Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site cbnap.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!cbdkc1!cbnap!gws From: gws@cbnap.UUCP (Gary W. Sanders (N8EMR)) Newsgroups: net.ham-radio Subject: (LONG) fun-n-games (LONG) Message-ID: <45@cbnap.UUCP> Date: Thu, 22-Aug-85 12:29:37 EDT Article-I.D.: cbnap.45 Posted: Thu Aug 22 12:29:37 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 24-Aug-85 17:20:31 EDT Distribution: net Organization: AT&T Bell Labs Columbus,Ohio Lines: 136 6/84 GEARVAKf News (Where the "f" is silent) In this issue-- SCIENTISTS SAY 2 METER BAND MAY BLOW UP RICHARD NIXON SEEKS WHITE HOUSE POST ADDING A "MAGIC EYE" TUNING TUBE TO THE TS-920S FCC LAUNCHES CALLSIGN STUDY TWO METER BAND EXPLOSION IMMINENT SCIENTISTS SAY 2 METER BAND MAY BLOW UP Scientists at the international Academy of Amateur Radio in Blue Bank, Sunderland, held a news conference today to reveal the results of a study which shows that the amateur radio two-meter band is on the verge of a violent explosion. The impending catastrophe was announced by Dr. Flaubert L'Spigot, Acad president. "Eet eez a beeg dangair zat zee two meetair band weel blowing up in zee face of zose who using eet," said Dr. L'Spigot. The good doctor's remarks were interpreted for the press by the Academy's press secratary, Ms. Pamela Sue Teton. "What Dr. L'Spigot said was that the two meter band might blow up soon," said Ms. Teton. When asked what Dr. L'Spigot meant by his statement, Ms. Teton explained that she did not have the faintest idea. At this point, all reporters know is that there is a possibility that the two meter band may blow up soon, but only those who understand some sort of foreign language know when or why. For more information be sure to stay tuned to this newsletter. RICHARD NIXON SEEKS WHITE HOUSE POST At a clandestine hideout meeting last Wednesday, an unnamed sorce told GEARVAKf Bulletin reporters that former President Richard M. Nixon is looking for a White House post to make his retirement years more meaningful. The post he would like to have, says the unnamed sorce, is one of those that holds up the roof on the North Portico at the White House. President Nixon wants the post to use in the redecoration of his New York condominium apartment. CONSTRUCTION ARTICLE -ADDING A "MAGIC EYE" TUNING TUBE TO THE TS-930 As most owners know, the Kenwood TS-930 is a fine rig with the exception that the built in S-meter is poor in appearance and awckward to use. With little difficulty, however, the S-Meter can be replaced by a sophisticated, green "magic eye" tuning tube as used in Gonset Communicators in years past. The electrical changes are simple. The existing S-Meter can be removed with a pry-bar or wood chisel. The front panel opening is then enlarged with a rat-tail file, and the "magic eye" tube is fixed in place with white "medical" adhesive tape. Use tinsnips to cut an empty Sucrets can to form a new bezel. Paint it grey for a professional appearance. The filimant transformer for the 6E5 tuning tube can be obtained from any junk TV set and mounted on the top cover of the transciever, 2 1/4 inches in from the right rear corner. -N4GG- FCC LAUNCHES CALLSIGN STUDY Mr. Knurled F. Lywheel, spokesperson for the computer operations at the FCC, yesterday announced the start of a three-month study into new callsign allocations for the Amateur Radio Service. "Following the trend of the past few years," he said, "we will be changin?rall callsigns into a format that makes it easier for the FCC computer." (A Univac model 1-A) The study will determine if binary, hexadecimal or machin? language callsigns will be easiest. A typical Callsign like W1ABC will be changed to 1011000010110, 6A33EBO, or !??X-@ depending on the system finally selected. -N4GG- TWO METER BAND EXPLOSION IMMINENT According to observations made at the GEARVAKf Scientific Studies Committee's Mt. St. Lishnus Observatory at Mt. Idy, Ohio, the two meter amateur band is in grave danger of violent destruction due to radio frequency overpressure. Said Studies Committee Charip'son, Dr. Arvuell U. Harnishe, Co-disoverer of the Harnish-Lishnus Effect, "It seems to me that the 2 meter band is on the verge of going ka-boom!" Dr. Harnishe explained that the build-up of radio frequency over- pressure has been going on for a long time, particularly since the marketing of supersenitive two meter recievers incorporated in the thousands of 2 meter transcievers sold. "What apparently is happening," said Dr. Harnishe, "is that the new recievers are not taking very much RF energy out of the 2 meter band because they don't require much signal to produce good readability at the speaker. "That being the case," he went on, "an excess amount of RF has been building up on the two meter band for many years due to the new, more sensitive recievers. Although the RF levels have been building up, Dr. Harnishe believes that there was plenty of rroom on the band to accomidate the excess RF due to a certain degree of elastmgity in the band. Elso, he pointed out that there has been a certain amount of leakage on the band which has acted as a saftey valve, until now. "What triggered the crisis ," Harnishe said, "were two events: first was the launch of OSCAR 10, which poured a great deal of downlink energy onto two meters for up to six hours per day without let up. The second was the W5LFL operation from the spacecraft Columbia. During the Space shuttle mission, so much RF was pumped into the two meter band by hams wanting to QSO with Owen that the band was stretch beyond it's elastic limit." According to Dr. Harnishe's Scientific Studies Committee Study Team, the two meter band began to show strech marks on the shuttles 79th pass. By the time the mission ended, the danger of expolsion was only averted by the cooling effect of frigid weather which overtook the country at the time. Even though two meter activity has returned to normal, the danger still exists because the newest crop of recievers are still more sensitive and require almost no RF in order to make a signal audible. That could cause a greater buildup of RF pressure on the band until it expoldes. Said Dr. Harnishe, "An explosion of the band will cause widespread damage to all adjacent VHF frequencies and might irreparably damage two meters for all time. The only remedy for this crisis," he said, "is either to short circuit two meters to ground-- something we haven't figured out how to do, yet--or get everybody to o listen on two meters, preferably with very old recievers, and not transmit for at least six months." Noting that in some areas of the country this practice has been given a successful try, Dr. Harnishe is advocating that repeater groups in all big cities, particularly in and around Los Angeles, give the no-transmit idea a try. -WB7TGQ- -- test of sig file