And just how do you interface it?

Well, the cloning hasn't worked out at all.  But it's not a failure, I've just been so busy...  My son got married (last weekend) and juggling things there was a pain.  And my daughter moved, and that took a lot of work.

And I bought a HexaKopter and I've had THAT as my primary focus for some time.  It's almost done, although I haven't worked on that in 3 weeks due to the wedding...

HOPEFULLY I'll have some time once winter hits.  I work 2 jobs in the winter (2nd is at a ski area) but there are a few nites a week I have to just sit around...  Well, after Scouts...

Mike

Years ago (in the 60's) a kid named, I think, Steve Engrasio, or something like that, was rumored to be able to whistle and hum at the same time to activate DTMF tones in the Bell trunk System.  But I don't know that for a fact.  He was one of the early 'phone freaks'

I DID know a trombone instructor that could hum a different note than he played on the horn and it sounded like a whole chord being played...

It's spring, and I've finally started looking into mounting my FT-7900 in the car.

So, I got most of it figured out, but i still have to run power to the trunk.

Then I saw that there were TWO stereo options.  One was a Shaker 1000 with a 1000W amp in the trunk.  I don't have that, I have the 500W system without the trunk mounted amp.

So I looked, and in the power distribution block right next to the battery in the engine compartment is the fuse tap (30A) for the optional Shaker 1000 power feed.  AND IT HAS THE WIRES IN PLACE! 

I haven't started ripping up the kick panels yet, but does anyone know how much of that wiring is in place?  I know that in the case of Dodge, the Intrepid for a couple of years put the wiring harness in place for some things like fog light kits, and one of the amps, but not for others.  Jeep also did that sporatically, but not consistantly.  GM seemed to put wiring in place for some items (like light groups and remote trunk locks) but not for things like high power amps. 

If the wiring is there in the Mustang, it's hidden, so I'm going to have to dig and disassemble for it.  I was just hoping someone would know.

Anyone know the specs on how Yaesu radios like the FTM-10 type clone over the air?  I have a 7900 and I can hook my laptop to it, but my FTM-10SR only clones over the air (low power UHF on a special 'club' frequency)  I'm gonna try to analyze the signal and see if I can build a modulator/demodulator and hopefully be able to use my laptop. 

Programming 500 memories by hand on the front panel is a task I do NOT look forward to.  Heck, I don't want to do 5 memories!

Mike

I think some states have 'character' rules.  Such as, all O's are treated as 0's in the database.  Or that I and 1 are the same in the database.  Someone told me S and 5 are treated the same in some states too.

For example, you would never see plates with 55, 5S, S5, and SS more than once.  Using any of those 4 would automatically negate the ability to issue the other 3.

You're plate might just have come out as the 'minimum' in the database.

I was told this is not true.  Even if you were operating on an illegal frequency, most police could not ask for your license.  If you were interfeering with them, then they could grab you for interfeering with the performance of their duty (which, I'm told, is the justification in cases in NY, even if you are on amateur frequencies) but that's tougher to prove.

But, I'm not a lawyer, and I have no 'first hand' knowledge, so this may be wrong and your mileage may vary...

Lafayette had a CB KIT back in the 60's.  You built the base station, and ordered crystals for the 'mixer' as you needed channels.  I seem to recall it only worked 100mw and after you finished it, you sent it in to be 'set up' and it came back as a 5W rig.


Neat.  But later Lafayette units were junk.

If I remember right, in 1965 I think CB was still under channel restrictions.  That is, not only a mileage limit, but channels were 'reserved'.  Interbusiness on some channels for different licenses, and a few channels for 'family' communication between the same license.

WRONG!
They went from 5W INPUT power rating to 4W OUTPUT.  And most 23 channel CBs were gargage.  The worst of them were even WORSE as 40 channel units.

Some manufacturers came out with 'interim' rigs as 23channel closeouts, like the synthesized TRC-152 to replace the crystal mixer version TRC-52.  The 40 channel TRC-452 was the '40-channel' version.  The 152 could easily do 4W, but the audio was limited.  You got FANTASTIC performance if you turned the RF back slightly to about 3.5W and let the 'trapezoid' fill completely.  And you're not going to find any real performance difference.  When I sold my CB, I had offered a guy a brand new TRC-452, but turned out he wanted 'my' rig, which was the TRC-152 because it sounded better than almost anybody on the air.

The other misconception was that the FCC cracked down on manufactures with regard to 'clarifiers' on SSB rigs, mandating that they be RX only.  This led to a misconception that the rigs were inferior to the 23 channel rigs.  But it was easy to mod the rigs.  And if done right, they couldn't be detected as mod from how they sounded on the air, it was just that they could 'tune'.  The problem was idiots who didn't know what they were doing that did mods that let the clarifier be unstable and people sounded terrible on the air.  That was not a fault of the rigs, but of the idiotic @$$holes who had a little knowledge and were truely dangerous with it.

True, some 40-channel rigs were garbage.  Like the Johnsons, and even one of the Brownings.  But the Uniden chassis CBs, and later the GRE chassis units, were light years ahead of there 23 channel predecessors.

Well, AES web site isn't helping thier cause.

I checked out prices there, and it took me 3 failed searches before I found what I was looking for.  Their web site is absolutely TERRIBLE from a customer standpoint.  The developer should be fired.

The only thing that's quick and easy to find is their 'specials'. 

Get an antenna tuner!  I have the built-in unit in my Elecraft K2, but Elecraft now has a 'generic' tuner called the T1, and they have an adapter for the FT-817.  Pretty slick.

I'd experiment with wire antennas first.  Not because they are great or anything but because you can put them up for pennies while you take your time to figure out what to do for a more 'permanant' antenna.   

Me?  I'm currently using a dipole.  40M, and let the tuner handle everything.  I'm leaning towards one of the Hustler vertical trap antennas.  Maybe the 5btv.  But...  I'm also thinking about just a cheap MFJ to throw up for the summer.

Well, it's definately in the plug.  The Mini-USB plug on the end of the charger cord. 

I have some Mini-USB Male/Female extension cables that do NOT take Pin X across, only pins 1 through 4.  If I use that on the factory charger, the GPS things it's attached to a PC.  So, I have to order some male and female Mini-USB connectors and make up a small extension cable that takes all 5 across to verify, then look at what the Magellan charger does, and then finally make a short extension that makes any cable appear as Magellan.

More later, after I get the connectors...

Well, heard back from Magellan.  After 2 emails, the first saying buy a home charger, they said:

"Since it's not recommended to wire your Magellan GPS unit into your vehicle system, we don't have the correct procedure to do it and it's outcome. Your GPS may or may not work, however, you may try searching on-line for the proper procedure."

It was sort of expected.  The non-commital we won't be liable response.  Oh well...

Well, once I figure out what it is, I WILL post it here!

Everyone reaches an 'equilibrium' with any hobby.  I've hit that wall a couple of time, readjust, and then continue on.

I would have been a ham in high school, but the code kept me out.  Then kept me out in college.  Finally I learned it, and actually liked it.  Never broke 13 though.  Lost intrest in code, then it came back, mostly for technical reasons.  Even went so far as to buy a K2 for the sole purpose of getting back into code.  But then the infighting peaked about it, and I just got a bad taste and lost interest again.  In code that is.  With radio, it's just a new 'equilibrium'.  Still using the K2, but QRP SSB, and having a blast. 

Things change, go with the flow, have fun.