You can date your Vibroplex at their website.  A link to the serial number vs. date cross-reference is near the bottom of their web page.

http://www.vibroplex.com

I like the idea of a nearly 110-year-old telegraph key manufacturer being not only still in existence, but also having a web site - Martin & Albright would be proud!

Alan N5LF

It was manufactured in 1985.  

Vibroplex Co. changed hands and started the numbering over again in 1980.  The mint condition and stick-on label are also givaways for its recent date. From about 1980 to the mid-1990s, the new owners cut corners on the labels.  

When Felton "Mitch" Mitchell bought Vibroplex in about 1995, he brought back the old-style, rivetted labels -- along with some of the old-fashioned quality. Thanks Mitch!

Good advice so far from everyone.  Basic method, as has been said, is characters sent at 15 to 20 wpm, but words (spece between letters) set to 5 wpm.


The other trick it to get a straight key and buzzer so you can practice sending.  Just open the newspaper and send from it.  By BOTH sending and receving you'll reall increase your learning speed.


Lastly, when you are running around town, sound back to yourself in "dits & dahs" any street signs, license plates, billboards, etc. that you see.

73 ES BCNU dit dit

Alan N5LF

Well folks, the FCC has published their Memorandum and Order on the Petitions for Reconsideration. No big changes were made by the FCC over the earlier Report & Order from December 1999.  We followed the process through, the FCC read our recommendations and responded, and the final rules will be published regarding the restructuring of the Amateur Radio Service.

Now, we hams have a lot of work ahead of us. Let's pull together and do what hams have done for almost a century:  Get on the air, explore, teach each other, learn from each other, welcome newcomers and honor the OM & OG operators.  

Let's share the fascination we all have in radio communications, propagation, operator skills, and technology.  We are in this together for the long haul.

73 ES dit dit,

Alan N5LF

Lot's of folks hit a barrier at 10 wpm - the speed at which it becomes hard to count dots/dashes or where mnemonic translation begins to slow you down too much.  With Farensworth, you learn the characters by sound as a unit--letters at 15 wpm, gaps at 5 wpm.  So, you bypass the 10 wpm barrier right away and you just have to improve your reaction time.  By the time you close the gaps, you are at 15 wpm already.

I have worked with folks who learned with mnemonic methods, including CodeQuick and found that they have to unlearn a crutch before progressing to faster speeds.  

Another barrier, typically at 15 to 18 wpm, is the point at which you start hearing clumps of letters as a unit.  So, THE, ING, QTH or 73 sounds like a single sound.  The more you increase your CW "vocabulary" the faster you go.  At this point folks switch to copying in their head or by using a typewriter (in the old days, a "mill" - an all caps typewriter telegraphers used to use).

Anyway, I won't say Code Quick won't get someone to 5 wpm, but I have seen folks have trouble then going faster.  Short term vs. long term.  On the other hand, we all have different ways of learning and I won't say it won't work for anyone.  But if I were a newbie, I'd go Farnesworth.

I go 20 to 25 wpm comfortably, an I still have to fight visualizing and counting dots/dashes.  It's natural, we all do it.  But mnemonics methods just encourage a habit that should never get started.

Accuracy transcends speed!  73 ES GL

Alan
dit dit

> Hoping I don't discover that
> my skull is code proof. :~)

Hey, some pretty thick skulls out there can copy CW just fine ;-) Anyway, with a call sign that sounds like "DeMaw" you are destined to be a great ham!  Let us know how you progress.

73,

Alan N5LF

Bravo Bravo!  You are right to try to learn it faster than 5 wpm.  It will make it much easier for the exam.  

Advice:  Try to learn the letters at 15 to 20 wpm with enough space between for 5 to 7 wpm.  Never learn more than 4 or 5 new characters at a time, and practice with them until you have them down.  Then try all the letters you've learned up to date, and keep practicing them until you get 90% or so correct consistently.  Also, buy a straight key (NOT the plastic base cheapies that lack side adjusting nuts - but you can borrow or buy a good one for $20 or less), and get an oscillator or buzzer (Radioshack).  Practice sending as well as receiving.  When you walk or drive around, say the signs and license plates to yourself in "dits" & "dahs."

For software, look for Morse Academy, Supermorse, or others.  MA is my personal favorite because it has sample exams to try that are very much like the real thing.

When you get that ticket, get on the air with CW.  Check out the Fists frequency 7.058, 14.058, 21.058, etc. and answer a "CQ FISTS".  They are dedicated to helping newbies and the Fists CW Club also has a Code Buddy program to match experienced folks with newcomers.  Also, www.qth.net has a CW e-mail list you can subscribe to and there are lots of folks who can give you assistance and advice.

And just remember that everyone learns at their own speed and the slower learners often get it down better than the ones who seem fast.  Accuracy is better than speed anyway.

Have a blast and see you on the air!

73 OM ES dit dit
Alan N5LF
http://www.qsl/net/n5lf

As of September 22, 2000, the Petition for Reconsideration is STILL under active FCC review.  

The rejected petitions reported by the ARRL were three OTHER petitions (and three separate petitions)--not the Wormser, Adsit & Dinelli Petition for Reconsideration.

You can still read the Petition for Reconsideration at

http://www.qsl.net/n5lf

73 y'all!
Alan N5LF
n5lf@arrl.net

If you are totally new to hamming, first go to the ARRL Web site and find a club (or several) in your area.  Many give license classes and are associated with a Volunteer Examiner program.  ARRL is at

http://www.arrl.org

The restructuring took effect April 15.  If you have an old Novice/Technician book you can use it, since the current Tech questions are a subset of the two tests combined and the rules questions should be the same for the Technician class.  The General Exam is pretty much the same, and the new Extra is a combination of the Advanced and Extra class questions.  This will change in the next rewrites, scheduled over the next three years.  But the above is accurate through the remainder of 2000.

Consider shooting for the General class exam - its 5 words-per-minute CW is just the speed at which you know the characters.  It does help to find someone to get you started on it though.  If you go that route, check

http://www.fists.org
or the CW list on http://www.qth.net

Both groups are dedicated to helping newbies with Morse Code.  The General written is basic electronics, but do all this is AT YOUR pace, don't feel rushed to do it all at once if you're more comfortable doing is a step at a time.  You'll have years ahead to explore all that ham radio has to offer -- and it is substantial.  

Anyway, we wish you all the best and we'd be glad to welcome you aboard!  Hope to work you on the air when you get that ticket.

Good Luck & 73,

Alan N5LF
http://www.qsl.net/n5lf

No, High voltage does NOT equate to current.  If you don't have a current setting, then I suppose you use RF and peak everything.

On the TS-520/530/820/830 the high voltage meter setting is used when you are working on the rig - neutralizing the two final amplifier tubes or whatever.  But that meter setting is not normally used in day-to-day operation.  

I bet the manual would give you the neutralizing procedure too. It illustrates how trouble-shooting used to be assumed as a 'ham thing to do.' The manufacturers accommodated the hams in that.  Today's rigs are made to be worked on at the factory and I suppose they want you to throw them out when they are broken >:0(  Keep that TS-520.  It is a real gem!

73 and have a blast.

Alan N5LF

I have a TS-830, so it should be similar.  You have three knobs: Drive, Load, and Plate.  You'll also use the Mode switch and Meter switches.

Set the band & frequency to where you want to operate.  Later during your hamming session, if you move more than 150 kHz to 200 kHz or so, you want to retune - depending on your antenna's bandwidth.  Short antennas, or lower bands, need more frequent retuning as you change frequency.

ON RECEIVE
1. Listen to signals or static on your antenna and peak the drive control for maximum volume.

2. Switch to a dummy load (or your antenna only if you absolutely must).

MODE = TUNE & METER = CURRENT
3. Set MODE switch to 'TUNE' - this puts a small signal thru the radio - so you won't hurt the finals.

4. With the METER on 'CURRENT', peak the meter with the DRIVE knob.

5. With METER on CURRENT, *dip* the meter with the PLATE knob - it may have a very broad dip.  If it is hard to see, try the METER in 'RF' position and *Peak* the RF using the Plate knob.  If you have trouble getting a reading, advance the ALC knob a little.

METER = 'RF'
6. Switch the Meter to 'RF' and *peak* with the Load knob

7. (This step is optional for perfectionists) With Meter on 'RF', *peak* with the Plate knob

MODE = 'CW', METER = 'RF'
8. SWITCH Mode to CW. (NOTE: Make sure the VOX is on and if you have a key, hold it down while tuning).

9. Repeat 7 & 8, gently nudging up with the Load knob, and then peaking the meter with the Plate knob, until you get a reading of 90 to 120 Watts. (Again, if you have trouble getting a reading as high as 90 watts, advance the ALC knob a little).

IMPORTANT: DO NOT TRANSMIT IN CW MODE FOR MORE THAN 15 OR 20 SECONDS AT A TIME: REST 5-10 SECONDS BETWEEN.  It can decrease the life of those finals, and also make you VERY unpopular to the poor guys you're tuning up on top of (you DID check if the frequency was free, right? ;^) -- a dummy load is a good investment).

SWITCH FROM THE DUMMY LOAD TO THE ANTENNA
10. If you have a tuned antenna, then you are ready to go.  If not, then tune your antenna tuner on the air - DO NOT TOUCH THE 520 - only the antenna tuner if you are using one.

METER = ALC (ADJUSTING ALC/MIC KNOB0
11.  In CW, use the ALC knob to set the CW so that the needle bounces just into the 'good' range - shown by tick marks over the middle 2/3 of the meter or so.

In SSB, talk into the mic and adjust the MIC control so your voice peaks stay around the middle of the 'good range.'

12.  HAVE FUN!

If your TS430 still works and unless there is some feature in a newer rig that you just can't live without, I'd put my $$$ into the antenna or other station accessories (like a DSP or built-in keyer, if you can't live without those in a new rig).

After all, it is the antenna that makes or breaks the station.  The only thing that might make me switch to newer gear is to have a more stable signal for PSK31.  But I know a guy that uses a drifty Atlas 210 successfully with that mode!

I am still using a TS-830 that arguably has about the best receiver Kenwood made for a ham rig.  I can fix the rig myself, and it has no proprietary microprocessors to burn out 10 years after KenYaeCom stopped programming them.

See ya!

Alan N5LF

The situation in Austin, TX, is probably like in many other cities.  The city zoning and new subdivisions ordinances allow for hams to have a 60 foot tower plus another 15 feet of antenna without having to apply for a special use permit.

HOWEVER, the same rules also require developers to file CC&Rs that include setting up a Home Owners Association to enforce them.  Most developers submit a standard set of CC&Rs and the zoning board (I think) approves them.

It seems like some of the problem could be addressed if developer would be willing to modify or remove the 'boilerplate' language that they just throw into their CC&Rs by default -- especially since the sittuation is adequtely addressed (and more importantly, reasonably addressed) in the city's zoning ordinances.  That means some on-the-side negotiations between ham organizations and local developers' organizations.  Plus, the threat of ORGANIZED hams showing up at every zoning/planning board meeting that will approve the CC&Rs for a new development and protesting the approval of such boilerplate language.

Alan N5LF

I've been dabbling with Linux for a year and a half.  My PC is a 350 MHz K6/II running Windows on a 4 GB partition and Linux on a 2 GB partition.  It is a great system for hams who like to 'pop open the hood' and dig around inside their gear!  I've also heard that FreeBSD is very good, and possibly even more stable.

The only ham applications I've seen are APRS and various other Packet packages.  Several folks in central Texas run packet nodes off Linux systems because the Linux OS can run for months (years?) without ever getting pokey (like Win98 does) or needing a reboot.  That may be partly due to better 'garbage collection', in other words when a program (process on Linux terminology) ends, it releases the memory back to the pool.  Apparently some commercial Win9x programs & utilities never release the memory properly and you get an 'out of memory' or similar message eventually.

Also, if you do ever lock up a Linux system, you can often use a simple keystroke combo to switch to a different session on the same computer, log in again as 'superuser', then kill the crashed 'user' and go back to work under the new login, or login again as an ordinary user (recommended)-- and you never lost control of the keyboard.

That is perfect for a 24 hour packet node, BBS, or Ham Radio to Internet gateway.  One of my favorite QSOs was discussing the merits of Red Hat vs. SUSE -- in CW!

73 to all!
N5LF
http://www.qsl.net/n5lf

The Wormser, Adsit, & Dinelli petition for partial reconsideration is still under consideration by the FCC.  We've been told to expect it to be reviewed in the summer of 2000.  To read the petition (these 'petitions' actually are legal briefs), look at

http://www.qsl.net/n5lf

The FCC published a notice of the petitions in the Federal Register Apr. 25, 2000.  Opposition comments must be received by May 10 (15 days after the Fed. Reg. notice).  Replies by petitioners are due May 20 (10 days later).  These timelines are in the FCC's procedural regs.

The regs. do not mention how they handle comments supporting a petition -- only oppositions.  *BUT* the FCC does notice the fact that over 150 letters of support have been filed with them.  So, support comments do have an impact and become part of the public record.

All three of us petition authors want to stress the fact that whether or not you agree with the petition, we all absolutely must stand together, hand in hand, to welcome and encourage the newcomers in amateur radio!

Alan N5LF