[NLRS] MN repeaters where NRLS hangs out

[Dr. Gerald N. Johnson]

On 6/20/2011 4:26 PM, Donn wrote:
>
>
> Hi Mike.
>
> The 2nd question is easy... there IS no place for microwave
> and test equipment.

Though I suspect between Donn and me and members of NLRS there is enough 
unused to supply a decent store. I do miss visiting the Consignment 
Center. Did NLRS members not do enough business there to keep the store 
open?
>
> Yes, ABC Electronics has "some" test equipment, but it tends
> to be ... ahhh... not terribly useful and GROSSLY
> over-priced.  (I've seen them look something up in the
> Tucker catalog, then knock 10% off their (Tucker's) price.
> When it was pointed out that the Tucker price was for a
> refurbushed, calibrated, and guaranteed unit while the ABC
> unit -existed-, the answer was "so don't buy it.")  They do
> have a lot of parts, I have to hand them that.

Do they respond to offers? I bought two similar connectors last month 
and the guy at the desk discounted the more expensive ones to the same 
price as the cheaper ones. I'm sure their inventory varies as they sell 
stuff on epay besides through the front door. On the CSVHF surplus tour 
they had a Boonton 92C RF millivoltmeter without probe. $35, I know the 
probe schematic and since have fallen into a supply of probes. Not a 
perfect match but they work better than my probe that I built more than 
40 years ago.
>
> Another downside is that they are located 3-4 blocks from
> the Twins stadium.  If there's a game anytime that day,
> parking will cost you two arms and a leg IF you can find a
> parking space.
>
> Axe-man has three locations: University Ave in St. Paul,
> Fridley, and St. Louis Park.  While a lot of stuf is the
> same, there are differences between stores.

Especially in the test equipment.

The St. Paul
> store is "hard to get to" due to University being torn up
> for the light rail boondoggle --uh, construction.

It was still accessible 5 weeks ago and still on the grubby side with 
not much of value in the test equipment.
My
> opinion; St. Louis Park is the next best, depending on where
> you'll be in the Cities and how much time you have.

I've been there, it was a couple years ago, the contrast in spit and 
polish between it and University was great. It was almost too clean for 
a surplus store. It also didn't have as much stuff, especially 
electronics and hardware. I've not been to Fridley.
Fridely
> is perhaps the easist to get to... due north of Minneapolis,
> a mile or so north of I-694 along Central (MN65).

There is some tube era test equipment at the Pavek museum of 
Broadcasting at least there was before their recent garage sale. I 
didn't see anything for VHF and up though.
>
> I don't use repeaters much... someone else maybe able to
> help here.  Usually, NLRS-ers are on 146.46 simplex.

Historically few weak signal VHF and microwavers have ever admitted to 
using repeaters or even FM. Partly because we don't tend to have 
discussion interests that match well with the local FM groups and partly 
because we know that 1 watt on CW will work 5 or ten times the repeater 
range, even on 10Ghz. If there was a station on CW or SSB to hear our 
call in distress that would be great. Fact is storm spotting is mostly 
on FM and away from the big cities its important to do your own spotting 
because once the storm passes the big cities, their interest falls, or 
if bad storms threaten the big cities, the country side gets ignored. 
And a NWS office gets overwhelmed with more than a couple tornadoes on 
the ground. So I spot and in a college town like Ames there has been the 
occasional EE professor (and VHF operator like W0PFP) to talk to as well 
as students with wider interests than FM. And I was president of the 
none college radio club for 21 years in a row.

I've been on FM since 1959 but was on 2m AM several years before that. 
Both in a day when there were no rice boxes, it had to be built or 
converted surplus where channel splitting made Motorola, GE, and RCA 
gear available. Long about 1962, W0PMU was using a 2m FM receiver he had 
made from IF coils discarded from converting from 120 to 60 kHz channel 
spacing and suffered QRM from 60 kHz 2m channels. In those days, St. 
Louis MO was mostly on 147.300 with RTTY on 147.240 and another private 
frequency for DX chasing. Not to say the clicke on 147.300 was open to 
everyone. The reception was improved if the newcomer was able to drink 
one of the OTs under the table. Or even if that was attempted.

The weak signal or microwaver can get great use out of FM and repeaters 
because we understand antennas and feed line loss and I say "I cheat" by 
using (at least at the last place, not yet here) gain antennas 60' in 
the air with 1/2" hard line for the feed. That works much better than a 
rubber ducky on a handheld in the basement. Or a ribbon j-pole fed with 
RG-58 and no ground plane to decouple the coax.

73, Jerry, K0CQ
>
> 73 Donn
> WA2VOI/0
>
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