I am trying to instal Logic 8 into my new windows 7 computer. I need a serial to usb adapter and I have downloaded the latest driver from the mfg. Computer says it is working properly but when I start Logic I get message "No Interface found on Com 3" . I have rebooted, reloaded, changed Com ports but can't seem to get past the problem. Rig is an IC-7600 and I am using the CI-V cable, into adapter, settings in the rig are set for CI-V (default) Any Ideas?........Thanks,

I'm looking for a LMR 400 type of coax that rats do not eat.  Fortunately, they don't eat all plastics.
TKS
73
Bob

I ran a few receiving only tests last night, and it was receiving the low angle stuff much better than my dipole at 100'. I'm going to work on a matching network of sorts today and see where that leads.

Dave WB4IUY
www.WB4IUY.net

I would love to put up a 2 meter eggbeater but the only commercial version I know of is the one from M2. However it is $270.00.

Does anyone know of any other makers of eggbeaters?

I really don't want to make one as it looks like it is a real pain to build if you don't have an antenna analyzer for 2m and I don't own one of those.

Thanks
Zack
N8FNR

   What are your thoughts concerning this?  I think the K3 also uses RS-232?
  Thanks!   
 

Hi Guys.  Would you share what you've found? I've been writing down how I react/focus as I drill on various CW practice sessions. Right now I'm drilling with random words from a text file, using NuMorse Pro. The program allows me to adjust the inter-word spacing while maintaining the character and inter-character spacing at desired full speed. I've noticed that I can copy nearly 100% at the desired speed if I copy by writing cursive; but, if I face the screen and close my eyes (some) I don't do as well, with loss of focus for groups of words. By chance I looked away and held a pencil and my focus to the paper and simply put a check mark for each word as copied, thereby doing much better! Somehow the pencil on paper, retraining my focus there, assists? I'm guessing the the totality of the screen is, at this point, a disctraction, eating up some of my short-term working memory. What are your experiences? 73, Phil, W0XI.

I'm pretty sure a wire up the center of the tower will barely radiate anything at all.   You're basically building a coaxial stub.   Almost all the current that flows on the system will be differential mode: on the wire and on the inside of the tower. 

When you shunt feed a tower with a wire and tap on the outside part of the way up, the stub part the bottom ends up significantly unbalanced, which is necessary for getting it to radiate.  That's not going to happen with any stub run up the center because of the symmetry.

I don't know what the best advice for getting you on 160m without messing around with your tower installation is, but I'm pretty sure that running a wire up the center and tapping is going to be a miserable radiator  no matter what.

Hello all, looking for info here - as usual <

It seems to be fairly easy to build a lightning arrestor based on what I read in these links:

http://www.iceradioproducts.com/thorshammer.htm

Then looking at the schematic at bottom of this page:

http://www.iceradioproducts.com/33.htm the schematic of PolyPhaser vs I.C.E. products are shown with the big difference being the bleed off resistor and inductor.

I have done some research on GDT and found a LOT of things to buy.  Not sure, but it seems like one rated at 1,000 volt arc over might be ok? Mouser Part #:  871-A71-H10X
Link: http://tinyurl.com/3888phg

From the photos the resistor seems to be around 120K, maybe 2 watt?  1,000 volt rated?

The capacitor - looks like a big ceramic disk - 3KV? what would be a typical value for this cap working as a DC blocking cap?  .01uF?  .001uF?  something other?

What about the inductor - any ideas?  I'd expect a ferrite core with several (what inductance in uH?) turns of wire to ground?

Thanks for any help and guidance in this.

73 de Ken H>

I just finished putting up 69' of Rohn 45G.  The tower was used, only needed paint (3 coats of Rustoleum Aluminum) and new bolts.  Here's how it broke down:

There was some pretty good DX on 40 Meter CW this weekend, but there doesn't seem to be much outcry about this last weekends CQWW SSB contest.  There was a lot of activity on 40 Meters from the Caribbean down as low as 7.018.  If you were not an Extra Class ham, there was sure a lot of QRM for you to deal with between SSB and the PSK31 (and other unidentifiable digital modes).  The QRP frequencies, take your pick of 7.030 or 7.040, were clobbered all weekend.  Before you tell me and all the other hams who are not contesters to take a hike and go someplace else or just turn off the radio, maybe you ought to consider whether you would like to have the frequency you were trying to use crushed by a 40 over S9 signal everywhere you tried to listen or transmit.  And then have some smart a** tell you to quit whining as I am sure will occur in this venue.

I know it is legal for the Caribbean and European amateurs to use the low end of 40 Meters for SSB.  But with 200 KHz of spectrum, why can't some of us who don't contest get to use a small part of the band?  V26B was the worst offender and his 40 over signal basically made 7.015 to 7.022 unuseable for CW.  It seems that the band plans mean nothing if your ego is big enough and your signal is loud enough.  And what the heck is it with 7.036 and PSK31.  There is wasteland between 7.050 and 7.100.  Why can't digital users stay up there?  Oh, yeah.  It is a 'Gentlemen's agreement'.

The bottom line is that it is not fair to ignore others desire to use frequencies as specified in our band plans and demand we move to another frequency or shut down.  Maybe I'm asking too much.  Maybe it is time to sell my junk before it is outdated and worthless.  Anybody need a K3 or a nice amplifier.

Maybe it's time to quite whining and upgrade?

73, Jim, K4ZMV

I know there are a lot of differing opinions out there about grounding, so I hope I don't cause too much of a stir! 

I am preparing to install a 45 foot self supporting tower about 100 feet away from the house, and 130 feet from the shack. My understanding and belief is that all your grounds - tower, shack, etc. - should be tied together with the ground where your AC power goes into the house. Now with my tower being on the opposite side of the house from the AC ground (which would end up being a distance of probably 170 feet) should I worry about tying the tower ground in with the house ground? Would it be worth it? I already plan to use 4 ground rods (20 footers if I can get them) around the tower base, plus an ufer ground, as well as redundant Polyphasers (one at the tower and one at the shack entrance) on the feedlines and rotor cable. Yes it may be overkill, but being in Florida I'd rather be safe than sorry! Any thoughts?

But if that's the way to do it, then that's the way to do it...!

Is there any problem that I could encounter if this ground rod is not connected to my central ground?

Yes, all your grounding system MUST MUST MUST be connected to the electric service entrance ground (via an outdoor path).  Get the hint?  MUST

All my equipment is isolated from my house ground via 2 prong plugs and UPS supplies. My house ground like most uses a galvanized rod that is about 6 feet long of which 6 to 8 inches is above ground. My experience in installind proper grounds says that the entire rod needs to be below ground level for a good ground.

Says who?  If most of the rod is in the ground, then it is a good ground, unless you have very unusual soil or rock conditions.

 I am hoping that someone out there can tell if I will crate a ground loop with this installation, and any other problems I might run into? I know if I run a 60 or 70 foot wire to the house ground I will have a problem.

The only problem you will have with this is the lack of problems caused by lightning or nearby strikes because you have a properly installed grounding system.
 Any information on this problem will be very appreciated.

Regards,
73s
K2OWK