> Hi, Jeff;
Howdy!
 >  II> Sorry if I'm a little sour on RatShack tonight, I bought
 >  II> something today, (a HTX-404, Cat. No. 10-1140, on close-out
 >  II> that I COULD NOT afford), that has more damn functions in those
 >  JE> I've got one of those - it's not -that- bad 
 > (It just SEEMED that way.)   :-}
Did to me, too - that little keypad is SOOooo close!
NOTHING like working on a Gates BC-1!  };->
 > Unfortunately, the way the durn book is written, you have to go to
 > page 21, then 14, the 23 then 17 to get instructions on how
 > to program all those memories...  (Ok, not quite, but they COULD have
 > put it in some kind of logical order!)
Don't cut 'em no slack, woman!  It IS that damn bad!
 > So I am in the process of re-writing the manual so things that are
 > connected are described in the sequence that they are done, instead
 > of having to skip around.  Also, every time one of the secondary
 > functions, like CA, PR, M-SET, etc are referenced, I indicate the
 > primary label, (0-9, A-D) so I don't have to sit there and search the
 > keypad for 10 minutes every time I want to change something.
Go for it!  At least make it make sense to you!
 > I think that manual was written by a genius for geniuses... nobody
 > else can understand it.  
I just got something on the 'net about Engineers... lemme see if I can find 
it, and then put it in here... awww... that systems shut down.
I'll find it later, and post it.
 > PLease don't think I'm some dummy that crawled out of
 > the woods... I
I know you've held (and like the rest of us) and are bitching about the lack 
of what we fondly referred to as the First Class Phone ticket... that doesn't 
exist anymore :-(
 > was a Ham for about 15 years, on HF, 2M and 440.  I made the
 > mistake of letting my license, (Tech) expire about 10 years ago,
What was your call then?
 > have been on the technical staffs of several broadcast stations,
 > including as the Chief Engineer of an FM station
my dad was Chief engineer for one of the (then) local AM stations, and it's 
subsequent "sister" station on FM. Later, went to KONO (one of the final 
homes of da Wolfman!) and it's FM station was KITY.  Yup, I was borned/rasied 
around that stuff... you ain't telling me nuttin' I don't already know.  And, 
you ain't raggin on me...  Been there, done that, got the migrain!
 >  II> PS: I just had a contact on 446.000 simplex, so something
 >  II> works.  :-}
 > (Arranged on 146.52)
Still, it worked ;-)
 >  JE> Ah!  (grin)  Time for a 440 J-pole, I see  };->
 > Tayn Fawr, gaud buddy, yau gawt THAYT raht!  
***THWACK***  };->
 >  JE> Actually, the 2m j-pole -should- work alright (better than the dummy
 >  JE> load...  er, Rubber duck that came with the radio...)
 > Heh heh... I know what you mean... I tried plugging it into the 2M
 > J-pole and it DID help!  Didn't bother to take an SWR reading
 > though.   :-}
Let me know what you come up with, on an SWR reading, when you take one, ok?
 > That little 440, (fed 12V from the shack 112 VDC supply), and
 > without it's battery pack, hangs very nicely, at just the right
 > angle, from the RG-8 2M J-pole coax that sticks out from the front
 > of my desk.
Careful with the little BNC connector on those rigs... had to re-solder a few 
of 'em in my time, from haning the radio by the coax.  Eventually, the 
plastic will fatigue, get loose in the winter, while being swelled all 
summer, in the heat, etc... the little "star" washer they put under the jam 
nut flattens out, after the first time you tighten it down.
 > I am currently collecting information to build a 440 MHz
 > coaxial, probably about 10-12 sections, using either RG-8 or
 > RG-58.
Probably would be best fed with RG-8, or even RG-213 (velocity factor of .88 
or better) but don't see why you couldn't use RG-58 as the actual coaxial 
antenna.
 > Speaking of Mir, does anyone have a sat tracker pgm
 > that will run under DOS that I could get a copy of?
You get my netmail?
   73 = Best Regards
   -Jeff KA5THB
   ka5thb@bigfoot.com
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