Eham.net is the "home page".  Every website technically has a homepage.  Or a page where the site "begins".

Maybe the fella posted it here because Eham doesn't seem to be updating shack photos??  I've had mine in for a couple of months now and haven't seen it up there.  I got a notice that said the info/photo was received OK, and that I would get an e-mail when it went into rotation.  But so far....nothin'.....

I took Riley's advice and just "turned the dial."

73, Bill

Absolutely right, Dan.  I know what caps to use, and where they go.  I just don't have the bench "extra hand" or very tiny instruments to manuever and thread my caps in place.

Sounds like a plan.  Now I know I've seen those guys and their ads somewhere.....

73, Bill

I did a dumb thing.  I went and performed one of those "Mods" from a popular ham website that shall remain anonymous.

After performing the cap replacement on the little MFJ 80 meter Cub, I soon realized the mod was for the 15 meter MFJ Cub!  I should have had my thinking cap on anyway, realizing the capacitor values were meant for 15 and not 80.

It was a bugger to get those caps in.  I wasn't about to go through the hassle again with my lil sausage-like fingers poking around inside such a tiny rig.  So I shipped it back to MFJ for repair.

That was in late April.  Well, I checked the progress....again....with MFJ last week.  I was told the repair fella is no longer with MFJ.  So I told them to send the rig back, I'd find a private repair person.

This is really a fun little xcvr!  But I can't picture myself trying to put the proper caps back in that tiny, little rig with my sausage-like fingers.

Is there a reputable private repair person you trust that likes working on little QRP units?

73, Bill - WA8MEA

I have a river and millpond in my backyard.  I could run a wire a few feet to the millpond.

Good idea?  Or is will the length of wire to get out there negate any benefits??

73, Bill

Since originally publishing this, I almost lost my home to a fire thanks to a battery maintainer that went haywire.  I had everything fused, but the problem was inside the charger/maintainer. 

Stick with PS's....

73, Bill

Is N8S a Special Event Operation of a DXpedition??

Or....both???

I'm a Special Events chaser.

73, Bill

Is N8S a Special Event Operation or a DXpedition??

Or....both???

73, Bill - WA8MEA

Built a homebrew audio amp.  But the volume controls for the stereo output are EXTREMELY touchy.  First, you almost have to go 3/4 of the way clockwise before getting any sound.  And once you get sound, tuning just a FRACTION of an inch will make the volume jump into overload.

I am currently using 10K pots.

I cannot recall.  Do I need to go down to a 5K pot?  Or up to a 25k or 50k pot to make it less "touchy"

Thanks!

73, Bill - WA8MEA

I tried doing a search on this topic first, but way too broad of a subject.  Anyway, I JUST STARTED having RF problems with RF getting back into the rig. (Yaesu FT-107M connected to a marine battery and smart charger.)  No problems over the past several months until now.

I am using dipoles and/or inverted vee's on 160, 75/80, 40, and 20.  Nothing has really changed in the shack.

Any suggestions?

73, Bill

I got the Deoxit in the mail to use with my "sticky" mode switch on my Yaesu FT-107M.  I did discover that the switch was VERY loose on the chassis, and used a box end wrench to tighten her down real good.  That stopped the frequency display jump on LSB.  But, she still wants to drop out on receive unless I have the switch "just right" on LSB.

I had a helluva time with the dope, trying various ways to get it inside the switch.  Everything is so tight and wires all over.  I really don't think any got inside.

Have any of you drilled a very small hole in a switch in order to get the fluid inside?  I'm afraid if I try to move or remove this switch, I'm gonna start snapping wires off.

73, Bill - WA8MEA
wa8mea@hotmail.com
http://HamRadioFun.com

>>Deoxit in the needle applicator bottle

After visiting their website, that looks to be the best choice.

I've used CRC on 'puter stuff.  Works great.  But I'm afraid the force of the spray may spill onto the front cover or other parts of the 107M.

The Deoxit with the needle applicator looks like what I need....not only for this project, but for a band switch on an old NCX-3 too.

Ya know, I've complained about the complainers on Eham.net and similar sites.  Not to get mushy or anything, but here's where the REAL hams are.  Helping each other out, giving advice....and not screaming and calling each other names.  Or turning the subject into a code/no-code debate.  Thanks again to all.  This is the second time I've used this forum.  And with very beneficial results both times!

Thanks and 73!

Bill - WA8MEA

OK.  I'm going to be REAL careful this time around.  Some years back, I got some LDS/LPS (or what ever the initials were) spray and forgot to check and make sure it was the mixture FREE from petroleum distillates.  I "washed" my entire newly acquired Kenwood TS-830.  The next day it went haywire.  It finally bit the big one that evening.

A friend of mine who restores old rigs always tells me that WD-40 is great stuff when used properly. *Never underestimate the usefulness of WD-40*; he states.

I have a mode switch on a newly acquired Yaesu FT-107M that is sticky/losing contact/scratchy.  It could use a bath of some sorts.  I DO NOT want to make the same error I did years ago with the TS-830.

Should I narrow spray a little WD-40 into the contact switch?

Or would you opt for something else???

Recommendations appreciated by all.

73, Bill

Even after 35 years of this stuff, I am still amazed at what little surprises crop up along life's amateur radio journey.

Several weeks ago, a friend of mine wanted to know what was the best mobile outfit since he was on the road a lot.

From personal experience, I suggested the Hustler Model CG-144 collinear. (5/8 over 1/4 wave)

He even bought a tri-magnet mount to put on the top of his car.  He wanted to spank some squirrels with this momma!

He came to me a couple of weeks later.  The top section had fallen off due to the spanking of one too many squirrels.  So I gave him a 1/4 to use while I made up a new '"stinger" for him. It looked kinda funny....this 1/4 wave on top of this enormously huge tri-mag mount.

He phoned me and claimed this 1/4 wave was outperforming the Hustler, both on transmit and receive.  I didn't believe him until I got on his mobile today and gave it a good work out.

I just don't get it???  Take off angle difference???  Both antennas have minimal SWR of around 1.2 to 1 center band. The difference isn't that extreme between the two, but it is noticeable on the meter and to the ear.  

This little 1/4 wave all by itself seems to do a little better job than the entire Model CG-144.

73, Bill

I have looked at numerous logging programs over the past week.  Some free, some not-so-free.  I thought I had settled on a pretty good piece of freeware.  But you couldn't save your work on a separate disk. (No names will be mentioned cuz you ain't suppose to look a gift horse in the mouth.)  But what I'm looking for is a simple logging program, that can SAVE your work on a separate disk, CD, DVD, etc.  

73, Bill