Hate flourescent lights including the curly q bulbs.  The UV bothers my eyes as well as the flicker rates.  Not to mention the has mat issue if one breaks.  I only use incandecent, halogen, or LED.  LED are coming down in price.  Full spectrum incadescant are nice but expensive and run hot.  I do not know if the LED full spectrum are out yet. 

73

Lots of out of work people out there doing things the normally would not.  A lot of idiots out there to that will steal anything.  A few weeks ago a guy was turned into a crispy critter by trying to steal a copper electrical service line off a transformer.  He thought it was off.

I do not trade with anyone I do not know well.  I would rather sell the item I wanted to get rid of on Ebay and then Buy the item from someone through Ebay or well known dealer.  To many thiefs and scammers out there.  I know alot of you P and M about Ebay but there are layers of protection.  ALWAYS use Paypal and a Credit card through them.  If the deal goes bad you have the credit card company and Paypal to reverse the charge.  When shipping Insured Signature required.  Ship the item USPS because of the Federal Criminal investigation that can be triggered.  Never buy from a new Ebay account.  Ask specific questions carefully.  If an item description does not specifically say the item works within specification then ask.  It is hard to prove fraud if the ad does not say it works and it arrives and does. 
Keep ALL communication.  If the item does not show up, is not as described, otherwise is junk you have recourse both criminally and civily.    Same if the buyer plays scams.  The US Postal Inspectors are getting tougher on these scammers.  There have been indictments for mail and wire fraud due to scamming on the internet. 

I have a few of these radio and am quite happy with them.  They are what they are.  The little 2 watt ones fill the void that Alinco vacated dropping the half watt models.  I have two and they work fine If you know the limitations.  I just go a UV5R and so far is seems to be fine.  Seems easier to program then my Icom duel band HT and cost a lot less. 

The big 3 1/2 need to realize that hams are not made of money and that they come out with basic low dollar equipment with out the bells and whistles. 

Like it or not the Chinese radios are coming and the big 3 1/2 need to take note. 

BTW Hams are not cheap they are greedy, only a greedy person would try to sell a used smoke smelling radio for $10 less then a new one. 

Yes the Scotsmen who invented it must have been really wasted and thought it was funny at the time.

Think about it, knock a small ball into a goffer hold with a bent stick.  Add to it put the hole a long way away.

what about wrapping it in military grade black, green etc. duct tape.  Also known as 100mph tape.  That stuff will stick to anything and stay for a long time even in the weather. 

I have 3 monoband rotatable dipole antennas and I am wondering if I can stack them one over another.  This would be a portable set up.  What type of interferience with each other could I expect and if radios were connected would they cause excessive rf feed on the non transmitting radio.  I would be running under 100 watts on all and in most cases about 10 to 12  watts.  references would be helpful as well.

thanks

David

Here is an update.  Last night I hook up the power and turned on the radio with no antenna.  No bfo activity but when an antenna was hooked up it the bfo activated on 50.125 and various spots.  I suspect that the radio was picking up weak signals that were not audible but the bfo responded.  ( I am not sure what the correct term actually is. )

Best

David

I have a MFJ9406 and I was running a receive only test on 6m with a 10m antenna (My 6m had not arrived ) I kept hitting points where there bfo screamed but there was not any voice on it.  I suspected that it was just a weak signal that I could not lock on to but I wonder if anything else was happening. Or if the radio needs a re-alinement.

Would a choke coil made from 30 ft length of coax like I have seen work or would a different length work?

I have not found a good explaination of how to make a choke/balun with the mathmatics to back it up.  (sorry the engineer in me does come out at times  )  A link would be nice. 

I have 2 qrp radios that I wll be running on a rotatable dipole.  The antenna is a basically 2 HF MFJ "hamstick" forming a 14ft dipole.  I have 40 and 6 meters sticks. 

The issue is Do I have to run a choke or Balun in the feed line when I am running 12 watts or less?  If so Why?

Thanks

David

the two swr meters are single needle knob adustment.

I have a mfj 9406 12watt ssb transceiver.   The tuner I have is a 941e and the two swr meters are the mfj 2mter and HF meters (the basic ones) the antenna is a rotatable dipole with 2 hamsticks for 6 meter or a vertical mag mount ( that one will not need the tuner just an swr meter)

Hope that information helps.

I am setting up a 6 meter dipole and I need to check the swr of the system.   My meters are advertised for 1.6 to 30 Mhz and 144 to 220.  Can I use one with reasonable accuracy to test the system or will have have to get another one.  I do have an antenna tuner a Mfj 941e but the specs do not cover 6 meter. 

Any ideas?

No wife but my friend will not go into my office/lab.  She claims it is an evil place.