"Friends, this is the biggest fraud ever perpetrated on the American taxpayer. FEMA has become nothing more than a cash pipeline from your paycheck to the world's biggest corporations."

I think you are seeing just part of the picture.  It isn't just FEMA, but the whole darn government that has been gutted--and don't just blame the republicans, the democrats are just as guilty.  Face it, the saying 'cash talks' isn't just a saying, in Washington cash has taken over--but its been going that way for years.

Your questions are a little vague, but I'll try to help you.  

The term 'isolated ground' simply means the ground connection is run straight back to the electrical supply panel without being run to any other ground connection in the electrical system.  In general, isolated ground outlets are used for additional safety for anything connected to that outlet and not for noise reduction, although sometimes noise reduction is a side benefit if radio equipment is connected to the outlet.

GFCI outlets simply sense current flow when the hot side of a circuit is shorted to ground.  These outlets don't use or generate any sort of RF in the sensing circuit and do not cause any harm to radio equipment, and radio equipment should not affect GFCI protected circuits.  GFCI outlets and circuit breakers are life protection equipment.

Power is measured in watts, not amps.  However, I think you just asked the question the wrong way.  You want to know how many amps a power supply would draw from a 120 volt circuit to supply 13.8 volts to run a 100 watt radio, correct?  Depending on how efficient the supply is, the answer is probably in the range of 4 to 5 amps.

There are just so many different amplifiers that it is hard to answer this one.  You don't specify an output wattage or what type amplifier you plan to get, tube type or solid state.  The answer to the question you ask is anywhere from a 120 volt 15 amp circuit to a 240 volt 40 amp circuit.  And please, don't think I'm trying to be funny--you're question is way too general.        

Sometimes the computer equipment is just not adaquately shielded.  This stands true for many monitors that are less expensive or not a name brand.  Nothing is intended by this, but, --You get what you pay for.--

I've seen bargains that seem to be just 'good buys', but in reality are cut-rate versions of the top of the line items.  These items are cut rate--cut rate at the expense of less shielding, smaller power supplies, etc.

If you can't eliminate the problem by feeding your computer from a different circuit than your station or separating the monitor and your rigs, (or the other approaches mentioned) you may just have to live with the distortion or get a monitor which is shielded better.

Sometimes the computer equipment is just not adaquately shielded.  This stands true for many monitors that are less expensive or not a name brand.  Nothing is intended by this, but, --You get what you pay for.--

I've seen bargains that seem to be just 'good buys', but in reality are cut-rate versions of the top of the line items.  These items are cut rate--cut rate at the expense of less shielding, smaller power supplies, etc.

If you can't eliminate the problem by feeding your computer from a different circuit than your station or separating the monitor and your rigs, (or the other approaches mentioned) you may just have to live with the distortion or get a monitor which is shielded better.

OK, lets try once again.  First, I'll answer your PS.  No, you should not keep the mic connected.  Next, make sure your VHF radio is on 144.39, the national APRS frequency.  Turn your volume up and your squelch off so as to make sure the signals are 'heard' by your TNC.  Most people aren't aware that the radio's volume and squelch controls are used, and that's where most of the problems lie.  

Now, for an excellent website about APRS, copy and paste this into your web browser:

http://web.usna.navy.mil/~bruninga/aprs.html

This is the website of Bob Bruninga, the original developer of APRS.  I can't recommend a better site--that has links to other websites for more information on the mode.

As I understand it, APRS is primarily an earth based locating system--the satellites aren't necessary.  I think you'll find that the majority of users of APRS rely on the ground based nodes.  The government GPS system satellites are the satellites that are really necessary, the APRS satellites aren't.  The ground based nodes communicate with each other--that is what gives the system its wide range, not the APRS satellites.

I think there are links at the Bruninga website that can direct you to a site that will help you with the programming of your TNC, I'm not sure.  If you're really stuck, Google search "APRS" and you most likely find a site where the programming can be made clearer.

I hope this helped, I just play with the APRS mode, I really don't have a permanent setup for it.  Good luck!

If you want to plan for the future, you may want to enlarge the ol' shack someday.  12 gauge is way too small, even 10 is small.  

You see, the wire gauge isn't determined by what you want to do with the sub feed now or in the future, but by the breaker that feeds it.  You chose a two pole breaker, 40 amps per pole.  That will require 8 gauge wire at a minimum, and if there is any great distance between the main panel and the sub panel (greater than 50 feet) six gauge would be safer.

As one poster already said, if you use too light a cable, it will heat and the insulation will melt before the breaker will trip.  If you want to use a smaller gauge cable, you MUST get a smaller size breaker for the run in your main panel.  If you don't, your insurance coverage will be void if something happens.

Oh yes--get a permit for the work AND get it inspected.  You'll save yourself a lot of grief in the long run.

I agree that the ground rods are unnecessary at FD sites or other temporary setup sites.  If you have properly wired 3 wire cordsets to the operating points, the generator ground isn't really necessary either--and if your club has a decent setup and a site safety man, there won't be any lamp cord extensions permitted.  If there are, newer lamp cord extensions have polarized plugs anyway.

Also to be considered, some sites (such as state and national parks) absolutely prohibit anything being driven into the ground except tent stakes--some places prohibit even that.  As one person already said, if you use a certain site from year to year and can leave the ground rod there, go for it.

Also, several of these sites may have water pipes (for fountains, faucets, etc.) there already.  Anybody ever thought of just clamping to those pipes?  It is easy to include a ground clamp or just a regular automotive type hose clamp in your setup to do just that, easier than bringing an eight foot rod and a sledge hammer!

Finding a local leather craftsman may even cost you a little less than what you would have to pay for a custom case, let alone the cost for shipping and handling.

If you don't want to do so, try various other cases for other gear--such as cameras, etc.  One other place you may try is the supply shop for your local police or fire department.  Even though the cases usually come with their radios, they may carry replacements for them, and the prices may be comparible with the price of a leather case from a custom manufacturer.

I hope this helps you a bit.  73!

Like almost everything else in life, it takes practice.

First, as someone else already said, find a fellow ham who has done this work before, and ask him if he could show you how he does it.  Watch him and don't be afraid to ask questions.

Next, get a length of old cable and some old connectors--if they're on a co-ax already, look at them, see how the soldering job that was done looks and how good the connections are.  This will give you ideas about how to do it yourself.  Then take them apart--go at it slowly, and keep examining the connections as you take them apart, this will show you what worked well and what didn't--for example, if the braid pulls out of the shell easily, it wasn't very well soldered.

Next, install the connectors on the old cable, examine the job you've done, test the strength of the connections, then take them apart again.  This will show you what you did OK and what you didn't do too well and may still have to practice on.  Keep on doing this until you feel comfortable doing it.

Now you're ready to try it on your cables you want to use.  You've done it a few times by now, but remember, you want to actually use these cables.  TAKE YOUR TIME and do the connections carefully, taking more time to make sure you're getting it done right and making sure the connections are both electrically and mechanically well made.

Practice makes perfect.  BTW, take your work to your ham friend and ask him to tell you if you did it right--this may save a lot of headaches in the long run!

Good luck!

 

This is an old trick--if there is enough room between the soldering point and the device being soldered in, use a pair of needle nose pliers as a heat sink to protect the device.  Just clip the pliers onto the wire and use a rubber band stretched over the handles to keep them closed on the wire.

Back when solid state devices were more delicate, this was the way to get them soldered in without destroying them, and it still works well.  Mind you, it won't stop all heat from getting to the device but it will draw a good deal of heat away from it.  

I have offered two or three suggestions on surveys, but none recently.  I don't know if my ideas were considered to be not controversial enough or were combined with others to create surveys covering two or three ideas at once.  What happened to those ideas I don't know--I did not keep records of my submissions, so I can't resubmit them.

Please understand I am not trying to criticize, I just wonder why the survey section seems to be sometimes stuck in neutral (or in the ditch, depending on your view of it) while at other times running down the road driverless.

Thanks for your reply, Mike.  And yes, I will submit more ideas--when and if I come up with something worthwhile!

I understand it can get quite hard managing a major section of this site, but it seems that the survey section manager may need help.  It may be that the surveys questions are combined from many surveys, but we don't know that from the 'byline' on the survey, it seems the surveys mostly seem to be originated by the survey manager himself.

Also, some the time the surveys are up vary from 10 days to 6 weeks--and the time period doesn't seem to relate to how active the survey is.  Also, some of the the questions seem to be scraping the bottom of the barrel--the current one is a good example.  The code question has been beat to death on this site.

I may be way off the mark by saying this--and I apologize if that is the case--but if the survey manager doesn't have time to properly manage his section, he should seek help.  

Are there any others who think the survey section needs help--or am I being too critical?

After contacting the FCC for an explanation, I was told there will be NO automatic upgrades and the current privileges will remain the same. (concerning tech plus element 1 credit for limited HF access)

At the date of formal NPRM adoption there will not be any more code test results accepted, and the only way to get access to the HF bands for those without element 1 credit will be the theory test for upgrading to general.

The only thing changing will be no more testing for element 1 needed, and current techs will not be given any HF privileges unless they upgrade.

There is another way to look at this, one that I believe the FCC is indicating.  Although the Element 1 test would be eliminated, the current licensing structure will stand.  There are no automatic upgrades, no added privileges, and no elimination of privileges.  

In other words, even though there may not be a code test anymore, element 1 credit will continue to be used to ascertain privileges on the bands.  A tech class with element 1 credit will continue to be able to use HF to the limits he or she previously enjoyed while the tech class who did not pass element 1 will NOT gain HF privileges automatically.

The NPRM did say that it concerned only morse code testing and nothing else including any automatic upgrading.

The test may be going away, but the credit for passing it isn't, and there won't be any privileges automatically available.

Hey Pilot7, have you checked the radiator?  ;-)