Do you have a list of operating frequencies and range of time you'll be operating?
Joseph, K9RFZ

The Allen County Amateur Radio Technical Society is pleased to host the 2012 Fort Wayne hamfest and Computer Expo on November 17 and 18. The Fort Wayne hamfest is the largest in Indiana and hosts the Indiana Section ARRL Convention all indoors at the Fort Wayne Memorial Coliseum. This year's hamfest has an added attraction of an Emergency Communications Roundup display area. ARES/RACES teams from around the state will have displays and demonstrations including two mobile command trailers.

More details, maps, speaker forums, and participating vendors can be found at ACARTS.com
Thousands of hams from Indiana and surrounding states attend each year. Hope to see you at the Fort Wayne hamfest!

Joseph, K9RFZ

I know some utility companies are using IR cameras to find cracked insulators that arc.
Has anyone tried using a cheap (<$100) IR thermometer to locate bad insulators that
may be sources of RFI? I'm contemplating buying one of these thermometers and giving
it a try, but if someone already has experience with this idea, then I'd like to know how
it worked.
Joseph, K9RFZ

These are not FRS radios. The removable antenna disqualifies them immediately. Channel 3 is a GMRS and FRS shared frequency. I didn't research your radio model, but I would guess it is GMRS. You should check for FCC part 95 compliance certificate number on the radio to verify it meets regulation. If they are GMRS type accepted, then you'll need a GMRS license to  transmit legally. Your boss can't buy a single license for all employees (unless the business is owned and operated by only family members). A GMRS license extends privileges to the licenssee and his one generation extended family.

Joseph, K9RFZ

Follow-up Post

I am not connected with Byonics in any manner, but I checked their website today and the interface cable to use the Baofeng UV-3R as a fox transmitter with the Byonics PIC Con is now available. This would be a very affordable and flexible hidden transmitter option.

Joseph, K9RFZ

Operation begins at Historic Fort Wayne at 1400 UTC and runs until 2200 on Sept 8.

Frequency updates will be posted to QRZ.com W9TE listing where you can also find
the link for nearly immediate download of our custom designed Special Event Station
certificate and QSL info.

Thanks to Steve W0SJS for his fabulous service of creating and hosting the automated
certificate download webpage. If you ever think about hosting a special event station, then
I highly recommend talking with Steve.

Joseph, K9RFZ
Fort Wayne Radio Club

SPECIAL EVENT STATION – SIEGE OF FORT WAYNE 200TH ANNIVERSARY

The Fort Wayne Radio Club will commemorate the 200th anniversary of the siege of Fort Wayne by operating from the restored historic fort. When British and Native American forces attacked and took control of Fort Dearborn (present day Chicago) and Fort Detroit during the War of 1812, that left Fort Wayne at the confluence of the St. Joseph, St. Mary, and Maumee rivers as the last American stronghold in the northwest frontier. A full historical account of the event can be found at;

http://www.oldfortwayne.org/siege.php

The W9TE special event station will operate phone from 10am to 6pm on Sept. 8, 2012 on the following frequencies +/- QRM; 14,270 and 7,270kHz + echolink node 519521.

** LIVE UPDATES OF CURRENT OPERATING FREQUENCY ON QRZ.COM W9TE **

All stations making contact with W9TE can download a personalized QSO confirmation special event certificate (see W9TE QRZ.com listing for details).

Those stations wanting a custom designed special event QSL card should send a SASE to;

FWRC – SIEGE OF FORT WAYNE
PO BOX 15127
FORT WAYNE, IN 46885

W3TTT made an excellent suggestion that seems to have been ignored.  Try sending code to a computer program that decodes CW. I use a practice mode on my IC-746 and feed the output through my digital interface to CWGet. I can see the waveform of my keying and make slight adjustments in timing and spacing until the program is decoding 100%. That becomes an objective judge of good code sent to spec.

I have to agree with another post in this thread that MOST fists stink. I've used CWGet to decode W1AW bulletins and practice runs with perfect copy, then swing over to a couple of 1x2 calls in QSO at the same S-meter strength, and the same band conditions totally turn to gibberish that CWGet can't decode. Call signs seem to be the sloppiest part of the QSO. Don't assume that because you've been operating CW for 40 years that your fist is all that good. Test your sending as W3TTT suggested and maybe you'll learn something that can really improve your sending. Sloppy sending won't pass the CWGet decoding self-test.

K9RFZ

Byon,

Thanks for your post and the instructions for making a cable that works with the PIC CON. The low cost Baofeng radio with your PIC CON will make a very affordable and versatile fox.
73,
Joseph, K9RFZ

A little experimentation with the spkr/earphone supplied with the radio shows that the single 4 conductor 1/8" pin looks like the Yaesu, but doesn't have the same pinout. I believe numbering from the tip

1 = RX
2 = TX
3 = TX tied to conductor 2
4 = GND

I've emailed Byonics (mfg for the PIC CON controller) and asked if they are willing to make an interface cable.
This package could make a very versatile hidden transmitter.

Joseph, K9RFZ

I have the low voltage shutdown problem with my IC-706MKIIG at just under 11V. I use a battery booster and short power leads from my 75 Ah battery to avoid the problem.

Joseph, K9RFZ

Now that the Baofeng UV3R is FCC type accepted, has anyone figured out how to make or sell
an interface cable for these cheap radios so it can be paired with the Byonics
controller and used as a fox?
Joseph, K9RFZ

Did these stations ever activate? I checked three times during NOv 5 on the referenced webpage and no frequency updates were ever posted. Listened on the frequencies listed on the radio club page at different times and never heard the W3T station. Just curious if W3T operated from the Tesla lab.

Joseph, K9RFZ

Previous post has the link wrong. I found the info at
work-sat.com  (drop the s at the end of sat).

Joseph, K9RFZ

K8AXW;

I regret that I let myself be baited by your remarks and calling you an OF was inappropriate. Please accept my sincere apology for the name calling. Arguments like this aren't good for amateur radio

K9RFZ