for operating experience the rig does not matter.
>
>
>Here are some hints for looking at reviews on e-Ham. Forget the 5s. They are either from folks who are reporting the radio is performing as advertised or are brand devotees. Some guys wont drive anything but Fords. If the reviewer has operated the rig for less than about 90 days discount the review. If the guy just looked at it and didn't like the paint color, forget it. If a reviewer complains about a problem no one else reports, be careful. If a reviewer tries to compare the rig to another, forget it.
>
>Bob
>K5YB
>Kerrville, TX 78028
>
>
>________________________________
> From: Gary and Arlene Johnson <qltfnish at omniglobal.net>
>To: Bob Richie <bob.k5yb at yahoo.com>
>Cc: HCARC at mailman.qth.net
>Sent: Sunday, August 5, 2012 11:22 AM
>Subject: Re: [HCARC] Antennas, Radios and Elmering
>
>
>
>In laymans terms you can't predict purely random mutations. That's why they are RANDOM. In layman's terms you can effect mutations and expect mutations by bombarding DNA and RNA with radiation. You cannot predict a perfectly random distribution of ionizing radiation as to which cell it might affect. Since it is purely a random distribution over the direction the beam of radiation is applied you would expect a random number of cells to be affected. We are dealing with a purely random event, although if I were to bombard the cells for a long enough time all would have mutations, but the cells would be dead first.
>
>My problem with Ohms law is I assume it is NOT RANDOM and that resistance in a copper wire of 14 guage should be within limits pretty much the same dependent upon the diameter (gauge of the wire). This shouldn't be random - more a function of the ability of a wire to be drawn to a nominal thickness. I am told that the resistance of wire increases as distance increases in a copper wire, hence to run a certain amount of a/c electricity from my shop to one of my barns (450 feet away) requires larger and larger wire to reduce the resistance or I guess, to spread the resistance out over a longer wire diameter. Said another way, the longer the distance run, the larger the wire required. In the instance of the antenna Coax we were talking about previously, normal RG58 coax has a copper conductor that is probably somewhere around 20 gauge and it has a 50 ohm resistance. The hard line mast for the AS-2259 which I am told is COAX has a
conductor inside (copper as far as I can tell) that is approx 1/4 inch in diameter inside of a hard casing with dielectric that is 1 1/2 inches in diameter - why supposedly does it have an enormous resistance??? One would guess that the 1/4 inch copper conductor would have much less reisitance than the much smaller RG58 conductor. OR somehow the resistance is being affected by other factors that I am unaware of. Please explain.
>
>As for a 2 element answer to the radio - yes an Icom 746 might work, so would Icom 756 and the 756 Pro series of which the 7410 has largely replaced. Really the Icom 7600 replaced the the 756's and the 7410 replaced the 746. Having had a permanent search on Ebay that sends me an email every time Icom 746 and 756 (and many others too) appears in any auction I can tell you that the cost for a used one of either is almost as much as a new 7410. And BTW, if you ask Dale, the first radios I talked to him about when I took his course were 746's and 756's. I have been compiling some information about radios for other Newbies that I come across who are looking for radios. What I cannot ever gain is the perspective that people have who have operated these radios over a period of years. Eham tries to do some of that, but the reviews are as random as the person operating the radio and that person is unknown. Who knows if that person had
the smarts to get the SWR low enough that he didn't fry the transmitter and aren't ALL PROBLEMS THE MANUFACTURERS PROBLEMS, NEVER THE OPERATOR. I am smart enough to know that just like airplane crashes and car accidents - the majority of the time problems are caused by operator error.
>
>OK, rather than a list of radios that are recommended for Newbies, then how about in the club roster, each person list the radios they commonly operate with, so if a newbie or an oldie wanted to know about a certain radio they would know which members to go and ask. It doesn't have to be hard. As for me, I probably will wait and get either the 7410 or 7600 finances permitting. I have been saving since I began Dale's Course back in Feb or March. However, I was under the impression that this site (Reflector) was for the benefit of all the members, not just me. Hence, when talking about radios, I talk about radios available to more than just me. Chuck Hopkins is using my General CLass Exam Book to get his upgrade. I can guarantee he will be going through the same decisions that I am when he decides to get his HF radio. Wouldn't it be nice for him to have some kind of database of some sort to go through to make an easier
intelligent decision on what to buy or as important - what to stay away from.
>
>Gary J
>N5"BAA"
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Bob Richie
>>To: Gary and Arlene Johnson
>>Cc: HCARC Reflector
>>Sent: Sunday, August 05, 2012 7:59 AM
>>Subject: Re: [HCARC] Antennas, Radios and Elmering
>>
>>
>>OK, you want a simple two element answer. here it
is.
>>Get yourself a good used Icom 746 and a Hustler 4 BTV vertical. You can easily modify the antenna to add 12 meter and 17 meter capability and you can screw an 80 meter ham stick into the top to add 80 meters. When your operating abilities exceed the capability of that system, ask your questions again.
>>
>>
>>Don't like that answer? Then try this one. Wait until you can get the Icom 7410 since that seems to be the rig you want. If you can't get it right away that's ok. It is a fairly new rig and there may be some new rig issues to work out.
>>
>>
>>As for the microbiology, please explain in layman's terms how you predict mutations.
>>
>>Bob
>>K5YB
>>Kerrville, TX 78028
>>
>>
>>________________________________
>> From: Gary and Arlene Johnson <qltfnish at omniglobal.net>
>>To: HCARC at mailman.qth.net
>>Sent: Saturday, August 4, 2012 11:45 PM
>>Subject: [HCARC] Antennas, Radios and Elmering
>>
>>First to Bill Tynan - IT
ALL HELPS - thank you very much for the response, and you answered my
question in terms I could understand. I asked what time it was and you
told me. Congratulations, you are one of the first!! Barb S.
will understand the last comment.
>>
>>Second to Bob R. - IT ALL
HELPS TOO - However, If I were to have anywhere close to that many radios I
would be divorced - no kidding!!! My wife is not that supportive of
this "Extra Hobby". It's the single most important reason why I am
trying to find the best fit for being able to comfortably and reliably
communicate with the least amount of gear trouble possible. At least
at first, I would really like to be able to eliminate (if at all possible)
the radio from being a source of problems. It's hard enough to learn
all (some) that one needs to know without having to fight a radio too.
Trust me, I have been looking for the right radio. The Icom 7410 which
I have pretty well settled on (unless I can afford by some miracle an ICOM
7600 - not likely) as the radio I want to get pretty well makes it easy for
me to get in and get my feet wet - reliably. I cringe at the thought
of trying to tell my wife I need/want 4-6 different radios for different
things. As for a niche -
>>I am a retired Naval Officer who was
fortunate enough in his 24 1/2 year career to have traveled almost
completely around the world. The only part I haven't been through (and
really never wanted to go there) is from the Indian Ocean side of the Suez
Canal to the area around Thailand. Other than that I have been the
rest of the way around this big blue orb including Antarctica (3 summer
seasons) and South Pole. In fact I was lucky enough to have been able
to make a MARS phone patch from Amundson/Scott South Pole Station back to
California. Bill Tynan told me the other night it was too bad I wasn't
a HAM at that time so I could have taken a couple of handy talky's and
communicated from each of the worlds time zones simply by having walked
around the South Pole. I desire to be able to talk as far around the world
as possible, to as many people as possible, as often as possible. At
this point in my Radio experience I find PSK31 and RTTY somewhat BORING,
however I recognize
>>both as being ways to "talk" when propagation on the
different bands is not conducive to SSB. Yes, I know that CW is even
better, and trust me I will get there, but I am not close to "there"
yet. There are many things that pull on my time, some of which are
raising sheep and goats and Stock Guard Dogs, being married, and radio has
to fit in with those for time. Thankfully, radio works in the dark of
night, and thankfully I have a good retirement - otherwise there would have
been no time to even start. If I had to try to juggle full time
employment with all the other things going on I would not have even gotten
started in Dale's class either. Oh, did I mention I like to fish
too??
>>
>>I do not think I am that much different than most of the new
Hams I have met. As a group, we seem somewhat frustrated with one
thing or another. Some of us are trying to find the right radio,
others are struggling with antennas, some are struggling with finances in
this poor economy. The simple statement of "just get a radio and try
it out" seems the easy way out when someone asking for information. It
might be the proper response, but I don't think so - yet. Of the group
of Newbies, I am (probably) the most vocal. I don't mind trying to
move people out of their comfort zones. I probably ruin more
relationships than I help. Tilting with windmills is a past time of
mine. And if you haven't realized it yet I am not afraid to toss in my
2 cents worth - frequently too my detriment. The only bad question
truely is the one not asked - I live by that motto. At least I try
though - shy, I am not.
>>
>>Last to Kerry - IT ALL HELPS TOO!!
However, some things don't seem to follow as to why some things have high
ohms resistance and others - not so much. There doesn't seem to be any
rhyme nor reason to so much of it. My Masters is in
Microbiology. In the sciences we were taught that things should follow
in an orderly manner, obeying the rules. Yeah, sure they
do!!!
>>
>>I look forward to getting a few antennas and a radio together
and trying them out. Say when and I will buy the donuts. Coffee
and tea is BYOB as I am LDS (Mormon - we don't do coffee). And yes we
should do it when Jeff is available for the donuts.
>>
>>Gary
J
>>N5"BAA"
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