The upgrade is apparently a firmware upgrade, not hardware, so there's no "kit."  It has to be done by Kenwood; several "authorized service providers" have said even they have to send equipment to Kenwood to have the upgrade performed.
    Dealing with Kenwood direct would probably be slightly less expensive and take less time.  (Just be sure you use the original boxes for shipping.)

BTW,
    if you need help, why not put up a fan dipole?

;-)  <GRINN>

    BTW, it was good to see 15 Meters coming back to life!

Yeah, but eventually, you get the

"you're my 150th 'LANG (Los Angeles County]- don't Californians live anywhere else?"

    Apparently not.  ;-(

Anyone that gives you a hassle isn't worth talking to.
    The FCC don't just say you don't HAVE to change a call with an address change, they apparently prefer you do NOT do such, since it takes extra effort to request and assign a new callsign.

    In some circumstances it's probably a courtesy to mention your actual location.  But the only occasion I can see a real reason to sigh with a /5, /6, /wherever, would be with a DX station calling by the "munbers," or a contest where someone is lookong for a specific state/call area.
    Obviously, if a DX station is calling "6's" and points  his/her antenna in that direction, I would probably sign /6 or possibly be ignored.  If waiting until that DX gets to the "9's," I might be on the side of the beam and not heard.

The easiest answer is to use the CP antenna "AS-IS," and accept that there will be a (approximately) 3 dB reduction in received signal strength, AND transmitted ERP.  (The 3 dB applies to both transmit and receive.)

    With additional switching/relays (and possibly additional or different phasing lines,) it IS possible to select horizontal OR vertical polarization alone, but the complexity/expense probably isn't worth the effort.  (The method is explained and diagrammed in the ARRL Antenna Book.)

Copper prices have gone through the roof lately.  Also remember copper pipe of the same size/strangth is going to be MUCH heavier than aluminum, and more "flexible."  make sure tou consider all the ramifications if you are going to try to use copper.

Point taken.  If you DO operate predominately CW, the the CW IF filter will do better than the AF DSP.  But unless you are accustomed to using a really narrow CW filter, the 270 Hz filter may take a bit getting used to, and the 500 Hz filter might be a better choice.  It's too bad you can't add more than one filter.

Make sure you do things strictly by the rules.  If you are accused of operating Amateur equipment without the proper permits, it can be confiscated, and it could be VERY difficult (and/or expensive) to get it back.  Remember, you will be operating under THEIR rules, not the FCC's.

With the DSP, you can get the stock radio down to 50 Hz bandwidth in CW mode, so you may or may not notice a big difference if you were to get a CW filter.
    The narrow SSB filter (1.8 kHz) DOES make a big difference in cutting out noise and adjacent interference, and (obviously) it DOES alter the sound, due to narrower bandwidth.  (It's the nature of the beast; you will not get broadcast quality sound.)  But it DOES make a difference.  It is unfortunate, (in a way) that you can't add more than one filter.
    Inrad still makes filters for the '570; Kenwood has stopped production, so that brand filter may become difficult to find.

    The only SSB filter available from Kenwood for the '570 is a 1.8 kHz filter, there is no other SSB filter available from Kenwood.  Check page 38 of the owner's manual for the various filter/bandwidth combinations possible with the optional filters.  

 KE3WD on September 22, 2007    Mail this to a friend!      The Pyramid Phase III is a 7A, 13.8VDC supply.

A "Crowbar" circuit typically consists of a design that places an SCR (silicon controlled rectifier) across the output of a power supply and gates the SCR as a function of current drawn from the supply. If the current exceeds a setpoint, the SCR is gated on and becomes a short circuit across the output terminals of the power supply and blows the main fuse for the supply, thus shutting down the thing before it can be damaged. Theoretically speaking.

That adjustment isn't critical in attended use such as in your ham shack, you may as well just turn it up all the way and not be too concerned, but if you like you can adjust it such that it will kick in when the current draw is a good bit above the highest amperage your rig can draw when in transmit mode. This would likely mean having a supply of fuses onhand as when it trips it will blow a fuse.

     Beg your pardon, but a "crowbar circuit" in a power supply has NOTHING to do with current draw.

    The "crowbar" is a circuit to protect against OVERVOLTAGE.  For a typical 13.8 Volt Power Supply (regardless of the current rating) the crowbar circuit will typically be set to trip at an output voltage between 14.5 and 15 Volts.  If the output VOLTAGE exceeds the trip point, then an SCR placed across the output will conduct, effectively creating a short circuit, and (hopefully) causing a fuse (or circuit breaker) to blow before damage can occur.  It has absolutely nothing to do with the current rating of a supply, or the current drawn from a supply.

Comm-Spec has the instruction manual and schematics on their Web site.  their units typically have an adjustable resistor ("trim-pot")to adjust the audio output level.  But if the Magnum is not designed for a CTCSS encoder, you WILL need the schematic for the radio and/or instructions from Comm-Spec to make the proper connection and properly set the deviation level.
    Whatever you do, RESIST the temptation to try to inject  the CTCSS tone through the microphone audio circuit.  It won't work because of the intentionally limited frequency range of the mic audio circuits, and it WILL cause distortion and splatter on your signal.  

The point is that the ITU refers to Amateur satellite operations as an "Amateur Satellite Service," and has approved certain frequency subbands for Satellite operations.  The FCC collectively considers stations operating as a "Space Station OR Earth Station (or Space Tellecommand Station) as operating in the Amateur Sateiilte Service.  Thus, both the satellite and any land based station contacting a satellite are restricted to the assigned Satellite allocations.  As such, the applicable rules are in §Parts 97.207,  97.209, and 97.211.  (§Part 97.211 governs Space Station telecommand stations, which may also operate only in certain frequency allocations.)

The "Amateur Satellite Service" does indeed have specific frequency allocations on various bands, and that applies to both Space (satellite) stations and Earth (land) stations.  For 70 cm, the current frequency allocation is 435-438 MHz.

    AO-7 was/is a special case, and was originally launched and put into service BEFORE the Satellite sub-bands were established, and thus its 70 cm uplink frequency range of 432.1250-432.1750 MHz is not inside the current Satellite Service allocation.
    When AO-7 became semi-operational a few years ago after a long silence, the FCC granted an exemption to allow Amateurs to use the satellite if it was operating in mode U/V.  (70 cm up, 2 Meters down.)

    It's not a significant consideration for most Amateurs now, since any current or future Amateur Radio satellite will operate within the allocations of the Amateur Satellite Service.

It takes the proper tools.  

1.  Invest in a 1 pound roll of 60/40 Rosin core solder.  Kester or ersin; it IS still available from many sources.    While multiple sizes are a good thing to have, if you only get one roll of small diameter.  It's better than having to try using large diameter solder when making a small connection.  (something similar to about #18 wire.)

2.  Your 15 Watt iron, regardless of the tip size, is inadequate for large jobs.  Save it and treasure it for times when you are working on PC boards; THAT is where it will be indespensible.

3.  A soldering gun IS a good investment, and the dual-100/140 Watt Weller is still one of the best I've seen/used.  It WILL be adequate for soldering the connectors you have.  (BTW, they do NOT handle 40 Amperes.  The power wires on the '480HX each handle approximately 20 Amperes; you need two sets of 20 Amp power leads, as I understtand it.)

4.  You WILL need a beefier soldering instrument then even the Weller gun to tackle big jobs, or soldering antenna connections outdoors.  A 100 (or more) Watt IRON with a large tip is what is called for, with it's large thermal mass, so it doesn't cool down when applied to the item(s) being soldered.  You can NOT reliably install PL-259's with even the 100/140 Watt gun, despite what others claim.  AND I STRESS reliably.  You MAY get away with at times, but at other times you will ruin the end of the coax AND the PL-259.  (While that MAY not be too bad if you are just attaching a PL-259 to the end of a feedline and can just start over, if you are making a phasing harness or balun where the length is critical, it can be a disaster.
    (As said earlier, solder should begin to melt and flow within seconds of touching a conducter/item heated properly, including a PL-259 shell.  THAT is impossible with a soldering gun or small iron.  Even IF such instruments eventually heat a PL-250 shell sufficiently to flow solder, either the connector insulation, the coax insulation, or both will be damaged if not destroyed.)
    Many times, you can find a high-wattage iron at swapmeets or garage sales; or check want-ads for "stained glass supplies."  You DO need the big iron to tackle PL-259's properly and reliably.

5.  Regardless of the size or type of connection, a good, strong, PHYSICAL/MECHANICAL connection should be made, whether or not soldering is to be done.  That means crimped connectors should be crimped BEFORE soldering.  Wires joined together should be twisted together properly, and THEN soldered.  Solder alone should NEVER be relied upon to form a connection.

.  6  Practice, practice, practice.  If possible, ask a mopre experienced person for some help and a demonstration of proper soldering techniques.  That can be better than a thousnad pictures, or a million words of instruction.

    Good luck.

 W5RKL on August 26, 2007    Mail this to a friend!
The antenna impedence is affected by the type and diameter of the conductor used to construct an antenna. Therefore, the antennas impedence will affect the antannas "ability" to radiate. An antenna that has an impedence mismatch will have an affect on its ability to radiate the signal effectively.

Is one better than the other? No, providing all the other factors are taken into consideration.

73's
Mike W5RKL
==========

    And just HOW does the diameter of a radiator affect impedance?  Please explain/elaborate...