December 2007 - AMSAT-BB - mailman.amsat.org

Re: Where can I buy pre-made feedline?
by Wayne Estes 07 Dec '07

07 Dec '07

Nate WY0X wrote: I've seen N connectors lately that look like PL-259's and have to be soldered on similarly to RG-8 sized coax. I tried one. Pulled on the connector after soldering it together and it had zero strain-relief for the cable being pulled on, and it ripped apart. (Well, the center conductor held on as long as it could). I wouldn't use those for anything. Wayne W9AE replies: I've soldered dozens of "two piece" N connectors in the last 10 years. I've NEVER had a connector pull off, but I also haven't tried pulling on the connector with all my strength. The connectors have survived years in the elements, including cables hanging vertically from my mast-mounted preamps, supported only by the connector. I mostly use flexible 9913 or LMR400UF, and just clip a few strands of the center conductor to get it to fit in the connector. Has anybody measured what kind of degradation that would cause at 450 MHz or 1.2 GHz? Wayne Estes W9AE Oakland, Oregon, USA, CN83ik

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Re: Where can I buy pre-made feedline?
by Edward Cole 06 Dec '07

06 Dec '07

This advice is only for the FT-847 (now out of production): I installed flange-mount sma connectors to break out both 2m & 70cm receiver antenna inputs separate from the Tx. No more blown preamps! Ed - KL7UW At 03:48 PM 12/6/2007, Dave Guimont wrote: > >I use a male VHF to female N adapter. Do not remember where I got it, but > >it was one of the mail order houses. If you really do not want to use a VHF > >connector for 144, I would prefer the adapter over changing the socket on my > >910. I prefer to stick with the different connectors as a guard against Mr. > >Murphy, but sometimes that is impossible. > >Gene, > >The adapter is of no use to avoid the impedance "bump". It would be >the same thing as using a 259 to begin with, and forget the adapter. > >I'll say it again, Changing to an "N" on the radio is "gilding the >lily", but for max performance saving every fraction of a db is >heading in the right direction... > > > > 73, Dave, WB6LLO > dguimon1(a)san.rr.com > > Disagree: I learn.... > > Pulling for P3E... > >_______________________________________________ >Sent via AMSAT-BB(a)amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. >Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! >Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb 73, Ed - KL7UW ====================================== BP40IQ 50-MHz - 10-GHz www.kl7uw.com 144-EME: FT-847, mgf-1801, 4x-xpol-20, 185w DUBUS Magazine USA Rep dubususa(a)hotmail.com ======================================

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cable assemblies
by Patrick McGrane 06 Dec '07

06 Dec '07

go to: http://www.radio-ware.com/ 73, pat

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Wanted: 70 cm helix design
by Andrew Rich 06 Dec '07

06 Dec '07

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Andrew Rich VK4TEC vk4tec(a)people.net.au http://www.tech-software.net

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vx-3r, vr-120d
by Kevin Chudy 06 Dec '07

06 Dec '07

After working APRS on the satellites, I'd like to work the fm voice sats, AO-27 and AO-51. I'll be constructing an arrow style or eggbeater antenna. I have 2m ht's, but my th-79a does not go down far enough to receive these satellites. I am thinking about using two rigs, does anybody have any satellite experience with either the Yaesu VX-3R or VR-120D? Thank you, Kevin N2JPE ____________________________________________________________________________________ Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page. http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs

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Re: Where can I buy pre-made feedline?
by John Mock KD6PAG 06 Dec '07

06 Dec '07

> I would've like to use N connectors, but the equipment has PL-259, and > I don't want the losses from an adapter. Because of the reputation of PL-259 connectors above 2 meters, i doubt you will find commercially made feedline with high quality coax and PL-259 connectors. But unless you can completely keep water out of your fancy coax (or even 9913), after a modest number of years, it may end up having worse loss than RG-8... And the popular wisdom is that even N-connectors are hard enough to make water tight. Here's a compromise: Use N-connectors outside, where you NEED things to be weather-resistant, and use whatever-matches-your-radio inside. The only problem with that is you'll probably have to make this feedline yourself, or maybe find someone locally who can do it for you. By the way, a satellite radio having PL-259 for 2 meters and N-connector for 70 cm may not be such a bad thing; it makes it harder to plug in the wrong antennas. Nonetheless, you might also think about which is likely to have greater losses at 70cm and above, a homemade PL-259 plug or an adapter to an N-connector. 73's and good luck! -- KD6PAG P.S. N-connectors and PL-259's share this characteristic: Some people swear by them and other people swear at them...

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San Antonio Radio Fiesta
by Bruce 06 Dec '07

06 Dec '07

Mahana, W5BTS, and I will be at the San Antonio Radio Club 2008 Amateur Radio Fiesta (their hamfest) on Saturday, January 12, 2008. I will be on UHF/VHF satellites giving demos from 8am-2pm. We will also have an AMSAT table setup. Look forward to working everyone from Schertz, Texas 78154 Grid EN31 73...bruce -- Bruce Paige, KK5DO AMSAT Director Contests and Awards ARRL Awards Manager (WAS, 5BWAS, VUCC), VE Houston AMSAT Net - Wed 0200z on W0KIE new satellite soon. Also streaming MP3 at http://www.amsatnet.com Latest satellite news on the ARRL Audio News http://www.arrl.org

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AO-7 log *NOT* correct.
by John Hackett 06 Dec '07

06 Dec '07

Please be aware that the N1DID AO-7 log will now no longer show the correct results. An example ... 4th December orbit 51254 JH3XCU/1 claimed 32 points ... from 915 contacts (no QSO's) to 947 contacts (no QSO's) for a single pass. One station logged a QSO, claimed the points but logged the transponder as being OFF ... (which it couldn't have been if he made a QSO through it). Such entries make a mockery of the object of the log. Also - LA2QAA no longer edits the entries. 73 John. <la2qaa(a)amsat.org>

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[Moon-net] [amsat -bb] Request for online sources of antenna modeling stuff
by Glenda F. Andre 05 Dec '07

05 Dec '07

"Does your wife's prof know you are doing the leg work for her homework for her? :^)= - Dr. MEgacycle KK6MC/5" Yes, he does. STeve is the client, I am the consultant. The object of the assignment is the actual modeling and the paper that results from it, not were the data or even the formulas came from. It is how I apply them. He has sent me a couple of links, himself. (And he is also a Ham, which helps.) :-) I want to extend my thanks to all that have responded. I was having real problems coming up with anything other than links on how to optimize NEC-2 or EZNEC. -- glenda http://www.n8kpl.net ------------------------------------------------- This mail sent through IMP: http://horde.org/imp/

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ISS passes just above Vega
by Greg Beat 05 Dec '07

05 Dec '07

It seems all the great astronomy in the Midwest (USA) is sometimes the coldest days of the year -- single digits (F) tonight. :-) Tonight (Wednesday evening, Dec. 5) at 6:10 PM CST, the International Space Station (ISS) made a visible pass (Chicago area) and as it arced across the sky -- it passed just above the star Vega -- and then went into eclipse a couple of minutes later ! The Space Shuttle Atlantis is scheduled to join it tomorrow evening for "the chase" ! Greg w9gb

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