I'll add that, the alert tones you are calling FTO (verbiage foreign to me, but probably local to you) are typically standard two-tone paging tones that have been in use for decades and are still used by many in the fire service today.  There have been adaptations of those tones, but typically they are combinations of paging tones.  (There are some digital and five-tone formats around as well).

Many of the same tones (or codes) were used by commercial radio manufacturers like Motorola to "page" mobile or portable two-way radios in the same manner that they were used to page tone-only and tone-and-voice paging receivers (pagers).  In the two-way radio arena, Motorola called it "Quick Call" and "Quick Call II".  It was also known as "sel-call" or Select-Call, among other things.  Again, plain old paging codes.  Your Minitor receiver is, most likely, equipped with those same tones.  But, radios of this type have been in use for many, many years.

My point is that you might buy a retired commercial portable radio (UHF or VHF, depending on the band on which your fire services sends those codes) that is two-tone (Quick Call) capable in the programming.  It would serve both purposes; opening the receiver when paged and allowing a voice message to come through, then act as a two-way radio to respond to the call. 


73,

Terry, WØFM

Very nice, John.  I got my feet wet with producing inkjet and laser decals while attempting to make authentic-looking markings for some R/C aircraft I built.  Then I went on to produce some control decals for my restored Philco Cathederal that I could not find commercially.  Lots of trial and error.  But now I'll apply some of your pointers and might even take some of the old decals off and remake them.  Thanks for the detailed article.  Count me as interested when you find time to get your decals ready for market.

73,

Terry, WØFM

What Steve said!  Plus:

Did you pay this "tower expert"?  Was there some disclaimer that any damage would not be covered by him because he let you and your friend be the "ground crew" rather than his own guys to save costs?  If you hired him, he should have taken the antenna down, fixed it properly and put it back up.

73,

Terry, WØFM

"I've asked the neighbours and they didn't even know I had a Ham rig."

Well, EVERYONE will know once you light up your OCF antenna with a string of lights! 

Terry, WØFM


(I've had a touchlamp built into my entertainment center for 15 years and it's always lit after I operate HF.  I simply turn it off when I come up from the shack).

Hi Joe,

Please note that this comment is meant to be helpful, not critical.  The GFCI is an "outlet" not a plug.  The "plug" is what is on the end of a power cord, etc.  Everyone here figured out what you meant, eventually, but getting the two straight may help if you need assistance on similar issues in the future.  Have fun.

73,
Terry, WØFM

Back in 1962 I used a Parks Electronics 6-Meter converter with my Knight-Kit R-100 receiver.  It was similar in design to the Ameco converters of that day and did a very good job.  It uses a 6CW4 (amp) and a 6U8 (mixer).  If you can find a Parks Electronics converter at a ham fest, I'm sure it will fit your desire to keep the old receiver/converter combination "genuine".

73,

Terry, WØFM

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that a 10 meter dipole made of piano wire would resonate around F sharp.   

Terry, WØFM

My first exposure to repeaters was when Tom Fischel, KØPJG stopped to show me his VW beetle with a GE Progline (I think) commercial FM low-band transceiver installed in it.  He had modified it for 6 Meters and he and some friends had a 6 Meter repeater operating here in the St. Louis area.  The 6M FM rig's control head was mounted on the dashboard of Tom's beetle and above it, in a Bud box, was a DTMF pad Tom built for repeater autopatch.  I believe the early repeaters in our area were all carrier squelch (open).

I recall thinking how silly Tom's beetle looked with the 6M whip with ball and spring mount on the back bumper.  Of course, it wasn't so silly anymore after I built up an old commercial rig for 6M of my own and installed a 6M halo on the back bumper of my '57 Chevy. 

"Hello Mom?  Guess where I'm talking to you from.....";o)

Funny how your view point changes when you are viewing something at a much "closer" distance.

Terry, WØFM

I like that, Tom....."NTN".  No Thought Necessary.  I think I'll make all my future projects the "NTN" variety.  Not getting any younger, ya know.  ;o)

73,

Terry WØFM

Only two were engineers.  The rest were "quasi-technical" sales types.  But we did comment on the new low-loss Teflon coax on the mobile antennas.  Mostly because we had never seen white coax prior to that.   

Terry

Hi Ray,

Many hams put roof mounted towers (typically 8-10ft Glen Martins, etc) on the center of the peak of their roof.  So their entire beam is over the roof.  If this approach didn't work, I'd think the word would have spread long before now. 

You are fortunate to have the permits and the tower.  Enjoy your beam.

73,

Terry, WØFM

Ok, in re-reading this I see that many others picked up on the "troll-ish" nature of the questions long before I did. 

Movin' on.........

Terry, WØFM

I seem to remember other recents posts by you that indicated that your company had "elected" you to investigate passive repeaters and other ways to extend your in-building coverage.  Walter, does your company have an FCC license for 442 mHz?  That is not a Land Mobile Business Radio frequency in the US.  Did your business buy a bunch of amateur radio transceivers?  

You might want to check into that, or your business could find that much more is about to be shredded than scrap papers.

73,

Terry, WØFM

(And, since you stated that YOU programmed the 442 MHz frequencies into the above radios any amateur radio license that you might (?) hold could be in jeopardy as well.)

Since the subject has shifted to heat here, I'll relate one of my favorites.  In the late 70's while working for Motorola, 800 MHz FM mobiles had just been introduced.  Some Motorola engineers were in town and we all went to a "business men's special" Cardinals game for some R&R.  We were tailgating in the parking lot before the game.  My company car had a brand new 800 MHz quarter wave whip installed in the center of the roof and a 35 Watt 800 MHz mobile in the trunk.  One of the engineers grabbed a brat out of the cooler and "skewered" it longwise down on the antenna.  He keyed up my mobile and we all watched in amazement as the "vertical" brat began to sizzle, bubble and smoke on the car roof.  We instantly understood why these engineers had highly discouraged us from using the "new" through-the-glass cellular antennas with these 35 Watt mobile radios. 

Can you spell "microwave"?

73

Terry, WØFM

Sure thing.  I almost wrote that, but thought it would be unlikely someone would own a tap and die set.  Just match up the thread size, select the correct die and thread the rod.  Then treat YOURSELF to a box of donuts since you saved the money!  Good luck.

73,

Terry, WØFM